Radio România Internațional

Tag: alert

  • Genuine winter in Romania

    Genuine winter in Romania

     

    The weather conditions in mid-February bring the first spell of genuine winter in several parts of the country. The National Meteorological Administration has issued a yellow-code warning for snowfall and snowstorms, valid until Wednesday morning, in counties in the southern half of Romania and in the capital city Bucharest.

     

    It will snow moderately and a layer of snow will form, generally 10-20 cm thick. Temporarily, the wind will reach up to 45 km/h, blowing the snow. Also until Wednesday, a yellow-code extreme cold warning is in place in 18 counties in the northern half of the country. In these regions, as well as in the mountains, the weather will be particularly cold, and during the nights and mornings it will be freezing, and the minimum temperatures will generally be between 16 and 10 degrees below zero.

     

    The weather stays particularly cold in Bucharest as well, with negative highs ​​and snowfalls that will bring a substantial layer of snow. The Bucharest City Hall announced that it is ready to use over 300 snowploughs.

     

    Road traffic is slowed down in several counties, but no national roads or highways have been closed due to weather conditions. Snow has fallen on the road, which is why traffic police recommend that drivers be very careful and observe all traffic rules. In addition, drivers are advised not to set off if their cars are not equipped for winter. The deputy chief of the Road Police, Bogdan Oproiu:

     

    Bogdan Oproiu: “We should have a preventive conduct while driving, we should be more tolerant in traffic. We recommend that drivers check the condition and type of their tires, drive at a constant speed, adapted to the weather conditions, and also keep a greater distance in traffic from other cars, in order to be able to stop safely.”

     

    Air traffic is also affected by the weather, but within normal parameters, according to flight plans, at the two airports near Bucharest. Equipment is constantly being used to keep the surface in optimal operating conditions, but some flights may experience delays as the aircraft needs de-icing, which is carried out after passengers board, the Bucharest National Airports Company explained.

     

    Rail traffic is also open on all railway lines in Romania, and train circulation is adapted to the unfavourable weather conditions, the National Railway Company reports. According to the company, before setting off passengers are urged to seek information about traffic conditions from passenger railway transport operators.

     

    Meteorologists warn that the weather will be cold throughout the country until the end of the week. There will be extremely cold nights and mornings, at first in the north of the country and in depressions, then elsewhere as well, and during the day there will be mostly below-zero temperatures. (AMP)

  • January 30, 2025

    January 30, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s draft state budget for 2025 will be finalized today.  On Saturday it will be approved by the Government and next week by Parliament, Finance Minister Tanczos Barna announced. He said that the budget includes money for investment in infrastructure and for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the Gross Domestic Product. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be smaller and the budgets of some ministries, such as Environment, Health, Education or Transport, will increase.

     

    ENERGY – Bucharest’s Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, has announced  that the Court rejected Greenpeace’s request to suspend the work on the Black Sea gas exploitation. He said that this is a victory for Romania’s energy independence and that the strategic project that Greenpeace tried to block in court will double Romanian gas production, create jobs and bring over 20 billion euros to the budget. Moreover, the gas from the Black Sea will ensure a more stable and lower price for Romanians, and Romania will become a regional energy supplier. Last year, Greenpeace requested in Court the suspension of the environmental agreement for the Neptun Deep project, due to concerns related to environmental protection, climate change and compliance with legislation. Neptun Deep is owned in equal shares by OMV Petrom company and the state owned company Romgaz. Production will be approximately 8 billion cubic meters annually for approximately 10 years.

     

    EVACUATION – Numerous Romanians, employed by a private military company operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), crossed the border into neighboring Rwanda on Wednesday to surrender to the authorities there, sources in Kigali said, quoted by international news agencies. The Romanians had been hired to fight alongside the Congolese army in the conflict that opposes it to the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, in the Goma region. The Rwandan Ministry of Defense confirmed their surrender and spoke of “280 Romanian mercenaries” being evacuated by buses to the capital, Kigali.

     

    CRASH – An American Airlines passenger plane and a US military Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, US officials said, quoted by international news agencies. According to Washington media, several bodies were pulled from the water and no survivors were found. American Airlines said there were 64 people on board the plane – 60 passengers and four crew members. Three military personnel were on board the helicopter. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message of solidarity, to the American people. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims”, Iohannis wrote on platform X.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champion FCSB and the famous English team Manchester United will meet on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the eighth and final round of the main phase of the Europa League. United is in fourth place in the standings, with 15 points, and FCSB is in eighth place, with 14 points. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9-24 must get past the the play-off to advance to the round of 16.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby team will make their debut on Friday evening in Bucharest, in a match against Germany, in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians will also play against Belgium, on February 8, away, in Mons, and Portugal, on February 15, at home, in Botoşani (northeast). Romania can secure direct qualification for the Rugby World Cup in Australia, if it finishes the championship in one of the first two places of the group. With one exception, Romania has participated in all the world final tournaments.

  • October 2, 2024

    October 2, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    VISA WAIVER – Romania meets all the technical conditions to be part of the Visa Waiver Program, the Romanian ambassador to the US, Andrei Muraru, said on a social network. He also said that Romanians would most likely be allowed to travel visa-free in the first part of next year. “Should all the conditions and preparations proceed successfully, the program could take effect sometime in 2025” the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec, said on Tuesday. However, Ambassador Kavalec said, a number of important steps still need to be completed in the coming months to establish whether Romania is, in fact, eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program.

     

    BNR – The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, was entrusted by Parliament on Tuesday, with a new 5-year mandate at the helm of the financial institution.  He has led the Bank almost uninterruptedly since 1990. He only stepped down for one year, to serve as prime minister of Romania. He is the longest-serving governor of a central bank in the world. Isărescu said before Parliament that the institution would try to ensure price stability without discouraging long-term economic growth.

     

    WARNING – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest strongly advises Romanian citizens who are in Lebanon to leave this country by the air routes still available. The travel warning regarding the existence of major security risks is still valid. These can also affect commercial flights and travel routes, according to the Ministry. Some 1,136 Romanian citizens and their family members have so far registered their presence in Lebanon, at the Romanian Embassy in Beirut. On the ground, Iran announced that its attack on Israel had ended, after, on Tuesday evening, it launched more than 180 missiles in its direction. Tehran says that it targeted the infrastructure of the enemy state. International media says that among the targets were the headquarters of the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, as well as the most important air base, Nevatim, which is also used by Israel F- 35 long-range stealth strike fighter fleet. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Israel, there is no information regarding the loss of human life and damages.

     

    ALERT – A new RO-Alert message was issued for the northern part of ​​Tulcea county (south-eastern Romania), after the national defense and security structures detected a possible attack by the Russian Federation on some targets on the territory of Ukraine. These messages have the role of informing the population in the border area between Romania and Ukraine about the fact that there are possible Russian attacks on the Ukrainian territory and that some objects might fall on the Romanian national territory. The Romanian Defense Ministry firmely condemns once more these attacks carried out by the Russian Federation against some objectives and elements of Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which are unjustified and are serious breaches of international law.

     

    UNEMPLOYMENT – The unemployment rate in Romania rose, in August, to 5.5%, up by 0.1% compared to the one recorded in July 2024, according to data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). By gender, the unemployment rate for men exceeded that of women by 0.7% (the values ​​being 5.8% for men and 5.1% for women). The unemployment rate among young people (15-24 years old) continues to be high –  23.2%. The number of unemployed (aged 15-74) was 452,300 in August, and went up both compared to the previous month (451,200 people) and to the same period of last year (449,500 people). The number of unemployed aged 25-74 accounted for 76.3% of the total number of unemployed estimated for August 2024.

     

    SUPPORT – Romania will support Greece by sending 50 firefighters and equipment specialized in putting out fires. According to a press release by the Government, following the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Government of Romania responded to the request of the Greek authorities for international assistance.

     

    MEETING – The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, had, on Wednesday, in Bucharest, an official meeting with his Portuguese counterpart, Nuno Melo. The two ministers reviewed the state of Romanian-Portuguese cooperation in terms of security and defense from a bilateral perspective and from that of their countries’ NATO and EU membership. Topics related to the security situation in the Black Sea region and measures to strengthen the allied defense position and deter aggression on the Eastern flank were also addressed.

     

     

     

  • March 25, 2024 UPDATE

    March 25, 2024 UPDATE

     

    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies discussed on Monday a simple motion against the agriculture minister Florin Barbu (Social Democratic Party), accused of having backed a bill allowing the reed in the Danube Delta to be used for the financial benefit of certain politicians. The simple motion, called “Praising Ceauşescu will not save the Romanian agriculture,” was tabled by Save Romania Union in opposition, after the agriculture minister’s appreciative discourse about the country’s former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. USR also accused Florin Barbu of having treated the protesting farmers with contempt and of having ignored the MPs requests to present his activity. Barbu dismissed the motion as “a complete joke” and a string of “battle cries, propaganda and many untruths.” The Chamber is to vote on the motion on Tuesday.

     

    DRUG TRAFFICKING The Romanian police will be able to monitor and identify drug traffickers more efficiently once a new special register in this field has become operational. The bill regulating the register was signed into law by president Klaus Iohannis on Monday. Depending on the sentence received in court, traffickers will be entered into the registry for 5 to 20 years, during which the police will be aware of the risks of the monitored person selling banned substances again, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu explained. Drug using and trafficking have seen an upward trend in Romania lately. More than one tonne of drugs was seized last year, and also last year Romanian antidrug structures seized the largest amount of Ecstasy so far (230,000 tablets), the justice minister said.

    SCHENGEN Full Schengen accession by the end of this year is achievable, the Romanian interior minister Cătălin Predoiu believes. He says Romania has already completed preparation for lifting checks at the EU internal air and maritime borders, as approved by the EU Council as of the end of this week. Predoiu added that Romania and Austria cooperate very well in fields like border protection and fighting illegal migration and cross-border crime, and said he suggested extending the cooperation between the 2 countries beyond Schengen, with a focus on fighting drug trafficking and human trafficking.

    INVESTIGATION Romanian prosecutors subordinated to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office seized assets worth EUR 2.4 mln from an Italian suspect subject to an investigation in Bologna concerning cross-border fuel trafficking. The total damages in the case amount to EUR 92 mln. In Romania, prosecutors seized 18 properties owned by the suspect, have frozen 14 bank accounts and assets in Romanian companies. Three Italian nationals are probed into for bringing into Italy oil products from refineries in Croatia and Slovenia, in order to resell them for lower prices to Romanian and British companies, and to bill them to Italian shell companies run by members of the crime group, the EPPO explained.

    ALERT The government of France has raised the terror alert warning to its highest level after Friday’s massacre in Moscow. The country’s PM, Gabriel Attal, said in a social media post that “the decision was taken in light of the Islamic State’s claiming responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country.” France has seen some of the bloodiest terror attacks masterminded by Islamist fighters, such as the ones in 2015-2016, which left roughly 300 dead and hundreds wounded. The government in Paris has explained that the Islamist organisation has been recently involved in a series of attempted attacks, which have been thwarted by police forces in several European countries, such as France and Germany, and the PM Monday morning summoned the heads of the services responsible for the country’s security and safety.

    HANDBALL The Romanian women’s handball side Dunarea Braila has qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League after a 26-25 home win against the Croatian side Podravka Vegeta on Sunday in the second round of the quarter finals. Dunarea, which also won the first game against Podravka, is Romania’s second representative in the EHF Finals Women, due on June 1 and 2 in Graz, Austria, after Gloria Bistrita. Romania’s champions CSM Bucharest have qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League in women’s handball after a double win against the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana and will be playing in the quarters against the French side Metz Handball.

  • February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    AGREEMENT The PM
    of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
    Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
    office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
    solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
    protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
    import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
    EU as part of its climate change action.


    COMMEMORATION A
    ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
    minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
    held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
    prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
    pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
    ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
    Square in Bucharest.


    MOLDOVA Chişinău
    extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
    George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
    be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
    they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
    security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
    authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
    the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
    an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.


    HEALTHCARE Trade
    unions in the healthcare sector have new talks scheduled next week with the
    Romanian authorities in the context of the recent protests. The vice-president
    of the Ambulanţa Trade Union Federation, Magyary Arpad, had a meeting on
    Friday with the healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, but failed to reach an
    agreement on salaries, equipment and the personnel shortage in the system.
    Arpad voiced optimism with respect to a 20% pay raise deal, but said he was not
    sure the measure would cover all healthcare personnel and whether it would be
    implemented in full or in several instalments. He said the talks also concerned
    the procurement of ambulance vehicles, office revamping and changes in the
    legislation. Trade unions in healthcare initiated nation-wide protests in
    November 2022, but suspended them until after next week’s meeting with PM
    Marcel Ciolacu. Talks will also be held in the coming days with the Sanitas trade
    union federation, which has its own salary demands for several categories of
    healthcare personnel.


    ALERT
    Healthcare units in Romania are implementing additional measures after a state
    of epidemiological alert was declared due to the growing number of respiratory
    infections and flu cases. Special attention is given to the health of hospital
    personnel and to the protection equipment, and visiting hours have been reduced.
    Visitor access is denied in ICUs, neonatology and pediatrics departments,
    coronary care units, oncology and hematology units, and in infectious disease
    units. In other hospital departments, no more than 2 visitors will be allowed
    at the same time in a room, and individual protection equipment will be
    compulsory.


    MIDDLE EAST The
    US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
    groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the
    recent drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a
    military base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
    long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
    they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
    government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
    16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
    Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
    between February 4 and 8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all
    the Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October
    7. (AMP)

  • December 14, 2023

    December 14, 2023

    BUDGET Romania’s draft 2024 budget is to be endorsed by the
    Cabinet in a meeting today. The document will subsequently be submitted for
    review in Parliament. The budget is based on a 3.4% economic growth rate, a
    budget deficit target of 5% of GDP and an estimated annual inflation rate of 6% of GDP. The
    draft law also includes the already announced salary and pension increases, as
    well as most of the measures in the Government’s new legislative package. The
    ministries that will receive more money than in 2023 are the education,
    development, environment and family ministries, while lower appropriations
    would be received by the energy ministry and the ministry for investments and
    EU projects.


    SUMMIT The president of
    Romania, Klaus Iohannis, takes part on Thursday and Friday in the European
    Council meeting in Brussels, where important and complex topics will be
    approached, according to the Romanian Presidency. These include the EU
    enlargement, a revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial Framework,
    support for Russia-invaded Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, security and
    defence, migration and the Union’s future Strategic Agenda. As far as the
    Multi-Annual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 is concerned, president Iohannis will plead
    for an approach that promotes financial balance between the already existing
    commitments and the new priorities on the EU agenda, and does not involve a cut
    in the funding of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Cohesion Policy, the
    Presidency says. As for the situation in the Middle East, Mr. Iohannis will
    insist on the need for increased involvement of the EU in the region, in view of protecting
    civilians, de-escalating the conflict and resuming the two-state peace process.


    UKRAINE The reconstruction of Ukraine and Romania’s strategic role
    in this process is the topic of an international conference held in the
    Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia. Taking part are Romanian and foreign
    officials, independent experts, business people, academia and diplomats. The
    head of the Romanian government, Marcel Ciolacu, and the Ukrainian prime
    minister Denys Shmyhal, sent a video message to the participants, highlighting
    the Romanian-Ukrainian partnership and Romania’s support for Ukraine.


    FUNDING On Friday, December 15, Romania will submit its 3rd
    payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the PM Marcel
    Ciolacu said at a meeting of the inter-ministry coordination committee for this
    programme. The funding under the Plan amounts to EUR 2.7 bln and covers 74
    targets and benchmarks for the second half of the year 2022.


    ISRAEL The
    Romanian foreign ministry this morning announced the death of another person
    with Romanian and Israeli citizenship taken hostage in Gaza by the Islamist
    group Hamas. Tal Haimi was kidnapped on October 7, and his death had
    already been announced by the Israeli Embassy in Romania. According to a
    Facebook post by the Israeli diplomatic office, Tal Haimi’s wife had come to
    Bucharest in late October to request Romania’s assistance in the efforts to get
    the Hamas hostages freed. On December 2, the foreign ministry said the Israeli
    authorities announced the death of a person with dual, Romanian and Israeli
    citizenship, captive in Gaza. Two other people with Romanian and Israeli
    citizenship are currently held hostage by Hamas, and Romania’s foreign ministry
    reiterates the need for all hostages to be released. The Romanian Embassy in
    Tel Aviv stays in touch with the Israeli authorities, the foreign ministry also
    said.


    ALERT Alert
    messages were sent to the citizens in the counties of Galaţi and Tulcea, near Romania’s Ukrainian border, on Wednesday night. People
    were warned against objects falling from the airspace, were urged not to panic
    and take shelter if necessary. These were the first RO-ALERT messages sent to
    the population in nearly 3 months, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This
    year the defence ministry identified parts of 3 drones used by Russia in
    strikes on Ukrainian Danube ports, which had fallen in Tulcea County. (AMP)

  • November 18, 2023

    November 18, 2023

    WEATHER The National Meteorology Agency issued code yellow and
    orange alerts for wind, heavy snow fall and snow storms valid in most of
    Romania. A code yellow alert is in place until Sunday morning in the eastern
    half of the country and in the mountains. A code orange alert for heavy mixed
    precipitation is also issued for the south-east and the south. Several flood alerts concern rivers in most of
    the country. The highs range between 2 and 11 degrees Celsius today, with 8
    degrees Celsius reported in Bucharest at noon.

    TERRORISM A young Romanian
    national from Braşov (central Romania) has been taken into custody for
    promoting terrorist propaganda materials, the Directorate Investigating
    Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences announced. The young man praised
    terrorist organisations from the Middle East on his social media account, and
    posted instructions for the production and use of firearms and explosives.


    ISRAEL Palestinian medical sources announced that scores of people
    were killed or wounded today in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip,
    following Israeli air strikes. On Friday Israel had announced it would expand
    military operations in the south, after handing out fliers in Khan Yunis the
    previous day asking civilians to head for the tent camps on the sea coast in
    order to avoid the massive shelling planned by the army. Israel’s ex-PM Ehud
    Olmert told Euronews that the Hamas underground command centre was in Khan
    Yunis, and not at the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In related news, Pope
    Francis will have separate meetings on Wednesday with the families of the
    Israeli hostages in Gaza and with relatives of the Palestinians living there,
    the Vatican announced. The Pope previously said that Every human being, of any
    people or religion, every human being is sacred, is precious in the eyes of God
    and has the right to live in peace.


    CHRISTMAS In the city of Craiova, southern Romania, hundreds of
    people witnessed the nearly 2 million lights of the local Christmas Fair being
    turned on Friday night. This year’s fair is themed around Andersen’s fairy
    tale The Snow Queen, and all the decorations are white and turquoise. A giant
    Christmas tree, a 40m tall merry-go-round and a skating rink are the main
    attractions. Concerts and creative workshops will also be held here until the 2nd
    of January. Sibiu, in central Romania, also opened its Christmas Fair in the
    city’s main square. For the first time this year, the Fair includes the courtyard
    of the Brukenthal Palace, a historical monument built between 1778 and 1788.


    AMBASSADOR The foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday received
    the new British Ambassador to Romania, Giles Portman. On this occasion, Mrs.
    Odobescu highlighted the important role of bilateral cooperation in defence and
    security and the significant potential in the field of trade and investments,
    as well as the substantial contribution of the 1.2 million Romanians living in
    UK to strengthening the ties between the two countries. In 2024 Romania will
    host the second Romania-UK Bilateral Forum, after the first edition of the
    event held this March in London.


    SPORTS Romania’s national football team takes on Israel tonight in Felcsut (Hungary), in
    Preliminary Group I of the EURO 2024. In women’s handball, CSM Bucharest plays
    against the Hungarian side DVSC Schaeffler, away from home, in the Champions’
    League Group A, while CS Rapid Bucharest are up against Vipers Kristiansand (Norway)
    in the competition’s Group B. In the first leg of the 3rd
    preliminary round of the EHF European League, CSM Târgu Jiu play at home
    against the Swedish side Onnereds HK. (AMP)

  • October 18, 2023

    October 18, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The first joint meeting of the Romanian and Ukrainian governments takes place in Kyiv today. The agenda includes the development of
    infrastructure in the border region, economic cooperation and regional security.
    The main topic is a mechanism allowing Ukraine to export grains to Romania. First
    of all, the grain quality must be similar to that of grains in Romania and the
    EU, and secondly, only the Romanian farmers who prove they no longer have grain
    stocks will be authorised to import from Ukraine. Another topic is the ethnic
    minorities in Ukraine, with Bucharest requesting that their rights be the same
    as the rights enjoyed by minorities in Romania. The Romanian government
    believes Ukraine should no longer recognise the Moldovan language, arguing that
    in fact it does not exist. Marcel Ciolacu is accompanied by the minister of
    defence, Angel Tâlvăr, the minister of public health, Alexandru Rafila, the
    economy minister, Radu Oprea, the agriculture minister, Florin Barbu and the
    secretary of state with the interior ministry, Raed Arafat. The Romanian PM
    will have talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal, and with the
    chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk. Marcel Ciolacu is also
    scheduled to meet the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in
    Bucharest last week.


    BUDGET The Constitutional Court dismissed the
    notification filed by Save Romania Union and the Force of the Right in
    opposition in Romania with respect to the bill on fiscal and
    budget-related measures for which the Government has undertaken responsibility
    before Parliament. The Constitutional Court president, Marian Enache, said the
    Cabinet’s responsibility concerned a sole and unified purpose, namely to
    increase revenues to the public budget and to cut down on expenditure, and that
    the responsibility procedure was in line with the requirements of the
    Constitutional Court and its case law. Marian Enache also says the Court’s
    decision was made on a majority of votes. After the decision of the
    Constitutional Court, the bill may be signed into law by the president of
    Romania, Klaus Iohannis.


    GAZA
    The Romanian foreign ministry voices shock and deep sadness at the news of the
    blast and loss of innocent lives on Tuesday night at
    the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza. In a message issued on Wednesday, the
    ministry emphasises that all civilians and civilian infrastructure must be
    protected at all times, and that responsibility must be
    clearly identified. Hundreds of people were killed or wounded
    in a missile strike on the hospital in Gaza, for which Israel and the
    Palestinians blame each other. The Israeli army denies that its forces were
    responsible for the attack, and blames the incident on a failed launch of a
    missile from Gaza by the Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian armed group, which
    in turn denies the allegations. The attack was condemned by the international
    community, with several Arab leaders accusing Israel of war crimes. The US leader Joe Biden, who is on a solidarity
    visit to Israel today, has voiced regret and anger at the event. Jordan has
    cancelled a summit in which Joe Biden was to discuss the war with King Abdullah II, with
    Mahmoud Abbas and the president of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. On the other hand, the UN secretary general
    Antonio Guterres will be in Cairo on Thursday, for talks with Abdel Fattah al-focusing
    on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The talks take place as Egypt calls on Israel to allow aid
    shipments to that territory. On Tuesday,
    the US authorised its non-essential embassy staff to leave Beirut, as security
    worsens in Lebanon as well, in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas.


    ALERT Belgium,
    France, Italy and Spain have raised their terrorist alert levels to a maximum, following
    attacks in western Europe over the past few days. On Monday 2 Swedish nationals
    were killed in Brussels by a Tunisian illegal migrant, later on identified and
    shot by the Belgian police. The Islamic State group
    claimed the attack and said it targeted Sweden because of its affiliation to
    the global coalition against Jihad movements. On Tuesday, Versailles palace
    in Paris was evacuated and stayed closed for the day after a new bomb alert,
    just as it happened with the Louvre Museum on Saturday. The president of France
    Emmanuel Macron said Islamic terrorism is rising once again and that all
    European countries are vulnerable to this threat. Over 100 people have been
    arrested over the past week in France under anti-Semitism charges and for
    terrorism support. On Tuesday, EU leaders, including the president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis, discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas which killed more
    than 4,000 people in the last 10 days, and agreed to do whatever they can to
    avoid a regional escalation of the conflict. (AMP)

  • July 20, 2022

    July 20, 2022

    WEATHER Romanian authorities have issued an amber heat alert valid today
    in 12 counties in the west of the country, and amber and orange alerts covering
    more than three-quarters of the country for the period July 22 – 24. As of
    Thursday, the extreme heat wave will cover most of the country, with the
    temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeding 80. Highs will generally range from
    35 to 37 degrees Celsius, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius
    expected on Friday and Saturday in the west, north-west and south-west.


    NATO The Senate, as the decision-making chamber in the
    Parliament of Romania, convenes today in a special meeting to ratify the NATO
    Accession Protocols of Finland and Sweden. Previously,
    the Chamber of Deputies had endorsed the
    bill ratifying the protocols. The documents were signed on July 5 in Brussels. Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to
    join the North-Atlantic Alliance comes amid security concerns related to
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


    HOLIDAY Every year on July 20 Romania
    celebrates Aviation and Air Forces Day, which overlaps the religious holiday of St.
    Elijah, regarded as the patron saint of pilots. In Bucharest, a military ceremony is held
    today, which brings together over 20 military aircraft of the Romanian, British
    and Italian Air Forces, Interior Ministry and Intelligence Service helicopters,
    a Tarom plane and 4 planes from the Romanian Air Club. Military aircraft will
    be flying over other cities across the country. The Romanian military aviation
    was established in 1910,
    when Aurel Vlaicu designed the first military aircraft.


    COVID In Romania, the National Public
    Health Institute announced that in the previous week 171 Omicron infections
    were confirmed in the country. All of these are SARS-CoV-2
    variants that cause concern. According to the institution, by July 17, as many
    as 6,611 Omicron infections had been reported. The number of COVID-19 cases
    continues to rise, and experts say the current wave is caused by an Omicron
    sub-variant of the coronavirus, which spreads a lot more quickly and is able to
    infiltrate the protection given by
    the current vaccines and previous infections.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
    scheduled to pass a bill today concerning the procurement of some of the
    most advanced electric trains, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Only 3 countries
    in the EU are currently using or testing such trains. The Transport Ministry
    plans to purchase a total of 12 hydrogen electric trains. Also in the transport
    sector, the government intends to start expropriation procedures in order to
    widen the Bucharest South ring road. The Cabinet will also discuss the
    2022-2027 National Strategy on Research, Innovation and Smart Specialisation,
    which will create the framework for an efficient and effective spending of national
    funds. Two other documents are due to be reviewed today, a memorandum concerning
    talks with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on non-reimbursable
    EU funding, and another memorandum endorsing the 2022-2024 strategy for
    governmental debt management.


    ANTI-SEMITISM The
    pandemic context, vaccination campaigns, public campaigns raising awareness on
    the rise in cases of anti-Semitism and the information on the history of the Holocaust
    are the main factors contributing to a strengthening of online and offline hate
    speech, reads the latest monitoring report issued by the ‘Elie Wiesel’ National
    Institute for Holocaust Research in Romania. According to the institution, vandalism
    cases, the praising of inter-war far-right figures and people convicted for war
    crimes or known for their extremist attitude, anti-Semitic messages in
    Parliament and minimising the memory of Holocaust victims remain common
    occurrences in Romania. Central authorities have reconfirmed their commitment
    to fight extremist actions by endorsing a National Strategy for preventing and
    fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech and by
    introducing Jewish and Holocaust history as a school subject, the report also
    says. However, the lack of awareness and responsibility among local authorities
    hinders the implementation of the principles upheld by the central authorities. (AMP)

  • March 8, 2022

    March 8, 2022

    COVID-19 Today is the last day
    of the COVID-19 state of alert in Romania. The epidemic sees a declining trend
    across the country, with the 5th wave of the pandemic close to the
    end, president Klaus Iohannis said last week. Romania was on alert for nearly 2
    years, beginning on May 15, 2020. Five pandemic waves hit the country during
    this period, triggering protection measures, some of which will be lifted once
    the state of alert has come to an end. Over these 2 years, says the Strategic
    Communication Group, some 64,000 SARS-CoV-2 patients died in Romania. By
    Monday, the country had seen roughly 2.78 million infection cases. The number
    of new cases reported on Tuesday for the past 24 hours is around 5,500, with 101 related fatalities also
    registered, 4 of them from a previous date.


    UKRAINE Russia
    has sent to Ukraine most of the forces it had deployed along the borders, with
    a majority of the 150,000 Russian troops currently on Ukrainian territory, the
    Pentagon says. On Tuesday, the 13th day of war, the Russian
    offensive focuses on the capital Kyiv in the north and in the south, where
    Moscow seeks control over the Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts. Russian ships
    have changed position and are preparing a rocket attack on Odessa, Radio
    Romania’s correspondent in the region reports, and mentions that local
    authorities continue to urge citizens to leave the city, which is believed to
    be a strategic target for the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, a new ceasefire
    attempt has been announced for this morning, to enable civilians to leave
    several cities that are under attack, including the capital Kyiv, where a
    Russian attack is expected in the coming days. President Zelensky accused the
    Russian army of preventing the evacuation of civilians, while the West
    described Russia’s offer to secure humanitarian corridors only to Belarus and
    Russia as cynical. Adjusting the corridors and their logistics was announced
    last night, after the 3rd round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in
    Belarus. Fresh talks are planned for the coming days, without an exact date
    announced as yet. On Thursday, a meeting is scheduled in Antalya, Turkey, between
    the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, also attended by Turkey’s
    diplomacy chief and mediated by the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The
    UN has also called for corridors in the Ukrainian battle zones, to deliver aid
    to the civilians struggling with substantial shortages.


    REFUGEES Nearly 30,000 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania in
    the past 24 hours, according to the Romanian border police. Since the start of
    the crisis a total of around 300,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.
    Bucharest approved on Monday a new set of measures to support the refugees
    coming from the neighbouring country, both children and adults, whose rights
    the Romanian government will fully observe. The Ukrainian children in Romania
    will have access to education at the same standards as Romanian children, the
    elderly and the disabled will be able to request social services, and people
    seeking a job here will be able to get employed.


    RESOURCES The price of all raw materials has soared
    around the world since the start of the war in Ukraine and in the context of
    the sanctions against Russia. The most substantial price rises were reported
    for natural gas, wheat, oil and uranium. Romania will have no natural gas
    shortages if Russian imports are cut, and stocks will be restored this spring,
    the authorities say. The energy minister Virgil Popescu says Romania has
    alternative sources. According to analysts, Romania should begin storing
    natural gas as soon as possible, and it should also move to increase the local
    output.


    STEEL The Târgovişte Special Steel Works in southern Romania
    has been taken over by the Italian group Beltrame, one of the world’s leaders
    in steel flat bars, local authorities have announced. According to the
    investor, apart from revamping the plant, this year 200 new jobs will be
    created, followed by another 1,000 in the next 5 years. The steel works,
    privatised in 2002, was held by the Russian group Mechel, but was declared
    bankrupt last year.


    WOMEN
    The rights of women and girls have been subject to alarming pressures over the
    past year, Amnesty International warns. Events in 2021 and in the early months
    of 2022 have conspired to crush the rights and dignity of millions of women and
    girls, said Amnesty International secretary general Agnes Callamard. In a
    statement posted on International Women’s Day, Callamard pointed out that the
    COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback on women’s rights in Afghanistan were among
    the developments that had a disproportionate impact on the rights of women and
    girls. She also listed in this respect the widespread sexual violence
    characterizing the conflict in Ethiopia, attacks on abortion access in the US
    and Turkey’s withdrawal from the landmark Istanbul Convention on Gender Based
    Violence,” and called on governments to revoke the decisions that have
    worsened the situation of women and girls. (A.M.P.)

  • February 12, 2022 UPDATE

    February 12, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine – The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that the alert level for Ukraine has been raised, in the context of the latest security developments, and “strongly recommends” the Romanian citizens to avoid traveling to this country and to be very careful. The authorities also decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic and consular staff from the diplomatic mission and some of the consular offices in Ukraine. All measures have been taken to “voluntarily” repatriate family members of diplomatic and consular staff, and the process is currently being completed in relation to the Kiev Embassy and Consulate General in Odessa. The Foreign Ministry strongly recommends avoiding travel to the Crimean Peninsula and eastern Ukraine, in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the Ukrainian border area with the Russian Federation and Belarus, recalling that the security situation remains tense and fluid. The Ministry also announces that it is ready to provide protection and consular assistance to Romanian citizens. They are advised to notify their contact details in Ukraine through the econsulat.ro platform or by contacting the nearest consular office by phone. A telephone line dedicated to Romanian citizens who are temporarily in Ukraine and requesting consular protection and assistance has been activated – telephone 0040 -751.084.537.



    NATO — Romania is following with concern the evolution of the security situation in the region and is ready to take, alongside its allies, the most appropriate defensive measures required by the concrete situation — the Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu reiterated in a phone conversation, on Friday, with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin. The US official pointed to the US’s firm commitment to and solidarity with its European allies, stressing that Article 5 in the North Atlantic Treaty, which stipulates a coordinated reply in case of an attack on a NATO member, is and will remain a top priority. Also on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the presence of NATO troops in Romania was proof of the Allied solidarity and of the fact that, although there is a real risk that Russia might invade Ukraine, Romania is not alone. On Friday, he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southeastern Romania, along with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis. The first Stryker armored personnel carriers have already arrived here, and 1,000 U.S. troops are expected to arrive from Germany to strengthen the Alliances Eastern Flank. With the arrival of the Task Force Cougar detachment, the number of American soldiers in Romania will increase to almost 2,000. Besides the US, France has also announced its willingness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers. A US Air Force detachment of about 150 soldiers and eight F-16 Fighting Falcon planes has been conducting joint training missions, for about two weeks, with the military and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within the Romanian Air Force since Friday. The American planes will also perform enhanced air-policing missions, together with Romanian and Italian aircraft, which have been in Romania since December last year. A senior Pentagon official said the United States had decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.



    COVID-19 — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Romania. On Saturday, 18,750 new cases and 157 deaths were reported, 13 of which were from previous days. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated at 14 days for Bucharest is, on Saturday, 38.02 cases per thousand inhabitants. This is the highest contamination rate recorded so far in the Capital. The authorities are considering the possibility of relaxing the protection measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually, following the model of countries that have already overcome the peak of current wave, said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. In his opinion, the new cases are on a declining trend, and if the pace is maintained, we might get rid of restrictions before the Easter holidays. In turn, the coordinator of the National vaccination campaign, military doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, after the model of the flu vaccine, but the vaccine will be adapted to the strain specific for that period. He announced that, at present, the vaccination rate among the adult population is 50.5%.



    COVID world — The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic will end this year if the target of 70% of the worlds population getting vaccinated is reached, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He estimates that this will happen by June or July. In another development, the Chinese drug regulatory agency on Saturday approved the conditional use of treatment with Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, being the first anti-COVID-19 tablet approved in this country for the treatment of coronavirus infection. Chinese officials say that studies on the drug are still needed and that the results will be submitted to the Beijing authorities. In Europe, Belgium has decided to relax anti-COVID-19 measures in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and cultural venues after the country overcame the peak of Omicron contamination. In turn, Austria continues to relax restrictions. As of Saturday, people will only have to wear FFP2 masks in shops or museums. Iceland also plans to lift all restrictions by the end of February, two weeks earlier than initially planned.



    Moldova — Romania supports Moldovas efforts targeted at making reforms, getting closer to the European community, as well as increasing resilience in key sectors for citizens, the Romania PM Nicolae Ciucă said after a visit to Chisinau on Friday. He also said that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. A series of bilateral documents were signed at the end of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on the implementation of an assistance program based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million Euros from Romania. Nicolae Ciucă and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed the Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and investments. Cooperation agreements have also been concluded in the fields of defense, justice and home affairs. The Romanian PM was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, whom he ensured of his full support for the implementation of the reform measures, especially in the field of the rule of law. (LS)

  • February 7, 2022 UPDATE

    February 7, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19
    Bucharest extended the COVID-19 related state of alert in the country for
    another 30 days, beginning on Monday, February 7. Face covering remains compulsory
    both indoors and outdoors. In places with infection rates below 3 per
    thousand, cinema and theatre
    halls as well as restaurants may operate at 50% of their capacity, with the
    ceiling going down to 30% in places with infection rates above this level. An
    emergency order also extends the deadline for filling in the digital forms for
    entering the country, from 24 to 72 hours. Nearly 17,000 new
    Covid cases were reported in Romania on Monday, along with 81 related
    fatalities. In the capital Bucharest the incidence rate continues to rise,
    reaching 32.75 per thousand on Monday. The vaccination rate is close to 42% in
    urban communities and around 30% in the countryside. Only 8 million adults are
    fully vaccinated so far.


    RESIGNATION The president of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, Monday
    announced his resignation. The decision came after the party’s National Bureau
    convened on Monday rejected Cioloş’s plans to change the structure and
    operation of the party, with 14 votes against and 11 in favour. Dacian Cioloş, who
    had been elected to office in October, when the right-of-centre USR and PLUS
    parties had merged, warned his colleagues that he would step down unless his
    restructuring plan was implemented. USR vice-president Cătălin Drulă will take
    over as interim party president.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said there was no danger of
    Romania being drawn into a military conflict with the Russian Federation.
    Romanian citizens need not worry that we will be dragged into a war close to
    our country, he said in an interview on a private television channel. There
    is at the moment a very powerful security umbrella, which provides all possible
    guarantees for the security and stability of Romania and its citizens, and this
    umbrella is the NATO membership, adding to which is the very strong strategic
    partnership with the US, minister Aurescu mentioned. If Russia attacks
    Ukraine, he added, responses will come both from NATO, which will consolidate
    its eastern flank, and from the EU, which will introduce a substantial set of
    economic and individual sanctions targeting the political decision-makers in
    Russia. In turn, the head of the Information and Public Relations Directorate
    with the Defence Ministry, brigadier general Constantin Spînu, said that the crisis in Ukraine is not a security
    situation that directly concerns Romania or any other NATO member state. Romanians and all other nations in the Euro-Atlantic
    space should not feel directly threatened, gen. Spînu said.


    AGRICULTURE Romania’s agriculture minister Adrian Chesnoiu rules out a
    possible food crisis in Romania and a food rationing scenario. He says the
    authorities are looking for solutions to support both citizens and farmers.
    Chesnoiu also says that authorities are considering the options of introducing
    ceilings on food prices or of stabilising and balancing prices.

    WASTE
    The number of border checkpoints where waste can be brought to Romania for
    recycling will be reduced to 15, and all shipments will have to be entered in
    an electronic register as soon as possible, the environment minister Tánczos
    Barna announced on Monday. The authorities want to make sure that waste is not
    misplaced or discarded in unauthorised places. Last year alone, more than 500
    offences related to waste imports were identified, and over 15,000 tonnes of
    mixed waste were prevented from entering the country, the interior minister Lucian
    Bode said in his turn.


    OLYMPICS Natalia Ushkina, Romania’s representative in
    the biathlon contest has ended the competition on the 57th place in the
    individual 15 km race at the winter Olympics in Beijing. In
    the giant slalom event, Maria Ioana Constantin also from Romania, has come out
    45th, while another Romanian, Raluca
    Strămăturaru, is ranking 30th after the first 2 legs of the luge event. At the current
    edition of the winter Olympic Games, Romania is being represented by 21
    athletes. (A.M.P., D.B.)

  • February 7, 2022

    February 7, 2022

    COVID Authorities in Bucharest have today extended the state of alert in this country for another 30 days. Indoor and outdoor mask mandates are still in force and in localities where the infection rate stays under 3 per thousand, cinemas, theatres and restaurants are functioning at 50% of their capacity. In regions exceeding this rate, they are allowed to function at 30% of capacity. Roughly 17 thousand new Covid cases were reported in Romania on Monday as well as 81 related fatalities. Bucharests infection rate is on the rise and the city on Monday reported an infection rate of 32.75 per thousand. With only 8 million fully vaccinated so far, the country has the second lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria.



    SECURITY According to Romanias Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, there is no danger for Romania to be attracted into a military conflict with the Russian Federation. “There is no need for the Romanian citizens to be alarmed that the country is to be dragged in a war nearby”, Aurescu told a private TV channel in Romania. “At this moment there is an extremely strong security umbrella, which offers all the possible guarantees for the stability and security of Romania and its citizens, namely its NATO membership, to which it adds the strategic partnership with the USA”, Aurescu has also said. In case of a military aggression against Ukraine, NATO will respond through a beefed up presence in its eastern flank while the European Union is expected to slap a series of economic and individual sanctions on Russia, some of which are going to target political leading figures in that country. According to Brigadier General Constantin Spinu, head of the Direction of Information and Public Relation with Romanias Defence Ministry, the crisis in Ukraine is not a security situation directly involving Romania or any other NATO member. Romanians and the other nations in the Euro-Atlantic space should not fear a direct threat.



    MOTION The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest is today debating upon a simple motion the opposition USR has tabled against Energy Minister Virgil Popescu. According to the 51 MPs signatories of the document, suggestively entitled, Incompetence and lies are switching off the light in Romania, minister Popescu is actually putting Romanias energy security at risk and must step down. The way in which the issue of hiked energy bills has been handled so far has also been described as disastrous by the signatories who recalled the Romanians started to pay huge prices for energy and both the citizens and the economy are presently bearing the brunt of the decision made by the authorities. The motion is to be voted upon on Wednesday while the specialized committees in the Senate are this week expected to debate upon an ordinance issued by the government on capping and subsidizing electricity and gas prices. However, the main ruling parties, the PNL and the PSD havent yet agreed upon the period in which the new capping and subsidizing scheme should be applied. The social Democrats want the scheme to be applied retroactively starting January, whereas the Liberals say the move could entail constitutionality issues.



    OLYMPICS Natalia Ushkina, Romanias representative in the biathlon contest has ended the competition on the 57th position in the individual 15 kilometer race at the winter Olympics in Beijing. In the giant slalom contest, Maria Ioana Constantin also from Romania, has obtained the 45th place and another athlete from our delegation, Raluca Stramaturaru is today participating in the luge race. We recall that at the present edition of the winter Olympic Games, Romania is being represented by a delegation of 21 athletes. (bill)

  • September 10, 2021

    September 10, 2021

    GOVERNMENT The government convenes today in Bucharest to discuss several bills in the field of education, including a resolution on the implementation of the “Educated Romania programme initiated by president Klaus Iohannis. The programme comprises 7 technical reports that review of state of affairs in Romanian public education and suggest specific targets and measures in the short, medium and long run. Some of the goals targeted for 2030 are Romania ranking in the top 30 countries in the world in the PISA tests; a minimum 80% pass rate in the middle school graduation tests and 75% pass rate in the Baccalaureate exams, as well as organising policies designed to reduce the number of schools with pass rates below 50%.



    EVACUATION The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu received in Bucharest 139 out of the 156 Afghan citizens evacuated from Afghanistan by the inter-institutional task force activated in on August 13 in Romania. These include former collaborators of the Romanian troops in the Afghanistan theatre of operations, students on grants in Romania, and other vulnerable categories, such as journalists, human rights activists, magistrates and their families. The group of Afghan citizens was brought from Islamabad by an aircraft operated by a Romanian commercial line, with the flight coordinated and organised by the Foreign Ministry. Bogdan Aurescu told the Afghan citizens that Romanian authorities will do their best to provide these friends of Romania with decent living conditions and a chance to start over. Meanwhile, the Romanian task force will continue to process the support requests coming from Afghan citizens, the Romanian official added.



    COVID-19 On Thursday Romania once again reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus infections. Around 4,000 COVID patients are now hospitalised, over 500 of them in intensive care. The national vaccine coverage rate is around 31%, with 5.2 million people fully immunised so far. The state of alert has been extended by another 30 days as of today.



    INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate reached 5.3% in August, from 5% in July, as non-food prices went up by 7.92%, food prices by 2.7%, and the prices of services rose by 2.97%, according to data released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute. According to a report delivered in August by the National Bank governor Mugur Isărescu, the central bank updated its inflation forecast for the end of this year to 5.6%.



    POLL Four out of five respondents (81%) say the EU should only grant funding to the member states that observe democratic principles and the rule of law, according to an Eurobarometer poll made public on Friday by the European Parliament, ahead of the State of the EU debate due on September 15. The Eurobarometer shows evident public support for transparency and effective control of the EU funds provided as part of the NextGenerationEU programme. According to the poll, 53% of the EU citizens (58% in Romania) fully agree, and another 32% (29% in Romania) tend to agree, that efficient control should be in place. Asked about issues the European Parliament should pursue as its priorities, the respondents mentioned fighting climate change, poverty and social exclusion, supporting the economy and creating new jobs, public health, migration and asylum. The Eurobarometer poll was conducted between August 17 and 25, online, in all the 27 member states, with roughly 1,000 interviewees in most countries.



    UNTOLD Cluj-Napoca (north-west) is hosting these days the largest electronica festival in Romania, UNTOLD. Over 70,000 people from over 100 countries are expected to attend this special edition, held in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from famous DJs like Dimitris Vega and Like Mike, the world celebrated pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir is also performing, in an original blending of electronic music and traditional sound. UNTOLD is more than just music, it is also about fire and light shows, performances by renowned troupes like the Moon Ladies (Italy), about art exhibitions, including a south-American art exhibition that showcases the traditions of Amazonian tribes. A fashion show bringing together the works of 20 designers, as well as percussion workshops, are also among the highlights of the festival. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • July 19, 2021

    July 19, 2021

    WEATHER Yellow and orange-code alerts for heavy rainfall are in place in Romania, with unstable weather expected until at least midweek. Thunderstorms will first hit the south-west, west, centre and north of the country, and spread to the south and south-east beginning on Tuesday. The extreme weather has caused major damages in the west of the country over the past few days, with several parts of Alba County affected by flash floods.




    FLOODING The death toll of the disastrous flooding in Western Europe is over 190, as many missing people are found dead. Germany reports the largest number of victims. Chancellor Angela Merkel visited some of the worst hit regions, and promised immediate aid from the federal government for reconstruction works, while also pledging more efforts will be made to fight climate change. The EU has announced it would provide aid both to Germany and to the other countries affected by floods, such as Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, more than 30 people are dead and others are missing. Italy also sees heavy rainfalls causing floods in the northern and southern parts of the country.




    COVID-19 The Romanian health minister Ioana Mihăilă said the 4th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic will affect unvaccinated people, and said less than 1% of those who have got the vaccine caught the disease. Ioana Mihăilă urged even those who recovered from the disease to get the vaccine, arguing that this would prevent a severe form of the Covid-19, even when the Delta variant is involved. In spite of continuing public campaigns promoting vaccination, the target of 5 million fully vaccinated Romanians is yet to be reached, over one and a half months after the deadline set by authorities. Meanwhile, 44 new infection cases were reported on Sunday in Romania, out of close to 19,000 tests. One new COVID-related death has also been reported, and 30 patients are in intensive care out of the 255 currently in hospital.




    GALA The UNITER Awards Gala, rewarding the best Romanian theatre performances, is hosted by the National Theatre in Bucharest tonight. This is the 29th edition of the event, held annually since 1991. A jury makes the nominations for each category, while a separate jury votes the winner of each award.




    FESTIVAL Tickets for the 25th George Enescu International Festival are available as of today. The festival, scheduled to take place between 28 August and 26 September, brings to Bucharest 3,500 Romanian and foreign artists. Healthcare measures will be in place this year, to protect the public, the artists, the organisers and journalists. Some of the worlds most celebrated orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the National Orchestra of France conducted by the Romanian Cristian Măcelaru, and the Munich Philharmonic conducted by Valery Gergiev, will take part in this years festival, alongside world-famous soloists like violinists Maxim Vengerov, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Joshua Bell, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianists Denis Matsuev, Jean Yves Thibaudet and Kirill Gerstein.




    AGRICULTURE The Romanian agriculture minister Adrian Oros takes part today in the first meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held under Slovenian presidency. One of the main topics on the agenda is the action plan for the development of organic agriculture. The European Commissions “Farm to Fork Strategy presented in 2020 aims at earmarking at least 25% of the blocs farmland for organic agriculture by 2030.




    PANDEMIC Greece reintroduces COVID-19 restrictions in spite of the tourist season being in full swing. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Athens, several Greek islands deemed free of COVID-19 are introducing night curfews and banning the access of unvaccinated people in restaurants and clubs. The Greek government will also make vaccination compulsory for several categories of employees. France tightens access restrictions for travelers from certain countries, including the UK, Spain, Greece and the Netherlands, who will be required to get tested 24 hours prior to arriving in the country. On the other hand, England lifted all restrictions today, in spite of alarming increases in the number of Delta variant infections. London argues that containment measures cannot be kept in place forever, and the vaccines provide protection. (tr. A.M. Popescu)