The Week in Review
A selection of the main stories in Romania this week.
Corina Cristea, 25.07.2026, 14:00
Everyone is unhappy about the new salary law.
The week began in Romania with a warning strike in the public healthcare system: for two hours, medical activity was reduced to one-third capacity in over 400 healthcare facilities, with only emergency services being maintained. The Sanitas Federation, which organised the protest, emphasised that their main grievances are about the new salary law, which healthcare workers want to be fair and equitable, as well as the protection of their income and respect for their work. At the same time, healthcare union members warned that, without a solution, they are ready to go on an indefinite general strike from July 28.
Meanwhile, the Bucharest Court of Appeal accepted a request by Sanitas and ordered the suspension of the procedure to adopt the salary bill on grounds that an interim government cannot propose legislation. The unified salary bill is the most difficult measure for political parties to reach a consensus on. It may be put to a vote in Parliament during a potential extraordinary session early next month, according to interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who explained that discussions regarding the document’s final version are still ongoing.
Failure to adopt the bill by the end of August would see Romania lose 770 million euros worth of European funding, Bolojan added. He noted that other draft laws linked to milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, accounting for several billion euros, will be discussed during Parliament’s extraordinary session next week.
Naval accidents in the Black Sea
Two naval incidents occurred this week in the Black Sea, within Romania’s exclusive economic zone. The first took place on Monday night, when an oil tanker sailing under the Liberian flag and carrying some 3,800 tons of liquefied petroleum gas bound for Ukraine sustained major damage in an explosion caused by drone strikes, according to the crew. The 17 sailors on board, including Filipino, Georgian, Turkish and Indian nationals, called for help and were rescued by Romanian vessels. Three people suffered burns, and one of them died on Thursday.
“State institutions are on alert and will clarify the circumstances, causes, and responsibilities regarding this serious incident, which is most likely part of the Russian Federation’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine,” said Romania’s president Nicușor Dan. The vessel was anchored and left to burn, with a safety perimeter established around it. Additionally, a tugboat was dispatched to the area to ensure the ship did not drift and posed no further threat to navigational safety.
A second naval incident occurred on Thursday night, when a commercial vessel sailing under the Liberian flag that carried coal and was also headed for Ukraine was damaged after hitting a maritime drone or a sea mine. The crew did not request evacuation, and the ship was able to continue sailing to the shores for technical inspections and repairs.
Romania is part of NATO’s new investment programme
Over the following years, NATO will invest 27 billion euros to develop infrastructure along the Eastern Flank, including in Romania, which is set to receive over two billion euros. The funds will be used to modernise storage facilities, distribution networks and fuel pipelines. The aim is to ensure that NATO troops can be deployed, supplied, and sustained quickly in the event of a crisis or conflict.
This decision is significant for Romania, given its location on NATO’s Eastern Flank and the Black Sea, a region considered strategic following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Port of Constanța, the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase and military transport infrastructure are part of NATO’s broader efforts to ensure quick movement of forces and equipment eastwards, hence the focus on fuel infrastructure.
In Bucharest, president Nicușor Dan welcomed the North Atlantic Council’s decision to finance the project out of NATO’s common budget, accounting for the biggest investment of its kind in the Alliance’s history, and said it comes after more than five years of negotiations, reflecting lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which highlighted the crucial role played by logistics infrastructure in ensuring collective defence.
The offshore platform for Neptun Deep has been installed
A key milestone in the development of Romania’s biggest natural gas project has been achieved, as state-owned Romgaz and the largest integrated energy producer in Southeast Europe, OMV Petrom, have finalised the installation of the Neptun Deep offshore production platform in the Black Sea.
“Neptun Deep is a strategic project for Romania that will contribute to the country’s energy security and reduce dependence on imports,” said the CEO of OMV Petrom Christina Verchere. “In addition 6 of the 10 development wells and the installation of the 160 km pipeline connecting to the shore have been completed,” the statement notes. “Project development continues with the installation of interfield subsea pipelines and umblilicals to connect all the offshore elements, to be followed by rigorous testing to prepare for the start of production on plan for 2027.”
“The Neptun Deep project successively marks major milestones that will contribute to Romania’s energy security. The installation of the Neptun Alpha offshore production platform was carried out to the highest safety standards, following the completion of the offshore main gas pipeline installation,” added Romgaz CEO Răzvan Popescu. The platform is fully automated and can be operated remotely.
