Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ciolacu

  • March 5, 2025 UPDATE 2

    March 5, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Defense – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu welcomed the proposals launched by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the excessive deficit procedure, a solution for which Romania has constantly advocated, he said. In a message posted on Facebook, the prime minister also stated that Romania supports the allocation of additional funds for weaponry, provided that the money reaches Romanian factories. He also specified that Bucharest remains on the same coordinates so far, namely in favor of increasing the defense spending and against sending Romanian troops to Ukraine. The President of the European Commission proposed the creation of a new “ReArm Europe” plan, which could mobilize almost 800 billion Euros for defense investments in the European Union and for military aid for Ukraine invaded by the Russian army.

     

    Russia – The air and naval military attaché of the Russian Federation in Bucharest and his deputy have been declared persons not welcome (personae non gratae) on the territory of Romania. The decision of the Romanian authorities was communicated on Wednesday to the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry headquarters. The institution specifies that the two military diplomats were sanctioned for carrying out activities that run counter to the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961. Recently, the name of the deputy Russian military attaché, Evgheni Ignatiev, appeared in the criminal file of the former presidential candidate, the pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu. Prosecutors claim that people around Georgescu are in contact with Russian military attaches, suspected of being agents of the military intelligence service in Moscow. On Wednesday, Calin Georgescu’s complaint against the judicial control measure was heard in Bucharest, in the file in which he is being investigated for six crimes, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order. According to him, a decision is expected on Thursday. He was placed under judicial control by prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office last Wednesday for 60 days.

     

    Travel Fair – Romania’s tourist offers are promoted over March 4-6 at the Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB Berlin), the world’s largest travel trade fair. Germany, Romania’s number one trade partner, is also the largest market for Romanian tourism, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan says. Last year, Romania reported a 10% increase in the number of German tourists, totaling some 240 thousand. At the ITB Berlin, Romania is promoted by means of cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, holidays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, rural tourism and city breaks. One of the top attractions this year is also the “George Enescu” International Festival. The 27th edition will be held over August 24 – September 21 in Bucharest, bringing together 4,000 musicians, reputed orchestras, conductors and soloists which are bound to turn Bucharest into the capital of classical music.

     

    EU funds – Romania has received over 100 billion Euros worth of European funds since its accession to the European Union in 2007, said, Wednesday, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş. According to the official, Romania is no longer an economic periphery, but a country that is quickly catching up, surpassing Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of the GDP per capita, an essential indicator of the standard of living. Minister Boloş recalled that the European funds received are found in the infrastructure, almost 900 km of motorways and expressways having been built in the last two decades, are also found in the expansion of the sewage network, in grants granted to companies to develop, in thousands of renovated, equipped or expanded schools and hospitals or in the creation of new stable jobs. The reality is that the EU has been and remains Romania’s partner in development, Marcel Boloş concluded.

     

    EU – The citizens of European Union member states, including Romanians, can apply, as of Wednesday, to obtain the electronic travel authorization required from April 2 to enter the United Kingdom or to transit this country on the way to another destination. Requests must be sent on the official UK ETA application. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the electronic visa will be valid for two years and can be used for multiple trips to the United Kingdom throughout this period. ETA costs 10 pounds, around 60 lei, for all age categories, including minors. The fee will be paid at the time of application, and the money will not be refunded in case of refusal, the Bucharest diplomacy also specifies.

     

    Transparency International – The global picture regarding the corruption perception index has deteriorated in the last 12 years, shows a study published on Wednesday by Transparency International. In the European Union, the average score decreased by two points in 2024 compared to the previous year. Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Slovakia and Hungary recorded negative trends. Other member states, such as Romania, stagnated below the Union average. Romania is on 65th place out of the 180 included in the study, on the same level as Montenegro, Kuwait and Malta. Among the recommendations of the Transparency International organization for Romania is the increase in awareness regarding the law that protects whistleblowers in the public interest, especially in areas such as public procurement, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, environmental protection and public health.

     

    Football – Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday will take on Olympique Lyon of France at home in the round of 16 of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled for March 13 in France. The Bucharest club advanced to the round of 16 of Europa League after a two-leg win over PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu.

     

    Investigation – The Florida Attorney General’s Office is officially investigating the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, after the two arrived in Florida last week, dpa reports. The Tate brothers are also being investigated in Romania for human trafficking and exploitation of young women. They were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were initially subject to a ban on leaving the country. However, Romanian authorities eventually allowed them to leave, and the two went to Florida. According to the German news agency, their release is rumored to have been brokered by the Trump administration, but the White House leader has denied any involvement. Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer, has become a symbol of online misogyny in recent years, along with his brother Tristan. Romanian prosecutors accuse the two of coercing women to produce commercial videos with sexually explicit content. Investigations have revealed at least 34 alleged victims, including a 15-year-old girl. Both brothers deny any wrongdoing. (LS)

  • Restructuring in state institutions

    Restructuring in state institutions

    The biggest cut in operating expenses in the history of the Government is starting, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced in Bucharest. In the government meeting he showed that several public institutions will be merged or abolished, with the personnel scheme being reduced, including the posts of state secretaries. Approximately 1,800 positions of civil servants and contractual employees from 32 institutions under the subordination and coordination of the Executive will be abolished, stated Prime Minister Ciolacu, explaining that this signal had been expected both by the public opinion and especially by the business environment.

     

    Marcel Ciolacu: “We are abolishing and merging authorities and institutions. We are reducing the number of employees and cutting official positions. In total, we are talking about a massive cut in posts of 13.5%.”

     

    Regarding those institutions that have an organizational chart approved by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), the head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, Radu Oprea, explained that government decisions will follow for the approval of the organizational charts, for their organization and functioning. Regarding the vacant positions, he added, they intend to release those who are subject to the decision of the High Court of Cassation and Justice by which the cumulation of the pension with the salary is prohibited. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s announcement to reduce the number of posts in government institutions comes after he asked the ministers, in the January 10 government meeting, to come up with proposals to restructure positions in the administration and in the state companies. The staff reduction proposals, which Prime Minister Ciolacu declared to be a priority, are part of the 2025 budget calculations.

     

    Similar measures were taken by Parliament. The Chamber of Deputies voted, at the beginning of February, to reduce the number of posts by 240, and the Senate decided to abolish 178. According to experts, however, it is not clear what the impact of the restructuring will be on public spending. The number of positions occupied in public institutions and authorities in Romania was, in January, 1.3 million. In 2020, 1.25 million people were employed by the State, in 2021 – 1.26 million, in 2022 – 1.28 million, and in 2023 – 1.29 million. For a good part of these years, employment in the state institutions was blocked, employment being made only through derogations issued by the ministers and the prime minister. Let’s also remember that, at the end of last year, the Government headed by Marcel Ciolacu adopted an ordinance by which the salaries of state employees and public pensions were frozen. Also, with a view to making budget savings, the tax facilities in the IT, construction and agriculture fields were also eliminated, the taxation ceiling for micro-enterprises was reduced by half and the tax on dividends was increased to 10%. (LS)

  • February 12, 2025

    February 12, 2025

    Ceremony – Romania’s outgoing president, Klaus Iohannis, ended his mandate on Wednesday at noon in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Bucharest after impeachment pressure over cancelled presidential vote. He had already announced his resignation on Monday. The two mandates to which Klaus Iohannis was entitled should have ended on December 21 last year, but he remained in office after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential election due to suspicions regarding interference of state actors. Dissatisfied with the decision of the constitutional court judges, tens of thousands of Romanians protested in the streets. Political analysts believe that, with the resignation of Klaus Iohannis, the tensions in society accumulated in the last months will decrease. A 65-year-old ethnic German, former physics teacher and former mayor of the city of Sibiu (center), Klaus Iohannis leaves the presidency with an extremely low popularity rating. The interim president is, as of Wednesday, the speaker of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan, who previously self-suspended from the position of speaker of the Senate and president of the National Liberal Party (PNL). He will be interim president until May, when the presidential election is scheduled on the 4th and 18th respectively. He will have almost all the prerogatives of the head of state, with a few exceptions: he will not have the right to address Parliament, dissolve Parliament and organize a referendum.

     

    PNRR – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today chairing the meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Coordination of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which will also be attended by the head of the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Task Force SG RECOVER, Celine Gauer. The two met on Tuesday, when Prime Minister Ciolacu stated that the Government will continue implementing the reforms and investments assumed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) at a pace that will be accelerated at the level of each ministry. The PM also emphasized that the digitization measures taken by National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) improve the collection of public revenues, and the results will be felt in the coming years. At the same time, the reform of the central administration and the other solutions to reduce personnel expenses will lead to a more rigorous control of public resources and to a budget deficit target of 7% of the Gross Domestic Product in 2025, the prime minister added.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champions, FCSB (Bucharest), play, on Thursday, against the Greek champions, PAOK Thessaloniki, a team coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, in the first leg of the play-off for qualification for the Europa League round of 16. The return match will take place in Bucharest, on February 20. PAOK and FCSB faced each other this season also in the main phase of the competition, and the Romanian champions won the match in Thessaloniki with the score of 1-0. FCSB finished the main stage in 11th place and PAOK in 22nd. The first eight teams qualified directly for the round of 16, and the teams in positions 9-24 will play a double-leg play-off for access to the round of 16.

     

    AI – The European Union will invest 200 billion Euros in artificial intelligence projects – the head of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen, announced in Paris. Attending the international meeting in the French capital dedicated to this sector, the president of the European Commission also spoke about a public-private partnership for mobilizing the capital necessary to develop the new technologies. The Minister of Economy and Digitalization in the Romanian government, Bogdan Ivan, also attended the meeting, and said that Romania was ready to play its role in the projects that will define the future. ‘Romania has a lot of specialists and well-trained companies in the field, and last year it adopted a Strategy for Artificial Intelligence that makes it interoperable from the point of view of research with the most developed states in the world’ minister Ivan also told Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris.

     

    Corruption – For the third year in a row Romania is among the EU countries with the ‘poorest’ results in combating corruption, obtaining a score of 46 points on a par with Malta, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, published by the non-governmental organization Transparency International. Denmark (90 p.) leads the ranking, while on the last places are countries such as Somalia (9 p.), Venezuela (10 p.) and Syria (12 p.).  The CPI reflects how independent and business experts perceive corruption in the public sector in 180 states and territories. (LS)

  • The Romanian Parliament adopted the 2025 budget

    The Romanian Parliament adopted the 2025 budget

    At the end of marathon debates, which lasted more than eight hours, the plenum of Romania’s Parliament adopted, on Wednesday evening, the state budget and social insurance bills for 2025. The vote came after many tense episodes, which occurred against the backdrop of the rejection by the majority coalition government (PSD-PNL-UDMR) of almost all of the several thousand amendments submitted by the opposition. The budget is based on an economic growth rate of 2.5% and a budget deficit of 7% of the GDP. The finance minister, Tanczos Barna, emphasized that the state budget for 2025 is a moderate one, a budget that is based on a prudent increase in revenues, without exaggerations. As for the state social insurance budget law, it provides primarily for pension payments, the relevant minister emphasized. ‘Regardless of who will be in the government and the finance ministry in three, four, five years, Romania’s commitment to the European Commission should be respected. Step by step, we must reduce the budget deficit, we must at the same time preserve investments. Investments are the engine of the economy, and investments are also preserved in this budget’, said Tanczos Barna.

     

    The budget for 2025 will allow the continuation of the country’s development process, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also showed, who specified that the funds for the health ministry increased by over 30%, the amounts allocated for highways and railways by 20%, and the budget for education by almost 10%.

     

    Marcel Ciolacu: “We’ll not touch the Romanians’ incomes in payment, or the pensions, which last year were increase by an average of 40%, or the salaries, where there was an annual increase of almost 25%, we do not increase the VAT and we do not need IMF money. We have in this budget the largest allocation of resources from European funding since our accession to the European Union.”

     

    From the opposition, the Save Romania Union (USR) MPs and those of the sovereigntist parties (AUR, S.O.S. Romania and POT) criticized the lack of predictability, the overestimation of revenues, the indebtedness of Romanians through the measures provided and the elimination of some fiscal facilities.

     

    USR deputy Claudiu Năsui explains: “The same lies, the same inflated incomes just to justify higher expenses. Because the income part only interests you to justify these expenses that you make year after year, and that you say you want to reduce. This budget hides the same lie of Marcel Ciolacu, exposed year after year.”

     

    Eventually, the two laws were sent to the president for promulgation in the forms proposed by the Government, with very minor changes. (LS)

  • February 3, 2025

    February 3, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    DEFENSE – Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own defense in order to strengthen our strategic resilience, President Klaus Iohannis has said. The Romanian head of state is participating in an informal meeting of EU leaders on defense issues, held in Brussels today. The talks focus on military capabilities and the European defense industry. President Iohannis mentioned in this respect the need for adequate financing, regarded not only as an allocation of more money, but also as an efficient use of the instruments we already have. Regarding defense, the Romanian president emphasized the need for complementarity between the European Union and NATO. The meeting will also address issues regarding the importance of the transatlantic relationship and the Strategic Partnership between the EU and the US, the relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom, and the European Union’s defense partnerships. The debates also aim to identify basic principles needed for the development and adoption of a programmatic document related to the future of European defense – the ‘White Paper’, which is to be developed in the first part of 2025 by the European Commission.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s 2025 draft budget is in Parliament, to be debated in an emergency procedure. The debates and the endorsement are given as sure, with the MPs of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition forming the majority. Passed by the Government at the end of last week, Romania’s 2025 draft budget is built on an economic growth rate of 2.5%, an average inflation rate of 4.4% and a deficit of 7% of GDP. According to the Minister of Finance, Tanczos Barna, the budget prioritizes investments, with record allocations of 150 billion lei (about 30 billion euros).

     

    EU – Attracting European funds to finance social projects for the Romanian citizens, protecting the rights and increasing the skills of workers in Romania are the topics of today’s meeting between Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for social rights, skills, quality jobs and training. Prezent in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday, during her first official visit in this capacity, Roxana Mînzatu emphasized the openness to supporting the Romanian administration to attract as many European funds as possible. During the discussions, the two officials also referred to the debate taking place at European level on strengthening the EU’s emergency preparedness. In this context, Ciolacu said that Bucharest must be part of this debate, given the contribution that Romanian specialists have in managing such situations, such as fires and floods. On Tuesday, Roxana Mînzatu will meet with President Klaus Iohannis and will have talks with the President of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan, and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Ciprian Şerban.

     

    IMF – An International Monetary Fund mission is in Bucharest from February 3rd to 7th. The IMF team will meet with representatives of the new Romanian Government and the National Bank of Romania to review recent financial and economic developments and update the macroeconomic outlook. Romania does not currently have a financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund, but the financial institution annually assesses the evolution of the Romanian economy, based on consultations on Article IV, mandatory for all member states. The purpose of the consultations is to examine the financial and economic situation at the national level and to formulate general recommendations regarding monetary, financial and economic policies to be followed, to ensure stability and positive developments in the economy.

     

    UNIONS – The unionists at the Bucharest metro are on a Japanese strike today, to warn passengers and decision-making staff about the situation the company is in. If their demands are not met, on February 10 they will launch other protest actions. The unionists are dissatisfied with the ordinance adopted by the government at the end of last year, which canceled their negotiated salary increases provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed at the beginning of December 2024, and also with the fact that the company is underfinanced.

     

    CRIME – Prosecutors with the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Terrorism are carrying out searches in Romania and Monaco today, in a fraud case that includes embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion, related to what the press has called the Nordis real estate business. The investigations target around 70 suspects, individuals and legal entities. Starting in 2018, three of the suspects are said to have initiated and constituted an organized crime group, which orchestrated and implemented a complex crime mechanism, consisting mainly of promoting and developing real estate projects under the cover of several commercial companies, followed by collecting sums of money from clients, misleading buyers during the execution of pre-contracts and sale-purchase contracts. The result, prosecutors say, was the unlawful gain of sums of money as reimbursements or refunds from the state budget or compensations due to the general budget, causing damage to commercial companies, purchasing clients and the state budget. The leaders of the organized crime group allegedly collected from clients as advance payment under bilateral sales-purchase promises, respectively sales-purchase contracts, over 195 million euros.

     

     

  • No new taxes in the 2025 Budget

    No new taxes in the 2025 Budget

    Delayed due to the formation of the government, the approval of the budget for 2025 is the number one priority. It’s not just any budget, but one carefully constructed, without the excessive expenses that were included in the previous one and that generated a worrying deficit, which rose to 9% of the GDP. Meeting on the topic of the budget, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the finance minister, Tánczos Barna, concluded that Romania could no longer afford an increase in spending on goods and services. On the other hand, the deficit target of 7% this year, assumed in the discussions with the European Commission, cannot be reached without freezing the salary and pension fund and an additional pressure on the National Agency of Fiscal Administration (ANAF) for better VAT collection.

     

    However, in the case of small and medium pensions, the executive will look for solutions to supplement them, Marcel Ciolacu promises. Tánczos Barna pleaded for a rigorous control of expenses, so that Romania should respect its commitments to its European partners and insisted that, in terms of income, only the achievable ones should be included.

     

    Tánczos Barna: “The medium-term structural fiscal budgetary plan assumed by Romania provides for this year 7%, and for the next seven years it stipulates a progressive reduction of the budget deficit up to 3%. And this commitment should be respected not only now, what we build today, what we build for 2025 must also have an impact for the following years, so that on the investment side we should not reduce the amounts allocated for investments, we should constantly increase these amounts, and, on the other hand, we should not exaggerate on the side of unachievable incomes, to avoid a situation in which the difference has to be covered by loans”.

     

    Against the background of the scenarios circulated in the press according to which the authorities will increase some taxes, the PM and the finance minister have given assurances that the Value Added Tax remains unchanged.

     

    Marcel Ciolacu: “We are not increasing the VAT. Why don’t we increase the VAT? I represent the social democratic party. First, the effort would be transferred equally to all Romanians, regardless of income, effort meaning a decrease in the purchasing power. I am not doing this, and I am very glad that the minister says the same thing. At this moment, consumption will decrease and automatically, you will see, we will also have a decrease in inflation”.

     

    The ordinance adopted by the new coalition government (PSD – PNL – UDMR) at the end of the year provides for the reduction of state expenditures, the elimination of some fiscal facilities, in the case of IT, constructions, and the agri-food industry, as well as the reorganization and merger of agencies within the General Secretariat of the Government. A similar approach will also target the executive’s own functioning apparatus, as Romania needs a structural reform, Marcel Ciolacu also said. (LS)

  • December 28, 2024

    December 28, 2024

    Meeting – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today participating in the meeting of the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue, a body that brings together employer and trade union confederations and government representatives. The meeting takes place after, on Friday, during the consultations of the government coalition from Bucharest made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the emergency ordinance on the basis of which the state budget for next year will be built was not finalized. According to some political sources, the most recent form of the ordinance provides that in 2025 state employment will be blocked, overtime will be compensated with free time, and state salaries and pensions will be frozen. The coalition leaders must also establish the date on which the presidential election will be held.

     

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a Romanian Interior Ministry (MAI) press release based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. According to the MAI, official international documents highlight Romania’s significant progress in combating crime, confirming its status as a safe country. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan on Saturday qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane. Ana Bogdan faced the Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in the main draw in Brisbane against the Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match with Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will debut in the competition against Cristina Bucsa from Spain.  The WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes worth more than 1.5 million dollars, will take place between December 29 and January 5.

     

    Moldova – The Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) has decided to increase defense spending and promises that the military investments budget will reach 1% of the Gross Domestic Product in five years. The provision is included in the National Defense Strategy, adopted by the Moldovan Parliament. The strategy identifies as security risks to Moldova the continuation of the war Russia started against Ukraine and the hybrid operations carried out by Moscow against Chisinau. Also, according to the Defense Minister, Anatolie Nosatîi, the illegal presence of the Russian armed forces in Transndniester represents a threat to Moldova’s security and puts in difficulty the legal functioning and the international recognition of the state’s neutrality status. The Republic of Moldova has the smallest army in Europe, relative to the population, and does not have its own defense industry. According to statistical data, the Republic of Moldova ranks 144 out of 145 as a military power worldwide.

     

    Schengen – More than 166,300 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, and approximately 45,100 means of transport completed the formalities for crossing the Romanian border, both to enter or exit the country, on the third day of Christmas, the General Inspectorate of Border Police informs. We remind you that 33 crossing points on Romania’s border with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the Maritime Danube, will be closed from January 1, 2025, when Romania enters the Schengen free travel area with land borders too. 17 road and rail points are located on Romania’s western border with Hungary, and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, rail and port crossing points on the border with Bulgaria. The data appear in a draft government decision designed by the Interior Ministry. (LS)

  • December 3, 2024

    December 3, 2024

    VOTE The final result of the Parliamentary election in Romania, whose centralisation ended on Monday night, says that seven parties have made it to Parliament. First to the Chamber of Deputies are the ruling PSD and the sovereignist AUR followed by the co-ruling PNL and the centre-rightist USR. In the fifth and sixth places are the sovereignist-extremist SOS Romania and another sovereignist group known as the Party of Young People. These two political groups, for the first time, had their representatives in the Legislature. Last in terms of the number of votes was the UDMR. The ranking was also maintained in the race for the Senate. The country’s incumbent Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has announced a first round of talks with the interim PNL president Ilie Bolojan in an attempt to forge a majority coalition. Ciolacu, a Social-Democrat, says that a majority Parliament coalition could be forged with the Liberals, UDMR and the Group of national minorities. In turn, the USR president Elena Lasconi endorses a pro-European national unity government while UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor stands for a Parliament-backed government made up of the PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR. In the meantime the Romanians are bracing for the second round of the presidential election, due on Sunday, 8 December.

     

    VISIT Over December 3 and 4, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, is attending the meeting of the NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels. The meeting has three sessions, which will be tackling the latest developments in the southern vicinity of NATO, the involvement of the North Korean army, the NATO-Ukraine relationship with emphasis on domestic reforms and NATO-EU cooperation. The last session will be devoted to NATO’s strategic agenda, the allies’ priorities for the upcoming summit in the Hague particularly by strengthening the Eastern Flank as part of the allied response to Russia’s threats. A session devoted to Ukraine will involve the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

     

    GAME Romania’s national women’s handball side will tonight be playing Serbia in the last match of Group B of the European Championships underway in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. Romania is hankering for a good result to advance towards the European competitions after a narrow victory against Czechia and a defeat against Montenegro.

     

    DEATH Romania’s legendary goal-keeper, Helmut Duckadam, passed away at the age of 65. He had earlier been admitted to a hospital in Bucharest and had several surgical operations in recent years including a heart procedure in September. He was dubbed ‘the Hero of Seville’, as he had a decisive hand in the victory his side Steaua Bucharest clinched in the 1986 finals of the European Champions Cup. His performance of saving all the four shots in the game’s shootout session, has also been added to the Book of Records.

    (bill)

  • November 17, 2024 UPDATE

    November 17, 2024 UPDATE

     

    VISIT Preserving the memory of the victims of wars and totalitarianism, as well as of those persecuted for their faith, for the search for justice and freedom, is a duty and a form of justice, said President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday, in the German Federal Parliament, during a ceremony on the Day of Commemoration of the victims of war and dictatorship. He also highlighted the importance of a stronger and more united European Union, adapted to the challenges of the future. Germany, said President Iohannis, will continue to find in Romania a partner deeply committed to European values, ready to work together to strengthen the Union and for freedom and democracy to be protected and accepted both in the EU and globally. During a visit to Berlin between November 15 and 18, president Klaus Iohannis had talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier about security and the support that Romania and Germany will continue to give to Ukraine. The agenda of consultations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz also included Romania’s full Schengen accession.

     

     

    EU Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu has a working visit to Brussels scheduled for Monday. He will have meetings with NATO’s new secretary general, Mark Rutte, with the president-elect of the European Council, António Costa and with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Marcel Ciolacu is accompanied by a governmental delegation which includes the foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu and the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr. The visit to Brussels comes ahead of the start of a new EU institutional cycle, following the elections held this June, and ahead of the endorsement of the new Strategic Agenda for 2024-2029.

     

     

    OBITUARY The former gymnastics coach Bela Karoly died at the age of 82. The cause of death has not been made public, but he was known to have had various health problems over the past few years. Bela Karoly coached the world-famous Nadia Comăneci, who got the first “perfect 10” in the history of the Olympic Games in Montreal, in 1976, followed by further outstanding performances. Karoly fell out of favour with the communist regime when he criticised the arbitration at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. A year later he defected to the US, where he came to coach a number of American gymnasts, some of whom became Olympic or world champions. Karoly and his wife chose to stay away from the public eye, after being targeted by allegations regarding the brutal methods he used in training.

     

     

    FORESTRY CODE Romania’s new Forestry Code, aimed at preventing wood theft, is waiting for the green light from Parliament’s specialist committees before being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect. The draft legislation still requires positive reports from the committees on agriculture and legal affairs, after being approved by the committee on environment. Several amendments have been introduced in the process, concerning among other things the planting of green areas around cities, access to all forests on foot or by bicycle and pre-emptive rights to top-quality materials for Romanian furniture producers. The new law will punish theft by seizure of the wood and of the vehicle used in the theft. A National Forestry Council will also be set up, to monitor compliance with ethical and professional standards among forestry staff. The new Forestry Code is a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and the government intends to have it endorsed by December.

     

     

    SAVINGS Nearly three-quarters of Romanians are concerned with price increases, and say they will spend less these holidays, according to an EU-wide survey. Moreover, some economists predict a complicated year ahead and call on people to save money. Apart from simple methods like setting a monthly budget and strictly monitoring expenses, experts have a savings solution for low-income categories as well. The Centre for Banking Dispute Settlement recommends the 52-week method, in which a person saves as much money as the number of the week in question, to reach EUR 277 during a year. Nearly 40% of Romanian consumers plan to spend between EUR 100 and 200 for their Christmas shopping. (AMP)

  • The Romanian PM pays visit to London

    The Romanian PM pays visit to London

    The Romanian Prime Minister made a working visit to the UK.

     

    On Tuesday and Wednesday, Marcel Ciolacu paid the first visit by a Romanian prime minister to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the last 17 years. It was an occasion to discuss with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, about bilateral economic cooperation, energy, security, including in the Black Sea area, as well as about the good collaboration between the intelligence services of the two states. The importance of the Romanian community in Great Britain was not overlooked . Marcel Ciolacu: ʺThe Romanian community is very respected by the British authorities and it is normal that we started to have some accords regarding the import of traditional products, which are very much needed by the Romanian community. We had talks on renewable energy and green energy, even on nuclear energy, but also on fact that we need security in the Black Sea. We have a very good relation in the field of ​​intelligence, as the Prime Minister said, which will continue. Somehow, Britain is in the middle between Eastern NATO and Western NATO, so that we understand the strategic importance of Great Britain within NATO.ʺ

     

    The agenda of the Romanian PM’s visit to London also included an Economic Forum, during which were presented the sectors of interest for the British investors, in the Romanian economy. The forum was opened by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alastair King. In his message, he pointed out that Romania is an important dynamic market, where both the Britons and the Romanians can learn and have mutual benefits. Energy, infrastructure development projects, defense and the food industry were topics of the Romanian-British Economic Forum.

     

    We must be much more efficient in terms of British investments in Romania, in parallel with reducing the number of Romanians leaving the country, Prime Minister Ciolacu also said. ʺI wish that today we succeed together in convincing more and more managers of the British companies that Romania is a very good country for investments. This way, we have a win-win relationship: you find new opportunities for development in Romania, and we keep our workforce at home and grow the local economy.ʺ

     

    At a meeting with representatives of the Romanian community in London, Marcel Ciolacu told them that the state understands that it must come up with medium-term programs for those who want to return to the country. This year, for the first time, more Romanians have returned to Romania than those who left, the prime minister said.

  • November 12, 2024 UPDATE

    November 12, 2024 UPDATE

     

    VISIT Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu is on official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he has meetings with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, PM Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with members of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, PM Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

     

    EC Roxana Mînzatu, nominated by Romania for European commissioner, said during her interview by the European Parliament’s specialist committees that Europeans will face many challenges in the coming years, and they need to be prepared for this, which is the first pillar of her programme. The second pillar, which she described as a key one, concerns quality jobs. The third element of her term in office is social justice. Roxana Mînzatu, nominated for executive vice-president of the EC for people, skills and preparedness, has been interviewed by the members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Culture and Education. Roxana Mînzatu, 44, was a state secretary with the Ministry for European Funds in March-September 2015. In 2016-2020, she was a member of the Romanian Parliament, and in 2019 she also served as Minister for European Funds. In June this year she was also elected MEP, backed by the Social Democratic Party. Roxana Mînzatu has a Bachelor’s degree in political sciences and a Master’s degree in European integration.

     

    ELECTION Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have requested to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the vote in the country. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

     

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate climbed from 4.62% in September to 4.67% in October, the National Statistics Institute reports. Food prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Service prices also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has adjusted its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first 9 months of 2024, reaching some EUR 23.5 bln, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded EUR 69 bln, a 1.4% drop, while imports totaled nearly EUR 93 bln, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

     

    GOTECH WORLD Officials and representatives of the business sector took part in the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals in the region with access to B2B tech solutions, insights into various digital fields and networking opportunities. (VP, AMP)

  • November 9, 2024 UPDATE

    November 9, 2024 UPDATE

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    UKRAINE The EU foreign policy coordinator, Josep Borrell, assured Ukraine of Europe’s unwavering support on Saturday in Kyiv. The European Union has already provided EUR 122 billion in military and financial support to Ukraine and has trained about 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers, Josep Borrell said, adding that the bloc aimed to reach 75,000 by the end of winter. Josep Borrell, whose term in office ends in December, announced that EU defence ministers will meet next week to discuss continued military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, and will call for “increased support at this critical time”. European leaders, convened in Budapest recently, called on US President-elect Donald Trump to maintain support for Ukraine, to avoid trade wars and preserve global order.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    TOURISTS Over 300 American and Canadian tourists arrive this weekend in Constanța Port at the Black Sea, on board two cruise ships, the National Maritime Port Agency announced on Saturday. The 2 vessels are Viking Kadlin, with 178 American and Canadian passengers on board, and the River Adagio, with another 144 American tourists. “The tourist programme will include trips in the Danube Delta, wine tasting sessions in Murfatlar, walks in the old center of the city of Constanţa and in Mamaia,” the agency explained.

     

    UKRAINE Drones launched by the Russian invasion army hit Odessa, the largest Ukrainian port city at the Black Sea, where they killed one person and wounded 13, including two children, the regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Saturday, according to international news agencies. Residential buildings, private homes, shops and dozens of cars were damaged. Russia launched 51 drones, focusing on Odessa and the surrounding region, the Ukrainian air forces announced, claiming to have shot down 32 enemy aircraft.

     

    GAZA The Gaza Strip Civil Defence Saturday announced the death of 14 people, killed in 2 Israeli strikes, one on “a school”, the other in a camp of “tents for displaced persons”. A rocket fire on the Fahad al-Sabah school in Gaza City, turned into an emergency accommodation centre like most schools in the Strip, left “5 dead, including children, and 22 wounded”. The other Israeli airstrike targeted “tents for displaced people in Khan Younis” and resulted in “9 dead and 11 wounded”. The Israeli army fighting the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza Strip, said it had struck 50 terrorist targets in the last 24 hours in Gaza and Lebanon, where it says it plans to eliminate the Hezbollah Shia Islamists. Sources endorsed by the UN claim that more than 43,500 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. (AMP)

  • November 9, 2024

    November 9, 2024

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team plays in Bucharest today against Tonga, in their first test match this month. Romania (20th place in the world ranking) and Tonga (16th place) have met in 5 games so far, with Romania winning twice. The last time the two teams were face to face was last year, at the World Cup in France, when the Pacific team won 45-24. As part of their preparation for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Australia, Romania will also play at home against Canada on November 16 and Uruguay on the 23rd. In order to reach the final tournament, Romania must rank among the top two teams in Group B, i.e. win two of the three games it has to play: against Germany (February 1/2, 2025, in Bucharest), Belgium (February 8/9, away from home) or Portugal (February 15/16, again in Bucharest). Romania has taken part in all Rugby World Cup finals so far, except for the 2019 edition, when it was disqualified because it had used a naturalised Tongan player, who did not have the right to play.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali (Colombia), after defeating Australia’s Tina Smith, 6-1, 6-3. Begu (102 WTA), seed no. 2, won after an hour and 12 minutes against a younger and lower ranked opponent (322 WTA). The Romanian won USD 8,000 and 81 WTA points. Begu, who defeated her compatriot Anca Todoni in the quarter-finals, will play the final against the winner of the match between Hungarian Panna Udvardy (146 WTA) and the Slovenian Veronika Erjavec (199 WTA). (AMP)

  • Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology

    Japanese Investments in Energy and Technology

    Important Japanese companies have expressed their interest, these days, in Bucharest, to invest in Romania, in transport infrastructure, energy, digitization and high technology. The Romanian PM, Marcel Ciolacu, had a meeting, on Tuesday, with a delegation of Japanese investors from the fields of energy, research and technology, industry, infrastructure and banking, led by the Japanese Deputy Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Shinji Takeuchi. According to a government press release, the Prime Minister appreciated the level of bilateral relations developed on the basis of the Strategic Partnership, the common values ​​promoted by the two states and the economic opportunities offered by the current international context.

     

    Marcel Ciolacu stated that Romania’s role as a factor of stability in Europe and in the region, as well as its geostrategic, economic and political advantages qualify the country as a destination for investors. He also mentioned the State aid schemes, as well as the investments in new technologies, that should help Romania become a technological hub in the center and southeast of Europe. In this context, he mentioned Romania’s interest in developing the Port of Constanţa on the Black Sea, as well as in supporting regional interconnection projects. In turn, the Japanese economic delegation showed its interest in strengthening financial support for Romania in projects in the fields of transport infrastructure, energy, digitization and high technology. ‘The investment opportunities offered by Romania are particularly important and offer new perspectives to develop our bilateral relations’, said the Japanese deputy minister.

     

    Previously, during the first edition of the Romania-Japan Energy Forum that took place on Monday and Tuesday, in Bucharest, the Energy Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with a Japanese company, Itochu, for the Tarniţa-Lăpuşteşti hydropower plant project, in Cluj County (north – western Romania). According to the ministry, it is a project of strategic importance for balancing the national energy system. The Japanese company will participate, according to the relevant minister, Sebastian Burduja, in reviewing the technical documentation for the development of the hydropower plant in Romania, and also in such stages as the feasibility study, technical design and project execution. Also, ELCEN (the State Electric Power Plants Company in Bucharest) and Panasonic are working on a joint project aimed at a complex system of photovoltaic panels, battery storage and green hydrogen production, a symbolic step towards what we call the green transition of the energy sector, minister Sebastian Burduja says.

     

    Moreover, the Romanian civil nuclear program will benefit from Japanese support, the minister has assured, who also discussed with Japanese businessmen about a possible collaboration in the production of blue ammonia. ‘Through our partnerships, Romania assumes the role of regional leader in renewable and nuclear energy. We have taken a concrete step in the direction of a safer, more competitive and more sustainable Romania from an energy point of view’ said Sebastian Burduja. (LS)

  • November 4, 2024

    November 4, 2024

    Visit – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu is paying a working visit to France today, where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, as well as representatives of the Romanian community in the Paris region. The visit begins at the Euronaval Exhibition, the largest and oldest exhibition in the world dedicated to the naval defense industry, which opened its doors this morning near Paris. This year’s edition of the exhibition, featuring over 500 exhibitors from around the world, is dedicated to naval security and enhancing combat capabilities, in a tense geopolitical context where the industry needs to provide rapid solutions to military Navies involved in conflicts and for protecting sensitive areas. France is one of Romania’s most important trade partners and investors. The relationship between the two countries has consistently strengthened in recent years, including in the political and defense areas, thanks to the strategic partnership and France’s commitment to its role as the framework nation of NATO’s multinational battle group in Romania, following the war of aggression Russia started against Ukraine.

     

    Floods – The Romanian Foreign Ministry is verifying, through the Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the Romanian Consulate in Castellon de la Plana, the information regarding four Romanian citizens who are reported missing following the recent weather phenomena in Spain. The rest of the individuals previously reported as missing are safe. The Valencia region, located in southeastern Spain, has been hit by devastating floods described by experts as “unprecedented,” which killed at least 217 people, including one Romanian. Dozens of others remain missing. The Spanish press also wrote on a Romanian family that lost their lives in the floods in La Torre, a district near Valencia. The ministry stated in a press release that the representatives of the diplomatic mission and the consulate office remain in constant contact with the Spanish authorities, and mobile consular teams have kept in contact with the Romanian citizens, depending on their requests.

     

    Moldova – The incumbent president of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), the pro-European Maia Sandu, has won a second term in office after defeating the pro-Moscow candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo in the decisive round of presidential election held on Sunday. According to data provided by the Central Electoral Commission in Chișinău, Sandu received over 55% of the votes. She thanked the Moldovan citizens living in the Diaspora for voting for her in large numbers. The voter turnout in the diaspora, including in neighboring Romania, is considered historic, being the highest in the last 30 years. Over 320,000 Moldovan citizens voted abroad on Sunday, compared to nearly 240,000 in the first round of voting. The voter turnout in the second round of elections in the Republic of Moldova was 54.31%.

     

    Strike – A token strike was announced by the employees of the National Archives in Romania, the first in the 192-year history of this institution. The archivists from the 42 branches across Romania are unhappy that their salaries are much lower than those from the institution’s central structures. There are differences of 2,000 lei (500 Euros) between employees with the same skills and duties, say the trade unionists. Moreover, they want to warn the authorities that funds are needed to improve the conditions in which the documents, some of which are of inestimable value, are kept. Today’s token strike could turn into an all-out strike on November 11, if the authorities do not come up with an answer to the employees’ demands.

     

    Campaign – During this period, the campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections are being held simultaneously in Romania. On November 24, the first round of the presidential election will take place, on December 1 – the voting for the appointment of deputies and senators, and on December 8 – the second round of the presidential election. In the electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections, the parties, alliances or independents must convince the electorate to vote for them in order to win as many of the 466 seats of senators or deputies as possible. On the other hand, 10 candidates proposed by political parties and 4 independents are competing to become president of the country.

     

    US election – The Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump remain in a tight race in the seven swing states ahead of the US presidential election, according to the final New York Times/Siena College poll. The opinion poll shows that Vice President Harris has minimal advantages in Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin and the former President Trump in Arizona. According to the survey of 7,879 likely voters conducted in the seven states between October 24 and November 2, the two are very close in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. In all seven states, the results were within the poll’s 3.5% margin of error. About 40% of respondents have already voted and Kamala Harris leads by 8% among them, while Donald Trump leads among those who say they are very likely to vote but have not yet, the poll shows. Both candidates participated in campaign events at the end of the week in the swing states.

     

    Searches – 130 searches are taking place today in Bucharest and in six counties in the south of Romania, in a file regarding non-compliance with the arms and ammunition regime, qualified smuggling and drug trafficking. Also, 60 people, including the gallery leader of a football club and a singer, are brought to hearings. According to the judicial source, the investigations revealed that a foreign citizen of Turkish origin organized, together with several Romanians, a criminal group specialized in the procurement and sale of lethal firearms, without identification markings, made from components produced in Turkey. These weapons, known as ghost guns, are illegal in all European states. The traffickers brought them into Romania by road, hidden in goods transport vehicles or in the component parts of cars and they were sold through intermediaries to violent clans or individuals. So far, almost 50 such weapons have been confiscated. (LS)