Radio România Internațional

Tag: davis cup

October 28, 2017

SPAIN Romania reiterates its firm support for Spain’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, vehemently and irrevocably rejecting Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest says in a communiqué. Spain is Romania’s major ally and strategic partner, the communiqué also says, and the legitimacy of any process or action related to interior order must be according to the fundamental law and the legal order in the certain state. The Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates Bucharest’s consistent stand in favour of complying with the international law, which rules out any territorial changes without the accord of the state involved. The main Western chancelleries have also voiced support for the authorities in Madrid. We recall that Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has announced the sacking of the regional government, the dismantling of the Catalan Parliament, and that regional elections are to be held on December 21st. The decisions were made on Friday evening, after the Catalan Parliament had voted in favour of a unilateral declaration of independence and the proclamation of the Catalan republic. The operational head of the Catalan police has been sacked today and the region will be administered by Spanish vice-premier Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and controlled by 33 thousand agents, the BBC reports.

DST Romania will tonight adjust clocks backward for Daylight Saving Time. So, 4 o’clock will become 3 o’clock (GMT + 2 hours) while Sunday, October 29th, is to become the year’s longest day with 25 hours. The move is meant to offset the reversed procedure in spring when clocks were adjusted forward in order for the evening daylight to last longer. Romania will again revert to the summer time in the last Sunday of March. Daylight Saving Time is used in over 100 countries and Romania adopted it back in 1932.

COMMEMORATION Hundreds took to the streets of Bucharest on Friday night to participate in a march in memory of the victims of the devastating fire that ripped through nightclub Colectiv in the capital city on October 30th 2015 when 64 people were killed and 100 wounded. Radio Romania is to broadcast a programme inspired from the tragedy, which is symbolically entitled ‘64’. We recall that the club’s owners and representatives of the company that had provided the pyrotechnic devices for the concert hosted by the club have been sent to court for manslaughter and violation of fire safety regulations. The former district mayor has also been sent to court for abuse of office along with employees from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations for having failed to sanction the club for the absence of a fire safety certificate. We recall the tragedy sparked off large-scale anti-corruption rallies, which forced the Social-Democratic cabinet led by Victor Ponta to step down.

USR The opposition Save Romania Union, the third largest political force in Parliament in Bucharest is electing a new president during the extraordinary congress that is taking place in Poiana Brasov, central Romania. There are two candidates, Vlad Alexandrescu and Dan Barna, MPs and USR vice-presidents. The former USR leader and founding father, Nicusor Dan, has left the group after it decided through an interior referendum to take a stand against a controversial initiative of the Pro-Family Coalition who campaigned for a Constitution amendment, which is to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The initiative, which got support from 3 million Romanians, has been contested by NGOs who campaign for human rights in general and the right of sexual minorities in particular.

TENNIS An Israeli pair made up of Dudi Sela and Jonathan Erlich will today be taking up on Romanians Vasile Antonescu and Bogdan Borza in a Davis Cup match for remaining in Europe-Africa group one. The match is hosted by the Israeli city of Ramat Hasharon and the hosts are leading two-one after the first singles held on Friday, when Dragos Dima was defeated by Edan Leshem and Dudi Sela outperformed young Nicolae Frunza. Sunday will see the games pitching Sela against Dima and Leshem against Frunza. If it loses, Romania will be demoted from group one for the first time since 1993.

28 October 2017
October 27, 2017 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday received Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union. During the talks, the two officials approached issues related to the future of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), as well as about Romanias process of accession to the Euro zone. Klaus Iohannis expressed his countrys support for further consolidating the EMU and underlined that the future of the Euro zone is of special importance to Romania, considering its strategic objective to switch to the Euro as soon as possible. In turn, the European official briefed the Romanian President on the Commissions intention to come up in December with a package of proposals on the consolidation of the Economic and Monetary Union. It will also include the proposal to create a new financial assistance instrument for the member states willing to switch to the Euro.

CATALONIA – Spains Senate on Friday approved the request of PM Mariano Rajoy to impose direct rule over secessionist Catalonia, a decision made just a couple of minutes after the Parliament in Barcelona unilaterally declared the regions independence from Spain. Rajoy will hold a cabinet meeting shortly to decide what measures to take. They could include the firing of the Catalan leaders, and the Spanish government taking control of the region’s finances, police and public media. All regional-political, economic and security structures will be directly subordinated to Madrid. Mariano Rajoy has launched an appeal for calm and warned that the Spanish state will soon restore constitutional order in Catalonia. Earlier, the Parliament in Barcelona adopted a resolution calling for “the beginning of a process of the creation of an independent Catalan state in the form of a republic. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and other members of the regional government attended the vote.

COMMEMORATION – On October 30th Bucharest commemorates two years since the devastating fire that ripped through the Colectiv night club in the capital city where 64 people were killed and 100 wounded. The event is marked in Bucharest by the Colectiv Association through a procession called “the March of Guitars and two days of concerts. On October 30th, Radio Romania will broadcast a programme inspired from the tragedy, which is symbolically entitled ‘64. On this occasion, people are expected to voice their discontent for the belated court trial that has been postponed for the month of November, a decision that caused dissatisfaction among the victims families. We recall that the clubs owners and representatives of the company that had provided the pyrotechnic devices for the concert hosted by the club have been sent to court for manslaughter and violation of fire safety regulations. The former district mayor has also been sent to court for abuse of office along with employees from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations for having failed to sanction the club for the absence of a fire safety certificate. We recall the tragedy sparked off large-scale anti-corruption rallies, which forced the Social-Democratic cabinet led by Victor Ponta to step down.

DAVIS CUP – Israel has a 2-0 lead on Romania, after the first single tennis matches of the Davis Cup tie, with the winning team remaining in Europe/Africa Zone Group I. On Friday, in Ramat Hasharon, Dragos Dima (463 ATP) was defeated by Edan Leshem (285 ATP) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, and Dudi Sela (70 ATP) defeated Nicolae Frunză (600 ATP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. In the doubles, the first match between Israels Dudi Sela/Jonathan Erlich and Romanias Vasile Antonescu /Bogdan Borza will be played on Saturday. On Sunday, in the singles, Sela faces Dima, and Leshem-Frunză. Romania lost both rounds played earlier this year 2-3 to Belarus and 1-4 to Austria, whereas Israel lost 5-0 to Portugal and 5-0 to Ukraine. Israel is trying to avoid relegation from Group I for the first time in the past 16 years, and Romania for the first time since 1993.

TENNIS – First seeded and no.1 WTA, Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, on Friday failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions Tournament in Singapore. In her last Red Group match, Halep sustained a 6-3, 6-4 defeat from Ukrainian Elina Svitolina. Also on Friday, in the other match of the Group, Frances Caroline Garcia defeated Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 and reached the semi-finals, where she will face American Venus Williams. In the other semi-final, the Czech Karolina Pliskova will face Caroline Wozniacki.

27 October 2017
September 16, 2017 UPDATE

FINANCIAL – Romania will keep the budget deficit below 3%, as was pledged under the Stability and Growth Pact, the finance minister Ionuţ Mişa said in a meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union. The two officials have had a meeting on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council organized by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on September 15 -16. The Romanian official has also said the 5.6% economic growth rate in 2017 is based on consumption, an increase in the volume of the industrial output and a plummeting unemployment rate. According to a preliminary Autumn 2017 Forecast released on Friday by the National Prognosis Commission, estimates on Romania’s economic growth in 2017 have been revised upward from 5.2% to 5.6%.

VISIT – EU Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King, will pay an official visit to Bucharest on Monday, for talks with PM Mihai Tudose, justice minister Tudorel Toader and interior minister Carmen Dan. The focal points of the talks, to also be attended by members of the relevant parliamentary committees, will be the fight against terrorism, the exchange of information and the implementation of the recently adopted security legislation. The European Commissioner will also visit the Operational Coordination Centre of the Border Police.

ROMANIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN– Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has granted corporal Mădălin Stoica the posthumous award “Romanias Star National Order in rank of knight. Mădălin Stoica died in the line of duty in Afghanistan on Friday, in an attack against a Romanian military patrol mission in the area. The award was offered in token of respect and appreciation for the commitment and courage proven in the line of duty, the decree signed by the head of state shows. The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has hailed the valor of Romanias soldiers in Afghanistan, in a message of condolence to the family of the Romanian military who died on Friday. “ I was saddened to hear of the death of Corporal Mădălin Stoica who was killed during an incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and of injuries to other two Romanian soldiers. I would like to extend my personal condolences and those of the United States to the family and friends of Corporal Mădălin Stoica, as well as to his fellow soldiers. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers. The valor of Romanias soldiers in the NATO mission in Afghanistan continues to demonstrate the highest commitment to defending freedom and democracy, “ ambassador Klemm writes in the message of condolence. Corporal Madalin Stoica was on his first mission on theatres of operations. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but they are stable. In 2017, the Romanian Army is contributing over 620 troops to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, 300 other military being deployed to other regions of the world as part of NATO, EU, UN and OSCE-led missions. 29 Romanian military have lost their lives and over 180 others got injured so far, on missions abroad. The security situation in Afghanistan is still unstable, most incidents being reported in the east and the south.

LONDON – The British Police make “significant arrest in London subway terror attack, claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group. On Friday morning, an explosion at Parsons Green underground station in the west of London injured tens of passengers and led to a terrorist attack being declared. British Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the UK’s terror threat level to critical, its highest level after London was hit by this new terror attack. Critical means an attack is expected imminently and soldiers will be put on the streets to guard key sites and free up police officers.

MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police has stopped 19 Iraqi nationals, of which 4 minors, asylum seekers in Romania, upon trying to illegally leave Romania, the line authorities have announced. The Iraqis declared their intention to reach a Schengen country and said they made this choice because they were not holding a valid visa. The number of people trying to illegally cross Romanias western border with Hungary, in the west, has been on the rise over the past year. The number of foreigners trying to illegally cross the border into Romania, by boat, on the Black Sea, has also increased.

TENNIS – Austria leads Romania 2-1 in the Davis Cup tennis matches played in Wels, in the first-round playoffs to remain in the Europe/ Africa Group I. On Saturday in the mens doubles, Horia Tecău and Nicolae Frunză defeated Dominic Thiem/Philipp Oswald, 3-1. On Friday in the singles, Gerald Melzer defeated Dragoş Dima and Dominic Thiem outperformed Bogdan Borza. On Sunday, Dominic Thiem will play Dragoş Dima and Gerald Melzer will face Bogdan Borza. In the direct matches, Romania leads Austria 3-2.

RECORD-Romanian swimmer Avram Iancu, a librarian by profession, on Saturday finished the swimming race from Danube’s springs to the Black Sea, thus becoming the first man to ever cross the river from the place where the Danube rises to the place where the river empties into the Black Sea, without any additional equipment. The race ended in Sulina and covered a distance of 2,860 km.

TABLE TENNIS – Romanias table tennis team on Saturday qualified for the European Championship final held in Luxembourg, after having defeated Russia, 3-0. On Sunday, Romania will play Germany, which has outperformed the Netherlands, 3-2, in the other semi-finals. Romanias womens table tennis team is the holder of three European titles, the last one being grabbed 12 years ago. Germanys national team has won the title in the last three editions and boasts an overall number of seven gold medals.

16 September 2017
September 16, 2017

ROMANIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN– The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has hailed the valor of Romanias soldiers in Afghanistan, in a message of condolence to the family of a Romanian military who died on Friday in the line of duty in that country. “ I was saddened to hear of the death of Corporal Mădălin Stoica who was killed during an incident in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and of injuries to other two Romanian soldiers. I would like to extend my personal condolences and those of the United States to the family and friends of Corporal Mădălin Stoica, as well as to his fellow soldiers. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers. The valor of Romanias soldiers in the NATO mission in Afghanistan continues to demonstrate the highest commitment to defending freedom and democracy, “ ambassador Klemm writes in the message of condolence. Corporal Madalin Stoica was on his first mission on theatres of operations. Two other soldiers were injured in the incident, but they are stable. In 2017, the Romanian Army is contributing over 620 troops to the NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan, 300 other military being deployed to other regions of the world as part of NATO, EU, UN and OSCE-led missions. 29 Romanian military have lost their lives and over 180 others got injured so far, on missions abroad. The security situation in Afghanistan is still unstable, most incidents being reported in the east and the south.

LONDON – The British Police make “significant arrest in London subway terror attack, claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group. On Friday morning, an explosion at Parsons Green underground station in the west of London injured tens of passengers and led to a terrorist attack being declared. British Prime Minister Theresa May has raised the UK’s terror threat level to critical, its highest level after London was hit by this new terror attack. Critical means an attack is expected imminently and soldiers will be put on the streets to guard key sites and free up police officers.

FINANCIAL -
Romania will keep the budget deficit below 3%, as was pledged under the
Stability and Growth Pact, the finance minister Ionuţ Mişa said in a meeting
with Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue,
also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets
Union. The two officials have had a
meeting on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the ECOFIN Council organized
by the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, on September
15 -16. The Romanian official has also
said the 5.6% economic growth rate in 2017 is based on consumption, an increase
in the volume of the industrial output and a plummeting unemployment rate.
According to a preliminary Autumn 2017 Forecast released on Friday by the
National Prognosis Commission, estimates on Romania’s economic growth in 2017
have been revised upward from 5.2% to 5.6%.

VISIT – EU Commissioner
for the Security Union, Julian King, will pay an official visit to Bucharest on
Monday, for talks with PM Mihai Tudose, justice minister Tudorel Toader and
interior minister Carmen Dan. The focal points of the talks, to also be
attended by members of the relevant parliamentary committees, will be the fight
against terrorism, the exchange of information and the implementation of the
recently adopted security legislation. The European Commissioner will also
visit the Operational Coordination Centre of the Border Police.

MIGRANTS – The Romanian border police has stopped 19 Iraqi nationals, of which 4 minors, asylum seekers in Romania, upon trying to illegally leave Romania, the line authorities have announced. The Iraqis declared their intention to reach a Schengen country and said they made this choice because they were not holding a valid visa. The number of people trying to illegally cross Romanias western border with Hungary, in the west, has been on the rise over the past year. The number of foreigners trying to illegally cross the border into Romania, by boat, on the Black Sea, has also increased.

ENESCU FESTIVAL – The highlight of the prestigious “George Enescu International Festival on Saturday is a concert under the baton of the world-famous conductor, Zubin Mehta. Performing is the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside the outstanding Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili. Until September 24, over 3,000 of the most highly acclaimed musicians in the world are performing in Bucharest and seven other cities across the country. Inaugurated in 1951, discontinued by the communist regime in 1971 and re-launched after the fall of communism, the Enescu festival is held every other year.

TENNIS – In the Davis Cup double tennis match pitting Romania against Austria, Horia Tecău and Nicolae Frunză will be playing Dominic Thiem/Philipp Oswald. Austria leads Romania 2-0 after the first singles played on Friday in Wels, in the first-round playoffs to remain in the Europe/ Africa Group I. On Friday, Gerald Melzer defeated Dragoş Dima, and Dominic Thiem outperformed Bogdan Borza. On Sunday, Dominic Thiem will play Dragoş Dima and Gerald Melzer will face Bogdan Borza. In the direct matches, Romania leads Austria 3-2.

16 September 2017
14 September 2017, UPDATE

Defence. The country’s Supreme Defence Council chaired by
president Klaus Iohannis met on Thursday in Bucharest. Participants debated and
approved the deployment of a Romanian army naval capability to a NATO mission
in the second part of 2017. The move was taken following requests by
international organisations for an additional contribution from Romania to foreign
missions and operations. The Supreme Defence Council also discussed and
approved the national strategy for the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction. The strategy is to be implemented in the 2017-2019 period and
mainly aims to strengthen the ability for rapid reaction and consolidate
inter-institutional cooperation. Energy security and the associated risks and
opportunities were also on the Council’s agenda. This was the first meeting to
be attended by Mihai Fifor in his new capacity as defence minister and the new
economy minister Gheorghe Simon.

EU summit. The Romanian authorities have
already started preparations for a special EU summit in the central Romanian
city of Sibiu in the spring of 2019, the minister for European affairs Victor
Negrescu has announced. The summit, which is to take place on 30th
of March, will discuss the future of the community bloc immediately after the
UK’s leaving the Union. The proposal for Sibiu to host this summit came on
Wednesday from the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker in
his State of the Union address in the European Parliament. He also said that
the Schengen area should be immediately opened for both Romania and Bulgaria.
In light of these remarks, minister Negrescu said Bucharest would launch a new
campaign to join this area of free movement.

National minorities. Romania, Bulgaria,
Greece and Hungary have sent a common letter to the Ukrainian authorities, the
Council of Europe and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
expressing their concern and profound regret vis-à-vis the new education law
passed by the Ukrainian Parliament. According to a press release by the
Romanian foreign ministry, the move reflects the interest of the signatory
countries with regard to the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities and
calls on the Ukrainian authorities to comply with international standards in
the field. Ukraine is home to almost half a million ethnic Romanians, most of
whom live in the Romanian territories annexed by the former Soviet Union in
1940 through an ultimatum and inherited by Ukraine as a successor state in
1991.

Protests. Trade
unions in the healthcare sector say they are planning a number of protests,
including picketing the headquarters of the finance, healthcare and labour
ministries and possibly even a strike between the 2nd and the 6th
of October, as well as a large-scale street protest on the 19th of
October in Bucharest. They say 15-20,000 people are expected to take part.
Employees are unhappy with the lack of a collective employment contract, the
provisions of the new salary law and the elimination of meal vouchers as of
2018.

NATO. The Piatra Craiului air-defence detachment from
Brasov, in the centre, on Thursday left for Poland. Its 120 military and their
35 mm anti-aircraft gun will be deployed in this country until March 2018,
being part of a US-led NATO combat force. Their mission is to provide advance
and consolidated presence in the north-east of the Alliance, on a rotational
basis, to discourage possible aggression, in keeping with the measures adopted
at the NATO summit in Warsaw. The Romanian troops are replacing their
colleagues from the General Gheorghe Parvulescu
anti-aircraft battalion from Craiova, in the south, who have just finished
their 6-month mission.

Hindi Day. Hindi
Day, held on September 14th and aimed at promoting the importance of
the Hindi language, was also celebrated in Romania. The date marks the day when
Hindi was given the status of official language on the 14th of
September 1949. The Indian Embassy in Bucharest held a special event during
which the popular Romanian pop music singer Loredana Groza awarded brailles
versions of the yoga manual Yogikasparsh to several associations
for the blind and visually impaired.

Football. The first foreign manager of the
Romanian football team, Germany’s Christoph Daum, has just seen his contracted
terminated, the Romanian Football Federation has announced. With only 9 points
in 8 preliminary matches, Romania have missed all chances to qualify for next
year’s World Cup in Russia. Romania rank 4th in Group E, after
Poland, Denmark and Montenegro. Daum has come under severe criticism recently
from fans, football professionals and the media over the disappointing
performance and results of the national side.

Davis Cup. The Romanian Davis Cup team are in Vienna,
where they will face Austria at the weekend in the first-round play-offs to
remain in the Europe/Africa Group I. The first match is scheduled for Friday.
Playing for Romania are Dragos Dima, Nicolae Frunza and Bogdan Borza, none of
whom are in the top 500, as well as Horia Tecau, the new winner of the doubles
title at the US Open. Marius Copil, no. 87 in the world and Romania’s
best-ranked singles player, is not part of the team. The Austrian team includes
world no. 7 Dominic Thiem.

14 September 2017
February 5, 2017 UPDATE

EMERGENCY DECREE – Protests continued in Bucharest and other Romanian cities on Sunday, for the 6th consecutive day, with tens of thousands of Romanians asking for the coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) to step down. Protesters say they no longer trust the Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu’s cabinet, sworn in last month. People continued to take to the streets in spite of the fact that the government repealed earlier on Sunday the controversial emergency decree amending the criminal codes, which critics say was meant to clean the record of politicians, local officials and some business people, thus drastically weakening the anti-corruption fight. Before Sunday’s emergency meeting, PM Grindeanu had announced he would initiate consultations with parliamentary parties in order to harmonise the legislation with the Constitutional Court’s rulings. President Klaus Iohannis said that the decision to abrogate the emergency decree is a step towards normality. Also on Sunday, around one thousand people gathered in front of the presidential headquarters to express their support for the government and ask for the president’s resignation.

BUDGET BILL — The 2017 budget bill will be debated at the plenary session of the Romanian parliament on Monday. Finance Minister Viorel Stefan has given assurances, on behalf of the coalition government, that the budget observes the main guidelines, such as cutting the VAT from 20% to 19% or eliminating the income tax for pensions lower or equal to 2,000 lei. This year’s budget is based on a 5.2% economic growth rate and a deficit of maximum 3% and will allow Romania to comply with its commitments to allocate 2% of its GDP to the defence ministry. The government expects an inflation rate under 1.4% and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. On the other hand, the opposition claims the revenue forecast underling the bill is hyped.

MOLDOVA — The Socialist president of the Republic of Moldova, the pro-Russian Igor Dodon, is paying a three-day official visit to Brussels starting on Monday, to meet with European officials. Dodon may also have talks with NATO officials. Elected president in November 2016, Dodon’s first official visit abroad was to Moscow, last month, where he said that the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU, concluded in 2014, could be revised or even cancelled. Dodon also said he would ask for a meeting with the NATO leaders, asking them to recognise Moldova’s neutrality. Pundits in Chisinau have voiced concern that Dodon’s visit to Brussels might render Moldova’s relations with the West even more difficult. On the other hand, the head of the Moldovan Parliament, Adrian Candu, has said that the head of state has limited powers as far as the country’s foreign policy is concerned and that the current parliament majority sees the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU as top priority.

FOREIGN MINISTRY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend on Monday in Brussels the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the meeting focuses on topics such as Ukraine and ways to consolidate the EU’s relationship with this country, the evolutions in Libya after the community summit in Valletta, the relations between the EU and Egypt and the peace process in the Middle East. On the sidelines of the meeting, Melescanu will have meetings with NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the European Commission’s First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans and with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. Previously, Melescanu said he would present the Brussels officials the latest developments in Romania.

TENNIS — Romania’s Davis Cup team lost to Belarus, 2-3, in the first round of Davis Cups Europe/Africa Zone Group I. On Sunday, Romanian Adrian Ungur was defeated by Egor Gherasimov, 6-7, 4-6, 4-6, while earlier on the day Marius Copil beat Ilya Ivashka, 7-5, 6-4, 6-1. On Saturday, Horia Tecau and Marius Copil were defeated in Minsk by the pair Max Mirnyi – Yaraslav Shyla, in the doubles. On Friday, Romanian Adrian Ungur defeated Ilya Ivashka, while Marius Copil lost to Egor Gherasimov. Belarus will play in the second round of Group I against Austria, whereas Romania will face the team of Israel on September 15-17, 2017 in a decisive match to remain in Group 1.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

5 February 2017
February 5, 2017 UPDATE

EMERGENCY DECREE – Protests continued in Bucharest and other Romanian cities on Sunday, for the 6th consecutive day, with tens of thousands of Romanians asking for the coalition government made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) to step down. Protesters say they no longer trust the Social Democrat Sorin Grindeanu’s cabinet, sworn in last month. People continued to take to the streets in spite of the fact that the government repealed earlier on Sunday the controversial emergency decree amending the criminal codes, which critics say was meant to clean the record of politicians, local officials and some business people, thus drastically weakening the anti-corruption fight. Before Sunday’s emergency meeting, PM Grindeanu had announced he would initiate consultations with parliamentary parties in order to harmonise the legislation with the Constitutional Court’s rulings. President Klaus Iohannis said that the decision to abrogate the emergency decree is a step towards normality. Also on Sunday, around one thousand people gathered in front of the presidential headquarters to express their support for the government and ask for the president’s resignation.

BUDGET BILL — The 2017 budget bill will be debated at the plenary session of the Romanian parliament on Monday. Finance Minister Viorel Stefan has given assurances, on behalf of the coalition government, that the budget observes the main guidelines, such as cutting the VAT from 20% to 19% or eliminating the income tax for pensions lower or equal to 2,000 lei. This year’s budget is based on a 5.2% economic growth rate and a deficit of maximum 3% and will allow Romania to comply with its commitments to allocate 2% of its GDP to the defence ministry. The government expects an inflation rate under 1.4% and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. On the other hand, the opposition claims the revenue forecast underling the bill is hyped.

MOLDOVA — The Socialist president of the Republic of Moldova, the pro-Russian Igor Dodon, is paying a three-day official visit to Brussels starting on Monday, to meet with European officials. Dodon may also have talks with NATO officials. Elected president in November 2016, Dodon’s first official visit abroad was to Moscow, last month, where he said that the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU, concluded in 2014, could be revised or even cancelled. Dodon also said he would ask for a meeting with the NATO leaders, asking them to recognise Moldova’s neutrality. Pundits in Chisinau have voiced concern that Dodon’s visit to Brussels might render Moldova’s relations with the West even more difficult. On the other hand, the head of the Moldovan Parliament, Adrian Candu, has said that the head of state has limited powers as far as the country’s foreign policy is concerned and that the current parliament majority sees the implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU as top priority.

FOREIGN MINISTRY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend on Monday in Brussels the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the meeting focuses on topics such as Ukraine and ways to consolidate the EU’s relationship with this country, the evolutions in Libya after the community summit in Valletta, the relations between the EU and Egypt and the peace process in the Middle East. On the sidelines of the meeting, Melescanu will have meetings with NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the European Commission’s First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans and with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. Previously, Melescanu said he would present the Brussels officials the latest developments in Romania.

TENNIS — Romania’s Davis Cup team lost to Belarus, 2-3, in the first round of Davis Cups Europe/Africa Zone Group I. On Sunday, Romanian Adrian Ungur was defeated by Egor Gherasimov, 6-7, 4-6, 4-6, while earlier on the day Marius Copil beat Ilya Ivashka, 7-5, 6-4, 6-1. On Saturday, Horia Tecau and Marius Copil were defeated in Minsk by the pair Max Mirnyi – Yaraslav Shyla, in the doubles. On Friday, Romanian Adrian Ungur defeated Ilya Ivashka, while Marius Copil lost to Egor Gherasimov. Belarus will play in the second round of Group I against Austria, whereas Romania will face the team of Israel on September 15-17, 2017 in a decisive match to remain in Group 1.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

5 February 2017
February 4, 2017 UPDATE

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST Protests continued in Bucharest on
Saturday, for the fifth day in a row,
against the decree issued by the Romanian Government to amend the
criminal codes. The night before, hundreds
of thousands of people took to the streets, in Bucharest as well as in
many other towns and cities across the country and abroad, to demonstrate
against the provisions of the emergency ordinance which, they say, helps
high-ranking politicians and local and central government figures to no longer be
held accountable for corruption. The
leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea has spoken about the possibility
of abrogating the controversial decree, as a means to ease the tension in
Romania, also given that supporters of the party have announced their intention
to take to the streets themselves, unhappy with the fact that the Executive is
not allowed to implement its governing program. In turn, the co-president of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu Tariceanu has stated that abrogating
the decree would allow the start of serious talks with large segments of
society. He has proposed to all stakeholders, parties, civil society and the
business environment, to sit at the negotiation table. The Romanian Foreign
Minister Teodor Melescanu has announced he will travel to Brussels early next
week to talk with EC representatives about the situation in Romania. In
Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis has notified the Constitutional Court,
signaling the conflict between the Government on the one hand, and the
Judiciary and Parliament on the other. The Supreme Council of Magistracy, the
Ombudsman and the General Prosecutor are also against the provisions of the
ordinance. The embassies in Romania of the US, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Great Britain and Sweden have voiced their concern over the
situation in Romania. They have warned that Government’s actions might affect
these countries’ partnerships with Romania, which are based on common values,
shared by the EU and NATO. In a statement on Radio Romania, the spokesman for
the US Department of State Mark Toner has said that the US calls on the
Romanian Government to give up the recent measures that undermine the rule of
law.

2017 DRAFT BUDGET The joint budget-finances committees of the
Romanian Parliament are discussing the 2017 draft state budget. A report must
be concluded by Sunday evening, for the document to be debated in plenary
parliament session on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the Government made up of
representatives of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats in Romania, the Finance Minister Viorel Stefan gave assurances that
the draft observes the main directions established under the governing program,
among which slashing the VAT from 20 to 19% and eliminating the income tax on
pensions of up to 2000 lei, the equivalent of some 400 Euros. The budget was
built taking into account a growth rate of 5.2% and a deficit of maximum 3%.
Also, Romania will stay committed to allocating 2% of the GDP to defense. The
right wing opposition, however, believes that the revenues on the basis of
which the budget was built are overestimated.

COMMEMORATION Commemorative events were held on Saturday at the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance in Sighet,
north-western Romania, to mark 64 years since the death of the great politician
Iuliu Maniu. The political personality of the leader of the National Peasant
Party, who was a Prime Minister between the wars and a member of the Romanian Academy,
was evoked through various presentations and speeches. A militant for national
union, a promoter of the democratic values, an opponent of Nazism and
Communism, Maniu was arrested in 1947 by the dummy Government imposed by the
Soviets and died in 1953 at the age of 80 in the Sighet prison, where most of
the former Democratic dignitaries had been imprisoned.

AWARD Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has been
awarded the Saint George Medal at an event organized by the Semper Opera House
in Dresden, eastern Germany, for his political commitment to promoting the
European project and its values. According to a communiqué issued on Saturday
by the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, the president has stated he
received the medal in the name of all Romanian and devoted it to the Romanian -
German friendship. Other personalities who have received the medal are the former
German President Christian Wulff, the former European Commissioner Gunther
Oettinger, the former president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso
and the current European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

TENNIS Romanian tennis players Horia Tecau and
Marius Copil were defeated in Minsk on
Saturday by the pair Max Mirnyi – Yaraslav Shyla of Belarus, in the doubles of the first round of Davis Cup’s
Europe/Africa Zone Group I. Leading the competition is now Belarus 2-1. On
Friday, the Romanian Adrian Ungur defeated Ilya Ivashka, and Marius Copil lost
to Egor Gherasimov. The last two singles are scheduled for Sunday: Marius Copil -
Ilya Ivashka and then Adrian Ungur – Egor
Gherasimov.

4 February 2017
February 4, 2017

ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST Protests continue in Bucharest against the
decree issued by the Romanian Government to amend the criminal codes. Last
night, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets again, in Bucharest
as well as in many other towns and cities across the country and abroad, to
demonstrate against the provisions of the emergency ordinance which, they say,
helps high-ranking politicians and local and central government officials to no
longer be held accountable for corruption. The Social Democratic Party has
announced its intention to hold next week a meeting of support for the
Grindeanu Government. Party speakers say it is not going to be a counter-rally,
but their supporters are entitled to be heard too. The Labour Minister Lia
Olguta Vasilescu has stated that branches of the National Liberal Party and of
the Save Romania Union, in the opposition, intend to bring party members from
all over the country to take part in the anti-government demonstrations. The
former Minister for Business Environment Florin Jianu, who resigned on
Thursday, told the CNN that the bills amending the criminal codes were passed
without informing the cabinet members. Such a decision, made late, on Tuesday
night, was not right, Jianu said. President Klaus Iohannis has notified the
Constitutional Court, signalling the conflict between the Government on the one
hand, and the Judiciary and Parliament on the other. The Supreme Council of
Magistracy, the Ombudsman and the General Prosecutor are too against the
provisions of the ordinance. The embassies in Bucharest of the US, Belgium, Canada, France,
Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Sweden have voiced their concern
over the situation in Romania. They have warned that Government’s actions might
affect these countries’ partnerships with Romania, which are based on common
values, shared by the EU and NATO. In a statement on Radio Romania, the
spokesman for the US Department of State Mark Toner has said that by abrogating
the ordinance, the Executive would uphold the country’s credibility in the eyes
of the international community and its attractiveness to investors.

2017 DRAFT BUDGET The joint budget-finances committees of the
Romanian Parliament are discussing the 2017 draft state budget. A report must
be concluded by Sunday evening, for the document to be debated in plenary
parliament session on Monday. Speaking on behalf of the Government made up of
representatives of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats in Romania, the Finance Minister Viorel Stefan gave assurances that
the draft observes the main directions established under the governing program,
among which slashing the VAT from 20 to 19% and eliminating the income tax on
pensions of up to 2000 lei, which is the equivalent of some 400 Euros. The budget was
built taking into account a growth rate of 5.2% and a deficit of maximum 3%.
Also, Romania will stay committed to allocating 2% of the GDP to defense. The
right wing opposition, however, believes that the revenues on the basis of
which the budget was built are overestimated.

COMMEMORATION Commemorative events were held on Saturday at
the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance in Sighet, north-western
Romania, to mark 64 years since the death of the great politician Iuliu Maniu.
The political personality of the leader of the National Peasant Party, who was
a Prime Minister between the wars and a member of the Romanian Academy, was
evoked through various presentations and speeches. A militant for national
union, a promoter of the democratic values, an opponent of Nazism and
Communism, Maniu was arrested in 1947 by the dummy Government imposed by the
Soviets and died in 1953 at the age of 80 in the Sighet prison, where most of
the former Democratic dignitaries had been imprisoned.

AWARD Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has been
awarded the Saint George Medal at an event organized by the Semper Opera House
in Dresden, eastern Germany, for his political commitment to promoting the
European project and its values. According to a communiqué issued on Saturday
by the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, the president has stated he
received the medal in the name of all Romanians and devoted it to the Romanian -
German friendship. Iohannis, who is a member of the German community in Romania
himself, has also said that Europe must show more determination and more
commitment to settling the issues it faces, to defend the European project and
democracy. Other personalities who have received the medal are the former
German President Christian Wulff, the former European Commissioner Gunther
Oettinger, the former president of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso
and the current European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

TENNIS Romanian
tennis players Horia Tecau and Nicolae Frunza are today playing against the
pair Max Mirnyi – Egor Gherasimov of Belarus, in the doubles of the first round
of Davis Cup’s Europe/Africa Zone Group I. The two teams now stand on equal
positions, after on Friday the Romanian Adrian Ungur defeated Ilya Ivashka, and
Marius Copil lost to Gherasimov. The last two singles are scheduled for Sunday:
Copil – Ivashka and Ungur -Gherasimov.

4 February 2017
February 3, 2017 UPDATE

EMERGENCY ORDINANCE— Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will address Parliament on the 7th of February on the subject of the government’s changes to criminal laws and the events sparked as a result. The president challenged the government’s move at the Constitutional Court invoking a legal conflict of a constitutional nature between the Government, on the one hand, and the judiciary and Parliament, on the other. After the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ombudsman is now also contesting the government ordinance. In turn, Romania’s Prosecutor General will challenge the ordinance in court. On Tuesday night, the government passed a bill on prison pardon and issued an emergency ordinance to amend the criminal codes. Tens of thousands of people again took to the streets on Friday for the fourth day in a row to protest against the government’s decree that would partly decriminalise some forms of corruption. Despite unanimous condemnation by the country’s judicial institutions, the Social Democratic government has decided to go ahead with the changes. The Social Democratic Party on Thursday reaffirmed its support for Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu. The leader of the party Liviu Dragnea says a disinformation campaign is being waged on the subject and believes that any attempt to undermine the activity of the government is in fact an attempt to destabilise the rule of law.

BUDGET — Parliament’s specialist committees on Friday debated the 2017 budget bill, greenlighting most of the budget allocations to state institutions and ministries. Finance Minister Viorel Stefan said the budget observes the main guidelines, such as cutting the VAT from 20% to 19% or eliminating the income tax for pensions lower or equal to 2,000 lei. This year’s budget is based on a 5.2% economic growth rate and a deficit of maximum 3% and will allow Romania to comply with its commitments to allocate 2% of its GDP to the defence ministry. The government expects an inflation rate under 1.4% and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. On the other hand, the opposition claims the revenue forecast underling the bill is hyped.

SUMMIT — Heads of state and Government adopted new measures to stop the flow of migrants into the EU at Friday’s informal meeting of the EU Council where Romania was represented by its president Klaus Iohannis. The 28 EU leaders discussed in particular the migration from Libya and the central Mediterranean routes. Attending the summit, Klaus Iohannis stressed the importance to tackle the root causes of migration and to support the countries receiving the highest number of arrivals. Another topic was EU-US relations. European Council President Donald Tusk said relations remain an absolute priority for the EU, as one of the major pillars of the free world. In turn, Klaus Iohannis said Romania favors a strong EU-US relationship, pointing out that the Strategic Partnership with the US is vital for Romania.

REACTION — The United States has expressed its deep concern with the Romanian Government’s recent measures undermining the rule of law and curbing accountability for financial and corruption offences, Spokesperson of the US State Department Mark Toner told Radio Romania. The US official said that by withdrawing the ordinance, the Government can support Romania’s credibility at international level, keeping it on track towards investment and economic growth. The US official said the United States is committed to supporting Romania in its efforts to consolidate the rule of law and to combat corruption.

ARREST — The Romanian Intelligence Service has confirmed the arrest of a Romanian national in Germany, suspected of planning a terrorist attack in this country. The Romanian Intelligence Service said it contributed important information to the investigation carried out by their German partners, which led to the arrest of the Romanian citizen. According to the Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe, the 21-year-old Romanian was detained on Frankfurt Airport. He is suspected of being tied to an Islamist organization and of having been exchanging online message with various people with a view to staging a terrorist attack in Germany. The man was getting ready to travel to Romania and was arrested on Thursday. The Baden-Wurttemberg Police has searched the man’s home in the Heidelberg region and seized digital data and documents.

TENNIS — Romania and Belarus are tied 1-all after day 1 of the Davis Cup match counting towards Group 1 of the Europe-Africa zone. Adrian Ungur, 313 ATP, defeated Ilya Ivashka, 175 ATP, while Marius Copil, 129 ATP, lost to Egor Gerasimov, 341 ATP. In the doubles, Horia Tecau and Nicolae Frunza on Saturday face Max Mirnyi and Egor Gerasimov. In the final single matches on Sunday, Romania’s Marius Copil faces Ilya Ivashka, while Adrian Ungur plays against Egor Gerasimov. In other news from tennis, Romania’s highest ranked player in the women’s ranking, world no. 4 Simona Halep, who was due to play Russia’s Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the quarterfinals, has withdrawn from the Saint Petersburg tournament worth more than 700,000 dollars in prize money due to a knee injury. (Translated by V. Palcu)

3 February 2017
3 February, 2017

Romania’s president Klaus
Iohannis will address Parliament on the 7th of February on the
subject of the government’s changes to criminal laws and the events sparked as
a result. The president challenged the government’s move to the Constitutional
Court invoking a legal conflict of a constitutional nature between the
government, on the one hand, and the judiciary and Parliament, on the other.
After the Superior Council of Magistracy and the General Prosecutor’s Office,
the Ombudsman is now also contesting the government ordinance. On Tuesday
night, the government passed a bill on prison pardon and issued an emergency
ordinance to amend the criminal codes. Tens of thousands of people again took
to the streets yesterday for the third day in a row to protest against the
government’s decree that would partly decriminalise some forms of corruption.
Despite unanimous condemnation by the country’s judicial institutions, the
Social Democratic government has decided to go ahead with the changes. The
Social Democratic Party yesterday reaffirmed its support for prime minister
Sorin Grindeanu. The leader of the party Liviu Dragnea says a disinformation
campaign is being waged on the subject and believes that any attempt to
undermine the activity of the government is in fact an attempt to destabilise
the rule of law.

Migration and the future of the European Union after
Brexit are analysed today in Malta at an informal meeting of the EU Council
where Romania is represented by its president Klaus Iohannis. The 28 EU leaders
are discussing in particular the migration from Libya and the central
Mediterranean routes. The Council plans to address the migration crisis by
tackling its causes, namely conflicts, political and economic instability,
human rights violations and poverty. The first measure envisaged is putting an
end to illegal migration. European leaders are also discussing ways to
strengthen the Union’s external borders, a subject on which Romania has
repeatedly insisted. The Council will also discuss the future management of borders
through the use of new border control technologies.

Parliament’s specialist committees are today debating the
2017 budget bill, with finance minister Viorel Stefan expected to attend. This
year’s budget is based on a 5.2% economic growth rate and a deficit of maximum
3% and will allow Romania to comply with its commitments to allocate 2% of its
GDP to the defence ministry. The government expects an inflation rate of under
1.4% and an unemployment rate of 4.3%. In the opinion of the finance minister,
the budget bill is based on real economic data, the government programme of the
Social Democratic Party and public policies and national projects. It lays
emphasis on education, healthcare, infrastructure and investment.

A French soldier shot and wounded
a man armed with a knife trying to enter the Louvre museum in central Paris.
The man, who was carrying a rucksack, is said to have approached the soldiers
guarding the museum security and pull out a knife, trying to attack them. The
police say one soldier was wounded, while the assailant is in serious
condition. A police spokesman said the man shouted Allahu
Akbar, while the head of the Paris police says he was probably trying to
commit a terrorist attack.

The Romanian
tennis player Adrian Ungur, no. 313 in the ATP ranking, today faces Ilya Ivashka (175 ATP) in Minsk in the Belarus-Romania
opener as part of the Euro-Africa Davis Cup Group 1. In the second match today,
Marius Copil, no. 129 in the world, plays against Egor Gerasimov (341 ATP). In
the doubles, Horia Tecau and Nicolae Frunza on Saturday face Max Mirnyiand Egor
Gerasimov. In the final single matches on Sunday, Romania’s Marius Copil faces
Ilya Ivashka, while Adrian Ungur plays against Egor Gerasimov. In other news
from tennis, Romania’s highest ranked player in the women’s ranking, world no.
4 Simona Halep, who was due to play Russia’s Natalia Vikhlyantseva in the
quarterfinals, has withdrawn from the Saint Petersburg tournament worth more than 700,000
dollars in prize money because of a knee injury.

3 February 2017
Nachrichten 17.07.2016

Ankara: Die Türkei ist ein strategischer Partner Rumäniens und ein wichtiger Verbündeter im Rahmen der Nato. Die Stabilität des Landes und die Wahrung der Demokratie und ihrer Institutionen sind daher wichtig für die regionale, europäische und internationale Sicherheit. Dies hat der rumänische Staatspräsident Klaus Johannis nach dem gescheiterten Putschversuch in der Türkei erklärt, der mehr als 300 Tote forderte. Laut den rumänischen Behörden befinden sich keine rumänischen Staatsbürger unter den Opfern. Die rumänische Botschaft und die rumänischen Konsulate in der Türkei unterstützen die etwa 10.000 rumänischen Urlauber bei ihrer Rückkehr in die Heimat. Bislang wurden mit Hilfe des Auswärtigen Amtes bereits zwei Sonderflüge für rumänische Staatsbürger auf der Route Istanbul-Bukarest getätigt. Die Situation in der Türkei scheint sich zu normalisieren. Alle Grenzübergänge sind offen und die Reisebeschränkungen sind aufgehoben worden. Die türkische Botschaft in Bukarest lie‎ß verlautbaren, dass sämtliche Institutionen des Staates funkftionsfähig seien. Der türkische Staatschef Recep Erdoğan forderte indessen die USA auf, den Prediger Fetullah Gülen an die Türkei auszuliefern. Erdogan beschuldigt den in den USA lebenden Geistlichen, für den versuchten Militärstreich verantwortlich zu sein. Washington bot seine Kooperation an, verlangte allerdings Beweise für die Beschuldigungen, die Erdoğan gegenüber Gülen erhebt. Etwa 6.000 Personen, darunter viele Generale, Richter und Staatsanwälte, sind in der Türkei wegen mutma‎ßlicher Beteiligung am Putschversuch festgenommen worden. Aus Ankara verlautete es, man ziehe die Wiedereinführung der Todesstrafe in Erwägung, nachdem sie vor 10 Jahren abgeschafft worden war.

Paris: Ein rumänischer Staatsangehöriger wird nach dem Terroranschlag von Donnerstag in Nizza vermisst. Der Mann war zusammen mit Ehefrau und Kind im Urlaub an der Côte d’Azur. Die Frau und das Kind wurden im Attentat verletzt und in Krankenhäusern behandelt. Vom Mann fehlt seitdem jede Spur. Das Auswärtige Amt in Bukarest bemüht sich weiterhin um das Schicksal des Mannes. Premierminister Dacian Cioloş hat mit seinem frazösischen Amtskollegen Manuel Valls telefoniert. Der französische Premier versicherte, dass die französischen Behörden alles in ihrer Macht stehende tun, um den verschollenen Mann zu finden. In Frankreich wird indessen der zweite Nationaltrauertag begangen. Im Attentat am französischen Nationalfeiertag in Nizza wurden 84 Menschen getötet. Die Terrororganisation Islamischer Staat hat sich zum Anschlag bekannt. Sieben Personen aus dem Umkreis des tunesischstämmigen Attentäters sind festgenommen worden. Dem französischen Innenminister Bernard Cazeneuve zufolge handle es sich bei dem Attentäter um einen äu‎ßerst schnell radikalisierten Islamisten. Der Anschlag zeige eine neue Intensität des Terrors, was die Bekämpfung des Terrorismus noch komplexer mache, so Cazeneuve.

Sport: Simona Halep (Nummer 5 auf der Weltrangliste) hat am Sonntag das Finale des Tennisturniers BRD Bucharest Open gewonnen. In einem Spiel, das nur 47 Minuten dauerte, besiegte sie in zwei Sätzen mit zweimal 6-0 die Lettin Anastasija Sevastova (Nummer 66 auf der Liste der WTA). Somit gewinnt Halep nach 2014 zum zweiten Mal in ihrer Karriere die Bukarester Trophäe. Die 24-jährige Halep heimst dadurch auch ihren 13. Titel ein. Im Herrentennis im Davis Cup gibt es hingegen keine guten Nachrichten für Rumänien. Spanien gewann im nordwestrumänischen Klausenburg auch die zweite Runde der 1. Gruppe und der Endpunktestand war Spanien gegen Rumänien 4-1. Die beiden letzten Spiele verloren die rumänischen Tennisspieler. Florin Mergea unterlag Roberto Bautista mit 4-6, 3-6, 2-6 und Adrian Ungur wurde von Pablo Carreno Busta mit 6-3, 7-6 besiegt.

Wetter: In den kommenden 24 Stunden bleibt es im Norden, Nordosten sowie in der Landesmitte und im Hochland unbeständig mit bewölktem Himmel, Regenschauern und Gewittern. Im Gebirge kommt es zu massiven Regenfällen mit bis zu 25 l/qm und vereinzelt auch Hagel. Im restlichen Land nur vorübergehend bewölkt und schwacher Regen. In der Nacht auf Montag fallen die Temperaturen auf 12 bis 19 Grad, Tageshöchstwerte am morgigen Montag 19 bis 30 Grad Celsius.

17 July 2016
July 16, 2016

According to the latest toll, at least 265 people were killed and over 1,1440 wounded in the attempted military coup on Friday to Saturday night in Turkey. Fire exchanges and explosions were reported both in the capital Ankara and in Istanbul. The headquarters of the Turkish secret services seem to have been one of the attackers targets. Also, the Army Chief of Staff was taken hostage, but then released. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that the government is controlling the country. More than 2,800 army staff have been arrested for involvement in the attempted coup. The US and the EU have voiced their support for the Turkish government. An emergency parliament meeting is held today.

Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is in permanent contact with the competent Romanian authorities with regard to the situation in Turkey, a strategic partner to Romania and a NATO ally, the presidential administration has announced. According to the presidential release, Turkeys stability, on the basis of a full respect for democracy and the democratically elected authorities is important to regional, European and international security. In another move, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that a crisis cell has been activated to analyse the most effective ways to provide consular assistance to the Romanian citizens currently on Turkish soil and also the political implications of the recent events. The Foreign Ministry recommends Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to and around Turkey. No Romanian victims have been reported so far. A team of the Romanian Consulate in Istanbul is at the Ataturk International Airport to help the Romanians there. The ground border between Turkey and Bulgaria has been closed at the exit to Turkey.

Four men close to the Tunisian who committed the attack in Nice have been arrested, according to a French judicial source. Out of the four, whose identities have not been disclosed, one was arrested on Friday and the other three on Saturday. The former wife of the attacker has also been arrested. The French President Francois Holland has decreed three days of national mourning, in memory of the 84 people who were killed in Nice, in the attack claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organisation. A Franco-Tunisian man driving a 25-tonne lorry ram through the crowds who had gathered on the citys waterfront for a firework display to celebrate Frances National Day. Around 100 people sustained injuries, including two Romanian nationals. The UN Security Council has described the attack as “barbaric”, while US president Barack Obama has said his country stands in solidarity with France, its oldest ally. In Bucharest, president Klaus Iohannis has sent a message of condolence to the grieving families and has said that the scourge of terrorism, which seeks to plant fear and despair, will not succeed in dividing Europe in its fight for and belief in freedom and democracy.

Alongside Spain, Romania has proposed the setting up of an international court against terrorism. The initiative was set forth at the Asia-Europe summit in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator and was supported by several countries, said the Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos. He has also stated that this is aimed at strengthening the international communitys capacity to react in such situations. 50 heads of state and government from European and Asian countries attending the Asia-Europe Summit discussed the current economic situation, climate change, the fight against terror and migration. On the sidelines of the summit, the Romanian Prime Minister had several meetings with counterparts from the participating countries. Previously, Ciolos went to Vietnam, in a bid to relaunch bilateral economic and cultural relations.

The Davis Cup second-round match between Romania and Spain continues today in Cluj, north-western Romania, with the double between Horia Tecau/Florin Mergea and Marc Lopez/Pablo Carreno. After the first day of the meting, Spain is two wins ahead Romania. On Friday, Marius Copil was defeated by Feliciano Lopes 2-3, and Adrian Ungur lost to Roberto Bautista, 0-3. Sunday will see the last games between Copil – Bautista and Ungur – Lopez respectively. The winning team will get to the World Group play-offs in autumn, and the runner-up will remain in Group I. In another development, the best Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 5 in the WTA rankings, defeated Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in the quarter finals of the BRD Bucharest Open and qualified for the semi-finals. Halep is the only Romanian still in the competition, a tournament with 250,000 dollars in prize money.

The Romanian national womens handball team won the bronze medal a the Under-20 World Championship in Moscow, after defeating Germany on Friday, 26-25. In the semi-finals the Romanian players lost 25-28 to Denmark. Early this month, the Romanian mens team won the World University Handball Championship in Malaga, Spain, and the womens team got silver at the same competition.

16 July 2016
15 July, 2016

President Francois Hollande has declared three days of
national mourning in memory of the 84 people killed in Nice last night. A Franco-Tunisian
man driving a 25-tonne lorry ram through the crowds who had gathered on the
city’s waterfront for a firework display to celebrate France’s National Day.
Around 100 people sustained injuries, including two Romanian nationals. People
from the European Union and Russia are reported to be among the victims. The UN
Security Council has described the attack as barbaric, while US president
Barack Obama said his country stands in solidarity with France, its oldest
ally. In Bucharest, president Klaus Iohannis sent a message of condolence to
the grieving families and said the scourge of terrorism, which seeks to plant
fear and despair, will not succeed in dividing Europe in its fight for and
belief in freedom and democracy. In a Facebook message, prime minister Dacian
Ciolos said that what was to be a day of national celebration became a day of
tragedy and that the French people were again put to the test by an attack of
extreme violence and barbarity. Romania’s foreign minister Lazar Comanescu also
condemned this new horrific barbaric terrorist act which confirms, once
again, the need for the international community to boost considerably its
efforts to fight terrorism.

Romania’s prime minister Dacian Ciolos attends the
Asia-Europe Summit in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. 50 heads of state and
government from Europe and Asia are at the summit to discuss the current state
of world economy, climate change, the fight against terrorism and migration.
Ciolos will state the case for Romania’s becoming a nodal point for the
Europe-Asia interconnection projects, including freight transport
infrastructure, energy and communications. On the sidelines of the summit, the
Romanian prime minister has met some of his counterparts attending the meeting.
Earlier, he travelled to Vietnam, where he called for the relaunch of bilateral
economic and cultural ties.

The European
Investment Bank today signed three contracts with the finance ministry, the
ministry for European funds and the National Public Procurement Agency in
Bucharest, under which Romania is to receive funding worth 360 million euros
for priority projects as part of the European Union’s Operational Programmes in
the 2014-2020 period. The money will be used to partly cover investments to
boost growth. Since it has started to operate in Romania, the European
Investment Bank has granted around 11.4 billion euros in funding, including the
loan signed today. The pilot projects funded by the bank in Romania include the
Pirelli tyre factory in Slatina, the Bucharest underground, Enel’s green energy
project and energy efficiency programmes for apartment buildings in Bucharest.

CSM Iasi drew 2-all on Thursday against
the Croatian side Hajduk Split in the
first leg of the Europa League second preliminary round. CSM were leading 2-nil
at half time, but the equaliser came on the last minute. This is the first time
the Iasi team play in an international competition. The return match will be
held in Croatia on the 21st of July. In another development, the Swiss city of
Nyon today hosts the draws for the Champions League third qualifying round, where Romania is represented by
champions Astra Giurgiu and runners-up Steaua Bucharest. The draws for the
Europa League third preliminary round will also take place in Nyon. The
Romanian teams playing in the Europa League are, besides CSM Iasi, Viitorul
Constanta and Pandurii Targu Jiu.

The Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, no.
163 in the world, today faces the Spanish player Feliciano Lopez, no. 20 in the
world, in the first Davis Cup match between Romania and Spain as part of the
second round of the Europe/Africa Group I. Also today, Adrian Ungur, world no.
185, faces world no. 15 Roberto Bautista. On Saturday, the pair Horia Tecau and
Florin Mergea face the pair Marc Lopez and Pablo Carreno, while on Sunday,
Marius Copil plays Roberto Bautista and Adrian Ungur plays Feliciano Lopez. The
winner advances to the World Group play-offs, while the runner-up continues in
Group I. In the BRD Bucharest Open, world no. 5 Simona Halep of Romania tonight faces Danka Konici of Montenegro. Halep
is the only Romanian player still in this competition, which is 250,000 euros
in prize money.

The Romanian
women’s handball team today face Germany for the bronze medal at the World
Junior Championships in Moscow. The two sides have already met in the group
matches, when they drew 29-all, despite Romania leading at some point by as
much as 6 goals. On Thursday in the semifinals, Romania lost to Denmark 25-28,
while Germany were defeated by Russia 25-32. Earlier this month, the Romanian
men’s team won the World University Championship held in the Spanish town of
Malaga, while the women’s side won the silver.

15 July 2016
14 July, 2016 UPDATE

Romanian prime
minister Dacian Ciolos met the members of the Vietnam-Romania Friendship
Association in Hanoi, calling on them to support efforts by the authorities in
Bucharest to boost economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
He said the two countries meet the conditions for enhanced cooperation,
recalling that thousands of Vietnamese nationals have studied in Romania and
have formed a connection with this country. Earlier, the prime minister met
Vietnam’s president Tran Dai Quang and prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to
discuss cooperation in areas such as energy, industry, agriculture, banking,
infrastructure, IT, science and technology, sustainable development and
tourism. From Hanoi, Dacian Ciolos has left for the Mongolian capital Ulan
Bator to attend the Europe-Asia summit.

Romania stands by France in its efforts to manage complex
challenges such as terrorism and climate change, given that Paris is an essential
ally of Bucharest in the European Union and NATO, Romania’s president Klaus
Iohannis said on Thursday at the reception given by the French embassy to
celebrate the French National Day. Iohannis also said that the two countries
wish to overcome together the current challenges and rebuild a European project
for the future. The French ambassador in Bucharest Francois Saint Paul said
Romania would continue to enjoy France’s support and expressed his attachment
for Romania. He spoke about solidarity within the European Union and the good
relationship between Paris and Bucharest, which will be reconfirmed in
September, when president Francois Hollande travels for the first time to
Romania.

Romania’s newly appointed minister in charge of relations with the
Romanians abroad, Maria Ligor, on Thursday started a two-day visit to the UK
for talks with British officials and members of the Romanian community. Ligor,
who took office last week, will discuss the impact of Britain’s leaving the
European Union on Romanians working in the UK and the involvement of the
Romanian authorities to protect their interests. On Wednesday, before
officially tendering his resignation to Queen Elisabeth II, David Cameron said
Britain would continue to observe the rights of EU citizens living in Britain.
He is replaced by his Conservative party colleague Theresa May, who has
appointed former London mayor Boris Johnson, a staunch pro-Brexit advocate, to
head the Foreign Office.

Protests continue in 12 of Romania’s 45
prisons. Inmates are angry at overcrowding and poor healthcare services. They
also want the opportunity for vocational training, shorter jail terms and the
possibility of parole. Justice minister Raluca Pruna said the escalation of
conflict in state prisons was of use to no one and promised the government
would look into the prisoners’ demands. Deputy prime minister Vasile Dancu said
the tense situation in Romanian prisons can be solved through dialogue and
negotiation, but that a public debate should be held to convince society of the
need for more investment in the system.

The Romanian tennis player Marius Copil, no.
163 in the world, on Friday plays the Spanish player Feliciano Lopez, no. 20 in
the world, in the first Davis Cup match between Romania and Spain as part of
the Europe/Africa Group I, held between the 15th and the 17th
of July in Cluj Napoca. Also on Friday, Adrian Ungur, world no. 185, faces
world no. 15 Roberto Bautista. On Saturday, the pair Horia Tecau and Florin
Mergea face the pair Marc Lopez and Pablo Carreno, while on Sunday, Marius
Copil plays Roberto Bautista and Adrian Ungur plays Feliciano Lopez. The winner
advances to the World Group play-offs, while the runner-up continues in Group
I. In the BRD Bucharest Open, Romania’s Patricia Tig lost on Thursday to
Latvia’s Anastasia Sevastova in two
sets. The only Romanian player still in competition is first seed Simona Halep
who plays Bulgarian player Isabella Shinikova for a place in the quarterfinals.
The BRD Bucharest Open is worth 250,000 euros in prize money.

A heatwave will envelop the south and south-east of
Romania in the next 24 hours, with the temperature and humidity index poised to
exceed 80. A new yellow code alert for heat is in place for Friday and Saturday
in 13 counties in south-eastern Romania, including the capital Bucharest. In
the rest of the country, the weather will be unstable, with torrential rain,
hail storms and strong winds being expected. The highs will reach 37 degrees
Celsius. (Translated by: C. Cotoiu and C. Mateescu)

14 July 2016