Tag: Ciolacu

  • 05.07.2023 (mise à jour)

    05.07.2023 (mise à jour)

    Justice – La Commission européenne a informé le Conseil et le Parlement européen au sujet de la conclusion du Mécanisme de coopération et de vérification pour la Roumanie et la Bulgarie, qui sera remplacé par un rapport annuel sur l’Etat de droit. C’est ce qu’a annoncé ce mercredi à Bruxelles, la Commissaire européenne aux valeurs et à la transparence, Vera Jourova, qui a fait part de sa conviction que l’élimination du mécanisme de suivi de la Justice roumaine se réalisera cette année. « Dans le dernier rapport du mécanisme de coopération et de vérification relatif à la Bulgarie, en 2019 et à la Roumanie, en 2022, la Commission a conclu déjà que les deux Etats avait fait suffisamment de progrès dans la réalisation des engagements au moment de l’adhésion à l’UE et que toutes les conditions avait été remplies d’une manière satisfaisante », a expliqué la responsable communautaire. La Commission européenne a recommandé mercredi à la Roumanie, dans son rapport sur la situation de l’Etat de droit d’adopter des mesures notamment au niveau opérationnel afin de répondre aux préoccupations concernant la poursuite des faits pénaux dans le système judiciaire, y compris les faits de corruption. Parallèlement, la Commission note que la Roumanie avait enregistré des progrès significatifs dans le renforcement des dispositifs visant à assurer l’indépendance du système judiciaire et à gérer les défis opérationnels de la Direction nationale anticorruption.

    Visite – La visite du premier ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu, à Berlin, s’est poursuivie ce mercredi par une réunion avec les représentants du milieu allemand des affaires et par un entretien avec la vice-présidente du parlement, Katrin Göring-Eckardt et avec les représentants des principaux groupes politiques du législatif de Berlin. M Ciolacu a souligné l’importance de coopération bilatérale et le potentiel significatif de celle-ci, étant donné que l’Allemagne et le partenaire commercial le plus important de la Roumanie. L’Allemagne vise les investissements dans le secteur de la pétrochimie, dans le contexte de la découverte de gisements de gaz en Roumanie et dans l’industrie roumaine des matériaux de construction, dans la perspective des futurs efforts de reconstruction de l’Ukraine. Le premier ministre roumain a expliqué que le pays disposait de nombreuses ressources et que plusieurs projets énergétiques pourraient assurer à la Roumanie un rôle dans la stabilité de la région. Le responsable roumain a également souligné le potentiel significatif de la Roumanie dans le domaine de l’agriculture. Mercredi également, Marcel Ciolacu a eu des discussions avec des représentants de l’industrie allemande de la Défense. Mardi, au premier jour de sa visite, Marcel Ciolacu a été reçu par le chancelier Olaf Scholz, qui a réaffirmé l’appui total de son pays à l’intégration de la Roumanie à l’espace Schengen.

    Maltraitance – L’enquête visant les maisons de retraite de Bucarest et du département d’Ilfov est très complexe et le dossier des procureurs de la Direction d’investigation des infractions de crime organisé et de terrorisme doit être solide avant d’être présenté aux Juges, a déclaré le ministre roumain de l’Intérieur, Cătălin Predoiu, après les perquisitions de ce mardi visant plusieurs maisons de retraite où des personnes âgées et vulnérables auraient été soumises à des traitements inhumains et dégradants. A la question pourquoi il a fallu attendre six mois entre les premiers articles parus dans la presse concernant la situation de ces centres de Bucarest et d’Ilfov et l’intervention des hommes de la loi, le ministre Predoiu a expliqué qu’il a fallu beaucoup de temps pour pouvoir recueillir suffisamment de preuves afin de garantir la mise en examen des suspects. Rappelons-le, 24 suspects ont été arrêtés et deux ont été placés sous contrôle judiciaire dans une enquête portant sur la maltraitance de personnes vulnérable dans 3 maisons de retraite de Roumanie. Les procureurs sont également en train d’investiguer des infractions liées à la traite de personnes, faux et dilapidation, dont le préjudice a été estimé à 5 millions de lei (1 million d’euros), les accusations portant aussi sur les traitements inhumains ou dégradants.

    Santé – La fédération syndicale « Solidaritatea sanitara » de Roumanie a annoncé qu’elle ne renonçait pas aux protestations et que demain elle comptait organiser d’autres manifs devant les hôpitaux, sans arrêt de travail. La Fédération demande la modification du décret d’urgence adopté la semaine dernière dans le sens de l’application intégrale de l’actuelle loi des salaires pour tous les salariés de la Santé et l’octroi d’une majoration de salaire. Les syndicalistes demandent des majorations de salaires par rapport à l’ordonnance d’urgence adoptée la semaine dernière et la création de la possibilité d’accorder ces droits. La Fédération annonce aussi que près de 1 400 médecins avaient annoncé leur intention de démissions de leurs contrats individuel de travail relatifs aux heures supplémentaires et que quelque 6 400 autres salariés du système ont fait part de leur intention de ne plus travailler durant les weekends et les jours fériés.

    Livres – La première édition d’été de la Foire du Livre Gaudeamus organisée par Radio Roumanie a démarré ce mercredi à Brasov (centre). L’événement fait partie de la Caravane Gaudeamus, qui sillonne le pays et qui est un projet d’envergure nationale, lancé il y a une vingtaine d’années par la radio publique roumaine. L’offre de cette foire réunit des livres, des créations graphiques, de l’art photographique, des créations littéraires, le tout présenté sur une quarantaine de stands. La Caravane Gaudeamus restera à Brasov jusqu’au dimanche, 9 juillet.

    Météo – Les météorologues annoncent des pluies et des orages jeudi surtout sur l’ouest, le sud-ouest, le centre et le nord-est de la Roumanie. La canicule sévira pourtant sur le sud-est. Les maxima iront de 24 à 37 degrés. Météo caniculaire aussi à Bucarest où le mercure des thermomètres tournera autour des 35 degrés à l’ombre.

  • July 2, 2023 UPDATE

    July 2, 2023 UPDATE

    European Games – On Sunday, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the Romanian athletes for the results obtained at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, Poland held between June 21-July 2. The 17 medals won by Romanian athletes (…) prove – once again! – the value, determination and courage of the Romanian athletes – the prime minister wrote on Facebook. Romania took 14th place in the medal ranking: 6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze. Gold medals were won by the cyclist Vlad Dascălu in the mountain bike race, by the athlete Claudia Bobocea in the 1,500 meters event, by Bernadette Szocs in table tennis (female singles), by Kinga Barabasi (female singles teqball), Apor Gyorgydeak (male singles teqball) and by the women’s table tennis team of Romania. The silver went to the athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event and Daniela Stanciu in the high jump, to Cătălin Chirilă in the 500 meters solo canoe, the fencer Ilinca Pantiş in the saber event, the pair Kinga Barabasi and Katalin Dako in the womens double teqball and to the boxer Lăcrămioara Perijoc in the 54 kg category. Finally, the bronze medals went to karateka Ştefan Comănescu in the 67 kg category (kumite), to athlete Andrea Miklos in 400 m event, to fencer Mălina Călugăreanu in the foil event, and in table tennis – to the pair Ovidiu Ionescu/Bernadette Szocs (mixed doubles) and Elizabeta Samara (female singles). Romania participated in the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska with 150 athletes, 74 women, 76 men, in 18 sports disciplines. At the first edition of the European Games, Baku 2015, Romania ranked 17th and in 2019, in Minsk, it finished 26th.



    Justice Day — The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, pleaded, in her message on Justice Day, for collaboration and dialogue in finding good and balanced solutions to ensure both the functionality and efficiency of the judicial system, as well as the quality of the justice act. The legal system needs now, more than ever, unity, balance, mutual trust and openness. This is the message sent on Sunday, on Justice Day, by the president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Corina-Alina Corbu. She says that this anniversary takes place, this year, in a complicated context marked by tension, which should not have an impact on the citizens. The statements come in the context in which the representatives of the High Court challenged at the Constitutional Court the changes made to the special pension system which benefits the magistrates. Prosecutor General Alex Florența stated, in his message, that the legislative changes related to the magistrates pensions were made by simulating a dialogue, ignoring the principles of loyal cooperation and mutual respect that the powers of the state owe to each other. The chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Marius Voineag, said, on Justice Day, that the role of the Directorate in the entire judicial system contributes to the development of Romanian society and to reaching the countrys real potential as a member of the EU and NATO. According to him, the issue of fighting corruption remains as topical as before because Romanians are perfectly aware of the fact that each act of corruption means the waste of public resources, missed opportunities for the country and a more uncertain future for the future generations.



    iMapp – The international iMapp Bucharest – Winners League contest, the largest video mapping event in the world and the most important New Media Art project in Romania, will bring back, on September 23, the show of visual arts and technology on the facade of the Palace of the Parliament, the Bucharest City Hall officials announced on Sunday. In a press release they say that the public will be able to admire the 3D works of some of the most valuable artistic teams in the world, winners of iMapp Bucharests partner festivals in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Japan. The theme of the contest in Bucharest, this autumn, will be CONTRASTS, and a jury made up of important international specialists in the audiovisual arts will decide the grand winner of the editions Prize. Besides the 3D works projected on the 23,000 square meter facade of the largest administrative building in Europe, the public will be able to enjoy, for 12 hours, music, relaxation areas and street food.



    Statistics – Last year, Romania had the cheapest food in the European Union, according to an analysis made by the National Institute of Statistics. At the opposite pole were Denmark and Luxembourg, with the highest food prices. Bulgaria had the cheapest alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, as well as the cheapest clothing and footwear in the entire Union, and utilities, water, electricity, gas and other fuels had the lowest costs. Bulgaria also had the lowest prices for accommodation and restaurant services, and Hungary had the lowest prices for transport, recreation and culture. In terms of purchasing power, Romania ranks last in the European Union. (LS)

  • June 29, 2023

    June 29, 2023

    BLACK HAWK A maintenance centre for the
    Black Hawk helicopters is about to open in Bacau, eastern Romania; the result
    of a partnership between the US aerospace, arms, defence, information security
    and technology corporation Lockheed Martin, and Romanian company Aerostar. The
    centre is to be completely accredited and operational before the arrival of
    seven S-70 Black Hawk helicopters later this year. According to the company’s
    vice president Ray Piselli, the centre in Bacau will contribute to the creation
    and maintenance of highly qualified jobs in Romania, will curb operational
    costs for the Black Hawk helicopters and will have a strong growing potential
    in the future.






    RIGHTS Trade union leaders in Romania’s
    medical system have announced higher salaries for the employees in this sector
    starting August 1. On Wednesday, trade union leaders met the country’s
    Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and deputy Prime Minister
    Marian Neacsu for talks over the new emergency ordinance regulating the
    upcoming pay rise. Employment in the field is to be resumed and 4 thousand new
    jobs will be created shortly. Another 10 thousand jobs are to be created in the
    country’s medical sector in the following period. All normative acts regulating
    the aforementioned rights are to be endorsed in a government sitting this week.
    If their claims had not been met, employees in the medical field would have
    gone on an all-out strike.






    UKRAINE The
    United States and Romania have taken actions in support of Ukraine and all the
    vulnerable partners in the Black Sea region – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
    said on Wednesday night at the reception offered by the US embassy in Bucharest
    on Independence Day. The US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec says that
    both countries are sharing ‘common values, which are the reason why we remain
    united against Russia’s unprovoked and terrible attack on Ukraine.’






    SUMMIT The EU’s two-days summit, which
    kicks off in Brussels today, has high on the agenda a series of issues as well
    as a review of the ending Swedish presidency of the European Union. Spain is
    the country to take over the bloc’s half-yearly presidency. Among the issues to
    be tackled during the summit, which is also being attended by the Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis, is the situation in Ukraine and the support granted
    to Kyiv in the war against Russia, economic security and migration. According
    to Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, the talks will be kicked off by
    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who will be assessing the situation in
    Ukraine, and speak about the arms delivery and the Alliance’s summit in
    Vilnius. The talks will also be attended by the president of Ukraine. Other
    issues on the agenda are competitiveness, digitization and security.




    (bill)

  • Evaluare europeană mutrinda România

    Evaluare europeană mutrinda România


    Comisia Europeană evaluă pozitiv a doua căftari di plată pitricută di România tru cadrul a Planlui Naţional di Redresare şi Rezilienţă, tru valoare di 3,22 miliardi euro, după ţi vidzu tiñisearea a 49 ditu aţeali 51 di jaloane şi ţinte asumate. Tră aţeali dauă jaloane restante, ţi mutrescu investiţiile tru energie, România kică, toradioară, examenul, lucru ţi feaţi că Comisia s’activeadză procedura di curmari a pălterloru ligati di aestea. Di itia că nu tiñisi 2 jaloane, România va s’llia cu 53,36 milioane euro ma pţănu tru contul a componentăllei di agiutoru sum turlie di împărmut a PNRR, ama ari kiro nica 6 meşi tra s’yină cu dovedz că şi tră aeşţă păradz jaloanili fură tiñisiti haristusitoru.


    Tru simfunie cu reglementărli mutrinda implementarea a Mecanismului di redresare şi rezilienţă, a statilor membre lă si toarnă fondurile aferente ţintilor şi jaloanilor tiñisiti acătaţi tru ună căftari di plată şi au la dispoziţie kiro suplimentar tră s’ndreagă hopili restante.


    Năulu premier, Marcel Ciolacu, lugurseaşti că aestă evaluari da curayiu a guvernului s’continueadză ta s’bagă tu practico scupadzlli pripuşi. El tăxeaşti că va s’hibă recupearate iruşi aţeali dauă jaloane amanati ditu domeniul ali energie, tră s’llia tuţ păradzllii alocaţ. Predecesorlu al Ciolacu tru caplu a executivului, Nicolae Ciucă spuni că păradzllii europeni va s’agiută cabaia ti modernizarea ali Românie tru tuti domeniile clleaie, maxus infrastructură, sistemul sanitar şi aţelu educaţional.


    Tru ună evaluare ghenearală, şefa ali Comisie Europeană, Ursula von der Leyen, spusi că România feaţi progrese tru aţea ţi mutreaşti băgarea tru lucru a Planului a llei di Redresare şi Rezilienţă, di exemplu pritu realizarea di reforme mutrinda siguranţa rutieră, energia ditu izvuri regenearabile şi serviţiile di cloud ditu sectorlu public.


    Ditu aţeali 3,22 miliardi euro aproximativ dauă cirecuri reprezintă agiutoru financiar nearambursabil, iara un cirecu agiutoru sum turlie di mpărmutu. Comisia va s’pitreacă evaluarea c4ftarillei di pălteari numirlu 2 a Comitetului Economic şi Financiar, tră s’hibă vulusită, simfunu cu procedura. Prota căftari di plată ditu cadrul PNRR fu rambursată ali României tru sumedrue 2022, suma plătită hiinda di 2,6 miliardi euro, ditu cari 1,8 miliardi sum turlie di granturi şi 0,8 miliardi euro sum turlie di mpărmuturi.


    România ari hăiri di ună alocari di pisti 29 miliardi di euro tră implementarea a PNRR, giumitati hiinda granturi şi giumitate împărmuturi. Tră implementarea a Planului Naţional di Redresare şi Rezilienţă, România ari loată pănă tora dauaă tranşe di prefinanţare tru valoare cumulată di aproximativ 3,79 miliardi euro.


    Autoru: Stefan Stoica


    Armânipsearia: Taşcu Lala



  • European Assessment on Romania

    European Assessment on Romania

    The European Commission has
    positively assessed the second payment request submitted by Romania within the
    National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, PNRR, with a value of 3.22 billion
    Euros, after the country fulfilled 49 out of the 51 milestones and targets in
    the aforementioned plan. As for the two pending objectives, concerning
    investment in energy, Romania has failed the exam, which prompted the European
    Commission to activate the procedure of suspending payment for the related activities.
    For this reason Romania will receive 53.36 million Euros less as part of the
    PNRR assistance component, but still has 6 months left to bring evidence that
    it has properly met the aforementioned objectives.


    This procedure gives Member States
    time to fulfill the outstanding milestones while receiving a partial payment
    linked to the milestones and targets than have been satisfactory fulfilled.


    The country’s new Prime Minister,
    Marcel Ciolacu says the present assessment is encouraging the government to
    carry on the process of meeting all the milestones and targets. He pledges the
    two outstanding milestones will be fulfilled shortly, so that Romania may get
    all the money allotted. Ciolacu’s predecessor, Nicolae Ciuca says the European
    money will essentially contribute to the modernization of Romania in all key
    domains, mainly infrastructure as well as the medical and educational systems.


    The president of the European
    Commission Ursula von der Leyen says that ‘Romania has progressed well in the
    implementation of its recovery and resilience plan, for instance carrying out
    reforms on road safety, renewable energy and public sector cloud services.
    Romania has also been taking important steps to fight undeclared work and
    invest in 5G networks. Now, we encourage Romania to speed up its work within
    the next six months on the two milestones related to energy investments that
    are not yet fulfilled. We encourage all Member States, including Romania, to
    proceed swiftly with the implementation of their recovery and resilience
    plans.’


    Out of the 3.22 billion Euros,
    roughly two thirds are non-reimbursable, while one third is loaned. The first
    payment request was reimbursed to Romania in October 2022, when the country
    received 2.6 billion Euros out of which 1.8 billion in grants and 0.8 in loans.
    Romania benefits from 29 billion Euros allotted to its PNRR, half grants and
    half loans. For this implementation of its National Plan of Recovery and
    Resilience, Romania has already received two-pre-funding installments of
    roughly 3.79 billion Euros.


    (bill)

  • Evaluare europeană privind România

    Evaluare europeană privind România

    Comisia
    Europeană a evaluat pozitiv a doua cerere de plată transmisă de România în
    cadrul Planului Naţional de Redresare şi Rezilienţă, în valoare de 3,22
    miliarde euro, după ce a constatat îndeplinirea a 49 din cele 51 de jaloane şi
    ţinte asumate. Pentru cele două jaloane restante, ce privesc investiţiile în
    energie, România a picat, deocamdată, examenul, ceea ce a determinat Comisia să
    activeze procedura de suspendare a plăţilor legate de acestea. Ca urmare a
    neîndeplinirii satisfăcătoare a 2 jaloane, România va încasa cu 53,36 milioane
    euro mai puţin în contul componentei de sprijin sub formă de împrumut a PNRR, însă
    are la dispoziţie încă 6 luni pentru a reveni cu dovezi că şi pentru această
    sumă jaloanele au fost îndeplinite satisfăcător.

    În conformitate cu
    reglementările privind implementarea Mecanismului de redresare şi rezilienţă,
    statelor membre le sunt rambursate fondurile aferente ţintelor şi jaloanelor
    îndeplinite cuprinse într-o cerere de plată şi au la dispoziţie timp
    suplimentar pentru a realiza etapele restante.

    Noul premier, Marcel Ciolacu,
    apreciază că această evaluare încurajează guvernul să continue spre atingerea
    obiectivelor propuse. El promite că vor fi recuperate rapid cele două jaloane
    întârziate din domeniul energiei, pentru a se încasa toţi banii alocaţi. Predecesorul
    lui Ciolacu în fruntea executivului, Nicolae Ciucă susţine că banii europeni
    vor contribui esenţial la modernizarea României în toate domeniile cheie, în
    special infrastructură, sistemul sanitar şi cel educaţional.

    Într-o evaluare
    generală, şefa Comisiei Europene, Ursula von der Leyen, a apreciat că România a
    făcut progrese în ceea ce priveşte punerea în aplicare a Planului său de
    Redresare şi Rezilienţă, de exemplu prin realizarea de reforme privind
    siguranţa rutieră, energia din surse regenerabile şi serviciile de cloud din
    sectorul public.

    Din cele 3,22 miliarde euro aproximativ două treimi reprezintă
    sprijin financiar nerambursabil, iar o treime sprijin sub formă de împrumut. Comisia
    va transmite evaluarea cererii de plată numărul 2 Comitetului Economic şi
    Financiar, pentru a fi aprobată, conform procedurii. Prima cerere de plată din
    cadrul PNRR a fost rambursată României în octombrie 2022, suma plătită fiind de
    2,6 miliarde euro, din care 1,8 miliarde sub formă de granturi şi 0,8 miliarde
    euro sub formă de împrumuturi.

    România beneficiază de o alocare de peste 29 de
    miliarde de euro pentru implementarea PNRR, jumătate fiind granturi şi jumătate
    împrumuturi. Pentru implementarea Planului Naţional de Redresare şi Rezilienţă,
    România a încasat deja două tranşe de prefinanţare în valoare cumulată de aproximativ
    3,79 miliarde euro.


  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău



    Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.



    Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions



    Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.



    Measures announced by the Romanian Government



    The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.



    Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea



    OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    Romanias Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu, visited Chișinău



    Romania supports the start of EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Wednesday in Chişinău, on his first foreign visit since he took office. He emphasized that the future of the Republic of Moldova is in the community bloc. The Romanian side showed availability to provide expertise to the Moldovan partners. In his turn, the Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean thanked Romania for all the support given to the Republic of Moldova in the process of joining the European Union, as well as in the economic and social fields. He emphasized that the relations on the two banks of the Prut River are increasingly being strengthened through the construction of bridges, roads and energy networks. Dorin Recean mentioned the existence of nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Romanian Government. They are worth 28 million Euros and are aimed at investments for the development of localities in the Republic of Moldova, the Moldovan PM said. Early this week, the Romanian FM, Luminița Odobescu, paid a visit to the Republic of Moldova, her first external visit since taking-over her mandate. She was received by the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and had discussions with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. The two emphasized the support which Romania offered to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in humanitarian aid, energy resources and support for increasing resilience. Last but not least, the Romanian FM said that opening the EU accession negotiations for the Republic of Moldova in the shortest possible time is a priority of Romania’s foreign policy.



    Romanian magistrates protested, discontented with the prospect of being left without special pensions



    Magistrates from several courts and prosecutor’s offices across Romania suspended their activity on Wednesday, showing discontent with the Governments intention to change the conditions under which they can obtain special pensions. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing the special pension scheme would violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL wants to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors up to 65 years, and for the pension to be calculated based on their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. The Justice Minister, Alina Gorghiu, said that she respects the magistrates’ right to free expression, but insisted that dialogue, not protest, is the solution to any problem of the judicial system. The reform of the legislative framework regarding the special pensions scheme is a promise made to the European Union by the Romanian authorities under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. On the other hand, on Thursday, the draft law on the abolition of special pensions for senators and deputies received a favorable opinion, gathering a majority of votes, in the specialized Parliament committee. The president of the committee, the Social-Democratic MP Eugen Bejinariu explained that, if unconstitutional elements of the bill are identified, other solutions will be found to reduce or eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians.



    Measures announced by the Romanian Government



    The prices of some basic food products may decrease in the next period, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. He claims that this decrease will not put pressure on Romanian producers. Marcel Ciolacu stated that he received a response from the large store chains regarding the scheme for reducing markup percentages. It is a list that contains basic foodstuffs such as bread, dairy products, meat, eggs, flour, corn flour, oil, vegetables and fruit. Also on Thursday, the Government discussed, in a first reading, the state aid scheme for Romanian producers of construction materials. In principle, the authorities want more materials produced in the country to appear on the internal market at competitive prices, which will lead to a reduced import of construction materials. Now, over 70% of the materials used are imported, and the Government wants to reduce this percentage. This years budget for the aid scheme could be 150 million Euros, but the Finance Ministry will have the final say. The Executive also approved the granting of emergency aid to support the population affected by floods, landslides and dangerous meteorological phenomena, up to the amount of 1.4 million Euros. Households in the center, south-west and south of the country were affected, this month, by heavy rainfalls. The support and intervention of the military firefighters was needed to remove the negative effects generated by the bad weather.



    Development plan for gas deposits in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea



    OMV Petrom and Romgaz have approved the development plan for the Domino and Pelican Sud commercial natural gas fields in the Romanian area of ​​the Black Sea. The National Agency for Mineral Resources is to confirm this plan. The investment amounts to 4 billion Euros for the development phase, and the total production will be 100 billion cubic meters, the equivalent of the annual demand for natural gas for 4.3 million households. According to the management of OMV Petrom, in 2027, the first amounts of gas are to be extracted through the Neptun Deep project, and Romania will become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union. The project will last approximately two decades, and the revenues brought to the state budget will support Romania’s development. OMV Petrom states that the estimated revenues of the Romanian state would be 20 billion Euros. (LS)

  • Romanians will pay less for some staples

    Romanians will pay less for some staples

    The new PSD-PNL government in Bucharest has started to put in place a series of measures aimed at keeping inflation at bay, and reducing its effect on the population as well as trade imbalances. Among the measures announced are those meant to lower the shelf price in some staple foods and bolster the domestic output.



    In order to achieve these goals the Executive intends to put a cap on the trade markup, which means, at least in theory, that suppliers would give up part of the profit they make. Major retailers have agreed in their talks with the government to apply a price cap in 10 staple categories. Weve got their response to our intention to put a cap on the trade markup, which is not going to put pressure on the local producers though, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said.



    Marcel Ciolacu: “We thus have all the necessary conditions to conclude an agreement or a normative act in the next period. And that would mean a guaranteed reduction in the price of some staples such as bread, milk, cheese, meat, eggs, flour, oil, fresh vegetables and fruits. And I would like to make it very clear that this price drop would not put pressure on the Romanian producers.”



    The Council of Competition is to monitor the prices situation and in the following period, the government will be carrying on talks with food producers and suppliers on the aforementioned cap scheme. Possible drawbacks or technical challenges are being analyzed, George Badescu, executive director of the Romanian Association of Big Retailers, told Radio Romania. According to him, we are speaking about a free market, competition, multiple aspects, so that this measure is not supposed to cause imbalances or turmoil on this market. It must yield the desired result, even if it is taking place on a limited period of time.



    “I am glad about this openness of the business environment, which, following our dialogue, has agreed upon a viable, simple and clear mechanism, which together with government measures can lead to a curbed inflation and increase the Romanians purchasing power. The firm commitment assumed is to bringing inflation down to single digits by the end of the year. I believe we can achieve this goal together with the business environment,” Marcel Ciolacu says.



    A similar scheme has already been applied in France, where a major retailer, which has branches in Romania as well, a couple of days ago announced a roughly 10% price cap in 500 staples and other non-food products. Other major French retailers are expected to follow suit.


    (bill)


  • June 22, 2023 UPDATE

    June 22, 2023 UPDATE

    TALKS Prices in the main food products in Romania could go down in
    the following period, the country’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced
    after the Executive talks on Thursday. Ciolacu says he has received answers
    from the main supermarket chains on the scheme to cutting down on the markup in
    the main food prices. The list includes staples such as bread, dairy, meat,
    eggs, flour, hominy, oil, vegetables and fruits. The Romanian government will
    continue to hold talks with the producers and suppliers of food products on the
    aforementioned scheme of curbing the markup. The Romanian ministers have also
    tackled another support scheme for the local producers of building materials so
    that they may produce good materials at competitive prices, which would result
    in lower imports. Roughly 70% of the materials used at present are imported and
    Bucharest wants to curb these imports. The support scheme’s budget this year
    could stay around 150 million euros, but the decision is with the Finance
    Ministry.






    VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises caused
    by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the talks held
    in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and of Moldova,
    Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to Moldova in
    its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
    consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks.
    During his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate
    speaker Nicolae Ciucă.






    GAS The
    manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday said that in 2027 the first
    amounts of natural gas would be extracted through the Neptun Deep project,
    turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer in the EU. The statements
    were made at the government’s headquarters in Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and
    Romgaz made an announcement concerning the development of Neptun Deep, the
    largest natural gas project in the Romanian part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2
    decades, the project is expected to generate a gas output 30 times higher than
    the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million households. The estimated revenues
    to the Romanian state will be around 20 billion Euros. Neptun Deep is a major
    step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting Romania’s and the region’s
    energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.




    INVESTMENT
    The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new funding for Romania. The
    total 675 million euros will go into transport, urban development and small
    enterprises. 600 million euros will be earmarked for the transport sector, to
    add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB Group and Romania mark
    30 years of partnership, with over 17 billion euros granted by the bank in more
    than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations in the country.
    Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years, I am proud that
    the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
    hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
    climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
    Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
    of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
    financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.


    (bill&AMP)

  • Constant support for the Republic of Moldova

    Constant support for the Republic of Moldova

    Top-ranking Romanian officials visited Chișinău this week to reiterate once again that Bucharest fully supports the European accession process of the neighboring Republic of Moldova. Recently installed at the head of the new coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party (PSD-PNL), the Social-Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu, accompanied by the former Liberal prime minister, currently the speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, made their first joint external visit to Chișinău, where they had talks with the president of the Republic, Maia Sandu, with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean and the President of Parliament, Igor Grosu.



    The Government of Romania will remain the guarantor of the security and stability of the Republic of Moldova and will continue to support with all its strength the countrys EU accession process said Marcel Ciolacu. He particularly appreciated the progress that Chișinău has registered in applying the reforms in the field of justice and in fighting corruption. And, equally, he spoke about the continuation of bilateral economic cooperation.



    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu: We are obliged to put a special emphasis on the economic area together. Trade relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, last year, increased by 50%, standing at almost 3.6 billion dollars and I think this is the right way.



    Since everything must be done for the benefit of the citizens on both banks of the River Prut, the Moldovan Prime Minister, Dorin Recean, invited economic companies from Romania to invest in the Republic of Moldova: Today, we discussed the nine projects for the second installment of the aid provided by the Government of Romania, worth 100 million. These nine projects are worth 28 million Euros and they will go to investments, providing opportunities to our companies, and will develop the localities of the Republic of Moldova.



    In parallel with managing the crises caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, from the immediate vicinity, Bucharest and Chișinău must emphasize the development of infrastructure – bridges, roads and energy networks.



    Marcel Ciolacu has more: I guarantee you that in the next Government meeting, money will be earmarked for projects regarding drinking water and sewage, which are necessary to support the villages in the Republic of Moldova, to be European villages.



    Romania is willing to share its legislative experience in Moldovas European integration project, said the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Nicolae Ciucă. Earlier this week, also in Chișinău, the new Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, pointed out that Bucharest was taking consistent diplomatic steps to advance the EU integration process of Moldova, with particular emphasis on the objective of opening the accession negotiations as soon as possible. (LS)

  • June 20, 2023 UPDATE

    June 20, 2023 UPDATE

    Refugee – Romanians have shown unprecedented solidarity, offering a space of safety and peace to the Ukrainian refugees, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his address on the World Refugee Day. “In March 2022, we got the clear picture of terror, on the cratered streets and destroyed buildings in the cities of Bucha and Irpin. We understood the horror lived by the desperate families forced to flee the war. Over 4.6 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have chosen our country as their refuge,” Ciolacu wrote on Facebook. According to him, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Romanians have proven their ‘support and generosity in the face of terror.



    Visit — Romania is a supporter of the European path of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, and this process will be covered together by the two states – said, on Tuesday, in Chisinau, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, during a press conference with her counterpart Nicu Popescu. In his turn, the Moldovan FM recalled the Romanian support offered to Chisinau in the energy, political and financial fields, especially in the context of Russias war in Ukraine. Odobescu also had discussions on Tuesday with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean and with the Parliament President Igor Grosu. She said that the Romanian authorities would continue to provide robust, priority support adapted to the needs of the Republic of Moldova. On Monday evening, Luminiţa Odobescu was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the discussions focusing on Chisinaus European agenda and the regional security situation. The Romania FM appreciated the substantial progress of the Moldovan authorities regarding the reforms agenda, in particular following the recommendations made by the European Commission in June 2022, when Moldova was granted the status of European integration candidate state. On Wednesday, Romania’s new PM Marcel Ciolacu will pay a working visit to Chisinau.



    Moldova – The Constitutional Court of Moldova, an ex-soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population has ruled as unconstitutional the SOR party founded and led by the oligarch Ilan Sor. The party has been accused of actions that run against the rule of law, jeopardizing the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, being funded from abroad and backed by the Russian secret services. The party leader fled to Israel after having received a prison sentence for his involvement in the theft of one billion Euros from Moldova’s banking system. From there he initiated jointly with the partys vice-president Marina Tauber a series of anti-government protests.



    Football – Romanias national football team ended in a two-all draw their away game against Switzerland in Group 1 of the Euro 2024 preliminaries. The Romanians were dominated in the match, being led 2-0, but they managed an unexpected comeback and leveled the score towards the end of the match. In the other Group 1 matches, Belarus secured a 2-1 win against Kosovo and Israel also obtained a 2-1 victory against Andorra. Switzerland, the favorite of the group, and Romania, are ranked on the first two positions in the classification, which ensures them qualification for the final tournament in Germany.



    Magistrates – Magistrates from several courts and prosecutors offices in Romania have announced that they are suspending their work as of Wednesday, as they are dissatisfied with the government’s intention to change the conditions for the special pension scheme. Judges and prosecutors argue that changing their special pension schemes violate the independence of the judiciary. The ruling coalition wants, among other things, to gradually increase the retirement age for judges and prosecutors to 65, and to calculate their pensions on the basis of their income from several years, not just from the last year of activity. Currently, judges and prosecutors are retiring after only 25 years of work. The elimination of special pension schemes for several social categories in Romania is a condition for the country to receive the following installments of European money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Special pensions are not based on contributions, they were granted by law, and are often very high compared to normal pensions in Romania. Magistrates say they will only solve urgent cases.



    Museum – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday approved, with a majority of votes, the setting up of the National Museum of History and Culture of the Roma in Romania – a public institution of national importance, subordinated to the National Agency for Roma. The purpose of the museum is, among other things, to present and promote the history, culture and traditions of this national minority, to know, at national and international levels, its contribution to the evolution and modernization of Romanian society over time, as well as to combat racism and discrimination. The initiator of the proposal, a deputy representing the national minorities, Cătălin Manea, declared that the vote in the Chamber of Deputies – decision-making body in this case – is historic. The National Museum of Roma History and Culture will contribute to revealing historical truths.



    Exams – 8th graders had a day off on Tuesday, after taking the written exam in the Romanian language and literature as part of the National Assessment on Monday. On Wednesday, the next test in mathematics is scheduled and on Thursday the students who belong to national minorities will take the exam in their native language and literature. The first results will be published on June 28, and the final ones, after resolving the appeals, on July 4. From this year, high school enrollment will be based only on the mean obtained at the National Assessment, and the mean of the middle school points will no longer be taken into account as before. Students who did not register for the exam can only attend the courses of a professional or dual school. Almost 10% of those who started the eighth grade in the fall are in this situation. (LS)

  • June 20, 2023

    June 20, 2023

    VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister,
    Luminita Odobescu, was received on Monday night by the President of the
    Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. The talks between the two officials have
    focused on the Republic of Moldova’s European agenda and regional security.
    According to sources with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Minister Odobescu has
    pointed out that the unprecedented openness in the bilateral area in recent
    years has allowed for the rapid progress of all cooperation initiatives, mainly
    of those with direct relevance in the area of strengthening stability and
    support for the republic’s development. Minister Odobescu has given assurances
    on Romania’s staunch commitment to promoting in a rapid manner the assistance
    projects for Chisinau, in terms of its comprehensive connection to the European
    area through Romania. The head of the Romanian diplomacy has hailed the
    significant headway made by the authorities in Chisinau in the reforms area,
    focusing on meeting the recommendations made by the European Commission in June
    last year, when the country was granted the statute of EU accession candidate.






    RULE The Constitutional Court of
    the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova has ruled as
    unconstitutional the SOR party founded and led by oligarch Ilan Sor. The party
    has been accused of actions that run against the rule of law, jeopardizing the
    sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Moldova, being funded from
    abroad and backed by the Russian secret services. The party leader fled to
    Israel after having received a prison sentence for his involvement in the theft
    of one billion Euros from the Republic’s banking system. From there he
    initiated jointly with the party’s vice-president Marina Tauber a series of
    anti-government protests. We’ll have more on this after the news.






    MESSAGE The Romanians have shown unprecedented
    solidarity, offering a space of safety and calm to the Ukrainian refugees,
    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his address on the World Refugee Day. In
    March 2022, we got the clear picture of terror, on the cratered streets and
    destroyed buildings in the cities of Bucha and Irpin. We understood the horror
    lived by the desperate families forced to flee the war. Over 4.6 million Ukrainians,
    mostly women and children, have chosen our country as their refuge, Ciolacu
    wrote on Facebook. According to him, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine,
    the Romanians have proven their support and generosity in the face of terror’.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s national
    football side ended in a two-all draw their away game against Switzerland in
    Group 1 of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. The visitors dominated the game and even
    got the upper hand two-nil, but our footballers managed an unexpected comeback
    and levelled the scoring towards the end of the game. In the other Group 1
    matches, Belarus secured a 2-1 win against Kosovo and Israel also obtained a
    2-1 victory against Andorra. Switzerland tops the table in Group 1 and is
    followed by Romania, the first two positions, which ensure qualification for
    the final tournament in Germany.








    MEETING During the International Paris Air Show Le Bourget earlier this week,
    Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr had a meeting with General James B.
    Hecker, commander of the Allied Air Command in Europe. The Romania-USA
    Strategic Partnership is one of the main pillars of the national policy of
    security and defence together with NATO and EU membership’, Minister Tîlvăr recalled.
    Among other things, the Romanian minister voiced his appreciation for the US
    contribution to ensuring defence and deterrence on the Allied eastern flank
    mainly through the deployment of troops and capabilities to Romania as well as
    for the support offered to Romania so that the country can purchase F-16
    fighters from the Norwegian army. Also in Paris, the Romanian Defence Minister
    participated in a Conference entitled European Air and Missile Defence and held
    talks with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.




    (bill)

  • June 17, 2023

    June 17, 2023

    TALKS The government in Bucharest and trade unions in the
    country’s education system have set up a schedule for the implementation of the
    amendments in the Salary Law as pledged by the Executive with a view to putting
    an end to the teachers’ all-out strike, which lasted for three weeks. According
    to the new Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, Education Minister Ligia Deca and
    trade union representatives, the salary of a beginner teacher would be based on
    the average salary in Romania. Trade union leaders will be having a new round
    of talks with the Ministers of Education, Labour and Finances in an attempt to
    draw up the new salary scale. After an agreement has been reached, it will be
    presented to the ruling coalition and the first shape of the future salary law
    is to be announced by the Labour Minister until July 15. After the government
    endorsement, the project will be forwarded to Parliament in its autumn session.








    RAIN Torrential rains have in the past days affected
    several towns and villages in the country’s southwest, where numerous households
    and scores of hectares of farmland have been flooded. Teams of firefighters and
    gendarmes have intervened to pump the water out of the affected households.
    Road and rail traffic has been temporarily disrupted while the National
    Committee for Emergency Situations summoned by Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on
    Friday night, has approved food and water supplies to the families affected by
    the latest floods.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side ended in a goalless draw their
    game against the selection of Kosovo in Pristina on Friday night. The match was
    counting towards the Group 1 of the EURO 2024 qualifiers, with Romania still
    unbeaten after three games: two wins and a draw. Kosovo has three points and
    the Romanian football team coached by Edward Iordanescu will play their next
    game against Switzerland in Lucerne on Monday. The first two sides in the group
    will qualify for the final tournament.


    OPERA The second edition of Bucharest Opera Festival kicked off at the
    National Opera in Bucharest (ONB) on Friday night. The event brings together
    for nine days 15 hundred artists, nine different productions, which aren’t
    normally performed on the ONB stage, and a programme, which covers nearly 300
    years of music history. I am convinced this festival remains an example about
    the fact that art has to unite people, that artists are free spirits practicing
    cultural diplomacy, and setting up bridges of communication between peoples,
    countries, between various teams of artists and managers in Romania and
    abroad, says Daniel Jinga, director general with the National Opera in
    Bucharest. The present edition has kicked off with a premiere of The Marriage
    of Figaro by Mozart, directed by maestro Sir David Pountney, a coproduction
    with the Tel Aviv Opera. According to Director Pountney, the show has been
    built on a world of contrasts.








    RELATIONS Between June 14-16, the Romanian city of Timisoara, which is also
    European capital of culture this year, played venue for the 26th
    session of the Romanian-German government commission for the problematic of the
    ethnic Germans in Romania. State Secretary Daniela Gitman has emphasized the
    excellent level of the Romanian-German relations based on mutual trust,
    stepped-up political dialogue, growing economic dynamics, and very tight
    inter-human relations. The Romanian official has mentioned the significant
    contribution of the German minority in Romania and the Romanian community in
    Germany to the consolidation of the bilateral dialogue and their role as a
    catalyst in the cooperation between the two countries. Gitman has also voiced
    appreciation for the decision of the German government to carry on its 5.4
    million Euro support for the ethnic Germans in Romania.






    (bill)

  • Advices on Romania’s economy

    Advices on Romania’s economy

    The longest-lasting leading figure in
    post-communist Romania is the country’s Central Bank governor, Mugur Isarescu.
    Born in 1949, Isarescu is also the longest lasting chief of a central bank in
    the world as he has been on the job since 1990. As an independent candidate, in
    1999 he headed the country’s then center-to-right coalition government and in
    the next year he ran, without being successful though, for the country’s
    presidential seat, mustering only 9.54% of the votes in the first round.


    He came back to the
    position of governor, which he has kept for nearly a quarter of a century.
    Although not very popular with some, his competence and determination haven’t
    been contested yet.


    Over the past three
    decades, Isarescu has cooperated with many heads of government and Finance
    Ministers, so his statements have more weight than the emphatic platitudes uttered
    by the Romanian politicians who have often failed to fulfil their pledges. On
    the very day, the new PSD-PNL government, headed by social-democrat Marcel Ciolacu,
    was instated, the Central Bank governor called on the political decision-makers
    to adopt what he called a rational thinking. During a new round of talks on the
    country’s economic prospects, he mentioned the two directions any development
    strategy should be based on: coordination with the European economy and also the
    need for balancing the domestic supply-demand ratio. Agriculture, certain industrial areas or
    the green energy, he says, should become top priorities and more relevant on
    certain markets, such as the food market, currently under fierce competition.
    The governor has confessed, his amazement at Romania’s huge food imports in
    spite of having a significant agricultural potential.


    The business environment prospects have
    been presented by the president of the Romanian Chamber of Trade and Industry,
    Mihai Daraban, who believes that a viable economic model must start with the
    idea of association in the agrifood field, which has registered a significant
    imbalance in the country’s international trade. Poland, which boasts one-third
    more surface than Romania, has only 90 thousand farmers, whereas Romania has
    796 thousand, most of them owners of small farms. So it has become now very
    difficult to talk about competitiveness in this area,’ says the head of the
    Trade Chamber, whom the economic media has dubbed ‘the employer of employers’. Daraban
    has been pleading for Romania’s administrative-territorial reshuffle, which
    means the reduction of the number of communes and counties by bringing them
    together under the same umbrella, and implicitly cutting down costs with the local
    administrations, which proved ineffective and terribly expensive.


    (bill)