Radio România Internațional

Tag: Baccalaureate

  • June 22, 2020 UPDATE

    June 22, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus RO — In Romania, another 11 people infected with COVID-19 have died in the past 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group announced. Also in the past 24 hours 246 new cases of infection have been identified as compared to the 315 announced on Sunday. The total number of infections is nearing 24,300, with 1,523 deaths being reported. In another move another 5 states — Italy, Finland, Estonia, Ireland and France were added by the Romanian authorities to the list of countries excepted from the enforcement of quarantine or isolation measures. Flights to and from these countries can be resumed from all of Romania’s airports. The assessment of these countries was made according to the average number of new cases reported in the past 14 days, namely less than 5 cases in one million inhabitants.



    COVID-19 world — The WHO has warned that the coronavirus pandemic continues to accelerate and its economic effects and other consequences are going to be felt for many decades from now. The WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has denounced the lack of solidarity and global authority which, in his opinion, were exacerbated by the politicization of the pandemic, adding that the virus cannot be defeated in a divided world. The number of infections worldwide has exceeded 9 million, with about 470 thousand people dead and 4.8 million recovered.



    NATO — Romania could boost the American military presence on its territory, and the Mihail Kogalniceanu base (south east) is ideal for an expeditionary military unit — said the NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana. He also said that the increase in the number of US troops could be justified in the context in which Russia continues to substantially consolidate its military capabilities in the Black Sea region.



    Dismissal — The ruling National Liberal Party on Monday submitted to Parliament a request related to the dismissal of Renate Weber from the position of Ombudsman. They accuse her of overstepping her authority by notifying the Constitutional Court against the taxation of the so-called special pensions. They add that through this move Renate Weber is actually protecting her own special pension which she is entitled to as Ombudsman. Renate Weber announced she had nothing to say about the Liberal’s move and that she was waiting for the parliamentary procedure to take its course. The leftist opposition, dominating Parliament, announced they did not support Renate Weber’s dismissal.



    Motion — The Chamber of Deputies is debating, on Tuesday, the simple motion initiated by the Social Democrats against the Liberal health minister Nelu Tataru. The Social Democrats accuse him of having failed to properly manage the health crisis, thus placing Romania on top position in a classification of countries from Central and Eastern Europe rated according to the number of COVID-19 deaths reported in one million inhabitants. The motion signatories also claim that the health ministry is preventing people with chronic diseases from getting specialized treatment. The vote on the motion is scheduled for Wednesday, in the Chamber’s plenary meeting. Previously, Parliament had adopted other simple motions against Liberal ministers but the passing of these motions does not entail the dismissal of the respective ministers.



    Baccalaureate – As many as 135 thousand pupils on Monday sat for the Romanian language and literature exam, the first one within the Baccalaureate examination — the Education Ministry officials announced. 3,643 were absent. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic exams are held in special conditions. The first results will be announced on June 30 and the final ones on July 5, without disclosing the names of the candidates. Just as was the case with secondary school graduates, 12th graders who could not take the exam now, will be allowed to take the Baccalaureate exam in a special session.



    Banks — The banks from Romania have so far dealt with 90% of the customer requests regarding the suspension of monthly loan payments. According to a communiqué of the Romanian Association of Banks in the first 3 months since the onset of the pandemic customers have submitted 362 thousand requests. Of the ones approved by June 15, more than 60% were dealt with and almost 40% were solved based on the support measures adopted by banks as of March. 41 thousand requests are still to be solved, and are currently being processed, the cited source announced.



    Repatriations — The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that, on Saturday and Sunday, 394 Romanian citizens were repatriated from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Spain and Tunisia. The action was part of the joint effort of the Foreign, Interior and Transport Ministries aimed at facilitating the return home of the Romanian citizens from abroad who were affected by the measures restricting air traffic in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. These people could no longer extend their stay on the territory of those respective states.



    Theater — The first special online edition of the Sibiu International Theater Festival ‘The power to believe/Empowered’, which came to an end on Sunday evening, reported 217,918 unique viewers and 804,328 views for 10 days, the organizers announced in a press release on Monday. Held exclusively online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Festival featured 138 events from 30 countries that could be watched online on the festival’s official website www.sibfest.ro, Facebook page and YouTube channel. The biggest performing arts festival in central and eastern Europe has provided viewers with 250 hours of theater, dance, music, circus, conferences, debates, reading shows, as well as shows for children. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)

  • June 2, 2020

    June 2, 2020

    FESTIVALS Three major music festivals scheduled for this
    summer – Untold, Neversea and Electric Castle have been cancelled due to the
    restrictions imposed to prevent the coronavirus pandemic. According to
    organisers, the decision was made against the uncertainty in the showbiz, the
    restrictions imposed on team working and the bill banning events attended by more than 1000
    people until August 31st this year. People who bought tickets for the
    aforementioned events this year can use them next year or may apply for
    refunds.






    COVID 19 Only 119 Covid infections have
    been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania, the authorities have announced.
    The number of confirmed cases has exceeded 19,500 and the country has a death
    toll of 1,279. 13,500 patients have been cured since the beginning of the
    pandemic. 31 hundred Romanian nationals have been reported infected abroad, of
    whom 106 died. In the meantime, the activity in hospitals around Romania is
    gradually coming back to normal. Several medical units exclusively treating
    Covid infections so far are gradually returning to the activities they carried
    out before the pandemic. A new stage of relaxing measures began on Monday, when
    outdoor terraces and beaches reopened. Social distancing remains in effect but
    Romanians are now allowed to travel from one city to another. Malls, schools,
    kindergartens and playgrounds remain close, while flights towards some EU and
    non-EU destinations are still cancelled.










    REPATRIATION The
    Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced that jointly with other state
    institutions it facilitated the repatriation of 620 Romanian nationals from
    countries like The Netherlands, France and Spain. The move comes in line with other
    measures aimed at easing the return of the Romanian nationals who have been
    affected by the air transport restrictions imposed by the COVID1-19 pandemic. According
    to the same sources, the Romanian nationals were unable to prolong their stay in
    the aforementioned countries due to various reasons. We recall that local air
    carrier TAROM has cancelled its flights towards Italy, Spain, Britain, France,
    Germany and Belgium until mid-July.










    SCHOOL Eighth and twelfth graders in Romania are today
    coming back to school after more than two months of online lessons. They are
    going to take special lessons for their National Test and for the high-school
    graduation exam. Special measures have been applied in schools to limit the
    spreading of the new coronavirus and students must wear masks during the two or
    three-hours classes. Until June 5th, eighth graders are expected to apply for
    their National Test due ten days later. Another exam session has been scheduled
    for June 29th, for those who have been prevented from attending the first
    session on health grounds. A special baccalaureate exam session is also
    expected to be scheduled for the same reasons. Students will start applying for
    this session tomorrow and the first written exam is due on June 22nd.








    ORDER US president Donald Trump on Monday pledged to
    reestablish order in a country affected by riots. The US official said he would
    deploy army troops to quell anti-police protests if state governors are unable
    to do so. Protests and rioting continued on Monday night by people enraged by
    the death of an African American while being apprehended by the police. Police
    fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters. Demonstrations against
    police brutality and racism in the USA were being held at the end of last week
    in Britain, Germany and Canada. Protests were being held in New Zealand,
    Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris on Monday.




    (translated by bill)

  • June 25, 2018 UPDATE

    June 25, 2018 UPDATE

    PROTEST – Thousands of Romanians have again taken to the street, calling for the resignation of the Government led by Viorica Dancila. They are worried that the current executive, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, might adopt, under an emergency decree, the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which have been adopted recently. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has said the changes will not be adopted by an emergency decree, but he stated his wish that parliamentary procedures be stepped up. These changes are also the object of a no-confidence motion filed by the National Liberal Party. The document was read out in a plenary session of Parliament on Monday and will be voted upon on Wednesday. The right wing opposition blames the Government for having destroyed the economy and the justice system. Also on Monday, the Romanian MPs debated a simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union, which calls for the resignation of the Transport Minister Lucian Sova. He is accused of incompetence and of having blocked funding for the building of motorways in Romania.


    CVM – The European Commission is currently conducting a fresh evaluation under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. For three days, a Commission delegation will analyse the impact of the changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes on the Romanian justice system. The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that a document was drawn up, highlighting the progress made by Romania.



    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Romania was
    represented on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, in
    the common format of EU     defense and foreign ministers, by the state secretary
    for the     defense policy, planning and international relations, Mircea Duşa. The meeting started with the signing of
    the Declaration of Intention on the PESCO project devoted to cyber     defense, and in
    the first working session the participants assessed the progress made in the
    effort to implement the EU Global Strategy in the field of security and     defense. They have also approved the basic document on military requirements in
    the field of military mobility. Mircea Duşa has
    underlined the importance of the military mobility initiative in the current
    strategic context, in which the response to any security threat resides in fast dispatching forces to the needed location at the right moment. The
    second working session unfolded in the presence of NATO Secretary General,
    Jens Stoltenberg, and     focused on the stage and prospects of the EU-NATO
    process of cooperation. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian state
    secretary has held talks with Frederick Richard Penn Curzon, 7th Earl Howe,
    front bench member of the House of Lords with the British Parliament and Minister of State for     Defense. The two
    officials discussed concrete ways to strengthen the Strategic Partnership
    between Romania and the UK, in the field of security and     defense.



    MIGRATION – The European mini-summit on migration ended on Sunday in Brussels without any concrete measures being adopted. The leaders of the 16 participant countries agreed over the need to curb illegal migration and protect the European frontiers, but there was no consensus as to how that would be achieved. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that, unless solutions were found at the level of the EU, bilateral agreements will be proposed, while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed the creation of international protection centers in the transit countries and sanctions against the EU countries that do not accept refuges. The Visegrad Group (made up of Hungary, Poland, the Check Republic and Slovakia) boycotted the meeting. New talks will be held at the European Council this week.



    NUCLEAR PHOTONICS – Researchers from across the world are these days in Brasov, in central Romania, attending the International Nuclear Photonics Conference. Romania was chosen to host the second edition of this event, given that it is home to the most powerful laser in the world, which will be rendered operational next year. On Sunday, the participants discussed the applications of this technology, after they had visited the Magurele facility, near Bucharest. The first edition of the Conference was held in California in 2016.



    BACCALAUREATE – The high-school graduation examinations – the Baccalaureate – have started in Romania on Monday. Some 137,000 students are participating, in 440 examination centers across the country. Monday was the day for Romanian language and literature examination. On Tuesday, students belonging to the national ethnic minorities will sit for the examination in their mother tongues, Wednesday is the compulsory specialty examination, and on Thursday students will be tested into a matter of their own choice. For the first time, the oral examinations were taken during the school year. The first results are to be posted on July 4th, and the final ones on July 9th.



    NATIONAL DEFENSE – The meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on Wednesday, headed by the President Klaus Iohannis. The meetings agenda includes Romanias objectives for the NATO summit in Brussels next week and the Romanian Armed Forces that can be deployed for missions and operations abroad in 2019. A fresh NATO training mission in Iraq will be officially announced at the summit of the Alliance scheduled for July. Also, NATO wants to set up ground forces command units. Romania has already announced its intention to host such a command unit. Bucharests stand on the relation between the EU and NATO, a topic that will be approached at the summit, must also be established at the meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep remains no.1 in the world, according to the WTA rankings published on Monday. To Halep, its the 34th week as world leader. Next on the podium there come Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The top 100 includes another five Romanian tennis players: Mihaela Buzarnescu (28), Irina Begu (33), Sorana Cirstea (47), Monica Niculescu (59) and Ana Bogdan (63).(Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

  • June 25, 2018

    June 25, 2018


    NO-CONFIDENCE – Thousands of Romanians went to the streets on Sunday evening, calling for the resignation of the Government led by Viorica Dancila. They are worried that the current executive, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, might adopt, under an emergency decree, the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which have been adopted recently. These changes are the object of the no-confidence motion filed by the National Liberal Party, which is being read in parliament today and will be voted on Wednesday. The right wing opposition blames the Government for having destroyed the economy and the justice system. Also today, the Romanian MPs are to debate a simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union, which calls for the resignation of the Transport Minister Lucian Sova. He is accused of incompetence and of having blocked funding for the building of motorways in Romania.



    NATIONAL DEFENSE – The meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on Wednesday, headed by the President Klaus Iohannis. The meetings agenda includes Romanias objectives for the NATO summit in Brussels next week and the Romanian Armed Forces that can be deployed for missions and operations abroad in 2019. A fresh NATO training mission in Iraq will be officially announced at the summit of the Alliance scheduled for July. Also, NATO wants to set up ground forces command units. Romania has already announced its intention to host such a command unit. Bucharests stand on the relation between the EU and NATO, a topic that will be approached at the summit, must also be established at the meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense.



    FAC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is today attending the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. The EU foreign ministries will have a joint working session with the defense ministries, to assess the progress in security and defence. Also, the ministers will discuss the consolidation of the relationship between NATO and the EU, in the presence of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Also today, Romania and Bulgaria will give briefings on the stage and prospects of EU-supported regional cooperation initiatives in the Black Sea Area.



    CVM – The European Commission is currently conducting a fresh evaluation under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. For three days, a Commission delegation will analyze the impact of the changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes on the Romanian justice system. The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that a document was drawn up, highlighting the progress made by Romania.



    MOLDOVA – The Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova (Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population) is today examining the appeal to the invalidation of the early elections for the office of mayor of Chisinau, issued by two lower courts. On June 3rd, the second round of mayoral elections was won by the representative of the pro-European opposition Andrei Nastase, who defeated the pro-Russia socialist Ion Ceban. The invalidation of the result of the election triggered large-scale protests across the country and reactions from the EU and the US, which have called for a transparent appeal procedure. In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has warned that political tension might affect the republics stability, and the right-wing opposition has voiced support for Nastase. If Nastases win is not validated, Chisinau will have an interim mayor until the local elections due next year.



    MIGRATION – The European mini-summit on migration ended on Sunday in Brussels without any concrete measures being adopted. The leaders of the 16 participant countries agreed over the need to curb illegal migration and protect the European frontiers, but there was no consensus as to how that would be achieved. The German Chancellor Angela Markel stated that, unless solutions were found at the level of the EU, bilateral agreements will be proposed, while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed the creation of international protection centers in the transit countries and sanctions against the EU countries that do not accept refuges. The Visegrad Group (made up of Hungary, Poland, the Check Republic and Slovakia) boycotted the meeting. New talks will be held at the European Council this week.



    BACCALAUREATE – The high-school graduation examinations – the Baccalaureate – have started in Romania today. Some 137,000 students are participating, in 440 examination centers across the country. Today was the day for Romanian language and literature examination. On Tuesday, students belonging to the national ethnic minorities will sit for the examination in their mother tongues, Wednesday is the compulsory specialty examination, and on Thursday students will be tested into a matter of their own choice. For the first time, the oral examinations were taken during the school year. The first results are to be posted on July 4th, and the final ones on July 9th.



    SCIENCE – Researchers from across the world are these days in Brasov, in central Romania, attending the International Nuclear Photonics Conference. Romania was chosen to host the second edition of this event, given that it is home to the most powerful laser in the world, which will be rendered operational next year. On Sunday, the participants discussed the applications of this technology, after they had visited the Magurele facility, near Bucharest. The first edition of the Conference was held in California in 2016.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep remains no.1 in the world, according to the WTA rankings published on Monday. To Halep, its the 34th week as world leader. Next on the podium there come Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The top 100 includes another five Romanian tennis players: Mihaela Buzarnescu (28), Irina Begu (33), Sorana Cirstea (47), Monica Niculescu (59) and Ana Bogdan (63).


    (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

  • February 12, 2018 UPDATE

    February 12, 2018 UPDATE

    Report – The Romanian Parliament’s plenary sitting approved on Monday the report of the commission that investigated aspects related to the presidential election in 2009. According to the report, a series of facts likely to fuel suspicions of electoral fraud have been found. The report’s conclusions were backed by MPs with the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and rejected by the opposition, who voted against it, while representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and of the national minorities abstained from voting. The report will be submitted to the relevant institutions, such as the Prosecutor’s Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Presidential Administration, the Higher Council of Magistracy and the Government. The report says that the election was allegedly rigged in favor of the rightist Traian Basescu, helping him win a second term as president to the detriment of the Social Democrat Mircea Geoana.




    Military drills — 100 Romanian soldiers will be training, starting on Monday until Friday, together with around 200 soldiers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the US in the Babadag shooting range (in southeastern Romania) as part of the “Black Sea Rotational Force” multinational drill. Participating in the drill from the Romanian Army are soldiers from the ground and naval forces as well as from the air forces.




    Flu — The National Public Health Institute on Monday announced that the number of deaths caused by the flu virus in Romania reached 21. More than 300 people have got the flu so far and over 800 thousand people have been vaccinated against it. Doctors have reiterated recommendations to the population to get vaccinated against the backdrop of a surge in flu cases. According to health minister Sorina Pintea Romania is not yet dealing with a flu epidemic, adding that prevention measures are very important and hospitals and public health institutions should take the necessary measures in this respect.




    Chisinau — The Audiovisual Coordinating Council in the Republic of Moldova is monitoring, as of Monday, whether radio and television stations observe the so-called ‘anti-propaganda’ law, which came into force on February 11. The law is aimed at eliminating the propagandistic messages from the Russian Federation and at protecting consumers from possible attempts of disinformation or manipulation from the outside. At the same time, the law is meant to eliminate media provocation against the Republic of Moldova, by rejecting TV and radio programs that provide information, analyses, military and political content that are not produced in the EU, the US, Canada and other states which are members of the European Convention on Cross-Border Television.




    Baccalaureate – In Romania, as many as 177,000 high school students and graduates from the previous graduating classes on Monday had started the exams assessing their linguistic and digital competences as part of the national Baccalaureate exam. Exams include oral examination in the Romanian language, and in the mother tongue for the students belonging to national minorities, assessment of digital competences and of linguistic competences in a language of international circulation. This is the first time when these exams are scheduled during the school year, several months ahead of high school graduation. The written examinations of the national Baccalaureate exam are scheduled for June.




    Tennis — 5 tennis players from Romania, among whom world’s no. 2 Simona Halep, are participating in the Doha tournament, in Qatar. On Monday, in the first round, Monica Niculescu (92 WTA) defeated Russian Maria Sharapova (41 WTA) in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 while Mihaela Buzărnescu (43 WTA) beat Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (40 WTA), 7-5, 6-4. On Tuesday, after the inaugural round, Irina Begu (37 WTA) will take on the Australian Samantha Stosur (44 WTA), and Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will play against Maria Sakkari of Greece. Simona Halep, who qualified directly to the 2nd round, will be up against Russian Ekaterina Makarova (36 WTA). Halep won the Doha tournament in 2014. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • New rules for the baccalaureate exam

    New rules for the baccalaureate exam

    For the first time in post-communist Romania, this years baccalaureate exams have begun as early as February with the oral language and computer tests. Until the 22nd of February, around 177,000 young people in their final year at high school or who have already finished high school will be taking an oral language test in the Romanian language or the language of ethnic minorities, a foreign language test and a computer test. These are pass/fail tests, with no marks being awarded.



    The second part of the baccalaureate examination will be held between the 25th and 28th of June and will consist in written tests for which marks will be awarded. This timetable was established, together with parents and students representatives, by the former Social Democrat education minister Liviu Pop, who has in the meantime left the Cabinet. Pop argued that the period before the written tests is a very busy time for pupils and that splitting the examination in two parts would give children a respite until summer.



    Trade unions in the education system warn, however, that changing the exam timetable may lead to strange situations that the law does not cover. For example, some of the students who pass the February exams may be unable to take their summer exams because of poor grades in class. We will have a better picture of the new system after the exams in summer, by comparing things with last years baccalaureate, when the best results in the last 8 years were reported. Almost 73% of the pupils who took the tests passed, which accounts for a 5% increase compared with 2016. Of the 135,000 pupils, only 97 obtained the maximum score. The best results were obtained in Sibiu, in the centre, Bacau and Iasi, in the east, and Cluj, in the west, while the worst came from Ilfov and Giurgiu, in the south.



    Minister Pop said at the time that the good scores were not the result of easier exams than in previous years, but of the fact that pupils worked harder. There were also high schools, especially technical ones, where no pupil passed the baccalaureate exam. The National Liberal Party in opposition said the authorities needed to take urgent measures to support the education system. Having themselves held the education ministry in the past, the Liberals said the baccalaureate exam had in recent years become a mere bureaucratic formality sending young people into unemployment, with no qualifications, no practical skills and no chance of integrating into the labour market.


    (translated by: Cristina Mateescu)

  • February 12, 2018

    February 12, 2018

    Military drills — 100 Romanian soldiers will be training, starting on Monday until Friday, together with around 200 soldiers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the USA in the Babadag shooting range (in southeastern Romania) as part of the “Black Sea Rotational Force” multinational drill. Participating in the drill from the Romanian Army are soldiers from the ground and naval forces as well as from the air forces.



    Chisinau — The Audiovisual Coordinating Council in the Republic of Moldova is monitoring, as of today, whether radio and television stations observe the so-called ‘anti-propaganda’ law, which came into force on February 11. The law is aimed at eliminating the propagandistic messages from the Russian Federation and at protecting information consumers from possible attempts of disinformation or manipulation from the outside. At the same time, the law is meant to eliminate media provocation against the Republic of Moldova, by rejecting TV and radio programs that provide information, analyses, military and political content that are not produced in EU member states, the US, Canada and other states which are members of the European Convention on Cross-Border Television.



    Baccalaureate– In Romania, as many as 177,000 high school students and graduates from the previous graduating classes are today taking the exams assessing their linguistic and digital competences as part of the national Baccalaureate exam. Exams include oral examination in the Romanian language, and in the mother tongue for the students belonging to national minorities, assessment of digital competences and of linguistic competences in a language of international circulation. This is the first time when these exams are scheduled during the school year, several months ahead of high school graduation. The written examinations of the national Baccalaureate exam are scheduled for June.



    Flu — The National Public Health Institute on Monday announced that the number of deaths caused by the flu virus in Romania reached 21. More than 300 people have got the flu so far and over 800 thousand people have been vaccinated against the flu. Doctors have reiterated recommendations to the population to get vaccinated against the backdrop of a surge in flu cases. According to health minister Sorina Pintea Romania is not currently facing a flu epidemic, adding that prevention measures are very important and hospitals and public health institutions should take the necessary measures in this respect. aureate exam are scheduled for June.



    Tennis — 5 tennis players from Romania, among whom world’s no. 2 Simona Halep, are participating in the Doha tournament, in Qatar, which has prizes up for grabs worth a total of 3.1 million dollars. On Monday, in the first round, Monica Niculescu (92 WTA) will play against Russian Maria Sharapova (41 WTA) and Mihaela Buzărnescu (43 WTA) will be up against Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (40 WTA). On Tuesday, after the inaugural round, Irina Begu (37 WTA) will take on the Australian Samantha Stosur (44 WTA), and Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will play against Greek Maria Sakkari (60 WTA). Simona Halep, who qualified directly to the 2nd round, will face the winner of the match between Russian Ekaterina Makarova (36 WTA) and Chinese Shuai Zhang (34 WTA). Halep won the Doha tournament in 2014.



    Handball — Romania’s women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest on Sunday grabbed a 22-all draw with title holder Rostov on Don on home ground, in a match of main group 1 of the Champions League. On Saturday, in the same group, Gyori Audi ETO KC of Hungary, the trophy holder, defeated in an away match RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana of Slovenia. CSM and Gyori are ranked 1st and 2nd in the group with 11 and 10 points respectively. Rostov comes 3rd with 9 points. CSM won the Champions League in 2016 upon its debut in the competition. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • July 6, 2017

    July 6, 2017

    STRASBOURG — Negotiations for Turkey’s accession to the EU might be suspended today, with MEPs having to decide on a resolution in this respect. MEPs are concerned about Turkey backsliding in the rule of law, human rights, media freedom, and the fight against corruption. They condemn the repeatedly declared support for the reintroduction of the death penalty by the Turkish President. At the same time, the draft resolution also recognises the importance of good EU-Turkey relations and maintaining a constructive and open dialogue, which is key to addressing common challenges, such as migration, security or terrorism.




    RUSSIA – Sanctions imposed against Moscow are a “covert form” of protectionism Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying on Thursday ahead of a G20 summit in Germany. Putin said that protectionism was becoming widespread and also contradict the G20 principles for interacting in the interests of all countries of the world. At the end of June, the EU has extended by six months the sanctions against Russia, in the absence of the latters observance of the Minsk accords, aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The sanctions and the drop in the price of oil have generated the longest recession that the country has had to deal with since 2000 when Vladimir Putin came to the Kremlin.




    BACCALAUREATE – The results of the summer Baccalaureate exam are slightly higher than last year’s in most counties across Romania. 71.4% was this year’s pass rate for the summer Baccalaureate exam, 5% more than last year, according to the pre-appeal list of results. This is the highest pass rate in the last eight years. Moreover, 97 high-school students all over the country grabbed a perfect score. A recurrent problem is the high number of high-schools with zero pass rate. Education Minister Liviu Pop, said that with the amendment of the education law that stipulated a single Baccalaureate exam for all, the pass rate in technical high-schools has dropped and has gone up in philology-oriented high-schools. The National Liberal Party have expressed their support for two separate exams, addressing students of technical and philological high-schools, so as to make sure students can access the labor market as well as higher-education.





    SUMMIT –Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is today attending a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, namely the Baltic Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea, hosted by Warsaw. The heads of state and representatives from 11 other Central and Eastern European countries, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary, are taking part. The US president Donald Trump will also attend the summit as a special guest. The purpose of the Initiative is to provide political support for the cooperation and interconnection between the economies of the countries in the geographical area bordered by the three seas in fields such as energy, transport, telecommunications and environmental protection. At the same time, Donald Trump is expected to reconfirm his commitment to observing Article 5 of the NATO Pact, according to which an attack against any of the allies is seen as an attack against all.




    FESTIVAL — The 21st edition of the Garana International Jazz festival in held between July 6th and 9th in the small village of Garana, in south-western Romania. The festival is known as the most complex open-air jazz festival in central and Eastern Europe. As many as 18 jazz bands will take the stage. Over the past 20 years, more than one 100 thousand spectators attended the festival.




    WIMBLEDON — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea is today playing against American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the second round of Wimbledon tennis tournament. On Wednesday, World no. 2 Simona Halep qualified to the third round after a defeating Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in two sets 7-5, 6-3. Halep’s next mach will be against Chinese Shuai Peng. Romanian players Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu stopped in the second round.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • June 30, 2017 UPDATE

    June 30, 2017 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT – The new government in Bucharest, led by the Social Democrat PM Mihai Tudose, on Friday met in a first session after getting a vote of investiture in Parliament on Thursday. On its agenda was the emergency ordinance on increasing social benefits for pensioners and doubling aid for the severely disabled. The members of the cabinet also decided to draft a bill by September on establishing a Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment and to submit it to Parliament. Not achieving these aims was one of the reasons for which the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party-the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania withdrew political support for the former cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu, who was toppled by a no-confidence vote in Parliament.



    REP. OF MOLDOVA – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Pavel Filip, on Friday congratulated his Romanian counterpart, Mihai Tudose, on becoming prime minister. According to a communiqué issued by the Moldovan government, the two officials had a phone conversation and decided to have a first meeting in the near future. PM Filip reiterated Moldovas high interest in having a privileged relation with Romania.



    WEATHER – Extreme weather grips Romania, with the temperature-humidity index exceeding the critical threshold of 80 units in the centre, south and the east. The lows will stand at 13 degrees Celsius, whereas the highs are projected to reach 43 and even 44 degrees Celsius. The extreme heat is expected to last until the end of the week. The National Meteorology Agency announced it is possible for this to be the hottest early July on record. Meteorologists have issued a code red alert for 19 counties and the city of Bucharest. Code orange and yellow alerts are valid for the rest of the territory. First aid tents have been mounted and traffic restrictions are in place in the big cities.



    BRUSSELS – On June 30, Estonia took over from Malta the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The agenda of the Estonian presidency is focused on the economy, especially the digital market. This is the first time Estonia leads the union, and will seek to find common ground on various topics, from migration to Brexit. European Commission President, Jean-Claude Junker, and European Council President, Donald Tusk, are in Tallinn, attending ceremonies.



    BACCALAUREATE – Students graduating high school in Romania have taken the optional test of the baccalaureate exam. 135,000 students have registered for the test. Statistics indicate that in the 2016-2017 school year, the total number of students at all levels of education was 3.6 million, 45,000 fewer than last year.



    WASHINGTON – People from six predominantly Muslim countries and refugees overall are facing stricter hurdles for entering the US after the application of a controversial ban issued by US President Donald Trump. The ban applies to Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, as well as to refugees of all kinds. The president explained that the ban was motivated by national security needs, pointing to the terror attacks in Paris, London, Brussels and Berlin.



    CULTURAL INFO – Over 14 million people in Romania visited over 400 museums and public collections last year, data released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics show. Institutions and companies active in the field of visual arts put up over 22 thousand shows, which enjoyed the participation of 5.7 million spectators. The figures issued by the National Institute of Statistics show that in 2016 libraries lent 11 volumes to each active user, on average, and that over 1,500 magazines were issued across the country.

  • June 26, 2017 UPDATE

    June 26, 2017 UPDATE

    PRIME MINISTER – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday night designated the interim Economy Minister Mihai Tudose, 50, as the new Prime Minister. Further to consultations held throughout the day with the leaders of parliamentary parties, the head of state accepted the proposal made by the ruling coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The coalition feels entitled to make the nomination, after last week they voted to dismiss their own government, headed by Sorin Grindeanu. According to President Iohannis, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats say they have a majority in Parliament, and the opposition parties did not come up with any proposals, nor did they hint that they have a political agreement on the topic. On the other hand, the President added, the current crisis severely damages Romania and it must end as soon as possible. This is why the President called on all parliamentary parties to put together an agenda enabling them to complete the parliamentary procedures this week, so that Romania may have a new Government.




    BACCALAUREATE – 135,000 high school graduates in Romania Monday took the Romanian language and literature test, the first test in the Baccalaureate exam. On Tuesday the students with native languages other than Romanian will be tested in their native language and literature, and on Wednesday the compulsory test corresponding to the chosen profile is scheduled, with the last written test of the current session scheduled on Friday. Statistics show that in the academic year that has just ended, the total number of students in the Romanian education system was nearly 3.6 million, down 45,000 since the previous year.




    FLAG DAY – On Monday, Romania celebrated the National Flag Day. On this occasion, the Foreign Ministry pointed out in a news release that the national flag was the ultimate symbol of Romanian identity and unity. Flown at all the events organised by the Romanian diplomatic missions, consular offices and cultural institutes, the national flag is also a symbol of cultural and spiritual identity for the Romanians living abroad. June 26 was declared the National Flag Day in 1998, to mark the day in 1848 when the three-colour flag was first adopted as a national symbol.




    TENNIS – The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea (62 WTA) Monday qualified into the second round of the Eastbourne tournament in the UK, with USD 750,000 in total prize money. She defeated the Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2, and is to play next against Britains Johanna Konta. Two other Romanians, Simona Halep, number 2 in the world and Monica Niculescu (51 WTA) will also play in the second round. Halep will take on the Chinese Ying-Ying Duan, while Niculescu is up against the Bulgarian Tvetana Pironkova, after Petra Kvitova (the Czech Republic) withdrew from the competition. Eastbourne is the last test before the third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 26, 2017

    June 26, 2017

    CONSULTATIONS — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis holds consultations today with parliamentary party leaders to designate a new PM. The coalition in power, the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, believes it is entitled to nominate the premier, even though last week they removed their previous government, headed by Sorin Grindeanu. The Social Democrats will designate their proposal for the position within their executive committee. The center-right opposition ruled out any collaboration with the Social Democrats. At the same time, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania has a protocol for parliamentary collaboration with the Social Democrats, and signaled they would vote in favor of a government proposed by the ruling coalition.



    BACCALAUREATE — 135,000 high school graduates in Romania have their first baccalaureate test today, the Romanian language and literature test. On Tuesday, students with alternate native languages will have their own test in language and literature. Wednesday, all students take the test that is compulsory as part of their chosen profile. The last test, the optional, is scheduled for Friday. Statistics show that almost 3.6 million students registered for all levels of study in the school year ending, almost 45,000 less than last year.



    LONDON — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea, 62nd seeded, plays today against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, 39th seeded, in the first round of the tournament in Eastbourne, in the UK, with 750,000 US dollars in prize money. Two more Romanians, Simona Halep, second in the world, and Monica Niculescu, 51st, are scheduled to play in second round. Halep has already qualified, while Niculescu will play against Petra Kvitova, also of the Czech Republic, 12th seeded. In the first round, Niculescu defeated Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, 27th seeded, 2-1. The Eastbourne tournament is the last preliminary for the tournament in Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year.



    FLAG — Today Romania celebrates National Flag Day, celebrated by all public authorities and state institutions. It is also celebrated by the military with ceremonies, held alongside those held by the Interior Ministry. National Flag Day, June 26, was instituted in 1998, celebrating the date in 1848, during the revolution, when the tricolor flag was adopted as national symbol.



    STRASBOURG — Fighting government corruption and migration are two of the topics on the agenda of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, which starts today its summer session. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Strasbourg, the members of parliament are discussing four reports on migration. The documents include human rights implications of the European reaction to transition migration in the Mediterranean area. The Council of Europe has 47 members, including all EU members.



    FILM — The Romanian film Short Circuit, by Catalin Saizescu, won the award for remarkable artistic achievement at the Shanghai International Film Festival, now in its 20th edition. Organizers said the award was given for the courage to touch on sensitive contemporary dramas, and the ability to blend a variety of perspectives on the same truth. This is the first Romanian film selected for the official competition of the festival. The movie was inspired by the tragic event of August 2010, when several babies born prematurely died in a Bucharest maternity. It is the love story of two teenagers caught in the tragedy.

  • November 13, 2016 UPDATE

    November 13, 2016 UPDATE




    FOREIGN POLICY – Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, on Monday will attend the Foreign Affairs
    Council meeting, alongside his EU counterparts. The agenda of the meeting,
    hosted by Brussels, covers such issues as the situation in Turkey, the Eastern
    Partnership, the developments in the Southern Neighbourhood, with special
    emphasis being laid on the Syrian file. The stage of implementing the EU Global
    Strategy for Common Foreign and Security Policy will be approached during a
    common session of the EU foreign and defence ministers, on the same day. On the
    sidelines of the Council, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
    Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, on Sunday initiated an informal talk
    between the foreign ministers, including Lazar Comanescu, on the trans-Atlantic
    relation.






    NATO – NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has launched a warning to
    the US President elect, Donald Trump, saying going alone is not an
    advantageous option, either for Europe or for the US. In an article carried by
    the British paper The Observer, NATO Secretary General, Jens
    Stoltenberg, said the West is facing one of the biggest security challenges in
    the past decades. During his electoral campaign, Donald Trump argued NATO is
    anachronistic and suggested that Washington will think twice whether it helps
    or not a NATO ally which comes under attack, if the respective ally hasn’t paid
    its contribution. News agencies recall that some 70% of NATO’s current spending
    is covered by the US, but the American leaders have always admitted to taking a
    high interest in maintaining a stable and safe Europe.




    COMMEMORATION– French President Francois Hollande
    on Sunday unveiled several commemorative plates in memory of the 130 people
    killed in the terror attacks carried out by Islamist militants in Paris, a year
    ago. President Hollande and
    the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, unveiled a commemorative plate while the name
    of the victims were read out. On November 13, 2015 Paris was in shock after gunmen opened fire
    randomly in the streets and blew themselves up. The largest number of victims,
    90, were registered at Bataclan Concert Hall, and the rest of victims died in cafes,
    on sidewalks and restaurant terraces in Paris.




    ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN – The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections
    scheduled for December 11, started in Romania on Friday. Some 6,500 people are
    running, on behalf of parties or as independent candidates, for the 466 seats
    in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. This
    election, the list system has been reinstated; the last time it was used was in
    the 2004 elections. The parties credited with chances of going past the
    required threshold to be represented in parliament are: PSD, PNL, USR, ALDE, UDMR and PMP.




    FILM – Romanian films Sieranevada by Cristi Puiu and Baccalaureate by Cristian Mungiu have reaped a lot of awards at the Listapad, International Film Festival hosted by the Belarusian capital, Minsk, between November 4 and 11. They included: the film press award (Sieranevada), the Yury Marukhin memorial award for best cinematography (Barbu Balasoiu/ Sieranevada), the special jury award (Baccalaureate), the award for best actress in a supporting role (Lia Bugnar/ Baccalaureate) and the award for best actor in a leading role (Adrian Titieni/ Baccalaureate).


    RUGBY – Romania’s national rugby team on Saturday defeated the US, 23-10, in a test match played in Bucharest. The winner grabbed the Pershing Cup. This is a trophy initiated in 2014 and offered ever since by the Romanian Rugby Federation to the winner of the confrontations between Romania and the US, in remembrance of the match played during the Military Olympics of 1919, the Inter-Allied Games, organised by the commander in chief of the US Expeditionary Force in Europe, General John Joseph Pershing, to mark the end of WWI. The next preparatory game of the Romanian national rugby team is scheduled for Saturday, when Romania meets Canada in Bucharest.


    WEATHER -
    A wave of cold has taken most Romanian regions in its grip. In the following
    period of time, the weather will continue to be particularly cold for this time
    of the year. The sky will be overcast and precipitations are likely to fall across
    the entire territory. Snowfalls and gusty wind are further forecast in the
    mountains and in the north. Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert
    against gale-force wind valid for Eastern Romania until Monday noon.
    Temperatures will drop below zero, down to minus 10 degrees Celsius in places.
    Gale force wind and snow produced havoc on Sunday, in several regions,
    particularly in the mountains and in the northeast. Bad weather conditions
    disrupted electricity in several counties, with a considerable impact on air
    traffic and the sea and river ports’ activity. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • November 13, 2016

    November 13, 2016

    REP. OF MOLDOVA — Pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon and pro-European reformer Maia Sandu face off in the presidential run-off in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian speaking population. About three million voters are called to the polls to elect their president through direct voting, for the first time in 16 years, time in which the head of state was appointed by Parliament. According to the media in Chishinau, although the president’s prerogatives are limited in the former Soviet republic to foreign policy and national security, Moldovans hope their future president will also be able to solve the social and economic problems the country is facing. Pundits say the ballot has a political stake, as well as geopolitical implications. Dodon wants Moldova to relinquish accession and free trade agreements with Brussels and join the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Union, whereas Sandu pleads for reforming the state and European integration. In the first round, Igor Dodon got 48% of the cast votes, whereas Maia Sandu got 39%. The turnout in the first round stood at some 49%, a record low in the history of the Republic of Moldova, since elections were held in that country.



    FOREIGN POLICY — The EU foreign ministers are today meeting in Brussels for talks on the impact the results of the US presidential election might have on trans-Atlantic relations. The European leaders are concerned about the future of the relations with the US, after the US President elect, Donald Trump, has repeatedly said he places America on the first place. “It’s good for Europe to be pro-active and do not wait for President Trump’s reaction”, said Dutch foreign minister, Bert Koenders. The meeting in Brussels is held at the initiative of Germany and the Netherlands.



    COMMEMORATION — French President Francois Hollande has today opened the ceremonies marking one year since the Paris terror attacks of November 13, 2015, unveiling a commemorative sign at Stade de France, in northern Paris, where the first of the 130 victims was killed by Jihadists, FP reports. The Bataclan Concert Hall in Paris reopened on Saturday, one year after the attacks claimed by the Islamic State organisation. On November 13, 2015 Paris was in shock after gunmen opened fire randomly in the streets and blew themselves up. The largest number of victims, 90, were registered at Bataclan, and the rest of victims died in cafes, on sidewalks and restaurant terraces in Paris.



    PROTESTS — Protests which started in thousands of towns and cities across the US, at the news of Republican Donald Trump’s winning the presidential election, continued on Saturday, for the fourth consecutive day. Representatives of the protesters say they are aware of the fact that what they say and their taking to the streets do not reverse the result of the presidential ballot, but they want to draw attention on their discontent about the future White House leader. They want to raise public awareness of the main issues raised during Trump’s electoral campaign which included defamatory remarks on women, up to threats of building a wall between the US and Mexico to keep migrants away.



    ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN — The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for December 11, started in Romania on Friday. Some 6,500 people are running, on behalf of parties or as independent candidates, for the 466 seats in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. This election, the list system has been reinstated; the last time it was used was in the 2004 elections. The parties credited with chances of going past the required threshold to be represented in parliament are: PSD, PNL, USR, ALDE, UDMR and PMP.



    BULGARIA — Bulgarian voters are called to the polls today to elect their president, in the presidential run-off. The vote might also entail the removal of Conservative PM, Boiko Borisov, in case of a victory by the Socialist candidate, Rumen Radev, considered to have close relations with Moscow, FP reports. Some 6.8 million voters will choose between Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of the conservative Gerb Party, in power, and pro-Russian general Rumen Radev, who had been the commander of the Bulgarian Air Forces until summer, when he accepted to become the Socialists’ presidential candidate. According to the latest polls, Radev is the frontrunner, especially after the big surprise of November 6, when he got 3 percentage points more than the candidate of the majority, criticised for a lack of charisma.



    WEATHER — A wave of cold has taken most Romanian regions in its grip, except for the southeast where temperatures are close to normal for this time of the year. The sky is overcast and precipitations are reported across the whole territory. Rainwater exceeds 20-25 l/square meter in the west, south-west, centre, north and north-east, and even 50- 60 l/square meter in places. Snowfalls are reported in the mountains and in the north, where gusty wind is also reported. A code yellow alert against precipitations and gale-force wind is valid for almost the whole of Romania, as well as a code orange alert against blizzard valid for 14 counties in the centre and the north. Both codes are valid until Sunday evening. The highs of the day range between 0 and plus 10 degrees Celsius.



    RUGBY — Romania’s national rugby team on Saturday defeated the US, 23-10, in a test match played in Bucharest. The winner grabbed the “Pershing Cup”. This is a trophy initiated in 2014 and offered ever since by the Romanian Rugby Federation to the winner of the confrontations between Romania and the US, in remembrance of the match played during the Military “Olympics” of 1919, the “Inter-Allied Games”, organised by the commander in chief of the US Expeditionary Force in Europe, General John Joseph Pershing, to mark the end of WWI. The next preparatory game of the Romanian national rugby team is scheduled for Saturday, when Romania meets Canada in Bucharest.



    FILM — Romanian films “Sieranevada” by Cristi Puiu and “Baccalaureate” by Cristian Mungiu have reaped a lot of awards at the “Listapad”, International Film Festival hosted by the Belarusian capital, Minsk, between November 4 and 11. They included: the film press award (Sieranevada), the “Yury Marukhin” memorial award for best cinematography (Barbu Balasoiu/ Sieranevada), the special jury award (Baccalaureate), the award for best actress in a supporting role (Lia Bugnar/ Baccalaureate) and the award for best actor in a leading role (Adrian Titieni/ Baccalaureate). (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • August 28, 2015 UPDATE

    August 28, 2015 UPDATE

    16 Romanian citizens are being investigated in the Hungarian capital city for participating on August the 26th in two different cases of human trafficking. In a news conference given in Bucharest, the press service of the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced two other Romanian nationals had been taken into custody in Hungary and are being investigated for the same reason. As regards the scores of migrants found dead in a truck which was left abandoned near the Austrian-Hungarian border, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the owner of the truck is not a Romanian national and no Romanian citizen got involved in this dramatic incident, investigated by the Austrian police.



    The total population residing in Romania remains under 20 million people, according to preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute. On January 1, 19,861,000 people were residing in Romania, down 85,900 since the beginning of the previous year. The urban and female population account, respectively, for 53.8%, and 51.1% of the total, and the ageing phenomenon is deepening, the difference between the population over 65 and the young population of up to 14 years of age having widened to more than 300,000 people. The survey also indicates that Romania remains an emigration country, with a number of emigrants 42,000 higher than the number of immigrants last year.



    The Bucharest Court has dismissed a notification filed by the management of the Romanian Air Traffic Authority (ROMATSA) regarding the unlawfulness of the strike announced by employees. Their union leaders announced an all-out strike starting September 1, unless an agreement is reached with the Transport Ministry on the unions demands. Air traffic controllers want a pay rise, the reduction of the retirement age from 65 to 55, improved working conditions as well as the resignation of the management. On July 15, the employees went on a two-hour token strike, an unprecedented situation in the Romanian air transport system. According to the Romanian Air Traffic Authority, which currently has around 1,500 employees, between 2,500 and 3,000 planes transit the Romanian territory every day. On Wednesday, union leaders from the state-owned sector announced that 85,000 public sector employees might express their solidarity with the air traffic controllers planned strike.


    Romanian managers believe the economic situation of the country will improve slightly until the month of October, a conjectural investigation conducted by the National Statistics Institute shows. It is estimated that the volume of activity will grow in three of the four domains included in the analysis, the processing industry, trade and services, against the backdrop of a relative stability of prices. Also, the number of employees will go up in the field of trade and will further be stable in other sectors. The Secretary General of the Association of Romanian Businesspeople, Cristian Parvan, has told Radio Romania this high level of optimism is determined by the VAT reduction for foodstuffs and the decrease in oil price on the international market.



    A delegation of the committee for the Romanians around the world with the Romanian Senate has started a working visit in Herta and Storojinetz counties and to Cernauti (Chernivtsy) in Ukraine. The members of the delegation will hold talks with Ukrainian government officials and with MPs on the rights of the Romanians living in the neighbouring state. The president of the committee, senator Marcel Bujor has told Radio Romania that most ethnic Romanians in Ukraine do not have access to education in their native language, do not have newspapers in Romanian, are facing difficulties in the effort to preserve their religious identity and do not have a representation at parliamentary level.



    In Romania, the autumn session of the Baccalaureate exam concludes today, when over 36,000 high-school graduates give the last written test in their chosen major. The first results will be announced on September 1, appeals may be filed on the same day. The final results will be made public on September 4. Around 55,000 high school graduates took part in the autumn session of the Romanian Baccalaureate.



    The date of early legislative election in Greece was set for September the 20th. Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, who stepped down on August 21, agrees to this date, whereas some opposition parties, such as the New Democracy (conservative) and the Popular Unity (of the Syriza splinter group), prefer the date of September 27th, to benefit from a longer electoral period. The announcement is officially opening the election campaign and was made public just minutes after the first meeting of the new interim Greek government, led by Vassiliki Thanou.



    The Romanian Youth Orchestra will open in Bucharest on Sunday night the 22nd “George Enescu International Festival. Nearly 2,500 foreign artists and 500 Romanian ones will take part in this years edition of the Festival. The participating orchestras include the San Francisco Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, conducted by the world famous Zubin Mehta, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, London Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. According to the organisers, the 2015 edition of the largest cultural event organised in Romania and the worlds leading promoter of the works of the great Romanian composer George Enescu, will take place between August 30 and September 20, and will consist in 58 indoor concerts and many other outdoor events.



    For the first time in 12 years, Romania will have no representatives in the group stage of the European inter-club football competitions. Although on Thursday night Romanian champions Steaua defeated Norways Rosenborg Trondheim, 1-0 away from home, the Romanians were knocked off the Europa League play-off, because the Norwegian team had won in Bucharest 3-0. The new failure comes after Steaua was also eliminated from the third round of the Champions League by the Serbian team Partizan Belgrade. Also in Thursdays Europa League play-off, Astra Giurgiu failed to qualify, after losing 0-2, against the Dutch team AZ Alkmaar, which it had beaten in the first leg. The other two Romanian teams in the competition, vice-champions ASA Targu Mures and FC Botosani, were sent home from the qualifiers stage. According to Romanian sports media, the last hope for the local football fans remains the national team, which is the leader of the preliminary group of next years European Championships. Romanias next match in the group is scheduled for September 4, when the national team takes on Hungary in Budapest.

  • August 20, 2015 UPDATE

    August 20, 2015 UPDATE

    The Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, announced that a special Parliament meeting will take place on Monday, to discuss and vote on the request to re-examine the new Fiscal Code bill coming from President Klaus Iohannis. The announcement comes after on Thursday the Romanian parliamentary parties agreed on the key technical elements of the Code. These include a cut in VAT for foodstuffs from 24 to 20% as of January 1, 2016, and further to 19% starting in 2017. The additional excise on fuels remains in place next year as well, and provisions regarding the elimination or keeping of other taxes are to be decided on at a later date. Last month, president Iohannis sent back the Fiscal Code draft, previously endorsed unanimously by Parliament, on grounds that its enforcement was not sustainable. Prime Minister Victor Ponta however says the new Code is sustainable and the impact of the VAT cut on the budget (which will be around 1.58 billion euro) could be offset by an increase in the budget collection level, which is put at 2.2 billion euro.



    The formation of a new pro-Western government in Chişinău paves the way for stepping up bilateral projects, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Thursday during a meeting in Bucharest with the Defence Minister of the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, Anatolie Şalaru. Aurescu hailed the fact that Salarus first foreign visit in his new capacity was to Bucharest, and emphasised Romanias permanent support for Moldovas European efforts and for the wider efforts to modernise the state, including in the defence sector. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, minister Şalaru presented the priorities of his term in office and the main action lines concerning the reform of the defence sector of Moldova, while also thanking Romania for its consistent and substantial support. He also had a meeting
    in Bucharest with his Romanian counterpart,     Mircea Duşa, who announced that a NATO liaison office would be
    opened this autumn in Chişinău, to support the EU and NATO accession of the
    Republic of Moldova and the inter-operability of its army with the Allied
    forces.     A 1980s anti-Soviet militant, a promoter of the Romanian identity and vice-president of Moldovas Liberal Party, Salaru was offered the defence minister post last month in the Cabinet headed by the Liberal-Democrat Valeriu Strelet.



    In Romania, the autumn session of the Baccalaureate continued on Thursday with the assessment of students digital skills. The written tests begin on Monday with the Romanian language and literature exam. Nearly 55,000 high school graduates are sitting in the second session of this years Baccalaureate exams. Over 66% of the graduates passed the Baccalaureate in the July session. The pass rate has increased this year by 7% compared to 2014.



    Romanias national team won a gold medal, two silver and a bronze one and came out first in the general standings at the International Geography Olympiad held in Russia. The gold winner was Costin George Dobrin, from Constanta, in the south-east. Elena Aura Amironesei, from Iasi (north-east), who also won the silver in last years competition, and Sonia Adelina Şortan, from Deva, central Romania, won the two silver medals, while the bronze was taken home by Lorena Davidel from Falticeni, in the north-east. According to a news release issued by the Education Ministry in Bucharest, the competition brought together over 150 students from 40 countries.



    The Romanian woman arrested in Italy over ties with the Islamic State group, had been monitored by the Romanian Intelligence Service ever since 2014, Sorin Sava, a spokesperson for the Service, announced. He added that the woman reached Romania, and the authorities will take the required measures. The Romanian has been extradited to Romania, after the Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano had said she was a supporter of the terrorist group, was helping with the posting of Islamist propaganda material online and was planning to join the Jihadist fighters. The woman converted to Islam and became an IS supporter after having married a Tunisian citizen. She was arrested upon her return from a trip to Tunisia. The Italian authorities strengthened their efforts to identify the supporters of radical Islam and have extradited 47 suspects over the past year alone.