June 5, 2026

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 05.06.2026, 13:55

EXPLOSION – An explosion occurred today in the port of Constanța (southeast), shortly after a naval drone was found. According to initial information, there are no victims, the Department for Emergencies reported. The Ministry of Defense stated that the drone self detonated, does not belong to the Romanian Army, and is of the type used in the war in Ukraine. The case is being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Constanța Court of Appeal. President Nicușor Dan described the incident as the second major security event this week on the Romanian coast. He said that the circumstances in which the drone reached the port, as well as any additional risks, are currently being analyzed. As a NATO member state and a country bordering the Black Sea, Romania will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, critical infrastructure, and national interests, the president stated. The explosion of the naval drone in Constanța comes one week after another drone crashed during the night of May 28–29 onto a residential building in Galați (east) and exploded. That drone was a Geran 2 of Russian origin, and a woman and her son were injured in the impact.

GOVERNMENT – The designated Prime Minister of Romania, MEP Eugen Tomac, announced that he will not propose a political formula for his executive team, but exclusively specialists. He is expected to hold discussions with the leaders of PNL, USR and UDMR, parties that have already expressed reservations about a technocratic government. PSD says it is willing to talk, but sets conditions related to the governing program and the resumption of local investments. AUR announced that it will not participate in the session to install a new government. To obtain the vote of confidence, Eugen Tomac needs at least 233 votes in Parliament.

RULING – The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) rejected on Thursday the opposition’s challenge regarding the Government’s emergency ordinance on the law implementing the Action for the Security of Europe program, known as SAFE. The head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery and national coordinator of the program, Mihai Jurca, welcomed the CCR decision and recalled that SAFE is the instrument through which Romania accelerates its military procurement, strengthens its security, and builds industrial capacities that must remain in the country in the long term. However, the emergency ordinance is also the subject of a separate challenge filed with the CCR by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Sorin Grindeanu, who claimed a constitutional legal conflict between the Government and Parliament. He argues that the Government adopted the document after being dismissed through a no confidence vote and no longer had the authority to make such decisions.

ECONOMY – Romania’s economy decreased by 1.2% in gross terms in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2025, and by 1.1% in seasonally adjusted terms, according to provisional data published on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics. The institute revised upward its earlier figures for the first quarter, from a 1.7% GDP decline to the current 1.2%. Recently, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) revised downward its estimates for Romania’s economic performance, now anticipating a 0.2% decrease in Gross Domestic Product in 2026, compared with the 1.2% growth forecast in February. The new estimate appears in the “Regional Economic Prospects” report published by the international financial institution and reflects the deterioration of economic outlook due to weak consumption, high inflation, and the effects of fiscal consolidation measures. For 2027, the EBRD expects a modest recovery of the economy, with growth of 1.8%, although this forecast is also lower than the previous one of 2.2%.

UKRAINE – Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday proposed a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in an open letter, AFP reports. Zelensky added that Ukraine is “ready for a complete ceasefire during negotiations,” in which he believes Europe and the United States must participate. Kyiv has repeatedly proposed an extended ceasefire to facilitate negotiations, but Moscow rejects the idea, arguing that it would allow the Ukrainian army to strengthen its positions, AFP notes. Volodymyr Zelensky can meet Vladimir Putin “at any time” in Moscow, the Kremlin said Thursday in response to the letter from the Ukrainian leader.

SUMMIT – The president of Romania, Nicușor Dan, is taking part today in Montenegro in the European Union – Western Balkans Summit. According to the Presidential Administration, participation in this summit reconfirms Romania’s “firm” support for the accession to the European Union of the entire Western Balkans region, as well as of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and encourages all partners to make full use of the support offered by the EU and the current geopolitical context. President Dan will reiterate that EU enlargement is a strategic investment in the security and prosperity of the entire European continent. However, it is essential that the accession process be based on individual merit, on the rigorous fulfillment of required standards, and on the assumption of a pro European strategic choice by candidate states, including full alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the implementation of restrictive measures against the Russian Federation, the Presidential Administration emphasized. (EE)