February 6, 2026 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 06.02.2026, 20:21
COURT Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) has received from Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan a notification concerning the consequences of postponing some rulings regarding the magistrates’ pensions – CCR sources have announced. The Prime Minister earlier cautioned that if the judges are again going to postpone a ruling in this respect, there is a big probability that Romania may lose funds from the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. “The Government has repeatedly tried to resolve an unjust situation, but it has faced a series of postponements from the CCR,” the Prime Minister explains. Bolojan says that in the section related to the magistrates’ pensions, the sum retained to Romania stays around 230 million Euros. The Commission believes this goal hasn’t been achieved yet. The European Commission’s representatives say they will be waiting until February 11, a new assessment deadline set by the CCR, to send the assessment letter to Romania.
ECONOMY On Friday in Bucharest Romania’s government presented to unions and employer associations the measures included in a third fiscal package, for which the Cabinet is to take responsibility before Parliament. The new bills concern economic recovery and the public administration reform, including a bill to ban pensioners from receiving both public sector salaries and pensions at the same time. The finance minister Alexandru Nazare said the economic recovery legislation concerns state aid, tax facilities and incentives for investments. The representatives of trade unions and employers’ associations described the meeting as a good one but they wished it had included other types of measures. The draft budget is to be submitted to Parliament around February 20. The state budget will rely on an estimated deficit of 6.2% of GDP, a 4% inflation rate and a good rate of EU fund absorption, the authorities said.
TOURISM A bill endorsed by the Senate aims to develop the spa sector as a strategic area of the national economy. The draft law includes provisions to support investments in spa infrastructure and facilitate the upgrade and improvement of tourist services. The bill is backed by both power and opposition MPs. Although Romania has approximately one-third of Europe’s natural therapeutic resources that can generate health, jobs and economic development, MPs pointed out that tourism revenues account for a very small share of GDP, about 2.5-2.6%, of which spa tourism provides a mere 10%. The bill goes to the Chamber of Deputies next, which is the decision-making chamber in this case.
OLYMPICS Romania is represented by 29 athletes in nine sports at the 14th Winter Olympic Games, which take place between February 6 and 22 in northern Italy, in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo. The chairman of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR), Mihai Covaliu, believes that only the men’s bobsleigh crew could claim a medal, given that Romania is not, traditionally, a winter sports powerhouse. The sports personalities designated to carry the Olympic torch on the last part of the route ahead of the opening ceremony included the former international player Cristian Chivu (Romania), currently the coach of Internazionale Milano, this season’s leaders of the Italian football championship.
DEFENCE The defence minister Radu Miruţă announces that Romania has signed a procurement agreement for Mistral missiles from France under the EU’s SAFE programme. He mentioned that the purchase was made jointly with several countries, so that the price would be better and the delivery time shorter. The Romanian official also said that Bucharest is preparing to send calls for tenders to eligible companies for the 21 Army procurement projects.
(bill)
