Radio România Internațional

Tag: chief

August 23, 2024 UPDATE

EU The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu discussed, on Thursday, in Brussels, with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the future European commissioner from Romania, about the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as about a new agreement on Romania’s budget deficit, which should extend over 7 years. Regarding the position of European commissioner, Marcel Ciolacu announced that he nominated Victor Negrescu, the current vice-president of the European Parliament. During the meeting, they tackled Romania’s accession to Schengen with its land borders, with the Prime Minister stressing that Ursula von der Leyen is the “biggest” supporter of this cause.

DEFENCE The Chief of the defence staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met on Thursday, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the French Republic, General Thierry Burkhard, who is on an official visit to Romania. The talks between the two focused on the regional security situation, the progress in achieving full operational capacity of the NATO Battle Group in 2025, and the responsibilities of the French structures deployed to Romania in strengthening the Allied deterrence and defence posture. General Gheorghiţă Vlad emphasised that, in the last two years, the excellent cooperation between the two armies to ensure collective defence were also reflected in the increased interoperability between structures and in the development of training and quartering infrastructure. The visit also included a meeting of the two heads of defence with troops from the NATO Battle Group, at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. France is the lead nation of the NATO Battle Group.

US ELECTION The Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination as a candidate for the US presidency, at the Democratic National Convention. She told her supporters that the country has a chance to overcome resentment, cynicism and division. Harris promised tax cuts for the middle class. As regards abortions, she accused her opponent, the former Republican President Donald Trump, of wanting to introduce a national ban. In terms of foreign policy, Harris said that dictators around the world support Trump, the BBC reports.

COMMEMORATION The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, in his message on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Fascism and Communism, says that populism and hate speech are once again present, under various forms. He argues that this is precisely why society as a whole must stay alert to the risk of all the values embraced by Romania being pushed into irrelevance. Iohannis also mentioned the crucial decision made by King Michael I, who acted with responsibility and dignity and changed the fateful course of WWII, saving the country from imminent disaster. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu reiterated the government’s firm commitment to fight all forms of extremism, and to strengthen civic engagement, by educating the youth with respect to all the landmarks in recent history.

SCHOOLS Students in secondary schools and high schools in Romania will have more rules to observe in the new academic year. School rules stipulate, among other things, that students cannot hold mobile phones during classes and provide for penalties in case of violations. School operation rules have also been amended. Novelties include conduct grades for each module, separate tests for 9^th grade admission, and a teacher in charge of EU-funded projects in each school, as well as online or hybrid classes for students in exceptional situations. On the other hand, secondary school and high school students with final grades above 9.50 will receive merits scholarships. For this academic year, the merit scholarship minimum amount is nearly EUR 90. This amount may be increased by school boards, depending on the budget earmarked by the local authorities.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse managed to reach the singles main draw of the US Open Grand Slam tournament, which starts on Monday in New York, after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines in 3 sets. Ruse will face Julia Grabher from Austria in the inaugural round. She is the third Romanian to reach the singles main draw at the US Open, after Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian entered the singles draw thanks to ranking. Cristian will play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, seeded 12, while Ana Bogdan will meet the Dutch Arantxa Rus in the first round. (AMP)

23 August 2024
November 30, 2023 UPDATE

COP28 The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis travels to Dubai on Friday, to attend the UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, with 140 heads of state expected to take part. The conference started on Thursday with the adoption of a historic decision to finance losses and damages for the countries affected by global warming. The year 2023 has been the hottest on record, with an average global temperature approx. 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels, the World Meteorological Organization announced.

DEFENCE Romanias new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus Iohannis said gen. lt. Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the Armys process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch the national defence industry, the president also said, including through industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment we need may be produced domestically. This and the high level of military training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the new security challenges, the head of state added.

RECYCLING In Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current stocks in shops are sold out.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russias war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russias unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also reiterated Romanias solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russias various pressures, as well as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.

UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in Romania was 5.4% in October, below the 6% EU average, the European Statistics Office announced. According to data released on Thursday, the Eurostat puts the number of unemployed people in the EU at nearly 13 million. The unemployment rate was 14.8% among youth, 6.4% among women and 5.8% among men. The lowest figure in October was reported in Malta – 2.5%, and the highest in Spain – 12%.

HOLIDAY On Thursday Christians celebrated St. Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube and the Carpathians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece. (AMP)

30 November 2023
November 30, 2023

DEFENCE Romania’s new Army Chief of Staff is the general lieutenant
Gheorghiţă Vlad. At the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, president Klaus
Iohannis said Vlad was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying on the
Army’s process of adapting to new challenges and of maintaining a high level of
battle training for the troops. We need more determined measures to re-launch
the national defence industry, the president also said, including though
industrial cooperation, so that a larger share of the ammunition and equipment
we need to be produced domestically. This and the high level of military
training, will ensure a strong and credible defence capacity, adapted to the
new security challenges, the head of state added.

RECYCLING In
Romania, the deposit and return scheme for beverage containers became
operational on Thursday. Romania will run the second-largest programme of this
kind in Europe, after the one in Germany, in terms of the number of containes
processed. Romanians who pay a 10-Eurocent deposit on purchasing bottled
beverages from retailers will be able to return the container to drop-off
centres organised by retailers, and will be refunded their deposits without
having to produce the receipt for the original purchase. Deposit-carrying
containers will be introduced gradually, with a transition period until current
stocks in shops are sold out.

DIPLOMACY The
Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu took part on Wednesday in an
informal dinner ahead of the OSCE ministerial council in Skopje, organised by
the rotating chairmanship holder, North Macedonia. Talks focused on Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine and the need for an efficient OSCE in times
of conflict. In her address, the Romanian diplomat emphasised the difficult
circumstances in which the Organisation operates, in the context of Russia’s
unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. She also
reiterated Romania’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, emphasising the
multi-dimensional support given to Ukraine. Luminiţa Odobescu also highlighted
the negative impact on the Republic of Moldova, the social and economic
difficulties facing Moldova as a result of Russia’s various pressures, as well
as the relevance of Moldova in the security dynamics of the region.

KISSINGER The
former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, who played a major role in shaping
the US foreign policy under presidents Nixon and Ford, died on Wednesday aged
100, the BBC announced. Kissinger was a national security adviser and a state
secretary between 1969 and 1977, during which the US ended its involvement in
the Vietnam War, opened its relations with China and saw the end of hostilities
in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East. He won the Nobel
Peace Prize, although his opponents claiming his role in bombing Cambodia and Laos
amounted to war crime. He pioneered the concept of Realpolitik, which values
pragmatism in international relations, the BBC also said.

HOLIDAY Christians
celebrate today Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Romania. Historical records
indicate that Saint Andrew preached in Scythia, in the north and west of the
Black Sea, including present-day Dobrudja, where he ordained priests and
bishops who took the word of Christ to the Dacian population between the Danube
and the Carpatians. As such, he is recognised as the patron saint of Romania. He
was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Patras, in Greece.

ISRAEL An attack
by 2 Palestinians in western Jerusalem at rush hour killed 3 people and wounded
7 others, 4 of whom are in a serious condition. The attack took place as the
truce between Israel and Hamas was renewed for the 7th consecutive
day, in order to carry on the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian
prisoners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, the attackers were
identified as Hamas supporters and had been formerly imprisoned in Israel. As
for the new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the revised list of hostages to
be freed only includes 8 children. Hamas explained that this was because of the
2 Israelis with dual, Russian and Italian citizenship, who were released
yesterday in a show of goodwill towards the Russian president Vladimir Putin. (AMP)

30 November 2023
August 29, 2023 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis says that Romania wants to see an increased American
presence in the region at all levels, military, economic, political as well as in
the field of energy. The Romanian official delivered a speech on Tuesday at the
meeting, which brought together heads of diplomatic missions, consulates and
directors of Romania’s cultural institutions. The development and deepening of
our Strategic Partnership with the United States represents a pillar whose
relevance has been reconfirmed and consolidated. We are profoundly committed to
maintaining and strengthening the transatlantic relationship, the president
went on to say adding that Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area, Schengen,
remains a priority for the coming period. Bucharest is these days hosting the
Annual Meeting of the Romanian Diplomacy, under the suggestive motto ‘A firm
foreign policy of Romania’s: managing challenges and making the most of opportunities’.
The special guests of Romania’s Foreign Minister,
Luminita Odobescu, are her counterparts from Chile, Alberto van Klaveren Stork
and Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis. Against the background of Russia’s war
of aggression in Ukraine, the event is focusing on the need for stepping up
diplomatic dialogue and social-economic efforts with a view to strengthening
the security architecture and the rule-based international order.

POLICE The
Romanian Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, has announced that the new
interim head of the Constanţa Police Inspectorate (IPJ) is Chief Commissioner
Mădălina Sorina Vlangăr. She has replaced Chief Constantin Glugă, who announced
his resignation following the investigation into the accident on May 2, in
which a 19-year-old drugged driver killed two young people and injured another
three. According to the minister, the entire organizational structure at IPJ
Constanta will be rethought and adapted to the extent of the criminal
phenomenon specific to this county and a new transitional managerial team will
ensure the operation of the system until the new organization comes into
operation. The control body of the Minister of the Interior proposes the
initiation of a preliminary investigation of the head of the Constanta County
Police Inspectorate, as well as of other officers involved in the faulty
management of the May 2 case. Cătălin Predoiu has announced that IPJ Constanţa
will be completely reorganized, and that is where the reformation of the entire
Romanian police apparatus will start.

TALKS The
Romanian ministers of Finance, Labour and European Funds held talks in Brussels
with the technical teams of the European Commission on issues related to the
National Plan of Recovery and Resilience and the future law of special
pensions. The Romanian authorities want to convince Brussels to accept a budget
deficit of up to 5.5% instead of the previously assumed 4.4%. The one percent
difference, the ministers say, comes from unplanned additional expenses owing
to the war in Ukraine. Romania has spent 0.5% more from the GDP on defence-related
issues and has incurred losses because of the imports of cheap Ukrainian grain.
Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels recalls that Romania is the only
country with an infringement procedure opened against it on budget deficit,
which has been suspended due to the crisis.

F-16 Romania’s Minister
of Defence, Angel Tilvar, on Tuesday signed the letter of intent with the
Netherlands and the US company Lockheed Martin on setting up the F-16 training
center for Ukrainian pilots in Romania. According to the Romanian Defence
Ministry, the Dutch Royal Forces will deploy several F-16 jet fighters to the
86 Airbase in Romania while Lockheed Martin, which produces this aircraft, will
ensure the technical support consisting of flight instructors and engineers. By
setting up this centre, Romania joins the other NATO allies in the process of training
the Ukrainian pilots allowing them to use these planes in the future. Minister Tilvar
is presently in Toledo, Spain, to attend the informal meeting of the EU defence
ministers.

(bill)

29 August 2023
Nominations for chief prosecutors

Romanias main prosecutors offices, the General Prosecutors Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, have too long been headed by interim chiefs. This happens at a time when the administrative and legislative problems in the judiciary have piled up and threaten to disrupt the activity of the judicial system. But these provisional terms are about to come to an end. The new Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu announced on Tuesday the proposals for the new prosecutors office chiefs.

Gabriela Scutea is nominated for chief prosecutor of the Prosecutors Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. According to Minister Predoiu, she had the most substantial professional record and the best performance of all candidates. She has proved to be knowledgeable, farsighted, strong and a good professional, and her plan for the organisation of the office was the best of those presented so far, covering both the administrative side and internal organisation of the Public Ministry, and the representation side, Predoiu emphasised. The length of investigations into economic and financial cases and the deadlock in the Directorate for Criminal Investigations within the Romanian Police are the main weaknesses identified by Gabriela Scutea.

Nominated for chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate is Crin Bologa, a prosecutor that the Justice Minister has described as a guarantor that the fight against corruption will be carried on vigorously, while also in full compliance with civil and judicial rights and guarantees. Crin Bologa must honour the legacy of the most successful of the former chiefs of prosecutors offices, Laura Codruta Kovesi, whose outstanding performance has secured her the European Public Prosecutor post, in spite of the sabotage of the Social Democratic Party in power at that time.

Last but not least, Catalin Predoiu announced that Giorgiana Hosu is the nomination for chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT. Predoiu highlighted that the work of DIICOT mainly consists in cross-border investigations and inter-institutional and international cooperation, and Giorgiana Hosu is in the best position to handle this aspect. She came up with a comprehensive organisation plan and a balanced performance, supported by all-encompassing knowledge of the problems and activities of DIICOT, Predoiu argued.

The Ministers nominations require the advisory opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates, and President Klaus Iohannis will sign the appointments. Like many other competent and honest prosecutors, the ones nominated for these top positions see the division investigating crimes in the judiciary, established by the Social Democratic Party while in power, as an offence to all magistrates, or, even worse, as an instrument to intimidate them. This is precisely why the Liberal Government is considering the option of dismantling this division.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

22 January 2020
Decisions of the Supreme Defence Council

The Supreme Defence Council convened on Wednesday for its first meeting attended by the members of the new Cabinet headed by PM Ludovic Orban. The members approved the appointment of Lieutenant Gen. Daniel Petrescu as Chief of the Defence Staff, replacing Gen. Nicolae Ciuca, who stepped down after being appointed defence minister. “He is a well-known, respected, eminent army man, President Iohannis said about the new Chief of Staff. He also emphasised that Daniel Petrescus professional background includes tactical, operational and strategic positions in the Romanian Land Forces, under NATO command, and participation in missions in the theatres of operations in Angola, Albania, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Supreme Defence Council also decided on Wednesday to strengthen Romanias participation in missions abroad in 2020. The number of Defence Ministry employees will be increased by over 200, to exceed 2,100 civilian and military staff, of whom over 800 will continue to take part in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Another over 790 troops and police officers from the Interior Ministry will also be deployed in international missions.

Klaus Iohannis: “This impressive number from both the Defence and the Interior Ministry proves that Romania takes very seriously its mission to provide security, to export security to regions where this is a goal still to be attained. We take part in many missions, and our military are highly appreciated everywhere they go.

The head of state also emphasised that the Supreme Defence Council members discussed public procurement for the Army:

Klaus Iohannis: “We discussed the purchase of 6 more F16 aircraft. The Government presented the Defence Council with a draft law that has been approved, but I remind you that purchases in excess of 100 million euros also require the endorsement of Parliament.

The Council also analysed and approved a bill concerning adjustments in the state budget with respect to the institutions in the national defence and security field for 2019. In addition, Romanias objectives for the NATO leaders meeting due on December 3 and 4 in London have been approved. In this meeting, the head of state Klaus Iohannis will insist on the importance of the Black Sea region for the eastern flank, and will reassure the Allies that Romania will continue to earmark 2% of its GDP to the defence sector. The meeting in London takes place in the context of NATOs 70th anniversary, and is aimed at reconfirming the unity of the Allies and the strength of the trans-Atlantic relation.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 November 2019
July 20, 2019 UPDATE

PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.

VISIT The Romanian State Secretary Maria Magdalena Grigore had bilateral meetings with high-ranking UN officials, during a visit she is making to the USA. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the topics included means to meet sustainable development goals, transport connectivity, the cooperation between Romania and the UN Development Programme, Romanias contribution to peacekeeping missions, international humanitarian assistance and economic developments in the world. Maria Grigore emphasised the importance of the UN in the current world context, and mentioned the progress made by Romania as an emerging donor, both in the field of official development assistance and of humanitarian aid.

INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.

FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.

HOLIDAY In a military and religious ceremony held in Bucharest on Romanian Aviation Day, celebrated every year on 20th of July, the Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Les thanked the Romanian military and civil aviators for their devotion and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. On the same day, Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces. Nearly 130,000 Romanians also celebrated their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.

PHYSICS Romanias team, made up of 4 students from Bucharest, Iaşi (north-east), Timişoara (west) and Baia Mare (north), won 3 gold medals and a silver medal in the first edition of the Balkan Physics Olympiad, held in Thessaloniki, Greece between July 14th and 18th, the National Education Ministry announced. Taking part were secondary school and high school students aged 16 or under at the time of the competition. Eleven countries attended this first edition of the Olympiad.

YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 July 2019
October 8, 2018 UPDATE

REFERENDUM – 21.10% of the Romanian eligible voters took part in the referendum for rephrasing the constitutional definition of family as being based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than of “spouses, as it is at present. According to final data provided by the Central Election Bureau, the voter turnout in the 2 days of the vote, Saturday and Sunday, was below the validation threshold. To be validated, the referendum needed a minimum 30% turnout. Out of the participants in the referendum, some 91.5% voted in favour of changing the Constitution article, and only 6.5% voted against. The bill revising the Constitution was passed in Parliament and was based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. On the other hand, the minister delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu announced that a bill regulating civil partnership will be tabled to Parliament next week. The bill is finalized, and it has been discussed with partners in political parties and civil society, Negrescu said.

INTERVIEW – The Prosecutor Department of the Higher Magistracy Council in Romania Monday issued a negative opinion on Adina Florea, nominated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, for the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The Councils opinion is consultative, and the appointment decision must be made by President Klaus Iohannis. In the project with which she applied for the post, Adina Florea says that, apart from the good things, the activity of anti-corruption prosecutors in recent years also comprised deviations from the requirements of the rule of law. The office of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate has been vacant since July, when Laura Codruţa Kovesi was removed from office by President Klaus Iohannis, who was forced to implement a Constitutional Court ruling. In this respect as well, the Higher Council of Magistracy issued a negative consultative report.

MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies Monday debated a simple motion filed by the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against Economy Minister Danut Andrusca. The Liberals accuse Andrusca of deliberately destabilizing the country’s economy. According to the motion text, “industrial activity failed nearly to zero in August, the lowest level since February, economic growth is offset by inflation and managers expectations for the next 6 months remain pessimistic. Meanwhile, Liberal Deputies also filed on Monday a simple motion against the Culture Minister George Ivascu, whom they accuse of being unable to coordinate the historical celebration of December 1, when Romania marks the Union Centennial.

HEARING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice Monday postponed for November 5th the first hearing in the appeal filed by Social-Democrat leader and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison sentence from the court of first instance. In June, the court handed Dragnea this sentence for instigation to abuse of office. Anticorruption prosecutors say Liviu Dragnea ordered the fictitious employment of two party members at the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate. The two were paid with taxpayer money, although they allegedly worked exclusively for the Social-Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea denied the accusations. In 2016, Dragnea was handed a suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted election fraud. This summer the High Court cancelled the ruling to suspend the prison sentence. Dragnea is also prosecuted for abuse of office in 2 other cases, one of them re-opened last week, further to reports coming from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

JUDICIARY – The Romanian Supreme Court postponed for November 5 an appeal filed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate against the acquittal of constitutional court judge Toni Grebla. In May, a Constitutional Court 3-judge panel dismissed the charges against Grebla, who had been indicted in 2015 for influence peddling, forgery, financial operations incompatible with his office, and setting up an organised crime group. In a government re-shuffling announced for October, Toni Greblă might become a secretary general of the Government. The president of the Social Democratic Party in power, Liviu Dragnea, proposed Grebla for this office in a late September meeting of the partys National Executive Committee.

EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS – The 2018 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities started in Brussels on Monday, in the presence of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, the head of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertsz and European Parliament vice-president, Pavel Telicka. This year’s edition is a special one, devoted to the European Commission’s cohesion policy proposal for 2021-2027. Decision-makers and local, regional, national and European experts will take part in a series of debates as part of the most important event devoted to cohesion policies at European level.

NOBEL – The Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded this year to the Americans William Nordhaus and Paul Romer, for integrating climate change and technological innovation into long-run macroeconomic analysis. The Nobel in economics was introduced in 1968 by Swedens Central Bank and was first granted in 1969. Unlike the other Nobel prizes, which are funded by the Nobel Foundation, this award is financed by the Central Bank of Sweden. The 2018 Nobel season has concluded with the award of this last prize.

INTERPOL – The Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, is probed into for bribe taking and other alleged offences, Chinas Ministry of State Security announced on Monday. Beijing confirmed that Meng Hongwei, who is also the deputy Minister for State Security in China, has resigned as Interpol chief. Meng Hongwei, 64, was announced missing last week, while on a trip to his home country. The Interpol will elect a new president at the General Assembly scheduled for next week in Dubai.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

8 October 2018
October 6, 2018

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – The European Parliament has approved a report proposing new rules for freezing and confiscating the proceeds of crimes. The new regulation will allow for quicker and more efficient implementation of confiscation and asset freeze orders, as well as tighter deadlines for authorities and standard certificates for all EU member states. Experts estimate that offenders keep 98% of the proceeds of criminal activities. The EP report estimates that criminal activities generate around 110 billion euros per year. A 2016 EUROPOL report shows that only 2.2% of the money generated by criminal activities has been frozen or confiscated. At present, cross-border asset confiscation within the EU is regulated by several regulations containing major loopholes that criminals and terrorists take advantage of.

REFERENDUM – Nearly 19 million Romanian voters are invited today and tomorrow to vote on a proposed redefinition of the concept of family in the Constitution. The initiators aim to define “family as an institution based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than the marriage of spouses, as it is at present. According to data released by the Central Electoral Bureau, in the first 3 hours of the vote 0.97% of the total eligible voters showed up in polls. 100,860 votes were reported in towns and cities and 77,081 in communities. According to the Bureau, 0.85% of the voters registered in Bucharest have cast their ballots, while 3,346 Romanian citizens have voted abroad. Parliament has passed a bill rephrasing the Constitutional definition of marriage, based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. The referendum sparked fiery debates between the initiators, a Christian coalition primarily supported by the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the promoters of sexual minority rights. The Romanians living abroad can vote in 378 polls hosted by diplomatic missions, consular offices, cultural institutes and other locations. The largest number of polls abroad will be in Italy, Spain, the Republic of Moldova, the USA, UK, France and Germany. The vote in the diaspora started on Friday night in Auckland, New Zealand. On the whole, the vote abroad will take 58 hours. The voting process abroad will conclude on the US West Coast and in Canada on Monday morning, according to Romanian time. The referendum will be validated provided that a 30% turnout rate is met and 25% of the eligible voters cast valid votes.

SOPRANO – World-famous Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé died on Saturday at the age of 85, in a hospital in Barcelona where she had been admitted a month ago, the BBC reports. With a career spanning 50 years, Montserrat Caballé performed on some of the worlds greatest stages, alongside such personalities as Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Together with Freddie Mercury she sang the hit Barcelona, which was the anthem of the 1992 Olympics hosted by the Spanish city.

INTERPOL – French police are investigating the disappearance of the Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, the French Interior Ministry told Reuters on Friday. Mengs wife reported him missing at the headquarters of the international police organisation in Lyon, because she had not heard from him since September 25. The Interpol chiefs wife and 3 children are under police protection, after they received threats over the telephone and social media, the French Interior Ministry also said. Meng, 64, was appointed head of the Interpol in 2016. He went missing during a visit to China.

FINANCIAL – The Romanian Ministry for Finances has recently drawn 1.75 billion euros, through a Eurobond issue in international financial markets. The largest part of the bonds, amounting to 1.15 billion euros, has a 10-year maturity, and the remaining have 20-year maturity. According to Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, the issue clearly reflects the positive international perception of the Romanian economys medium and long-term prospects. The strong demand and the quality of the investors confirm Romanias strengths, namely the sound macroeconomic foundation, coherent fiscal discipline and economic-financial stability. Teodorovici added that the Eurobond issue is designed to strengthen the State Treasurys foreign currency reserve and to minimise long term borrowing costs.

HANDBALL – The Romanian side AHC Dobrogea Sud Constanţa is playing today against Talent Robstav MAT Plzen, of the Czech Republic, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the EHF Cup in mens handball. Yesterday, Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated at home, 36-31, the Hungarian team FTC Rail Cargo, in Group D of the new Champions League season. It is for the 4th consecutive time that CSM takes part in the leading continental competition. The first time, in 2016, the Romanian handballers won the Champions League trophy, and in the following editions they came out 3rd in the Final Four.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

6 October 2018
September 5, 2018

CONSULTATIONS – President Klaus Iohannis has invited the PM Viorica Dancila to consultations on Thursday concerning the forthcoming state budget adjustment. The invitation comes after on Tuesday the head of state suspended the meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on this topic and explained that an agreement had not been reached with the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The President criticised the cuts in the budgets of the intelligence services. In response, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici says the Presidents decision will obstruct the payment of salaries, investments and compensations for the African swine fever cases.

PARLIAMENT – The Chamber of Deputies Wednesday rejected a request by the right-wing Opposition to set up 2 inquiry committees, one on the Governments handling of the African swine fever crisis, and another one on the intervention of riot police at the anti-government protests in Bucharest on August 10th. The authors of the request said they wanted to identify the causes for the quick spreading of the disease in Romania and to find out whether certain public institutions were involved in activities beyond their legally defined powers. At present swine fever outbreaks are reported in 11 counties in Romania, triggering the culling of over 140,000 pigs and spreading further, in spite of the measures taken by authorities. On Tuesday the Senates defence committee cancelled the hearings on this topic, at the request of the Social Democratic Party in power. Scheduled to be heard in Parliament were the Interior Minister, Carmen Dan, the coordinator of the gendarme intervention Laurenţiu Cazan, and the Prefect of Bucharest, Speranţa Cliseru. So far 770 people affected by the brutal police intervention during the protests have filed criminal complaints.

ANTI-CORRUPTION – A nomination for the new chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate will be announced on Thursday, said the Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. On Tuesday he interviewed the last 3 candidates for the post, after the interviews of another 3 candidates on Monday. The Justice Minister is to send his proposal to the Higher Council of Magistracy, which is to communicate an official opinion on the candidate, and then the nomination is to be approved by President Klaus Iohannis. The former chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, was dismissed in July, under a presidential order imposed by the Constitutional Court of Romania. The dismissal had been requested by the Justice Minister, further to a report that had not been approved by the Higher Council of Magistracy.

SPORTS MINISTER – The Romanian media hail the appointment of Romanian-born swimmer Roxana Mărăcineanu as the new sports minister in France. She has been living in France since 1984, when her parents fled communist Romania. Aged 43, the athlete born in Bucharest won a silver medal at the 200-m backstroke event of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, when the Romanian Diana Mocanu won the gold. “I felt it was my anthem as well, she said after hearing the Romanian national anthem played at the award ceremony. Two years before, Roxana Maracineanu had won the first world champion title for France, and in 1999 she had won the European swimming championship.

FESTIVAL – Over 100 artists, representing the music and culture of some 70 countries, are taking part in World Experience Festival, held these days in Bucharest. The main theme of the event is World Music, promoted through concerts and workshops such as the ones focusing on Irish dances, the tea ceremony or the kimono dressing ceremony. Music instruments from 30 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and so on are also presented. The main stage of the festival is located in one of Bucharests parks.

FORUM – The International Economic Forum carries on in the Polish town of Krynica. Romania is represented by some 50 politicians, analysts and business people. Participants from 60 countries in Europe, Asia and North America are looking at the prospects of world economy, and discuss topics such as the future of Europe, the energy field, international cooperation between EU member countries, the state of the European agriculture, as well as continental security. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, special attention will also be paid to the Black Sea region, where security has been vulnerable since 2014, when Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football team carries on its preparations for the first game in the newly created League of Nations, which it is to play on home turf in Ploiesti against Montenegro on Friday night. On Monday the national team will play against neighbouring Serbia in Belgrade, and in October they will take on Lithuania, also away from home, in Group 4 of the competition. The results in the League of Nations are counting towards the preliminaries of the 2020 European Championship.

(translated by Ana-Maria Popescu)

5 September 2018
The Week in Review (18-24 February)

Justice Minister formally asks for the dismissal of the anti-corruption directorates chief prosecutor

The decision of Romanias Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to formally ask for the dismissal of the National Anti-Corruption Directorates chief prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has sparked fresh protests throughout the country, with thousands of Romanians taking to the streets shortly after Minister Toaders announcement. In a news conference on Thursday evening, the Justice Minister presented the findings of a report on the activity of the DNAs leadership, in which chief prosecutor Kovesi is being criticised.

Tudorel Toader accuses Laura Codruta Kovesi of “acts and deeds that are intolerable in a rule of law, such as serious violation of duty, putting pressure on the government and other institutions, postponing sentences in a number of cases, not checking the professional activity and behaviour of certain prosecutors, as well as certain public statements, to name but a few. At the same time, Minister Toader accuses the chief-prosecutor of having breached the constitution and the separation of powers principle.

Tudorel Toader: “The National Anti-Corruption Directorate does not identify itself with its chief-prosecutor, whose actions in the past year have proven likely to endanger the very institution that she leads, by having an excessively authoritarian and discretionary behaviour, defying Parliaments authority and the Governments role and attributions and contesting the Constitutional Courts decisions and authority.

Once the procedure is initiated, the chief prosecutors dismissal cannot be done without the head of states approval, after the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) gives advice on the request submitted by the Minister of Justice.

President Klaus Iohannis however, maintains his support for the DNAs activity and its leadership, according to a release by the presidency soon after the proposal for dismissal was made public. President Iohannis believes that the Justice Ministers presentation of the report is lacking in clarity, for which reason the report will be thoroughly analysed by the Presidential Administrations departments. The presidential release also says that the head of state will make use of all his constitutional prerogatives to ensure the functioning of an independent justice system and the consolidation of the rule of law.

Romanias Prosecutor-General Augustin Lazar has said that there is no legal reason for the dismissal of the DNAs chief prosecutor. On the political stage, the reactions to Minister Toaders announcement were very prompt. The ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) sees the Justice Ministers request as grounded and well documented. On the other hand, the National Liberal Party, the main opposition party, sees the request as ungrounded, made under the pressure of influential people who have problems with the law.

The Romanian PM travels to Brussels

Having paid this week her first official visit to Brussels since being appointed prime minister, the former MEP Viorica Dancila discussed with the European officials about Romanias holding the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019, financial aspects and the countrys joining the Schengen area. The European Commission President, Jean Claude Junker has said, on this occasion, that there is no reason for Romania not to join the Schengen area. Junker has also voiced hope that the Bucharest Government will make efforts for the countrys judicial system to work. In his opinion, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in place for Bulgaria and Romania should be lifted before the mandate of the current Commission ends.

The Romanian PM also held talks in Brussels with the European Council President Donald Tusk and the head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The latter urged the Romanian Government to continue the battle against corruption and for the consolidation of the rule of law.

Viorica Dancila: “I believe that good cooperation is beneficial for Europe and for Romania. I will go before the European Parliament to talk about the future of Europe, which Romania must be an active part of, given the countrys taking over the EU Council presidency and the challenges lying ahead.

The slow absorption of European funds is another topic tackled by PM Dancila at a meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu. Commissioner Cretu has again warned the Bucharest authorities over the fact that procedures for using European money must be sped up and simplified.

The opposition files no-confidence motion against the Labour Minister

The simple motion filed against the Social Democrat Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu was rejected on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies. Its signatories, 60 Liberal MPs, accuse the ruling coalition of disrupting the fiscal and social systems and creating serious imbalances between the public and private systems, following the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees starting January 1st, 2018. Following the implementation of this measure, the incomes of around 2 million Romanians have gone down. At the debates in the Chamber of Deputies, Minister Olguta Vasilescu has said that salaries cannot decrease if employers act in good faith.

(translated by: Elena Enache)

24 February 2018