June 2, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 02.06.2026, 13:55
Corruption. The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, has been placed under criminal investigation by the National Anticorruption Directorate, the military department, in a case in which he is accused of complicity to usurpation of office. Prosecutors say the head of the Romanian Army used his influence to secure the increase in number of non-paying student places at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, so that 20 candidates no longer had to pay tuition fees, three of whom were to join the defence ministry after graduation. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest said that the National Anticorruption Directorate is carrying out specific checks as part of an ongoing investigation. General Gheorghiţă Vlad cannot make additional comments in order not to influence the ongoing procedures, but the institution is fully cooperating with the competent authorities, the defence ministry said.
UN. More than 56 countries, mainly members of the European Union and NATO, denounced Russia’s “unacceptable” behavior at the United Nations on Monday after a drone crashed into a building in Galaţi, southern Romania, last week. At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council requested by Romania, acting foreign minister Oana Ţoiu said, in the context of the Galaţi incident, that Romania has a “joint responsibility not just to draw a line, but to make sure we do not move that line”. shared responsibility to draw a line and not allow it to be moved”. She said that since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Russian drones have repeatedly entered the airspace of Romania and of other partners in Central and Eastern Europe and are a direct consequence of Russia’s escalation tactics. On Sunday, President Nicuşor Dan announced that the drone that crashed in Galaţi was a Geran-2 type, of Russian origin.
Protest. In Romania, court clerks and prosecutors will partially suspend their work between June 2 and 5, between 8:00 and 12:00 am, in protest against the provisions of the new salary bill. The National Union of the Dicasterial Judicial Registry announced that it will cut its public opening hours and within certain periods will cease its activity entirely, with only urgent cases provided for by law to be resolved. The protest action was decided after an extraordinary general meeting of union members, amid dissatisfaction with the way the salary bill treats auxiliary personnel in the judicial system. Other public sector unions are also dissatisfied with the unitary salary law. Consultations between the government and unions continue.
Film. The film Fjord, directed by Romanian film-maker Cristian Mungiu and winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, will be screened in preview in Romania on June 13, in approximately 90 cinemas in 52 different cities. The leading roles are played by Romanian-American actor Sebastian Stan and Norwegian star Renate Reinsve. The director spoke of the underfunding of cinema in Romania and the fact that more money is needed to equip cinemas and cultural centres across the country. On May 23, Cristian Mungiu won the second Palme d’Or of his career, becoming the tenth director in history to achieve this feat, joining filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Emir Kusturica, the Dardenne brothers and Michael Haneke. Cristian Mungiu previously also won the Cannes award for best screenplay in 2012 for Beyond the Hills and for best director in 2016 for Graduation.
Tennis. Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (world number 18) will face Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, world number 8, in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. On her last season as a professional player, Cîrstea achieved the best ranking of her career and reached the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the second time, after 2009. France Presse notes that this will be a duel between generations, with Cîrstea aged 36 and Andreeva aged 19. In their only match so far, Andreeva defeated Cîrstea in April, at the WTA 500 tournament in Linz (Austria), which she won a few days later.
Football. The Romanian national football team will face Georgia in Tbilisi today in the first of two friendly matches scheduled for the beginning of the month. In the second, Romania will play Wales on June 6 in Bucharest. The match against Georgia is the first with the former international player Gheorghe Hagi as manager. This is his second run as manager of the national side. In his first, Romania failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, after losing a play-off match against Slovenia. (CM)
