January 22, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 22.01.2026, 19:52
Summit. Romanian President Nicuşor Dan is attending an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in Brussels. European Union heads of state and government are discussing a joint response to US attempts to take control of Greenland. On Wednesday, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Donald Trump called for immediate negotiations for Washington to acquire Greenland, stating that the US is the only power that can guarantee the island’s security. European leaders, however, are calling for respect for the principles of international law, territorial integrity, and national sovereignty, as well as full support and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU is preparing measures to support Greenland through a massive wave of investment to bolster the local economy and infrastructure.
Pensions. The Romanian government discussed on Thursday, in its first reading, the draft law on the aggregation of special pensions and state salaries. It stipulates that persons receiving special pensions and those receiving contributory pensions may work until the age of 70 with the annual consent of their employer. The bill also contains a special provision for persons receiving a service pension or military pension, who may continue to work for the state only on condition that their pension is reduced by 85%. The spokesperson for the Bucharest Executive, Ioana Dogioiu, said that there are exceptions who will receive their full special pension and state salary. These are local elected officials and persons whose term of office is expressly established by the Constitution, as well as military and police personnel who teach at military and law universities. Dogioiu also said that the measure to reduce the special pension by 85% will apply until December 31, 2027.
Romgaz. The Moldovan subsidiary of Romanian state-owned company Romgaz has been granted a gas trading license in the Republic of Moldova. The license is valid for 10 years. Romgaz is the largest producer and operator of natural gas storage in Romania, and its entry into the wholesale natural gas market in the Republic of Moldova coincides with a period of intensified imports from Romania, due to extremely low temperatures. The company aims to cover between 20% and 30% of Moldova’s gas imports, a significant share in a market that is almost completely dependent on imports, with an estimated annual consumption of around one billion cubic meters.
Budget. Following the recovery measures and based on a healthier economic foundation, as of the coming months Romania’s economy will enter a recovery path, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced in a post on social media. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister discussed with the Governor of the Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, Romania’s future draft budget, which is expected to be ready in mid-February, and had a meeting with local officials from all parties on the topic of budget construction, amid the increase in taxes and duties starting January 1. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan wants this year’s budget to be adopted in the second half of next month.
Moldova. The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has stated that there is no majority support in her country for unification with Romania. “At least according to the polls, there is no majority support. We are a democratic country and we strictly follow the decision of our citizens,” Sandu replied to a question about the potential scenario of holding a referendum on reunification. She also said that she had not discussed this topic with European leaders. Maia Sandu added that what she wants most is peace for the Republic of Moldova, and that this can be ensured by joining the European Union and gaining Romania’s protection. The question was asked after the Chisinau leader recently stated that she would vote for reunification with Romania if a referendum were held in the Republic of Moldova.
Ukraine. Ukrainian citizens can acquire citizenship of other countries under a law that came into force on January 16, and the list of these countries is approved by the government in Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest. In response to the spread of articles in the Romanian media that, the diplomatic mission state, have attempted to interpret the content of the law, the Embassy notes that the list includes Canada, Germany, Poland, the United States, and the Czech Republic, where the largest Ukrainian communities in the diaspora are located. The list will be expanded in the future. Previously, the co-ruling Social Democratic Party had asked the institutions with foreign policy responsibilities in Bucharest to urgently clarify with Kyiv the reasons why Romania was omitted from the list of states for which Ukraine regulated the possibility of having dual citizenship, considering the omission to be deeply unfair. We recall that Romanians represent the second largest ethnic minority in the neighboring state. (MI)
