August 3, 2026

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 03.08.2026, 13:55

Danube. The rock located near the Bala branch of the Danube was removed using 180 kilograms of explosives, the Romanian Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruţă, has announced, adding that the aim of this measure was to restore the balance of the Danube’s flow. According to the minister, regardless of the ultimate consequences for the Cernavodă power station (in the south-east), the removal of this rock was necessary both for navigation and for the dredging of the Old Danube. On Monday, the Romanian authorities resumed emergency operations on the Danube to increase the river’s flow towards the Cernavodă power station, in an attempt to keep Unit 2 – the only nuclear reactor currently in operation – running. Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and experts from the Ministry of Energy are meeting with representatives of major industrial consumers to discuss possible measures for a voluntary reduction in energy consumption throughout August, while the energy alert remains in force. 

NRRP. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan has announced that he will sign into law this week the key pieces of legislation under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which were approved by Parliament during the extraordinary session that concluded on Friday. As of today, parliament has been convened for a new extraordinary session, during which it is expected that further laws will be adopted to ensure the fulfilment of commitments made by the Romanian authorities under the NRRP. On the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies will be the new bill on the integrity of public officials, as well as other legislative initiatives. The Senate’s agenda includes the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation 2026–2030, a draft bill that incorporates the content of the government decision withdrawn a few days ago. At the same time, the amendments to integrity legislation are set to be debated again after failing to secure the necessary majority in the final vote, due to the controversy caused by an amendment tabled by the Social Democrats, which was strongly opposed by representatives of the USR and some of the Liberals. Of the draft laws with a deadline of the end of this month as milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the only one remaining is the pay bill, for which an agreed form that has the support of a majority in Parliament has not yet been identified.

Rating. The financial rating agency Fitch has maintained Romania’s sovereign rating at BBB- with a negative outlook, the lowest investment-grade rating, meaning that Romania has narrowly avoided being downgraded to ‘junk’ status, which is reserved for countries considered high-risk. The agency warns that any failure of fiscal consolidation measures could lead to a downgrade. The report highlights the risks arising from political uncertainty, one of Fitch’s main causes for concern. The document also mentions vulnerabilities linked to the current account deficit. Furthermore, Fitch notes that the maintenance of the rating was supported by inflows of European funds.

Baccalaureate. The second session of this year’s Romanian high-school graduation examinations  begins today with the oral exam in Romanian. Over 33,000 candidates have registered for this exam, comprising those who did not pass the June–July session, as well as those retaking exams in subjects they failed in previous years. According to the timetable announced by the Ministry of Education, the assessment of candidates’ skills will continue throughout this week. The final results will be published on 24 August, once appeals have been resolved. In the first session of the Baccalaureate, 77 per cent of candidates passed.

Film. The film “Kontinental ’25”, directed by Radu Jude, will represent Romania at the 5th edition of the “Films by Our Neighbours” / Kino Susidiv International Film Festival, taking place from 5 to 9 August in Uzhhorod (Ukraine). The Romanian Cultural Institute is supporting this Romanian production’s participation in the festival, which promotes the cinema of Ukraine’s neighbouring countries and brings together films from Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria. As part of this year’s edition, “Kontinental ’25” will have three special screenings organised in Uzhhorod, Lviv and Chernivtsi. Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, Radu Jude’s latest feature film tells the story of Orsolya, a bailiff from Cluj-Napoca facing the dramatic consequences of an eviction. The film offers a reflection on the housing crisis, the transformations of post-socialist society and the rise of nationalism.

Rowing. Romania won four gold medals on Sunday at the European Rowing Championships in Varese, Italy. In the men’s eight-plus-one, Romania (Claudiu Neamţu, Mateus-Simion Cozminciuc, Mugurel Vasile Semciuc, Andrei Mândrilă, Constantin Adam, Sergiu Vasile Bejan, Florin Arteni, Fabrizio-Alexandru Scripcariu, Rucsandra-Ioana Bucşa) won with a time of 05:25.95, followed by Germany (05:28.85) and Italy (05:31.74). In the women’s race, Romania (Cristina Drugă, Geanina Dumitriţa Juncănariu, Ancuţa Bodnar, Maria Lehaci, Maria Magdalena Rusu, Amalia Chelaru, Adriana Adam, Simona Radiş, Victoria Ştefania Petreanu) won with a time of 05 min 56 sec 14/100, followed by Great Britain (06:01.57) and Italy (06:03.65). In the mixed double sculls, Marian Florian Enache and Iulia-Liliana Bălăucă triumphed with a time of 06 min 27 sec 87/100, followed by Germany (06:28.86) and Italy (06:30.41). In the mixed eight-plus-one event, Romania (Maria Magdalena Rusu, Maria Lehaci, Ancuţa Bodnar, Amalia Chelaru, Andrei Vatamaniuc, Leontin Nuţescu, Ştefan Constantin Berariu, Florin Sorin Lehaci, Victoria Ştefania Petreanu) won in 5 minutes 41.90 seconds, followed by Germany (5:46.93) and Denmark (5:51.52). The day before, the Romanian rowers had won another four medals: two gold, one silver and one bronze. Romania topped the continental medal table with six gold, one silver and one bronze, followed by Germany (5-6-1), Great Britain (5-1-0), Italy (2-2-5) etc.

Weather. In Romania, the National Meteorological Administration (ANM) has extended the heatwave warning and alert for exceptionally high temperatures, valid across the whole country, until Friday morning. There will be a heatwave and severe thermal discomfort, and the heat index (HI) will reach and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Maximum temperatures will range between 28 and 33 degrees on the coast, and around 40 degrees in the Western Plain. Nights will be tropical, with minimum temperatures of 20–26 degrees on the coast, in the western regions, and in limited areas elsewhere, and from Wednesday night into Thursday across most of the country. On Monday, the Ministry of Health announced the activation of contingency plans for the heatwave. These measures include putting ambulance crews on high alert and increasing their numbers in areas where the number of calls is rising. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is calling for checks on the provision of medical care in healthcare facilities, including stocks of emergency medicines, particularly those intended for heatwave-related conditions. (MI)