Radio România Internațional

Tag: drones

  • Security decisions in Romania’s Parliament

    Security decisions in Romania’s Parliament

     

    The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, as the first party to be notified, endorsed a draft law that allows drones that illegally enter Romanian airspace to be shot down. More precisely, drones that enter national airspace illegally will be destroyed or disabled if Romanian or NATO military forces are unable to control them.

     

    Another bill, which regulates the way military missions in Romania are carried out in peacetime, was also passed by the Chamber of Deputies. One of the measures allows the authority of specific structures in the Romanian Army to be transferred for a limited period to a commander of the Allied military forces participating in these missions.

     

    The bills were criticised by the populist-sovereigntist opposition comprising S.O.S. Romania, the Young People’s Party (POT) and AUR. The AUR deputy, Ramona Bruynseels:

     

    Ramona Bruynseels: “NATO is not an instrument for ceding sovereignty. We do not know who will be in government tomorrow. Do you want us to expose ourselves to the risk that, at some point, someone, anyone, will come and use this instrument to introduce repressive measures against Romanian civilians?”

     

    The Social Democrat Daniel Suciu retorted:

     

    Daniel Suciu: “What do you want, esteemed colleagues from the opposition who talk about a transfer of sovereignty and it is not true, it is not about this… what do you want? To have drones fall on our schools? To have drones fall on our cities and then shrug your shoulders that Parliament did not do its job?”

     

    Along with the Social Democratic Deputies, their ruling coalition partners, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well as the USR in opposition, voted in favour of the draft laws.

     

    After the documents regarding the control of the national airspace, and the management of military missions on Romanian territory in peacetime were endorsed, the defence ministry made a number of clarifications, amid “an extensive campaign of disinformation and fake news massively distributed by a number of users of various digital platforms in Romania” triggered by the 2 bills.

     

    The defence ministry says that all the procedural steps required for these bills have been taken, including public reviews. The same source also says that attempts to depict concrete measures to strengthen Romania’s and NATO’s defence capacity as acts of national treason are part of a pattern of disinformation campaigns carried out in the public space in Romania, “including by state actors with an agenda contrary to Romania’s sovereignty and against NATO, through which an attempt is made to induce panic and to weaken confidence in the capacity of national security institutions to fulfil their constitutional missions.”

     

    “Claims of unconstitutionality or betrayal of Romania’s interests are false and totally unjustified,” the defence ministry emphasizes, in a press release which explains in detail the content of the two laws. (AMP)

  • February 19, 2025 UPDATE 2

    February 19, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Paris – The security of Europe is the theme of the new meeting organized in Paris by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, after the one on Monday, which took place in a restricted format. This time Romania is also attending, being represented by the interim president, Ilie Bolojan. Also participating are the leaders from Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Belgium. The French president said that he sees Russia and President Vladimir Putin as ‘an existential threat to Europe’. He recalled the activities of the Kremlin in the last period, which affected the interests of several countries in the European Union, including actions on the Polish border, cyber attacks in all EU countries and the manipulation of information or electoral processes, such as the presidential election in Romania. Macron also recalled Putin’s explicit threats regarding the use of nuclear weapons, in violation of international agreements to which Russia is a party. However, he showed his willingness to talk with Putin about ending the conflict and returning peace to Ukraine. Among the solutions that could be proposed to Ukraine as security guarantees within a possible peace agreement with Moscow would be the sending of experts or even peacekeeping troops outside the conflict zones. Macron said that there is also the possibility of organizing a peacekeeping operation under the UN mandate, to be carried out on the front line.

     

    Coalition – The leaders of the parties in the government coalition in Bucharest – the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania on Wednesday signed a protocol for the establishment of the “Romania Ahead” electoral alliance, in order to support the sole candidate for the presidency, Crin Antonescu. According to the document, the leadership of this alliance will be ensured by the presidents of the three parties, and the decisions are binding for all members and organizations, respectively the subsidiaries of the signatory political groups. The electoral alliance also benefits from the support of the parliamentary group of national minorities in the Chamber of Deputies. The campaign for the presidential election will be led by a central team, led by national coordinators appointed by each party. They will develop the political program and strategy, respectively the common campaign timetable. Regarding the budget of the electoral campaign, the protocol shows that it is made up of contributions from the common candidate and also from the political parties. PSD, PNL and UDMR say that the “Romania Ahead” electoral alliance aims to counter violent radicalism and extremism in all its forms and, at the same time, to ensure internal political stability and balance, to promote pro-European and Euro-Atlantic values ​​and principles.

     

    Drones – The Romanian MPs adopted, on Wednesday, a draft law that allows the downing of drones that illegally enter the national airspace. According to the document initiated by the Government, these aircraft can be destroyed by air and land defense means, and the downing order is given by persons with the right to decide established by Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) decision. The Chamber of Deputies also passed the bill that regulates the peacetime deployment of military missions on Romanian territory. The document provides, among other things, the possibility that, for a certain period, the authority over some structures of the Romanian Army be transferred to the commanders of the NATO forces participating in various operations. In the case of this bill, the Senate is the decision-making body.

     

    Crime – Romania is among the countries with a low level of crime and a high level of safety, according to information published by the online platform numbeo.com. It collects data from around the world on people’s perceptions of safety and crime. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, at the European level, Romania is perceived by citizens as a safer country than countries such as France, Great Britain, Italy or Germany. The online platform confirms the latest international reports, such as that of the US State Department, which highlights the progress made by Bucharest in the field of public safety and places Romania among the safest states in the EU bloc.

     

    NATO – The NATO Steadfest Dart 25 exercise, considered the biggest this year, is in full swing on the territories of Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The drill started last month and involves the mobilization of soldiers from nine allied states. The exercise is led by the Joint Allied Command from Naples and involves the first operational deployment of the Allied Rapid Reaction Force, established on July 1, 2024. Thus, the ability of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to mobilize and rapidly deploy forces to defend its borders is being tested. More than 10,000 soldiers, over 1,500 land combat vehicles and over 20 planes and helicopters, plus 17 ships and submarines, are participating in the exercise, with combat exercises in the air, water and on land, as well as in cyberspace, being scheduled. In Romania, Steadfest Dart 25 takes place in the Smârdan range in Galati county, in the southeast, and the country participates with approximately 1,150 soldiers and 120 combat vehicles. (LS)

  • February 14, 2025 UPDATE 2

    February 14, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Munich – The US Vice President, J.D. Vance criticized the cancellation of the presidential election organized in November 2024 in Romania. In a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, J.D. Vance harshly criticized the European leaders, comparing them to the autocrats who led the continent’s repressive regimes during the Cold War. He expressed concern about what he called Europe’s departure from its fundamental values ​​and gave several examples of repressive measures against freedom of expression on the European continent, including the annulment of the recent presidential election in Romania. J. D. Vance said that the biggest danger to Europe comes from within, and this is more worrying than threats from Russia or China. He also asked Europe to invest more in its own defense, given that the US must ‘focus on the regions of the world that are in great danger’. In response, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, reassured all Romania’s partners that the country remains a reliable ally, firmly committed to a united European Union, a strong North Atlantic Alliance and a solid transatlantic partnership. At the Security Conference in Munich, heads of state and government and hundreds of defense experts discuss, until Sunday, about the big global files, especially about a possible peace in Ukraine. Romania is represented by the Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu.

     

    Drones – The Romanian diplomacy firmly condemns the irresponsible attack of the Russian forces against Ukraine on February 13, when two drones carrying explosive material violated Romania’s airspace and fell on its territory, near the border with Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops. By order of the Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the ministry, to be informed of the firm condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must end, Romania having the right to take the necessary response measures, the Foreign Ministry said.

     

    Bank – The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) decided on Friday to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 6.5% per year. Also, the BNR decided to maintain the interest rate for the credit facility at 7.50% per year and the interest rate for the deposit facility at 5.50% per year and to maintain the current levels of the minimum statutory reserve ratio for the liabilities in lei and in foreign currency of credit institutions. The central bank in Bucharest decided last year, twice, to lower the key interest rate, in July, from 7% per year to 6.75% per year, and in August to 6.5% per year. The key rate had been unchanged since January 2023.

     

    Appointment – The interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, appointed Cristian Diaconescu, a former foreign minister, to the position of presidential advisor for defense and security, who will also take over the coordination of the presidential chancellery. Also, Bogdan Mazuru will hold the position of presidential adviser for foreign policy, and Simona-Livia Maftei and Bianca-Teodora Firezar were appointed advisers to the interim president’s office. Bolojan declared that ensuring the economic, social and political stability of Romania is the top priority on his agenda during the three months of his mandate. In his first message after replacing the outgoing president Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace, Bolojan promised that the presidential election in May will be fair and transparent.

     

    Corruption – The Head of Logistics of the Romanian Army, three-star general Cătălin Zisu, is targeted by an investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors in a case with an estimated damage of 2.4 million Euros. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) is investigating a potential abuse of office in connection with the conclusion of a contract regarding the expansion of the Ghencea Military Cemetery in Bucharest. The contract in question would have been awarded by the general to the company Garden Center Group, owned by the businessman Ionel Olteanu. During the searches carried out on Friday on people close to the general, the prosecutors found luxury watches, designer bags and over 2,000 paintings. 10 people from those targeted by the searches will be heard at the DNA.

     

    IAEA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that during the night an explosion was heard followed by a fire at the new sarcophagus that protects the remains of reactor four of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Fire security personnel responded in a few minutes and no casualties were reported. The radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, the IAEA also reports. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, in turn, that Russian drones hit the radiation protection shield at Chernobyl. According to the Ukrainian president, after a first assessment, it was found that the attack substantially damaged the shield. On the other hand, in Bucharest, the National Agency for Environmental Protection announced that the Chernobyl incident does not represent a danger for Romania. They have given assurances that they constantly monitor the evolution of environmental radioactivity at national level, and the values ​​recorded after this event are within the usual limits, specific to this period. (LS)

  • February 14, 2025

    February 14, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SECURITY – Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu is taking part, until Sunday, in the  International Security Conference in Munich, where heads of state and government and hundreds of defense experts are discussing major global issues, especially a possible peace in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, security threats and challenges in the political, economic, commercial and technological fields will be addressed. In the thematic sessions of the conference, Emil Hurezeanu will present Romania’s assessments of current challenges, with an emphasis on the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region and the implications of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. At the same time, he will emphasize the danger of Russia’s hybrid actions and the importance of countering them. On the other hand, the Romanian official will highlight the importance of a more robust transatlantic relationship in managing these challenges and combating the threats faced by the Euro-Atlantic community and will highlight the importance of continuing to provide solid support for increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    DRONES – The diplomacy in Bucharest firmly condemns the irresponsible attack of the Russian forces against Ukraine on February 13, when two drones carrying explosive material violated the airspace and fell on Romanian territory, near the border with Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops. By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the ministry, to be informed of the firm condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must end, Romania having the right to take the necessary response measures, the Ministry said.

     

    NEGOTIATIONS – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal negotiated by the United States and Russia without Kyiv’s involvement. Zelenskyy is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance today in Munich on the sidelines of the annual Security Conference, after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed by phone to immediately begin negotiations to end the war. Trump said after the discussion with Putin that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is impractical and that its return to the borders it had, before the Russian invasion, is unlikely. The statements have angered Ukraine and European countries, who see them as a capitulation to Russia and a threat to Europe’s security.

     

    THREAT – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that an explosion was heard overnight, followed by a fire at the new sarcophagus that protects parts of reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Fire safety personnel responded to the fire within minutes and no casualties were reported. Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, the Agency also reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky announced, in turn, that Russian drones had hit the radiation protection shield at Chernobyl. According to the Ukrainian head of state, after an initial assessment, it was found that the attack had seriously damaged the shield.

     

    PRESIDENCY – Ensuring Romania’s stability is the main priority of the interim president Ilie Bolojan during his three-month term. In his first message as head of state, after taking over the post from his predecessor, Klaus Iohannis, who had resigned, Ilie Bolojan said that his main priorities are ensuring the country’s economic, social and political stability. He also promised that the presidential elections in May will be fair and transparent.

     

    INFLATION – In Romania, the annual inflation rate decreased slightly, to 4.95%, last month, compared to January 2024, when it was 5.14%. According to data published today by the National Institute of Statistics, over the past 12 months, food prices have increased by 4.54%, non-food prices by 4.60%, and services by 6.54%. The latest inflation forecast of the Central Bank indicates a decrease of this index to 3.5%, for the end of the current year.

     

    FOOTBALL- The Romanian football champion FCSB defeated Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 on Thursday evening in the first leg of the play-off for the Europa League’s round of 16. The decisive leg against the Greeks coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu is scheduled for February 20 in Bucharest. Also on Thursday, in men’s handball,  champion Dinamo Bucharest lost, 26-33, the home match against the Hungarian One Veszprem , in Group A of the Champions League.

     

  • Russian drones crash in Romania

    Russian drones crash in Romania

    The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is firmly condemning the latest irresponsible attack of the Russian troops, after two drones with explosive payloads have violated Romania’s airspace and crushed on its territory close to the border with Ukraine.

    Moscow’s charge D’affairs in Bucharest has been immediately summoned to the Foreign Ministry and has been briefed on the vehement condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace by unmanned flying devices operated by the Russian military forces, which represent a blatant violation of the international law by a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

    At the same time, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has underlined that these illegal and irresponsible attacks must stop, and that Romania has the right to take the response measures implied. These actions are an inseparable part of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, which has been carried on for almost three years and which has been causing security risks in the entire Black Sea region and the Eastern Flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, the aforementioned Ministry says.

    Four jet fighters took off from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase on Wednesday night after several targets had been detected in Ukraine’s airspace close to Romania and a potential impact zone on the national territory close to the city of Galati, in eastern Romania, had been announced.

    In Romania a team of experts of the Romanian Defence and Interior Ministries on Thursday carried out a series of investigations close to the Romanian-Ukrainian border, where debris from the drone’s impact had been discovered.

    The investigation revealed that both drones had explosive payloads, which were destroyed in the impact. The two sites are outside the inhabited areas and no infrastructure elements have been affected, Defence Ministry sources have announced.

    Authorities in the neighbouring ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking, Republic of Moldova have also announced that two Russian drones violated the country’s airspace and exploded on the ground on Wednesday night, during a massive Russian attack against the port of Reni, in Ukraine. The two drones fell outside the inhabited areas. The two sites have been isolated and there is no threat to citizens presently, the country’s president, Maia Sandu, wrote on Facebook. In her post, she underlined that Russian drones and bombs are falling and exploding on Moldovan soil as the country lacks the necessary defence capabilities.

    The North Atlantic Alliance is close to the Republic of Moldova against the Kremlin’s destabilizing actions and terrorist acts, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said at the end of the Thursday’s meeting of the NATO defence ministers in Brussels. According to him, Moscow’s actions in the Republic of Moldova are quote a ‘campaign of destabilization and, at times, state-sponsored terrorism aimed at your country’.

    The aforementioned meeting came shortly after the US president Donald Trump announced he had commenced talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on putting an end to the war in Ukraine.

    (bill)

  • January 30, 2025

    January 30, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s draft state budget for 2025 will be finalized today.  On Saturday it will be approved by the Government and next week by Parliament, Finance Minister Tanczos Barna announced. He said that the budget includes money for investment in infrastructure and for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the Gross Domestic Product. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be smaller and the budgets of some ministries, such as Environment, Health, Education or Transport, will increase.

     

    ENERGY – Bucharest’s Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, has announced  that the Court rejected Greenpeace’s request to suspend the work on the Black Sea gas exploitation. He said that this is a victory for Romania’s energy independence and that the strategic project that Greenpeace tried to block in court will double Romanian gas production, create jobs and bring over 20 billion euros to the budget. Moreover, the gas from the Black Sea will ensure a more stable and lower price for Romanians, and Romania will become a regional energy supplier. Last year, Greenpeace requested in Court the suspension of the environmental agreement for the Neptun Deep project, due to concerns related to environmental protection, climate change and compliance with legislation. Neptun Deep is owned in equal shares by OMV Petrom company and the state owned company Romgaz. Production will be approximately 8 billion cubic meters annually for approximately 10 years.

     

    EVACUATION – Numerous Romanians, employed by a private military company operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), crossed the border into neighboring Rwanda on Wednesday to surrender to the authorities there, sources in Kigali said, quoted by international news agencies. The Romanians had been hired to fight alongside the Congolese army in the conflict that opposes it to the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, in the Goma region. The Rwandan Ministry of Defense confirmed their surrender and spoke of “280 Romanian mercenaries” being evacuated by buses to the capital, Kigali.

     

    CRASH – An American Airlines passenger plane and a US military Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, US officials said, quoted by international news agencies. According to Washington media, several bodies were pulled from the water and no survivors were found. American Airlines said there were 64 people on board the plane – 60 passengers and four crew members. Three military personnel were on board the helicopter. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message of solidarity, to the American people. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims”, Iohannis wrote on platform X.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champion FCSB and the famous English team Manchester United will meet on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the eighth and final round of the main phase of the Europa League. United is in fourth place in the standings, with 15 points, and FCSB is in eighth place, with 14 points. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9-24 must get past the the play-off to advance to the round of 16.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby team will make their debut on Friday evening in Bucharest, in a match against Germany, in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians will also play against Belgium, on February 8, away, in Mons, and Portugal, on February 15, at home, in Botoşani (northeast). Romania can secure direct qualification for the Rugby World Cup in Australia, if it finishes the championship in one of the first two places of the group. With one exception, Romania has participated in all the world final tournaments.

  • January 23, 2025 UPDATE

    January 23, 2025 UPDATE

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    CELEBRATION – The Romanian Ministry of National Defense and the local authorities will organize on Friday, January 24, in the garrisons where there are monuments dedicated to the Union of the Romanian Principalities, military and religious ceremonies dedicated to the celebration of the 166th anniversary of this historical event. In Bucharest, a military wreath laying ceremony will be held at the Statue of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Every year, on January 24, Romanians celebrate the Union of the Romanian Principalities that took place in 1859, under the leadership of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, an act of political will of the leaders of Moldavia and Wallachia, and the first step towards the creation of the modern Romanian unitary state.

     

    SECURITY – Over 22,000 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will make sure that the events dedicated to the Union of the Romanian Principalities in the upcoming days unfold smoothly. Around 1,400 traffic police officers will be present on public roads, especially on those that are usually crowded during mini-holidays. Various activities will be organized throughout the country in approximately 130 locations, with an estimated participation of over 60,000 people.

     

    CORRUPTION – Vlad Oprea, the Liberal mayor of Sinaia, the most popular resort on the Prahova Valley (southern Romania), was detained on Thursday by prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate, in a case in which he is suspected of corruption. According to the prosecutors, he claimed and received bribe of almost 240,000 Euros from a businessman, in order to facilitate the issuance of the necessary documentation for the construction of a hotel in the city. Oprea is also accused of having allowed the unauthorized activity of providing public catering services for a restaurant in Sinaia, between July 2019 and January 2024, in order to obtain undue benefits.

     

    PROTEST – Railway workers, reserve military, policemen, miners, foresters, steel workers or employees of the Bucharest Subway system are expected, on Friday, at a rally organized near the government offices, in protest at the new social and salary policies of the ruling coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the Federation of Railway Transporters’ Unions from Romania (FSTFR) have announced. The estimated number of participants in the protest is 30,000.

     

    RELEASE – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Romanian crew member of the “Galaxy Leader” ship, released from Yemen, is safe and sound. The crew has been in captivity for more than a year after the Houthi rebel group captured the ship, at the start of a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, motivated by Israel’s war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The 25 sailors from the Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine were detained in November 2023 by Houthi fighters, who used a helicopter to board the cargo ship that started from Turkey, heading India. A Houthi-controlled Yemeni television station said the crew had been freed and handed over to Oman, following the completion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on Sunday. The release comes after months of diplomatic work involving the sailors’ home countries, as well as the UN’s International Maritime Organization. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the action is the result of the efforts of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the other institutions within the crisis cell. The Romanian authorities also thank the external partners, especially the Sultanate of Oman and the neighboring Bulgaria, for the important support given to solving this complex and extremely difficult case.

     

    REORGANISATION – The reorganization of central public institutions and of state-owned companies in Romania, with a view to reducing budget expenses, has created  discontent among the employees. Several ministries have already announced reorganizations and the reduction of the number of employees. The Parliament leadership also announced the reduction of civil servant positions by approximately 400, which led to a spontaneous protest by the employees.

     

    REPORT – The vice-president of the European Parliament, the Romanian social democrat Victor Negrescu, says that the European Comission will present, in a relatively short time, a report on foreign interference in the presidential election in Romania, through the Chinese network TikTok. The European Commission can make specific recommendations or impose fines on the network, Negrescu explained. He also said that the Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, spoke about the possibility that all social networks, not just TikTok, which interfere in democratic debates and elections, be subject to stricter control and sanctions if they violate the European legislation in the field.

     

     

     

  • January 23, 2025

    January 23, 2025

    Protest – Railway workers, reserve military, policemen, miners, foresters, steel workers or employees of the Bucharest Subway system are expected, on Friday, at a rally organized near the government headquarters, against the background of the dissatisfaction generated by the social and salary policies of the governing coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the Federation of Railway Transporters’ Unions from Romania (FSTFR) announces. It estimates the number of participants in the protest will stand at 30,000.

     

    Corruption – The mayor of Sinaia, the most popular resort on the Prahova Valley (southern Romania), the liberal Vlad Oprea, was brought to the headquarters of the National Anticorruption Directorate on Thursday, to be heard in a case. According to the prosecutors, he claimed and received bribe of almost 240,000 Euros from a businessman, in order to facilitate the issuance of the necessary documentation for the construction of a hotel in the city. Oprea is also accused that, between July 2019 and January 2024, he allowed the unauthorized activity of providing public catering services for a restaurant in Sinaia, in order to obtain undue benefits.

     

    Captivity – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announces that the Romanian sailor from the crew of the ship “Galaxy Leader”, freed from Yemen, is safe and sound. The crew has been in captivity for more than a year after the Houthi rebel group captured the ship, at the start of a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea motivated by Israel’s war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The 25 sailors from the Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine were detained in November 2023 by Houthi fighters, who used a helicopter to board the cargo ship running between Turkey and India. A Houthi-controlled Yemeni television station said the crew had been freed and handed over to Oman, following the completion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on Sunday. The release comes after months of diplomacy work involving the sailors’ home countries, as well as the UN’s International Maritime Organization. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the action is the result of the efforts of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the other institutions within the crisis cell. The Romanian authorities also thank the external partners, especially the Sultanate of Oman and neighboring Bulgaria, for the important support given to solving this complex and extremely difficult case.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champion, FCSB, from Bucharest, plays, this evening, away from home, in Baku, against the Azerbaijani team Qarabag FK, in the seventh stage of the Europa League. With two stages before the end of the main phase of the competition, FCSB is in 10thplace, with 11 points, and Qarabag is in 33rdplace, with 3 points. The first eight teams in the ranking will qualify for the round of 16, while the teams from 9th to the 24th positions will play a play-off to qualify for the round of 16. FCSB still is to play the famous English team Manchester United, at home, on January 30.

     

    Reorganization – The reorganization of central public institutions and of state-owned companies in Romania, with a view to reducing budget expenses, is dissatisfying more and more employees. Several ministries have already announced reorganizations and staff reductions. The Parliament leadership also announced the reduction of civil servant positions by approximately 400, which led to a spontaneous protest by the employees in the halls of the institution.

     

    Drones – A new disinformation by the Russian media, regarding last week’s drone attacks against the civilian port infrastructure in Ukraine, near the border with Romania, was denounced by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. The Kremlin propaganda falsely claimed that the Russian attack drones targeted an operation to transport Romanian soldiers or Romanian mercenaries from the Romanian shore to the Ukrainian one. According to the phantasmagoric scenario, the forces of the Romanian Army would have intervened in the unfolding of the events and would have opened fire on the Russian drones with equipment deployed on the Romanian territory. The alleged confrontation would have resulted in numerous victims on the Romanian side, dead and wounded. But all this did not happen, states the Romanian Defense Ministry. These “ungrounded aberrations”, as the Defense Ministry calls them, are part of the pattern of Russian operations to influence and manipulate public opinion in both the Romanian and NATO areas.

     

    TikTok – The vice-president of the European Parliament, the Romanian social democrat Victor Negrescu, states that the EC will present in a relatively short time its report on the interference, through the Chinese network TikTok, in the presidential election in Romania. The European Commission can come up with specific recommendations or impose a fine for that network – said the social democratic MEP. He added that the Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, spoke about the possibility that all social networks, not just TikTok, which intervene in democratic debates and elections, could be subject to stricter control and could be sanctioned if they violate the European legislation in the matter. (LS)

  • January 17, 2025

    January 17, 2025

     

    RUSSIA The Romanian ministry of foreign affairs firmly condemns the Russian forces’ irresponsible attacks that violate all the norms of international law, and emphasises that Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine generates risks for the entire region. The statement was made as the monitoring and surveillance systems of Romania’s defence ministry Friday morning noted violations of Romanian airspace, in Tulcea county, after Russian forces resumed their drone attacks on civilian targets and port infrastructure in Ukraine. ‘Respect for sovereignty, security and peace are obligations that the Russian Federation violates systematically and without provocation. The persistent aggressive actions, the illegal occupation of some of the neighboring territories and the illegal full-scale war that Russia has been waging for almost 3 years against a sovereign neighbor are a persistent and serious threat not only to Ukraine but to the entire Black Sea region and NATO’s eastern flank,’ the foreign ministry says. The foreign ministry and the defence ministry also mention that they have been informing NATO in real time about the situations caused by these attacks, and remain in permanent contact with it.

     

    PROTESTS Several thousand police officers and employees from defence, public order and national security institutions, as well as reserve officers from all over Romania take part in a protest in Bucharest today. They are unhappy with a government order that has significantly reduced their incomes. The act scraps overtime pay and payments for days worked on weekends or public holidays. The protesters argue that the income of operational police officers will be severely affected, with decreases ranging between EUR 200 and 2,000. The participants are marching towards the ministry of finance, the ministry of justice, the labour ministry, and the interior ministry, with the government headquarters as their final destination.

     

    ELECTIONS The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18, the government has decided. Stricter rules have also been set for the election campaign, especially regulating online campaigns. Failure to comply with them may entail fines for major online platforms of up to 5% of their turnover. Romanians in the diaspora will still have 3 days to vote, but on the last day, that is, on Sunday, polling stations will close at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone. The new provisions have been criticised by several NGOs. The presidential election was cancelled at the end of last year by the Constitutional Court, on grounds that the election process had been flawed.

     

    FLU Flu vaccination remains the easiest, safest and most effective protection method against seasonal diseases, Romanian doctors reiterate amid increases in the number of respiratory infections. Specialists emphasise that as the percentage of the vaccinated population increased, flu viruses spread less in communities decreases. A National Institute for Public Health report shows that the number of people diagnosed with respiratory infections has doubled, with almost 91,000 cases reported in the last week. There are almost 600 patients diagnosed with clinical flu and over 200 for whom lab tests have confirmed infection with the flu virus, most of them in Bucharest, Cluj, Braşov, Constanţa, Alba and Galaţi. Five more people have died from the flu, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the season up to 9.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Israel and Hamas have officially signed a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, after overcoming last-minute disputes. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Security Cabinet and the government are meeting later today to ratify the document. The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he expects the implementation of the agreement to begin on Sunday as planned, with the release of the first 3 Israeli hostages. At least one of the far-right Israeli ministers who oppose the agreement has resigned. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, political life in Israel is shaping up to be troubled, with a great potential for surprises and even changes.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, in separate pairs, qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after winning their respective matches on Friday in Melbourne. Ruse and Ukraine’s Marta Kostiuk won against the Australians Destanee Aiuava and Maddison Inglis 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), and in the second round they will face strong opponents in Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Ellen Perez (Australia), seeded 6th. Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello defeated Cristina Bucşa (Spain) / Iana Sizikova (Russia) 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4. Cristian and Rosatello will next face Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), seeded 16th. In another first-round match in the women’s doubles, Monica Niculescu and Sofia Kenin (US) were defeated by Miyu Kato (Japan) / Renata Zarazua (Mexico), 6-4, 6-4. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Argentine pair Victor Cornea / Mariano Navone were defeated in the second round by Germany’s Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz, 4-6, 6-1. (AMP)

  • October 3, 2024 UPDATE

    October 3, 2024 UPDATE

    SUMMIT Romania’s development depends on investment and initiative and our country needs people with a western attitude towards work – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday during a summit for the Romanians the world over staged in Bucharest. The head of the Romanian Executive said that over 3 million Romanians migrated between the years 2008 and 2022. However, Ciolacu said that last year was for the first time when 190 thousand Romanians returned home. Also attending the event, the Senate president, Nicolae Ciuca, voiced his wish that the Romanians in the Diaspora come back home, adding the state’s involvement in easing their return is ‘absolutely necessary and important’.

     

    DRONES The construction of Europe’s first drone carrier kicked off at the Damen Shipyard in Galati, eastern Romania, on Thursday. This multi-role ship, which is being built for the Portuguese navy and will be used in rescue and research missions, has been designed to launch underwater, surface and aerial drones. Other three military vessels are being built for European states at the Damen Shipyard.

     

    DEFICIT The Romanian minister for investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu, said a 7-year plan to reduce the budget deficit would be presented by the October 15 deadline set by the EC. According to Câciu, the plan is accompanied by reforms included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The measures mainly consist in cutting unnecessary expenditure by public institutions and improved collection of government revenues.

     

    YOUTH European youth born in 2006, including in Romania, may enroll in the 2024 DiscoverEU programme, which provides free travel across the Union. A dedicated European Commission webpage is available for young people to enroll in order to win one of the 35,000 free travel permits and discount accommodation and meal cards. Each permit allows for one trip between March 2025 and May 2026. Winners may choose certain destinations in Europe, including ones on the DiscoverEU cultural route that connects EU capital cities, UNESCO sites and European heritage sites. Applications may be submitted until October 16. More than 300,000 youth have benefitted from this programme since its launch in 2018.

     

    WB The country partnership framework between the World Bank and Romania for 2025-2029 was launched in Bucharest. PM Marcel Ciolacu says that in the next 3 years the estimated funding for Romania from the WB group will be over USD 6 bln, in favourable financial terms. The money is intended to help bridge the gap between the more developed and integrated urban communities and the poorer and more isolated rural environment. A USD 500 mln loan agreement has also been signed, for the funding of disaster risk management policies.

     

    (bill)

  • B9 meeting in Bucharest

    B9 meeting in Bucharest

    NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

     

    NATO must give a robust and coordinated response to the repeated intrusion of Russian drones and missiles into the Alliance’s airspace, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest, bringing together the allied defense ministers on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Tîlvăr said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying, due to the threats generated by Russia’s aggressive actions, including through disinformation and cyber attacks. Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russian Federation’s drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania and Latvia and about the escalation of tensions along the NATO borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at allied level is needed, as well as the implementation, as soon as possible, of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

     

    Against this background, the Romanian minister also focused on the Republic of Moldova, which is facing challenges from the Russian Federation. He pointed out once more that the country needs support for its European integration, a safe investment, he says, in the security of the Black Sea region and Europe. In turn, the Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalewsky, said that at the upcoming meeting of the Defense Ministers from the allied states, it is important to establish concrete action measures to detect drones and destroy enemy targets. According to Zalewsky, when we say that no centimeter of NATO territory can be attacked by Russia and must be defended, we are also referring to airspace. He also said that  essential initiatives were discussed  in this context, namely The European Sky Shield Initiative and the Eastern Shield initiative, the first being aimed at strengthening cooperation and increasing funding, and the second at strengthening the borders with Russia and Belarus.

     

    Present in Bucharest on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu, he hailed the support granted by Romania, for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, following the country’s decision to donate a Patriot system. Minister Sybiha said this is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe, and that, especially around winter, it will allow them to strengthen their defense capabilities. Minister Odobescu reiterated, in turn, Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

     

  • September 18, 2024

    September 18, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    BORIS – The number of deaths caused by torrential rain and flooding in Central and Eastern Europe, brought over by storm Boris, the worst in Europe since 1997 to date, has reached 22. Romania and Poland reported seven deaths each, Austria five and the Czech Republic three, as well as eight people missing. Flash flood alerts are also in place in Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia, for the upcoming days. In Romania, the authorities have begun assessing the damage caused by the floods in Galati county. Hundreds of rescue workers have been dispatched in the affected localities. All power outages in the area have been fixed and road traffic on some county roads has been reopened. Rail traffic is still disrupted on certain routes. The government approved an emergency aid of about 2,000 euros for each affected family, and in the case of families who lost a member, an additional aid of 2,000 euros.

     

    UKRAINE – In Bucharest, on Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, called on the Romanian partners to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones near the country’s airspace. After the meeting with the head of Romanian diplomacy, Luminita Odobescu, Sybiha said that he was “grateful” for the Bucharest’s “historic” decision to donate a Patriot system to Ukraine. “It is very important to strengthen the defense of Ukraine. It is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe”, the Ukrainian official said. In turn, Luminița Odobescu reconfirmed Romania’s support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We remind you that the need to amend the legislation that would allow the military to destroy suspicious drones that enter Romanian territory was recently discussed in Bucharest, after several Russian drones illegally entered Romanian airspace in the last year.

     

    PAGERS – A simultaneous explosion of handheld pagers killed 9 people and injured nearly 3,000 in Lebanon on Tuesday. Many of the victims are fighters from the Shiite group Hezbollah, international news agencies report. According to the NGO  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, following similar incidents, 14 Hezbollah members were injured in Syria as well, AFP reports. The blasts took place at 3:30 pm local time, in areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. The wave of explosions continued for about an hour. According to security sources and video footage,  some of the explosions occurred after the pagers had rang and the victims had grabbed or held them close to their faces to read the message on the screens. The explosions, of small scale, usually injured only the pager holder or someone very close. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut spoke of an Israeli computer attack, while the Ministry of the Interior said that the attack violated Lebanon’s sovereignty. The Israeli military declined to comment. Hezbollah began using pagers to avoid being located by the Israelis. The movement supports the Palestinian group Hamas, which is at war with Israel in the Gaza Strip. Militants from Lebanon frequently attacked Israeli territory with rockets.

     

    COMMISSIONER – “We cannot re-launch the economy without competitive jobs, without a quality of labor relations, without protecting citizens in the face of price increases, in the face of this risk of falling into poverty for many categories, without offering lifelong skills to all those who enter the labor market”, the future European Commissioner for Skills and Education, Jobs, Social Rights and Demography, the Romanian Roxana Mânzatu has said today. In an exclusive interview on Radio Romania, she also said that among the priorities of her mandate are supporting children living in poverty, who are at risk of exclusion.

     

    HEALTHCARE – It is World Patient Safety Day today, which calls for global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety. WPS Day brings together patients, families, caregivers, communities, health workers, healthcare leaders and policy-makers to show their commitment to patient safety. Emblematic buildings, monuments, public institutions and hospitals in the capital Bucharest and in other Romanian cities will be lit up in orange this evening, to mark the event. This year’s theme is “improving diagnosis for patient safety”. According to the World Health Organization, each year, diagnostic errors account for an estimated 16% of preventable harm in health care, with tremendous human and economic consequences.

     

    BUSINESS– In Romania, the Start-Up Nation program through which the state offers non-refundable aid of maximum 50,000 euros to eligible people who want to open a business is currently under public debate. The budget allocated to this year’s edition exceeds 400 million euros.  The registration of  companies that will provide training courses to future entrepreneurs began on Tuesday. As of October 10 the registration of natural persons for the Start-Up Nation 2024 courses will be open.

     

    HANDBALL – CS Dinamo Bucharest handball team plays, this evening, away, against the Polish team Orlen Wisla Plock, in the Men’s Handball Champions League’s Group A. Last week, the Romanians debuted with a clear victory in the League’s new season, after they defeated at home the Danish team Fredericia, 37-28.

     

     

     

     

  • September 11, 2024

    September 11, 2024

    Legislation – The defense committee of the Romanian Senate is meeting today, with Defense Ministry representatives being expected to join, most likely to discuss the legislation in the field, in the context of the entry into the Romanian airspace of some Russian drones launched against neighboring Ukraine. In the night of Saturday to Sunday, residents of Tulcea and Constanţa counties (south-east) were warned by RO-Alert messages about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace. Later, the army identified fragments of a drone of Russian origin in uninhabited areas near the town of Periprava. The Romanian Defense Ministry sent a firm message to condemn these Russian attacks against Ukrainian civil infrastructure targets and elements, which are unjustified and in serious contradiction with the international law. The Romanian diplomacy reiterated its firm protest against the violation, once again, of Romania’s airspace and categorically demanded the cessation of the repeated attacks against the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure.

     

    Inflation – The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped, in August 2024, to 5.1%, from 5.42% in July, in the context in which foodstuffs prices rose by 4.25%, non-foods prices by 4.35%, and the price of services by 8.60%, according to data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The National Bank of Romania (BNR) revised downwards the inflation forecast for the end of 2024 to 4%, from the previous 4.9%, and anticipates that it will reach 3.4% at the end of 2025, according to the data presented in August by Governor Mugur Isărescu.

     

    Decorations – The Romanian athletes who won medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will be decorated, this evening, by President Klaus Iohannis, according to an announcement on the Facebook page of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR). At the Paris Games, both Olympic and Paralympic, Romania obtained a total of four gold, four silver and three bronze medals. Visually impaired Florin-Alexandru Bologa, 28, won a gold medal in para judo, in the men’s -73kg J1 category. Camelia Ciripana won the bronze in para table tennis, the women’s singles. In the Olympics Games, Romanian athletes won three gold, four silver and two bronze medals. The gold medal was obtained in swimming by David Popovici, in the 200 m freestyle event, in rowing, the double sculls event, by Andrei Sebastian Cornea and Marian Florian Enache, and in the women’s eight plus one event by the crew made up of Maria Magdalena Rusu, Roxana Iuliana Anghel, Nicoleta Ancuţa Bodnar, Maria Lehaci, Adriana Adam, Amalia Bereş, Ioana Vrînceanu, Simona Geanina Radiş and Victoria Ştefania Petreanu. The silver was won by Mihaela Valentina Cambei in weightlifting – 49 kg, Gianina Elena van Groningen and Ionela Livia Cozmiuc in the women’s lightweight double sculls, Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Iuliana Anghel, in the women’s pair and Simona Geanina Radiş and Nicoleta Ancuța Bodnar, in the women’s double sculls. David Popovici won bronze in swimming, in the 100 m freestyle, and Ana Maria Bărbosu, in artistic gymnastics, in the floor event.

     

    Elections – The electoral period for the presidential election in Romania begins on Thursday, with the establishment of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), according to the timetable approved by the Romanian Government. The BEC members will be appointed by drawing of lots, and a day later the president of the bureau will be elected by secret ballot. Next, candidacies must be submitted by October 5 at the latest and the election campaign will begin on October 25. Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad can vote by mail, and the deadline for submitting requests in this regard is September 24. The first round of the election for the highest office in the Romanian state will take place on November 24, and the second on December 8. Also, Romanians will be called to the polls on December 1, on the National Day, for the general elections to elect their representatives in the Romanian Parliament.

     

    Law – The Romanian Senate adopted a draft law to amend the Criminal Code that provides for a similar legal practice for human trafficking and pimping carried out by coercion. At present, pimps can escape prison sentences, in some cases, if, for example, the victims declare that they were not forced to have sex for money. All parliamentary groups supported the initiative. This amendment to the Criminal Code must also receive a favorable vote in the Chamber of Deputies to become law. On the other hand, the list of prohibited psychoactive substances in Romania has been recently updated. 14 new names were added to the list of narcotics. 13 fall into the category of very high-risk drugs, and one into the category of high-risk drugs.

     

    Music – The 12th edition of the Bucharest Music Film Festival event will take place between September 14-22, in George Enescu Square in the center of Bucharest. According to the organizers, the festival is relaunching in a new concept and offers the public evenings of concerts in a variety of musical styles, from the classical repertoire to jazz, from film music to pop fusion, bringing to the fore hundreds of artists and renowned orchestras. The event is organized by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the City of Bucharest and is held under the auspices of Bucharest Days, thus marking 565 years since the first documentary attestation of the city. Public access is free. (LS)

  • September 9, 2024 UPDATE

    September 9, 2024 UPDATE

    Drones – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated, on Monday, in relation to the Russian drones that entered the national airspace, that Romania had a real-time reaction and monitored the situation with F16 planes, noting that these drones had no targets on Romanian territory. On the night of Saturday to Sunday, a Russian drone entered Romania’s airspace, after which it headed towards Ukraine, the Romanian Defense Ministry reported. In response, two F-16 fighter jets took off urgently from a military base in the southeast of the country to monitor the aerial situation. At the same time, the institution informed that it had deployed ground teams and aerial means in the area of ​​Periprava, in Tulcea county, where pieces of the drones used by Russia in the attack on port facilities in Ukraine, located near the border with Romania, fell. Following this incident, the Romanian authorities protested against the repeated violation of the country’s airspace, as well as against the repeated attacks against the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure.

     

    School – Schools must be absolutely safe for students, the teaching staff and the rest of the education staff, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday, at the opening ceremony of the new school year at a college in Bucharest. Attending the event together with the education minister, Ligia Deca, the head of state emphasized that one of the priority objectives of the “Educated Romania” project, transposed into the education laws of 2023, was the creation of a school and university environment that is not only conducive to educational development, but it is also a space where all those involved feel protected and respected. Approximately three million Romanian preschoolers and pupils started a new school year on Monday. The government promises that the 2024-2025 school year will be the last in which students go to school in three shifts. Currently, there are only 19 such units in Bucharest and in Ilfov county (near Bucharest). According to the Education Ministry, at the beginning of the school year, 800 schools are relocated for reasons of rehabilitation, modernization or construction out of the total of over 6,000 schools in Romania.

     

    Order – The presence of law enforcement was ensured, on the first day of school, at every educational unit in Romania, in order to maintain the climate of order and public safety, the spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, Monica Dajbog, announced. She specified that approximately 25,000 employees of the ministry were mobilized at the national level within the framework of public order and security corps, and, distinctly, approximately 8,000 people from the ministry were present at the pre-university education units. Also, the traffic police intensified their activities in the area of ​​educational institutions. Road crews acted to streamline traffic and prevent accidents, paying special attention to situations that may endanger children. Monica Dajbog also said that actions to prevent and combat drug trafficking and consumption among young people remained a priority.

     

    Drills – Between September 9-13, troops of the Romanian Land Forces will carry out joint exercises with foreign soldiers near the town of Sfântu Gheorghe in Covasna county (center). The leaders of the 22nd Mountain Hunter Battalion ‘Cireşoaia’ informs that the maneuvers are aimed at training the soldiers on the ground in carrying out actions in the NATO context and validating the techniques, tactics and procedures in the execution of actions in mountainous-wooded terrain. During the activities, the military will use practice ammunition. Both last year and this year, several training exercises took place in Covasna county, in which both land and air troops from military structures of the Defense Ministry and from NATO countries participated.

     

    Film – The New Year That Never Came, directed, written and produced by Bogdan Mureşanu, won awards at the Venice International Film Festival, including the jury award of the International Federation of Film Critics and the award for best script from the independent critics. The film’s cinematographer Boróka Biró won a special mention. This is Bogdan Mureşanu’s first feature film and the story takes place in one day, on the day before the anticommunist Revolution of 1989. (LS)

  • July 26, 2024 UPDATE

    July 26, 2024 UPDATE

     

    DEFICIT – The European Council adopted on Friday decisions establishing the existence of excessive deficits for Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia. In addition the Council established that Romania, which is under the excessive deficit procedure since 2020, has not taken effective action to correct its deficit and therefore the procedure should remain open, according to a communiqué of the European institution. As set in the EU treaties, member states’ deficit should not exceed 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).

     

    LOAN – The World Bank will grant Romania a loan of 600 million euros for development policies. The money will allow the application of reforms to strengthen the fiscal framework, including for a fair pension system, the promotion of green economic growth and the stimulation of private sector investments. According to the World Bank’s regional director for the European Union, this financing reflects the institution’s confidence in Romania’s ability to integrate inclusive economic growth with environmental protection.

     

    AIR FORCE – The first class of Romanian Air Force pilots graduated from the European F-16 Training Center in Borcea, Romania, since its opening in November last year. “We look forward to Romania opening up training to other regional allies and partners, especially Ukraine,” the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, said on this occasion. The center, the first of its kind in Europe, was established with the participation of Romania, the Netherlands and the United States. The Royal Dutch Air Force has so far supplied 14 F-16 fighter jets, and the American company Lockheed Martin, which produced these aircraft, was also involved in supporting the center in Borcea. Ukraine has received F-16 fighter jets from several Western partners, and its military pilots are preparing to fly this type of aircraft.

     

    SCHENGEN – Romania welcomes Hungary’s unequivocal support for our country’s Schengen accession with its land borders, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said at Friday’s meeting in Bucharest with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban. Ciolacu made this statement in the context of Hungary holding the 6-month presidency of the EU Council. In a post on a social network Ciolacu said that he discussed with Viktor Orban on topics of joint interest in the cooperation between the two states. The value of trade between Romania and Hungary stands at approximately 13 billion euros, so the two prime ministers agreed that there is unexploited potential in this sector. They also agreed to start the feasibility studies for an important project, the Budapest-Bucharest high-speed railway, a strategic project of regional interest, with an impact on the railway networks in the Central European region. Orban will next travel to Băile Tuşnad, in central Romania, an area with a majority Hungarian population, to deliver  his traditional speech at the Summer University there. (EE)