Radio România Internațional

Tag: cars

  • October 24, 2023 UPDATE

    October 24, 2023 UPDATE

    CARS The US auto giant Ford kicked off the
    production of two new models, Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier at the Otosan
    car-making plant in Craiova, southern Romania, on Tuesday. Attending the event,
    Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu thanked the company board for the
    investment and voiced his appreciation for the two cars as well as the Puma
    model also produced by the aforementioned Ford facility, which he took for a
    test-drive. Figures show that this project is already a great success the
    Prime Minister went on to say. Ford Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier will be
    available in three versions, two gasoline and diesel types and a third EcoBlue
    model fitted only with gasoline engines. Two electric versions, E-Transit
    Courier and E-Tourneo Courier will see production starting next year. Another big
    carmaker, the French Group Renault, is producing in Romania several versions of
    the local brand Dacia.




    MOTION Opposition parties in Romania, the USR and Force of the Right,
    on Tuesday tabled a simple motion against Finance Minister Marcel Bolos. The
    opposition is blaming Bolos for increased taxes after the new fiscal measures,
    for which the government assumed responsibility before Parliament, have been
    applied. The motion will be debated upon on Monday and voted on the following
    day.




    CLIMATE The effects of climate change are becoming
    increasingly acute for Romania’s citizens, said president Klaus Iohannis in
    Bucharest at an event entitled Climate change and development: prospects for
    Romania. He emphasized that the climate transition must be fair, inclusive and
    compatible with economic growth. Also today, the World Bank published the
    Romania climate and development report, saying this country can raise its
    national income almost threefold in the next 30 years if it implements measures
    to improve resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    The investment needed for a decarbonized energy sector alone
    is estimated at 356 billion dollars by 2050, accounting for around 3% of the
    country’s GDP, the World Bank report also says.




    DEFICIT Hungary and Romania recorded the highest government deficit level in
    the second quarter of the year, according to data published by the European
    Statistical Office Eurostat. The highest level was recorded in Hungary, with
    6.6% of GDP, followed by Romania with 6.3%, while among EU countries the level
    was 3.2%. Previously, Romania’s deficit stood at 5.9% of GDP in the first
    quarter of the year and at 6.3% of GDP in the final quarter of 2022. According
    to Eurostat, the measures taken by governments to alleviate the impact of high
    energy prices again had a strong impact on public finance this year, with most
    EU member states still struggling with government deficit. On the other hand,
    Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, The Netherlands and Latvia have recorded a
    government surplus.


    (bill)

  • August 13, 2023 UPDATE

    August 13, 2023 UPDATE

    DAY Naval forces are these days
    staging a series of activities devoted to Navy Day here in Romania, which will
    culminate on August 15, when Romanians are celebrating the Christian holiday of
    the Dormition of the Mother of God, St. Mary, who is also the protector of
    sailors. Various events and activities are being staged on this occasion in
    Bucharest and the Romanian port-cities on the Danube – Braila, Tulcea and
    Galati. The most important event will take place on Tuesday, August 15th
    when, after a pause of four years, the seamen are expected to be presenting a
    demonstrative exercise entitled ‘Romanian Naval Forces 2023’. Helicopters and
    speed boats carrying the flags of Romania, NATO and the EU will be opening the
    exercise, which is to be followed by a parade of the school-vessel ‘Mircea’,
    Romania’s honorary ambassador on the world’s seas and oceans.






    CARS The number of registered new cars in Romania grew in the first
    seven months of this year by a fifth as compared to the same period in 2022.
    Green cars, hybrid and electric have registered an increase over 36% with a
    market share of nearly 23%, according to data published by the Association of
    Car Producers and Importers. Petrol cars have seen a 1.4% drop against the same
    period last year while diesel vehicles have dropped almost every year 1% and
    presently have a market share of 13%.






    DRILL Roughly 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65
    pieces of technical equipment of NATO battle group in Romania are going to
    participate starting Monday until August 18th in a joint exercise in
    the shooting range of Babadag, south-eastern Romania. The drill’s main aim is
    to test the rapid deployment of troops and gear as well as to increase
    interoperability among the forces of the NATO battle group. According to
    sources with the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, the drill contributes to
    raising military cooperation between Romania and the participant countries,
    France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as to strengthening
    NATO security on its Eastern Flank.






    GAUDEAMUS The Radio Romania Gaudeamus book fair is waiting for its
    visitors in downtown Sibiu, central Romania with numerous titles, sales and
    events. The organizers have prepared book launches and round-table talks for
    all ages. The little ones have been invited to attend the launch of a
    collection entitled ‘Children Readings from Grandma’, while adults can
    participate in various events focusing on self-development. The event, which
    remains open until Tuesday, has brought together over 40 participants,
    including some of the best known publishing houses, the main suppliers of
    books, games, music and educational materials.






    HOLIDAY The
    Romanians are enjoying a four-day mini-holiday, after Monday, August 14th
    has been declared a bank holiday here in Romania right ahead of the St. Mary
    holiday on August 15th. Various events are being staged all over the
    country and tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected at the Nicula Monastery,
    in Cluj county, north-western Romania. Concerts are also taking place, such as
    the Summer Well festival, in Buftea, close to Bucharest, while the days of the
    city of Braila are also being celebrated. Many Romanians are celebrating these
    days in the mountain resorts of the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania, while
    the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast are preparing for their
    busiest weekend this summer. According to hotel owners here the tourists’
    number is to reach 110 thousand. The Romanian Interior Ministry has deployed
    over 8 thousand police and 6 thousand gendarme troops to prevent any criminal
    activity during the aforementioned holiday. The border check points at
    Romania’s border with Hungary and Bulgaria are also benefiting from additional
    personnel.








    (bill)

  • Greener cars for the EU

    Greener cars for the EU

    As of 2035 the
    European Union is phasing out the sale of new vehicles running on diesel and
    petrol. Member states
    have reached a final agreement on the proposal, and the vote was given at a
    meeting of EU energy ministers.


    Under the new rules, in the next 12 years
    vehicle CO2 emissions are to be cut by 55% compared to 2021 figures. As for
    vans, the target is 50% by 2035, but as of that date emissions are to be cut by
    100%, which means the end of internal combustion engine production. This type
    of engines will be allowed nonetheless after that date, provided that they use
    climate-neutral e-fuels. This exemption is the outcome of Germany’s pushback on
    the new legislation over the past month.


    Climate-neutral fuels, currently under
    development, are synthetic and their use generates emissions, however their
    neutrality is given by the fact that they are produced by capturing CO2 from
    the atmosphere using electricity from renewable sources, and the same amount of
    CO2 captured for their production is released through their use.


    Biofuels will also be banned as of 2035, on
    grounds that they are generated in agriculture and already have a carbon
    footprint. The use of environment-friendly fuels will be regulated in
    subsequent legislation. But experts are already wondering what type of energy
    will be accepted in order to produce them.


    One option could be nuclear electricity, a
    resource increasingly appreciated by the European Commission for EU’s
    transition to an emission-free economy. Countries like France, Poland and
    Romania are trying to obtain recognition and advantages for the production of both
    the electricity itself, and of synthetic fuels like hydrogen. Opposing the use
    of nuclear energy are Germany, Austria and Spania.


    Meanwhile, Norway has set the tightest deadline for giving up internal combustion engines. The country is a world leader
    in terms of electric car market share, with nearly 79% of the sales in 2022
    consisting in plug-in electric vehicles.


    Internal combustion engines are being
    phased out precisely as the sales of Dacia,
    the car made by the French group Renault in Piteşti, Romania, among other
    locations, have been rising across Europe. According to
    the company, Dacia is ranking 3rd
    in Europe by sales to individual buyers, accounting for a record-high 7.6%
    market share. Ford is the
    second-largest player in the Romanian automotive market, thanks to a production
    facility in Craiova operated by the Turkish-US joint ventureFord Otosan. (AMP)

  • Automobiles in Communist Romania

    Automobiles in Communist Romania

    Automobiles have become so common
    today that it is almost impossible to imagine a world without them. Like any
    other invention in its early days, the automobile was present only in the lives
    of the affluent. However, in time, its rising popularity made it affordable to
    other people and thus it stopped being a symbol of belonging in a certain
    social category. Between 1945 and 1989, the automobile’s evolution in Romania saw
    some stages beginning with the restrictive one, when it was exclusively used by
    the state and the communist leadership, to a period when it was desired by the
    commoners as well. It went through a period of democratization as Serban
    Cornaciu, vice-chair of Retromobil Club Romania said. This period was kicked
    off by a low number of people, the ones who could afford it at that time.




    Serban Cornaciu: We cannot
    speak about this period of democratization, without speaking about car imports
    from the West. Those people were privileged because they had the courage to apply
    for buying such a luxurious product and they had well-paid jobs, being doctors,
    lawyers, artists. Most of them were interested in buying a Fiat 850 or a
    Renault 16 as Romania hadn’t started its car production yet. There were also very
    expensive models like Fiat 1800 and many of the applicants were being visited
    by officers of the former political police, the Securitate, because the state
    had a tight control on people’s incomes at that time and only a few could afford
    a car in the 1960s.




    Romania’s economy just like the others in Central and
    Eastern Europe was slowly recovering after the war and the process was also hindered
    by its being reorganized after the centralized soviet model. Furthermore,
    Romania wasn’t allowed to benefit from the Marshall plan and its economic
    recovery was dragging on. It was only in the late 60s, that two plants were
    built in Pitesti, southern Romania for the production of two models, Renault 8
    and 12, under the name of Dacia 1100 and Dacia 1300. At that time the then
    communist authorities wanted to give an impetus to the car market by producing
    local brands and importing some models from the other communist countries. Here
    is Serban Cornaciu at the microphone again






    Serban
    Cornaciu: At that time, you could
    subscribe to a waitlist for buying a car, apply for a loan and eventually you
    got it. In 1974, three versions of Dacia 1300, not very different from one
    another, became available. The cars used to come in a wide range of vivid
    colours until 1984 when a new model, Dacia 1310, had rolled off the assembly
    line. Cars from the communist bloc were also available on the market but
    imports from the West ceased shortly after the local production had begun. No
    Western brands were imported since 1971-72. One could only apply for a Lada
    1200, a Moskvich or a Trabant, produced in East Germany. Delivery periods for
    Trabant were shorter, though after 1988, applicants could wait even up to three
    years to get one.




    However, the systemic crisis that started to affect
    the communist regime in late 1970s, inevitably affected Romania’s car industry.
    Here is Serban Cornaciu again.




    Șerban
    Cornaciu: The models produced by
    Dacia Pitesti in the 1980s were changed and imports became increasingly
    difficult. Wait lists could no longer be made at the local dealers and people’s
    options started being trimmed in 1982-83. The plant in Pitesti started having
    delivery issues on the domestic market, because exports had become a priority.
    One can wait up to five years for a car and there were no colour options. They started
    using two-three colours back then. One year they were all painted in blue,
    another year green or white and so on. Vivid colours were no longer available.




    Restrictions for the drivers came one after the other
    and in 1978, Romania’s communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu issued orders that
    dignitaries and institutions use only Romanian cars. The crisis deepened in
    mid-1980s, with fuel shortages, driving restrictions at night and on Sundays.
    We’ve asked Serban Cornaciu about the used cars market in communist Romania.

    Serban Cornaciu: Cars were being sold by their owners; there was supply, there was
    demand and a second-hand market flourished back in the 80s. However, prices
    remained high in spite of the driving restrictions imposed by the communist
    authorities. Things went on like this, someone would buy a car but at the first
    snowfall authorities would issue a temporary driving restriction and the new
    owner had nothing to do but wait until the restrictions were lifted. Only
    communist leaders were allowed to travel in cars with yellow plates as well as members
    of the diplomatic corps or foreign residents in Romania whose number plates
    began with 12 B. For instance, famous Romanian director Sergiu Nicolaescu, who
    was shooting a lot of films back in the day, had to use this special type of
    plate in order to avoid being pulled over by the then road police which was known
    in Romania as ‘militia’.




    The real democratization of the automobile in Romania
    came only after 1989 and the change in the political regimes also brought
    changes to the relationship between cars and their owners.




    (bill)

  • Romanian socialist-era cars

    Romanian socialist-era cars

    Retromobil
    Club Romania, an association that has over 3,000 members around the country,
    recently organised together with the Contemporary Art Museum in Bucharest an
    exhibition entitled Socialist cars. Several dozen cars were on display on the
    pedestrian area in front of the museum, affording visitors a glimpse into Romania’s
    car making past. The cars on show all belonged to Romanian private individuals
    or state institutions and were in circulation between 1964 and 1989, during the
    communist regime. This explains the title of the exhibition, which is not only
    about cars, but also about this historical period and the lives of the Romanian
    people at the time.




    We caught
    up with Șerban Cornaciu, the deputy president of Retromobil Club Romania and
    the organiser of the exhibition, who told us why the Contemporary Art Museum
    was the perfect venue for this event:




    The exhibition
    is a counterpart to the collection of socialist realist art hosted by the museum
    and consists of a selection of cars made between 1964 and 1989 and which were driven
    in Bucharest. The idea was to try to recreate the atmosphere in society and the
    lives of the people at the time through a series of exhibits and the cars that
    could be found in the city. We are trying to tell the story of how these cars
    came to be owned by people, how they were bought, who drove them and how people
    who used these cars during socialism used to live.




    20 cars,
    a van, a bus, a truck and 4 motorcycles were on display in the exhibition
    dedicated to socialist cars. Most of them were manufactured in Romania. Seven
    of the cars were the Dacia 1300 model, which was the most popular car in Romania
    before 1989 and which used to be made at a factory in Pitești. Three of these
    cars were the standard Dacia 1300 model, one the sports version, a Dacia 1100
    model and a Dacia 1300 model that was used by the police, as well as a Dacia
    2000 used by the communist president Nicolae Ceaușescu and senior party figures
    during official trips. Other Romanian brands in the exhibition is the Oltcit
    Special model manufactured in Craiova before 1989 and the Aro off-road vehicle,
    of which three models were on display: two Aro 243 cars, an Aro M461 C car and
    an Aro Dacia 10 model.

    Foreign brands also featured in the vintage car exhibition,
    including three Soviet brands, namely the famous Moskvitch, Volga and Lada. A Volga
    M 21 car made in 1961 used by high officials was one of the highlights of the
    exhibition. The Moskvitch 403 model was one of the earliest mass-produced cars,
    and the Lada 1200 model was one of the most reliable. The famous Trabant 601
    could not have missed from an exhibition dedicated to socialist cars. Trabi,
    as this car was lovingly named by its many fans, used to be manufactured in the
    former German Democratic Republic and was in high demand in its heyday,
    including in Romania. Western brands were represented in the exhibition by a
    Mercedes 2200, two Volkswagen Beatles and a Fiat 850, all of which were very popular
    in those times.

    A TV van, A Roman Diesel bus and a Carpați truck, all of which
    were manufactured in Romania, were the most unexpected exhibits. Organiser Serban
    Cornaciu explains:




    Each
    exhibit has its own special story. They were owned by the state. I’m thinking
    of the Roman Diesel bus, which is 11.3 metres in length, and the cars exported
    by Romania during the socialist period and which were bought back by some of
    our club members in an attempt to preserve the technical heritage of Romania.
    These cars had been exported to Hungary and France and my colleagues bought
    them back and restored them. The exhibition also contains a rare exhibit, a TV
    van which used to be driven in the 1970s and was one of the first to be used by
    the Romanian state. You can also see a Carpați 4 X 4 army truck, whose every piece
    was carefully restored.






    Two
    BMW German motorcycles and the Romanian counterparts, the famous Mobra and Carpați,
    were also on display at the exhibition dedicated to socialist-era cars. Organiser
    Șerban Cornaciu tells us more:


    I
    believe it is the duty of us from Retromobil to show the cars in our collection
    to the public and our communities. Our greatest joy is to be able to bring them
    all together.






    The exhibition
    dedicated to Romanian socialist-era cars was also an opportunity to find out more
    about the Romanian car-making industry before 1989.

  • April 25, 2021 UPDATE

    April 25, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The daily number of new COVID-19 infections and of hospitalised patients continues to drop in Romania. In the last 24 hours, 1,500 new cases and 127 deaths were reported. Some 1,360 patients are in intensive care. In Timişoara (western Romania) weekend restrictions have been lifted today, as the infection rate dropped below 3 per thousand. Meanwhile, the local authorities announced that the Timisoara Vaccination Marathon, launched on Friday, was a success, with more than 4,500 people immunised at the end of the second day. In fact, a similar marathon will be organised in Bucharest as well, between May 7 and 9, the coordinator of the national vaccination campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă announced. In Deva, in the south-west, the drive-through vaccine centre opened on Saturday in the parking lot of the biggest shopping mall in the city, is also a success, with 600 people getting the vaccine so far. Nationwide, in the last 24 hours, nearly 90,000 vaccine doses were given. So far over 3 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1.8 million of them have also received the booster dose.



    MEETING The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis announced a meeting will be held on Monday with the government officials in charge with drafting the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Bucharest is trying to improve the Plan so that it can be approved by Brussels and so that Romania may receive nearly 30 billion euro. The minister for European funding, Cristian Ghinea, said on Saturday that Romania will postpone the submission of the Plan to the EC for several weeks. He said the original deadline was April 30, but that further talks with EU officials are still necessary. The EC sent a number of objections to the plan previously submitted by Romania. The Social-Democrats in opposition want the plan discussed in Parliament, otherwise they threaten to go on parliamentary strike.



    PALM SUNDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians around the world, including Romania, marked Palm Sunday, commemorating the arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem before the Crucifixion. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week, in which Christians are preparing for the Easter holiday, held on May 2nd. This year, because of the restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, religious services have been held within churches where physical distancing was possible, or outdoors. Palm Sunday was also the name day of close to 1.4 million Romanians.



    BUY-BACK This years Rabla Clasic and Rabla Plus used vehicle buy-back programmes begin on Monday. Rabla Clasic will have a budget of around 88 million euro, which is 35 million lei more than in 2020, allowing for the purchase of over 55,000 new, less polluting vehicles. Rabla Plus programme, which targets the purchase of electric cars, has a budget of nearly 80 million euro, will grant vouchers of 10,000 euro for the purchase of ‘full electric’ cars and some 4,500 euro for hybrid plug-in vehicles, accounting for up to 50% of the price of the new vehicle. Within the budget earmarked for this year, Rabla Plus will allow the purchase of up to 6,600 electric cars and around 5,000 hybrid cars.




    MOLDOVA The European Union supports the reforming agenda of the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and warns that the Moldovan MPs vote on Friday against the Constitutional Court rulings is an attack on the rule of law. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, called on Moldovan MPs to observe the Court rulings, after the latter voted no confidence in three Constitutional Court judges, over their support for Maia Sandus move to call early elections. The Socialists headed by the ex-president Igor Dodon view the Constitutional Court ruling to dissolve Parliament as dictatorial and unconstitutional.




    MEETING Russias president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden could have a meeting in June, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday, adding that a firm decision on the meeting has not been taken yet. In a phone conversation with Putin in April, Biden suggested a summit in a third country in order to tackle the relations between the 2 countries. The tensions between Russia and the US, recently deepened by sanctions and counter-sanctions, mainly concern the Ukraine, the fate of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and US allegations of espionage, election meddling and cyber-attacks. In June the US president is to make his first foreign visit, to the UK and then Belgium, for a G7 and NATO summit and a meeting with EU leaders.




    TROPHY The trophy of the European Football Championship reached Bucharest on Sunday, and was handed to former international player Dorinel Munteanu, the ambassador of Bucharest as a Euro 2020 host city. The National Arena in Bucharest will host this summer 3 matches in Group C and an eighth-final. The Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan announced that over 13,000 people will attend the matches. Originally scheduled for last year, EURO 2020 was postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. This special edition, celebrating 60 years since the first European Championship, will be held between 11 June and 11 July in 11 European cities: Bucharest (Romania), Baku (Azerbaijan), Copenhagen (Denmark), London (UK), Munich (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Rome (Italy), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Sankt Petersburg (Russia), Glasgow (Scotland), and Seville (Spain).

  • November 25, 2018 UPDATE

    November 25, 2018 UPDATE

    BREXIT DEAL – The leaders of the EU members states, gathered in Brussels on Sunday, signed off the Brexit withdrawal agreement and the declaration defining the EU-Britain post Brexit-relation. The 27 EU member states have also stood for having as tight a relation as possible with London, after Brexit. The withdrawal agreement provides for the legal conditions under which Great Britain leaves the EU on March 29, 2019. The political declaration accompanying the agreement underlines Londons and Brussels common objectives to define their future relation. Great Britain becomes the first country to leave the EU, 45 years after its accession. The British Parliament is set to vote upon the Brexit agreement before Christmas. Romania was represented at the Brussels summit by President Klaus Johannis. The president gave assurances the agreement protects the Romanian nationals who live and work in the UK.



    NATIONAL CATHEDRAL – The National Cathedral in Bucharest has been consecrated by the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, with many Romanian and foreign prelates in attendance. Tens of thousands of Romanians from across the country, some of them wearing national costumes have also attended the event. The idea of erecting a Cathedral emblematic for the Romanian space emerged soon after the country gained its independence, following the 1877-1878 war. Back then, the leaders noticed there was not a church in Bucharest large enough to accommodate all those willing to attend a mass. “It is a national event- The National Cathedral, Romanias Cathedral, in the centenary year, said PM Viorica Dăncilă. On December 1, Romania celebrates the centennial anniversary of the Great Union of all Romanian historical principalities in a single state.



    SWINE FEVER – There are over 1,100 swine fever outbreaks in some 300 small towns and villages in 17 Romanian counties, the latest data released by the National Sanitary-Veterinary Authority show. Over 360,000 pigs have been culled so far and some 8,000 farmers have received damages. The Authority also says the disease has been eradicated in the north-eastern county of Satu Mare, where the first case was reported in the summer of 2017. In exchange, a new hotbed was reported in a household in Olt county, in the south-east. Romania has requested EU support to grant financial compensations to the affected farmers. The African swine fever is not transmissible to humans, but it has a significant economic impact.



    RadiRo – The International Festival of Radio Orchestras, RadiRo, organised by Radio Romania, has come to a close. The festival ended with an all Tcaikovsky program concert given by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. On Saturday, performing on the stage of the festival was LOrchestra della Svizzera Italiana, of Lugano, Switzerland. Over 9,000 spectators in eight days of the festival, eight symphonic concerts, and as a premiere 4 jazz concerts – this is in brief, the summary of the most prestigious cultural event, the only in the world devoted to radio orchestras. The concerts broadcast live by Radio Romania have also been recorded and later broadcast by the Romanian Television Company and by other radio broadcasters, that are EBU members.



    CARS – In 2017, only 7% of the EUs population didnt afford to buy a car, but the percentage points were four times higher in Romania, data released by Eurostat show. Bulgaria and Hungary are other EU member states where more than a fifth of the population does not afford to buy a car. The EU member countries with the lowest percentage points of people who do not afford to buy a car are Cyprus and Malta, with only 1.7% of the total population. In Romanias case, the number of people who did not afford to buy a car decreased from 32.9% in 2016, to 29.8% in 2017. Official data show Romanias national car fleet stood at 7.635 million cars, 9% more than in the previous years. Over 1.320 million cars of them are registered in Bucharest alone.



    HANDBALL – Romanias national womens handball team has won the 50th edition of the Carpathian Trophy, after having defeated the Romania B team, 33-24. The defending Olympic champion Russia ranked third, after defeating Serbia 33-32 on Saturday, in the other final. The tournament played in Bucharest is the last test for Romania ahead of the European Handball Championship due in France in December, when it meets the Czech Republic, Germany and Norway. Romania ranked 5th at the 2016 European Championship, and it put up its best performance in 2010, when it grabbed the bronze medal.

  • November 25, 2018

    November 25, 2018

    BREXIT DEAL – The leaders of the EU members states, gathered in Brussels, have today signed off the Brexit withdrawal agreement and the declaration defining the EU-Britain post Brexit-relation. The 27 EU member states have also stood for having as tight a relation as possible with London, after Brexit. The withdrawal agreement provides for the legal conditions under which Great Britain leaves the EU on March 29, 2019. The political declaration accompanying the agreement underlines Londons and Brussels common objectives to define their future relation. Romania is represented at the Brussels summit by President Klaus Johannis. Before the endorsement of the Brexit deal, the Romanian President said the document is very good for Romania, and the rights of the Romanian nationals are perfectly protected.



    NATIONAL CATHEDRAL – The National Cathedral in Bucharest has been consecrated by the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, with many Romanain and foreign prelates in attendance. Tens of thousands of Romanians from across the country, some of them wearing national costumes have also attended the event. The idea of erecting a Cathedral emblematic for the Romanian space emerged soon after the country gained its independence, following the 1877-1878 war. Back then, the leaders noticed there was not a church in Bucharest large enough to accommodate all those willing to attend a mass. “It is a national event- The National Cathedral, Romanias Cathedral, in the centenary year, said PM Viorica Dăncilă. On December 1, Romania celebrates the centennial anniversary of the Great Union of all Romanian historical principalities in a single state.



    SWINE FEVER – There are over 1,100 swine fever outbreaks in some 300 small towns and villages in 17 Romanian counties, the latest data released by the National Sanitary-Veterinary Authority show. Over 360,000 pigs have been culled so far and some 8,000 farmers have received damages. The Authority also says the disease has been eradicated in the north-eastern county of Satu Mare, where the first case was reported in the summer of 2017. In exchange, a new hotbed was reported in a household in Olt county, in the south-east. Romania has requested EU support to grant financial compensations to the affected farmers. The African swine fever is not transmissible to humans, but it has a significant economic impact.



    RadiRo – The International Festival of Radio Orchestras, RadiRo, organised by Radio Romania, comes to a close later in the day with an all Tcaikovsky program concert, performed by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. On Saturday, performing on the stage of the festival was LOrchestra della Svizzera Italiana, of Lugano, Switzerland. Over 9,000 spectators in eight days of the festival, eight symphonic concerts, and as a premiere 4 jazz concerts – this is in brief, the summary of the most prestigious cultural event, the only in the world devoted to radio orchestras. The concerts broadcast live by Radio Romania have also been recorded and later broadcast by the Romanian Television Company and by other radio broadcasters, that are EBU members.



    CARS – In 2017, only 7% of the EUs population didnt afford to buy a car, but the percentage points were four times higher in Romania, data released by Eurostat show. Bulgaria and Hungary are other EU member states where more than a fifth of the population does not afford to buy a car. The EU member countries with the lowest percentage points of people who do not afford to buy a car are Cyprus and Malta, with only 1.7% of the total population. In Romanias case, the number of people who did not afford to buy a car decreased from 32.9% in 2016, to 29.8% in 2017. Official data show Romania’s national car fleet stood at 7.635 million cars, 9% more than in the previous years. Over 1.320 million cars of them are registered in Bucharest alone.



    HANDBALL – Romanias national womens handball team has won the 50th edition of the Carpathian Trophy, after having defeated the Romania B team, 33-24. The defending Olympic champion Russia ranked third, after defeating Serbia 33-32 on Saturday, in the other final. The tournament played in Bucharest is the last test for Romania ahead of the European Handball Championship due in France in December, when it meets the Czech Republic, Germany and Norway. Romania ranked 5th at the 2016 European Championship, and it put up its best performance in 2010, when it grabbed the bronze medal.

  • November 16, 2017 UPDATE

    November 16, 2017 UPDATE

    PRESIDENCY – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis travels to Gothenburg, in Sweden, on Friday, to attend a social summit on fair jobs and economic growth. The event brings together EU heads of state and government, social partners and other key players. The summit consists of an introductory meeting and three other meetings focusing on specific themes that will discuss access to the labour market, the situation of the labour market and the transition between jobs. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is to give a talk on the access to the labour market.




    NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION – The National Liberal Party, the main party in opposition in the Parliament of Romania, announced that it would table a no-confidence motion on Friday against the government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. The Liberals main criticism against Mihai Tudoses Cabinet concerns the changes in the tax code. The new version of this law switches the responsibility for social security payments from employers to employees and cuts income taxes from 16 to 10%, as of January 1, 2018. Over the past few weeks, street protests have been held in Bucharest and other major Romanian cities against the governments plans to change the tax code and the laws on the judiciary. On the other hand, PM Tudose claims that the new fiscal reform would result in more money to the state budget and social security budget, and will reduce bureaucracy.




    JUDICIARY – The Constitutional Court of Romania postponed to next week the ruling on a notification filed by the Senate Speaker Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu with respect to an alleged conflict between the Government and the Public Ministry over government resolutions. The notification was tabled against the backdrop of an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, concerning 2 former members of the current Cabinet, namely the former deputy PM and minister for regional development Sevil Shhaideh, and former minister for European funds Rovana Plumb. They resigned a month ago, after being accused in this case. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate claims that in 2013 two plots of land in the Danube plains were illegally transferred, under a government resolution, from state property into the property of Teleorman County and the management of the Teleorman County Council. At that time, Shhaideh was a secretary of state with the Ministry for Regional Development, and Plumb was minister for the environment.




    EU AGENCY – The assessment made by the European Medicines Agency on its possible relocation from London to Bucharest exceeds its responsibilities, says the Romanian foreign ministry. The assessment made by the Agency, argues the Romanian ministry, should have only covered a number of specific aspects to facilitate a final assessment of the European Commission. The Romanian side is also unhappy with the content of the Agencys report. The winner of the bid to host the European Medicines Agency after the UK leaves the European Union will be announced on the 20th of November. Now based in London, the European Medicines Agency is considered one of most important of the European Unions 40 specialised agencies. It employs 900 people and receives visits from around 35,000 national regulation authorities and scientists every year given its essential role in approving new medicines on the European market. Bucharest has made a bid to host this agency along with other big cities in the EU.



    AUTOMOTIVE – The sale in Europe of Dacia cars made by Renault in Romania saw a 20.3% growth in October compared with the same month last year, while its market share grew from 2.6 to 2.9%, according to statistics made public on Thursday by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. In the first ten months of the year, deliveries of Dacia cars saw an 11.3% increase in Europe. The Dacia car factory was taken over by Renault in 1999. Relaunched in 2004 with the Logan model, Dacia has become an important player on the European car market.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Cristina Mateescu)