Romania is becoming a main pillar of European security: Senate speaker

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Alison Mutler
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U.S. aircraft heading to Romania to enhance NATO collective defense , US -EUCOM
U.S. aircraft heading to Romania to enhance NATO collective defense , US -EUCOM

Romania is becoming one of the main pillars of European security, Senate speaker, Mircea Abrudean said on Friday, after the European Commission’s decision to approve Romania’s application for financing through the SAFE instrument.

Romania’s President Nicusor Dan called the development ‘a major step forward to strengthen our security’ and Premier Ilie Bolojan  said that highways in an underdeveloped region would be financed by the multibillion loan.

Romania is one of eight EU member states that will receive funding.

“Romania is becoming one of the main security pillars of Europe. The European Commission has approved the first wave of funding under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.

“Romania is to receive approximately EUR 17 billion to strengthen the country’s defense capacity, the second largest amount distributed to a member state, after Poland,” Mircea Abrudean wrote in a Facebook post.

He said that the funds will be used to modernize the army and develop the defense industry without placing extra strain on the national budget.

 

Romania’s government has implemented austerity measures to reduce its budget deficit which was    in 2024, the highest in the European Union.

‘We negotiated responsibly. We are modernizing the army, developing the defense industry and increasing citizens’ safety, without putting pressure on the national budget, at a time of major geopolitical risks and a difficult economic context for Romanians,” Abrudean said.

“SAFE is a European instrument with a total value of 150 billion euros, created to support member states to make rapid and important investments in (their) defense industry and technology. Romania will be able to finance projects that will help us develop our own production capacity, increase our capital and our industry’,  Abrudean stressed.

The Government said Thursday that it welcomes the approval by the European Commission of the Application submitted by Romania for financing through the SAFE Program (Security Action for Europe).

“The European Commission has approved Romania’s national defense projects, worth over 16 billion euros, through the SAFE program. Starting in spring, after the signing of the agreement, Romania will be able to access this long-term loan, with reduced interest rates,” said Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan on Thursday.

Among the projects that will benefit from financing are the highways in the lesser developed northeast Moldova region: Pașcani – Suceava – Siret and Pașcani – Iași – Ungheni,”

President Nicușor Dan said Friday that the European Commission’s decision to approve Romania’s application for financing through the SAFE instrument was “very good news,” being a strategic opportunity to accelerate the investments needed in the revitalization of the national defense industry.

What is SAFE?

SAFE (Security Action for Europe) is the EU’s new financial instrument designed to provide financial support to Member States to speed up defense readiness by allowing urgent and major investments in support of the European defense industry, with a focus on closing critical capability gaps, according to the European Commission. It was adopted by the Council of the European Union on May 27, 2025.

The Commission said it will provide up to €150 billion in competitively priced, long-term  loans to EU members requesting financial assistance for investments in defense capabilities. The loans will finance urgent and large-scale procurement efforts, to allow Europe’s defense industry to deliver the necessary equipment when needed.

 

 

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