Radio România Internațional

Tag: council

  • July 26, 2018 UPDATE

    July 26, 2018 UPDATE

    EU PRESIDENCY Romania has finalised a calendar of the events and meetings to be held in the country and abroad during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The announcement was made by the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, who presented a report of his term in office so far. The calendar includes 1,400 formal meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg, and another 300 meetings in Romania. Negrescu added that the venues for these meetings have also been chosen.



    ANTI-CORRUPTION In Bucharest, the 4 candidates for the office of head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate were interviewed on Thursday by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. On Friday a decision will be reached on either the nomination of one candidate, or the restart of the procedure, Tudorel Toader said. The 4 candidates are prosecutor Florentina Mirică – head of the Corruption Combating Division of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, prosecutor Cristian Lazăr – deputy chief of the Prosecution Division in the General Prosecutors Office, prosecutor Marius Iacob – deputy chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and prosecutor Elena Grecu – head of division in the central structure of the Directorate. The former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruţa Kovesi was dismissed under an order issued on July 9 by President Klaus Iohannis, further to a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Romania.




    GREECE The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced there is no information on whether there are any Romanians among the victims of the wildfires in Greece. The latest death toll of the wildfires that recently ravaged Greece stands at 81; 200 other people have been wounded with scores still missing. The Custodian of the Crown of Romania and president of the Romanian Red Cross, Margareta, has conveyed a message to Greece in which she expressed her compassion for the fire victims at the same time pledging support from the Romanian Red Cross. In turn, the Romanian Orthodox Church has urged all its churches around the country and abroad to donate money in order to give financial support to the victims of the fires in Greece. The funds raised will be eventually donated to the Archbishopric of Athens. On Wednesday Romania dispatched two planes to the fire-affected areas: one fitted with fire-extinguishing equipment and a Hercules C-130 to provide logistic support. Sweden has also reported a series of forest fires close to the Arctic Circle where several towns have already been evacuated.




    SWINE FEVER – In Romania, the authorities are trying to contain African swine fever, with an emergency committee set up by the Agriculture Ministry to monitor the outbreak. The ministry has also informed the European Commission that it will apply for compensations for the producers who have been forced to kill their animals. Some 440 hotbeds have been identified since the beginning of the year.



    AIR POLICE Two British Typhoon fighters were launched on Thursday from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south-eastern Romania, because a Russian aircraft flying over the Black Sea was heading for NATO airspace. A news release issued by the British Air Force mentions that the Russian bomber was a Su-24 FENCER aircraft. In May, when they were deployed on their 4-month mission in Romania, the British fighters were also forced to respond to a Russian aircraft approaching NATO airspace. The British aircraft are in Romania on enhanced air policing missions.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Preparations for the Romanian EU presidency

    Preparations for the Romanian EU presidency

    Romania is prepared to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, was the message sent in Brussels by the Romanian minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu. In his talks with a number of European Commissioners, Negrescu discussed Romanias priorities for next year, in areas such as budget and human resources, research, energy and competition.



    The Romanian official says Romania would like the cohesion policy, which targets economic, social and territorial convergence, to be a central element of the European budget. As for the common agricultural policy, Romania wants measures to reduce gaps in terms of subsidies, to support young farmers and competitive farms, which provide high-quality products to European markets.



    Another field on Romanias agenda is research and innovation. Victor Negrescu explained that Romania wants equal and fair access to resources in this field, equal salaries for all researchers, regardless of where they come from, and transparent evaluation.



    Victor Negrescu: “I have highlighted Romanias support for such initiatives and the fact that we want additional funding for this initiative, because we want to attract researchers from across Europe to our country and, even more importantly, to bring back the Romanian researchers who work in other parts of Europe. I am confident that, if we join forces, the Government of Romania and Romanias representatives in the European Parliament, we will be able to persuade the European Commission and the other partners that this is the positive approach.



    Romania seeks an EU Council presidency based on dialogue between member states and consensus on key issues, the official also added. Negrescu confirmed that the country is ready to take over the shadow presidency during Austrias term in office, which means that the country will attend all negotiations, including the ones with the European Parliament and the European Commission. Analyst Iulian Chifu warns that Romania must take care to fulfil its commitments:



    Iulian Chifu: “Six months ahead of taking over the EU Council presidency, the worst that can happen is for Romania to run off the track or do something that puts it on a collision course with the European Commission, with the European Union, with its bilateral commitments to the US or NATO, first of all because whether we like it or not, we are all interdependent and we have to rely on these partners.



    According to Chifu, Romania has grown a lot in terms of investment, standards of living and gross domestic product, primarily as a consequence of the countrys integration in Western structures.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 19, 2018

    June 19, 2018

    PRESIDENCY – President Klaus Iohannis has a meeting today with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, to discuss the forthcoming Romanian presidency of the Union Council in the first half of 2019. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis will state that a compromise solution for the multi-annual budget, must be balanced and meet both the new priorities of the Union, such as border protection, migration, the ERASMUS programme, innovation and defence, and keep a substantial level of funding for traditional policies such as cohesion and the common agricultural policy. The President will also express Bucharests determination to support the efforts to resume the full implementation of the Schengen system and will add that the consolidation of the visa-free area cannot be completed without full integration of Romania and Bulgaria.




    PRIME MINISTER – PM Viorica Dăncilă presents the joint Parliament Chambers with a progress report on Romanias preparations to take over the EU Council presidency in January 2019. “The talks occasioned by this presentation will be a substantial support to the Governments drawing up and adopting a first working programme for the Presidency, Dǎncilǎ said. She believes the Council presidency will be an opportunity for Romania to prove its capacity to contribute to re-launching the European project, by means of a powerful political vision and relevant administrative capacity.




    CODE – The changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure were endorsed on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making chamber of Parliament in this case, after having been passed by the Senate as well. 175 Deputies voted in favour and 78 against. The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union in opposition announced they will refer the bill to the Constitutional Court.




    JUDICIARY – The Constitutional Court of Romania today discusses President Klaus Iohannis notification concerning changes to the Referendum Law. One of the claims is that the document includes provisions concerning the initiation and procedural steps in revising the Constitution, which fall outside its competence. Also today, Constitutional Court judges discuss the notifications filed by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition, as well as by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, concerning the bill on the statute of judges and prosecutors. The High Court argues that the phrasing in the new bill is too broad and imprecise making the law impossible to enforce.




    US-ROMANIA – Romanias deputy PM for strategic partnerships, Ana Birchall, has had a meeting today with Wess Mitchell, Assistant US State Secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, as part of the 6th annual political meeting for Romania-US Strategic Dialogue. Ana Birchall emphasised Romanias interest in identifying and implementing new joint projects contributing to the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the US. She pointed out the huge potential in the fields of energy, IT and film industry. On the other hand, she requested the support of the American side for Romanias Visa Waiver application and thanked the US for its support to Romanias efforts to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and development. On Monday, in an address given at the University of Bucharest, the American official said Romania made progress towards a strong judicial system and must not backtrack on it. The US official added that the US appreciates the resilience of Black Sea countries, but also warned against the danger posed by the influence of Russia and China in the region.




    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are finding out today their opponents in the second preliminary round of the Champions League, in a UEFA draw in the Swiss city of Nyon. The draw for the Europa League will take place tomorrow, with Romanian vice-champions FCSB (former Steaua Bucuresti) and Viitorul Constanta taking part. The Romanian Cup winners CSU Craiova will play straight into the third preliminary round.




    WORLD CUP – Poland-Senegal and Columbia-Japan, in Group H, and Russia-Egypt in Group A, are the football World Cup games scheduled for today. On Monday in Group A, Sweden defeated South Korea 1-0, while in Group G Belgium outplayed Panama, 3-0 and England beat Tunisia 2-1. The Panamanian goalie Jaime Penedo, playing for Dinamo Bucharest, is the only footballer from the Romanian championship taking part in the Russia World Cup. The last final tournament Romania took part in was in 1998.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 28, 2018

    May 28, 2018

    BLACK SEA – The security situation in the Wider Black Sea Region is currently defined by volatility and marked by a potential for conflict, trends which are likely to continue in the short and medium run, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis believes. In a message conveyed on Monday at the opening of the 2018 edition of an event entitled ‘Security in the Black Sea Region: common challenges, sustainable future, the Romanian President also emphasised that in this complex and dynamic context the use of all international communication means is all the more important. Romania reiterates its goals of stabilising the region through dialogue and the peaceful resolution of divergences, the Presidents message also reads. Taking part in this years edition are representatives of regional, European and Euro-Atlantic decision-makers, academics and civil society leaders from 16 countries. the Programme is an alternative platform for communication and cooperation between diplomatic bodies, the academic environment and the security authorities in the Black Sea region. The 2018 edition, held between May 28 and 31, focuses on “Shaping the future of the Black Sea region: game-changers and predictors.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Teodor Meleşcanu, takes part in Brussels today in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The agenda includes, among other things, the situation in Venezuela, Iran and Congo. The recent developments in Gaza Strip will also be discussed during an informal working lunch. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Austrian and the Bulgarian foreign ministers will host an informal breakfast with their Macedonian counterpart as the guest of honour.




    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, is as of Monday on a 3-day official visit to France, at the invitation of his counterpart, Florence Parly. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry, the 2 will discuss, among other things, the security situation at the Black Sea and the development prospects of the bilateral relations in the field of defence, including in the area of military equipment. The Romanian official will also have a meeting with President Emmanuel Macrons diplomatic adviser, Philippe Etienne, the former Ambassador of France to Romania. The agenda also includes visits to the companies MBDA and Airbus Helicopter, the Defence Ministry release reads.




    AWARDS – Bucharest is hosting tonight the 46th Awards Gala of the Romanian Filmmakers Association. More than 500 guests are expected to take part in the event. According to the organisers, the films “Fixeur by Adrian Sitaru, “Anna, mon amour by Cătălin Peter Netzer and “One step behind the seraphims, by Daniel Sandu have been nominated for the Great Prize and the Romanian Filmmakers Association Trophy. “Anna, mon amour also competes for the Jurys Special Prize, alongside “Perfectly Healthy directed by Anca Damian and Breaking News, by Iulia Rugină. The Awards Gala of the Romanian Filmmakers Association celebrates and supports the values of the film industry by awarding those who have excelled in the field, have represented Romania in international competitions and have made a notable contribution to the film industry.




    STATISTICS – One in 5 Romanians (19,7%) aged between 20 and 64 was residing in another EU member state in 2017, which makes Romania the top EU country in terms of labour mobility, data made public by the Eurostat on Monday show. Next come Lithuania (15%), Croatia (14%), and Portugal (13.9%). Eurostat data also indicate that in 2017 compared to 2007, the share of Romanians who live in other EU countries rose by 12.3%, the highest increase reported in the EU. At the opposite pole, only 1% of Germanys citizens aged between 20 and 64 live in other member states. Germany is followed by the UK, Sweden and France.




    TENNIS – The Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru (160 WTA) continues today the match against the American Christina McHale (no 85 in the world), at the French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. The match is resumed after being suspended yesterday at 1-1. Also today, another Romanian player, Mihaela Buzărnescu (no 32 WTA), plays the first round against the American Vania King (1276 WTA). Four other Romanians are playing in this years Roland Garros. World no 1 and first seeded in the tournament, Simona Halep, takes on Alison Riske (USA, 105 WTA). Halep has so far lost 2 Roland Garros finals. Irina Begu (41 WTA) takes on the Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (no 78), Sorana Cîrstea (45 WTA) faces the Australian Daria Gavrilova (no 24), and Ana Bogdan (no 65 WTA) plays against the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (no 90). In the mens competition, the only Romanian player, Marius Copil (95 ATP), faces today the Italian Marco Cecchinato (72 ATP).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 18, 2018 UPDATE

    March 18, 2018 UPDATE

    WEATHER – Several road segments were closed down Sunday afternoon in the south and south-east of Romania, because of the freezing rain and black ice. Traffic was also disrupted in Bucharest. The freezing rain prevented take-offs on the countrys main airport, Otopeni – Henri Coanda, while the airport landing strips were treated with anti-icing substance to enable aircraft to land safely. Until Tuesday, a warning will be in place, against moderate sleet and snow falls, black ice and extremely low temperatures.




    DEFENCE – This years first meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on Tuesday. According to the presidential administration, the participants will analyse the work conducted by the Council and relevant institutions in the field of national security in 2017, and will set the main goals for this year. Other topics of interest with respect to national security will also be approached.




    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu will take part in Brussels on Monday in the monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. The main topics are Ukraine, Syria and Iran, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, the participants will have an informal lunch on recent developments in the Korean Peninsula, with the South-Korean Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha, at the invitation of the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. The FAC will be preceded by an informal meeting over breakfast with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin.




    MOLDOVA – Save Romania Union, the second-largest opposition party in Romania, firmly supports the EU accession of the Republic of Moldova, the party president Dan Barna said on Sunday, after a meeting with several mayors from Moldova. At this stage any other statement would be rushed and strictly aimed at gaining political capital, Barna said, hinting at a possible union of Moldova with Romania. Without support from Moldovan citizens, lobbying for such a scenario at EU and international level would be very hard to do, Dan Barna also stressed. He and the vice-president of Save Romania Union Vlad Alexandrescu met on Sunday with a group of mayors from the Republic of Moldova, who signed a symbolic declaration of union with Romania. A former province with a Romanian majority under Tsarist rule, Bessarabia joined Romania at the end of WW1, on March 27, 1918. The USSR re-annexed the province, following an ultimatum in 1940, and part of this territory is todays Republic of Moldova.




    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team lost on Sunday in Tbilisi against Georgia, 25-16, in the last stage of Rugby Europe International Championship 2018, but it managed to qualify into the 2019 Japan World Cup thanks to a surprising win by Belgium against Spain, 18-10. The score in Brussels enables Romania to stay as no 2 in the REIC standings, which allows direct access to the 2019 World Cup. Romania has taken part in all rugby World Cup editions so far.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • March 18, 2018

    March 18, 2018

    WEATHER – More than half of the national territory is affected today by a sharp decrease in temperatures, by up to 15 degrees Celsius compared to the multi-annual average, according to a code yellow alert issued by weather experts. The highs of the day range between minus 8 to 10 degrees C. Until Sunday night, in 32 counties in the centre, east and south, including the capital city Bucharest, heavy raifalls are expected, first rain and then sleet and snow. Strong winds are reported in most of the country, with gusts of 55 – 65 km/h. Meteorologists say the weather will remain unseasonably cold until the end of next week. Several rivers in the north, centre and south are subject to code orange and yellow alerts for flash floods, until Monday at noon.





    DEFENCE – This years first meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, will be held on Tuesday. According to the presidential administration, the participants will analyse the work conducted by the Council and relevant institutions in the field of national security in 2017, and will set the main goals for this year. Other topics of interest with respect to national security will also be approached.




    BOOK FAIR – The Leipzig Book Fair comes to an end in Germany today. Romania was the guest of honour, and under the motto “Zoom in Romania it organised over 70 events to promote contemporary Romanian writers. For 4 days, readers had an opportunity to meet several Romanian authors already present in the German market, such as Mircea Cărtărescu, Norman Manea, Nora Iuga and Filip Florian, as well as young writers like Lavinia Branişte and Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu. During the event, more than 40 works translated from Romanian were promoted. The Leipzig Book Fair is one of the most important such events in Europe and the world. Meanwhile, Romania is also taking part these days, alongside 45 other countries, in the 38th Paris Book Fair. Romania, as you have never read it is the motto of the Romanian stand, which presents more than 50 recent releases and over 20 events.




    BESSARABIA – The “Basarabia National-Cultural Association of Romanians in Odessa region organised this Saturday the 2nd Forum of Romanian Language Teachers in the region of Odessa. The theme of this years forum was “Education in the native language: accomplishments, reality and prospects. Taking part in the event, held in the Romanian Information Centre within the Ismail State University of the Humanities, were teachers from pre-school, secondary school and university-level institutions from the region of Odessa, in Ukraine.





    MOSCOW – Russia is holding presidential elections today, precisely 4 years since Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula. The incumbent president Vladimir Putin is seeking a fresh 6-year term in office, and is facing 7 challengers, including a Communist millionaire, Pavel Grudinin, a former TV anchor, Ksenia Sobchak and a nationalist veteran, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The main opponent for Kremlin, Alexey Navalny, was banned from running on account of a criminal sentence that he claims was staged by the authorities. Putin has been heading Russia for the past 18 years, as either president or prime minister.





    CRIMEA – The European Union does not recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia, which took place 4 years ago, and continues to condemn this violation of international law and direct challenge to international security, says the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini in a news release. The Romanian Foreign Ministry joins in the statement of the EU High Representative on the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia. Romania firmly condemns, once again, the breaching of international law principles and rules. On this occasion, Romania reiterates its support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.




    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team, ranking 17 in the world, is playing today against Georgia, in the last stage of Rugby Europe International Championship 2018. Romania is playing for qualification in the 2019 Japan World Cup. So far the national team has defeated Russia, Germany and Belgium and lost to Spain. So far in the competition, Georgia tops the standings and Romania comes second. The winner secures its participation in the 2019 World Cup.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 23, 2017 UPDATE

    August 23, 2017 UPDATE

    VISIT – The President of France Emmanuel Macron will be on an official visit to Romania on Thursday, and will have talks with president Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Mihai Tudose. The two presidents will give a joint press conference at the end of the bilateral talks and will visit the National Village Museum. The two heads of state are expected to have an open dialogue on boosting bilateral trade, as well as on cooperation during the 2018-2019 Romania-France Cultural Season, an important cultural project. Another focal point on the agenda of talks is Romanias Schengen accession, after the two presidents agreed, in June, to strengthen dialogue so that a favourable decision on Romanias joining the free movement area be made as soon as possible.



    JUDICIARY – The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis says the proposed changes to the laws regulating the judicial sector, announced on Wednesday by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, are an attack against the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the anti-corruption fight. Iohannis says the pressure on the judiciary comes completely against the commitments made by Romania upon joining the EU in 2007, and will keep the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism active indefinitely, so as to enable the European Commission to monitor the Romanian judicial sector. President Iohannis explains such changes require public debate and consultations with the magistrates. Under one of the proposed amendments, Public Ministry chiefs would be appointed by the Prosecutors Department of the Higher Council of Magistrates, based on nominations by the Justice Minister, through a transparent procedure that bypasses the head of state. Minister Toader also intends to make the Judicial Inspection Corps subordinated to the Justice Ministry and to extend the term in office for chief prosecutors from 3 to 4 years. Once passed by the Cabinet, the bill will be sent to Parliament for endorsement.



    REMEMBRANCE DAY – The signing of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact on August 23, 1939 is a confirmation that Fascism, Nazism and Communism are mere forms of the same antidemocratic expressions of hatred and intolerance, says Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, in a message sent on Wednesday, commemorating the Remembrance Day for the Victims of Fascism and Communism. The president added that the pact concluded by the Nazi and Soviet foreign ministers, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Veaceslav Molotov, respectively, was an odious act against the Romanians ideal of peace and freedom. The Romanian Centennial must find us consistent in the struggle to defend democracy, the rule of law and individual liberties. Let us not forget that for more than one-half of the one hundred years since the achievement of the national ideal we lived under dictatorships, and many of the personalities who contributed to the Greater Union were persecuted by totalitarian regimes. Therefore, our efforts must now be directed towards the condemnation of all actions that could affect the democratic path that Romania embarked on, in December 1989, and consolidated by its NATO and EU membership. In the current European and global context, marked by many challenges and uncertainties, defending and consolidating the rule of law, democracy and freedom against any enemies hostile to open societies is a priority, the president also said. In the wake of the Soviet-Nazi agreement, following an ultimatum given in the summer of 1940, Moscow annexed Romanias eastern territories of Bessarabia, northern Bukovina and Hertza. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Romanians left their homes in the way of the occupiers, and other tens of thousands were arrested, executed or deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan.



    AFGHANISTAN – Romania welcomes the announcement made by the U.S. President, Donald Trump, on increasing US troops in Afghanistan by 4,000 military, the Romanian Defence Minister Adrian Ţuţuianu has said. Ţuţuianu has added that Romania, too, might increase the number of troops it contributes to the “Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan. At present, some 620 Romanian military are deployed in that Central-Asian state, Bucharest being the Alliances fourth largest contributor of troops.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 21, 2017

    May 21, 2017

    HEARINGS – A parliamentary committee that probes into the presidential election of 2009 is to start hearings on Monday, and the first to be heard is the journalist and former political adviser Dan Andronic. He has recently stated that the heads of major public institutions at that time, including the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Prosecutor Generals Office, influenced the outcome of the vote to the benefit of Traian Basescu. The latter won a second presidential term in office in 2009, after a very narrow victory against the Social Democrat Mircea Geoana. Prosecutors have initiated criminal proceedings in this case, for suspected abuse of office and forgery of documents and election records.





    EU – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Ana Birchall, takes part in Brussels on Monday in a meeting of the General Affairs Council held in an EU27 format, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. The participants will adopt a decision authorising the opening of the Brexit negotiations with the UK and nominating the Commission as the EU negotiator, and will endorse negotiating directives. On the sidelines of the meeting, Minister Ana Birchall will have talks with her Estonian counterpart, Matti Maasikas, about the priorities of the Estonian presidency of the EU Council and the main topics of discussion at EU level. The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs mentioned that Bucharest attaches great importance to protecting the rights and interests of the Romanians living in UK.




    FRANCE – The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, receives the PM of Italy Paolo Gentiloni in Paris today. According to AFP, the meeting takes place days ahead the G7 summit that brings together the leaders of the USA, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Italy and Canada in Sicily, southern Italy. A major topic on the agenda will be the Paris Agreement on climate change, at a time when the US President Donald Trump, who will attend the meeting in Sicily, threatens to take his country out of this process, AFP also notes.




    INTERNATIONAL – While on his first international tour, the US President Donald Trump is to address in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today leaders of over 40 Muslim countries. BBC reports that the US President will mention the need to open a common front against religious extremism and against intolerant ideologies. On Saturday, the first day of the tour, the parties signed contracts amounting to 380 billion US dollars, primarily in the oil sector and in arms procurement.





    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 4 in the world, plays today the final of the tournament in Rome, which has 2.7 million US dollars in total prize money, against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (no. 11 WTA). In the semi-final, Halep outplayed the Dutch Kiki Bertens (20 WTA). Last week, the Romanian player won the Madrid tournament for the second consecutive year. This is the 24th tournament final for Halep, who has won 15 titles so far. If she wins today, Halep goes up to no. 3 in the world rankings.




    FOOTBALL – Dinamo Bucharest won the Romanian Leagues Cup after Saturday nights 2-0 victory against ACS Poli Timisoara. The match was played in Bucharest. This is the second competition organised by the Romanian Professional Football League, after the championship. This year the League awarded the champions title to FC Viitorul. FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, threatened however that it would challenge the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the Switzerland, on grounds that both teams finished the championship with the same score and that overall it won in the direct matches against Viitorul. Two other teams from southern Romania, FC Voluntari and Astra Giurgiu, will play for the Romanian Football Cup.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 15, 2017

    May 15, 2017

    PROTEST – Nearly 22,000 employees with the Romanian Finance Ministry have taken part today in an unplanned protest, in response to the salary bill under debate in Parliament. They say the draft law puts them at a disadvantage. Trade union leaders in the sector had talks with representatives of the Ministry, but no results have been reached and negotiations will be resumed on Wednesday. The protesters call on the Government and the Finance Ministry to revise the pay schemes in the bill, so that they should reflect the complexity and importance of the activity of the Ministry and its subordinated units. They warn that the strike is open-ended, which may hamper the tax collection activities and the institutions public relations. Employees of the customs system are also taking part in the protest.




    CYBER-SECURITY – The Romanian Intelligence Service is organising the first national cyber-security exercise, which will last until Wednesday and involve more than 60 public and private institutions. The effort is designed to help develop an efficient warning, alert and response system against cyber attacks and other incidents. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, the excercise had been planned before the ransomware attack that crippled computers around the world late last week. Fridays global attack known as “WannaCry made over 200,000 victims, especially institutions, from at least 150 countries. The Romanian Intelligence Service confirmed that Romania was affected by the attack since May 12, but the scope is yet to be determined. One of the targets was the Romanian Foreign Ministry, where an attempted cyber attack was countered on Friday.




    INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania has revised downwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, from 1.7% to 1.6%, and the one for 2018 from 3.4% to 3.1%, the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu announced on Monday. Since 2013, the National Banks inflation target has been 2.5% per year, plus/minus 1%. The inflation targeting strategy was introduced in line with the European Central Bank policies, but the central bank of Romania rarely managed to meet this target. In 2016, the inflation target was negative 0.5%, slightly below estimates, according to the National Statistics Institute, mostly due to the lowering of the standard VAT rate from 24% to 20%, as of January 1, 2016.




    EU – The EU Foreign Ministers are analysing today, in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the progress made under the Eastern Partnership, which focuses on the cooperation with 6 ex-Soviet states, including the Republic of Moldova. Romania is represented by Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The talks take place ahead of the Partnership summit due in November in Brussels. The agenda of the meeting also includes the implementation of the EU global defence strategy, as well as developments in the Horn of Africa, particularly in terms of politics and security. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, a working lunch is held by the “Friends of Ukraine Group, which includes the EU foreign ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin.




    FRANCE – The new President of France, the centrist Emmanuel Macron, sworn in on Sunday, is to appoint a prime minister who should announce the names in his new cabinet on Tuesday. Macron has kept the name of the next prime minister under veils, but according to the media the most likely to be nominated is the mayor of the western French port-city of Le Havre, Édouard Philippe. Also today, Macron has a meeting in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom, commentators say, he will try to rebuild the French-German tandem as a driving engine of EU development. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, the agenda of talks includes topics like continental security, economy, investments and social protection.





    CANNES – The Romanian director, script writer and producer Cristian Mungiu is the president of Cinéfondation and the short-reel section in the 70th Cannes Film Festival due on May 17-28. A foremost representative of the “Romanian new wave, Cristian Mungiu has a long-standing tradition of being a part of the Cannes Festival. After the Palme dOr won for his second feature film, “4, 3, 2, he was also awarded for the script of “Beyond the Hills and for directing “Baccalaureate. In related news, 200 minutes of Romanian shorts will be presented this year in Cannes, as part of a programme called “Romanian Short Waves. Another Romanian director, Alexander Nanau, who signed the photography for Sonia Kronlunds “Nothingwood, will take part in the screening of the film in the “Quinzaine des réalisateurs section.




    TENNIS – The Rome tennis tournament, with 2.7 million US dollars in total prize money, begins today, with Romanian players also taking part. Irina Begu (44 WTA) is up for a difficult start, with a match against Latvias Anastasija Sevastova (18 WTA), while Monica Niculescu (48 WTA) will also be taking on a top player, the Dutch Kiki Bertens (20 WTA). After having recently won the Madrid tournament for the second running year, Simona Halep (4 WTA) will go straight into the second round in Rome, to play the winner of the match pitting the German Laura Siegemund (35 WTA) against the Japanese Naomi Osaka (49 WTA). Monica Niculescu is also taking part in the doubles event, together with Christina McHale of the US, against the pair made up of Sara Errani and Martina Trevisan of Italy. In the mens doubles, Horia Tecău of Romania and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer play today against the Americans John Isner and Jack Sock, while Florin Mergea and the Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi will play against Tommy Haas of Germany / Max Mirnyi of Belarus.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • 20 May, 2016

    20 May, 2016

    APPOINTMENT — Economist Vlad Voiculescu, former head of cabinet in the Ministry of Finance, is being sworn in today as Minister of Health. He has 10 years experience as a financial consultant in Vienna, and has had various charitable activities in health in Romania. He replaces the former minister, who handed in his resignation on May 9 against the backdrop of the scandal of disinfectants in Romanian hospitals.



    FILM — The movie Baccalaureate, by Crisitan Mungiu, which had its premiere Thursday night at Cannes, was a hit with critics in France. They expect the director to win a second Palme dOr, and a possible award for best male lead for Adrian Titieni, the protagonist of the movie. According to a French website, Mungiu is one of the favorites in the competition, running against another Romanian, Cristi Puiu, who recently premiered his film Sieranevada, which also received critical praise. A third Romanian movie is in the running, this time for the Un Certain Regard award, Dogs by Bogdan Mirica.



    CRASH — Egyptian army sources announced they found fragments of the EgyptAir plane that crashed on Thursday 290 km north of Alexandria. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said there were no clues on causes of the crash. US analysis on satellite images have yielded no indication of an explosion, and experts have not ruled out any cause for the crash, including technical difficulties, terrorism, or a deliberate act on the part of the pilot or crew. The so-called Islamic State alleged they downed the airliner.



    NATO — Montenegro, of the former Yugoslav federation, is now formally the 29th NATO member. The protocol was signed on Thursday in Brussels by NATO foreign ministers, including Romanian head of diplomacy, Lazar Comanescu. The membership comes into effect in two years, and in the meantime Montenegro has the role of observer at NATO meetings. This is the third state in the West Balkans, after Croatia and Albania, to join NATO, to the chagrin of Moscow, which sees this as an attempt to diminish its influence in the area. The parliaments of the 28 member states have to ratify the membership. The meeting continues with talks on cooperation with the EU. This is the last major event ahead of the NATO summit in Warsaw, in July.



    COUNCIL — The EU Council of Justice and Home Affairs convenes today in Brussels. On the agenda are the recent proposals of the EC on migration and waiving visas for Turkish citizens. Participants will discuss the Commission recommendations on mandatory quotas and sanctions imposed on states which refuse to take in refugees. In its present form, the visa waiver for Turkish citizens applies for stays of up to 90 days, and does not apply to work.



    TENNIS — Two Romanian tennis players, Sorana Carstea and Andreea Mitu, play today in the last qualifying round at Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, with 32 million dollars in prize money. Carstea plays against Elise Mertens of Belgium, while Mitu faces offf against Swiss Viktorija Golubic. Four other Romanians play in the competition, Simona Halep, Irina Begu, Monica Niculescu, and Alexandra Dulgheru. In the mens competition, Romania has only one representative, Adrian Ungur.

  • 18 May, 2016

    18 May, 2016

    PRESIDENT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis holds talks today in Vilnius with his Lithuanian counterpart, Dalia Grybauskaite, on regional security and the common position their two countries will have at the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw. The head of state said that a balanced approach was needed to consolidate both the northern and the eastern flank of NATO. Speaking about the refugee crisis, the Romanian head of state said that sanctions against EU states who oppose refugee relocation did not solve anything. As an alternative, Klaus Iohannis proposed strengthening the EUs external borders, referring mainly to the FRONTEX agency, in charge of controlling the outer borders of the union, to which Romania is the second largest contributor after Germany. In turn, the Lithuanian leader said that Romania and Lithuania had similar positions on this issue.



    PROTEST – Romanian trade unions in education are holding on June 1 a march, as announced by union leadership. Employees in education are angry at the draft government order on the structuring of state wages, which went under public debate. PM Dacian Ciolos said that this order would only partially correct the dysfunctionality in the system.



    FOOTBALL – CFR Cluj won the 78th Romanias Cup in football on Tuesday on the National Arena. On the National Arena in Bucharest defeated Dinamo Bucharest 5-4 in the penalty shootout. This is CFRs fourth cup, while Dinamo had gathered 13 of them. The game was particularly important for Dinamo, being its first days since the death 10 days ago of its player Patrick Ekeng, who collapsed on the pitch because of heart problems, expiring shortly after. Romanias Cup is the second trophy this season, after Astra Giurgiu won the title of champion. Steaua Bucharest and Concordia Chiajna contend for the League Cup, the third domestic competition this season.



    DISINFECTANTS – The Romanian Defense Ministry announced today that it has been using subpar disinfectants sold by the Hexi Pharma company, which is at the center of the scandal around diluted disinfectants used for years in Romanian hospitals. The ministry said that it had used the products both within the country and in its theaters of deployment, but that it is now using different disinfectants. According to their press release, the ministry obtained the Hexi Pharma products by centralized public tender.



    COUNCIL – Undersecretary for Strategic Affairs Daniel Ionita, with the Foreign Ministry, leads the Romanian delegation attending the EC Council of Ministers, taking place today in Sofia. The topics under debate are democratic security for all citizens on the continent, human rights in conflict areas, and Europes response to the migrant crisis. The meeting in Sofia also marks the handover of the rotating presidency of the Committee from Bulgaria to Estonia for the next six months.



    TENNIS – Two Romanian players are today in the second qualifying round in Roland Garros, the years second Grand Slam. Marius Copil (190th seeded) plays against Belgian Kimmer Coppejans, 196th seeded, while Adrian Ungur, 204th seeded, plays against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, 205th seeded. In the womens games, two Romanian female players won games in the inaugural round of the qualifiers. Sorana Carstea, 99th seeded, easily overcame in two sets Chinese player Yuxuan Zhang, 167th seeded, while Andreea Mitu, 114th seeded, defeated in three sets Polish player Paula Kania, 148th seeded.



    FILM – Romanian director Cristian Mungius latest film, Baccalaureate, will have its Romanian premiere on Thursday, the same day it has its world premiere as part of the official selection for the Cannes film festival. A part of the film crew will be at the premiere in Bucharest, with the red carpet ceremony being broadcast live. Cristian Mungiu is at his third nomination at Cannes. He won the Palme dOr in 2007, as well as awards for script and female lead in 2012. Other Romanian films nominated at this edition are Cristi Puius Sieranevada, and Dogs by Bogdan Mirica, both of them critically acclaimed by the French press.