The Week in Review (15-19.06.2026)

Click here for the headline-grabbing events of the past week in Romania

Daniela Budu, 20.06.2026, 14:02

Anti-Drone Support for Romania

President Nicuşor Dan has announced that Portugal and Slovakia have offered to provide anti-drone equipment to Romania. While in Brussels for the meeting of European Union heads of state and government, Nicuşor Dan noted that the two countries are thus joining the United States, France, Italy, and Spain, which had previously made similar announcements. It is also worth noting that, in a resolution adopted Thursday in Strasbourg, the European Parliament condemns drone incursions into EU member states and expresses its solidarity with Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania. Members of the European Parliament assert that violations of European airspace are not isolated incidents, but part of Russia’s broader strategy to intimidate the EU and its allies. The resolution calls for the urgent creation of a genuine European Defense Union and emphasizes that the Eastern Flank of the EU and NATO must be fully strengthened. Returning to Brussels, Romania had a direct interest in a large portion of the items on the agenda. In addition to European defense, particularly that of the Eastern Flank, leaders addressed the issue of opening all negotiation chapters as soon as possible for the accession of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as the Union’s multiannual budget for the period 2028–2034. Regarding the political situation in the country, the president stated that his constitutional powers are limited once he has nominated a prime minister-designate. In this context, he did not explicitly rule out the possibility of support from the AUR MPs for Adrian Veştea’s cabinet and insisted that the key priority was to form a majority capable of approving a pro-Western government.

Political Uncertainty in Romania

Meanwhile, negotiations to form the future government are continuing in Bucharest. The prime minister-designate has postponed the presentation of the governing program and the list of ministerial nominees several times and has stated that he is committed to continuing the dialogue and negotiations with the political parties. In an online message, Adrian Veștea said he would use the time at his disposal responsibly to build a solid agreement on the governing program, one that supports economic recovery, raises the standard of living, and restores budgetary balance. According to political sources, the vote to confirm the future government could take place next week. To be approved, his cabinet must secure 233 votes in favor. So far, it is known that the PNL, UDMR, and USR will not support a cabinet led by the newly designated prime minister. The PSD has not yet made a decision. Party leader Sorin Grindeanu announced that the Social Democrats are expected to make a decision on Sunday, following a thorough analysis of the government’s program and only if they receive guarantees regarding the protection of citizens’ incomes and the continuation of investments. Also on Sunday, during the Extraordinary Congress, the PNL is expected to elect a new leadership and make decisions regarding whether to accept the mandate of the prime minister-designate, who was nominated without consulting the party and without the support of some of his Liberal colleagues. We recall that the PNL–USR–UDMR minority government, led by Liberal leader Ilie Bolojan, was dismissed on May 5 through a no-confidence motion initiated by the PSD, until recently part of the governing coalition, and the AUR.

Protests in Romania

Several thousand Romanian education union members protested on Wednesday in front of the Government and Parliament buildings, expressing their dissatisfaction with the provisions of the salary bill, arguing that these fail to correct the anomalies in the system and condemn teachers to poverty. According to the union members, this bill represents “a flagrant violation of current legislation, a defiance of the commitments made to labor unions, and indisputable proof that the government, the President of Romania, and the political parties are burying education, rather than treating it as the foundation upon which a nation’s future is built.” The trade union federations are calling for the urgent withdrawal of the bill from public debate and the start of genuine and serious negotiations. Customs employees are also dissatisfied with the provisions of the new law on public sector pay, their working conditions, and the failure to respect their professional and wage rights. On Wednesday, they staged a warning strike and announced that they could launch an all-out strike if the authorities do not meet their demands.

Romania’s current account deficit has decreased

Romania’s current account deficit fell by more than 12% in the first four months of the year compared to the same period last year, from over 9.1 billion Euros to less than 8 billion Euros, according to data published by the National Bank. Economists say, however, that the improvement in this indicator does not necessarily reflect a more competitive economy, but rather a slowdown in consumption and economic activity. According to them, transport, IT, and telecommunications services continue to bring a significant surplus to the external balance, and the National Bank’s foreign exchange reserves remain at a comfortable level. What is concerning, however, economists say, is the decline in foreign direct investment by more than 30% compared to last year. It is also worth noting that, according to data published Wednesday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat), Romania had the highest inflation rate in the European Union in May, at 9.7%. Data previously published in Bucharest by the National Institute of Statistics show that the annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 10.85% in May. Furthermore, the National Bank has revised its inflation forecast for the end of this year upward to 5.5%, from the previous estimate of 3.9%. (LS)