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Nicolae Ciucă, PM designate once again

At the end of a third round of talks with the parliamentary
parties in the almost three months since USR left the ruling coalition, the
head of state once again designated the interim defence minister Nicolae Ciucă to
form a new government.

Klaus
Iohannis: I am satisfied that there is a robust majority in the Parliament
of Romania, a majority consisting of the National Liberal Party, the Social
Democratic Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the ethnic
minorities group. They nominated a PM and I accepted this nomination. I will therefore
designate Mr. Nicolae Ciucă to form a government team and to come before
Parliament for a confidence vote.

Nicolae
Ciucă was previously designated for the post on October 21, but he stepped down
after a minority coalition made up of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians failed to secure enough votes in Parliament for
endorsement.

This time
around, extensive negotiations led to an agreement on the governing programme, a
new Cabinet structure (with two new ministries) and the concept of a rotation
of prime ministers between the Liberals and the Social Democrats.

Nicolae
Ciucă said Romanians expect the new government to provide stability and
solutions for the difficulties entailed by the pandemic and the energy crunch,
and voiced hopes that the new team will get to work thoroughly as of Thursday.

The Liberals
will have eight ministries in the new government. They are keeping the foreign
and interior ministries, the education ministry and the energy ministry, and
will head four more, including justice, and the ministry for European funds and
investments.

Not all
Liberals are happy with this scenario, however, and senior party members are criticizing
their leader’s handling of the negotiations. Florin Cîţu argues however that
the coalition with the Social Democrats is not unconditional, and promises that
citizens’ interests and financial stability will not be compromised.

After a
stint in the opposition, the Social Democrats will head nine ministries plus
the Government secretariat general. Important fields are included, such as the public
finances, defence, transports and economy.

The PM
rotation order was one of the most passionately debated issues. The Social
Democrats eventually agreed to take their turn at the helm of the cabinet in 18
months’ time. The party president Marcel Ciolacu explained that the Social
Democrats agreed to back the Liberal’s PM nominee in return for the inclusion
of important social support measures in the governing programme.

In turn, UDMR
will have a deputy PM post in the Ciucă Cabinet, alongside with the three
ministries they are already heading-regional development, environment and
sports.

The USR would
not attend the consultations with the president, and leader Dacian Cioloş argued
that president Klaus Iohannis renounced his role as a mediator. Also in
opposition, AUR mentioned they would not endorse the new government in
Parliament. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 November 2021
November 21, 2021 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT The Social
Democrats and the Liberals, which have the largest
number of seats in Parliament and are seeking to form a new cabinet jointly
with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), announced
they would present president Klaus Iohannis on Monday with a joint nomination
for the PM post. The structure of the new government was agreed on in Sunday’s
negotiations, the Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu announced, and added
that Romania will have an operational government on Thursday. According to the
chief of the Liberal negotiation team, the interim defence minister Nicolae Ciucă,
the ministries of transport and finances will be headed, in principle, by the
other party than the one nominating the PM. In turn, the leader of the UDMR, Kelemen
Hunor, says 2 new ministries will be created, one for tourism and
entrepreneurship and one for family and youth. Political sources say the
new PM designate will be Nicolae Ciucă (Liberal). A retired general, Ciucă was
designated by president Iohannis to form a new government, but he stepped down
following indications that his minority government would not be endorsed in
Parliament. A previous minority cabinet headed by the president of USR, Dacian
Cioloş, also failed to get a confidence vote in Parliament. If endorsed, Ciucă will
be the first senior military officer to head a post-communist Romanian government.
He will replace the Liberal leader Florin Cîţu, dismissed last month following a no-confidence vote
initiated by the Social Democrats.

COVID-19 The number of new coronavirus infections in Romania dropped
below 2,000 on Sunday, for the first time in 9 weeks. 1,936 new COVID-19 cases were reported out of
nearly 23,000 tests, along with 121 related fatalities, 16 of them from an
earlier date. As many as 1,573 patients are in intensive care, but the number
of patients is on the decrease. The National Committee on Emergency Situations agreed that in places with infection rates below 3 per
thousand schools may resume on-site teaching regardless of the vaccination rate
among teaching staff. Several activities subject
to restrictions in recent weeks may now be resumed, but a final decision is to
be made by the government. Such activities include sports events, concerts,
performances and outdoor festivals, conferences and training sessions. Only
holders of the digital Covid certificate will be permitted to take part.

MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu
will be on an official visit to Romania on Tuesday, at the invitation of her
Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. This is Sandu’s first visit to Romania
since July’s early election won by her party Action and Solidarity (PAS), and
it takes place in the context of the celebration of 30 years of diplomatic
relations, after in 1991, the ex-Soviet republic proclaimed its independence
from Moscow. According to the Romanian presidency, this is an opportunity to
reconfirm the special, privileged Strategic Partnership between the 2 countries,
based on common linguistic, cultural and historical elements. The talks between
Iohannis and Sandu will encourage the development of joint projects in the
fields of energy, transport, healthcare, education and information society, with
a focus on projects designed to help connect the Republic of Moldova with the
EU to the benefit of all its citizens.

SPORTS Romania’s national rugby team defeated Tonga 32-20,
in a test match in Bucharest. According to the media, the game was quite useful
to both teams, which are trying to qualify for the 2023 World Championships in
France. Won the other 2 matches played this month, 29-14 against Uruguay, in a
test match in Verona, Italy, on November 7, and 56-15 against the Netherlands
in Bucharest, in Rugby Europe Championship 2021, on November 13. Romania is
currently placed 15th in the World Rugby standings. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 November 2021
October 24, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 New restrictions take effect on Monday in Romania, as the country is struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. For 30 days, the digital COVID certificate will be compulsory in most public places, except for food shops and drugstores, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor public areas, and a ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on private events, including weddings, conferences and workshops, will be in place. Also on Monday, public and private kindergartens, primary, secondary schools and high schools will take a 2-week break. After-schools will also be closed, although nurseries will stay open. Companies with more than 50 employees will organise shifts or remote work, sports competitions will be held without public in attendance, and a night curfew will also be introduced, between 10 pm and 5 am, for the unvaccinated. On Sunday the authorities reported 11,725 new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 389 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours.

VACCINE A new batch of over 300,000 doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is set to arrive in Romania on Monday and will be distributed across the country. So far Romania has received more than 13.6 million doses of Pfizer BioNTech serum, and almost 9 million of them have already been used. Romania is also using AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson&Johnson vaccines. The vaccination campaign has been energised in recent days as the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections surged and as people see their access to various activities restricted without the digital COVID certificate. Since the start of the vaccination programme in late December, some 5.9 million people have completed the vaccination plan.

GOVERNMENT The head of the National Liberal Party and interim PM Florin Cîţu said on Sunday that after the Liberals nominated Nicolae Ciucă as prime minister designate, it is time for the parties that voted the no-confidence motion to prove responsible and to back a cabinet made up of the Liberals and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. This was a reference to the Social Democratic Party and Save Romania Union, the latter formerly partners with the Liberals in the ruling coalition. Meanwhile, the prime minister designate carried on negotiations over parliamentary support for his new cabinet. Nicolae Ciucă discussed on Saturday with representatives of ethnic minorities and with the head of the Social Democratic Party in opposition, Marcel Ciolacu. The Social Democrats made their temporary support for a minority government conditional on the inclusion of 10 urgent measures suggested by the Social Democrats to overcome the healthcare and energy crises. Save Romania Union left the ruling coalition over disagreements with PM Florin Cîţu and backed a no-confidence motion initiated by the Social Democrats against the Cîţu government. The first politician designated by president Klaus Iohannis to form a new government, Save Romania Union leader Dacian Cioloş, failed to get endorsed by Parliament.

CENTENNIAL On Monday Romania marks the centennial of the birth of Michael I of Romania, the countrys last king. On this occasion, public radio stations will broadcast a show entitled “Romania needs art,” produced jointly with the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation, benefitting the Young Talents Programme. The National Art Museum will also open to visitors the historic areas of the Royal Palace. The public will be able to visit the Royal Dining Hall, the Throne Hall and the Voivodes Staircase, as well as an exhibition on Fragments of memory: royal potraits, comprising art works depicting King Michael at various stages of life. The 25th of October is also the Day of the Romanian Army, and the “King Ferdinand I” National Military Museum will open a temporary exhibition entitled “Michael I: a century of history.” King Michael I passed away on the 5th December 2017. Thousands of people, who saw him as a model of dignity, patriotism and duty towards his country, queued for days to pay tribute to the late king in Bucharest. He was buried in the Mausoleum of the Royal Family in Curtea de Argeş (south), where his predecessors, kings Carol I, Ferdinand and Carol II also rest.

UN The values and principles of the United Nations Charter remain relevant 76 years later, and are the basis of international relations today, says the Romanian Foreign Ministry in a message on UN Day. According to the institution, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again proved that global issues require joint solutions, solidarity and international cooperation, and in this respect, supporting and strengthening multilateralism, founded on the UN system, are essential. “In its 66 years of UN membership, Romania has stood out as an active supporter and advocate of the achievements of multilateral diplomacy. The Romanian diplomacy will continue to actively promote the UN goals, in its efforts to ensure progress towards a safer, freer and more thriving world,” the message also reads. The United Nations Day is celebrated on the 24th October, when the UN Charter entered into force in 1945. Romania joined the organisation on 14th December 1955.

HANDBALL Romanian womens handball champions, CSM Bucharest, won at home on Sunday against Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro, 30-22, in a Champions League Goup A match. This is the 3rd consecutive win for CSM, which in the previous leg defeated away from home the German side Borussia Dortmund. The Romanian team is next to take on the French side Brest Bretagne Handball, on 30th October. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

24 October 2021
October 24, 2021

COVID-19 New restrictions take effect on Monday in Romania, as the country is
struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. For 30 days, the
digital COVID certificate will be compulsory in most public places, except for
food shops and drugstores, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and
outdoor public areas, and a ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on
private events, including weddings, conferences and workshops, will be in place.
Also on Monday, public and private kindergartens,
primary, secondary schools and high schools will take a 2-week break.
After-schools will also be closed, although nurseries will stay open. Companies
with more than 50 employees will organise shifts or remote work, sports
competitions will be held without public in attendance, and a night curfew will also be introduced, between 10 pm and 5 am, for
the unvaccinated. On Sunday the authorities reported 11,725 new
SARS-CoV-2 cases and 389 COVID-related deaths.

VACCINE Over
45,000 people got vaccinated in Bucharest since Friday, almost half of them as
part of a vaccination marathon held in the capital city over the weekend.
Nation-wide, some 127,000 people got vaccinated in the last 24 hours, most of
them (over 91,000) with the first dose. The vaccination campaign has been energised
in recent days as the number of SARS-CoV-2
infections surged and as people see their access to various activities restricted without the
digital COVID certificate. Since the start of the vaccination programme in late
December, nearly 5.9 million people have completed the vaccination plan. An
efficiency survey on COVID-19 vaccination in Romania indicates that
immunisation has reduced contamination risks 5 times,
hospitalisation risks 10 times, intensive care admission risks nearly 14 times
and COVID-related death risks over 20 times.

GOVERNMENT The head of the
National Liberal Party and interim PM Florin Cîţu said on Sunday that after the
Liberals nominated Nicolae Ciucă as prime minister designate, it is time for
the parties that voted the no-confidence motion to prove responsible and to
back a cabinet made up of the Liberals and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania. This was a reference to the Social Democratic Party and
Save Romania Union, the latter formerly partners with the Liberals in the
ruling coalition. Meanwhile, the prime minister designate carried on
negotiations over parliamentary support for his new cabinet. Nicolae Ciucă
discussed on Saturday with representatives of ethnic minorities and with the
head of the Social Democratic Party in opposition, Marcel Ciolacu. The Social
Democrats made their temporary support for a minority government conditional on
the inclusion of 10 urgent measures suggested by the Social Democrats to
overcome the healthcare and energy crises. Save Romania Union left the ruling
coalition over disagreements with PM Florin Cîţu and backed a no-confidence motion initiated by the Social
Democrats against the Cîţu government. The first politician designated by
president Klaus Iohannis to form a new government, Save Romania Union leader
Dacian Cioloş, failed to get endorsed by Parliament.

CENTENNIAL On Monday Romania marks the
centennial of the birth of Michael I of Romania, the country’s last king. On
this occasion, public radio stations will broadcast a show entitled Romania
needs art, produced jointly with the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation,
benefitting the Young Talents Programme. The National Art Museum will also open
to visitors the historic areas of the Royal Palace. The public will be able to
visit the Royal Dining Hall, the Throne Hall and the Voivodes’ Staircase, as well as an exhibition on ‘Fragments of
memory: royal potraits,’ comprising art works depicting King Michael at various
stages of life. The 25th of October is also the Day of the Romanian
Army, and the King Ferdinand I National Military Museum will open a
temporary exhibition entitled Michael I: a century of history. King
Michael I passed away on the 5th December 2017. Thousands of people, who saw him as a model of dignity,
patriotism and duty towards his country, queued for days to pay tribute to the
late king in Bucharest. He was buried in the Mausoleum of the Royal
Family in Curtea de Argeş (south), where his
predecessors, kings Carol I, Ferdinand and Carol II also rest.

UN The values and principles of the United Nations
Charter remain relevant 76 years later, and are the basis of international
relations today, says the Romanian Foreign Ministry in a message on UN Day.
According to the institution, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again proved that
global issues require joint solutions, solidarity and international
cooperation, and in this respect, supporting and strengthening multilateralism,
founded on the UN system, are essential. In its 66 years of UN membership, Romania
has stood out as an active supporter and advocate of the achievements of
multilateral diplomacy. The Romanian diplomacy will continue to actively
promote the UN goals, in its efforts to ensure progress towards a safer, freer
and more thriving world, the message also reads. The United Nations Day is
celebrated on the 24th October, when the UN Charter entered into
force in 1945. Romania joined the organisation on 14th December 1955.

HANDBALL Romanian women’s handball
champions, CSM Bucharest, play at home today against Buducnost Podgorica of
Montenegro, in a Champions League Goup A match. In the previous leg, CSM defeated away from home the German side Borussia
Dortmund. The Romanian team ranks 6th in the group, but should they
win this match they would move on to 4th place. The top 3 teams in
the group are Rostov on Don (Russia), FTC-Rail Cargo of Hungary
and Team Esbjerg (Denmark). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

24 October 2021
October 22, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The interim cabinet Friday introduced new restrictions in Romania, as
the country is struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. The
measures will take effect on Monday, 25th October, and will be valid
for 30 days. Face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor public
areas. Access to all central and local public institutions and to the offices
of private businesses will be conditional on the digital COVID certificate. A
ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on private events, including
weddings, conferences and workshops, will also be in place. Shops will only be
open between 5 am and 9 pm, restaurants will be open until 9 pm but will only
admit COVID certificate holders. A night curfew will also be introduced,
between 10 pm and 5 am, for the unvaccinated. Also on Monday, public
and private kindergartens, primary, secondary schools and high schools will
take a 2-week break. On Friday the Strategic Communication Group reported 15,410
new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 357 COVID-related deaths. 1,848 patients are in intensive care.
Over 128,000 people got vaccinated in the last 24 hours.

AID Romania is receiving aid from several European countries, including
Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Poland, as well as from the
World Health Organisation. The aid consists in medicines, equipment, tests, and
the transfer of some COVID patients, the head of the Department for Emergency
Situations Raed Arafat announced on Friday.Five Romanian COVID patients, in a critical condition, were taken on
Friday to Austria and Poland, by 2 military aircraft. Other patients have been
transferred to Hungary.

GOVERNMENT In Romania, the interim
defence minister Nicolae Ciucă, designated by president Klaus Iohannis to form a
new government, initiated negotiations over parliamentary support. A first
meeting was held on Friday, with the head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor. The latter said his party would stay in
power together with the National Liberal Party, and mentioned that in the
coming days the governing programme and distribution of cabinet seats would be
discussed. Save Romania Union is waiting for an invitation to talks, and will try to persuade the Liberals to go for a
coalition government with majority support in parliament. PSD says it will talk
with Nicolae Ciuca about a parliamentary majority to support the minority
government, and AUR has stated it will not support such a government. The Prime
Minister Designate has called on all political actors to support the new cabinet,
so that Romania can quickly overcome the medical and economic crisis it is
going through.

AUTOMOTIVE Registrations of new hybrid vehicles in the EU accounted for nearly
21% of the Union’s automotive market in the 3rd quarter of the year,
outperforming Diesel vehicle registrations for the first time. According to the
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, in July-September sales
of petrol-based cars dropped by 35%, while registrations of new diesel cars
more than halved across the EU region. Alternatively-powered vehicles saw a 69%
increase in sales in Central Europe in the same period. In Romania, sales rose
by over 153% compared to 2020.

MOLDOVA The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Friday
declared a 30-day state of emergency in the country over a natural gas
shortage. The government requested the measure in order to be able to procure
natural gas from alternative sources, given that the Russian supplier Gazprom is
no longer providing sufficient quantities to meet the demand, Radio Chişinău
announced. According to the resolution, until 20th November, a
special procedure will be in place, to speed up the procurement of natural gas.
If necessary, energy consumption will be rationalised, and instruments to
quickly collect payments from consumers will be introduced. According to Radio
Chişinău, negotiations with the Russian energy giant carry on, but in the
meantime the government is discussing with other states as well, including
Ukraine, Romania, and Poland, to purchase natural gas from alternative sources.
Natural gas prices has risen steeply in recent months in international markets,
and some officials accuse Russia of energy blackmail.

EUROPEAN
COUNCIL The European Council president Charles Michel and the head
of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday at the end
of a meeting in Brussels, that the energy topic will be once again on the
agenda of the December meeting of the European Council. In the meantime, the
Commission will conduct an analysis of the EU electricity and natural gas
market and on the carbon transaction market, after several member states blamed
the recent energy price rises on problems in these areas. An emergency meeting of
EU energy ministers was also scheduled for next week. Romania was represented
by president Klaus Iohannis, who emphasised ahead of the meeting the
need to quickly identify
efficient short-term solutions, as the current energy crisis will have serious
effects in all EU countries, with a profound socio-economic impact.

(tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 October 2021
October 21, 2021

COVID-19 The Romanian authorities Thursday announced
over 16,000 new Covid-19 cases and 448 related deaths
in 24 hours. Some 1,800 patients are in intensive care. Bucharest
has requested the European Commission to help supply Romanian hospitals with tocilizumab,
which is used in treating severe forms of the disease. Romanian authorities
have also asked for teams of experts to support front-line staff for specific periods.
Meanwhile, as of Monday all school children will be on a 2-week holiday, access
to most activities will be conditional on presenting a digital COVID
certificate, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor areas
and night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated. These are just some of
the restrictions introduced in an attempt to curb the pandemic. After having
analysed the situation jointly with government officials, president Klaus
Iohannis said the only solution to put an end to the epidemic is vaccination. However,
until a significant proportion of people get vaccinated, restrictions are
necessary.

GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis is having talks today with parliamentary
parties, to designate a new prime minister after the proposed one-party cabinet
headed by the president of Save Romania Union Dacian Cioloş Wednesday failed to
get a confidence vote from Parliament. The minority government made up of the
National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania
was dismissed following a no-confidence motion, and negotiations failed to
rebuild the ruling coalition, broken up in September over disagreements between
the Liberal PM Florin Citu and Save Romania Union. The Liberals said they were
willing to discuss with all parliamentary parties, except for the nationalist
party AUR, supporters of anti-vaccine theories. The Liberals’ National
Political Bureau Thursday decided to nominate Nicolae
Ciucă as prime minister with a minority government comprising the National
Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. Save Romania Union
would like to restore the coalition with the 2 parties, but without Florin Citu
as prime minister. In turn, the Ethnic Hungarians would like to see the
coalition rebuilt. The largest party in Parliament, the Social Democratic
Party, wants a government of experts, to help overcome the healthcare crisis,
whereas AUR party asks President Klaus Iohannis to designate a prime minister
backed by a sound parliamentary majority.

SUMMIT EU heads of state and government convene on Thursday and Friday in
Brussels to discuss EU-wide cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union’s digital agenda, the
rise in energy prices, migration, the EU trade policy and foreign relations. On
Monday, the
president of Romania Klaus Iohannis took part in a videoconference with the
president of the European Parliament Charles Michel and other EU leaders, in
preparation of this summit. The Romanian president highlighted the need to
quickly identify efficient short-term solutions to the current energy crisis,
which will have a notable social and economic impact on all EU member states.
Klaus Iohannis also emphasised the importance of diversifying energy sources,
of reducing the Union’s reliance on third-country suppliers, and of ensuring
energy supply security.

ECONOMY All EU member states concluded year 2020 with governmental
deficits, Eurostat announced today. The highest levels were reported in Spain
(11% of GDP), Greece (10.1% of GDP), Malta (9.7% of GDP), Italy (9.6% of GDP) and
Romania (9.4% of GDP). According to Eurostat, Denmark and Sweden were the only
EU countries with government deficits below the 3% of GDP ceiling stipulated in
the Stability and Growth Pact. Across the EU, the government deficit
skyrocketed from 0.5% of GDP in 2019 to 6.9% of GDP last year.

FOOTBALL
Romanian football champions CFR
Cluj are playing today at home against the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, in Group D of
the Europa Conference League. The Romanians are ranking last in the group, with
1 point out of 2 matches, whereas their opponents are the group leaders, with 4
points. In the previous leg, CFR drew at home against Danish side Randers FC,
and AZ Alkmaar won on home turf against the Czech club Jablonec. CFR is the
only Romanian team playing in continental competitions this season. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 October 2021
October 19, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced on Monday over 10,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections and 261 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours. More than 1,700 patients are
currently in intensive care. As regards vaccination, in Romania, the number of
people that went through a full vaccination plan stands at roughly 5.7 million.
The Romanian interim Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, has announced that 26
patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been transferred to Hungary and that the
situation these days is rather critical. Meanwhile, 32 medical staff from the
neighbouring Republic of Moldova came to Romania on Monday and will treat
COVID-19 patients for 12 days, in a mobile hospital in the village of Leţcani,
Iaşi County. Romania now has new vaccination targets, after missing the
previous ones because of citizens’ reluctance to the jab.

AID Poland and Slovenia announced they are ready to help
Romania fight the on-going healthcare crisis. The offers came after president
Klaus Iohannis presented the situation in a videoconference ahead of a European
Council meeting due in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Attending the
conference were the prime ministers of the 2 countries, who voiced their
willingness to help Romania, as well as the president of the European Council,
Charles Michel, ho undertook to facilitate EU-level aid. Hit hard by the 4th
wave of the pandemic, Romania has already received medical equipment from Poland,
Italy and Denmark.

GOVERNMENT The relevant parliamentary committees are interviewing
today the proposed members of PM designate Dacian Cioloş’s cabinet. Deputies
and Senators will discuss with both former ministers in the coalition
government comprising the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, headed by the Liberal Florin Cîţu.
Stelian Ion is once again nominated for justice minister, Ioana Mihăilă for
health minister and Cătălin Drulă for transport minister, while former deputy
PM Dan Barna is the proposed foreign minister. New names in the cabinet include
environment activist Mihai Goţiu for environment minister, the former prefect
of Bucharest Alin Stoica for interior minister and former fighter pilot Nicu
Fălcoi for defence minister. The decision of Save Romania Union (USR) to
present Parliament with a proposed one-party government was made after
negotiations with the former partners failed to lead to the restoration of the
right-wing coalition. The Liberals and
ethnic Hungarian party would not resume cooperation with USR, because the
latter backed a motion of no-confidence against the Cîţu government. The Social
Democrats in opposition are also against a government headed by Cioloş, whom
they accuse of irresponsibly protracting this political crisis. The Social
Democrats and the nationalist party AUR demand early elections. Cioloş’s team
needs 234 votes in Parliament, and USR only has 80 MPs. The vote on the
proposed government is scheduled for Wednesday.

AUTOMOTIVE The Ford production unit in Craiova (south-western Romania) is
temporarily downsizing operations because of a semiconductor shortage. Until
Thursday the plant will operate in one shift instead of three, both in the
vehicle and the engine production divisions. The vehicles for which sale
contracts have already been signed will be a priority, the management announced.
Employees will be paid idle time up to 78% of their base salaries. In turn, the
Dacia plant in Mioveni, Argeș County, controlled by the French group Renault, suspended
its operations for lack of electronic components on October 8, sending home
around 90% of its 14,000 employees at the time.

OPINION POLL The Army and the Church rank first in terms of public
confidence in Romania, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Information
Warfare analysis and Strategic Communication Laboratory. Specifically, some 87%
of the Romanians say they trust the Army, 70% the Church, 67% – the Romanian Intelligence
Service and the Romanian Academy. Confidence is politicians is low, at some 20%,
with the President, Parliament and Government on the top 3 positions. The main
threats against Romania, according to over 40% of the respondents, are the
politicians’ corruption and incompetence. The main threats facing the EU are an
economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements between some member
states. the poll was conducted by telephone between October 1 and 10, with a de
+/- 3.1% margin of error.

MOLDOVA The leader of the Socialists Party in the neighbouring Republic of
Moldova, the pro-Russian ex-president Igor Dodon, announced he stepped down as
a Parliament member and party president. He said he will continue to work as
part of the Moldovan-Russian Entrepreneur Union, to strengthen economic
relations with Russia. Dodon explains his role as an opposition leader will be
better served from outside Parliament. One year ago he lost the presidential
election to pro-European Maia Sandu, whose party, Action and Solidarity, defeated
the Socialists and their allies, the Communists, in July’s early parliamentary
election. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

19 October 2021
March 3, 2020

HEARINGS The ministers nominated in PM designate Florin Cîţus cabinet are interviewed by the specialised parliamentary committees today, on Wednesday and Thursday, and the day of the investiture vote is to be chosen early next week. The only change compared to the Ludovic Orban Government is at the finance ministry, where former minister Cîţu has been replaced with Lucian Ovidiu Heiuş. The president of Save Romania Union, Dan Barna, says the Liberals have not asked explicitly for support for the new cabinet. The leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, Kelemen Hunor, says that no decision has been made yet as to endorsing the new government or not. Pro Romania MPs will attend the parliamentary sitting, but will vote against the cabinet, party leader Victor Ponta announced. The Social Democrats and ALDE were the only parties with which the PM designate has not discussed. The Peoples Movement Party decided to vote in favour of the Cîţu Cabinet. The latters nomination by president Klaus Iohannis came after the Constitutional Court found it unconstitutional for the president to designate the interim PM Ludovic Orban to form a new cabinet after being dismissed by Parliament through a no-confidence vote.

COVID-19 In Romania, 42 people are in quarantine centres and over 9,400 are under home monitoring, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Tuesday. So far 3 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Romania, one of whom has recovered and the other 2 are hospitalised and in a good state. Meanwhile, the National Emergency Committee has introduced strict quarantine rules for the people returning home from risk areas. The new coronavirus is now spreading a lot more quickly outside China than in the source country. Around 91,000 cases have been confirmed in over 70 countries worldwide. Of these, 48,000 patients recovered and over 3,100 died. The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank announced they are ready to provide help, including emergency funds, for member states to tackle the difficulties caused by the quickly spreading epidemic.

VACCINATION The healthcare committee in the Chamber of Deputies unanimously voted the introduction of an amendment making immunisation mandatory. The Chamber of Deputies is to cast the decisive vote on the bill. Representatives of the Parents Alliance, of Pro Consumers Association and of the “Informed Decisions Association protested the current form of the bill, opposing the idea of compulsory vaccination. They believe each citizen must have the right to decide as concerns their own body. On the other hand, an association called Mothers for Mothers warns that vaccination saves lives and the body of scientific evidence in this respect goes back over a century.

INTERIOR MINISTRY The interim interior minister Marcel Vela has today presented the institutions annual report, and said in 2019 the work load of interior ministry staff was higher than in the previous year. Marcel Vela explained that 27 counties and the capital city Bucharest reported over 4% rises in street crime and crimes against persons and property. “The presidential election was well organised, with 30% fewer incidents in the first round and 54.18% fewer incidents in the second round than in 2014, Marcel Vela added. The National Police Union organised a protest concurrently with the meeting at the ministry headquarters. They demand the implementation of current regulations regarding salaries, and the payment of overdue benefits for the last 3 years.

UNEMPLOYMENT The January unemployment rate in Romania was 3.9%, down 0.1% since December, the National Statistics Institute announced in Tuesday. According to the institution, the estimated number of unemployed people in January was 350,000, which is lower than both the previous month and the corresponding month of 2019. Statistics also indicate that in the first month of the year the unemployment rate among men was 1% higher than among women.

ISRAEL The Israeli PM Beniamin Netanyahu claimed victory in the 3rd election within a year, held on Monday. With 90% of the votes counted, Netanyahus right-wing party Likud secured 35 out of the 120 seats in Parliament, as against 32 for Kahol Lavan, led by his challenger Benny Gantz. None of them however has the required majority to form a government. Netanyahu tried to secure his re-election while facing a corruption trial. In his address, Netanyahu promised to put an end to the Iranian nuclear threat, to build peace with moderate Arab countries, economic reforms, a defence pact with the USA, and also spoke about his proposal to annex settlements in the West Bank.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

3 March 2020
A new PM designate

Romania has a new prime minister designate: the incumbent finance minister Florin Citu. President Klaus Iohannis announced his nomination on Wednesday, after commending the National Liberal Party for its 3 months in power, guided by what he called a reform agenda, and after criticising the Social Democrats for systematically attempting to hinder the work of the government.

The President mentioned that the first Liberal cabinet, headed by the president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban, was dismissed under a no-confidence motion by a parliamentary majority created by the Social Democratic Party against a bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system in the local elections. This is why the head of state appointed Ludovic Orban once again as prime minister designate, but the Social Democrats slowed down the required parliamentary procedures until Parliament faced a deadlock that ended in Orbans resignation.

The president explained that by appointing Florin Citu he sought to put an end to the deadlock and to solve the problems of the country. The PM designate promised to try to put together the parliamentary majority required for his endorsement, and to come up with a list of ministers and a governing programme as soon as possible.

Both before and after becoming a government member, Florin Citu accused the Social Democratic Party of implementing disastrous policies for the national budget. His party chief, Ludovic Orban, vowed that Citus nomination is a guarantee that the countrys economic and financial rehabilitation will continue.

Ludovic Orban: “Florin Citu is a guarantor that the disaster left behind by irresponsible Social Democratic governments will be reversed, and also that Romania will have a sustainable economic growth, based on the normal growth engines in a capitalist economy.

The Social Democratic Party, which still has a majority in Parliament, was prompt in responding: they will not endorse a cabinet headed by Citu. The interim president of the party Marcel Ciolacu, said:

Marcel Ciolacu: “I find Mr. Citus designation unimaginable. I was expecting Mr. Citu to tell us how he spent the 10 billion euros he borrowed in 3 months and a half, and not to be named prime minister designate. This is unspeakable. We will decide on our next steps and discuss the matter with the other political partners. There is no doubt that the path chosen by the President leads to a political crisis.

Ciolacu does not rule out resorting to the Constitutional Court once again. Notified by the Social Democrats, the Court ruled that Orbans nomination as PM designate for a second time was designed to ensure the collapse, rather than the success of the new Government. The Court took into account the Presidents and the Liberals outspoken plans to push for early elections.

The 3rd biggest parliamentary group, Save Romania Union, say they are open to joining in a new government, if a parliamentary majority is achieved, and that their top priority is reintroducing the 2-round voting system in local elections. Pro Romania party on the other hand says its MPs will not endorse the new government, because the Liberals lack the legitimacy, the qualifications, the programme and the parliamentary support to govern the country.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

27 February 2020
February 26, 2020 UPDATE

CONSULTATIONS After consultations with the parliamentary parties in Bucharest, president Klaus Iohannis Wednesday designated the acting finance minister Florin Citu to form a new government. The decision comes after another Liberal, Ludovic Orban, resigned as PM designate, following the Social Democratic Partys boycotting the investiture vote and following a ruling of the Constitutional Court against Orbans nomination. Prior to the decision to nominate Citu, the Liberals said they would support the presidents decision to designate a new PM and would try to secure a parliamentary majority, while the Social Democrats said they would not endorse a minority Liberal government. Save Romania Union said they are open to joining in a government and came up with a PM nomination, and so did the Peoples Movement Party, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians voiced support for a coalition government. ALDE pleaded for an independent prime minister, whereas the president of the leftist Pro Romania Party, Victor Ponta, nominated himself for head of government and said he is able to put together a parliamentary majority.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 February 2020
February 26, 2020 UPDATE

CONSULTATIONS After consultations with the parliamentary parties in Bucharest, president Klaus Iohannis Wednesday designated the acting finance minister Florin Citu to form a new government. The decision comes after another Liberal, Ludovic Orban, resigned as PM designate, following the Social Democratic Partys boycotting the investiture vote and following a ruling of the Constitutional Court against Orbans nomination. Prior to the decision to nominate Citu, the Liberals said they would support the presidents decision to designate a new PM and would try to secure a parliamentary majority, while the Social Democrats said they would not endorse a minority Liberal government. Save Romania Union said they are open to joining in a government and came up with a PM nomination, and so did the Peoples Movement Party, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians voiced support for a coalition government. ALDE pleaded for an independent prime minister, whereas the president of the leftist Pro Romania Party, Victor Ponta, nominated himself for head of government and said he is able to put together a parliamentary majority.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 February 2020
New Commission to seek European Parliament endorsement

The vote on the new European Commission is scheduled for next Wednesday, during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The announcement was made by the Parliament president David Sassoli, who said the Conference of Presidents authorised the publication of the evaluation letters of Commissioners-designate. These are reports made by the specialist committees following the hearing of each candidate, held between September 30 and October 8 for 23 nominees. The last round of committee hearings was held on November 14, when the new candidates sent by Romania, Hungary and France were evaluated, after the initial nominations made by these countries were rejected in the parliamentary validation procedure.

Meanwhile, last week the European Commission initiated an infringement procedure against Britain, which declined nominating a commissioner-designate.

According to the president of the European Parliament, over the past 2 months the body has carefully reviewed the performances of the commissioners-designate, and the Conference of Presidents, made up of the political group leaders and the EP president, conducted the final evaluation after exchanging opinions with the Commissions 3 executive vice-presidents—Frans Timmermans, Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovkis.

“The hearings have been detailed, and sometimes difficult, but they provide a unique and transparent way for MEPs to verify whether the Commissioners-designate are ready for the job ahead, Sassoli said, and on Thursday Parliament officially closed the evaluation process. The vote on the College of Commissioners will take place next week, and if its a favourable vote the Commission will be able to start its work on December 1. “As the direct link with EU citizens, the Parliament will continue to hold the Commission to account and ensure it delivers on its promises, the EP president added.

The vote in the Parliament plenary session will be held after Ursula von der Leyen has presented the new members and their programme. In the next 5 years, Europe will be facing many challenges, Sassoli also mentioned, from long-term solutions to the migration and asylum to taking over global leadership in the fight against climate change. We need a European Commission ready to tackle the problems that matter to Europeans, David Sassoli also said.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

22 November 2019
Romania has a new PM designate

After consultations with the political parties in Parliament, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis designated the head of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, to put together a new Cabinet and a governing programme, and submit them for approval by Parliament. According to the head of state, the National Liberal Party is the largest opposition party and the initiator of the no-confidence motion which last week brought down Viorica Dancilas Social Democratic Government. The Social Democratic Party had been left with a minority government after their junior partners in the ruling coalition, ALDE, had switched to the opposition in August.

According to Klaus Iohannis, the new Liberal Government will be in charge, among other things, with the appropriate organisation of next months presidential election, with closing the 2019 state budget and preparing the 2020 budget.

Klaus Iohannis: “The National Liberal Party was the only party that said, in the consultations, that although it is a difficult job, they are ready to take over power in this transition period, because we are talking about a transition time. The Government that will be sworn in at some point in the forthcoming weeks will have a short term, until the parliamentary elections.

The PM designate Ludovic Orban, who has 10 days to present Parliament with his governing team and programme, promised that the new ministers will be honest and competent, and will have solutions for Romanias major problems. He added the priorities will include rebuilding macroeconomic balances, a large-scale restructuring of the governmental scheme, a focus on investments in the transport infrastructure, healthcare and education, true independence of the judiciary and strengthening Romanias position within the EU.

For the time being, the only hurdle for a new governmental team is to secure the 233 votes required for its endorsement by Parliament.

Ludovic Orban: “I trust all the partners who joined us in our effort to put an end to the Social Democratic government, and I am confident that in all the talks we will have from now on we will find the necessary insight, openness and interest in serving the citizens, because every day without a new government means that the Social Democratic Party and the Dancila Cabinet are still in power, in spite of having been dismissed through a motion of censure, of having no legitimacy and of virtually no Romanian willing to see them in power.

So far, the Liberals can only count on their own Senators and Deputies, and on the ones representing the ethnic minorities. Most of the other parties that helped dismiss the Dancila Cabinet have their own terms and conditions or are waiting to see what the new Cabinet proposes. As for the Social Democratic Party, they said they would not endorse a Liberal government as long as it lacks an action plan. The outgoing PM Viorica Dancila, encouraged on Tuesday by the new IMF forecasts regarding Romanias economic growth during her term in office, announced:

Viorica Dancila: “As president of the Social Democratic Party, and following talks with the leaders of the partys county organisations, I have decided that we will not take part in the vote on the new government.

In other words, if they managed to bring down the Dancila Government, the Liberals and the parties that supported them must now prove they are able to replace it.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 October 2019
September 26, 2019

TALKS The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had a short meeting in New York on Wednesday with his Moldovan counterpart Igor Dodon, on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. President Klaus Iohannis emphasised during the talks that in Romanias view, the Republic of Moldovas European accession efforts, firmly supported by Bucharest, are the only way to ensure the prosperity of the Moldovan citizens. In turn, Igor Dodon emphasised that he supports the strategic partnership between Romania and Moldova, and added that Moldovas European accession remains a priority. The Romanian President also had a meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter thanked Romania for supporting his countrys European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state. Volodymyr Zelensky and Klaus Iohannis also discussed cooperation opportunities in the economic and energy fields, as well as bilateral business relations.

CoD Romania is taking over the 2-year presidency of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies, the Foreign Ministry announced. On this occasion, Foreign Minister Ramona Mănescu is taking part in New York today in an extraordinary meeting of this body. The Community of Democracies is a global inter-governmental structure aimed at promoting sustainable development, universal access to justice and efficient, responsible and inclusive institutions at all levels. Romania is one of the 106 UN member states that have signed the Warsaw Declaration, on whose principles the Community of Democracies has been founded.

HEARING The candidacy of the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb for the post of European Commissioner for Transport was rejected on Thursday by the European Parliaments judicial committee, political sources in Brussels announced. Only 6 MEPs voted in her favour, 15 voted against and 2 abstained from voting. Without the approval of the judicial committee, the hearing in the Transport Committee cannot be held. The European Parliaments judicial committee had invited Rovana Plumb and Lazslo Trocsanyi, the European Commissioner nominated by Hungary, to a special hearing. Plumb was asked to clarify controversial aspects in her declaration of assets, related to a loan taken out in order to fund an election campaign.

AMBASSADOR Lawyer Adrian Zuckermans nomination as US ambassador to Romania has been approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate. According to the White House, Zuckerman immigrated to the US from Romania at the age of 10, and is fluent in Romanian. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1984, and was a partner in an international law firm. He was previously an arbitrator for the Real Estate Board of New York. He received his undergraduate degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his law degree from New York Law School.

UNEMPLOYMENT In Romania, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in the second quarter of the year, with the highest rate (15%) reported among youth 15 to 24 years of age, the National Statistics Institute reports. The data also indicates that unemployed men outnumber the women, and that unemployment is higher in rural communities. During the same period, the employment rate in the 15-66 age bracket was slightly over 66%, up since the previous quarter. Moreover, the employment rate for citizens aged between 20 and 64 was 71.6%, higher than the 70% national target set in the Europa 2020 Strategy. Romanias active population was 9.1 million people, of whom 8.8 million were employed in the second quarter of this year.

HANDBALL Romanias womens handball team Wednesday night defeated Ukraine, at home, 27-24, in the first match in Group 7 of the 2020 European Championships qualifiers. On Sunday the Romanians will play against Faroe Islands away from home. Group 7 also includes Poland, and the 2 top-ranking teams will qualify in the final tournament. Romanias national team came in 4th in the previous European Championships, losing the bronze medal to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Romanias champions Dinamo Bucharest won 35-28 against Danish vice-champions GOG Gudme, in Group D of the Champions League. Romania tops the group ranking, having outplayed the Swedish team IFK Kristianstad in Bucharest and drawn against the Swiss side Kadetten Schaffhausen, away from home. Dinamo will play next against Cehovskye Medvedy on October 12, in Russia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 September 2019
September 10, 2019 UPDATE

SENATE The former foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu, vice-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, until recently a junior member of the ruling coalition in Romania, is the new Speaker of the Senate. Backed by the Social Democratic Party, in power, he was elected with 73 votes, whereas his challenger, the Liberal Alina Gorghiu, only got 59 votes. Teodor Meleşcanu replaces Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who last week resigned as head of this Parliament chamber as his party left the ruling coalition. After the vote, Călin Popescu Tăriceanu announced that he would challenge the procedure at the Constitutional Court, because 2 candidates from the same parliamentary group took part in the race: Teodor Meleșcanu, a member of ALDE but supported by the Social Democrats, and another candidate nominated and backed by the Liberal Democrats.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION The President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Tuesday presented the distribution of portfolios to Commissioners-designate, with the Romanian Social Democrat Rovana Plumb nominated for the transport portfolio. A minister in several cabinets in Bucharest, Plumb was nominated for the Commissioner post by PM Viorica Dăncilă. The National Liberal Party in opposition has called on the PM to withdraw the candidacy and make a different nomination. The USR-PLUS Alliance also opposes the nomination and voices concerns regarding the candidates integrity and competence, while the Peoples Movement Party also sees Plumb as not suitable to head a EU portfolio. The European Parliament is next to approve the College of Commissioners as a whole, including the President-elect and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Commission vice-president.

BREXIT The British Parliament dismissed Boris Johnson’s second attempt to hold an October 15 general election, with the Opposition saying they will only accept early elections after PM Boris Johnson has requested a postponement of Brexit. Parliament is shut down until October 14, just 2 weeks before the deadline for the UK exiting the European bloc. Last week Parliament passed a bill blocking a no-deal Brexit. The British PM claims he can secure a new deal with Brussels at the October summit, and that he will deliver Brexit on October 31, as promised. The Opposition on the other hand insists that the exit deadline be delayed, so as to avoid a withdrawal without an agreement.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

10 September 2019