July 29, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 29.07.2026, 19:51

Healthcare. Romania’s caretaker government has approved hiring procedures for over 6,850 positions in the public healthcare sector. The decision was made amid all-out strikes in the healthcare system, initiated on Tuesday by the Sanitas Federation in nearly 500 public hospitals across the country. Trade unions are unhappy with the serious staff shortage and with the draft unified salary law, which they claim will reduce the income of healthcare workers. Caretaker prime minister Ilie Bolojan says the strike is based on misinformation related to this bill and promises no incomes will be cut.

Defence. The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday adopted the bill to approve the SAFE loan agreement between the European Union and Romania and worth nearly 17 billion euros of investments in defence and strategic infrastructure. Signed in May, the agreement was passed by the deputies in its original form, without amendments. The bill will next go to the Senate, which will have the final say on the matter. Also on Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies, acting as the decision-making body, passed a bill providing for a temporary and gradual reduction in the excise duty on diesel fuel. The measure will be in force for three months, but may be further extended. Endorsed by all parliamentary groups, it aims to reduce fuel prices at the pump.

Drought. The entire Danube basin is faced with severe drought. In Romania, the water flow is three times lower than the average for this period, and experts say that in early August it will get very close to the all-time low of 1,400 cubic meters per second recorded in 1985. Irrigation restrictions are in force in the area, but water supply to the public is not affected. Due to the extremely low level of the Danube, Unit 1 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant was shut down as a precaution and disconnected from the national energy system on Tuesday. While the state-owned company Nuclearelectrica said it would also conduct a controlled shutdown of the plant’s Reactor 2 on Thursday. A Danube cruise ship with 186 passengers on board ran aground, with the tourists later taken to the Bulgarian port of Vidin while the ship remained stuck in a sandbar on the Romanian shore.

Anthem. Military ceremonies were held on Wednesday in Bucharest and in military units across the country to celebrate the National Anthem Day. In a message on this occasion, president Nicuşor Dan says the anthem has preserved its force as a driver of social cohesion and acts as a common denominator of the Romanian identity, represented by citizens within the borders and by communities in the diaspora. National Anthem Day was proclaimed by law in 1998 and is celebrated every year on July 29. Romania’s anthem, Deşteaptă-te române (Awaken, ye Romanian), written by Anton Pann on lyrics by Andrei Mureşanu, was officially performed for the first time in 1848, in the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea, a landmark in national history to this day.

Earthquake. The president of Romania Nicuşor Dan on Wednesday sent a message of compassion for the victims of the earthquake that hit Japan. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives following the earthquake in Japan. My heartfelt condolences go out to the affected families, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. Romania stands by Japan in these difficult times,” the president said in a social media post. At least 13 persons died after a 7.1 earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday, where authorities are carrying out rescue operations and assessing the extent of the damage caused by collapsed buildings, fires, power outages and transport disruptions.

Wildfires. A new unit of 40 Romanian firefighters left for France today to help fight wildfires. This is the third unit in the mission carried out by Romania within the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Romania has extended its participation in the firefighting support mission in France by two weeks. Until mid-August, Romanian firefighters will be ready to step in, at the request of the French authorities, alongside the other European teams taking part in the mission. (CM)