June 3, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 03.06.2026, 19:50

Recommendations. The European Commission on Wednesday adopted the 2026 European Semester Spring Package, stating that Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have taken effective action to tackle their excessive deficits and that no further action is therefore necessary at this stage. The implementation of key reform and investment milestones that Romania was required to finalise by 30 April appears to be largely on track, the European Commission said. Romania has started work on the reform of the public sector remuneration system, and a new salary law is expected to be adopted this summer, according to the European Commission. Progress has also been made with respect to the property tax reform, including the development of the IT system for the automated valuation of properties, the operationalisation of the specialised structure for monitoring public expenditure systems and the reform of corporate financing. In this context, the European Commission recommends Romania to strengthen defence spending and preparedness, take further decisive measures to safeguard the sustainability of public finances, including by fully implementing the pension reform, and to develop and implement a public sector wage reform that leads to fiscal consolidation and boosts tax collection.

EBRD. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has revised downwards its economic growth forecasts for Romanian economy this year, expecting a drop by 0.2%, compared to a 1.2% growth rate forecast in February, according to the Regional Economic Prospects report. In 2027, Romania’s GDP is expected to grow by 1.8%, compared to 2.2% in a previous forecast. According to the EBRD, the growth of the Romanian economy in 2025 was largely in line with that of 2024, although the structure of growth changed – private consumption all but stagnated, government spending decreased, affecting the evolution of the economy, but net exports have increased. Inflation has gone up significantly following the elimination of the electricity price cap and the increase in VAT and excise duties. The government deficit dropped from 9.3% in 2024 to 7.95% in 2025 and is expected to drop to 6.2% in 2026, the EBRD predicts.

Protests. Several thousand union members from the Romanian medical sector protested on Wednesday in front of the Government and Parliament headquarters in Bucharest, dissatisfied with the new unified remuneration bill in the public sector, which they say affects their income. They are demanding the withdrawal of the bill in its current version and the immediate resumption of real negotiations, based on commitments and respect for healthcare and social assistance employees. The Solidaritatea Federation of Trade Unions in the Fiscal Administration also protested in front of the Finance Ministry against the bill. The representative trade union organisations of the personnel involved in the management of European funds accuse the Government that the new bill risks destabilising one of the most important administrative systems of the Romanian state and warn that they are prepared to resort to an all-out strike. Protests against the bill have already been staged by unions from various other sectors.

Solidarity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Wednesday, at a joint press conference in Kyiv with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Ukraine will send groups of anti-drone air defence experts to Romania and the Baltic states to help them protect their territory from incursions by drones used in the Russian-Ukrainian war. 43 states have expressed their support and solidarity with Romania, showing compassion for those affected by the drone incident in Galaţi (southeast), on the evening of May 28, the Romanian foreign ministry said in a statement. Amid attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube, a drone attributed to the Russian Federation violated Romanian airspace and crashed on a block of flats, resulting in the injury of two people and material damage. Following this incident, the Forum for Security Cooperation and the Permanent Council of the OSCE held a special meeting in Vienna on Tuesday, at the request of some member states of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic-Baltic Eight groups. According to the foreign ministry, Romania’s partners firmly condemned Moscow’s aggressive and irresponsible conduct. Bucharest reiterated its firm commitment to continuing multidimensional support for Ukraine, including with a view to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. Romania will also continue to support the use of OSCE instruments to document and hold Russia accountable for the crimes committed against Ukraine. (CM)