Radio România Internațional

Tag: candidate

  • Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

    Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

     

    Since the night of November 24, when Călin Georgescu came virtually out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential elections, overtaking high-profile politicians, his name has become the most present on TV channels and news websites.

     

    The question of how this was possible was answered by the Supreme Defence Council, although not very convincingly for some. After putting together data coming from the intelligence services, the Council concluded that the independent candidate Călin Georgescu was the beneficiary of a hybrid attack by a foreign state actor, namely Russia, mainly through very high TikTok exposure.

     

    After the first round, the general public came to learn a few things about candidate Georgescu’s election platform, and eventually got to know a character bordering on the bizarre and the toxic. A fierce critic of the West and of Romania’s NATO and EU membership and an admirer of Putin’s Russia, Georgescu promoted a self-sufficient economic system reminiscent of Ceausescu’s ideology, and praised what he considered Romanian exceptionalism and leading figures of Romanian interwar fascism.

     

    On December 6, the Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision in three and a half decades of democracy: it annulled the presidential elections, on grounds that the entire election process had been twisted in Georgescu’s favour.

     

    Backed by the country’s self-styled sovereigntist, but in fact populist and ultranationalist parties, last Friday Georgescu registered his candidacy in the upcoming presidential race, due on May 4 and 18. On Sunday, the Central Electoral Bureau rejected his candidacy, relying precisely on the Constitutional Court’s ruling in December. Predictably, on Tuesday, the Court dismissed Călin Georgescu’s appeal as ungrounded in a final ruling.

     

    According to the Central Electoral Bureau, Călin Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet legality criteria, in that, by failing to comply with the election rules he breached the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial elections.

     

    The sovereigntists, led by AUR party, criticised what they called the “abusive” decision of the Constitutional Court.

     

    Practically born on TikTok, Călin Georgescu’s dazzling but very brief political career seems to have ended at the Constitutional Court. The overexposure, however, brought him other problems as well. The former presidential front-runner was recently placed under court supervision, in a case in which serious charges are brought against him.

     

    The first of them is one of the most severely punished in the Criminal Code, namely incitement to act against the constitutional order. Other charges include false statements regarding his campaign financing, initiating or establishing fascist, racist or xenophobic and anti-Semitic organisations, as well as publicly promoting the cult of individuals guilty of genocide and war crimes. Călin Georgescu denies all accusations. (AMP)

  • January 25, 2025

    January 25, 2025

    RATING The financial rating agency Standard & Poor’s confirmed Romania’s ‘BBB minus’ rating, but revised the outlook from “stable” to “negative”. The reasons are related to high fiscal and external risks, the agency reports. According to S&P, the fragmented and uncertain political environment, as well as all the substantial spending ahead of the elections, pushed the fiscal deficit to almost 8.7% of GDP, far above expectations. The Romanian finance minister Tánczos Barna says the change in the outlook from stable to negative indicates that measures are needed to reduce the budget deficit, and that the country needs a balanced public budget and a streamlined government structure. He also said that the government’s measures to reduce the deficit and consolidate economic growth must be implemented at an alert pace, in the form already agreed on with the EU.

     

    PROTESTS The government of Romania is completely willing to find solutions to protect people’s spending power while at the same time preserving macro-economic balance, the prime minister’s office chief said after talks with representatives of the employees who protested in front of the Government headquarters. On Friday, thousands of civil servants, reserve officers, police staff, miners, foresters, steelworkers, Bucharest Metro employees and pensioners took part in a rally to protest a government order that froze salary increases for many public sector personnel at the beginning of this year, and suspended the cost-of-living adjustment of public pensions. A reorganisation of central public institutions and state-owned companies was also announced these days. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, restructuring the public sector is a priority for the current governing coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

     

    UKRAINE The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is meeting today in Kyiv with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with PM Denys Shmykhal and with the Parliament Speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk. The main topics of the discussions are the connection of the infrastructure of the two states, trade, collaboration in the EU accession process, and regional security. An important topic on the agenda is the energy crisis caused by Russia, which has increased energy prices and left the citizens of Transnistria, a Russian-speaking breakaway region in the Republic of Moldova, without heat and electricity. The rest of Moldova is safe for the time being, thanks to electricity and gas imports from neighboring Romania.

     

    ELECTIONS The Liberals will convene on Sunday in a special National Council meeting to validate the former party president Crin Antonescu as the joint candidate of the ruling coalition in Romania. The Social Democrats scheduled a special congress on February 2 for the same purpose, and UDMR will make its decision at the beginning of next week. The first and second rounds of the presidential elections are scheduled for May 4 and 18. So far, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu and the president of Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, have announced plans to run for president. The latter two were top placed in the presidential elections canceled last year. After the first election round on November 24 was validated, the Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the election as a whole on December 6, although voting in the second round had already begun abroad. The Court made its decision after the Supreme Defence Council published a report indicating foreign interference in the electoral process, but investigations have so far failed to confirm it. Tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets to demand that the second round be resumed.

     

    HOLOCAUST The minister of culture Natalia Intotero will represent Romania, on Monday, at the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. The event, held under the patronage of the president of Poland, marks the International Holocaust Remembrance Day declared by the United Nations, and brings together camp survivors, official delegations of states and international organisations. Romania’s participation in the ceremony on January 27 reflects its solid commitment to keeping alive the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, to fighting all forms of denial, distortion, or downplaying of this tragic moment, as well as to fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech, while at the same time promoting respect for fundamental human rights, both at national and international level, the Romanian culture ministry said.

     

    HOSTAGES Four Israeli female soldiers held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023, have reached Israel today. In exchange for them, Israel must release 200 Palestinians held in its prisons. This is the second prisoner exchange under the ceasefire that came into effect last Sunday between Israel and Hamas, after 15 months of war. In a first stage, which will last 6 weeks, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. A Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 killed 1,210 Israelis, most of them civilians. Of the 251 people kidnapped, 91 are still in Gaza, 34 of whom are dead according to the Israeli army. In retaliation, Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip, resulting in at least 47,000 casualties, most of them civilians, and a humanitarian disaster. (AMP)

  • January 24, 2025

    January 24, 2025

    CELEBRATION Military and religious ceremonies, performances and exhibitions are taking place today in all the major cities in Romania, marking the Union of the Principalities. In Orthodox churches, special services were performed and bells were rung for a minute. 166 years ago, on January 24, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of Wallachia, after having been elected ruler of Moldavia on January 5. The political decision of the principalities to unite was the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian state. Leading politicians sent messages on the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities. “January 24 is a moment of assessment and reflection on the legacy of our ancestors and on the responsibility we have to preserve and promote it,” president Klaus Iohannis emphasised. PM Marcel Ciolacu pointed out that the Union is an example of how an important political project undertaken in accordance with the will of the people can become reality. Romanians enjoy an extended weekend on this occasion, as Union Day has been declared a public holiday. Many have chosen to spend it in mountain resorts. However, as protests are announced in addition to many events planned throughout the country, over 22,000 interior ministry employees are mobilised to ensure public order and peace.

     

    PROTEST Railway workers, reserve officers, police staff, miners, foresters, steelworkers, Bucharest Metro employees and pensioners announced their participation today in a protest rally in front of the Government headquarters. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend. People are unhappy with the government order that froze salary increases at the beginning of this year, and because public pensions are no longer adjusted to the inflation rate. A reorganisation of central public institutions and state-owned companies was also announced these days. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, restructuring the public sector is a priority for the current governing coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

     

    ELECTIONS The Liberals will convene on Sunday in a special National Council meeting to validate the former party president Crin Antonescu as the joint candidate of the ruling coalition in Romania in the presidential elections in May. The Social Democrats scheduled a special congress on February 2 for the same purpose, and UDMR will make its decision at the beginning of next week. The first and second rounds of the presidential elections are scheduled for May 4 and 18. So far, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu and the president of Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, have announced plans to run for president. The latter two were top placed in the presidential elections canceled last year. After the first election round on November 24 was validated, the Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the election as a whole on December 6, although voting in the second round had already begun abroad. The Court made its decision after the Supreme Defence Council published a report indicating foreign interference in the electoral process, but investigations have so far failed to confirm it. Tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets to demand that the second round be resumed.

     

    CORRUPTION The mayor of the popular Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia, the Liberal Vlad Oprea, was placed under court supervision on Thursday, with bail set at over EUR 100,000, as part of a corruption-related investigation. Charges of abuse of office also entailed a ban on him holding the mayor position. According to prosecutors with the National Anticorruption Directorate, among other things, Vlad Oprea allegedly demanded and received almost EUR 240,000 in bribe from a businessman, in exchange for expediting the paperwork for the building of a hotel in the resort.

     

    EXPULSION The Romanian Embassy in Belgrade has asked for clarifications from the Serbian authorities as to why a Romanian national was expelled from the country. Other EU and third country citizens taking part in an NGO training workshop were also involved in the incident. The Romanian, a member of an organisation involved in social projects, was taken to a police station in Belgrade, along with other participants in the workshop. Without explanation, but citing national security reasons, they were ordered to leave Serbia within 24 hours, and banned from entering this country for one year. The Romanian national left the country safely. The expulsion of EU citizens from Serbia is unprecedented.

     

    FOOTBALL Romanian football champions FCSB defeated the Azerbaijani side Qarabag FK, 3-2 on Thursday evening in Baku, in the 7th round of the Europa League. With this important win, FCSB not only secured its ticket for the next stage of the competition, but also has a good chance of qualifying straight for the round of 16. On January 30, the Romanians will play in Bucharest against the English team Manchester United. (AMP)

  • Baccademia: the baccalaureate exam for everybody

    Baccademia: the baccalaureate exam for everybody

    The 2024 session of the baccalaureate exam in Romania has seen the highest promotion rate in the last decade, accounting for 76.4%. Notwithstanding, the maturity exam has been frightening for many of the candidates. Reason enough for a couple of students in Cluj, central Transylvania, to have an initiative meant to make the experience easier for those colleagues who were lass lucky. The students successfully passed the baccalaureate exam with high grades and started Baccademia, a project that seeks to help candidates pass the baccalaureate exam with no trouble at all.

    Bianca Ionescu is the founder of the Baccademia project. Here is what she told us:

    “Our story actually began as early as 2022. That year I passed the baccalaureate exam, with a 10 in History and a 9.80 grade in the Romanian Language and literature test. Even though I competed in the National Romanian Language and Literature Olympiad ever since secondary school and I still competed all throughout the high school years, I was still stressed out as a 12th-grade, senior high-school pupil since the baccalaureate exam was drawing near. And then, having taken the exam, I opted for digitizing the materials I myself had been structuring.

    It took me a good six months to structure the subject matters all by myself. In 2022 I started helping pupils online. I shared those materials, free of charge, on an Instagram account and practically the generation that passed the exam in 2023 was the first one I helped. And then the idea of Baccademia began to take shape only when the pupils sent me their Baccalaureate exam grades. For instance, of the roughly 3,000 pupils I helped, most of them passed the exam with a grade above 9.50. Some of them even got a neat 10. There even were people who got very high grades having sat in for the exam 10 or 20 years later in life! And, practically, that very moment I realized my materials did have a positive impact on them.”

    Bianca Ionescu has been a high-school student until recently. Here is what she went on to say:

    “Pupils got fed up with bulky books, with a typical black-and-white print and full of details that were not required for the baccalaureate exam, and I could understand their frustration since I had been there before. We’re in a country where we can nonetheless see the situation ahead of the exams did not change that much, it does not improve as against the previous years. 10 months have passed since I founded Baccademia and we make the difference, somehow, as our team is only made of students who got a 10 in the baccalaureate exam or in some of the subject matters. And, also, all our collections are coloured and synthetic. It also includes, for instance, pieces of advice, solved tests or jokes, sometimes, jokes today’s generation is sure to understand very clearly. “

    Irina Selagea is the author of the Geography handbook. Also, she is responsible for the interactive videos on the social media. I asked her what Baccademia was, for her:

    “I am the kind of person who likes to help and I am keen on bringing in a new perspective when it comes to learning for the baccalaureate exam, since most of the people think it is just a test for which you only have to swot. But I should like to come up with the idea and the solution that any baccalaureate test could be passed with flying colours only though understanding, through jokes and in a much funnier way, rather than resorting to pricey materials or to very long materials. I have come up with the solution for the Generation Z pupils, who somehow have a different understanding of how to learn for certain subject matters. And I just wanted to bring in a new version, in a bid to motivate pupils, perhaps to read Romanian literature in an off-the-beaten-track way “.

    In terms of feedback, the Baccademia team has told us several pupils confessed that with the help of these materials, they could memorize the entire content of a subject matter that was taught in one class, in one minute

    As for the team, they continue their work! Bianca Ionescu:

    We’re still in short supply of the IT, Chemistry and Physics exercise books, and that’s what we’re working won at the moment. They will be brought out sometime in September, in mid-month, we hope. Our success, to a great extent, is provided by the Tik Tok platform. It is there that we’ve gained our popularity with the clips we created using AI, for instance. We’ve so far gathered 1,000,000 views all told, in our account. “

    We can only wish candidates to be efficient in their learning efforts, now that everything has become easier for them.

  • March 20, 2024

    March 20, 2024

    LAW Romania’s Constitutional Court is today tackling a notification from the Higher Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the so-called law of the fugitives, which says that offenders who are to serve prison sentences and do not present themselves to a police station in seven days will be considered fugitives and get an additional sentence between six months and three years. According to the Higher Court, this law infringes upon the citizens’ right to a fair trial and to individual freedom. The list of famous fugitives includes the former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former head of Romania’s Department for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, Alina Bica, Mario Iorgulescu, the son of the president of the Professional Football League, Gino Iorgulescu or Paul Philippe of Romania, a grandson of king Carol ll. The former mayor of Baia Mare, Catalin Chereches, who had fled to Germany after having been sentenced to five years in prison for bribery was brought to Romania on Tuesday and sent to the maximum security prison in Arad, western Romania.

     

     

    ELECTIONS Physician Catalin Cîrstoiu, manager of the University hospital in Bucharest, has today been presented in a news conference as the joint candidate for the Bucharest mayor seat by the ruling PSD-PNL coalition. Cîrstoiu will not join either party, and get support as an independent candidate during the local election of June 9th. In the following days, the Social-Democrats and Liberals are expected to announce their joint candidates for the mayor seats of the Bucharest’s six districts. We recall that 2024 is an election year in Romania, which will see election rounds for the European Parliament and local administration in June, for the presidential seat in September and the local Parliament in December.

     

     

    STRIKE Employees of Romania’s National Post Office have gone on a warning strike in an attempt to get pay rises. Protesters have called for an 80 euro rise and an increase in the loyalty bonus between 5 and 10 %. The National Trade Union Block, BNS, says that unless negotiations on the collective labour contract improve, an all-out strike is to follow shortly. Trade union leaders have underlined that almost half of Romania’s population is expected to bear the brunt of an all-out strike as the National Post Office will not be able to deliver pensions to the five million pensioners Romania presently has, as well as the social benefits to people in difficult situations. According to the Trade Union Block, two thirds of the employees of the national post company have the lowest salaries in Romania’s economy.

     

    TENNIS Three Romanian tennis players, Simona Halep, Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian have conceded defeat in the first day of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami, Florida, a competition with over 8.7 million dollars in prize money. Cristian was outperformed by Diane Parry of France, 6-7, 2-6, while Ana Bogdan lost to the Czech Katerina Siniakova, 6-2, 6-4. After a long absence from competitions, Simona Halep took on Paula Badosa of Spain, who eventually won the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Halep needed medical attention after the second set. The organisers have offered a wild card to Halep, who is no longer part of the WTA ranking. A former number one player, Halep had not played an official game since August 29, 2022 when she tested positive for a banned substance. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne had admitted Halep’s appeal and reduced her initial four year suspension to nine months.

     

     

    WEATHER Temperatures are on the rise as compared to the previous day in most of Romania’s regions being within the normal range for this time of the year. The sky is overcast in the country’s north, center and east as well as in the mountains. Showers and mixed precipitations have been reported on small areas in the east, center, south and north-east. The highs of the day are ranging between 6 and 14 degrees centigrade with a noon reading in Bucharest of 8 degrees Celsius.

     

     

    (bill)

     

  • The week in review, 27 October – 2 November 2019

    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)

  • October 1, 2019 UPDATE

    October 1, 2019 UPDATE

    MOTION A no-confidence motion against the Social Democrats minority government headed by Viorica Dancila was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by the Opposition. The document, initiated by the Liberals, is backed by Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Peoples Movement Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Pro Romania, and, according to the president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, even by some Social Democrats. Entitled “In order to rebuild Romania, the Dancila Cabinet must be dismissed immediately! the motion was signed by 237 MPs, and it needs 233 votes in order to pass. The ruling party claims however that it will not be endorsed, because it fails to come up with a governing programme and a PM. Viorica Dancilas party lost the majority in Parliament after its junior partner, ALDE, left the ruling coalition in late August.




    COMMISSIONER MEP Dan Nica is Romanias main nomination for European Commissioner, the president of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dăncilă said on Tuesday at the end of the partys National Executive Committee meeting. She added that Gabriela Ciot, secretary of state with the Foreign Ministry, will be the back-up nomination, if the European Commission wants a woman for a commissioner. PM Dăncilă explained that Romania will do the same as Hungary in terms of the new nominations: should Hungary come up with 2 candidates, so will Romania. The decision comes after the European Parliaments committee on legal affairs (JURI) rejected Rovana Plumb as a Transport Commissioner designate, nominated by Romania, and the candidate nominated by Hungary for Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy.




    EUROPALIA The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and King Philippe of Belgium Tuesday visited in Brussels an exhibition on Brâncuşi, opening the Europalia International Art festival. This is the most important exhibition devoted to the Romanian sculptor in the past decades, and the highlight of this Festival, in which Romania is the guest of honour. Until February 2, 2020, Europalia comprises events held in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Britain. Apart from exhibitions, the events include theatre, dance and music performances, visual art and literature projects, and more than 100 film screenings.




    OLYMPIAD Romanian students won 9 prizes in this years International French Language Olympiad, hosted by Chişinău, the Republic of Moldova. In the competition held between September 27 and 30, the Romanian team won 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes and 3 third prizes. The International French Language Olympiad brought together students from 6 La Francophonie member countries, Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Moldova and Romania. The competition is included in the official agenda of the Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 22, 2019

    July 22, 2019

    CANDIDATE The president of the Social Democratic Party, in power in Romania, PM Viorica Dăncilă, is to have talks with the leaders of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, also in the ruling coalition, and of Pro Romania, the party headed by the former leftist prime minister Victor Ponta. The negotiations concern the forming of a coalition with a common candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. Viorica Dăncilă has recently said she would like a much broader support platform, including non-parliamentary parties, trade unions and NGOs, for the November election. Next week, the Social Democrats are scheduled to nominate their presidential candidate, who will be validated at a special congress on August 3rd.




    EXPORTS Romanias exports to the other 27 EU member countries went up 4.9% in January – April 2019, as compared to the corresponding period of last year, whereas imports from the Union grew by 7.5%, the National Statistics Institute reports. Romanias top 3 EU export markets were Germany (23.3%), Italy (11.1%) and France (7.4%). As for imports, the 3 largest partners are Germany (19.9%), Italy (9.2%) and Hungary (7.2%). In the first 4 months of the year, Romanias total FOB exports amounted to 23 billion euro, and total imports to 28.1 billion euro, up 8.3% since January – April 2018. The trade deficit was little over 5 billion euro, i.e. 1.3 billion euro more than in the corresponding period of last year.



    UKRAINE With more than half of the votes counted on Monday, the Central Election Committee in Kiev announced that president Volodymyr Zelenskys party, Servant of the People, won 42.47% of the votes in Sundays snap election, whereas the Opposition Platform for Life came second with 12.91%. Third-ranking are ex-president Petro Poroshenkos European Solidarity party and former PM Yulia Timoshenkos Batkivshcina party with around 8% each, followed by the newly formed Voice party founded by rock star Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, with over 6% of the votes. The other 15 parties in the race failed to meet the 5% threshold to get into parliament. Kiev also announced that the turnout was 49.84%, the lowest in the history of independent Ukraine.



    BREXIT The European Commission prepares a huge aid package for Ireland, in order to make up for the economic loss entailed by a no-deal Brexit, Reuters reports, quoting The Times. The EU is ready to ‘spend whatever is necessary to support the Irish government in case of any disruption of trade, a high-ranking source has said. Over the weekend, thousands of anti-Brexit protesters marched in London ahead of the expected announcement of Boris Johnson as the new prime minister. On Tuesday, the Conservative Party in power will announce the winner of the race for Theresa Mays replacement, and the former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is largely viewed as the frontrunner. The Chancellor Philip Hammond, who is against a no-deal Brexit, announced his intention to step down if Boris Johnson becomes the new prime minister. The UK is set to exit the European Union on October 31st.



    MILITARY The 10th ‘Eurasian Partnership MCM Dive’ multinational exercise begins today in Constanta and along the Romanian Black Sea coast. Until Thursday, tens of military divers from Romania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia and the US will take part in explosive device search and identification drills, will conduct open, semi-closed and surface-supplied diving missions and target searches using underwater drones. This is the only annual multinational exercise organised in the west part of the Black Sea, designed to improve the training of NATO divers and of diving units from Peace Partnership member countries.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • April 26, 2018 UPDATE

    April 26, 2018 UPDATE

    ISRAEL – While on an official visit to Israel, a Romanian delegation made up of PM Viorica Dăncilă, Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, was received on Thursday by President Reuven Rivlin. The Romanian officials said that strengthening cooperation with Israel was a priority, particularly considering the 70-year long tradition of diplomatic relations. The agenda of talks also included the appointment of a Romanian ambassador to Israel, given that the post has been vacant for almost one and a half years, the relocation of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and regional topics like the situation in Syria and the Iranian nuclear file. On Wednesday, PM Viorica Dăncilă and her counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the excellent level of bilateral relations. The Romanian prime minister voiced her satisfaction with the interest shown by the Israeli side in a proposed partnership that would generate joint projects in the field of new technologies. The participants also discussed means of cooperation in the military, strategic and cyber security fields. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Prime Minister visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre, and had a meeting with the leader of the left-wing Opposition in the Israeli Parliament, Isaac Herzog.





    JUDICIARY – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Thursday referred a regulation on the organisation of the Official Journal to the Constitutional Court. The President argues that the public company that runs the Official Journal of Romania cannot be subordinated to the Chamber of Deputies as long as the law stipulates no powers for the Chamber in this respect. Meanwhile, also on Thursday the High Court of Cassation and Justice decided to refer to the Constitutional Court a bill on alternatives to imprisonment, under which sentences below 5 years in prison may be switched to house arrest or to weekend detention in special centres. The Chamber of Deputies endorsed this bill on Wednesday.




    PROTESTS – Deputy PM Viorel Ştefan Thursday promised the Romanian trade unions in the public healthcare sector that on May 2 he would come up with a solution to address the income losses in the sector. The unionists, who staged a rally in Bucharest on Thursday, announced they would not give up their protests. Several categories of healthcare staff claim their net wages have dropped since the implementation of the new tax and salary regulations, and they demand the scrapping of the current 30% cap on bonuses. The rally in Bucharest will be followed by a token strike on May 7, while May 11 is the announced start date of an all-out strike in the healthcare and social assistance sector.




    EPP – Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition in Romania, announced that the European Peoples Party (EPP), the political family to which his party is also affiliated, will have a common candidate for president of the European Commission. Orban discussed the topic in Brussels with the EPP president, Joseph Daul. The candidate, Orban added, will be elected in the EPP congress due in November in Helsinki. Orban also said that he had discussed with the EPP leaders the details of a common strategy to ensure job stability at European level, a strategy that also targets the Romanians who will work in the UK after Brexit.





    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 1 in the world, will take on CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) in Fridays quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, which has 816,000 US dollars in total prize money. Halep previously defeated the Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova (18 WTA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. In last years edition of the Stuttgart tournament, Halep was defeated in the semi-finals.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Paul Jamet/ Jean Michel Aubier (France) – qui est Clotilde Armand?

    Paul Jamet/ Jean Michel Aubier (France) – qui est Clotilde Armand?

    Elle est née le 28 juin 1973 à Pointe-à-Pitre, en Guadeloupe, mais sa famille est originaire de Vichy, où ses parents vivent toujours. Sur son site, Clotilde Armand affirme que sa grand-mère paternelle était la cousine germaine de l’écrivain Jean Giraudoux, alors que sa grand-mère maternelle était la fille du comte de Champs de Saint Léger.

    Elle a eu son bac à Clermond-Ferrand, puis elle a fait ses études supérieures à l’Ecole centrale de Paris (antérieurement École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures de Paris), où elle a obtenu son diplôme d’ingénieure. Elle a poursuivi sa formation aux Etats – Unis, entre 1995 et 1997, à l’Institut de Technologie du Massachussets, obtenant une double spécialisation, dont l’«Ingénierie des Océans».

    C’est au MIT qu’elle a rencontré son futur époux, le mathématicien roumain Sergiu Moroianu. Ensemble, ils ont quatre enfants – un garçon et trois filles. Ils se sont établis à Bucarest en 1999, mais Clotilde Armand a travaillé par la suite en France et en Allemagne pendant plusieurs années, pour ensuite venir à Bucarest, surtout que trois de ses enfants sont nés dans la capitale roumaine.

    Elle a obtenu la nationalité roumaine en 2015. Elle affirme se sentir chez elle en Roumanie et parle roumain à chaque apparition en public ou à la télévision. D’ailleurs, sur son site, elle écrit toujours en roumain. En plus, elle a écrit un livre en roumain, intitulé « J’ai choisi la Roumanie. Mon histoire ».

    Sur son site, Clotilde Armand se présente en tant que manager. Elle a rempli plusieurs fonctions de direction au sein de différentes compagnies roumaines et multinationales. Elle est aussi une activiste civique et depuis peu, elle est entrée aussi dans la politique… roumaine. On a entendu parler d’elle pour la première fois lorsqu’elle s’est portée candidate à la mairie du 1er arrondissement de Bucarest de la part de l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie, une ONG transformée en parti, actuellement membre de l’opposition au Parlement de Bucarest. Suscitant la curiosité des Bucarestois et faisant partie d’une formation politique jeune, considérée comme un nouvel espoir pour le pays, Clotilde Armand a failli remporter le scrutin municipal en juin 2016. Elle était considérée comme la favorite des habitants du premier arrondissement, les sondages d’opinion à la sortie des bureaux de vote le confirmaient ; toutefois, elle a fini par se classer 2e, le candidat du Parti Social Démocrate l’ayant devancée d’environ 2000 voix. A l’heure actuelle Clotilde Armand est directrice générale d’un groupe français du domaine de l’infrastructure et membre du Conseil de la mairie du premier arrondissement de Bucarest.

    Son arrivée dans la vie politique et publique locale est une nouveauté absolue pour la Roumanie : une femme étrangère, une Française aux cheveux longs et aux boucles d’oreilles flamboyantes, qui parle parfaitement bien le roumain, avec un accent français très sympathique, veut mettre de l’ordre dans son pays d’accueil. Une Française veut faire un changement au sein d’une ville dont les habitants sont partagés entre une mentalité encore conservatrice et un besoin réel et urgent d’innovation. Les Roumains la considéreront peut-être toujours une Française, mais elle a quand même réussi à susciter leur curiosité et leur intérêt. Elle est venue avec un souffle nouveau sur la scène politique roumaine et a presque réussi.

  • Post-Election Negotiations

    Post-Election Negotiations

    Once the results of Sunday’s election for the European Parliament announced, negotiations have started on the future membership of the European Commission. The first to try to form a majority in the European Parliament, with 376 out of the 751 seats, is the former Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker, the candidate of the European People’s Party for EC president. Juncker’s legitimacy is supported by the EPP having the largest number of seats in the new Parliament, namely 213. But his mission, commentators note, will not be easy. The party lost 50 seats in the EP compared to the previous term, and its radical right wing has come to include a growing number of Euro-sceptics and xenophobic nationalists, which has weakened the strength and unity of this ideological family.



    This is precisely why, pundits say, Juncker cannot afford a strong negotiation position, particularly in relation to his possible partners, the Socialists, who have close to 200 seats. The Romanian PM Victor Ponta spoke about the possible alliance of the EPP and the Socialists:


    “The programme and main projects of the European Commission for the coming 5 years will have to reflect the priorities of both parties. And I believe this is what will happen. Everybody has understood that austerity measures did not work for Europe. In political terms, these austerity measures benefited the anti-Europeans.”



    Beyond the membership of the new commission, the Romanian President Traian Basescu discussed Romania’s interests in pragmatic terms. He said the country has four major goals for the near future:


    “Increasing the number of jobs is the first. The second is sustainable economic growth, primarily based on investments. The third is a stronger focus on the infrastructure in the European Union’s eastern periphery, and last, the price of energy, as a key element for competitiveness.”



    On the other hand, just like any other member state, Romania is interested in the position it will hold in the new Commission. Both the President and the Prime Minister pleaded for Romania keeping the Agriculture Commissioner post currently held by Dacian Ciolos. Nonetheless, the two suggested they have different views on the person that should be nominated for this position.