The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs today releases its report on the tenure of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Cătălin Predoiu, covering June 15, 2023, through October 20, 2026, together with the accompanying “Diplomacy and International Cooperation” annex, which documents the Minister’s international engagement.
Key achievements during the Minister’s tenure:
- Full Schengen membership. Internal air and sea border controls were lifted on March 31, 2024, followed by land border controls on January 1, 2025, following unanimous decisions by the Council of the European Union. Irregular migration at Romania’s borders has fallen to its lowest level in five years.
- One emergency response every 16 seconds. Ministry personnel carried out more than 5.3 million emergency and operational responses. In 2026, police units arrived at the scene within ten minutes in 73% of responses to 112 emergency calls.
- Sustained action against organized crime. A total of 405 organized crime groups were dismantled, 3,039 members were brought to trial, and assets worth RON 1.17 billion were seized. Authorities also seized 5.9 metric tons of illicit drugs.
- Stronger emergency response capabilities. Firefighters and SMURD emergency medical teams rescued 51,881 people. The Ministry’s aviation fleet expanded to 41 aircraft, while 1,200 new ambulances entered service.
- A Ministry closer to the people it serves. The number of government services available online increased from 4 to 33, and more than 2.5 million Romanians have already received electronic identity cards.
- Mobilizing financial resources. The Ministry disbursed RON 7.33 billion through more than 400 externally funded projects, including those supported by Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
Diplomacy and International Cooperation. The accompanying annex documents more than 170 official meetings and discussions held by the Minister with counterparts and partners from over 30 countries across five continents. The central diplomatic objective was Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area, achieved through unanimous agreement at a critical window of opportunity that Romania successfully seized.
These diplomatic efforts also delivered tangible results: the establishment of the joint Austrian–Bulgarian–Hungarian–Romanian contingent at the Bulgarian–Turkish border; a memorandum of understanding to establish a Frontex office in Romania; the planned EU Maritime Security Center in the Black Sea region; and a joint investigative unit established in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“These achievements demonstrate that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is stronger today than it was three years ago, and that public safety has become one of Romania’s defining strengths. My gratitude goes first and foremost to the more than 128,000 police officers, gendarmes, firefighters, border police officers, and civilian employees of the Ministry. Every day, their work makes Romania safer,” said Deputy Prime Minister Cătălin Predoiu.
The report also candidly addresses the challenges that remain: personnel shortages, decades-old legislation, and evolving hybrid threats, including those posed by drones. It also outlines projects launched during the Minister’s tenure, together with their respective completion timelines.
Full reports are available here:
