July 25, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 25.06.2026, 13:55
SOLIDARITY – The Romanian Orthodox Church expresses its solidarity with Venezuelans and with the Romanians living in Venezuela, who were affected by the major earthquakes on Wednesday evening. The quakes occurred almost simultaneously and resulted in deaths, injuries, and massive material damage. The first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.2, and it was followed 39 seconds later by a second one, measuring 7.5. The two quakes had different epicenters and depths. Twenty aftershocks were recorded afterward. (…) The earthquakes was felt to the west as far as the Colombian capital, Bogotá, more than 1,400 km away, and to the east a tsunami alert was issued for several islands in the Caribbean Sea.
RUSSIA – Romania’s ambassador to Moscow, Cristian Istrate, has been summoned to the headquarters of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson Maria Zakharova has announced today, as quoted by Interfax. She has stated that the Romanian diplomat will be informed about the retaliatory measures regarding the closure of the Russian Consulate General in Constanța, in southeastern Romania. At the end of May, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced the closure of the Consulate and declared the Russian consul persona non grata. The decision followed an incident on the night of May 29, when a drone crashed into a residential building in the Danube city of Galați and exploded, causing a fire. Two people were injured. On that occasion, the president said that full responsibility for the incident lies with Russia, which is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, Romania’s neighbor. At the same time, the Russian ambassador to Bucharest was summoned to Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
SUMMIT – Romanian President Nicușor Dan is taking part today in Gdańsk, Poland, in the second meeting of the Eastern Flank Summit (the Helsinki Format). The meeting focuses on coordination among EU member states located in Russia’s immediate neighborhood, with the goal of implementing the Readiness 2030 Plan and other European instruments aimed at strengthening the Union’s defense capabilities. Nicușor Dan will present to the European leaders gathered in Gdańsk Romania’s efforts to reinforce its defense and deterrence capacities. He will also propose close coordination in the negotiations on the EU’s future multiannual financial framework, in order to secure increased resources for defense and security. In this context, as a sign of high appreciation for his exceptional merits in strengthening and deepening Romanian‑Polish relations, as well as for his essential contribution to promoting democratic values in Eastern Europe, President Nicușor Dan awarded the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross to former Polish President Lech Wałęsa.
GOVERNMENT – Romanian President Nicușor Dan is accelerating negotiations to form a new government, after two failed prime‑minister designations and nearly two months of political crisis. The head of state announced that on Friday he will hold new talks with the leaders of the parliamentary parties considered pro‑European, with the intention of appointing a prime minister as soon as possible. In the meantime, party calculations and strategies seem to complicate the path toward a new executive. The idea of a minority government is accepted in principle, but the name of the prime minister and the conditions for supporting the future cabinet divide the political scene. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) has announced that it is willing to take responsibility for a minority government but wants full autonomy over the governing program. The National Liberal Party (PNL) is setting economic conditions, while the Save Romania Union (USR) proposes a rotation in power until the 2028 legislative elections: first, a minority government formed by PNL, USR, and UDMR, followed by a minority government led by PSD.
DEFENSE – Romania’s interim Defence Minister, Radu Miruță, announced that on Thursday a contract worth more than 2 billion euros was signed for the acquisition of integrated SHORAD–VSHORAD systems designed to protect against close‑range air threats. According to the minister, such a system operates as a defensive “shield” that detects and destroys aerial threats before they reach the protected target. He explained that this capability is essential because threats no longer come only from airplanes or helicopters, but also from drones, small rockets, or low‑flying aircraft, targets that are difficult for large, long‑range systems to intercept.
US – In Bucharest, the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the United States of America was celebrated on Wednesday, ahead of the date, during a reception hosted by Ambassador Darryl Nirenberg. On this occasion, the American official spoke about the strategic partnership between the United States and Romania, built on shared values. For his part, President Nicușor Dan emphasized that Romania will remain unwavering alongside the United States in defending freedom and democracy. Interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan thanked the American troops who, together with Romanian forces, contribute to the country’s security and to the safety of its citizens.
WEATHER – Europe continues to be affected by a heatwave, with France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, and Denmark among the countries experiencing unusually high temperatures for this time of year. In Romania, meteorologists have extended the heat and severe thermal discomfort alert until Monday morning. There will be heatwave conditions on Friday in the west and northwest, on Saturday also in the center and south, and on Sunday across the entire country. The temperature–humidity index (THI) will reach and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units in lowland areas, and later also in hilly regions. Daytime maximum temperatures will generally range between 30 and 39 degrees Celsius, while the nights from Saturday to Sunday and from Sunday to Monday will be tropical, with temperatures of up to 25 degrees. The heatwave is expected to persist into the first days of July. (EE)
