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Luca Niculescu calls for the prevention of violence in schools and announces the National Strategy for Combating Violent Extremism: “We must build mechanisms through which every child feels safe, respected, and heard”

Raluca Ioana Draghici

12 November 2026, 08:16

Politics

Luca Niculescu / foto: shutterstock.com

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Prime Minister Luca Niculescu called for measures to prevent and combat violence in schools, during a meeting of the working group established at the Government level. He argued that recent incidents show that the phenomenon cannot be treated as an isolated problem and that the authorities’ intervention should not occur only after serious cases have taken place.

Niculescu advocated for the early identification of risk situations and for mechanisms through which every child can feel safe, respected, and heard. The solutions under consideration include providing security for educational institutions, more active involvement of specialists from social services, and the participation of the local police in identifying risks and responding quickly.

The proposals discussed will form the basis of an integrated plan, with clear responsibilities for the institutions involved and prevention and intervention measures.

At the same time, the prime minister announced that the Government published on Thursday, for public consultation, the National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Violent Extremism. The document aims to strengthen institutions’ capacity and create a sustainable protection framework, including against radicalization processes that may lead to extreme forms of violence.

Context: after the attacks in Bistrița and Pitești, the Government launched several emergency measures for safety in schools

Before the working group’s initiative, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu convened an emergency meeting at Victoria Palace following two violent incidents in Bistrița and Pitești. On Monday, a 13-year-old student from Bistrița attacked a female teacher and a classmate with a knife, while on Thursday, a 15-year-old teenager from Pitești entered a high school with a machete and assaulted classmates. Under these circumstances, Niculescu expressed solidarity with the victims and called for measures to ensure children’s safety.

Meanwhile, President Nicușor Dan described the attacks as “signals that we can no longer afford to ignore” and called for intervention from the earliest indications, the effective enforcement of rules, and access to psychological counseling, including attention to bullying in the online environment. Subsequently, the Government also decided on seven urgent measures (increasing security and surveillance, reviewing security plans and launching a rapid response mechanism, as well as increasing the number of school counselors and training teachers).