July 28, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Radio România Internațional, 28.07.2026, 20:00

Strikes. Hundreds of public hospitals in Romania went on an all-out strike on Tuesday. Negotiations between healthcare trade unions and the relevant ministry are continuing, with no concrete outcome following the first round of talks. In the absence of guarantees that their demands will be met, the SANITAS Federation has announced that the general strike will not be called off. Trade unionists from the Federation are protesting against the draft bill – still under debate – for the new law on a unified pay scale for public sector staff, and are calling for measures to resolve the problems within the healthcare system – the staff shortage, which affects both staff performance and the quality of services provided to patients, as well as the prospect of cuts to certain allowances. The protesters are therefore calling for vacant posts to be filled, better working conditions and a pay law that reflects the responsibility and complexity of work within the healthcare system.

Parliament. On Tuesday, the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest issued a favourable report on the draft bill to approve the SAFE Loan Agreement between the European Union and Romania, worth 16,680,055,394 euros. The draft is due to be debated in the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, the first chamber to consider it, and will then be sent to the Senate, which is the decision-making body. According to the draft, the servicing of the public debt relating to the loan – namely the repayment of the principal, the payment of financing costs, liquidity management costs, administrative costs and other costs associated with the loan – will be covered by the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with the legislation in force.

Drones. Romania considers that Russia bears responsibility for the drones shot down in its national airspace, Acting Foreign Minister Oana Ţoiu stated at a press conference on Tuesday. She added that Romania had taken a ‘clear, firm’ stance, which included summoning the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he was shown fragments of one of the three drones recently shot down in Romanian airspace, as well as the results of the investigation confirming that the drone was Russian. Oana Ţoiu recalled that NATO had reaffirmed its support for Bucharest, as well as the fact that Romania is a state that does not negotiate its borders and does not permit illegal entry into its airspace. We recall that at the end of last week there were three incidents involving drones that illegally entered Romania’s airspace.

Agreement.  The Romanian company Oves Enterprise and Edrone, one of Ukraine’s largest drone manufacturers, have signed a strategic partnership laying the foundation for the joint production of military drones in Cluj-Napoca (north-western Romania). “Europe needs its own production capabilities and Romania must build a genuine industrial role within this ecosystem rather than remaining solely a sales market,” said Oves Enterprise in a press statement issued on Tuesday. In the initial phase, three types of military drone will be manufactured in Cluj-Napoca, namely FPV, interceptor and reconnaissance. The range of products may later be expanded to include up to 27 models. Initial production capacity will be approximately 1,000 units per month, with hopes of increasing this to between 10,000 and 15,000 units monthly.

Visit. On Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan will welcome his counterpart from the Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet republic with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population), Vasile Tofan, to Bucharest. This will be Mr Tofan’s first official visit to Romania since taking office. The agenda for the talks includes ways to accelerate bilateral projects, with a focus on those in the transport and energy sectors, designed to help ensure greater interconnectivity between the two banks of the Prut River and to address current challenges. The two senior officials will also address issues relating to the security situation in the region, against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and the security and economic consequences of this war. Prime Minister Bolojan will reiterate Romania’s firm support for the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU and will discuss specific aspects of assistance and diplomatic and sectoral coordination to advance this process.

Firefighters. Romania has extended the mission of the firefighter contingent deployed to southwestern France by another two weeks to assist French and international teams in extinguishing devastating wildfires and forest fires. According to a government statement, the decision reflects Bucharest’s solidarity with its European partners and its commitment to contributing to emergency management within the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron posted a message on X thanking the Romanian firefighters for their assistance in battling the fires.

Survey. Around 70 per cent of Romanians living abroad for at least seven months a year rule out returning to the country in the coming year, although the majority have already made investments in Romania, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday. The socio-professional profile of Romanians living abroad indicates significant structural stability, with 44 per cent of them in employment and 23 per cent working as managers or entrepreneurs. Romanians in the UK have the most advanced economic profile, with 29 per cent of respondents holding leadership or entrepreneurial roles, 62 per cent having a university degree, and 46 per cent earning over 3,000 euros a month. Over 60 per cent of Romanian citizens in the diaspora say they have invested considerable sums in Romania, either by providing financial support to families who have remained in the country, or in property or small businesses run by relatives. The community in Germany has the highest investment rate: 71 per cent, and the highest level of direct financial support for family: 44 per cent.

Anthem Day. National Anthem Day will be celebrated on Wednesday with military ceremonies taking place at all garrisons across Romania. In Bucharest, the event will take place in Tricolor Square. The programme includes a religious service, a presentation on the meaning and symbolism of the anthem’s lyrics, and a concert performed by the Ministry of Defence’s Representative Band. National Anthem Day was established by law in 1998 and is celebrated every year on 29 July. “Awaken, Romanian!” was composed by Anton Pann, and the lyrics were written by the poet Andrei Mureșanu. (MI)