September 17, 2026 UPDATE
The latest news from RRI
Newsroom, 17.09.2026, 20:00
Consultations – The Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan has been appointed by Romania’s President Nicuşor Dan to form a new government in Bucharest. The Liberal MEP, who is the joint nominee of the PNL, USR, and UDMR for the position of prime minister, has accepted the nomination. The Romanian president’s announcement comes after he held further consultations on Thursday with representatives of the parliamentary parties to select a candidate for prime minister. Social Democratic leader Sorin Grindeanu said he was surprised and disappointed by the president’s proposal. In an initial reaction following the nomination, he said it was difficult to understand what arguments Nicuşor Dan had for choosing someone who, just a few days ago, “was fiercely campaigning in Brussels against his own country to cut European funds.” Grindeanu announced that he had convened a meeting of the PSD’s National Standing Bureau for Monday, during which this proposal will be carefully reviewed. He emphasized that, unlike other parties, the Social Democrats understand that political struggle must end where the country’s interests begin. Currently, the PNL, USR, and UDMR do not have enough votes in Parliament for the Mureşan government to be sworn in, and they will most likely be forced to negotiate with the PSD, or even with the nationalist opposition represented by the AUR. We recall that the Romanian government led by Liberal Ilie Bolojan, made up of the PNL, USR, and UDMR, was dismissed in May through a motion of no confidence initiated by the PSD (a former governing partner) and the AUR. Since then, two nominees put forward by President Nicuşor Dan for the position of prime minister have failed to secure enough votes to be confirmed.
Eurostat – According to Eurostat, Romania’s industrial output recorded the second-largest decline in the European Union, after Bulgaria. In July, Romania’s industrial production was 6.3% lower than in July of the previous year, while the country south of the Danube saw a 6.8% drop. For Romania, the data show year-on-year declines of 1.9% in February, 2.5% in March, 3.3% in April, 5.4% in May, and 5.5% in June. Romania is followed by Belgium, which experienced a 5.6% contraction. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Netherlands, with an 8.2% increase in industrial output over the year, followed by Croatia (+7%) and Lithuania (+6.5%). Denmark, Finland, Hungary, and Poland also recorded growth exceeding 4%. However, Germany’s industrial sector contracted by 2.2%, and France’s by 0.7%. Across the European bloc as a whole, industrial production rose by 0.3%.
Bucharest Days – Bucharest Days will be celebrated this weekend, marking 567 years since the capital’s first documented mention. The organizers have prepared concerts, performances, video mapping projections, guided tours, and exhibitions. On Saturday evening, the facade of the Palace of Parliament, the second-largest administrative building in the world, will serve as a screen for works combining digital art, music, and technology as part of the 11th edition of IMAPP Bucharest. On Sunday, the program includes a piano and violin recital under the Arch of Triumph, which can be visited for free, a music and dance performance at the Military Club, and an event featuring Bucharest songs from the period 1919–1939. The Bucharest City Hall can also be visited for free as part of guided tours. Calea Victoriei, an iconic thoroughfare, will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians.
High Court of Cassation and Justice – The High Court of Cassation and Justice has once again postponed, until October 8, its decision in the case it won in the first instance against the government and the Ministry of Finance regarding the non-payment of outstanding salary entitlements to judges, which arose as a result of retroactive increases established by court rulings. The case is currently in the appeals phase, after the Bucharest Court of Appeals upheld the Supreme Court’s action on May 5 and ordered the government to pay these entitlements. The Court of Appeals also ruled at that time that the government and the Ministry of Finance must enforce the decision within 10 days of the court’s ruling becoming final, with penalties of 1% for each day of delay, as well as a fine of 20% of the national minimum gross salary.
Festival – From September 21 to 27, Bucharest will host the 11th edition of an international festival dedicated to the intangible cultural heritage, traditional sports and games, intercultural dialogue, and the transmission of living traditions to new generations. For seven days, the capital will become a meeting place for delegations from over 40 countries. One of the highlights of this year’s festival will be the international tournaments and workshops dedicated to traditional sports and games, seven of which are part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage. There will also be a conference and two large-scale intercultural seminars, bringing together researchers and specialists in the field of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as well as the preservation and transmission of living traditions. These will be complemented by a cultural parade featuring the famous Ottoman Fanfare, equestrian performances, and workshops on traditional cuisine and crafts. (LS)
