August 3, 2026 UPDATE

The latest news from RRI

Newsroom, 03.08.2026, 20:00

Danube flow – The rock located near the Bala branch of the Danube was removed using 180 kilograms of explosives, Romania’s acting Minister of National Defense, Radu Miruţă, announced on Monday, noting that the measure was intended to restore the Danube’s flow balance. According to the minister, regardless of the ultimate consequences for the Cernavodă power plant (in the southeast), the removal of this rock was necessary for both navigation and dredging of the Old Danube. On Monday, the Romanian authorities resumed emergency operations on the Danube to increase the river’s flow toward the Cernavodă power plant, in an effort to keep Unit 2, the only operational nuclear reactor, running. Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced new measures to ensure the necessary electricity supply amid the crisis caused by the prolonged drought and the extended heat wave. A meeting was held Monday at the government headquarters with major industrial energy consumers, who agreed, depending on the nature of their operations, to conserve energy, especially in the evening when consumption peaks. Ilie Bolojan also announced that, in the coming days, the interim government will adopt a law that will allow the state to reduce electricity supply to certain consumers.

PNRR – The Romanian President Nicuşor Dan announced that he would sign into law this week the key pieces of legislation under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) that were approved by Parliament during the extraordinary session that concluded on Friday. Starting Monday, Parliament has been convened for a new extraordinary session, during which other laws are expected to be adopted to ensure the fulfillment of commitments made by Romanian authorities through the PNRR. On Monday, the Chamber of Deputies, as the first chamber to consider the bill, adopted the legislative proposal to amend and supplement certain laws regarding integrity in public service. The bill now goes to the Senate, which is the decision-making body. On the Senate’s agenda is the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation 2026–2030, a bill that incorporates the content of the government decision withdrawn a few days ago. At the same time, amendments to integrity legislation are expected to be debated again after failing to secure the necessary majority in the final vote, due to controversies sparked by an amendment proposed by the Social Democrats, which was strongly opposed by USR representatives and some Liberals. Among the bills with a deadline at the end of this month as milestones in the PNRR, remains the salary law; an agreed-upon version of this bill that has the support of a majority in Parliament has not yet been identified.

Heat wave – In Romania, the National Meteorological Administration has extended the heat wave and extremely high temperature advisory, valid nationwide, through Friday morning. There will be a heat wave and severe thermal discomfort, and the heat index will reach and exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. A code red alert for heat will be in effect from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning in the western and northwestern parts of the country, where the high will reach 41 degrees Celsius. For the same period, a code orange alert for heat has been issued for the northeast and the western half of Romania, and a yellow warning for the rest of the country. Nights will be tropical, with lows of 20–26 degrees C along the Black Sea coast, in 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 heat wave. Among the measures are alerting and reinforcing ambulance crews in areas where the number of calls is rising. At the same time, the Ministry is calling for an assessment of medical care provisions in healthcare facilities, including stocks of emergency medications, particularly those intended for heat-related conditions.

Congress – From August 3 to 7, Romania will host, at the Palace of Parliament, the World Congress of Syriac Studies and the International Conference on Christian Arabic Studies, the first such events to be held in Eastern Europe. The two events will bring together over 500 researchers from 38 countries and 176 prestigious universities, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge. Over the course of five days, participants will address topics such as Syriac literature, biblical manuscripts, Eastern Christian traditions, Arab Christian theology, canon law, and the cultural heritage of the Middle East. The event will conclude with a debate on the protection of Christian heritage and a closing ceremony.

Electoral Authority – The Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania (AEP) announces that the total number of eligible voters registered in the Electoral Register as of July 31 is 19,031,458, an increase of 3,725 compared to June 30, 2026, when 19,027,733 Romanian voters were listed. Of the total number of Romanian voters registered in the Electoral Register, 17,979,417 have their domicile or residence in the country, while 1,052,041 have their domicile abroad and hold a passport. The Electoral Register is a national computerized system for recording and updating the identification data of Romanian citizens eligible to vote, as well as information regarding their assignment to polling stations.

Immunity – The EU General Court rejected MEP Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă’s request to suspend the decision by which the European Parliament partially lifted her parliamentary immunity. The court ruled that the legal conditions for temporarily suspending the enforcement of the Parliament’s decision pending the outcome of the annulment proceedings were not met and dismissed the MEP’s request. The main case, in which the MEP seeks the annulment of the European Parliament’s decision to partially lift her immunity, will be considered separately and remains pending. Diana Şoşoacă has already been indicted in the case in which she is accused of detaining and assaulting three Italian journalists. She also faces another criminal case in which she is accused of spreading Legionary propaganda. (LS)