The Week in Review 16-20.02.2026

The latest headline-grabbing events of the past week in Romania

Roxana Vasile, 21.02.2026, 14:00

President Nicușor Dan at the Board of Peace

President Nicușor Dan represented Romania on Thursday – as an observer country – at the Board of Peace created by US leader Donald Trump. The body is intended to end the war in Gaza and to trigger the process of rebuilding the Palestinian enclave, affected by the war. “Together we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage. They say 3,000 years” declared Donald Trump. At the meeting in Washington, President Nicușor Dan briefly presented what Romania can contribute to this effort. It can increase the number of flights to rescue sick children, who can be treated in Romanian hospitals. It can expand the scholarship program for Palestinian students. It can help with expertise and equipment in the reconstruction of the emergency system – Ambulance or Fire Department, it can rebuild schools in Gaza or help in the reconstruction of institutions such as the police, justice or public administration. Romania – said President Nicușor Dan – has traditionally good relations with both the Israeli and Palestinian people, which is an advantage. Reuters estimates for the reconstruction of Gaza, which was reduced to ruins after two years of war, amount to about 70 billion dollars.

Magistrates’ pension reform, constitutional

The political class led by President Nicuşor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan welcomed, on Wednesday, the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which declared constitutional the Government’s bill to reform magistrates’ pensions. It provides for the gradual increase, to 65 years, of the retirement age of judges and prosecutors, and the amount of their pension can no longer exceed 70% of the net allowance received in the last month of activity. The bill had received a negative opinion from the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the CCR had postponed making a decision on it five times, given that the release of over 230 million Euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) depended on its adoption. After the success registered with the magistrates at the Constitutional Court, the Government now intends to eliminate the other special pensions as well. Prime Minister Bolojan announced that all systems that allow retirement at 50-52 years and a pension equal to the last salary must be corrected. Targeted by the measure are the employees in public institutions in the fields of defense, public order and national security. On the other hand, the Romanian Ministry of Development has put into public debate the draft emergency ordinance targeting another reform – that of the administration. The document provides for a 10% reduction in the number of positions occupied in local public administration and the same percentage in personnel expenses at the central level. According to Minister Cseke Attila, the goal is to have a more flexible and efficient public administration, more decentralization for local public authorities and financial sustainability for them.

Romania is in technical recession

Although Romania’s GDP for the whole of 2025 was 0.6% higher than in 2024, in the 4^th quarter it was 1.9% lower than in the 3^rd quarter, which had also been in the red – according to official data published by the National Institute of Statistics. In economic terms, this means that Romania has entered a technical recession. According to specialists, this does not automatically imply a severe crisis, but indicates that the economy is slowing down, being, therefore, a statistical alarm signal. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that the temporary technical recession is part of the anticipated and inevitable cost of the transition from a model based on deficit and consumption to one supported by investment, productivity, exports and budgetary discipline. The opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) recalled that, in parallel, Romania is facing the highest inflation in Europe. On Wednesday, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) revised its inflation forecast for the end of this year upwards, from 3.7% to 3.9%, and anticipates a value of 2.9% at the end of 2027. Governor Mugur Isărescu stated that, in order to avoid recession, political stability is needed, and the reduction in demand and consumption must be compensated by public investments, especially from European funds.

Severe winter episode

The eastern half of Romania has this week faced one of the most severe winter episodes of this season. After the heavy snowfalls and blizzards that affected the south and southeast of the country on Tuesday, Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov county were under a Code Red alert for heavy snow in the first part of Wednesday, and the Code Orange and Yellow alerts remained in force throughout the day in several counties in the south, southeast and east. In Bucharest, it snowed in a few hours like it hasn’t snowed in over 18 years. The snow layer was almost half a meter. In over 170 localities in 23 counties and in the capital Bucharest, hundreds of trees and dozens of electricity poles fell, over 10,000 homes were left without electricity, and some schools held classes online or had their activities suspended. Passenger trains were canceled and others had long delays. Sections of highways and national roads were partially closed. Flights from Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport were delayed, the Black Sea ports in Constanta were closed, and maneuvers on the Sulina Canal, on the Danube, were suspended.

2026 – The Year of Brancusi

“The Constantin Brâncuşi Year” officially began on Thursday, marking the 150^th anniversary of the sculptor’s birth. Throughout 2026, numerous events have been announced that will reflect the thinking and spiritual legacy of the man considered the father of modern world sculpture. Events will take place both in the country and abroad. (LS)