Tag: CVM

  • July 21, 2019

    July 21, 2019

    EU PM Viorica Dăncilă sees as fair the view taken by the new president elect 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.




    ELECTION Ukraine is holding early legislative elections today, with the party headed by the new president Volodymyr Zelensky standing most chances to win. The newly established party, called ‘Peoples Servant after the name of a TV show in which Zelensky plays a teacher unexpectedly turned president – is ahead of its challengers in polls, with 42% to 52% of the voting intentions. 2,742 candidates from 22 political parties take part in todays legislative election. They are running for 225 seats in parliament, distributed to the parties that make the 5% election threshold. Another 199 MPs will be elected in single-member constituencies. The early parliamentary elections were organised after in his inauguration speech Volodymyr Zelensky announced having decided to dismantle parliament.




    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.




    MILITARY Romania has taken part, alongside another 11 NATO member countries, in the Sea Breeze 2019 international military exercise held until today in the Bulgarian waters of the Black Sea. More than 2,000 troops from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the USA and Turkey were involved. The main goal was to enhance interoperability and interaction between the naval forces of the participating countries. Taking part in the drills were 26 combat and auxiliary vessels, 10 airplanes and helicopters, as well as representatives of various institutions, public and non-governmental organisations.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 13, 2019 UPDATE

    May 13, 2019 UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The European Commission confirmed on Monday that its first vice-president, Frans Timmermans, sent a new letter to the Romanian authorities on Friday, warning against the developments related to the rule of law in Romania. As the EC spokesman Margaritis Schinas put it, “The main concerns relate to developments interfering with judicial independence and the effective fight against corruption, including the protection of financial interests of the EU and particularly to the recently adopted amendments to the criminal code that create a de facto impunity for crimes. He added that unless these concerns are addressed or if further negative measures are taken, such as the promulgation of the latest amendments to the criminal legislation, the Commission will immediately activate the rules for safeguarding the rule of law and will suspend the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. This is the instrument used by the Commission to monitor developments in the Romanian judiciary ever since the country joined the bloc in 2007. On April 24, the European Commission announced it would closely monitor the draft amendments to the Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, and reiterated that Romania must immediately resume reforms in this field.



    EASTERN PARTNERSHIP Brussels is hosting for 2 days several events marking the 10th anniversary of the Eastern partnership. Romania is represented by the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, and the foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu. Officials for the 28 EU member states and the 6 partner states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, are assessing the progress made in an ambitious schedule for the coming year, aimed at ensuring concrete benefits for the citizens of the entire region, by means of efforts targeting stronger economies, governments and societies. The Eastern Partnership is an initiative that consists in the creation of a common area of democracy, prosperity, stability and close cooperation between the EU and the partner countries.



    POLL The Army, the Church and the Romanian Academy are the institutions Romanian trust the most, according to the public opinion Barometre released on Monday by the Romanian Academy. The survey indicates that 68% of the respondents have “a lot of confidence in the Army, around 57% in the Church and over 45% in the Romanian Academy. Next come, in descending order, the Police, the Presidency, the National Bank of Romania, the City Hall, the Mass Media, the Constitutional Court, the Government, Parliament and the political parties. As for the international institutions, Romanians have “a lot of confidence in NATO – over 56%, EU – more than 55%, the UN – over 52%. The survey was conducted between April 12 and May 3.



    CORRUPTION The Bucharest Court Monday sentenced a former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, to four and a half years in prison for bribe-taking, and dismissed the charges of money laundering. The ruling is not final and may be appealed against. In November 2015, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate indicted Sorin Oprescu for bribe-taking, money laundering, abuse of office and forming an organised crime group. Sorin Oprescu, a former member of the Social Democratic Party, was elected mayor of Bucharest in 2008, running as a non-affiliated candidate, and won a second term in office in 2012.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Frans Timmermans pleads for the rule of law in Romania

    Frans Timmermans pleads for the rule of law in Romania

    The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans met in Bucharest on Monday and are also to pay a visit to Brussels next week. The big number of such meetings is imposed by Romania’s holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. On Monday, for instance, Frans Timmermans approached a sensitive issue for the Romanian authorities, namely the state of democracy and the rule of law.



    The changes brought to the justice laws, first by Parliament and then by means of an emergency decree, are questionable to say the least, and that has placed Romania’s partners in a state of alert. After the publication, last fall, of a report unfavorable to Romania, under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) on justice, Frans Timmermans now says that there’s been no progress, only a refusal by the Romanian Government to consider the Commission’s document.



    The EC official hopes that experts on both sides will find quick solutions for the implementation of the recommendations made part of the CVM. “We want to make sure”, Timmermans said, “that we can make progress on the rule of law in Romania, we want to make sure that the fight against corruption isn’t abandoned, that we continue this fight, because it’s very, very important for the future of this country.”



    Next week, Viorica Dancila and Frans Timmermans will have a new meeting, to discuss the topic. Actually, each contact that the First Vice-President of the EC and candidate to the office of EC president has with Romanians turns into a plea for the rule of law. On Monday, Frans Timmermans was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), and during his speech, he resumed his favorite topic. He admitted that he could not have imagined, three decades ago, that Romania would become a member of the EU in 2007. However, the privileges of integration come with responsibilities too, Timmermans pointed out, and one of them is to overcome the CVM phase.



    “Our society and our institutions are based on democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights, none of which can be instrumentalised against each other”, Timmermans said. According to the EC official, it’s quite risky to believe that victory in elections gives a majority the right to increase control over the judiciary or the press. “(…) When the rule of law is threatened and press freedom is affected, almost automatically corruption increases”, Timmermans warned. That is why the European Commission has proposed that there should be a link between granting European funds and the member states respecting the rule of law, the First Vice-President of the European Commission explained.


  • The Week in Review 17-24 November, 2018

    The Week in Review 17-24 November, 2018

    Romania in the attention of the European Parliament


    The European Commission and Parliament on Tuesday warned the ruling coalition in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats that the observance of the rule of law and the fight against corruption in Romania have regressed in the past year. The European Commissions annual evaluation report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism includes 8 new recommendations for Romania, adding to the 12 made last year, out of the Commissions wish that the MCV process should be concluded during its current mandate. The Commission has asked Romania, in a very firm message, to call off the implementation of the changes to the justice laws and the subsequent emergency ordinances and revise them in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). In its turn, the European Parliament passed with a wide majority a resolution expressing concerns about the way in which the justice laws were modified and also about the weakening of the rule of law in Romania. The European assessments are like two bad grades for the current governance, says President Klaus Iohannis, a consistent critic of the cabinet made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats:



    Klaus Iohannis: “These multiple changes and intentions to change the justice laws and the Criminal Codes have drawn public attention in a negative way. These things are extremely detrimental to Romania. Obviously, these two documents are practically telling us that Romania slipped back to the point it was 11 years ago, before joining the Union.



    The Social Democratic Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila has voiced her disappointment with the report:



    Viorica Dancila: “We cannot agree with the setting of additional recommendations through which we are asked to ignore constitutional rules and accept what no other state would. Such a request makes the objectives of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism impossible to reach, in the context in which rules change by the day.



    Conclusions of the IMF mission in Romania


    Economic activity in Romania remains strong, with unemployment at a record low, is one of the conclusions of an IMF staff visit to Romania, the head of the IMF mission to Romania and Bulgaria, Jaewoo Lee has said at the end of a one-week visit to Bucharest. He has also said that in spite of several years of economic growth, the budget deficit has gone up rather than down, as it should during good times, and the 2018 target remains at risk without further measures. IMF experts also argue that increases in public-sector salaries and planned changes to pension benefits should be reassessed for their negative implications for fiscal sustainability and long-term growth.



    Romania and the EU Council presidency


    George Ciamba is, as of this week, Romanias new minister delegate for European affairs. A career diplomat with the rank of ambassador, and, until recently, a state secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Ciamba is replacing Victor Negrescu, who resigned at the end of last week. Romania will take over, on January 1st 2019, the EU Council presidency and Victor Negrescu was the one in charge with its preparation and coordination. PM Viorica Dancila has given assurances that, in spite of the situation created by Negrescus resignation, Bucharest is fully prepared to carry out its 6-month EU Council presidency.



    President Klaus Iohannis travels to Paris and London


    President Klaus Iohannis has made two visits abroad in recent days. He first travelled to Paris, at the invitation of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, to attend the 100th celebrations of the end of WWI. The Romanian president used the opportunity of his French trip to hold a meeting, at the Romanian embassy, with Romanian university, MA and PhD students from the Paris region involved in academic research. The following day, he travelled to London to attend an official reception at the Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 70th birthday anniversary of Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Klaus Iohannis was also supposed to meet prime minister Theresa May, but the talks were cancelled by the UK side because a cabinet meeting to discuss the Brexit agreement took longer than expected.



    Gaudeamus and RadiRo – two events produced by Radio Romania


    Bucharest has been playing host since Wednesday to the Gaudeamus International Book Fair. Book lovers have until Sunday to attend the many events scheduled and take advantage of the considerable discounts offered by the over 300 participating publishers. On the day Gaudeamus ends, another major event produced by Radio Romania begins: the RadiRo International Festival of Radio Orchestras. Its line-up features eight symphonic and four jazz concerts. The participants include MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany, the BBC Philharmonic from Great Britain, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra from Ireland.

  • November 13, 2018

    November 13, 2018

    STRASBOURG – The European Parliament is today voting upon a resolution on the observance of the rule of law in Romania. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Strasbourg, the resolution brings together the standpoints of the EP following last months debate, also attended by Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă, whose focal point of the talks was the reform of the judiciary and the protests in Romania against the changes to the justice laws. The text of the resolution calls on the Romanian Parliament and Government to counteract any measures which might decriminalise corruption in office, to fully implement the recommendations of the EC, GRECO and the Venice Commission and to refrain from making any reform which might put in jeopardy the observance of the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary. The resolution also notes reasons of concern on political restrictions of mass media liberties and condemns what its calls the violent and disproportionate intervention of the gendarmes and of the police in the August 10 protest of the diaspora, against the government made up of the Social Democratic Party –the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.



    CVM – The European Commission is today making public a new CVM report on Romania. The document makes an X-ray analysis of the justice system and of the fight against corruption, reviewing the measures that have been taken in these domains. According to European sources, in the current document, the EC calls on Bucharest to observe the recommendations made by the Venice Commission on the recent changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes. The Venice Commission considers that the two codes have been adopted through a fast and non-transparent legislative process. As regards the Criminal Code, the most important ascertainment is that it decriminalises facts related to THE abuse of office, which makes almost impossible the sentencing of those guilty. Also in the new CVM report, the European Commission calls for the revision of the instruments of the fight against corruption and wants to re-launch the process of nominating the chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, by promoting prosecutors with a rich experience in the fight against corruption. It is also recommended that the opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy in the procedure to remove from office and nominate chief prosecutors to be mandatory and not consultative, as is now. In brief, the European Commission wants the CVM to be lifted by the end of its mandate. The CVM is a process of regulated verification of the progress that Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria are making in reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption. The mechanism was instated when the two countries joined the EU, on January 1, 2007.



    NOMINATIONS – Ecaterina Andronescu has today been nominated by the National Standing Bureau of the Social Democratic Party, the senior party in the ruling coalition in Romania, for the position of education minister. The seat has been vacant since September, after Valentin Popa tendered his resignation. Also, state secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, George Ciamba, was designated to replace Victor Negrescu as minister delegate for European Affairs. Negrescu stepped down at end of last week. Romania will take over on January 1, the presidency of the EU Council and Victor Negrescu had responsibilities relating to the whole project, involving preparations. PM Viorica Dăncilă has today told a press conference that in spite of the newly created situation after the resignation tendered by Negrescu, Bucharest is ready to hold the half-yearly rotating presidency of the EU Council. Yesterday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, voiced concern about the latest developments at the level of the government, which might affect, in his opinion, Romanias capacity to take over the presidency of the EU Council.

    POVERTY – The
    lowest decrease in the number of people at risk of poverty as a result of unemployment
    benefits from the state or dwelling aid was registered last year in Greece (16%)
    and Romania (17%), data released by Eurostat on Tuesday show. In nine member states
    the decrease rate was below 25%, whereas the European average stood at some 32%. According to the latest report made
    public by Eurostat last month, over a third (35.7%) of Romania’s population was
    at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2017, a worse situation in the EU being
    registered only in Bulgaria, where 38.9% of the population runs this risk.

    EBRD – Transparency
    in drafting government policies in the 38 countries where the European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development is activating has not improved since the start of the decade, with some
    exceptions, like Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine, the annual transition report
    issued by that financial institution shows. The document underlines the progress made by
    countries in six key domains, from competitiveness and resilience, to the way
    they are governed. According to the
    latest forecast issued this month by EBRD, Romania’s economy will register a
    growth rate of 4.2% in 2018, to go down to 3.6% next year. EBRD is one of the major
    institutional investors in Romania. The
    bank has invested so far some 8 billion Euros in the country, in over 400
    projects. In 2017 alone, EBRD invested some 550 million Euros in Romania. Over
    500 million have been invested in the private sector, thus reaching the highest
    level of investment in the past seven years.


    GAUDEAMUS- The 25 edition of the Gaudeamus International Fair, a landmark of the book market in Romania, an event organised by Radio Romania opens its doors on Wednesday. Gaudeamus 2018 will unfold under the auspices of a triple anniversary: the Great Union Centennial, 9 decades since the first broadcast was aired by Radio Romania, one of the oldest radio stations in Europe and the 25th edition of the Gaudeamus Fair.

  • Dutch Prime Minister travels to Bucharest

    Dutch Prime Minister travels to Bucharest

    On an official visit to Romania, the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was received by president Klaus Iohannis. The latter said Romanias ties with the Netherlands have an important economic component, as well as a social one, and recalled that this country is the biggest foreign investor in Romania. He also emphasised the role of the Romanian community in the Netherlands, which now numbers 30,000 members. Talks also focused on migration, Brexit and Romanias presidency of the EU Council in the first part of next year.



    As expected, Romanias accession to the Schengen area was the main topic, given that the Netherlands and other European countries have constantly opposed this process. The Dutch prime minister said his country has always tied Romanias entry into the free movement area to the fulfilment of the requirements laid down in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. This is an issue that the European Commission will also look into, and as soon as it does so, we will see what the next steps are, the Dutch official also said.



    The Romanian president underlined Romanias support for a more efficient management of the EU borders and reiterated his countrys wish to join the Schengen area as soon as possible.



    Klaus Iohannis: “The Schengen area has been created through an agreement that also provides for the steps to be taken and the conditions to be fulfilled. These matters have been extensively debated on many occasions.



    The European Commission, Iohannis went on to say, supports Romanias accession endeavour. Romanias entry into the Schengen area was also discussed during talks by Mark Rutte with his counterpart in Bucharest, Viorica Dancila. The latter recalled that Romania fulfils the technical requirements for accession and called for confidence in the governments capacity to respect its commitments.



    Viorica Dancila: “The fact that Romania fulfils the technical requirements for accession to the Schengen area, something the European Commission has confirmed, has prompted me to call on the Dutch Prime Minister to support Romania in achieving this goal. I strongly believe that Romania deserves to be in the passport-free movement area and that we should not tie the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to the Schengen requirements.



    The Dutch Prime Minister said the talks with his Romanian counterpart also tackled bilateral relations, which, in his opinion, are very strong, given that trade exchanges between Romania and the Netherlands have increased recently to account for more than 5 billion euros.


    (translated by: Cristina Mateescu)

  • May 5-11, 2018

    May 5-11, 2018

    May 9th a day with threefold significance for Romania



    May 9th has a threefold significance for the Romanians. On May 9th they celebrate the Independence Day, proclaimed in 1877, the victory of the United Nations coalition in World War Two and also Europe Day. At a reception offered by the Romanian Presidency on this occasion, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis deplored the fact that there are politicians in Bucharest who question the Union’s role and relevance, at the same time neglecting the benefits of belonging in this project, arguing that Romania would be better off outside the European family.



    The country’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said in a communiqué that Romania believes in the European project and that it is taking action for its support and development. The Romanians’ standard of living has constantly grown after the country’s EU accession 11 years ago, Angela Cristea, the head of European Commission Representation also said. According to Mrs. Cristea, Romania has to continue its efforts to have the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism lifted, which is an instrument through which Brussels is monitoring the situation in Romania’s legal system.



    The government has reached an agreement with trade unions from Romania’s healthcare system



    After spontaneous protests in hospitals around the country, several rounds of talks between the government and trade unions and a two-hour token strike, employees of Romania’s healthcare system decided to give up their all-out strike scheduled for May 11th. The agreement between the government and trade unions also provides that all employees who lost money as a result of the new salary law will be reimbursed. The healthcare minister Sorina Pintea now says the government will again amend the law on public sector salaries.



    The changes will only cover the way in which benefits are granted, the labor minister Lia Olguţa Vasilescu has pointed out. She says on-duty time performed by physicians and nurses will no longer be subject to the provision that stipulated a 30% cap on benefits. Commentators say, however, that this does not heal the most acute problems in the system: old hospitals with precarious equipment and full of bacteria, shortages of sometimes essential medicine, insufficient and still unmotivated medical staff, or staff hostile to patients despite the generous pay rise.



    Financial disputes between the President and the government



    The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday again called for the resignation of the Social Democratic Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă. The president this time invoked a series of low economic performances by the present government. After the publication of the budget execution report for the first quarter of the year, the president argued the national budget is under a tremendous pressure against the backdrop of increasing total expenses and that the evolution of public finances is completely unsatisfactory. The president has lashed out at the PSD-ALDE government, which he accuses of having neglected major investments and of having failed to turn Romania’s economic growth rate of 7% into a rise in revenues.



    Klaus Iohannis: “After almost one year and a half of Social Democratic governing, including this debatable situation of the so-called pay rises, we see no roads, no motorways, no schools, no hospitals. The Social Democratic Party is in fact mortgaging the future of the country. It raises salaries and pensions and neglects major investments in infrastructure or investments that are needed for the country’s development in general.”



    The Government, on the other hand, says that Romania’s economic parameters for the first quarter of the year grew as compared to the same period of 2017. Deputy Prime Minister Viorel Stefan has stated that budget revenues grew by 12%, and investments doubled as compared to 2017.



    UNITER Gala



    Directors Mihai Măniuţiu and Yuri Kordonski and actors Mariana Mihuţ and Victor Rebengiuc are the big winners of this year’s UNITER Awards Gala. The Theater Union of Romania — UNITER — has this year celebrated the best actors and directors of the year 2017 in the Transylvanian city of Alba Iulia, in central Romania, the symbol of the Great Union of the Romanian historical provinces, which took place 100 years ago.



    The award for best performance in 2017 went to ‘Rambuku’ by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, adapted by Anca Măniuţiu and directed by Mihai Măniuţiu. Best director was designated the Russian Yuri Kordonsky, for the show ‘The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her Heartless Grandmother’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Great actors Mariana Mihut and Victor Rebengiuc won the best actress and best actor awards respectively, for their parts in ‘Exit the King’ by Eugene Ionescu, directed by Andrei and Andreea Grosu.



    The best TV drama performance was designated ‘Midwinter Night’s Dream’ by Tudor Muşatescu, and the best radio drama award was won by ‘Ovid, the Pontus Euxinus Exile’, based on a script by Emil Boroghină and produced by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. The award for the best Romanian play in 2017 went to Daniel Oltean, for the play ’50 seconds’. Also, UNITER handed the lifetime achievement award to actor Horaţiu Mălăiele.



    The Romanian Foreign Minister heard in Parliament in relation to the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel



    The Memorandum on the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was discussed in Government last week and was submitted to the President only after being approved by the Executive, the Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu stated. On Wednesday, he was heard by the Foreign Policy Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in relation to the memorandum, which created a conflict between the President and the Government. According to the law, the head of state is the only one that can move an embassy from one city to another, and Klaus Iohannis has voiced discontentment with the fact that statements on the topic have been carried in the public space as if a decision had already been made. Meleşcanu also stated that the document was not classified as top secret, but that it includes information that is not public, and is therefore confidential.



    Teodor Melescanu: “Our concern is to conduct a serious analysis of the legal, political and economic implications of the decision to relocate the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and to provide the arguments that political decision-makers — Parliament, President and Prime-Minister- need in order to take a common stand on the matter.”



    Minister Meleşcanu has also admitted that the talks on the relocation of the embassy might affect Romania’s candidacy for a position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

  • Nachrichten 23.03.2018

    Nachrichten 23.03.2018

    Die EU-Verhandlungen zum Thema Brexit verlaufen in eine gute Richtung für Rumänien. Dies erklärte am Freitag der rumänische Staatschef Klaus Iohannis, der am Gipfel des EU-Rates in Brüssel teilgenommen hat. Zur Zeit hätten die Verhandlungen zu einem Übereinkommen geführt, wodurch sowohl die EU-Bürger, die schon in Großbriannien lebten, als auch diejenigen, die bis Ende der Übergangszeit nach Großbritannien einreisen, dieselben Rechte genießen, so Iohannis. Das verhandelte Finanzabkommen sei für Bukarest auch zufriedenstellend, sagte der rumänische Staatspräsident abschließend.



    Präsident Klaus Iohannis hat sich in Brüssel zu Gesprächen mit EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean Claude Juncker getroffen. Dabei ging es auch um das Schreiben zu den Strafverfahren gegen hohe Amtsträger, das Ministerpräsidentin Viorica Dăncilă an die EU-Kommission übermittelt hatte. Er habe Juncker gebeten, das Schreiben der Regierungschefin mit größter Ernsthaftigkeit zu behandeln, angesichts der legitimen Besorgnis der politischen Riege in Rumänien, so Iohannis. Die sozialdemokratische Ministerpräsidentin erklärte am Mittwoch, der Brief stelle eine Antwort auf ein Dokument der Europäischen Kommission vom Oktober 2012 dar. Damals war das Justizministerium in Bukarest aufgefordert worden, Details zu den Strafverfahren gegen Politiker und Geschäftsleute bekannt zu geben. Derartige Informationen stimmten allerdings nicht mit dem Kooperations- und Überprüfungsmechanismus (CVM) überein, so Viorica Dăncilă noch. Die Kommission verfolgt mit dem CVM die Entwicklung der Justizreformen in Rumänien seit dem EU-Beitritt des Landes im Jahr 2007.



    Ministerpräsidentin Dăncilă hat am Freitag eine neue Sitzung des Interministeriellen Ausschusses für die Vorbereitung der rumänischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft im ersten Halbjahr 2019 geleitet. Laut einer Mitteilung der Exekutive seien sowohl der Terminplan der informellen Treffen während des EU-Ratsvorsitzes als auch der Fahrplan für die vorbereitenden Maßnahmen vor der Ausübung des Mandats festgelegt worden. Bei dieser Gelegenheit appellierte die Regierungschefin an die beteiligten Ministerien, alle Aspekte ernsthaft zu behandeln, die zu einer erfolgreichen Amtszeit beitragen könnten, angesichts der Komplexität des Umfelds, in dem Rumänien die rotierende EU-Präsidentschaft übernehmen wird – Themen wie der Brexit, die Verabschiedung des mehrjährigen Finanzrahmens und die Wahlen für das Europäischen Parlament stünden dabei im Vordergrund, hieß es.



    Rumäniens Ministerin für die Auslandsgemeinschaften, Natalia Intotero, wollte noch am Freitag nach Tschechien aufbrechen, um den Hinterblieben der rumänischen Opfer des Unfalls in einem Chemiewerk Trost zu spenden. Bei einer Explosion im Chemiewerk Unipetrol im mittelböhmischen Kralupy nad Vltavou waren sechs Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Fünf der Opfer sind rumänische Staatsbürger. Dies teilte das rumänische Außenministerium am Freitag mit. Zwei Arbeiter mit Verbrennungen am Körper wurden in Spezialkliniken eingeliefert. Ein mobiles Konsularteam von der Botschaft Rumäniens in Prag besuchte die Spezialkliniken, um festzustellen, ob rumänische Staatsburger sich unter den Verwundeten befinden. Das Bukarester Außenministerium hat den Familien der Opfer sein Beileid ausgesprochen. Die Botschaft Rumäniens in Prag monitorisiert die Situation und ist bereit, die Rücküberführung der Leichen zu sichern. Der Feuerwehr zufolge hatten sich am Donnerstag im Chemiewerk Unipetrol Dämpfe einer brennbaren Flüssigkeit entzündet und es kam zur Explosion. Die Experten untersuchen auch weiterhin, um welche Flüssigkeit es sich handelte. Dies teilte ein Feuerwehrsprecher am Freitag mit. Mit sechs Toten ist es die schwerste Katastrophe in der tschechischen Chemieindustrie seit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten.



    Der letzte Sonntag im März dauert auch in Rumänien nur 23 Stunden. Die Uhren werden am Sonntag, den 25. März, in der Früh, von 3 Uhr, auf 4 Uhr, auf Sommerzeit umgestellt. Die Differenz zwischen der rumänischen Uhrzeit und der UTC beträgt ab Sonntag demnach drei Stunden. Wie überall, sehen die Menschen auch in Rumänien der Sommerzeit mit gemischten Gefühlen entgegen – am Abend ist es für längere Zeit hell, Frühaufsteher müssen dafür länger auf das Tageslicht warten. Rumänien hat die Sommerzeit 1932 eingeführt.

  • March 15, 2018 UPDATE

    March 15, 2018 UPDATE

    CVM — EU officials on Thursday met in Bucharest with representatives of the Romanian judiciary, the Parliament and Government as part of the assessment mission within the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. The assessment mission will come to an end on Friday. The Justice Ministry officials have pointed out that talks are focusing on the analysis of recommendations, on the criminal and criminal procedure codes, the civil and civil procedure codes, and on the development strategy of the judiciary. The MCV was introduced in January 2007 upon Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU accession, to support the two countries in order to overcome shortcomings in the reform of the judiciary and the anti-corruption fight. The Romanian authorities would like the MCV to be removed in 2019.



    Book fair — Romania is a guest of honor at the 2018 International Book Fair in Leipzig, Germany. ‘Zoom in Romania’ is the motto for the more than 70 events to take place at the fair at the Romanian pavilion and in other locations, meant to promote the Romanian contemporary writers. In his inaugural speech, Romania’s foreign minister reminded that Romania was also a guest of honor at the Leipzig book fair 20 years ago.



    Berlin — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Melescanu, ended his two-day visit to Germany. His agenda, on Friday, included meetings with the president of the Committee for European affairs in the Bundestag and with the president of the foreign affairs committee in the federal parliament. The talks focused on bilateral cooperation, EU enlargement and challenges facing the EU.



    Poisoning — Great Britain, Germany, France and the US on Thursday made a joint declaration in which they claim that Russia’s responsibility is the only plausible explanation in the case of the nerve agent attack against a Russian double agent and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury last week. The leaders of the 4 countries called on Moscow to provide all information related to its chemical weapons program Novichok, given that this is the first time when a nerve agent of military use is used in Europe, after WWII. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, labeled the accusations as rude and ungrounded. Moscow announced it was preparing to reply after London’s decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats. NATO considers the incident a clear violation of international norms and agreements on chemical weapons and the EU leaders will discuss next week the poisoning of the former Russian spy. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced Romania’s solidarity with Great Britain.



    Slovakia — The EU called on Slovakia to shed light on the assassination of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and to cooperate with the European Antifraud Office. The journalist was shot dead in February together with his girlfriend while he was conducting an investigation into a case of high-level corruption. In his last, unfinished article, Jan Kuciak wrote about alleged relations between Slovak politicians and Italian businesspeople suspected of links with the Calabria mafia. On Thursday the president of Slovakia accepted the resignation of PM Robert Fico, which he had handed in one day before, and announced early parliamentary elections for the second half of May. Previously, tens of thousands of people went out in the streets to protest against corruption and to ask for Fico’s resignation.



    Flu — In Romania 101 people have died of flu, shows the National Center for Monitoring and Controlling Transmissible Diseases. As many as 1,200 cases of flu have been confirmed so far. The total number of acute respiratory infections registered last week exceed 140 thousand, 67% more than that reported in the same week of the past year.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, world’s no. 1, will play on Friday against Japanese Naomi Osaka (20 WTA) in the semifinals of the Indian Wells tournament in California, USA. The tournament has total prizes worth 8 million dollars. In the quarterfinals, Halep defeated Croat Petra Martic (51 WTA) 2-1 in the sets, while Osaka defeated in two sets Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic (5 WTA). Halep won the Indian Wells tournament in 2015. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

  • March 14, 2018 UPDATE

    March 14, 2018 UPDATE

    THE USE OF NERVE AGENT IN SALISBURY– The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed Romanias solidarity with Great Britain, after the poisoning of the former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and of his daughter, in Salisbury. British PM Theresa May on Wednesday announced that London severs its bilateral ties with Moscow and will expel 23 Russian diplomats. May also said Moscow is responsible for the incident. Great Britain had given an ultimatum to Russia, until Tuesday midnight, to provide explanations regarding the case. In turn, Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov, said Moscow is “not guilty and “ready to cooperate during the investigation, on condition it has access to the incriminated chemical substance, a nerve agent. NATO has deemed the incident as a clear breach of international norms and agreements on chemical weapons and called on Russia to address the UKs questions. In another move, the EU leaders will hold talks next week on Skripals poisoning, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday.



    CONFLICT OF INTEREST – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday called on the Romanian Parliament to re-examine a bill which brings modifications, among others, to the juridical regime of the conflict of interest, applicable to MPs in the 2007-2013 time-span. The president claimed the overall public interest does not justify such as regulation, given that integrity standards are affected and doubts are cast on Romanias compliance with the commitments it has made as a EU member state. In December 2017, the Romanian Senate, as a decision making body, adopted a draft to amend the Law on the National Integrity Agency. In the adopted form, interdictions imposed on MPs for not observing legal provisions relative to the conflict of interest, in the 2007-2013 period, cease to exist.



    CVM – European Commission representatives on Wednesday started their evaluation mission as part of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, scheduling meetings with members of the judiciary, Parliament and the Government. Their mission ends on March 16. The Ministry of Justice says that talks will focus on proposed changes to the Romanian judicial system, including the Criminal Codes and the Civil Code, along with analysing the strategy to develop the judicial system. The Cooperation and Verification Mechanism was introduced in January 2007, when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU, in order to help the two countries overcome their drawbacks in the justice system and in terms of corruption. The authorities in Bucharest would like the Mechanism to be lifted in 2019.



    JUSTICE – The special commission for the justice laws with the Romanian Parliament resumed its activity on Wednesday, starting debates on proposed changes to legislation on the status of prosecutors and judges, the laws regulating judicial organization, and the law regulating the Higher Council of Magistracy, following a negative ruling on the changes issued by the Constitutional Court. The commission is slated to bring a number of changes to the Criminal Codes. The situation of the Romanian justice system was the main topic for discussion in talks held in Bucharest early in March with the authorities by European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The controversy regarding proposed justice reform in Romania brought to the streets thousands of protesters in Romania and abroad, who demanded the judicial system preserve its independence.



    FLU SEASON – In Romania, the number of flu-related deaths reached 100, according to the National Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. Since the start of the flu season, some 1,200 flu-related cases have been confirmed. The total number of acute respiratory infections registered last week exceeded 140,000, that is 67% more than in the same week of 2017.



    MOURNING – People across the world and the scientific and academic community mourn British visionary scientist Stephen Hawking, who passed away at the age of 76. Born on January 8, 1942, Stephen William Hawking has been compared to Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. His research attempted to align relativity theory with quantum theory, in an attempt to explain the creation of the universe and its inner workings. Hawking was diagnosed with a degenerative disease at the age of 21.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, leading the standings worldwide, qualified on Tuesday to the quarter finals of the Indian Wells, with 8 million USD in prize money up fro grabs, after she defeated Qiang Wang of China 7-5, 6-1. She will be facing against Croatian player Petra Martic, no.51 WTA. Halep won the Indian Wells tournament in 2015.(Translated by C. Cotoiu and D. Vijeu)


  • March 7, 2018

    March 7, 2018

    PUBLIC MINISTRY– Romanias Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazăr, has today presented the 2017 activity report of the Public Ministry. The major coordinates of the prosecutors activity is the big volume of cases they should solve, the special complexity of files and the large number of the people involved, the prosecutor general has said. According to the data released by Lazăr, prosecutors processed some 1,750,000 files, solved over 550 thousand of them and approximately 60,000 people have been brought to justice. 35% of them violated road legislation, the main two causes behind this being the poor road infrastructure and the drivers behaviour. He said a spike in the number of domestic violence cases has been reported lately as well as an increase in the number of minors taken to court, namely up to 4,000. Attending the meeting, President Klaus Iohannis has said that although the idea that prosecutors are the enemies of society is falsely inoculated, they are on the same side with the law enforcers. Attending the event were also representatives of the main judicial institutions.



    JUSTICE LAWS – The parliamentary group of the Liberal deputies, in opposition, call on the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, to request the opinion of the Venice Commission on the changes brought to the justice laws and to suspend talks in the special commission until the opinion is issued. In support of their request, the Liberals recall the recommendation of the latest report issued by the European Commission on the CVM, as well as the public stands recently taken by the EC officials. They also recall the fact that the magistrates professional associations have, in their turn, said an opinion should be requested from the Venice Commission. The draft justice laws are currently being re-examined, following a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court, according to which some changes are partially unconstitutional. Some changes to the justice laws have been vehemently criticised by civil society, the magistrates associations, as well as by the EU.



    PRESIDENCY – Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, will receive in Bucharest on Thursday his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucici, who is currently on an official visit to Romania. According to the Presidential Administration, the two heads of state will approach bilateral cooperation issues, at political, economic and sectoral level. The two sides will also discuss ways in which Romania can support Serbia in its effort to join the EU, also in the run up to Bucharests taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, in the first half of 2019. The two presidents will also discuss issues related to the national ethnic minorities in the two countries, aspects of common interest regarding cooperation in the West Balkans and the main developments in the “Kosovo file.



    MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies has today rejected the simple motion tabled by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, against Education minister, Valentin Popa. The Liberals accuse him of showing a lack of professionalism in solving systemic problems. The National Liberal Party draws attention, among other things, to the delayed payment of salaries, the lack of money for investments, which might lead to mergers of schools or even to some of them being closed down. The education minister has rejected all accusations.



    ECONOMIC GROWTH – Romania registered, in the last quarter of 2017, the highest growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of all the 28 EU member states, namely 7%, as compared to the same period of 2016, the revised estimates issued by the statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat, show. The figures also show however that the growth rate of the Romanian economy in the last quarter of 2017 decreased from 8.5% in the previous quarter, to 7%. The highest growth rates across the EU in over October-December 2017 were reported alongside Romania, by Slovenia (6.2%), Estonia (5.3%) and the Czech Republic (5.2%). The National Statistics Institute reconfirmed Romanias 7% growth rate registered last year. Industry, followed by trade and agriculture had the most significant contribution to this growth rate.



    FLU SEASON – The number of flu-related deaths in Romania stands at 84, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control has announced. According to the institution, the last four victims, aged between 59 and 93, had not been immunised and suffered from comorbidities. The Health minister Sorina Pintea, claims that the conditions are not met to declare the outbreak of an epidemics. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • The Week in Review  (18-24 February)

    The Week in Review (18-24 February)

    Justice Minister formally asks for the dismissal of the anti-corruption directorates chief prosecutor


    The decision of Romanias Justice Minister Tudorel Toader to formally ask for the dismissal of the National Anti-Corruption Directorates chief prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has sparked fresh protests throughout the country, with thousands of Romanians taking to the streets shortly after Minister Toaders announcement. In a news conference on Thursday evening, the Justice Minister presented the findings of a report on the activity of the DNAs leadership, in which chief prosecutor Kovesi is being criticised.



    Tudorel Toader accuses Laura Codruta Kovesi of “acts and deeds that are intolerable in a rule of law, such as serious violation of duty, putting pressure on the government and other institutions, postponing sentences in a number of cases, not checking the professional activity and behaviour of certain prosecutors, as well as certain public statements, to name but a few. At the same time, Minister Toader accuses the chief-prosecutor of having breached the constitution and the separation of powers principle.



    Tudorel Toader: “The National Anti-Corruption Directorate does not identify itself with its chief-prosecutor, whose actions in the past year have proven likely to endanger the very institution that she leads, by having an excessively authoritarian and discretionary behaviour, defying Parliaments authority and the Governments role and attributions and contesting the Constitutional Courts decisions and authority.



    Once the procedure is initiated, the chief prosecutors dismissal cannot be done without the head of states approval, after the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) gives advice on the request submitted by the Minister of Justice.



    President Klaus Iohannis however, maintains his support for the DNAs activity and its leadership, according to a release by the presidency soon after the proposal for dismissal was made public. President Iohannis believes that the Justice Ministers presentation of the report is lacking in clarity, for which reason the report will be thoroughly analysed by the Presidential Administrations departments. The presidential release also says that the head of state will make use of all his constitutional prerogatives to ensure the functioning of an independent justice system and the consolidation of the rule of law.



    Romanias Prosecutor-General Augustin Lazar has said that there is no legal reason for the dismissal of the DNAs chief prosecutor. On the political stage, the reactions to Minister Toaders announcement were very prompt. The ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) sees the Justice Ministers request as grounded and well documented. On the other hand, the National Liberal Party, the main opposition party, sees the request as ungrounded, made under the pressure of influential people who have problems with the law.



    The Romanian PM travels to Brussels


    Having paid this week her first official visit to Brussels since being appointed prime minister, the former MEP Viorica Dancila discussed with the European officials about Romanias holding the EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019, financial aspects and the countrys joining the Schengen area. The European Commission President, Jean Claude Junker has said, on this occasion, that there is no reason for Romania not to join the Schengen area. Junker has also voiced hope that the Bucharest Government will make efforts for the countrys judicial system to work. In his opinion, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in place for Bulgaria and Romania should be lifted before the mandate of the current Commission ends.



    The Romanian PM also held talks in Brussels with the European Council President Donald Tusk and the head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. The latter urged the Romanian Government to continue the battle against corruption and for the consolidation of the rule of law.



    Viorica Dancila: “I believe that good cooperation is beneficial for Europe and for Romania. I will go before the European Parliament to talk about the future of Europe, which Romania must be an active part of, given the countrys taking over the EU Council presidency and the challenges lying ahead.



    The slow absorption of European funds is another topic tackled by PM Dancila at a meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu. Commissioner Cretu has again warned the Bucharest authorities over the fact that procedures for using European money must be sped up and simplified.



    The opposition files no-confidence motion against the Labour Minister


    The simple motion filed against the Social Democrat Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu was rejected on Wednesday in the Chamber of Deputies. Its signatories, 60 Liberal MPs, accuse the ruling coalition of disrupting the fiscal and social systems and creating serious imbalances between the public and private systems, following the transfer of social security contributions from employers to employees starting January 1st, 2018. Following the implementation of this measure, the incomes of around 2 million Romanians have gone down. At the debates in the Chamber of Deputies, Minister Olguta Vasilescu has said that salaries cannot decrease if employers act in good faith.


    (translated by: Elena Enache)

  • The EU and the justice laws in Romania

    The EU and the justice laws in Romania

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday held talks in Brussels with the EU officials on the rule of law, which preoccupies both the political class and the public opinion in Romania. The independence of the judiciary is an intangible issue, the Romanian President categorically stated. Fresh from the meeting with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, Klaus Iohannis said the issues related to the justice laws and Criminal Codes must be settled in Romania without waiting for solutions from abroad.



    Klaus Iohannis: “I am convinced that I will succeed to end these discussions in laws, which can be practically used in their best form. However, my most important objective remains the same, namely to ensure the intangibility of the independence of Romania’s judiciary, an issue I will completely dedicate to, doing all my best as a president to keep the things as they are.”



    In turn, Jean-Claude Juncker said that Romania’s legal system is functioning and it cannot be said that Bucharest is neglecting the rule of law as long as the Constitutional Court’s rulings are observed. However, as Juncker has pointed out, backsliding is unacceptable for Romania at this time. The EU official recalls that the lifting of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism(CVM) – through which Brussels is monitoring the good functioning of the country’s legal system – depends on the observance of these rules and so does the country’s Schengen accession, which Romania has been denied due to persistent corruption in its administration.



    Romanians do not deserve to be treated as second-hand Europeans, Juncker said, adding that, to him, Romania and the Romanians are at the centre of the European life. Jean-Claude Juncker also expressed his willingness to continue to make all the efforts to reach this objective. His statements come after the Bucharest Embassies of 7 EU members and the Commission itself have voiced concern about the amendments to the justice laws. These have been also vehemently contested by the right-wing opposition in the Romanian Parliament and also by hundreds of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets of Bucharest for a year fearing that the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition is trying to subordinate the magistrates and put an end to the anti-graft fight.



    In response, representatives of the government coalition say the amendments are putting the justice laws in line with the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights where Romania has been constantly accused for the errors in its courts and the abuses in its penitentiaries as well as with previous rulings of the country’s Constitutional Court. In January though, notified by the High Court of Cassation and Justice as well as by the Liberals, in opposition, it was the constitutional judges who tried to stop the reforming zeal of the ruling coalition, as they came to the conclusion that some changes regarding judicial organization and the status of magistrates are unconstitutional.

  • Romania marks 10 years of EU membership

    Romania marks 10 years of EU membership

    Ten years since their countrys accession to the European Union, 57% of Romanians continue to trust the EU, according to the results of a survey made public recently by the European Commission Representation in Romania. Also, 86% of respondents have a neutral or positive opinion on the EU, while only 14% have a negative perception. In the Romanians opinion, the main advantages of being EU members are the good ties among its members, democracy, the observance of human rights and the rule of law and also the capacity to promote peace and democracy beyond its borders.



    The fact that 54% of Romanians believe that their voce is being heard at EU level proves that they become active European citizens. As for the future, Romanians believe that the main threats and challenges are the fight against terrorism (65%), the relations with Russia (46%) and the immigration policy (41%). They support, just like the EU Commission President, Jean Claude Junker, the “unity for all scenario, which prompted the head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, Angela Cristea, to say that the dominant image that the Romanians have on the EU is that of a project of peace and understanding, both among its member states and in its foreign relations.



    The survey also shows that according to the Romanians, the main advantages of their countrys EU accession are finding a job in another member state, the access to more markets and the positive impact of EU funds on the region they live in. As for disadvantages, these are a decrease in the purchasing power, foreigners having the right to buy land and real estate and the exodus of qualified labor force. Holding the EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2019, at a highly important moment for the future of the EU, is a major opportunity for Romania and an equally big responsibility, minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu has said. He also said that in this context, Bucharest plans to correlate its Presidencys priorities with the peoples expectations, by placing the citizen at the heart of the policies it plans to promote at European level.



    The survey also shows that Romanias top priorities during their countrys 6-month EU Presidency are, in the opinion of its citizens, the cohesion policy (66%), security and migration (58%), joining the Schengen area (57%), and having the Mechanism of Cooperation and Verification (56%) lifted. Also, Romania will host the first high-level meeting of the EU leaders post-Brexit, in 2019. (Translated by E. Enache)

  • Die Woche 13.-17.11.2017 im Überblick

    Die Woche 13.-17.11.2017 im Überblick

    Regierung billigt Haushaltsanpassung vor dem Hintergrund eines Rekordwirtschaftswachstums



    Die Exekutive hat am Mittwoch die zweite positive Haushaltsanpassung für dieses Jahr, unter Einhaltung des von der EU vorgeschriebenen Defizitziels von 2,96% des BIP, gebilligt. Laut dem Finanzministerium sei die besagte Anpassung positiv und stütze sich auf das diesjährige Wirtschaftswachstum von 6,1%, das die Erwartungen von 5,6% vom Zeitpunkt der ersten Haushaltsanpassung übertrifft. Somit stieg das geschätzte BIP von 837,2 Milliarden Lei (180,8 Milliarden Euro) bis auf 842,5 Milliarden Lei (181,9 Milliarden Euro). Die besagte Anpassung findet statt kurz nachdem Eurostat angekündigt hat, dass Rumänien im dritten Quartal dieses Jahres den grö‎ßten Vorsprung des BIP der 28 EU-Mitgliedsstaaten von 8,6%, verglichen mit derselben Zeitspanne des Jahres 2016 erzielt hat.



    Es wurden zusätzliche Gelder für die Lokalhaushalte gesichert. Au‎ßerdem wurden für die Finanzierung des Kinderschutzes, für die Finanzierung des privaten Schulsystems oder der akkreditierten Konfessionsschulen dem Ministerium für Arbeit und Sozialgerechtigkeit, dem Ministerium für Innenangelegenheiten, dem Transportministerium und dem Gesundheitsministerium zugewiesen. Somit gibt es mehr Geld für Gesundheitsprogramme und auch für die Bezahlung der auszubildenden Ärzte und des ärztlichen Personals der Notaufnahmestrukturen sichert.“ Die zweite Haushaltsanpassung für 2017 überlappt sich mit den guten Nachrichten von Eurostat oder vom Nationalen Statistikamt bezüglich des Wirtschaftswachstums Rumäniens, Nachrichten, die die Koalitionsregierung der Sozialdemokratischen Partei und der Allianz der Liberalen und Demokraten in eine gemütliche Position verlegt.



    Diese brachten Premierminister Mihai Tudose dazu zu jubeln: Eine sehr gute Nachricht, die sie kennen oder eine schlechte, für diejenigen, die uns ein qualvolles Ende wünschten: 8,8 — Wirtschaftswachstum im dritten Quartal vergliechen mit dem dritten Quartal des Vorjahres. Das veranlasst uns optimistisch zu sein, dass wir für 2017 ein Gesamtwachstum von ungefähr 6 erreichen werden. Wir sind also nicht tot, wie uns einige gewünscht haben, sondern wir sind zu beneiden, wir belegen den dritten Platz weltweit.“



    Wirtschafts-Experten sind jedoch nicht überzeugt, dass der Wachstum-Rhythmus anhalten wird. Der Wirtschafts-Analyst Aurelian Dochia über das Risiko der Inflation und der Zinsen-Anhebung:


    Es ist wenig wahrscheinlich, dass der Wachstums-Rhythmus auch in 2018 auf diesem Niveau blieben wird. Manche Aspekte, die jetzt unerschreckend sind, könnten sich nächstes Jahr ändern. Eine der wichtigsten Besorgnisse betrifft das Haushalts-Defizit. Es gibt Indikatoren, wie der Leitzins, die stark wachsen und die Inflationsrate liegt über den Prognosen der Nationalbank. Das übt Druck auf den Wechselkurs und besorgt viele.“



    Fast täglich wertet sich seit über einer Woche die Landeswährung Leu historisch im vergleich zum Euro ab.



    Opposition leitet Misstrauensantrag gegen die Koalitionsregierung PSD-ALDE ein



    Die Nationalliberale Partei hat sich entschieden und will die Koalitionsregierung PSD-ALDE in Bukarest stürzen und reichte deshalb am Freitag einen Misstrauensantrag ein. Die Abänderung des Steuergesetzbuches durch Eilverordnung ist die jungste Unzufriedenheit der Opposition. Besagte Eilverordnung der Regierung sieht unter anderem vor, dass die Sozialbeiträge zukünftig ausschlie‎ßlich von den Arbeitnehmern bezahlt werden. Zudem soll die Einkommenssteuer von 16 auf 10 % gesenkt werden. Die Arbeitgeber, die Gewerkschaften sowie ein Teil der bürgerlichen Gesellschaft bestreiten die Ma‎ßnahmen. Die rechtsgerichtete parlamentarische Opposition kritisiert die Abänderung.



    Die Nationalliberale Partei wird von der Union Rettet Rumänien unterstützt. Die Liberalen haben ebenfalls mit den Vertretern des Demokratischen Verbandes der Ungarn in Rumänien und mit Kollegen aus der Regierungskoalition diskutiert: Das Thema wurde nicht im Sinne der Ersetzung von Mihai Tudose mit jemand anderem nur eines Umsturzes zuliebe besprochen. Wir haben über das gesprochen was in Rumänien in der folgenden Zeit passieren wird, nach dem Augenblick, in dem diese Regierung nach Hause geht. Denn wir wollen dem Vorhersehbarkeitsmangel, der Senkung der Kaufkraft, der Destabilisierung der staatlichen Anstalten ein Ende setzen. Deshalb muss diese Regierung gehen.“



    PNL kündigte au‎ßerdem an, sie werde landewsweite Informationskampagnen der Bürger, sowie Massenkundgebungen in Bukarest und im ganzen Land organisieren. Die Partei schaltete auch den Ombudsmann ein, damit dieser die von der Exekutive durchgesetzte Steuerreform vor dem Verfassungsgericht anfechtet.



    Europäische Kommission veröffentlicht Fortschrittsbericht zur rumänischen Justiz



    Die Europäische Kommission hat am Mittwoch den Fortschrittsbericht zum rumänischen Justizwesen veröffentlicht und wird sich weiterhin mit der Funktionierung der rumänischen Justiz befassen. Der besagte Bericht der Europäischen Kommission sorgte für kontradiktorische Reaktionen in Bukarest. Im aktuellen CVM-Bericht behauptet die Europäische Kommission, dass der allgemeine Reformrhythmus 2017 stagniert habe und die Herausforderungen für die Unabhängigkeit des rumänischen Justizsystems besorgniserregend seien. Dennoch habe man Fortschritte in Bereichen wie der Überprüfung der Interessenkonflikte oder bei den öffentlichen Ausschreibungen festgestellt. Die Bukarester Regierung müsse die notwendigen Reformen fortsetzen und Rückschritte vermeiden, will sie das Ziel zur Aussetzung des CVM während der aktuellen Amtszeit der Kommission (2018) erreichen, erklärte der Erst-Vizepräsident der Europäischen Kommission, Frans Timmermans.



    Der rumänische Justizminister Tudorel Toader meinte, der Bericht hebe Fortschritte hervor und Rumänien könne sein Ziel betreffend die Aufhebung des CVM im Laufe des nächsten Jahres erfüllen. Der sozialdemokratische Vizepräsident der Abgeordnetenkammer, ehemaliger Ressortminister Florin Iordache behauptet, der Bericht enthalte sowohl positive Aspekte als auch Rückstände.



    Staatspräsident Klaus Iohannis hat den jüngsten Fortschrittsbericht der Europäischen Kommission zum rumänischen Justizwesen als Warnzeichen für die Regierungskoalition bezeichnet. Das Bündnis aus Sozialdemokraten und der Allianz der Liberalen und Demokraten (ALDE) sollte den Bericht im Rahmen des sogenannten Kooperations- und Kontrollverfahrens (CVM) berücksichtigen, so der Staatschef. Er verwies darauf, dass die ganzen Anstrengungen Rumäniens zur Stärkung der Justizreform und für die Korruptionsbekämpfung durch die Handlungen einiger Politiker gefährdet werden könnten. Diese wollten nicht akzeptieren, dass sie im Dienste der Bürger arbeiteten und nicht einiger Partei- oder Gruppeninteressen dienten.



    Rumänien erwirbt Patriot-Raketenabwehrsysteme



    Die rumänische Regierung hat eine umfassende Strategie zur Modernisierung der Flugabwehr erarbeitet: In den kommenden Jahren sollen mehrere Patriot-Raketenabwehrsysteme in Wert von etwa 3,9 Milliarden Dollar erworben werden. Insgesamt werden sieben Raketenabwehrsysteme vom Typ Patriot von den USA gekauft — vier Systeme für den Generalstab der Luftstreitkräfte und drei Systeme für den Generalstab der Bodenstreitkräfte. Der Gesetzentwurf über den Erwerb des ersten Raketenabwehrsystems vom Typ Patriot im Wert von 764 Millionen Dollar ist am Montag dem Parlament vorgelegt worden — das Dokument wird zuerst im Senat, dann in der Abgeordnetenkammer besprochen. Der Vertrag soll bis Ende dieses Jahres abgeschlossen werden, und 2019 sollte das erste Raketenabwehrsystem voll funktionsfähig sein.