November 9, 2026

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 09.11.2026, 13:55

Talks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is travelling to Bucharest today for talks with President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu. She will be discussing European defence and security with the Romanian president, with a particular focus on security in the Black Sea region. Other topics include European competitiveness, with reference to the current energy situation, the enlargement of the European Union, specifically Romania’s support for the Republic of Moldova, and the negotiations for the EU’s new multiannual financial framework. Ursula von der Leyen will later meet Prime Minister Luca Niculescu. According to the European Commission, the visit to Bucharest is part of a broader tour of the Black Sea region, prompted by recent Russian drone attacks on commercial vessels near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria. On Tuesday, after Bucharest, Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Bulgaria for talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Varna. The final leg of her tour will take her to Turkey on Wednesday, where she will attend the United Nations COP 31 conference on climate change.

Children. Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said today in Bucharest that violence against children must be prevented and combated through closer collaboration between institutions and the involvement of society as a whole. He also pointed out that violence among children and teenagers often only comes to public attention after a tragedy has occurred. According to a study cited by the Prime Minister, approximately 600,000 children in Romania have experienced some form of violence over the past year. These remarks were made at the closing conference of a project focused on responding to violence against children, an initiative carried out in collaboration with UNICEF Romania, the European Commission, and partners from Poland.

ECOFIN. Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare is today attending a new meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and a meeting of the Eurogroup in an inclusive format held in Brussels. According to a statement from the finance ministry in Bucharest, Alexandru Nazare’s participation aims to support Romania’s economic interests in negotiations on the European fiscal framework, the reduction of administrative burdens and the efficient use of available resources for investment and development. Within the Eurogroup in an inclusive format, the Romanian minister will join his counterparts from EU member states for talks on defence funding. The debates will focus on the efficient use of public resources and the opportunities presented by joint procurement. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be attend the talks, the statement also notes.

Krakow attack. The attacker who killed six people on Saturday in the center of Krakow in an unprecedented mass shooting in Poland has died in the hospital, the police announced this morning. The young man, believed to have been influenced by far-right ideology, drove his car at high speed into the city’s central square and began firing indiscriminately at people with a semi-automatic weapon. Another 15 people, including five foreign tourists, were wounded. Three more bodies, those of the attacker’s parents and sister, were discovered at his home. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that investigators also found numerous weapons. Poland was already on high alert following a series of knife attacks last month, which the Prime Minister attributed to a “cult of violence” fueled by social media. The tragedy in Krakow has prompted a strong response from across Europe. In Bucharest, President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu have conveyed messages of solidarity with the Polish people.

Energy. Energy Minister Dumitru Chisăliţă is expected to present a detailed report this week on how to make better use of Romania’s energy mix, which is considered a regional strategic advantage. The document was requested by Prime Minister Luca Niculescu, against the backdrop of a decline in domestic production this year and rising prices in the sector. The new government plan will facilitate the adoption of measures to prioritise the financing of energy storage capacities and the acceleration of strategic projects. Meanwhile, Unit 2 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant was also restarted today, following the restart of the plant’s Reactor 1 at the end of the week. (CM)