Radio România Internațional

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February 3, 2024 UPDATE

AGREEMENT The PM
of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
EU as part of its climate change action.

COMMEMORATION A
ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
Square in Bucharest.

MOLDOVA Chişinău
extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.

HEALTHCARE Trade
unions in the healthcare sector have new talks scheduled next week with the
Romanian authorities in the context of the recent protests. The vice-president
of the Ambulanţa Trade Union Federation, Magyary Arpad, had a meeting on
Friday with the healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, but failed to reach an
agreement on salaries, equipment and the personnel shortage in the system.
Arpad voiced optimism with respect to a 20% pay raise deal, but said he was not
sure the measure would cover all healthcare personnel and whether it would be
implemented in full or in several instalments. He said the talks also concerned
the procurement of ambulance vehicles, office revamping and changes in the
legislation. Trade unions in healthcare initiated nation-wide protests in
November 2022, but suspended them until after next week’s meeting with PM
Marcel Ciolacu. Talks will also be held in the coming days with the Sanitas trade
union federation, which has its own salary demands for several categories of
healthcare personnel.

ALERT
Healthcare units in Romania are implementing additional measures after a state
of epidemiological alert was declared due to the growing number of respiratory
infections and flu cases. Special attention is given to the health of hospital
personnel and to the protection equipment, and visiting hours have been reduced.
Visitor access is denied in ICUs, neonatology and pediatrics departments,
coronary care units, oncology and hematology units, and in infectious disease
units. In other hospital departments, no more than 2 visitors will be allowed
at the same time in a room, and individual protection equipment will be
compulsory.

MIDDLE EAST The
US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the
recent drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a
military base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
between February 4 and 8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all
the Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October
7. (AMP)

3 February 2024
February 3, 2024

AGREEMENT The PM
of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
EU as part of its climate change action.

COMMEMORATION A
ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
Square in Bucharest.

MOLDOVA Chişinău
extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.

MIDDLE EAST The
US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the recent
drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a military
base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
between February 4-8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all the
Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October 7.

TENNIS The
Romanian player Marius Copil takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas, no. 10 in the world,
in Athens today, in the first match between Romania and Greece in the playoffs
for the Davis Cup World Group I. The second singles match will be pitting Nicholas
David Ionel against Aristotelis Thanos. The doubles match and 2 other singles
games are scheduled for Sunday. Romania and Greece played twice against each
other in the Davis Cup before, with one win each. Previously in this year’s competition,
in the first round of the World Group I, Romania lost to Taiwan and Greece was
defeated by Slovakia. (AMP)

3 February 2024
February 21, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

21 February 2022
June 18, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 On Friday 70 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported in Romania, out of over 32,000 tests performed. Also, 6 deaths were reported. The number of patients in intensive care has dropped below 200. The head of the vaccination campaign in Romania, Valeriu Gheorghita, has announced that vaccination coverage at national level stands at 25% of the eligible population. 29,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in the past 24 hours, accounting for less than one-third of the number reported during peak vaccination periods. Since the start of the national vaccine roll-out, on December 27, more than 4.6 million people have been immunised in Romania, of whom 4.3 million with both doses. According to a survey by the Research Institute for Quality of Life, even if most Romanians are aware of the threat posed by the coronavirus, some 2 million are against vaccination, and 800,000 say the pandemic is not real.

PROTEST Romanian freight carriers Friday deliberately hampered traffic on the main roads in the country. The protest came after the Transport Ministry announced that it will change the way the road fee, known as the vignette, is going to be calculated from now on, namely per kilometer and depending on pollution standards, rather than on duration, as it is now. Transport companies are also unhappy with the inspections conducted by the tax authorities, which plan to levy taxes on drivers daily allowances when traveling abroad.

COMMEMORATION On Friday, for the first time, Romania commemorated the Day of Communist Regime Deportation Victims. Deportation under the Romanian communist regime was inspired by the Soviet gulag model. Such actions started in 1944, and targeted ethnic Germans accused of collaboration with the Nazi authorities. That was followed by the relocation of the families of land owners, factories or other commercial enterprises. The peasants who opposed collectivisation were also deported. The most tragic episode in this respect took place on June 18, 1951, when about 44,000 people on a 25 km strip on the border with Yugoslavia were deported to Bărăgan (south), in one of the most secret, quick and repressive actions ever organised by the communist authorities. After 1955, former political detainees released from prisons were sent to various localities, most of them in the Bărăgan villages already built as a result of the 1951 deportation. In 1967, the deportation of Romanian citizens was declared illegal even by the communist authorities.

DEFICIT The European Council Friday adopted the recommendation under the excessive deficit procedure for Romania. The recommendation establishes that Romania should put an end to the excessive deficit situation by 2024 at the latest. The procedure was launched in April 2020, after Romania exceeded the 3% budget deficit ceiling in 2019. The Council said that an extension to the current deadline for Romania to correct its public deficit would be important in order not to compromise the economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendation also says that, in order to meet the new deadline, Romania would need to achieve a general government deficit target of 8.0% of GDP in 2021, 6.2% of GDP in 2022, 4.4% of GDP in 2023, and 2.9% of GDP in 2024, which is in line with the Romanian governments objectives.

UN The UN General Assembly Friday appointed the Portuguese António Guterres to a second 5-year term as secretary general. Guterres, 72, had been endorsed on June 8 by the UN Security Council, the most difficult stage of the selection of a new secretary general, in that it requires the consensus of the worlds major powers. The former Portuguese Socialist PM had no challengers and will begin his second term on January 1, 2022. Prior to this position with the UN, Antonio Guterres served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees for a 10-year period.

TENNIS Horia Tecău (Romania) / Kevin Krawietz (Germany) qualified into the doubles final of the tennis tournament in Halle (Germany), ATP 500, after defeating the Belgians Sander Gille / Joran Vliegen, 7-6, 7-5. Tecău and Krawietz are playing their 3rd final this season, after having lost the ones in Rotterdam and Barcelona. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

18 June 2021
October 11, 2018

TRANSPORTS – Intercity passenger transport is severely disrupted in many counties in Romania, where carriers protest the line ministrys plans to change the rules for the award of licenses. The protest was organised after the Transport Ministry announced it would change the scoring system for the companies taking part in bids for transport routes, on grounds that the current system has led to a monopoly in the market. Carriers around the country are waiting for a meeting with PM Viorica Dăncilă, before they make a decision regarding future protests. Meanwhile, the Transport Committee in the Chamber of Deputies has invited the line minister, Lucian Sova, to provide explanations.

JUDICIARY – The Public Ministry has all the resources required in order to make the Section investigating magistrate offences operational, the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazăr announced today. The statement comes after the Government passed an order on Wednesday regarding the establishment of that section, which is to take over all pending and finalised cases from the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, as of October 23. Augustin Lazăr said the act has already been made public in the Official Journal. Under the law, the new Section is to start working within six months after the law has taken effect, and the Higher Council of Magistrates is yet to initiate the procedures for making it operational. The new unit will be made up of 15 prosecutors, and its chiefs will be appointed further to a selection process run by a commission of 3 judges and a prosecutor from the Higher Council of Magistrates.

PENSIONS – In Romania, a new Pension Bill is to be sent to Parliament, after having been passed by the Government. The Labour Minister Olguta Vasilescu says no pension will be reduced under the new law, nor will the standard retirement age and contribution period be amended. Novelties include the introduction of masters degree and doctoral degree studies as corresponding to pension fund contribution periods. The new law is to come into force in several stages until 2021, when it has taken full effect. Its provisions will regulate the benefits paid to over 5 million Romanian pensioners.

COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania is discussing today the notifications filed by the Supreme Court, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and President Klaus Iohannis against a bill amending the Code of Criminal Procedure, as it has been drafted and approved by the ruling coalition. The magistrates claim the text is fraught with ambiguities, whereas the Opposition says the bill helps favour offenders. Also today the Constitutional Court is to discuss the bill on the organisation of courts.

BREXIT – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says progress has been made in the Brexit negotiations, just one week ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels for what might be one of the last chances to reach an agreement on the terms of the separation between Britain and the European bloc. Merkel said the 27 remaining EU member countries are very united and that they have great confidence in the EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. Negotiations are stuck particularly over the Irish border issue and ways to monitor trade over that border.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is playing today, away from home, against Lithuania, in the UEFA Nations League. On Sunday the Romanians will take on Serbia, in Bucharest. In the group standings, Montenegro and Serbia have 4 points each, Romania 2 and Lithuania nil. Depending on its performance in Nations League, Romania may have a better position in the draw for the Euro 2020 preliminaries. Moreover, if they fail to qualify, the Romanians might still have a chance in the play-offs, provided they finish at least 2nd in their group. Meanwhile, Romanias Under 21 team is playing on Friday against Wales, at home, and on Tuesday against Liechtenstein, in the last games of the 2019 European Championships qualifiers. Top of the group is Bosnia, with 18 points, followed by Romania. The last time Romania took part in a Euro Under 21 final tournament was 20 years ago.

YOUTH OLYMPICS – The Romanian table tennis player Andreea Dragoman won the bronze in the womens singles event at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. This is the 7th medal for Romania, which Wednesday night was ranking 7th in the nations with 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals. Romanias Youth Olimpics delegation is made up of 34 athletes, 21 girls and 13 boys, competing in 14 events. The Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires conclude on October 18th.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

11 October 2018
January 12, 2018 UPDATE

TENSIONS The Romanian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that PM Mihai Tudoses statements concerned the responsibilities that central and local authorities in Romania have with respect to the enforcement of the law, and had no anti-Hungarian implications. According to the Ministry, the Prime Ministers statements had to do with the need to comply with constitutional order and the rule of law in Romania, which is a sovereign and indivisible state. Romanias Ambassador to Budapest was invited on Friday to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, following statements made by PM Tudose concerning the self-proposed autonomy of the Szecklers, an ethnic Hungarian group in Transylvania. As the Romanian official put it, “should the Szeckler colours fly on the public institutions there, everybody will fly with them. Budapest views the statement as unacceptable and unworthy of European values and the values of the 21st Century, said the Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. Hungarys Foreign Ministry said it was waiting for explanations and excuses from the Government of Romania in this respect. Romanian authorities and political parties see the demands of the Hungarian community and political representatives, who want local autonomy for the regions in Transylvania where most of the ethnic Hungarians live, as coming against the constitution of Romania.

ANTI-CORRUPTION The head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruţa Kövesi, will be subject to a disciplinary procedure conducted by the Prosecutors Division of the Higher Council of Magistrates, after the judicial inspection corps moved against her over professional misconduct. Following transcripts of audio recordings made public in June 2017, Kovesi is accused, among other things, of conduct detrimental to the honour and professional probity of prosecutors and to the image of the judiciary. According to judicial inspectors, she used dismissive and aggressive language with fellow prosecutors, which is unacceptable by the basic ethics code of the magistrate profession. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate headed by Laura Kövesi has been constantly praised in European Commission reports on the Romanian judiciary.

DEFENCE A contract was signed in Bucharest on Friday for the purchase of 227 Piranha armored fighting vehicles. Under the contract, the first 30 vehicles are to be delivered from Switzerland and the rest will be produced in Romania. The total cost of the purchase stays around 895 million euros. These vehicles offer the highest protection to personnel and can be equipped with various weapons. They are mainly used as personnel carriers but can be adjusted for medevac or other specific missions. The Defence Ministry is to also purchase 173 trucks that will be used as troops carriers or to provide logistics support.

DIPLOMACY Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday left Tokyo on a diplomatic tour to Central and Eastern Europe, which takes him to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania. The Japanese official is trying to rally support for Tokyos firm stand against North Korea, France Press reports. This is the first such visit paid by a Japanese Premier to the region. The Japanese official is to be received by president Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest on Tuesday. The agenda of the talks includes the stage and prospects in the process of strengthening the very good relations under the Renewed Partnership between Romania and Japan at political, economic and cultural level as well as in terms of security and human relations, the Romanian presidency has announced. Other issues, such as the cooperation between the EU and Japan, regional developments with an emphasis to the North Korean file, as well as the Romanian-Japanese cooperation, are also to be tackled. This is the first visit to Romania by a Japanese Prime Minister and comes against the background of celebrating five years since the 2013 Renewed Partnership between Romania and Japan.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu Friday defeated the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Hobart, Australia with 225,000 dollars in prize money. Mihaela, who on Monday is to join the worlds top 50 players for the first time in her career, will be playing Belgian Elise Mertens (WTA 36) in the finals. Australian Open, the years first Grand Slam tournament is to commence on Monday with the worlds best player, Romanian Simona Halep, as the odds-on favourite. The Romanian will be playing Australian Destanee Aiava in the competitions first round. Besides Halep, the women singles main draw has another five players from Romania: Sorana Cirstea, Irina Begu, Mihaela Buzarnescu, Monica Niculescu and Ana Bogdan. Marius Copil (ATP 93) will be representing Romania in the mens singles.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

12 January 2018
August 31, 2017

DIPLOMACY – The Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy continues in Bucharest today with a conference on the role of the Romanian business community in economic diplomacy. During Wednesdays meeting with the Romanian ambassadors and consuls abroad, President Klaus Iohannis called on diplomats to promote the rule of law and focus on protecting the rights and interests of the Romanian citizens abroad. The head of state also discussed the importance of the strategic partnership with the United States and urged the Romanian diplomats to support the trans-Atlantic relation. This years meeting of Romanian diplomats was themed A changing world: the goals of Romanias foreign policy.

EXCISES – Romanian carriers criticise the Governments decision to increase fuel excises, and predict dark times will come for Romanian transports. The Romanian Federation of Transport Operators says each additional eurocent in the price of petrol and diesel will have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Romanian road carriers and will force many international transport operators to buy fuel from abroad. On Wednesday the Government decided to increase fuel excises in 2 stages, as of September 15 and October 1, respectively. Finance Minister Ionuţ Mişa explained that the measure would be introduced gradually so as not to generate a shock, consisting in higher prices and lower consumption, which would affect the state budget.

LANGUAGE DAY – Today is the Romanian Language day, celebrated on the last day of August since 2013. On this occasion, the Ministry for the Romanian diaspora is organising in Bucharest, in a partnership with the Romanian Academy, a conference on Romanian language revival and renewal in the diaspora, while the Romanian Cultural Institute organises activities in major cities abroad. Conferences, roundtables, book launches, recitals and exhibitions are organised in Istanbul, New York, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Warsaw. The Romanian Language Day is also celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, and according to the ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, this is further proof of the profound unity of the people living on the two banks of Prut River.

JUDICIARY – The Romanian Justice Ministry has made public the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary, on which Minister Tudorel Toader has requested the official opinion of the Superior Council of Magistrates. The bill, which is intended to make the management of courts and prosecutor offices more efficient, stipulates changes primarily in terms of the professional assessment, promotion, and appointment to senior positions of staff in the judicial system. Some of the changes announced a while ago by Minister Tudorel Toader concern the appointment of the prosecutor general and of the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism by the Superior Council of Magistrates based on a nomination by the Justice Minister, and the setup of a special directorate to investigate offences committed by magistrates. The measures have been criticised and prompted street protests. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate says this is a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors, while the Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, says that if endorsed, the bill would affect the independence of magistrates and the activity of judicial institutions.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team is preparing for the game against Armenia, to be played on Friday on home turf, and the one against Montenegro away from home on Monday, as part of the preliminary Group E of next years World Football Cup hosted by Russia. The unchallenged leader of the group is Poland, with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, with 10 points each, Romania and Armenia, 6, and Kazakhstan, with 2 points. In this preliminary campaign, the Romanian team is for the first time in its history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

31 August 2017
The civil liability insurance sparks protests

Civil liability insurance premiums have been frozen for the next six months at a reference value which the Financial Surveillance Authority will make public within 30 days. The measure is part of an emergency ordinance the Government passed on Wednesday and is applied to all car owners, not just carriers. Among others, the document stipulates that insurance contracts can be signed over a period ranging from one month to one year.

The insured party can at any time call for the termination of the contract. The insurance covers damages incurred from accidents, and the value of repair works will be reclaimed from the party that produced the accident. A Government release states that the ordinance complies with EU directives in the field, also taking into account the experience of other member states as regards insurance-related regulations, as well as proposals voiced by professional associations of car insurers and carriers. Despite the measures adopted by the Government, part of Romanian carriers decided to go through with their protests.

Four of the six national carrier associations have staged a huge rally in front of the Government building, clogging traffic in Bucharest and 20 other cities. Carriers want insurance premiums to reflect an average value of damages reported by the Financial Surveillance Authority. Employers’ associations have called for an average value of 1,100 euros for trucks and lorries, accounting for average damages, as compared to the 4,100 euros proposed by the authorities.

Negotiations with the Government had previously failed to settle on a ceiling for damages, while freezing insurance premiums, a measure sanctioned by the Competition Council, seemed to sit well with Romanian carriers, who have nevertheless voiced their reluctance pending the publication of the Government ordinance.

Carriers have also called for the resignation of the head of the Financial Surveillance Authority, Misu Negritoiu, whom they accuse of being responsible for the significant increase of insurance premiums over the last year. According to carriers’ associations, premiums allegedly doubled as compared to the first quarter of 2015. Misu Negritoiu, on the other hand, claims he is blameless, as the Authority cannot set prices and has no legal right to intervene in contracts signed by insurers. The Financial Surveillance Authority president told Parliament that the current crisis has been generated by the liberalization of the car insurance market, a process started in 2007 with Romania’s EU accession.

15 September 2016
September 12, 2016 UPDATE

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR – Education and not corruption should pave the way to success in Romania, Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis said during the ceremonies occasioned by the start of a new school year. The president argued for a society upholding real values. This prompted him to launch the project “Educated Romania, focusing on a different type of education, adapted to the needs of society. In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos says the Romanian education system should bring a change of perspective and let pupils room to express themselves and learn to be responsible. He urged pupils to take confidence in their own forces and not simply chase high grades and “empty titles, depleted of any content, which do not bring them any progress at personal level. Over 3 million pupils started a new school year on Monday.

MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police on Monday arrested 30 migrants, 29 Afghani citizens and 1 Pakistani, while trying to illegally cross the southwestern border with Serbia. The migrants said they wanted to reach Western Europe. No papers were found on them. The Romanian authorities have strengthened security on the countrys Serbian border, after several small groups of migrants in August tried to illegally cross into Romania.

ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES – French President, François Hollande, is paying a state visit to Romania. On Tuesday, he will be received in Bucharest by his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. The two high officials will approach issues on the bilateral as well as the European agenda, following Great Britains decision to leave the community block. François Hollande and Klaus Iohannis will also visit the Research Centre in Magurele, near Bucharest. Agreements in the field of education and research will be signed with the two presidents in attendance. They will also participate in the “Future French-Romanian Partnerships Economic Forum. Romania counts on a boost in the bilateral economic relations, France being Romanias fourth largest trading partner and the fifth largest investor. According to the French Presidency, François Hollande will attend the inauguration of an Airbus helicopter factory in Brasov, central Romania. The Romanian authorities intend to boost the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, after in June, the French and Romanian prime ministers revised and signed the roadmap. We recall that Romania, a Francophone and Francophile country was the first southeast European state to strike a Strategic Partnership with France, in 2008. The Partnership was signed in Bucharest by the then presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and Traian Basescu.

DIASPORA –Minister Delegate for the Relation with Romanians Worldwide Maria Ligor has met with members of the Romanian community in Canada, where she underlined the importance of postal voting. The Romanian official has presented the measures that have already been taken and are considered for implementation in the ensuing period of time, which are aimed at enhancing professionalism, transparency and efficiency of the Department of Policies for the Relation with the Romanian Diaspora. Talks also laid emphasis on the high interest for cooperation in such domains as tertiary education, business, promotion of Romanian artists, substantiating and evaluating the consequences of public policies on Romanian communities living outside the countrys borders. Maria Ligor has also met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, John McCallum, together with whom she approached ways to boost bilateral cooperation, including a visa waiver for Romanian citizens and boosting cooperation between the EU and Canada.

REDUNDACIES – Some 850 employees of the Hunedoara Energy Compound in western Romania will be laid off, under a restructuring program which took effect on Monday. Trade unions have made public their decision to give up on the planned protests after reaching an agreement with the company management on Friday and signing a Collective Employment Agreement, which stipulates, among others, the rights of those to be made redundant. The management has announced the restructuring program will not impact labour productivity and will allow for continuing activity in the following years. Collective layoffs do not solve the problems that have long been outstanding at the Hunedoara Energy Compound, the more so as the companys debts to the state budget and to its suppliers exceed some 330 million Euros. Furthermore, nothing has been done in the past three years to render the activity more efficient.

ROMANIAN CARRIERS – Romanian carriers on Monday ran at low speed on ring roads across the country, again, in protest against the high mandatory liability insurance premiums. They protested every Monday in recent times, and in the absence of a measure taken by the government, they will stage a big rally at national level on September 15. Meanwhile, the government has made public its decision to change the laws on mandatory liability insurances. According to a draft emergency ordinance that has been launched for public debate by the Finance Ministry, contracts can also be signed for a period ranging from one month to one year and the payment can also be made in installments. Furthermore, the beneficiary can request the termination of the contract. A ceiling will be introduced for the level of premiums, with the Financial Surveillance Authority being allowed to change them.

CEASEFIRE – A ceasefire agreement came into force on Monday in Syria, negotiated by the US and Russia, aimed at putting an end to hostilities. The Syrian army canceled all of its military operations for a week. Signed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the agreement also includes a national truce, improving the access of humanitarian missions and joint military operations against the Islamic State and al-Nusrah. Syrian rebels have declared their reluctance with the agreement, saying it will only strengthen the regime in Damascus.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked as world no.5 in the WTA rankings, whereas German Angelique Kerber becomes the new no.1 in tennis. Romanian Irina Begu ranks 23rd, Monica Niculescu 55th and Sorana Carstea 89th. At the US Open, Halep reached the quarterfinals, where she was knocked out by the former no. 1 player Serena Williams of the USA. At the WTA tournament in Tokyo, Halep is seeded 3rd in the competition, after Garbine Muguruza of Spain and Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. Halep last took part in the competition in 2013, when she was knocked out by Venus Williams of the US.

(Translated by D. Vijeu and V. Palcu)

12 September 2016
September 12, 2016

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR — Education and not corruption should mark the way to success in Romania, said Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, during the ceremonies occasioned by the start of a new school year. He has made public one of his wishes for Romania, in his capacity as head of state, namely a society upholding real values. This prompted him to launch the project “Educated Romania”, focussing on a different type of education, adapted to the needs of society. In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos says the Romanian education system should bring a change of perspective and let pupils room to express themselves and to learn to be responsible. He urged pupils to take confidence in their own forces and not to simply chase high grades and “empty titles, depleted of any content”, which do not bring them any progress at personal level. Over 3 million pupils have today started a new school year.

ROMANIAN-FRENCH TIES — French President, François Hollande, is paying a state visit to Romania. On Tuesday, he will be received in Bucharest by his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis. The two high officials will approach issues on the bilateral as well as the European agenda, following Great Britain’s decision to leave the community block. François Hollande and Klaus Iohannis will also visit the Research Centre in Magurele, near Bucharest. Agreements in the field of education and research will be signed with the two presidents in attendance. They will also participate in the Economic Forum” Future French-Romanian Partnerships”. Romania counts on a boost in the bilateral economic relations, France being Romania’s fourth largest trading partner and the fifth largest investor. According to the French Presidency, François Hollande, will attend the inauguration of an Airbus helicopter factory in Brasov, central Romania. The Romanian authorities intend to boost the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, after in June, the French and Romanian prime ministers revised and signed the roadmap. We recall that Romania, a Francophone and Francophile country was the first southeast European state to strike a Strategic Partnership with France, in 2008. The Partnership was signed in Bucharest by the then presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy and Traian Basescu.

ROMANIAN DIASPORA — The minister delegate for the relation with the Romanian Diaspora, Maria Ligor, has met with members of the Romanian community in Canada, where she underlined the importance of voting by mail. The Romanian official has presented the measures that have already been taken and are considered for implementation in the ensuing period of time, which are aimed at enhancing professionalism, transparency and efficiency of the Department of Policies for the Relation with the Romanian Diaspora. Talks also laid emphasis on the high interest for cooperation in such domains as tertiary education, business, promotion of Romanian artists, substantiating and evaluating the consequences of public policies on Romanian communities living outside the country’s borders. Maria Ligor has also met with the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, John McCallum, together with whom she approached ways to boost bilateral cooperation, including a visa waiver for Romanian citizens and boosting cooperation between the EU and Canada.

ROMANIAN CARRIERS — Romanian carriers are today running at low speed on ring roads across the country, again, in protest against the high mandatory liability insurance premiums. They protested every Monday in recent times, and in the absence of a measure taken by the government, they will stage a big rally at national level on September 15. Meanwhile, the government has made public its decision to change the laws on mandatory liability insurances. According to a draft emergency ordinance that has been launched for public debate by the Finance Ministry, contracts can also be signed for a period ranging from one month to one year and the payment can also be made in instalments. Furthermore, the beneficiary can request the termination of the contract. A ceiling will be introduced for the level of premiums, with the Financial Surveillance Authority being allowed to change them.

REDUNDACIES — Some 850 employees of the Hunedoara Energy Compound in western Romania will be laid off, under a restructuring program which takes effect as of today. Trade unions have made public their decision to give up on the planned protests after reaching an agreement with the company management on Friday and signing a Collective Employment Agreement, which stipulates, among others, the rights of those to be made redundant. The management has announced the restructuring program will not impact labour productivity and will allow for continuing activity in the following years. Collective layoffs do not solve the problems that have long been outstanding at the Hunedoara Energy Compound, the more so as the company’s debts to the state budget and to its suppliers exceed some 330 million Euros. Furthermore, nothing has been done in the past three years to render the activity more efficient.

SYRIA — The nationwide ceasefire agreement in Syria, negotiated by the US and Russia, is to come into effect today, after a weekend marked by heavy air strikes, which took some 100 lives, among civilians. The agreement has been negotiated by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and provides for a nationwide ceasefire, improved humanitarian access and joint military actions against Islamist groups such as the Islamic State and the former AL-Nusrah Front, affiliated to Al Qaeda. Many Syrian rebel groups have shown reservation towards the planned peace deal, saying it only strengthens the regime in Damascus and increases the suffering of the people, the BBC and FP report. The regime of Bashar al-Assad and his allies have announced they will abide by the ceasefire.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, continues to be ranked as world no.5 in the WTA rankings made public today, whereas German Angelique Kerber becomes the new no.1 in tennis. Romanian Irina Begu ranks 23rd, Monica Niculescu 55th and Sorana Carstea 89th. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

12 September 2016
Summer marked by protests in Romania

Road freight and passenger carriers and animal breeders in Romania, who are discontented with the high cost of compulsory vehicle insurance and the delayed payment of subsides for the year 2015, respectively, say they have run out of patience. As a token of protest, road freight and passenger carriers have announced they will run at low speed at least one hour per day on the main roads across Romania. They are discontented mainly because car insurance premiums have doubled from 2,000 to more than 4,000 Euros within a year. Consequently, road carriers in Romania report high costs and can no longer be competitive at a European level. The line associations call on the government to freeze car insurance premiums and have warned that if measures are not taken urgently, they might completely halt their activity. The secretary general of the National Union of Road Carriers, Radu Dinescu, has more:

“The low-speed circulation of vehicles will most likely have a significant impact in the areas with already heavy traffic. And Im referring to the roads leading to the seaside, to the mountains and the beltline of Bucharest. Furthermore, a big rally is scheduled for September 15, in Bucharest. Those involved are ready to stop protesting only when the problem is solved.

In another move, animal breeders have taken to the street and continue to protest in front of the Government headquarters. Some of them have been on hunger strike for days now. They say they will give up protests only when they receive the subsides for 2015 in their entirety. The Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture has admitted it has failed to comply with the pledges made to the farmers, that is to pay 95% of the volume of subsidies by mid-August. The director of the aforementioned agency, Nicolae Horumbă says farmers are also to be blamed.

“We have been notified by our representatives at county level that they repeatedly invite farmers at the headquarters of the agency, but farmers either do not come or do not have the necessary documents with them. Therefore, our employees have to wait for 10 days, the time span stipulated in the notification, to make a decision on the respective case. In their turn, farmers ask themselves why things are difficult with the payment schemes. The approval entails a process of administrative verification of payment requests, which are not always completely and correctly formulated.

In turn, farmers contradict the director of the agency, saying they have compiled the requests correctly and submitted them in due time alongside the necessary documents to receive subsidises for 2015, but the government hasnt respected its promise. The Director of the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture claims that 1.9 billion of the 2.1 billion Euros for subsidies have already been paid to the farmers, with the agency employees working intensely to be able to pay the difference in the near future.

23 August 2016
August 1 – 7

Queen Anne of Romania dies at 92

On August the 1st Anne, wife to King Michael I of Romania, died in a hospital in Switzerland, at the age of 92. Had the Romanian society not experienced the tragedy of Sovietisation in 1948, her wedding with the Romanian sovereign would have taken place in Bucharest and would have been joyfully celebrated by the entire Romanian nation. Because of the Kings forced abdication and subsequent exile however, the wedding was held in Greece. Of their nearly 70-year long life together, King Michael and Queen Anne spent more than 40 away from Romania, where they only returned—not without difficulty—after the 1989 anti-communist Revolution. Historian Adrian Niculescu gave us more details:

Adrian Niculescu: “The role of Queen Anne was that of the wife of a king in exile, of sharing his destiny, and first and foremost of giving him a family. While playing an institutional role, she was primarily a person of vital importance in supporting King Michael I.

On Tuesday, August 9, Queen Annes body will be repatriated from Switzerland. The Queen will be buried in Curtea de Arges, the final resting place of Romanian royalty, on August 13, which is a day of national mourning. Romanians regret the death of Queen Anne, the longest-living Queen in the history of Romania. She was one of the most important symbols of wisdom, dignity, and a moral role model, said President Klaus Iohannis. In turn, PM Dacian Ciolos said the Queen remains a symbol of graciousness, discretion and dignity. Condolence messages also came from Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church, political leaders and other public figures.

New social measures target public sector staff

The salaries of more than 650,000 Romanian public sector employees were raised on August 1 by 10%, under a Government emergency ordinance aimed at eliminating inequities in the system. Healthcare, teaching, public administration and defence personnel will be getting higher pay, depending on seniority and speciality, and other bonuses will add to their basic wages. Also on August 1, new regulations took effect, concerning the level of child-rearing benefits. The minimum threshold for these benefits is nearly 250 euros, and the ceiling has been eliminated. Taking advantage of these benefits will be those parents who have made taxable revenues for at least 12 months during the past two years. The benefits account for 85% of the average net revenues of those 12 months.

Romanian carriers threaten to protest

Romanian carriers threaten to stage nation-wide protests in mid-September, unless the issue of tariffs for the compulsory car insurance policy is solved. This week they have requested that the Government should freeze policy prices at last years levels. Here is Constantin Isac, vice-president of the National Union of Road Carriers:

Constantin Isac: “Promises have been made, months have passed, and what do we see? The average price increase compared to June last year was 80%, with peaks reaching as much as 300 or even 500%. As everybody knows, for lorries, 12-15 months ago the compulsory car insurance policy was roughly 1,000 euros. The offers we are receiving from insurers these days amount to 5,000 euros. And this difference should be covered by an increase in our fees. However, for the time being the market cannot support this fee rise, so basically Romanian carriers are pushed out of the market.

A new round of negotiations with the Government is scheduled in two weeks time.

Ambulance, fire, SMURD call centres to be merged

The head of the Romanian Emergency Department, dr. Raed Arafat, announced on Thursday that authorities were working to set up a common dispatch centre for ambulance, fire and emergency resuscitation and extrication services, as well as to create a registry of the NGOs able to provide assistance in case of incidents with multiple victims. Raed Arafat also mentioned that the owners of buildings that do not have fire safety permits have to get them by the end of the year at the latest. Until they obtain the required documents, the investment beneficiaries are fully and exclusively liable for all risks. As of January 1, 2017, sanctions for the buildings used without a fire safety permit will range from 4,500 to 11,000 euros. These measures were taken after last autumns fire at the Colectiv nightclub, which killed tens of people.

Healthcare Ministry checks blood transfusion centres

The Romanian Healthcare Ministry has identified 142 unauthorised blood transfusion centres in the country, most of them operating in public hospitals. According to a news release issued by the Ministry, the causes will be analysed in the forthcoming period, and conformity programmes will be put together. Unless the problems are solved by November 1, the respective centres will no longer receive blood from the National Haematology Institute. A woman died and another one was in a critical condition recently because of faulty transfusion procedures in such units.

31st Olympics start in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

More than 100 athletes represent Romania, between August 5 and 21, in the 31st edition of the Summer Olympic Games, held in Rio de Janeiro, the first South-American city to host such an event. A total of 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries will compete for Olympic medals. For the first time in history, Kosovo and South Sudan are taking part in the competition. Another novelty is that a refugee team is competing under the Olympic colours. The Games are not free from problems and controversies in Brazil as well as internationally. On the one hand, the South-American host state is struggling with substantial political, financial and economic problems. On the other hand, the Games start after the largest doping scandal in history. And Zika, the virus spread mostly by the bite of infected mosquitoes, is another problem looming over the current edition of the Olympic Games.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

6 August 2016