Radio România Internațional

Tag: crisis

March 11, 2022 UPDATE

VISIT Romanian people were extraordinary in the generosity and the
courage they have shown in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US
VP Kamala Harris said in Bucharest on Friday, in a joint press conference with
the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. In turn, the Romanian president pointed
out that NATO will act without hesitation to defend each Allied state,
including Romania, and during the dialogue with Kamala Harris he was assured of
the US commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. Mr. Iohannis also stated that
the US and NATO military presence in Romania must be further enhanced, in the
long run, as an additional measure to ensure the security of the country and
the region. Klaus Iohannis and Kamala Harris also discussed the need to step up
defence and deterrence measures in the Alliance’s eastern flank, with a focus
on the Black Sea area in the south. Meanwhile, according to president Iohannis,
the current energy crisis may be a historic opportunity for Europe to become
truly independent of Russian natural gas, through investments in renewable
sources, in the civilian nuclear sector, imports of liquefied natural gas and stronger
interconnection. The US vice president visited Romania for the first time,
coming from Poland as part of a diplomatic tour prompted by the Ukraine war.

UKRAINE Russia will pay a severe price if it uses chemical
weapons in Ukraine, the US president Joe Biden warned on Friday, and announced
new sanctions against Russia. Joe Biden also undertook to avoid direct conflict
between NATO and Russia, as this would lead to a third world war. In Moscow, the
Russian presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the hostilities in Ukraine will
end when the West has taken measures with respect to Russia’s concerns
regarding the killing of civilians in eastern Ukraine and NATO’s eastwards
enlargement. Meanwhile, as the Russian troops that entered Ukraine on February
24th are attempting to surround Kyiv, Turkey announced relocating its
embassy to Chernivtsi, some 40 km from the Romanian border. Turkey was among
the last countries keeping their embassies in Kyiv.

SUMMIT The war in Ukraine and its impact on Europeans’ lives
and economies was in the focus of the EU summit in Versailles on Friday as well.
The EU continues to provide humanitarian, medical and financial aid to the
Ukrainian refugees and to the host countries, the EU leaders said in a
statement, also calling on Russia to ensure safe passage to the civilians
trying to leave the country and to allow humanitarian relief to reach the
victims. The 27 EU leaders also discussed the European Commission’s plan to
reduce by 2-thirds Russian gas imports this year and to make sure that no EU
member state purchases hydrocarbons from Russia by 2030. Russia’s natural gas
covers over 40% of the EU demand, and 4 alternatives are currently under
analysis: imports from other countries, diversifying sources, putting together
substantial stocks ahead of each winter season and developing renewable energy
sources.

COVID-19 Almost 3,000 new
cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours were announced on Friday in Romania. 50 deaths
were also reported, of which 3 from a previous date. Less than 4,000 people are
hospitalized, 608 being in intensive care. After almost two years of alert, all
the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted in Romania since
March 9. On the other hand, the authorities announce that the vaccination
against COVID-19 is moving to the family doctors’ offices. The vaccination rate
is still low, with just over 8.1 million people fully vaccinated. (A.M.P.)

11 March 2022
March 10, 2022

FUEL PRICES
PM Nicolae Ciucă announced thorough
inspections in all oil companies in Romania, after panic last night caused
unprecedented queuing in petrol stations. The PM warned that the required
measures will be taken to curb any illegal, abusive and economically unjustified
practices. Mr. Ciucǎ made these statements after an emergency meeting with the
ministers of energy and economy and the heads of the Competition Council, the
Consumer Protection Authority and the fiscal authority. The institutions have
already initiated inspections following an unjustified fuel price rise. The energy
minister Virgil Popescu also posted a message on social media, stating the
sanctions against those who break the law will be drastic.

REFUGEES PM Nicolae Ciucă is
having talks today with the EU commissioner for crisis management Janez
Lenarčič, who took part on Wednesday in the opening of the European hub for
humanitarian aid for Ukraine, in Suceava (northern Romania). The EU official
said he was encouraged by the solidarity shown by the EU and its member states,
including Romania. A new call-centre has also been opened today in Romania for
the Ukrainian refugees, with Ukrainian-speaking personnel, among others. Some
320,000 Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania over the past 2 weeks, and
nearly 235,000 of them have already left the country.

COVID-19 Roughly 4,200 new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 62
related deaths were reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, the Strategic
Communication Group announced on Wednesday. After almost 2 years in a state of
alert, Romania lifted all COVID-19 related restrictions on March 9th.
The authorities announced that those citizens whose ID expired over the past 2
years have to renew their documents within 3 months. As many as 387,000 people
must get new identity documents by June 7th.

SUMMIT EU leaders convene today and tomorrow in Versailles, France, for a
summit focusing on Europe’s energy independence, on strengthening the bloc’s defence
and on the EU accession request signed recently by Ukraine. A new plan will be
discussed, most likely to be funded through a new joint loan, in order to
address the consequences of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. As regards the
energy crisis, the European Commission has recently presented the RePowerEU initiative,
designed to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for over 40%
of the Union’s natural gas consumption. As for Ukraine, a strengthened
partnership is being considered, by tightening Kyiv’s ties with the European
single market and connecting Ukraine with the European energy network.

PRESIDENCY Romania will be represented in the Versailles summit
by president Klaus Iohannis. Ahead of the meeting, he took part
on Monday in a video call with the president of the European Council Charles Michel, and the prime-ministers of the
Netherlands, Greece, Croatia and Estonia. President Iohannis emphasised the
importance of firmly maintaining the unity and coordination within the EU and between
the Union and the US, NATO and other strategic partners, in responding to
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Mr.
Iohannis also presented the measures taken by Romania to support Ukraine, including
the set-up of a hub collecting and coordinating international aid to Ukraine
and Moldova. The president of Romania also emphasised Romania’s support for the
EU accession requests signed by Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

UKRAINE Today’s negotiations
between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Dmytro
Kuleba, mediated by Turkey, failed to lead to any progress towards a ceasefire.
Promises were made to carry on humanitarian efforts to evacuate civilians,
without any firm commitment on Russia’s part in this respect. Kuleba added that
a decision was made to carry on talks in this format. In turn, Lavrov continued
to accuse Ukraine of seeking to use biological and chemical weapons and of
being manipulated by the West. Meanwhile, air raid sirens sounded once again
this morning in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as the 3rd week of war
began. According to the Ukrainian army, Russian forces are advancing in an
attempt to surround the city, and have carried on attacks in other parts of the
country as well. President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of war crimes.
Moscow agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire to enable civilians to leave 6 of the most
affected areas, but the Ukrainian authorities say steady Russian bombing
prevented some locals from leaving. On the other hand, Ukraine claims it
killed, wounded or captured over 12,000 Russian soldiers, and destroyed over 330
tanks, over 1,110 armoured vehicles and some 130 aircraft. Russia claims to
have destroyed nearly 3,000 military infrastructure elements in Ukraine. (A.M.P.)

10 March 2022
Romania and the crisis in Ukraine

Cyber-attacks, espionage activities and fake news phenomena have intensified in Romania, in the current regional context – said the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service – SRI, Eduard Hellvig. Heard in the standing joint committee of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in charge of exercising parliamentary control over SRIs work, Hellvig presented a security analysis from the perspective of SRIs legal responsibilities and in the context of the tense situation in neighboring Ukraine. According to a SRI statement, director Hellvig called for the updating of the national security law package, all the more so as the regional security environment is constantly changing.

Also in Bucharest, the defense minister Vasile Dîncu said that, in case of an armed conflict, Romania is ready to receive over 500 thousand refugees from Ukraine. “There is a plan in this regard that is being prepared in all major cities, there are areas dedicated to this purpose near the borders” minister Dîncu explained. Romania and the neighboring Ukraine share a common border of more than 600 kilometers.

The Romanian community in Ukraine numbers over 400 thousand people, most of them concentrated in northern Bukovina, northern and southern Bessarabia and Herța Land, the Romanian territories annexed by the former Stalinist Soviet Union in 1940 and taken over by Ukraine as a successor state in 1991, with the disintegration of the USSR.

In another development, Romania has decided to send medical products to Ukraine such as analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and disinfectants. The aid is provided through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and is a response to the request for emergency assistance made by the Kiev administration to the European Commission. Alongside Romania, Austria, France, Ireland and Slovenia will provide community aid to Ukraine. As the geopolitical crisis may worsen the energy crisis, the Romanian authorities have given reassuring signals on this issue.

A conflict in Ukraine will not cause problems with the gas supply of neighboring Romania, which, with the arrival of spring, can ensure its entire consumption from domestic sources – says the energy minister, Virgil Popescu. The decision-makers, he added, are looking into ways to diversify import routes and are also considering sources of gas other than the intermediaries of Russias energy giant Gazprom.

The local think tank Expert Forum (EFOR) writes, in its annual report for 2022, that energy prices have risen due to the gas deficit, deliberately deepened by Gazprom since the summer. According to EFOR, the Russian giant has honored its contracts with Europeans at the last minute, emptying its gas storage facilities in Europe since the summer, and has delivered as little gas as possible in the pipelines. In general, Gazproms strategy was to abuse European rules while formally respecting them, just to show that the European rules are faulty – concludes the report written by the Romanian experts. (LS)

23 February 2022
February 9, 2022 UPDATE

UKRAINE – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed on Wednesday the progress made in the deescalation of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis after sustained diplomatic efforts in the past few days, France Presse and Reuters report. “The task is that we ensure the security in Europe, and I believe that will be achieved,” Scholz told journalists at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Previously, French president Emmanuel Macron voiced confidence that progress would be made in the peace talks, but warned that risks still existed. In turn, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said he was looking forward to resuming Normandy Format negotiations with Russia, brokered by France and Germany. He also insisted that president Putin complied with the Minsk agreements, whose main clause concerns the sovereignty of Ukraine.

EXPORTS – Romania is the EU’s largest exporter of corn and the second largest wheat and barley exporter in the 2021/2022 season. A report made public by the European Commission shows that the EU wheat exports are bigger than in the previous season, with Romania ranking second in this respect, after France and ahead of Germany. Most EU wheat exports went to Algeria, followed by China and Egypt. According to the report, since the start of the 2021/2022 season up to present, member states have exported 3.48 million tons of corn, double than the previous season. Romania produced most of it, 2.61 million tons, and its main destination was Iran.

MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday dismissed the simple motion tabled by the opposition party USR against the Liberal minister for energy Virgil Popescu, with 98 votes in favor and 190 against. According to the authors, Popescu is a threat to Romanias energy security and must be dismissed immediately. The motion was scheduled for debates on Monday, but the meeting was suspended after the co-president of the nationalist party AUR, George Simion, assaulted the energy minister during his address. The meeting was subsequently resumed, but with only the opposition MPs from AUR and USR in attendance. Virgil Popescu and the MPs from the ruling coalition left the hall in protest. Prosecutors have opened a criminal case with respect to the incident.

COVID-19 – In Romania 27,346 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported on Wednesday, fewer than on the previous day, and 176 related deaths, 5 of them from a previous date. According to experts, who have identified the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in all sequenced samples, Romania may have achieved herd immunity and the fifth pandemic wave is quite likely to end in spring. The vaccination rate remains very low, and the number of fully vaccinated citizens is little over 8 million.

CONFERENCE – The Romanian health minister Alexandru Rafila is taking part, as of Wednesday, in a 2-day joint conference of EU foreign and health ministers on global health and in an informal meeting of EU health ministers, due in Lyon and Grenoble (France). The 2 events are organised by the French presidency of the EU Council. The participants discuss the EU measures to support developing countries in accessing medicines in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to strengthen national healthcare systems. The informal meeting of health ministers focuses on the intervention and resilience of public health systems in case of crises, and on the joint development of policies to create a Union of health.

TENNIS – The Romanian player Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday lost to seed no. 2 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, 6-4, 7-5 in the round of 16 of the WTA 500 tournament in Sankt Petersburg (Russia). Two other Romanians, Irina Begu and Jaqueline Cristian will play on Thursday in the same round, against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and Aleksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, respectively. (EE)

9 February 2022
Romania and the Ukrainian crisis

The Russian-Ukrainian crisis has sparked international tensions but Kiev and the Western powers put their hopes in a diplomatic solution and are coordinating their efforts to find it. Russia, on the other hand, says it has no intention to invade Ukraine. Nevertheless, Moscow continues to dispatch troops at the common border, which has prompted the US to send another contingent on NATO’s eastern flank.

As NATO member and neighbor of Ukraine in the north and east, Romania is concerned with the prospect of war. The head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu, said in a TV show that, if Russia invades Ukraine, it will be responded. ˮWe have already prepared for this response and the Russian Federation should be aware that this is not something to be desired. On the one hand, this is a response from NATO, through a proportional but consistent consolidation of its eastern flank and on the other hand, a response from the European Union, through a very robust and substantial set of sanctionsˮ, Aurescu said. According to the Romanian official, these sanctions are economic, are related to the financial and commercial sector and are directed against individuals involved in decision making.

The Foreign Minister also said that at present Romania is not at risk of being involved in a military conflict with the Russian Federation, in spite of possible evolutions in its vicinity. He explained that ˮthere is a very strong security umbrella in place, which offers all possible guarantees for the security and stability of Romania and of its citizens, namely, the country s NATO membership and its very solid Strategic Partnership with the United States. ˮ

Aurescu also talked about the anti-missile shield in Deveselu (south), saying is not a threat. According to Aurescu, the Russian Federation has constantly said that the anti-missile shield in Deveselu has an offensive purpose and that Tomahawk offensive missiles have been or could be installed there in no time. ˮIt is a purely defensive system, which has nothing to do with the Russian Federation, because the types of interceptors there are against ballistic missile inbounds from outside the Euro-Atlantic area, from the Middle Eastˮ, Aurescu explained. He also said the missile-defense system in Deveselu is a type that does not allow for offensive missiles to be installed and its interceptors cannot be replaced with other types of missiles. (EE)

7 February 2022
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global risk of infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 16, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The coronavirus epidemic stays on a downward trend in Romania. On Tuesday the
authorities reported 4,128 new Covid infections out of over 55,000 tests, which
accounts for a 7.41% positive rate. Another 397 related fatalities were also
reported, including 54 that had not been recorded in the system earlier. Some
14,000 Covid patients are currently receiving hospital treatment, including
almost 1,700 in intensive care. The incidence rate is on the decrease in
Bucharest, dropping to 5.34 cases per 1,000 inhabitants on Tuesday. In related
news, non-invasive testing is due to begin in schools for children and
teachers. At the moment, almost three quarters of Romanian schools and kindergartens
are holding in-person classes, the rule being that only schools with a
vaccination rate among their staff of at least 60% can reopen for in-person
teaching, the rest holding classes on line. As for vaccination, the pace has
dropped steadily in recent days, compared to a peak of over 110,000 doses
administered on 27 September. Nearly 7 million Romanians are fully vaccinated
at present.

SCHOOLS Legal and financial education have become
compulsory skills in primary and middle schools in Romania. President Klaus
Iohannis Tuesday signed a law amending the Education Act, to include these
areas in the national curriculum. The document also includes financial and
legal education in the teaching programmes of local lifelong learning community
centres. In a first stage, these subjects can be introduced as optional school
subjects only, because national curricula must be approved by the Education
Ministry.

ECONOMY Romania,
Hungary and Lithuania have the biggest annual growth rate in the European Union
in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period last year,
according to preliminary data published by the European statistical office
Eurostat. GDP grew in the EU by 3.9%, with Romania at 8%, Hungary at 6.1% and
Lithuania at 6%. However, according to the latest figures published by the
National Institute for Statistics, Romania’s economic growth rate slowed down
to 0.3% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter. In the first
nine months of the year, GDP grew by 7.1% compared with the same period last
year. Economic experts say the growth rate will slow down even more this autumn
and winter, while the inflation rate may go up to 8% in the context of the
current political crisis.

EU Romania’s
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu attended a ministerial meeting of the Eastern
Partnership held in Brussels, where EU foreign ministers agreed to expand the
criteria for imposing new sanctions against Belarus. The new sanctions would
target those involved in weaponising the plight of migrants. The European Union
is accusing Belarus of intentionally creating a migrant crisis on the border
with Poland and the Baltic countries in retaliation to the Union’s earlier
sanctions against the regime in Belarus for its crackdown on the opposition.
Minister Aurescu presented Romania’s stand on the strategic priorities of the
Eastern Partnership post-2020 and called for a consolidation of the security
dimension in the Eastern Neighbourhood, as well as for greater involvement from
the EU in solving the frozen or protracted conflicts in this region.

MILITARY The EU is considering a joint military force of up to 5,000 troops by
2025, to intervene in a number of crises without needing to rely on the US,
according to a draft strategic plan, Reuters says. The EU
Rapid Deployment Capacity should include land, sea and air capabilities. Two decades after the EU leaders first agreed to
set up a force of 50,000-60,000 troops, which never became operational, the
strategy drafted by the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell is the most concrete
effort to create an independent military force that does not rely on US assets.
Not all the 27 EU member states would have to contribute troops, but a
consensus would be required for any deployment. Since 2007, the EU has had
battlegroups of 1,500 troops available, but they have never been deployed, in
spite of efforts to use them in Chad and Libya.

Radio and TV Parliament
approved the new leadership of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation,
which Radio Romania International also forms part of. With the support of the
Social Democratic Party, the new director general at Radio Romania isRăzvan-Ioan
Dincă, a former National Opera director who has a court of first instance
conviction for abuse of office and false statement but who was later acquitted.
The leadership of the Romanian television was also appointed, with the
journalist Dan Cristian Turturică becoming the new director general, with the
support of the National Liberal Party. The members of the new boards are
appointed for a 4-year term and have to take an oath in Parliament. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

16 November 2021
Migrant pressure on the EU

As relations between Minsk and the EU deteriorate and Belarus’s
president Aleksandr Lukashenko strengthens his aggressive rhetoric, the refugee
crisis at the Union’s eastern border risks turning into a humanitarian disaster.

This is precisely why, at the request of France,
Ireland and Estonia, the Security Council decided to convene to look for solutions
for the thousands of people who are trying to get to Western Europe but are
kept in inhumane conditions at the border.

For several months now, Belarus has been encouraging
Middle East migrants to cross its territory on their way to the EU via Poland
and the Baltic states, and the crisis has been deepening these past few days, when
thousands of refugees crowded at the border and tried to cross into Poland
illegally.

Poland has deployed troops on the border to push back
the migrants, and informed its NATO allies of the crisis. The North-Atlantic
Alliance is monitoring the situation and promises to safeguard the security of
its members, including Lithuania and Latvia, who are also facing migrant
pressure from Belarus.

In fact, this is not the first time that the three EU
member states see migratory waves, mostly Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan nationals trying
to get illegally into Germany. The EU has repeatedly accused Belarus of pushing
these migrants into European territory in retaliation to the sanctions
triggered by Alexandr Lukashenko’s election fraud last year and by the brutal
crackdown on the post-election protests.

To add to the complications, Russia, a supporter of
the Lukashenko regime, has deployed 2 nuclear-capable bombers to fly over
Belarus. Media agencies note that a growing number of EU voices blame the
crisis on Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, but Kremlin dismissed the
allegations as unacceptable. President Putin, contacted on the phone by the
German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to put an end to the crisis, suggested
direct talks between the EU and Minsk, to discuss the issue.

The EU border is the scene of a brutal hybrid attack with
Belarus cynically and shockingly using the desperation of migrants as a weapon,
said the president of the European Council, Charles Michel. The situation on
the border between Belarus and Poland is not a migrant crisis, but an attempt
by Minsk to destabilise its neighbours, the EC president Ursula von der Leyen
said in her turn, warning that the Union would extend its sanctions against
individuals and entities in Belarus. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

11 November 2021
October 22, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The interim cabinet Friday introduced new restrictions in Romania, as
the country is struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. The
measures will take effect on Monday, 25th October, and will be valid
for 30 days. Face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor public
areas. Access to all central and local public institutions and to the offices
of private businesses will be conditional on the digital COVID certificate. A
ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on private events, including
weddings, conferences and workshops, will also be in place. Shops will only be
open between 5 am and 9 pm, restaurants will be open until 9 pm but will only
admit COVID certificate holders. A night curfew will also be introduced,
between 10 pm and 5 am, for the unvaccinated. Also on Monday, public
and private kindergartens, primary, secondary schools and high schools will
take a 2-week break. On Friday the Strategic Communication Group reported 15,410
new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 357 COVID-related deaths. 1,848 patients are in intensive care.
Over 128,000 people got vaccinated in the last 24 hours.

AID Romania is receiving aid from several European countries, including
Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Poland, as well as from the
World Health Organisation. The aid consists in medicines, equipment, tests, and
the transfer of some COVID patients, the head of the Department for Emergency
Situations Raed Arafat announced on Friday.Five Romanian COVID patients, in a critical condition, were taken on
Friday to Austria and Poland, by 2 military aircraft. Other patients have been
transferred to Hungary.

GOVERNMENT In Romania, the interim
defence minister Nicolae Ciucă, designated by president Klaus Iohannis to form a
new government, initiated negotiations over parliamentary support. A first
meeting was held on Friday, with the head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor. The latter said his party would stay in
power together with the National Liberal Party, and mentioned that in the
coming days the governing programme and distribution of cabinet seats would be
discussed. Save Romania Union is waiting for an invitation to talks, and will try to persuade the Liberals to go for a
coalition government with majority support in parliament. PSD says it will talk
with Nicolae Ciuca about a parliamentary majority to support the minority
government, and AUR has stated it will not support such a government. The Prime
Minister Designate has called on all political actors to support the new cabinet,
so that Romania can quickly overcome the medical and economic crisis it is
going through.

AUTOMOTIVE Registrations of new hybrid vehicles in the EU accounted for nearly
21% of the Union’s automotive market in the 3rd quarter of the year,
outperforming Diesel vehicle registrations for the first time. According to the
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, in July-September sales
of petrol-based cars dropped by 35%, while registrations of new diesel cars
more than halved across the EU region. Alternatively-powered vehicles saw a 69%
increase in sales in Central Europe in the same period. In Romania, sales rose
by over 153% compared to 2020.

MOLDOVA The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Friday
declared a 30-day state of emergency in the country over a natural gas
shortage. The government requested the measure in order to be able to procure
natural gas from alternative sources, given that the Russian supplier Gazprom is
no longer providing sufficient quantities to meet the demand, Radio Chişinău
announced. According to the resolution, until 20th November, a
special procedure will be in place, to speed up the procurement of natural gas.
If necessary, energy consumption will be rationalised, and instruments to
quickly collect payments from consumers will be introduced. According to Radio
Chişinău, negotiations with the Russian energy giant carry on, but in the
meantime the government is discussing with other states as well, including
Ukraine, Romania, and Poland, to purchase natural gas from alternative sources.
Natural gas prices has risen steeply in recent months in international markets,
and some officials accuse Russia of energy blackmail.

EUROPEAN
COUNCIL The European Council president Charles Michel and the head
of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday at the end
of a meeting in Brussels, that the energy topic will be once again on the
agenda of the December meeting of the European Council. In the meantime, the
Commission will conduct an analysis of the EU electricity and natural gas
market and on the carbon transaction market, after several member states blamed
the recent energy price rises on problems in these areas. An emergency meeting of
EU energy ministers was also scheduled for next week. Romania was represented
by president Klaus Iohannis, who emphasised ahead of the meeting the
need to quickly identify
efficient short-term solutions, as the current energy crisis will have serious
effects in all EU countries, with a profound socio-economic impact.

(tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 October 2021
October 21, 2021

COVID-19 The Romanian authorities Thursday announced
over 16,000 new Covid-19 cases and 448 related deaths
in 24 hours. Some 1,800 patients are in intensive care. Bucharest
has requested the European Commission to help supply Romanian hospitals with tocilizumab,
which is used in treating severe forms of the disease. Romanian authorities
have also asked for teams of experts to support front-line staff for specific periods.
Meanwhile, as of Monday all school children will be on a 2-week holiday, access
to most activities will be conditional on presenting a digital COVID
certificate, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor areas
and night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated. These are just some of
the restrictions introduced in an attempt to curb the pandemic. After having
analysed the situation jointly with government officials, president Klaus
Iohannis said the only solution to put an end to the epidemic is vaccination. However,
until a significant proportion of people get vaccinated, restrictions are
necessary.

GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis is having talks today with parliamentary
parties, to designate a new prime minister after the proposed one-party cabinet
headed by the president of Save Romania Union Dacian Cioloş Wednesday failed to
get a confidence vote from Parliament. The minority government made up of the
National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania
was dismissed following a no-confidence motion, and negotiations failed to
rebuild the ruling coalition, broken up in September over disagreements between
the Liberal PM Florin Citu and Save Romania Union. The Liberals said they were
willing to discuss with all parliamentary parties, except for the nationalist
party AUR, supporters of anti-vaccine theories. The Liberals’ National
Political Bureau Thursday decided to nominate Nicolae
Ciucă as prime minister with a minority government comprising the National
Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. Save Romania Union
would like to restore the coalition with the 2 parties, but without Florin Citu
as prime minister. In turn, the Ethnic Hungarians would like to see the
coalition rebuilt. The largest party in Parliament, the Social Democratic
Party, wants a government of experts, to help overcome the healthcare crisis,
whereas AUR party asks President Klaus Iohannis to designate a prime minister
backed by a sound parliamentary majority.

SUMMIT EU heads of state and government convene on Thursday and Friday in
Brussels to discuss EU-wide cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union’s digital agenda, the
rise in energy prices, migration, the EU trade policy and foreign relations. On
Monday, the
president of Romania Klaus Iohannis took part in a videoconference with the
president of the European Parliament Charles Michel and other EU leaders, in
preparation of this summit. The Romanian president highlighted the need to
quickly identify efficient short-term solutions to the current energy crisis,
which will have a notable social and economic impact on all EU member states.
Klaus Iohannis also emphasised the importance of diversifying energy sources,
of reducing the Union’s reliance on third-country suppliers, and of ensuring
energy supply security.

ECONOMY All EU member states concluded year 2020 with governmental
deficits, Eurostat announced today. The highest levels were reported in Spain
(11% of GDP), Greece (10.1% of GDP), Malta (9.7% of GDP), Italy (9.6% of GDP) and
Romania (9.4% of GDP). According to Eurostat, Denmark and Sweden were the only
EU countries with government deficits below the 3% of GDP ceiling stipulated in
the Stability and Growth Pact. Across the EU, the government deficit
skyrocketed from 0.5% of GDP in 2019 to 6.9% of GDP last year.

FOOTBALL
Romanian football champions CFR
Cluj are playing today at home against the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, in Group D of
the Europa Conference League. The Romanians are ranking last in the group, with
1 point out of 2 matches, whereas their opponents are the group leaders, with 4
points. In the previous leg, CFR drew at home against Danish side Randers FC,
and AZ Alkmaar won on home turf against the Czech club Jablonec. CFR is the
only Romanian team playing in continental competitions this season. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 October 2021
October 20, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The only way to
curb the Covid-19 epidemic is vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus
Iohannis said on Wednesday night, at the end of a meeting with those involved
in managing the healthcare crisis. Until a significant proportion of the
country’s population gets vaccinated, the authorities decided, among other
things, that face masks will be compulsory as of Monday in both outdoor and
indoor public areas. Night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated, while
during the day access to an important number of activities will be conditional
on the digital COVID certificate. Iohannis also announced that as of Monday all
school children will have a 2-week holiday. Previously, the head of state had said
that preparations for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania had been
flawed, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. On Wednesday
the Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158 new Covid-19 cases
in 24 hours, and 423 related deaths, of which 9 from before the reference
timeframe.

GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
president Klaus Iohannis.

VISIT President
Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.

AWARD Kremlin
critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
across Russia. In
August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.

EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

20 October 2021
October 20, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.

GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
president Klaus Iohannis.

VISIT President
Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.

AWARD Kremlin
critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
across Russia. In
August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.

EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

20 October 2021