Radio România Internațional

Tag: Anti-government protests

  • August 13, 2018 UPDATE

    August 13, 2018 UPDATE

    PROTESTS – In Romania, military prosecutors called on people who
    protested on Friday in Bucharest to come forward if they have been injured or
    can provide important information. Dozens of people have filed complaints over
    the last two days against the gendarmes after being injured in the protests. Forensic
    medical reports have been issued for scores of people, including gendarmes. At
    the same time, the two individuals who assaulted a female gendarme and her
    colleague have been arrested. As a result of the violence that ensued on Friday
    at the protests against the government, around 500 people needed medical care,
    and 70 were hospitalized, including 11 gendarmes. The Romania 100 platform filed
    a request with the prosecutors with the High Court of Cassation and Justice to
    indict Bucharest Prefect Speranta Cliseru and Interior Minister Carmen Dan as a
    result of the extreme violence perpetrated on the night of August 10 to 11.




    MESSAGE – Romania is undergoing a period of
    turbulence due to the violent protests, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday,
    referring to last Friday’s violent anti-Government protests. The president said
    the violent repression of protests is unacceptable, pointing out that those
    responsible must be identified and brought to justice. President Iohannis also
    condemned the actions of people who attacked the riot police, stating that no
    one is yet being held accountable for the violent acts of August 10, adding
    that at least one person should have stepped down by now. Romania is a balanced
    and respected country, but the Government is doing everything in its power to
    destroy this image, the President went on to say. Polls show that 80% of
    Romanians believe Romania is headed in the wrong direction, Klaus Iohannis
    argued. In turn, the Social-Democratic Party wrote in a press release that the
    President encouraged the anti-Government protests, calling on Klaus Iohannis to
    display responsibility and act like a President should, to help consolidate
    democratic rights and values and the rule of law.




    JUSTICE – European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova calls on
    the government in Bucharest to reconsider their recent changes in the judicial
    system, according to the DPA news agency, quoting an interview by the German
    publication Die Welt. The European official said that the new version of the
    laws threatens the independence of judges, limits the authority of prosecutors,
    and undermines confidence in the judicial system. Commissioner Jourova said it
    would be useful for the government in Bucharest to reconsider their plans. DPA
    mentions that the judicial reform in Romania has sparked protests. According to
    the source, the organizers of these protests claim that the laws favor corrupt
    politicians, as they decriminalize abuse in office.




    SUMMIT – Romania is ready to organize
    the informal summit of EU heads of state and Government on May 9, 2019 in
    Sibiu, central Romania, the Foreign Ministry reports. On Monday, Sibiu hosted a
    working meeting to prepare next year’s summit as part of Romania’s mandate at
    the helm of the European Council. Attending were representatives of the presidency
    and local authorities. Devoted to the future of the EU and the upcoming
    strategic agenda for the 2019-2024 period, the Summit will bring together 27
    heads of state and government of member states, 36 official delegations, 400
    high-ranking officials, some 900 journalists and 100 interpreters.




    NAVY- The Romanian Naval Forces on August 14 will pay homage to the
    heroes and soldiers who made history in the naval battles that helped preserve
    the independence and sovereignty of the country, the Defense Ministry reports.
    Romanian military will attend a special ceremony at the Sailors’ Monument in
    Constanta. Wednesday, August 15, is Navy Day, which will be marked by a big
    naval show held in Constanta and Mangalia. 2018 marks 116 years since the
    Military Navy was founded.




    VISIT – A delegation of the National Guard of the State of Alabama,
    led by Major-General Sheryl Gordon, is paying an official visit to Romania over
    August 13-16. The American delegation will attend the conference entitled 25
    Years of State Partnership Program, organized by the Carol I National
    Defense University in Bucharest. The agenda also includes visits to the Mihail
    Kogalniceanu airbase, to the military port in Tulcea, and the Constanta
    barracks, where they will meet with Chief of General Staff Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca
    to attend ceremonies marking Navy Day. Cooperation between the Romanian Army
    and the National Guard of the State of Alabama has been ongoing for the past 25
    years, as part of the State Partnership Program.




    THEATRE – Stage director Silvu Purcarete’s
    latest show, The Story of an Ill-reputed Princess, has been selected for the
    opening of the Cultural and Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo, the spokesperson of
    the Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu has announced. The show is based on
    an original script written by Silviu Purcarete, grounded on a kabuki play. It
    will premiere in June.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • August 12, 2018 UPDATE

    August 12, 2018 UPDATE


    PROTESTS – Military prosecutors have called on people who got
    injured in Friday night’s anti-Government protest in Victory Square as part of
    clashes between the riot police and protesters, and who can provide valuable
    information to appear before the Military Prosecutor’s Office on Monday and Tuesday.
    So far 19 complaints have been filed. Military prosecutors have launched a
    criminal investigation into the Friday night’s incidents and the way the riot
    police intervened. The police have arrested 2 people in connection with Friday
    night’s acts of violence and have opened 8 criminal cases. On the other hand,
    the Prosecutor’s Office with the Bucharest Court of Law and the Homicide
    Department with the Bucharest Police have called on the population to help
    apprehend a man involved in the assault of two gendarmes, a man and a woman,
    who were attacked by a group of hooligans. The woman’s gun was stolen. A court
    of law in Bucharest issued arrest warrants for two men, accused of assault and
    aggravated public order disturbance. We recall that some 100,000 people
    gathered on Friday in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest,
    demanding the resignation of the cabinet and early elections. There were
    violent clashes between the protesters and the gendarmes, and riot police used
    tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. The gendarmes moved in after
    some of their colleagues were attacked. Over 450 people, including 35
    gendarmes, received medical treatment further to the clashes. President Klaus
    Iohannis accused the Government of being irrational and acting against the
    interests of their own citizens. Social-Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă
    requested an immediate and comprehensive report from the Romanian Intelligence
    Service regarding the entities that planned and instigated the violence on
    Friday night, as well as concerning the response of state institutions. Thousands
    of people protested peacefully on Sunday for the third night in a row in
    Bucharest and other cities across Romania.




    MEASLES – 70 new cases of measles were reported over August 2-9 in
    Bucharest and 15 counties across the country. According to the National Center
    for Monitoring and Control of Transmissible Disease, 2 years since the epidemic
    broke out in Romania, the number of people who got sick now stands at 15,000,
    of whom 59 died. Measles can be prevented via vaccination. A quarter of the
    people suffering from measles need hospital care, and 1 in 1000 people dies in
    Romania to measles, doctors have warned.




    ANONIMUL – The Iceland-Denmark coproduction Under the Tree,
    directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, won the 2018 Anonimul Trophy at the 15th
    edition of the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival, held in
    Sfantul Gheorghe, the Danube Delta. The public also picked the other winners.
    Kaveh Mazaheri’s Retouch won the award for best foreign short, while Emanuel
    Parvu’s Everything is far away got the award for best Romanian short. The
    Ovidiu Bose Pastina award bestowed by the Anonimul Foundation went to Mother,
    directed by Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen.




    NASA – On Sunday NASA successfully launched the Parker solar probe
    into space, which will try to ascertain whether the sun’s corona is hotter than
    its surface. The Parker probe will travel into the sun’s atmosphere, closer to
    any aircraft before. The spacecraft is fitted to withstand extreme temperatures
    and radiation. This will be the first aircraft to fly into the sun’s atmosphere
    and will transmit important data back to earth on the origin and evolution of
    solar wind. The probe will complete 24 orbits of the sun, travelling at
    approximately 700,000 km/h.




    GYMNASTICS – Andrei Muntean was ranked 8th in the still
    rings final at the European Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow. He was the
    only Romanian who qualified to an individual event final. Aged 25, Muntean won
    the Olympic youth title for this event in 2010 in Singapore.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on Sunday defeated Sloane
    Stephens of the US, WTA no. 3, in the finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, 7-6,
    3-6, 6-4. Sunday’s game was actually a rematch of the Roland Garros final
    earlier this year, won by Halep. This was Simona’s third final at Montreal. She
    also won the 2016 edition.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • August 12, 2018 UPDATE

    August 12, 2018 UPDATE


    PROTESTS – Military prosecutors have called on people who got
    injured in Friday night’s anti-Government protest in Victory Square as part of
    clashes between the riot police and protesters, and who can provide valuable
    information to appear before the Military Prosecutor’s Office on Monday and Tuesday.
    So far 19 complaints have been filed. Military prosecutors have launched a
    criminal investigation into the Friday night’s incidents and the way the riot
    police intervened. The police have arrested 2 people in connection with Friday
    night’s acts of violence and have opened 8 criminal cases. On the other hand,
    the Prosecutor’s Office with the Bucharest Court of Law and the Homicide
    Department with the Bucharest Police have called on the population to help
    apprehend a man involved in the assault of two gendarmes, a man and a woman,
    who were attacked by a group of hooligans. The woman’s gun was stolen. A court
    of law in Bucharest issued arrest warrants for two men, accused of assault and
    aggravated public order disturbance. We recall that some 100,000 people
    gathered on Friday in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest,
    demanding the resignation of the cabinet and early elections. There were
    violent clashes between the protesters and the gendarmes, and riot police used
    tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. The gendarmes moved in after
    some of their colleagues were attacked. Over 450 people, including 35
    gendarmes, received medical treatment further to the clashes. President Klaus
    Iohannis accused the Government of being irrational and acting against the
    interests of their own citizens. Social-Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă
    requested an immediate and comprehensive report from the Romanian Intelligence
    Service regarding the entities that planned and instigated the violence on
    Friday night, as well as concerning the response of state institutions. Thousands
    of people protested peacefully on Sunday for the third night in a row in
    Bucharest and other cities across Romania.




    MEASLES – 70 new cases of measles were reported over August 2-9 in
    Bucharest and 15 counties across the country. According to the National Center
    for Monitoring and Control of Transmissible Disease, 2 years since the epidemic
    broke out in Romania, the number of people who got sick now stands at 15,000,
    of whom 59 died. Measles can be prevented via vaccination. A quarter of the
    people suffering from measles need hospital care, and 1 in 1000 people dies in
    Romania to measles, doctors have warned.




    ANONIMUL – The Iceland-Denmark coproduction Under the Tree,
    directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, won the 2018 Anonimul Trophy at the 15th
    edition of the Anonimul International Independent Film Festival, held in
    Sfantul Gheorghe, the Danube Delta. The public also picked the other winners.
    Kaveh Mazaheri’s Retouch won the award for best foreign short, while Emanuel
    Parvu’s Everything is far away got the award for best Romanian short. The
    Ovidiu Bose Pastina award bestowed by the Anonimul Foundation went to Mother,
    directed by Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen.




    NASA – On Sunday NASA successfully launched the Parker solar probe
    into space, which will try to ascertain whether the sun’s corona is hotter than
    its surface. The Parker probe will travel into the sun’s atmosphere, closer to
    any aircraft before. The spacecraft is fitted to withstand extreme temperatures
    and radiation. This will be the first aircraft to fly into the sun’s atmosphere
    and will transmit important data back to earth on the origin and evolution of
    solar wind. The probe will complete 24 orbits of the sun, travelling at
    approximately 700,000 km/h.




    GYMNASTICS – Andrei Muntean was ranked 8th in the still
    rings final at the European Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow. He was the
    only Romanian who qualified to an individual event final. Aged 25, Muntean won
    the Olympic youth title for this event in 2010 in Singapore.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on Sunday defeated Sloane
    Stephens of the US, WTA no. 3, in the finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, 7-6,
    3-6, 6-4. Sunday’s game was actually a rematch of the Roland Garros final
    earlier this year, won by Halep. This was Simona’s third final at Montreal. She
    also won the 2016 edition.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 23, 2018

    January 23, 2018


    SCHENGEN – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has today stated, at the annual meeting with the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest, that Romanias joining the Schengen area is essential. He has also stated that the logistics needed for Romanias holding the presidency of the EU Council in 2019 must be properly prepared. The head of state has given assurances that Romania will keep taking part in the debates on strengthening the economic and monetary union and has added that, unless it joins the Schengen area, Romania will not enjoy all the benefits ensured by its EU integration. The president has also stated that Romanias foreign policy pillars are the strategic partnership with the US and its membership to the EU and NATO. Klaus Iohannis has also stated that Bucharest firmly pleads for strengthening trans-Atlantic ties.



    OPPOSITION – The National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, has today presented the so called “black book of the PSD-ALDE governing”. The president of the party Ludovic Orban has stated that 2017 was a lost year for Romania and the country is heading in the wrong direction from a democratic, economic and social point of view. According to the analysis made by the liberals, out of the 724 measures that the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats committed to implementing, only 33 were actually implemented, and as regards major fields such as education, health and the economy, less than 5% of the promised measures were taken. Also, budget expenditure exceeded revenues and the money was not used for development, it was mainly spent on personnel expenditure. The National Liberal Party also claims that, when the coalition started ruling, the inflation rate was 0.2%, to then reach 3.3% in 2017. Previously, Orban had announced that the liberals would establish the way in which they were going to act in Parliament to prevent the validation of the new governmental team, headed by the Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila. More on this after the news.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The Constitutional Court is today debating claims filed by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union regarding the changes brought to the justice laws. One of the notifications concerns the setting up of the Special Prosecutors Office responsible for investigating judges and prosecutors. Magistrates believe that this breaks the principle of equality before the law, as they would become the only professional category in Romania to have a special office for their own prosecution. In turn, the liberals say that the changes brought to the justice laws break several constitutional principles, including the senators and deputies right to have legislative initiatives. On Saturday, dozens of thousand of people protested again against the ruling coalition in Romania, whom they blame for trying to subordinate magistrates and to put an end to the fight against corruption. The changes in the justice laws have also been criticized by president Klaus Iohannis, the media and some of Romanias western partners. The Constitutional Court will probably issue its final ruling on the matter next month.



    IMF – In an update on its bi-annual “World Economic Outlook”, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economy will increase its growth rate to 4% in 2018 and 2019. Also, the report reads that last year, economic activity in Europe and Asia was surprisingly better than estimated, so the fund has revised upwards its estimates for the Eurozone, in particular for Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. According to the IMF, the US economy would register an economic growth rate of 2.7% in 2018, but that would slow down to 2.5% in 2019. The Chinese economy would register a rate of 6.6% this year, and 6.4% in 2019. As regards Romania, in its “World Economic Outlook”, published in October 2017, the IMF revised the growth rate estimated for Romania in 2018, from 3.4% to 4.4%.



    FLU – A 40-year old woman has died in Botosani, north-eastern Romania, of complications triggered by the flu. This is the third death caused by flu viruses this year in Romania, after a 69 year old woman in Bucharest and a 15-year old boy in Salaj, north-western Romania. The Health Minister Florian Bodog has called on family doctors to continue the anti-flu vaccination campaign this month too, especially of people who are at risk. According to the National Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control, the total number of cases of acute respiratory infections has reached 75,000. Specialists say that, as compared to the same period last season, the total number of ill people is smaller by some 25%.



    AUSTRALIAN OPEN – The pair made up of the Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu has qualified for the semifinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after a 3 set victory against the US couple Jennifer Brady/Vania King. Next, Begu and Niculescu will take on the Russians Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, who won the title in Melbourne back in 2014. On Wednesday, Romanias only representatives in the singles, Simona Halep, takes on Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Halep is the worlds number one player and also first-seed at the Australian Open.


    (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)


  • Justice, protests and politics

    Justice, protests and politics

    The main ruling coalition party in Romania, the Social-Democratic Party, last Saturday staged a rally in Craiova, southern Romania, as a last tribute to the former King of Romania. The leader of the party branch, Claudiu Manda, said participants wanted to express their gratitude for everything His Majesty had done for the city. In 1947 King Mihai issued decrees for the foundation of the Philharmonic and University of Craiova. In 2013, the King was made honorary citizen of Craiova, on which occasion a bust of the former monarch, one of the few remaining statues in the country dedicated to His Majesty, was unveiled.



    Political pundits praise the Social-Democrats endeavor, ironically noting however that the meeting in Craiova, which gather less than a few hundred people, had been arranged a long time ago. Originally the event was designed as a massive protest against the so-called parallel state, made up of courts of law, prosecutors and special services, which are allegedly harassing democratically elected officials. Conversely, this Sunday saw a new round of anti-government protests in central Bucharest and other large cities across the country. Some 10,000 protesters gathered in Bucharest and another 6,000 elsewhere in Romania to pay a last homage to the King but also to protest against the Government.



    For the first time the leaders of the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition, Ludovic Orban and Dan Barna respectively, as well as the former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, joined the crowd of protesters. Their message was one of unity at a time when the ruling coalition is purportedly mounting an unprecedented attack, not just on the Romanian judiciary, but the very rule of law. On this occasion, Dacian CIolos announced the upcoming launch of a new political party that will emerge from the Romania 100 Platform, an NGO he founded earlier this year upon ending his term as Prime Minister of Romania.



    Political pundits agree the new party is surfacing much in the same manner as the Save Romania Union, a party which is now the third-largest parliamentary faction, and which originally functioned as an NGO in Bucharest. Commentators believe Ciolos’s party will share the same voters as the Save Romania Union, who are adamant about observing the rule of law, very demanding of the political class overall and always willing to take to the streets to criticize it. In the wake of Sunday’s protests, Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu called on protesters to read the justice bills, apart from consulting social media. The leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats from Romania, a ruling-coalition party, claims the justice laws do not try to subordinate to judiciary to the power, nor to stop the fight against corruption, but they seek to consolidate the rule of law and the independence of magistrates, and to curb abuse and crime. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Parliament goes on recess

    Parliament goes on recess

    Parliament has gone on recess and will resume its plenary sessions on September 1. Meanwhile, the Government can issue simple decrees in fields not pertaining to organic laws in such fields as public finance, economy, regional development, public administration, European funds and healthcare. The Government can issue decrees in the field of defense to ratify agreements on defense cooperation, to amend legislation related to the participation of troops in external missions and operations, on the deployment, stationing and activity of foreign military forces on Romania’s territory and for amending Government ordinances on public spending and strengthening financial discipline.



    Although the opposition has criticized the latter document, claiming that there was no acting Government at the time and no governing program, the ruling coalition says the procedure is Constitutional and therefore normal. Meanwhile, the left-of-centre Government made up of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has started its activity, announcing its main objectives.



    The first anti-government protests were staged this weekend, when approximately a thousand people on Sunday evening took part in an anti-corruption rally. The protest was organized five months after the largest-scale protests in post-communist Romania. When high-level corruption continues to be a problem, the society will respond, the organizers of the protest have said, arguing that the event was a response to last week’s developments as well as to the Government’s attempt to cap legal accountability for abuse of office.




    On January 31, 2017 Sorin Grindeanu’s Cabinet passed an emergency decree bringing several amendments to criminal legislation, as well as setting a cap to 44,000 euros for prejudice incurred from crimes defined as abuse of office. The move prompted mass street protests all over the country, and in response the Government repealed the decree. The Constitutional Court decided that the Anti-Corruption Directorate’s investigation into the Government’s procedures to pass the decree exceeded its remit. Based on the Court’s decision, the Prosecutor General’s office closed the investigation. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • July 2, 2017

    July 2, 2017

    ABDUCTION — Romanian Iulian Ghergut, who was abducted in 2015 in Burkina Faso, has called on Romania’s president and the Government in Ouagadougou to negotiate his release. A task force in Bucharest is overseeing his situation and has acknowledged Ghergut’s message, the Foreign Ministry reports. According to the American centre for online monitoring of jihadist organizations, the Romanian features in a video released by the Mali branch of Al Qaeda. The video contains similar messages of another five foreign hostages, as well as that of an alleged abductor, who says that no negotiations for their release have been started so far. According to the Ministry, the video is standard MO for abductions of this kind.



    COUNCIL MEETING — Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has summoned the Supreme Defense Council on Tuesday. The main point on the agenda is the 2017-2026 framework for modernizing the country’s military. Talks follow after Romania this year allotted 2% of its GDP to defense spending. Also on the agenda is a review of the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service in 2016. The Council will also address Romania’s contribution to external missions and operations in 2018.



    PROTESTS — New anti-government protests were announced on Sunday, three days after Mihai Tudose’s Cabinet was sworn into office. Several NGOs have condemned the slow pace of the fight against high-level corruption. Five months ago large-scale protests were staged against the Government’s attempt to ease criminal legislation and help influential politicians and officials evade criminal investigations.



    ROMANIAN POLICE — Romanian police officers have started their mission on the Bulgarian Black Seacoast. For two months they will assist fellow Bulgarian law enforcers in preventing crime, carrying out public safety activities and providing counselling to Romanian tourists spending their holidays in Balchik, Albena, the Golden Sands and Nessebar. This is the eighth consecutive year the Romanian Police is conducting this mission.



    CONFEDERATIONS CUP — Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending Sunday’s final of the Confederations Cup, hosted by his hometown Saint Petersburg, pitting Germany against Chile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov did not provide an explanation for the president’s absence. Putin attended the opening game between Russia and New Zealand. According to the Russian mass-media, Deputy Prime Minister Vitali Mutko, who is also the head of the Russian Football Federation, will be in the stands.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player WTA no. 2 Simona Halep on Monday is playing Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, 129 WTA, in the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. Last year Halep reached the quarterfinals, while her best performance at Wimbledon was the 2014 semi-finals. Also in the first round, Monica Niculescu, 51 WTA, will go up against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, WTA no. 85. Sorana Cirstea, 62 WTA, will play Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 24 WTA, while Irina Begu, 69 WTA, will take on Naomi Broady, 108 WTA. Finally, Ana Bogdan, who for the first time qualified to the main draw, will play Ying-Ying Duan of China, 64 WTA. In the men’s competition, Marius Copil, 85 ATP, will play Peter Gojowczyk of Germany, 140 ATP. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Romania #REZISTS

    Romania #REZISTS

    Romania #REZISTS is the conclusion of the press in the country and of the most important international publications, after over two weeks of protests that brought hundreds of thousands to the street. Last Sunday alone, Bucharest’s Victory Square was filled with tens of thousands of protesters, and many Facebook users changed their profile picture to the same message. According to France Presse, less than a month from being sworn in, the Social Democratic government has caused a popular protest without precedent since the fall of communism in 1989. The same agency writes: “Blue, yellow, red: tens of thousands of protesters on Sunday formed a huge Romanian flag, illuminated by mobile phones, demanding the resignation of the government, which it accuses of undermining the fight against corruption.”



    Political analyst Cristian Parvulescu believes that Romanian indignation has a new beginning: “Romanian indignation seemed to fizzle out after Colectiv, and it looked like the elements that granted it coherence had started to weaken. However, the mistakes made so fast by the Grindeanu Government, the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have managed to stir it up again. This is surely a new actor that has to be taken into consideration by the traditional parties. You cannot govern with 600,000 in the streets, and this 19th century idea that Parliament can do everything is very dangerous. Parliament is an important institution, but you cannot reduce democracy to Parliament. As long as the government is not open to accepting the plurality of opinions in society, protest movements will continue.”



    Writer Nora Iuga joined protesters in Victory Square from day one: “Ever since the Social Democratic Party leader took the stage and generated this entire situation, I realized that we are in a very dangerous dead end. However, it is wonderful that this has sparked a spirit of freedom, justice and civilization which mostly the young people, but not just them, even older people, show to the rest of the world, not just to us, who had ceased to believe that we still had such qualities. I am happy to discover a Romanian society that I had ceased to believe in, a civil society that we have been craving since the Revolution. A society that in the years of communism seemed to had died for good, but look at the extraordinary occurrences today. People around the country are already a growing core of civil society, and this is extraordinary.”



    Writer Radu Vancu believes that, in addition to the pragmatic gains, such as the withdrawal of Ordinance 13 and the resignation of Justice Minister Florin Iordache, one great achievement of the constant rallies is a culture of protest developing in Romania. It is a culture of protest resulting from the large number of people in the street, in spite of the fact that they had differing political options.



    Radu Vancu: “There are people out in the streets who voted with the left and the right, and people who are politically neutral. There are also people who didnt go to the polls, but who militate for the same values. For the first time in Romania, after more than two decades, appeared values that have united a crowd beyond political divisions, and this is a great gain, because we had lost solidarity. The second important moral gain is the way in which Romania is now seen around the world. I am not just talking about articles in the western press praising Romania, but the comments on their on-line pages, depicting Romania as an example and exporter of democracy.”



    Razvan Martin, with ActiveWatch, believes that the massive protests these weeks have proven that the fight against corruption is on the citizens agenda, and that significant progress has been made in this respect: “I believe that this is the greatest achievement, the fact that society is starting to react, that citizens discover their power, that individuals become citizens, that the citizens can organize into communities and become aware of their power, of the fact that together they can say no. I believe that these movements have started to form as early as 2011 or 2012. They did not have much success because protests were small scale and were about issues that were not so visible on the public agenda. As I was saying, the public muscle has been worked out and flexed over a long period of time. Now it shows its strength.”



    Another great gain these days, according to literary critic Luminita Corneanu, is the fact that the people in the street have made their voices heard, and that their perseverance has forced the government to react: “What in my opinion is the most important thing, maybe even more important than concrete short term gains, is the fact that we have rediscovered ourselves, we have rediscovered self-confidence, in the primal mechanisms of democracy, the relation between voters and election winners, between citizens and those delegated to lead. The images of protests in Bucharest that have circled the world filled our hearts with joy and confidence, and Romania and Romanian citizens are being given as an example to Americans and Brits, as to this is how it’s supposed to be done. This has not happened before, and this is why I think it so important, we have found out how strong we are and how important it is to stick together and make our voice heard.”



    Here is actor Tudor Aaron Istodor, one of the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets: “I think a new voice has emerged, that of the street. I dont believe I am manipulated, I dont belong to a political party, I am on neither side, but when I saw something wrong, any kind of abuse, I felt the need to take to the streets like all other citizens. So I was the crowd plus one, and I believe that it was important that we were so many who saw something wrong that had to be made right. And things have been made right, so that was a gain.”

  • February 11, 2017 UPDATE

    February 11, 2017 UPDATE

    PROTESTS — Further large-scale anti-government protests have been announced for Sunday in Bucharest near the government headquarters, where the protesters intend to create together the biggest human three colors – red, yellow and blue, the colors of Romania’s national flag. On Saturday, a marathon was organized around the government building. As of January 31 protests have been staged every day in Bucharest and other cities of Romania against the leftist government that is accused of having tried to amend the criminal codes by an emergency government decree partly decriminalizing certain crimes to benefit several corrupt politicians. The largest protests took place last Sunday when over half a million Romanians took to the streets to protest. On the same day the government coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats repealed the controversial decree. On Thursday the initiator of the decree, justice minister Florin Iordache resigned, being replaced by Ana Birchall. She announced she would have a first meeting on Monday with the representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) as well as with all the bodies with expertise in the field of the judiciary. The purpose of the meeting is to work out the best solutions to fight corruption and defend fundamental human rights. In another move, pro-governmental and anti-presidential protests were also staged, but the number of protesters was much smaller. President Iohannis has been criticized for failing to play the role of mediator in the context of this crisis.



    MOLDOVA — The Moldovan Government is not willing to take responsibility for the debt amounting to almost 6 billion dollars accumulated by the separatist region of Transdniester for the purchase of Russian gas. The statement was made by the Moldovan PM Pavel Filip at a meeting with the vice-president of Gazprom, Valeri Golubev. Recently the pro-Russian Socialist president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, had given assurances to Moscow that the debt would be paid by Moldova. Transdniester de facto went out of the control of Moldovan authorities in the early 1990s and has since been supported financially by Russia which deployed units of the 14th Army on its territory. Given that the independence of Transdniester is not recognized, Moscow believes that the Republic of Moldova should pay for the gas Russia delivers to that region on credit.



    RUBGY — Romania’s national rugby team surprisingly lost 38-41 the away match against Germany, in the beginning of a new season of the Rugby Europe Championship. Officially, this match marked the start of the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, due in Japan. As part of the Rugby Europe Championship Romania will take on the Spanish team on February 18, Russia on March 4, Belgium on March 11 and Georgia on March 19.



    TENNIS – Belgium leads Romania 2-0 after the first day of the Fed Cup competition taking place in Bucharest and counting for the first round of World Group II. Monica Niculescu (36 WTA) on Saturday lost 2-0 the match against Kirsten Flipkens (74 WTA), and Sorana Cîrstea (62 WTA) was defeated 2-1 by Yanina Wickmayer (60 WTA). On Sunday, also in the singles, Niculescu will take on Wickmayer and Cîrstea will face Flipkens. In the doubles, the pair Irina Begu (29 WTA)/Patricia Ţig (106 WTA) will be up against Elise Mertens (83 WTA)/Maryna Zanevska (123 WTA). Simona Halep (4 WTA) is not participating in this competition.



    WWF — World Wide Fund for Nature Romania started a fund-raising campaign for a bear cub orphanage in the Eastern Carpathians, the only such institution in Europe facing financial problems. The campaign is meant to let Romanians know that they can adopt a bear cub, in the sense of contributing money for the cub’s care. After two years, the cub will return into the wild. Various Romanian artists have already adopted a cub. World Wide Fund for Nature Romania expects ordinary citizens to do the same. (translation by L. Simion)


  • February 6, 2017

    February 6, 2017

    PROTESTS — Over half a million people on Sunday protested the Government decree amending the criminal legislation despite its repeal. Protesters in Bucharest and other cities shouted anti-Government slogans and messages against the Social-Democratic Party. Also on Sunday, a pro-Government rally was staged in front of the Presidency building, totalling some 2,000 people. Justice Minister Florin Iordache said he would present a new draft law on amending the criminal codes in order to harmonize some of their provisions with Constitutional Court rulings.



    NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE — The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union in opposition have filed a no-confidence vote in Parliament against the Grindeanu Cabinet. The no-confidence vote was filed in the wake of a controversial decree the Government passed last week modifying the criminal legislation. The decree was rescinded on Sunday amidst mass street protests. Interim Liberal leader Raluca Turcan said the move was unprecedented, labelling it as an act of defiance against the population. In turn, the Save Romania Union leader Nicusor Dan said the Government is pushing Romania further away from civilization and is fostering corruption. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians has also argued against the Government decree, while the People’s Movement Party has also rallied the efforts of the Liberal Party and Save Romania Union. We recall that the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are currently enjoying a steady majority in Parliament.



    BUDGET FOR 2017 — Parliament is today debating the draft budget for 2017. On behalf of the ruling coalition made up of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Finance Minister Viorel Stefan told Parliament committees that the bill observes the main guidelines in the governing program, such as cutting the VAT from 20% to 19%, eliminating the income tax for pensions lower or tantamount to 450 euros. The budget is based on an economic growth of 5.2% and a budget deficit of 3%, and will also allow Romania to fulfil its commitments at NATO level regarding the allocation of 2% of the country’s GDP to the field of defence. The right-wing opposition on the other hand claims the figures regarding revenues underlying the budget are overestimated.



    VISIT — Moldovan President Igor Dodon is on a three-day visit to Brussels, where he is meeting with EU and NATO officials. Elected in November 2016, Dodon last month paid his first official visit to Moscow, where he announced he would renounce the Free Trade agreement with the EU and called in favour of closer ties with the Eurasian Union. President Dodon said he would call a meeting with NATO leaders in order to sanction the neutrality of the Republic of Moldova. Political pundits in Chisinau fear Dodon’s visit to Brussels might actually worsen relations between the Republic of Moldova and the West. In another development, Moldovan Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu highlighted the President’s limited remit regarding foreign policy, and that the current Parliament majority has made it its priority to implement the Association Agreement with the EU. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 20, 2017 UPDATE

    January 20, 2017 UPDATE

    ANTI-GOVERNMENT
    PROTESTS     Romania’s President Klaus
    Iohannis has stated that there are sufficient arguments for the Government to
    withdraw its ordinances amending the blanket pardon legislation and the
    Criminal Code. In a message posted on a social networking site, the President
    says the measures are ‘ineffective’ and ‘targeted’. On Thursday, protests
    continued in Bucharest and other large cities against the Government’s plans.
    Thousands of protesters fear these changes are only meant to benefit some big
    influential politicians and lawmakers, whose sentences will be thus written
    off. Opposition parties, civil society and magistrates’ associations have
    voiced the same concerns. However, the Government claims these amendments are
    necessary to solve the issue of prison
    overcrowding as well as to harmonize the existing legislation with
    Constitutional Court rulings.








    2017 BUDGET
    The Romanian Government discussed on Friday the draft budget for 2017. The session was chaired by the Deputy
    Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development Sevil Shhaideh, who serves
    as interim Prime Minister until Monday, pending Prime Minister Sorin
    Grindeanu’s return from Washington, where he attended the official swearing-in
    of Donald Trump as President of the United States. According to a communiqué
    issued by the Government, the draft budget was built by taking into account the
    measures adopted by Government in keeping with the governing program, among
    which maintaining the budget deficit below 3% and earmarking 2% of the GDP to
    the army. The Government will convene again on January 25th to
    debate and adopt the 2017 budget. A delegation of the International Monetary
    Fund, led by the mission chief for Romania Reza Baqir, on Thursday held a first
    meeting with the Finance Minister Viorel Stefan on the 2017 state budget. At
    present Romania has no ongoing agreement with the IMF.












    RESCUE OPERATIONS Rescue
    teams in Italy have found another ten survivors among the debris of a hotel in
    Pescara province, which was destroyed by an avalanche on Wednesday. Four people
    have been reported dead so far. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on
    Friday that, according to official information, two Romanian citizens, one
    adult and one child, reported missing after the avalanche, had been found
    alive. They are now in a hospital in Pescara and are no longer in danger. The
    Ministry has stated that representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Rome stay
    in touch with both the family of the Romanian citizens and the Italian
    authorities, who are managing the rescue operations, in order to get more and
    accurate information about other Romanians who might have been affected.


















    PARTNERSHIP To Germany, Romania is a strategic economic
    partner, and trade exchanges between the two countries exceeded 24 billion
    Euros in the first 11 months of 2016, up by 13%, reads a communiqué issued by
    the Romanian – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania). Some
    8,000 German companies are active in Romania. According to AHK estimates,
    German companies have more than 250,000 employees in Romania and German direct
    investments stand at 8 billion Euros.






    WASHINGTON On Friday, the Republican billionaire Donald
    Trump became the 45th President of the United States, taking the
    oath of office in Washington, during a ceremony attended by several hundreds of
    people. In his speech, the new White House leader said that January 20th
    would remain in the memory of the US citizens as the day when power was
    transferred not from one administration to another, but from Washington to the
    people. Trump also promised America would always come first and all decisions
    would be made for the US citizens. We will eradicate radical, Islamic
    terrorism completely from the earth, the President also said. The ceremony was
    held against the background of protests in Washington and other US cities, but
    also outside the US, in London, Paris, Berlin and Sydney.






    EXHIBITION Romania will participate in the
    international exhibition titled ‘Future Energy’ hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan,
    between the 10th of June and the 10th of September 2017.
    The participation contract was signed in Bucharest on Friday, by
    representatives of the two countries. According to the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry, the Romanian pavilion will promote Romanian traditions, services,
    tourist offers, as well as the prospects of Romania’s energy industry. 100
    countries will be represented at the fair this year, and organisers expect some
    5 million visitors.








    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, Romania’s last
    representative in the women’s singles at the Australian Open, will play against
    the Spanish Garbine Muguruza Blanco in the fourth round of this year’s first
    Grand Slam. On Friday, for the first time in her career, Cirstea qualified for
    this round by defeating the American Alison Riske. In the men’s doubles, the
    Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean Julien Rojer beat the pair made up of
    the Australian Matt Reid and Jordan Thompson going straight into the quarter
    finals, where they will take on the Dutch pair Wesley Koolhof – Matwe
    Middlekoop. The pair made up of the Romanian Florin Mergea and the British
    Dominic Inglot has too qualified for the quarter finals, where they will play
    against Julien Benneteau and Jeremy
    Chardy of France.



















  • January 20, 2017

    January 20, 2017

    ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis said there are sufficient arguments to prompt the Government to withdraw its ordinances on amending the blanket pardon legislation and the Criminal Code. In a message posted on a social networking site, the President said the measures are ‘ineffective and ‘targeted. On Thursday, protests continued in Bucharest and other large cities against the Governments plans. Thousands of protesters fear the modifications are targeting major influential politicians and lawmakers, aimed at writing off their sentences. Similar charges were launched by opposition parties, civil society or magistrates associations. On the other hand, the Government claims the modifications are necessary to avoid prison overcrowding as well as to harmonize the existing legislation with Constitutional Court rulings.



    2017 BUDGET – The Government is today meeting to discuss the draft budget for 2017. The session will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development Sevil Shhaideh, who will serve as interim Prime Minister until Monday, pending Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanus return from Washington, where he is attending the official swearing-in of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Sorin Grindeanu said the draft budget will maintain the budget deficit below 3%. A delegation of the International Monetary Fund, led by mission chief for Romania Reza Baqir, on Thursday held a first meeting with Finance Minister Viorel Stefan concerning the state budget for 2017. At present Romania has no ongoing agreement with the IMF.



    SWEARIN IN CEREMONY – Republican billionaire Donald Trump will be sworn in today as the 45th president of the United States of America. Attending the swearing-in ceremony held in Washington will be some 900,000 people. The businessman won the presidential elections after an election campaign marked by a series of very controversial declarations, as well as Russias alleged involvement in the campaign. According to the US intelligence agencies, the Russian Federation launched a series of cyber-attacks targeting the Democratic Party during the campaign. The swearing-in ceremony will be held against the backdrop of numerous protests in Washington, but also in Boston, Los Angeles and outside the US, in London and Sydney.



    AVALANCHE – At least four people were killed and another 25 are missing in the wake of an avalanche that hit a Hotel in Pescara province, central Italy. The Romanian Embassy was informed that three Romanian citizens, an adult and two minors, were in the hotel when the avalanche hit, and has immediately contacted local authorities. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reports that Romanias embassy and general consular office in Bologna are watching the developments and remain in permanent contact with the local authorities, being ready to provide any necessary consular assistance. Meanwhile Italian rescue teams continue to search for survivors on the ground, although the possibility of finding anyone still alive is very low.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, Romanias last representative in the womens singles at the Australian open, on Friday qualified to the round of 16 for the first time in her career. In the third round, Cirstea defeated Alison Riske of the United States, 6-2, 7-6, 7-2. In the mens doubles, Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands moved past Matt Reid and Jordan Thompson of Australia, 2-6, 6-4, 10-5. In the quarterfinals, the two will take on Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middlekoop of the Netherlands. Also qualified in the quarterfinals are Florin Mergea of Romania and Dominic Inglot of the United Kingdom, who knocked out Julien Benneteau and Jeremy Chardy of France, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7. (Translated by V. Palcu)