Radio Free Europe in Romania to Shut Down as US-Funded Media Scales Back

Radio Free Europe in Romania, which is financed by the US Congress, is preparing to end its operations. According to Romanian media reports, the outlet will officially cease work on March 31. The same reports indicate that the Bulgarian-language service is also expected to close in the near future.

The move follows earlier closures within the network. The Hungarian service was shut down in November 2025, a decision that coincided with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to the White House.

The Romanian edition currently employs around 20 people and is the successor to the original Radio Free Europe broadcasts that operated in Romania during the communist period and continued until 2008, when the country became a member of the European Union.

After a decade-long absence, Radio Free Europe resumed its presence in Romania in 2018, amid growing concerns about disinformation. Since then, the outlet has published a number of high-profile investigations and reports. By October 2025, it had become one of the most frequently cited media sources in the country, according to local coverage.

The closure comes against the backdrop of broader reductions affecting US-funded international media. In March 2025, US President Donald Trump ordered a sharp downsizing of the activities of the US Agency for Global Media. The agency oversees public broadcasters that operate in dozens of languages and are aimed exclusively at foreign audiences, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, as recalled by BTA.