The Week in Review 09-13.02.2026
The main events of the past week in Romania
Corina Cristea, 14.02.2026, 14:00
The Romanian President Attended the Informal European Council Meeting
The Romanian President Nicușor Dan attended the informal European Council meeting in Belgium on Thursday. European heads of state and government discussed strategies to revive the European Union economy – a Union that is committed to rapidly boosting its economic competitiveness to face China and the United States. Everyone agrees that Europe is not moving fast enough, President Dan said after the meeting. Strengthening the Single Market and increasing EU competitiveness were the main solutions on the table, from this perspective, the meeting’s agenda including topics such as strengthening European industry and building the EU’s strategic autonomy, reducing bureaucracy and national barriers, simplifying legislation, as well as encouraging investment and innovation. President Dan highlighted Romania’s priorities which include reducing energy prices and sharing competitiveness funds equally at Union level. The Romanian president supports the need to simplify administrative procedures for businesses, which would facilitate increased investment and the expansion of Romanian companies on European markets, and advocates for longer transition periods for the implementation of environmental policies, so that they should be sustainable and should not negatively affect the economy.
The Romanian Defense Minister in Brussels
The Romanian Defense Minister, Radu Miruţă, also traveled to Belgium this week – on Wednesday he participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting and on Thursday in a meeting with his counterparts from the NATO member states, during which Romania presented the target of 2.7% of the GDP for military spending. During the first meeting, the European defense ministers gave the final vote on rearmament programs for eight member states. Romania received the second largest funding from the Union under the SAFE Program, worth 16.7 billion euros. The money will go to defense, production, development and acquisitions, as well as to objectives such as highways, which can be used by both the army and civilians. On the same day that the final vote on the SAFE programs was held in Brussels, Hanwha Aerospace Romania began the construction of a factory in Petreşti, in the south of the country, that will produce K-9 self-propelled howitzers and K-10 ammunition resupply vehicles. The facility is the South Korean company’s first production platform in Europe and will be the pillar of the long-term strategic partnership with Bucharest, said its president, Jae Il-Son. The project supports Romania’s ambition to become a European defense manufacturing hub and contributes to the broader security objectives of NATO and the EU.
The European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection in Bucharest
The Romanian Justice Minister, Radu Marinescu, met on Thursday with Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection. The dialogue focused on recent developments at national level, in particular regarding the judicial system, the streamlining of the justice system and the intensification of efforts to prevent and combat corruption. The Justice Minister welcomed the recent initiatives of the European Commission aimed at strengthening democracy in the EU, such as the European Shield for Democracy and the EU Strategy for Civil Society, saying that they contribute to the development of stronger, more transparent and more resilient democracies at Union level. The European Commissioner appreciated the active involvement of the Ministry of Justice in the annual Rule of Law exercise and conveyed assurances regarding the continuation of loyal and constructive cooperation with national authorities, with a view to strengthening the rule of law and the fundamental values of the Union.
The Romanian Foreign Minister in London
Romania believes in a more competitive Europe and, in this regard, supports solid partnerships with the United Kingdom, said the Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu during a meeting in London with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, Yvette Cooper. Boosting economic cooperation with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – one of Romania’s most valuable strategic partners – was a priority for Minister Ţoiu during the discussions held in the United Kingdom. The two-day working visit reconfirmed Romania’s firm commitment to dialogue, cooperation and solid partnerships, in an international context marked by security challenges and significant geopolitical transformations, shows a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Meetings with members of the Interparliamentary Group for Romania and with representatives of the Romanian community in London, as well as a visit to Oxford University, where the Romanian Language Lectorate operates, were on the agenda of the visit to London.
Multinational exercise “Dynamic Front 26”
The largest multinational exercise in Europe, with artillery from the United States Army, took place this week at the Cincu range in central Romania. Structures from Romania, Poland and France also took part in the activities at Cincu, with the aim of testing NATO regional plans. The multinational exercise “Dynamic Front 26” was scheduled to take place simultaneously in several allied states and is considered a major test of how NATO forces can act in a coordinated manner on the eastern flank, in a complex security scenario, characterized by the need for a rapid and integrated response. Romanian and Polish HIMARS launchers, as well as self-propelled howitzers deployed in Romania within the multinational battle group, participated in the shooting exercise at Cincu. (LS)
