Radio România Internațional

Tag: coalition

February 19, 2025 UPDATE 2

Paris – The security of Europe is the theme of the new meeting organized in Paris by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, after the one on Monday, which took place in a restricted format. This time Romania is also attending, being represented by the interim president, Ilie Bolojan. Also participating are the leaders from Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Belgium. The French president said that he sees Russia and President Vladimir Putin as ‘an existential threat to Europe’. He recalled the activities of the Kremlin in the last period, which affected the interests of several countries in the European Union, including actions on the Polish border, cyber attacks in all EU countries and the manipulation of information or electoral processes, such as the presidential election in Romania. Macron also recalled Putin’s explicit threats regarding the use of nuclear weapons, in violation of international agreements to which Russia is a party. However, he showed his willingness to talk with Putin about ending the conflict and returning peace to Ukraine. Among the solutions that could be proposed to Ukraine as security guarantees within a possible peace agreement with Moscow would be the sending of experts or even peacekeeping troops outside the conflict zones. Macron said that there is also the possibility of organizing a peacekeeping operation under the UN mandate, to be carried out on the front line.

Coalition – The leaders of the parties in the government coalition in Bucharest – the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania on Wednesday signed a protocol for the establishment of the “Romania Ahead” electoral alliance, in order to support the sole candidate for the presidency, Crin Antonescu. According to the document, the leadership of this alliance will be ensured by the presidents of the three parties, and the decisions are binding for all members and organizations, respectively the subsidiaries of the signatory political groups. The electoral alliance also benefits from the support of the parliamentary group of national minorities in the Chamber of Deputies. The campaign for the presidential election will be led by a central team, led by national coordinators appointed by each party. They will develop the political program and strategy, respectively the common campaign timetable. Regarding the budget of the electoral campaign, the protocol shows that it is made up of contributions from the common candidate and also from the political parties. PSD, PNL and UDMR say that the “Romania Ahead” electoral alliance aims to counter violent radicalism and extremism in all its forms and, at the same time, to ensure internal political stability and balance, to promote pro-European and Euro-Atlantic values and principles.

Drones – The Romanian MPs adopted, on Wednesday, a draft law that allows the downing of drones that illegally enter the national airspace. According to the document initiated by the Government, these aircraft can be destroyed by air and land defense means, and the downing order is given by persons with the right to decide established by Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) decision. The Chamber of Deputies also passed the bill that regulates the peacetime deployment of military missions on Romanian territory. The document provides, among other things, the possibility that, for a certain period, the authority over some structures of the Romanian Army be transferred to the commanders of the NATO forces participating in various operations. In the case of this bill, the Senate is the decision-making body.

Crime – Romania is among the countries with a low level of crime and a high level of safety, according to information published by the online platform numbeo.com. It collects data from around the world on people’s perceptions of safety and crime. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, at the European level, Romania is perceived by citizens as a safer country than countries such as France, Great Britain, Italy or Germany. The online platform confirms the latest international reports, such as that of the US State Department, which highlights the progress made by Bucharest in the field of public safety and places Romania among the safest states in the EU bloc.

NATO – The NATO Steadfest Dart 25 exercise, considered the biggest this year, is in full swing on the territories of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The drill started last month and involves the mobilization of soldiers from nine allied states. The exercise is led by the Joint Allied Command from Naples and involves the first operational deployment of the Allied Rapid Reaction Force, established on July 1, 2024. Thus, the ability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to mobilize and rapidly deploy forces to defend its borders is being tested. More than 10,000 soldiers, over 1,500 land combat vehicles and over 20 planes and helicopters, plus 17 ships and submarines, are participating in the exercise, with combat exercises in the air, water and on land, as well as in cyberspace, being scheduled. In Romania, Steadfest Dart 25 takes place in the Smârdan range in Galati county, in the southeast, and the country participates with approximately 1,150 soldiers and 120 combat vehicles. (LS)

19 February 2025
December 27, 2024 UPDATE

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

Survey – More than a quarter of Romanians (27%) are pessimistic about the year 2025, the rate increasing by 8% compared to last year, according to the latest survey conducted by Reveal Marketing Research. Also, 45% of Romanians have neither an optimistic nor a pessimistic perspective, this attitude highlighting the uncertainty they feel about the future. On the other hand, 28% declare that they look optimistically towards the coming year, the share being higher, 33%, among those with incomes over 6,000 lei (the equivalent of 1,200 Euros). The pessimism of Romanians reaches high levels in relation to the prospects of the country’s evolution in the next year. Reducing corruption (54%), reducing inflation (51%) and improving the economic situation (47%) are considered difficult objectives to achieve in the next 12 months.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Anca Todoni debuted with victories, on Friday, in the qualifiers of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes up for grabs worth 1,520,600 US dollars, which marks the beginning of the new competitive season. Ana Bogdan (32 years old, 114 WTA) passed the Australian Arina Rodionova (35 years old, 164 WTA) in the first preliminary round, 6-1, 6-2, after 64 minutes. Anca Todoni (20 years old, 118 WTA) won just as easily against the Swedish Mirjam Bjorklund (26 years old, 770 WTA), 6-1, 6-2, in 68 minutes. Ana Bogdan will face the Colombian Emiliana Arango (24 years, 169 WTA) in the decisive match for accessing the main singles draw, and Anca Todoni will meet the Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (30 years, 110 WTA).

Plane crash – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu sent a message of condolences on Friday following the plane crash reported in Kazakhstan, an aircraft of the Azerbaijan Airlines company crashing near Aktau, a port on the Caspian Sea (west of Kazakhstan). “The Romanian government stands in solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. We are sending our condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic plane crash and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the prime minister wrote on a social network. With 67 people on board, the aircraft was on a flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Groznyy, the capital of the Caucasian republic of Chechnya in Russia, on Wednesday. The plane crashed and caught fire, and 38 of the passengers died. On Friday, the airline announced that the aircraft had suffered ‘external physical and technical interference’ and that it was suspending flights to several Russian cities, especially in the Caucasus. (LS)

27 December 2024
December 19, 2024

Coalition – This is not the time for petty arguments, and every leader must see himself as a statesman and negotiate in order to have a government that should propose a budget and organize the presidential election as soon as possible next year, said the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. He announced that he would convene consultations with the political parties. Iohannis’s statement comes after the announcement of the Romanian Prime Minister and social-democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu that the PSD is withdrawing from the talks regarding the formation of the government and will vote for a right-wing minority government in Parliament. Prior to this announcement, the USR had set conditions to remain in the coalition formula which the discussion partners considered exaggerated. After the cancellation of the presidential election, the pro-European parties that entered parliament following the December 1 elections, PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR, began negotiations for the formation of a broad coalition government.

Stock exchange – The Bucharest Stock Exchange registered decreases of almost 3% on almost all indices in Thursday’s meeting, at noon, and recorded transactions worth 2.63 billion lei (around 530 million Euros). The main BET index, which shows the evolution of the 16 most liquid companies, registered a decrease of 2.75%, up to 16,300.37 points, and the BET-Plus index, which shows the evolution of the 37 most liquid shares from the Bucharest Stock Exchange, was down by 2.68%.

European Council – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the meeting of the European Council, which is taking place in Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, the agenda of talks includes topics such as: Ukraine, migration, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s preparation in the civil and military fields and the response to crises, the EU enlargement, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and issues related to freedom, security and justice. The European leaders’ discussion regarding Ukraine aims at analyzing the situation on the ground and the most appropriate ways to comply with the support commitments to the Ukrainian people and to continue the efforts necessary to reject the Russian invasion and ensure the prevalence of international law. The Romanian President will also inform the members of the European Council about the situation in Romania as a result of foreign interference in the electoral process. ‘I will emphasize that this is not a threat only to Romania, but to European democracies and values, in the most general way. Effective coordination at the level of the entire Union is necessary on the topic of combating foreign interference and hybrid attacks from Russia,’ said President Iohannis.

Football – The main shareholder of the football club Rapid Bucharest, one of the most popular in Romania, the businessman Dan Şucu, became the majority shareholder of the Italian club Genoa, the Serie A group announced on its official website. The source points out that, following a capital increase to 45,356,262 Euros, of which 5,356,262 Euros are free and another 40,000,000 paid on December 14, the Board of Directors approved the Romanian investor’s offer. He subscribed to the entire capital increase, obtaining, in return, a share in the share capital of about 77% of Genoa CFC and leaving the previous shareholders as a minority – the release also states. President of the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Şucu (61 years old) is a prominent figure in the Romanian economy. He is the founder of Mobexpert, the largest furniture brand in Romania, with over 2,200 employees. He is also involved in the real estate sector and in the media, with a key role in the business daily “Ziarul Financiar”. Genoa is ranked 13^thin Serie A after 16 matches, with 16 points.

Fitch – The Fitch rating agency has worsened Romania’s outlook from “stable” to “negative” regarding the raring for long-term loans in foreign currency. Among the reasons cited, Fitch mentions political risk factors, including “eroded political credibility” and political uncertainty, as well as fiscal slippages and unsustainable spending. An important factor that has been taken into account is the large budget deficit. Among the causes, Fitch lists public sector wage spending and “unfunded pension increases ahead of the election”. In addition, the new Romanian Parliament is more divided and there is an increase in the share of extreme right anti-European parties, which reflects the rising polarization of Romanian society. On the other hand, a plus for Romania is, according to Fitch, the solid banking sector. Among the factors that can lead to a positive rating, the agency mentions the higher than projected fiscal consolidation, which supports the stabilization of the public debt (GDP) in the medium term and the reduction of external indebtedness and external financing risks. (LS)

19 December 2024
December 14, 2024

NEGOTIATIONS In Bucharest, negotiations on a future coalition of the pro-European parties in Parliament have made progress with respect to the structure of the new government. The Social Democratic Party will control 7 ministries, the National Liberal Party 4, Save Romania Union 3, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania 2, said the Social Democrats’ senior vice-president Sorin Grindeanu. It has not yet been decided which ministries will go to each party and the names of the new ministers. On the other hand, the Social Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians plead for a single presidential candidate of the coalition. After the Constitutional Court cancelled the election for president, the future executive will have to decide by the end of the year on a new presidential election calendar, the UDMR believes. The pro-European parties elected in Parliament hope to come up with a cabinet by Christmas.

EU FUNDING Romania has collected EUR 1.9 billion in EU structural and cohesion funds in 2021-2027, and the overall absorption rate, 6.11%, is close to the EU average of 6.19%, the minister of investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu announced. The absorption rate for the structural and cohesion funds under centrally managed programmes is higher, namely 7.3%, Caciu said in a Facebook post. He emphasised that Romania is yet to catch up on Regional Programmes, where the absorption rate is 3.2%, but he voiced confidence that the example set by the current coalition comprising the Social Democrats and the Liberals in terms of management and implementation of European funds, including decentralisation, will be followed by the new government, and the pace of EU fund absorption will be sustained, so as to replicate the success of the 2014-2020 period.

ECONOMY Romania’s trade deficit was EUR 5.5 billion higher in the first 10 months of the year than in the same period in 2023, according to data made public by the National Bank. More than half of this deficit is the result of growing imports of goods. The central bank also says that the total foreign debt went up over EUR 18 billion and exceeded EUR 186 billion. According to analysts, along with the very high budget deficit, these are the main problems of the Romanian economy, and they must be solved concurrently, which is very difficult. They believe that through a correct budget adjustment, expenses would be cut, and revenues could be raised by eliminating corruption and through a fair tax system.

ANNIVERSARY Timişoara marks 35 years since the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989, which broke out in this city in western Romania. Under the motto “35 years of freedom”, events dedicated to the 1989 heroes and celebrating the three and a half decades since Timişoara became the first city free from communism in Romania will take place between December 15 and 20. The agenda includes, as every year, religious services, wreath-laying, exhibitions and film screenings. A concert entitled Requiem in Memoriam is scheduled on Sunday at the Banat Philharmonic, Monday will see the inauguration of the Freedom Portal, a light installation that reproduces sounds from the Revolution, followed by the traditional march “Heroes Never Die”. Tuesday will be a day of mourning, and the events on December 20 will end with a concert called “Rock for revolution”.

IMPEACHMENT South Korea’s prime minister Han Duck-soo Saturday vowed to ensure a stable government after the National Assembly voted to impeach president Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed attempt to introduce martial law on December 3, AFP reports. Tens of thousands of protesters cheered outside the National Assembly building as the vote was announced. Citing difficulties in passing his budget, Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the country by imposing martial law overnight, but was forced to lift it 6 hours later under pressure from parliament and the street. Under investigation for mutiny, Yoon, 63, is banned from leaving the country, as are his former defence and interior ministers and the commander of the short-lived martial law. (AMP)

14 December 2024
Steps towards a majority government and parliament

The pro-Europeans in the future Parliament have agreed to form a parliamentary majority and the government.

On December 4, the PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of national minorities signed a document that was intended to be a pact for a pro-European and Euro-Atlantic coalition. This took place shortly after the parliamentary elections and the validation, by the Constitutional Court, of the first round of the presidential elections, and before what was supposed to be the second round, on December 8. The pact was aimed to block the access to the position of head of state to the independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist and anti-West candidate, whose victory in the first round had stunned and worried Romania’s strategic partners. The December 4th pact spoke about forming a coalition for stability and modernization, a commitment to development and reforms and the reaffirmation of Romania’s European and Euro-Atlantic path. In the end, the signatories called on citizens to vote, in the second round, in an informed and rational manner, to choose a pro-European, democratic and secure Romania and to reject isolation, extremism and populism.

On December 6, the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) cancelled the presidential election, motivating that the entire election process was flawed, with Călin Georgescu being the beneficiary. Even though he seems to be out of the competition, the parties which would have supported him in the second round and which share, at least in part, his ideas, namely the AUR, SOS Romania and POT, are in Parliament, where they hold a third of the mandates. Against this background, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and national minorities other than the Hungarian one, renewed their commitments, prior to the CCR ruling.

After further talks, the pro-European parties pledged to form a pro-European majority in Parliament and a pro-European government and to support a possible joint pro-European candidate in the presidential elections. In keeping with this commitment, the four parties and representatives of national minorities will work on a joint governing program, based on development and reforms and which will take into account the priorities of the Romanian citizens. The signatories have agreed that a concrete plan is needed to streamline and reduce public spending and red tape in public administration. They have also agreed to increase the current pace of investments and reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The pro-European parties have also committed to increasing trust in institutions and the political class, to bring more transparency in public spending and more respect for citizens.

George Simion, the leader of AUR, the flagship party of the sovereigns’ bloc in Parliament, has criticized in harsh terms the pro-European parties, accusing them of clinging to power. The future Government will only be known after the new Parliament is sworn in, on December 21st. Its priorities will include drawing up the next year’s budget and the establishment of the calendar for the presidential elections.

11 December 2024
February 21, 2024

Defense – The impact of the war in Ukraine on Romania, the endowment programs of the Romanian army and the recent cyber-attacks will be among the topics discussed during today’s meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense – CSAT. The consequences for Romania will be analyzed, after the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region, in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The progress recorded in the field of defense planning is another topic on the agenda, attention being directed, in particular, to the development of the endowment programs, the measures to increase the staffing level, as well as the retention of military personnel. The activity report of the CSAT for the year 2023 will also be presented, as well as that of the Cyber Security Operative Council. Recently, there have been cyber-attacks on several hospitals in the country, and the Government is working, together with a European center, on a cyber security guide for IT administrators in the public system.

Elections – The leaders of the governing coalition in Romania made up of the PSD (Social Democratic Party) and PNL (National Liberal Party), are meeting again today to decide whether this year’s elections will be merged or not. The liberals demand that the local elections be held in the summer, simultaneously with the European parliamentary ones, and the social democrats want the merging, in the autumn, of the parliamentary elections with the first round of the presidential election. Moreover, an idea emerged in the public debates that the parties in power could participate on common lists in the elections for the European Parliament, even though they belong to different European political families: PSD is a member of the European Socialists group and the PNL of the European People’s Party. From the opposition, USR (Save Romania Union) and AUR (The Alliance for the Union of Romanians) argue that the discussions on the topic of merging the elections do nothing but distract Romanians’ attention from the country’s real problems.

Drinks – In Romania, the sale of energy drinks to minors will be sanctioned, according to a draft law adopted on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies, as the decision-making body. The ban will be valid both in shops and at vending machines inside hospitals or schools, and fines for violating the law can reach 30,000 lei (about 6,000 Euros).

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (22 WTA) is playing, today, in the round of 16 of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), against the Croatian Donna Vekic (31 WTA), who managed to produce a big surprise on Tuesday, defeating the Belarusian Arina Sabalenka, world number two. Sorana leads 3-2 in direct matches with Vekic and has qualified after defeating Russian Veronika Kudermetova (19 WTA) 6-1, 6-4. Cîrstea dominated the game, especially in the first set, obtaining her third victory in four matches with Kudermetova. The Dubai tournament has total prizes worth over 3.2 million dollars.

Bracelets – Three prehistoric gold bracelets, from Romanian archaeological sites, were brought to the country by Romanian prosecutors and police. They were taken from a museum in Antwerp (Belgium). The three movable cultural assets of great value, protected by law, were stolen by unknown perpetrators and subsequently alienated. The Belgian judicial authorities signaled, in October 2020, the presence of the three bracelets in the catalog of an auction in Monte Carlo, and the following month the Romanian police officers from the Service for the Protection of the National Cultural Heritage referred the matter to themselves. According to experts, the bracelets are dated around the year 1000 BC and they will end up in the custody of the National History Museum of Romania.

Rabla – In Romania, the draft law for the modification of the program to stimulate the renewal of the national car fleet is put up for public debate on the website of the Environment Ministry. The “Rabla (Scrap) Classic” program does not come with changes. Thus, 7,000 lei (approx. 1,400 Euros) will be offered for the scrapping of a new car this year, and10,000 lei (approx. 2,000 Euros) for the scrapping of two cars. Eco-tickets can be added to these amounts. Regarding “Rabla Plus”, the amount of the eco-ticket, regardless of the number of used vehicles handed over for scrapping, will be 25,500 lei (approx. 5,100 Euros), for a new all-electric vehicle and 13,000 lei (approx. 2,600 Euros ) for the purchase of a hybrid electric vehicle. Also, 13,000 lei will be the discount in the case of buying an electric motorcycle. The document also provides that eco-tickets will not be granted for electric cars more expensive than 70,000 Euros or 60,000 Euros, in the case of those with a thermal engine. (LS)

21 February 2024
August 9, 2023 UPDATE

Coalition. The Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă has ruled
out the possibility of breaking up the governing coalition or triggering early
elections, saying that together with the Social Democrats, solutions will be
found so that the tax reform should not involve new taxes for companies. The
clarifications come after new discussions with Prime Minister and leader of the
Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu about the reforms envisaged by the
government through an emergency order relating to the administration and the
tax area. The Prime Minister says he is ready to resign if the Liberal Party
withdraws its support for this package of measures aimed at maintaining the
budget deficit within the limits agreed upon with the European experts. New
consultations between the coalition partners are announced for these days. The
draft emergency order on the elimination of a number of tax facilities and the
modification of a number of taxes is still under debate. The measures are aimed,
among others, at increasing taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises, changing
the VAT or taxing the salaries of programmers earning more than 2,000 euros.
The goal is to increase revenues to the state budget and comply with the
commitments assumed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
representatives of IT companies have criticised the proposed tax measures,
saying they would seriously affect this field and that some companies are
already considering moving their businesses to nearby countries.

Inflation. The National Bank of Romania has revised
upward its inflation forecast for the end of this year to 7.5% and to 4.4% for
the end of 2024, according to the data presented on Wednesday by the bank’s
governor, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank estimated, in May 2023, an inflation
rate of 7.1% for the end of 2023. Mugur Isărescu pointed out that only some tax
increases are leading to a higher inflation rate, namely direct taxes on
consumption, excise taxes and VAT taxes. The report mentions uncertainties regarding the projected
trajectory in the context of the likely adoption of some tax correction
measures to boost budget revenues, which are likely to have a direct impact on
inflation, such as increases in indirect taxes – the VAT and excises.

Kidnapping. The Romanian citizen
kidnapped eight years ago in Burkina Fasso has been released and has safely
reached Romania. The foreign ministry, which made this announcement, thanked
all its international partners, especially the Moroccan authorities, for their
support in solving this case, which it described as extremely complicated.
Iulian Gherguţ, who was working for a security firm at a mine in Burkina Fasso,
was kidnapped in 2015 by armed Islamist groups who later sold him to other
groups in Mali.

Museums.
The Long Night of Museums in the Village, a new Romanian nationwide cultural
event, will take place, for the first time, this year, on September 2, with
Radio Romania’s regional stations partnering with the event. The number of
institutions participating in this first edition has so far reached 79, from 27
different counties. The registration session is open until August 15, and the
goal of the organisers is to get 100 institutions to sign up. On the occasion
of this first edition of the Long Night of Museums in the Village, the National
Network of Museums in Romania will launch a national support campaign for the
development of educational programmes for children and young people from rural
communities.

9 August 2023
August 9, 2023

Coalition – The Liberal leader, Nicolae Ciucă, rules out the possibility of breaking the governing coalition or triggering early elections. He says that together with the social democrats, solutions will be found so that the tax reform should not involve new taxes for companies. The clarifications come after new discussions with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu about the reforms prepared by the government through an emergency ordinance in the administration and fiscal domains. The Prime Minister, leader of the Social Democratic Party – PSD, said that these discussions are taking place with his mandate on the table, and he will not hesitate to resign if the Liberal Party withdraws its support for this package of measures aimed at maintaining the budget deficit within the limits agreed upon with the European experts. New consultations between the coalition partners are announced for these days. The draft emergency ordinance regarding the elimination of some fiscal facilities and the modification of some taxes is still under debate. The measures aim, among others, at increasing taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises, changing the VAT or taxing the salaries of programmers who exceed a monthly income of 10,000 lei (approx. 2,000 Euros). The goal is to increase revenues to the state budget and comply with the commitments assumed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The representatives of IT companies criticize the proposed fiscal measures and claim that they would seriously affect this field. They state that some companies are already analyzing the possibility of moving their businesses to nearby countries.

BNR – The National Bank of Romania (BNR) has revised upward the inflation forecast for the end of this year to 7.5% and to 4.4% for the end of 2024, according to the data presented on Wednesday by the governor of the BNR, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank estimated, in May 2023, an inflation rate of 7.1% for the end of 2023. Mugur Isărescu pointed out that only some increased taxes lead to an increase in inflation, namely the direct taxes on consumption, the excise taxes and VAT taxes. Ample uncertainties are mentioned regarding the projected trajectory in the context of the likely adoption of some fiscal correction measures to boost budget revenues, which are likely to have a direct impact on inflation, such as increases in indirect taxes — the VAT and excises.

Statistics – The trade balance deficit in the first half of this year was 13.3 billion Euros, lower by 2.1 billion Euros (-13.9%) than the one recorded between January 1 and June 30, 2022, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) announced today. In the first six months of this year, exports totaled 47.4 billion Euros, recording an advance of 5.9%, and imports totaled 60.7 billion Euros, increasing by 0.8% compared to the same period of 2022. According to the INS, between January 1 and June 30, 2023, machinery and transport equipment (45.1% for export and 36.3% for import) and other products manufactured goods (30.2% for export and 28.8% for import) held important shares in the structure of exports and imports.

Night of the Museums – The Night of Museums in the Villages, a new Romanian national cultural event, will take place, for the first time, this year, on September 2, with Radio Romania Regional being a partner of the event. The number of institutions participating in this first edition has so far reached 79, from 27 counties. The registration session is open until August 15, and the goal of the organizers is to reach 100 institutions. On the occasion of this first edition of the Night of Museums in the Villages, the National Network of Museums in Romania will launch a national support campaign for the development of educational programs for children and young people from rural communities, by exploiting the collections and cultural heritage they own.

August 10 – The General Prosecutors Office of Romania has announced that it has taken legal action against the former leadership of the Gendarmerie for the way in which they coordinated the law enforcement’s intervention at the anti-government rally of the diaspora on August 10, 2018, in Bucharest. The former leadership is mainly accused of abuse of office and abusive behavior. The prosecutors specify that the gendarmes acted not only against the people who demonstrated violently, but also against the peaceful demonstrators who represented the vast majority of the protesters. More than 300 participants in the protest are demanding moral and material damages in this case. (LS)

9 August 2023
Une première sur la scène politique roumaine

Le long de plus de trois décennies de démocratie post-communiste roumaine, les politiciens autochtones ont expérimenté presque tout en matière de gouvernance : cabinets monocolores, de gauche ou de droite, dont certains minoritaires, mais soutenus par le Parlement, plus ou moins ouvertement, coalitions reposant sur des critères doctrinaires ou tout simplement sur des intérêts de conjoncture, grandes coalitions réunissant plusieurs partis. L’actuelle coalition, constituée par le PSD et le PNL à laquelle est venue s’ajouter aussi l’UDMR, est une telle alliance inattendue, puisqu’elle réunit la gauche à la droite. Ce n’est pourtant pas une première, puisqu’en 2012 l’Union social-libérale créée par les mêmes partis écrasait ses compétiteurs aux élections et arrivait à contrôler politiquement tant l’exécutif que le législatif.

Mais la première absolue dans la politique roumaine n’allait arriver que plus tard : une rotation entre le Parti national libéral et le Parti social démocrate au niveau de la direction du gouvernement. Aux termes de l’accord conclu entre les deux poids lourds de la politique roumaine en novembre 2021, après une année et demi durant laquelle le gouvernement de coalition est dirigé par le leader libéral Nicolae Ciuca, celui-ci doit démissionner en faveur de son partenaire, le leader social-démocrate Marcel Ciolacu. Cette démission était initialement prévue pour la fin mai, mais les décideurs politiques ont choisi d’ajourner cette rotation afin de solutionner la crise générée par la grève générale de l’enseignement préuniversitaire.

Lundi, après la suspension de la grève, Nicolae Ciuca a finalement dépose son mandat. Le prochain gouvernement devrait être investi jusqu’à jeudi, ou du moins c’est ce que les partis de la coalition gouvernementale se sont proposées. Nicolae Ciucă: « Les procédures pour la rotation ont démarré au sein de la coalition. Ce qui est important de souligner c’est que juste après un gouvernement par intérim prendra le relais, pour fonctionner jusqu’à l’investiture d’un nouveau gouvernement, espérons-le à la fin de la semaine. Nous nous sommes proposés d’investir le gouvernement avant jeudi, afin de nous occuper toujours des problèmes prioritaires figurant dans le programme de gouvernance et à l’agenda du gouvernement. » a déclaré Nicolae Ciuca.

Le professeur des Universités Andrei Taranu affirme que la rotation gouvernementale se produira malgré les voix des quelques sceptiques qui rappellent que de nombreux engagements et arrangements politiques ont échoué à travers le temps. Andrei Ţăranu: « Elle se produira le plus probablement, autrement toute la construction politique des derniers temps deviendra caduque. La Roumanie a été disons pionnière en Europe centrale et de l’est pour avoir imaginé cette construction, insolite en quelque sorte. » affirme le professeur Andrei Taranu. Selon lui, le modèle roumain de la rotation pourrait s’avérer un modèle à succès, surtout pour les Etats de la région et il serait dommage que la Roumanie l’abandonne à la mi-chemin. Depuis l’Opposition, l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie affirme sans équivoque que la rotation des premiers ministres n’est pas une solution à tous les problèmes des citoyens. D’ailleurs, la presse internationale note aussi que le cabinet Ciuca n’a pas réussi à mener à bien aucune des réformes importantes, figurant dans le plan de redressement par le biais duquel la Roumanie se voit accorder des fonds européens.

13 June 2023
Preparations for government swap

The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă announced he would hand over the post on May 26, to the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, who in turn is to step down as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and take over as prime minister until the elections due in 2024.

The talks between the Liberals and the Social Democrats regarding the new government are to begin on Wednesday, after both Ciucă and Ciolacu received flexible negotiation authority from the leading bodies of their respective parties.

The Liberals want fewer state secretaries and under-secretaries, and want the protocol on which the ruling coalition is based to stay in force. PM Nicolae Ciucă said that unless the protocol remains valid, the Liberals would seek to renegotiate the distribution of all ministry positions.

Nicolae Ciucă: “The National Liberal Party has not asked for anything but to keep the protocol in effect. The National Political Bureau entrusted these negotiations to us, and during these negotiations, after we have seen the requests made by the other partners, we will make a decision. If the protocol is discarded, the alternative is to renegotiate all posts in ministries, on one condition that I mentioned before, namely to lower the number of ministries and all the posts in the public system-state secretary, under secretary, agencies, public corporations and so on.

In turn, the Social Democrats want a streamlined cabinet, with fewer ministries, state secretaries and government agencies. The Social Democratic leader announced he would like the right people to be appointed to lead public institutions.

Marcel Ciolacu: “My fellow party members authorised us to discuss with each minister, after the new cabinet has been formed, and especially with the cabinet members who held positions in the previous governmental team, and together with the president of the National Liberal Party, Mr. Nicolae Ciucă, to discuss the number and the responsibilities of state secretaries in each ministry, depending on the importance of that particular ministry. What I wish for is to have a cabinet with the right people in the right places, I want this new political approach, where the best people become part of the new government.”

Nicolae Ciucă and Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that they want the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania to stay in the ruling coalition, after its officials warned that the party would leave the government if they lost any positions following the changeover.

The political basis for this PM rotation is an agreement signed in November 2021, with the establishment of the National Coalition for Romania, which comprises the Social Democrats, the Liberals and the Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, and which is supported by the parliamentary group representing ethnic minorities.

It is for the first time in Romanias post-1989 history when a prime minister rotation takes place. (AMP)

17 May 2023
Priorités politiques à Bucarest

Inhabituellement longues cette année, les vacances d’hiver des élus nationaux, démarrées bien avant Noël, soit le 14 décembre devraient s’achever ce mercredi, le 1er février 2023. Les sénateurs et députés roumains commencent donc la première session du Parlement roumain de cette année avec un agenda archiplein. Parmi les priorités figurent des projets de loi sensibles, tels celui des régimes spéciaux de retraite, qui ne devraient plus dépasser le niveau du salaire reçu durant la période d’activité. S’y ajoutent les propositions de modification des lois de l’éducation nationale, qui suscitent toujours des débats parmi les membres de la coalition gouvernementale constituée par le PSD, le PNL et l’UDMR.

La loi de l’éducation préuniversitaire et celle relative à l’enseignement universitaire se retrouve aujourd’hui sur la table des spécialistes en éducation des trois partis politiques. Il s’agit de parties du projet présidentiel « la Roumanie éduquée », lancée il y a une décennie déjà par le chef de l’Etat, Klaus Iohannis et qui n’a toujours pas dépassé cet état de projet. Conformément au calendrier décidé par les responsables de Bucarest, en ce mois de février, ces projets seraient validés par le gouvernement pour être soumis ensuite au vote du Parlement. Le sénateur social-démocrate Vasile Dâncu avait récemment demandé au leader social démocrate, Marcel Ciolacu, de prolonger la date butoir de présentation des lois de l’éducation pour davantage de consultations. Entre temps, le député libéral Ionuţ Stroe, porte parole du parti pro-présidentiel affirme que le calendrier initial devrait être respecté.

Un autre projet de loi qui devrait être débattu et voté vise les régimes spéciaux des retraites des magistrats, du personnel auxiliaire du système judiciaire et des miliaires. Dans la perspective de l’année électorale 2024, un projet de loi qui attend le vote du Parlement vise à imposer un taux de candidats femmes d’au moins un tiers des candidats inscrits sur les listes électorales. Parallèlement, les libéraux et les sociaux-démocrates préparent le changement prévu au niveau de la coalition gouvernementale. C’est-à-dire le remplacement du premier ministre libéral par un social démocrate et d’autres changements similaires parmi les portefeuilles détenus par les deux partis.

Conformément à un protocole de la coalition, cette rotation devrait s’effectuer fin mai, lorsque le social-démocrate Marcel Ciolacu devrait remplacer le libéral Nicolae Ciucă à la tête du gouvernement alors que ce dernier devrait assumer la présidence du Sénat, assurée actuellement par la libérale Alina Gorghiu. Les libéraux soulignent que le protocole devrait être respecté à la lettre, même si les sociaux-démocrates souhaitent garder les ministères ayant enregistré des résultats notables, tels ceux des transports et des finances.

30 January 2023
Rapports critiques après une année de gouvernance

L’Opposition vient de publier des rapports critiques sur l’actuel gouvernement. L’énorme inflation, le manque d’implication dans les efforts de réduire les dépenses des ministères, ainsi que le maintien des régimes spéciaux de retraite dont bénéficient les élus – voici autant de problèmes imputés dans le « Livre noir de la gouvernance », présenté par le président de l’USR (Union Sauvez la Roumanie), Cătălin Drulă : « Une année de gouvernement PSD (Parti Sociale-Démocrate) – PNL (Parti Nationale-Libéral) a produit des augmentations-record de prix, des scandales de plagiat et des projets ratés. Ce gouvernement ne pouvait être que mauvais ! Le seul souci des ministres de ce gouvernement, des secrétaires d’État, des sous-secrétaires d’État, est de nourrir une énorme clientèle politique. Pendant cette période, les Roumains ont subi les hausses de prix les plus fortes des 19 dernières années. C’est l’inflation la plus forte depuis 2003. Et les taux d’intérêt bancaires ont presque quadruplé au cours de la dernière année. », a déclaré Cătălin Drulă.

A leur tour, les représentants de l’AUR (Alliance pour l’Union des Roumains) ont rédigé leur propre document critique contre le PSD (Parti Social-Démocrate), le PNL (Parti National-Libéral) et l’UDMR (Union Démocrate Magyare de Roumanie). Ils accusent l’exécutif actuel d’incompétence et de manque de volonté politique pour adopter des mesures d’aide à la population et à l’économie. George Simion, le président de l’AUR a dit : « Le problème énergétique a été tergiversé, aucune des choses demandées par nous, en tant qu’Opposition parlementaire, n’a été faite. Pour ne donner que quelques exemples : le mix énergétique et la régulation du marché – qui auraient dû être faites il y a un an, dès l’installation du Gouvernement. La manière dont les retraites ont été augmentées est une blague : au lieu d’un montant fixe, par exemple 1250 lei (soit 250 euros) pour tous les retraités jusqu’à un niveau normal, on a préféré l’option d’une majoration de à 12,5%, ce qui n’atteint même pas le taux d’inflation. » a dit George Simion.

La réponse du PSD n’a pas tardé ! Elle a vise pourtant uniquement l’USR, qui avait été au pouvoir depuis environ un an aux côtés des libéraux, avant l’arrivée au pouvoir des Sociaux-Démocrates. De l’avis du PSD, avec l’USR au pouvoir dans un passé pas trop lointain, la Roumanie était constamment en impasse, et allait de crise en crise.

Par ailleurs, les sociaux-démocrates affirment que, sous l’actuel gouvernement dont ils font partie, la Roumanie a rempli toutes les normes européennes en matière de justice, fait confirmé par l’adoption de nouvelles lois en cette direction. De plus, elle s’est débarrassée du Mécanisme de coopération et de vérification, étant prête à rejoindre l’espace Schengen.

Rappelons-le, le Gouvernement PSD-PNL-UDMR est arrivé au pouvoir le 25 novembre 2021, bénéficiant d’une large majorité parlementaire. Selon l’accord entre les deux principales formations de l’exécutif, le PNL a nommé le Premier Ministre pour l’année et demie suivante en la personne du général à la retraite, Nicolae Ciucă. Après l’expiration de cette période, le 25 mai 2023, le poste reviendrait au PSD. (trad. Andra Jugănaru)

25 November 2022
The status of magistrates, adopted by the Romanian deputies

The draft law on the status of magistrates has been adopted by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies with a majority of votes, without major changes compared to the form drafted by the coalition government (PSD – Social Democratic Party, PNL – National Liberal Party, UDMR – Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania). The draft law will next be submitted to the debate of the Senate, which is the decision-making body in this case. After the notifications received from the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM), the amendment that allowed the appointment to the position of high-ranking prosecutor also from among judges was removed from the text of the draft law.

The bill still preserves, however, several provisions intensely criticized by the opposition, as well as by professional associations in the field of justice. For example, according to the document adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, judges and prosecutors have the obligation to refrain from defamatory manifestations or expressions in relation to the other powers of the state. The press in Bucharest claims that, in this way, the law silences those magistrates who want to report the actions against the law of the politicians in the Romanian Government and the Parliament, either when they promote aberrant laws or when they engage in acts of corruption. The law keeps the increase from two to three years of the school period at the National Institute of Magistracy and the possibility for the position of vice-president of the court to be filled without a competition.

The document also provides that the application of a disciplinary sanction will attract removal from management positions. From the opposition, Save Romania Union – USR and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR accuse the majority of not waiting for the opinions of the Venice Commission on the draft law and say that it does not respect the meritocracy criteria for occupying certain positions and that it has many unconstitutional articles.

On the other side, the Justice Minister, the Liberal Cătălin Predoiu, explained that the document went through all the legal procedural stages and received all the necessary approvals for adoption, including from the Superior Council of Magistracy – CSM. The status of magistrates is part of a larger package of laws through which Minister Predoiu claims that the Romanian judiciary will be fundamentally reformed. An internal stake, analysts show, would be to improve one’s own image in the eyes of society, because prosecutors and judges have never been in the top of Romanians’ confidence, and their indictments or sentences are frequently attacked by the media.

An external, fundamental stake, the power representatives claim, would be the lifting of the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (MCV), through which Brussels monitors the functioning of the rule of law in Romania ever since its admission to the European Union in 2007. Lifting of the MCV, decision-makers in Bucharest say, would also allow Romania to enter the Schengen free movement area, to which, although it meets all the technical conditions, it has been denied access for more than a decade. However, voices from the country insist that, as long as Romanians, along with Bulgarians and Croats, are forced to wait for hours in the Union’s internal customs points, they will remain with the humiliating condition of second-rank European citizens. (LS)

5 October 2022
More money for the local elected officials

The salaries of local elected officials in Romania are increasing. On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body, adopted the draft law providing for salary increases for mayors, vice-mayors, presidents and vice-presidents of county councils. The other dignitaries were excluded from the categories targeted by this measure, initially adopted by the Senate, as the first Parliament Chamber notified. The decision caused heated discussions between the power and opposition camps. During the debates, the National Liberal Party – PNL, the Social Democratic Party – PSD and Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR (in the governing coalition), as well as the representatives of the minorities, argued that the local elected officials should benefit from higher salaries so as not to be discriminated against. Liberal deputy Florin Roman said that justice is needed for mayors. He stated that, through the introduced amendments, a discriminatory measure ‘that says that all public sector employees, from 2018 to 2022, must reach an equal salary level is thus fixed.

Also from the governing coalition, the Social Democrat Alfred Simonis argued that the local elected officials must benefit from increased salaries, so that the local public administrations should be efficient. The increase in the salaries of local elected officials mars the image of the authorities, but it is necessary in certain cases, the mayor of the city of Iaşi (north-east), the Liberal Mihai Chirica, said in his turn, adding that for the measure to be applied, the necessary funds should be provided to the budgets. I know the situation of the mayors in the county and not only in the county, some of them are really in critical situations, maybe not the poorest, but not in a position to dedicate, with all their heart, the energy they have in the service of the community, said Mihai Chirica. He pointed out that the salaries of the mayors and other local elected officials are also paid from the local budgets, and this law will find a solution, ‘only if budgets are also available to supply the financing sources, as for any other provision regarding increases in expenses’.

From the opposition, Save Romania Union – USR has criticized the decision to increase the salaries of local elected officials and announced that it will challenge the law at the Constitutional Court. The USR MPs have drawn attention to the fact that these increases will be a burden on the shoulders of the private sector, which, in their opinion, should benefit, these days, from support measures provided by the authorities. The mayor of Bacău, USR representative, Lucian Stanciu Viziteu, believes that, in the current context, other decisions would have been needed to support the local administration. ‘I think that the most important thing for the local elected officials is the access to funds for investments and not for their own salaries, which have increased year by year, according to the Administrative Code and the unitary pay law, said Lucian Stanciu Viziteu. Also from the opposition, the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR, George Simion, criticized Tuesday’s vote in the Chamber of Deputies. He stated that the adopted law favors the elite of public sector employees, warning that rifts will be created in society. (LS)

28 September 2022
17.08.2022

Coalition – Les leaders de la coalition gouvernementale constituée par le Parti national libéral, le parti social démocrate et l’Union démocrate magyare de Roumanie, négocient les mesures à entreprendre l’année prochaine afin de protéger la population et l’économie face à la flambée des prix de l’électricité, du gaz naturel et des carburants. Parmi les mesures envisagées figure la réduction du nombre des intermédiaires depuis le producteur et jusqu’au consommateur final afin de ne pas permettre une majoration des prix. Le PSD souhaiterait aussi une réglementation du marché énergétique pour les consommateurs privés et les PMEs, mais la proposition a été refusée jusqu’ici par le Parti national libéral. Conformément au président social-démocrate, Marcel Ciolacu, les décisions relatives à l’énergie doivent être adoptées par le gouvernement avant le 1er septembre afin d’être appliquées pour une période plus longue jusqu’en 2025. Rappelons-le, les prix de l’électricité et du gaz naturel ont progressé significativement suite à la libération complète du marché en janvier 2021.

Syndicats – Les syndicats de la police et des agents de pénitentiaire de Roumanie organisent des manifs devant le siège du gouvernement, suivies par une marche vers les sièges du PSD et du PNL, au gouvernement. Mardi, les syndicalistes ont protesté devant les ministères de l’Intérieur et du Travail. Ils ont annoncé la poursuite des protestations jeudi devant le siège de la Représentation de la Commission européenne en Roumanie. Les mécontentements des syndicats de la police et des agents des pénitentiaires sont liées aux salaires et à l’application discrétionnaire de certains bonus. Ils demandent également de mettre à jour l’indemnisation pour la nourriture conformément aux indicateurs sur les prix des produits estimés par l’Institut national de la statistique.

Entrepreneurs – Le programme « La femme entrepreneur » a été lancé ce jeudi afin d’encourager et de stimuler les PMEs fondées et dirigées par des femmes. Selon les autorités, vu qu’un peu plus de 35% des entrepreneurs de Roumanie sont des femmes, 785 sociétés bénéficieront de ce programme cette année. Le budget maximum alloué au programme en 2022 est de quelque 31 millions d’euros et chaque entreprise pourrait bénéficier d’un financement de 40 mille euros. Le programme « La femme entrepreneur » contribue à la réalisation d’un des standards de l’OCDE, soit l’égalité de genre parmi les entrepreneurs.

Covid – 3 600 nouveaux cas d’infection au virus SARS CoV 2 ont été confirmés mardi en Roumanie, soit moins qu’il y a une semaine. La tendance à la baisse des infections est évidente, a affirmé dans une conférence de presse le médecin épidémiologiste et secrétaire d’Etat au ministère de la Santé, Adriana Pistol. Rappelons-le, en Roumanie il n’y a plus aucune restriction imposée par la pandémie de coronavirus depuis le 9 mars dernier. Le premier cas d’infection au coronavirus a été déclaré à la fin février 2020 et pour deux ans environ la Roumanie a connu cinq vagues pandémiques avec quelque 2,8 millions de cas d’infection et quelque 65 mille décès des suites de la Covid 19.

PIB – Le produit intérieur brut de l’Union européenne et de la zone euro a enregistré une progression de 0,6% durant le deuxième trimestre de l’année 2022, par rapport aux trois mois précédents, selon les chiffres préliminaires rendus publiques mercredi par l’Office européen de la statistiques Eurostat. Durant le premier trimestre de l’année 2022, le PIB a enregistré une hausse de 0,5% dans la zone euro et de 0,6% en UE. Parmi les Etats membres de l’UE, l’avancée la plus significative de l’économie dans le 2e trimestre de l’année 2022, par rapport aux précédents trois mois, a été enregistrée aux Pays-Bas (2,6%), Roumanie (2,1%) et Suède (1,4%). La Roumanie a enregistré une progression annuelle de 5,3% durant le 2e trimestre de l’année 2022, après une avancée annuelle de 6,4% durant les premiers trois ans de l’année. L’Institut national de statistique a annoncé que l’économie de la Roumanie avait progressé de 2,1% durant le 2e trimestre de l’année par rapport au trimestre précédent, alors que par rapport à la période similaire de 2021, l’avancée a été de 5,3%.

Natation – Le nageur roumain David Popovici s’est qualifié mercredi en finale de l’épreuve de 400 m nage libre des Championnats d’Europe de natation, qui se déroulent à Rome. 38 sportifs étaient en lice et les 8 premiers se sont vus qualifier, David Popovici en étant le 4e avec un temps de 3 minutes, 47 secondes et 99 centièmes. « Ce sera la course la plus bizarre que j’aurais faites parce que je n’ai pas d’expérience. Je ne l’ai parcourue que 3 fois dans ma vie et c’était dans des compétitions moins importantes », a déclaré le jeune nageur avant l’épreuve. Il a pourtant décidé de se retirer de cette compétition, à cause de la fatigue accumulée, selon son entraineur. A 17 ans seulement, il détient le record mondial des 100 m nage libre, remporté samedi dernier. Lundi, David Popovici a aussi remporté la médaille d’or des 200 m nage libre. Champion mondial en titre des 100 et 200 m nage libre, il a battu aussi record mondial et européen des juniors.

Tennis – La joueuse roumaine de tennis Simona Halep, 6e mondiale, qui vient de triompher au tournoi WTA 1000 à Toronto, a battu la russe, Anastasia Potapova, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, et s’est qualifié au deuxième tour du tournoi américain de Cincinnati. Simona Halep affrontera au prochain tour une autre sportive russe, Veronika Kudermetova (20e WTA). Et c’est également à Cincinnati que s’est qualifié au deuxième tour la Roumaine Sorana Cîrstea. Elle a battu Belinda Bencic, championne olympique en titre, sur le score de 6-2, 6-7, 6-4. Sorana Cârstea affrontera dans le prochain match Petra Kvitova de République Tchèque.

Météo – Deux alertes code jaunes sont en vigueur ce mercredi dans le nord et l’est de la Roumanie où l’on attend de l’instabilité atmosphérique accentuée ; notamment du vent très fort, des phénomènes orageux et de la grêle. Les précipitations pourraient dépasser par endroits les 30n, voire les 60 l/ m². Une autre vigilance à la canicule concerne le sud et l’ouest du territoire jusqu’à vendredi. Ici les maxima iront jusqu’à 34, voire 38 degrés. Il est même possible d’avoir 40 degrés vendredi dans l’ouest et le sud-ouest.

17 August 2022