Radio România Internațional

Tag: Constitutional Court

March 10, 2025 UPDATE 2

VIOLENCE – Leaders of REPER Party have filed a criminal complaint on Monday for acts of public incitement and outrage in the context of Sunday’s clashes at the Central Election Bureau. The complaint concerns the public statements made by the president of AUR, George Simion, the mercenary Horaţiu Potra and the former independent presidential candidate, the pro-Russian and anti-Western extremist Călin Georgescu. According to REPER leaders, the two incited violence against state authorities, directly resulting in acts of vandalism and aggression against law enforcement in the center of the Capital. The National Liberal Party (PNL) also firmly condemned and rejected any form of violence in public or private life. Over 500 people were identified in the area of the violent protest on Sunday evening at the headquarters of the Central Election Bureau (BEC), and based on the footage of security forces and public sources, the individuals who committed acts of public violence will to be identified and prosecuted, the Bucharest Riot Police says. As a result of the clashes, 13 riot police officers were injured and taken to hospital, four of whom are receiving treatment. The protesters, supporters of Călin Georgescu, also caused destruction. The violence broke out after BEC rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the presidential election in May. The Bureau invoked the Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election at the end of last year, stating that Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet the conditions of legality since, by failing to respect the electoral procedure, he violated the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial suffrage.

DISINFORMATION – The Romanian Riot Police reports that several accounts on TikTok and Facebook are running a disinformation campaign regarding Sunday night’s incidents in central Bucharest. According to the false narratives, the riot police beat women, used rubber bullets and tear gas, brought agitators to cause violence, beat people on the subway and used drones to launch tear gas. All these messages are false, the Riot Police reports, and are intended to manipulate citizens with the aim of provoking other acts of violence.

CHALLENGE – Independent presidential candidate Călin Georgescu announced that he has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court against yesterday’s decision of the Central Election Bureau to reject his candidacy for the presidential election in May. In response to the request, the rector of the National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Remus Pricopie, filed a memorandum calling on the Court to maintain the ruling of rejecting Călin Georgescu’s candidacy, arguing that its registration goes against constitutional provisions. Also on Monday, a complaint against Nicuşor Dan’s candidacy for the Presidency was also filed with the Constitutional Court. The Court announced that it will rule all complaints filed so far tomorrow. Announcing Călin Georgescu’s decision to refer BEC’s decision to the Constitutional Court was the leader of the opposition party Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), George Simion. The Central Election Bureau does not have the authority to reject a candidacy on the merits and accused the institution of committing an abuse. Simion called on Călin Georgescu’s supporters not to resort to violence if they continue to protest against BEC’s decision.

(VP)

10 March 2025
February 11, 2025 UPDATE

RESIGNATION Romania’s outgoing president Klaus Iohannis is ending his mandate and Senate Speaker Ilie Bolojan will be taking over as interim president. Klaus Iohannis stepped down on Monday after a suspension procedure had been initiated against him in Parliament. On Tuesday the Constitutional Court took note of President Klaus Iohannis’ resignation and ruled that Senate Speaker Ilie Bolojan take over as interim president starting February 12. Bolojan had stepped down as president of the National Liberal Party (PNL). Klaus Iohannis served as president in two mandates and his last one was supposed to end in December 2024. However, the Constitutional Court ruled to cancel the first round of election in December due to interferences in the election process. Romania will have presidential election in two rounds, on May 4 and 18.

TRADE The EU Polish presidency summoned the member states on Wednesday for talks over the effects and the response of the community bloc to the US decision to levy higher import taxes on all steel and aluminum entering the USA. According to our correspondent in Brussels, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen says the US decision will trigger a similar response from the EU. To similar decisions by president Trump in his first mandate, the EU responded by imposing taxes on a series of US products. The US taxes could trigger an inflow of steel and aluminum imports from the global market, and the oversupply could seriously affect the local producers, including from Romania.

REAL ESTATE As of Tuesday ruling coalition MPs are holding public consultations in order to regulate protection measures addressing people who conclude sale-purchase deeds with real estate developers. Representatives of real estate developers, public notaries and the National Agency for Land Registry and Real Estate Advertising are also expected to take part. The goal is to complete the legal framework with regulations that will offer the end beneficiaries robust guarantees for the advances paid in real estate transactions and that will also ensure the development and proper functioning of the relevant market in Romania. The initiative comes after hundreds of people who got scammed in the Nordis case called for amending the relevant legislation. Former PSD deputy Laura Vicol, her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholder of the Nordis group, and three other people were put on pre-trial arrest as part of this investigation. The inquiry targets individuals and companies accused of having collected over 195 million EUROS from clients without handing over the apartments.

112 The buildings of over 100 public and private institutions in Romania were lit in red on Tuesday, marking the European 112 Day. By means of a symbolic visual approach, the Special Telecommunications Service wants to draw attention to the instrumental role of the single emergency number and to encourage citizens to use it responsibly. Abusive emergency calls can jeopardize the swift intervention of specialized teams where it is needed the most, Service officials say. In 2024, as a result of the efforts of the relevant authorities and emergency response services, as well as other government partners and private telecommunications operators, the number of non-emergency calls decreased by nearly one million compared to previous years. 112 Emergency Service operators took over 9.7 million calls, of which 60.45% were actual emergencies, the Special Telecommunications Service also reports.

(bill)

11 February 2025
February 11, 2025

RESIGNATION – The Constitutional Court has taken note of president Klaus Iohannis’ resignation. The two chambers of Parliament in Bucharest have also decided to annul Tuesday’s plenary sitting, where the main point on the agenda was the debate on the impeachment of Klaus Iohannis, after the populist and isolationist parties POT, AUR and S.O.S. Romania, in addition to the pro-European USR party, filed a motion in that regard. According to the Constitution, Senate Speaker Ilie Bolojan is expected to take over as interim president, after he has just stepped down as president of the National Liberal Party (PNL). Bolojan’s attributes remain limited: he will not be able to address Parliament on key political issues, he may not dissolve Parliament and will not be able to call a national referendum.

BUDGET – Romania’s outgoing president, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday signed a number of executive orders, including the ratification of state budget and social security budget laws for 2025. Last week, the two bills were adopted by Parliament. The budget is based on a deficit target of 7% of GDP and an estimated economic growth rate of 2.5%. The Energy, Education, Health, Transport, Environment, Defense and Investments and European Funds ministries will get additional funds. Finance Minister Barna Tánczos, stated that all the conditions have been met to “support the development of the country by means of record-high investments”, while Romania will have “the resources to ensure the payment of salaries and pensions and restore financial balance”.

CORRUPTION – The level of corruption remains very high at global level, while efforts to combat this phenomenon are decreasing, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International. According to the organization, the lack of strong measures against corruption spells serious repercussions globally in key areas such as protecting democracy, observing the rule of law, protecting the environment and combating climate change, and promoting and protecting human rights. In 2024, the average score at EU level was 62, down by two points compared to previous years. For the third year in a row, Romania was rated with a score of 46 out of 100 possible points, the same as Malta. Romania also fares very poorly at EU level in terms of combating corruption. Transparency International Romania made a number of recommendations, such as the implementation of Integrity Pacts as a widespread tool for monitoring public procurement, improving citizens’ awareness of the importance of applying the Law on the Protection of Public Whistleblowers or updating the legislation in the field of public integrity. Transparency International Romania also recommends the government implement an anti-corruption program that would help Romania improve its Corruption Perceptions Index score to at least 50 by 2027.

REAL ESTATE – Ruling coalition MPs are as of today holding public consultations in order to regulate protection measures addressing people who conclude sale-purchase deeds with real estate developers. Representatives of real estate developers, public notaries and the National Agency for Land Registry and Real Estate Advertising are also expected to take part. The goal is to complete the legal framework with regulations that will offer the end beneficiaries robust guarantees for the advances paid in real estate transactions and that will also ensure the development and proper functioning of the relevant market in Romania. The initiative comes after hundreds of people who got scammed in the Nordis case called for amending the relevant legislation. Former PSD deputy Laura Vicol, her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholder of the Nordis group, and three other people were put on pre-trial arrest as part of this investigation. The inquiry targets individuals and companies accused of having collected over 195 million EUR from clients without handing over the apartments.

112 – The buildings of over 100 public and private institutions in Romania will be lit in red today, marking the European 112 Day. By means of a symbolic visual approach, the Special Telecommunications Service wants to draw attention to the instrumental role of the single emergency number and to encourage citizens to use it responsibly. Abusive emergency calls can jeopardize the swift intervention of specialized teams where it is needed the most, Service officials say. In 2024, as a result of the efforts of the relevant authorities and emergency response services, as well as other government partners and private telecommunications operators, the number of non-emergency calls decreased by nearly one million compared to previous years. 112 Emergency Service operators took over 9.7 million calls, of which 60.45% were actual emergencies, the Special Telecommunications Service also reports.

GLOBAL TRADE – France’s Industry Minister, Marc Ferracci, told a TF1 interview that Europe should respond in a firm and united manner to the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, also expressing hope such a response would happen soon. On Monday, the U.S. president substantially increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 25%, “without exceptions or exemptions”, in the hope this step would help struggling U.S. industries. However, the measure risks triggering a trade war on several fronts, Reuters reports. (VP)

11 February 2025
December 7, 2024 UPDATE

ELECTION Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday announced he held talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the two agreed that social media security must be strengthened upon the election in Romania. The talks came after the Romanian Central Election Office had implemented the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court (CCR) on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. According to the head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, voting operations have frozen in all polling stations abroad as well as any preparations in the country. Upon the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs were scheduled for December 8. The voting had already kicked off abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court believes the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties have conducted a series of large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the only ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

TENNIS Romania has qualified for the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Cup after winning 8-5 against Germany and losing 8-0 to China in the competition’s second stage in Chengdu. The semifinals and finals will be taking place on Sunday. Romania will be playing China in the semis, while South Korea will be up against Hong Kong. Romania was unable to make it to the competition’s second stage last year.

(bill)

7 December 2024
December 7, 2024

ELECTION The Romanian Central Election Office has applied the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. The head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, says that all voting operations have been frozen in all the polling stations abroad as well as the preparations in the country. After the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs have been scheduled for December 8. The voting already started abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court says that the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties are conducting large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

(bill)

7 December 2024
November 28, 2024 UPDATE

CSAT – The Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), meeting on Thursday in Bucharest, found that there were cyber attacks with the aim of influencing the correctness of the electoral process in the first round of the presidential election in Romania, the Presidential Administration reports. The members of the Council confirmed that, in the current regional security and especially electoral context, Romania, along with other states on the Eastern Flank of NATO, has become a priority for the hostile actions of some state and non-state actors, especially the Russian Federation which shows a growing interest in influencing the public agenda in Romanian society and social cohesion. The Presidency of Romania shows that the analysis of the documents revealed the fact that, by violating the electoral legislation, a candidate in the presidential election, in this case the independent Călin Georgescu, benefited from a massive exposure due to the preferential treatment that the TikTok platform gave him with an impact on the final result of the election. In this sense, the CSAT members asked the authorities with responsibilities in the field of national security, those with responsibilities in the smooth running of the electoral process, as well as the criminal investigation bodies to urgently take the necessary steps to clarify these aspects.

STS – The Special Telecommunications Service (STS) reported that no vulnerabilities were identified regarding the provision, under security conditions, of communications services and information technology made available to the Permanent Electoral Authority, the organizer of the November 24 presidential election. STS also states that, neither before nor during the electoral process, did it receive information from other entities with responsibilities in the field of cyber security regarding the development of cyber attacks.

Constitutional Court – The Central Electoral Bureau approved the recount of all ballots in the first round of the presidential election, after the Constitutional Court of Romania has asked for it. With unanimity of votes, the CCR judges decided to request the re-verification and recount of all valid and invalid ballots from the November 24 election. The deadline by which the Central Electoral Bureau has to convey the results to the Constitutional Court is Friday, at 2:00 p.m., when a new meeting of the CCR is scheduled. The judges’ decision comes after the request of the presidential candidate Cristian Terheş, who argued that the votes received by Ludovic Orban would have been counted for Elena Lasconi, who ranked second with a difference of only 2,742 votes from the 3^rd placed candidate, the current prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. At the same time, the judges of the Constitutional Court rejected, also unanimously, as late, the request to cancel the first round of voting made by Sebastian Popescu, a candidate from the New Romania Party. We remind you that on December 1 parliamentary elections will take place in Romania and the second round of the presidential election is scheduled for December 8.

Reactions – The decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) to request the Central Electoral Bureau to recount all the votes cast in the first round of the presidential election is criticized by several political parties. CCR is playing with national security, wrote on Facebook Save Romania Union’s (USR) candidate for the presidential seat, Elena Lasconi, qualified in the second round of the presidential election. She says that extremism is fought by voting and not by behind-the-scenes plotting. The leader of the Forţa Dreptei (Force of the Right) party, Ludovic Orban, who gave up running in the first round in favor of Elena Lasconi, believes that CCR is playing along the Social Democratic Party (in the governing coalition) to remove the USR candidate from the decisive round of the election. He believes that the result of the vote is clear, unambiguous and without any question mark. In turn, the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, George Simion, criticized the Constitutional Court and accused it of turning into a pawn on the political stage. According to the law, the CCR cancels the elections if the voting and the results took place through fraud in such a way as to change the assignment of the mandate or the order of the candidates who can participate in the second round of voting. In this situation, the CCR will order the repeat of the first round of the presidential election on the second Sunday from the date when the election was cancelled.

December 1 – Approximately 2,500 specialists and military personnel, 190 technical equipment and 45 aircraft will participate in the traditional military parade in Bucharest, on December 1, on the National Day of Romania. Along with the Romanian soldiers, approximately 240 foreign soldiers from Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia and France will march in the parade. They will be joined by colleagues from Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Great Britain, Spain, the USA and Turkey. At the same time, an exhibition of military equipment will be organized which can be visited after the end of the official ceremony. Romania’s National Day will be marked by military ceremonies in other large cities of the country, as well as in the theaters of operations where Romanian soldiers are deployed.

BOR – The Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has reminded its clergy that they are not allowed to support candidates or participate in electoral campaigns as supporters. They are required to maintain their neutrality both in public statements and in practical activity. The political option of the priest will be expressed only by secret personal vote, the heads of the Orthodox Church have stressed, ahead of the parliamentary elections due on December 1, on the National Day, and the second round of the presidential election, on December 8. At the same time, the Synod reiterates its appeal to the leaders of the political parties not to allow the recruitment of members from the clergy, nor the use for political purposes of church personnel, locations, services and symbols. BOR does not recommend supporting any political party or any political ideology, but urges all citizens to make choices aimed at achieving the good of the country and at promoting Christian values in society. At the last population census in Romania, in 2021, 85.3% of the total resident population declared themselves Christian Orthodox. (LS)

28 November 2024
Who is running for Romania’s presidency?

The presidential election is now in a straight line. The most awaited election of all four organized this year in Romania will take place in two rounds: on November 24 and December 8. The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), meeting on Sunday evening to analyze the last files submitted, rejected 10 candidacies and admitted the registration of another 9. Thus, in total, there are 16 admitted candidates in the race for Romania’s presidency. The final list of competitors will be announced on October 10, after other mandatory documents will be submitted, such as the affidavits regarding their status of workers or collaborators of the Securitate (Political Police of the former Communist regime), as well as the declarations of wealth and interests. The electoral campaign for the presidential election officially begins on October 25 and is about to be a fierce one, given the political stakes of the election.

Unofficially, however, the campaign has already started for weeks, with each of the most famous aspirants to the presidential seat trying to maximize their pole position in the race. These are, in the order of submission of candidacies to the BEC, George Simion, from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), Elena Lasconi representing the Save Romania Union (USR) and Nicolae Ciucă, the leader of the National Liberal Party, followed by Kelemen Hunor, from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Mircea Geoană, an independent candidate and Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party. A huge scandal broke out on Saturday evening, after the judges of the Constitutional Court (CCR) admitted, with a majority of votes, the objections to the registration of Diana Şoşoacă’s candidacy in the presidential race. The controversial MEP submitted a new candidacy file, but it was also rejected on Sunday, this time by the Central Electoral Bureau. The Constitutional Court’s decision to remove the S.O.S. president from the electoral race is final and unprecedented.

Romania has deepened the differences between the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL), which are currently partners in the government. Diana Şoşoacă accused that her removal from the race would favor the AUR leader, George Simion, who would thus have better chances to enter the second round, and the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, credited by the polls with the first chance, would have an easier fight against his opponent in the final round of the presidential election. The opinion was shared by PNL and USR, whose leaders – Nicolae Ciucă and Elena Lasconi – believe that PSD would have influenced the rejection of Mrs. Șoșoacă’s candidacy. The PSD rejected the accusations, and Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that the CCR must quickly publish their motivation, otherwise we can talk about a vulnerability of the democratic system in Romania. The Court’s decision may have constitutional coverage, but it certainly has anti-democratic effects, unhealthy for democracy, the independent Mircea Geoană also reacted. (LS)

7 October 2024
September 17, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – The EC president Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday unveiled the new college of commissioners. Romania’s nominee for one of the 27 European Commissioner posts, the former minister for EU funding and incumbent MEP Roxana Mînzatu, was appointed Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness and will also be the new Commissioner for Skills, Education, Quality Jobs and Social Rights. In Bucharest, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu hailed the fact that Romania obtains for the first time since joining the EU the position of Commission vice-president, and also the fact that Roxana Mînzatu will coordinate a major portfolio with a budget of 235 billion euros – a fifth of the Union’s budget. The team proposed by Ursula von der Leyen will next be interviewed by the European Parliament. Given the length of the procedures, the new commission might begin their term in office later than scheduled, possibly as late as December.

COOPERATION – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies passed the draft law on the Romania – Moldova cooperation agreement in the military field. According to the document, the two states will support each other in all aspects regarding the preparation and participation in multinational missions and operations under the auspices of the UN, OSCE, NATO or the EU. Deputy Daniel Gheorghe said that the Chisinau administration must give up the neutrality that keeps it captive in the ex-Soviet space, and that the agreement with Romania is a step towards standardization with the North Atlantic area.

FLOODS – The government of Romania approved direct financial aid for the victims of the recent floods in the east of the country, which left 7 people dead and nearly 6,500 homes damaged. People are still accommodated in the temporary sites arranged by the local authorities, and interior ministry personnel are helped by emergency inspectorate staff from other counties, who have brought over intervention vehicles and large capacity pumps to take out the water and mud from the flooded houses. Meanwhile, water and food supplies are being distributed to the victims, both from the state reserve and from private citizens and companies that have donated clothes, footwear, blankets and mattresses. The Red Cross also dispatched trucks with water and food to the area.

DIPLOMACY – Romania will continue to stand by the Republic of Moldova on a bilateral level, on a European level in the negotiations for EU accession, but also in concrete aspects related to economic development, infrastructure consolidation and, above all, energy security, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu said Tuesday in Chisinau. The head of Romanian diplomacy co-chaired the fifth Ministerial Conference of the Partnership Platform for the Republic of Moldova. She said that the Platform was created with the goal of supporting both financially and sectorally the Republic of Moldova, seriously affected by the consequences of the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. In this context, a Joint Declaration of the Foreign Ministers of Romania, France, Germany and the Republic of Moldova was adopted, reconfirming the important role of this cooperation format and the joint commitment to support the Republic of Moldova in the European integration process, as well as in the efforts for economic development and consolidation of resilience. In Chisinau, the head of the Romanian diplomacy was received, along with the other ministers, by the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu.

FUGITIVES – The Constitutional Court of Romania postponed, for Thursday, the discussions on the notification lodged by the High Court of Cassation and Justice with respect to the so-called Fugitives Act. The law endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies in November 2023 stipulates that citizens subject to a final court sentence who fail to turn themselves in within 7 days to be incarcerated are to be declared fugitives and receive a further 6 month to 3 year sentence. The supreme court believes the law comes against the right to fair trial and individual freedom. Sorin Oprescu, a former mayor of Bucharest, and Alina Bica, a former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, are some of the high-profile officials who managed to leave the country in order to escape a prison sentence. Italy and Greece are the countries preferred by the fugitives.

CLIMATE – Romania plans to be carbon neutral by 2045, as opposed to its previous target, 2050, according to a new version of the National Integrated Plan on Energy and Climate Change. Bucharest also intends to cover 38% of the country’s total energy demand from renewable sources by 2030. The energy ministry announced on Tuesday additional policies and measures to increase the share of renewable energy, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions substantially and to implement innovating solutions in all economic sectors. The revised plan includes measures to cut emissions in essential sectors such as energy, transport, housing and industry, and aims to implement advanced technologies such as the use of renewable hydrogen.

ENESCU – The 19^th edition of the “George Enescu” International Classical Music Competition takes place in Bucharest until September 27, under the high patronage of the Romanian Presidency. Enrolled in this year’s competition are a record 667 musicians aged 13 to 35. The “George Enescu” International Competition, initiated in 1958, is one of the most important events of this kind in the world, providing a platform for rising musicians to prove their skills. Over the years, the competition has consolidated Romania’s standing in the global cultural arena, and is the only competition in the country affiliated to the World Federation of International Music Competitions. The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation is one of the co-producers of the event.

17 September 2024
June 18, 2024

GOVERNMENT – The governments of Romania and the State of Bavaria are today convening in a joint session marking 25 years of bilateral ties. The two delegations will sign a memorandum on entrepreneurship, SMEs and startups. The agenda of the meeting also includes the Schengen Area, migration, security cooperation, the war in Ukraine, as well as Moldova’s EU integration. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and his Bavarian counterpart, Markus Söder, will hold bilateral talks, followed by a private meeting. Of Germany’s federal states, Bavaria is Romania’s biggest investor and trade partner, two-way trade exceeding 8 bln EUR.

MEETING – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is meeting his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday in Bucharest. According to the presidency, the Italian president’s visit continues top-level exchanges after the Romanian president’s visit to Italy in 2018, the first after a 45-year break, as well as in the context of the joint Romanian-Italian government session hosted by Rome over February 14-15 this year. Romania and Italy this year celebrate 145 years of diplomat ties, as well as 60 years since relations were elevated to the rank of Embassy. The two officials will also tackle developments at European and global levels, focusing on the EU Strategic Agenda and security topics.

LAW – The Constitutional Court of Romania is today examining a notification from the High Court of Cassation and Justice regarding the so-called “Law on Fugitives”. At the end of 2023, the High Court referred to the Constitutional Court the Law on modifying and amending the 2009 Criminal Code Law, passed by the Chamber of Deputies in 2023. The said law stipulated that people with final sentences who do not turn themselves in to undergo imprisonment procedures within seven days of the sentence being passed are considered fugitives and risk an additional prison sentence of 6 months up to 3 years. The law allegedly violates the right to fair trial and the right to individual freedom, the High Court argues. Former Bucharest Mayor General Sorin Oprescu and former chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, Alina Bica, are two examples of Romanian officials who managed to flee Romania to elude prison sentences. Italy and Greece are the top destinations for fugitives from the law.

BACCALAUREATE – The Romanian Baccalaureate continues today and tomorrow with the oral examination in the Romanian language. High-school pupils will then undergo the maternal and foreign language examinations as well as the computer skills test. The written exams are scheduled to start on July 1. Education Ministry officials say they have undertaken additional security measures to reduce the possibility of fraud. CCTV surveillance systems will be used to monitor all examinations, while the evaluation of written exams will be available on the digital platform only.

EXHIBITION – Italy’s capital-city Rome is hosting an exhibition featuring Romanian traditional costumes and ceramic items from the collections of the Romanian Village Museum, alongside other exhibits from the Museum of Civilizations in Rome. Open until July 14, the exhibition also marks the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, celebrated on June 24.

ELECTIONS – European heads of state and government met face to face, for the first time since the European Parliament elections, to negotiate the highest positions in European institutions. The current president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is favorite to be entrusted with a new term at the helm of the Commission, backed not just by the winner of the European Parliament elections, the European People’s Party, but also enjoying the support of most heads of state or government in Europe. The former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa is credited expected to be designated President of the European Council, while the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, will reportedly be appointed High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

EURO 2024 – Turkey is today playing Georgia while Portugal will take on Czechia in Group F fixtures. On Tuesday, in Group E, Romania grabbed a 3-0 win against Ukraine, while Slovakia won 1-0 against Belgium. (VP)

18 June 2024
MPs regain their special pensions

The Constitutional Court declared
unconstitutional the law whereby the special pensions of MPs were eliminated.
Court judges did not discuss the merits of the law, but merely ruled against
the procedure whereby the bill was passed. Although it was not officially
launched, the bill was swiftly passed through Parliament, in a single day,
which would allegedly impact the democratic character of the state, the Court
argued. The ruling follows after 70 former MPs who lost their special rights
regained them in court in several tribunals across the country. In February
2021, Parliament adopted the bill tabled by PSD on the elimination of special
pensions for senators and deputies, to the detriment of another two similar
initiatives submitted by PNL and USR. The only party that abstained at the time
was UDMR, which labeled the bill a populist and contentious law, saying that
all special pensions should be eliminated.

The Social Democrats reacted to the
Court’s ruling, reiterating their support for the original bill, adding they
would table the bill as many times as the Court deems it necessary. In turn,
USR believes the ruling is a shameful blow given to all Romanians who need a
lifetime of honest work to contribute to the pension system and who strive to
make ends meet. USR says it awaits the motivation of the Court, considering
that at the time the bill was passed, the Ombudsman identified no elements of
unconstitutionality.

Approximately 820 former MPs who benefited from these
special pensions before will receive their financial rights for the last 15
months, during which time payments had been suspended. The list includes former
Prime Ministers Adrian Năstase, Petre Roman or Teodor Stolojan. Additionally, a
number of Constitutional Court judges also received the special pensions,
including the current Court president, Valer Dorneanu. The special pension
received by a Romanian member of parliament ranges between 400 Euro, for short
terms over 1990-1992, after the collapse of the communist regime, and as much
as 2,400 Euro for MPs who served three times. Approximately 10,000 people
benefit from special pensions, half of whom are magistrates, according to the
National Pension Authority. These pensions add to those received by military,
policemen, secret service employees, whose special allowances are paid by the
Ministries of Defense and the Interior. 4,452 judges and prosecutors receive
special pensions, the highest of which stands at some 4,000 Euro. (VP)

6 May 2022
May 3, 2022 UPDATE

GAS — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said Tuesday, when the Romanian state-owned company Romgaz purchased 50% of ExxonMobile’s stake in the Neptun Deep Black Sea gas project, that the deposits would be exploited no later than 2026. Ciuca also said that, according to estimates, there is enough gas to also supply countries in the region and in the EU. There is an area in the Black Sea from where around 100 billion cubic meters of gas could be extracted. The American company ExxonMobile held half of the exploitation rights in that area while the Austrian company OMV Petrom holds the other half. Romgaz paid over 1 billion dollars for the transaction. However, before gas exploitation in the Black Sea is initiated, investors are waiting for the offshore law to be modified. The law is currently under debate by the expert committees of the Romanian Senate.

APPOINTMENT — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the decrees for the appointment of Marcel Bolos as Minister of Investment and European Projects and of Sebastian Burduja as Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization. Bolos, who enjoys the support of the Liberals, has been a minister of digitalization since January, when the former minister, Florin Roman, resigned. He has also been an interim minister with the Ministry of European Funds since early April. Bolos also served as minister of European Funds between November 2019 and December 2020. In turn, Liberal Sebastian Burduja is a vice president of the budget, finance and banks committee with the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Bucharest’s Sector 1 branch of the National Liberal Party. In 2019 he was a state secretary with the Finance Ministry. He graduated from Stanford University and attended a joint MA programme in business administration and public policies at Harvard University. He also got a PhD in economy at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest.

JUDGES — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Tuesday elected the current deputy prosecutor general Bogdan Licu, supported by the Social Democrats, as judge with the Romanian Constitutional Court. Also, Iulia Scantei, the head of the Senate’s legal committee, who enjoys the Liberals’ support, was endorsed by the MPs. The two will replace the current head of the Court, Valer Dorneanu and judge Mona Pivniceru, whose mandates expire in June. The Constitutional Court is made up of nine judges appointed for a 9-year mandate. Of them, three are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three buy the Senate and three by the country’s President.

FORECAST – The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised downwards Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year from 4.3% to 2.9%. The Commission says that overlapping shocks such as the geopolitical context, successive energy price increases and disruptions in global supply chains are amplifying risks and economic uncertainty, also impacting short-term expectations and the behaviour of the business sector. The forecast is in line with the estimates made by international financial institutions, which also revised downwards their forecast for Romanias economic growth.

EUROBAROMETER – Three quarters of young Romanians feel optimistic about the future of the European Union, while half of them believe things are headed in the right direction for the EU, according to a Eurobarometer published on Monday. According to the survey, young Romanians have greater support for European policies compared to other age categories and are content with their lives. Their main concerns are related to the education system, the economy, unemployment, housing, the environment and climate change. (EE)

3 May 2022
May 3, 2022

WAR IN UKRAINE – The European Commission is today
discussing the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which might include a
spaced-out embargo on oil imports. Yesterday’s meeting of the EU Energy Ministers
underlined, however, the lack of consensus regarding sanctions on Russian
energy imports. Whereas Germany seems willing to curb its reliance on oil
imports from the Russian Federation, Hungary again has opposed the move.
Earlier today, Slovakia announced it will try to obtain an exemption from any
embargo on Russian oil agreed at EU level. Meanwhile, American and British
officials believe Russia is preparing to officially declare war on Ukraine in
order to mobilize its reserve army, in an attempt to conquer the east and south
of Ukraine. At the same time, the US ambassador to the OSCE, quoted by our
Washington correspondent, says Russia is ready to annex new Ukrainian
territories.

NATURAL GAS – The Romanian state-owned company Romgaz is expected
to complete the deal allowing the American company ExxonMobil to exploit the
natural gas deposits in the Black Sea, in the Neptune Deep offshore field. Some
100 billion cubic meters of gas are expected to be extracted from the area,
while exploitation rights are owned by ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom in equal
shares. Romgaz will pay over $1 billion for today’s contract. Before extraction
works can start, investors expect Romanian authorities to modify the offshore
law, which the Senate’s special committees started debating today. The main
modifications to the document adopted four years ago have to do with lowering
exploitation taxes for deposits in the Black Sea as well as on land, as well as
with the elimination of restrictions on prices, all part of a legal framework
to ensure predictability. The Romanian state and state-owned enterprises will
be given priority to buy the resulting output, while 60% of the profit will go
to the state. Additionally, companies will be able to deduct 40% of their
investment, compared to 30% under the current legislation.

FORECAST – The National Strategy and Forecast Company
downgraded to 2.9% the economic growth forecast for this year, compared to 4.3%
previously. The Commission says the overlapping shocks generated by the energy
price hikes which impacted global supply chains) are amplifying the risks and
economic uncertainty, also impacting the short-term evolution of the business
sector. The forecast is in line with the estimates presented by international
financial institutions, which significantly lowered their forecast regarding
Romania’s economic growth in 2022. The IMF recently estimated a growth of 2.2%
for 2020, down from 4.8% originally, while the World Bank estimated Romania’s
GDP growth to stand at 1.9% this year.

EUROBAROMETER
– Three quarters of young Romanians
feel optimistic about the future of the European Union, while half of them
believe things are headed in the right direction for the EU, according to a
Eurobarometer published on Monday. According to the survey, young Romanians
have greater support for European policies compared to other age categories and
are content with their lives. Their main concerns are related to the education
system, the economy, unemployment, housing, the environment and climate
change.

RWB – Romania can boast of a diverse, relatively
pluralistic media landscape that produces hard-hitting public interest
investigations. Pressure from owners, lack of transparency in financing or
market difficulties, however, hamper the reliability of the information, reads
the 2022 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters without Borders.
Romania ranks 56th, down by 8 positions compared to the previous
year. Norway remains top of the world press freedom index for the sixth
consecutive year, followed by Denmark and Sweden. The lowest-placed countries
in terms of press freedom are China, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Iran, Eritrea and
North Korea. In a message released today to mark World Press Freedom Day,
Romania’s Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, expressed
confidence there is no democracy without press freedom, whereas journalists
should be allowed to do their job.

COLECTIV – The Bucharest Court of Appeal earlier today
postponed for the fifth time a final sentence in the court case investigating
the Colectiv nightclub fire of October 30, 2015, when 64 people were killed and
another 200 were injured. During a rock concert hosted by the club that night,
the pyrotechnics show ignited the foam covering the ceiling and walls of the
overcrowded venue. Part of the people were killed on the spot, while other died
to the burns, the deadly mix of fumes or in the stampede near the exit. The
court of first instance handed down sentences between 3 and 11 years in prison
to district 4 mayor at the time, Cristian Popescu Piedone, cityhall workers,
club owners, firefighters, pyrotechnicians as well as representatives of the
pyrotechnics company.

CCR – The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are today
convening in a joint plenary sitting to appoint two new Constitutional Court
(CCR) judges, one of them expected to replace the current president of CCR,
Valer Dorneanu. The mandates of the two judges expire in June, and under the
law, the new judges must be designated at least a month in advance. CCR
comprises nine judges, appointed for a mandate of nine years. Of these, three
are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the
president of Romania. The Court replaces a third of its judges every three
years.

GOPO AWARDS – A new Gopo Awards Gala will take place this evening
in Bucharest, celebrating the best-performing cinema projects in the last year.
Some 900 guests are expected to attend. 19 features launched in cinemas or
streaming platforms in 2021 have been nominated in 20 categories. This year’s
edition also celebrates solidarity. Film enthusiasts from around the world are
invited to take part in a fund-raising campaign titled United through Film.
All proceeds will go to Ukrainian filmmakers with the help of the International
Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk. (VP)

3 May 2022
The crisis is putting Romanian society to the test

In Romania, the current health crisis is overlapping a political one, which is by no means new. Lets briefly recall that, last autumn, the Social Democrats were ousted by means of a non-confidence motion and, if the Covid-19 pandemic had not occurred, Romania would have probably held, this spring, in addition to local elections, early parliamentary elections, which, according to president Iohannis, would have altered, we quote, “the toxic Social Democratic Parliament majority”.

For about two months now, the quasi-exclusive concern for combating the growing number of infections and deaths caused by the new coronavirus has silenced the political fighting. However, it has made a strong reappearance this week, following a decision, blamed by some, applauded by others, by the Constitutional Court of Romania, which has unanimously ruled that the fundamental human rights cannot be restricted by a decree, as it has happened during the current state of emergency, and also that the very large fines given over the same period do not comply with the fundamental law.

President Klaus Iohannis was surprised by the Courts ruling, saying that without those fines, the number of deaths would have been much higher:

“It is quite surprising that these sanctions have become questionable today, although it is quite obvious, to all of us, that they have been helpful in preventing the spread of the virus. What is also surprising is the position of some authorities that, by their mission or legal nature, have the constitutional obligation not to lose sight, when making decisions, of the general interest of society.”

The president has also pointed the finger at the Social Democratic Party, which, in his opinion, has had, quote, a “downright toxic” attitude in parliament and “has remained the same party, concerned only to save its barons”. The Social Democrats have counterattacked, saying that the head of the country has, quote, “dictatorial accents”, that “he must always be right” and that “he attacks fundamental state institutions”.

According to the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu:

“The Government is no longer credible and it contracts no loans. Soon, it will run out of salary and pension money. Although Romanians are faced with the problems every day, Iohannis never speaks about a project to revive the economy. He only talks about the Social Democratic Party. For six months the National Liberal Party has governed the country, and the Social Democratic Party has been in opposition! So, stop blaming others! You have the power, so start governing and taking measures to benefit the Romanians!”.

What is clear is the current crisis is putting the entire Romanian society to the test. (M. Ignatescu)

8 May 2020
Romania’s Constitutional Court Rejects Increases in Fines

One of the measures imposed during the state of emergency in Romania was a significant increase in the value of the fines meant to discourage those who would hamper authorities efforts to eradicate the new coronavirus. Under an emergency government decree, Romanians caught red-handed were forced to pay huge amounts, as to their purchasing power. Against a medium salary of approx. 700 Euro, the minimum fine was increased to 400 Euro, and the maximum one to over 4000 Euro.

Also, against the background of some rather vague provisions included in the military decrees issued during the state of emergency, whose interpretation was left to the discretion of the police, some people were caught offside and fined abusively; for example, elderly people without any kind of support or less informed or educated people from the rural areas.

In this context, on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court of Romania admitted the claim filed by the Ombudsman against the emergency government decree that established those huge sanctions for non-compliance with the rules of quarantine and isolation. In other words, the very large fines were declared unconstitutional.

The CCR judges argue that the provisions of the decree are lacking in clarity, precision and predictability, and the establishment of the facts constituting a contravention is left, arbitrarily, to the discretion of police officers.

The Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has reacted, saying the ruling of the Constitutional Court is a political one:

“We could say that this ruling actually prevents the Government, the authorities, from protecting the health and lives of the Romanians. This decision can lead to a situation in which authorities can no longer impose any fines for violating the rules that are established during the state of emergency.”

In turn, the Finance Minister Florin Citu has defended himself, stating that the role of the large fines was not to bring money to the budget, but to reduce the risk of further spread.

On the other side of the political barricade, the opposition represented by the Social Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania, have drafted a bill to automatically cancel most of the fines given during the state of emergency, so the activity of the courts is not blocked with hundreds of thousands of lawsuits.

The Foundation for the Protection of Citizens against State Abuse has informed all Romanians who consider that they have been abusively fined that, at least for now, they can challenge the fines in court until May 30th. More than 300 thousand fines have been given over this period of time. (M.Ignatescu)

7 May 2020
Fiscal measures at the start of 2020

On January 1 the laws on the state budget and social security budget for 2020, originally
adopted on December 23 by the Government by taking responsibility in Parliament
and subsequently ratified by President Klaus Iohannis, were published in the
Official Gazette. The Social-Democrat speakers of the Senate and Chamber of
Deputies have challenged the Government’s choice of method when adopting the
two laws at the Constitutional Court. Magistrates are expecting the opinions
from the Government and Parliament regarding a potential legal conflict in this
matter.

Interim Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu recently said that Liberal
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban should resign if Court judges decide that the
Government generated such a conflict. In turn, Prime Minister Orban said the Constitution
has no provision preventing the Government from taking responsibility over the
budget law, whereas invoking a constitutional conflict is just a subterfuge of
the Social-Democrats. The budget was built on a 4.1% growth rate, an inflation
rate of 3.1% and on an average exchange rate of 4.75 lei for a Euro. Convened
in its first session in 2020, the Government passed an emergency decree
modifying some of the provisions of the emergency decree 114, which in 2018
introduced additional taxes for companies in the energy, telecommunications and
banking sectors.

The new decree allows for the implementation of certain
measures included in the budget law for 2020. The new measures stipulate a cap
on the allowances of high-ranking officials at the level of December, 2019, a
one-year postponement of the law on special pensions for elected officials, a 30-euro
cap for 1 point of fine for road traffic offences, and a ban on the temporary
transfer of employees from the private to the public sector. Additional
measures were adopted compelling private pension funds to supplement their
capital and increase their administration fees. The 2% tax will be slashed for
companies in the energy sector, in addition to taxes on banking assets.
Although the Government was also planning to proscribe the accumulation of state-paid
salaries and pensions, it finally decided to wait for the Constitutional Court
to express its opinion in this matter. Finally, the Government gave assurances
that the holiday vouchers for public sector employees will be distributed in
2020 as well.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

7 January 2020