Radio România Internațional

Tag: campaign

The week in review, 27 October – 2 November 2019

Romanias nominee for EU commissioner, still uncertain

There are “serious doubts that Romanias new nomination for European Commissioner has been made by Bucharest “in a legitimate manner, given that the Government failed to coordinate with President Klaus Iohannis, the European Commission spokesperson Mina Andreeva said. She added that this does not mean a rejection from the Commission, but that the issue must be clarified in Romania. Given the forthcoming challenges and opportunities, it is to everybodys best interest for Europe to move on without delay and, whoever the Romanian candidate may be, they must be acceptable for the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and get the required support in the European Parliament, Mrs. Andreeva emphasized. The outgoing PM Viorica Dancila had nominated the former minister delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu for the post, but President Iohannis said that after being dismissed on October 10 in a no-confidence vote in Parliament, Dancila no longer has the legitimacy to nominate a new candidate. Previously, 2 other nominations made by the Social Democratic Party had fallen through: the former minister Rovana Plumb, rejected by the European Parliaments committee on legal affairs over integrity questions, and Dan Nica, for whom official procedures did not even get to start.

Orban cabinet seeks Parliaments approval

Thirteen of the 16 candidates for minister seats in PM designate Ludovic Orbans new Liberal government were green-lighted in the hearings held by the relevant parliamentary committees. The exceptions were Ion Stefan, the candidate for the Ministry for Public Works, Development and Administration, Violeta Alexandru, for the Labour Ministry, and Florin Citu, for the Public Finances Ministry. At the end of the interviews, the PM designate said the negative opinions had been political in nature, and appreciated the performance of all candidates. He added he would keep the same candidates for Mondays vote in Parliament. The specialized committees only have consultative power on the matter. In response, the Chamber of Deputies Speaker, Marcel Ciolacu (Social Democrat) said the practice so far has been for the candidates rejected by the committees to be replaced by the PM designate. Orban needs 233 votes to become PM, and to this end he has signed political agreements with Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, the Peoples Movement Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and MPs representing ethnic minorities.

14 presidential candidates

By no means spirited or in any way exciting, the campaign for the presidential election continues, with 14 candidates in the race. All parliamentary parties have representatives in the campaign: the incumbent President Klaus Iohannis backed by the National Liberal Party, the incumbent PM Viorica Dancila backed by the Social Democrats, Dan Barna (USR-PLUS), Theodor Paleologu (Peoples Movement Party), Mircea Diaconu backed by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and by Pro Romania, and Kelemen Hunor (Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians). The candidates Catalin Ivan, Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels and Viorel Catarama are supported by parties from outside Parliament. Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpanasu are independent candidates. The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for November 10, and the second for November 24. Under a Government resolution, the Romanians living abroad will be able to vote between November 8 and 10 for the first round of the election, and between November 22 and 24 for the second. The countries hosting the largest numbers of polling stations will be Spain (148), Italy (142), Germany (84), Britain (73), France (48), the USA (38) and the Republic of Moldova (36). The voters registered on a dedicated online platform may already vote by mail.

Colectiv fire, commemorated

On Wednesday in Bucharest religious ceremonies and a protest rally marked 4 years since Romanias largest civilian disaster since the fall of communism. On October 30, 2015, during a concert held in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, fireworks candles ignited the insulating material covering the walls of the overcrowded hall. Sixty-four people died on the spot because of the smoke or burns, and around 200 others were injured. Two years after the fire, a survivor committed suicide, bringing the toll to 65. The trial against the nightclub owners is still lingering. The then Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu has failed to appear before the prosecutors, who had subpoenaed him as a witness in a criminal investigation into the response of the authorities after the fire. Meanwhile, a civic group based in Iasi (north-east) filed a criminal complaint against the chiefs of the Department for Emergency Response, headed by state secretary Raed Arafat. They are accused of having concealed evidence, more specifically video recordings, after the media released previously unseen footage of the emergency unit intervention the night of the tragedy. “Now we know how chaotically they acted. We had always suspected the ‘rescuers of unprofessionalism and lack of empathy, but the footage confirms our suspicions, the militants said. In turn, Arafat says he has known nothing about the recording and that he will not resign, but will leave if asked by the Prime Minister.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 November 2019
October 12, 2019 UPDATE

EC — The president of the European Parliament, the Italian David Sassoli, said Saturday that it would be probably impossible for the future European Commission to take on its prerogatives as of November 1 and that the takeover would be postponed for December 1. He explained that Romania, Hungary and France need to propose another 3 commissioners whose candidacies have to be analyzed by Parliament. The confirmation vote of the entire team made up of the German Ursula von der Leyen was scheduled for October 23 in the EP during a plenary session in Strasbourg. The candidates of Romania and Hungary were rejected by the Legal Affairs Committee JURI due to suspicions of possible conflicts of interest. France’s candidate also caused integrity-related suspicions in the context of investigations into alleged fictitious jobs when she served as an MEP.

Election campaign — Saturday saw the start of the election campaign for the November presidential election in Romania. 14 candidates are running in the presidential race among whom the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis representing the National Liberal Party, the interim prime minister Viorica Dancila from the Social Democratic Party, Dan Barna representing the Alliance Save Romania Union-PLUS, Theodor Paleologu representing the People’s Movement Party, Mircea Diaconu, supported by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania party and or Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Running for the presidential seat and representing extra-parliamentary parties are Cătălin Ivan, Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels and Viorel Cataramă. Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpănaşu are running as independents. The first round will take place on November 10, and the second round will be held on November 24. Under a government decision, the Romanians abroad will vote in the first round of the election for 3 days, from November 8 to 10, and from November 22 to 24 in the second round.

Handball – Romania’s national men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest on Saturday defeated 30-20 (16-10), away from home, Russia’s team Cehovskie Medvedi in a Champions League Group D match. With two wins and a draw in the previous matches, Dinamo Bucharest accumulated 7 points and consolidated their position as group leaders. They managed to obtain 12 consecutive victories in all competitions. (update by L. Simion)

12 October 2019
October 11, 2019

CONSULTATIONS In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis has a first round of consultations with the parliamentary parties today, after Mrs Dancilas Social Democratic Cabinet was dismissed through a no-confidence vote in Parliament. The first to talk to the President were the Liberals. After the discussions, the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban said the National Liberal Party would prefer early elections, but that they are prepared to take over power. Save Romania Union, the next party invited to the Presidency, said they wanted early elections, which according to the party would put an end to the political crisis. The head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, Kelemen Hunor, nominated a PM from his own party, and offered the alternatives of an independent prime minister from the financial sector or of a government headed by the Liberal leader. The head of the Peoples Movement Party Eugen Tomac voiced lack of confidence in the early election scenario and urged the President to consider the nomination of a prime minister from PMP. The Social Democrats, scheduled to be the last to see Iohannis today, announced they did not accept the invitation. The President said he wanted a Cabinet with a clearly defined mission, to ensure responsible and efficient governing until the forthcoming parliamentary elections, irrespective of their date.

ELECTION In Romania, the campaign for Novembers presidential election officially starts on Saturday, with 14 candidates in the race, including the incumbent President Klaus Iohannis, backed by the Liberals in opposition, the incumbent PM Viorica Dăncilă, backed by the Social Democratic Party, Dan Barna, backed by the USR-PLUS Alliance, Theodor Paleologu (Peoples Movement Party), Mircea Diaconu, supported by ALDE and Pro Romania, and Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Cătălin Ivan, Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels and Viorel Cataramă represent political parties from outside Parliament, whereas Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpănaşu run as unaffiliated candidates. The first round of the presidential election is due on November 10th, and the second on the 24th. Under a government order, the Romanians living abroad will be able to vote between November 8th and 10th in the first round, and again for 3 days, November 22nd to 24th, in the second round.

NATURAL GAS The ‘Transgaz’ SA National Gas Transport Company and Russias ‘Gazprom Export’ have agreed to extend their natural gas transport contract by another 3 months, until December 31. According to Transgaz, this extension ensures the continuity of natural gas transport from Russia to Turkey, Greece and other south-east European countries. Transgaz SA is the technical operator of the National Transport System for natural gas, and ensures the efficient, transparent, safe, fair and competitive implementation of the national strategy regarding the domestic and international natural gas transport, as well as research and design in the natural gas sector.

NOBEL Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. Ethiopia and Eritrea, involved in a war over disputed border territory between 1998 and 2000, resumed official relations in July 2018, after years of hostility. On Thursday, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, after the postponement triggered by the sex assault scandal at the Swedish Academy, and the 2019 Prize went to Austrian Peter Handke. The last Nobel Prize this year is the one for economics, to be awarded on Monday.

FOOTBALL Romanias youth national team defeated Ukraine, 3-0 at home on Thursday night, in a match in Group 8 of the Euro 2021 qualifiers. On Monday the Romanians are to take on Northern Ireland, also on home turf. Last month, Romania lost its first qualifier game, 1-2 away from home against Denmark. The group also includes Finland and Malta. In June, Romanias Under 21 team qualified for the first time into the semi-finals of the continental tournament in Italy and San Marino, securing their tickets for next years Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, the national team plays on Saturday against the Faroe Islands away from home, and on Tuesday against Norway at home, in Group F of next years European Championship. The group draw for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 matches in the final tournament, 3 in the group stage and one in the round of 16.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

11 October 2019
Candidates for the presidency of Romania

At midnight on Sunday the registration period for candidates in this autumns presidential election came to an end. The competitors include the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, backed by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, who emphasised that Romanias modernisation is necessary:

Klaus Iohannis: “These are complicated times for Romania, and we need tremendous effort to fix everything the Social Democratic Party destroyed over the past 3 years. We need to modernise Romania. We need modern hospitals, motorways, clean schools, we need public administration that focuses on citizens, and not on the interests of the civil servants it employs.

Romanians need a different president, believes PM Viorica Dǎncilǎ, who is also running for president on behalf of the ruling Social Democratic Party:

Viorica Dǎncilǎ: “I firmly believe that what Romanians want is a president who loves Romania and the Romanians. I firmly believe that we need balance in this country, we need an active president who is always among the people, a president who abides by the Constitution and has a fair institutional relation with the Government and Parliament of Romania.

The candidate of the USR-PLUS Alliance in opposition is Dan Barna, who says his strengths are the energy and the capacity to represent the new generation:

Dan Barna: “Now is the time to have ambitious goals, and the time to achieve them. Now is the time to start healing Romania, and this is why I take part in this election: because Romanians can and deserve to be happy here, in Romania. What we need is a vision and determination.

According to Teodor Paleologu, the candidate backed by the Peoples Movement Party, also in opposition, the president of Romania should be not a politician, but rather a diplomat:

Teodor Paleologu: “I believe Romania needs a president able to restore the dignity of the state, to restore the credibility of Romania abroad, and, very importantly, to restore social peace in this country torn by such discord and conflict as we can see unfortunately these days.

The accepted candidacies also include the former MEP Mircea Diaconu, supported by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania, and the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians Kelemen Hunor, who says he wants an innovative, green Romania.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 September 2019
Candidates for the presidency of Romania

At midnight on Sunday the registration period for candidates in this autumns presidential election came to an end. The competitors include the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, backed by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, who emphasised that Romanias modernisation is necessary:

Klaus Iohannis: “These are complicated times for Romania, and we need tremendous effort to fix everything the Social Democratic Party destroyed over the past 3 years. We need to modernise Romania. We need modern hospitals, motorways, clean schools, we need public administration that focuses on citizens, and not on the interests of the civil servants it employs.

Romanians need a different president, believes PM Viorica Dǎncilǎ, who is also running for president on behalf of the ruling Social Democratic Party:

Viorica Dǎncilǎ: “I firmly believe that what Romanians want is a president who loves Romania and the Romanians. I firmly believe that we need balance in this country, we need an active president who is always among the people, a president who abides by the Constitution and has a fair institutional relation with the Government and Parliament of Romania.

The candidate of the USR-PLUS Alliance in opposition is Dan Barna, who says his strengths are the energy and the capacity to represent the new generation:

Dan Barna: “Now is the time to have ambitious goals, and the time to achieve them. Now is the time to start healing Romania, and this is why I take part in this election: because Romanians can and deserve to be happy here, in Romania. What we need is a vision and determination.

According to Teodor Paleologu, the candidate backed by the Peoples Movement Party, also in opposition, the president of Romania should be not a politician, but rather a diplomat:

Teodor Paleologu: “I believe Romania needs a president able to restore the dignity of the state, to restore the credibility of Romania abroad, and, very importantly, to restore social peace in this country torn by such discord and conflict as we can see unfortunately these days.

The accepted candidacies also include the former MEP Mircea Diaconu, supported by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania, and the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians Kelemen Hunor, who says he wants an innovative, green Romania.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 September 2019
June 8, 2019

G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.

UN The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleșcanu Friday attended the elections in the UN Security Council held in New York. Romania was a candidate for a non-permanent seat in the Council in 2020 – 2021, but was outrun by Estonia, which won with 132 votes against Romanias 58. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.

TENSIONS PM Viorica Dăncilă called for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urged responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. She also emphasised that a political approach of the situation is not likely to contribute to a constructive solution, and criticised attempts at deriving political capital by certain politicians. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, where military of various nationalities are buried, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way into the war cemetery to commemorate the Romanian soldiers buried there. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.

TIFF The Ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michele Ramis, is in Cluj today to attend the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). This years guest of honour is France, in the context of the France-Romania cultural season. A special programme is devoted to French cinema, including a complete Michel Gondry retrospective, a portrait of director Agnes Varda, music concerts, and the most original French project in TIFF, Uzina de filme (The Film Factory), a film studio where the public can experience a film shooting from scratch. The French Ambassador will also attend a concert entitled Soundtrack of Dreams and will participate in the TIFF closing gala. Established in 2002, TIFF is the first and largest film festival in Romania. Twelve works take part in the official competition this year, but a total of over 200 films will be screened as part of this 18th edition of the Festival.

RESIGNATION Theresa May Friday stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and implicitly as a PM, after failing to persuade the Commons to accept her Brexit agreement with Brussels, leading to a postponement of Britains withdrawal from the EU to October 31st. May stays in office until a replacement is chosen, which will likely take place in the second half of July, as the Conservative Party announced. The official campaign is set to begin on Monday, with 11 contenders for Theresa Mays position in the party.

MOLDOVA The pro-Russian president of the Republic of Moldova, Igor Dodon, Saturday postponed signing a decree to dissolve the parliament, because MPs may still reach an agreement. He said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised, which is why he urged citizens not to start or join protests and turbulence. Dodon added that, if necessary, on Monday he will hold consultations on dissolving the national parliament. Moldovas Constitutional Court had ruled that parliament was to form a government by June 7, otherwise the head of state could dismantle parliament. MPs said that since their election had been confirmed on March 9, they have until June 9 to form a government.

FOOTBALL Romanias football team drew against Norway on Friday, 2-all away from home, in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Monday Romania will play away from home against Malta. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

8 June 2019
2019 European Elections

On May 26, Romanians will elect their representatives in the European Parliament. In the future Parliament, Bucharest will have 33 MEPs, one more than in the current legislature, but only in case the UK leaves the Union after all. The first European elections were held in Romania in 2007, when the country joined the bloc. Traditionally, low voter turnout marks this kind of elections, but this year things may be different, given that a referendum on the state of the judiciary, requested by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on the same date.

On the other hand, the 2019 elections are held under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which could be an incentive for earnest debates on the challenges that require valid medium and long term responses from the European Union. Brexit, migration, social and environmental problems, employment, security and defence and, not least, the threat of sovereignist, Eurosceptic and even Europhobic trends, are just some of these challenges.

However, the campaign slogans of the main competitors in the Romanian elections hardly suggest that such a debate will take place. Instead, Romanian politicians are more likely to engage in nationalist and populist disputes on the already existing domestic political issues. The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition, speaks about the patriotism that should govern the future MEP’s performance, and about the fact that Romania deserves more from the EU.

In turn, their junior coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, wants dignity for the country and respect from the Union. “It is Romania’s time” and “Romania first,” the Liberals in Opposition also proclaim. “United in Europe” is what the People’s Movement Party calls for, hinting at the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, with a majority Romanian-speaking population. ProRomania, a party established by former Social Democrats, proudly affirms its dual, Romanian and European affiliation, whereas another alliance in Opposition, made up of Save Romania Union and PLUS, reminds voters that without theft and corruption Romania stands a chance.

The candidates running in the election are former ministers or experienced MEPs, former prime ministers or mayors, popular journalists and even an ex-president, Traian Basescu, the one who tops the list of People’s Movement candidates. The top candidate of the Social Democratic Party is former minister for European funds Rovana Plumb, the National Liberal Party’s electoral spearhead is journalist Rares Bogdan, while the top candidates of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania are 2 former MEPs, Norica Nicolai and Iuliu Winkler, respectively. The 2020 USR PLUS Alliance is headed by the former prime minister Dacian Ciolos, with another ex-PM, Victor Ponta, opening the list of ProRomania candidates. The same party has 2 other former prime ministers on its candidate list, namely Mihai Tudose and Iurie Leanca.

According to opinion polls, the favourites to win the election are the Social Democrats and the Liberals, followed by the 2020 USR PLUS Alliance, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and ProRomania. The Democratic Alliance of Ethnic Hungarians and People’s Movement Party also stand chances of sending representatives to the European Parliament. The Romanian election campaign begins on Saturday, April 27, and the ballot is scheduled for May 26.

25 April 2019
Old practices in Romania’s Medical System

Bribe-taking is a phenomenon that seems to be plaguing Romanian hospitals for ever. Possible solutions to this scourge aren’t being applied and serious cases have been identified in which doctors are conditioning medical interventions on these ‘material incentives’ they get from their patients. Authorities have raised salaries in the Romanian medical system in an attempt to stop the exodus of trained medical personnel lured by higher pay and better working conditions abroad. Salaries for doctors have seen a significant jump, from several hundred Euros several years ago to several thousand Euros nowadays. Nurses are also getting better pay than in the past.

The shameful issue of bribery started making headlines again after several doctors from the Orthopedic Ward of the Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt, north-eastern Romania, were accused of taking money for working out retirement-files allowing people to retire before their retirement age as well as for a series of other medical procedures. Some of those involved were apprehended on Tuesday night. Another bribery case involving a physician was reported in 2015. The physician involved was indicted for corruption and had his license removed but he later resumed activity at the Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt. Romanian Health Minister Sorina Pintea on Tuesday said that a campaign against under-the-table payment in hospitals across Romania was going to be run. The Romanian minister believes that this kind of payment should not exist in any medical unit, describing it as a shortcoming of the country’s medical system. The minister wants to convince both patients and the medical staff to avoid getting involved in this phenomenon.

Sorina Pintea: “We know very well that this kind of under-the-table payment exists and it is still being practiced. The latest pay rises should have diminished this phenomenon, but that didn’t happen. I believe we need more time to be able to control this phenomenon; it all boils down to education, the patient’s education or the education of their relatives. This is happening between the patient and the doctor, so we cannot intervene. All we can say is the situation isn’t normal. Various campaigns have commenced in hospitals and maybe we are going to begin one jointly with the unions because we all must assume this issue. It’s an issue affecting the system, so it’s also our issue.”

Bribery is not the only issue affecting Romania’s medical system. Last year in May, the former head the country’s main anti-corruption agency DNA, Laura Codruta Kovesi made public a report on corruption in Romania’s health system. According to the report, this phenomenon is affecting five departments including public procurement, hospital budgets and medical services. The report shows that the phenomenon cannot be contained only through investigations. Certain procedures need to be changed and certain control mechanisms should be set up.

6 March 2019
March 20, 2018

PARLIAMENT – The laws on the judiciary have been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies today, and are to be submitted to the Senate for a final vote. Previously, a special parliamentary committee passed the bill on the magistrate profession and the one regulating the organisation of the Higher Council of Magistracy. On Monday, the same committee passed the 3rd law in this package, the one concerning the organisation of courts. The bills were brought in line with the decisions of the Constitutional Court, after the Opposition and the High Court of Cassation and Justice challenged the changes adopted by Parliament. These changes include by-passing the President of Romania in the procedure for appointing the chiefs of the Supreme Court, and transferring this role to the Higher Council of Magistracy. The National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, in Opposition, announced that the new amendments give them reasons to bring the new justice laws before the Constitutional Court again. In fact, Save Romania MPs have today resorted to an unusual protest in the Chamber of Deputies, where they lined up wearing T-shirts that read “#NoCriminals. Some of the changes originally operated on the justice laws have generated large-scale protests among civil society and magistrates.

DEFENCE – The Supreme Defence Council is convening in Bucharest today, in a meeting chaired by President Klaus Iohannis. The agenda of the meeting includes a review of the work of public institutions in the national security sector in 2017, as well as the main objectives for this year. The Council members are to analyse the work of the Cyber-Security Operations Council and the National Cyber-Security Response Centre. The latter focuses on developing the technical capabilities needed in order to improve the cyber security climate in Romania. Last years activity of the Supreme Defence Council will also be analysed, along with other topics relevant to the national security.

PROTESTS – In Bucharest, the SANITAS trade union federation has today picketed the headquarters of the Ministry for Public Finances. Unionists demand, among other things, the implementation of pay raises for all healthcare and social assistance personnel as of March 1, the scrapping of the ceiling on bonuses and the offsetting of the income decrease caused by the implementation of a new pay scheme on January 1. Also today, representatives of the National Federation of Trade Unions in Industry have picketed the Economy Ministry, against the backdrop of discontent with the law regulating the national defence industry. The union president, Ioan Neagu, said that at the beginning of the year the Government was supposed to issue a resolution to regulate the number of employees that this industrial sector may absorb per year.

FRANCOPHONIE – Like other countries in the world, Romania is celebrating International Francophonie Day, marked every year on March 20. Last night the Romanian Embassy in Paris and the Romanian Cultural Institute organised a show at the Louis Jouvet Theatre in Paris, to mark 25 years since Romania joined the Francophonie Organisation. In this context, Ambassador Luca Niculescu mentioned that in December 2018 – July 2019, Bucharest and Paris will organise the Romania-France season, a large-scale joint project focusing on contemporary culture and creativity, as well as areas like education, economy, sports and tourism.

FRANCE – Frances ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy was detained on Tuesday in a case involving the allegedly illegal funding of his campaign for the 2007 presidential election, which he won at that time, Le Figaro and Le Monde report, quoting judicial sources. Sarkozy may be held in custody for 48 hours at most, and it is for the judges to order his arrest pending trial. Ever since April 2013 Sarkozy has been targeted by an investigation following allegations of Libyas former strongman Muammar Kadhafi financing his presidential election campaign. So far, Sarkozy has denied all accusations.

BREXIT – The European affairs ministers of the EU member states, including the Romanian Minister Victor Negrescu, are discussing in Brussels today the post-Brexit relations between the Union and the UK. On this occasion, the European Commissions chief negotiator Michel Barnier will present general principles for the transition period, i.e. March 2019 to December 2020. On Monday, Barnier and Londons negotiator, David Davis, announced having reached an agreement on these guidelines, which concern, among other things, the rights of the around 4.5 million European citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million Britons in the EU. At the end of this week the text will be discussed by the EU leaders during a meeting of the European Council.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 March 2018
The Fake News Phenomenon

A predominantly online phenomenon, “fake news has grown exponentially in recent years to engulf traditional and social media. Presented as genuine information regarding a factual event, the so-called “fake news may include alternative translations, fabricated news, half-truths or, in other words, some form of public manipulation that may easily be believed. To fight this phenomenon, the European Commission has recently set up a task force, made up of 39 experts, IT specialists, representatives of mass-media, academia, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as online giant Google.

Professor Alina Bargaoanu, the dean of the Communication and Public Relations Department with the School of Political and Administrative Sciences in Bucharest is a member of this task force. She told us her own understanding of the fake news phenomenon.

Alina Bargaoanu: “Fake news is that particular blend of a blatant lie and a fact, which results in partly true or partly false items of information. But beyond that, the phenomenon that has come to the attention of the task force is far broader. It deals with malformations of the information ecosystem, with what Ive come to define as the new information disorder. It takes a variety of forms, from digital propaganda to means of generating Facebook likes, from content-generating algorithms to ecochambers and so on. So this phenomenon goes well beyond false pieces of news.

In this context, the European Commission is holding a public online consultation on this topic until February 23. People are invited to fill in online questionnaires which will be used to compile data about fake news. There are two types of questionnaires, one addressing citizens, the other professional organizations and journalists. Here is Law Professor Daniel Mihai Sandru with University of Bucharest, with more details:

Daniel Mihai Sandru: “The discussion about fake news should be placed in a broader context, which should include the neutrality of the Internet, the Commissions proposals about online copyright and link protection, as well as all its other proposals to regulate the online medium. One of these proposals is a set of general guidelines regarding the protection of personal data, which is extremely important and is set to take effect on May 25, 2018.

The European Commission will most likely come up with legislative measures in this respect, at the end of the year or in 2019, Professor Sandru also says. The goal of fake news is to manipulate the public, trying to change their opinions on a particular political actor, or to influence voters, to generate a slander movement or to represent a particular action in a negative light. The Brexit vote in the summer of 2016, and the US elections just months later, are situations that raised the alert level in this area. News agencies wrote that checks run by respected media institutions had proven the financial involvement and other types of interference of Russian citizens and organisations, some of them financed directly by the Russian government, whose employees, the so-called trolls, had led social media campaigns and disseminated manipulating information.

In a recent hearing at the European Parliament, the European Commissioner for Security Julian King accused Russia of deliberately spreading false information in order to undermine the Union, and said Moscow did not even make a secret of this. Russias official military doctrine, as well as the statements of certain high-level Russian generals, indicate that the use of disinformation and destabilising propaganda are seen as legitimate means, as “another type of armed force, says the EU security chief.

Each persons willingness to make an intellectual effort, to read everything thoroughly, is in fact the key to establishing whether a piece of news is true or false, the Romanian administrative and geo-political sciences expert Marius Vacarelu believes, because much as anybody would try to lie to you, if you know the facts you cannot be misled. Ultimately, it all comes down to education.

(translated by: Vlad Palcu, Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 February 2018
November 4, 2017

UNIONS – The “Solidaritatea Sanitara union federation announces its opposition to the Governments plan to transfer the payment of social security contributions from employers to employees, and says it will join the all-out strike planned by the countrys main union confederations. Previously, trade union federations Frăţia, Cartel Alfa and National Union Bloc had voiced fears that this transfer would entail a drop in salaries and the loss of jobs. In turn, employer associations say that should this measure be implemented, they will have to lay off employees, while the National Liberal Party in opposition announced it would notify the Constitutional Court unless the Government gave up these plans. President Klaus Iohannis described the Governments initiative as fiscal confusion through which average gross salaries would only go up by a rough 70 eurocents. In response, PM Mihai Tudose and his Social Democratic Party chief, Liviu Dragnea, say they do not understand the opposition to the measures announced for next year, given that in fact both employers and employees would stand to gain. The Cabinet postponed to Monday the meeting in which the new provisions were to be discussed, on grounds that some of the bills on the agenda had not received all the required approvals.

BY-ELECTIONS – The town of Deva, in western Romania, as well as 16 villages in 12 counties are preparing for Sundays by-elections. 16 localities will elect their mayors tomorrow, and a village will elect its local council. In Deva, the mayor position has been vacant since the former mayor, Mircia Muntean, re-elected to office last summer, was sentenced to six months in prison for abuse of office and DUI.

HEALTHCARE – The Romanian healthcare and tourism ministries will work together to come up with medical tourism packages. The announcement was made by the Healthcare Minister Florian Bodog at a medical tourism conference in Bucharest. The healthcare services in the highest demand from foreign patients in Romania are dental treatments, spa treatments, and plastic surgery, Bodog explained. He added that the Government is working to adopt the public-private partnership bill, which will allow foreign partners to invest in Romania, including in the healthcare sector. The Romanian official added that he had already received offers from foreign investors interested in setting up hospitals and cardiovascular surgery and recovery centres.

CAMPAIGN – MEP Cătălin Ivan has announced he intends to start a signature campaign to ban bearer shares in Romania. Such shares, which are not registered, may be transferred from one holder to another without tax and accounting records. Ivan argues that this enables civil servants to own stock in companies that are awarded public procurement or service contracts, without any means of combating corruption. According to official data there are around 400 companies in Romania having issued bearer shares, and most of their have been awarded government contracts worth hundreds of millions of euros. Bearer shares have already been banned in countries like the UK, Belgium, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Malta and Cyprus.

PUIGDEMONT – Belgian authorities announced having received the international arrest warrant issued by Spain against the ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and 4 members of his secessionist cabinet. The source added that prosecutors would study the documents before submitting them to a judge. The five Catalan ministers arrived in Brussels this week, after Spain issued an arrest warrant for sedition. Puigdemont insists that he is not in Belgium to escape justice, and that he is facing a potential 30-year prison sentence for keeping his promise to his voters. A Spanish court approved the arrest after the five failed to appear in court on Thursday to respond to accusations regarding the Catalan independence declaration. Before the arrest warrants were issued, the European Commission said the trial of the Catalan separatists was for the judiciary to settle.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest is playing this afternoon at home against the Danish side Nykobing, in the 4th round of Champions League Group A. Two weeks ago, CSM lost surprisingly in Denmark, 22-25. In the first 2 games in Group A, the Romanians defeated Krim Ljubljana of Slovenia and Vistal Gdynia of Poland. The top 2 teams in each of the 4 groups will qualify into the main group stage. Romanias target in the current competition season is to reach the Champions League Final Four. Also today, in mens handball, Romanias champions Dinamo Bucharest play away from home against Ademar Leon of Spain. Dinamo ranks last in Group C, and is left with next to no chances to move on in the competition.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

4 November 2017
The “Vaccination Saves Lives” Campaign

The campaign “Vaccination saves lives” launched by the Romanian Societies of General Practice and Microbiology will take place in Romania in the month of May in association with the Pro Immunization Association. The initiators of the campaign have already visited several cities of Romania, and until the end of the month, they will present, through a series of educational events for parents and children, the rules to be observed in order to prevent measles as well as information from experts in the field.

The president of the Pro Immunization campaign, Anca Drăgănescu, explained: “The vaccination rate in Romania has dropped, hence the considerable increase in the number of medical cases reported, cases which could have been prevented through vaccination. We need a campaign meant to inform the population in a correct and transparent manner. And we also need to send a warning signal. We have already registered 5,728 cases of measles and 25 deaths.”

According to Anca Drăgănescu, people should correctly understand the benefits and risks of immunization through vaccination, given that this is the only means to prevent some sever contagious diseases that can lead to complications and long-term disabilities. The actions of the Association come in the context in which doctors are concerned by the great number of parents who have refused or continue to refuse to vaccinate their children. In turn, some parents argue that their children’s right to health and life is infringed through exposure to all sorts of adverse effects that vaccines may have. They argue that, through the vaccination bill, which is currently under public debate, the authorities violate children’s right to education, since children’s school enrollment is conditioned on their vaccination schedule.

Before joining a group, children need to be vaccinated, says PhD professor Ioan Gherghina with the National Institute for Maternal and Child Health. “These are also the recommendations of the World Health Organization, not only my recommendation. In France, vaccination of children is compulsory before they are enrolled in school. In certain countries even adults who have not completed their vaccination schedule are refused employment in certain institutions.”

Health minister, Florian Bodog, draws attention that parents have the obligation to take their children to a doctor when a health condition appears, to be informed on the adverse reactions of vaccines, but that they are not forced to vaccinate their kids.

Florin Bodog: “Parents have the right to refuse vaccination, but once they refuse, they have the obligation to assume their gesture. I have read somewhere that vaccination is like baptism. If we are believers and have our kids baptized, why not have them vaccinated as well.”

Upon the request of the health minister, the European Commission has approved, in emergency procedure, the decision to temporarily suspend exports within the EU of the combined vaccine that protects against measles, rubella and mumps. The EC has deemed the measure justified, given that Romania has been facing a measles epidemic for a year now and, moreover, it does not have vaccine reserves.

(Translated by Lacramioara Simion)

15 May 2017
One week to the parliamentary elections in Romania

This is the last week of campaign in the run up to the December 11 parliamentary elections. Under the law, the election campaign comes to an end on Saturday, December 10, at 7 p.m. By that date, the candidates running for a deputy or senator seat can present their political programs and electoral offers by means of posters, rallies and meetings with the citizens. As regards the electoral debates broadcast on radio and TV, they will end on Friday December 9 at 7 p.m. The preparations for the organization of the elections are now on the finishing line.

Thursday, December 8, is the deadline for conveying to the Electoral Bureau the envelopes enclosing the documents for the postal vote, which is a total novelty in the history of elections in Romania. On Saturday, the presidents of the electoral constituencies will receive the ballots, stamps, permanent lists and the other necessary forms. Almost 6,500 people are running in the parliamentary elections for the 466 seats, 136 in the Senate and 312 in the Chamber of Deputies, plus 18 seats for the deputies of the national minorities, other than the Hungarian one, whose representation is ensured ex officio. 43 constituencies have been set up: 41 in Romania’s counties, in Bucharest and the Diaspora.

The elections are organized according to new election legislation which reintroduces, after two rounds of uninominal voting, the party-list system. The previous uninominal voting system, with the so-called representation quotas, led to huge abnormalities, raising the number of elected MPs in the current Romanian Parliament at 600. Running as favorite in the elections is the leftist Social Democratic Party, followed by the rightist National Liberal Party, and the Save Romania Union, a recently set-up party which, according to observers, will have a heavy say in the future parliament. With real chances of crossing the 5% electoral threshold are the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), the rightist Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) set up by the incumbent president of the Senate, Călin Popescu Tăriceanu and the rightist People’s Movement Party (PMP), of the former president Traian Băsescu.

The future MPs have the difficult mission to change the public image of the institution that has been so frequently associated with incompetence, immorality and corruption. In another development, the makeup of the future parliament will be the starting point for the negotiations related to the formation of a new government, in the context in which none of the parties is expected to obtain a majority on its own.

(Translated by Lacramioara Simion)

5 December 2016
11 November, 2016

CAMPAIGN — Romania kicks off today its parliamentary election campaign, scheduled for December 11. Almost 6,500 people have registered as candidates for the 466 seats in the Senate and the lower chamber, on behalf of political parties or as independents. This election, the list system has been reinstated; the last time it was used was in the 2004 elections, with new norms of representation introduced for senators and deputies.

CHISINAU — Pro-Russian Socialist candidate Igor Dodon and pro-European reformer Maia Sandu face off on Sunday in the second round of elections in the Republic of Moldova. About three million citizens are called to the polls to vote directly for the president for the first time in 16 years, time in which the head of state was appointed by Parliament. Analysts say that this election has geopolitical implications. Dodon wants to join the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Union, while Sandu pleads for reforming the state and joining the EU.

TRUMP — Protests against Donald Trumps victory in the US presidential elections continued yesterday for a second day in several cities across the country, according to the Associated Press. Protesters fear that the future president will put a dent in civil rights and freedoms, given his campaign rhetoric regarding immigrants, Muslims and other groups. Trump tweeted in reaction to protests, saying that the protesters were hired by the media. In the meantime, the president elect had his first meeting with President Barack Obama to arrange a smooth transition of power. President Obama described the discussion as being encouraging. In turn, Trump thanked the president for his advice, and said that he would continue working with him in the future.

FOOTBALL — Romanias national football team plays today in Bucharest against Poland, in a game counting towards the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In the first three games in Group E, Romanians scored a devastating victory against Armenia in Yerevan, 5-0. They tied at home 1-all against Montenegro, and tied away from home in Kazakhstan with no goals scored. Montenegro and Poland lead the group with 7 points, and Romania follows, with 5 points. We recall that the national team is trained for the first time in its history by a foreign coach, German Cristoph Daum.

VETERANS DAY — Romania celebrates today Veterans Day, in military units and at heroes tombs across the country. In Bucharest, ceremonies and laying of wreaths were held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at the Monument of Heroes Fallen in Theaters of Operations and on Romanias Territory. Romanians have been celebrating Veterans Day on November 11, alongside the other European countries, the United States, Canada and Australia. This date marks the 1918 armistice between the Allies and the Central Powers which put an end to WWI.

PIPELINE — The gas pipeline between Romania and Bulgaria was inaugurated today, according to the Ministry of Energy in Sofia. It runs over 25 km, the longest such installation in Europe so far. The Bulgarian portion runs over 15.4 km, the one in Romania is 7.5 km long, with 2.1 km running under the river Danube, separating the two countries. The pipeline provides a secure and permanent supply of natural gas for home and industry consumers in the two countries. Its inauguration meets the requirement of the European Energy Union requiring the creation of gas transportation systems between member states. The gas pipeline is part of a wider plan to link natural gas networks in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria by the end of 2019.

HANDBALL — Romanian womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, play today in an away game against the Russian team Rostov Don in the preliminaries of the Champions League. After three consecutive defeats, CSM is last in its group, with only two points, same as their Russian opponents, who are in third place. The group is led by Hungarian team Gyor, who hold eight points, followed by the Danish team FC Midtjylland, who are in second place with four points. CSM must secure a win in Russia in order to qualify. The first three teams in groups qualify for the main groups.

11 November 2016
Pay Rises and Elections

If Romania has registered the highest economic growth rate in the whole of the EU, why are you against pay rises? This is how some of the politicians in Bucharest have attacked the Government, which opposes some of the questionable decisions made by Parliament lately, in the run up to the December 11th elections.

It has actually become quite a habit before elections for political figures to resort to various ways of buying votes. In the first years after the Revolution, they would hand out flour, sunflower oil, buckets or aprons, but, gradually, such useful commodities were replaced by legislative initiatives aimed at securing more votes for those who needed them.

Early this week, the joint budget and labour committees of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies endorsed a 15% raise in salaries in public education as of January 1st, 2017, and a similar one, as of December this year, for salaries in the healthcare sector. Also, they decided that bonuses for the administrative staff in public healthcare be calculated based on the salary level in 2016, not in 2009 as it was the case before. Also, staff with the health insurance agencies will have their salaries raised by 25%.

On Monday, the Chamber is to vote on these measures, and the Labour Minister Dragos Pislaru warns that such pay rises might affect the economy. He has stated that a government order has already regulated a 15% pay raise for employees in the education and healthcare sectors, plus a further 15% increase at a later time. He argues however that such raises should take place gradually by 2021.

Dragos Pislaru: “In any normal country, payroll expenses must not exceed a certain percentage of the budget, because when you invest in salaries rather than in infrastructure, when you practically ignore any warning, you must accept that this could raise the suspicion – which this time I believe is well grounded – that its just electoral bait. This summer we came up with a plan: to increase the entire payroll in the public sector by 2021, by 30% on average.

The Economy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Costin Borc has said that if the salary bill, as it is today, is endorsed by Parliament, the Government will take it to the Constitutional Court. According to the Executive, the impact on the budget of the laws voted by Parliament in the past months stands at some 2 billion Euros. This will either increase the deficit or decrease the amounts of money allotted for investment. Moreover, the gaps between the salaries of various categories of public sector employees would widen.

From an economic standpoint, Romania is in a good situation. What would be the point then in destroying it in order to just win several extra votes? Increasing salaries in the education and healthcare sectors once again might throw Romania back to the 2008 election year, when Parliament offered pay raises only to subsequently cut salaries twice as much because of the economic crisis.

(translated by: Mihaela Ignatescu)

4 November 2016