Radio România Internațional

Tag: confidence

  • January 22, 2025

    January 22, 2025

    ECONOMY The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Tuesday approved Romania’s 7-year fiscal structural plan to reduce the country’s budget deficit. The plan is designed to stabilise public debt as Romania remains among the top EU member states in terms of public investment – over 7% of GDP, bringing the budget deficit below 3% in 2025-2031, the finance minister Tánczos Barna explained. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Other topics on the ECOFIN meeting agenda include the current impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the 2025 European Semester and the endorsement of the revised recovery and resilience plans for Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

     

    POLL  90% of Romanians reject the idea of ​​leaving NATO, a record level of approval for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an INSCOP survey made public on Tuesday indicates. According to the poll, based on data collected at the end of last year, Romanians’ support for the West in terms of political and military alliances has increased by 10% over the past 3 years. The poll also shows that Romania’s European Union membership is seen by almost three-quarters of respondents as an advantage in terms of its effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Only 55% of Romanians believed this 3 years ago.

     

    PROTEST The Bucharest metro trade unionists today carry on their protest in front of the Government headquarters, demanding respect for the employees and the collective bargaining agreement. On Tuesday, they picketed the finance ministry, demanding pay raises and proper financing for the company. Metro employees also announced work-to-rule and token strikes, against the ordinance passed by the new government at the end of last year, which no longer allows hiring, promotions and the rights negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement registered in early December 2024.

     

    EARTHQUAKES Romania will have a seismic risk map for each locality, and the authorities in high-risk areas will have access to a governmental programme to consolidate public buildings, the development minister Cseke Attila announced. He added that the programme is fully funded from the state budget and that the priority is to consolidate healthcare units. According to the latest statistics, over 2,500 buildings in Bucharest alone are in danger of collapsing in intensity 7+ earthquakes similar to the one in 1977.

     

    POLLUTION Romanian authorities are closely monitoring the situation in the Black Sea, after 2 Russian oil tankers were badly damaged in the Kerch Strait at the end of last year, causing an environmental disaster in the area. The environment minister Mircea Fechet warned that everyone must be prepared, but stressed that the risks of the pollution wave reaching the Romanian coastline are minimal. Authorities are assessing the situation, after over 2,000 tons of highly toxic oil product spilled in the sea, causing the death of thousands of birds and leaving hundreds of dolphins stranded tens of kilometres from the shore.

     

    TRUMP The US president Donald Trump said new sanctions against Russia are “possible” if Moscow does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, AFP reports. He added the United States would consider continuing military aid to Kyiv, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump had previously said that Russia was heading for disaster if it refused to negotiate and sign a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian president, Trump expects Zelenskyy to be willing to sign an agreement. (AMP)

  • May 17, 2024

    May 17, 2024

     

    ECONOMY Confidex, the index that measures Romanian managers’ confidence in the local economy, has reached its highest level in 4 years-52.5, according to the latest relevant poll. Companies in the services sector are the most optimistic, followed by IT, constructions and retail firms. At the opposite pole are businesses in agriculture, energy and industry.

     

    ELECTIONS Romania’s Foreign Ministry and the Permanent Electoral Authority have put together the Guidelines for Romanian voters in polling stations abroad for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 9, 2024. The document answers the most frequent questions concerning the organisation of the ballot: who can vote, the identity documents required for voting, the opening hours of polling stations, the voting procedure and the operation of the IT system monitoring voter turnout and preventing illegal voting. Citizens can find the guidelines on the ministry’s website. The foreign ministry, via Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad, organises 915 polling stations for Romania’s members in the European Parliament, over double the number of stations opened for the European elections in 2019. Romanian nationals who live or travel abroad temporarily will be able to cast their ballots in any polling station abroad, using Romanian IDs valid on the day of the vote.

     

    HUMAN TRAFFICKING The government of Romania has put together a national strategy against trafficking in human beings, under which the authorities intend for Romania to have a national system to counter human trafficking operational by the end of 2028. The strategy rests on 4 core pillars: prevention, punishment, protection and partnership, and the novelty is an integrated governmental mechanism to earmark funding for victim protection and assistance. According to the National Agency against Human Trafficking (ANTIP), since 2005 as many as 19,000 human trafficking victims have been reported in Romania, and 4,000 traffickers have been convicted.

     

    STUDENTS A government resolution sets out the overall enrolment figures for public undergraduate and higher education units in Romania in the 2024 – 2025 academic year. The document sets the number of students to be enrolled in preschools, primary, secondary and high schools in the country, including for Romanian nationals living abroad, and for foreign citizens under bilateral agreements and unilateral commitments. Romanians living abroad will benefit from 1,900 places in undergraduate education units and 7,065 places in public universities, with a total of 800 monthly grants. For foreign citizens, 1,800 places have been earmarked in undergraduate education units and 4,430 in higher education institutions, with a total 1,710 monthly grants. Enrolment plans also include special places for minors who have applied for or received protection in Romania, and for stateless minors officially recognised as residing in Romania, the government explained.

     

    CHILDREN The Romanian health minister Alexandru Rafila said on Friday in Iaşi (north-eastern Romania), that preparations are under way for receiving Palestinian children to be treated in Romanian healthcare units after being wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza. Alexandru Rafila, who did not disclose the number of beneficiary kids, stated that they will be brought to Romania under the EU Protection Mechanism. He also said the exact date of arrival cannot be made public at the moment, but that the children will reach Romania “in the very, very near future.”

     

    INVESTMENTS The government approved a number of road and railway infrastructure investment projects. Over EUR 2.2 bln will be spent on revamping the approx. 150 km Focşani – Roman railway route in the east of the country in the next 3 years, a spokesman for the Cabinet announced. According to him, a rough EUR 200 mln has been earmarked for the revamping of a 42-km long segment of the A1 Bucharest-Piteşti motorway in the next 48 months.

     

    NATO The Romanian Defence Chief of Staff, gen. Gheorghiţă Vlad, took part on Thursday in Brussels in a meeting of the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session. Topics of strategic relevance were discussed, including the implementation of the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, the state of play in Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, and NATO’s continued support for Ukraine. Gen. Gheorghiţă Vlad emphasised “the need to develop national and regional mobility corridors to ensure smooth and quick transit of troops and materials at the times and to the places requested by the Alliance.” (AMP)

  • What are Romanians worried about?

    Most Romanians believe the country is heading in
    the wrong direction, reveals a survey conducted by the Centre for Urban and
    Regional Sociology – CURS, whose findings were made public on Sunday.




    According to the survey, this is the opinion
    shared by 69% of the people, as against 22% of respondents who said things are
    going in the right direction and 9% who could not or would not answer the
    question. Also, 41% of the interviewees said things would be worse in a year’s
    time, 38% said things would stay the same and 18% said the situation would
    improve.




    The poll indicates that the main problems facing
    Romanians are inflation (19%), the low incomes and
    implicitly lower living standards (17%) and corruption (16%). Cross-border
    issues such as migration and the war in Ukraine are a concern for only 3% of
    the respondents, on a par with those that identify Romania’s political class
    and its infrastructure as major problems.




    In terms of confidence in national institutions, firefighters rank
    first with 73%, followed by the Army (68%) and the Church (63%). NATO is seen
    as trustworthy by 42% of the Romanians, while 52% of them have little or no
    confidence in the North Atlantic Alliance. Also, only 35% of the respondents
    trust the EU, as opposed to 59% who don’t. Politicians and the government are
    at the bottom of the confidence ranking. A mere 13% have confidence in the
    Presidency and Parliament, and only 10% trust political parties.




    The obstacles faced by Romania in its efforts to join the Schengen
    area have eaten into its citizens’ optimism. As a result, 60% of the
    respondents believe the country will not be admitted this year either in the
    visa-free travel area, with only 27% of the people confident that Romania would
    join the club in 2023. Austria is blamed by 41% of Romanians for the country’s
    failure to join Schengen, while 21% of the citizens blame their own government
    and 12% say the responsibility lies with the EU Council.




    According to the poll, should parliamentary elections be held next
    weekend, half of the Romanians would vote for the 2 parties in today’s ruling
    coalition, with 31% of the respondents voting for the Social Democratic Party
    and 19% for the National Liberal Party. AUR and USR parties in opposition would
    get 18% and 11% of the votes, respectively, while the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians in Romania would get 5%.




    The CURS poll was conducted face to face between September 12 and
    22, on a sample of 1,008 respondents and with a 3.1% margin of error. (AMP)

  • Romanians’ Trust in Public Institutions

    Romanians’ Trust in Public Institutions

    A national-scale representative poll conducted over the telephone between September 29 and October 10, 2022, and involving some 1,000 citizens aged between 18 and 65, Romanias Security Barometer reflects the current trust that people have in the national and international institutional environment.



    The hierarchy has not changed much, but even the national institutions that regularly enjoyed high levels of public confidence, such as the Church and the Army, are now seeing their image tainted by recent difficulties.



    According to the Lab for Information War Analysis and Strategic Communication (LARICS), in a partnership with the Romanian Academys Institute for Political Sciences and International Relations, the year 2022 has been marked by the war in the region and the quite significant energy price surges. This set of crises has eroded even the publics confidence in NATO and the EU.



    Even so, Romania remains a mostly pro-Western and pro-European nation: 68% of Romanians are optimistic with respect to the EUs short-term future, 78% of them are optimistic as regards the US support for Eastern Europe, and only 10% of them believe the EU ought to disappear in the future.



    In spite of serious criticism against the Union, 74% of Romanians argue that it is better to be an EU member state than to be outside it. Romanians criticism with respect to the EU has to do with the current economic and energy-related situation: some member states are perceived to take economic advantage of Romania, the EU policies are not always seen as matching Romanias interests, and the bloc is sometimes believed to impose too many rules.



    But an equally disapproving attitude is reported as far as national and local authorities are concerned. Some 48% of the public blames the skyrocketing energy prices on Romanias leaders, 28% on EU policies and only 24% on the war in Ukraine.



    Should Romania come under attack, 36% of citizens say they would take part in the defence efforts, 33% are undecided and 29% would try to leave the country together with their families.



    Most Romanians believe Russia is to blame for the war in Ukraine and that the main obstacle to peace is Russia. Although Moscows responsibility is clear for most Romanians, 70% of them want the war stopped, and only 28% believe it should continue until Russia has been defeated. The reasons include fears that the conflict may spill over and that the economic crisis may deepen.



    According to Romanias Security Barometer, although a strategic shift in Romanians orientation is out of the question, a growing number of citizens argue that the country should be more pragmatic and focus on its own interests. Still, this should be done within the Euro-Atlantic framework, rather than outside it. (AMP)

  • September 29, 2022 UPDATE

    September 29, 2022 UPDATE

    ENERGY Romania will not be facing glitches in natural gas and
    electricity supplies, the state secretary with the Energy Ministry Dan Drăgan promised
    on Thursday. At the time, Romania has 80% of its natural gas storage facilities
    full, and hopefully the figure will be close to 90% in early November, he added.
    The official also called for solidarity between the authorities, producers and
    consumers, in line with the efforts made at EU level.


    PRICE CAPS Diesel and petrol prices will
    continue to be subsidised by roughly 10 eurocents until the end of the year, PM
    Nicolae Ciucă announced on Thursday. He said the measure has already produced
    visible results over the past 3 months, and fuel prices have been stabilised
    and even decreased. Moreover, the measure has yielded results throughout the
    supply chain, from providers to consumers. The PM added that on Saturday he
    would take part, alongside several other senior officials, including the
    president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, in the opening of
    the natural gas interconnector between Greece and Bulgaria, in Sofia.


    MONKEYPOX Romania is requesting support in managing a monkeypox
    outbreak. The National Committee for Emergency Situations Thursday decided to
    resort to the European civil protection mechanism for the medicines needed for
    approximately 150 patients. Romania has so far confirmed 40 cases, and in
    mid-September the country received from the European Commission 5,000 monkeypox
    vaccine doses, to be administered to those who get into contact with infected
    people.


    NATO NATO’s importance in countries’ national security has greatly
    increased in the eyes of the public from 14 European and North-American
    countries, according to a survey conducted by the German Marshall Fund made
    public on Thursday. The EU is also regarded as very important for the national
    security of countries in Europe. 78% of respondents said NATO is very important
    for their country’s security, as against only 67% last year. Respondents in
    countries near Russia and Ukraine place a particularly high value on NATO: 91%
    of Poles, 88% of Romanians and 87% of Lithuanians, the report says. Also, 81%
    of the European respondents said the EU is important for national security.


    UKRAINE Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is to sign on Friday the
    treaties on the annexation of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk,
    Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the Kremlin announced. The leaders of the 4 breakaway
    regions travelled to Moscow on Wednesday night for the ceremony, after the
    illegal referendums organised by Russia and described by both Kyiv and Western
    capitals as a sham. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is
    to hold an emergency meeting of top security and defence officials on Friday. The
    US announced plans, jointly with its allies and partners, to impose higher
    economic costs on Russia, while the European Commission proposed new sanctions. On the other hand, clashes continue to be reported in all the regions
    where the referendums were held, and several Ukrainian localities are being
    shelled. According to the Ukrainian defence ministry, the army focuses on
    regaining control over the entire Donetsk region. (AMP)

  • April 17, 2022 UPDATE

    April 17, 2022 UPDATE

    EASTER Catholic and
    Protestant Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. At the Vatican,
    Pope Francis once again called for peace, describing Easter as the gift of hope
    during the Mass held in a basilica with thousands of believers. On Sunday, the
    service took place in San Pietro Square after 2 years of Covid-related
    restrictions. For Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers, who celebrate Easter
    next weekend, it was Palm Sunday, commemorating the moment when Jesus Christ
    entered Jerusalem. In Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, nearly one and a half
    million people celebrated their name day on Sunday. President Klaus Iohannis
    wished happy and peaceful holidays to all those who celebrate Easter or Palm
    Sunday.


    UKRAINE As of midnight
    Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter EU ports, Romanian ports
    included. The ban also covers ships that replaced the Russian flag with the
    colours of another state after February 24 when the war in Ukraine started, but
    not those which need assistance or shelter for safety reasons or those which
    have saved lives at the sea. In an interview to Sunday’s issue of the German
    magazine Bild am Sonntag, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der
    Leyen said the next stage of EU sanctions will target Russia’s oil and banking
    sectors, particularly the country’s largest bank, Sberbank. She added that
    Brussels was working on smart mechanisms to include Russian oil in the new list
    of sanctions, so as to reduce the financing for Vladimir Putin’s invasion army.
    EU member states are currently paying for Russian gas and oil via Sberbank and
    Gazprombank, which have so far been exempt from Europe’s sanctions, Reuters
    explains. The EU announced on Sunday that EUR 50 million would be earmarked for
    humanitarian aid to be sent to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Some EUR 45
    million will go into humanitarian programmes in Ukraine, while the Republic of
    Moldova, where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have taken refuge since the
    start of the war, is set to receive EUR 5 million.


    REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who reached
    Romania on Saturday was 12.4% higher than on the previous days, the Romanian
    border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, over 730,000 Ukrainian
    citizens have entered the country, most of them leaving Romania for other
    destinations.


    POLL The Church ranks first in a public confidence
    poll in Romania. The survey conducted by CURS at the end of March indicates
    that 67% of the respondents trust the Church, up 4% since January. The Army, on
    the other hand, has lost 8% in the same survey. The most significant increase
    in public confidence was reported for the National Bank of Romania, with 42% of
    the respondents saying they trust the central bank, as opposed to half this
    figure in January. The poll was commissioned by the National Liberal Party and
    has a +/- 1.9% margin of error.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates 25 years
    since the Joint Statement on the Romania-Italy Strategic Partnership was
    signed. The genuine friendship between the 2 countries is facilitated by the
    presence of over 1 million Romanians in Italy, making up the largest foreign
    community in that country and also the largest Romanian community abroad, reads
    a news release issued by the institution.


    NORTH KOREA North Korea announced
    the successful test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at boosting
    the country’s nuclear capabilities, which may indicate that Pyongyang is ready
    to resume nuclear testing. North Korea suspended nuclear testing in 2017, and
    the following year it blew up the tunnels in its underground nuclear test site,
    but recent satellite imagery indicates digging and construction activities have
    been resumed.



    INVICTUS A
    group of 20 Romanian military wounded in battle fields are taking part in the
    one-week long Invictus Games, hosted his year by The Hague in the Netherlands.
    They will compete in 7 sports, 6 of them individual competitions (hand archery,
    athletics, rowing, powerlifting, cycling
    and swimming) and a team sport (sitting volleyball). The
    Invictus Games promote respect and empathy for the sacrifice and traumas of
    wounded military, whose involvement in these activities is an opportunity for
    social reintegration and for regaining self-confidence, the Romanian Defence
    Ministry says. For Romanian troops, this year’s Invictus participation is the
    third, after the ones in Toronto, in 2017, and Sydney, one year later. (AMP)

  • October 19, 2021

    October 19, 2021

    COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced on Monday over 10,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections and 261 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours. More than 1,700 patients are
    currently in intensive care. As regards vaccination, in Romania, the number of
    people that went through a full vaccination plan stands at roughly 5.7 million.
    The Romanian interim Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, has announced that 26
    patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been transferred to Hungary and that the
    situation these days is rather critical. Meanwhile, 32 medical staff from the
    neighbouring Republic of Moldova came to Romania on Monday and will treat
    COVID-19 patients for 12 days, in a mobile hospital in the village of Leţcani,
    Iaşi County. Romania now has new vaccination targets, after missing the
    previous ones because of citizens’ reluctance to the jab.


    AID Poland and Slovenia announced they are ready to help
    Romania fight the on-going healthcare crisis. The offers came after president
    Klaus Iohannis presented the situation in a videoconference ahead of a European
    Council meeting due in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Attending the
    conference were the prime ministers of the 2 countries, who voiced their
    willingness to help Romania, as well as the president of the European Council,
    Charles Michel, ho undertook to facilitate EU-level aid. Hit hard by the 4th
    wave of the pandemic, Romania has already received medical equipment from Poland,
    Italy and Denmark.


    GOVERNMENT The relevant parliamentary committees are interviewing
    today the proposed members of PM designate Dacian Cioloş’s cabinet. Deputies
    and Senators will discuss with both former ministers in the coalition
    government comprising the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the
    Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, headed by the Liberal Florin Cîţu.
    Stelian Ion is once again nominated for justice minister, Ioana Mihăilă for
    health minister and Cătălin Drulă for transport minister, while former deputy
    PM Dan Barna is the proposed foreign minister. New names in the cabinet include
    environment activist Mihai Goţiu for environment minister, the former prefect
    of Bucharest Alin Stoica for interior minister and former fighter pilot Nicu
    Fălcoi for defence minister. The decision of Save Romania Union (USR) to
    present Parliament with a proposed one-party government was made after
    negotiations with the former partners failed to lead to the restoration of the
    right-wing coalition. The Liberals and
    ethnic Hungarian party would not resume cooperation with USR, because the
    latter backed a motion of no-confidence against the Cîţu government. The Social
    Democrats in opposition are also against a government headed by Cioloş, whom
    they accuse of irresponsibly protracting this political crisis. The Social
    Democrats and the nationalist party AUR demand early elections. Cioloş’s team
    needs 234 votes in Parliament, and USR only has 80 MPs. The vote on the
    proposed government is scheduled for Wednesday.


    AUTOMOTIVE The Ford production unit in Craiova (south-western Romania) is
    temporarily downsizing operations because of a semiconductor shortage. Until
    Thursday the plant will operate in one shift instead of three, both in the
    vehicle and the engine production divisions. The vehicles for which sale
    contracts have already been signed will be a priority, the management announced.
    Employees will be paid idle time up to 78% of their base salaries. In turn, the
    Dacia plant in Mioveni, Argeș County, controlled by the French group Renault, suspended
    its operations for lack of electronic components on October 8, sending home
    around 90% of its 14,000 employees at the time.


    OPINION POLL The Army and the Church rank first in terms of public
    confidence in Romania, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Information
    Warfare analysis and Strategic Communication Laboratory. Specifically, some 87%
    of the Romanians say they trust the Army, 70% the Church, 67% – the Romanian Intelligence
    Service and the Romanian Academy. Confidence is politicians is low, at some 20%,
    with the President, Parliament and Government on the top 3 positions. The main
    threats against Romania, according to over 40% of the respondents, are the
    politicians’ corruption and incompetence. The main threats facing the EU are an
    economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements between some member
    states. the poll was conducted by telephone between October 1 and 10, with a de
    +/- 3.1% margin of error.



    MOLDOVA The leader of the Socialists Party in the neighbouring Republic of
    Moldova, the pro-Russian ex-president Igor Dodon, announced he stepped down as
    a Parliament member and party president. He said he will continue to work as
    part of the Moldovan-Russian Entrepreneur Union, to strengthen economic
    relations with Russia. Dodon explains his role as an opposition leader will be
    better served from outside Parliament. One year ago he lost the presidential
    election to pro-European Maia Sandu, whose party, Action and Solidarity, defeated
    the Socialists and their allies, the Communists, in July’s early parliamentary
    election. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 25, 2020 UPDATE

    January 25, 2020 UPDATE

    PARLIAMENT The 2 chambers of Romanias Parliament will convene on January 28 for a special session focusing on a bill scrapping the so-called special pensions paid to magistrates, which are not based on the principle of previous contributions. The Judicial Inspection Division says the bill tramples on the principles of judge independence and immovability, and comes against provisions in the Constitution and regulations by the European Court for Human Rights. On January 29, Parliament also convenes in a joint session to discuss the bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system in local elections, for which the Government takes responsibility before Parliament. The Orban Cabinet says the bill is intended to strengthen democratic standards at local community level. President Klaus Iohannis had previously requested a special Parliamentary session to this end. The Social Democrats, in opposition, reiterated that jointly with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, they will table a no-confidence motion against the Liberal Government.




    HOLOCAUST The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban takes part on Monday in an official ceremony celebrating 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, organised by the Polish authorities on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to a news release issued on Saturday by the Romanian Government, officials from several countries, Holocaust survivors and members of Jewish associations will be attending the ceremony, held under the patronage of the president of Poland Andrzej Duda. The Government of Romania, the release also reads, reconfirms its pledge to carry on Holocaust education and research efforts, to commemorate the Holocaust victims and to take responsibility for the countrys history.




    CORONAVIRUS China has announced extending the lockdown and introducing several other measures, such as suspending tour services abroad, in order to contain the newly discovered coronavirus, initially identified in Wuhan. In Hubei, a province in central China, bus, underground and ferry services have been suspended, and outbound planes and trains cancelled. The Chinese army has sent medical teams to the outbreak region, as the total number of cases is now over 1,300. Hong Kong has declared the highest state of emergency. The virus has reached Europe as well, with 3 cases confirmed in France. The European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides will have a meeting on Monday with relevant officials from member countries, to discuss ways to respond to the spread of the new virus.




    EARTHQUAKE At least 22 people died, more than 1,200 were injured n a major earthquake that hit eastern Turkey on Friday night, Turkish authorities have announced. 2,000 rescuers are searching for survivors in the collapsed buildings. The 6.8 magnitude quake was followed by scores of aftershocks. The earthquake, centred 550 km east of the capital city Ankara, in Elazig province, was also felt in Iran, Syria and Lebanon. Turkey is frequently affected by major tremors. In 1999, 17,000 people died and half a million lost their homes in a 7.6 earthquake in the north-west of the country, while another one hit the eastern province of Van in 2011, killing more than 500.




    FILM “Home, Romanian director Radu Ciorniciucs first film, premieres on Sunday in the international documentary competition of the most important American independent film festival, Sundance. “Home is the first Romanian documentary selected into this festivals competition, next to 11 other documentaries from around the world, in the World Cinema Documentary category. The film documents the life of a family who lived for 20 years in the Văcărești Delta, up until the place was declared a protected area and was renamed Văcărești Nature Park, the first urban nature park in Romania. Another Romanian film, Colectiv, by Alexander Nanau, will be screened in the festivals Spotlight section. This is a documentary on the events taking place in the first year after the fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, in which 64 young people died.




    IMPEACHMENT Donald Trumps lawyers Saturday began to present their opening arguments in Senate, in the impeachment trial. They argued that removing the US president from office would set a very dangerous precedent in an election year. You will find that the President has done absolutely nothing illegal, the White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Trumps lead impeachment lawyer, has said. The Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his powers and obstructing Congress. The President will likely be cleared in the Senate, where the Republicans have a majority, but the impact of the trial on the public opinion remains to be seen.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, number 3 in the world, has moved up into the 4th round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Kazakh Iulia Putintseva (38 WTA) 6-1, 6-4, on Saturday in Melbourne. On Sunday Halep is to take on Belgian Elise Mertens (17 WTA), who beat CiCi (Catherine) Bellis (600 WTA) 6-1, 6-7, 6-0 in the 3rd round. Last year in Melbourne Halep lost in the 4th round, and in 2018 she reached the Australian Open final. Also on Saturday Monica Niculescu (Romania) / Misaki Doi (Japan) moved up into the next round of the doubles tournament, having defeated the Japanese Nao Hibino/Makoto Ninomiya 6-2, 7-5. Niculescu and Doi are to play next against Hao-ching Chan and Latisha Chan (Taiwan).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 25, 2020

    January 25, 2020

    PARLIAMENT The 2 chambers of Romanias Parliament will convene on January 28 for a special session focusing on a bill scrapping the so-called special pensions paid to magistrates, which are not based on the principle of previous contributions. The Judicial Inspection Division says the bill tramples on the principles of judge independence and immovability, and comes against provisions in the Constitution and regulations by the European Court for Human Rights. On January 29, Parliament also convenes in a joint session to discuss the bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system in local elections, for which the Government takes responsibility before Parliament. The Orban Cabinet says the bill is intended to strengthen democratic standards at local community level. President Klaus Iohannis had previously requested a special Parliamentary session to this end. The Social Democrats, in opposition, reiterated that jointly with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, they will table a no-confidence motion against the Liberal Government.




    HOLOCAUST The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban takes part on Monday in an official ceremony celebrating 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, organised by the Polish authorities on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to a news release issued on Saturday by the Romanian Government, officials from several countries, Holocaust survivors and members of Jewish associations will be attending the ceremony, held under the patronage of the president of Poland Andrzej Duda. The Government of Romania, the release also reads, reconfirms its pledge to carry on Holocaust education and research efforts, to commemorate the Holocaust victims and to take responsibility for the countrys history.




    IMMIGRANTS Romanian border police caught 9 citizens of Egypt, Iraq and Somalia attempting to cross the border into Hungary illegally, with the help of 2 Romanian citizens, the Romanian Border Police announced on Saturday. The investigations revealed that the 7 men and 2 women, aged between 21 and 52, had applied for asylum in Romania. They are currently probed into for attempted illegal border crossing, while the Romanian citizens are facing human trafficking charges.




    CORONAVIRUS China has today announced extending the lockdown introduced in order to contain the newly discovered coronavirus, initially identified in Wuhan. Five cities in Hubei, a province in central China, have been added to the 13 where all bus, underground and ferry services have been suspended, and all outbound planes and trains cancelled. The Chinese army has sent medical teams to the outbreak region, after the death toll has reached 41, out of a total of over 1,300 cases. The virus has reached Europe as well, with 2 cases confirmed in France. The World Health Organisation has decided not to class the virus as an international emergency.




    EARTHQUAKE At least 21 people died, more than 1,000 were injured and several buildings collapsed in a major earthquake that hit eastern Turkey on Friday night, Turkish authorities have announced. The 6.8 magnitude quake was followed by scores of aftershocks. The earthquake, centred 550 km east of the capital city Ankara, in Elazig province, was also felt in Iran, Syria and Lebanon. Turkey is frequently affected by major tremors. In 1999, 17,000 people died and half a million lost their homes in a 7.6 earthquake in the north-west of the country, while another one hit the eastern province of Van in 2011, killing more than 500.




    FILM “Home, Romanian director Radu Ciorniciucs first film, premieres on Sunday in the international documentary competition of the most important American independent film festival, Sundance. “Home is the first Romanian documentary selected into this festivals competition, next to 11 other documentaries from around the world, in the World Cinema Documentary category. The film documents the life of a family who lived for 20 years in the Văcărești Delta, up until the place was declared a protected area and was renamed Văcărești Nature Park, the first urban nature park in Romania. Another Romanian film, Colectiv, by Alexander Nanau, will be screened in the festivals Spotlight section. This is a documentary on the events taking place in the first year after the fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, in which 64 young people died.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, number 3 in the world, has moved up into the 4th round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Kazakh Iulia Putintseva (38 WTA) 6-1, 6-4, on Saturday in Melbourne. On Sunday Halep is to take on Belgian Elise Mertens (17 WTA), who beat CiCi (Catherine) Bellis (600 WTA) 6-1, 6-7, 6-0 in the 3rd round. Last year in Melbourne Halep lost in the 4th round, and in 2018 she reached the Australian Open final. Also on Saturday Monica Niculescu (Romania) / Misaki Doi (Japan) moved up into the next round of the doubles tournament, having defeated the Japanese Nao Hibino/Makoto Ninomiya 6-2, 7-5. Niculescu and Doi are to play next against Hao-ching Chan and Latisha Chan (Taiwan).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 20, 2020 UPDATE

    January 20, 2020 UPDATE

    PARLIAMENT The Parliament of Romania will convene on January 29, for a joint session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Government will ask the 2 chambers for a confidence vote over a bill reintroducing the 2-round election system for mayors, arguing that this will improve democratic standards at local community level. The election of mayors in 2 rounds, says the Government, will give local elected officials more legitimacy. President Klaus Iohannis had previously asked Parliament to convene in a special session for the amendment of election laws. The Social Democratic Party in opposition announced that, jointly with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, will table a no-confidence motion against the Liberal Government.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in a EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. The agenda included talks on Sahel region and on climate diplomacy, and a working lunch focusing on developments in the Middle East. As regards Sahel, Aurescu mentioned the dramatic deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation, and argued for a more substantial engagement of the EU in the region. He also emphasised the importance of consistent and quicker implementation of the Mali peace agreement. On the other hand, the Romanian diplomat said the EU must promote measures to address climate change among G20 and big polluters, as well as through a regional approach. With respect to the Iranian nuclear deal, Bogdan Aurescu welcomed the decision of the EU three to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism.




    POLLUTION The Environment Minister Costel Alexe Monday had a meeting with representatives of Brasov, Iasi and Bucharest, the 3 Romanian cities that are currently under an infringement procedure because of serious air quality problems. The Environment Minister said the local authorities understood that the agreed measures must be implemented at a much higher pace. The Bucharest Mayor Gabriela Firea said a lot more drastic measures will be taken with respect to the sanitation companies which must wash the streets more often. She explained that the dust in Bucharest is primarily caused by private construction sites, as well as by sites developed by the local authorities. In turn, the Iasi Mayor Mihai Chirica says local administrations cannot take all the necessary measures by themselves, and need governmental support.




    RUSSIA Russias president Vladimir Putin Monday presented Parliament with his suggestions to amend the Constitution, less than a week after a surprising announcement regarding a reform of the countrys political system. The bill includes measures such as strengthening the role of Parliament in appointing the prime minister and limiting the number of presidential terms in office to 2, instead of 2 consecutive terms. Another provision is the establishment of a State Council to “determine the main directions of home and foreign policy. Mondays amendments seem to rule out a prospective return to Kremlin for Putin after 2024, when his current term in office ends, but observers expect him to try to secure his control over the country after that date. Putin wants to remain Russias ruler for life, his main opponent Aleksei Navalny has said.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 29, 2019 UPDATE

    December 29, 2019 UPDATE

    VISIT PM Ludovic Orban will be on a working visit to EU and NATO institutions in Brussels between January 7th and 9th, the Government announced on Sunday. The Romanian PM will have meetings with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The agenda also includes talks with the president of the European Council Charles Michel and with the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli.




    PENSIONS The Romanian public pension system is in imminent danger, given that the number of employed contributors has dropped significantly, and people need to be encouraged to save money in privately-managed pension funds, which ensure more safety, transparency and traceability, the Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru said in an interview to AGERPRES news agency. She also warned that there is a trend across Europe to increase the retirement age, but she did not suggest that the Government plans to take any measures in this respect in the current term in office. The Labour Minister also expressed concern with the budgetary impact of the planned 40% pension raise as of September 2020, as decided by the previous, Social Democratic cabinet dismissed in October, but said that as long as she is the labour minister the law will be complied with.




    CUSTOMS The customs offices on the Romanian – Moldovan border will be revamped and upgraded as part of a EU-funded project. Included in the project are the check points in Albiţa, Sculeni and Giurgiuleşti, which are seen as strategic points for the Unions security policy. The programme has a 36-month deadline for implementation, a total budget of 10 million euros, and is designed to enhance institutional and operational efficiency in customs offices by modernising the infrastructure and streamlining the transit of goods and persons. A number of 347 customs workers will also be trained to use special equipment to fight cross-border organised crime.




    FINANCIAL Most analysts in CFA Romania Association expect the national currency to depreciate in the next 12 months, to 4.8663 leu for the euro, with an average inflation rate of 3.52%, according to data in the Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator for November. CFA Romania is an organisation of chartered financial analysts certified by the CFA Institute (USA). At present CFA Romania has over 240 members. The Macroeconomic Confidence Indicator was launched by CFA Romania in May 2011 and is designed to measure the financial analysts expectations regarding Romanias economy for the coming 12 months.




    BORDER Nearly 900,000 people came into Romania during the Christmas period, and 655,000 left the country, the Romanian Border Police announced on Sunday. The highest numbers were reported on the Hungarian border, in the west of the country. On the other hand, Romanian border police have caught Middle Eastern citizens attempting to illegally cross the border into Hungary. They were coming from Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, had applied for asylum in Romania, and were trying to get to Hungary and further west illegally.




    UKRAINE The Ukrainian governmental forces and the pro-Russian separatists in east Ukraine Sunday completed a prisoner exchange, thanks to which all people taken captive in the 5-year conflict were able to return home, Reuters reports. The operation took place in the breakaway Donbass region. According to Kiev, a total of 76 Ukrainian prisoners were freed. Since 2014, over 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict in east Ukraine, with occasional clashes still reported in spite of the ceasefire. The prisoner exchange agreement was reached in a summit in Paris this month by the Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraines president Volodimir Zelenskiy. The French-German brokered deal also includes a number of measures such as consolidation of the cease-fire, massive prisoner swaps by the end of December and new troop pull-outs from the 3 zones by the end of March 2020.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review 8-14 December

    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)

  • Government resorts to exceptional procedure to pass 3 bills

    Government resorts to exceptional procedure to pass 3 bills

    Tuesdays Government meeting was, for the first time in history, held in 2 sittings, with an intermission in the afternoon to allow PM Ludovic Orban and some of his Cabinet members to take part in a roundtable organised by trade unions with respect to next years economic prospects. Later in the day, the Government resumed its meeting, with a first reading of a bill for which the Cabinet is to request Parliaments confidence within 10 days.



    The bill concerns the repeal of provisions in the infamous Order 114, dubbed the “greed tax order, under which a year ago the Social Democratic cabinet had introduced additional taxes for banks and ceilings on electricity prices for households. Unhappy with the consequences of that order, the Liberals are now seeking to cancel it. In the talks with business people ahead of the Government meeting, PM Ludovic Orban spoke about the provisions to be cancelled:



    Ludovic Orban: “We want to repeal the provisions regarding ceilings on the price of electricity for households, as well as the current energy export limitations and the overcharges introduced in the energy sector. We also intend to cancel all the provisions concerning privately-managed pension funds in the public pension system, the financial-banking system, and charges in the communications sector. There are a number of other provisions we have in mind, but facilities for consumers will not be affected.



    All these changes will be discussed with the social partners, prior to being pushed through Parliament. Meanwhile, however, the Government initiated an extraordinary procedure, requesting Parliaments confidence on 3 other pieces of legislation: a bill amending the justice laws, the repeal of Order 51/2019 on county transportation, and a bill setting public budget ceilings.



    Back when they were in Opposition, the Liberals constantly criticised the justice laws, which they now want amended to the effect of deferring the early retirement of magistrates, the extension of the seniority requirement for entry-level magistrates from 2 to 4 years and the increase in the membership of judge panels from 2 to 3. The Orban Cabinet, which is now trying to have these provisions deferred, may seek to fully repeal them next year.



    Secondly, the Government wants to define in-county transportation as a public service subordinated to local authorities, so as to make sure that transport companies provide free school transport for children.



    Last, but not least, the Orban Cabinet will take responsibility before Parliament for a bill setting the public budget ceilings on which the 2020 state budget law will be based. Posted for public review on the home page of the Finance Ministry, the bill stipulates a budget deficit of maximum 3.6% of GDP, and a 9.7% cap on personnel expenditure. Next years public budget will also rely on an expected 4% economic growth rate.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 5, 2019 UPDATE

    August 5, 2019 UPDATE

    INVESTIGATION In Caracal, southern Romania, searches continued on Monday at the home of Gheorghe Dincă, the man who claimed, after being apprehended more than a week ago, that he had killed 2 teenagers, 15-year old Alexanda Măceşanu and 18-year old Luiza Melencu. The investigators, who followed a new lead indicated by Gheorghe Dinca, found fragments of burnt bones and ashes in a bag, in a forest near Caracal. Dinca claims the remains belong to Luiza. Over the past few days, new biological samples were collected from the mans home and courtyard. The investigation now focuses on finding new clues to confirm that Luiza Melencu, missing since April, has been in Dincas house. The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, in charge of the case, announced that the ash taken from Dincas residence showed traces of Alexandra Măceşanus DNA, the girl who went missing on July 24th and who called the emergency services the next day. The response of the authorities was too late, which led to a number of resignations and dismissals.




    EU Romania ranks 2nd in the EU, on a par with Portugal, in terms of a positive public image of the EU, indicates a new Eurobarometer poll made public on Monday. The number of Romanians having a positive view of the European bloc has grown to 60%, above the EU average of 44%. The new poll shows a strong increase in citizens positive perception of the EU in all areas, from economy to the state of democracy. These are the best Eurobarometer results since June 2014. Also, 52% of the Romanians have confidence in the EU, as against a 44% average in Europe. Some of the main findings of the Eurobarometer also include record-strong support for the single currency and a focus on climate change, as the 2nd biggest concern at EU level, after immigration.




    MOLDOVA The General Prosecution of the Republic of Moldova Monday opened a criminal case in which Vlad Plahotniuc is probed into for usurping power in June 2019. A group of prosecutors will look into the events of June 7th to 9th, when former Democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc and judges with the Constitutional Court approved rulings, decisions and resolutions contrary to the Constitution of Moldova, in order to enable the Democrats to stay in power abusively. Sworn in by Parliament on June 8th, the new Government in Chisinau, headed by the pro-European Maia Sandu, only managed to take office in mid-June, after a deadlock cause by the previous, leftist government controlled by tycoon Vladimir Plahotniuc, who refused to relinquish power.




    FESTIVAL Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta, south-eastern Romania, is hosting as of Monday the 16th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival. The official opening included the screening of the latest film by director Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don’t Die, launched at this years official Cannes competition. Six foreign and Romanian feature films take part in the official competition. The special guest of this years edition is Ukrainian director, Sergei Loznitsa, winner of the Cannes 2018 “Un Certain Regard award. He will receive the “ANONIMUL Award for his contribution to world cinema. A retrospective of his works will be followed by Q&A sessions. The festival also includes, until August 11, screenings of films awarded in other festivals, talks with filmmakers and film critics, Q&A sessions with production teams. A section entitled Fluidități will screen 4 documentaries on art, discussing topics like the fine arts, music, cultural traditions and crafts.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 13, 2019 UPDATE

    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)