Radio România Internațional

Tag: biden

  • January 9, 2025 UPDATE

    January 9, 2025 UPDATE

    AID During the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Group, the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, on Thursday announced an additional $ 500 million military aid package for Ukraine, which is probably the last offered by the Biden administration before the country’s new president, the Republican Donald Trump takes over on January 20. A fresh military aid for Ukraine has been announced by Germany’s Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, who has also suggested a possible re-thinking of the Ramstein format in case Trump wants to reduce the US involvement. This has been the 25th meeting of the aforementioned group set up to coordinate the arms supplies to Ukraine, a meeting also attended by NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who has criticized Russia for carrying on attacks against innocent civilians in Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by the head of the European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, who said the EU was ready to take the lead on supporting Ukraine if the United States was no longer willing. President Trump has pledged talks with both the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, but hasn’t provided solutions for the war in Ukraine yet.

     

    WEATHER Temperatures will significantly drop in the regions surrounded by the Carpathians, whereas in the rest of the Romanian territory they will slightly go down as compared to the previous period. The sky will be overcast in the country’s west, center and north. The western regions are bracing up for more showers, whereas gale force winds and snow storms are expected in the mountains. The highs of the day will be between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius.

     

    ELECTION The parties in the ruling coalition in Romania, namely the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well as the representatives of national minorities, have agreed that the first round of the presidential elections will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18. The coalition also confirmed their nomination of the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as their joint candidate for president. In the meantime, the Bucharest Court of Appeal has published its justification for its rejection, on December 31, of a legal action against the Central Electoral Bureau in connection with the annulment, last year, by the Constitutional Court, of the electoral process for the election of president.

     

    VISIT During his trip to Romania, Stéphane Séjourné, executive vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for prosperity and industrial strategy, on Thursday visited a Romanian factory producing last-generation lithium-ion batteries and customised energy storage systems for sectors and businesses from all over Europe. The visit was an opportunity to present the indispensable role played by batteries in the decarbonisation of supply chains in Europe. Séjourné also discussed the challenges facing the batteries sector, as well as Europe’s response in this regard. The EU official also visited the National Aerospace Research and Development Institute, the main research centre in the field of aerospace science in Romania. That was an opportunity to discuss China’s unfair competition in the drone market and the increasingly relevant use of drone technologies in both civilian and military applications. On Wednesday, the European official met the minister for economy, digitalization, entrepreneurship and tourism Bogdan-Gruia Ivan, as well as Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and senate speaker Ilie Bolojan.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea will be facing Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the first round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, which will get under way on Monday, in Melbourne. Irina Begu will be playing qualifier Gabriela Ruse in the first round. Jaqueline Cristian, who went straight into the main draw, will face Croatia’s Petra Martic in the first round. Qualifier Anca Todoni will play world number five and last year’s Melbourne finalist Qinwen Zheng, of China, in the opening round.

    (bill)

  • December 2, 2024

    December 2, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS Romania’s new Parliament will be comprised of 7 political parties. In Sunday’s general elections, the Social Democratic Party in power won the largest number of votes, around 22%, followed by the sovereigntist AUR party with roughly 18%, double their figure in the last election 4 years ago. Third comes the National Liberal Party, another member of the ruling coalition for the past 4 years, which won some 14% of the votes, and 4th is the right-of-centre USR party, with around 12%. The 5% parliamentary threshold was also made by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the extremist party S.O.S. Romania led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă, and the newly founded sovereigntist Young People’s Party (POT). The turnout was over 52%, the highest in the last 20 years. Outside Romania, some 800,000 Romanian nationals voted, 3 times more than in the previous parliamentary election.

     

    COURT The Constitutional Court of Romania is expected to decide today whether to validate or cancel the first round of the presidential election of November 24. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court judges requested the recount of all ballots, after receiving a complaint that votes obtained by a candidate who had withdrawn from the race at the last minute had been transferred to another contender. The recount decision was criticized by most of the candidates in the race, who warned that a possible cancellation of the November 24 election would generate tensions and instability. If the Constitutional Court validates the first round, the second round will take place on Sunday, December 8 between the top two candidates – Călin Georgescu, running independently and widely seen as a pro-Russian extremist, and the president of the USR party (opposition), Elena Lasconi.

     

    NATIONAL DAY Romania’s National Day, marked on December 1, was celebrated on Sunday throughout the country with parades, military and religious ceremonies, shows, artistic events, and fireworks. The traditional parade took place in the capital city, attended by over 2,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel. President Klaus Iohannis, who hosted his last National Day reception as head of state, sent a message of unity and solidarity to overcome crises and move forward with dignity.

     

    GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, takes place between December 4 and 8. This year’s edition has the writer Mircea Cărtărescu as honorary president. The official opening of the 31st edition takes place on Wednesday, December 4, at Radio Romania’s stand at the fair. The 200 participants have prepared hundreds of events on this occasion.

     

    PARDON The outgoing US President Joe Biden has announced that he has pardoned his 54-year-old son Hunter, who was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, of lying to prosecutors, and who pleaded guilty to tax fraud. When he took office, Biden promised not to interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making. Now, the president, who leaves office on January 25, says Hunter Biden was selectively and unfairly prosecuted simply because he is his son. President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has described the move as an abuse.

     

    AID The UK will increase by GBP 19 mln its humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the situation is “catastrophic”, the British international development minister, Anneliese Dodds said ahead of traveling to Cairo for a conference on the subject, AFP reports. Dodds says that the people of Gaza are in vital need of food and shelter during the winter and that the Cairo event will be an opportunity to come up with concrete solutions to the humanitarian crisis. Dodds insists that Israel must act immediately to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, while international aid organisations accuse the Israeli authorities of not allowing aid trucks to enter the besieged Palestinian territory in sufficient numbers. The UK has committed to a total of GBP 99 mln in humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territories this year, the British government said. (AMP)

  • July 25, 2024

    July 25, 2024

    Paris – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the inauguration of the House of Romania in Paris, an event organized by the Romanian Embassy in France. Tomorrow, he will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, as well as the reception offered on this occasion by the French President, Emmanuel Macron. Last week, Iohannis received, at the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, the Romanian Olympic team that will compete in the Olympics. He handed the athletes the national flag, which will be carried during the opening ceremony by rowers Ionela and Marius Cozmiuc. The Romanian Olympic team has 106 athletes.

     

    Elections – The Romanian government is meeting today to discuss the organization of the parliamentary and presidential elections in November and December, respectively. The government will also analyze several draft emergency ordinances regarding the field of competition, the Romanian citizenship law and setting the maximum number of posts for the National Institute of Magistracy and the National School of Clerks. On the agenda of talks is also a bill that will bring a series of amendments and additions to the law on the public service of thermal energy supply, and the Interior Ministry is to benefit from a series of donations consisting of equipment, consumables and IT equipment. Also today, the budgets of the Ministries of Research, of the Environment, of the Legislative Council and the General Secretariat of the Government for the National Sports Agency will be supplemented. Last but not least, the Romanian government is to adopt a draft emergency ordinance regarding the implementation of the Start-Up Nation program for stimulating small and medium-sized enterprises, the 2024 edition.

     

    Diplomacy – Bucharest is hosting the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy. On this occasion, President Klaus Iohannis met, on Wednesday, with the heads of diplomatic missions, the heads of consular offices and the directors of Romanian cultural institutes. Romania, the president said, has become, in the last ten years, a credible, involved and respected regional, European and international actor, a real provider of stability and security. He told the Romanian diplomats that Romania’s major foreign policy objectives remain the consolidation of the role and influence in the EU and NATO and the deepening of the strategic partnership with the US. The second day of the meeting begins with a thematic session dedicated to hybrid threats and how to respond to them, with the participation of the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Stefano Sannino and Oana Lungescu, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) expert and former spokesperson for NATO. The debates will continue in a session with an economic theme, attended by guests from the government apparatus and the business environment. On this occasion the opportunities and perspectives regarding the stage of Romania’s accession process to the OECD and current topics on the diplomatic agenda will be addressed, as well as Romania’s economy in the current geopolitical context.

     

    Eurobarometer – More than 72% of the EU citizens believe that the community forum plays an important role in supporting the rule of law in their country, according to a recent Eurobarometer. In Romania, the proportion is 65%. The poll was released on Wednesday at the same time as the Rule of Law in the EU report, and shows that almost 9 out of 10 Europeans think it is important for all member states to respect the Union’s core values, an opinion unchanged from 2019 to present. Compared to 5 years ago, the proportion of those who feel informed about these values ​​has increased, from 43% to 51%. Through these fundamental values, Europeans understand the observance of human rights, the rule of law and democracy. The survey also shows that for 86% of Europeans it is important that the press and civil society organizations can work freely, without any pressure, even if they are critical of the government.

     

    Drone – Remains of a Russian drone were found in the north of Tulcea county, in the southeast of Romania, after the attacks from Tuesday night to Wednesday on the civil and port infrastructure in Ukraine, near the border with Romania, the Defense Ministry (MapN) reported on Thursday. According to MapN, the locations identified as possible areas of incidence are outside inhabited areas, with no infrastructure elements being affected. The Ministry announced that it has intensified the monitoring and surveillance measures of the national airspace. At the same time, MApN has sent a firm message of condemnation of these attacks by Russia on objectives and elements of Ukrainian civil infrastructure, which are unjustified and in serious contradiction with the norms of international law. We remind you that on the last two nights, the residents of the northern part of Tulcea County received RO-ALERT messages, informing them about the possibility of objects falling from the sky on the Romanian territory near the border with Ukraine. Similar incidents, in which fragments of Russia n drones fell on Romanian soil, were reported in the fall of 2023 and this year, in March.

     

    US – The US President Joe Biden said he withdrew from the race for a new term as president because he needs to unite the Democratic Party before the November elections. “I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation” he said. Biden said his domestic and foreign policies deserved another term, but American democracy must be saved, a statement that observers interpreted as an allusion to former Republican President Donald Trump’s despotic tendencies. He has said that he is now supporting Vice President Kamala Harris to become the new Democratic candidate in the electoral battle against Trump. In this context, the Democratic Party Committee agreed on a plan to officially nominate Harris as a presidential candidate on August 1, 20 days before the party convention. It is going to nominate its vice-president by August 7. (LS)

  • October 17, 2023 UPDATE

    October 17, 2023 UPDATE

    ISRAEL — Romania remains a consistent state within its relations in the Middle East and maintains its position as a promoter of peace, but it will unconditionally stand by its allies in difficult moments, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday, at the end a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in Israel. He pointed out that Romania strongly condemned what happened in Israel in the last few days, and that alongside with the international community it calls for the immediate release of all hostages and persons kidnapped and for refraining from any other act of aggression, especially against civilian targets. At the same time, Ciolacu called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. In turn, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked for the solidarity Romania showed to Israel in the face of the Hamas attacks. In this context, Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Israeli authorities would do everything in their power to help evacuate Romanians from the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Israel, Marcel Ciolacu also met with members of the Romanian community, which he assured of the full support of the government in Bucharest. The Romanian authorities have so far provided support for the safe repatriation of over 2,200 Romanian citizens from Israel and are further making efforts to offer consular assistance to Romanian citizens who ask for support to return to the country.




    COMMEMORATION — The prime ministers of Belgium and Sweden will pay tribute together on Wednesday to victims of Monday’s attack in Brussels, France Presse reports. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, wrote a message on a social network saying the two countries “weep together” for the victims – two Swedes, supporters of their national football team, who travelled to Brussels for the qualifying match to the European Championship, against the national team of Belgium. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristofferson, announced his presence in Brussels for the commemoration. The perpetrator of the attack, a 45-year-old Tunisian, who lived in Belgium illegally, was shot dead by the Belgian police on Tuesday morning. After the “brutal terrorist attack”, as PM Alexander De Croo called it, Belgium raised the state of security alert to the highest level in the countrys capital, Brussels.



    GAS — Romania’s gas deposits are full, so if winter is mild, the country may get through the next period without having to resort to imports, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said. Moreover, Romania can support in this respect, if needed, the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Minister Burduja says the capped prices for energy and gas for consumers should be maintained, given that international markets have felt the effects of the security crisis in the Middle East.




    GRAIN — Ukraine exported 10.5 million tons of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first nine months of the year, the port authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Overall, the port shipped over 25 million tons of grain between January and September 2023, the authority said, matching its previous annual record high. During his visit to Bucharest last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ‘corridor’ would be soon be established to take Ukrainian grain to Romania via Moldova. The Romanian government has said that, with investment in infrastructure ongoing, it aims to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tons, while port operators are also investing in equipment to increase loading speeds. Ukraine’s grain production in 2023 is likely to exceed 56 million tons, but Russia’s blocking its main Black Sea ports has affected deliveries.




    SUPPORT – Convened in a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of further support for Ukraine worth 50 billion euros, for the 2024-2027 period. The funds are aimed for the “reconstruction and modernization” of the country. The Ukraine Facility is part of the Unions long-term budget review, which needs to be adjusted after multiple crises that have taken place since 2021. The EU has so far allocated 30 billion euros from its budget to support Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Starting June 2022, Ukraine has the status of candidate country to EU accession.




    TEL AVIV — The U.S. President, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced. President Biden will reaffirm his solidarity with Israel, in the context of a ground offensive prepared by Israel against the Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken has also said. According to the US Secretary of State, Biden will be informed about how Israel will conduct its operations in such a way as to minimize the loss of civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without Hamas benefiting from it. (EE)

  • October 4, 2023

    October 4, 2023

    COURT — Romania’s Constitutional Court postponed again, for Thursday, a decision regarding the law that allows people to cash in both a pension and a salary at the same time. This is the third postponement of the Court in connection with the notification made by the High Court of Cassation and Justice on this topic. The law refers to measures that allow people entitled to retirement to continue working. The High Court says that the document is unconstitutional in its entirety. In keeping with the law, state employees will not be allowed to cash in both a salary and a pension. People found in this situation will have 30 days to opt for one of the two rights. The law passed by Parliament on June 28 also provides for some exemptions. Thus, people elected in positions of authority or public dignity will be allowed to receive both the pension and the salary from the state. Of the nine judges of the Constitutional Court, six receive both the pension and the salary.




    IMF — Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is holding talks today with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, who have travelled to Bucharest for the annual assessment of the Romanian economy. The IMF team met Tuesday with the MPs from the budget-finance committees and highlighted two big problems: the increase in expenses and the low rate of labor force among the population. According to the commission members, the package of fiscal measures assumed by the Government seems to have the approval of the IMF experts.




    TROOPS — Romania will deploy additional troops to Kosovo, after the North Atlantic Council green lighted the presence of more forces to manage the situation in the West Balkans. Romania already has around 250 soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 80 in Kosovo. On Tuesday, on the occasion of the Security Forum in Warsaw, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said his country remains firmly committed to ensuring stability and security in the region.




    TALKS – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, participated, via conference call, at the invitation of the United States President, Joe Biden, in a new round of political consultations with the allied global leaders, in the context of the recent developments in Ukraine, including of attacks on civil infrastructure near Romania. Iohannis said that Russia must stop the attacks on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube and asked for the consolidation of NATO’s deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank and the Black Sea. Iohannis also said that, at present, increased capabilities are needed for the detection and interception of drones, as well as for a stronger air defense. In his turn, President Biden reiterated his country’s commitment to the security of Romania and the other allies on the eastern flank, including the recent deployment of additional American F-16 fighter jets in Romania.




    PRICES – House prices dropped by 1.1% in the European Union in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, according to data made public by Eurostat. This is the first year-on-year decrease since the first quarter of 2014. Nine EU countries recorded lower prices in the second quarter of 2023 than in the previous year, but in the other 17 member states, house prices keep going up. The sharpest decrease was recorded in Germany – almost 10% – and the most significant increase was recorded in Croatia – 13.7%. Romania reported an advance of just 0.1% in the second quarter of 2023, after a 4.6% increase in the first three months of this year. (EE)


  • Positions on Ukraine

    Positions on Ukraine


    One year into the invasion of Ukraine, Putins Russia is changing nothing, even in terms of rhetoric. Speaking before the countrys political elite, Putin reiterated the claim that the attack on Ukraine was a response to an alleged Western plan against Russia. Kyiv would have prepared for a military offensive in Donbas anyway, last spring, Vladimir Putin claimed.



    While admitting that Russia was going through a difficult period, Vladimir Putin still described his country as the stronghold standing up against the Western decadence that seeks to rob the Russian people of their resources and to make them suffer. The West, the Russian president went on to say, has turned Ukraine into an anti-Russian project. And, he warned, the further into Russia Western weapons will hit, the more Moscow will be forced to remove these threats at its borders.



    Putin announced the suspension of the New START treaty with the US on the reduction of strategic nuclear weapons and warned that Moscow may resume nuclear tests.



    As for the waves of sanctions hitting the Russian economy, the Kremlin leader argued that it cannot be brought to its knees. Moreover, the sanctions purportedly created opportunities for autonomous development.



    Whereas Putins address in Moscow targeted a domestic audience that needs convincing that the West is an intractable enemy for Russia, the US president Joe Bidens speech in Warsaw was intended for the entire world, or at least the part of the world that loves freedom.



    Biden praised Ukraines resilience and reiterated his countrys and its Western allies unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty and independence. Biden accused the Russians of extreme brutality and crimes against humanity. He reaffirmed the commitment of the US to the NATO collective defence clause. “We will be strong, we will be united. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia,” the US leader promised.



    On the other hand, Biden dismissed Moscows claims that the West was plotting to attack Russia. “This war was never a necessity; its a tragedy. President Putin chose this war. Every day the war continues is his choice,” the US president said, and added that the war would be ended if Russia stopped invading Ukraine, but that if Ukraine stopped defending itself against Russia, it would be the end of Ukraine. This is why together we must make sure that Ukraine can defend itself, Biden argued.



    Attending the speech was also the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and president Biden asked the public to give her a round of applause, praising Chişinǎus path to EU membership and the peoples resolve to live in freedom. (AMP)


  • February 21, 2023 UPDATE

    February 21, 2023 UPDATE

    UKRAINE The US
    president Joe Biden Tuesday praised the Ukrainians’ resilience in the face of
    the Russian invasion launched nearly a year ago. Speaking at a rally in Warsaw,
    he emphasized that the US support for Ukraine remained unwavering and that the
    free world condemned Russia’s aggression. Biden added that he also wanted the
    people of the Republic of Moldova to be truly free, and called on participants
    to applaud Moldova’s president Maia Sandu, attending the assembly. Previously,
    in Moscow, president Vladimir Putin announced Russia would suspend its
    participation in the New START treaty with the US on the reduction of strategic
    nuclear weapons. The statement was made at the end of his state-of-the-nation address,
    ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24th February,
    and after the US president Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv. On Wednesday,
    Biden is due to meet the leaders of Bucharest Nine, a group of NATO countries
    from central and eastern Europe formed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea at
    the proposal of the presidents of Romania and Poland, Klaus Iohannis and Andrej
    Duda, respectively. The NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that
    with Russia’s decision on the latest START Treaty full arms control
    architecture has been dismantled. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels
    with the participation of Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s minister of foreign affairs,
    and Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Stoltenberg added
    that Moscow was the aggressor in Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin had claimed that
    the West was trying to destroy Russia.


    PENSIONS In Bucharest, USR and the Force of the Right parties in opposition
    Tuesday tabled a simple motion against the labour minister Marius Budăi, whom
    they accuse of incompetence and carelessness. They argue that Budăi is
    protecting special pensions (which are not based on contributions to pension
    funds) thus jeopardising the EU funding Romania should receive under the
    National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Meanwhile, the Senate has once again
    postponed the bill reforming special pensions, for 2 weeks, until relevant ministries
    have submitted estimates of its impact on the budget and stated whether the
    bill complies with Resilience Plan benchmarks. The World Bank is also expected
    to state its view on the matter.


    TURKEY Rescuers
    in Turkey are carrying out new searches for people trapped under the rubble as
    a new quake hit the south-east of the country on Monday night, in the same
    region as the devastating earthquakes that took place two weeks ago. According
    to official reports, six persons were killed and 200 wounded in the latest
    tremor. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running for a new term
    in May if elections are held on schedule, says his country would start building
    tens of thousands of new homes next month, a move estimated to cost at least 25
    billion dollars. Erdogan’s rapid reconstruction plans worry architects and
    engineers, who are concerned that the lack of urban planning and careful
    assessment of building safety may lead to a new disaster.


    CULTURE Two
    books about Constantin Brâncuşi were launched in Timişoara, which this year is
    holding the title of European Capital of Culture. The books, which recently
    appeared in France, are written by Doina Lemny, art historian and researcher at
    the National Museum of Modern Art and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The launch
    previews an extensive exhibition dedicated to the great Romanian sculptor next
    autumn at Timişoara’s Museum of Art. According to the city’s mayor Dominic
    Fritz, around 60,000 people attended the over 130 different events held in
    Timişoara this weekend during the official opening of the European Capital of
    Culture programme. The city will be playing host to around 1,000 different
    cultural events all year long. (AMP, CM)

  • 29/06/2022 (mise à jour)

    29/06/2022 (mise à jour)

    OTAN — Les leaders de l’OTAN ont lancé officiellement, mercredi, au sommet à Madrid, le processus d’adhésion de la Finlande et de la Suède, rendu possible par la levée par la Turquie de son droit de veto mardi soir. Présent à la réunion, le président de la Roumanie, Klaus Iohannis, a précisé que le soutien à l’Ukraine avait été consolidé, par l’adoption d’un paquet de mesures d’assistance. Il a également annoncé qu’un nouveau concept stratégique de l’Alliance avait été adopté, qui assure les directions majeures d’action pour au moins les 10 prochaines années, et la mer Noire y est déclarée zone d’intérêt stratégique. Dans le contexte des évolutions sécuritaires dramatiques d’Ukraine, la posture alliée de dissuasion et de défense a été renforcée sur le flanc est, une démarche absolument nécessaire exigée avec insistance par la Roumanie, a ajouté le chef de l’Etat. D’autre part, il a expliqué qu’à Madrid, il avait été décidé d’intensifier le soutien pour les partenaires, notamment pour ceux du voisinage oriental, République de Moldova et Géorgie comprises, et qui sont les pays les plus exposés aux évolutions en matière de sécurité. La Roumanie a atteint tous les objectifs qu’elle s’était proposé au sommet de l’OTAN de Madrid, a conclu Klaus Iohannis.



    Biden — Les Etats-Unis consolident leurs forces en Europe en réponse aux nouvelles menaces qui se sont fait jour avec l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie, apprend-on par Reuters. Le président Joe Biden a annoncé un accroissement de la présence militaire et des capacités américaines en Espagne, en Pologne, en Roumanie, dans les pays baltes, au Royaume-Uni, en Allemagne et en Italie. Le leader de la Maison Blanche a confirmé ce mercredi, au sommet de l’OTAN de Madrid, que le nombre des destroyers américains basés en Espagne passerait de quatre à présent à six. Deux escadrons supplémentaires d’avions F-35 de dernière génération seront envoyés en Grande Bretagne, et un quartier général du Corps d’armée 5 sera réinstallé en Pologne. 5 000 militaires viendront s’ajouter aux effectifs américains de Roumanie. Une présence américaine accrue aura un rôle bénéfique pour la Roumanie, mais aussi pour la sécurité de toute la région, a déclaré le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis.



    Gaz — La Roumanie peut devenir indépendante du point de vue énergétique, un fournisseur de sécurité énergétique dans la région et un couloir de transport pour le gaz et l’énergie verte depuis la mer Caspienne, a déclaré le ministre roumain de l’Energie, Virgil Popescu. Il participait, aux côtés du premier ministre, Nicolae Ciuca, à la cérémonie marquant le début de l’exploitation du gaz dans le périmètre roumain de Midia en mer Noire, le 15 juin dernier. Là, l’extraction du gaz a été estimée à 1 milliard de mètres cubes par an.



    Aide — La Commission européenne a approuvé un schéma d’aide financière pour la Roumanie de 60,7 millions d’euros à l’intention des entreprises activant dans le domaine du transport routier de marchandises et de passagers. L’argent sera disponible pour toute compagnie qui détient une licence communautaire valable et qui a été touchée par la crise actuelle, engendrée par l’invasion russe en Ukraine. L’aide financière ne dépassera pas les 400 000 euros par entreprise et sera accordée jusqu’au 31 décembre 2022.



    Sénat — Les fonctions de président du Sénat sont vacantes après que les sénateurs aient pris acte de la démission de Florin Cîţu. Par 81 voix pour et 12 abstentions, ces fonctions ont été déclarées vacantes. L’intérim sera assuré par la sénatrice Alina Gorghiu. L’ancien premier ministre Florin Cîţu a déposé son mandat après que le groupe de sénateurs du PNL l’eût informé qu’il ne bénéficiait plus de son appui politique pour occuper ces fonctions.



    Visite — Le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă a reçu, à Bucarest, le secrétaire général de la Ligue arabe, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, en visite en Roumanie. Cette rencontre a été une bonne occasion de souligner la position constante de la Roumanie dans ses relations avec les pays arabes, et l’approche équilibrée du processus de paix au Proche orient, indique un communiqué du gouvernement. A l’agenda — l’impact de l’agression militaire russe en Ukraine ; les efforts pour soutenir les réfugiés et le rôle assumé par la Roumanie, aux côtés des pays partenaires, a été présenté. Le premier ministre roumain a passé en revue la situation de sécurité de la région et a fait état de sa préoccupation sur les perspectives de paix. Il a souligné que les analystes évoquent la perspective d’une guerre prolongée en Ukraine. Ahmed Aboul Gheit a mis en exergue les efforts de la Ligue arabe pour la médiation d’une formule de paix et a remercié la Roumanie pour ses efforts d’approvisionner les pays arabes en céréales.



    Banques — Le gouvernement de Bucarest a adopté ce mercredi le décret d’urgence qui permettra à la population et aux compagnies affectées par la flambée des prix de reporter les mensualités dues aux banques. Les sociétés en question devront déposer une demande à la banque et prouver que leur chiffre d’affaires a baissé ces trois derniers mois d’au moins 25 %. Quant aux personnes physiques, elles devront prouver que leurs dépenses mensuelles ont augmenté d’au moins 25 %. Les mensualités pourront être reportées pour une période maximum de 9 mois. Il sera possible d’ajourner seulement les crédits qui n’ont pas eu d’arriérés de paiement ces 6 derniers mois. Aux termes de l’acte règlementaire, le taux d’intérêt sera capitalisé sur le solde du crédit en question à la fin de la période d’ajournement.



    Covid — En Roumanie, le nombre des cas de Covid est à la hausse. Près de 4 000 nouvelles infections ont été rapportées la semaine dernière, soit 1 400 de plus par rapport à la semaine précédente. Le nombre des patients en soins intensifs augmente lui aussi, il y en avait 58 la semaine dernière sur un total de 638 personnes qui ont été hospitalisées. 13 décès ont également été rapportés, dont 10 chez des patients non vaccinés.



    Pollution — Bucarest est une des 5 capitales les plus polluées de l’UE, constate un rapport réalisé par un groupe intergouvernemental d’experts du climat. Les 4 autres sont Varsovie, Zagreb, Athènes et Sofia. La situation est causée par plusieurs aspects, dont notamment le trafic routier. En Roumanie il y a de nombreux vieux véhicules, avec une période moyenne d’utilisation de 17 ans, alors qu’au niveau européen cette moyenne est de 12 ans. S’y ajoute un faible taux de zones vertes, Bucarest offrant 7 m² de zone verte publique par habitant, à comparer avec la moyenne européenne de 18 m². Autres facteurs à prendre en compte : les systèmes de chauffage, avec des chaudières à gaz dont sont dotés de nombreux foyers.


  • June 10, 2022 UPDATE

    June 10, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO
    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said that the leaders participating in the B9
    Summit held in Bucharest on Friday had a substantial exchange of opinions on
    the latest developments in terms of security, underlining the necessity that the alliance be able to defend each centimeter of its territory. The Romanian
    official underlined that the NATO’s future strategic concept must reflect as
    adequately and realistically possible the new security parameters, make the
    collective defence a top priority, define Russia as a threat and strengthen the
    alliance on all levels. Iohannis has also spoken about a boosted NATO presence
    on the Eastern Flank, mainly at the Black Sea, ‘the most exposed region to the
    Russian threats’. In turn, Polish president Andrzej Duda said the participant
    countries wish a ‘more advanced and stronger NATO presence in the region. In a
    twitter post, US president Joe Biden pledges to defend NATO’s eastern flank
    strengthening the region’s energy security and work together to support
    Ukraine. The summit in Bucharest was attended by the presidents of Poland,
    Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria. The Czech and Slovak
    presidents had online interventions as well as NATO Secretary General, Jens
    Stoltenberg.








    VISIT French president Emmanuel Macron will be
    visiting Romania on Tuesday to meet with the French troops deployed here. This
    regional tour will be taking him to the Republic of Moldova, where he is
    expected to voice support for this country affected by the war in Ukraine, the
    Elysee Palace announced on Friday. According to sources in Paris, Macron will
    be visiting Ukraine in the future, but the date of this visit hasn’t been set yet.






    IMF The
    International Monetary Fund has improved Romania’s economic growth forecast to
    3.5%-4.5% for 2022 and 2023, said the head of the mission for Romania Jan Kees
    Martijn. He said the uncertainty associated with this forecast is high, with
    risks of the war escalating and Russian gas deliveries being cut leading to a
    further rise in energy costs and reducing trade exchanges between European
    partners. The IMF official also said GDP reached the level before the crisis in
    the first quarter of the year after last autumn’s Covid wave. According to
    provisional data published on 7th June by the National Institute of Statistics,
    Romania’s GDP rose by 6.5% in the first quarter of the year compared with the
    same period last year.






    FOOTBALL Romania’s
    national football side are preparing for their Saturday match against Finland
    in Bucharest, in Group 3 of League B of the UEFA Nations League. Romania has
    lost their first two group matches, nil-2 to Montenegro and nil-1 to Bosnia and
    Herzegovina. Romania will next face Montenegro in Bucharest next week and will
    play their final two matches in September, against Finland away and against
    Bosnia and Herzegovina at home.








    (bill)

  • May 6, 2022 UPDATE

    May 6, 2022 UPDATE

    TOUR The first lady of the United States, Jill
    Biden, has arrived in Romania, the first leg of a European tour, which will
    also take her to Slovakia. The plane carrying her landed at the Mihail
    Kogalniceanu airbase in south-eastern Romania, where Jill Biden will be meeting
    the US troops stationed there. On Saturday, when America celebrates Mother’s
    Day, Jill Biden will be visiting Ukrainian mothers and children who had to flee
    their country because of the war as well as aid workers and teachers who are
    helping these children to get integrated into a stable and safe school
    environment. Jill Biden will be meeting members of the Romanian government in
    Bucharest, too.








    GRANTS The government in Bucharest on Friday approved 60 million Euros
    in grants to four fields of the economy, such as the food industry,
    acquaculture, fish farming and agriculture – the Minister of Investment and
    European Projects, Marcel Bolos has announced. 5 thousand euros are to be
    granted to small enterprises, natural persons, authorised natural persons,
    family and individual enterprises doing businesses in the aforementioned
    fields. The total budget for this measure is around 50 million euros and will
    have over 10 thousand beneficiaries. The second measure is represented by the
    grants for working capital with a budget of 250 million euros. Grants of 15% of
    the turnover will be given to small and medium-sized enterprises, though they
    are not to exceed 120 thousand euros. The number of beneficiaries has been
    estimated at ten thousand.








    REFUGEES Over 860 thousand Ukrainian nationals
    have entered Romania since the Russian invasion of their country, which began
    on February 24. According to data released by the Border Police Inspectorate,
    since the onset of the invasion until Thursday at 24 hours, 866,916 Ukrainian
    citizens entered Romania. Since February 10th, before the beginning of the
    conflict, 901,445 Ukrainians have entered Romania.




    SURVEY A flash Eurobarometer survey carried out in all EU
    member states shows the vast majority of EU citizens approve of Brussels’
    response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and believe that Ukraine is part of the
    European family. Romanians also believe that the EU has shown solidarity with
    Ukraine, with 82% saying they are pleased with the response of their fellow
    nationals.

    VISIT The situation in Ukraine was high on the agenda of the formal
    talks the presidents of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda
    held on Friday. Iohannis said that Romania supports the consolidation of the
    set of actions against Russia adding the only acceptable alternative must have
    as a result the restauration of the territorial integrity of the neighboring
    Ukraine. On the other hand, Iohannis announced that Romania would be hosting in
    Bucharest jointly with Germany and France the second edition of the support
    platform for the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and invited
    Lithuania to get involved. In turn, the Lithuanian president underlined the
    importance of the Romanian-Lithuanian cooperation for strengthening NATO’s eastern
    flank. Lithuania would continue to offer support to Ukraine and its refugees,
    Nauseda said adding that on Saturday he would be visiting the Republic of
    Moldova, the country who received the largest number of refugees in relation to
    its population. During a phone call with the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu
    on Friday, Iohannis reiterated Romania’s full solidarity with the Republic of
    Moldova. The two officials revised new assistance options, which Bucharest can
    continue to offer in all aspects of this crisis.

    (bill)

  • 26/03/2022

    26/03/2022

    Gaz — Les leaders de l’UE ont décidé vendredi de mandater la Commission européenne à procéder à des acquisitions communes de gaz, d’après le modèle des commandes de vaccins anti-Covid, sur la toile de fond de la guerre en Ukraine qui mène à l’envolée des prix de l’énergie, notre l’AFP. Les 27 et la Commission collaboreront d’urgence en matière d’achats volontaires de gaz, gaz liquéfié et d’hydrogène, profitant du poids économique de l’UE pour bénéficier de prix plus avantageux, selon les conclusions du sommet de Bruxelles. La Commission a entamé des négociations avec les principaux pays producteurs (la Norvège, le Qatar et l’Algérie) et a annoncé vendredi un accord avec les Etats-Unis pour que ces derniers accroissent leurs livraisons de gaz liquéfié à l’UE. La plate-forme d’acquisitions en commun sera ouverte aussi aux pays des Balkans occidentaux et aux trois pays liés à l’UE par des accords d’association (République de Moldova, Ukraine, Géorgie). A la réunion, le président de la Roumanie, Klaus Iohannis, a mis en exergue la nécessité de réduire les dépendances énergétiques de la Russie, de diversifier les sources et les routes d’approvisionnement en énergie, et de finaliser les interconnexions énergétiques au niveau des Etats de l’UE. Le leader de Bucarest a également soutenu que les solutions européennes d’optimisation devraient viser à découpler les tarifs de l’électricité de ceux du gaz, afin d’éviter l’effet de contagion.



    Visite — L’énergie, les finances internationales, le développement et les évolutions sécuritaires dans la région de la mer Noire comptent parmi les thèmes à l’agenda des rencontres de la délégation du Sénat roumain, dirigée par le président de cette assemblée, Florin Cîţu, qui a entamé une visite de travail aux Etats-Unis. Un des principaux objectifs, c’est l’adhésion de la Roumanie au programme Visa Waiver, pour lequel les efforts seront accélérés à l’avenir, y compris au niveau du Congrès américain, a écrit Florin Cîţu sur Facebook. Il doit aussi rencontrer des représentants du milieu des affaires et ceux de la communauté roumaine.



    Réfugiés — Le ministre roumain de la Santé, Alexandru Rafila, a déclaré samedi que le nombre de demandes d’assistance médicale de la part des personnes en provennace d’Ukraine était faible. 80 réfugiés sont hospitalisés en Roumanie, a informé Alexandru Rafila à l’issue de la réunion convoquée par le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă, ciblée sur les mesures que la Roumanie gère suite à l’agression militaire russe d’Ukraine. A son tour, le ministre de l’Education, Sorin Cîmpeanu, a annoncé que le nombre des élèves ukrainiens qui suivent les curricula roumains dans les écoles de Roumanie serait de 1 140 au début de la semaine prochaine. Notons que suite au conflit armé d’Ukraine, 34 000 enfants sont arrivés en Roumanie. Il a ajouté que la seconde catégorie, la plus nombreuse, est celle des élèves ukrainiens qui souhaitent continuer l’école d’après les programmes ukrainiens, et à cet effet, ils ont besoin avant tout d’appui logistique de la part des écoles roumaines. Le secrétaire d’Etat au ministère du Travail et de la Solidarité sociale, Cristian Vasilcoiu, a annoncé qu’en ce moment, près de 3 300 contrats de travail de ressortissants ukrainiens sont enregistrés en Roumanie, soit 700 de plus qu’au moment où la guerre a éclaté. Plus de 8 600 ressortissants ukrainiens sont entrés vendredi en Roumanie, informe l’Inspection générale de la Police aux frontières. Leur nombre est à la baisse de 13 % par rapport à la journée précédente. Depuis le commencement de la guerre, près de 550 000 citoyens ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie.



    Covid — 3 100 nouveaux cas de personnes infectées au SARS-CoV-2 ont été enregistrés ces dernières 24 h, en Roumanie, soit 625 de moins que le jour précédent. 28 décès ont été rapportés chez les patients contaminés au coronavirus, dont 6 antérieurs à la période de référence. Environ 400 patients sont en soins intensifs.



    Biden — Le président américain Joe Biden va réitérer dans le discours qu’il prononcera aujourd’hui en Pologne que le monde libre s’oppose à l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie et qu’il existe une unité de vues des grandes économies au sujet de la nécessité de stopper Vladimir Poutine, a fait savoir la Maison Blanche. Après 3 jours de réunions d’urgence avec les alliés au niveau du G7, du Conseil européen et de l’OTAN et une visite des troupes américaines de Pologne, Joe Biden rencontre aujourd’hui le président polonais Andrzej Duda. Par ailleurs, l’évaluation des Etats-Unis, c’est que l’armée russe a fixé désormais pour priorité dans son invasion sur l’Ukraine la zone du Donbass de l’est séparatiste prorusse du pays. Et ce dans une tentative d’accroître son pouvoir de négociation dans les pourparlers avec Kiev et d’encercler les troupes ukrainiennes sur le front est.



    Une heure pour la planète — Des institutions et compagnies de plus de 190 pays, dans plus de 8 000 villes, éteindront les lumières, pendant une heure, de 20 h 30 à 21 h 30 en Roumanie, dans le cadre de l’événement Earth Hour (Une heure pour la planète). C’est un événement mondial, organisé par WWF International (le Fonds mondial pour la nature), le dernier samedi du mois de mars, chaque année. Cette action vise à sensibiliser les consommateurs au problème des rejets de dioxyde de carbone dans l’atmosphère pour produire de l’électricité. A Bucarest, l’éclairage intérieur et extérieur du Palais du parlement sera interrompu temporairement dans la tranche horaire mentionnée, afin de marquer l’événement. La municipalité de la capitale se joint aussi à Une heure pour la planète et elle éteindra les lumières à l’Hôtel de ville et aussi dans les locaux administratifs de ses institutions et administrations.



    Heure d’été — Dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, la Roumanie passe à l’heure d’été. Les horloges seront avancées d’une heure, et 3 h 00 deviendra 4 h 00. Ainsi, le dimanche 27 mars sera le jour le plus court de l’année. L’introduction de l’heure d’été a visé à accroître le nombre d’heures pendant lesquelles les gens bénéficiaient de la lumière naturelle. La compagnie nationale de chemin de fer, CFR Călători, a informé que le passage à l’heure d’été ne modifierait pas les horaires des trains en vigueur. La différence entre l’heure officielle de la Roumanie et le Temps Universel sera de trois heures, par rapport à deux seulement pendant l’heure d’hiver.



    Football — La sélection nationale de foot de la Roumanie a perdu le match amical disputé vendredi soir, à Bucarest, contre la Grèce, 1-0. C’était le match de début du sélectionneur Edward Iordănescu, fils du joueur et entraîneur Anghel Iordănescu, un nom auquel les principales performances de la sélection nationale des années ’90 sont liées. Les Tricolores rencontrent Israël en déplacement le 29 mars, toujours dans le cadre d’un match de préparation.



    Météo — En Roumanie, le temps est plutôt beau et se réchauffe ; les températures se situeront au-dessus des moyennes pluriannuelles. Le ciel est variable, avec des passages nuageux dans les régions du nord et du nord-est. Le vent est faible à modéré, plus intense sur le haut relief et dans le nord-est. Les maximales vont de 12 à 19°, avec du beau temps et tout au plus 18° à Bucarest.



  • March 25, 2022

    March 25, 2022

    Meeting — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis had a bilateral meeting with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. The two talked about further strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on economic and energy cooperation, as well as on Romanias accession to the Schengen area. ‘We continue coordination in relation to the security situation and the ways to help the refugees from Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis wrote on Twitter. Romania’s President attended the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday. On the first day of the meeting, he met with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov. Talks with the Bulgarian official focused on coordinating the security situation in the region, helping Ukrainian refugees, deepening economic and energy cooperation and accelerating interconnectivity between the two countries. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis also attended the Extraordinary NATO Summit.



    Aid – The Romanian government is to approve, in todays meeting, a non-reimbursable aid for the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet with a majority Romanian-speaking population) worth 100 million Euros. In this way Romania wants to support the authorities from the neighboring state in carrying out development projects and reforms in several fields. Another law in the focus of the government is meant to increase the energy performance of apartment buildings through modernization and rehabilitation works. Another two government decisions provide for the allocation to the state budget of a 50 % share of the profit of the National Company Romgaz and of the National Company Transelectrica, profits remaining after the payment of taxes. The government also wants to approve the budgets for this year for the Bucharest Underground company, CFR Călători and CFR Marfă — the railway passenger and freight transport companies and for the “Mihail Kogălniceanu” International Airport in Constanţa. Also in todays session, the National Health Programs will be approved, including those for HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and for Mental Health and Organ Transplants.



    Working group – The United States and the European Union announced on Friday the setting up of a working group that will aim to reduce Europes dependence on Russias fossil energy resources due to Moscows war against Ukraine, AFP reports. The US is expected to supply the European Union with an additional 15 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year as part of an initiative announced by US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Both the NATO and G7 summits were held in the Belgian capital on Thursday, with the participation of US President Joe Biden. NATO has decided to provide additional assistance to Ukraine and continue to strengthen the eastern flank by sending four new multinational combat groups to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.



    Refugees — Nearly 10 thousand Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on Thursday, the Border Police General Inspectorate reported. At national level, a total of 58,700 people entered Romania through border crossing points. More than 5,300 Ukrainian citizens entered the border with Ukraine (increasing by 9.9%), and through the cross-border points with the Republic of Moldova – 2,900 (increasing by 7.9%). Since the start of this crisis until Thursday, at midnight, at national level, 537,548 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania.



    Ukraine — The Ukrainian armys counterattacks and the difficulties of the Russian forces in relation to their supply lines have allowed Ukraine to reoccupy cities and defensive positions up to 35 kilometers east of the capital Kyiv, the UK Ministry of Defense was quoted by EFE as saying on Friday. The Ukrainian forces are likely to continue trying to push the Russian army along the northwest axis between Kyiv and the Hostomel airfield, about 70 kilometers from the capital, according to British intelligence services which have data from the ground. In southern Ukraine, the Russian forces are still trying to bypass the city of Mikolaiv (Nikolaiev) in an effort to advance westward in the direction of Odessa, according to the British Ministry of Defense. However, their progress is slowed by logistical problems and Ukrainian resistance. The humanitarian situation in the besieged city of Mariupol continues to deteriorate, while Russia is blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid, the city mayor said. Most of the city is now in ruins. About 100,000 people remain stranded in Mariupol, and the large-scale evacuation efforts have failed.



    Warsaw – US President Joe Biden will travel to Poland, a NATO member country, where he will meet with Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. He will visit Rzeszow, a town 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The American leader will be received by Polish President Andrzej Duda at the airport of this city located two and a half hours from Lvov, the main city in western Ukraine. Joe Biden will be briefed on “the humanitarian response to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Ukraine and to respond to the growing influx of refugees fleeing the war that Putin has chosen,” the White House said. The US president will then meet with US troops stationed in the region and which “contribute, along with our Polish ally, to NATOs deterrence efforts on its eastern flank.” On Friday evening, he will travel to Warsaw, where he will have more consistent talks with his Polish counterpart on Saturday. This two-day visit to Poland comes after an extraordinary diplomatic marathon in Brussels, where Joe Biden attended NATO, G7 and EU summits, praising Western unity in response to Moscow, one month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. In Brussels, Joe Biden claimed that NATO “has never, ever been so united”. (LS)

  • February 23, 2022

    February 23, 2022

    UKRAINE – Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has assured his fellow Romanians, in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, that all necessary institutional measures, in keeping with the decisions of the Higher Defence Council, have been taken. He has explained that these steps were taken in coordination with the NATO allies and the EU member states. PM Ciuca called on ministers with attributions in the field to keep monitoring the situation and work co-ordinately and carefully. In another development, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest will convene in joint session on March 1st, to adopt a political declaration in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. On Tuesday, Cristian Chirtes, chairman of the Joint Standing Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate for the exercise of parliamentary control over the activity of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI), said that Romania’s security situation from the perspective of the legal attributions of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) is stable. He also said that, in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, Romanian ministries and agencies, increased.



    SANCTIONS — The United States adopted on Tuesday what American President Joe Biden called a “first tranche” of sanctions, in response to the recognition by Russia of the separatist republics in Ukraine. “We cut off Russias government from Western finance”, Biden said, adding that sanctions also target Russian elites and their family members. The White House leader described the latest events as the beginning of the Russian invasion and announced that an American battalion and several F-35 fighter jets will be deployed this week in the Baltic region and Eastern Europe. He said, however, that he was moving additional troops and equipment to “strengthen” US allies in the Baltic nations on NATOs eastern flank, but made it clear they would not be there to “fight Russia.” The White House has announced that a Biden – Putin summit, a French initiative initially accepted in principle by the two leaders before Russia’s recognition of the separatist republics, was out of the question.



    DECISION – The Bucharest Government is going to pass, in today’s meeting, a decision on the organisation and functioning of the Committee on Monitoring the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The institution in charge with the implementation of reforms and the fulfilment of the objectives assumed under the NRRP is the Ministry of Investment and European Projects, which will monitor the implementation of reforms and investment stipulated in the NRRP with the support of NGOs, trade unions, employers’ associations and the structures of the local public administration.



    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the EU increased in January up to 5.6%, from 5.3% in December 2021, according to data made public by the Eurostat on Wednesday. The member state with the highest inflation rates are Lithuania (12.3%), Estonia (11%) and the Czech Republic (8.8%). As compared with the situation in December 2021, the annual inflation rate in the first month of 2022 went down in 8 member states and increased in 19 countries, Romania included, from 6.7% to 7.2%. Romania ranks 11th among the countries with the highest annual inflation rates. The countries with the smallest annual inflation rates are France (3.3%), Portugal (3.4%) and Sweden (3.9%).



    FUEL – The parties forming the ruling coalition in Bucharest have agreed to temporarily cut the fuel excise by 50%. The measure reduces by RON 1 the retail price of petrol and diesel, Finance Minister Adrian Caciu has said. The proposal was supported by the Social Democrats, while their leader, Marcel Ciolacu, said the solution is aimed at preventing prices from going up. In turn, Liberal leader Florin Citu has said that his party agrees, in principle, with any measure that reduces fiscal burden, but has added that, if the retail price of fuel does not go down, somebody will have to take responsibility. The National Liberal Party (PNL), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) have also agreed to further subsidise electricity and natural gas bills in the month of April.



    CORONAVIRUS – Romania reported on Wednesday 11,477 new cases of Covid-19 and 119 related deaths, of which 9 from a previous date. Of those nearly 9,000 Covid patients treated in hospital, a little over 1,000 are in intensive care. In terms of vaccination, about 1,000 people had the first shot in 24 hours. The Omicron variant becomes quasi-dominant in Romania, with over 95% of the results indicating infection with this strain of the virus, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said. In his opinion, in about three weeks the number of infections nation-wide could be small, with hundreds of new daily cases being expected instead of thousands as is the case now. Rafila also said a 6th wave of the pandemic is not to be expected. (EE)

  • February 21, 2022

    February 21, 2022

    UKRAINE – Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden have agreed in principle to hold a summit to discuss the crisis over Ukraine. The talks, proposed French President Emmanuel Macron, will only take place if Russia does not invade its neighbor, the French presidency said in a communiqué. Russia and Ukraine continued to blame each other, on Sunday, for the escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin agreed on Sunday, during a phone call, to make all efforts to prevent the situation from escalating and to preserve peace, according to the French presidencys press office. Also, the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, is today holding a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov while the OSCE convenes in extraordinary session. Observers from the OSCE European security body on Saturday reported more than 1,500 ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine in a single day. The US accuses Russia of planning a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which the latter denies.



    BRUSSELS – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu is today attending the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Foreign affairs ministers will discuss the latest developments in Russias military build-up around Ukraine and will hold a discussion on the European security situation. The Romanian official will emphasize on this occasion, the need to further look for a diplomatic solution to the crisis and to prepare a comprehensive package of sanctions in coordination with the US, the UK and Canada, in case the crisis escalates. EU foreign affairs ministers will also hold an informal meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, during which Aurescu will reiterate Romanias solidarity with Ukraine and its support for the countrys European and Euro-Atlantic path. Also, EU foreign affairs ministers will meet their counterparts from the Gulf countries in the joint council of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council and will run a cyber-exercise.



    CARRIERS – New rules as part of the mobility package are in place as of today for goods carriers working in EU member states. Trucks must be returned at company’s headquarters every two months, which leads to higher fuel consumption, pollution and delays at customs, especially for companies from Eastern Europe, Romania included. The new measures were decided two years ago and were taken so as to provide more rights for drivers.



    CORONAVIRUS – The number of Covid-19 infections in Romania is going down significantly, with 30% fewer cases than last week being reported. The number of infections per one thousand inhabitants is also on the decrease, but it still is above 3/1,000 in Romanias counties. The infection rate in the capital Bucharest is 32.8%. Almost 7,700 new cases have been reported in Romania today, by 4,000 less than a week ago. This is the smallest daily number of new infections since the beginning of the 5th wave, more than a month ago. Some 85 related deaths have also been announced. 1,100 people are treated in intensive care units. The biggest number of daily infections in Romania was reported on February 1st – 40,018.



    JUDICIARY – The draft law on the dismantling of the Special Section Investigating Crimes in the Judiciary is on todays agenda of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Last week, the Legal Committee green lighted the project. According to Justice Minister, Catalin Predoiu, the dismantling of the Special Section is an objective stipulated in the governing programme, with a clear deadline, and it could have an impact on Romanias joining the Schengen area. Predoiu gave assurances that the dismantling of the Special Section is the result of transparent consultations, including with foreign partners. (EE)

  • February 8, 2022

    February 8, 2022

    COVID-19 36,269 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were
    reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 193 related fatalities,
    the Strategic Communication Group announced on Tuesday. Since the start of the
    pandemic 2 years ago, more than 2 million Romanians have had the disease and
    over 60,000 died. Meanwhile, since the start of the vaccine roll-out in
    December 2020, over 8 million people have received a full vaccination cycle,
    and 2.4 million have also got the booster dose.


    MOLDOVA
    The number of supporters of
    the R. of Moldova’s union with Romania is growing, according to an opinion poll
    quoted by Radio Chişinău on Tuesday. Over 34%
    of the respondents in Moldova would vote in favour of the union, says the poll
    commissioned by IDIS Viitorul in Chișinău and the Institute of Political
    Sciences and International Relations with the Romanian Academy. This is a
    record-high number of union supporters, over 10 times higher than in 2010. According
    to the same poll, which focused on citizens’ perception of the relations
    between Moldova and Romania, over 62% of the people with dual citizenship would
    vote for the union. However, in the case of new tensions similar to the one in
    Ukraine, more people would back a military alliance with Russia (22.5%) than
    with Romania (12.5%).




    POLITICS The Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Tuesday that a criminal
    investigation was initiated with respect to an incident in Parliament, where
    the Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu was assaulted by the co-president
    of the nationalist opposition party AUR, George Simion. Popescu had previously filed
    a criminal complaint against Simion. While attending a Chamber of Deputies
    meeting on Monday, the Liberal minister Virgil Popescu was insulted and
    assaulted by Simion. The meeting was suspended, and subsequently resumed with only
    the opposition MPs from AUR and USR in attendance.


    POLLUTION Romanian authorities have today launched 2 programmes, RABLA Clasic and
    RABLA Plus 2022, with a combined budget of around 240 million euros. Under the
    2 programmes, the Government provides subsidies for scrapping old and heavily
    polluting motor vehicles. The same rules apply as in previous years, but
    novelties have also been introduced. One of them is the option of using 2
    vouchers obtained through scrapping used vehicles for the purchase of a hybrid
    or electric vehicle.


    UKRAINE The president of France Emmanuel Macron discussed with the Russian
    leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday about the need for dialogue in the
    context of the Ukraine standoff. At the end of the meeting, Emmanuel Macron said
    all parties should behave responsibly in this crisis. He pleaded for
    maintaining the current system of agreements concerning European security, and
    suggested that a system of concrete security guarantees be put together for all
    stakeholders. In turn, Putin said a number of ideas and proposals put forth by
    the French president may pave the way for the de-escalation of the current
    crisis over Ukraine. Vladimir Putin also added that Russia and France have
    shared concerns regarding security in Europe. Today the French president meets
    his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, in the first official
    visit of a French president to that country in 24 years. Macron has repeatedly
    discussed the need to deescalate tensions and to find diplomatic solutions to
    the situation in the east of Europe, and emphasised that finding a political
    way out of the standoff was his priority. Meanwhile in Washington, following
    talks at the White House with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US president
    Joe Biden said diplomacy remains the best way to settle the Ukraine crisis. He warned
    however that the US and NATO will be prepared in case Russia attacks Ukraine. (tr. A.M.P.)