Radio România Internațional

Tag: division

  • July 31, 2022

    July 31, 2022

    TAXATION On 1 August, some of the fiscal measures introduced
    recently by the coalition government made up of the National Liberal Party,
    Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
    Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is to increase, as is
    the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as regards salaries in the
    construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where the ceiling for
    certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the Fiscal Code will
    take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality industry VAT will
    be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer and for sugary
    drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120 sq.m. or for prices
    of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
    to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
    additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.



    FESTIVAL Medieval
    Sighişoara Festival in central Romania comes to a close today with a
    concert by the rock band Cargo and a spectacular fireworks show. Currently in
    its 28th year, the festival recreated the medieval feel with the
    help of the over 100 participating artists. Events included medieval music and
    dance performances, theatre plays, animation, and arts and crafts workshops. The
    festival was organized under the patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Crown of Romania. Sighişoara is the
    only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.


    MILITARY The world’s
    strongest air assault force, the US 101st Airborne Division, started
    its mission in Romania, following a decision in this respect taken at the
    recent NATO summit in Madrid. PM Nicolae Ciucă Saturday took part in the
    ceremony in which the US unit presented its colours at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase
    57 and welcomed the presence of this force, which contributes to strengthening
    NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian official thanked the US troops deployed to
    Romania for their effort and contribution to the country’s security. Civilians,
    airport personnel and their families then watched an impressive demonstration
    showcasing the firepower of the Romanian and US armed forces. Created in 1942 to free Europe from the Nazi
    occupation, the US 101st Airborne Division has 2,400 troops
    deployed in Romania, 4,700 in Europe and nearly 20,000 around the world. In one
    night alone, it can mobilise a brigade of 4,000 troops and hundreds of military
    vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, an assault force able to overwhelm any opponent.


    CENSUS Sunday is the
    last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
    several extensions. According to the National Statistics Institute, over 90% of
    the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census is to
    establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
    living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
    authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
    village. At EU level, the number of people
    living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census is
    compulsory for all Romanian citizens.


    COVID More than 4,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000
    tests, as well as 13 COVID-related deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the
    authorities announced. The number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900,
    of whom more than 260 are in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next
    week Romania could see 10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very
    quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.


    TENNIS
    The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (108 WTA) plays today against Caroline
    Garcia of France (45 WTA), in the Warsaw WTA tournament finals. They only
    played against each other once before, at Wimbledon
    in 2017, when the French player won. On Saturday, Ana Bogdan, currently
    at her first WTA final in her career, defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine (190
    WTA), 7-5, 7-5. (AMP)

  • After street clashes, political squabble

    After street clashes, political squabble

    A harmful influence, which fuels conflicts and persistently and deliberately induces discord in the Romanian society, disregarding and overstepping his constitutional powers. This is how the Social Democratic Party depicts the President Klaus Iohannis, in a harsh message that further strains the already tense relationship between the ruling party and the head of state.



    The Social Democrats accuse the President, whom they dub “the Divider, of daring to encourage the anarchic, anti-governmental and anti-Power street protests. There is no doubt, they go on, although without producing evidence for their claims, that Iohannis political supporters were involved in organising the protests, encouraged harsh and obscene rhetoric and attitudes, and some of them even predicted and plotted the street violence.



    The Social Democrats believe that the Presidents request for an investigation into the riot police response on Friday is aimed at humiliating and scaring the gendarmes into submission, weakening the determination of institutions that are vital to protecting public order.



    In response, Klaus Iohannis addressed the citizens, reiterating the opinion he had expressed shortly after Fridays street clashes, namely that the gendarmes intervention was blatantly disproportionate compared to the conduct of the vast majority of the protesters. Civic participation was severely punished with tear gas, water cannons and excessive brutality, Klaus Iohannis argued. Violence and the brutal repression of protesters are unacceptable under any circumstances, and attacking innocent people, journalists, women and children is unimaginable in an EU member state, the President said. The Social Democrats chaotic and irrational governing, with controversial and anti-constitutional regulations and with attacks against magistrates, is now followed by repressive conduct, Iohannis says:



    Klaus Iohannis: “Those who seek to crush the judiciary and the fight against corruption wanted a diversion, to build unnecessary and false tension within society. What will happen next, if this government continues to treat its own citizens like this, if it continues to resort to violent repression against those who do not want Romania thrown back into the past?



    Tens of participants in Fridays protests filed criminal complaints against riot police, and prosecutors extended their investigations for misdeeds ranging from abuse of office to misconduct. They also investigate whether the gendarmes left behind two of their colleagues, who were unprotected and were beaten by hooligans.



    Fortunately, the street violence, reminding people of the struggles to reconstruct Romanian democracy in the first years after the fall of communism, did not occur the following days. But the political disputes that it has triggered are only beginning.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • A la Une de la presse roumaine 09.09.2016

    A la Une de la presse roumaine 09.09.2016

    Quelle UE souhaitent les Etats membres, s’interroge la presse roumaine du jour qui analyse les divisions et les « tendances centrifuges » qui se font ressentir de jour en jour sur le continent mais qui propose aussi une issue « adaptée au 21e siècle ». Les journalistes roumains ont également appris vers quoi sont orientés les fonds communautaires roumains destinés à l’agriculture et qui ne seront pas utilisés ; de même, ils passent au peigne fin les ressources humaines dans le secteur public roumain et révèlent combien d’autres salariés doit financièrement supporter un seul fonctionnaire public de l’administration centrale.