August 2, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 02.08.2026, 13:55
ALERT Romania is facing one of the worst drought periods in recent years, with the Danube water flow dropping to almost 3 times below the multi-annual average for the month, close to its all-time low, according to the Romanian Waters Agency. Authorities are taking emergency measures to keep the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in operation, as the Danube water flow is extremely low and experts warn the nuclear power plant can barely operate for another 4-5 days. Electricity demand is on the rise due to the high temperatures, and Transelectrica expects a peak of around 7,800 megawatts next week. The government has declared a nation-wide state of alert for the month of August, because of the fall in the electricity output entailed by the drought. The caretaker PM Ilie Bolojan announced he had talks with Ukraine’s deputy PM and minister of energy, Denys Shmyhal, about support for Romania in high electricity demand periods. Bucharest is also discussing with partners in Bulgaria and Greece to increase imports. Ilie Bolojan added that all national production facilities were requested to work at full capacity so as to preserve the balance in the national energy system. He also called for voluntary electricity saving, especially in the evening.
WEATHER Meteorologists have issued several extreme heat warnings valid until Tuesday morning. A red code warning will be in effect in western and northwestern Romania, where the heatwave will last for a third consecutive day. The highs will reach 40 degrees Celsius, with a temperature-humidity index (ITU) above the critical 80-unit threshold. An orange code warning has also been issued for the north and west of the country, with highs of 38 degrees Celsius, while a yellow code warning will be in place in the northeast, east, centre and southwest. Elsewhere in the country, the weather remains hot, with increasing thermal discomfort and highs between 27 and 40 degrees Celsius.
PARLIAMENT The Chamber of Deputies will convene in a new extraordinary session between August 3 and 6, the Standing Bureau decided. The agenda will include a new bill on the integrity of civil servants and legislation already endorsed by the Senate, as the first chamber notified. According to the schedule, Deputies will work in committees on Monday, and then debate and vote on the draft laws in a plenary meeting. On Tuesday and Thursday, they will work only in committees, and on Wednesday a plenary meeting with a final vote is scheduled. Senators will also convene in an extraordinary session next week. The Senate is to discuss and vote on other draft laws related to the milestones undertaken in the national recovery and resilience facility.
ROMA HOLOCAUST On National Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (Samudaripen) the foreign ministry pays tribute today to the memory of the Roma Holocaust victims. On August 2, 1944, 82 years ago, around 3,000 Roma at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp were killed by the Nazi regime. Over 500,000 Roma were killed in Europe during World War II. The foreign ministry supports national and international initiatives to promote education, research and commemoration of the Roma genocide. The institution also voices concern over the proliferation of hate speech against members of the Roma community, especially online, and reaffirms the need to fight discrimination and extremist actions of an ethnic or racial nature. The Roma are the largest ethnic minority group in Europe. Of the approximately 12 million Roma people in Europe, around 6 million are EU citizens or residents. Many Roma in the EU are still victims of prejudice and social exclusion, despite clear regulations on discrimination in all EU member states, according to the European Commission.
RATING The CFA Romania head Adrian Codirlaşu believes that Romania narrowly avoided a downgrade in its country rating, and the Fitch report indicates a worsening of the economic outlook. He argues the decision to keep the rating in place was possible because the government proved it can keep public spending in check, but warns that the lack of reforms, the risk of losing EU funds and a possible return to high deficits keep the economy in a vulnerable situation. President Nicuşor Dan welcomed the Fitch Agency report, which reconfirms Romania’s financial stability. The agency announced it maintains Romania’s sovereign rating at BBB-, with a negative outlook. Citing the deterioration of public finances, political uncertainty and risks regarding the implementation of reforms, Fitch warns, however, that without further fiscal consolidation measures, there is a significant risk of the rating being downgraded to “junk”. The financial rating agency estimates that in 2026 the budget deficit will be 5.9% of GDP, and economic growth will be 0.6%. On August 7, Moody’s is also scheduled to release its rating report for Romania. (AMP)
