Radio România Internațional

Tag: Adrian Tutuianu

Die Woche 05.11.-09.11.2018 im Überblick

Prognosen für die rumänische Wirtschaft

Laut der am Donnerstag veröffentlichten Herbstprognose der Europäischen Kommission beginnt die wirtschaftliche Dynamik Rumäniens nachzulassen. Die EU-Exekutive hat die Schätzungen für das Wirtschaftswachstum des Landes in diesem Jahr erheblich, von 4,5% auf 3,6%, gesenkt. Im Jahr 2019 rechnen sie mit einem Anstieg von 3,8% gegenüber 3,9% im Frühjahr, während die Kommission für das Jahr 2020 einen Anstieg von 3,6% voraussieht. Der rumänische Finanzminister Eugen Teodorovici sagte jedoch, dass die Bukarester Exekutive an ihrer Auffassung festhalte, dass das Wachstum 2018 auf dem erwarteten Niveau bei 5,5%, liegen werde. Rumäniens Wirtschaftsboom beruhigt sich, da sich die Wachstumsrate des privaten Konsums verlangsamt und sich der negative Beitrag der Nettoexporte zum Wachstum weiter verschlechtert , erklärt die EU-Exekutive. Diesesagt auch, dass das BIP moderat wachsen werde. Der private Konsum wird nach Ansicht der EU-Exekutive der wichtigste Wachstumsmotor sein. Den am Donnerstag veröffentlichten Zahlen zufolge leistet die Inlandsnachfrage einen Beitrag von 4,2% zum BIP-Wachstum (7,3% im Vorjahr).

Im Jahr 2019 steigt der Beitrag der Inlandsnachfrage leicht auf 4,3% und im Jahr 2020 sinkt er auf 4,1%. In Bezug auf die Inflation revidierte die Kommission die Prognose für 2018 leicht nach oben auf 4,3%, verglichen mit 4,2% im Frühjahr. Die rumänische Nationalbank hielt die Inflationsprognose zum Ende dieses Jahres bei 3,5% und erhöhte leicht die Prognose für das nächste Jahr.

Der Beschluss des Rumänischen Verfassungsgerichts

Das Rumänische Verfassungsgericht hat beschlossen, dass es einen verfassungsrechtlichen Konflikt zwischen dem Parlament und dem Obersten Kassations- und Justizhof gibt. Streitfrage war die Zusammenstellung der 5-Richter-Jurys. Das Verfassungsgericht nahm die Klage der Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă in diesem Sinne an. Der Beschluss verpflichtet den Obersten Gerichtshof die Richterjurys durch die Auslosung aller 5 Richter und nicht nur von vier von diesen zusammenzustellen, wie man bisher laut dem Verfassungsgericht, im Verstoß gegen ein seit 2014 gültiges Gesetz, vorgegangen sei.

Der Vorsitzende des parlamentarischen Sonderausschusses zur Änderung der Justizgesetze Florin Iordache sagt unter anderen, dass im Falle der gerichteten Akten, die Unzufriedenen die Nichtrechtmäßigkeit der Jurys beanstanden können, die in ihrem Fall ein Urteil gefällt haben. Es ist ein neuer kontroverser Beschluss des Verfassungsgerichtshofes, nachdem dieser Präsident Klaus Iohannis verpflichtet hat die Chefin der Antikorruptionsstaatsanwaltschaft Laura Codruţa Kovesi aus ihrem Amt zu entlassen und somit von seinen Befugnissen zu amputieren. Die Konsequenzen des Beschlusses von Mittwoch werden sogar noch ernster sein können, meinen Beobachter. Einerseits ist die Diskussion um die Zusammenstellung der Richterjurys ein Schlag gegen das Prestige und die Glaubwürdigkeit der Richter des Obersten Gerichtshofes. Andererseits wird eine eventuelle Welle von Anfechtungen und Überarbeitungsanträgen der rechtskräftigen Urteile riskieren, die Erfolge in der Korruptionsbekämpfung bloßzustellen.

Auslassungen aus der PSD

Presse und Analytiker haben erneut Recht gehabt: der mächtige Führer der Sozialdemokraten Liviu Dragnea ist nicht die Art von Politiker, der zu viel gezielte, ausdrückliche Kritik gegen seine autoritäre Führungsart der Partei duldet. Am Montag beschloss der Nationale Exekutivrat der Partei mit breiter Mehrheit zwei Parteiprominenten aus der PSD auszuschließen, den Vizevorsitzenden Adrian Ţuţuianu und den Generalsekretären Marian Neacşu. Der Grund seien aber nicht deren Angriffe gegen ihn, sondern vermeintliche schädigende Aktionen gegen die Partei, die die Zügel der Regierung in der Hand hat, sagte Liviu Dragnea. Ţuţuianu, der bisherige Leiter der lokalen Niederlassung im südlichen Dâmboviţa, wurde in einer Sitzung ohne sein Wissen aufgenommen als er sagte, dass die PSD eine Affenpartei ist, wenn sie eine Premierministerin akzeptiert, die Liviu Dragnea aus seiner Tasche holt. Außerdem sagte er, dass das heutige Kabinett eine Tragödie aus Sicht der Qualität ist. Ţuţuianu und Neacşu sind die bekanntesten Namen aus der PSD, die Liviu Dragnea stark angefochten haben. Während der ehemalige Premierminister Mihai Tudose keine öffentliche Reaktion gehabt hat, zeigte sich der derzeitige Vizepremierminister Paul Stănescu an der Seite der beiden. Er sagte, dass deren Ausschluss ein großer Fehler sei.

Der Besuch der rumänischen Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă in Katar und Oman

Die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă hat diese Woche einen offiziellen Besuch in dem Sultanat Oman und Katar unternommen. Am Montag beteiligte sie sich einem einem Wirtschaftsforum in Muskat. Am Dienstag ist die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă in Doha mit seiner Königlichen Hoheit Scheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir des Staates Katar, zusammengekommen. Themen der Gespräche waren die bilaterale wirtschaftliche Kooperation und die Entwicklungen im Bereich der regionalen und internationalen Sicherheit. Dabei hob Emir Al Thani hervor, Katar sei offen für eine intensivere Kooperation mit Rumänien. Ihrerseits bekräftigte Viorica Dăncilă das Engagement der rumänischen Regierung für die Konsolidierung der Beziehungen Rumäniens mit den arabischen Staaten im allgemeinen und sagte, die wirtschaftliche Lage in Rumänien sei stabil und voraussehbar. Rumänien sei daran interessiert, mit Katar in prioritären Bereichen wie Infrastruktur, Gesundheit, Landwirtschaft und Tourismus zu kooperieren, so Dancila. Die Regierung in Bukarest unterstütze die Wiederaufnahme des Dialogs zwischen den Mitgliedsstaaten des Golf-Kooperationsrates. Rumänien, das ab 1. Januar 2019 die EU-Ratspräsidentschaft übernimmt, werde weiterhin den Beziehungen mit den Staaten der Golfregion eine besondere Aufmerksamkeit schenken, und sich für das Finden einer politischen Lösung für die Spannungen zwischen dem Nahen Osten und Nordafrika einsetzen, sagte noch die rumänische Premierministerin. Vorhin hatte Viorica Dancila das südwest-asiatische Sultanat Oman besucht. Der Besuch in der Hauptstadt Muskat war der erste Kontakt zwischen Rumänien und Oman seit Beginn der diplomatischen Beziehungen in 1974. Bei dieser Gelegenheit wurde auch die dortige rumänische Botschaft offiziell eröffnet. Die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă hat am Mittwoch ein Wirtschaftsforum in Doha präsidiert. Dancila hat die bedeutendsten Projekte unsd Geschäftsmöglichkeiten vorgestellt. Sie hob die Absicht der rumänischen behärden hervor, enger mit den Geschäfzsleuten aus Qatar zusammenzuarbeiten. Viorica Dancila ermutigte die Geschäftsleute in Bereichen wie Infrastruktur, Landwirtschaft, Tourismus, Gesundheit zu investieren. Sie unterstrich die geostrategische Lage Rumäniens und das Wirtschaftswachstum Rumäniens. Ebenfalls am Mittwoch kam Dancila mit dem Vorsitzenden der Behörde für Investitionen und mit der Leitung der Stiftung Qatar zusammen. Die Gespräche gingen die Lage der bilateralen Beziehungen an.

10 November 2018
A la Une de le presse roumaine 07.11.2018

Selon Gândul.info, le vice-président
social-démocrate de la Chambre des députés, Florin Iordache, a déclaré que sa famille politique demandait au chef de l’Etat d’assumer un rôle de médiateur, après que celui-ci avait affirmé que la Roumanie aurait été mieux préparée à assurer la présidence tournante de l’Union européenne, s’il n’y avait pas eu de délinquants dans les rangs de sa classe politique. Le problème n’est pas le
Parti social-démocrate, mais son leader, affirme, dans Evenimentul zilei, le député de Dâmboviţa, Adrian
Ţuţuianu, fraîchement exclus des rangs sociaux-démocrates. România libera annonce que
le ministère de la santé de Bucarest a trouvé une solution de crise pour le
traitement des grands brûlés de Roumanie. Selon Adevărul, la municipalité
de Bucarest risque des amendes de plus de 200.000 euros par jour, à cause de la forte pollution de l’air de la ville. Airbus Industrie et l’entreprise roumaine IAR Ghimbav viennent de signer un contrat définitif de
collaboration sur une période de 15 ans, informe Hotnews.ro.

7 November 2018
The exclusion of top Social-Democrat leaders

The media and pundits were once again right: the leader of the Social
Democratic Party, PSD, LiviuDragnea, is not the kind of politician to tolerate
for a long time the sharp criticism brought against his way of leading the party,
perceived as authoritarian. On Monday, the PSD National Executive Committee
decided with a large majority the exclusion of two leaders from the party, Vice-president
Adrian Tutuianu and general secretary Marian Neacsu. However, as LiviuDragnea
said, the reason would not be their attacks against him but alleged actions
harmful to the ruling party:

I hope all the other colleagues will
understand that our goals remain the same and that we should no longer provide
topics of discussion that are not related to the government programme or to
what Romanians wish. Any attack against me does not make me ask my colleagues
in the National Executive Committee to exclude a party member, definitely not.
We do that only when we, most of us that is, note that the red line is crossed;
the red line means actions that seriously impede the party’s stability and the
stability of the government majority.

The two Social-Democrats who were excluded from the party dismissed
the accusations against them as groundless and described the decision of the
National Executive Committee as a public execution, meant to sanction the offense
of freedom of speech. Adrian Tutuianu:

I’ve never aimed to conceal certain things
that don’t work out. I’ve been dissatisfied with the government programme in
general. I’ve had great dissatisfaction with the failure of doing what we
promised people in Dambovita County in these two years of governance. I think
the party is going in a wrong direction. And I also think that the vote on our
exclusion doesn’t necessarily mean that the losers as we are today are wrong.

In a session of the of the Dambovita branch of the PSD that he was
chairing, a session that was recorded without his knowledge, Tutuianu said that
PSD was a party of monkeys if it accepted a prime minister pocketed by
LiviuDragnea and that the present cabinet was a tragedy in terms of quality.
Tutuianu and Neacsu are not the top PSD members who firmly challenged
LiviuDragnea. Whereas the former Prime Minister MihaiTudose did not have a
public response after the meeting of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Prime
Minister Paul Stanescu joined the two excluded leaders saying that their
exclusion was a great mistake. In a press release, the mayor of Bucharest,
Gabriela Firea said that there was no way of acting within PSD under the terror
of exclusion and dissolution. Fear can temporarily maintain a status-quo, but
in no way is it a solution for progress and construction, Firea said. Asked
what could happen to the other objectors, LiviuDragnea answered briefly:
Nothing bad. For now, political analysts added maliciously.

6 November 2018
Excluderi la vârf în PSD

Presa
şi analiştii au avut, încă o dată, dreptate: liderul forte al PSD, Liviu
Dragnea, nu e genul de politician care să tolereze multă vreme criticile,
formulate apăsat, la adresa modului perceput ca autoritar în care conduce
partidul. Luni, Comitetul Executiv Naţional a decis, cu o largă majoritate,
excluderea din PSD a două nume grele, vicepreşedintele Adrian Ţuţuianu şi
secretarul general Marian Neacşu. Motivul nu ar fi, însă, atacurile acestora la
adresa sa ci presupuse acţiuni dăunătoare formaţiunii care deţine frâiele
guvernării, a spus Liviu Dragnea: Sper ca toţi ceilalţi colegi să înţeleagă
că obiectivele noastre rămân aceleaşi şi că nu mai trebuie să furnizăm subiecte
de dezbatere care nu au legătură cu programul de guvernare sau cu ceea ce îşi
doresc românii. Orice atac care se referă la mine nu mă face pe mine să cer
colegilor mei din CEx să fie exclus cineva, categoric nu. Facem asta numai în
momentul în care constatăm, cea mai mare parte dintre noi, că se depăşeşte
linia roşie; linia roşie înseamnă acţiuni care lovesc foarte serios în stabilitatea
partidului şi în stabilitatea majorităţii guvernamentale.

Cei doi
social-democraţi au respins ca nefondate acuzele care li s-au adus şi au
calificat decizia Comitetului Executiv Naţional drept o execuţie publică,
menită să sancţioneze delictul de opinie. Adrian Ţuţuianu: Nu mi-am propus niciodată să
ascund anumite lucruri care nu merg. Am avut nemulţumiri legate de programul de
guvernare în general. Am foarte multe nemulţumiri legate de ceea ce le-am
promis dâmboviţenilor şi nu am reuşit să facem în aceşti doi ani de zile de
guvernare. Cred că partidul se îndreaptă într-o direcţie greşită. Şi mai cred
că un vot nu înseamnă neapărat că cei care au pierdut, cum suntem noi astăzi, nu
au dreptate.

Ţuţuianu este cel care a apreciat, într-o şedinţă a
filialei locale Dâmboviţa pe care o conduce, şedinţă înregistrată fără
ştirea sa, că PSD este un partid de maimuţe dacă acceptă un premier scos din
buzunar de Liviu Dragnea şi că actualul cabinet este o tragedie sub aspectul
calităţii. Ţuţuianu şi Neacşu nu sunt cele mai sonore nume din PSD care l-au
contestat vehement pe Liviu Dragnea. Dacă fostul premier Mihai Tudose nu a avut
o reacţie publică după şedinţa Comitetului Executiv, actualul vicepremier Paul
Stănescu s-a afişat alături de cei doi şi a afirmat că excluderea lor este o
mare greşeală, iar primarul Bucureştiului, Gabriela Firea a transmis, într-un
comunicat, că nu se mai poate continua în PSD sub teroarea excluderilor şi a
dizolvărilor. Frica poate menţine, vremelnic, un status-quo, dar în niciun caz
nu este o soluţie pentru progres şi construcţie, a mai afirmat Firea. Întrebat
ce li se poate întâmpla celorlalţi contestatari, Liviu Dragnea a răspuns sec:
Nimic rău. Deocamdată – adaugă, maliţios, jurnaliştii în comentariile lor.

6 November 2018
Nachrichten 05.11.2015

Bukarest: In Bukarest tagt der Landesvorstand der stärksten Regierungspartei PSD. Der Landesvorstand der Sozialdemokratischen Partei hat den Ausschluss des Generalasekretärs Marian Neacșu und des Vizevorsitzenden Adrian Țuțuianu beschlossen. Beide erklärten, sie werden den Beschluss anfechten. Es sei ein Beweis, dass man in der Sozialdemokratischen Partei keine unterschiedliche Meinung haben könne. Die Medien gingen zuvor davon aus, dass auch über die Bestrafung von führenden Parteipolitikern debattiert werden könnte, die sich gegen Parteichef Liviu Dragnea gestellt hatten. Der Dragnea-nahe Flügel ging davon aus, dass die ständige Kritik die Partei beschädigt – die Gegnerseite behauptet, dass Rausschmisse zu Kündigungen und somit zu Schwierigkeiten bei der Sicherstellung einer parlamentarischen Mehrheit führen werden. Wichtiger Gesprächspunkt ist die Besetzung der Führungen der Finanzaufsichtsbehörde ASF und der Rundfunkbehörde CNA.

Bukarest: In Bukarest findet das nationale Forum statt, bei dem Rumänien offiziell die turnusmäßige Präsidentschaft der Strategie der Europäischen Union für den Donauraum übernimmt. Das Mandat dauert bis zum 31. Oktober 2019. An der Strategie sind 14 Länder beteiligt, die vier Ziele verfolgen: mehr Vernetzung, mehr Umweltschutz, mehr Wohlstand und eine stärkere Donauregion.

Bukarest: Rumäniens Finanzminister Eugen Teodorovici stellt in Brüssel die Prioritäten des Landes während der turnusmäßigen Ratspräsident der EU im ersten Halbjahr 2019 und die Position bei der Finanzplanung im nächsten Rahmen bis 2026 vor. Teodorovici beteiligt sich am Rat der EU-Finanzminister sowie an der erweiterten Eurogruppe. Themen sind dort die Besteuerung von digitalen Dienstleistungen, der Jahresbericht des EU-Rechnungshofs für 2017, sowie die Finanzierung des Klimawandels.

Muscat: Die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dancila hat sich am Montag anlässlich des Besuches im südwest-asiatischen Oman an einem Geschäftsforum in Muscat beteiligt. Dancila erklärte, Rumänien sei als EU-Staat daran interessiert, kräftige Handelsbrücken zwischen der EU und den Golfstaaten zu bilden, die zur Ausweitung der bilateralen Beziehungen beitragen sollen. Viorica Dăncilă nahm auch an der offiziellen Eröffnung der rumänischen Botschaft in Muscat teil. Zuvor hatte die rumänische Premierministerin ein Treffen mit dem ersten Vizepremierminister des Sultanats Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said. Analysiert wurden die konkreten Zusammenarbeitsbedingungen in Bereichen wie Landwirtschaft, Tourismus, Infrastruktur, Gesundheit und Bildung. Viorica Dancila erklärte, das wirtschaftliche Umfeld in Rumänien sei attraktiv und von einem neuen Gesetz für die öffentlich-private Partnerschaft gefördert. Am Dienstag trifft die Delegation der rumänischen Regierungschefin in Katar ein.

5 November 2018
The Social Democratic Party – back to square one

A fragile peace reigns over the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the leftist government in Bucharest, after its leader Liviu Dragnea convincingly won the confidence vote he requested from his colleagues in the Executive Committee on Friday evening. The meeting had been prefaced by an open letter penned by leading figures in the party calling for Dragnea’s resignation, including as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. In what looked like a genuine political indictment, the Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea, the deputy prime minister Paul Stanescu and the former defence minister Adrian Tutuianu said Dragnea’s legal situation had become the party’s major vulnerability ahead of the European and presidential elections next year and the local and legislative elections in 2020.

The signatories to the letter also called on the prime minister and the party’s executive president Viorica Dancila to act as interim leader of the party until a new congress is held. Given a suspended prison sentence in one case, Dragnea is now waiting for a final sentence in another. He says, however, that these are politically motivated cases and that the investigations were conducted in a most unprofessional way, which, he says, can happen to any Romanian citizen. Comforted by Friday’s vote, Dragnea says he doesn’t want to see another party leadership meeting to discuss anything but important problems.

The most vocal and visible of his challengers, Gabriela Firea believes, however, that the most important win of Friday’s meeting was that the party was able, for the first time, to discuss its problems openly, sincerely and with logical arguments. The Social Democrats now all expect two weeks of complete harmony until the referendum to redefine family on the 6th and 7th of October, which was called with the support of the Social Democratic Party and most parliamentary parties.

The possible reshuffle of the Dancila cabinet could only be discussed afterwards, which commentators believe would be an excellent opportunity to get rid of deputy prime minister Stanescu as revenge for his criticism of Dragnea. Moreover, commentators also say, on the 8th of October, immediately after the referendum, Liviu Dragnea faces a new and possible decisive term in his corruption trial at the High Court.

For the former Romanian president Traian Basescu, today a senator of the small Peoples Movement Party, “Firea, Stanescu and Tutuianu have the great merit of leaving the opposition and the media a signed political document that can be used to attack the Social Democratic Party and which has weakened” Dragnea. The media says this is some small consolation for the opposition parties, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party, which are yet unable to agree even on when to file a no-confidence motion against the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. (Translated by C. Mateescu; edited by D. Vijeu)

24 September 2018
PSD: Fehde an der Spitze der rumänischen Sozialdemokraten

Es ist kein halbes Jahr vergangen, seit die Sozialdemokraten in Bukarest die Frage des Vorsitzenden Liviu Dragnea, ob sie ihn weiter an ihrer Spitze haben wollen, unter frenetischem Applaus und Enthusiasmus mit Ja“ beantwortet haben — der kommunistischen Zeit nicht unähnlich. Heute ist die Stimmung eine ganz andere. Drei Vizevorsitzende der Partei — der Vizepremierminister Paul Stănescu, die Oberbürgermeisterin Bukarests, Gabriela Firea, und der Vizevorsitzende des Senats, Adrian Ţuţuianu, — haben eine gemeinsame Erklärung unterzeichnet, in der sie Liviu Dragnea zum Rücktritt aus dem Amt des Parteivorsitzenden und des Vorsitzenden der Abgeordnetenkammer auffordern.

Der machtbewusste Politiker, der sich den Sieg bei den Parlamentswahlen im Jahr 2016 gutschreibt, als die Sozialdemokratischen Partei fast die Hälfte der Parlamentssitze und das Amt des Bürgermeisters der Landeshauptstadt errungen hat, gilt heute als Gefährder für seine Partei und die Regierungskoalition in Bukarest. Ein Gefährder vor allem aus rechtlichem Blickwinkel, wegen der Korruptionsverfahren, in denen er involviert ist. Seine Gegner werfen ihm vor, er würde die Legitimität der Reformbemühungen seiner Partei im Bereich der Justiz untergraben, weil diese Demarchen mit seinen ureigenen Interessen und denen ihm nahestehender Personen in Verbindung gebracht werden.

Die Spitzenvertreter der Sozialdemokratischen Partei werfen Dragnea eine willkürlichen Führung, parteiinterne Konflikte, in Folge derer zwei Ministerpräsidenten abgesetzt worden waren, sowie konfliktgeladene Beziehungen mit der Opposition, dem Präsidenten, den Geheimdiensten, der Generalstaatsanwaltschaft und der Korruptionsbekämpfungsbehörde vor. All das habe das Misstrauen der Bevölkerung gegenüber der Partei gestärkt. Die Partei selbst ist in den Umfragen stark gesunken, obwohl es dem Lande wirtschaftlich gut gehe. Adrian Ţuţuianu behauptet, der Brief werde von vielen Parteiorganisationen unterstützt. Ţuţuianu:

Dieser Brief ist ein Weckruf. Wir haben alle Parlamentarier der Sozialdemokratischen Partei, alle Filialevorsitzenden, Landkreisratsvorsitzenden, Landräte eingeladen, sich uns anzuschlie‎ßen. Unsere Demarche zielt einzig auf die nationalen Interessen und die Interessen der Sozialdemokratischen Partei ab. Ich glaube, wir sollten nicht über das Amt sprechen. Wir werden am Freitag, auf dem Nationalen Exekutivkomitee darüber reden und dann werden Sie alle Details erfahren.“

In einer ersten Reaktion hat Liviu Dragnea mit Sarkasmus geantwortet und mit einen Kampf auf Leben und Tod“ gedroht:

Ich werde der Aufforderung nachgehen, diesen Brief zu lesen. Ich habe ihn nicht bis zum Ende gelesen, aber soweit ich lesen konnte, wollen sie vor allem Eines: dass wir uns nicht mehr mit Iohannis streiten, in Grunde sollen wir uns gleichschalten lassen und ihm hörig werden, ebenso sollen wir vor dem Inlandsnachrichtendienst, dem Dienst für Personenschutz und der Korruptionsbekämpfungsbehörde klein beigeben. Ich als Vorsitzender kann und werde es nicht zulassen, dass diese Partei ein Werkzeug dieser Behörden wirf, die sich nicht in die Politik einmischen sollten. Alles andere, was noch gesagt werden muss, werde ich auf der Tagung des Exekutivkomitees hinreichend eloquent, ausführlich und mit Nachdruck sagen.“

Die bürgerlichen Oppositionsparteien sehen den Kampf an der Spitze der Sozialdemokraten als eine Kontenregelung. Sie sollten sich jedoch vorwerfen, dass die Opposition zur Sozialdemokratischen Partei aus den Reihen der Sozialdemokraten selbst kommt, monieren die Medien.

20 September 2018
Disensiuni în principalul partid de guvernământ

Nu a
trecut nici jumătate de an de când social-democraţii reuniţi la Bucureşti
răspundeau cu un Da entuziast şi cu aplaude furtunoase amintind de unanimităţile
din comunism la întrebarea pe care le-o adresase liderul suprem, Liviu Dragnea,
anume dacă doresc să le mai fie preşedinte. Lucrurile s-au schimbat dramatic. Trei
vicepreşedinţi ai partidului – vicepremierul Paul Stănescu, primarul Bucureştiului,
Gabriela Firea, şi vicepreşedintele Senatului, Adrian Ţuţuianu, au semnat o
declaraţie comună în care îi solicită lui Liviu Dragnea demisia din fruntea PSD
şi de la conducerea Camerei Deputaţilor.

Cel considerat artizanul triumfului
electoral din 2016, când PSD a fost aproape de majoritate la legislative şi a
cucerit, în premieră, Bucureştiul, e considerat, acum, o vulnerabilitate pentru
partid şi pentru coaliţia PSD – ALDE la putere. Una în primul rând juridică,
spun semnatarii declaraţiei, cauzată de procesele de corupţie în care este
inculpat. În opinia contestatarilor, ele ar lovi în legitimitatea eforturilor
PSD şi ale majorităţii de a reforma justiţia, pe motiv că întreg demersul este
perceput ca fiind în beneficiul lui Liviu Dragnea şi al acoliţilor. Liderii PSD
îi mai reproşează lui Dragnea conducerea discreţionară, conflictele interne,
soldate cu debarcarea a doi premieri – din care unul, total neobişnuit, prin
moţiune de cenzură – precum şi relaţiile conflictuale cu opoziţia, preşedintele
Klaus Iohannis şi serviciile secrete, Parchetul General şi DNA.

Toate acestea
au adâncit neîncrederea electoratului în partid, care a scăzut în sondaje deşi
economia ar merge bine. Adrian Ţuţuianu spune că documentul se bucură de o
largă susţinere la nivelul organizaţiilor. Adrian Ţuţuianu: Este
o scrisoare care trage un semnal de alarmă. Am făcut un apel public la toţi
parlamentarii PSD, la toţi liderii de filiale, la preşedinţii de consilii
judeţene, la primarii partidului, consilieri locali, consilieri judeţeni, să ni
se alăture în acest demers care nu are la bază niciun fel de interese, altele
decât interesele naţionale şi interesul PSD. Cred că nu este cazul să discutăm
de funcţie. Ne vom pronunţa vineri, în cadrul Comitetului Executiv Naţional şi
o să aveţi atunci toate detaliile.

Prima reacţie a lui Liviu Dragnea nu
a fost doar un exerciţiu de sarcasm ci şi promisiunea unei lupte pe viaţă şi pe
moarte pentru partid. Liviu Dragnea: Voi da curs solicitării să citesc acea
epistolă. N-am citit-o pe toată, dar cât am apucat să citesc am înţeles, de
fapt, care este cea mai mare supărare: să nu ne mai certăm cu Iohannis, de
fapt, să ne aliniem cu Iohannis, cu SRI-ul, cu SPP-ul, cu DNA-ul şi cu
partidele de opoziţie. Eu, ca preşedinte, nu pot să duc şi nu voi duce acest partid
să devină o unealtă a acestor instituţii, care nu trebuie să se implice în
politică. În rest, la CEx o să vorbesc suficient de bine, de mult şi de apăsat.

Partidele de
dreapta văd lupta de la vârful social-democraţilor ca pe o reglare de conturi. Au,
însă, a-şi reproşa faptul că opoziţia reală la PSD vine tot din PSD.

20 September 2018
September 12, 2017 UPDATE

MINISTERS As of Tuesday the left-wing government in Bucharest, backed by the ruling PSD-ALDE coalition, has two new ministers — Mihai Fifor left the Ministry of Economy to become Romania’s Defence Minister. In turn, MP Gheorghe Simon has taken over the vacant position at the Ministry of Economy. The two ministers were sworn in with president Klaus Iohannis attending the ceremony. Former Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu stepped down a week ago, after Prime Minister Mihai Tudose had blamed him for the faulty communication in the issue on the Romanian servicemen’s salaries and wages. The Minister had previously announced that the military would get only salaries this month without food rations and that no insurance contribution and income taxes was to be delivered to the state budget. The announcement was denied both by the Prime Minister and the Finance Ministry who said there were no difficulties in paying salaries to army personnel. Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party in Opposition has denounced what he called the government’s unwillingness to meet their pledge of earmarking 2% of the GDP to the army. Deputy Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu served as the interim Defence Minister.

MOTION The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday hosted debates on the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union (both in opposition), against justice minister Tudorel Toader. The signatories say the amendments to the justice laws, initiated by Toader, are an attempt to cancel the progress made in the field. In his address Minister Toader said the amendments were a must because the present legislation in the field dated back to 2004 and the Higher Council of Magistrates had called for amendments since 2015. The vote on the motion is due on Wednesday, in a plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies. Vehemently criticised by civil society and the media, Toader’s draft stipulated, among others, that the country’s president will no longer nominate the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism, provides for subordinating the judicial inspection unit to the justice ministry and for increasing the number of years necessary to get promoted as a magistrate. At the start of the year, after the government’s attempt to change the criminal codes by an emergency ordinance, hundreds of thousands of Romanians took to the streets in Bucharest, across the country and abroad. They accused the power of trying to exonerate influential people in politics and administration from criminal liability for acts of corruption.

CAR A new version of Duster, a car produced by Romanian Carmaker Dacia, a brand owned by French giant Renault was presented at Frankfurt Motor Show on Tuesday. Launched at first under Dacia brand, since 2011 Duster has been also sold as Renault in South America. Over two million Dusters have so far been sold in more than 100 countries. The French carmaker took over the Romanian plant in 1999.

12 September 2017
Resignation from the Romanian Government Coalition

Holding the Defense Minister portfolio, the Social Democrat Adrian Tutuianu on Tuesday submitted his resignation following a series of controversial events. First an NGO representing the professional military informed their members that they would receive less money this month. Journalists have asked the Defense Ministry officials for information and have received a communiqué according to which the employees of the Romanian Defense Ministry were to receive their full salaries but without the meal vouchers and the money for rent.

Also the defense ministry officials found out that the ministry was no longer paying their social security contributions and the income tax to the state budget. The situation was to be settled by September 25 when arrears were to be paid off. The press and the rightwing opposition jumped to the conclusion that the state had run out of money for the military’s salaries.

The president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, said that despite the “commitments made to Romania’s strategic partners, the Social Democratic Party left the Romanian army without wages” and thus the Defense Minister became a scapegoat, as he did not know how to hide the truth. On the other hand, the Finance Minister promptly announced that there were no difficulties regarding the payment of salaries to the employees of the Defense Ministry or any other ministry. A party colleague of outgoing defense minister Adrian Tutuianu and incumbent Prime Minister, Mihai Tudose was shocked with the whole situation. Mihai Tudose:

“I asked the defense minister to explain the situation. I have asked for his resignation. His mistake was to let such things happen. He was aware of the talks going on at ministry level, and nevertheless he lost control of the situation. This is unbelievable since we are talking about an important element of national security, we are talking about Romania’s army, Romania being a NATO member. It’s unacceptable to allow such messages to emerge in the press.”

The Prime Minister has given assurances that the state budget has enough money for the Defense Ministry, which has been allotted 2% of the GDP. He said the situation would be solved in two weeks’ time at the most, upon the budget rectification, which is going to be positive. The press abounds in speculations over the resignation of the defense minister. Some political commentators argue that this resignation is a settling of accounts inside the Social Democratic Party where two power poles had allegedly been formed around the Prime Minister and the Social Democrats’ leader Liviu Dragnea.

Other commentators claim that the outgoing minister had become too close to the supreme commander of the armed forces, namely the country’s president Klaus Iohannis, which has made him a persona non grata among the Social Democrats. Economic analysts have nevertheless drawn a warning signal. They fear that the situation at the Defense Ministry might be indicative of a real lack of funds and that, despite record economic growth figures, the Government might be unable to comply with the very generous promises with which the Social Democrats won the elections. (Translated by L. Simion)

6 September 2017
September 5, 2017 UPDATE

RESIGNATION – Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu on Tuesday tendered his resignation, which Prime Minister Mihai Tudose accepted. Sworn in in late June, Tutuianu motivated his move invoking the lack of communication over the topic of salaries in the military. Previously the Defense Ministry had announced that employees will this month receive only their regular pay, without their meal allowances and their social security contributions and income taxes being wired to the state budget. The Ministrys announcement was denied both by the Prime Minister and the Finance Ministry, which argued there were no difficulties in covering the salary entitlements of Defense Ministry employees. Prime Minister Tudose said Deputy Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will act as interim Defense Minster pending the nomination of a new minister by the ruling coalition.

ECONOMY – Romanias Prime Minister Mihai Tudose on Tuesday met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The IMF delegation was given access to the databases of the National Fiscal Administration Agency so as to draft their new report on Romania. The meeting was held as the Government plans a new budget readjustment and the draft budget for next year. Mihai Tudose said the budget adjustment will be positive and will be made public by the end of the month. Also on Tuesday the National Statistics Institute said Romanias GDP went up by 5,8% in the first six months of the year as compared to the same period of last year.

JUDICIARY – US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm on Tuesday expressed hope to continue working with the Justice Ministry and the Romanian Government. Klemm had talks with Minister Tudorel Toader about his vision on modifying the laws on the judiciary, arguing that such consultations are normal for a strategic partnership, as the one Romania has with the United States. The meeting was held after the US Embassy last week expressed concern over the independence of Romanias judiciary in the wake of Toaders announced reform of the judiciary. Harshly criticized by the opposition, civil society and the media, the bill stipulates, among other things, that the president of the country is no longer to appoint the chiefs of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, that the judicial inspection corps will be subordinated to the Justice Ministry, and that the promotion of magistrates will require more years of service. Earlier this year the Government tried to pass an emergency order amending the criminal codes, which sparked massive street protests across Romania against the power trying to prevent influential people in the political and administrative systems from facing criminal justice.

OECD – Romania’s objective is favoring a coherent, cohesive Europe,
closer to the concerns of its own citizens and more trustworthy at global
level, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Tuesday at the Strategic Forum
in Bled, Slovenia. The Minister underlined the importance of the EU as a global
actor based on sharing common values and principles of international law, as
well as the need to take on a pragmatic and ambitious approach that responds to
the expectations of EU citizens. On the sidelines of the event Melescanu had
talks with the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development, Angel Gurria, about Romania’s OECD candidacy. Melescanu
outlined Romania’s strengths, with a focus on political determination and
fulfilling technical criteria. Melescanu also met with his Macedonian and Montenegrin
counterparts, Nikola Dimitrov and Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, respectively,
whom he assured of Romania’s support for their countries’ EU accession efforts.

MOLDOVA – Moldovan President Igor Dodon has forbidden the participation of Moldovan military in the Rapid Trident military drill in Ukraine, after previously rejecting the participation of Moldovan soldiers in the Platinum Eagle 17.2 military drill held in Babagad, Romania, a decision criticized by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. The Prime Minister believes the decision does not fit the logic of a commander in chief.

NORTH KOREA – The UN Security Council is this week discussing a resolution in response to North Koreas having conducted a nuclear test at the end of last week, its sixth so far. North Korea said its test of what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile was a perfect success. The UN Security Council strongly condemned North Korea’s outrageous test, saying it is deliberately undermining regional peace and stability. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was begging for war as she urged the UN Security Council to adopt the strongest sanctions possible to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Speaking at a Security Council emergency meeting, Nikki Haley said North Korea’s sixth nuclear test was a clear sign that the time for half measures from the UN had to end. The Council will take a decision on Monday.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team was defeated by Montenegro on Monday 1-0 in Podgorica, in Group E of the World Cup qualifiers, losing any chance to qualify to the final tournament in Russia. Romania ranks fourth in the group, after Poland, Denmark and Montenegro. Romanias next fixture against Kazakhstan will be held on home turf in the town of Ploiesti on October 5 while the one against Denmark will be held on November 8th in Copenhagen. The manager of the Romanian national team, the German Christoph Daum, has been strongly criticized for the teams poor results. (Translated by V. Palcu & E. Enache)

5 September 2017
Jurnal românesc – 23.08.2017

Secretarul de stat în
Ministerul de Externe George Ciamba a discutat marţi cu ambasadorul Italiei în
România, Marco Giungi, despre rolul special pe care comunitatea românească
din Italia – cea mai mare comunitate românească din străinătate şi cea mai mare
comunitate străină din Italia – îl are în ansamblul relaţiilor bilaterale. De
asemenea, a fost subliniat rolul comunităţii italiene din România şi dinamica
prezenţei semnificative a companiilor italiene în România, fiind explorate şi alte
posibile sectoare de cooperare. Au fost abordate cele mai recente evoluţii care
afectează cetăţenii români din Republica Italiană, cu accent pe necesitatea
intensificării dialogului bilateral pentru identificarea celor mai bune
soluţii.

Ministrul apărării
naţionale, Adrian Ţuţuianu, s-a întâlnit marti, cu ambasadorul Canadei în
România, Kevin Hamilton. Oficialul de la Bucureşti a mulţumit autorităţilor
canadiene pentru invitaţia adresată României de a participa la ediţia 2017 a
INVICTUS GAMES care se va desfăşura în
acest an la Toronto. Lotul României este format din 15 sportivi, militari
răniţi în teatrele de operaţii. Ei vor participa la o competiţie care are rolul
de a încuraja şi sprijini recuperarea fizică şi reabilitarea veteranilor
răniţi, o ocazie unică de a demonstra ce înseamnă adevăratul spirit de
luptător, coeziunea echipei şi solidaritatea umană – valori specifice
militarilor.

Evenimentele derulate sub
genericul Zilele diasporei, concept promovat de echipa
Repatriot, continuă în perioada 24 -27 august în oraşul Roman. Joi,
primarul Lucian-Ovidiu Micu şi reprezentanţi ai
proiectului Repatriot, care îşi propune repatrierea prin
antreprenoriat a românilor din afara ţării, se vor întâni cu romaşcanii din
diaspora. Aceştia îî vor invita pe locuitorii oraşului care, din diverse motive, au decis să plece în alte ţări, să se
reconecteze cu comunitatea locală. Dorim să identificăm asteptările şi
interesul diasporei în a se implica în dezvoltarea oraşului şi să îi avem
alături şi pe romaşcanii ce lucrează peste hotare, pentru că experienţa şi
ideile lor pot contribui la dorinţa comună, ca Romanul să fie un oraş modern şi
european, a declarat primarul Lucian Micu. Tot la Roman, în perioada 25-27
august, se va desfăşura Festivalul Tradiţional al Meşteşugarilor.

Bulgaria şi România vor să
construiască un al treilea pod între ele, peste Dunăre, între oraşele Ruse şi
Giurgiu. Noua construcţie este imperios necesară din cauza traficului intens
dintre cele doua ţări, care s-a dublat în ultimii ani, au anunţat, miercuri reprezentanţi ai autorităţilor centrale şi locale aicelor două state vecine, relatează site-ul
agenţiei Novinite. Aceştia au participat
la o reuniune de lucru în Bulgaria şi au
convenit asupra unei noi întâlniri la începutul lunii octombrie, la care să
asiste şi comisarii europeni din cele două ţări. Potrivit datelor
preliminare, noul pod va avea
aproximativ 3 kilometri lungime şi va fi construit în direcţia oraşului bulgar
Marten, la est de podul existent în prezent. În
primele opt luni ale anului 2016, peste 750.000 de vehicule au trecut podul
Giurgiu-Ruse, iar în aceeaşi perioadă din acest an traficul a depăşit 1, 4
milioane de vehicule..

23 August 2017
August 22, 2017 UPDATE

TALKS The prospects of Romanian-French industrial cooperation in the field of defence and the programmes of equipping the Romanian Armed Forces were the main topics the Romanian Minister of Defence Adrian Tutuianu discussed by phone with his French counterpart Florence Parly. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Ministry of Defence the two officials have underlined the excellent relations of cooperation between the two armies developed under the strategic partnership between Romania and France. Programmes aimed at equipping Romania’s armed forces were also discussed. Also on Tuesday Romania’s Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu met the ambassador of Canada to Romania, Kevin Hamilton. The talks focused on the multinational brigade in Romania. Minister Tutuianu also hailed the arrival in Romania of the four Hornet jet fighters belonging to the Royal Canadian Air Force, which will do air policing together with their Romanian counterparts as part of the NATO plan to strengthen the Alliance’s eastern flank.

VISIT The Romanian authorities are satisfied with the way in which the rights of Romanian minorities in neighboring Ukraine are observed, Romania’s Minister for the Romanians Abroad, Andreea Păstârnac said in Kiev on Tuesday. The statement was made during the talks the Romanian official held with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Pavlo Klimkin. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the two officials agreed that the Romanian minority in Ukraine and the Ukrainian minority in Romania had to remain a key-element of bilateral cooperation. Another topic on the agenda of talks was the visit the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is going to pay to Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officials said. During the meeting between Pastarnac and the Ukrainian minister of Culture, Evghenii Nasciuk, the need for signing a protocol between the field institutions in Romania and Ukraine for developing joint cultural projects, was highlighted. At the meeting the Romanian official had with the Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science Lilia Grinevici, the participants agreed to make the most of the opportunity of exchanging expertise between the students and the teachers of the two countries.

MEDAL Romanian gymnast Larisa Iordache won gold on Tuesday in the individual all round event of the gymnastics competition of the 29th Summer University Games held in Taipei, Taiwan. Iordache 21, who carried the Romanian flag at the opening ceremony of the competition in Taipei, has won the first medal for the Romanian delegation. On Wednesday she will compete in three apparatuses finals: the beam, uneven bars and floor. Romanian male gymnast Andrei Muntean will represent Romania in the vault finals on Wednesday.

NO PULL OUT NATO, which intervened in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks of 2001 upon the request of the US, will never allow this country to ‘become again a sanctuary for terrorists’ said Tuesday the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. At the same time, the leader in Kabul, Ashraf Ghani hailed the US’s ‘sustainable commitment’ in Afghanistan. The statements follow the warning launched Monday evening by US President Donald Trump that a hasty withdrawal of personnel from Afghanistan would leave a power vacuum that could be filled by terrorists. President Trump admitted that, despite his election campaign promise to pull out the American troops from Afghanistan, he subsequently decided to maintain them there, so as to avoid the errors made in Iraq. Washington also announced its intention to increase the number of American troops in Afghanistan. At present, there are almost 8,400 American soldiers deployed in Afghanistan as part of an international force numbering a total of 13,500 soldiers. Romania has sent more than 600 soldiers to Afghanistan.

22 August 2017
22.08.2017 (mise à jour)

Minorités — Les autorités roumaines sont satisfaites de la manière dont sont respectés les droits de la minorité roumaine en Ukraine voisine, a affirmé, ce mardi, à Kiev la ministre roumaine chargée de la relation avec les Roumains de la Diaspora, Andreea Pastârnac. Cette déclaration a été faite pendant son entretien avec le chef de la diplomatie ukrainienne, Pavlo Klimkine. Selon le ministère des AE de Kiev, aux dires des deux responsables, la minorité roumaine d’Ukraine et celle ukrainienne de Roumanie devaient rester un élément clé de la coopération entre les deux pays. Egalement à l’agenda des pourparlers — les préparatifs de la visite en Ukraine du président roumain Klaus Iohannis, précise encore le ministère des AE de Kiev. La ministre roumaine chargée de la relation avec les Roumains de la Diaspora, Andreea Pastârnac, s’est également entretenue avec le ministre ukrainien de la culture, Evguéni Nâshtchuk ; à cette occasion, les deux responsables ont souligné à quel point l’existence d’un protocole de coopération entre les institutions de Roumanie et d’Ukraine était importante pour la mise en œuvre de projets culturels communs. Lors de la rencontre avec la ministre ukrainienne de l’éducation et de la science, Lilia Grinevici, les deux parties ont convenu de la mise en place d’un programme d’échange d’expérience à l’intention des élèves et des enseignants des deux pays.

Défense — Les perspectives de la coopération industrielle roumano-française dans le domaine de la défense et les programmes d’équipement de l’Armée roumaine ont été abordés, mardi, par le ministre roumain de la défense, Adrian Ţuţuianu, au cours d’un entretien téléphonique avec son homologue de France, Florence Parly. Un communiqué du ministère de la défense de Bucarest informe que les deux ministres ont aussi souligné les relations de coopération excellentes entre les armées de leurs pays, des relations qui se sont développées dans le cadre du Partenariat stratégique entre la Roumanie et la France. Mardi également, le ministre roumain de la défense, Adrian Tutuianu, a reçu l’ambassadeur du Canada à Bucarest, Kevin Hamilton. Le ministre roumain de la défense a salué l’arrivée en Roumanie des quatre avions CF-188 Hornet de l’Armée de l’Air canadienne, qui effectueront des missions de police aérienne aux côtés d’aéronefs des forces aériennes roumaines, dans le cadre du plan de l’OTAN de renforcement du flanc est de l’Alliance.

Réfugiés — 25 ressortissants irakiens ont été interpellés par la police aux frontières de Nădlac (ouest) au moment où ils tentaient de sortir illégalement de Roumanie. Les 6 hommes, 3 femmes et 16 mineurs âgés de 1 à 16 ans, tous demandeurs d’asile en Roumanie, ont déclaré vouloir franchir la frontière roumano-hongroise pour rejoindre l’espace Schengen.

Gymnastique — La Roumaine Larisa Iordache a remporté, ce mardi, la médaille d’or au concours général de gymnastique artistique, à la 29^e édition de l’Universiade d’été de Taipei (à Taiwan). A 21 ans, Larisa Iordache obtient la première médaille pour la Roumanie à cette compétition. Mercredi, elle sera présente dans les finales à la poutre, aux barres asymétriques et au sol. Chez les messieurs, le Roumain Andrei Muntean est qualifié dans la finale du saut de cheval.

Météo — Le temps s’est rafraîchi en Roumanie, à l’exception du sud et de l’ouest du territoire. Le ciel sera couvert et des pluies pourraient tomber en montagne, dans le nord, l’est et le centre du pays. Mercredi, les températures de la mi-journée se situeront entre 20 et 27°.

22 August 2017
Navy Day and Modernizing the Military

The Romanian Navy Day was celebrated in ports on the Romanian Black Seacoast and in cities across the country. The main event was staged in the port of Constanta, where 10,000 people witnessed a spectacular navy show, with 30 warships and vessels, 12 aircraft and over 3,000 military parading. Attending the festivities President Klaus Iohannis was impressed with the high number of people coming to celebrate Navy Day every year, saying that such moments show just how strong the symbols uniting us are.

The president hoped the centenary of the Great Unification to be celebrated next year would stir a matching public interest. On the other hand, the president insisted on the country having a modern army, capable of dealing with current challenges. Klaus Iohannis went on to say that the political agreement on allotting 2% of GDP to defense spending, as well as adopting the national plan on modernizing the army, are sending a clear message of responsibility to our foreign partners. Klaus Iohannis:

“We are showing our partners that Romania is a reliable, predictable state, ready to contribute to ensuring collective defense, together with its allies. Observing this commitment on the long term will allow us to purchase state-of-the-art military technology for our army. Additionally, consolidating maritime security and defense remains at the core of our interests”.

Attending the event in Constanta was also Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu, who said that the latest developments in the Black Sea concern not only the region itself, but also the broader Euro-Atlantic security. Adrian Tutuianu:

“As part of the Black Sea Region, Romania wants and continues to be a pillar of stability, democracy and security. It is our duty to combine our efforts and display wisdom, strength and political ability to make Romania a powerful regional player”.

Navy Day was first introduced in our country’s official calendar 115 years ago, when a religious service was first held onboard the Elisabeta warship in the port of Constanta. Also on August 15 the Christian community in Romania celebrated the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, seen as the patron saint of sailors. Special services were held on this occasion in monasteries and churches across the country. (Translated by V. Palcu)

16 August 2017