September 21, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 21.09.2026, 13:55
UN Romania’s president Nicușor Dan had talks with the UN secretary-general António Guterres in New York, while attending the UN General Assembly. The head of state’s agenda also included meetings with the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, and the president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, whom he assured that Romania is prepared to actively participate in the new UN working group focused on curbing anti-Semitism. Additionally, the Romanian president will attend the opening of the “Queen Marie of Romania” junction, marking the centennial of the Romanian sovereign’s historic tour of the US, and will hold bilateral meetings with other heads of state or government, including talks to garner support for Romania’s candidacy to lead the International Organisation of La Francophonie. On Wednesday, Mr. Dan will deliver the national address at the General Assembly plenary meeting, highlighting Romania’s efforts towards a UN reform and the country’s contribution to ensuring peace, security, and a rule-based international order.
PRIME MINISTER The leaders of the Social Democratic Party, the opposition party holding the largest number of parliamentary seats, are deciding today on the party’s official position regarding the nomination of MEP Siegfried Mureșan as Prime Minister designate. He has 10 days to assemble a cabinet, and the parties supporting him (the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) are already working on a draft government programme. The Prime Minister designate announced his intention to keep the current course regarding fiscal responsibility and curbing waste. At the same time, Mureșan said he was open to talks with the Social Democrats, a view recently echoed by USR, given the need to secure a parliamentary majority of 233 votes for the government to be confirmed.
INVESTIGATION Călin Georgescu, the pro-Russian extremist former Romanian presidential candidate, is set to be heard today by the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences (DIICOT) in connection with a fraud investigation. According to DIICOT, he and 2 other individuals are suspected of being part of an organised crime group that operated in a coordinated manner, primarily in Romania but also in Great Britain, to obtain illegal financial gains. The group allegedly received EUR 1 million in exchange for helping a victim secure a EUR 6 million banking loan. Georgescu is under investigation in two other cases, facing charges of far-right propaganda and aiding and abetting attempted actions against constitutional order and spreading fake news.
GERMANY Chancellor Friedrich Merz’ Conservatives (CDU) suffered 2 major regional election defeats at the hands of the far-right and the radical left, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (northeast) and in Berlin. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU failed to meet the 5% threshold for the regional assembly, a first in the state’s history since 1945. The anti-immigration, pro-Russian party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won first place with approx. 38.2% of the vote. In Berlin, Die Linke (25.7%) outperformed the CDU (18.8%), while the AfD also saw a strong surge to 16.3% of the votes. For the CDU, these 2 defeats follow the loss on September 6 in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, an election won by the AfD. These election setbacks have sparked massive speculation regarding the chancellor’s departure, international news agencies report.
VOLLEYBALL Romania’s men’s volleyball team are facing the defending Olympic champions France on Tuesday in the European Championship quarterfinals. On Sunday, Romania defeated Ukraine in straight sets, while France beat Portugal 3-0. Romania and France previously met during the group stage last week in Cluj-Napoca, where Romania won 3-2. This is the second consecutive time the Romanian national team has reached the European Championship quarterfinals. This year’s edition is co-hosted by Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania. (AMP)
