Radio România Internațional

Tag: commemoration

  • February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    COMMEMORATION Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that any responsible person wants a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and expressed hope that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the efforts to end the war in Romania’s neighbouring country will be successful. The Romanian PM said in a Facebook post that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is a project worth over EUR 500 billion, from which Romanian companies should gain as much as possible, Mr. Ciolacu added. On Sunday, around 150 people, mostly Ukrainian refugees, gathered in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest to mark 11 years of Russian aggression and 3 years since the start of the full-scale invasion. The participants carried Ukrainian and Romanian flags, as well as banners with messages against the war started by Russia and against the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian ambassador to Bucharest also attended the protest.

     

    POPE FRANCIS Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery, in a message sent on Sunday on behalf of himself, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the clergy and all Romanian Orthodox believers. The Patriarch says he prays for Pope Francis to recover and resume his pastoral and missionary work as soon as possible. Aged 88, Pope Francis has been hospitalised in Rome for almost 10 days with bilateral pneumonia, and his health has worsened. Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    ARREST Ten individuals close to a French drug trafficker arrested on Saturday in Romania, have been detained over suspicions of having participated in the escape and flight of the repeat offender, the Paris prosecutor announced on Sunday. The known leader of a drug trafficking group, the man had been wanted since his escape in France in May 2024, during which two police officers were killed. On Saturday, Romanian police identified and detained him near a shopping center in Bucharest, and handed him over to the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian player Elizabeta Samara won the silver at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup, which brought together Europe’s best table tennis players in Montreux (Switzerland). On Sunday, the Romanian lost the final to Ying Han (Germany), 2-3. Another Romanian, Bernadette Szocs, lost the quarter-finals on Saturday. Szocs won the competition in 2018, in 2019 she lost the final, and in 2021, 2022 and 2024 she came out third. Elizabeta Samara also won a third place in 2018.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team HC Dunărea Brăila have qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF European League, after a 33-33 draw against the Norwegian side Larvik on Sunday in their last match in Group A. The result won Dunărea Brăila the group stage. In the quarter-finals, they will face the second-placed team in Group B, Ikast Handbold (Denmark). In turn, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, the winners of Group B, will face Thueringer HC (Germany). The first leg games take place on March 22-23, and the return matches on March 29-30. Meanwhile on Sunday, CS Rapid Bucharest managed to qualify for the play-offs of the Women’s Handball Champions League, after drawing away from home against the Montenegrin team Buducnost Podgorica, 21-21, in the last round of Group B. (AMP)

  • December 22, 2024

    December 22, 2024

    Consultations – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Sunday invited the presidents of the political parties and groups represented in Parliament for consultations with a view to appointing the candidate for the position of prime minister. The Presidential Administration points out that the series of meetings in Bucharest will begin with the joint delegation of the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, UDMR and the parliamentary group of national minorities. Then follow, separately, USR (pro-European), and the sovereigntist parties – S.O.S. Romania and the Party of Young People (POT).  The president of the sovereigtnist party AUR, George Simion, announced that his party would not participate in the consultations, because they did not recognize the legitimacy of president Klaus Iohannis.

     

    Parliament – A new plenary session is scheduled today at the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, for the establishment of specialized commissions. On Saturday, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies validated all the mandates of the new parliamentarians, after which they took the oath of allegiance. The negotiations regarding the setting up of the new governing coalition have postponed the election of the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and, until a government formula is finalized, the Chamber of Deputies will be led on an interim basis by the social democrat Daniel Suciu, and the interim speaker of the Senate will be the liberal Mircea Abrudean. The senators decided on Saturday, by vote, the makeup of the specialized commissions and their management. Also on Saturday, at the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the parliamentary groups of the political parties that entered Parliament were formed. 465 parliamentarians, 331 deputies and 134 senators will be active in the new Legislature. Seven parties have representatives in the two Chambers, four pro-European parties – PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR -, and three sovereigntist parties – AUR, S.O.S. Romania and POT. The 19 national minorities also have representatives in Parliament.

     

    Revolution – In Bucharest continue the events dedicated to the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. 35 years ago was Victory Day, a day when the Revolution spread throughout the country. Dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fled by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and people massively took to the streets and shouted “Freedom”. It was also the day after which the number of dead and wounded increased significantly. The heroes who fell in those days were also commemorated, today, at the Monument in front of the Concert Hall of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. 11 people lost their lives to defend the Public Radio, which, 35 years ago, was hit by gunfire. The public radio was one of the most important objectives of communist propaganda, and the revolutionaries taking control of it was the first step towards victory. Romania was the only communist country in Europe where the regime change resulted in bloodshed. Captured and summarily tried, Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were shot dead on December 25. Over a thousand people were killed in December 1989.

     

    Cyclone – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that nine Romanian citizens who were on the island of Mayotte following the passage of Cyclone Chido were evacuated on board an aircraft belonging to the French Air Force. The situation of the Romanian citizens came to the attention of the Consulate General of Romania in Paris a week ago, when the Cyclone hit the island, and permanent contact was maintained in order to identify a possibility for them to return to the country. The Foreign Ministry thanks the French authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, as well as the local authorities and the Prefecture of the Mayotte islands for the support and assistance given to Romanian citizens, in the difficult context caused by the extreme weather phenomena produced in the French overseas territory. (LS)

  •  One year since the October 7 attacks

     One year since the October 7 attacks

    Israel commemorates  the victims of last year’s unprecedented attack by the Islamist organization Hamas.

     

    Israel marks one year since the October 7 attack by Hamas, the bloodiest in the country’s history and which triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. On that day commandos of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, penetrated to southern Israel, using explosives and bulldozers to pass the barrier that surrounds the Palestinian territory, randomly killing people in kibbutzim, in military bases and at the site of a music festival, on a Jewish religious holiday. The surprise attacks were not directed against an army, as in conventional warfare. Hamas militants took their anger out on civilians.

     

    On that fateful day, hundreds of innocent people died, massacred in their own homes, on the street, or in their cars. The terrorists shot everything that moved around them. Almost 1,200 Israelis were killed in a single day. The brutality shown by Hamas was unprecedented. It was just the beginning of the disaster. Thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip in a short period of time, and the famous “Iron Dome” anti-aircraft shield could not cope with the pace of the strikes. Cities such as Ashkelon, Ashdod or Tel Aviv strongly felt the impact of the shells. As a result, the Israeli military launched a forceful intervention to eliminate the danger.

     

    Although it managed to stop the Hamas incursion, the army failed to rescue on time 251 civilians taken hostage. Subsequently, the Israeli army launched a strong offensive against the Palestinian territory, with the objective of destroying Hamas, in power since 2007, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the United States and the EU.

     

    The paralysis, on October 7, 2023, for more than eight hours, of the Israeli military’s ability to respond to aggression is still inexplicable. The operation had been secretly prepared for two years and the Israeli intelligence services said they were not aware of the existence of such a plan. In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate the Hamas organization. Since the beginning of the war until today, hundreds of Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.

     

    Israel’s objective to destroy Hamas has had an enormous impact on civilians and infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. This ongoing war has killed more than 41,000 people, mostly civilians, according to Hamas, and triggered a major humanitarian crisis.

     

    The expansion of the Israeli colonies to the Palestinian territories, the isolation of the Arab population in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by erecting separation walls, the strong social exclusion of the Palestinians in the Israeli society, the ethnic segregation in the government institutions and the lack of equal opportunities fuelled the inter-ethnic conflict.

     

    The magnitude of the October 7 attack has been fuelling division and hatred around the world: virulent demonstrations, extreme polarization and an explosion of anti-Semitic acts, to the point where European and American officials recently evoked at the UN “a tsunami of anti-Semitism” in the last year.

     

  • February 3, 2024

    February 3, 2024

    AGREEMENT The PM
    of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
    Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
    office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
    solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
    protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
    import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
    EU as part of its climate change action.


    COMMEMORATION A
    ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
    minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
    held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
    prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
    pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
    ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
    Square in Bucharest.


    MOLDOVA Chişinău
    extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
    George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
    be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
    they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
    security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
    authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
    the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
    an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.


    MIDDLE EAST The
    US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
    groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the recent
    drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a military
    base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
    long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
    they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
    government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
    16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
    Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
    between February 4-8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all the
    Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October 7.


    TENNIS The
    Romanian player Marius Copil takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas, no. 10 in the world,
    in Athens today, in the first match between Romania and Greece in the playoffs
    for the Davis Cup World Group I. The second singles match will be pitting Nicholas
    David Ionel against Aristotelis Thanos. The doubles match and 2 other singles
    games are scheduled for Sunday. Romania and Greece played twice against each
    other in the Davis Cup before, with one win each. Previously in this year’s competition,
    in the first round of the World Group I, Romania lost to Taiwan and Greece was
    defeated by Slovakia. (AMP)

  • La Révolution roumaine, 33 ans après

    La Révolution roumaine, 33 ans après

    Il y 33 ans, les Roumains descendaient dans la rue pour exprimer leur mécontentement envers le régime communiste et pour demander le départ du dictateur Nicolae Ceausescu. Les premières protestations ont eu lieu dans l’ouest de la Roumanie, dans la ville de Timisoara, où un petit rassemblement a eu lieu devant la maison de Laszlo Tokes, paster de l’église réformé magyare, qui allait être évacué. Ce fut le 16 décembre 1989 que les habitants de Timisoara ont crié « à bas Ceausescu », demandant leur droit à la liberté. Les manifs se sont poursuivies pour se transformer dans des combats de rue entre les protestataires et les forces de répression. Le 20 décembre, Timisoara a été proclamée première ville roumaine libérée du communisme. Inquiet, Nicolae Ceausescu a convoqué le 21 décembre un grand rassemblement national dans la Capitale dans l’espoir de pouvoir calmer la population et préserver son pouvoir.

    Le rassemblement s’est transformé en Révolution qui s’est répandue à travers le pays. Suite aux violences qui ont eu lieu durant ces journées de décembre, un millier de personnes ont été tuées et quelque 3 mille ont été blessées. D’ailleurs, la Roumanie a été l’unique Etat de l’Europe de l’est où le changement de régime s’est réalisé par la violence. Des manifestations de commémoration ont eu lieu ces jours-ci à travers le pays à la mémoire des personnes qui ont fait le sacrifice suprême pour la liberté. Des cérémonies et des réunions publiques ont eu lieu dans les endroits clé des événements de 1989. Les témoins de la Révolution et les descendants des victimes ont prié et déposé des fleurs dans les endroits où les pires combats de rue ont eu lieu.

    « Gardons vive la mémoire des héros de la révolution de décembre 1989 et perpétuons les idéaux pour lesquels nous avons lutté ! » a écrit le chef de l’Etat Klaus Iohannis sur Facebook. Celui-ci a déposé mercredi une couronne de fleurs à la croix en bois érigée sur la place de l’Université dans le centre de Bucarest à la mémoire des victimes de la Révolution anticommuniste roumaine de décembre 1989. « C’est aux martyrs de la Révolution roumaine et à tous ceux qui ont souffert durant la période de la dictature communiste que nous devons la liberté dont nous bénéficions aujourd’hui et nous devons leur en remercier en prenant soin de la Roumanie et en consolidant le processus démocratique » a également déclaré dans un message le premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă.

    Une minute de silence a été respectée mercredi dans le Sénat roumain, à la mémoire des victimes de la Révolution. « C’est la 33e année de liberté. En décembre 1989, les Roumains demandaient avec d’immenses sacrifices, leur portion de liberté, de respect des droits et libertés citoyennes, de libre circulation à l’extérieur du pays. Fin 1989, les Roumains espéraient que leurs vies allaient changer radicalement au plus vite », ont rappelé les sociaux-démocrates.

    Présente aux commémorations de Timisoara, consacrées à la Révolution roumaine, la présidente du Sénat, la libérale, Alina Gorghiu, a souligné le fait que la ville avait certainement été un exemple pour tout le pays, il y a 33 ans, et que ce fut toujours il y a 33 ans, durant la Révolution roumaine, que le parcours pro-européen et pro-OTAN de la Roumanie a commencé. Alina Gorghiu a transmis aux révolutionnaires de décembre 1989 de Timisoara de se rappeler qu’ils avaient énormément aidé leur pays par leur effort et leur courage de participer activement aux efforts de la société roumaine, parce que la période est très compliquée et que chaque Roumain sera nécessaire en 2023, une année particulièrement difficile.

  • September 11, 2022 UPDATE

    September 11, 2022 UPDATE


    CELEBRATION The celebration of 150 years since the death of Avram Iancu, the leader of the 1848 Revolution in Transylvania, included events devoted to this national hero. Military ceremonies and religious services were held, followed by a traditional music show in Ţebea (Hunedoara County). In a message on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis mentioned that Avram Iancu believed in the power of action and will be remembered as a fighter for social and national freedom. The head of state also mentioned Russias aggression against Ukraine and the revival of an “imperialist mindset.” The joint efforts of the international community, political dialogue rather than confrontation, and our goals, converging and complementary to those of NATO and the EU, will ensure the consolidation of European security and stability, especially in southeastern Europe and at the Black Sea, president Klaus Iohannis also said.



    9/11 In Bucharest, PM Nicolae Ciucă Sunday addressed a message of solidarity with the people of the USA, 21 years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. “The tragedy of the American nation, shared by the entire planet, struck at the heart of freedom and democracy: the trust in and respect for the other. We honour the memory of those who passed away and we stand by the survivors and rescuers in the terrorist attacks of 9/11,” the Romanian Prime Minister said. Mr. Ciucă also mentioned Romanias continued solidarity with the US, as reflected in the military cooperation between the 2 countries. “Our troops, in increasingly complex missions, have proved professionalism and dedication, contributing to the safeguarding of peace and democratic values. In the most important missions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Romanian troops showed solidarity with their American partners, fighting together the worlds democracies against terrorism and defending fundamental rights and liberties,” reads the message. Nearly 3,000 people were killed 21 years ago by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking 4 aircraft.



    QUEEN The state funerals for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, will take place on the 19 September. Meanwhile, Britons will have several days to pay their respects to their former sovereign, first in Edinburgh and then in London, where the Queens coffin is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. On Saturday, King Charles III was proclaimed monarch, and today he was officially proclaimed head of state of Australia and New Zealand. The British monarch is the sovereign of 14 other countries apart from the UK, although with a largely ceremonial role. The King is also the head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 countries, most of them former British colonies. For over 4 decades, King Charles has been involved in charities lobbying for environment and heritage conservation, but as head of state he will take on exclusively constitutional responsibilities. As a Prince of Wales, the new King has visited Romania almost every year for 2 decades, supporting a number of organisations and projects, especially in Transylvania, where he owns several estates. The UK Embassy in Bucharest opened an online condolence book for members of the public, but hundreds of Romanians went to the embassy offices to bring flowers and light candles for the Queen. The flag at the embassy office was flown at half-mast.



    FLIGHTS The national airline TAROM continues to repatriate the Romanians stranded in international airports after the private operator Blue Air suspended flights. On Sunday around 200 people were brought from Greeces Zakynthos and Rhodes islands, with another 200 to be repatriated on Monday, after 350 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Greece on Saturday. Four other special flights had previously been organised to Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October. Blue Airs current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.



    UKRAINE Since early September the Ukrainian army has freed some 2,000 sq.km of the countrys territory, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in 2 counter-offensive campaigns, one in the south, targeting Herson, and the second one in the Kharkiv area in the north-east, where they entered the key cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. According to international media, these are the most important gains for Ukraine since early April, when the Russians were pushed out of Kyiv area. Reuters quotes a former chief of pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, as talking about a “major defeat” for Russia.



    NUCLEAR Operations at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, controlled by Russian forces, have been fully stopped as a safety measure, Ukraines nuclear operator Energoatom announced on Sunday. Another emergency shut-down had been ordered in August. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, while president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the region around it to be demilitarised. (AMP)


  • September 5, 2022

    September 5, 2022

    School – Almost 3 million pre-school and school children in Romania started a new school year on Monday in over 17,800 units across the country. The 2022-2023 school year will have 36 school weeks divided into five modules, separated by five mini holidays. End-of-semester tests will no longer be mandatory and there will be only one grade point average, an annual one, instead of semester grade point averages for each subject. Refurbishing works are unfinished in several schools while others lack fire safety certificates.



    London — The presdient of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was looking forward to a constructive relationship with Liz Truss, the future British PM, in full respect of the agreemnets between the EU and the UK. The Romanian PM Nicoale Ciuca also congratulated the leader of the British Conservative Party Liz Truss for her success in the internal elections. Lizz Truss won against Rishi Sunak in the internal competition within the British Conservative Party after the resignation of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A foreign minister in the Johnson government, Liz Truss will be sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday, after being received by Queen Elizabeth II, occasion on which the acting prime minister will also come to present his resignation. Boris Johnson announced his resignation in July, after he had resisted for a long time challengers from his own party and the scandals overshadowed, for a while, by the war Russia started against Ukraine on February 24. Since then, he has stood out thanks to his firm support for Kyiv, especially the military aid offered. At domestic level, the British are waiting for consistent economic measures to help the population in winter, given that utility prices will be three times higher than last winter, and that inflation has exceeded 10%, Radio Romania’s correspondent to London reports.



    Swimming – Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă congratulated Romanian athletes Bianca Costea, David Popovici and Vlad Stancu for their performances at the World Junior Swimming Championships from Lima, Peru. The Romanian PM wrote in a Facebook post that the three are “an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the more than three million children and young people who started the new school year”. “We are proud of our team that made known the Romanian anthem at the world competition for juniors in Lima”, Nicolae Ciucă also stated. On Sunday, on the last day of the competition, David Popovici won the gold in the 100m freestyle, Bianca Costea won gold in the 50m freestyle, and Vlad Stancu won the bronze medal in the 1,500 m freestyle event. Romania took 4th place in the medal ranking at the Junior World Championships, with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Gold was won by the mens 4×100 m freestyle relay team (David Popovici, Alexandru Constantinescu, Ştefan Cozma, Patrick Sebastian Dinu), David Popovici won gold in the 200m and 100m freestyle and Bianca Costea in the 50m freestyle. The Romanian swimmers ended a summer full of performances, with David Popovici being the star. He won the 100m and 200m events both at the Senior World Championships in Budapest and at the Senior European Championships in Rome.



    Accord – The European Commission and Ukraine on Monday signed an agreement regarding a 500 million-Euro aid for housing and education for displaced people, as well as for agriculture in the war-ravaged country, AFP reports. This funding, announced by the EC on the sidelines of a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels, attended by the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denîs Shmîgal, is part of the European commitments announced this spring. “Electricity exports from Ukraine can replace considerable volumes of Russian gas imports,” said the head of the Ukrainian government. At the same time, he added that, “Ukraine has the largest underground gas storage facilities and could become the gas shelf’ of Europe.” Meanwhile, the price of gas in Europe rose by 30% on Monday, after Russia announced that gas delivery through the Nord Stream gas pipeline remained halted indefinitely, increasing fears of disruptions and the rationalization of gas this winter in the EU – Reuters reports.



    Commemoration — On behalf of Germany, the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has apologized to the relatives of the Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage-taking, assuming responsibility for the various “failures” that accompanied the tragedy, as part of Monday’s commemoration of the attack. On September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian organization Black September entered an apartment of the Israeli delegation in the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and taking hostage nine other members of the delegation hoping to obtain an exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The intervention of the German security services ended with the death of all the hostages, a bloody denouement for which the West German authorities were partially responsible. Five Palestinian attackers were shot dead and three others were arrested. The Scholz government agreed to unlock the sum of 28 million Euros for compensations. Documents will also be declassified to allow German and Israeli historians to have a better understanding of what happened. The Israeli President Isaac Herzog, present at the commemoration of the attack, expressed hope that the agreement would bring this painful episode to a point of healing.



    Moldova – The President of the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Maia Sandu, convened a meeting of the Supreme Security Council on Monday in which two main topics were analyzed: the procrastination of high corruption cases and the numerous false bomb alerts of the recent period. After the meeting, Maia Sandu spoke, in a press release, about the measures that must be taken to increase peoples trust in the judiciary, but also about the need to stop the phenomenon of leaking information from pending criminal cases, which, she says, harms investigations. Referring to the multiple false bomb alerts, Maia Sandu said that these were the actions of elements that aim to increase the degree of anxiety in society. (LS)

  • September 5, 2022

    September 5, 2022

    School – Almost 3 million pre-school and school children in Romania started a new school year on Monday in over 17,800 units across the country. The 2022-2023 school year will have 36 school weeks divided into five modules, separated by five mini holidays. End-of-semester tests will no longer be mandatory and there will be only one grade point average, an annual one, instead of semester grade point averages for each subject. Refurbishing works are unfinished in several schools while others lack fire safety certificates.



    London — The presdient of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, said she was looking forward to a constructive relationship with Liz Truss, the future British PM, in full respect of the agreemnets between the EU and the UK. The Romanian PM Nicoale Ciuca also congratulated the leader of the British Conservative Party Liz Truss for her success in the internal elections. Lizz Truss won against Rishi Sunak in the internal competition within the British Conservative Party after the resignation of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A foreign minister in the Johnson government, Liz Truss will be sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday, after being received by Queen Elizabeth II, occasion on which the acting prime minister will also come to present his resignation. Boris Johnson announced his resignation in July, after he had resisted for a long time challengers from his own party and the scandals overshadowed, for a while, by the war Russia started against Ukraine on February 24. Since then, he has stood out thanks to his firm support for Kyiv, especially the military aid offered. At domestic level, the British are waiting for consistent economic measures to help the population in winter, given that utility prices will be three times higher than last winter, and that inflation has exceeded 10%, Radio Romania’s correspondent to London reports.



    Swimming – Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă congratulated Romanian athletes Bianca Costea, David Popovici and Vlad Stancu for their performances at the World Junior Swimming Championships from Lima, Peru. The Romanian PM wrote in a Facebook post that the three are “an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the more than three million children and young people who started the new school year”. “We are proud of our team that made known the Romanian anthem at the world competition for juniors in Lima”, Nicolae Ciucă also stated. On Sunday, on the last day of the competition, David Popovici won the gold in the 100m freestyle, Bianca Costea won gold in the 50m freestyle, and Vlad Stancu won the bronze medal in the 1,500 m freestyle event. Romania took 4th place in the medal ranking at the Junior World Championships, with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Gold was won by the mens 4×100 m freestyle relay team (David Popovici, Alexandru Constantinescu, Ştefan Cozma, Patrick Sebastian Dinu), David Popovici won gold in the 200m and 100m freestyle and Bianca Costea in the 50m freestyle. The Romanian swimmers ended a summer full of performances, with David Popovici being the star. He won the 100m and 200m events both at the Senior World Championships in Budapest and at the Senior European Championships in Rome.



    Accord – The European Commission and Ukraine on Monday signed an agreement regarding a 500 million-Euro aid for housing and education for displaced people, as well as for agriculture in the war-ravaged country, AFP reports. This funding, announced by the EC on the sidelines of a meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in Brussels, attended by the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denîs Shmîgal, is part of the European commitments announced this spring. “Electricity exports from Ukraine can replace considerable volumes of Russian gas imports,” said the head of the Ukrainian government. At the same time, he added that, “Ukraine has the largest underground gas storage facilities and could become the gas shelf’ of Europe.” Meanwhile, the price of gas in Europe rose by 30% on Monday, after Russia announced that gas delivery through the Nord Stream gas pipeline remained halted indefinitely, increasing fears of disruptions and the rationalization of gas this winter in the EU – Reuters reports.



    Commemoration — On behalf of Germany, the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has apologized to the relatives of the Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage-taking, assuming responsibility for the various “failures” that accompanied the tragedy, as part of Monday’s commemoration of the attack. On September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian organization Black September entered an apartment of the Israeli delegation in the Olympic Village, killing two Israeli athletes and taking hostage nine other members of the delegation hoping to obtain an exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The intervention of the German security services ended with the death of all the hostages, a bloody denouement for which the West German authorities were partially responsible. Five Palestinian attackers were shot dead and three others were arrested. The Scholz government agreed to unlock the sum of 28 million Euros for compensations. Documents will also be declassified to allow German and Israeli historians to have a better understanding of what happened. The Israeli President Isaac Herzog, present at the commemoration of the attack, expressed hope that the agreement would bring this painful episode to a point of healing.



    Moldova – The President of the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Maia Sandu, convened a meeting of the Supreme Security Council on Monday in which two main topics were analyzed: the procrastination of high corruption cases and the numerous false bomb alerts of the recent period. After the meeting, Maia Sandu spoke, in a press release, about the measures that must be taken to increase peoples trust in the judiciary, but also about the need to stop the phenomenon of leaking information from pending criminal cases, which, she says, harms investigations. Referring to the multiple false bomb alerts, Maia Sandu said that these were the actions of elements that aim to increase the degree of anxiety in society. (LS)

  • 05.09.2022

    05.09.2022

    Rentrée – Jour de rentrée, ce lundi 5 septembre, pour plus de 3 millions d’élèves du premier et du second degré, de Roumanie. L’année scolaire comportera 36 semaines, divisées en cinq modules séparés par des vacances. Les évaluations semestrielles ne seront plus obligatoires et les élèves se verront accorder une seule moyenne annuelle, par matière, à la place des deux, semestrielles, comme c’était le cas jusqu’à présent. Sur les 17800 établissements scolaires ouverts à travers la Roumanie, une partie est toujours en travaux.

    Réfugiés – Presque 125.000 personnes ont franchi dimanche, les frontières roumaines, dans les deux sens, précise l’Inspection générale de la Police des frontières dans son rapport. Sur ce total, 11500 étaient des réfugiés ukrainiens soit de 4,73% de moins que la veille. Depuis le 10 février 2022, soit deux semaines avant le début de l’invasion russe dans leur pays et jusqu’à présent, plus de 2,2 millions d’Ukrainiens sont arrivés en Roumanie, la plupart juste pour la transiter.

    EURO – L’euro a chuté aujourd’hui sous la barre des 0,99 dollar, soit son niveau le plus bas depuis 20 ans. Cette baisse historique intervient après l’annonce, la semaine dernière, que la Russie couperait les livraisons de gaz à l’Allemagne via le gazoduc Nord Stream. Sur les marchés asiatiques, l’euro valait 0,9880, soit son niveau le plus bas depuis 2002, tandis que le livre sterling a chuté à 1,445 dollars, son niveau le plus faible de ces deux dernières années. La dernière fois quand la monnaie européenne s’est trouvée en dessous du dollar remonte à octobre 2000 quand l’euro est tombé sous la barre des 0,82 dollars.


    Commémoration – Le président allemand, Frank-Walter Steinmeier et israélien, Itzhak Herzog, participent ce lundi, à Berlin, aux cérémonies de commémoration de la sanglante prise d’otages lors des Jeux olympiques de Munich en 1972. Il y a 50 ans, un commando palestinien avait attaqué la délégation israélienne qui participait aux jeux, a tué deux de ses membres et a pris neuf autres, en ôtages, en réclamant la remise en liberté des prisonniers palestiniens. Ce drame prendra une grande envergure dans la mesure où la gestion par l’Allemagne de l’opération policière de sauvetage des athlètes, a été mal organisée et s’est terminée par la mort de tous les ôtages. Cinq terroristes palestiniens ont été également tués et trois autres ont été arrêtés. Le gouvernement Scholz a décidé de verser 28 millions d’euros de réparations aux victimes. Les responsables allemands ont reconnu que ce n’était là que le début d’un long chemin pour réparer les torts des dernières décennies. A la veille des commémorations, le chef de l’Etat allemand, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a reconnu qu’il était honteux que l’Allemagne ait mis 50 ans à conclure un accord d’indemnisation des proches des victimes israéliennes.

    Natation – Les nageurs roumains, David Popovici et Bianca Costea ont remporté la médaille d’or dimanche, au dernier jour des Championnats du monde de natation juniors de Lima. Un autre Roumain, Vlad Stancu, a quant à lui décroché le bronze. David Popovici a gagné l’or en 100 mètre nage libre, Bianca Costea celui en 50 mètres nage libre et Vlad Stancu, le bronze en 1500 mètres nage libre. Au tableau des médailles par pays participant, la Roumanie s’est classée en quatrième position avec 4 médailles d’or, deux d’argent et deux de bronze. Les médailles d’or ont été remportées par les relayeurs roumains du 4×100 m nage libre (David Popovici, Alexandru Constantinescu, Ştefan Cozma, Patrick Sebastian Dinu), par David Popovici en 100 et 200 mètres nage libre et par Bianca Costea, en 50 mètres nage libre. Ces résultats ne vont que confirmer, une fois de plus, à quel point l’été 2022 fut riche en succès pour la natation roumaine et notamment pour le prodige David Popovici.

    Météo – Les températures sont en légère hausse ce lundi par rapport aux jours précédents, tout en restant inférieures aux normales saisonnières dans la plupart des régions. Le ciel est variable, partiellement couvert et des pluie éparses tomberont par-ci, par-là, sur le centre du territoire, notamment sur les régions collinaires. Le vent souffle légèrement, plus fort sur la côte roumaine à la Mer Noire. Les températures maximales iront de 19 à 26. 23 degré à midi, à Bucarest.

  • December 23, 2021

    December 23, 2021

    REVOLUTION Romania’s Parliament convened this morning in a solemn
    meeting devoted to the 32 years since the anti-communist revolution of December
    1989. Originating in Timișoara (west), on 16th December, the uprising spread
    across the country, culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the
    capital city on 22nd December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of
    Romanians. Captured by the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a
    summary trial and executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the
    only country behind the Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied
    by bloodshed. Over 1,000 people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.


    BUDGET Romanian MPs are due to vote today on the draft state budget and
    social security budget laws for 2022. The government
    passed the bills on Monday and promised the budget ensures stability and
    predictability. The Liberal leader and ex-PM Florin Cîţu criticised the fact
    that 6.7% of GDP was earmarked for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within
    the ruling coalition. The Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued
    however that the budget execution is more important than the exact breakdown of
    expenditure. The leader of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the
    draft budget relies on over-estimated revenues and said although public
    education is a priority for President Iohannis, not enough funding has been
    earmarked for the sector.


    COVID-19 775 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported in the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 81 related
    fatalities, 44 of them from a previous date. Since the start of the pandemic
    Romania has had around 1.8 million COVID-19 cases,
    and more than 58,000 patients died. Amid
    anti-vaccine sentiments fuelled by some media, politicians and opinion leaders,
    the country has the 2nd lowest immunisation rate in the EU, after Bulgaria.


    EU
    FUNDING The government
    of Romania passed an emergency order allowing for the accessing of a roughly
    15-billion euro loan granted by the European Commission under the Recovery and
    Resilience Mechanism. The loan agreement between the European Commission and
    Romania was signed in Bucharest on 26th November and in Brussels on 15th
    December. Under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Romania benefits
    from some 29 billion euro, of which approx. 14 billion in non-reimbursable
    funds and some 15 billion in loans. The loan will be available until the end of
    2026.


    BASKETBALL The national men’s basketball champions, Universitatea-Banca
    Transilvania Cluj-Napoca, qualified into the second stage of the Champions
    League group matches, after defeating the Turkish side Daruşşafaka in a suspensefull
    match away from home, 103-101. The Romanian team is thus the leader of Group G,
    with 5 wins and one defeat. Group leaders go straight into the second stage of
    the competition, scheduled for January-March 2022. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • December 22, 2021 UPDATE

    December 22, 2021 UPDATE

    REVOLUTION The heroes who died in the December 1989 anti-communist
    uprising were commemorated on Wednesday in Bucharest. Religious services and
    military ceremonies were held at the cemeteries and monuments across the
    country devoted to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Thirty-two years ago, Bucharest became the heart of the
    protests that culminated with the ousting of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The
    president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message on the Day of
    the Victory of the Romanian Revolution and of Freedom. December 1989 opened
    Romania’s path to democracy, allowed for our NATO and EU accession, for signing
    the Strategic Partnership with the USA and turned Romania into a regional
    security provider. None of this would have been possible without our
    anti-communist revolution, Iohannis pointed out. He said it is a shame that no one has paid for the victims of the terrible
    crackdown and called on the judiciary to bring the ones responsible to justice.


    BUDGET The draft state budget and
    social security budget laws for 2022 are being discussed by the Parliament of
    Romania. At the start of the session, PM Nicolae Ciucă said the proposed state
    budget is balanced, responsible and realistic, and able to consolidate the
    economy in the long run. He also said it is the budget that earmarked the
    largest amounts for investments in the last 32 years. Cuica promised that taxes
    will not go up and there will be no pressure on the business community.
    Previously, Parliament’s specialised committees had green-lighted the bills. The budget is based on an
    estimated economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a
    predicted inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per
    month. USR party in opposition is considering
    taking the draft budget law to the Constitutional Court, claiming that mayors
    from that party have not received budget appropriations, which is an instance
    of discrimination.


    PROTESTS The
    Romanian police arrested 2 people and fined around 200 organisers and
    participants in Wednesday’s protest of the supporters of AUR party, an ultra-nationalist
    and anti-vaccine party in Romania’s parliament. The protest was sparked by the
    authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID certificate a requirement at the
    workplace. The rally spiralled into vandalism, with one of the arrested
    participants pushing through the Parliament’s gates and the other suspected of
    having vandalised 4 vehicles. The investigation continues.



    COVID-19     Nearly 200,000 people have generated digital
    forms to enter Romanian territory since the launch of the application, most of
    them at the ‘Henri Coandă’ International Airport in Bucharest. As of December
    20, all passengers arriving in Romania are to fill in the Passenger Locator
    Form (PLF), a document used by 18 EU member countries. Meanwhile, 851 new Covid-19
    infections were reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 62 related fatalities, 18 of them from a
    previous date. As many as 2,830 SARS-CoV-2 patients are hospitalised, including
    62 children. More than 7.7 million people in Romania are fully vaccinated. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • 21/12/2021 (mise à jour)

    21/12/2021 (mise à jour)

    Anti-vaccin — Les protestataires qui ont pénétré, mardi, dans la cour du Palais du Parlement de Bucarest ont été introduits en voiture par des personnes qui avaient le droit d’entrer dans l’institution, a précisé un communiqué du ministère roumain de l’Intérieur. Environ 2 000 personnes, des sympathisants du parti ultranationaliste l’Alliance pour l’unité des Roumains (AUR) ont protesté mardi matin devant le siège du Législatif contre l’adoption du pass sanitaire obligatoire au travail. La manifestation n’a pas été autorisée. L’AUR avait fait la promotion de cette protestation sur les réseaux sociaux. Les autorités tentent d’identifier les participants et de collecter des preuves afin de les sanctionner. Une partie d’entre eux ont été violents et ont forcé l’entrée dans les locaux du parlement. Le ministère de l’Intérieur précise que les agents de l’ordre public ont fait appel au calme et au respect des dispositions légales, sans avoir recours à la force. Ultérieurement, une centaine de manifestants contre le certificat Covid numérique se sont massés près du siège du gouvernement. La Roumanie a le deuxième taux de vaccination le plus faible de l’UE, d’environ 40 % de l’ensemble de la population, selon les données du Centre européen pour la prévention et le contrôle des maladies.



    Coronavirus en Roumanie — Ce mardi la Roumanie a rapporté 826 nouveaux cas de coronavirus dépistés en 24 h et 88 décès, dont 22 antérieurs à la période de référence. Un peu moins de 500 patients sont en soins intensifs. Plus de 28 000 doses de vaccin ont été administrées ces dernières 24 h, dont moins de 7 000 étaient avec la première dose. 7,7 millions de personnes sont entièrement immunisées.



    Révolution — Les héros de la Révolution anticommuniste de décembre 1989 ont été commémorés ce mardi à Bucarest. Dans les endroits symboliques de la révolution, des cérémonies religieuses et militaires ont eu lieu. Mercredi de telles commémorations auront lieu au Monument aux Héros de la Révolution roumaine ainsi qu’aux sièges de la Radio et la Télévision publiques. Pour mémoire, la révolte anticommuniste a éclaté le 16 décembre 1989 à Timişoara (ouest) pour se généraliser à l’ensemble du pays les jours suivants. Le tout a culminé le 22 décembre par la fuite du dictateur Nicolae Ceauşescu et de son épouse, Elena, après que le siège du Comité central du Parti communiste de l’époque ait été pris d’assaut par les protestataires. Le couple dictatorial a été vite attrapé et exécuté le jour de Noël même après un procès très court. La Roumanie a été le seul pays de l’ancien bloc communiste où la chute de la dictature a eu lieu par la violence. Plus d’un millier de personnes ont perdu la vie fin décembre 89 et plus de 3 000 ont été blessés. A ce jour, les coupables pour ces pertes de vies humaines n’ont toujours pas été identifiés.



    Visite — Le premier ministre roumain, Nicolae Ciucă, a eu, mardi, au siège de l’OTAN, une rencontre avec le secrétaire général de l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg. Il l’a assuré que la Roumanie continuerait de respecter son engagement d’allouer 2 % du PIB à la défense. Bucarest participera activement, à l’avenir aussi, aux débats sur le concept stratégique de l’OTAN et aux missions futures dans lesquelles l’Alliance s’engagera. La Russie a massé des troupes — une action significative, non provoquée et injustifiée, et nous ne comprenons pas comment les mesures de l’Alliance et de l’Ukraine peuvent être considérées des provocations, a déclaré Nicolae Ciucă. Il a réaffirmé le soutien accordé par la Roumanie à l’Ukraine en matière de souveraineté et d’intégrité territoriale à l’intérieur de ses frontières reconnues au niveau international. Le premier ministre roumain a rencontré, ce mardi, à Bruxelles, la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen. Ils ont discuté des efforts pour gérer la pandémie. Il a également présenté les efforts de redressement économique, conformément au Plan national de relance et de résilience. Le chef du cabinet de Bucarest a souligné la préoccupation pour assurer la stabilité fiscale et budgétaire, un objectif qui se retrouve dans le projet de budget 2022. Il a réitéré l’appel concernant une décision aussi rapide que possible pour l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace Schengen.



    Protestations — Les membres des syndicats de l’éducation nationale continuent de protester à Bucarest, devant le siège du gouvernement. Les trois fédérations syndicales les plus importantes de l’enseignement refusent de finaliser les moyennes semestrielles et menacent par une grève d’avertissement, sans exclure une grève générale. Ils demandent aux responsables d’appliquer les majorations salariales promises et prévues par la loi. Lundi, les salariés des chemins de fer de Roumanie ont déclenché une protestation spontanée, bloquant la circulation des trains pendant quelques heures, mécontents des salaires trop bas. Lundi soir, après des négociations, le ministère des Transports et les syndicats se sont mis d’accord sur une hausse d’environ 10 % pour les salaires des cheminots à compter du 1er janvier 2022. D’autres confédérations syndicales ont annoncé des protestations pour mercredi. A l’origine de leur mécontentement — les mesures adoptées par le gouvernement en place et le refus constant d’un dialogue social.



    Corruption — Depuis le début de la pandémie de coronavirus, il y a presque deux ans, la Direction nationale anticorruption a ouvert plus de 160 enquêtes pénales pour des infractions en rapport avec à la pandémie, un phénomène qui a gagné en ampleur ces derniers temps. D’ailleurs, la Roumanie a mené la plus ample enquête de toute l’UE concernant plus de 3 000 faux certificats de vaccination délivrés dans une ville du nord-ouest du pays (Vama Petea). A présent, la moitié des enquêtes lancées l’année dernière sont en cours et 8 dossiers avec 22 mis en examen sont présentés aux juges.

  • December 21, 2021

    December 21, 2021

    COMMEMORATION The
    heroes of the anti-communist uprising of December 1989 are commemorated in
    Bucharest today. Religious services and military ceremonies are held at the
    Revolution Heroes Cemetery and at the dedicated monuments downtown. Similar
    events are scheduled on Wednesday at the Romanian Revolution Heroes Monument,
    at the Radio Hall and the Romanian Television Corporation. Originating in Timișoara
    (west), on 16th December, the uprising spread across the country,
    culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the capital city on 22nd
    December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of Romanians. Captured by
    the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a summary trial and
    executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the only country behind the
    Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied by bloodshed. Over 1,000
    people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.


    BUDGET The draft 2022 state budget and social security budget laws
    will be discussed and voted on in Parliament on Thursday. MPs have until this
    afternoon to table amendments. Also today, the budgets of the main public
    institutions are discussed in Parliament’s specialised committees. The
    government passed the bills on Monday and promised they are based on
    predictability and stability. The budget is based on an estimated
    economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a predicted
    inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per month, with
    the budget deficit expected to stay within the limits agreed on with the
    European Commission under the excessive deficit procedure, namely 5.84% of GDP.
    The public pension fund will receive 7.32% of GDP. The Liberal
    president Florin Cîţu criticised the fact that only 6.7% of GDP was earmarked
    for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within the ruling coalition. The
    Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued however that the budget
    execution is more important than the exact breakdown of expenditure. The leader
    of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the draft budget relies on
    over-estimated revenues and said although public education is a priority for
    President Iohannis, not enough funding has been earmarked for the sector.


    TALKS The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă continues his first visit
    to Brussels since taking over the office less than a month ago. After last
    night’s working dinner with the president of the European Council, Charles
    Michel, Nicolae Ciucă has meetings scheduled today with the head of the
    European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general,
    Jens Stoltenberg. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels says Romania’s
    Schengen accession is a priority in the prime minister’s talks with EU
    officials. European security, with a focus on tensions in Romania’s
    neighbouring areas and at Ukraine’s eastern border, will be tackled in the
    meeting with the NATO secretary general.



    COVID-19 Traffic is hindered in downtown Bucharest today, as protesters
    encouraged by the nationalist opposition party AUR are picketing the Parliament
    Palace, disgruntled with the authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID
    certificate a requirement at the workplace. Measures to prevent a potential new
    pandemic wave were discussed by the health minister Alexandru Rafila with
    business community representatives, and the idea of a law making access to jobs
    conditional on the digital COVID certificate was put forth. According to the
    health ministry, the measure could be taken in case the number of COVID-19
    infections goes up 1.5 times for 3 consecutive weeks. Today the
    authorities announced 826 new COVID infections in 24 hours, and 88 related
    fatalities, 22 of them from a previous date. Since the start of the pandemic, some 1.8 million COVID-19
    cases have been reported in Romania and over 58,000 COVID patients died. Romania
    has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • 16/12/2021

    16/12/2021

    Covid-19 — La Roumanie a rapporté jeudi 812 nouveaux cas de contamination au coronavirus et 84 décès des suites de cette maladie, dont 19 antérieurs à la période de référence. Le taux d’incidence sur 14 jours a continué à baisser dans le cas de Bucarest, pour se chiffrer à 0,77 cas par mille habitants. Trois cas de personnes infectées au variant Omicron ont été confirmés. Jusqu’ici, la Roumanie a rapporté 11 cas de contamination avec ce variant. La Commission européenne s’attend à ce que ce variant devienne dominant dans l’UE jusqu’à la mi-janvier. La présidente de la Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, s’est montrée toutefois confiante que le bloc communautaire peut et dispose des moyens pour dépasser cette situation. Le Centre européen pour la prévention et le contrôle des maladies a mis en garde que la multiplication rapide des cas atteints du nouveau variant était imminente et que la vaccination à elle seule n’empêchera pas la propagation du virus. Afin de maintenir la pression sur le système sanitaire à un niveau « gérable », le Centre a demandé de nouveau une « réintroduction rapide et un renforcement » des soi-disant mesures « non pharmaceutiques » contre le Covid-19, soit des restrictions.



    Conseil européen — Réunis, aujourd’hui et demain, à Bruxelles, les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement de l’UE discuteront de la situation épidémiologique dans le contexte de la pandémie de Covid-19, de l’importance de la vaccination et de la lutte contre la réticence à cet égard. Par ailleurs, suite à l’instabilité mondiale de plus en plus marquée, les Etats membres ont décidé que l’UE devait assumer une responsabilité accrue pour sa sécurité. Ainsi, les leaders européens aborderont des thèmes ayant trait au renforcement de la coopération avec l’OTAN, qui demeure le fondement de la défense collective. La question des forces militaires russes massées le long de la frontière ukrainienne sera également discutée au Conseil européen, tout comme la situation au Belarus. La Roumanie est représentée à ce sommet par le président Klaus Iohannis. Il considère nécessaire que le sujet de la hausse significative des prix de l’énergie reste prioritaire à l’agenda des institutions européennes. Le chef de l’Etat soutient aussi la nécessité de trouver des solutions pour protéger les consommateurs vulnérables, mais aussi le fait que l’énergie nucléaire et le gaz constituent des options pour une transition énergétique accessible.



    Magistrature — Bucarest accueille aujourd’hui des élections pour la direction du Conseil supérieur de la magistrature (CSM), en l’occurrence pour le président et le vice-président de cet organisme. Ce sera un mandat au cours duquel le CSM fera des nominations importantes, dont celles des nouveaux chefs à la Haute Cour de cassation et de justice et à l’Inspection judiciaire. La juge réformatrice Andreea Chiş est en lice pour les fonctions de présidente ainsi que la juge Gabriela Baltag, qui a critiqué constamment ce qu’elle a appelé les abus du Parquet national anticorruption. Le CSM est composé de 19 membres : neuf juges et cinq procureurs, deux représentants de la société civile élus par le Sénat et trois membres de plein droit — le ministre de la Justice, le président de la Haute Cour et le procureur général de la Roumanie. Le mandat des membres élus est de 6 ans, non renouvelable.



    Timişoara — Des commémorations ont lieu à Timişoara (ouest), 32 ans après le début de la Révolution de 1989, qui a mené à la chute du régime communiste. Une Journée portes ouvertes est organisée au Mémorial de la Révolution, avec un service religieux, et des élèves de 15 écoles déposent des couronnes de fleurs aux monuments des héros. Une réunion festive du Conseil local, une projection du film Remember 89 ou l’organisation de la marche « Les héros ne meurent jamais » sont également prévues. La soirée s’achèvera par le concert Folk for Revolution, et une messe de minuit sera célébrée aussi. Le 17 décembre sera une journée de deuil à Timişoara. Rappelons que la flamme de la Révolution s’est allumée le 16 décembre et allait embraser l’ensemble du pays. Les trams se sont arrêtés, les manifestants ont formé des colonnes et ont marché vers le centre-ville, au son des slogans contre le régime totalitaire. C’est alors que les premières arrestations ont eu lieu, et le lendemain, 17 décembre, le feu a été ouvert sur les protestataires.



    Salaires — En Roumanie, les salaires de base, certaines soldes, les indemnités et les primes dont bénéficient les personnels publics seront gelés l’année prochaine, afin d’éviter des pressions supplémentaires sur les dépenses budgétaires, selon un projet d’ordonnance d’urgence publié par le ministère des Finances. Cette disposition règlementaire pourrait être adoptée vendredi par le gouvernement. Mercredi, le cabinet de coalition a adopté les ordonnances d’urgence permettant la majoration, à partir du 1er janvier, des retraites et des allocations familiales et la mise en place d’une 13e indemnité pour les personnes handicapées. Le gouvernement de Bucarest accordera aussi des aides aux retraités les plus pauvres, au mois de janvier. Détails après nos infos.



    Sondage — L’Armée, l’Académie roumaine et l’Eglise occupent les premières places au classement de la confiance des Roumains, selon le baromètre de la vie religieuse, édition 2021, lancé par l’Institut des sciences politiques et des relations internationales de l’académie roumaine et par le Centre de recherches sociologiques LARICS. Selon cette enquête, les roumains accordent beaucoup de confiance à l’Armée, à hauteur de plus de 67 %, à l’Académie roumaine — près de 65 % – et à l’Eglise — plus de 62 %. Les mairies des localités des sujets questionnés et la Police sont créditées de taux de confiance de 45, et respectivement de 44 %. Seuls 20 % des Roumains font confiance à la presse, près de 15 % au président, 14 % au parlement et 13 % au gouvernement. Avec 9 % de confiance seulement, les partis politiques arrivent en dernière position en matière de confiance des Roumains.



    Météo – Beaucoup de grisaille et de mauvais temps en Roumanie. Des pluies et des chutes de neige sont signalées. les températures vont de 1 à 7°, avec 4 petits degrés sous un ciel morne à Bucarest.



  • 20 years since 9/11

    20 years since 9/11

    With colours flown at half-mast, the US commemorated on September 11 the nearly 3,000 people killed 20 years ago in the most severe attack on American territory. 19 Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked the civil aircraft that hit into New Yorks World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, while one other aircraft, believed to be heading for the White House or the Congress building, crashed after the passengers tried to take control.



    In response, Washington started the so-called global war on terrorism, the first large-scale campaign being the one in Afghanistan, which ended last month. Political leaders from many countries sent solidarity and compassion messages, reiterating their determination to safeguard freedom and fight terrorist threats.



    President Klaus Iohannis sent a letter to his US counterpart Joe Biden, emphasising that in the wake of the terror attacks, the common suffering turned into solidarity and a shared goal, in the US and around the world, in allied and partner countries, Romania included. President Iohannis reiterated that Romania stands by the American people in the fight against terrorism and in strengthening shared values like democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and the rule of law.



    The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also sent a message to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, highlighting Bucharests firm and long-standing commitment to taking part, alongside the international community and the US, a strategic partner for Romania, in the joint efforts to fight terrorism and extremism.



    Also in Bucharest, the Government of Romania expressed its solidarity with the American nation, while in Washington, the Romanian Embassy paid tribute to the victims of the tragedy and sent a message to the survivors and to those who put their own lives on the line in the rescue operations 2 decades ago. “We remember and we honour the strength and resilience of the American people in the face of loss and suffering, the Ambassador of Romania Andrei Muraru and other Embassy staff said in a video address. “It was more than an attack against the US. It was an attack against the free world, against the values and ideals that we all share—freedom, compassion, dignity, humanity. It was an attack against civilisation, the message also says.



    “September 11, 2001. A day that was brutally imprinted on our memory and history. A day beyond forgetting. The September 11 attack was not only an attack on the US, but an attack on all of us, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, NATO deputy secretary general, said in turn in a Facebook post. (tr. A.M. Popescu)