Romania 

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Latest news on Romania, covering politics, the economy, Bucharest, EU and NATO affairs, business, travel, culture and breaking stories across the country.

Romania is the largest country in south-eastern Europe, home to around 19 million people and a member of the European Union and NATO. Its capital, Bucharest, is one of the EU's biggest cities, while Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași and the Black Sea port of Constanța anchor its diverse regions. The country joined the Schengen area as a full member in 2025, removing land border checks with its EU neighbours.

Romanian politics has entered a turbulent period, marked by contested elections, fragile coalition governments and the rise of nationalist and far-right movements. Successive administrations have pursued tax rises and spending cuts to rein in one of the EU's largest budget deficits, fuelling public anger over inflation, energy bills and frozen wages and pensions. Reforms tied to EU recovery funds and a bid for OECD membership remain central to the national agenda.

Sharing a long border with Ukraine, Romania sits on NATO's eastern flank and plays a growing role in Black Sea security. Russian drone incursions into Romanian airspace have heightened tensions and prompted calls for stronger air defences. The country hosts allied forces, is expanding the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base into one of Europe's largest, and maintains close ties with neighbouring Moldova.

Beyond the headlines, Romania draws visitors to Transylvania's castles and fortified churches, the Carpathian Mountains, the painted monasteries of Bucovina and the Danube Delta, a UNESCO-listed wilderness. A large Romanian diaspora across Europe keeps strong ties with home, while festivals such as UNTOLD and Electric Castle have made the country a major destination for music tourism.

Romania's history stretches from Roman Dacia through centuries at the crossroads of empires. Decades of communist rule under Nicolae Ceaușescu ended with the 1989 Revolution, the bloodiest of Eastern Europe's uprisings. NATO accession in 2004 and EU membership in 2007 anchored the country in the West, shaping its politics and economy to this day.

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