Radio România Internațional

Tag: Calin Georgescu

  • March 14, 2025

    March 14, 2025

    FAIR Over March 13-16 the Belgian capital is hosting the international book fair Brussels Book Fair 2025, one of the most important events of this kind in Europe. Romania is attending this fair with over five hundred titles on view at the stand of the Romanian Cultural Institute also known as ICR. There are books and albums translated in several languages, predominantly in French, some of which have been funded through the ICR programmes with a view to promoting the Romanian authors at international level. Besides Romanian authors, the ICR stand is also promoting authors from the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country. The ICR is expected to stage several events, during which authors are going to have a dialogue with foreign authors or with the Belgian readership. The Brussels Book Fair is one of the most important cultural events in the Belgian capital, which is also the EU capital, and brings together several thousand authors, illustrators, publishers, critics as well as readers annually.

     

    EBRD The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD, Odile Renaud-Basso, will be visiting Bulgaria and Romania next week, the aforementioned financial institution has announced in a communiqué. The visit of the EBRD president comes at a time when the institution is preparing fresh five-year strategies for both countries, which will be subjected for public consultations at the end of this year. The EBRD investment in Romania rose from 658 million Euros up to 707 million last year. The EBRD official will be seeing Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Finance Minister, Tanczos Barna, Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, as well as representatives of the business environment, diplomats and representatives of civil society.

     

    ELECTION Candidates for the presidential election in May have two more days to register with the Central Election Bureau, the deadline being March 15 at midnight. So far, only two candidates are officially enrolled in the race, their candidacies having been validated by the Constitutional Court: Crin Antonescu, supported by the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition, and the Bucharest Mayor General, Nicuşor Dan, who runs as an independent candidate. Deputy Victor Ponta also registered his candidacy as an independent candidate, for which he was excluded from the Social-Democratic Party. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court’s decision to definitively reject the candidacy of independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist who unexpectedly won the first round of last year’s presidential election, has prompted the parties that supported him, AUR and POT, to prepare a new electoral strategy. Thus, the leaders of the two parties, George Simion and Ana-Maria Gavrilă, announced they would both submit their candidacies for the presidential election, and one of them will withdraw once their candidacies are validated. The leader of USR, Elena Lasconi, who advanced to the second round last year, Diana Şoşoacă (from SOS Romania), who expressed confidence her candidacy would be upheld this time, as well as and MEP Cristian Terheş from the Romanian National Conservative Party, also submitted their candidacies.

     

    TRADE DEFICIT – Romania’s trade deficit increased by 38% in January, compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. In 2024, Romania exported goods worth €92.6 billion, while its imports stood at €133.4 billion. Romania’s deficit remains significant, especially in relations with China, Germany and Poland, while recording surpluses with the UK, the Republic of Moldova and the USA, although in smaller volumes. Trade in agricultural products and foodstuffs remains vulnerable, as Romania mainly exports raw materials and imports end products. To reduce the €5 billion trade deficit in this area, experts recommend a strategy focused on the export of value-added products and more efficient use of statistical data for better-founded economic decisions.

    (bill)

  • March 10, 2025 UPDATE 2

    March 10, 2025 UPDATE 2

    VIOLENCE – Leaders of REPER Party have filed a criminal complaint on Monday for acts of public incitement and outrage in the context of Sunday’s clashes at the Central Election Bureau. The complaint concerns the public statements made by the president of AUR, George Simion, the mercenary Horaţiu Potra and the former independent presidential candidate, the pro-Russian and anti-Western extremist Călin Georgescu. According to REPER leaders, the two incited violence against state authorities, directly resulting in acts of vandalism and aggression against law enforcement in the center of the Capital. The National Liberal Party (PNL) also firmly condemned and rejected any form of violence in public or private life. Over 500 people were identified in the area of ​​the violent protest on Sunday evening at the headquarters of the Central Election Bureau (BEC), and based on the footage of security forces and public sources, the individuals who committed acts of public violence will to be identified and prosecuted, the Bucharest Riot Police says. As a result of the clashes, 13 riot police officers were injured and taken to hospital, four of whom are receiving treatment. The protesters, supporters of Călin Georgescu, also caused destruction. The violence broke out after BEC rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the presidential election in May. The Bureau invoked the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election at the end of last year, stating that Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet the conditions of legality since, by failing to respect the electoral procedure, he violated the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial suffrage.

     

    DISINFORMATION – The Romanian Riot Police reports that several accounts on TikTok and Facebook are running a disinformation campaign regarding Sunday night’s incidents in central Bucharest. According to the false narratives, the riot police beat women, used rubber bullets and tear gas, brought agitators to cause violence, beat people on the subway and used drones to launch tear gas. All these messages are false, the Riot Police reports, and are intended to manipulate citizens with the aim of provoking other acts of violence.

     

    CHALLENGE – Independent presidential candidate Călin Georgescu announced that he has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court against yesterday’s decision of the Central Election Bureau to reject his candidacy for the presidential election in May. In response to the request, the rector of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Remus Pricopie, filed a memorandum calling on the Court to maintain the ruling of rejecting Călin Georgescu’s candidacy, arguing that its registration goes against constitutional provisions. Also on Monday, a complaint against Nicuşor Dan’s candidacy for the Presidency was also filed with the Constitutional Court. The Court announced that it will rule all complaints filed so far tomorrow. Announcing Călin Georgescu’s decision to refer BEC’s decision to the Constitutional Court was the leader of the opposition party Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), George Simion. The Central Election Bureau does not have the authority to reject a candidacy on the merits and accused the institution of committing an abuse. Simion called on Călin Georgescu’s supporters not to resort to violence if they continue to protest against BEC’s decision.

    (VP)

  • March 10, 2025 UPDATE 1

    March 10, 2025 UPDATE 1

    VIOLENCE – Leaders of REPER Party have filed a criminal complaint on Monday for acts of public incitement and outrage in the context of Sunday’s clashes at the Central Election Bureau. The complaint concerns the public statements made by the president of AUR, George Simion, the mercenary Horaţiu Potra and the former independent presidential candidate, the pro-Russian and anti-Western extremist Călin Georgescu. According to REPER leaders, the two incited violence against state authorities, directly resulting in acts of vandalism and aggression against law enforcement in the center of the Capital. The National Liberal Party (PNL) also firmly condemned and rejected any form of violence in public or private life. Over 500 people were identified in the area of ​​the violent protest on Sunday evening at the headquarters of the Central Election Bureau (BEC), and based on the footage of security forces and public sources, the individuals who committed acts of public violence will to be identified and prosecuted, the Bucharest Riot Police says. As a result of the clashes, 13 riot police officers were injured and taken to hospital, four of whom are receiving treatment. The protesters, supporters of Călin Georgescu, also caused destruction. The violence broke out after BEC rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the presidential election in May. The Bureau invoked the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election at the end of last year, stating that Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet the conditions of legality since, by failing to respect the electoral procedure, he violated the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial suffrage.

     

    DISINFORMATION – The Romanian Riot Police reports that several accounts on TikTok and Facebook are running a disinformation campaign regarding Sunday night’s incidents in central Bucharest. According to the false narratives, the riot police beat women, used rubber bullets and tear gas, brought agitators to cause violence, beat people on the subway and used drones to launch tear gas. All these messages are false, the Riot Police reports, and are intended to manipulate citizens with the aim of provoking other acts of violence. (VP)

  • March 10, 2025

    March 10, 2025

    CLASHES The leadership of REPER, an opposition party from outside the Romanian Parliament, on Monday submitted a criminal complaint for public incitement and outrage during the events on Sunday at the headquarters of the Central Election Office. The complaint is focusing on the public statements made by the president of AUR (from the ultra-nationalist populist opposition), George Simion, by mercenary Horatiu Potra and the former independent candidate in the presidential election, the pro-Russia, anti-western extremist, Calin Georgescu. Through their messages, the aforementioned people incited to violence against the state authority, which had as result acts of vandalism and aggression against the riot police in downtown Bucharest, REPER says. The National Liberal Party, of the ruling coalition, has also vehemently condemned and rejected any form of violence from the public or private life. Over 500 protesters were asked to produce identity cards following the violent protest on Sunday night before the headquarters of the Central Election Office and police is presently looking for those who got involved in anti-social actions. 13 gendarmes were wounded in the clashes between the protesters and riot police and four of them had to be admitted to hospitals. The protesters, mainly supporters of Calin Georgescu, also resorted to acts of violence shortly after the Election Office, also known as BEC, had rejected Calin Georgescu’s candidacy in the presidential election in May. BEC has motivated its decision upon the Constitutional Court’s ruling in December to cancel the first round of the presidential election won by Calin Georgescu.

     

    FIRES Military firefighters together with teams of forest rangers and voluntaries from the Services for Emergency Situations backed by planes of Romania’s Interior and Defence ministries are fighting to contain wildfires in over 20 localities around the country. Two people have lost their lives so far and others have been wounded and in some regions, the access of intervention teams has been prevented by the rough terrain. Authorities have reminded the citizens that burning dry vegetation is banned under the law and violators will be severely punished. Fines have been applied and criminal files have been opened against arsonists in the past days. Authorities have advised citizens to comply with the environment protection rules and resort to alternative land clearing methods.

     

    MEDAL Romanian athlete Andrei Rares Toader has reaped the gold medal in the shot-putting event at the European Athletics Indoor Championship in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. With a throw of 21 meters and 27 centimeters Toader managed to set a new national record. Romania ends the aforementioned competition with two medals, Toader’s gold and another one of silver won by Diana Ana Maria Ion in the triple jump event. Seven Romanian athletes participated in the European Championships in Apeldoorn.

     

    TAXES Romania’s Finance Ministry has announced it will not change regulations over taxes and duties this year but it does not rule out changes where their application needs improvement. State Secretary Alin Marius Andries says that any such legislation amendment should be made after talks with all the parties interested. The main objective this year is the fiscal consolidation aimed at increasing the partners’ rust, including the international rating agencies and the European Commission, the official went on to say.

    (bill)

  • March 6, 2025 UPDATE 2

    March 6, 2025 UPDATE 2

    PRESIDENCY – On a visit to Brussels, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday discussed with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen regarding Romania’s priorities in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and increasing the absorption of European funds. “We also expressed our support for the European Commission’s initiatives in the field of defense and competitiveness”, Ilie Bolojan wrote on social media. The Romanian president also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the two officials discussed opportunities to strengthen the Eastern Flank. Ilie Bolojan is attending an extraordinary European Council, where heads of state and government from the European Union are discussing support for Ukraine and the situation of European defense. Ahead of the summit, the European Commission president said that Europe is at a crossroads and stressed the importance of Europe defending itself through a massive increase in defense spending but also by helping Ukraine achieve a lasting and fair peace. Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European armament plan, with defense investments of up to €800 billion. In turn, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, assured European leaders that the European Parliament can move quickly and effectively to respond to present-day unprecedented security challenges. “Peace must guarantee freedom for Ukraine, security for Europe and deterrence for those who think they can take it by force”, president Metsola added. Present in Brussels, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its strong support.

     

    APPEAL – Magistrates on Thursday dismissed as unfounded the complaint filed by Călin Georgescu against the judicial control measure, in the investigation where he faces several charges. A former independent candidate in last year’s presidential elections, Călin Georgescu was last week placed under judicial control by the Prosecutor General’s Office for a period of 60 days. He is subject to a number of interdictions, including the right to leave the country without the approval of judicial authorities. At the same time, Georgescu cannot post content of a legionary, fascist, anti-Semitic, racist or xenophobic nature on social media. Georgescu is being prosecuted for committing six crimes, the most serious being that of inciting actions against the constitutional order. Investigators claim that he Georgescu had come up with a plan to destabilize the country after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in December. The first round was won by Călin Georgescu. Meanwhile, prosecutors have raided new locations linked to the financing of his election campaign. Also on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights rejected Călin Georgescu’s appeal challenging the annulment of the presidential election in Romania in December 2024. The decision is unanimous and final. Călin Georgescu recently announced that he will submit his candidacy for the presidential election in May with the Central Electoral Bureau on Friday.

     

    GOVERNMENT The Romanian government on Thursday passed several emergency orders, concerning, among other things, the healthcare reform and the spending of EU funds. In the field of healthcare, the government wants to improve regulations on public medical care for freelancers, on the taxation of medicines, on the organization and operation of medical offices and the granting of sick leaves. In a separate emergency order, the Romanian government earmarks the financing for certain local authorities to complete works to extend and upgrade natural gas infrastructure. Finally, the cabinet has also approved the amount of this year’s state aid for the livestock sector.

     

    MOLDOVA – The Republic of Moldova has been accepted into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the decision reflecting a confirmation of significant progress in the process of accession to the European Union, the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova has announced. According to the document, SEPA membership will facilitate faster, safer and more accessible international payments in Euro for Moldovan citizens and businesses. “Today’s decision consolidates our irreversible path towards European accession”, said the Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova, Anca Dragu. SEPA is a European system that facilitates cross-border payments in Euro, eliminating the differences between national and international payments. It includes all European Union countries, as well as other states. (VP)

  • March 6, 2025 UPDATE 1

    March 6, 2025 UPDATE 1

    PRESIDENCY – On a visit to Brussels, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday discussed with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen regarding Romania’s priorities in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and increasing the absorption of European funds. “We also expressed our support for the European Commission’s initiatives in the field of defense and competitiveness”, Ilie Bolojan wrote on social media. The Romanian president also met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and the two officials discussed opportunities to strengthen the Eastern Flank. Ilie Bolojan is attending an extraordinary European Council, where heads of state and government from the European Union are discussing support for Ukraine and the situation of European defense. Ahead of the summit, the European Commission president said that Europe is at a crossroads and stressed the importance of Europe defending itself through a massive increase in defense spending but also by helping Ukraine achieve a lasting and fair peace. Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European armament plan, with defense investments of up to €800 billion. In turn, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, assured European leaders that the European Parliament can move quickly and effectively to respond to present-day unprecedented security challenges. “Peace must guarantee freedom for Ukraine, security for Europe and deterrence for those who think they can take it by force”, president Metsola added. Present in Brussels, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its strong support.

     

    APPEAL – Magistrates on Thursday dismissed as unfounded the complaint filed by Călin Georgescu against the judicial control measure, in the investigation where he faces several charges. A former independent candidate in last year’s presidential elections, Călin Georgescu was last week placed under judicial control by the Prosecutor General’s Office for a period of 60 days. He is subject to a number of interdictions, including the right to leave the country without the approval of judicial authorities. At the same time, Georgescu cannot post content of a legionary, fascist, anti-Semitic, racist or xenophobic nature on social media. Georgescu is being prosecuted for committing six crimes, the most serious being that of inciting actions against the constitutional order. Investigators claim that he Georgescu had come up with a plan to destabilize the country after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election in December. The first round was won by Călin Georgescu. Meanwhile, prosecutors have raided new locations linked to the financing of his election campaign. Also on Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights rejected Călin Georgescu’s appeal challenging the annulment of the presidential election in Romania in December 2024. The decision is unanimous and final. Călin Georgescu recently announced that he will submit his candidacy for the presidential election in May with the Central Electoral Bureau on Friday.

     

    GOVERNMENT – The Romanian Government on Thursday passed several emergency orders, concerning, among other things, the healthcare reform and the spending of EU funds. In the field of healthcare, the government wants to improve regulations on public medical care for freelancers, on the taxation of medicines, on the organization and operation of medical offices and the granting of sick leaves. In a separate emergency order, the Romanian government earmarks the financing for certain local authorities to complete works to extend and upgrade natural gas infrastructure. Finally, the cabinet has also approved the amount of this year’s state aid for the livestock sector. (VP)

  • March 2, 2025

    March 2, 2025

    SUMMIT – Leaders of Ukraine’s allies, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Boljan, are meeting in London this afternoon for a crucial summit. They will discuss new security guarantees in the face of a US letdown following Friday’s heated meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The Ukrainian president was warmly welcomed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday, and dozens of people gathered to cheer for him outside Downing Street. The British Prime Minister assured the Ukrainian president of the UK’s “absolute determination” to support Ukraine in the face of Russian invasion, and the two governments signed a £2.26 billion loan agreement, which the Ukrainian president said would be used for domestic arms production and would be repaid from Russia’s frozen assets in the West. Driven out of the White House after President Donald Trump accused him of not being grateful enough and refusing to make peace with Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the support of leaders of European countries, with the exception of Hungary and Slovakia. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said that the free world needs a new leader and that Europeans must accept this challenge. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, however, that the Ukrainian president must find a way to reconcile with Donald Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron said that after their falling out, the two leaders must find common ground through respect and gratitude.

     

    PROTEST – Bucharest on Saturday hosted a large protest against the government and in support of the former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, placed on pre-trial arrest this week on a number of charges. Organized by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), the protest gathered tens of thousands of participants in Victory Square. Protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the organization of the second round of the presidential election, annulled last year by the Constitutional Court. Attending the protest was Călin Georgescu himself, who is charged of instigation to actions against the constitutional order. Georgescu said only the Romanian people can judge him, and that he will not yet announce his candidacy for May’s presidential election. Attending the rally were also politicians from Bulgaria, Poland, Italy and Spain, who held speeches in support of Georgescu.

     

    ELECTION – Parties, political and election alliances, organizations representing national minorities and independent candidates have two weeks left to submit their candidacies to the Central Election Bureau for the presidential election slated for May. According to the election calendar set by the government and currently debated by Parliament, the election campaign will start on April 4 and last for a month. At home, the election will be held on May 4, while the vote abroad will start on May 2 and end on May 4. The second round is slated for May 18. This week Parliament dismissed Toni Greblă from the helm of the Permanent Election Authority and appointed an interim replacement. The Audiovisual Council also adopted a set of regulations that will apply to the election campaign.

     

    GAZA – Israel announced that it is suspending the entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip, criticizing the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas for refusing an American proposal to extend the ceasefire agreement. “Israel will not accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages. If Hamas persists in its refusal, more consequences will follow”, a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office reads. Hamas responded, describing Netanyahu’s decision to stop humanitarian aid as “cheap blackmail”, a “war crime” and “a blow” to the ceasefire agreement, Reuters reports. In a statement, Hamas urged the brokers of the ceasefire agreement to force Israel to end punitive measures against the Gaza Strip. The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement ended on Saturday without Hamas and Israel reaching an agreement to implement the second phase, which was supposed to take effect on Sunday and included the release of the remaining hostages in the Strip and a definitive end to the war. (VP)

  • March 1, 2025 UPDATE 1

    March 1, 2025 UPDATE 1

    ROMANIA – MOLDOVA RELATIONS – Romania is Moldova’s most important partner, on which it has relied in any circumstances, Maia Sandu said upon meeting her Romanian counterpart, Ilie Bolojan, in Chișinău. „These are difficult times, which is why Romania’s support is all the more important. Beyond joint projects, we are tied by a common vision for the future, our will to live in peace, freedom and democracy”, Maia Sandu pointed out. In turn, interim president Ilie Bolojan said he wants to consolidate the bilateral relations, and that he visited Chișinău for consutlations with Maia Sandu in a very difficult context. “I assure you Romania stands with you. We will support you, in our dialogue with European partners, and will step up support at all levels, in terms of finance, expertise and projects. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to generate challenges for the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova does not stand alone. Romania and numerous other external partners fully support Moldova’s objective to consolidate its resilience and security”, Ilie Bolojan said. The Romanian president on Monday is expected to join countless other European leaders who will attend a security summit in London focusing on Ukraine, called by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

     

    PROTEST – A few hundred thousand people are protesting in Victory Square in central Bucharest in a rally organized by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). Its leader, George Simion, says the protest is directed against the Romanian government and the Constitutional Court’s ruling that annulled the second round of last year’s presidential election. Participants were seen waving national flags and banners in support of the independent candidate, Călin Georgescu.

  • Official inquiry into election interference

    Official inquiry into election interference

    Former far-right presidential candidate Călin Georgescu has been placed under pre-trial arrest for 60 days, after prosecutors questioned him for several hours on Wednesday at the Prosecutor General’s Office, where he was brought in with a warrant. Georgescu was presented with six criminal charges, some of them in aggravated form. One of these marks a premiere for Romania – incitement to actions against the constitutional order, a crime for which no one has ever been prosecuted. Georgescu was also accused of communicating false information, making false declarations regarding financial statements and the funding of the election campaign, initiating or establishing organizations with a fascist, racist or xenophobic and anti-Semitic character and joining or supporting such groups in any form, as well as publicly promoting figures who committed genocide and war crimes. Călin Georgescu denied all allegations, accusing the authorities of employing methods that are reminiscent of the communist regime.

     

    Last December, the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election, invoking external interference in the election, which is set to be reorganized in full. In the second round, Călin Georgescu, who had unexpectedly managed to rank first in the Romanians’ voting options, was supposed to face the president of the USR (Save Romania Union), Elena Lasconi. After the announcement of the indictment of the former presidential candidate, Romanian politicians reasserted their trust in the judiciary and its independence. Social-Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, stressed, however, that, given the tense electoral context, judicial authorities must present extremely solid evidence in this investigation.

     

    The leader of AUR (Alliance for the Unity of Romanians), George Simion, expressed his continuous support of Călin Georgescu’s candidacy in the presidential election. Simion said he is waiting for incontestable evidence regarding the investigation launched by the Prosecutor’s Office. In turn, USR president, Elena Lasconi, stated that she continues to have confidence in the justice system and believes that prosecutors are fulfilling their duties responsibly. In contrast, the president of POT (Young People’s Party), Ana Maria Gavrilă, accused the authorities of terrorizing Călin Georgescu’s supporters. The new presidential election is slated for May 4 and 18. Upon leaving the Prosecutor’s Office, Călin Georgescu said that he will definitely run for the presidency this spring. (VP)

  • January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    PNL The former PNL president, Crin Antonescu, has been unanimously confirmed as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition for the upcoming presidential election. ‘The presidential election campaign is the most important political battle for Romania after the fall of communism’, says the PNL interim president, Ilie Bolojan. He pointed out that firm actions, good ruling practices and transparency are needed to regain the trust of the Romanians. Antonescu says he is not running in the presidential race for himself or for the National Liberal Party, but for the country’s citizens and for Romania. The Liberals are the first to have officially validated Antonescu’s candidacy. UDMR is to announce its preference next week, while on February 2, the Social-Democrats are going to convene for a special congress. The first and second round of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18. We recall that in December last year, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the presidential election on grounds of foreign interferences in the election process. That cancelled first round had been won by the pro-Russia extremist candidate, Calin Georgescu.

     

    REACTION Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Sunday announced the setting up at the government level of a crisis cell for the effective coordination of the activities of recovering the four Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The aforementioned cell includes representatives of the Romanian police as well as from the Foreign, Interior and Culture Ministries. The Prime Minister says he held talks with Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, on the urgent dispatching of a forensic team, who will work together with the Dutch authorities on the case. The General Prosecutor’s Office says that a criminal file has been made ex officio on the burglary in Assen. All the stolen artefacts have been insured under the Romanian and international legislation according to exhibition staging procedures. In a news conference at the National History Museum in Bucharest, director Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu says the artefacts stolen from the Dutch museum are being covered by a-35 million Euros insurance with a Dutch insurance company.

     

    VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, will be attending the proceedings of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which is getting underway in Brussels on Monday. The meeting’s agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU-US relations. The energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova and the latest developments in Georgia are also high on the agenda. On Tuesday, Minister Hurezeanu is expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, with the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, and with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.

     

    WIN The Romanian women’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, on Sunday won their away game against Danish side Nykobing, 29-27 and advanced to the third place in the Champions League’s Group A. The Hungarian side Ferencvaros ranks first in the group followed by the French from Metz. Another Romanian side, Gloria Bistrita, is ranking 7th in the group, while the third Romanian team in the competition, Rapid Bucharest, lost to Danish side Esbjerg in group B 26-28 on Sunday. Rapid is presently ranking 7th in the group.

    (bill)

     

  • January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT In its session on Thursday, the government in Bucharest endorsed a decision on staging the presidential election in May this year as well as the election schedule. The first round is due on May 4 and the second on May 18. The Executive also approved rules for the unfolding of the election process bringing a series of amendments. The Romanians abroad will be able to vote for three days, but on a different schedule. Polling stations will be open between 7 and 21 hours, on Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday, in the countries west to Romania the ballot will end at 21 hours Romania’s time, so that it may not be influenced by exit polls. Authorities have also imposed stricter rules for the election campaign, mainly in the online area. Social network administrators promoting election messages, which do not abide by the law, will have to pay fines up to 5% of their turnout. We recall that the first round of the presidential election was cancelled through a Constitutional Court ruling, which based its decision on documents provided by the country’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) invoking interferences from a so-called state entity. The second round was scheduled on December 8 when Romanians had to choose between the independent ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, accused of links with Russia, and the opposition USR leader, Elena Lasconi. The second and last mandate of the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis was supposed to end in December, but his term in office was extended until the election of a new president, which must be validated by the CCR.

     

    RUSSIA “Nikolai Patrushev, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, uses the same aggressive propaganda and disinformation themes with which Moscow has intoxicated the world in recent years”, reads a statement by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reaction comes after Patrushev said, in an interview in the Russian media, that both Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops, and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) might cease to exist as independent states this year. The Romanian diplomacy stresses that these repetitive public statements cannot hide the reality: the fact that Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and that it is carrying out massive and systematic hybrid actions against the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MFA reaffirms that Russia aims to create divisions in Europe.

     

    RATE In the first monetary policy meeting of the year, the Board of Directors of the National Bank maintained the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 6.5% per year, although the inflation rate increased in the last quarter of 2024. The Central Bank’s decision aims to ensure and maintain price stability in the medium term, in a way that contributes to the achievement of sustainable economic growth. The board of directors reiterates that, in the current context, the balanced mix of macroeconomic policies and the implementation of structural reforms, including the use of European funds to stimulate long-term growth, are essential for macroeconomic stability and strengthening the capacity of the Romanian economy to cope with adverse developments. According to experts, the NBR could relax the monetary policy in 2025, but probably only from the second half of the year, pending clearer perspectives on the evolution of inflation and fiscal measures. In 2024, the NBR reduced the reference interest rate twice, from 7 to 6.5%.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s tennis player Jaqueline Cristian for the first time qualified for the third round of a Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne on Thursday after a 7-5, 7-5 win against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old Cristian, who is presently ranking 82nd in the WTA standings, won the match in two hours and four minutes. In the third round the Romanian will be up against Eva Lys of Germany, who outperformed Varvara Gracheva of France also on Thursday. In the women’s double, Romanian Irina Begu and Brazilian Ingrid Martins were defeated in the first round by Peyton Stearns of the USA and Luisa Stefani of Brazil 6-2, 7-6.

    (bill)

     

  • Protests and preparations for the presidential election

    Protests and preparations for the presidential election

    The ruling coalition in Romania made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR last week decided that the presidential election be held on May 4th and 18th. The Executive in Bucharest is now preparing the documents needed for making these dates official. The country’s Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, says there is obviously a huge public expectation related to the date of the presidential election. However, the people in the street have conveyed a more radical message: the Constitutional Court cancelled the first round of voting in an unjustified manner and should now re-think the ruling it made on December 6th.

    Such a review appeal was made by the lawyers of the independent candidate, Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russia extremist, who unexpectedly emerged as winner of the first presidential round held on November 24th. The moment of the appeal registration was accompanied by an unauthorized protest staged by thousands of Georgescu’s supporters.

    The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the flagship party of the sovereignist trio in the Romanian Parliament, staged a large-scale protest in Bucharest, during which people from all over the country called for the resumption of the second round of the presidential election and the sacking of president Klaus Iohannis.

    ‘The Meeting for Democracy’, as it was titled, also included a march between the government and presidential buildings.

    “In a normal Romania, at the end of this day, the illegal resident of the Cotroceni Palace, Klaus Werner Iohannis, will announce his resignation and we’ll rejoin the institutional framework so that we may be able to observe the will of the Romanian people”, the AUR leader, George Simion says. According to him, the protests will continue until all the protesters’ claims are met, and thousands of people will take to the streets on January 24th, when we celebrate the Union of the Romanian Principalities. The USR president, Elena Lasconi, who also qualified for the presidential race together with Georgescu, says that she understands the Romanians who took to the streets in order to point out to the Constitutional Court, quote, ‘the fact that it used its power discriminately’. She says the solution is neither in the street, nor on social networks, though.

    In her opinion, it would be normal for president Iohannis to step down and let the head of the Senate take over the country’s leadership as an interim.

    We recall the CCR cancelled the presidential election in November-December last year, after the country’s Higher Defence Council had published a report on foreign interferences in the election process that favoured Georgescu and the alleged illegal funding of his campaign.

    However, the facts, on which the Court based its unprecedented ruling, have not been confirmed by legal investigations yet, which casts a question mark upon its decision. As a result Klaus Iohannis is still Romania’s president, although he finished its second and last mandate on December 21.

    (bill)

     

  • December 13, 2024

    December 13, 2024

    GOVERNMENT – President Klaus Iohannis is expected to convene the new Parliament on December 20. Having won nearly two thirds of seats after the December 1 parliamentary election, pro-European parties and the group of national minorities have engaged in talks with a view to forming a coalition cabinet. Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR) have agreed that each party would control a number of ministries equal to their share in Parliament. The new cabinet will comprise 16 ministries. Three self-proclaimed sovereigntist parties – the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), SOS Romania and the Young People’s Party (POT) – will also be represented in the new Parliament. The new government will very likely be sworn in ahead of the Christmas holidays. For the time being, the pro-European coalition has agreed to designate a common candidate for the 2025 presidential election.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The Prahova Tribunal is today examining the appeal submitted by prosecutors and defendants against the decision to place former mercenary Horațiu Potra under pre-trial arrest. Potra is an acting local councilman and a close associate of the former independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election, Călin Georgescu, known for his extremist and sovereigntist views and his admiration for Vladimir Putin. Potra is the target of an investigation into violations of the arms and munitions regulations, operations involving pyrotechnical materials and incitement. Another close associate of Călin Georgescu, Eugen Sechila, a former member of the Foreign Legion, was also placed under pre-trial arrest and barred from leaving the country. Sechila was detained on Thursday at Otopeni Airport and taken in for questioning after prosecutors were tipped he might try to leave the country. Sechila was officially charged with displaying legion symbols. According to the legislation in force, the public display of fascist, legionnaire, racist or xenophobic symbols is punishable by up to three years in prison and the loss of certain rights.

     

    MOLDOVA – The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova last night voted the introduction of a state of emergency at national level for 60 days, starting December 16. The measure was taken after the Russian energy giant Gazprom decided to cut gas deliveries to Transnistria starting January 1. 56 of the total of 101 Moldovan MPs voted in favor of Prime Minister Dorin Recean’s initiative.  “The measure is designed to put an end to Moscow’s gas blackmail”, the Moldovan Prime Minister said. The Republic of Moldova receives approximately 2 billon cubic meters of gas every year from Russia via a power plant in Transnistria, which covers most of the country’s electricity output. Gazprom’s decision to discontinue gas deliveries to Transnistria starting next year will impact enterprises and the population in Moldova, while authorities in Transnistria will have to procure their electricity on the international market at higher costs, experts say.

     

    UKRAINE – The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom met in Berlin on Thursday to reiterate support for Ukraine and its irreversible NATO track. The Ministers also promised Kyiv additional military support in the war against Russia as well as post-conflict security guarantees. At the end of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers joined the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in signing the Berlin Declaration, given that the scenario of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia has become a possibility with Donald Trump’s return at the White House. Several member states, including the USA and Germany, have expressed reluctance towards the prospect of a swift accession to NATO for Ukraine. In the case of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies could deploy a peace-keeping corps to Ukraine, as a security guarantee.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s champions, FCSB, drew 0-0 against Hoffenheim of Germany on Thursday in the 6th round of Europa League. The team from Bucharest ranks 10 in the group standings and holds good chances of advancing to the next phase. Two more rounds follow in Germany, with the final match scheduled at home against Manchester United of England. The draw for the 2026 World Cup preliminaries is scheduled today in Zurich. (VP)

  • December 7, 2024 UPDATE

    December 7, 2024 UPDATE

    ELECTION Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday announced he held talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the two agreed that social media security must be strengthened upon the election in Romania. The talks came after the Romanian Central Election Office had implemented the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court (CCR) on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. According to the head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, voting operations have frozen in all polling stations abroad as well as any preparations in the country. Upon the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs were scheduled for December 8. The voting had already kicked off abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court believes the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

     

    SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties have conducted a series of large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

     

    APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the only ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

     

    TENNIS Romania has qualified for the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Cup after winning 8-5 against Germany and losing 8-0 to China in the competition’s second stage in Chengdu. The semifinals and finals will be taking place on Sunday. Romania will be playing China in the semis, while South Korea will be up against Hong Kong. Romania was unable to make it to the competition’s second stage last year.

    (bill)

  • December 7, 2024

    December 7, 2024

    ELECTION The Romanian Central Election Office has applied the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. The head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, says that all voting operations have been frozen in all the polling stations abroad as well as the preparations in the country. After the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs have been scheduled for December 8. The voting already started abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court says that the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

     

     SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties are conducting large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

      

    APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

    (bill)