Radio România Internațional

Tag: CSM Bucharest

March 2, 2019

FORUM – The Black Sea region presents huge investment opportunities
for the development of infrastructure, including for the transport and
production of energy, Romanian Deputy Prime Minister Ana Birchall said on the
sidelines of the Economic Forum in Delphi, Greece, held over February 28 -
March 2. Ana Birchall pointed out that the escalation of trade tensions,
political uncertainty, the gap between the rich and the poor, the worsening of
global finance, the prospect of a Brexit without an agreement, are risk factors
that can destabilize an already slowed down global economy. The fourth edition
of the forum has brought together political leaders, diplomats, economic
experts and representatives of the most important international think tanks.
Talks focused on the current economic challenges.

GOVERNMENT – Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Monday will
appear before the Chamber of Deputies upon the request of the Liberal
opposition, who demands explanations over the controversial decree 114,
bringing new taxes in the fields of banking, telecommunications and energy. The
decree was passed tacitly by the Senate, without a proper debate and a vote,
considering the deadline was March 1. A debate and a vote are scheduled for
this week in the Chamber of Deputies. On Thursday, the European Commission
winter report showed that the measures stipulated by decree 114 are weakening
the second pillar of private pensions. The measures, EU experts warn, will have
a negative impact on pensions, the capital market and future investment,
increasing uncertainty and making Romanian economy less attractive for both
Romanian and foreign investors.

VISIT – Minister for Romanians Worldwide Natalia Intotero has paid
a visit to Chisinau, where she met with the Minister of Culture, Education and
Research, Monica Babuc. According to a press release, the two officials
discussed the possibility of intensifying joint projects in the field of
education and culture. A major topic on the agenda for talks was preserving and
promoting tradition, considering both states have cooperated for the
recognition of the Martisor symbol by UNESCO. The two parties discussed the
promotion of the cross-border project The traditional blouse – an element of
cultural identity in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, the nomination for
UNESCO’s Representative List of the Immaterial World Cultural Heritage.

EP ELECTION – The European Parliament has made public a new estimate
regarding its future structure after the European Parliament election due in
May. The estimate is based on surveys carried out in individual Member States.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, the new Parliament will
have less MPs, 705 as compared to 751 right now, as a result of Brexit.
Estimates show that the European People’s Party is expected to secure 181
seats, Socialists 135, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats 75 followed by
the Green Party with 49 seats. Figures also point to a slight decrease in the
number of seats obtained by anti-European and Eurosceptic parties. Of the 73
seats left vacant by British MEPs, 27 will be shared by some 14 member states,
considered fairly underrepresented in the European Parliament. Romania will get
one seat and will total 33 seats. Of these, 13 are expected to go to the
Social-Democrats, 13 to the European People’s Party representatives, three to the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, one each to the Conservatives and European
reformists and three seats to other groups. The document also highlights voting
intentions in Romania: the Social-Democratic Party in power is expected to win
29.9% of the vote, followed by the Liberal Party in opposition with 24.4%, the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats with 9.1% and the Save Romania Union with
9%.

RATING – The International Standard and Poor’s financial rating
agency has confirmed Romania’s rating at BBB minus/A-3 for long- and short-term
debt in national and foreign currency. Romania’s rating reflects a moderate
level of external and public debt as well as the current economic growth
forecast, which remains robust, the agency writes. Standard and Poor’s however
says Romania’s institutional efficiency remains weak, and the growing deficit
could affect the country’s financial reserves in time.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball team CSM Bucharest is today playing RK
Krim Mercator Ljubljana of Slovenia away from home in Group 2 of women’s
Champions League. The Romanian champions have already secured qualification to
the Champions League quarterfinals, with two more games left to play in the
group phase. In the group standings, the Romanians are ranked 2nd,
after the title holders Hungary’s Gyor.

RUGBY – Romania’s national rugby team
is playing Spain on Sunday in its third fixture as part of the 2019 Rugby
Europe Championship. In the first two games of this competition, Romania lost
to Georgia 9-18 and won against Germany 38-10. In the upcoming fixtures,
Romania will play Russia at home on March 9 and Belgium away from home on March
17. Rugby Europe Championship is the second-tier of the famous Six Nations Cup.
Romania is ranked 18 in international rugby standings, its lowest ranking in
the past six years.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

2 March 2019
February 19, 2019

COMPET – The EU Competitiveness Council (COMPET) continues its
agenda today with one its most important innovation and research programmes,
Horizon Europe. The meeting is presided by Romanian Research Minister Nicolae
Hurduc and the program represents one of Romania’s top priorities during its
term at the helm of the Council of the EU. According to the Romanian official,
research and innovation should be the core engine of the European Union, which
has the human resources and necessary infrastructure to maintain its status of
leader in the field of scientific research. Romania wants to ensure the
necessary conditions for the continuation of the Horizon Europe program
starting 2021.

GAC – The General Affairs Council
meeting today in Brussels is expected to decide the work agenda of the European
Council meeting due next month. Presiding is Romanian Minister for European
Affairs, George Ciamba. Talks will focus on the multiannual financial framework
post-2020, considering a political agreement on the future budget of the EU
should be reached as late as this autumn. EU officials will also look at the
status of triggering Article 7 sanctions procedures against Poland for failure
to observe the rule of law, and against Hungary, respectively, for failure to
uphold fundamental European values.

BRANCUSI DAY – Romanians today celebrate Brancusi Day, devoted to
the birth anniversary of famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The artist
embodies Romanian identity in its material and spiritual entirety, succeeding
in committing it to the legacy of universal culture, says Ioan-Aurel Pop, the
President of the Romanian Academy. An iconic figure of modernist art,
Constantin Brancusi was born in Romania and moved to Paris. He is recognized as
one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th century. The National
Museum of Modern Art in Paris hosts a great number of Brancusi’s works, which
in his will he left to Romania. However, upon the refusal of the communist
authorities in Romania to bring home Brancusi’s works upon the sculptor’s
death, the collection was bequeathed to France along with the contents of his
workshop in Paris. The Romanian Parliament declared February 19 Brancusi Day
in 2015.

FLU – The death toll of the flu epidemic in Romania has reached
138. According to a press release of the National Center for Infectious Disease
Surveillance and Control, the last three victims are a 68-year-old woman
without a previous history of medical diseases who had taken the anti-flu shot
and another two women, aged 64 and 81 respectively, both suffering from other
medical conditions and who had not taken the anti-flu vaccine.

PSD – The Executive Committee of the
Social-Democratic Party (PSD) is today meeting to decide on the new nominations
for the positions of Transport and Regional Development ministers. The
nominations are expected to be discussed later today jointly with coalition parties.
According to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, the proposals will also be
presented to President Klaus Iohannis before an official announcement is made.
Talks follow after Social-Democrat Mircea Draghici withdrew his candidacy for
the position of Transport Minister. Previously, Lia Olguta Vasilescu also
withdrew her candidacy for the position of Minister of Regional Development.
President Klaus Iohannis has repeatedly refused the nomination of Lia Olguta
Vasilescu, although he made no reference to Mircea Draghici.

RETRIAL – The High Court of Cassation and Justice today admitted
the appeal for annulment filed by former Romanian Senator Dan Sova against his
3-year prison sentence in a case where he was charged with influence peddling.
The National Anticorruption Directorate accused Sova of having received 100,000
euros in exchange for facilitating a judicial assistance contract between a
thermal power plant in Govora and a local law firm. Dan Sova was released from
prison in December last year after having served six months of his detention
time, following a Constitutional Court ruling concerning the illegal structure
of the five-judge panel.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball side CSM
Bucharest will play RK Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia Herzegovina in the
quarterfinals of the men’s Challenge Cup, following a draw hosted today by
Vienna. The first leg will be played on home turf on March 23 or 24 while the
return leg will be played the week thereafter.
A win against the Bosnian side will pit CSM Bucharest against the winner
of the match between HC Vise BM of Belgium and Russia’s HC Neva SPb Sankt
Petersburg.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player world no. 2
Simona Halep is today playing Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the second round of
the Dubai Duty Free Championships, totaling 2.8 million dollars in prize money.
Halep has played Bouchard four times, the last time winning against her in the
Australian Open last year. Simona Halep has three wins against Eugenie
Bouchard. Also today the pair made up of Raluca Olaru of Romania and Darija
Jurak of Croatia defeated second-seeds Nicole Melichar of the United States and
Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 7-6, 7-6 and have advanced to the doubles
quarterfinals.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2019
Sports weekend

Oana Manea, the pivot of Romanian handball team CSM Bucharest, believes this coming Saturdays match against Krim Ljubljana is crucial if the team wants to go through to the Champions Leagues quarterfinals. CSM Bucharest has been trying to recover after the defeat they sustained last week in the game against Gyor, while right now, Manea says, the most important thing is for CSMs line-up to play as a united team. “The absence of Cristina Neagu and Amanda Kurtovic takes its toll on our performance. They are two top handball players, we began the season with them as key pieces for the team, and now we miss them. Thats how I feel about it, Agerpress news agency quoted Oana Manea as saying.

The leg against Krim Ljubljana counts towards the second round of main Group 2. In the as-it-stands table, Győr are at the top, with 10 points. Following in descending order are Kristiansand and CSM Bucharest, each with 6 points on their record sheet. Ferencvaros Budapest are 4th-placed, while Krim Ljubljana and Thuringer come 5th and 6th, respectively. In order to make headway in the quarterfinals, Romanian champions CSM Bucharest need to be placed on one of the first four positions in the group.

In the EHF Cup, Magura Cisnadie, playing in the competitions Group A, stands no chance to go past the group stage. After four games played, Magura Cisnadie have zero points on their record sheet. On Sunday on home turf, Magura Cisnadie take on Danish side Team Esbjerg. In Group D, SCM Craiovas chances to go through to the quarterfinals exist only in theory. SCM Craiova are at the bottom of the table in their group, with a record of one win and three defeats. SCM Craiovas next match is scheduled against Danish opponents Nykøbing.

In football, this coming weekend, Romanian League One championship is resumed, with the fixtures counting towards the 22nd round.

On Friday, Concordia Chiajna take on FC Botosani, while Gaz Metan Medias face Astra Giurgiu. On Saturday, Dunarea Calarasi play FCSB on home turf, while CFR Cluj receive the visit of FC Hermannstadt. On Sunday, FC Voluntari are pitted against Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe at home, while in the south-eastern Romanian village of Ovidiu, Viitorul Constanta take on Universitatea Craiova. The last fixture of the 22nd round is scheduled on Monday, when Dinamo Bucharest are pitted against Poli Iasi.

CFR Cluj are at the top of the table, with 46 points, FCSB are the runner-up team, with 40 points, while 3rd-placed are Craiova, with 38 points.

(translated by: Eugen Nasta)

1 February 2019
Sports weekend

Oana Manea, the pivot of Romanian handball team CSM Bucharest, believes this coming Saturdays match against Krim Ljubljana is crucial if the team wants to go through to the Champions Leagues quarterfinals. CSM Bucharest has been trying to recover after the defeat they sustained last week in the game against Gyor, while right now, Manea says, the most important thing is for CSMs line-up to play as a united team. “The absence of Cristina Neagu and Amanda Kurtovic takes its toll on our performance. They are two top handball players, we began the season with them as key pieces for the team, and now we miss them. Thats how I feel about it, Agerpress news agency quoted Oana Manea as saying.

The leg against Krim Ljubljana counts towards the second round of main Group 2. In the as-it-stands table, Győr are at the top, with 10 points. Following in descending order are Kristiansand and CSM Bucharest, each with 6 points on their record sheet. Ferencvaros Budapest are 4th-placed, while Krim Ljubljana and Thuringer come 5th and 6th, respectively. In order to make headway in the quarterfinals, Romanian champions CSM Bucharest need to be placed on one of the first four positions in the group.

In the EHF Cup, Magura Cisnadie, playing in the competitions Group A, stands no chance to go past the group stage. After four games played, Magura Cisnadie have zero points on their record sheet. On Sunday on home turf, Magura Cisnadie take on Danish side Team Esbjerg. In Group D, SCM Craiovas chances to go through to the quarterfinals exist only in theory. SCM Craiova are at the bottom of the table in their group, with a record of one win and three defeats. SCM Craiovas next match is scheduled against Danish opponents Nykøbing.

In football, this coming weekend, Romanian League One championship is resumed, with the fixtures counting towards the 22nd round.

On Friday, Concordia Chiajna take on FC Botosani, while Gaz Metan Medias face Astra Giurgiu. On Saturday, Dunarea Calarasi play FCSB on home turf, while CFR Cluj receive the visit of FC Hermannstadt. On Sunday, FC Voluntari are pitted against Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe at home, while in the south-eastern Romanian village of Ovidiu, Viitorul Constanta take on Universitatea Craiova. The last fixture of the 22nd round is scheduled on Monday, when Dinamo Bucharest are pitted against Poli Iasi.

CFR Cluj are at the top of the table, with 46 points, FCSB are the runner-up team, with 40 points, while 3rd-placed are Craiova, with 38 points.

(translated by: Eugen Nasta)

1 February 2019
January 25, 2019 UPDATE

Currency — Romania’s national currency, the LEU, on Friday reached a new historic low as against the EURO, with one Euro being traded for 4 lei and 76 bani. The value was reported after a one-day break on the inter-banking market occasioned by a national holiday. The leu also depreciated against the US dollar which was traded for 4 lei and 20 bani. The Social Democratic Party in the ruling coalition claims the national bank has enough resources, of almost 37 billion Euros, to be able to intervene in favor of the national currency. According to data published on Friday by the central bank the money supply rose by almost 9% in December 2018 as compared to the same month of the previous year.

Corruption — The National Anti-corruption Directorate prosecutors on Friday asked for a 12-year prison sentence for the former mayor of Constanta, Radu Mazare. This is the maximum sentence in a file in which Mazare is being tried for bribe taking, conflict of interests and abuse of office. The court meeting prosecutor also asked for the confiscation of one million Euros Mazare received as bribe as well as for the coverage of the loss. The trial is being judged in the absence of the former Social Democratic mayor Radu Mazare who left the country and fled to Madagascar where he asked for political asylum in December 2017. The High Court of Cassation and Justice issued an arrest warrant in absentia. Mazare made investments in Madagascar where he built a small resort for water sports on the shore of the Indian Ocean. Mazare was mayor of Constanta, the largest port on the Black Sea Coast, from 2000 to 2015 when he resigned after he was first arrested for corruption.

Chisinau — Friday saw the start of the campaign for the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova due on February 24. The elections will be held for the first time based on the mixed electoral system according to which 50 deputies will be elected on party lists and another 51 in individual constituencies, in one single round. So far 9 parties have been registered and 6 have submitted their files to the Central Electoral Committee. According to opinion surveys, running as favorites are Igor Dodon’s pro-Russian Socialists followed by a coalition of the pro-European right and by the center-left Democratic Party. A referendum was scheduled to take place at the same time with the elections, in which people are called to vote on whether to reduce the number of deputies from 101 to 61 and on whether the deputies can be revoked by the citizens.

Flu — The Romanian health minister Sorina Pintea on Friday said that she was expecting Tuesday’s communiqué of the National Public Health Institute before she declared a flu epidemic. If the communiqué shows that for the 3rd consecutive week the number of diagnosed flu cases is higher than the number of estimated cases, then a flu epidemic will be declared. The authorities announced 36 people have been killed by the flu virus this season. Doctors recommend vaccination.

Handball – Romania’s women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest on Saturday will play away from home against Gyor ETO from Hungary in their first match in the Champions’ League Main Group B. The two teams are on first positions Gyor with 8 points and CSM with 6 points. The group also includes Vipers Kristiansand (Norway), Krim Ljubljana (Slovenia), Ferencvaros (Hungary) and Thuringer HC (Germany). In the past two seasons CSM Bucharest got the bronze medal after in 2016 they won the trophy. This is CSM Bucharest’s 4th consecutive participation in the Champions’ League. Also on Saturday the holder of the EHF Cup, Romania’s vice-champions, SCM Craiova, will play at home against the Croat team Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica in Group D. Podravka is ranked 1st in the classification, with 6 points, being followed by de Super Amara Bera Bera (Spain) and SCM Craiova, each with 2 points. In Group A of the Champions’ League, SC Magura from Cisnadie will take on, away from home, the Norwegian team Storhamar Handball Elite. (translation by L. Simion)

25 January 2019
January 25, 2019

DIRECTIVE The Romanian presidency of
the EU Council and the European Parliament have reached a preliminary political
agreement on the balance between professional life and family life of parents
and caregivers, according to the Labor Ministry in Bucharest. The directive
introduces a number of minimal standards applicable throughout the Union
regarding maternity and paternity leave, as well as time off for caring for
close relatives. Employees also gain the right to demand more flexible work
arrangements. The European regulation is supposed to lead to a more equitable
sharing of responsibilities between men and women within the family. The
agreement has to be endorsed by member states.

WEATHER A code yellow warning has been issued for most of
Romania’s regions, which are currently facing gale-force wind, glaze and
precipitations. The warning is in place until Saturday. Three national roads
have been closed down due to the glazed frost and blizzard, which have also
disrupted road, rail and air traffic in Romania. In capital Bucharest, trees
fell under the heavy ice and many people have been admitted to hospitals with injuries
after falling on ice. 46 towns and villages have been left without electricity.
The highs of the day range between minus 6 and plus 8 degrees Celsius. The noon
reading in Bucharest was minus two degrees.

CAMPAIGN The ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is
seeing its first day of election campaign for the parliamentary election on
February 24th. The election is being held for the first time under
the mixed system, according to which 50 out of the 101 MPs are running on party
tickets whereas 51 others in constituencies. Nine parties have so far been
registered and six have submitted files to the Central Election Committee. A
referendum about cutting down the number of MPs from 101 to 61 is to be run on
the very Election Day. Only two parties are involved with the referendum, the
Democratic Party, which kicked off the campaign and the Communist Party which
votes against.

FLU The Health Ministry in Bucharest is expected to decide next
week whether to declare a flu epidemic against the rising number of infections
and deaths caused by the virus. According to the authorities, 35 people have
been killed by the virus this season. Field minister Sorina Pintea has called
on the National Public Healthcare Institute to make public the situation at
national level adding that an epidemic will be declared if reports confirm a
third consecutive week with epidemic character. Doctors continue to recommend
vaccination and encourage people to visit GPs after noticing any flu-related
symptoms.

HANDBALL Romania’s champions in women’s handball, CSM Bucharest, will be up
against Hungarian side Gyor ETO in their first group B match in the Champions
League. The two sides are starting from top positions; Gyor has 8 points while
CSM 6. The group also includes Vipers Kristiansand of Norway, Krim Ljubljana of
Slovenia, Ferencvaros of Hungary and Thuringer HC of Germany. In the past two
seasons, CSM has got the bronze medals after winning the trophy in 2016. This
is CSM’s fourth consecutive participation in the Champions League. Also on
Saturday, the EHF Cup’s holder, Romania’s vice-champions SCM Craiova, are
playing their return game against Podravka Koprivnica of Croatia in group D.
Our side lost the first game away 23-36. Podravka tops the group table with 6
points, Super Amara Bera Bera of Spain comes next and SCM Craiova third.

(translated by bill)

25 January 2019
November 9, 2018 UPDATE

PARIS – On Saturday and Sunday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will attend ceremonies commemorating the centennial of WWIs armistice. The Romanian head of state, invited by the French President Emmanuel Macron, will attend the centennial ceremony at the Triumphal Arch alongside leaders of the belligerent countries in WWI and also leaders of the states that supported the war efforts. Also, Klaus Iohannis will attend the inaugural edition of the Paris Peace Forum, president Macrons initiative, focused on supporting and striving to improve global governance in the fields of peace and security, environment, development, technological advancement and economy. In Paris, president Iohannis will also meet with Romanian research students. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the meeting organised at the Romanian Embassy in Paris is devoted to Romanian contributions to the development of science and technology, in the Centenary Year of the Great Union.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu met in Bucharest on Friday with his counterpart from neighbouring Hungary, Peter Szijjarto. On that occasion, the two officials talked about the stage of bilateral relations, laying emphasis on the importance to increase two way trade exchanges and boost cooperation in such domains as energy and infrastructure. Other points on the agenda of talks included the EU enlargement in the West Balkans, security in the Black Sea region and the Eastern Neighbourhood, which are foreign policy issues of utmost importance for the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. In another move, Melescanu told his counterpart that he pays special heed to the way in which the Hungarian authorities are managing domestic and foreign policy issues with a direct impact on bilateral relations, particularly this year when Romania celebrates the Great Union Centennial anniversary. In turn, the Hungarian official said the two countries have the capacity to solve their sensitive files.

DEFENSE – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, said on Friday there is a complex security situation in the region, against the backdrop of the Russian Federations aggressive attitude, which manifests itself by increasing the number of troops and dispatching new capabilities in the Black Sea area. The declaration was made during the visit paid by Mihai Fifor alongside his Canadian counterpart Harjit Singh Sajjan to the Mihail Kogalniceanu air-base in south-eastern Romania. The two officials will meet with soldiers from the Canadian detachment deployed in Romania for enhanced air-policing missions, as well as with Romanian Air Force staff. On this occasion, minister Fifor also referred to the importance granted by Romania to the Trans-Atlantic dialogue during the Romanain presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019.

FAC (TRADE) – Romania supports the European Commission in the process of negotiation to reform the World Trade Organisation, the Romanian minister for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Ştefan-Radu Oprea said in Brussels on Friday. The statement was made at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), where EU-US trade relations were also on the agenda of talks. On the sidelines of the meeting, minister Oprea held talks with several counterparts from the EU member states, in the run up to Romanias holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019.

TRADE DEFICIT – According to the National Institute of Statistics, Romanias trade deficit grew by more than one billion Euros in the first nine months of the year. Thus, the deficit of the trade balance, which is the difference between the value of imports and that of exports, has reached 10 billion Euros. This year, a big share of both imports and exports has been held by transport machinery and equipment.

HANDBALL – Romanias womens handball champions CSM Bucharest on Sunday plays away from home against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungary, in Champions Leagues Group D. The Hungarian team ranks first, with 6 points, followed by CSM Bucharest with 4, and Kristiansand of Norway and Bietigheim of Germany with 3 points each. The first three highest ranking teams will qualify for the main groups. On Thursday, in the mens competition, the current holder of the national title, Dinamo Bucharest, defeated Ademar Leon of Spain on home turf. Dinamo gained 10 points and now tops the group rankings. The main counter-candidates for play-offs qualification are Ademar Leon, which currently has 9 points, Wisla Plock of Poland and Elverum of Norway, with 8 points each. (Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

9 November 2018
November 9, 2018

PARIS – On Saturday and Sunday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis will participate in events commemorating the centennial of WWIs armistice. The Romanian head of state, invited by the French President Emmanuel Macron, will attend the centennial ceremony at the Triumphal Arch alongside leaders of the belligerent countries in WWI and also leaders of the states that supported the war efforts. Also, Klaus Iohannis will attend the inaugural edition of the Paris Peace Forum, president Macrons initiative, focused on supporting and striving to improve global governance in the fields of peace and security, environment, development, technological advancement and economy. In Paris, president Iohannis will also meet with Romanian research students. According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the meeting organized at the Romanian Embassy in Paris is devoted to Romanian contributions to the development of science and technology, in the Centenary Year of the Great Union.

COLECTIV – The first 25 witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify today, at the Bucharest Tribunal, in relation to the fire that broke out three years ago at the Colectiv Club in Bucharest. We recall that on October 30th, 2015, during a rock concert, a fireworks show started a fire, which killed 64 people and wounded another 200. The owners of the club and the former district mayor Cristian Popescu-Piedone are being tried in relation to this case. The owners are accused of encouraging and allowing the access of people beyond the clubs admitted limit, especially given that the facility did not have enough emergency exits. Also, they allowed the fireworks show, although the clubs interior arrangements were unfit for such activity. On Thursday, survivors of the fire talked with the health minister Sorina Pintea about implementing in Romania a rapid intervention mechanism in case of accidents that cause third-degree burns.

TRADE DEFICIT – According to the National Institute of Statistics, Romanias trade deficit grew by more than one billion Euros in the first nine months of the year. Thus, the deficit of the trade balance, which is the difference between the value of imports and that of exports, has reached 10 billion Euros. This year, a big share of both imports and exports has been held by transport machinery and equipment.

VISIT – The Romanian and Canadian Defense Ministers, Mihai Fifor and Harjit Singh Sajjan respectively, are paying a visit to the Mihail Kogalniceanu air-base in south-eastern Romania. The two officials will meet with soldiers from the Canadian detachment deployed in Romania for enhanced air-policing missions, as well as with Romanian Air Force staff. A communiqué issued by the Romanian Defense Ministry reads that the Canadian detachment, made up of 135 soldiers and CF-188 Hornet fighters, are carrying out, alongside MiG-21 LanceR aircraft and Romanian Air Force soldiers, enhanced air policing missions under NATO command. According to the same communiqué, jointly deployed Air Policing missions contribute to the development of reaction and deterrence capacity, as well as to the enhancement of interoperability between the Romanian Air Force and the Canadian Royal Air Force.

SANCTIONS – The US has announced new sanctions against individuals and entities in relation to the annexation of Crimea and the violation of human rights in the Ukrainian regions controlled by Russia, France Presse reports. Financial sanctions are aimed at preventing such individuals and entities from doing business with Americans and banning them access to the US market. The Washington Administration stated in July it did not recognize the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

HANDBALL – Romanias womens handball champions CSM Bucharest on Sunday plays away from home against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungary, in Champions Leagues Group D. The Hungarian team ranks first, with 6 points, followed by CSM Bucharest with 4, and Kristiansand of Norway and Bietigheim of Germany with 3 points each. The first three highest ranking teams will qualify for the main groups. On Thursday, in the mens competition, the current holder of the national title, Dinamo Bucharest, defeated Ademar Leon of Spain on home turf. Dinamo gained 10 points and now tops the group rankings. The main counter-candidates for play-offs qualification are Ademar Leon, which currently has 9 points, Wisla Plock of Poland and Elverum of Norway, with 8 points each.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

9 November 2018
October 21, 2018

MOURNING – Ilie Balaci, one of Romania’s best known football players, has died today, aged 62. Balaci made his debut at Universitatea Craiova football team, in 1973 and contributed to the team’s winning its first champion title. He was designated Romania’s footballer of the year twice, in 1981 and 1982. He won three national champion titles and four cups with Universitatea Craiova, a team that he played for most of his career, before his withdrawal from football in 1988. He then became a head coach and he had great success in the Arab countries, having won numerous titles in Tunisia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

INVICTUS – The Romanians who are participating in Sydney in the Invictus Games, the international adaptive multi-sport event, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part, will are today starting the team competitions, said on Radio Romania Colonel Augustin Pegulescu, himself an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran. The Romanian team is made up of 15 wounded soldiers, most of them participating for the second time in the Invictus Games. More than 500 soldiers from across the world have come to Sydeny to take part in the games, created by Prince Harry four years ago.

SALARIES – The Romanian Government is considering freezing salaries in the public sector in 2019. A letter sent recently by the Finance Ministry to Brussels reads that this is one of the measures envisaged for next year, for Romania to observe the deficit target of 2.58% of the GDP and subsequently to correct the deviation from the medium term objectives by reducing the structured balance which will exceed 3% of the GDP this year. According to the document posted on the European Commissions website, the Romanian Government intends to maintain the value of holiday tickets to approximately 300 Euro, and also the number of employees in the public sector.

MARCH — A march for the prevention and fighting of all forms of violence against women took place in the capital Bucharest on Saturday. Alongside the several hundreds participants, were also foreign ambassadors to Bucharest, such as the American ambassador. Organizers signaled the fact that last year alone 26% of the total number of murders were due to domestic violence, and of the 40 thousand violence cases signaled to the police only 4% were brought to Court. A similar march took place on Saturday in the town of Focsani in eastern Romania.

PROCESSION — In Bucharest, thousands of Roman and Greek Catholic believers and priests are today taking parte in a procession with relic and icon of Pope John Paul II. The relic consists in several drops of the Popes blood, a gift to the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bucharest from Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former personal secretary of the Pope, currently Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow. Born on May 18th, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Wojtyla was elected pope in October 1978 and died on April 2nd, 2005, at the Vatican. Pope Francis declared him a saint in April 2014, so John Paul II was included in the calendar of the Catholic Church, and his liturgical commemoration was set for October 22nd of each year. In 1999, Pope John Paul II came to Romania, on the first visit to a predominantly orthodox country by a head of the Catholic Church.

FESTIVAL – Bucharest is hosting the 28th National Theater Festival. For 11 days, theater lovers have the opportunity to participate in some 100 artistic events: shows, performances, exhibitions, book launches and meetings with special guests. The director of the festival, Marina Constantinescu, has stated that the money collected during the festival will be donated to the Daruieste viata (Give Life) Association, for the building of the first hospital of pediatric oncology and radiotherapy in Romania. Bucharest is also playing host to the event titled Cannes Films in Bucharest, an opportunity for film goers to watch films awarded at the prestigious festival, but also films signed by Romanian directors.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest on Saturday, away from home, beat the Norwegian squad Vipers Kristiansand, 29-27 in the Champions Leagues Group D. In the first two matches, the Romanian team defeated Ferencvaros of Hungary on home turf, and was defeated by Bietighem of Germany. On Thursday, CSM Bucharest got a new head coach, the Serb Dragan Djukic. He replaced the Swedish Magnus Johansson. Djukic, aged 56, has trained clubs such as Pick Szeged of Hungary, Vardar Skopje of Macedonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel, as well as the national teams of Montenegro, Israel, Great Britain, Switzerland, Macedonia and Jordan. (Translated by Elena Enache)

21 October 2018
October 20, 2018

JUSTICE – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis intends to summon all political parties represented in Parliament for talks on the justice laws, following yesterdays report of the Venice Commission on the changes brought to these laws in Romania. The Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law, believes that the changes brought to the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Proceeding and the justice laws will weaken the fight against corruption and organized crime. The Commission recommends large-scale public consultations, aimed at achieving a solid and coherent legislative change, supported by citizens and in compliance with the rulings of the Constitutional Court. Following the critical opinion of the Venice Commission, president Klaus Iohannis has stated that the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, himself a member of the Commission, has definitely compromised his credibility and should resign.

INTERCEPTION – Russian military aircraft, flying near the Romanian air space, was intercepted by Canadian fighters, in collaboration with the Romanian Air Forces. According to information made public today, the Russian jet was a SU 27-Flanker and was flying above the Black Sea. As soon as the Russian plane was detected by the Command and Control Center of the Romanian Air Forces, Canadian Hornet fighters were sent on mission. They watched the Russian plane from a short distance, until the latter left the area.

PROCESSION – On Sunday in Bucharest, thousands of Roman and Greek Catholic believers and priests will take parte in a procession with relic and icon of Pope John Paul II. The relic consists in several drops of the Popes blood, a gift to the Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bucharest from Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former personal secretary of the Pope, currently Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow. Born on May 18th, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Wojtyla was elected pope in October 1978 and died on April 2nd, 2005, at the Vatican. Pope Francis declared him a saint in April 2014, so John Paul II was included in the calendar of the Catholic Church, and his liturgical commemoration was set for October 22nd of each year. In 1999, Pope John Paul II came to Romania, on the first visit to a predominantly orthodox country by a head of the Catholic Church.

FESTIVAL – Bucharest is hosting the 28th National Theater Festival. For 11 days, theater lovers will have the opportunity to participate in some 100 artistic events: shows, performances, exhibitions, book launches and meetings with special guest. The director of the festival, Marina Constantinescu, has stated that the money collected during the festival will be donated to the Daruieste viata (Give Life) Association, for the building of the first hospital of pediatric oncology and radiotherapy in Romania. Bucharest is also playing host to the event titled Cannes Films in Bucharest, an opportunity for film goers to watch films awarded at the prestigious festival, but also films signed by Romanian directors.

INVICTUS – The Romanians who are participating in Sydney in the Invictus Games, the international adaptive multi-sport event, in which wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans take part, will start tomorrow the team competitions, said on Radio Romania Colonel Augustin Pegulescu, himself an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran. The Romanian team is made up of 15 wounded soldiers, most of them participating for the second time in the Invictus Games. More than 500 soldiers from across the world have come to Sydeny to take part in the games, created by Prince Harry four years ago.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest are this evening playing, away from home, against the Norwegian squad Vipers Kristiansand, in the Champions Leagues Group D. In the first two matches, the Romanian team defeated Ferencvaros of Hungary on home turf, and was defeated by Bietighem of Germany. On Thursday, CSM Bucharest got a new head coach, the Serb Dragan Djukic. He replaced the Swedish Magnus Johansson. Djukic, aged 56, has trained clubs such as Pick Szeged of Hungary, Vardar Skopje of Macedonia and Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel, as well as the national teams of Montenegro, Israel, Great Britain, Switzerland, Macedonia and Jordan.

20 October 2018
Romanian handball teams in European inter-club competitions

Although not as popular as football, Romanian handball has a long history. In recent years, not just the Romanian national women’s team grabbed notable results, but also individual clubs, which have won important European inter-club competitions. CSM Craiova on Friday won the EHF Cup after defeating 30-25 Vipers Kirstiansand of Norway on home turf in the second leg of the final. In the first leg the Norwegian team had won 26-22. CSM finished second in the group, which also included Brest of France, Kuban Krasnodar of Russia and Denmark’s Randers. In the quarterfinals, Craiova eased past Lada Togliatti of Russia, seeded first in the competition, and knocked out Kastamonu of Turkey in the semi-finals.

SCM’s feat is all the more praiseworthy as the team has this season undergone major changes, most of the players being homegrown. This was the first European title for SCM and the first EHF Cup won by a Romanian team in the competition’s latest format. Previously, Chimistul Ramnicu Valcea won the IHF Cup in 1984 and 1989, while Rapid Bucharest won the competition in 1993. Also in this year’s edition of the EHF Cup, another Romanian team, HC Zalau, had a very good run. The two teams could have played each other in the semis, but Zalau was edged out by Turkey’s Kastamonu.

Further evidence of the power of Romanian handball is CSM Bucharest’s qualification, for the third consecutive year, to the Champions League Final Four tournament, this year hosted by Budapest. Although the expectations were high, CSM had to settle for the bronze medal. In the semi-finals, the team from Bucharest lost 20-26 to Hungary’s Gyor, which went on to defend their title in the final against Macedonia’s Vardar Skopje, 27-26. CSM won however the bronze final match against Russia’s Rostov Don, 31-30. Despite the disappointment, CSM’s Cristina Neagu was designated the competition’s top scorer with a total of 110 goals this season. This is the second time the award goes to Neagu, who so far has been designated the world’s best handballer three times.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

14 May 2018
May 12, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – People have taken to the streets in Bucharest and other cities across Romania to take part in a protest titled “We want Europe, we dont want dictatorship”. They are accusing the ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats of failing to keep the promises they made during the election campaign, of alienating Romania from the European democratic standards and throwing it into a regime ruled by politicians interests. According to the organizers of the protest, some of the anti-democratic measures taken by the governing coalition include the modifications brought to the criminal codes and the changes to the justice laws, operated without public consultations. Romanians in the Diaspora have announced they are supporting the protesters.

1848 REVOLUTION – On Saturday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis attended in Blaj, central Romania, events devoted to the commemoration of 170 years since the National Assembly of the 1848 Revolution. He stated that Romania must maintain its European path and remain strong and anchored in the European values and the rule of law. The Romanian Revolution of 1848 was part of the European Revolution and an expression of the Romanian nations affirmation process and national consciousness.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a communiqué in which it justifies the decision to reject the EU proposal by means of which the members states were asked to refuse to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Foreign Ministry explains that it took into consideration the very complicated regional context and conducted a thorough analysis of the text proposed by the European External Action Service. President Klaus Iohannis has announced he will invite the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu to explain the stand taken by the Romanian representatives at the European External Action Service regarding the relocation of embassies from Tel Aviv. He has also stated that the Romanian Embassy cannot be moved without his approval. On April 20th, the Romanian Presidential Administration had stated that the head of state Klaus Iohannis believed that the relocation of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem would be, at this stage, a violation of relevant international law. A day before, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea had announced that the Government had adopted a memorandum stipulating the start of the procedures to move the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem.

VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, currently on a visit to Rome, has met with Romanian students of pontifical universities. On the occasion, Ms Dancila has promised the Romanian Government will help equip the library of the Pio Romeno Pontifical College. She stressed the importance of the College for the Romanian students at the Vatican and for strengthening the ties between Romania and the Holy See. On Friday, Viorica Dancila was received by Pope Francis, whom she thanked for his interest in the relations with Romania and voiced hope that the Pope would pay a visit to Romania. The Romanian Prime Ministers visit to the Vatican is taking place at a time of very good bilateral ties, and in the year when Romania is celebrating 100 years since the Great Union, which will be marked by the Holy See through several cultural and academic events.

DIASPORA – The Ministry for Romanians Abroad will award this year 100 successful Romanians, under a project aimed at highlighting the top 10 Romanian personalities in 10 countries across the world inhabited by large Romanian communities. The Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia Intotero made the announcement in Deva, western Romania, on Saturday. The first event will take place in Brussels on Wednesday and will promote the Romanian traditional costume, given that this year Romanians celebrate one hundred years since the creation of the Romanian unitary state.

THEATRE – The “Matei Visniec” Theatre Festival is underway in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. Until May 20th, the festival will be playing host to some 60 performances, for all ages and tastes. 300 guests are expected to attend the festival, actors, directors and theater critics from across the country, from the Republic of Moldova and from France. The special guest of the festival, just like every year, is the Romanian writer and playwright Matei Visniec, who has settled in France. His plays have been staged all across the world, including Japan, the US, Brazil and Turkey. In Romania, his works were banned before the anti-Communist Revolution of 1989.

ART SAFARI – Works worth some 10 million Euro, from important private collections, from the Pompidu Museum in Paris and from the collection of the former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen until May 20th at Art Safari, the largest artistic event in Romania, organized in central Bucharest. The most valuable exhibit is a work by Constantin Brancusi, which is part of a private collection and was evaluated at a seven figure sum as the director of Art Safari Bucharest Ioana Ciocan has told us. The Art Safari Exhibition has reached its fifth edition.

EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT – The Romanian writer Magda Carneci will attend the European Literature Night organized by the Czech Center in New York, under the aegis of the European Union of National Institutes of Culture. This second edition will present authors and books from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary. Each author will be presented along with a book translated into English, and young American students will read from them. Magda Carneci will participate with the volume “A Deafening Silence”.

RESOLUTE CASTLE 2018 – The Cincu shooting ground, in central Romania, is hosting the multinational exercise Resolute Castle 2018. Its a six-month exercise that involves the participation of military of the Romanian Land Forces and of the South Carolina National Guard. Romanian and American soldiers will carry out infrastructure and refurbishing works in Cincu. Resolute Castle 2018 focuses on building and consolidating training centers in Poland and Romania. This allows the US military units to rapidly mobilize its forces, to carry out rotating drills together with allies and multi-national partners and to demonstrate their deterrence capacity in a security environment.

HANDBALL – Romanian womens handball champion CSM Bucharest has failed to qualify for the Champions Leagues final in Budapest. The Romanian squad was defeated 26-20 by the Hungarian Gyori Audi ETO KC, in the first semifinal of the Final Four. CSM won the Final Four in 2016. On Friday, SCM Craiova won the EHF Cup in womens handball, by defeating on home turf on Friday night the Norwegian squad Vipers Kristiansand 30 to 25. This is the first European trophy won by SCM Craiova, and also the first EHF Cup for the Romanian womens handball. The competition had been won by Romanian teams before, but under the previous name, IHF Cup ( Chimistul Ramnicu Valcea in 1984 and 1989 and Rapid Bucharest in 1993). (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

12 May 2018
May 12, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – People have taken to the streets in Bucharest and other cities across Romania to take part in a protest titled “We want Europe, we dont want dictatorship”. They are accusing the ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats of failing to keep the promises they made during the election campaign, of alienating Romania from the European democratic standards and throwing it into a regime ruled by politicians interests. According to the organizers of the protest, some of the anti-democratic measures taken by the governing coalition include the modifications brought to the criminal codes and the changes to the justice laws, operated without public consultations. Romanians in the Diaspora have announced they are supporting the protesters.

1848 REVOLUTION – On Saturday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis attended in Blaj, central Romania, events devoted to the commemoration of 170 years since the National Assembly of the 1848 Revolution. He stated that Romania must maintain its European path and remain strong and anchored in the European values and the rule of law. The Romanian Revolution of 1848 was part of the European Revolution and an expression of the Romanian nations affirmation process and national consciousness.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issued a communiqué in which it justifies the decision to reject the EU proposal by means of which the members states were asked to refuse to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Foreign Ministry explains that it took into consideration the very complicated regional context and conducted a thorough analysis of the text proposed by the European External Action Service. President Klaus Iohannis has announced he will invite the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu to explain the stand taken by the Romanian representatives at the European External Action Service regarding the relocation of embassies from Tel Aviv. He has also stated that the Romanian Embassy cannot be moved without his approval. On April 20th, the Romanian Presidential Administration had stated that the head of state Klaus Iohannis believed that the relocation of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem would be, at this stage, a violation of relevant international law. A day before, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea had announced that the Government had adopted a memorandum stipulating the start of the procedures to move the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem.

VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, currently on a visit to Rome, has met with Romanian students of pontifical universities. On the occasion, Ms Dancila has promised the Romanian Government will help equip the library of the Pio Romeno Pontifical College. She stressed the importance of the College for the Romanian students at the Vatican and for strengthening the ties between Romania and the Holy See. On Friday, Viorica Dancila was received by Pope Francis, whom she thanked for his interest in the relations with Romania and voiced hope that the Pope would pay a visit to Romania. The Romanian Prime Ministers visit to the Vatican is taking place at a time of very good bilateral ties, and in the year when Romania is celebrating 100 years since the Great Union, which will be marked by the Holy See through several cultural and academic events.

DIASPORA – The Ministry for Romanians Abroad will award this year 100 successful Romanians, under a project aimed at highlighting the top 10 Romanian personalities in 10 countries across the world inhabited by large Romanian communities. The Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia Intotero made the announcement in Deva, western Romania, on Saturday. The first event will take place in Brussels on Wednesday and will promote the Romanian traditional costume, given that this year Romanians celebrate one hundred years since the creation of the Romanian unitary state.

THEATRE – The “Matei Visniec” Theatre Festival is underway in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. Until May 20th, the festival will be playing host to some 60 performances, for all ages and tastes. 300 guests are expected to attend the festival, actors, directors and theater critics from across the country, from the Republic of Moldova and from France. The special guest of the festival, just like every year, is the Romanian writer and playwright Matei Visniec, who has settled in France. His plays have been staged all across the world, including Japan, the US, Brazil and Turkey. In Romania, his works were banned before the anti-Communist Revolution of 1989.

ART SAFARI – Works worth some 10 million Euro, from important private collections, from the Pompidu Museum in Paris and from the collection of the former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen until May 20th at Art Safari, the largest artistic event in Romania, organized in central Bucharest. The most valuable exhibit is a work by Constantin Brancusi, which is part of a private collection and was evaluated at a seven figure sum as the director of Art Safari Bucharest Ioana Ciocan has told us. The Art Safari Exhibition has reached its fifth edition.

EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT – The Romanian writer Magda Carneci will attend the European Literature Night organized by the Czech Center in New York, under the aegis of the European Union of National Institutes of Culture. This second edition will present authors and books from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary. Each author will be presented along with a book translated into English, and young American students will read from them. Magda Carneci will participate with the volume “A Deafening Silence”.

RESOLUTE CASTLE 2018 – The Cincu shooting ground, in central Romania, is hosting the multinational exercise Resolute Castle 2018. Its a six-month exercise that involves the participation of military of the Romanian Land Forces and of the South Carolina National Guard. Romanian and American soldiers will carry out infrastructure and refurbishing works in Cincu. Resolute Castle 2018 focuses on building and consolidating training centers in Poland and Romania. This allows the US military units to rapidly mobilize its forces, to carry out rotating drills together with allies and multi-national partners and to demonstrate their deterrence capacity in a security environment.

HANDBALL – Romanian womens handball champion CSM Bucharest has failed to qualify for the Champions Leagues final in Budapest. The Romanian squad was defeated 26-20 by the Hungarian Gyori Audi ETO KC, in the first semifinal of the Final Four. CSM won the Final Four in 2016. On Friday, SCM Craiova won the EHF Cup in womens handball, by defeating on home turf on Friday night the Norwegian squad Vipers Kristiansand 30 to 25. This is the first European trophy won by SCM Craiova, and also the first EHF Cup for the Romanian womens handball. The competition had been won by Romanian teams before, but under the previous name, IHF Cup ( Chimistul Ramnicu Valcea in 1984 and 1989 and Rapid Bucharest in 1993). (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

12 May 2018
May 12, 2018

VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila continues her visit to the Vatican, where on Friday she was received by Pope Francis. The Prime Minister thanked his Sanctity for the attention he had always paid to the relations with Romania and voiced hope that the Pope would pay a visit to Romania. The two officials also talked about human rights and religious freedom. Viorica Dancila stressed the need for a deeper cooperation between Romania and the Vatican, especially against the background of Romanias taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2019. This will provide the opportunity to send a message to the whole of Europe, given Romanias ecumenical vocation, Viorica Dancila also said. The Romanian Prime Ministers visit to the Vatican is taking place at a time of very good bilateral ties, and in the year when Romania is celebrating 100 years since the Great Union, which will be marked by the Holy See through a string of high-class cultural and academic events.

1848 REVOLUTION – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is today travelling to Blaj in central Romania to attend events devoted to the commemoration of 170 years since the National Assembly of the 1848 Revolution. The head of state will lay a wreath at the Gloria monument on Liberty Field and will participate in the debate titled Blaj 1848-2018: National Consciousness and European Destiny, organized by the Inochentie Micu Clain National College. At the meeting, the president will talk with representatives of the local administration and associative environment, with business people, athletes, cultural personalities, students and teachers. Also, the Romanian president will take part in the inauguration of the Culture Palace in Blaj, one of the most important cultural edifices in Transylvania, built in 1936, but destroyed by fire in 1995. The palace has been rehabilitated and has been awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage.

THEATRE – The “Matei Visniec” Theatre Festival starts today in Suceava, north-eastern Romania. Until May 20th, the event will host some 60 performances, targeting all categories of audience. 300 guests are expected to attend the festival, actors, directors and theater critics from across the country, from the Republic of Moldova and from France. The special guest of the festival, just like every year, is the Romanian writer and playwright Matei Visniec, who has settled in France. His plays have been staged all across the world, including Japan, the US, Brazil and Turkey. In Romania, his works were banned before the anti-Communist Revolution of 1989.

ART SAFARI – Works worth some 10 million Euro, from important private collections, from the Pompidu Museum in Paris and from the collection of the former Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen until May 20th at Art Safari, the largest artistic event in Romania, organized in central Bucharest. The most valuable exhibit is a work by Constantin Brancusi, which is part of a private collection and was evaluated at a seven figure sum as the director of Art Safari Bucharest Ioana Ciocan has told us. The Art Safari Exhibition has reached its fifth edition.

EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT – The Romanian writer Magda Carneci will attend the European Literature Night organized by the Czech Center in New York, under the aegis of the European Union of National Institutes of Culture. This second edition will present authors and books from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Hungary. Each author will be presented along with a book translated into English, and young American students will read from them. Magda Carneci will participate with the volume “A Deafening Silence”.

RESOLUTE CASTLE 2018 – The Cincu shooting ground, in central Romania, is hosting the multinational exercise Resolute Castle 2018. Its a six-month exercise that involves the participation of military of the Romanian Land Forces and of the South Carolina National Guard. Romanian and American soldiers will carry out infrastructure and refurbishing works in Cincu. Resolute Castle 2018 focuses on building and consolidating training centers in Poland and Romania. This allows the US military units to rapidly mobilize its forces, to carry out rotating drills together with allies and multi-national partners and to demonstrate their deterrence capacity in a security environment.

HANDBALL – SCM Craiova has won the EHF Cup in womens handball, after they defeated on home turf on Friday night the Norwegian squad Vipers Kristiansand 30 to 25. In the first match, Vipers had won 26-22 and were standing good chance of winning, had they maintained the pace in the return game. Fortunately, the goal keeper Yuliya Dumanska managed to defend two shots just seconds before the end of the game. This is the first European trophy won by SCM Craiova, and also the first EHF Cup for the Romanian womens handball. The competition had been won by Romanian teams before under the previous name, IHF Cup, by Chimistul Ramnicu Valcea in 1984 and 1989 and Rapid Bucharest in 1993. In another development, Romanias champions CSM Bucharest are today playing against the Hungarians from Gyor ETO, in the semifinals of the Champions League hosted by Budapest. If they manage to win, on Sunday the Romanian squad will take on the winner of the match between HC Vardar of Macedonia and Rostov-Don of Russia. CSM Bucharest won the Final Four in 2016. (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

12 May 2018
April 17, 2018 UPDATE

REVOLUTION CASE – Army prosecutors have announced the extension of the interval for the criminal prosecution of the former president of the country Ion Iliescu to December 27-31, 1989, for which an endorsement of investigation is not necessary. Ion Iliescu has been summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office to be informed about the start of his prosecution for crimes against humanity, in the 1989 Revolution Case. On April 13, the current president Klaus Iohannis endorsed the start of the criminal prosecution of Ion Iliescu, of the former Prime Minister Petre Roman and of the former deputy Prime Minister Gelu Voican Voculescu in the Revolution Case. The three ex-officials are now being prosecuted and can be sent to court for crimes against humanity, allegedly committed between the 22 and the 31 of December 1989, when they were holding positions in the National Salvation Front Council, which back then was holding both the executive and the legislative power. According to prosecutors, the armed incidents that occurred after December 22, in several towns and cities across Romania, are indicative of the fact that everything occurred as the result of a pre-established plan, aimed at helping the new leaders take over power and gain legitimacy. The three former officials, though, say they are innocent. According to official statistics, in December 1989 more than 1,100 people were killed and more than 3,000 were wounded, mostly after the arrest of dictator Ceausescu and his wife.

DIPLOMACY – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday received the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sultan al Jaber. According to the Presidential Administration, on the occasion, the Romanian president had special words of appreciation for the stage of bilateral relations, which are very good at political level. Also, President Iohannis said efforts to give an impetus to the two way trade exchanges and to boost investments are further a priority in the relation with the United Arab Emirates, (UEA), which is Romanias largest economic partner in the Gulf area. In turn, Sultan al Jaber said there are potential investment projects, particularly in such domains as energy, transport, infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, tourism and real estate. Also on Tuesday, Sultan al Jaber had talks with his Romanian counterpart, Teodor Melescanu, on trade relations. The two officials also attended the proceedings of the first session of the Romania-UEA Joint Commission.

BUCHAREST FORMAT – Bucharest is hosting the first parliamentary summit of the Bucharest Format (B9), attended by representatives of nine European countries and high-ranking NATO officials. The summit is aimed at strengthening the role of national parliaments in the security and defence fields. The agenda of the event, which will last until Thursday, includes topics such as the future presence of NATO, the defence and deterrence posture, fighting terrorism, perceptions regarding the threats facing the participant countries and legislative consolidation in the defence field. The B9 summit is aimed at conveying a unitary and coherent message concerning the strengthening of NATO’s Eastern flank, ahead of the NATO summit to be hosted by Brussels in July.

IMF – The IMF has revised upward, from 4.4% la 5.1%, the outlook for the Romanian economy this year, according to the World Economic Outlook report, released on Tuesday. In 2019, the IMF expects Romanias economy will slow down significantly, down to 3.5% of the GDP. In terms of inflation this year, the forecast has been revised upward, from 3.3% to 4.7%. Also in 2018, the IMF estimated the current account deficit will stand at minus 3.7% and the unemployment rate at 4.6%.

SUMMIT – On May 4, the Bulgarian city of Ruse will play host to an informal meeting of the presidents of Bulgaria, Austria and Romania, the countries holding successively the rotating presidency of the EU Council as of January 1, 2018. According to the press office of the Bulgarian presidential administration, the three heads of state will debate topics of European interest, which are also among the priorities of the current Bulgarian presidency of the EU Council. The meeting in Ruse is an expression of the three countries’ political will to ensure a common stand with regard to the main topics on the EU agenda, such as the European prospects of the Western Balkans, the future of the cohesion policy and the interconnection of the energy networks in the region.

HANDBALL
– The Romanian women’s handball champions CSM Bucharest will meet the Hungarian
team Gyor ETO in the Champion League semi-finals, the so called Final Four. If it goes past the Hungarian team, CSM
Bucharest will face the winning team of the match between HC Vardar of
Macedonia and Rostov-Don of Russia. The semifinals and the final will be held
on May 12 and 13, in Budapest, where the Romanian team won the competition back
in 2016. (Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

17 April 2018