May 11-15

A roundup of the week's top stories

Ştefan Stoica, 16.05.2026, 14:00

Allied summit in Bucharest

The Bucharest 9 (B9) and Nordic allies remain steadfast in their condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In a joint declaration signed Wednesday in Bucharest, co-chaired by Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Polish President Karol Nawrocki, leaders called for a just and lasting peace rooted in international law and backed by “solid and credible” security guarantees. The summit underscored a shared commitment to bolstering defense across NATO’s Eastern Flank, creating a strategic thread from the Black Sea to the Baltic and up into the Arctic.

The leaders expressed their resolve to build “NATO 3.0″ by fostering a stronger Europe within a more powerful Alliance, noting that the transatlantic bond remains the “backbone” of collective security. President Dan highlighted three key priorities: meeting military spending commitments, converting those funds into ready-to-use capabilities, and balancing contributions between European members and the USA. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed that the Eastern Flank must be defended against Russia’s long-term threat, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to ensure Russia can no longer dominate or destabilize its neighbors.

Romanian-Polish relations…

On the eve of the B9 summit, Presidents Nicușor Dan and Karol Nawrocki met to discuss strengthening military cooperation within both NATO and the EU. Dan described Poland as a vital strategic partner for Romania, while Nawrocki characterized Warsaw and Bucharest as the two most critical hubs of strategic responsibility on the Eastern Flank.

…and Romanian-Moldovan ties

Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan reaffirmed the Romanian government’s unwavering support for Moldova’s EU accession during a meeting in Bucharest with Igor Grosu, the President of the Moldovan Parliament. The Prime Minister praised what he described as the “excellent dynamics” of their partnership, rooted in shared language, history and culture. Igor Grosu thanked Romania for its multifaceted support and stressed the importance of launching formal accession negotiations as soon as possible.

Economic contraction, rising Inflation and EU funds

Romania’s economy dipped by 1.7% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, and 0.2% compared to the previous quarter. With two consecutive quarters of decline, the country has officially entered a technical recession. Adding to the gloom, inflation surged to 10.71% in April, driven by spikes in electricity, rent, fuel and coffee prices. However, there is a silver lining: Romania’s fourth payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), totaling €2.62 billion, was approved without any financial penalties. Implementation of the plan has now surpassed the 60% mark, covering major reforms in forest management, decarbonization and tax codes.

Another week of government limbo

While President Nicușor Dan has been holding informal talks with political leaders to resolve the current crisis, official consultations for the creation of a new government won’t begin until Monday, May 18. This comes nearly two weeks after Ilie Bolojan’s Cabinet was ousted by a no-confidence motion.

A stable majority remains elusive. PNL and USR have agreed to coordinate but have ruled out working with PSD, who recently teamed up with the ultra-nationalist AUR party to topple the government.

For their part, the Social Democrats claim they won’t govern with AUR, and AUR says they aren’t interested in governing anyway.

Notably, the President seems to have sidelined AUR in favor of what he calls a “pro-Western government”, a specific choice of phrasing that has many wondering why he has swapped the standard “pro-European” label. Talk of a technocrat Prime Minister leading a political cabinet has also surfaced, though past experiments with this model have met with little success.

Age is just a number

Romanian tennis veteran Sorana Cîrstea saw her impressive run end Thursday, falling to the tenacious Coco Gauff of the USA in the semifinals of the Italian Open in Rome.

“Ambitions and dreams have no expiration date”, Sorana remarked earlier in the week after defeating Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. Aged 36, Cîrstea has proven that age is indeed just a number. Reuters noted that she is playing some of the most impressive tennis of her career in what is her farewell season. Her path to the semifinals was a “giant-slaying” one, featuring stunning victories over world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and world number 13 Linda Noskova of Czechia. (VP)