Tag: Ciuca

  • 11.05.2023

    11.05.2023

    Financements – Deux financements en d’une valeur de près de 60 millions euros de la part de la Commission européenne pour la construction d’un pont routier à Ungheni, à la frontière entre la Roumanie et la République de Moldova, la modernisation du port de Constanta, dans le sud-est ont été officiellement accordés aux bénéficiaires par la commissaire européenne Adina Valean, en présence du ministre des Transports, Sorin Grindeanu. Il s’agit de financements dans le cadre du programme Connecting Europe Facility, d’une valeur de quelque 16,5 millions d’euros pour le pont d’Ungheni et de 43,5 millions d’euros pour la modernisation de l’infrastructure ferroviaire du port de Constanta. Au sujet du pont d’Ungheni, Adina Valean a mentionné qu’il complétera l’autoroute A8 vers la République de Moldova. Elle a également dit que la Roumanie avait postulé et obtenu du financement pour pas moins de six ponts.

    Strasbourg – La Roumanie a dépassé la date butoir jusqu’à laquelle elle pouvait modifier son Plan national de relance et de résilience et négocie à l’heure actuelle avec les représentants de la& Commission européenne en marge des mesures déjà décidées. C’est ce qu’a précisé à Strasbourg, l’eurodéputé social-démocrate Victor Negrescu. En raison de la modification des indicateurs économiques, les autorités de Bucarest souhaitent introduire dans le Plan national de relance et de résilience de nouvelles composantes, telles la réforme des retraites, la modification relatives à la nouvelle loi des salaires et la construction d’une ligne de métro vers l’Aéroport d’Otopeni, près de Bucarest. Au total, la Roumane bénéficie d’un financement de plus de 29 milliards d’euros de la par de la Commission européenne. L’argent est versé en tranches jusqu’à août 2026 en fonction de la réalisation de plusieurs objectifs.

    Education – Le paquet de lois visant à réformer le système d’éducation nationale de Roumanie fait l’objet de débats au sein du Sénat après son adoption par la Chambre des Députés. Les deux projets visent des modifications essentielles dans l’enseignement pré-universitaire et académique pour que les diplômés puissent atteindre des standards internationaux de performance a affirmé la ministre de l’Education nationale Ligia Deca durant les débats au sein du Parlement. Les représentants des partis de la coalition gouvernementale ont affirmé que les résultats des nouvelles mesures seraient visibles dans les années à venir. L’USR, d’opposition a pourtant voté contre ces deux projets de loi affirmant qu’ils ne répondaient pas aux problèmes du système éducationnel roumain.

    Eurovision – Le représentant de la Roumanie à l’Eurovision de la Chanson 2023 – Theodor Andrei – avec sa chanson « D.G.T. (Off and on) » se produit ce soir dans la seconde demi-finale de la compétition. Les 10 premières chansons de la Grande finale désignées mardi suite au vote des téléspéctateurs sont la Croatie, la République de Moldova, la Suisse, la Finlande, la République Tchèque, Israël, le Portugal, la Suède, la Serbie et la Norvège. La Moldavie est représentée par Pasha Parfeni, avec la chanson « le Soleil et la lune », en langue roumaine. L’édition 2023 de l’Eurovision de la chanson se déroule au Royaume Uni qui accueille le concours au nom de l’Ukraine, qui a remporté l’édition de l’année dernière. Gaudeamus – La foire du livre Gaudeamus Radio Roumanie se poursuit aujourd’hui à Oradea, dans le nord-ouest. Jusqu’au 14 mai, le salon propose des concours avec des prix alléchants, des ateliers pour enfants et des lancements de livre. Une cinquantaine de participants dont les plus prestigieuses maisons d’éditions et agences de diffusion des livres roumains et étrangers y participent. L’offre éditoriale est complétée par une sélection de jeux éducatifs et musique de qualité, ansi qu’un nouveau rayon appelé Bookoteca réunissant des livres d’occasion.

    Gouvernement – La rocade gouvernementale se fera avant le 1er juin, a déclaré le président du Parti social démocrate, qui mène la coalition gouvernementale, Marcel Ciolacu, qui a assuré que la Roumanie bénéficiera toujours de stabilité politique. Le leader du PSD a également déclaré que des négociations étaient toujours menées à ce sujet au sein de la coalition gouvernementale, mais que la transition sera assez posée. « Nous avons conclu après des consultations avec le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca qu’il fallait crayonner le futur gouvernement en fonction des personnes et non pas des postes et essayer d’installer les personnes les plus compétentes et le plus efficaces. Je ne suis pas l’adepte des gouvernements technocrates (…) mais je suis fermement convaincu que parmi les politiciens nous pouvons trouver des personnes capables de faire face à ces défis », a déclaré M Ciolacu. Celui-ci devrait assumer les fonctions de premier ministre au lieu du leader du Parti national libéral, Nicolae Ciucă, selon l’accord conclu entre le PSD, le PNL et l’UDMR en 2021.

    Météo – Températures légèrement à la hausse en Roumanie, mais la météo est toujours assez capricieuse pour cette période de l’année presque sur tout le territoire et uniquement sur l’ouest et le nord-ouest les températures tournent autour des normales saisonnières. Le ciel est couvert et il pleut sur l’ouest et sur le sud-ouest et en montagne. Des précipitations mixtes – pluie -giboulée – sont possibles en haute montagne. Les maxima vont aujourd’hui de 12 à 19 degrés. 16 degrés actuellement à Bucarest.

    Film – Le festival de film Cinefemina se déroule actuellement à Bucarest. Cet évènement promeut et soutien les femmes de l’industrie cinématographique en présentant des films réalisé et produits par des femmes talentueuses. Jusqu’au 14 mai, les spectateurs ont l’occasion de voir 11 long-métrages et 5 court-métrages, de différents genres, comédie, drame ou romances, et venus de multiples pays européens, l’Italie, la France, la Grèce, la Roumanie, l’Autriche, la Hollande, le Portugal, la Pologne, l’Allemagne, l’Espagne, la Suède et la Hongrie. En parallèle des projections, sont également organisées des rencontres avec des réalisatrices et des productrices mais aussi d’autres experts comme des membres d’ONG et des journalistes. A travers ces débats, le festival se propose de mettre en valeur des modèles féminins au sein d’une industrie traditionnellement dominée par des hommes.

  • May 10, 2023 UPDATE

    May 10, 2023 UPDATE

    Education laws — The package of laws reforming the education system in Romania was voted on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies, as the first body notified. During the general debates, the Education Minister, Ligia Deca, recalled that the measures are aimed at reducing the phenomenon of functional illiteracy and at preventing school dropout. The opposition parties criticized the draft laws and voted against them. The two bills go to the Senate for debate and a decisive vote. Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Education trade unions organized a protest rally aimed at drawing attention to the problems facing the Romanian education system. The trade unionists are asking the Government to increase the salaries of the education staff, to pay the extra hours worked by the auxiliary teaching and non-teaching staff, and also to increase the annual investments, and to improve the infrastructure. The union leaders remind that a referendum is under way on the triggering of an all-out strike in education, starting on May 22. Recently, the education minister stated that she is confident that there will be no all-out strike in education, and that the school year will end well.



    Visit – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Han Duck-soo, in the context of the latter’s official visit to Bucharest. The President spoke in favor of capitalizing on the potential of bilateral cooperation, showing that the relations between the two countries can register a new qualitative leap, by updating the Strategic Partnership. The Korean official hailed the intensive bilateral dialogue and the intensification of economic cooperation, by increasing mutual investments. At the same time, Han Duck-soo shared the same vision with that of Klaus Iohannis regarding regional and global challenges, against the backdrop of the consequences of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine. With the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, the Seoul official agreed to strengthen relations in areas such as investments and industry, including the defense and cyber security industries. The Korean side expressed readiness to contribute to the construction of the new reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, as well as to the development of small modular reactors. On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between the administrations of the ports of Constanta and Busan in South Korea, the fifth busiest port in the world by tonnage and the largest in Northeast Asia in terms of transshipment capacity.



    Defense – The Chief of the Defense Staff of Romania, General Daniel Petrescu, is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in the meetings of the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee, respectively. Defense chiefs from the 31 Allied states, with the Swedish chief of defense as a guest, will look at the dynamics of the war in Ukraine. Talks will focus on analyzing the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening NATOs defense and deterrence posture, ahead of the decisions to be made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The participants will also look at ways to continue supporting Ukraine. Another major topic of the meeting is the analysis of member and partner states participation in EU missions and operations.



    Independence – Romania celebrated its National Independence Day on Wednesday. On May 10, 1877, Prince Carol I, who would subsequently become the first king of Romania, signed the countrys Proclamation of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The document had been read in Parliament the day before by the foreign minister Mihail Kogălniceanu, and endorsed by Parliaments two chambers. The occasion was celebrated in Bucharest with a ceremony at the Heroes Monument in front of the National Defense University, while military and religious ceremonies were also held in cities across the country.



    Gaudeamus – The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair opened its doors on Wednesday in Oradea (north-west). On an area of ​​over 660 square meters, until May 14, editorial events, contests with prizes in books and workshops for children will take place. At this edition, more than 50 brands are present in 45 stands, among which the most prestigious publishing houses and Romanian and foreign book distribution agencies. The editorial offer is completed by a selection of educational games and quality music, as well as by a new area called Bookoteca, for second-hand books. The honorary president of this edition is the historian PhD Constantin Demeter, an active personality in the cultural life of the city.



    Gas – The European Commission launched, on Wednesday, the first-ever international tender for joint purchasing of EU gas supplies in a move to help boost security of supply and tackle high energy prices. The EC representatives say that the joint purchasing of gas will help the European industry not only through prices, but also through the establishment of economic relations for contracting alternatives, given that the member states want to completely eliminate Russian gas from consumption. The first tender will take place until May 15 and targets gas to be delivery as of June 2023 until May 2024. (LS, AMP)



  • The European Cybersecurity Competence Center in Bucharest

    The European Cybersecurity Competence Center in Bucharest


    In December 2020, at the end of a tight race also attended by Belgium, Germany, Spain, Luxemburg, Poland and Lithuania, Romania was designated by the EU representatives to host a major EU agency namely the European Cybersecurity Competence Center. The institution has been designed to protect the economy and the population to support research in this field and help the European institutions to develop their cybersecurity capabilities. But why Bucharest?


    Because Romania brands itself as an IT-savvy country scoring high on rankings of digital skills and training. Bucharest is also ranking high in broadband internet speed rankings. Another reason was that by that time the country had been unsuccessful in its bids to host EU organizations.


    May 9, a major EU landmark, has been chosen as the date of inaugurating this agency, and the ceremony has been attended by the countrys Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and several European officials, including the Director-General of the European Commissions Department for Communications Networks, Roberto Viola.


    “The Centre is responsible for managing EU cybersecurity funds for the current long-term EU budget (2021-2027), notably adopting cybersecurity work programmes and for managing cyber projects under the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe. Furthermore, it will manage projects on Security Operations Centers as part of the Commissions proposal to establish a European Cyber Shield and it will collaborate with a network of National coordination centres aiming to build an ecosystem for cybersecurity innovation and competitiveness across the EU.


    According to Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, “Cybersecurity is a critical priority and safeguarding our digital sovereignty requires joint efforts.”


    He recalls that “the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre brings together top-tier experts and resources from across the EU to develop innovative solutions to cyber threats and enhance our resilience against attacks. By working together, we can build a safer and more secure digital world for all Europeans.”


    In the following 7 years, the European Cybersecurity Competence Center is expected to run 4.5 billion Euros in cybersecurity projects. Out of the total sum, two billion are European money while the rest comes from the EU member states.


    (bill)


  • May 8, 2023

    May 8, 2023

    LONDON Thousands of street parties are
    going to take place today in Britain to mark the coronation of King Charles
    lll. The country’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was among those hosting a
    coronation lunch with the guests including Ukrainian families, youth groups and
    US first lady Jill Biden. Churches and local communities are going to stage events
    devoted to this occasion in public gardens and parks. A special concert to be
    held at Windsor Castle will bring together artists like Lionel Richie, Katy
    Perry or the band Take That. Thousands of public buildings will see lasers and light
    projections to celebrate the coronation tonight. King Charles and Queen Camilla
    have conveyed a message of gratitude for the support shown by the Britons
    during the coronation procedures.








    ORDINANCE An emergency ordinance on curbing public spending is to be endorsed
    by the government in Bucharest this week after being assessed by the ruling
    coalition, Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has announced. Finance
    Minister Adrian Câciu is expected to present today the coalition leaders with
    the concrete measures on cutting budget expenses, which also include hiring
    freeze in state institutions after May 15th. In another development,
    the head of the Executive says that no increased taxes will be levied on private
    sector employees. And the same public message was delivered by the leader of
    the co-ruling PSD, Marcel Ciolacu who added that he doesn’t give up on the
    measure of cutting special pensions. The law will be subjected to public
    debates and be approved by the Executive later on.






    CYBERSECURITY As of this week Bucharest will be hosting the headquarters of a
    major EU agency, the European Centre for Cyber Security, which is to protect
    the economy and population from cyber attacks, support research in this field
    and help European enterprises to develop their cyber-security capabilities. The
    aforementioned agency will be cooperating with a network of national centers in
    the EU countries. Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Roberto Viola, Director-General
    of the European Commission’s Department for Communications Networks, will be
    attending the inauguration event. In December 2020, EU representatives chose Romania
    to host the aforementioned center among the other applicants like Belgium,
    Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Poland and Lithuania. Bucharest’s trump cards
    included the high-speed Internet it uses, the centre’s exemption from various
    taxes and duties and the fact that this city hadn’t hosted any European agency
    until that time.






    SUBSIDIES
    Romania’s Agriculture
    Minister Petre Daea says that the greengrocers who are still using toxic
    substances will have their subsidies cut. The statement came upon an
    investigation which proved that many farmers put on sale vegetables, which had
    been sprinkled with toxic substances with a concentration up to 8 times higher than
    the limit approved. The minister says the authorities will be monitoring the
    farmers benefitting from support through national programmes for the greenhouse
    cultivation of vegetables so that no more non-compliant vegetables may reach
    the market. The police have conducted many searches in the counties of Buzau
    and Ilfov, in southern Romania, where they found hundreds of containers with
    chemical substances from Turkey whose concentrations proved to be higher than
    those admitted by the EU legislation. The greengrocers used these substances to
    ripen vegetables faster and sell them on the market for higher prices. According
    to police sources, in some cases these toxic vegetables were sold as organic products.




    (bill)

  • Government to save more money

    Government to save more money


    With revenue receipts in the first part of the year lower than the estimates, the Romanian government finds itself in the situation of resorting to more spending cuts in an attempt to maintain the budget deficit within its admitted limits. After having assessed the budget structure, experts cautioned over the possibility of overrated budgeted revenues and underrated expenses, as early as last year.


    The coalition government in Bucharest is expected to officially make public the reform package aimed at saving billions of euros by the end of the year. The aforementioned measures have been listed in a draft bill to be approved in the first government sitting. The countrys Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has again given assurances the measures arent going to affect salaries, jobs or investment as they arent austerity measures but aimed at streamlining the economy.


    Nicolae Ciuca: “Through these fiscal measures, we are going to approve after having made a decision within the coalition, we want to make sure we are going to meet the deficit target. And we are not speaking here of austerity measures because we have seen in the past years that not only the Romanian economy, but any other economy cannot develop and function within its normal parameters based on austerity measures. However, we can definitely speak about improvement measures and the appropriate management of public money.”


    In turn, Finance Minister, Adrian Câciu, explains that it all comes down to streamlining public spending so that it may create the needed fiscal room for support measures for the economy and people. Various publications in Romania have already made public the aforementioned bill aimed at curbing expenditures, which also provides for freezing state employment in 2023 and canceling any pay rise. So personnel expenses in public institutions arent going to exceed those in 2022.


    The bill also provides for procurement and bans any purchase, hire or lease takeovers of cars or office equipment. Only the newly-established public authorities and institutions as well as investment objectives are exempted from this decision. The ordinance also bans the pension-salary accumulation for a state employee except for those working as teachers in various education institutions as well as the specialized personnel in medical units. The measure also targets pensioners from the armed forces, including the incumbent Prime Minister, who is a career serviceman. According to political sources, the document hasnt been endorsed by the coalition yet.


    Against the background of the latest debates on the appropriate public spending, pundits are asking a legitimate question: why temperance and discipline in spending public money are being considered only at times of budget deficit?


    (bill)


  • 03.04.2023 (mise à jour)

    03.04.2023 (mise à jour)

    Chancelier – En visite officielle à Bucarest, le chancelier allemand Olaf Scholz a réitéré, lundi, son appui pour que la Roumanie soit admise cette année au sein de l’espace Schengen. Lors de sa rencontre avec le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, celui-ci a estimé que Bucarest avait fait de grands efforts en ce sens. Il a également assuré le chef de l’Etat roumain de tout son soutien. A son tour, Klaus Iohannis, a dit que la Roumanie remplissait son rôle de garant de la sécurité à la frontière extérieure de l’UE et que son adhésion à Schengen allait consolider l’espace de libre circulation européenne. Le président roumain a aussi déclaré que les deux pays avaient de forts intérêts communs visant à assurer la prospérité et la sécurité européennes, agissant ensemble de manière coordonnée pour atteindre ces objectifs, tant au sein de l’UE que de l’OTAN. Les pourparlers entre le chef de l’Etat roumain et le chancelier allemand ont été dominés par la situation de sécurité engendrée par la guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine. Le chancelier allemand a affirmé que l’Ukraine sera soutenue militairement autant qu’il fallait. Lundi également, Schgolz et Iohannis ont parlé à la présidente de la République de Moldova, Maia Sandu. Ce pays fait partie de la famille européenne a déclaré le chancelier fédéral allemand qui a salué la manière dont Chisinau a évoqué les réformes nécessaires en vue de l’adhésion à l’UE. Le président roumain a promis que l’appui pour la République de Moldova devrait se poursuivre, d’autant plus que ce pays est soumis à des pressions hybrides systématiques, y compris de tentatives de renversement de l’ordre constitutionnel. « Dans la grande famille européenne, c’est là que la République de Moldova se dirige et nous sommes reconnaissants pour l’appui accordé à notre parcours d’adhésion à l’UE. Nous misons ensuite sur l’appui de vos pays à l’initiation des négociations d’adhésion à l’UE », a affirmé Maia Sandu. Elle a ajouté que son, pays était le voisin de l’Ukraine le plus vulnérable, étant touchée par la guerre, mais aussi par des attaques hybrides orchestrées par le Kremlin et censées affaiblir la détermination de rester une partie du monde libre.

    Commissaires -
    Le premier ministre roumain Nicolae Ciuca s’est entretenu lundi, à Bucarest,
    avec Nicolas Schmit, commissaire responsable de l’emploi et des droits sociaux
    et Elisa Ferreira, commissaire à la Cohésion et aux réformes. Il leur a
    présenté notamment l’impact positif des fonds européens sur le développement de
    la Roumanie ainsi que le rattrapage des décalages entre les régions. Selon un
    communiqué de l’Exécutif roumain, Nicolae Ciuca a remercié les responsables
    européens pour l’appui accordé dans la mise en place des programmes relatifs à
    la politique de cohésion de l’UE. Il a également assuré que son cabinet
    continuerait de collaborer avec la Commission européenne pour s’assurer que
    chaque euro alloué à la Roumanie était utilisé dans l’intérêt public. A son
    tour, la commissaire à la Cohésion, Elisa Ferreira, a souligné que les fonds
    européens étaient à même de soutenir un développement économique et social
    équitable pour la Roumanie. Parmi les autres sujets abordés à cette occasion
    mentionnons l’appui accordé par l’UE sur toile de fond de la crise énergétique
    et de l’agression militaire russe en Ukraine, tant de la perspective de l’aide
    pour les réfugiés que du point de vue des aides pour les citoyens et les
    secteurs économiques qui en sont touchés.

    Lois – Le projet de loi portant sur l’abus de fonction et celui des régimes spéciaux des retraites se retrouvent en ce début de semaine à l’ordre du jour de la Chambre des Députés de Bucarest, après avoir été adoptés antérieurement par le Sénat. Le texte réglementant l’abus de fonction doit être voté mercredi par les députés et mettre en place un seuil de 9 000 lei (quelque 1 800 euros), somme en partant de laquelle l’abus de fonction sera considéré comme une infraction et sera sanctionné par la prison. Le seuil proposé antérieurement était de 250 000 lei, soit 50 000 euros ce qui a suscité de vives critiques de la part de l’opinion publique et de l’opposition parlementaire. Pour ce qui est du projet de loi consacré aux régimes spéciaux des retraites, il précise entre autres qu’aucune pension de ce type ne pourra plus dépasser les revenus touchés durant la période active. On interdit également le cumul des régimes spéciaux de retraite.

    Arménie – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine Bogdan Aurescu a précisé lundi à Bucarest que « l’Union européenne a joué et peut jour un rôle important dans le Caucase du sud, y compris pour ce qui est de l’identification de solutions aux défis que nous devons solutionner dans notre voisinage commun ». Dans le cadre des pourparlers avec son homologue arménien, Ararat Mirzoyan, le responsable roumain a évoqué « l’appui de la Roumanie à la normalisation des relations entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan ». Pour sa part, Ararat Mirzoyan a précisé que l’Arménie avait une volonté politique forte d’obtenir la paix et la stabilité dans la région et que malgré toutes les difficultés le pays poursuivait les pourparlers avec l’Azerbaïdjan avec honnêteté. Le chef de la diplomatie arménienne a également apprécié « la contribution précieuse de la Roumanie aux négociations qui impliquent l’Union européenne. La visite se déroule dans le contexte de la dynamisation du dialogue politique avec les Etats du Caucase du sud, y compris comme résultat du tournoi que le chef de la diplomatie roumaine a entrepris dans la région en juin 2021, aux côtés des homologues d’Autriche et de Lituanie.

    Météo – Températures à la baisse en Roumanie, notamment sur la moitié nord du territoire. Des pluies sont attendues sur la majorité des régions alors qu’en haute montagne, de nouvelles chutes de neige sont attendues. A Bucarest, les maximas ne dépasseront plus les 9 degrés.

  • Tensions running high over issue of abuse of office

    Tensions running high over issue of abuse of office

    The leaders of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, the main parties in the governing coalition in Romania, announced on Wednesday evening that they decided to support the proposal of the Justice Ministry regarding the establishment of a threshold of 9,000 lei, the equivalent of 1,800 euros, from which abuse of office and negligence in office can be criminalized. The Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu and the Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă made the announcements on Facebook almost simultaneously.



    These announcements came after the wave of criticism that appeared in the press following an amendment to the Criminal Code voted by senators, according to which abuse and negligence in office became crimes only in the case of a damage of at least 250,000 lei, i.e. 50,000 euros. Sources inside the ruling coalition stated that the very members of the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) had decided on this threshold in the Sunday evening meeting. The amendment voted on Wednesday caused consternation, due to its similarity to the famous emergency ordinance 13 of 2017, which had as threshold for incrimination the amount of only 200,000 lei. Probably the amount was index-linked, some said amusedly.



    Emergency Ordinance 13 was practically the inaugural act of a program by which the then power, authoritatively controlled by the leader of the PSD at the time, Liviu Dragnea, allegedly tried to subordinate the judicial system. The adoption of the ordinance brought tens of thousands of people to the streets, forcing the government to withdraw it. Now, things can be fixed in the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body in the case of the law amending the Criminal Code, which is a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The government representatives say that the existence of a value threshold was necessary for the criminal legislation to be put in agreement with some decisions of the Constitutional Court.



    After the vote in the Senate, the PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, said that his party would vote in the Chamber of Deputies a version that respected the decisions of the Court as well as the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the opinions of legal experts. The Liberal deputy Raluca Turcan considered the threshold of 250,000 lei for abuse of office a mistake, which must be corrected in the Chamber of Deputies. She admits the need for a minimum limit on the value of the damage and that the solution is to set a modest ceiling. The people who protested on Wednesday evening in Bucharest denounced the senators vote, which, they say, encourages corruption and illegalities in Romania.



    The vote of the PNL alongside the PSD on this controversial amendment to the Criminal Code took both the press and the analysts by surprise. In 2017, from the opposition, the Liberals permanently tried to counter, together with those from the Save Romania Union – USR, the attempts of Liviu Dragneas Social Democrats to sabotage the instruments necessary for the functioning of the judicial system. Neither the PSD nor the PNL assume the decision to raise the criminalization threshold for abuse of office so high. The question is: would they have wanted it that way? (LS)

  • Romania and Poland to step up cooperation

    Romania and Poland to step up cooperation

    The Prime
    Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday paid a visit to Bucharest
    where he was received by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and held talks with
    his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca and Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr.




    We want that our close relations in term of security and
    defence be doubled by a robust and fruitful economic cooperation according to
    the potential offered by the two economies, the Romanian President said after
    the meeting he had with the Polish official. Iohannis has added that Poland is
    one of the most important trade partners Romania has in the region, with trade
    exchanges, which last year reached an all time high, standing at roughly 11
    billion euros.




    In turn, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said the
    Tuesday’s joint session of the two governments, Polish and Romanian, offered an
    opportunity for the two sides to confirm their 2022-2026 action plan agreed
    upon in the previous sittings. So, new bilateral goals and action plans have
    been established for every ministry in fields like research, digitization,
    SMEs, demographic growth, youth, sport, defence and transports.




    According to Ciuca, the field of research,
    development and digitalization is a major one and both countries have shown special
    potential and common interests in identifying the solutions, which should
    ensure its consolidation and development. The Romanian official has also
    referred to the common interest in finding solutions for carrying on the
    process of digitalization to the benefit of both the citizens and the small and
    medium-sized enterprises.


    Ciuca has also added that opportunities for continuing
    the process of developing the road, rail and sea transportation infrastructure
    have also been tackled.


    The Romanian official has underlined the
    importance of this infrastructure also known as Via Carpathia and the Rail-2-Sea
    project, which is connecting two ports – the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa
    and the Polish port of Gdansk at the Baltic Sea. There are elements, which we
    are convinced they will continue to help not only our countries, Romania and
    Poland but other countries as well, such as Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria in
    the south, linking the southern part of Europe. And there are infrastructure
    elements, which will help Ukraine as well Ciuca also said. He also referred to
    the very good talks in the field of defence and the decision of setting up a
    technical committee to operate in the defence field under the commitments
    assumed in Warsaw last year. In turn, Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz
    Morawiecki, has described the mutual cooperation as very good adding that the
    economic growth in the two countries has made that the voices of Warsaw and
    Bucharest to be better heard in Europe and around the world.


    (bill)

  • The Romanian Prime Minister visits Chisinau

    The Romanian Prime Minister visits Chisinau

    Founded on Romania’s eastern territories
    annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union after an ultimatum in 1940, the Republic
    of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow on August 27th
    1991 after the abortive neo-Bolshevik coup against the reforming political
    leader Mikhail Gorbachev. On that very day, Romania became the first country to
    recognize the new independent republic. Since then, Bucharest has been the most
    enthusiastic and staunchest supporter of the Republic of Moldova’s
    independence, territorial integrity and EU aspirations.




    On Thursday, Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis announced in Brussels that the neighboring republic would receive
    additional support form the European Union. He also proposed that the
    pro-Russian entities in the Republic of Moldova be subjected to European sanctions.




    Also during his visit to Chisinau on
    Thursday, Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca reiterated Romania’s
    unflinching support for the Republic of Moldova. The Republic of Moldova has bravely
    embarked on a European journey, and Romania who understands very well the
    stages of this journey, has expressed its full readiness to support its
    endeavor – the head of the government in Bucharest says.




    During the meeting he had
    with Maia Sandu, the pro-West President of the republic, Ciuca says that
    Romania is making efforts inside the EU to maintain the governmental, economic
    and social stability of the Republic of Moldova.


    In turn, Sandu voiced
    gratitude for all the support the Republic of Moldova receives from Romania.




    We have overcome all the
    winter difficulties and this is also thanks to you. We have to carry on the
    country’s stability and provide safety to our citizens. In another development
    we are trying to increase the resilience of our economy so that we can raise
    the living standards in the Republic of Moldova and you have supported us in
    all these dimensions, Maia Sandu says.




    According to President
    Sandu, the Republic of Moldova has a busy agenda in the process of European
    integration. This week will see the European Council’s proceedings and we know
    that Romania is there fighting for the interests of the Republic of Moldova,
    including for the following steps in the process of its European integration,
    Sandu says.




    Prime Minister Ciuca’s
    visit comes after the one paid to Bucharest by his Moldovan counterpart Dorin
    Recean on March 1st. At that time Ciuca hailed what he called the
    excellent level of the bilateral relations and the remarkable dynamics of the
    dialogue between Bucharest and Chisinau. According to the Prime Minister,
    Romania has strengthened its statute as the first trade partner of the Republic
    of Moldova. The bilateral trade, he recalled, went up to 1.2 billion dollars to
    reach 3.6 billion dollars in 2022.


    (bill)

  • 23.03.2023

    23.03.2023

    Iohannis à Bruxelles – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe, ces jeudi et vendredi à la réunion du Conseil européen de printemps et au sommet de l’Euro en format élargi, qui se déroule à Bruxelles. Selon l’administration présidentielle, à l’ordre du jour des réunions figurent la situation en Ukraine, et notamment la sécurité alimentaire et le processus de reconstruction, les changements climatiques et les démarches en vue de la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable. « Nous devons être unis de la part de l’Ukraine, nous devons être solidaires avec l’Ukraine avec tout ce que nous pouvons. Il est très important que l’Ukraine aie une position forte et nous pouvons faire beaucoup de choses », a déclaré le chef de l’Etat roumain dans une conférence de presse à la veille du Conseil. Selon lui, d’autres thèmes extrêmement importants figurent également à l’ordre du jour, dont l’économie, le marché unique, la compétitivité, les meilleurs moyens de prévenir la désindustrialisation de l’Europe et l’énergie, mais aussi la République de Moldova, qui recevra une aide supplémentaire consistante de la part de l’UE.

    Ciuca à Chisinau – En visite à Chisinau, accompagné de plusieurs ministres, le chef du gouvernement roumain, Nicolae Ciuca s’est entretenu avec la présidente de la République de Moldova, Maia Sandu et avec le premier ministre moldave Dorin Recean. Les réunion sont ciblé des problématiques liées à l’adhésion de cet Etat à l’UE, de la manière dont l’économie de la République pourrait se développer, de la voie vers les réformes démocratiques et de la situation dans la région dans le contexte du conflit en Ukraine. Le leader de Chisinau a remercié à la Roumanie pour le soutien accordé jusqu’ici pour que la population et l’économie de la République de Moldova puissent dépasser cet hiver compliqué, déterminé par une croissance exponentielle des coûts de l’énergie et du gaz et de la décision de la compagnie russe Gazprom d’interrompre l’alimentation pendant plusieurs mois. Pour sa part, le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca a remercié pour la décision du Parlement de la République de Moldova d’adapter la législation conformément à la décision de la Cour Constitutionnelle d’accorder à la langue roumaine le statut de langue officielle dans l’ex république soviétique. La consolidation du milieu sécuritaire en République de Moldova et les ressources nécessaires à la lutte contre toute forme de déstabilisation de cet Etat constitue une priorité pour la Roumanie a dit Nicolae Ciuca durant la réunion avec Dorin Recean. La Roumanie est notre avocat dans toutes les institutions européenne, autrement nous ne pouvons pas avancer dans notre parcours européen a déclaré aussi le premier ministre moldave. Les participants aux réunions ont également analyse l’état de la mise en œuvre du programme d’appui à la République de Moldova, qui dispose d’un financement d’une centaine de millions d’euros de la part du gouvernement roumain. Le premier ministre roumain a annoncé le déblocage d’un premier versement de 25 millions d’euros à ce programme.

    Aurescu à Londres – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, fait une visite officielle au Royaume Uni, à l’invitation de son homologue, James Cleverly. Les deux responsables évoqueront aussi les relations du partenariat stratégique bilatéral, ainsi que des évolutions internationales avec un accent particulier sur la guerre en Ukraine, sur la situation en République de Moldova, les relations entre l’UE et le Royaume Uni et la coopération au sein de l’OTAN. Mercredi, Bogdan Aurescu s’est entretenu avec le secrétaire d’Etat à la défense du Royaume Uni, Ben Wallace. Les deux hommes ont parlé entre autres de la coopération bilatérale dans le domaine de la défense et dans le cadre de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique nord avec un accent sur la stabilité et la sécurité de la mer Noire. En marge de cette visite, les chefs des diplomaties roumaine et britannique signeront aussi une déclaration commune mise à jour du partenariat stratégique entre la Roumanie et le Royaume Uni et inaugureront la première édition d’un forum bilatéral entre les deux Etats.

    Metronom
    Metronom, premier long-métrage de fiction du réalisateur roumain
    Alexandru
    Belc sera projeté vendredi au cinéma Muranów de Varsovie. Le film représente la
    Roumanie au Festival du film francophone de Pologne qui se déroule du 22 au 26
    mars dans la Capitale polonaise. Aux côtés du film roumain, le festival inclut
    huit autres productions de fiction de Belgique, du Canada, de Suisse, du
    Luxembourg et du Maroc, proposées par l’Institut français de Pologne qui est
    également le principal organisateur de l’événement. L’édition la plus récente
    du festival du film de Cannes a récompensé « Metronom » du Prix pour
    la réalisation de la section « Un certain regard ».

    Tennis – La joueuse de tennis roumaine Irina Begu, 34e mondiale affronte aujourd’hui au deuxième tour de l’Open de Miami, la Chinoise Qinwen Zheng, 23e WTA. Dans le premier round, Begu a battu la sportive des Phillipines, Alexandra Eala, numéro 219 mondiale, sur le score de 6-2, 7-5. Mercredi, Sorana Cîrstea (32 ans, 74e au classement WTA) a débuté par une victoire au tournoi WTA 1 000 à Miami, alors qu’Ana Bogdan, (60e WTA) a perdu le premier round. Sorana Cîrstea s’est imposée contre Fernanda Contreras Gomez du Mexique, alors qu’Ana Bogdan s’est inclinée face à l’américaine Robin Montgomery (193e WTA).

    Handball – L’équipe de handball Dinamo Bucarest, championne de Roumanie a été battue par l’équipe allemande de THW Kiel, sur le score de 41 à 28 mercredi dans la soirée à domicile lors du premier round du play-off de la Ligue des Champions. Le match retour est prévu pour le 29 mars à Kiel, en Allemagne. Côté handball féminin, les vice-championnes de CSM Bucarest se sont déjà qualifiées dans les quarts de finale de la Ligue des Champions alors que les championnes de Rapid Bucarest reçoivent dimanche à domicile la visite du Krim Ljubljana( de Slovénie), le match décisif pour l’accès dans la même phase de la compétition. Le match aller a été une défaite pour Rapid sur le score de 29 à 24.

  • March 23, 2023

    March 23, 2023

    Brussels — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in the spring meeting of the European Council and in the Euro Summit in an extended format, hosted by Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration, they will tackle the situation in Ukraine, especially food security and the reconstruction process, climate change and measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “We must be united on the side of Ukraine, we must be in solidarity with Ukraine, we must help Ukraine with everything we can. It is very important that Ukraine has a strong position and that we can do many things”, said the Romanian president in a press conference before the start of the Council. There will be other extremely important topics, President Iohannis also said, related to the economy, the single market, competitiveness. They will discuss the best methods to prevent the deindustrialization of Europe and the energy issue, as well as the situation of the Republic of Moldova, which will receive substantial additional aid from the EU.



    Chisinau – On a visit to Chisinau, accompanied by several ministers, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The meetings focused on issues related to the accession of this state to the EU, the way in which the republics economy can develop, the path to democratic reforms and the situation in the area in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The leader from Chisinau thanked Romania for the support provided for the population and the economy of the Republic of Moldova to get through the complicated winter, caused by an exponential increase in energy and gas costs, and through the acute lack of supply of these resources, in particular following the interruption of supply by Gazprom for several months. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked, in turn, for the decision of the Moldovan Parliament to adapt the legislation in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, respectively to grant the Romanian language the status of official language in the Republic of Moldova. Consolidating the security environment in the Republic of Moldova and ensuring the resources to combat any form of destabilization of this country is a priority for Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said during the discussions with Dorin Recean. Romania is our advocate in all European institutions, therefore we can advance on our European path, said the Moldovan Prime Minister. During the meetings, the implementation stage of the support program for the Republic of Moldova presented, financed with 100 million Euros by the Government of Romania. In this sense, the Romanian Prime Minister announced the release of the first tranche worth 25 million Euros of this program.



    London – The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of his counterpart, James Cleverly. The two officials will discuss bilateral strategic partnership relations, as well as international developments, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the relations between the EU and the United Kingdom and cooperation within NATO. On Wednesday, minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, with whom he discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and within the North Atlantic Alliance, with an emphasis on the stability and security of the Black Sea. On the sidelines of the visit, the heads of the Romanian and British diplomacies will sign the updated Joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will open the first edition of the Romania – United Kingdom Bilateral Forum.



    Protests – France is almost blocked today, on the ninth day of national mobilization against the pension reform. With a general strike in many areas and street demonstrations announced in almost 300 localities, the trade unions and the opposition want to force the French government to withdraw the law it has just adopted, which provides for the increase in the retirement age, from 62 to 64 years old. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said that the reform was an unfortunate necessity to protect the pension system and that he accepted its unpopularity.



    Film – The first feature film of the Romanian director Alexandru Belc – “Metronome” will be screened on Friday at the Muranów cinema in Warsaw. The film represents Romania at the Francophone Film Festival in Poland, which takes place between March 22 and 26 in Warsaw. Along with the Romanian film, the Festival includes eight other fiction films from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Morocco, proposed by the French Institute in Poland, which is also the main organizer. At the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “Metronome” was awarded the Best Director Award in the “Un certain regard” section. (LS)

  • March 20, 2023 UPDATE

    March 20, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT – On an official visit to the United Arab
    Emirates, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis Monday had a meeting in Abu Dhabi
    with his counterpart, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan. There are a lot of bilateral,
    regional and global areas where we can cooperate quite well. There are huge
    opportunities and I believe we both want to capitalize on them,’ the Romanian
    official said during the meeting. President Iohannis suggested the two
    countries may cooperate with a view to promoting environment education and skills
    for the green transition. He also presented the goals of the Three Seas
    Initiative that Romania will host this September in Bucharest, and the
    opportunities it provides to private investments and investment funds,
    encouraging the involvement of UAE investors. In turn, his counterpart pleaded
    for the development of relations with Romania and for Bucharest’s active
    presence at the COP28, a meeting scheduled to take place this year in the UAE. On
    this occasion, the two countries’ relevant ministers and officials signed
    bilateral documents in the fields of energy, cyber-security and education. On
    Sunday president Klaus Iohannis visited Masdar City, a model of sustainable urban
    development focusing on energy efficiency and environment protection.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu Monday took part in the meeting of EU foreign ministers
    (Foreign Affairs Council) and in a joint meeting of EU foreign and defence
    ministers. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, the EU officials primarily
    discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of the EU
    Action Plan on the geopolitical consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
    On this occasion, Bogdan Aurescu highlighted the multifaceted consequences of
    the security crisis generated by Moscow, with an impact beyond Ukraine, and
    warned against destabilizing Russian actions against the pro-European
    authorities in the Rep. Moldova. Mr. Aurescu voiced Romania’s support for
    carrying on the Union’s support efforts for Ukraine, including the provision of
    ammunition, and the need to further isolate Russia internationally and to
    maintain pressure on Kremlin. The Romanian official also announced that this
    April Romania and Ukraine will organise jointly a first high-level conference
    on Black Sea security, under the Crimea International Platform. Also in
    Brussels on Monday, at the international donor conference for Turkey and Syria,
    in the aftermath of the February earthquakes, Minister Aurescu announced a new
    financial assistance package totaling EUR 1.3 mln.


    MOLDOVA The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă will travel
    to the neighbouring Republic of Moldova this week, for a meeting with his
    counterpart Dorin Recean. On this occasion, PM Ciucă will reiterate Romania’s
    support for that country’s reforms, for consolidating its economy, resilience
    and security and for its EU accession efforts. Meanwhile, in Chisinau, the
    Supreme Security Council announced a number of decisions after Monday’s meeting
    convened by president Maia Sandu in the context of the exceptional situation
    in the judiciary. One of these decisions is to step up the creation of the
    Higher Council of Magistrates, which is to become operational within 30 days. After
    the meeting, Moldova’s president stated that some members of the system oppose the
    cleaning of the judiciary and seek to continue using it to their own benefit. We
    need a judicial system free from corruption, able to uphold justice and rebuild
    people’s trust, Maia Sandu concluded. (AMP)

  • February 17, 2023

    February 17, 2023

    Timişoara – The city of Timişoara, in western Romania, officially becomes, as of today, for one year, a European Capital of Culture. Approximately 16,000 people are expected to participate in the 130 events taking place this weekend, on the occasion of the official opening of the program. The entire city will be animated by concerts, exhibitions, street performances, theater plays, film screenings and workshops, all under the slogan “Shine your light — Light up your city!” More than 100 Romanian and foreign officials, including about 40 ambassadors, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the European Commissioner Adina Vălean have confirmed their participation in the opening gala at the Palace of Culture in Timișoara. Moreover, Adina Vălean will hand the local authorities the “Melina Mercouri” award, worth 1.5 million Euros, which is awarded to cities that have fulfilled their commitments in the “European Capitals of Culture” program.



    Chişinău – The new government of the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) was inaugurated and sworn in before the pro-Western president Maia Sandu. Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that in the coming period the intensity of hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation was likely to increase and that, in the event of an aggression, the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova did not provide any guarantees. Radio Romania’s correspondents in Chişinău note that the government led by Recean will have to face not only a security situation complicated by the war in neighboring Ukraine, but also the economic and energy crises. The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, congratulated Recean for the vote obtained and for assuming the responsibility of leading the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and gave assurances regarding the continuation of the dialogue and the identification of support solutions for the European path.



    Rome – The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, continues his visit to Italy today. He is to meet with the Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and then he will meet with representatives of the diocesan communities in the Lazio Region. On Thursday, the Romanian official talked with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the organization of a bilateral economic forum in Rome. Marcel Ciolacu has said that Italy is Romanias second important commercial partner, and Rome is ‘home to over 200,000 Romanian citizens’. Also on Thursday, the president of the Chamber of Deputies met in Rome with his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo Fontana.



    Conference – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, are participating, from Friday until Sunday, in the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a representative forum for discussions on the current dynamics of international security. Bogdan Aurescu participates, as the main speaker, in the round table Security in the Black Sea Region: From Cyberstorm and Brinkmanship to Border Confrontation?, organized by the think tanks New Strategy Center (NSC) and Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Minister Angel Tîlvăr participates in the conference sessions focused on regional security developments, the implications of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as regional stability and security. He will also attend the debates on the conference report (Munich Security Report), a document that highlights the profound changes in the security environment and the consequences of the unprovoked and unjustified war waged by Russia in Ukraine. Among the guests are prominent personalities from NATO, the EU, the UN and other international organizations, as well as important global decision-makers.



    Earthquake – A moderate earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.3, occurred on Friday in Gorj county (southwest Romania), at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to the data of the National Institute for Earth Physics. The intensity of the earthquake was revised from 4.4 to 4.3 degrees, following the operators calculations. On Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gorj county, the largest ever produced in that area. The day before, the area was shaken by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the worst to hit Romania, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of them in Bucharest, and caused property damage estimated at over two billion dollars at the time. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not overcome until its collapse in 1989. (LS)

  • Coordination for anti-seismic protection

    Coordination for anti-seismic protection

    The
    devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria last week and those quite unusual that
    rocked south-western Romania seem to have also shaken the authorities in
    Bucharest. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca says that the standards regarding the
    construction of buildings and the quality of materials must be revised and re-checked
    so that buildings are constructed according to the blueprints.




    During
    the government session on Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced the setting
    up of a ministerial group in charge of the prevention, training and response of
    the institutions in emergency situations.




    He
    explains that special emphasis will be attached to the country’s education infrastructure
    and its response in earthquake situations. Prime Minister Ciuca also wants to
    check the Turkish companies which ran construction contracts in Romania.


    According to experts, Turkey’s
    recent history in this respect coincides with that of Romania’s, with the
    difference that the latter has been spared the tests of high-magnitude
    earthquakes.




    Around the 2018 election, the
    Islamic-Conservative regime in Ankara granted an amnesty to all the
    constructions made without a permit. As a result, nine million people were
    discovered as owning houses, which didn’t respect any construction standards. And
    no one knows how many of these non-compliant buildings were razed to the ground
    by the earthquake on February 6th.




    The recent earthquakes in southern
    Romania have caused panic and material damage but posed no threat to the life
    of the citizens.




    According to Development Minister
    Cseke Attila, contracts for the reinforcement of 240 buildings have been signed
    and they are benefitting from funds from the National Plan of Recovery and
    Resilience (PNRR). There are several other programmes through which the state is
    funding the reinforcement of high-risk buildings and 555 million Euros will be
    earmarked through the PNRR. 290 requests in this respect have so far been submitted
    through the platform of the aforementioned ministry.




    We recall that on March 4th
    1977, an earthquake of 7.2 degrees on the Richter scale hit Romania killing 1,570
    people mostly in the capital Bucharest. It also caused four billion dollars in
    material damage. 230 thousand houses were severely damaged and destroyed and
    hundreds of economic units ceased their operations. The earthquake caused an economic and
    social crisis, which, according to historians, the communist dictatorship was
    unable to overcome until its demise 12 years later. Experts believe that in the
    event of a similar earthquake, hundreds of buildings could collapse in
    Bucharest at present. And according to statistics, Romania sees annually around
    100 earthquakes with magnitudes over 3 degrees on the Richter scale.




    (bill)

  • February 9, 2023 UPDATE

    February 9, 2023 UPDATE

    SUPPORT
    Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called on the EU leaders,
    who had convened in Brussels, to step up arms deliveries for his country to be
    able to move faster than Russia, which invaded Ukraine a year ago. We need
    artillery guns, ammunitions, modern tanks long-range missiles and modern jet-fighters,
    Zelensky told the European leaders adding that a free Europe is not possible
    without a free Ukraine. He has also called on the EU leaders to support Kyiv’s
    peace plan and hold the Kremlin accountable. Zelensky has also asked for new
    sanctions against Moscow, which should focus, among other things, on the
    Russian defence industry. Earlier he had told the European MPs that the defence
    of the Ukrainian territory against the Russian invasion was the defence of
    Europe. The Ukrainian president is on a European tour, which also took him to London
    and Paris.






    MEETING According to the president of the European Council, Charles Michel,
    the next weeks would be decisive for the war in Ukraine. Michel has called on
    the EU leaders to respond to the requests made by Kyiv for weapons and
    ammunition. During the special meeting of the European council, Ukraine called
    for ammunitions, artillery guns, missiles, vehicles and defence systems. In
    turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said that
    Ukraine can count on the EU support now and in the future. She announced that
    the future set of sanctions would be targeting a series of Russian military and
    political leaders and includes over 10 billion euros restrictions for exports.
    On the sidelines of the aforementioned meeting, European leaders, including Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis have voiced their commitment and support for Ukraine
    and its people. Besides the war in Ukraine, high on the talks agenda there are also
    the economic situation in the EU and migration. Iohannis said before the
    meeting that Romania is neither a source of migration nor a transit country.
    The Romanian official also said that the problem is European and Bucharest
    wants to participate in the process of finding some of the best solutions to
    this situation. Iohannis has also underlined that the issue of migration must
    not be mistaken for Schengen.




    TOLL The death toll of the earthquakes that hit
    Turkey and Syria on Monday continues to rise, exceeding 20,000 dead on
    Thursday, and the chances of survival for the people trapped under the rubble
    are diminishing. The bad weather and cold are complicating the rescuers’ task,
    given that the first 72 hours are crucial to find survivors, according to the
    head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik. Twitter has become inaccessible
    to Turkey’s main mobile telephony providers amid growing online criticism of
    the authorities’ handling of the tragedy. We had difficulties at the
    beginning with the airports and on the roads, but we are better today and
    tomorrow we will be even better – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on
    the eve, apparently to defuse the population’s anger over the slow reaction of
    his regime. In power since 2003 and a candidate for a new mandate in the May
    presidential election, Erdogan also announced the distribution of 10,000
    Turkish liras (the equivalent of about 494 Euros) to each family affected by
    the earthquake.






    OECD Romania’s accession to the Organization for
    Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the next step on the country’s
    way to modernization, development and prosperity – the Prime Minister Nicolae
    Ciucă said Thursday, in Bucharest, at a conference organized by the Government
    on the benefits that member countries of this Organization have. This event
    marked one year since the start of Romania’s accession process to the OECD.
    Romania’s accession to the OECD has become a major foreign policy
    objective and a strategic objective of the country, after accession to the
    European Union and NATO – Nicolae Ciucă stated, recalling that the Organization
    has under its umbrella states that represent over 70% of world trade and
    approximately 90% of the capital investments value. Regarding the current
    economic situation in Romania, the prime minister recalled that, in 2022, the
    Gross Domestic Product increased by almost 50 billion Euros as compared to the
    previous year, i.e. 4.9%, which is a significant increase.




    (bill&LS)