Radio România Internațional

Tag: changes

  • New Education Draft Laws

    New Education Draft Laws


    After having been analyzed by experts from the ministry and representatives of the governing coalition in Romania for several months and after almost ten thousand amendments, the new draft education laws were presented on Monday by Minister Ligia Deca. Based on the Educated Romania project and on the reports of OECD experts, as the minister showed, the projects are aimed at increasing the quality of education and reducing functional illiteracy. The proposed changes come against the background of worrying figures that place Romania at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of educational performance.



    Ligia Deca: “Five out of ten 15-year-old students have mathematical skills, and skills in the field of sciences respectively, below the minimum level of performance, that is, they cannot use logical thinking in everyday situations or cannot explain familiar scientific phenomena or processes. Four out of ten students, also 15 years old, have reading skills below the minimum level of performance, as defined in the context of the PISA study, that is, they read a text and cannot easily formulate conclusions. Two out of ten participants in the Baccalaureate exam did not pass it, and we also know that three out of ten science teachers rarely connect the lessons or the theoretical part with what the students can observe in everyday life, and six out of ten have not attended any modern methods science teaching course in the last two years.



    According to the pre-university education bill, one of the important changes will be that the high schools in high demand will be able to organize separate admission exams for more than half of the places.



    Ligia Deca explains: The National Assessment will include tests in the Romanian language, mathematics and, as the case may be, the mother tongue, consequently, the current format will not be changed. The new element is the possible high school entrance examination. Again, if the high school wants and if it can demonstrate that, in the previous years, it received applications from a very high number of students, for those teaching subjects for which there is this demonstrated competition, 60% of the places can be filled following an exam.



    Regarding the Baccalaureate exam, there will be a complementary test of basic skills in addition to the current form. The new draft Education Laws provide, among other things, for the increase in the merit scholarships and in those for Olympiad winners, as well as for progressive salary increases for the teaching staff. Politicians, trade unions and parents’ associations accused the education minister of lack of transparency and blamed her for not having organized consultations with those interested regarding the future education laws.



    The opposition Save Romania Union – USR believes that the changes presented by minister Ligia Deca cannot be part of a program entitled Educated Romania and cannot modernize the education system. The Prime Minister, however, believes that the two draft laws, which regulate pre-university and university education, will introduce norms and practices from European states with old traditions in education and with good results on an international level. (LS)

  • Consumption trends

    Consumption trends

    Last year, the consumption growth rate slowed significantly in Romania — show data made public on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics. Experts in the field say that we are dealing with a trend that could last for several years, a trend generated by the new coronavirus pandemic. They say that the economic, social and health situation has changed the behavior of consumers, who have preferred saving to buying. The statement is also based on the findings of the National Bank of Romania regarding the increase in the populations bank deposits. Economic analyst Aurelian Dochia told Radio Romania that, in the next period, we will be witnessing a tendency of the consumption growth rate to slow down, as well as structural changes in terms of consumption behavior.



    Aurelian Dochia: “Last years growth in retail trade is the smallest in recent years. We have had years when this increase was over 7%. Undoubtedly, this is related to the main events of this year: firstly, an economic contraction caused by the health crisis and, secondly, a change in consumer behavior. We know that, last year, consumers benefited from growing revenues in general, but have preferred to save a large part of this additional revenue. “



    The turnover in retail trade, except for cars and motorcycles trade, increased in 2020, as a gross series, by 2.2% as compared to the previous year. This is due to the increase in non-food sales by 5.6% and in the sales of food, beverages and tobacco by 5%. Retail trading of fuels for vehicles in specialized stores dropped by 8%. The decrease in consumption shows, according to experts, the contraction of the Romanian economy – a situation experienced by the entire world as a result of the pandemic. Analyst Aurelian Dochia estimates that, in the coming years, consumption and retail trade will report a much more moderate growth than before, somewhere around 2%.



    As to consumer behavior, he says it will remain cautious, and estimates that revenue increases will decrease significantly, starting in 2021, due to problems in maintaining balances, especially the budget balance. On the other hand, last year, Romania saw an increase in sales of Eco-friendly cars by over 33% as against 2019. According to the Association of Car Manufacturers and Importers, people bought mostly hybrid cars. In terms of percentages, sales “skyrocketed” as compared to the previous year for electric cars and plug-in models, but the actual number of cars sold remains modest. (tr. L. Simion)

  • The Dynamics of post-Brexit relations

    The Dynamics of post-Brexit relations

    Initially scheduled for March 2019, Brexit has been postponed several times. It has eventually gone in a straight line after the new Parliament in London, formed after the victory of Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in the early elections, approved the Withdrawal Agreement Bill which set January 31, 2020 as the deadline for Brexit. It was for the first time since the 2016 referendum that things became really clear. Still shadowy however is the dynamics of post-Brexit relations. Many wonder what the relations between the UK and the EU will be like, two entities that are linked by culture, history, economic and security issues. Great Britain is actually the main military contributor within the EU.



    Here is Andrei Ţărnea, an expert in foreign policy analysis: “Brexit will not change the nature of interests linking the UK to the rest of the continent, it will not change the nature of the challenges that are common to both the UK and the EU, but it will change the way, also from a legal point of view, in which cooperation can continue. Also there is the issue of the EU citizens who are working or living in the UK and vice-versa, of the British citizens who are studying, working or are residents in some of the EU member states. Romania is one of the states that have many citizens in Great Britain, both students and employees on the labor market.”



    Brexit changes the balance of forces within the EU. It is undoubtedly a change in the center of gravity, says analyst Andrei Ţărnea. In the last 2-3 years, the UK, although an EU member, has not had the same leverage. There is a return to a previous formula: the France-Germany tandem, which is different today from what it was in the first 20 years of EU existence, is again gaining ground in a fundamentally changed geopolitical context, in a different economic and regional context, according to Andrei Ţărnea.



    Andrei Ţărnea. “We are retuning to a historical formula, Great Britain not being a founding member of the EU. It joined the bloc after De Gaulle was no longer president of France, as he was one of the big powers’ politicians who were opposed to the UK’s becoming a member of the EU, previously known as the European Economic Community. What is really important is that Great Britain has always been a supporter of EU enlargement, an enlarged EU that should act as an instrument of political coordination, of harmonizing democratic principles and standards and economic standards, of coherent functioning of Europe.”



    Will the dynamics of international relations change once the UK takes a different path from the EU? The president of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, Iulian Chifu, insists that, first and foremost, there will be a change in the EU dynamics:



    Iulian Chifu: “The exit from the European Union of one of the permanent members of the Security Council that holds nuclear weapons leaves the bloc with actually one state that holds nuclear weapons, namely France, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council. Of course, this creates a singularity, all the more so as, in the power equation at European level, France wants to assume the responsibility of European defense, and it has repeatedly made its intention clear. It is true that it is very difficult to support a Europe whose defense is led by France, and which misses such countries as the US, Canada, Norway, Turkey, now the UK, to refer strictly to the power ratio between NATO and the EU, and which brings in neutral states such Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Ireland. This situation has been assessed also from a financial point of view. At European level, though, Brexit is much more important because Great Britain also had a geopolitical role of equilibrium in Europe, you know the saying, the perfidious Albion that does not have permanent allies but only self-interests. Well, in this context, the exit of Great Britain, which was Germany’s ally in terms of economic policies and France’s ally in terms of defense and security issues, changes the balance of powers and also the balance of the double majority vote. Therefore, in the future, France and Germany will be able to impose together agendas that can only be counterbalanced by the other 13 most powerful states in terms of strategic importance, voting leverage, etc. which means practically never.”



    So, we are talking about more important roles than the UK’s apparent roles within the EU, said university professor Iulian Chifu. (translation by L. Simion)

  • May 10, 2019 UPDATE

    May 10, 2019 UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Friday referred the new changes of the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure to the Constitutional Court. The head of state argues that the Constitution and the principle of bicameralism have been breached, and says that a previous Constitutional Court ruling, which had found the modified criminal legislation to be against the Constitution, was not implemented. The changes were adopted in April by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect, and included a number of articles criticised by the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and Peoples Movement Party in opposition, but green-lighted by the Constitutional Court. Some of them are reduced statutes of limitations for criminal liability, the introduction of a one-year deadline to report bribe-giving and influence peddling, full decriminalisation of negligence and halved punishments for embezzlement and abuse of office.




    ROYALTY DAY Royalty Day was celebrated in Romania on May 10, recalling three crucial events that helped shape the Romanian modern state. On May 10, 1866, Carol, of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen family, was sworn in, before the Romanian Parliament, as ruler of Romania, thus laying the foundation of the dynasty. On May 10, 1877, Carol I proclaimed Romania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, and four days later he was crowned king. The events marking Royalty Day started with a military ceremony at King Carols statue in Bucharest. Guests from Romania and the Republic of Moldova later took part in the Garden Party held at the Elisabeta Palace, the Bucharest residence of the Royal House of Romania. The last sovereign of Romania, King Michael I, died on December 5, 2017, at the age of 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges. The first-born of his five daughters, Princess Margareta, became the custodian of the Crown of Romania.




    POLICE Six Romanian police officers are on a support mission in the Czech Republic until July. This is the first mission of this kind, and it has been requested by the Czech police, reads a news release issued by the Romanian Police Inspectorate General. The Romanian officers will assist Romanian citizens in relation with the Czech authorities, take part in joint patrol activities in order to prevent crime and ensure public order and security in the industrial areas in the Czech Republic. At present, 23 Romanian police are on operative support missions in 5 other countries: France, the UK, Switzerland, Italy and Germany.




    EXTRADITION The Romanian Justice Ministry is working on immediate measures for the extradition of the former mayor of Constanta, Radu Mazăre, from Madagascar. The interim Justice Minister Ana Birchall said on Friday that Romanian authorities may request Mazǎres extradition because the Republic of Magadascar is a signatory of international conventions against corruption. The former mayor was arrested in Madagascar of Wednesday and is to remain in the custody of the local authorities for 6 days, under a search warrant sent by Romania via the Interpol. In February, an international search warrant was issued against Mazǎre, after he received a 9-year prison sentence in a case involving the fictitious return of several plots of land to former owners. The ex-mayor left Romania in December 2017, claiming political pressure affected the criminal investigations concerning him.




    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 3 in the world, has qualified into the Madrid finals. On Friday Halep defeated Belinda Bencic (18 WTA) 6-2, 6-7, 6-0, in the tournament quarter-finals. The Romanian player won the Madrid Open twice, in 2016 and in 2017.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Political Consultations on the Justice Laws

    Political Consultations on the Justice Laws

    On Wednesday, just one day after a European Parliament address in which he vowed that Romania respects the rule of law and that the fight against corruption will carry on, President Klaus Iohannis held consultations with the parliamentary parties on a topic that dominates the public agenda in Romania: the controversial changes that the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, backed by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, has operated on the justice laws.



    Previously, the Venice Commission had released a report which found that some major elements introduced by the laws on the status of judges and prosecutors, on the organisation of courts and on the Higher Council of Magistracy, might undermine the independence of the Romanian magistrates and public confidence in the judicial system.



    This is precisely why the President believes these laws have to be reconsidered, modernised and improved. He argues that the law-making cycle must be resumed and urges politicians to take into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission.



    Klaus Iohannis: “As far as the political class is concerned, we clearly need a pact, an agreement between parliamentary parties in order to resume this legislation cycle and improve these laws. We have the final opinion of the Venice Commission, these recommendations made by the Commission must be taken very, very seriously.



    The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, opposes the resumption of the law-making process. He says an emergency order has already been tabled by the Justice Minister, which brings the necessary corrections to the 3 laws.



    Liviu Dragnea: “Order no. 92 has been sent to parliament and is already included in the parliamentary agenda. This order, which incorporates a large part of the recommendations of the Venice Commission, has been drafted by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, following the meetings he had in Strasbourg with Venice Commission experts.



    The Social Democrats ally, ALDE leader Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, believes that a parliamentary pact on the justice laws could be useful, if based on the principle of protecting individual rights and freedoms.



    The National Liberal Party, in opposition, shares the opinion of President Iohannis, says the Liberal president Ludovic Orban:



    Ludovic Orban: “In resuming the debates, we must pay heed to the recommendations made by the Venice Commission, the rulings of the Constitutional Court concerning the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Criminal Code. We should also take into account all the treaties that Romania has signed and the countrys international obligations.



    Whereas Save Romania Union, also in Opposition, announces that it tabled a bill in Parliament that transposes the recommendations of the Venice Commission, the Peoples Movement party takes a radical view on the matter and wants the removal of this Cabinet, which has lost all credibility as far as the justice laws are concerned. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania says it is open to any talks on the justice laws, provided that the independence of the judiciary is not affected, while the other ethnic minorities represented in parliament plead for the creation of a special committee to harmonise the views of the Constitutional Court and of the Venice Commission.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The security of the Black Sea region

    The security of the Black Sea region

    Significant changes in the security of the Black Sea region have taken place in recent years, and NATO, as an alliance with a direct interest in this matter, is closely watching the situation and acting to maintain a certain balance. The situation has further deteriorated following the Georgian conflict in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. “Russia’s actions are destabilising the entire Black Sea region and threaten not only the security, but also the democracy of the states in the area”, said the Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu.



    Minister Teodor Melescanu pointed out that from Crimea and the east of Ukraine, we are seeing an increase in the Russian logistical military presence in support of naval operations and remote infrastructure that are transforming the Black Sea into a platform for the projection of military power to other regions of the world. Teodor Melescanu said the multitude of risks and conventional and hybrid threats in Europe’s immediate vicinity has had major repercussions on the interests, relations and strategic considerations in the Black Sea area.



    Faced with these distinct types of threats, the best answer is a unitary approach by NATO and European Union members. Speaking to Radio Romania, the state secretary in the Defence Ministry and the head of the Department for Defence Policy, Planning and International Relations Mircea Dusa spoke about the measures the North-Atlantic Alliance is considering in the near future: “These measures mainly seek NATO’s adaptation to the new security situation on the eastern flank as a result of the crisis in Ukraine, of Crimea’s annexation, of the measures that need to be taken on the southern flank given the situation in the Middle East and northern Africa and the measures taken on the northern flank of NATO and the European Union. These important themes refer first and foremost to the increase in the defence capacity and the gradual increase in the defence and combat capacity. Other measures refer to the deterrence and defence posture and some new concepts NATO is considering for the near future.”



    “Security of the North Atlantic Alliance is closely related to security of the Black Sea” and fresh decisions for this region are going to be made at the NATO summit in July. This is what James Appathurai, NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, said at the Bucharest forum where he made an assessment of the situation in the Black Sea — An increased Russian military buildup in the Black Sea as well as its deployment of a series of capabilities which actually block the free access and movement of NATO and its allies in the region, all these are changing the security environment in the region. At the same time Russia is using Crimea and the access to the entire region in order to exert its power in the Middle East.



    According to Appathurai, besides military means, Russia also resorts to hybrid threats such as propaganda, disinformation and funding one party or another in order to cause division among the states in the region both at domestic level and in the relations between them. During their two-day meeting in Brussels, NATO defence ministers approved a new initiative, which will allow the Alliance to mobilize 30 battalions, 30 squadrons and 30 warships in 30 days. This task force will include about 30 thousand troops, 300 planes and at least 30 warships or submarines. The ministers also greenlighted new command centres in the German city of Ulm and in Norfolk, the USA.



    The two structures have come to strengthen the Alliance’s defence and deterrence posture and consequently its capacity to prevent conflicts. According to news agencies, the decisions recently made by the ministers are a decisive stage in the preparation of the NATO summit scheduled for July, with a view to establishing an all-out coherent defence for the Alliance. They are meant to create an efficient, coherent and credible defence and deterrence posture, by adjusting NATO’s command structure, by strengthening the response capability of the troops in keeping with the initiative of raising the degree of operability and response, beefing up the maritime response capability as well as improving the strategic approach of the Alliance’s southern dimension.



    As regards Romania, it has seen the first NATO structures on its territory after the Wales Summit — the NATO Force Integration Unit and the Multinational Division Southeast, which is focusing inclusively on the security objectives in the Black Sea region as well as on the measures, Romania, as a NATO member, has taken in this period with a view to increasing defence capabilities in this region. These also include measures that are part of the programme focusing on equipping and modernizing military capabilities in the Black Sea area.

  • Changes to the public-private partnership law

    Changes to the public-private partnership law

    On Thursday, the Romanian Government adopted an emergency ordinance that regulates public-private partnership. Under the ordinance, public-private partnership is aimed at delivering, rehabilitating or extending assets that are to become part of the public patrimony. Also, the law regulates the possibility of running under a public-private partnership projects that entail exclusively the provision of a public service.



    One of the main elements of a public — private partnership is that contractual relations must cover a period of at least 5 years, allowing the private partner to recover its investment and make a reasonable profit. Other important aspects relate to the funding of the project, which is mainly from private funds and, if applicable, by using jointly private and public funds or by distributing risks between the public and the private partners, depending on the capacity of each contracting party to assess, manage and control a certain risk.



    Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has stated that the new provisions include measures for the local administration, and also stipulate the setting up, within a year, of a special fund to finance public-private partnerships at national level.



    Viorica Dancila: “Romania has never had a successful public-private partnership law. So, this is first about unblocking the legislation, and compressing contract awarding deadlines based on a substantiation study according to which the private partners, are selected.”



    The private investor who wins and concludes a public-private partnership contract becomes a private partner. The Government may decide, under a decree, that certain projects it deems strategic are to be prepared and awarded on behalf of the public partners that are to implement them by the National Strategy and Forecasting Committee.



    The Government spokesperson Nelu Barbu has stated that the law is clear and it will be accompanied by a best practices guide that is not mandatory, but useful. Nelu Barbu: “The ordinance regulates the possibility of running public-private partnerships that entail exclusively the provision of a public service. For instance, the hospitals that need investments can benefit from such partnerships.”



    The public partner has the right to monitor and control, all throughout the unfolding of the public-private partnership, the way in which the private partner meets its obligations, as stipulated in the partnership contract or in the applicable legal provisions.

  • The Week in Review 26.03-01.04.2018

    The Week in Review 26.03-01.04.2018

    100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania



    On March 27th, the Romanian Parliament organized a solemn session to celebrate 100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania. A declaration was adopted, reading that Parliament deems legitimate the wish of those citizens of the Republic of Moldova who support the union with Romania as a natural step in the process of the development and affirmation of the Romanian nation. A province with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population that was part of the Tsarist Empire for 106 years, Bessarabia became united with the Motherland in 1918. Years later, in 1940, the Soviet Union re-annexed it under an ultimatum, and the present-day Republic of Moldova was created on part of that territory. With the aim of stifling and denying the Romanian identity of the local population, the Soviet authorities invented a Moldovan language and identity, different from the Romanian one.



    Also, during each and every election held in Moldova, there is a fierce battle between the politicians who support the country’s European integration and those who would like to bring Moldova back under Russia’s sphere of influence. We should not forget that in 1992, Moscow supported with troops the pro-Russian separatist ambitions in Transdniester, where Russian heavy weapons still exist. Therefore, things are by no means simple, and a reunification with Romania would take time. Until reunification becomes a genuine topic of discussion, Romanian officials agree that what is important right now is to strengthen the special relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova and support the European and Euro-Atlantic efforts of that small east-European state, which is the poorest in Europe.



    On Wednesday, Transgaz Romania officially took over the similar company in the Republic of Moldova, Vestmoldtarnsgaz. On that occasion, Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said: “As of today, we can say that Transgaz became a regional player, and at the same time we are happy to witness the energy interconnection between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.”



    The contract signed on the occasion will facilitate the building of the Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline, which will be a continuation of the pipeline that is now linking the city of Iasi in north-eastern Romania with Ungheni, in the east of Moldova.



    The never-ending modification of the justice laws



    The opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union have for the second time notified the Constitutional Court with regard to the three justice laws on the status of magistrates, the organization of courts and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The opposition accuses the ruling coalition of not taking seriously the changes advised by the Court and claims that, even changed, they still leave plenty of room for abuse and put a question mark over the independence of the Romanian judiciary.



    Liberal MP Gabriel Andronache gives an example: “On the day they were passed, in the Senate’s plenary session an amendment was introduced to the law amending and completing Law 303, defined by the parliament majority as ‘technical-legislative correlation’, when it actually changed the definition of judicial error. It is unacceptable, in our opinion, for something like that to happen in parliamentary procedure. There are also many reasons referring to the content of these amendments which continue to make these regulations toxic for the Romanian justice system.”



    The ruling Social Democratic Party argues the amendments have been made democratically and that the reformed justice laws are more necessary than ever. Here is the Social-Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea: “They have been challenged at the Constitutional Court and the Court has ruled that, with the exception of several articles, all laws are constitutional. Now we are going to se what they have challenged. Constitutional Court justices are going to analyze them again. This desperation will eventually end. “



    Romania’s Constitutional Court has announced it will tackle the new notifications regarding the amendments to the justice laws by April 19th.



    A new diplomatic row: Russia against everyone



    Russia has decided to play victim and respond to the West in keeping with the principle of reciprocity, vehemently denying any involvement in the nerve agent attack against the former Russian double agent Serghei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain on March 4. According to the British police, a large quantity of neurotoxin has been detected on the entrance door of Skripal’s house.



    As a strong signal conveyed to Moscow that it cannot defy international legislation over the use of chemical weapons, about 150 Russian diplomats from North America, Europe and Australia have been expelled in solidarity with Britain. Furthermore, in the United States, the Trump administration has closed down the Russian consulate in Seattle arguing that the premises were too close to the largest nuclear submarine base in the US. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has also announced that a Russian diplomat will be declared persona non-grata and expelled from Romania.



    Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has explained that a solidarity signal is needed mainly in the Brexit context, in order to prove that the EU wants to continue to have a very strong relationship with London in the field of defense and security even after Britain’s leaving the bloc. According to the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, Romania’s decision is probably the manifestation of what it calls “collective political madness”. Later in the week, the Sergei Skripal scandal got new proportions with Russia pledging reprisals against all the countries that chose to react to it.

  • March 29, 2018 UPDATE

    March 29, 2018 UPDATE

    National Bank — The National Bank of Romania had to increase twice the monetary policy interest rate due to accelerated inflation, with major impact on the economic environment, said Thursday the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, at the meeting of the Senate’s economic committee. According to Isarescu Romania’s current account and budget deficits have reported higher increases than those in the other countries of the region and the pressure on the depreciation of the national currency was significant. Data issued by the National Institute of Statistics show that the annual inflation rate, which points to the evolution of consumption prices in the past year, increased in February to 4.72%, which is the highest level since June 2013. Recently the national bank increased for the 2nd time this year the monetary policy interest rate from 2 to 2.25% per year.



    Fiscal code — The Romanian government on Thursday approved a number of changes to the Fiscal Code. They decided to reduce by 20% the income tax for microenterprises that sponsor NGOs providing social services. Also the share of the income tax that an individual wants to allot to NGOs was increased from 2 to 3.5%. Last but not least, microenterprises with a minimum social capital amounting to 10 thousand Euros and with at least 2 employees will be able to opt for paying income taxes and not turnover taxes, as has happened so far.



    Protests — In Bucharest, the representatives of the healthcare trade unions on Thursday picketed the headquarters of the Labor Ministry after on Tuesday they had previously protested in front of the Health Ministry. They are asking, among other things, for pay rises as of March 1 for the whole medical and social assistance personnel, the cancellation of the measure capping benefits at 30% and the recuperation of income losses after the coming into force of the new salary regulations on January 1. During Thursday’s session, the government adopted measures regulating benefits in the medical sector. The law provides for various percentages of benefits for various categories of personnel, depending on specialization. For many years, given the under financing of the healthcare system, Romania has been faced with a massive exodus of physicians and nurses, who went abroad in search of better paid jobs.



    Politics — The opposition National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union have for a second time notified the Constitutional Court over the justice laws. The documents they submitted on Thursday mention 37 reasons of unconstitutionality of the draft laws regarding the statute of magistrates, the judicial organization and the functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy. Passed by Parliament in winter, the laws were sent back to Parliament recently to be corrected following a first decision by the Constitutional Court. The opposition criticizes the haste and superficiality with which the laws were corrected and continues to claim that, despite the changes made, the laws still open the way for abuses and question the independence of the judiciary. However, the ruling Social Democratic Party says that the changes were made in a democratic way. (news translated and updated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • December 24, 2017 UPDATE

    December 24, 2017 UPDATE

    TALKS — The Prime Minister of Romania, Mihai Tudose, accepted to meet the representatives of 43 NGOs active in the street protests initiated against the planned changes in the justice laws and the criminal codes. In a Facebook post, Tudose voiced his openness to dialogue and suggested that the meeting took place on December 27. The 43 organisations sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, fundamental human rights and the democratic principles. New street protests were held on Saturday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, against the bills designed to amend the justice laws. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland sent a letter to the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an opinion from the Venice Commission on the legislative reform already endorsed by Parliament.




    CHRISTMAS — Orthodox believers celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th, one of the greatest feast days of the Christian world. “The celebration of Nativity is a call for compassion and solidarity with those who need our support. I wish you a happy Christmas, wherever you are,” reads a message from the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.




    ROYAL HOUSE — This is the first Christmas without King Michael, but the Royal House is celebrating the Nativity and pays tribute to the life and achievements of the 4th monarch of the Romanian state, the Custodian of the Crown, H.M. Margareta wrote in a message to the nation, as Romania’s former sovereign used to send every Christmas Eve. She noted the solidarity of the Romanian people during the King’s funeral 2 weeks ago, and recalled the care and attention with which every year King Michael would write his Christmas address, which during the exile years was his only form of communication with the Romanians. Michael I died on December 5, in Switzerland, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania.




    HOLIDAYS — Thousands of Romanians will be spending their holidays in mountain resorts. At the top of the travel destinations these days are the resorts in the Prahova Valley region in the south of Romania, such as Predeal, Sinaia and Buşteni, where occupancy rates are around 80%. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, has opened today. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad. Music is the chosen theme of this 13th ice hotel built at over 2,000 metres in Făgăraş Mountains. Each of the 15 rooms has been decorated with snow and ice sculptures representing Romanian and international music stars.




    POLICE — In Romania, nearly 23,000 police, gendarmes and fire fighters are working every day throughout the Christmas holiday. Special attention will be paid to preventing public order incidents, fighting anti-social conduct, streamlining road traffic and check point transit, as well as to the management of emergency situations. Police workers and gendarmes will be present especially in crowded places like fairs, train stations, tourist resorts, as well as over 16,400 churches, where special religious services will be held. Bulgarian-speaking Romanian policemen will also be part of joint patrols with their counterparts from the neighbouring Bulgaria, in the mountain resort of Bansko, until next March, providing support and assistance to the Bulgarian police. This is the 8th winter season when such joint missions are organised in Bulgaria.




    TENNIS — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, plays today against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, no 4 WTA, in the Intercontinental World Tennis Championship finals in Thailand. On Saturday in the quarter-final, Halep defeated Britain’s Johanna Konta, 2-0, while Pliskova outplayed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, no 7 WTA. Ostapenko and Konta are playing on Sunday for the 3rd place in the competition.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 27 – September 2

    August 27 – September 2

    Top diplomatic meeting in Romania


    President Klaus Iohannis has presented the main objectives of Romanian foreign policy in a meeting with heads of diplomatic missions and general consuls abroad. He did so at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomats held this past week in Bucharest. He told the attendees that they were in the best position to support the transatlantic relationship, and emphasized the fact that Romania has to have a unified approach in relation to Russia. The challenges and threats from the east, as well as risks from the south remain the same, said the president, calling on diplomats to have a quick, responsible, and innovative involvement. The head of state also said that the same involvement is needed in terms of domestic challenges within the EU, such as the Brexit and the relaunch of the European project, saying that Romania should contribute actively to the process of reflection regarding the future of the union. Iohannis believes that Europe needs to be stronger, closer to its citizens, with a better presence worldwide:



    Klaus Iohannis: “We should stand next to those member states that act to consolidate the Union. The closer we are to this core of nations, the more we can rely on the European process of decision making, and have better opportunities for development. Europe needs to be at its best in terms of ability to adapt, in order to overcome its present challenges. The instruments of this adaptation should be designed so that development gaps between member states be avoided.



    Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that the preparation for the centennial of the Great Union, the Romanian presidency of the EU, to be taken over in 2019, the candidacy of the country for membership as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and OECD candidacy are the main aims of Romanian diplomats. He added that Romania should take on greater responsibilities in European economic diplomacy, and to better make use of its potential. He spoke of the need to diversify trade relations by engaging emerging regions, by regaining traditional markets, and opening new ones, with potential for growth.



    Changes in justice regulations spark discontent


    The recently proposed changes in the legal framework surrounding the judicial system have sparked strong reactions from various institutions, as well as street protests. The prosecutors with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate have warned that some of the proposals made by the line minister, such as putting judicial investigations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of creating a specialized structure for investigating magistrates, may affect the independence and proper functioning of relevant institutions, representing a form of pressure on investigators. Prosecutors are upset at the fact that the judiciary may become politicized, reducing the prerogatives of the NAD. Among the proposals that have sparked protests are the exclusion of the president of the country from the process of appointing the General Prosecutor and the czars of anti-corruption and organized crime directorates. PM Mihai Tudose, mindful of the visibly unfavorable reactions of experts and public opinion, promised that passing the bill would depend on the endorsement of the Higher Council of Magistracy, as well as public opinion. In the meantime, the opposition is preparing a number of actions in parliament. The Save Romania Uion announced it would file a simple censure motion against the minister of justice, and the Liberals said they were considering one as well, but that they were waiting for an opportune moment.



    Excises go up for fuel


    This autumn, excises are up for petrol and Diesel fuel, as ordered by the executive in Bucharest. In order to avoid shocks created by the price increase, the move will be in two stages, the first on September 15 and the second on October 1st. According to Finance Minister Ionut Misa, a sudden increase in prices may cause people to consume less, reducing budget revenue. Transportation companies criticized the government’s decision, saying that this paints a bleak picture for the Romanian transportation sector. They claim that even a Eurocent increase would directly affect the competitiveness of Romanian companies in road transportation.



    A new parliamentary session has started in Bucharest


    Romanian senators and deputies have returned from the summer recess. The first day of work, September 1, has been devoted to organizational matters, with debates on legislative initiatives only starting next week. Parliaments agenda includes debates on emergency ordinances on setting a maximum threshold for the special pensions, a cap of nearly 1,900 euros per month on child rearing indemnity, a 10% increase in police worker salaries and a 15% rise in the salaries of civilian personnel working with national security institutions. The draft law on compulsory immunization, the new pensions law and the laws regulating the judicial system are also to be discussed in parliament.


    (translated by: Elena Enache, Calin Cotoiu)

  • August 31, 2017

    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)

  • Reactions to proposed changes in the judiciary

    Reactions to proposed changes in the judiciary

    The National Anti-Corruption Directorate warns that some of the suggested changes to the laws regulating the judicial system, as announced by the Justice Ministry, affect the independence of the relevant institutions and might be a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors. According to the Prosecutor General of Romania, Augustin Lazar, the main reasons for the discontent expressed by the 2,500 prosecutors who have been consulted on the matter have to do with the prospective political interference in the judicial system and the expected reduction of the powers that the National Anti-Corruption Directorate has at present.



    Augustin Lazar: “One idea that we disagree with is that the judicial inspection corps should be subordinated to the Justice Ministry. Similarly, all prosecutors are strongly against setting up a special directorate to investigate magistrates.



    As far as this latter proposal goes, the Prosecutor General says it was likely made by people outside the judicial system and is designed to restrict the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. “Investigations are not conducted against specific categories of people, but against specific categories of offences, and there is no such thing as a set of offences committed by or against magistrates, Augustin Lazar pointed out.



    In turn, the prosecutors investigating organized crime have voiced reservations with respect to some of these changes. Faced with the overwhelmingly negative response of both experts and the public, PM Mihai Tudose promised that the draft law would take into account the opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates and of the street protesters, while Justice Minister Tudorel Toader promised comprehensive public debate on the bill.



    Tudorel Toader: “I will submit the bill for endorsement after everybody, from the general public to professional associations, has expressed their opinions, views and objections.



    One of the changes that have sparked fiery reactions and street protests is the by-passing of the president of the country in the nomination of the prosecutor general and of the chiefs of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism. The US Embassy in Bucharest has voiced concerns with the independence of the judiciary and says a country needs independent prosecutors, able to investigate crimes without political interference and restraints in judicial procedures.



    The leftist Government of Romania, which many suspect is trying to weaken the Anti-Corruption Directorate and to take control over the main judicial institutions, is unable to dispel these fears. Early this year, the Cabinets attempt to change the criminal codes through an emergency order brought hundreds of thousands to the street, amid suspicions that the Power was trying to help influential politicians and civil servants to get away with corruption. These days, Minister Toaders bills reinforce the notion that the Social Democratic Party has a hidden agenda in the field of the judiciary.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • A new school year kicks off in Romania

    A new school year kicks off in Romania

    More than 3 million students in Romania started a new school year on Monday, after a 3-month long summer holiday. However, not all schools are properly prepared to welcome their students, as some of them have been faced with problems such as an insufficient number of teachers, the lack of school directors and, very often, the lack of sanitary permits.



    Moreover, some of the textbooks have not reached the students yet because auctions have been contested. Most problems have been reported in the case of schools located in the rural areas. There, students attend classes in improper or improvised classrooms, with no heating, dirty walls and toilets at the back of the schoolyard. These schools do not have running water either and the furniture is very old. These problems aside, the new school year’s structure has been slightly changed as compared to 2015.



    The spokesman for the Bucharest School Inspectorate, Marian Banu, tells us more about it: “The structure of the 2016-2017 school year has suffered some changes, which are necessary in order to adjust it to the realities of the education system. Thus, there will be 35 weeks of classes. The first semester starts on September 12, 2016 and ends on February 3rd, 2017. Of course, there will be a holiday between the two semesters. The second semester starts on February 13th, 2017 and ends on June 16th 2017.”



    Also, the programme “Doing school differently” has become more flexible, in the sense that every school can choose when the five consecutive days of special activities will be held. As a first this year, students will have a statute of their own. The document will regulate the rights and obligations of the Romanian students studying in public, private and confessional schools. This is the first such statute drawn up in the past 25 years in Romania. Students’ rights have been structured into five categories, namely educational rights, association and free speech rights, social rights, rewards and other rights.



    Moreover, in the case of national exams, the stipulation according to which the final grade, after appeals, could be changed only if there was a difference of minimum 0.5 points between the initial grade and the grade received after appeal, has been removed. The Education Ministry has decided that, when calculating the grade point average for high school admission, the grade point average obtained after secondary school graduation will account for 20% as compared to 25% at present. High school admission will take place in one single computer-assisted stage, followed by another stage devoted to the analysis of special cases.