The Week in Review

A look at the main stories making headlines in Romania this week.

Ştefan Stoica, 24.01.2026, 14:00

Calm is reinstated for the moment in Greenland’s waters

Concerned with the US president Donald Trump’s increasingly vocal insistence to acquire Greenland, European Union leaders met urgently at the end of the week to find solutions to counter Trump’s annexationist appetite. The summit, which was also attended by Romanian President Nicușor Dan, was held despite Trump’s announcement in Davos that he would not use force to annex Greenland. Moreover, he abandoned the idea of imposing new customs tariffs on the states that voiced their support for Denmark and the Arctic island. In the run-up to the summit, the Romanian president called for softening the tone and restoring diplomatic dialogue between the transatlantic partners.

European leaders said the relationship with the United States is too important, so they were willing to overcome this tense episode. The President of the European Council, António Costa, said, however, that the bloc expects this strategic ally to behave with the same respect and cordiality as the Union in the future. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, praised the solidarity shown by the Union with Denmark and Greenland. On the other hand, she acknowledged that the Union must focus more on the security of the Arctic region and announced a doubling of investments in Greenland, the possibility to use defence funding to create a European fleet of icebreakers, as well as coordination with NATO to better protect the region.

An invitation worth of careful analysis

President Nicuşor Dan has announced that he has begun an in-depth analysis of the content and implications of joining the Board of Peace Charter, an initiative launched by Donald Trump and to which Romania was also invited. This assessment aims to establish the degree of compatibility of the new initiative with Romania’s existing commitments, especially within the United Nations and the European Union. At the same time, the Romanian authorities will look to identify the best ways in which Romania can contribute to achieving the goal of consolidating peace in the world. Donald Trump on Thursday launched the Board of Peace, which was initially designed to contribute to ending the war in Gaza, but which he now sees as having a broader role, which has led to fears in Europe and beyond that it could rival or undermine the United Nations. Trump, who will chair the council, has invited dozens of world leaders to join, not all of them from democratic regimes. Traditional US allies in Europe, such as Great Britain, France, or the Nordic states, have already declined the invitation to participate in this new body.

Premises for an economic relaunch

Without raising taxes, there is solid basis for recovery this year. The announcement that all Romanians were waiting for came from Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who is generally reserved when it comes to good news. According to the Prime Minister, the government is working on drafting the budget for 2026 on realistic foundations. The deficit target is just over 6% and will be finalised in the coming period. Inflation will fall towards 4%. The objective is to create a budget that boosts recovery and investments, the prime minister emphasised. He explained that over 15 billion euros will come from European funds, through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the cohesion policy, and the money will be channelled into infrastructure, the economy and better public services. At the end of the month, the Government is to take responsibility in Parliament for legislation to restrict state spending in the public administration and support economic recovery, with the state budget to be adopted later. “I know that, right now, the negative effects of the measures to cut the deficit are felt in everyday life. From the coming months, following the recovery measures adopted and a healthier economic basis, Romania’s economy will enter a recovery path,’ Ilie Bolojan pointed out.

Preparations for crisis situations, including war

Romania’s population must be prepared for various crisis situations, such as fires, earthquakes or floods, including supporting a war effort. The statement belongs to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, and was made on Tuesday in Sibiu, at a press conference alongside General Alexus Grynkewich, head of the allied forces in Europe. Vlad added that the Romanian Army is also running training programs alongside the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and announced that Romania will soon have a functional anti-drone system from the United States, which will contribute to the defence of the country’s airspace.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of the United States European Command, General Alexus Grynkewich visited the Multinational Corps South-East in Sibiu, in central Romania, and expressed his deep gratitude for Romania’s commitments to the alliance. He said Russia was discouraged from attacking NATO on the eastern flank due to the level of training of the Romanian Army. He gave assurances that the strategic partnership between Romania and the United States of America is very strong and it will continue, despite the US withdrawing some of its military deployed here.

Poor performances in handball and football

The Romanian men’s handball side left Euro 2026 following three defeats, to one of the host countries, Denmark, and to Portugal and North Macedonia. These poor results sadly confirm that for the Romanian men’s national team, once world champions, merely qualifying for a final tournament is the only achievable goal right now. Things are not better in Romanian football, either as champions FCSB lost 4-1 to the Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb in an away match on Thursday evening, and now only have theoretical chances of advancing to the next stage of the Europa League.