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Romania’s Constitutional Court Rejects Increases in Fines

One of the measures imposed during the state of emergency in Romania was a significant increase in the value of the fines meant to discourage those who would hamper authorities efforts to eradicate the new coronavirus. Under an emergency government decree, Romanians caught red-handed were forced to pay huge amounts, as to their purchasing power. Against a medium salary of approx. 700 Euro, the minimum fine was increased to 400 Euro, and the maximum one to over 4000 Euro.

Also, against the background of some rather vague provisions included in the military decrees issued during the state of emergency, whose interpretation was left to the discretion of the police, some people were caught offside and fined abusively; for example, elderly people without any kind of support or less informed or educated people from the rural areas.

In this context, on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court of Romania admitted the claim filed by the Ombudsman against the emergency government decree that established those huge sanctions for non-compliance with the rules of quarantine and isolation. In other words, the very large fines were declared unconstitutional.

The CCR judges argue that the provisions of the decree are lacking in clarity, precision and predictability, and the establishment of the facts constituting a contravention is left, arbitrarily, to the discretion of police officers.

The Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has reacted, saying the ruling of the Constitutional Court is a political one:

“We could say that this ruling actually prevents the Government, the authorities, from protecting the health and lives of the Romanians. This decision can lead to a situation in which authorities can no longer impose any fines for violating the rules that are established during the state of emergency.”

In turn, the Finance Minister Florin Citu has defended himself, stating that the role of the large fines was not to bring money to the budget, but to reduce the risk of further spread.

On the other side of the political barricade, the opposition represented by the Social Democratic Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania, have drafted a bill to automatically cancel most of the fines given during the state of emergency, so the activity of the courts is not blocked with hundreds of thousands of lawsuits.

The Foundation for the Protection of Citizens against State Abuse has informed all Romanians who consider that they have been abusively fined that, at least for now, they can challenge the fines in court until May 30th. More than 300 thousand fines have been given over this period of time. (M.Ignatescu)

7 May 2020
10 April, 2020

Romania coronavirus. 265 new coronavirus cases were reported in Romania
today, with the total number nearing 5,500. 257 people have died and 729 have
recovered. Health minister Nelu Tataru earlier told a TV station that the
authorities are expecting a peak of between 10,000 and 12,000 coronavirus cases
in Romania, but that the figure may change depending on developments in the
next two weeks, which he says are going to be difficult. Among the Romanians
living abroad, 651 infection cases have been reported, of which 400 in Italy
alone, and 37 deaths.

World. Global coronavirus cases pass
1.6 million, while fatalities go up to around 96,000. In the US, where the
outbreak is spreading at the fastest pace, 19 drugs and treatments for Covid-19
are currently under trial, while 26 others are about to go on trial, president
Donald Trump told a press conference. More than 1,700 fatalities were reported
in the US in the last 24 hours, with the total death toll passing 16,000, the
second largest in the world after Italy. Europe is the worst hit continent so
far, particularly Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK. The Spanish
Parliament on Thursday night approved the extension of the state of emergency
until 26th April. In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson has left
the intensive care unit.

Decree. A new military decree has been issued in Romania, where a state
of emergency is in place, banning the export of a number of products such as
wheat, barley, oats, corn, wheat flour, sunflower oil, sugar and bakery
products. The decree also allows produce markets to stay open for the duration
of the state of emergency, given the upcoming Catholic Easter this weekend and the
Orthodox Easter next weekend. In the run-up to the Easter holidays, shops are
also allowed to extend their opening hours. Interior minister Marcel Vela, who
presented the new decree, used the opportunity to again call on the population
to respect social distancing guidelines and on the Romanians living abroad not
to travel to Romania for the Easter holidays.

Rescue package. EU finance ministers have agreed on an emergency rescue
package for the member states worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Over 500
billion euros are made available to help workers, businesses and governments.
The agreement was reached after talks in Brussels, which press agencies say were
made difficult by the divisions between the northern nations, especially the
Dutch, and the countries in the south of Europe, which were worst hit by the
outbreak and whose economies are more fragile. Italy and Spain have called for
access to funds that they can spend as they see fit, while the Dutch insisted
on strict conditions. A compromise was reached in the end, with the emergency
package also making available a consolidated credit line of 240 billion euros,
with countries being able to borrow up to 2% of their GDPs.

Workers. Romanian prime minister Ludovic Orban told the public TV
station that between 80,000 and 90,000 Romanian nationals may travel abroad for
work in the coming period. He explained these are employment contracts agreed
between Romanian citizens and foreign companies, such as from Germany, Italy,
Spain, Austria and the Netherlands, especially in the farming sector. Orban
criticised, however, the manager of the Cluj Napoca airport, in the north-west
of the country, who did not inform the authorities about the departure of 2,000
seasonal workers to Germany on Thursday, which led to chaos on the airport and
infringement of coronavirus restrictions. Flights due to leave today from Iasi,
in the east of the country, and supposed to take 400 Romanian workers to
Germany, have been cancelled. The measure was taken in keeping with a military
decree banning assemblies in public spaces. The airport management had
previously asked the security forces to help enforce social distancing rules to
prevent a situation like that in Cluj.

Inflation. The annual inflation rate in Romania stayed at 3% in March,
while the prices of food products grew by 5.11%, that of services by 3.8% and
that of non-food products by 1.39%, according to a report by the National
Institute for Statistics. The National Bank forecasts an inflation rate of 3%
for the whole year. (Tr.: CM)

10 April 2020
New measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Romania

The Romanian
government passes new military decree further regulating movement,
cross-border travel, commercial and economic activity, food security and social
services as part of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

In a televised press
conference, interior minister Marcel Vela made an appeal to all Romanians
to stay indoors and keep social distance particularly in the period coming up to and during the Orthodox Easter holidays, when people traditionally attend
masses at churches across the country in large numbers and get together with
families and friends. I am aware I’m addressing a Christian and moral
people, but by staying indoors and observing all restrictions we will go back
to normalcy sooner, said minister Vela, adding: I know you want to go to
church to attend the Resurrection mass, but it’s better to stay at home to
avoid a skyrocketing number of new cases.

The authorities are also expecting many
Romanians working abroad, in western Europe, in particular, to return to their
home country for Easter to visit their families and are trying to discourage them
to travel in large numbers. An
existing ban on passenger flights to and from Spain has been extended for another
two weeks, and all Romanian citizens entering the country will be ordered to
quarantine, with the exception of cross-border workers and other categories of technical
staff.

The
new government order also places a ban on the export of certain grains, cereals
and cereal products, such as wheat and wheat flour, barley, oats, maize, rice, as
well as oil and sugar. The
emergency order allows produce markets to stay open for the duration of the
state of emergency, provided they comply with the hygiene requirements in
place. Also, in the runup to the Easter holidays, shops can extend their opening
hours. The decree eases travel and movements restrictions for
commercial fishermen, bee keepers and farm producers, as well as for car service
providers, provided they produce a number of required documents.

The Military Decree no.8, which is soon to be published in the Official
Gazette, complements the other 7 decrees issued so far.

9 April 2020
The Week in Review 30-03-05.04.2020

Romania affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

As of Monday, when the threshold of 2,000 cases of contamination was exceeded, Romania has entered stage 4 of the strategy meant to fight the coronavirus crisis. The number of contaminations and deaths continues to grow and the authorities believe that the pandemic in Romania will peak somewhere at the end of April. Many deplore the fact that there are not sufficient tests for the population.

According to the Strategic Communication Group in Bucharest, almost 28,500 tests had been processed countrywide by April 2. Also, the Romanian hospitals don’t seem to be properly equipped to be able to face a surge in the number of patients. And the situation in Suceava (northeast) is proof thereof! On Monday evening it was announced that about one third of the total number of contaminations and deaths reported across Romania was registered in Suceava alone. Moreover, of all the medical staff infected across Romania, almost two thirds, that is around 200, are from the Suceava county hospital.

Consequently, the central authorities decided early this week to quarantine the entire city alongside 8 surrounding communes. Subsequently, a military doctor was placed at the helm of the Suceava hospital given that the former interim manager resigned due to stress, the lack of personnel, medical equipment and products.

The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called on the medical staff to return to work: “The medical staff needs to be urgently tested so that they can return to work as soon as they have recovered. They need one more testing device that will be made available to them as soon as possible. They now have medicines, protection equipment, and procedures are also in place. I am addressing especially the physicians and medical staff from the Suceava hospital: please, go back to work, take care of the sick, and observe the procedures! We are counting on you!”

He also called on the government to identify funds to be channeled as bonuses to the salary of the medical staff that will work with patients infected with COVID-19. In Romania, the coronavirus pandemic has made several doctors and nurses to resign for fear they might get infected. Also some of the medical staff resigned to protest against the lack of protection equipment.

Operation ‘Equipping hospitals’ in full swing

The Romanian authorities have taken new measures to help those who are on the front line of the fight against the new coronavirus. According to the head of the Department for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat, the specialized medical staff, the auxiliary sanitary staff and other categories of sanitary staff are not allowed to refuse temporary assignment to a certain medical unit during the state of emergency, they are obliged to go wherever they are asked to, even in public hospitals with staff shortage from other counties of Romania. Raed Arafat also announced that hospitals are not allowed to refuse hospitalization of patients on the grounds that they are or are not confirmed with coronavirus infection. Consequently, the medical staff is obliged to wear protection equipment at all times.

In another development, a C-17 Globemaster III NATO aircraft has brought to Bucharest from South Korea a second tranche of 100 thousand hazmat suits. A C-27J Spartan aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces has brought from Turkey 100 thousand face masks of the FFP2 and FFP3 types. Also the Romanian Army has set up near Bucharest a ROL 2-type field hospital which is now operational. In the city port of Constanta (southeast) works are under way to build a modular isolation and treatment hospital, which will operate as an extension of the Infectious Diseases Section of the Military Hospital from Constanta. Also, Romania saw the start of the production of face masks, with some 15 million masks expected to be produced monthly.

New decisions on entering Romania

Based on military decree no. 5, Romania has extended the suspension of flights to and from Spain and Italy, the European countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the list of ‘red zones’ for which quarantine is required was updated on Thursday, to include 12 countries: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Iran, Great Britain, the Netherlands, the US and Turkey. Thus the Romanian citizens coming from these countries will be quarantined in specialized institutions for 14 days. The people coming from abroad will also have to self isolate for 14 days. The decision took effect on April 3, at midnight, Romania’s time. At the same time, 20 times higher fines were enforced for those people who violate the state of emergency. Fines for individuals reach up to 4 thousand Euros while for companies up to almost 15 thousand Euros.

Alarming figures from the Labor Ministry

Data provided by the Labor Ministry on April 2 shows that the number of Romanians left without a job stands at almost 174 thousand as their contracts were terminated. More than 860 thousand people are in technical unemployment. And the figures are alarmingly growing. Most of the people who lost their jobs were working in such fields as retail and wholesale trade, car and motorcycle repair, hotels, restaurants and constructions. Consequently the Romanian Government and Parliament are trying to work out solutions to support the population as well as the economic sectors affected by the crisis. (translation by L. Simion)

4 April 2020
Increased fines for breach of restrictions

The Romanian citizens who do not observe the restrictions imposed through military decrees, in the context of the state of emergency required by the new coronavirus outbreak, will pay higher fines starting on Thursday. Individuals will pay fines ranging from around 410 Euros to around 4,100 Euros, while for legal entities, the fines start at almost 2,000 Euros up to some 14,500 Euros.

According to the Strategic Communication Group, the people who commute can continue to go to work on condition that they have all the documents required by law on them: a staff ID card, a certificate issued by the employer or a self declaration, which clearly mentions the persons domicile address and the address of the work place. Shopping is recommended at the shops and supermarkets near ones home and people must carry with them their ID and a self declaration. The military decree does not provide for a distance limit in relation to travelling with the purpose of taking care of ones parents, which means that people can travel to provide their older relatives from other parts of the country with food and medicines.

The decree also allows people to walk their dogs daily, while for daily physical activity or various sports, the authorities recommend the areas around ones house and not the parks, playgrounds or sports grounds. At the same time, the authorities recommend people to pay their utility bills and monthly loan installments online.

In the last 24 hours, the police have identified thousands of Romanians who have not observed the traffic restrictions imposed under the military decrees and have given fines that exceed 2 million Euros. Among the people in breach of the restrictions there are individuals who did not observe the self-isolation period or who have left the quarantine place. So far, the police have started criminal proceedings in hundreds of cases, for people thwarting the authorities effort to combat diseases. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday that everybody should respect the legislation on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

Klaus Iohannis: “Since the start of the pandemic, the police have given more than 78 thousand fines, and Im telling you, the law is very clear in this regard: the law is meant to protect people and medical staff. Those who do not observe the law will pay fines. Dear Romanians, I repeat what I have always told you: observe the norms of behavior, keep the social distance, dont shake hands, dont hug other people, observe the norms imposed by the authorities.

In Romania, a state of emergency caused by the new coronavirus was declared on March 16, and, ever since, the authorities have issued 6 military decrees which impose traffic restrictions for the population. The latest decree, issued on Monday evening, quarantines the city of Suceava (in the northeast) and 8 surrounding communes, given that a quarter of the cases of COVID-19 infection in Romania are from that area. (translation by L. Simion)

2 April 2020
February 28, 2019 UPDATE

Summit – The presidents of Romania,
Bulgaria, the Check Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia adopted on Thursday in Kosice,
Slovakia, at the end of the summit of the Bucharest 9 Format, a declaration that stresses the
importance of an advanced NATO presence from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In
the declaration, the nine European leaders highlight the concern for the
conflict in Eastern Ukraine and the recent tension in the Sea of Azov and the
Black Sea. At the meeting, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis voiced worries
about the latest developments in the Black Sea area, saying that the military
actions reported lately show that Russia continues to be a threat to stability
in the region. According to Klaus Iohannis, the allied states should do more, and
there is need for a robust ground, air and sea presence. Also, the eastern
partners should be supported more in order to enhance their defense capability
in the face of any kind of threat, be it military, cybernetic or mere
propaganda. The Romanian president also said that the relationship between the
EU and NATO must be based on a close cooperation. The B9 format was launched at
the initiative of the Romanian and Polish presidents. The first summit was held
in November 2015 in Bucharest, and the second in Warsaw in June 2018.

NATO – The legislative process by which Romania is to ratify the
protocol on the accession of North Macedonia to NATO will be finalized soon,
said Romanian prime minister Viorica Dancila after talks with her counterpart
in Skopje, Zoran Zaev. Dancila gave assurances that Romania fully supports
North Macedonia in becoming NATO’s 30th allied state as soon as possible, as
well as its European path. Talks also looked at bilateral cooperation. The
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday passed unanimously a bill to
ratify the protocol on the accession of North Macedonia to the North Atlantic
Treaty.

Military – Some 500 military from the US land forces deployed to
Europe are arriving, together with their equipment, at the Mihail Kogalniceanu
air base in south-eastern Romania. According to a press release from the
Romanian defense ministry, the US military will be stationed in Romania for
nine months, before being replaced by other combat units, thus ensuring a
consistent presence in Europe, based on continuous rotation, as part of the
United States’ commitment to ensure the security of NATO’s eastern flank. The
US troops will take part in multinational exercises alongside military of the
Romanian Land Forces. In another development, more than 1,000 military will be
taking part in the first multinational exercise organized by the Romanian Navy
in 2019 and entitled Poseidon 19, to be carried out between the 1st and the 8th
of March in the Romanian territorial waters and the international waters in the
western part of the Black Sea. Participating are 10 Romanian vessels, four
military ships from Bulgaria, Germany, Spain and Turkey and two speed boats for
divers. The air exercises will be carried out by a Puma Naval helicopter, two
MiG 21 Lancer planes and two F-16 planes of the Romanian Air Force.

EU – Between 28th
of February and 1st of March, the Romanian communications minister Alexandru
Petrescu is chairing the informal meeting of telecommunications ministers and
the Third Eastern Partnership Ministerial Meeting hosted byBucharest.
On this occasion, the EU ministers for digital economy and their
representatives are having talks with their counterparts from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine about
expanding the benefits of the digital single market to include the
east-European partners. The informal meeting is attended by the EU telecommunications
ministers and the European Commissioner for Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip.
Talks focus on artificial intelligence and the Digital Single Market Strategy
post- 2020.

Protest – The judges of the Bucharest Tribunal have suspended their
activity from Thursday until the 7th of March to protest against an emergency decree
that has brought new changes to the Romanian justice legislation. All ongoing
cases will be postponed for seven days, with the exception of urgent cases.
Magistrates demand the repeal of the decree in question and call for measures
to suspend the activity of the special department for the investigation of
crimes in the judiciary until the Court of Justice of the European Union rules
on the challenge concerning this department. The judges of the Bucharest
Tribunal are thus joining the protests staged in recent days by prosecutor’s
offices, courts and magistrates’ associations from across Romania.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu (31 WTA)
lost on Wednesday to the Canadian player of Romanian origin Bianca Andreescu (71
WTA) in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Acapulco, Mexico. The
competition is worth a total of 250,000 dollars in prize money. Andreescu will
next play China’s Saisai Zheng (40 WTA). Buzarnescu also lost in the doubles’
competition, alongside Irina Bara, the top seeds being defeated by the
German-US pair Tatjana Maria and Christina McHale.

28 February 2019
New emergency decrees on the judiciary

Since the latest parliamentary elections in 2016, the justice field has been a battlefield for political disputes between Power and Opposition. On the one hand, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats says it is trying to address legislative errors in the field and thus to modernise the legislation on which the judicial system is based, in full compliance with human rights. On the contrary, the right-wing Opposition, consisting primarily of the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, argue that all the measures taken in this respect are designed to undermine the work of magistrates, benefiting the Governments cronies.

This Tuesday, the Cabinet passed an emergency decree stipulating, among other things, that senior positions in prosecutors offices can no longer be assigned by delegation. According to the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, these positions include the prosecutor general, the deputy prosecutor general, the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the chief prosecutor of the Directorate Combatting Organised Crime and Terrorism, and heads of prosecutors offices. These are fixed 3-year terms in office, and a new term will require a new appointment procedure, comprising an interview, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the appointment decree signed by the president of the country.

Also, considering that under the new emergency decree former judges may also run for a senior prosecutor position, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy will be required both from the institutions division for prosecutors, and from the division for judges. Given that many of the posts in question are currently held by delegation, the office holders only have 45 days until new appointment procedures must be completed.

Also on Tuesday, after receiving the positive advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Government passed an emergency decree concerning the selection of Romanias candidate for European prosecutor within the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO). This does not concern the European Chief Prosecutor position, for which the procedure is different and has already been initiated. Minister Toader explained that there will be a second category of prosecutors to be selected through a subsequent procedure, namely the delegated prosecutors. Whereas the European prosecutor will work in Luxembourg, the delegated prosecutor will work in Romania on behalf of the EPPO.

The National Liberal Party responded quickly after the 2 decrees were passed. They announced they would table a simple motion against Minister Toader in the Chamber of Deputies. Save Romania Union also spoke about a black day for the Romanian judiciary, and called on international institutions to step in and on Romanian citizens not to stay indifferent.

So protesters were also a part of the picture: people gathered on Tuesday night in front of the Justice Ministry, throwing rocks and paint. As for President Klaus Iohannis, he wrote on Facebook that, by means of such emergency decrees, the Social Democratic Party once again works against justice and the rule of law, and seeks to give special status to individuals who are on bad terms with the law.

In response, the left-wing Prime Minister Viorica Dancila reiterated that laws are not created just for an individual, that politicians must not interfere with the justice system and that citizens rights must be complied with, while the fight against corruption must continue.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 February 2019
January 2, 2019 UPDATE

EU The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Romania on taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, for the first time since its accession, and wished it good luck. I am confident that you will deliver and I am looking forward to working with you, Donald Tusk posted on his official Twitter account. Between January 1 and June 30, Romania will have to handle an EU agenda filled with political developments and dossiers with a decisive impact on the future of the bloc, including Brexit, the negotiation of the forthcoming EU budget, the European Parliament elections due in May. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu says Romania should use all the opportunities entailed by the EU Council presidency, including in terms of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. In a Facebook post, Creţu adds that both herself and the European Commission as a whole are ready to support the Romanian authorities for a successful presidency.

EURO Twenty years since the introduction of the single currency, high-ranking EU officials, including the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, emphasised the importance of the European currency. The Euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability, said the European Commission chief, who is one of the signatories of the treaty that created the single currency. I know that was the most important signature I ever made, Juncker added in a news release. 20 years on, we have a generation that only knows the Euro as a national currency, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in his turn. The Euro became the official currency of 11 EU member states on January 1, 1999, with notes and coins going into circulation in 2002. At present the Euro is used by some 340 million people in 19 of the 28 member countries, and is the second most important currency in the world after the US dollar.

JAPAN Emperor Akihito, who is to step down in April, sent his hopes for peace for his nation and the entire world, in his last New Years address, delivered before a record number of people who came to see the event, according to Kyodo and dpa. On April 30, at the age of 85, Akihito will be the first Japanese sovereign to relinquish power in the last 200 years. In 2016 he announced his intention to withdraw from power, putting forth concerns that his old age would prevent him from accomplishing his duties. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan on January 7, 1989, at 55 years of age, after the death of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought in World War 2. Akihitos oldest son, Prince Naruhito, will be crowned on May 1.

JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by a private television channel on Tuesday that he would like to close the subject of a government decree regarding amnesty and pardons. He emphasised that the most his ministry can do is to approve a bill initiated in Parliament on this topic. Toader also said that he has never done and will never do something likely to create a situation similar to the one triggered by the 2017 government decree no. 13, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted criticism from the EU and the USA.

ELECTIONS The elections for the European Parliament will be held between May 23rd and 26th this year. MEPs are elected every 5 years, and as of this year the Parliament will have 705 members, as compared to 751 at present. This is because of Britains withdrawal from the EU. Of the 73 seats currently held by UK, 46 will be eliminated and the other 27 will be distributed to EU member states that are under-represented in the Unions legislative body. Romania gets 33 seats, 1 more than at present.

TENNIS The Romanian player Monica Niculescu (99 WTA), Wednesday qualified into the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen (China), after defeating the Czech Kristyna Pliskova 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4. In the quarter-finals Niculescu will play against the Chinese Yafan Wang (70 WTA). Tomorrow in the same tournament another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) takes on the American Alison Riske (62 WTA).

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 January 2019
January 2, 2019

EU The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Romania on taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, for the first time its accession, and wished it good luck. I am confident that you will deliver and I am looking forward to working with you, Donald Tusk posted on his official Twitter account. Between January 1 and June 30, Romania will have to handle a EU agenda filled with political developments and dossiers with a decisive impact on the future of the bloc, including Brexit, the negotiation of the forthcoming EU budget, the European parliament elections due in May. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu says Romania must use all the opportunities entailed by the EU Council presidency, including in terms of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. In a Facebook post, Creţu adds that both herself and the European Commission as a whole are ready to support the Romanian authorities for a successful presidency.

EURO Twenty years since the introduction of the single currency, high-ranking EU officials, including the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, emphasised the importance of the European currency. The Euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability, said the European Commission chief, who is one of the signatories of the treaty that created the single currency. I know that was the most important signature I ever made, Juncker added in a news release. 20 years on, we have a generation that only knows the Euro as a national currency, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in his turn. The Euro became the official currency of 11 EU member states on January 1, 1999, with notes and coins going into circulation in 2002. At present the Euro is used by some 340 million people in 19 of the 28 member countries, and is the second most important currency in the world after the US dollar.

JAPAN Emperor Akihito, who is to step down in April, sent his hopes for peace for his nation and the entire world, in his last New Years address, delivered before a record number of people who came to see the event, according to Kyodo and dpa. On April 30, at the age of 85, Akihito will be the first Japanese sovereign to relinquish power in the last 200 years. In 2016 he announced his intention to withdraw from power, putting forth concerns that his old age would prevent him from accomplishing his duties. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan on January 7, 1989, at 55 years of age, after the death of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought in World War 2. Akihitos oldest son, Prince Naruhito, will be crowned on May 1.

JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by a private television channel on Tuesday that he would like to close the subject of a government decree regarding amnesty and pardons. He emphasised that the most his ministry can do is to approve a bill initiated in Parliament on this topic. Toader also said that he has never done and will never do something likely to create a situation similar to the one triggered by the 2017 government decree no. 13, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted criticism from the EU and the USA.

ELECTIONS The elections for the European Parliament will be held between May 23rd and 26th this year. MEPs are elected every 5 years, and as of this year the Parliament will have 705 members, as compared to 751 at present. This is because of Britains withdrawal from the EU. Of the 73 seats currently held by UK, 46 will be eliminated and the other 27 will be distributed to EU member states that are under-represented in the Unions legislative body. Romania gets 33 seats, 1 more than at present.

TENNIS The Romanian Monica Niculescu (99 WTA), is playing today against the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (94 WTA) in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China. Tomorrow, in the same tournament, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) takes on the American Alison Riske (62 WTA) in the quarter-finals.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

2 January 2019
July 23, 2018

APPOINTMENT — Romanian president Klaus Iohannis signed on Monday the decree for the appointment of Oliver-Felix Banila as the new chief of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). Also on Monday, prosecutor Florentina Mirica submitted her candidacy for the position of head of the Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), following the recent revocation from this position of Laura Codruta Kovesi. The selection of candidates will be held between July 25th and 27th and the proposal of Justice Minister Tudorel Toader will be announced on July 30. The Minister’s nomination will be submitted for approval to the prosecutors’ section with the Higher Council of Magistracy and then furthered to the head of state for approval.

EUROSTAT – Romania, Hungary and Slovenia registered, between 2000 and 2016 the biggest growth in the EU in terms of number of people employed in the government sector, Eurostat has reported. In Romania, in 2016, only around 15% of the total number of employees activated in this sector, as compared with Sweden, with 29%, the biggest figure in the EU. Government employment accounted for 16 % of employment in the EU in 2016. This share has remained more or less stable at between 15 % and 17 % of total employment since 2000. Government employment includes civil servants and other government employees (at national, regional and local level) as well as armed forces. It should be noted that the limits of the government sector vary across Member States for example, jobs in education or health are part of government employment in some countries, while they are not in others.

ACTIVITY REPORT — Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is today presenting an activity report, six months after taking office, the Government’s press office announced. Liviu Dragnea, the head of the main party in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, has said that PM Dancila will talk about the best measures taken so far and their effects on the citizens. He has also said that ministers must present all measures taken in their field of activity at least once a week. Dragnea has pointed out, in a TV show, that in the governing coalition there have been no talks of a possible government reshuffling this summer but that there will be an assessment of the act of governing.

SHIP — The command and cargo ship “Marne”, property of the French Navy, will be stationed in the Port of Constanta until July 29th, after having participated in the Breeze 18 international drill, organized by the Bulgarian Navy, the French Embassy in Bucharest has announced. The presence of this ship in the Romanian port marks France’s commitment to support the observance of the freedom of sailing all seas and the French authorities’ solidarity with their allies and partners.

WEATHER — Most regions of Romania are under a yellow code alert for heavy rainfall and storms valid until Tuesday night. Hail will be present in some areas. Maximum temperatures will range from 23 to 29 degrees Celsius. Hydrologists have issued several code yellow alerts for flooding, valid until Wednesday in central, southern and western Romania.

FOOTBALL – Romanian football team CFR Cluj is getting ready for the Champions League’s second preliminary round against Swedish side Malmo, a team that in the first preliminary round ousted Drita of Kosovo. Malmo are title holders for the 2017 edition of Sweden’s championship, seven points up from the runner-up squad, AIK of Stockholm. Malmo was the launching pad for the famous Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In Europa League’s second preliminary round, vice-champion FCSB will be up against Slovenia’s NK Rudar Velenje on home turf while Viitorul Constanta will play against Vitesse Arnhem of the Netherlands, also on home turf, after defeating, in the first round, Luxembourg’s Racing Union. Another Romanian team, CSU Craiova, will play directly in the third round of Europa League.

23 July 2018
President Iohannis Addresses Parliament

Romania is faced with a crisis, President Klaus Iohannis said before Parliament, and the author of this crisis is the government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. They, said the President, unexpectedly passed an emergency decree to amend the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, disregarding the recommendations of the countrys main judicial institutions. This measure triggered mass street protests, which eventually forced the Executive to repeal the decree. But according to President Klaus Iohannis, this is not enough to ease out tensions, and those who created the crisis must now solve it:

Klaus Iohannis: “Repealing Decree no. 13 and, possibly, the eventual resignation of a minister is certainly too little. Early elections would be, at this point, too much. Who must come up with a solution? Naturally, those who created the problem, the Social Democratic Party. You have won the elections, it is now time for you to govern and to make laws, but not in any way you like.

The Government, the President went on to say, must work in a transparent, predictable, and responsible manner, and Parliament must legislate to the benefit of the country, and not of a group of politicians facing criminal trials. In a surprisingly effective rhetorical twist, the President actually showed the path to be followed by the Romanian society:

Klaus Iohannis: “What kind of nation do we want to be? Do we want to be a strong, prosperous nation, one that builds and respects the rule of law, or do we choose to be a weak, despised nation, which gambles everything in order to save a few people from a difficult situation?

This is the fundamental question that all Romanians will have to answer in a referendum on the fight against corruption and on the integrity of public office holders.

The Presidents harsh criticism of the Government was hard to swallow by the MPs in the parliamentary majority, who left the assembly hall. It was equally unpleasant for the leaders of the two Parliament Chambers, the Social Democrat chief Liviu Dragnea and the head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who were however forced by parliamentary etiquette to listen to the entire address. Liviu Dragnea is the one who, political opponents and unbiased commentators agree, stands to gain the most out of the prospective decriminalisation regulated by the infamous emergency decree. Dragnea criticised the head of state for stepping out of his role as a mediator:

Liviu Dragnea: “I agree with the President that snap elections are not the solution, I understand his call for the Government to be a strong and high-performing institution, and in my turn I call on the President to leave the Government alone to do its job.

Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu voiced his disappointment with the Presidents speech:

Calin Popescu Tariceanu: “I was expecting the President, at such a time of tensions and crisis, to show the wisdom required of all political leaders and find a way to promote dialogue and appease tensions, because this is something above party politics.

The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union in opposition hailed the Presidents speech, which they see as meeting the expectations of millions of Romanians. In turn, the Peoples Movement Party, founded by former president Traian Basescu, pleaded for dialogue between all political parties.

Meanwhile, protests carried on in the streets of Romanian cities, both those against the Government, stronger and longer-lasting, and those against the President. And these, the Presidents address emphasised, are the proof of active citizenship and democracy.

8 February 2017