Radio România Internațional

Tag: CVM

September 15, 2023 UPDATE

CVM. The European Commission has officially lifted the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for Bulgaria and Romania. CVM was introduced upon the two countries EU accession in 2007, as a measure to help them reform their justice systems and combat corruption and organized crime. President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Romania and Bulgaria for the significant progress reported since their accession, and pointed out that the rule of law is one of the fundamental EU values, a field in which both Romania and Bulgaria have implemented major reforms. In turn, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis said the lifting of CVM is a great achievement for Romania. “We can conclude Romania has changed, it is a rules-based democracy with a functional judiciary”, the president added.

Schengen. In an interview to the Austrian publication Der Standard, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Romania will refer Austrias opposition to Romanias Schengen accession to the European Union Court of Justice. The Romanian official said losses due to the repeated postponements stand at 2% of the GDP, something which Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu had said earlier this week. Romania says it will seek justice in court should Austria again oppose Romanias Schengen accession at the upcoming informal meetings in October and December. We recall that in December 2022, Austria again vetoed the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, invoking the high flows of illegal immigrants passing through the two countries.

Plan. The Romanian Government has updated its emergency plan on securing natural gas supplies. The document falls in line with European regulations and was drafted following consultations with the main market players. Measures to cap and subsidize natural gas bills will remain in effect until spring next year. The current legislation stipulates that state aid will remain in place until 2025. On the other hand, according to the Energy Ministry, the government is also considering the growing influence of prosumers in covering nationwide consumption.

Ukraine. Romania intends to double its transit capacity for grain from Ukraine, through the Black Sea port of Constanta, to four million tons, said the Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu. He stated that the goal was achievable, at a meeting in Constanta with officials from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the European Commission and the United States. On the other hand, Romanian farmers request the extension of the ban on the import of Ukrainian grains. They claim, in a letter addressed to the authorities, that the measure is necessary to limit the losses of agricultural producers and to avoid reducing Romanias competitiveness as an exporter on the grain market. Farmers also want the allocation from the European budget of at least 30 euros per ton to compensate for the increase in transport tariffs.

Moldova. Moldova belongs in Europe, in the family of Western democracies, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said on the sidelines of a meeting he had in Chișinău with Moldovas Prime Minister, Dorin Recean. Mircea Geoană hailed the Moldovan authorities plea for “extended interoperability with NATO”, underlining that the military alliance is the strongest structure of its kind in the world. The NATO official denied the existence of Russian military risks facing the Republic of Moldova, but pointed out this country is fighting a hybrid war triggered by the Russian Federation.

Tennis. The Romanian team is led by the Taiwan team with a score of 2-0, in the first round of World Group I of the Davis Cup. Tennis player Nicholas David Ionel was defeated by Chun-Hsin Tseng, 6-3, 6-0, and Marius Copil lost to Yu Hsiou Hsu 7-6, 7-5. The matches are hosted by the Black Sea resort of Mamaia, in the south-east. The doubles match and the last singles matches are scheduled for Saturday. The day will be opened by the pairs Marius Copil / Victor Cornea and Yu Hsiou Hsu / Tsung-Hao Huang. The singles matches will oppose Ionel and Hsu, respectively Copil and Tseng. Romania and Taiwan have never met before in the Davis Cup. In February, in the World Group I play-off, Romania beat Thailand 3-2 away from home, and Taiwan beat Mexico 3-1, also away.

15 September 2023
September 15, 2023

CVM – The European Commission has officially lifted the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for Bulgaria and Romania. CVM was
introduced upon the two countries’ EU accession in 2007, as a measure to help
them reform their judiciaries and combat corruption and organized crime.
President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Romania and Bulgaria for the significant
progress reported since their accession, and pointed out that the rule of law
is one of the fundamental EU values, a field in which both Romania and Bulgaria
have implemented major reforms. In turn, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis
said the lifting of CVM is a great achievement for Romania. We can conclude
Romania has changed, it is a rules-based democracy with a functional
judiciary, the president added.

STRIKE – Some 300 passenger and freight trains were suspended on Friday morning
following a two-hour strike staged by rail infrastructure employees. Trade
unions say some problems can no longer be talked about only at the level of the
Transport Ministry and the Government. Rail employees are disgruntled over the
lack of revenue and spending budgets adopted for 2023, as well as the absence
of strategic and coherent funding of the Romanian railways.

SCHENGEN – In an interview to the Austrian publication Der Standard, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Romania will refer
Austria’s opposition to Romania’s Schengen accession to the European Union
Court of Justice. The Romanian official said losses due to the repeated
postponements stand at 2% of GDP, something which Transport Minister Sorin
Grindeanu had said earlier this week. Romania says she will seek justice in
court should Austria again oppose Romania’s Schengen accession at the upcoming
informal meetings in October and December. We recall that in December 2022,
Austria again vetoed the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria at the
Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, invoking the high flows of illegal
immigrants passing through the two countries.

PLAN – The Government has updated its emergency plan on securing natural gas
supplies. The document falls in line with European regulations and was drafted
following consultations with the main market players. Measures to cap and
subsidize natural gas bills will remain in effect until spring next year. The
current legislation stipulates state aid will remain in place until 2025. On
the other hand, according to the Energy Ministry, the government is also
considering the growing influence of prosumers in covering nationwide
consumption.

MOLDOVA – Moldova belongs in Europe, in the family of Western democracies, NATO
Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said on the sidelines of a meeting he
had in Chișinău with Moldova’s Prime Minister, Dorin Recean. Mircea Geoană
hailed the Moldovan authorities’ plea for extended interoperability with
NATO, underlining that the military alliance is the strongest structure of its
kind in the world. The NATO official denied the existence of Russian military
risks facing the Republic of Moldova, but pointed out this country is fighting
a hybrid war triggered by the Russian Federation.

TENNIS – Nicholas David Ionel is today playing Chin-Hsin Tseng in the first match
of the Davis Cup encounter pitting Romania against Taiwain in World Group 1,
hosted by Mamaia on the Black Sea coast. Ionel (226 ATP) and Tseng (326 ATP)
have only played each other once before, in 2021, Tseng winning 6-3, 6-4. In
the second singles match today, Marius Copil (327 ATP) will play Yu Hsiou Hsu
(180 ATP). On Saturday, the pair made up of Marius Copil and Victor Cornea will
play Yu Hsiou Hsu and Tsung-Hao Huang in the doubles match. In the singles,
Ionel will play Hsu whereas Copil will take on Tseng. This is the first match
pitting the two teams in the Davis Cup. In February, in the World Group
playoffs, Romania defeated Thailand 3-2 away from home, whereas Taiwan defeated
Mexico 3-1, also away from home. (VP)

15 September 2023
July 5, 2023 UPDATE

CVM – The
European Commission notified the European Council and the European Parliament
over its plan to shut down the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) for
Romania and Bulgaria, which will be replaced by an annual report on the rule of
law. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the European Commissioner for
Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, who expressed confidence the mechanism
will be lifted this year. In the last CVM report for Bulgaria, which was in
2019, and Romania in 2022, the Commission already concluded that Bulgaria and
Romania have made sufficient progress in meeting the commitments made at the
time of their accession to the EU and that all CVM benchmarks have been
satisfactorily met, Jourová said. In its rule of law report published on
Wednesday, the Commission recommends Romania take measures at operational level
to respond to remaining concerns related to the investigation and trial of
justice-related criminal offenses, including corruption. At the same time, the
Commission says Romania has reported significant progress in strengthening
instruments that ensure the independence of the judiciary and tackle
operational challenges of the National Anticorruption Directorate.

VISIT -
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu’s visit to Germany continued on
Wednesday with a meeting with representatives of the German business sector.
The Romanian official later met the vice-president of the Bundestag, Katrin
Göring-Eckardt, as well as members of the main parliamentary factions. Marcel
Ciolacu highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation and the significant
potential it offers, considering Germany is Romania’s top trade partner.
Germany has expressed an interest to invest in the Romanian petrochemical sector,
given the discovery of new gas deposits in Romania, as well as in the Romanian
raw materials industry, in the context of the upcoming effort to reconstruct
Ukraine. The Romanian Prime Minister pointed out Romania has numerous
resources, as well as energy projects that should ensure Romania plays a key
role in securing stability in the region, also underlining Romania’s potential
in the agricultural sector. Also on Wednesday, Prime Minister Ciolacu met with
representatives of the German defense sector. On the first day of his visit on
Tuesday, Marcel Ciolacu met Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who reiterated his
country’s support for Romania’s Schengen accession in 2023.

EDUCATION -
Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday promulgated the new Education laws.
A former high-school teacher, Iohannis, has been promoting a programme known as
‘Educated Romania’ launched in 2016 and followed by a series of public debates.
Solutions have been proposed for fighting school violence in the country’s
pre-university education, to support the disadvantaged categories of students,
curb school dropout and promote sports. Concerning university education,
president Iohannis says the new legislative measures are going to bring the
Romanian education up to international standards. The education laws have been
promulgated after years of debates and at the end of a critical period in
Romania’s education system, marked by the recent all-out strike of the
teachers. In another development, upon the appeals session for the National Assessment
exam counting towards the candidates’ high-school accession, 76.4% of the
students have obtained passing results while 73% of the candidates have passed
the baccalaureate exam.

PROTEST -
The Health Solidarity Federation announced new protests, including a work-in
strike in several medical units on Thursday. Federation representatives want
the government to modify the emergency decree passed last week so as to fully
enforce the salary law for all health workers and increase salaries. The Federation
wants real salary raises, based on last week’s decree, and the proper
conditions to allow for this pay rise. Nearly 1,400 physicians want to
terminate their on-call work agreements and some 6,400 employees want to give
up shift work and legal holidays work schedules, the Federation also claims.

GAUDEAMUS -
The first summer edition of the book fair Gaudeamus Radio Romania kicked off in
Brașov, central Romania. The event is part of the Gaudeamus caravan, a
nationwide project that has been initiated and carried on by Radio Romania for
more than 20 years. The present edition’s offer includes, the book fair itself,
graphic and photo art, literary creation, all brought together into 40
exhibition stands. This edition is expected to end on Sunday, July 9. (DB &
VP)

5 July 2023
Domestic Events of 2022 in Review

War in Ukraine, security crisis at Romania’s borders, prompt allied response

After two years in which it monopolized the newscasts, the novel coronavirus is outclassed, in 2022, by the new Russian imperialism of Vladimir Putin, with the start of Russias illegal and unjustified war against its former vassal from the Soviet period, Ukraine. Together with its European Union partners and NATO allies, Romania firmly condemned the Russian aggression and coordinated its actions with them to face ‘the most serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security in recent decades, as the aggression is described in the declaration adopted at the end of the NATO meeting of the foreign affairs ministers held in Bucharest in November. Russia, the declaration shows, bears the full responsibility for this war, a blatant violation of international law and of the principles of the UN Charter, and its unacceptable actions, energy blackmail and reckless nuclear rhetoric undermine the rules-based international order. Any attack against the Allies will receive a united and determined response, the NATO states renewed their commitment. The actions that followed the Russian invasion were aimed at consolidating the eastern flank, the most exposed, of which Romania is also a part. The United States has boosted the number of troops sent to the territory of its strategic partner. Around 5,000 allied soldiers are currently in Romania, most of them from the USA, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada. A NATO battle group was established a few months after the start of the conflict, by transforming the allied multinational elements within the NATO Response Force, and France took over the role of framework nation.

Energy crisis, inflation, measures to support the population

Romania participated, from the very first moment, in the international support effort for Ukraine and continues to advocate for maintaining this support, at all levels. The Romanian authorities were praised for the way in which they acted in relation to the Ukrainian refugees and for the role they played in facilitating the transit of cereals from Ukraine to world markets. On the other hand, the Romanian authorities had to manage internal crises that the conflict generated or amplified. In line and in coordination with the European partners, Bucharest has diversified its energy sources in order to decrease its dependence on Russian gas. The government also adopted measures to compensate and cap gas and electricity bills, as the bills risked becoming unbearable for a population whose incomes were devoured by inflation that rose to 17% and endangered the existence of many companies. The budget for next year maintains the measures for capping energy bills, stipulates aid for the most vulnerable categories and allocates money for increasing pensions and the minimum wage.

CVM monitoring lifted, Schengen accession postponed

The European Commission proposed, towards the end of the year, the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism monitoring for Romania, established upon the country’s EU accession in 2007, in order to monitor the reform of the judiciary. The adoption of the justice laws, repaired, to a good extent, after the damage caused to the legislation in the field by the social-democratic government between 2017-2018, had a big say in this decision. The same European Commission found that Romania meets, like Bulgaria, the technical conditions for joining the Schengen free travel area and recommended the EU states to speed up the accession of the two. The European Parliament, for its part, voted a resolution with a similar message. The support of the community institutions and the member states, including the Netherlands, which, in the past, was an intransigent opponent of Romanias and Bulgarias Schengen accession, was, however, blocked by the unexpected and obstinate refusal of Austria. The fact that Romania is not on the route of the illegal migrants flow, which was confirmed by the official data provided by Frontex Agency, and the reports of the Commission, which attest to Romania’s positive results in protecting the Union’s external border and in controlling illegal migration, did not matter. Vienna’s veto in the Justice and Home Affairs Council in December blocked Romanias Schengen accession which had been waited for 11 years. The gesture led to the souring of diplomatic relations between Bucharest and Vienna. Against the background of frustration and indignation, many people, including some leading politicians, called for a boycott of Austrian companies. President Klaus Iohannis called for calm and disagreed with any such boycott. At the last EU summit in 2022, he made an appeal for unity and solidarity, reiterating that Romania deserves its place into the Schengen Area.

Sentences in the COLECTIVE file

After almost 7 years since the fire at the Bucharest club Colectiv, which killed dozens of young people who had come to enjoy a rock concert, the court established the guilt and the punishments. The former mayor of the sector where the club that burned down was located received a 4-year sentence for abuse of office, reduced by half compared to the one received in the court of first instance. In his case, the judges eliminated the aggravated element of the crime of abuse of office. The owners of the club received prison sentences between 6 and almost 12 years, and the firefighters from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations who checked the Colectiv Club without taking the legal measures regarding compliance with fire regulations, were definitively sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in prison. The court decided that some of the convicts should pay compensation of tens of millions of Euros to the families of the victims and the survivors. The latter say that the main culprit for the lost lives is the Romanian state, with its public systems unable to develop antibodies against corruption, indolence and administrative incompetence.

Popovici, the new star of world swimming

2022 in sports was a good year, with successes in rowing, kayak-canoeing, table tennis, athletics and weightlifting. However, in 2022 Romanian sports gave much more, namely a name for history, David Popovici. The high school student from Bucharest was the winner of the Junior and Senior World and European Championships in the 100m and 200m long course swimming events, and in Rome he set a new world record in the 100 meter freestyle. The sports press talks about the Popovici phenomenon, and the famous Swimming World magazine designated him the swimmer of the year. Instead, a former world number one, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, received, in 2022, the news of a provisional suspension after she was detected positive in an anti-doping control carried out at the US Open. The double grand slam winner, considered a model of integrity in sports, began, according to her own words, the most difficult match of her life, one for the truth, in which she struggles to prove that she is innocent. (LS)

31 December 2022
November 23, 2022 – UPDATE

JUDICIARY The Romanian
President Klaus Iohannis has hailed the conclusions of a European Commission report saying that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in Romania’s judicial
sector would be lifted. A stage has
ended, but further efforts must be made as reforms are vital, Iohannis said. In
turn, PM Nicolae Ciuca said the European Commission’s report encourages the government
to stay on the path of supporting the independence of the judiciary and the
fight against corruption to the benefit of the Romanian society.

VISIT The joint
effort to support Ukraine and the strength of the Romanian-Latvian cooperation
were highlighted in Riga by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, in a joint
press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Egils Levits. The Romanian
official’s visit to Riga takes place in the context of the celebration of 100
years of diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. The two presidents also
discussed Romania’s Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis emphasised that Romania
has never been and will never be a country that allows uncontrolled migration
through illegal border crossing. The president of Latvia highlighted the common
approach of the two countries with respect to the future of the EU and welcomed
Romania’s participation in the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic states
in 2023. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Lithuania,
in Vilnius, while on Friday he will take part, jointly with his counterparts
from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, in a summit devoted to strengthening NATO’s
eastern flank and to supporting Ukraine and the R. of Moldova.

COOPERATION Romania and Spain are pleading for a more capable and
responsible European Union, one which is able to provide support and play a
relevant role in implementing the Strategic Compass, fully complementary to
NATO and avoiding redundancies, including in the current security context,
marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, reads a joint statement
signed on Wednesday in Castellón de
la Plana, Spain, by the heads of the Romanian and Spanish governments. Bucharest and
Madrid have also reiterated their commitment to a strong NATO, focusing on the
full implementation of the Strategic Concept adopted in Madrid, with special
emphasis on consolidating defence and deterrence on the eastern flank. The PM
of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, was received with military honours in Castellon de
la Plana by the head of Spain’s government, Pedro Sanchez. According to Ciucă, bilateral relations are even stronger
thanks to the nearly one-million strong, highly integrated and active Romanian
community contributing to the development of Spain’s economy and society.

NATO – A meeting of NATO
foreign ministers will be held in Bucharest on November 29-30, 2022. The
meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.
Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and
Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden.

DRILL NATO troops
Wednesday conducted a military exercise to test the air and missile defence in
Romania, one week after a stray missile crashed in Poland and revealed
weaknesses in the Alliance’s air shield, Reuters reports. The French air defence
system deployed to Romania repelled a simulated attack by Allied fighter jets,
NATO’s Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany said. Taking part in the
exercise were Turkish F-16 fighter jets, Spanish Eurofighters, US growler
aircraft designed for electronic warfare and French Rafale jets.

FOOTBALL Japan produced the second big surprise of the Qatar football World
Cup, after defeating 4-times Cup winners Germany 2-1, on Wednesday in Group
E. Also on Wednesday, world vice-champions Croatia drew against Morocco,
0-0, in Group F. Another former world champion, Spain, takes on Costa Rica, and
Belgium plays against Canada. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia stunned football fans
with one of the biggest upsets in the history of the World Cup, defeating
2-times champions Argentina 2-1. Also on Tuesday, the defending champions, France,
defeated Australia 4-1, while Denmark and Poland drew against Tunisia and
Mexico, respectively, 0 – 0. (AMP)

23 November 2022
Will the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism be lifted?

Admitted into the European Union on January 1, 2007, Romania has remained, until today, a potential member with problems of the community structures. The partners from Brussels have always suspected the various governments from Bucharest, regardless of their avowed ideology and the characters, long-lived or ephemeral, who led them, of trying to circumvent the principles of the rule of law, subordinate the magistrates and stop the anti-corruption fight. The establishment, from the moment of accession, of the so-called Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), was an instrument through which the European officials could monitor the reforms in the field of Romanian justice.

After almost 16 years, the European Commission considers that the progress made is sufficient to abandon the CVM. As to the three laws recently promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis – on the status of judges and prosecutors, on the organization of the judiciary and on the Superior Council of the Magistracy respectively – the European Commission considers that the opinion issued, in emergency procedure, by the Venice Commission shows that, all in all, things seem to be moving in the right direction.

The positive elements mentioned are related, among others, to the appointment of high-ranking prosecutors, to the guarantees provided against political interference in the activity of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate – DNA or the clear limitation of the powers of the general prosecutor regarding the DNA and DIICOT — the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and terrorism. The Commission announces that it will continue to closely monitor the revision process of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code, but notes that, so far, progress has been made.

As seen from Brussels, the National Integrity Agency continues to show efficiency. Brussels also noted positive results as regards the investigation and sanctioning of high-level corruption. All in all, the Commission believes that, in the future, Romania must be subject to the same mechanism that applies to all member states and that links the granting of European money to the compliance with the rule of law. Procedurally, the Commissions evaluation is only a stage. The final decision on lifting the monitoring of the Romanian judiciary depends on the opinion of the Council, which includes the 27 member states, and on that of the European Parliament.

For the moment, though, the political class in Bucharest has rejoiced. Romania, President Iohannis claims, has demonstrated political will and, above all, a strong support of the citizens to correct any deviation from a democratic path and to quickly resume reforms. The authorities in Bucharest remain firmly anchored in the pro-European vision, based on unity, democracy and the rule of law – the Liberal leader of the coalition government, Nicolae Ciucă also said. “The Iohannis regime does not escape European monitoring” – believes, however, the opposition USR leader, Cătălin Drulă, who recalls that developments in the country will be evaluated through the general mechanism, applicable to all EU member states. (LS)

23 November 2022
Schengenbeitritt: Tagung des EU-Rates für Justiz und Inneres im Dezember erwartet

RadioRomaniaInternational · Schengen-Beitritt: Tagung des EU-Rates für Justiz und Inneres im Dezember erwartet

Die Frage der Aufnahme Rumäniens und Bulgariens in den Schengenraum könnte auf der Tagesordnung des Rates für Justiz und Inneres am 8. und 9. Dezember stehen. Die endgültige Entscheidung über die Erweiterung muss von den Mitgliedern der EU-Freizügigkeitszone einstimmig getroffen werden; nur die Niederlande, die sich stets gegen eine Mitgliedschaft ausgesprochen haben, sind derzeit noch zurückhaltend. Die Behörden in Den Haag sind nicht grundsätzlich gegen einen Beitritt, aber das niederländische Parlament hat kürzlich empfohlen, keine unumkehrbare Entscheidung vor weiteren Prüfungen zu treffen.

Diesen Monat hat die EU eine freiwillige Evaluierungsmission nach Rumänien und Bulgarien entsandt, und die Experten der Europäischen Kommission und der Mitgliedsländer legten der Schengen-Arbeitsgruppe den Bericht der Mission in den beiden Ländern vor. Die Niederlande hatten zwar keine Experten entsandt, doch der rumänische Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă will wissen, dass die Evaluierung mit sehr positiven“ Schlussfolgerungen endete. Er sagte, er habe den Bericht zwar nicht gelesen, da er nicht öffentlich sei, er habe jedoch Informationen von rumänischen Experten erhalten, die an der Analyse des Berichts teilgenommen hätten. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die Bereitschaft Rumäniens, den gemeinschaftlichen Besitzstand in Sachen Schengen zu übernehmen, und bringen uns als Land diesem Ziel näher”, sagte der rumänische Regierungschef.

In Begleitung des Innenministers und des Justizministers reiste der rumänische Premierminister diese Woche nach Brüssel; dort sei ihm von allen europäischen Beamten, mit denen der Premierminister binnen zwei Tagen in der EU-Hauptstadt diskutierte, die volle Unterstützung für den Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens zugesichert worden:

Wir haben gezeigt, dass wir in der Lage sind, die Au‎ßengrenzen der Europäischen Union zu schützen. Das taten wir schon vor Beginn des Kriegs in der Ukraine. Nach dem Ausbruch dieses Konflikts waren wir umso emsiger in der Grenzsicherung, und der Druck auf den gesamten Grenzdienst war so komplex und dynamisch, wie er nur sein konnte.“

Dass die Ergebnisse Rumäniens in Brüssel geschätzt werden, zeigt auch die kürzlich vom Europäischen Parlament mit gro‎ßer Mehrheit angenommene unverbindliche Entschlie‎ßung, in der der Rat der Europäischen Union aufgefordert wird, alle erforderlichen Ma‎ßnahmen zu ergreifen, um bis Ende des Jahres einen Beschluss über die Aufnahme Rumäniens und Bulgariens in den Schengen-Raum zu fassen. Auch hinsichtlich der Aufhebung des Kooperations- und Kontrollverfahrens gibt es positive Signale: Der Premierminister erklärte, dass er in dieser Angelegenheit Gespräche mit der Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, geführt habe, während der rumänische Justizminister Cătălin Predoiu mit anderen europäischen Beamten zu technischen Gesprächen zusammenkam.

Der Premierminister erwähnte den Stand der rumänischen Justizreform und betonte, dass die Fortschritte der letzten Monate eine gute Grundlage für einen positiven CVM-Bericht der Europäischen Kommission darstellen. Bei einem Treffen mit den rumänischen Europaabgeordneten in Brüssel legte Ciucă ihnen nahe, dass ein gemeinsames Vorgehen erforderlich sei — sowohl im Hinblick auf den Beitritt zum Schengen-Raum als auch auf die Aufhebung des Kooperations- und Kontrollverfahrens.

28 October 2022
Schengen: Grünes Licht für Beitritt Rumäniens und Bulgariens?

Als wichtiges au‎ßenpolitisches Ziel steht der Beitritt des Landes zum Schengen-Raum seit vielen Jahren auf der Bukarester To-Do-Liste. Im Vertrauen darauf, dass die Aufnahme nach Erfüllung der technischen Kriterien eine reine Formalität sein sollte, hat Rumänien seine Hausaufgaben schon längst erledigt, so dass es bis März 2011, als der Beitritt geplant war, alle Anforderungen erfüllt hatte. Nur dass die Aufnahme in den europäischen Raum der Freizügigkeit damals und einige andere Male danach wegen des Widerstands einiger Länder verschoben wurde, die ihre Entscheidung damit begründeten, dass sie die Aufnahme in den Schengen-Raum an das Kooperations- und Kontrollverfahren (CVM) koppelten. Dies trotz der Empfehlungen der Europäischen Kommission für eine schnelle Zulassung.

Jetzt ist das Thema wieder aktuell, und die Chancen Rumäniens, endlich grünes Licht zu erhalten, scheinen besser denn je. Dies wurde von einer der stärksten Stimmen Europas, Deutschland, durch Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz, aber auch von den Fraktionen im Europäischen Parlament sehr deutlich gemacht, wo sich nur zwei Abgeordnete der rechtsextremen Fraktion Identität und Demokratie“ gegen die Aufnahme von Rumänien und Bulgarien ausgesprochen haben. Bei der jüngsten Debatte im Europäischen Parlament äu‎ßerte die tschechische EU-Ratspräsidentschaft die Hoffnung, auf der Dezembertagung Einstimmigkeit für die Aufnahme der beiden Länder zu erzielen.

Dass sich die Dinge in die richtige Richtung bewegen, zeigt auch der Besuch eines Expertenteams der Europäischen Kommission, das in diesen Tagen überprüft, wie sich Rumänien und Bulgarien auf den Beitritt zum Schengen-Raum vorbereiten. Die europäischen Inspektoren sehen sich an, wie die Grenzkontrollen durchgeführt werden, wie die Asyl- und Rückführungspolitik umgesetzt wird und inwieweit das Grenz-Personal nach den europäischen Freizügigkeitsregeln geschult ist.

Der Schengen-Beitritt war auch das Thema eines Treffens zwischen Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă und rumänischen Abgeordneten der regierenden Koalition (PNL-PSD-UDMR). Sie sicherten ihm die Unterstützung der gro‎ßen Fraktionen im Europäischen Parlament für die nächste Woche anstehende Resolution zum Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens und Bulgariens zu. Indessen hat auch Innenminister Lucian Bode die heimischen Politiker aufgefordert, die innenpolitischen Querelen beiseite zu lassen und zusammenzuarbeiten, damit Rumänien am 1. Januar 2023 in den europäischen Raum der Freizügigkeit aufgenommen wird. Diesen Appell an politisches Einvernehmen äu‎ßerte er im südostrumänischen Buzău anlässlich der Einweihung eines neuen Pavillons des multifunktionalen Schengen-Schulungszentrums, in dem bereits Tausende von Fachkräften ausgebildet wurden.

Im Rahmen der Beitrittsvorbereitungen wird der niederländische Premierminister Mark Rutte am Mittwoch in Rumänien zu einem Treffen mit Präsident Klaus Johannis erwartet. In den letzten Jahren waren die Niederlande das einzige EU-Land, das sich konsequent gegen den Beitritt Rumäniens zur Freizügigkeitszone gestemmt hat.

11 October 2022
Justice Day was celebrated in Romania on July 4th

Aiming to mark the role and importance of the judiciary, of the partners of the justice system and of all law enforcement officers in an attempt to consolidate the rule of law, Justice Day was established in Romania in 1994 and is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in July. “We are now an EU and NATO member state, we are connected to the values of consolidated European democracies and we are about to undergo a massive process of economic, social and political change”, reads a message sent, on this occasion, by the Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîțu. “Against this background, the reform of the justice system is a process that has already been started by the coalition of pro-European forces, which is now leading Romania. It will not be easy. There are still many who want justice to remain inefficient and controllable. But, together with our institutional partners at European level, we are engaged in a process of healing the justice system from the harm it had been inflicted on it the past years”, the Prime Minister also stressed.

“The reform of the judiciary can no longer wait”, the line minister Stelian Ion has also stated, stressing that the Ministry of Justice is working on increasing the pace of digitalization, of interconnecting the institutions responsible for related fields of activity, materials and logistics for the good development of the judicial activity, as well as for the coherence of the legislation in the field of the judiciary. The Minister also spoke about Romanias objectives at EU level, namely “relieving the courts, lifting the CVM and continuing to monitor the rule of law through the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism, as well as modernizing and rendering the justice system in Romania more effective.”

In its message, the DNA leadership shows that corruption continues to be present in many areas of society, so combating this scourge must remain a goal that brings together energy, political will, human resources and logistics. And for anti-corruption prosecutors to be effective in their work, the guarantees of independence must be maintained and reconsolidated. The President of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), Mihai-Bogdan Mateescu, speaks, in the message he conveyed on Justice Day, about the need for unity within the judicial system. He says that justice will carry on, with honest, balanced, good professionals, with respect for society and by honestly assuming responsibility for all internal vulnerabilities, but true progress can only be achieved in a society that understands the place, role and the real importance of the justice system, beyond slogans and biases.

The Prosecutor General of the Prosecutors Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Gabriela Scutea, also sent a message, reading that there are strong arguments, in relation to other state authorities, that some directions of modernization in this area entail changing the law. And the president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (HCCJ), Corina-Alina Corbu, believes that today, the justice system needs more balance than ever and calls on the members of the judiciary to inform society about the common goals, despite the inherent divergences in relation to some issues. (MI)

5 July 2021
The conclusions of the latest CVM report

The European Commission notes a positive trend in the reform of the judiciary and in the fight against corruption in Romania, but announces that it will continue to closely monitor the evolution of the situation until all objectives are met. The Commission published on Tuesday the report on the progress made by the Bucharest authorities under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism established since Romania’s accession to the EU in 2007, and whose purpose is precisely to signal possible failures and to propose remedies for the justice system.

However, the Commission welcomes the fact that, this year, a new impetus was given in terms of reforming and correcting the transgressions that marked the period 2017-2019. As a result, the Community Executive says, progress has been made on all the CVM recommendations that have not yet been implemented, and many of them are close to being met if progress remains constant. In the vision of the European Commission, Romania must work on seven recommendations from 2018 and ten recommendations from 2017. The appointment early last year of the country’s attorney general and head of DIICOT, despite the negative opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, is criticized by the Commission.

The SCM gets a black ball too, among other things, for its ambiguous position on the shutting down of the Special department for investigating offences committed by the judiciary, the existence and functioning of which are considered to be of concern in Brussels. On the very day when the new MCV report of the European Commission was published, in Bucharest, the Constitutional Court upheld, however, its decision according to which this special department for magistrates is constitutional and can only be abolished by Parliament, through a new law. The Minister of Justice, Stelian Ion, promised to find solutions:

We cannot expect the Court of Justice of the European Union to resolve our internal problems. We have been given all the freedom to do it. Also, we cannot expect the judiciary to solve these problems alone. Therefore, it is very important, as politicians, to find the solution for the rapid abolition of this Special department for investigating offences committed by the judiciary and I still consider that the Government project is the correct one, so I will try to convince my parliamentary colleagues to go for this solution. It is very important that we succeed in shutting down this department, which has been often criticized, including in this report.

With regard to the fight against corruption, the European Commission stresses that the appointment of a new head of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has led to institutional stability. The situation has improved compared to 2019, but the Directorate faces a number of challenges, one of which is the staff shortage, the Commission also says. (MI)

9 June 2021
Lifting the CVM: an increasingly distant hope for Romania

In a matter of weeks, the triumphalism of the current right-of-centre coalition government in Romania has been replaced by moderate pessimism at best.

Just a month ago, the Liberal PM Florin Cîțu was boasting that, many years after it had been created, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism monitoring the Romanian judiciary could become history. The European Commission, Cîțu said at the time, supports its lifting towards the end of the year.

Accusing his political opponents, the Social Democrats, of sideslips that had required keeping this safeguard measure in place, the new Cabinet felt their coming to power was a guarantee that things were moving in the right direction.

“After 13 years in which Romania was subject to exceptional monitoring by the European Commission, with major steps back in 2018 and 2019, I trust our stepped up efforts in the coming period will lead to a normal and predictable functioning of the rule of law in Romania, deputy PM Dan Barna was saying in his turn, adding that the removal of the CVM was one of the key goals of the new government.

A major blow came on the first day of this week from France: a report by the Committee on European Affairs of the French Senate regarding the rule of law in the EU indicates that lifting the CVM is premature as long as the objectives set by it have not been met.

In Romanias case, these objectives include guaranteeing a more transparent and efficient judicial process, especially by strengthening and empowering the Higher Council of Magistrates; setting up an Integrity Agency able to make binding decisions leading to penalties; carrying on professional and impartial investigations into high-level corruption accusations, and additional measures to fight corruption, particularly in local administration.

The French Senates committee also mentions that in its latest CVM report, the European Commission was warning that the reforms in Romania ground to a halt in 2017 and that the first months of 2019 were worrying in this respect. Subsequently, the Commission welcomed Bucharests willingness to revise its approach, but, the report also reads, progress cannot be achieved through political commitments alone.

Finally, Paris believes the EU should be a role model in promoting and observing the rule of law, which it would like included among the priorities of the French presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

6 April 2021
Nachrichten 21.01.2021

Rumänien hat einen Vorrat von 2,4 Millionen Dosen des Impfstoffs Covid bis Ende März gesichert, so Premierminister Florin Cîţu am Donnerstag. Die Regierung hat beschlossen, in der zweiten Phase der Impfkampagne, die am 15. Januar begonnen hat, neue Kategorien der Bevölkerung einzuführen: Behinderte und ihre Betreuer, Flug- und Schiffspersonal, Diplomaten und Sportler, die für internationale Wettkämpfe registriert sind. Ältere und krankheitsanfällige Personen sollen prioritär geimpft werden. Auf der Internetplattform für die Terminplanung der Impfungen werden entsprechende Änderungen vorgenommen: 25% der Impfdosen sollen Angestellte aus den wesentlichen Lebensbereichen erhalten, die restlichen 75% erhalten die anfälligen Personen. Die aktuellen Infektionszahlen: fast 2900 neue Fälle bei über 30.000 Tests sowie 69 Tote. Die meisten Neuinfektionen der letzten 24 Stunden meldeten Bukarest sowie die Landkreise Temesch und Klausenburg.

Rumäniens Justizminister Stelian Ion hat sich am Donnerstag in einer Videokonferenz mit dem EU-Justizkommissar Didier Reynders ausgetauscht. Ion teilte seinem Gegenüber die Entscheidung der Regierung mit, vorrangig bis Ende Februar den Entwurf zur Abschaffung der umstrittenen Abteilung für die Untersuchung von Straftaten in der Justiz zu verabschieden. Weitere Diskussionsthemen betrafen den Rechtsstaatlichkeitsmechanismus und seine Verbindung zum Kooperations- und Überprüfungsmechanismus, die Operationalisierung der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft, die Umsetzung von EU-Richtlinien sowie die Digitalisierung der Justiz in Rumänien. Kommissar Reynders erklärte sich bereit, mit den rumänischen Behörden zusammenzuarbeiten, um die Vorhersehbarkeit und Nachhaltigkeit des Justizreformprozesses sicherzustellen. Die Stabilität, Berechenbarkeit und Kohärenz der Justizgesetze stellten für das Justizministerium Prioritäten dar, wobei die korrekte und vollständige Umsetzung aller EU-Richtlinien eine Priorität des Regierungsprogramms sei, so Justizminister Stelian Ion.

Die Polizei hat am Donerstag in der Hauptstadt und in Călăraşi, einer Stadt im Süden Rumäniens, die Wohnungen mehrerer Personen durchsucht, die der Leistungserschleichung in der Covid-Pandemie verdächtigt werden. Die Ermittlungen haben ergeben, dass 11 Personen fast ein Jahr lang mit falschen Dokumenten von der Agentur für Sozialleistungen Zulagen in Höhe von 4.500 Lei (etwa 900 Euro) pro Monat beantragt und erhalten haben. Nach Angaben der Polizei muss die genaue Höhe des Schadens noch ermittelt werden.

Der Demokrat Joe Biden ist seit Mittwoch der 46. Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten. Er legte den Amtseid im Rahmen einer untypischen Zeremonie ab: Angesichts der Pandemie wurden die Menschenmengen, die normalerweise zu einem deartigen Anlass in Washington präsent sind, durch fast 200.000 Flaggen ersetzt. Rumäniens Spitzenpolitiker gratulierten Biden und äußerten in ihren Botschaften die Überzeugung, dass Bukarest und Washington die für beide Länder vorteilhafte strategische Partnerschaft im Geiste wahrer transatlantischer Werte weiterentwickeln werden. Wir werden unsere Allianzen reparieren und zur Weltgemeinschaft zurückkehren, versprach Präsident Biden in seiner Antrittsrede.

Die Zentrale Kommission für die Volks- und Wohnungszählung 2021 verschiebt die für dieses Jahr geplante Volkszählung wegen der Covid-19-Pandemie um ein Jahr, teilte das Nationale Institut für Statistik mit. Vom 1. Februar bis zum 31. März 2021 findet eine Probezählung statt, und vom 1. Februar bis zum 17. Juli 2022 wird die Bevölkerungs- und Wohnungszählung durchgeführt. Die endgültigen Ergebnisse werden nach dem Zeitplan von Eurostat im Dezember 2023 veröffentlicht. Nach Angaben des Nationalen Statistischen Instituts wird dies die erste Volkszählung sein, die hauptsächlich online durchgeführt wird.

Am Donnerstag ist der Opfer des Bukarester Pogroms vom Januar 1941 gedacht worden. Das Bukarester Pogrom, bei dem vor 80 Jahren 125 Juden ermordet wurden, war der Höhepunkt des Aufstandes der Eisernen Garde im Antonescu-Regime. Die sogenannten Legionäre verhafteten, folterten und ermordeten Juden, stahlen ihr Eigentum, plünderten ihren Besitz, schändeten und zerstörten Gräber und Synagogen.

21 January 2021
February 11, 2020

ELECTIONS In Bucharest, the PM designate Ludovic Orban has talks today with parliamentary party officials, in an attempt to garner support for the organisation of early elections. Snap elections may only be called if 2 Cabinet nominations are rejected by Parliament within 2 months. Orban, whose Liberal Cabinet was recently dismissed under a no-confidence motion, Monday sent to Parliament a list of ministers, with no changes whatsoever from the previous team, and a slightly updated government programme. The main party in Parliament, the Social Democrats, announced they will not take part in the talks with the Liberals. The Social Democratic Party filed a challenge with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the President designating a prime minister who has already been dismissed comes against the will of Parliament. On the other hand, the Social Democrats announced they would not hinder the procedures and announced a meeting of Parliament leaders to set a calendar for the hearings of the ministers designate. The idea of early elections is mainly supported by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union. Without a parliamentary majority, the Orban Cabinet has resorted more than once to pushing legislation through by requesting Parliaments confidence. Regular general elections are scheduled for this autumn.

JUDICIARY The incumbent Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu today in Bucharest presented European Commission experts with a bill on dismantling the special division investigating magistrate offences as well as the progress of debates on this topic. In its latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report the Commission criticised the establishment and the activity of this division, which it said was an instrument of political pressure. The latest report under the Mechanism was released in October 2019, and suggested the extension of verification on the Romanian judiciary, on grounds that in 2019 Romania backslid in terms of the fight against corruption and the independence of the justice system. A team of EC experts are in Bucharest until tomorrow, on an assessment mission. They are also scheduled to have talks today with leaders of the Higher Council of Magistrates and members of the judicial committees in Parliament.

INFLATION The central bank has lowered Romanias 2020 inflation forecast from 3.1% to 3%, Governor Mugur Isărescu announced on Tuesday. For next year the National Bank expects a 3.2% inflation rate. A number of elements have been taken into account, which might lead to a decrease of the inflation rate from the forecast value. These elements include developments in the Eurozone economy, including geopolitical tensions and weaknesses in emerging markets, a possible escalation of trade conflicts, the completion of Brexit, as well as the accommodating monetary policies of the European Central Bank and the Fed. On the other hand, liberalisation of the electricity and natural gas markets may push inflation higher than expected, as do the problems in the labour market, such as the shortage of labour and the mismatch between demand and supply in this respect.

112 February 11 is the European 112 Day, to celebrate the introduction of the Europe-wide emergency number 112. In Romania, the national emergency call system, run by the Special Telecommunications Service, was introduced in 2004. Last year STS operators managed over 11 million calls to this number.

CORONAVIRUS China announced that the novel coronavirus has already killed more than 1,000 people, and the number of cases exceeds 42,000. In the last 24 hours alone, over 100 deaths have been reported, which is the largest number of victims in just one day since the epidemic broke out. Most deaths were reported in the Hubei province. A team of doctors with the World Health Organisation has arrived in China to help in the research. Meanwhile, the WHO organises a 2-day meeting in Geneva, with renowned physicians, public healthcare experts and scientists, in an attempt to encourage a better response of the international community to the new coronavirus outbreak. On opening the meeting, the WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the coronavirus epidemic was a major threat, and called on scientists to work together to develop vaccines or medication to fight the virus. In Romania, several people, including Chinese nationals, are under house monitoring, and the authorities continue to take measures to prepare for possible infection cases. A special unit was set up in Bucharest for the Romanians who return from China and have to be quarantined for 14 days.

AFGHANISTAN Reconstruction and stabilisation missions in Afghanistan had resulted by the end of 2018 in over 2,200 dead and 2,900 wounded, according to an official American report released on Tuesday with regard to the “human costs of these civilian and humanitarian missions. This is the first report focusing on reconstruction and stabilisation operations alone, including construction of infrastructure, hospitals and schools, military and civilian training, rather than on combat operations against the Taliban or other jihadist groups in the country. The report does not cover attacks on American military bases or on civilian targets either. Romania, which has been taking part in missions in Afghanistan ever since 2002, has lost 30 troops so far. In 2020, Romania has over 700 military deployed to Afghanistan under the Resolute Support mission.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

11 February 2020
European Commission criticises Romania

Just weeks ahead of the end of its term in office, the outgoing European Commission is once again voicing severe criticism against the political class in Bucharest. In its latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report, made public on Tuesday, the Commission finds Romania has taken steps back in terms of judicial reforms and the rule of law, as well as in its efforts to fight corruption.

According to the institution, Romania has failed to implement recommendations to reconsider the justice laws and to cancel the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, all of them likely to hinder the fight against corruption and to bring magistrates under the control of political circles. Key Romanian institutions must work together to prove their commitment to the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, the report also reads.

In Bucharest, Justice Minister Ana Birchal says Romania is ready to take on an active role in consolidating the European project, in which justice plays a key part. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate remains committed to combating high-level corruption with impartiality and professionalism, but also points out that the CVM report takes note of the successive changes in the relevant legislation and of the attacks against the activity and decisions of this institution.

Describing the current state of affairs as a source of concern, the European Commission recommends that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, introduced ever since Romanias EU accession in 2007, should remain in place. In contrast, the same report finds that Bulgaria, admitted into the Union concurrently with Romania, has met the commitments it made upon accession, and that the CVM oversight on the Bulgarian judiciary could be lifted.

Anti-corruption expert Laura Stefan told Radio Romania that the problems pointed out in the CVM report are the consequence of Romanias backtracking from the progress made up until 2017:

Laura Stefan: “This report is particularly alarming if we draw a parallel with Bulgaria, which paradoxically enough was commended for its progress, although to be fair Romania has achieved things that Bulgaria has never even set out to do. In Romania there has been a true campaign against high-level corruption, resulting in prison sentences and seized assets. Romania has never been affected by large-scale violent crime, as it was the case with our neighbours. So all in all, it is a rather bitter pill to swallow.

In turn, the mass media blame the Commissions criticism on the policies implemented by the successive leftist governments of the past 3 years. Headed by Sorin Grindeanu, Mihai Tudose and Viorica Dancila, all these cabinets were in fact brought to power and controlled by the former Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, who was eventually imprisoned for corruption offences.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

23 October 2019
July 21, 2019 UPDATE

EU PM Viorica Dăncilă sees as fair the view taken by the new president of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen, who wants a new mechanism monitoring the rule of law in all member states. Dăncilă also said the Romanian Government would carry on talks with the European Commission concerning the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism with respect to Romania. The head of the Romanian Government added that after the elections for the European Parliament she discussed with the former president of the European Commission and the former first vice-president about the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and told them that Romania is open to discussion and that each and every aspect must be analysed separately. But, Viorica Dancila added, these talks must involve not only the Justice Ministry. The opinions of judges, prosecutors and magistrate associations must also be taken into account, in order for certain aspects in the CVM to be implemented or to explain why they cannot be implemented in Romania.

COURSES Between July 22nd and August 4th, the University of Bucharest organises the 59th edition of the Summer Courses in Romanian language, culture and civilisation. This summer school is the oldest initiative by a Romanian university to promote Romanian language and culture around the world. Taking part in the 2019 edition will be 30 learners from 14 countries: the US, Canada, Brazil, Korea, Turkey, Russia, Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Italy.

FAIR Thousands took part this weekend in the Mount Gaina Maidens Fair, the largest and best known outdoor traditional festival in the country, first mentioned in documents dating back to 1816. In the old times, the festival was an opportunity for the locals to get together, reconnect with their relatives and friends, make new friends and even meet spouses. At present the Mount Gaina Fair aims to promote traditional crafts and arts, Romanian folk costumes, customs and traditions and Romanian music. This years festival included traditional music and dance performances, outdoor parties and fireworks.

BREXIT Thousands of anti-Brexit protesters rallied in London just days before Boris Johnson is expected to become Tory leader and the new Prime Minister. On Tuesday the Conservative Party is to announce the winner of the race for Theresa Mays replacement. Boris Johnson, former foreign secretary and a Brexit supporter, is seen as the frontrunner in this race. On Sunday, the British Chancellor Philip Hammond, who is against a no-deal Brexit, announced he intends to resign if Boris Johnson becomes the UKs next Prime Minister. “Assuming that Boris Johnson becomes the next Prime Minister, I understand that his conditions for serving in his government would include accepting a no-deal exit on the 31st of October. That is not something I could ever sign up to, Hammond said in an interview to the BBC.

TENNIS The tennis player Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan (106 WTA) Sunday won the final of the BRD Bucharest Open. She defeated the only Romanian left in the competition, Patricia Ţig, 6-2 6-0. Patricia Ţig is the 3rd Romanian to play the finals of the Bucharest Open, after Simona Halep in 2014 and 2016, and Irina Begu in 2017. Also on Sunday, in the doubles final, Romanians Jaqueline Adina Cristian and Elena-Gabriela Ruse lost to Viktoria Kuzmova (Slovakia) / Kristyna Pliskova (the Czech Republic), 6-4, 7-6.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

21 July 2019