Radio România Internațional

Tag: Commission

15.04.2020 (mise à jour)

Coronavirus en Roumanie – Une réunion coronavirus a eu lieu mercredi entre le président roumain Klaus Iohannis, le premier ministre Ludovic Orban et les membres du cabinet pour discuter des mesures qui simposent avec la prolongation dun mois de létat durgence. Le chef de lEtat a fait appel aux citoyens de rester chez eux pendant les fêtes de Pâques qui auront lieu en Roumanie à la fin de cette semaine. Sinon, avertit le président, nous déplorerons de nouveaux décès. Jusquà présent, 7.200 personnes ont été testées positives au Sars-Cov-2 dans le pays, dont 1.217 ont guéri. Les Roumains vivant à létranger sont également touchés, avec 709 cas dinfection recensés, dont 420 en Italie.

Gouvernement – La contraction de léconomie roumaine sera denviron 2% cette année, a déclaré mercredi le ministre des Finances, Florin Cîţu. Le ministre a précisé quil préparait un paquet significatif de mesures pour faire repartir léconomie à la fin de létat durgence. Florin Cîţu a montré que les mesures adoptées jusquà présent pour stimuler léconomie totalisaient 3% du PIB et a estimé que le déficit augmenterait à 6,7% du PIB au moment du premier collectif budgétaire. Le ministre des Finances a tenu à souligner quaucun ministère ne verra son budget baisser au moment de ce collectif. Au contraire, le budget du ministère du Développement a été revu à la hausse. « Les investissement continuent, les chantiers restent ouverts en Roumanie. La seule manière de repartir après cette période est dinvestir », a souligné M. Cîţu. Denière précision du ministre : il ny aura pas daugmentation de taxe en Roumanie cette année, au contraire, lEtat continuera à injecter des liquidités dans léconomie.

Transports – Les transporteurs routiers de Roumanie demandent au président et au gouvernement de Bucarest une intervention diplomatique durgence auprès des autorités dAllemagne, dAutriche, de Hongrie et dautres Etats membres de lUE pour permettre aux chauffeurs routiers roumains daccéder aux poids-lourds quils conduisent. Dans un communiqué rendu public mercredi, les représentants de lUnion nationale des transporteurs routiers de Roumanie affirment que plusieurs Etats de lUE ont imposé des restrictions de voyage aux camionneurs roumains, restrictions qui enfreignent la libre circulation des travailleurs. Selon les professionnels du secteur, en labsence dune intervention des autorités de Bucarest, la Roumanie aurait un manque à gagner de près de 6 milliards deuros, soit la valeur des exportations de services générées par le transport routier de marchandises en 2019.

Coronavirus dans le monde – Les mesures extraordinaires quont dû prendre les Etats membres de lUnion européenne pour arrêter la propagation du nouveau coronavirus sont nécessaires, mais elles ont toutefois un coût considérable pour les citoyens, la société et léconomie et ne peuvent se prolonger indéfiniment, estime la Commission européenne dans une feuille de route présentée mercredi en vue de la levée graduelle des mesures de confinement. Néanmoins, avant de commencer à assouplir ces mesures, il faut remplir certains critères épidémiologiques et sassurer que les systèmes de santé disposent de capacités suffisantes de traitement et de dépistage. « Notre priorité numéro un est de sauver des vies et de protéger les européens contre le coronavirus. Dans le même temps, le moment est venu de se tourner vers lavenir et de se concentrer sur la protection des moyens de subsistance », a déclaré la présidente de la Commission européenne, Ursula von der Leyen. De lautre côté de lAtlantique, le président Donald Trump a décidé de suspendre la contribution américaine à lOrganisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), critiquant sa gestion de la pandémie. En réplique, le secrétaire général de lONU, Antonio Guterres, estime que « ce nest pas le moment de réduire le financement des opérations de lOMS ou de toute autre institution humanitaire combattant le coronavirus ».

Baromètre – Le niveau dinquiétude à légard de la situation sanitaire actuelle a progressé tant dans des pays qui imposent moins de restrictions, tels la Pologne ou les Pays-Bas, que dans ceux où les restrictions sont plutôt sévères, tels lItalie, lEspagne ou la France, fait savoir un sondage dopinion réalisé par la compagnie Kantar. Selon cette étude, deux pays initialement optimistes, à savoir le Royaume-Uni et les Etats-Unis recensent une hausse massive de linquiétude du public deux semaines seulement après le précèdent sondage, alors quen Allemagne, les inquiétudes, modérées au début de lépidémie, connaissent une stagnation. Dans le même temps, en Roumanie, le nombre de personnes inquiètes actuellement est de 5% supérieur par rapport au sondage précédent et le niveau général dinquiétude reste très élevé. Pas moins de 80% des Roumains se déclarent inquiets à cause de la situation actuelle, mais leurs angoisses sont provoquées surtout par linsécurité financière. Létude a été réalisée sur quelque 45.000 personnes de plus de 50 pays, dont 1.800 de Roumanie.

Météo – Beau temps et températures à la hausse dans les 24 prochaines heures en Roumanie. Les maximas iront de 14 à 24 degrés Celsius.

15 April 2020
The Week in Review 8-14 December

The Liberal Government requests Parliaments confidence

The minority Liberal government in Bucharest has decided to rush a number of measures through Parliament, by taking responsibility for them instead of going through the regular parliamentary endorsement procedure. This past week, the Cabinet, which came to power thanks to a no-confidence motion against the Social Democrats, introduced 3 bills concerning amendments to the justice laws, free school transport for children, pensioners and people with disabilities, and the budgetary caps for next year.

As far as the judiciary is concerned, after the Senate, as the decision-making body in this respect, adopted some of the measures planned by the Cabinet—namely a 2-year deferral of early retirement for magistrates and a 1-year deferral of the switch from 2 to 3-judge panels—the Government is only left to take responsibility for an increase of seniority requirements for entry-level magistrates. Under the law, if a censure motion is not introduced within 3 days from this procedure, the bills tabled by the Executive come into force after being signed into law by the President.

The Social Democrats, now in opposition, announced they would refer 2 of the 3 bills to the Constitutional Court, on grounds of a 2009 ruling under which the Government may only take responsibility for legislation if the parliamentary procedure is stuck and the measures in question are urgently needed. Nonetheless, the Social Democrats say they are not thinking of introducing a no-confidence motion. They argue that both the deferral of increasing seniority for entry-level magistrates and the transport regulations that the Government is pushing through Parliament are already being discussed by the legislative body and do not require an exceptional procedure.

Meanwhile, the Government also intends to request Parliaments confidence over a number of provisions in the Emergency Order no. 114, dubbed “the greed tax order, through which a year ago the Social Democratic Government had introduced new taxes for banks and caps on electricity and gas prices charged to households.

Opposition tables simple motion against Finance Minister

This week, the Senate adopted a simple motion tabled by the Social Democratic Party against the Liberal Finance Minister Florin Citu, with 59 to 56 votes and 2 abstentions. Under the Constitution, the endorsement of a simple motion does not necessarily entail the dismissal of the minister in question, but quite a number of voices are now calling for his resignation, also mentioning that Florin Citu had not been approved by the specialist parliamentary committees prior to his appointment.

During the debates, the Social Democrats argued that the incumbent Finance Minister made irresponsible and risky statements leading to a fall in the national currencys exchange rate against the Euro and the US dollar, which will have ripple effects on the Romanian economy. They also criticized Minister Citu and the Cabinet as a whole for what they called “chaotic measures concerning the budget deficit and the minimum wages.

In reply, Florin Citu says the simple motion is a purely political move, designed to divert attention from the state of Romanias economy after 3 years of Social Democratic government. The Liberals also blame the Social Democratic Party for the recent downward adjustment of Romanias rating from stable to negative, operated by Standard&Poors agency. According to the National Liberal Party, this happened because the previous Governments excessive expenditure led to budgetary imbalances.

“How is Standrd&Poors not supposed to lower Romanias rating, when this morning the budget deficit is 3.7% of the GDP, by noon it is 4.1%, in the evening it is 4.3%, but official documents say it is 4.4% of the GDP? How is the rating not to drop, when yesterday the government debt accounted for 45% of the GDP for 2020, and today it is 40%, the Social Democrats former economy strategy expert Cristian Socol retorted in a Facebook post. For 2020, the Liberal Government targets a 3.6% of GDP budget deficit, with personnel expenditure of maximum 9.7% and an economic growth rate of 4%.

The President of Romania attends European Council meeting

Attending the meeting of the European Council in Brussels at the end of this week, President Klaus Iohannis announced that European leaders had decided to transfer the task of drafting the European Unions multi-annual budget framework from the Finnish presidency of the EU Council to the presidency of the European Council.

As regards achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2050, as desired by the new European Commission, Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is in a fairly good position to meet its targets, at least until 2030.

Last but not least, with respect to the early parliamentary elections in Britain, the Romanian President voiced satisfaction with the outcome of the ballot, as well as hopes that the resulting parliamentary majority would finalise a Brexit agreement.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

14 December 2019
Le nouvel Exécutif européen

La nouvelle Commission européenne, ayant à sa tête l’Allemande Ursula von der Leyen, a obtenu mercredi le feu vert de l’Assemblée législative européenne et s’apprête à entamer officiellement ses activités le 1 décembre. L’Exécutif européen a bénéficié du soutien notamment des Populaires européens, des sociaux- démocrates et des libéraux de Renew Europe, dirigé par le Roumain, Dacian Ciolos. La Roumanie sera représentée au sein de la nouvelle Commission par Adina Valean en charge des Transports.

Lors d’une déclaration sur Radio Roumanie, celle-ci a affirmé envisager la mise en place d’une série de mesures censées rendre les Transports soutenables, tout en rehaussant la sécurité des citoyens dans le contexte où, chaque année, 25000 personnes sont tuées dans des accidents routiers partout, en Europe. Adina Valean :« Une toute première mesure serait de mettre en place des systèmes de transport intelligent censés offrir un contrôle plus efficace du système routier. Deuxièmement, on se propose d’améliorer l’infrastructure proprement dite, puisqu’une route dégradée, mal aménagée, mal tracée, ou pleine de nids de poule favorise les accidents. On devrait, par la suite, imaginer une politique industrielle afin que les propriétaires de voitures se permettent périodiquement un contrôle technique et puis, on souhaite encourager à travers un échange de bonnes pratiques, les bonnes attitudes au volant ».

Selon l’envoyée Radio Roumanie à Strasbourg, la protection de l’environnement et le réchauffement climatique, la croissance économique, l’inclusion, l’innovation et la numérisation, tout comme la protection des valeurs démocratiques, européennes, des droits des citoyens et de l’Etat de droit figurent parmi les priorités de la nouvelle présidente de l’Exécutif européen et la première femme à se retrouver à la tête de la Commission. Selon elle, l’Etat de droit est le principal fondement sur lequel repose la construction européenne et donc aucun compromis là-dessus ne sera toléré. Ursula von der Leyen s’est également prononcée en faveur de l’intégration européenne des pays des Balkans et d’un renforcement des rapports transatlantiques.

Le point le plus ambitieux de son programme de gouvernance reste le Pacte Vert pour l’Europe qu’elle a promis depuis le moment de sa nomination à la tête de l’Exécutif européen. Ursula von der Leyen :« Le Pacte Vert pour l’Europe s’avère une obligation pour la santé de notre planète et de nos citoyens, pour notre économie européenne et Frans Timmermans est la juste personne à s’en charger, appuyé par Kadri Simson, Adina Valean et beaucoup d’autres. Ce pacte représente notre nouvelle stratégie de croissance censée nous aider à réduire les émissions de gaz, tout en nous permettant de continuer à créer de nouveaux emplois ».

Après leur vote d’investiture, les parlementaires européens ont également approuvé le futur budget de l’Union censé soutenir davantage la protection du climat, les investissements dans le domaine de la recherche, l’infrastructure et les questions liées aux jeunes. (trad. Ioana Stancescu)

28 November 2019
The Week in Review (17-23 November 2019)

Romania is holding the second round of the presidential elections

This was the last week of the election
campaign for the presidential elections in Romania. On Sunday, November the 24th,
Romanians will find out who their president will be for the next five years. In
the race are the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, who is backed by the
ruling National Liberal Party, and Viorica Dancila, the leader of the Social
Democratic Party, in power until recently. Just like in the first round of
voting, Romanian citizens living abroad have three days to cast their ballots.
This measure and others were taken so as to prevent the long queues seen in the
previous presidential elections in 2014 and the European elections last May. To
eliminate the risk of overcrowding at polling stations, their number in the
diaspora has basically doubled compared with the European elections, to reach
835. The same number of polling stations has been maintained for the second
round, but the location of some of them has been moved for objective reasons.
The countries with the largest number of polling stations are Spain, Italy,
Germany, the UK and France. In Romania, the voting process only takes place on
Sunday, on the 24th of November.

The Romanian currency hits record low against the euro

The Romanian currency, the leu, has
this week gone over the psychological threshold to reach 4.78 for one euro,
hitting a record low against the European single currency. The leu has been
depreciating for some two and a half months. The exchange rate we’ve seen
recently is a reflection of the Romanian economy, the spokesman of the National
Bank of Romania Dan Suciu has told Radio Romania. He has explained that growing
imports and the trade deficit implicitly are the main cause for the
depreciation of the leu.
At the beginning of the month, the governor of the National Bank of Romania
Mugur Isarescu was saying that these variations are minor compared with those
of the Hungarian forint and the Polish zloty, which have seen very much bigger
fluctuations. Specialists expect the national currency to depreciate even
further next year. A strong euro in relation to the leu means a chain of price
hikes, from higher interest rates on loans in euros to higher utility bills and
more expensive homes.

The hearings of the 27
Commissioners-designate, officially closed

The vote on the
investiture of the new European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Leyen,
will be held during the plenary session of the European Parliament on November
27 in Strasbourg, the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli
announced on Thursday. The Conference of Presidents, made up of the Parliament
president and the political group leaders, Thursday concluded the hearings of
the 26 Commissioners-designate and gave the green light for the last procedure
required before the new Commission can start its work on December 1, one month
later than originally scheduled. The Commission needs a majority of votes to be
validated. On Monday, parliament’s committee on foreign affairs approved the
candidacy of Oliver Varhelyi, put forth by Hungary for the Enlargement
Commissioner post. On November 14, the relevant specialist committees also
approved the candidates nominated by Romania and France: Adina Valean for
Transport Commissioner and Thierry Breton for Internal Market Commissioner.

New US Ambassador to Romania

The New
York-based lawyer Adrian Zuckerman will be the new US Ambassador to Romania,
replacing Hans Klemm. Zuckerman was confirmed on Wednesday by the US Senate, by
a 65-30 vote. Zuckerman immigrated to the US from Romania at the age of 10 and
speaks fluent Romanian. In 1984, he was admitted to the New York Bar. A member
of the Real Estate Board of New York and also involved in education and charity
work, Adrian Zuckerman is a member of the Kids Corp Board and of the New York
Law School alumni association.

Radio Romania Gaudeamus Book Fair

The 26th Gaudeamus Book
fair organised by Radio Romania is coming to an end on Sunday. This year’s
edition is dedicated to the
anti-communist revolution of December 1989. Initiated by Radio Romania a
quarter of a century ago concurrently with the Gaudeamus Book for Learning fair, the Radio
Romania Gaudeamus project has become a landmark of the local book market. Its
programme has expanded constantly since its inception, today featuring 116
exhibition-type events and 13,600 different activities and attracting more than
3 million visitors. The current edition features 900 editorial and professional
events and brings together over 250 exhibitors. The poet Mircea Dinescu, an
outspoken opponent of the dictatorial regime, and the actor Ion Caramitru, both
of whom were emblematic figures of the Revolution, are the honorary
co-presidents this year. The fair hands out three Gaudeamus trophies and a book
of the year award, all of them based on the public’s vote. The excellence prize
will be awarded to one of the publishing houses taking part in the fair and is
meant to finance, either fully or partly, an editorial project of national
importance and with international recognition. Other prizes include a
translation award and an education award, among others.

23 November 2019
New Commission to seek European Parliament endorsement

The vote on the new European Commission is scheduled for next Wednesday, during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The announcement was made by the Parliament president David Sassoli, who said the Conference of Presidents authorised the publication of the evaluation letters of Commissioners-designate. These are reports made by the specialist committees following the hearing of each candidate, held between September 30 and October 8 for 23 nominees. The last round of committee hearings was held on November 14, when the new candidates sent by Romania, Hungary and France were evaluated, after the initial nominations made by these countries were rejected in the parliamentary validation procedure.

Meanwhile, last week the European Commission initiated an infringement procedure against Britain, which declined nominating a commissioner-designate.

According to the president of the European Parliament, over the past 2 months the body has carefully reviewed the performances of the commissioners-designate, and the Conference of Presidents, made up of the political group leaders and the EP president, conducted the final evaluation after exchanging opinions with the Commissions 3 executive vice-presidents—Frans Timmermans, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovkis.

“The hearings have been detailed, and sometimes difficult, but they provide a unique and transparent way for MEPs to verify whether the Commissioners-designate are ready for the job ahead, Sassoli said, and on Thursday Parliament officially closed the evaluation process. The vote on the College of Commissioners will take place next week, and if its a favourable vote the Commission will be able to start its work on December 1. “As the direct link with EU citizens, the Parliament will continue to hold the Commission to account and ensure it delivers on its promises, the EP president added.

The vote in the Parliament plenary session will be held after Ursula von der Leyen has presented the new members and their programme. In the next 5 years, Europe will be facing many challenges, Sassoli also mentioned, from long-term solutions to the migration and asylum to taking over global leadership in the fight against climate change. We need a European Commission ready to tackle the problems that matter to Europeans, David Sassoli also said.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

22 November 2019
November 21, 2019 UPDATE

ELECTIONS The campaign ahead of the second round of Romania’s presidential elections on Sunday continues until Saturday morning at 7 am local time. The incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, who is endorsed by the National Liberal Party, now in power, is facing the former Social Democrat prime minister Viorica Dancila. According to the Permanent Election Authority, the total number of registered voters is 18,217,411. In the first round, which saw 14 candidates in the race, Iohannis won almost 38% of the votes and Dancila a little over 22%. Voter turnout stood at 51.19%. In the diaspora, where voting took place over three days, a record turnout was reported, with 675,000 people casting their ballots. The second round of voting is also taking place over three days abroad: on Friday between 12 am and 9 pm and on Saturday and Sunday between 7 am and 9 pm, with the possibility for the voting to be extended until midnight. The foreign ministry has already distributed the materials needed for the voting process abroad. 4,608,1754 ballots were distributed among the 835 polling stations set up abroad, 100,000 more ballots than was requested in the first round.

EU The European Parliaments Conference of Presidents, including the EP president David Sassoli and the leaders of political groups in the EP, Thursday completed the hearings of the 26 Commissioners-designate and gave the green light for the last procedure before the new Commission may start its term in office on December 1, one month later than originally scheduled. The Conference of Presidents also authorised the publication of the evaluation letters. The vote on the investiture of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen will be held during a plenary session in Strasbourg on November 27. On Monday the EP committee on foreign affairs approved the candidacy of Hungarys Oliver Varhelyi for European Commissioner for Enlargement, after on November 14 specialist committees also approved the candidates designated by Romania (Adina Valean for Transport Commissioner) and France (Thierry Breton for internal market).

FAIR The 26th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organised by Radio Romania is under way in Bucharest. Thursdays programme featured book launches and talks with writers, historians and experts from various fields, as well as debates on topics such as contemporary poetry in various interpretations and writers who opposed dictatorships. 900 different events are scheduled over the five days of the fair and 230 exhibitors are showcasing their products, from very diverse fields. This year’s edition of the fair is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the anti-communist revolution of December 1989. The poet Mircea Dinescu and the actor Ion Caramitru, who were prominent figures of the revolution, are honorary co-presidents of the fair.

MIGRANTS Six Algerian migrants, who caused a fire on the vessel on which they had illegally reached the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa, went missing on Thursday morning, the Coast Guard reports. The border police that were surveilling the Panamanian-flagged ship NORDIC Barents, which arrived from Turkey, were announced by a crew member that the illegal passengers were no longer aboard. The Coast Guard added that there are suspicions that the crew aided the illegal border crossing.

INDICTMENT The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted for bribery,
fraud and breach of trust in 3 separate cases, Israel’s Attorney General
announced on Thursday. Netanyahu has allegedly received luxury gifts from
businessmen and is suspected of attempting to secure positive news coverage in
Israel’s biggest daily, Yediot Aharonot,
in exchange for measures against the rival publication Israel Hayom. Benjamin Netanyahu is also accused of trading government favours
for positive coverage on the news website Walla.
It is for the first time in the history of Israel that a sitting prime minister
is charged with a crime.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Cristina Mateescu)

21 November 2019
18 November 2019, UPDATE

Elections. The foreign ministry in Bucharest has finished distributing
the materials needed for the voting process abroad in the second round of
Romania’s presidential elections. 4,608,175 ballots were distributed among the
835 polling stations in the Romanian diaspora, 100,000 more than in the first
round. The foreign ministry recalls that abroad, the voting process is held
over the course of three days, on Friday between 12 am and 9 pm, and on
Saturday and Sunday between 7 am and 9 pm. In Romania, the voting
takes place on Sunday, on the 24th of November. The incumbent president
Klaus Iohannis, who is endorsed by the National Liberal Party, now in power, is
running against the leader of the Social Democratic Party and until recently
the prime minister of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă. In the first round held on the
10th of November, Iohannis won almost 38% of the votes, followed by Dăncilă
with a little over 22%.

EU Commission. The European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Monday
approved Hungary’s pick for enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi. Currently
serving as Hungary’s EU ambassador, he was the last of the 27 nominees yet to
the approved by MEPs. After a hearing on the 14th of November,
Varhelyi received additional written questions. Also at this date, Adina Vălean,
Romania’s nominee for transport commissioner, and Thierry Breton, France’s pick
for internal market commissioner, received the green light from the specialist
committees. The team proposed by the president elect of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen is to be put to a vote in the European Parliament on the
27th of November, so as to take office on the 1st of
December, one month later than initially scheduled.

Republic of Moldova. Ion Chicu, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova,
an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population, this week
travels to Russia on his first foreign visit since taking office last week.
Chicu, who was an adviser to Moldova’s pro-Russian president Igor Dodon says
his trip to Moscow was agreed a long time ago but did not take place although
economic relations with Russia are very important for Moldova, he added. This
will be the first time in a long time that a Moldovan prime minister travels to
Moscow instead of Bucharest or Brussels on his or her first foreign trip. The
former government led by the pro-European Maia Sandu was dismissed following a
vote of no-confidence initiated by president Igor Dodon’s Socialists, who were
themselves part of the ruling coalition.

Christmas fair. The Christmas fair opens
in Bucharest on the 28th of November, when the Christmas lights will
also be switched on. Now in its 13th year, the Christmas fair stays
open until the 26th of December. Visitors will be able to find there
traditional Romanian products, from home-made cakes and sweets to mulled wine
and cheese, as well as winter decorations, traditional clothes and toys.
Activities for children will also be held, as well as traditional music and
carol concerts given by music ensembles from across Romania. The Bucharest
Christmas fair attracts 1 million visitors annually, both Romanian and foreign.

18 November 2019
The future European Commission faces delays

The team of European commissioners
proposed by the EU member states is yet to be complete. This is why the
president-elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday called
on all those involved in the process to act swiftly, after the nominees put
forward by Romania, Hungary and France did not go past the committees of the
European Parliament. We are currently in a democratic and transparent
parliamentary process. I have proposed 26 candidates, 23 of whom have now been
accepted. Three candidates did not obtain majority support for varied reasons.
Therefore, the nominations for Hungary, Romania and France are still open, Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

Ursula von der Leyen made these comments after
France’s pick, Sylvie Goulard, on Thursday failed for the second time to
convince the European MPs during hearings in the European Parliament’s
specialist committees. Her nomination has been plagued by suspicions regarding
her integrity, in the context of ongoing inquiries into alleged fake jobs at her
Euro MP office and her activity for an American think-tank while serving as a
member of the European Parliament. The French president Emmanuel Macron was
quick to react to Goulard’s rejection saying she is the victim of a political
game.

Romania’s and Hungary’s picks, Rovana Plumb and
Laszlo Trocsanyi respectively, have also been rejected by the European
Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs over suspicions of conflict of
interest. Under the current schedule, the European Parliament must vote on the
make-up and programme of the Commission proposed by Ursula von der Leyen in the
period between the 21st and the 24th of October, for the
Commission to be able to take office on the 1st of November.

11 October 2019
The Week in Review 29 September – 5 October

No-confidence motion against the Cabinet

The Cabinet headed by Viorica Dancila is facing a new motion of no-confidence, the first since the ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats fell apart in August. The text of the motion against the Social Democrats minority government was read in Parliament on Thursday. The document, entitled “In order to rebuild Romania, the Dancila Cabinet must be dismissed immediately! will be discussed next Thursday, on October 10. The motion signatories argue that although the country has seen a favourable economic period, with significant economic growth, the Government has failed to start even one major infrastructure project. Confidence in the Romanian economy is dwindling, first of all because the business legislation changes almost on a weekly basis, the Opposition also says. The Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancila says on the other hand that the Government will not fall. The motion was signed by 237 MPs, from across the political spectrum, 4 more than the number of votes required for the document to pass.

Romanias new nominations for European Commissioner

The Romanian Government had to come up this week with new nominations for European Commissioner for Transport, after the European Parliaments legal affairs committee rejected Rovana Plumb on grounds of a conflict of interests. Convening in Bucharest on Tuesday night, the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party decided that MEP Dan Nica, a former telecoms minister, was the Governments new nomination for the post. They also chose Gabriela Ciot, a state secretary with the Foreign Ministry, as a back-up candidate, in case the European Commission wanted a woman for this position. Disgruntled with both Rovana Plumbs candidacy, and with the 2 subsequent alternatives, the Opposition called on PM Viorica Dancila to no longer make any nominations without consultations with the President and without a vote in Parliaments specialised committees. The president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, warned that otherwise more candidates will be rejected, damaging Romanias international reputation.

EIB triples funding for Romanian SMEs

The European Investment Bank triples the funds granted to Romanian small and medium sized enterprises. The announcement was made on Thursday by the EIB vice-president Andrew McDowell. The funding, increased from 500 million to 1.38 billion euros, can support 5,000 small and medium companies. McDowell added that the EIB Group provides not only financial resources, but also consulting services for preparing and implementing complex projects. He signed new contracts and changes in the existing agreements with the Romanian banking institutions interested in facilitating the access of Romanian companies to funding. According to the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, over 2,000 Romanian SMEs have benefited from such funding so far.

Anti-mafia chief prosecutor resigns

The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Wednesday signed a decree dismissing Felix Banila as chief prosecutor of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism. The latter had previously announced he would step down, although he claimed that he had not failed to do his duty. On Monday the President called for Banilas resignation, criticising him for the way in which the institution handled the investigations in the Caracal killings, a case with a heavy emotional impact on the public. Prosecutors are trying to determine whether 2 under-aged girls were killed by a presumed people trafficker, Gheorghe Dinca. The President argued that in both cases he saw delayed and outrageous responses from certain authorities, proving their disregard for both the victims and their families.

Romania, guest of honour in Europalia International Art Festival

The 50th edition of the Europalia International Art Festival, with Romania as a guest of honour, continues in Brussels, after it opened to the public on Wednesday. The official opening was on Tuesday, when King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde and the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis visited a Brancusi exhibition organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute at the Bozar Centre. This is the most important exhibition devoted to the Romanian sculptor in decades, and the highlight of the Festival. For the coming 4 months, events will be organised as part of Europalia in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and Britain, including over 250 visual art, music, theatre, literature and performing arts projects.

Media 2020 Conference in Bucharest

Radio Romania organised the 5th edition of the Media 2020 Conference, jointly with Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The event in Bucharest brought together more than 40 representatives of the most important public media organisations in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Attending the event, the ABU president Javad Mottaghi emphasised that public media services need independent, unbiased and reliable news produced by professionals. The debates focused on the future of public media in the digital era, on strategies to protect copyright and on fighting fake news. Radio Romania and BBC Radio signed a bilateral partnership agreement. Similar agreements have been signed by Radio Romania with Radio France and RAI, as part of the Romanian public broadcasters strategy to collaborate with Europes most prestigious media institutions.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

5 October 2019
September 10, 2019 UPDATE

SENATE The former foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu, vice-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, until recently a junior member of the ruling coalition in Romania, is the new Speaker of the Senate. Backed by the Social Democratic Party, in power, he was elected with 73 votes, whereas his challenger, the Liberal Alina Gorghiu, only got 59 votes. Teodor Meleşcanu replaces Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who last week resigned as head of this Parliament chamber as his party left the ruling coalition. After the vote, Călin Popescu Tăriceanu announced that he would challenge the procedure at the Constitutional Court, because 2 candidates from the same parliamentary group took part in the race: Teodor Meleșcanu, a member of ALDE but supported by the Social Democrats, and another candidate nominated and backed by the Liberal Democrats.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION The President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Tuesday presented the distribution of portfolios to Commissioners-designate, with the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb nominated for the transport portfolio. A minister in several cabinets in Bucharest, Plumb was nominated for the Commissioner post by PM Viorica Dăncilă. The National Liberal Party in opposition has called on the PM to withdraw the candidacy and make a different nomination. The USR-PLUS Alliance also opposes the nomination and voices concerns regarding the candidates integrity and competence, while the Peoples Movement Party also sees Plumb as not suitable to head a EU portfolio. The European Parliament is next to approve the College of Commissioners as a whole, including the President-elect and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Commission vice-president.

BREXIT The British Parliament dismissed Boris Johnson’s second attempt to hold an October 15 general election, with the Opposition saying they will only accept early elections after PM Boris Johnson has requested a postponement of Brexit. Parliament is shut down until October 14, just 2 weeks before the deadline for the UK exiting the European bloc. Last week Parliament passed a bill blocking a no-deal Brexit. The British PM claims he can secure a new deal with Brussels at the October summit, and that he will deliver Brexit on October 31, as promised. The Opposition on the other hand insists that the exit deadline be delayed, so as to avoid a withdrawal without an agreement.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

10 September 2019
July 26, 2019 UPDATE

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Romania targets a European commissioner post in the field of transports, energy or environment, PM Viorica Dăncilă said on Friday. Bucharest will make 2 nominations, a man and a woman, in line with the equal opportunity principle promoted by the EU. The Prime Minister added that she had discussed the matter with President Klaus Iohannis as well. On July 16, the European Parliament elected the former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen as president of the Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. The 28 Member States must next nominate their candidates for the commissioner posts. The hearings will be held by the specialised committees in Parliament between September 30 and October 8. Parliament will then take a vote on the commissioners, most likely between October 21 and 24.

SANCTIONS The Romanian Foreign Ministry Friday responded to recent accusations from neighbouring Serbia, which claimed that Bucharest seized a shipment of military vehicles coming from Russia on the Danube. According to the Romanian authorities, Bucharest only implemented the sanctions ordered by the European Union against Russia. Moreover, under the Romanian law, transit permits for the transport of military products can only be issued to a Romanian carrier. This is in keeping with the decision of the Council of the EU on restrictions against Russia following its destabilising intervention in Ukraine, the Romanian diplomacy also says.

BORDER The number of Romanian and foreign citizens registered at the Vama Veche checkpoint in the south-east of Romania has hit an all-time record, with over 730,000 people crossing the border there in the first half of the year, the Coast Guard reports. Compared to the first half of 2018, the number of people transiting the Vama Veche checkpoint is almost 40% higher. Border police officers say there is an increase at present in the number of foreign and Romanian tourists crossing the Romanian-Bulgarian border, and in order to reduce waiting time the Coast Guard has increased the personnel and is making full use of the infrastructure. In Constanta County there are 5 road border crossing points to Bulgaria, with a total of 9 inbound and 10 outbound lanes.

MEDAL President Klaus Iohannis Friday signed a decree awarding the National Order of the Star of Romania to tennis player Simona Halep. According to the Presidency, the head of state awarded this medal in “recognition and appreciation for winning the Wimbledon tennis tournament, for the exceptional athletic performances achieved throughout her career, for her position among the best players in the world and also for the talent, devotion, professionalism and dedication in the service of affirming Romanian sports at world level and of making tennis popular among Romanian youth. The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday. No 4 WTA, Simona Halep (27) was the leader of womens world tennis standings twice, between 2017 and 2019. She held this position for 64 weeks, being the 10th longest holder of the world tennis circuit leadership in history.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 July 2019
July 21, 2019

EU PM Viorica Dăncilă sees as fair the view taken by the new president elect of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen, who wants a new mechanism monitoring the rule of law in all member states. Dăncilă also said the Romanian Government would carry on talks with the European Commission concerning the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism with respect to Romania. The head of the Romanian Government added that after the elections for the European Parliament she discussed with the former president of the European Commission and the former first vice-president about the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and told them that Romania is open to discussion and that each and every aspect must be analysed separately. But, Viorica Dancila added, these talks must involve not only the Justice Ministry. The opinions of judges, prosecutors and magistrate associations must also be taken into account, in order for certain aspects in the CVM to be implemented or to explain why they cannot be implemented in Romania.

ELECTION Ukraine is holding early legislative elections today, with the party headed by the new president Volodymyr Zelensky standing most chances to win. The newly established party, called ‘Peoples Servant after the name of a TV show in which Zelensky plays a teacher unexpectedly turned president – is ahead of its challengers in polls, with 42% to 52% of the voting intentions. 2,742 candidates from 22 political parties take part in todays legislative election. They are running for 225 seats in parliament, distributed to the parties that make the 5% election threshold. Another 199 MPs will be elected in single-member constituencies. The early parliamentary elections were organised after in his inauguration speech Volodymyr Zelensky announced having decided to dismantle parliament.

BREXIT Thousands of anti-Brexit protesters rallied in London just days before Boris Johnson is expected to become Tory leader and the new Prime Minister. On Tuesday the Conservative Party is to announce the winner of the race for Theresa Mays replacement. Boris Johnson, former foreign secretary and a Brexit supporter, is seen as the frontrunner in this race.

MILITARY Romania has taken part, alongside another 11 NATO member countries, in the Sea Breeze 2019 international military exercise held until today in the Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea. More than 2,000 troops from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the USA and Turkey were involved. The main goal was to enhance interoperability and interaction between the naval forces of the participating countries. Taking part in the drills were 26 combat and auxiliary vessels, 10 airplanes and helicopters, as well as representatives of various institutions, public and non-governmental organisations.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

21 July 2019
May 13, 2019 UPDATE

JUDICIARY The European Commission confirmed on Monday that its first vice-president, Frans Timmermans, sent a new letter to the Romanian authorities on Friday, warning against the developments related to the rule of law in Romania. As the EC spokesman Margaritis Schinas put it, “The main concerns relate to developments interfering with judicial independence and the effective fight against corruption, including the protection of financial interests of the EU and particularly to the recently adopted amendments to the criminal code that create a de facto impunity for crimes. He added that unless these concerns are addressed or if further negative measures are taken, such as the promulgation of the latest amendments to the criminal legislation, the Commission will immediately activate the rules for safeguarding the rule of law and will suspend the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. This is the instrument used by the Commission to monitor developments in the Romanian judiciary ever since the country joined the bloc in 2007. On April 24, the European Commission announced it would closely monitor the draft amendments to the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, and reiterated that Romania must immediately resume reforms in this field.

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP Brussels is hosting for 2 days several events marking the 10th anniversary of the Eastern partnership. Romania is represented by the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, and the foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu. Officials for the 28 EU member states and the 6 partner states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, are assessing the progress made in an ambitious schedule for the coming year, aimed at ensuring concrete benefits for the citizens of the entire region, by means of efforts targeting stronger economies, governments and societies. The Eastern Partnership is an initiative that consists in the creation of a common area of democracy, prosperity, stability and close cooperation between the EU and the partner countries.

POLL The Army, the Church and the Romanian Academy are the institutions Romanian trust the most, according to the public opinion Barometre released on Monday by the Romanian Academy. The survey indicates that 68% of the respondents have “a lot of confidence in the Army, around 57% in the Church and over 45% in the Romanian Academy. Next come, in descending order, the Police, the Presidency, the National Bank of Romania, the City Hall, the Mass Media, the Constitutional Court, the Government, Parliament and the political parties. As for the international institutions, Romanians have “a lot of confidence in NATO – over 56%, EU – more than 55%, the UN – over 52%. The survey was conducted between April 12 and May 3.

CORRUPTION The Bucharest Court Monday sentenced a former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, to four and a half years in prison for bribe-taking, and dismissed the charges of money laundering. The ruling is not final and may be appealed against. In November 2015, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate indicted Sorin Oprescu for bribe-taking, money laundering, abuse of office and forming an organised crime group. Sorin Oprescu, a former member of the Social Democratic Party, was elected mayor of Bucharest in 2008, running as a non-affiliated candidate, and won a second term in office in 2012.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

13 May 2019
April 26, 2018 UPDATE

ISRAEL – While on an official visit to Israel, a Romanian delegation made up of PM Viorica Dăncilă, Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, was received on Thursday by President Reuven Rivlin. The Romanian officials said that strengthening cooperation with Israel was a priority, particularly considering the 70-year long tradition of diplomatic relations. The agenda of talks also included the appointment of a Romanian ambassador to Israel, given that the post has been vacant for almost one and a half years, the relocation of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and regional topics like the situation in Syria and the Iranian nuclear file. On Wednesday, PM Viorica Dăncilă and her counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the excellent level of bilateral relations. The Romanian prime minister voiced her satisfaction with the interest shown by the Israeli side in a proposed partnership that would generate joint projects in the field of new technologies. The participants also discussed means of cooperation in the military, strategic and cyber security fields. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Prime Minister visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Centre, and had a meeting with the leader of the left-wing Opposition in the Israeli Parliament, Isaac Herzog.

JUDICIARY – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Thursday referred a regulation on the organisation of the Official Journal to the Constitutional Court. The President argues that the public company that runs the Official Journal of Romania cannot be subordinated to the Chamber of Deputies as long as the law stipulates no powers for the Chamber in this respect. Meanwhile, also on Thursday the High Court of Cassation and Justice decided to refer to the Constitutional Court a bill on alternatives to imprisonment, under which sentences below 5 years in prison may be switched to house arrest or to weekend detention in special centres. The Chamber of Deputies endorsed this bill on Wednesday.

PROTESTS – Deputy PM Viorel Ştefan Thursday promised the Romanian trade unions in the public healthcare sector that on May 2 he would come up with a solution to address the income losses in the sector. The unionists, who staged a rally in Bucharest on Thursday, announced they would not give up their protests. Several categories of healthcare staff claim their net wages have dropped since the implementation of the new tax and salary regulations, and they demand the scrapping of the current 30% cap on bonuses. The rally in Bucharest will be followed by a token strike on May 7, while May 11 is the announced start date of an all-out strike in the healthcare and social assistance sector.

EPP – Ludovic Orban, president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition in Romania, announced that the European Peoples Party (EPP), the political family to which his party is also affiliated, will have a common candidate for president of the European Commission. Orban discussed the topic in Brussels with the EPP president, Joseph Daul. The candidate, Orban added, will be elected in the EPP congress due in November in Helsinki. Orban also said that he had discussed with the EPP leaders the details of a common strategy to ensure job stability at European level, a strategy that also targets the Romanians who will work in the UK after Brexit.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 1 in the world, will take on CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) in Fridays quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Stuttgart, which has 816,000 US dollars in total prize money. Halep previously defeated the Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova (18 WTA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. In last years edition of the Stuttgart tournament, Halep was defeated in the semi-finals.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 April 2018
12.04.2018 (mise à jour)

Visite — Le président de la Roumanie, Klaus Iohannis, a reçu, jeudi, à Bucarest, le ministre français des Affaires étrangères, Jean-Yves Le Drian. A l’occasion, le chef de l’Etat a déclaré que l’adhésion à l’espace Schengen demeurait une visée importante pour la Roumanie et a exprimé son espoir que la France soutienne une décision en ce sens. L’officiel de Paris a affirmé qu’il n’existe pas de blocage de la part de la France sur la perspective de la Roumanie de devenir membre de l’espace Schengen. Le Partenariat stratégique bilatéral, la présidence du Conseil de l’UE, que la Roumanie exercera au premier semestre de 2019, et des dossiers à l’agenda européen ont compté parmi les thèmes abordés. Antérieurement, dans la discussion qu’il avait eue avec son homologue roumain, Teodor Melescanu, le chef de la diplomatie française a déclaré que, pour Paris, il existe dans la guerre en Syrie une ligne rouge infranchissable, à savoir l’utilisation des armes chimiques. L’officiel français a affirmé que la France était déterminée à agir, sans pour autant préciser de quelle manière. A son tour, le chef de la diplomatie de Bucarest a précisé que la Roumanie soutenait la création d’un organisme d’enquête dédié à la récente attaque chimique en Syrie et censé décider des mesures à prendre. En réponse à l’attaque chimique présumée près de Damas, dont ils tiennent la Syrie et la Russie pour responsables, les Etats-Unis ont fait savoir que « toutes les options étaient sur la table ». Activistes, membres des équipes de secours et médecins ont déclaré que des dizaines de personnes avaient péri dans l’attaque chimique présumée perpétrée samedi dans la ville de Douma, contrôlée par les rebelles. Le gouvernement du président Bashar al-Assad, appuyé militairement par Moscou, a démenti toute implication dans cet incident.

Euro — A Bucarest, la Commission nationale pour le passage à l’euro a tenu sa première réunion ce jeudi. A l’occasion, la première ministre Viorica Dăncilă a déclaré que l’adoption, de la monnaie unique serait le troisième projet national, après l’adhésion à l’OTAN, en 2004, et à l’UE, en 2007. Récemment créée, cette commission, dont font partie, entre autres, le gouverneur de la Banque centrale et le président de l’Académie roumaine, s’est réunie pour discuter des critères requis par l’adoption de la monnaie unique. Les autorités de Bucarest souhaitent rejoindre la zone euro en 2024.

Nom — Le gouvernement de Bucarest a adopté, jeudi, une ordonnance d’urgence par laquelle la Commission nationale pour la prospective s’appellera la Commission nationale pour la stratégie et la prospective. Selon le gouvernement, la Commission élaborera des programmes sociaux et de développement économique ainsi que des prévisions et études sur l’équilibre macroéconomique. Elle aura également des attributions d’évaluation de l’impact économique et social des schémas d’aide d’Etat et des projets d’investissements publics développés en partenariat public-privé. En plus, la Commission aura aussi des attributions de coordination des activités ayant trait à l’adoption de l’euro.

Conférence — La ministre roumaine de l’Intérieur, Carmen Dan, participe ces jeudi et vendredi à la conférence ministérielle dans le cadre du Forum de Salzbourg — Processus de Vienne, qui a lieu dans la capitale autrichienne. A l’agenda des discussions figurent des thèmes d’intérêt pour les Etats membres, notamment pour les pays qui assureront la présidence tournante du Conseil de l’UE. Parmi eux, la sécurité au sein de l’Union, la migration et les procédures d’asile, la coopération policière et la lutte contre le terrorisme. La Roumanie exerce la présidence du Forum de Salzbourg, six mois durant, à compter de janvier 2018. Créé à l’initiative de l’Autriche, ce forum est une organisation de coopération dans le domaine de la sécurité entre les Etats d’Europe Centrale et de l’Est, à savoir Autriche, Bulgarie, Croatie, République tchèque, Hongrie, Pologne, Roumanie, Slovaquie et Slovénie.

Inflation — En Roumanie, le taux d’inflation annuel est passé de 4,7 % à 5% de févier à mars 2018, suite à la hausse des prix des produits alimentaires et non alimentaires et des services, a fait savoir jeudi l’Institut national de la statistique. Un niveau supérieur à ce chiffre avait été enregistré en juin 2013, les prix à la consommation ayant atteint alors 5,37%. La Banque centrale de Roumanie, qui, en février dernier, révisait à la hausse ses prévisions d’inflation pour la fin de l’année en cours, de 3,2% à 3,5%, table sur un taux d’inflation de 3,1% pour la fin 2019.

Sanitas — Les membres de SANITAS, fédération syndicale du secteur de la santé, ont annoncé qu’ils démarreraient une série de protestations. Ils se disent mécontents du niveau des revenus nets qu’ils ont touchés après les majorations salariales et de la mise en place de la nouvelle grille des compléments de rémunération. Iulian Cozianu, leader de la filiale locale de Sanitas, de Iasi (nord-est), a déclaré que les syndicalistes organiseraient des piquets de grève devant le siège de la Préfecture départementale, trois heures par jour, à compter de vendredi jusqu’à la fin de la semaine prochaine. Les membres de ce syndicat exigent entre autres la majoration au delà de 30 % du plafond des compléments de rémunération pour les salariés des établissements sanitaires publics. Ils soutiennent qu’en raison de la limitation à 30% de ces suppléments salariaux, plusieurs centaines d’employés du secteur ont vu diminuer leurs revenus de sommes allant de 65 à 280 euros. Le mois dernier, la Fédération syndicale Sanitas faisait savoir qu’elle entamerait des contestations qui devraient culminer par une grève générale.

Spotlight — Bucarest accueille du 12 au 15 avril la 4e édition du Festival Spotlight. En première pour la capitale roumaine, des tableaux lumineux géants couvriront plusieurs de ses édifices emblématiques. Selon les organisateurs de l’événement, le centre-ville se transformera, quatre jours durant, en exposition itinérante en plein air. Intitulée United We Shine, l’actuelle édition du festival Spotlight comporte 27 installations, projections et sections de projection vidéo 3D de plusieurs pays: France, Australie, Israël, Allemagne, Chine, Russie, Italie, Espagne et Roumanie.

12 April 2018