Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ciolacu

09.11.2023 (mise à jour)

Gaza – La Roumanie continuera le dialogue avec les autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes pour évacuer le reste des ressortissants roumains et des membres de leurs familles se trouvant dans la Bande de Gaza, en fonction des évolutions sur le terrain et de l’accord des parties impliquées, annonce le ministère des AE de Bucarest. Une équipe consulaire sera toujours disponible dans la région du poste frontière de Rafah entre la Bande de Gaza et l’Egypte, afin d’offrir son assistance. D’ailleurs, la frontière a été rouverte jeudi durant les procédures d’évacuation des ressortissants étrangers qui ont reçu la permission des autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes de partir vers l’Egypte, dont 51ressortissants roumains et les membres de leurs familles. Les autorités de Bucarest ont évacué plusieurs groupes de ressortissants du Gaza et membres de leurs familles à nationalité roumaine pour les transporter en Roumanie à bord d’avions de la compagnie nationale Tarom via le Caire. Par ailleurs, selon la Maison Blanche, Israël a annoncé jeudi une trêve de quatre heures dans les combats dans le nord de la Bande de Gaza afin de permettre le retrait des civils – une première depuis le début de la guerre. Les alliés de l’OTAN ont affirmé soutenir les pauses humanitaires dans la guerre entre Israël et le Hamas, afin de permettre l’accès des aides dans la Bande de Gaza. Selon le secrétaire général de l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, la législation internationale devrait être respectée et les civils devraient être protégés dans ce conflit.

Avions – L’Allemagne déploiera 4 avions Eurofighter en Roumanie pour appuyer, à compter de la fin novembre la mission de police de l’air de l’OTAN. Cette décision survient quelques semaines après les attaques russes sur les ports ukrainiens sur le Danube. Ces attaques perpétrées dans le voisinage immédiat de la frontière avec la Roumanie, ainsi que les fragments de drones retrouvés sur le territoire roumain, ont fait augmenter les risques de sécurité pour l’Alliance, dont les membres se sont engagés à se défendre réciproquement. D’ailleurs, en septembre dernier, le chef de l’OTAN, Jens Stoltenberg avait qualifié de « déstabilisatrices » ces attaques russes près de la frontière roumaine, malgré l’absence d’indices de l’intention de Moscou de frapper un membre de l’Alliance. Ce n’est pas pour la première fois que les Forces aériennes allemandes soutiennent la mission de police des ciels de l’OTAN en Roumanie. L’Alliance ne cesse de consolider sa présence militaire le long du flanc est, après l’invasion russe en Ukraine en février 2022.

Schengen – L’un des objectifs les plus importants de la présidence hongroise de
l’UE l’année prochaine sera la promotion de l’adhésion de la Roumanie à
Schengen, si cette dernière n’a pas lieu d’ici là – a déclaré le ministre
hongrois des Affaires étrangères, Peter Szijjarto. Selon un communiqué de presse du ministère des Affaires étrangères de
Budapest, ce dernier a souligné que le gouvernement hongrois attachait une
importance stratégique à la coopération entre les deux pays. « La base et la ressource la plus
importante de cette coopération stratégique réside dans la communauté magyare
qui vit en Roumanie » – a déclaré Szijjarto. Il a ajouté qu’il était
dans l’intérêt national de la Hongrie que la Roumanie adhère le plus rapidement
possible à l’espace Schengen. La Roumanie, a souligné le ministre, est
aujourd’hui le deuxième marché d’exportation de la Hongrie et cette coopération
économique et commerciale pourrait devenir encore plus étroite avec l’entrée de
ce pays voisin dans l’espace Schengen. La Hongrie assumera la présidence
tournante du Conseil de l’UE au second semestre 2024.

Retraites – L’Exécutif de Bucarest a adopté ce jeudi la nouvelle loi des pensions de retraite, qui prévoit deux majorations pour l’année prochaine. Aux termes du nouveau document, les retraites seront recalculées d’après de nouveaux critères, afin d’éliminer les iniquités du système. L’objectif du gouvernement est de faire adopter la loi par le Parlement avant le 20 novembre. Aux dires du premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu, la nouvelle loi des retraites éliminera le seuil des dépenses avec les retraites de 9,4% du PIB. Parallèlement, le premier ministre a promis de ne pas introduire des majorations d’impôts l’année prochaine mais il a sollicité un plan de mesures visant à augmenter le niveau des collectes au budget d’Etat.

Tourisme – L’édition d’automne de la Foire de Tourisme de la Roumanie se déroule du 9 au 12 novembre à Bucarest. Elle est considérée comme le plus grand événement du domaine. A part les discounts pour les réservations en avance, les agences proposent aussi des offres du type Black Friday. On propose toute une variété de séjours en Roumanie et à l’étranger, des circuits touristiques complexes sur tous les continents, y compris pour des destinations exotiques. D’ailleurs, deux nouvelles destinations sont proposées cette année aux Roumains à la recherche de paquets inédits de vacances : La Grande Canarie, en Espagne, et la ville de Faro, au Portugal.

Météo – En Roumanie, les températures devraient progresser dans les jours à venir. L’instabilité sera pourtant au rendez-vous, avec des nuages et des pluies sur le sud-ouest, mais aussi sur l’ouest, le nord-ouest, le centre mais aussi sur le reste du territoire. Quelques chutes de neige sont également possibles en haute montagne. Les maxima iront de 10 à 19 degrés avec des minimas durant la nuit de 3 à 14 degrés.

9 November 2023
November 5, 2023 UPDATE

Cash payments — Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday is to have a working meeting with the representatives of the members of the Executive Council of the Romanian Association of Banks, according to the agenda announced by the Government. On Friday, the PM announced that he would convene a meeting at the Government headquarters with specialists from the Ministry of Finance and the National Bank of Romania, as well as with representatives of small entrepreneurs, banks and civil society, ‘to make a decision on the issue of cash’. Ciolacu stated that it is ‘intolerable’ to ‘artificially’ increase bank commissions and that ‘the banks greed cannot be fueled by the debate on cash’. As of this month, cash payments to companies and individuals are reduced in Romania, according to a measure included in the package of fiscal-budgetary measures assumed by the Government in Parliament. The decision would be intended to combat tax evasion. On the other hand, some banks have notified their customers that they want to increase the commissions for deposits and withdrawals at the counters.

PSD – The National Political Council of the Social Democratic Party – PSD (number one in the government coalition in Bucharest) meets on Monday to establish its electoral strategy, in the run up to the 2024 elections. On Friday, in a meeting of the extended leadership of the National Liberal Party – PNL (junior partner in the coalition), the liberals decided not to have joint lists with the current social-democratic governing partners, but to go on their own lists to next years polls, with the avowed target of winning them all. Next year, elections for the European and national Parliaments, local and presidential elections are scheduled in Romania.

Mini-football — The Romanian team won the Minifootball World Cup for the first time, on Saturday evening, in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates), after a dramatic victory in the final against Kazakhstan, score 12-11, in the penalty shootout. Romania, which played its third consecutive world semifinal, had two World Cup bronze medals from three participations, in the USA (2015) and Australia (2019). The world champion trophy was the only major title missing from the national team’s showcase. The national team was, in the past, six times European champion (2010-2015) and runner-up in the last two editions of the EMF EURO (2018 and 2022).

Handball — Romania’s mens national handball team was defeated by the French team with the score 40-21, on Saturday evening, in Toulouse, in a friendly match played in the run up to their participation in next years European Championship in Germany. The final tournament is scheduled for January 10-28, 2024, and Romania is part of Group B, alongside Spain, Austria and Croatia. The two top-ranking teams in the group qualify for the next stage. Romania had not qualified for a European Championship since 1996.

Gaza – The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, discussed, on Sunday, in Ramallah, with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at a time when the international community fears an expansion of the war between Israel and Hamas in the West Bank, AFP and Reuters report. It is the first visit of the US secretary of state to the West Bank since the beginning of the war on October 7, after the bloody attack on the Israeli territory by the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, followed by the harsh response of the Jewish state. Antony Blinkens unannounced visit to Ramallah comes in the context of his Middle East tour, which also included Israel and Jordan. The BBC reports that the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that its forces had entered populated areas of Gaza City, and eyewitnesses reported heavy gunfire and fierce ground fighting on the outskirts. At the same time, the Israeli army announced that it is reopening, on Sunday, a corridor for civilians in the north of Gaza, for their movement to the south. The United Nations warns that 1.5 million people have been displaced in the area since the beginning of the conflict, and half of them take shelter in its camps. (LS)

5 November 2023
November 5, 2023

Cash payment — Romania’s social-democratic prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, announced a meeting at the government headquarters, in the following days, with the representatives of the main banks and with small entrepreneurs to debate the subject of cash payments. The topic has gained momentum in recent days, after some banks allegedly notified customers that they want to increase the commissions for depositing and withdrawing money at the counters. In this context, Nicolae Ciucă, the leader of the governing partners from the PNL, says that the measure of limiting cash payments should be re-discussed. According to the fiscal-budgetary measures that apply at the end of this year, cash payments are limited between a legal entity and a natural person to 5,000 lei (about 1,000 Euros) per day, except for salary payments, and between two individuals at 10,000 lei (2000 Euros) per day. Between legal entities, cash payments cannot exceed 1,000 lei (200 Euros) per day. From January 1, 2025, these ceilings would be halved. The purpose of the measure is to combat tax evasion. The most affected by the banks decisions and the limitation of cash payments are the small traders, especially those from the rural area, where many customers buy with cash, and the traders make their supplies from the big cash-and-carry stores paying cash too.

Moldova — The citizens of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population are called to the polls on Sunday to elect their mayors and local councilors. The election results are also important in the run up to next years presidential elections and of the parliamentary elections in 2025, which will decide whether the neighboring country will continue its European course. The main stake is the city of Chisinau, with the highest concentration of population and resources. A record number of 28 candidates were registered for the position of mayor. The vote is taking place against the backdrop of unprecedented interference by Russia in the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova, through illegal financing of parties, corruption of voters and candidates. On Friday evening, the ‘Chance’ Party, affiliated with the fugitive oligarch Ilan Şor, was eliminated from the electoral race, after the Intelligence and Security Service reported that the party bought voters with money received from Russia.

Mini-football — The Romanian team won the Minifootball World Cup for the first time, on Saturday evening, in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates), after a dramatic victory in the final against Kazakhstan, score 12-11, in the penalty shootout. Romania, which played its third consecutive world semifinal, had two World Cup bronze medals from three participations, in the USA (2015) and Australia (2019). The world champion trophy was the only major title missing from the national team’s showcase. The national team was, in the past, six times European champion (2010-2015) and runner-up in the last two editions of the EMF EURO (2018 and 2022).

Gaudeamus — The Gaudeamus book fair, organized by Radio Romania, in Timişoara (west), European Capital of Culture 2023, comes to an end on Sunday. The event brings together 40 of the most important publishing houses and book distribution agencies in the country, which offer readers the latest releases and bestsellers. There are promotional packages and substantial discounts for the thousands of volumes on display. Between November 22-26, a new edition of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Fair, the longest-running and most popular project of its kind in the country, will be organized at the Romexpo Compound in Bucharest.

Gaza – The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, discussed, on Sunday, in Ramallah, with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at a time when the international community fears an expansion of the war between Israel and Hamas in the West Bank, AFP and Reuters report. It is the first visit of the US secretary of state to the West Bank since the beginning of the war on October 7, after the bloody attack on the Israeli territory by the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, followed by the harsh response of the Jewish state. Antony Blinkens unannounced visit to Ramallah comes in the context of his Middle East tour, which also included Israel and Jordan. The BBC reports that the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that its forces had entered populated areas of Gaza City, and eyewitnesses reported heavy gunfire and fierce ground fighting on the outskirts. At the same time, the Israeli army announced that it is reopening, on Sunday, a corridor for civilians in the north of Gaza, for their movement to the south. The United Nations warns that 1.5 million people have been displaced in the area since the beginning of the conflict, and half of them take shelter in its camps. (LS)

5 November 2023
New measures aimed at cutting public expenses

The PSD-PNL coalition government in Bucharest has announced it will continue to promote discipline in spending public money, with a declared purpose of curbing the budget deficit. In this respect, the Executive has come up with a fresh emergency ordinance aimed at diminishing expenses at the end of the year.

The Finance Ministry put the project up for public debates on Tuesday. Under the new provisions, public institutions and city halls are facing a new series of restrictions related to the organization of festivals and competitions. Credit accountants are no longer allowed to sign legal contracts for the purchase of office furniture, or other goods as well as maintenance and repair services.

Also, under the new law, the implementation of the pay rises legally obtained by state employees has been postponed for the year 2024. Romanias Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu says that no one has to worry about the new law though as there are enough budget funds for salaries and the other expenses the government pledged to cover. Pensions will be indexed as of January 1st according to the inflation rate of 13.5%.

“We have enough money for pensions, wages, to ensure the state functioning and other investment” – the head of the government has said. Mass-media points to the fact that the new government measures are coming shortly after the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, has revealed that Romania, with 6.3%, and Hungary with 6.6% are the countries with the highest government deficit out of all the 27 EU members.

According to the same sources, Romania has registered a 5.9% GDP deficit in the first three months of 2023 and of 6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In the meantime, the opposition USR and the Liberal splinter, Force of the Right have tabled a simple motion against the Liberal Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, whom they blame for skyrocketing expenses during his mandate.

According to the motion initiators, in order to gather money for the government, Boloş and Ciolacu have decided to cut the tax payers incomes with another round of tax raises, which have seriously affected the small enterprises. The two would have opted for a short-term financial gain at the expense of long-term stability and prosperity.

From the ruling coalition, PSD MP, Gabriel Zetea has defended his team underlying the government must resort to measures aimed at curbing public spending. Public institutions must prove their readiness to save public money at the end of the year.

Next year, Zetea pledges, fiscal adjustment measures are to come into effect for private entrepreneurs. Political analysts are also expecting a happier 2024 for the public and private sector alike as the entire political class will be focusing on winning the electorate and muster votes in the upcoming elections, for the European Parliament, as well as in the local, legislative and presidential elections.

(bill)

25 October 2023
Lower prices for basic food stuffs

Romania is one of the European countries which has this
year put a cap on some basic food stuffs. An emergency ordinance came into
effect on August 1st to enforce a temporary measure of fighting
price hikes in some farm and food products. The ordinance, which is valid for
three months, is focusing on capping prices in several food products such as
bread, milk, meat, vegetables, fruit with a view to boosting the population’s
purchasing power.

The discount, which had been previously discussed with
processors, distributors and traders, was initially envisaged for 14 products.
According to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, a survey on prices in supermarkets shows that significant price
cuts are registered in several products such as, bread, edible oil, potatoes,
cheese, maize, flour and sugar

Agriculture minister Florin Barbu has recently said the ordinance on capping the
trade markup will be extended. Barbu added that funding is presently available
for projects both in the field of processing and the producers’ energy
independence.

Food and farm products
in Romania have a VAT of 9%. Producers aren’t going to lose because the VAT on
production expenses is higher, as there is going to be compensation the
minister went on to say.

The Ministry’s project
points out to the government’s summer decision, which had a positive impact,
explaining why an expansion is needed in the upcoming cold season, with higher household
expenses and consumption during the winter holidays.

According to Prime
Minister Ciolacu, the cap on food prices contributed to bringing inflation
under 9% last month. The new ordinance should be endorsed by the end of this
month when the former provisions are going to expire.

Seven food categories
should be added on the list of those with a provisionally capped trade markup.

With the expanded period
of three months by the end of January 2024, of the 14 capped prices, other food
products will be added such as pound cake, tomato sauce, some types of light
sour cream, margarine and yeast. According to the authorities, the decision to
add more subsidized products to the list has been made jointly with processors
and retailers. Failure to comply with the provisions of the aforementioned
ordinance is considered offence and punishable with fines between 100 thousand
to 2 million RON.

(bill)

23 October 2023
October 19, 2023

Deficit — Romanias budget deficit is to decrease to 5.7% of the GDP, following the application of the law on fiscal-budgetary measures for which the Government has recently assumed responsibility and which was declared constitutional on Wednesday. The PM Marcel Ciolacu stated that the new deficit target could be assumed through a budget rectification in the next period. Next week, the government representatives will have a meeting with the social partners, to set the level of the minimum salary in constructions and agriculture, so that these sectors’ employees should not be affected by the payment of the health contribution, from October 1, as provided by the current law. PM Ciolacu criticized the opposition Save Romania Union-USR because when they were in the government coalition, they included fiscal reform measures in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which they now contest. On the other hand, USR considers the decision of the Constitutional Court unfair and says that the law is an attack on the incomes of citizens who work honestly in Romania. USR also announced that they will file a simple motion against the finance minister.

Schengen — The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said that the good results obtained by Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an additional argument in favor of the two states joining the European Border Free Area – Schengen. The statement was made before todays meeting in Luxembourg of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, which will also address the subject of Romania’s and Bulgarias accession to Schengen. Previously, the European Commission publicly announced that both countries had reported progress, also thanks to the new migration and asylum programs that they are running. We recall that, at the end of last year, a unanimous decision failed to be adopted in relation to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, due to the opposition of Austria and the Netherlands. Austria justified its position claiming that Romania is part of the Balkan route of illegal migration, an accusation rejected by the Romanian authorities and officially dismantled by the European institutions. In turn, the Netherlands said that it supported Romanias accession, but not Bulgarias, although the two are analyzed in a joint file.

Festival — Iasi, in the east of Romania, hosts the 11th edition of FILIT — the Iasi International Festival of Literature and Translation which started on Wednesday, an event attended by guests from 25 countries. This years event takes place under the high patronage of the European Commissions representation in Romania and the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO. Writers, translators, editors, festival organizers, literary critics, booksellers, book distributors, managers and journalists are attending FILIT. Until October 22, various events are scheduled such as literary meetings with stars of the world literary scene, white nights of poetry and music, workshops and professional round tables, concerts and readings.

Israel — The US president, Joe Biden, reiterated, on Wednesday, in Israel, the US commitment to the security of its main ally in the region and confirmed the Israeli version of the explosion at a hospital in Gaza, where hundreds of people died. The Hamas terrorist organization has accused Israel of having bombed the hospital, while the Israeli military have provided evidence that the explosion was caused by a missile mistakenly fired by the Islamic Jihad, the other armed group in Gaza. After the meeting with the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden called for the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, following the bloody attack launched by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7. In the meantime, Israel announced that it hit the targets of the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and Radio Romania’s correspondent reports that the Israeli army is preparing to face a new front in the north of the country. The defense minister Yoav Galant said that Hezbollah is 10 times stronger than Hamas. As regard the humanitarian aid, Israel approved the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, from Egypt, through the Rafah border-crossing point. The aid will have to consist of 100 trucks per day and will have to be secured, the UN said. On the other hand, the British PM Rishi Sunak told Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whom he met in Israel on Thursday, that Britain stands in solidarity with his country, adding that it is also important to provide humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu was also in Israel, where he had talks with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and with the representatives of the Romanian community, affected by the deterioration of the security situation in the area.

Protests — Protests against Israel and the US have been reported in various parts of the world. At least one hundred protesters occupied, on Wednesday, a building of the US Congress, to ask the officials and the Joe Biden administration to press for a cease fire in the Gaza Strip. In Greece, approximately 10,000 people gathered in downtown Athens, in solidarity with the Palestinians. In Istanbul (Turkey), a crowd carrying pro-Palestinian flags and placards gathered in front of the Israeli consulate, then forced their way inside the consulate after breaking through a police barricade. Incidents also took place at the US embassies in Lebanon and Iraq, at the Israeli embassy in Jordan and at the French embassy in Iran.

Meeting – In the first joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Ukraine, in Kyiv, the prime ministers of the two countries, Marcel Ciolacu and Denis Şmîhal, established the mechanism for the import of Ukrainian grains on Romanian territory, with measures to protect the local farmers. On the other hand, the Ukrainian government adopted a document recognizing that the Romanian minority in Ukraine speaks Romanian and not the so-called Moldovan language, which in fact does not exist. (LS)

19 October 2023
October 17, 2023 UPDATE

ISRAEL — Romania remains a consistent state within its relations in the Middle East and maintains its position as a promoter of peace, but it will unconditionally stand by its allies in difficult moments, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday, at the end a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in Israel. He pointed out that Romania strongly condemned what happened in Israel in the last few days, and that alongside with the international community it calls for the immediate release of all hostages and persons kidnapped and for refraining from any other act of aggression, especially against civilian targets. At the same time, Ciolacu called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. In turn, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked for the solidarity Romania showed to Israel in the face of the Hamas attacks. In this context, Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Israeli authorities would do everything in their power to help evacuate Romanians from the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Israel, Marcel Ciolacu also met with members of the Romanian community, which he assured of the full support of the government in Bucharest. The Romanian authorities have so far provided support for the safe repatriation of over 2,200 Romanian citizens from Israel and are further making efforts to offer consular assistance to Romanian citizens who ask for support to return to the country.

COMMEMORATION — The prime ministers of Belgium and Sweden will pay tribute together on Wednesday to victims of Monday’s attack in Brussels, France Presse reports. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, wrote a message on a social network saying the two countries “weep together” for the victims – two Swedes, supporters of their national football team, who travelled to Brussels for the qualifying match to the European Championship, against the national team of Belgium. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristofferson, announced his presence in Brussels for the commemoration. The perpetrator of the attack, a 45-year-old Tunisian, who lived in Belgium illegally, was shot dead by the Belgian police on Tuesday morning. After the “brutal terrorist attack”, as PM Alexander De Croo called it, Belgium raised the state of security alert to the highest level in the countrys capital, Brussels.

GAS — Romania’s gas deposits are full, so if winter is mild, the country may get through the next period without having to resort to imports, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said. Moreover, Romania can support in this respect, if needed, the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Minister Burduja says the capped prices for energy and gas for consumers should be maintained, given that international markets have felt the effects of the security crisis in the Middle East.

GRAIN — Ukraine exported 10.5 million tons of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first nine months of the year, the port authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Overall, the port shipped over 25 million tons of grain between January and September 2023, the authority said, matching its previous annual record high. During his visit to Bucharest last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ‘corridor’ would be soon be established to take Ukrainian grain to Romania via Moldova. The Romanian government has said that, with investment in infrastructure ongoing, it aims to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tons, while port operators are also investing in equipment to increase loading speeds. Ukraine’s grain production in 2023 is likely to exceed 56 million tons, but Russia’s blocking its main Black Sea ports has affected deliveries.

SUPPORT – Convened in a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of further support for Ukraine worth 50 billion euros, for the 2024-2027 period. The funds are aimed for the “reconstruction and modernization” of the country. The Ukraine Facility is part of the Unions long-term budget review, which needs to be adjusted after multiple crises that have taken place since 2021. The EU has so far allocated 30 billion euros from its budget to support Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Starting June 2022, Ukraine has the status of candidate country to EU accession.

TEL AVIV — The U.S. President, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced. President Biden will reaffirm his solidarity with Israel, in the context of a ground offensive prepared by Israel against the Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken has also said. According to the US Secretary of State, Biden will be informed about how Israel will conduct its operations in such a way as to minimize the loss of civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without Hamas benefiting from it. (EE)

17 October 2023
October 16, 2023

GAZA According to Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, the
authorities in Bucharest are keeping in touch with almost every Romanian in the
Gaza Strip. He says that for the time being there is no reason for concern
regarding their lives, but everybody hopes they will reach Romania as soon as
possible. About 350 Romanians with double citizenship would be in the Hamas-controlled
Palestinian enclave constantly bombed by the Israeli troops.

TRUCE Egypt, Israel
and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza beginning at
nine hours local time, a situation coinciding with the re-opening of the Rafah
border crossing to allow in aid and the evacuation of foreigners, two Egyptian
security sources, quoted by Reuters, said on Monday. However, Israel denies the
existence of such a truce, Reuters says, quoting a statement from the office of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel continues to beef up its troops
close to Gaza before the envisaged ground onslaught. Over 14 hundred people,
mainly civilians, have been killed in the latest bloody Hamas attack. In turn,
Palestinian sources are speaking about roughly 27 hundred people killed in the
Israeli bombardments on Gaza.

LAW A draft
law on the special pensions of the magistrates and other categories of state
employees is today being subjected to debates and voting in the decision-making
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The document has been endorsed after the
latest amendments required by the Constitutional Court. Under the present form
of the draft, the magistrates’ pensions are to be based 80% on an average of
their gross monthly indemnities and the bonuses they got in the last four years
of activity while their retirement age is to increase on a yearly basis until
the age of 60. The opposition USR believes the PSD-PNL majority has brought
only superficial amendments to the law whereas the ruling coalition has
recalled that the special pensions reform is a key element of the National Plan
of Recovery and Resilience and must be completed as soon as possible.

FOOTBALL Romania’s
national eleven has become leader of the qualifying Group One for the EURO 2024
after a 4-0 home win against Andorra. This has been our footballers’ clearest victory
so far in the present qualification campaign. In another Group One match,
Switzerland ended in a 3-all draw their home game against Belarus. We recall
that Israel’s games have been postponed. Romania has two more games in hand,
against Israel, which is an away game and a home game against Switzerland. The
aforementioned group also includes Kosovo.

(bill)

16 October 2023
October 9, 2023

WAR Clashes were still reported on Monday between the
Israeli army and Palestinian fighters infiltrated in the south of the country
from Gaza, after Israel reportedly hit over 500 targets of Hamas and the
Islamic Jihad organisations during the night. The Israeli defence forces have
full control over the southern part of the country, attacked by the Palestinian
Hamas forces, an Israeli military spokesman said on Monday, quoted by AFP and
Reuters. This is the 3rd day of violent clashes that have so far
killed around 1,200 people, over 700 of whom Israelis and at least 493
Palestinians, EFE reported on Monday. Israel’s security cabinet declared war following the attacks of the Palestinian
organisation Hamas, allowing the government to undertake significant military
activities, the PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday.

ISRAEL On Monday 96 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Israel, via
Jordan, on a Tarom flight, the foreign ministry announced. Another 245 Romanian citizens were repatriated on Sunday, including 2 pilgrim
groups. The foreign ministry reiterates its recommendation that Romanian
nationals should reschedule their planned trips to Israel and monitor the Travel
Alerts section on its home page. Meanwhile, a mobile consular team from the
Romanian embassy in Israel and from Romania’s representation office in Ramallah is at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv
to provide assistance to the Romanians there. A unit from the ministry’s emergency
response team has also been deployed to Israel, to help in the repatriation
efforts.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is on a visit to Portugal,
where he is scheduled to have talks today with PM António Costa, with the president
of the Assembly of the Republic Augusto Santos Silva, and with Portuguese MPs.
On Saturday, Iohannis had a meeting with his Portuguese counterpat, Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa, discussing the war in neighbouring Ukraine, in which context
he reiterated thanks for Portugal’s substantial contribution to the defence and
deterrence posture on NATO’s eastern flank. The presence on Portuguese troops
in Romania is a strong signal of Portugal’s solidarity and support to
strengthening Romania’s security, president Iohannis said. On the other hand,
the president of Portugal said his country was supporting Romania’s Schengen
and OECD accession.

MEETING PM Marcel Ciolacu said today in Varna, Bulgaria, that during the
Romania – Bulgaria – Greece trilateral meeting the 3 countries agreed to
implement a joint action plan aimed at significant development in trilateral
cooperation in sectors such as transports, energy, trade and security. In the
presence of EC officials, of the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Bulgarian
PM Nikolay Denkov, we have reiterated Romania’s ambition of quickly becoming a
Schengen member state and an influential economic player in the region, Marcel
Ciolacu said. The Romanian official also added that Romania, in a partnership
with Bulgaria and Greece, may have a greater influence in the EU, promoting its
central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and its willingness to see the
Republic of Moldova and Western Balkans countries joining the European bloc as
soon as possible.

HOLOCAUST Romania marks today the National Holocaust Remembrance Day. On
October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to
Transdniester started. The Holocaust was recognised by the Romanian authorities
in 2004, based on the conclusions reached by a commission headed by Nobel prize
winner Elie Wiesel. The Jews and Roma who died during the Holocaust were
commemorated in Bucharest, while Timişoara is hosting a concert organised by
the local Jewish community.

SWIMMING The Romanian athlete David Popovici, the defending European
champion in the 100 and 200m freestyle races, won all the 4 short course competitions
in which he took part this weekend in Nyon (Switzerland). On Sunday he finished
the 100m and 50m freestyle events in the first position, with 47.22s and 21.83s
respectively, after on Saturday he had won the 400 and 200m freestyle races. The
competition in Switzerland is training opportunity ahead of the European short
course championships scheduled in December in Otopeni, near Bucharest. (AMP)

9 October 2023
October 7, 2023 UPDATE

PILGRIMAGE – The annual pilgrimage
to the relics of Saint Parascheva, the largest religious pilgrimage in Romania,
started Saturday morning in Iasi, eastern Romania. The feast of St. Parascheva
is celebrated every year on October 14. People go to pray at the Metropolitan
Cathedral in Iaşi, where the relics are kept. The coffin carrying the Saint’s
relics was taken out of the Metropolitan Cathedral early Saturday and placed on
a large table decorated with flowers in the cathedral’s courtyard. Tens of
thousands of believers from Romania and abroad take part in this annual
pilgrimage.

ATTACK – Israel and the Gaza Strip are
at war again, after the Hamas group on Saturday launched a surprise military
offensive, firing thousands of rockets and infiltrating fighters into the
Israeli territory. Previously, the leader of the armed wing of the Palestinian
movement had announced the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The attack, that
made numerous victims, attracted many international reactions, including from
Romania, which firmly condemned it. Our thoughts go to the families of
the victims and to those who are attacked, President Klaus Iohannis wrote
on Twitter. The State of Israel will win every time in the face of terror
and those who try to destroy it, the president of the Federation of
Jewish Communities in Romania, MP Silviu Vexler, said. The Romanian Foreign
Affairs Ministry emphasized the sovereign right of the state of Israel to
self-defense. At the same time, the ministry raised the travel alert level for
Israel, Romanians being advised to reschedule their trips to the area or, if
they are already there, to follow the instructions of the local authorities,
take shelter in buildings and leave the country when the situation allows it.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that the Romanian authorities are looking
for solutions to bring home as quickly as possible approximately 790 Romanians
who are on pilgrimage to Israel.

WAR – The armed branch of the
Palestinian group Hamas stated, on Saturday evening, that its fighters are
still engaged gun battles in 25 locations in Israel. According to the Israeli
authorities, at least a hundred people were killed by the Palestinian fighters
who entered the country. In the Gaza Strip, the response of the Israeli army
has allegedly caused about 200 deaths and over 1,600 wounded, according to the
Ministry of Health of the so-called Hamas administration. Under the cover of
thousands of rockets, Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel using
motorcycles, paragliders and boats. The Israeli radio reported that 35
Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. According to Radio Romania’s
correspondent in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video
message that his country is at war.

VISIT – Romania’s President, Klaus
Iohannis, discussed, on Saturday, in Lisbon, with his Portuguese counterpart,
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, about the war in neighboring Ukraine, in which context
he thanked the Portuguese authorities for their country’s substantial
contribution, with troops, to the consolidation of NATO’s deterrence and
defense posture on the eastern flank. The presence of the Portuguese
military in Romania is a strong signal of Portugal’s solidarity with and
support for the consolidation of Romania’s security, President Iohannis
said. Talks also focused on the increased security risks in the Black Sea
region, as a result of the numerous Russian attacks on the Ukrainian ports on
the Danube, aimed to impact Ukraine’s ability to export its agricultural
products Iohannis said, adding that additional defense measures were taken
through NATO and that the protection of the Romanian territory and citizens is
ensured.

BUDGET
– This autumn’s budget revision will take place after the Constitutional Court
rules on the fiscal-budgetary measures for which the Government has recently
assumed responsibility, PM Marceal Ciolacu said. He specified that the budget
revision is urgent, because the Ministry of Transport in particular needs
substantial sums for the co-financing of large infrastructure projects, given
that the Executive’s priority is to absorb more than 95% of the European funds.
The Romanian PSD-PNL ruling coalition assumed responsibility, in Parliament,
for a thorough fiscal-budgetary reform, with the purpose of reducing budget
spending and ensure the long-term sustainability of the country’s finances. A
part of the opposition is against the new measures and notified the Constitutional
Court.

PARIS – Romania’s national rugby team
will play, on Sunday, October 8, against Tonga, in Lille (north), their last
match in Group B of the World Cup in France. In the first three games, Romania
lost to Ireland, South Africa, and Scotland.
(EE)

7 October 2023
October 6, 2023 UPDATE

SUMMIT Several EU leaders
have rejected 2030 as the year of the EU enlargement at the summit held in
Granada on Friday. The next stage of the enlargement is supposed to include the
states of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova but the
Spanish Foreign Minister has underlined that every country must first do their
homework and only then join the European Union according to their merits.
Another major issue on the agenda was migration and in this respect Poland and
Hungary have made it clear they oppose any common agreement. Cyber-security,
military security and climate change have also been high on the agenda.
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has also attended the event.

VISIT Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis is paying a formal visit to Portugal until Monday upon
the invitation of his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
According to the Presidential Administration, the visit will kick off with the
participation of the Romanian president, as a special guest, in the anniversary
meeting of the Arraiolos Group, hosted by the Portuguese president in Porto on
Friday. The meeting marks 20 years since the debut of this informal platform of
consultations at the presidential level among 16 EU countries. On Saturday,
Iohannis will be received by his Portuguese counterpart in Lisbon. According to
the presidential administration, the
field of defence is one of the key elements of the bilateral cooperation
with a view to consolidating the allied defence on NATO’s Eastern Flank, an
outcome of this cooperation being Portugal’s participation with a ground force
contingent to the multinational NATO brigade in Romania. On the sidelines of
the aforementioned visit, a series of bilateral documents will be signed in the
fields of energy, investment and trade. In another development, Klaus Iohannis
will be paying a formal visit to Hungary on Wednesday for talks with his
Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak.

MECHANISM The
mechanism that will allow the import of limited quantities of grain from Ukraine
and the Republic of Moldova only on the basis of a license was discussed by the
Bucharest Government in Thursday’s meeting. The measure aims to protect
Romanian farmers after the European Commission lifted the restrictions imposed
on Ukrainian grain imports, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. He stated that
this mechanism, agreed with all parties involved, will allow imports only on
the basis of an authorization for limited quantities of grain and will apply
only to Romanian farmers and processors who demonstrate that they need
additional quantities to replenish stocks. This is how we ensure that
products that comply with quality standards will arrive on the Romanian
market, Ciolacu pointed out. He also said that Romania continues to support
Ukraine with all its strength, but that it is mandatory for the
Bucharest administration to protect the work of Romanian farmers. Recently, the
Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, has said that the agricultural
products that are subject to import and will fall under the scope of this
mechanism are wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

RATE The
National Bank of Romania (BNR) has decided to maintain the monetary policy
interest rate at 7% per year, a value that has remained unchanged since January.
The board of directors of the BNR also kept unchanged the interest at which
commercial banks can borrow from the BNR and the interest they receive when
they keep money in deposits established at the central bank. According to the
new assessments of the BNR, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease
until the end of the current year. Starting next year, however, inflation will
be influenced by the existence of major risks, arising from the new
fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the government and the degree of
absorption of European funds, as well as the war in neighboring Ukraine and
economic developments below expectations from Europe.

(bill)

6 October 2023
October 3, 2023

SUPPORT Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu has today spoken in Kyiv about the importance of carrying on the EU multidimensional support for Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops, including through the creation of a military fund within the European Peace Facility. The Romanian official has accused the ongoing Russian attacks against the civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, close to Romania’s borders and underlined the need for a long-term strategic regional approach to also include the Republic of Moldova. On Monday, Luminita Odobescu attended the informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Kyiv.

WALL The peaceful reunification of Germany took place 33 years ago today, in 1990, almost a year after the fall of the Berlin wall. The day of the German Unity was celebrated on Tuesday night during a reception where president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu highlighted among other things Germany’s consistent support for Romania’s accession to Schengen. Germany is Romania’s most important trade partner and the second biggest investor in the Romanian economy. Bilateral trade exchanges last year exceeded 40 billion euros and over 25 thousand companies with German capital have been registered in Romania.

SPORT Romania’s artistic gymnastics team has qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, after coming in the 8th position during the qualifiers of the 52nd edition of the World Championship in Antwerp, Belgium. This performance has put the Romanian women team back into the game after a break of 12 years, the last time they competed in an Olympic Games edition was in London, in 2012. 12 teams can qualify for the Paris Olympics and the United States, Britain and Canada have already booked plane tickets.

DRILL The nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, south-eastern Romania, is today hosting a nuclear emergency exercise called Wallachia 2023. The exercise, which simulates a severe nuclear accident, has been staged by the National Committee for the Control of the Nuclear Activities and is benefitting from support from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency and the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The exercise will test the response capabilities of all the institutions involved as well as the assistance received from international partners. Wallachia 2023 is aimed at improving nuclear security and safety in Romania, increasing resilience to disasters and preparing an appropriate response to nuclear accidents and has been funded through the Norwegian financial mechanism.

(bill)

3 October 2023
Minimum Wages on the rise in Romania

As announced while the government was assuming responsibility for a new series of fiscal-budgetary laws, minimum salaries in Romania are to be raised by 10%, from 3,000 to 3300 RON, the equivalent of 660 euros. The beneficiaries of the new measures are over 1.8 million employees working mainly in transport, trade and SMEs.

The aforementioned pay raise is aimed at protecting the income of every employee, at the same time boosting employment, the purchase power and curbing illegal work. Other social categories in the low income bracket, such as the handicapped and those involved with various independent activities and intellectual property rights, are to also benefit the new measure.

This government will not give up on the priority of raising the minimum salary and we would like to have another raise in 2024, which we are going to discuss with social partners, the head of the Romanian Executive, Marcel Ciolacu has said. The Romanian official has also insisted that no minimum wages are to decrease in Romania upon the enforcement of the new fiscal-budgetary law package for which the government has assumed responsibility before Parliament. For this reason the Executive decided to scrap the draft ordinance on raising the minimum salaries in the construction sector as these salaries would have decreased upon the introduction of the health insurance contributions. As a result, employees in constructions, agriculture and food industry will have their salaries unchanged as they dont have to pay health contributions.

Marcel Ciolacu:” According to the calculations the Finance Ministry presented on Thursday, upon the introduction of health insurance contributions for all employees, the minimum net salary in constructions, agriculture and food industry could have dropped. We have all, and especially I, pledged that such a thing is not going to happen as this is something I do not agree with. No minimum net pay was supposed to be trimmed, so we decided to cancel this ordinance to prevent this from happening. The field ministries are to revise the text and until then all the wages in the aforementioned fields, constructions, agriculture and food industry will remain unchanged as the employees there are exempted from paying health insurance contributions.”

The government initially wanted to raise the minimum gross wages in constructions from 4,000 to 4,500 lei, the equivalent of roughly 900 euros, but the National Trade Union Block proposed that the gross wages in constructions be raised to 46 hundred lei and in agriculture to 35 hundred lei. The new form of the aforementioned ordinance might be high on the agenda of the new round of talks the government is going to have next week. Time enough for the Finance Ministry to recalculate the money involved.

(bill)

29 September 2023
Majoration du salaire minimum en Roumanie.

Le gouvernement roumain a décidé jeudi de majorer le salaire minimum de 10% de 3000 à 3300 lei brut par mois soit l’équivalent de 660 euros brut. Cette annonce a été faite durant les procédures d’engagement de la responsabilité du gouvernement pour le paquet de reformes fiscales censées couvrir le déficit budgétaire. Y bénéficient plus de 1,8 millions de salariés des transports, du commerce et des PMEs. Son objectif est de protéger les revenus de tous les salariés, de stimuler l’occupation de la main d’œuvre et de réduire le travail au noir. S’y ajoutent d’autres catégories sociales, dont les revenus sont calculés en fonction de la valeur du SMIC, telles les personnes à handicap et celles qui touchent des revenus depuis des activités indépendantes et de droits de propriété intellectuelle.

Ce gouvernement ne renoncera pas à la priorité d’augmenter le salaire minimum et nous souhaitons introduire un autre seuil de cette majoration en 2024 que nous allons négocier avec les partenaires sociaux, a affirmé le chef de l’exécutif, Marcel Ciolacu. Il a par ailleurs souligné le fait qu’aucun salaire minimum ne devrait baisser en Roumanie suite à l’application des réformes fiscales et budgétaires adoptées par l’engagement de la responsabilité gouvernementale. C’est pourquoi, l’exécutif a décidé de retirer le projet de décret d’urgence sur la majoration du salaire minimum dans certains secteurs dont les salariés sont exemptés de la contribution à la sécu.

« Les calculs présentés jeudi matin par le ministère des Finances montrent que suite à l’introduction des contributions à la sécu pour tous les salariés, le SMIC des ouvriers du BTP, de l’agriculture et de l’industrie alimentaire auraient pu baisser. A ce moment-là, on a tous, et surtout moi-même promis, de ne pas le permettre. Aucun salaire minimum net ne doit baisser. Par conséquent, nous avons décidé de retirer de l’ordre du jour ce décret qui vise uniquement ces catégories. Les ministères de tutelle ré-analyseront le texte. D’ici là, tous les salaires du BTP, de l’agriculture et de l’industrie alimentaire demeureront inchangées. Autrement dit, ils ne sont pas concernés parce qu’ils bénéficient toujours de l’exemption de la contribution à la sécu. » a déclaré le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu.

Notons aussi que le bloc national syndical a proposé en effet de majorer le salaire minimum dans ces trois secteurs d’un taux plus important, censé compenser la contribution à la sécu, ce que le gouvernement a refusé de faire. La nouvelle variante du décret d’urgence pourrait figurer à l’ordre du jour de la réunion du gouvernement la semaine prochaine. D’ici là, le ministère des Finances de Bucarest doit refaire toute une série de calculs. (Ştefan Stoica)

29 September 2023
September 25, 2023

POLL According
to a poll conducted by the Center of Urban and Regional Sociology, (CURS) most
of the Romanians believe that things are rather going wrong in Romania. 69% of
the respondents share this opinion, whereas only 22% of them believe the
country goes in the right direction. 41% of those questioned believe their
situation will be more difficult next year, 38% that it will remain the same whereas
18% says that things will improve. According to the CURS poll, the main issues
the Romanians are presently facing are the inflation, the higher prices and their
low incomes, the dropping standard of living, corruption and theft. The most
trusted institutions remain the firefighters (73%) followed by the army (68%)
and the church (63%). If elections were to take place next Sunday, 50% of the
interviewees would be voting for the parties presently ruling Romania, the PSD
and PNL.

FESTIVAL The concert of the Concertgebouw Royal
Orchestra of Amsterdam on Sunday night ended the 26th edition of the
George Enescu International Music Festival. The Academic Radio Choir and the
Children Radio Choir have also participated in the aforementioned event, which
brought together over 40 orchestras from 16 countries and over 35 hundred of
the world’s most renowned musicians. This festival, one of the world’s most
important, will be followed by Remember Enescu, a contest devoted to the young
musicians. This year’s edition kicks of on Monday in Timisoara, western
Romania.

IMF A team of the International Monetary Fund comes to
Bucharest today for the annual round of talks over the Romanian economy. Until
October 4th, international experts will be holding talks on the
economic policies and the latest developments in the field with representatives
of the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank and various NGOs. The IMF team will
also be meeting representatives of the private sector for talks, which are
taking place periodically in all member states with a view to presenting
recommendations for ensuring stability and a positive development at the level
of the economy.

LAWS The completion of the measure package aimed
at balancing the state budget will be preceded today by a new round of talks in
Bucharest between Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Finance Minister Marcel
Bolos followed by another round of consultation with employers associations and
trade unions on the matter. Also today, the Executive is to endorse a draft law
for which it will assume responsibility in Parliament. The government’s
intention is to effectively combat tax evasion, ensure fiscal equity and curb
red tape. The VAT will remain low for a series of products and goods – 5% for
firewood, thermal energy, natural gas and other things related to household
consumption. The VAT will stay at 9% for food stuff and medicine, whereas
products destined for people with abilities will remain exempted from the VAT.
Holiday vouchers will be given only to state employees with incomes up to 16
hundred euros.

(bill)

25 September 2023