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EU Economic Recovery Plan

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous loss at global level. In Europe, politicians have put heads together to find solutions to help the economy affected by this unprecedented situation. Therefore, the European Commission on Wednesday put forward its proposal for a major economic recovery plan to offset the effects of the new coronavirus crisis on the member countries’ economies. The money at stake totals 750 billion Euros, of which 500 billion as non-reimbursable aid and 250 billion as loans. Romania is to receive about 33 billion Euros.

This amount adds to a revised, long-term EU budget worth 1,100 billion Euros, said the president of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, who pointed out that, all in all, the package of economic recovery initiatives stands at 2,400 billion Euros. The amount of 750 billion Euros proposed by the EC on Wednesday is to be borrowed by the EC from the financial markets, and distributed to the member states that were hardest hit by the pandemic in the form of grants and loans.

The additional funds will be channeled through the common budget programs and repaid over a long period of time throughout the future EU budgets, not before 2028 and not after 2058. To help do this in a fair and shared way, the EC has proposed a number of new own resources, such as a digital services tax or a carbon tax at Europe’s borders.

The plan, called Next Generation EU, is according to Ursula von der Leyen, an urgent and exceptional necessity for an urgent and exceptional crisis, and it will invest in the EU social fabric, protect the Single Market and help rebalance balance sheets across Europe. And while we are doing this, Ursula von der Leyen added, we need to press fast-forward towards a green, digital and resilient future.

The EU chief called on Europeans to ‘put old prejudices to one side’ and support the economic recovery plan. ‘The crisis we have to tackle is enormous but it is also huge opportunity for Europe, and it is a huge responsibility for us to do the right thing in this defining moment’ said Ursula von der Leyen in her speech at the European Parliament Plenary on the EU Recovery Package.

The leaders of the main political groups in the EP expressed contentment with the EC proposals. The People’s Movement Party and the Socialists have criticized Austria, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands for their reticence towards the EC plan and their opposition to grants, since these countries prefer supporting the EU economy only through loans, not also through subsidies. The EC plan will be on the agenda of the European summit scheduled for June 18th and 19th. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)

28 May 2020
May 21, 2020

EC – The European Commission has made a series of economic recommendations to every EU member state, Romania included, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Commission, if the current policies are maintained, Romania’s budget deficit will be minus 9.2% of the GDP this year, and minus 11.4% next year and that the country will witness economic recession. The Commission has hailed the accord signed by the member states, within the Council, as regards the instatement of the new instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE), designed to help protect jobs and workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It will provide financial assistance, in the form of loans granted on favourable terms from the EU to Member States, of up to 100 billion euros in total. These loans will help Member States to cover the costs directly related to the creation or extension of national short-time work schemes, and other similar measures they have put in place for the self-employed as a response to the current coronavirus pandemic.

FINE – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has been fined by the National Council for Combating Discrimination with the equivalent of 1 thousand euros for discrimination and violation of the right to dignity on grounds of ethnicity / nationality, during some recent statements. The leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, has said that the Council’s decision is fair while the interim leader of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, has said Iohannis should apologize publicly for his statements about the Hungarians. Marcel Ciolacu himself was targeted by the President’s message, according to which the Social Democrats were accused of “fighting in their secret offices at Parliament to give Transylvania to the Hungarians.” The Presidential Administration has announced Klaus Iohannis will appeal the Council’s decision in Court, as he sees it as a political one.

CORONAVIRUS — As many as 17,500 infections with the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Romania, while the death toll stands at 1,151, the Strategic Communication Group has announced. Over 10,500 of the people infected have recovered. Experts and authorities have recommended the wearing of protective masks saying that otherwise we risk having an infection rate of up to 70%. According to the authorities, the number of infections could reach 20,000 in fall.

DECISION – Germany will no longer allow meat processing factories to hire foreign workers through intermediaries, after 100 workers, most of them Romanians, have been infected with the coronavirus. The workers complained about the improper working and accommodation conditions and organized a protest in this respect. According to recent measures taken by the German Government, the workplace and accommodation facilities will be inspected. The Romanian Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru and her German counterpart Hubertus Heil discussed in Berlin the situation of the Romanian seasonal workers in Germany and signed a joint declaration of intent on boosting cooperation with regard to the labour market and social policies.

CELEBRATION – Orthodox and Greek catholic believers celebrate today, May 21st, Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. Saint Helen was born in Bithynia in Asia Minor, in the mid-3rd century A.D. She was the mother of Constantine the Great. Constantine the Great was a Roman Emperor and the first Emperor of Byzantium, consolidated the freedom of religion and promoted the Christian faith, which until then had been persecuted. Constantine was the first Christian emperor declared a saint. Over 1.7 million Romanians celebrate their name day today. (Translated by Elena Enache)

21 May 2020
May 18, 2020 UPDATE

Government – On Monday the Romanian government adopted a decision on instating the state of alert based on the law approved last week by Parliament. The decision includes measures aimed at containing the spread of the new coronavirus as well as sanctions for those who infringe the laws. The PM Ludovic Orban said that the coming period will be a state of maximum alert and that the authorities have all the means and instruments to ensure the observance of the measures and rules established for the protection of the citizens’ health and life. Also on Monday the PM announced that the government was preparing a plan for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, given that in the first 3 months of the year Romania reported the highest economic growth within the EU. Several MPs asked for the PM’s resignation accusing him of not having adopted the right measures in due time.

EU — Romania will support identifying the most adequate solutions for the EU regaining economic force, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis told the head of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen on Monday, in a phone conversation. Discussions focused mainly on the proposals the EC is going to present by the end of May in relation to the plan for the EU’s economic re-launch and on the revised version of the draft EU budget for the period 2021-2027. The Romanian president said the proposals should take into account the needs of each member state, should be balanced, proportionate and correctly prioritized. He also pleaded for a strong health infrastructure within the EU, thus supporting the use of financial instruments aimed at dealing with this challenge, within the framework of the future economic recovery.

Motion – The Romanian Senate adopted on Monday the simple motion tabled by the opposition Social Democratic Party against the Agriculture Minister Adrian Oros. The Social Democrat Petre Daea, a former agriculture minister, says that since the Orban Liberal Government took power, the normal course of programs in agriculture has been disrupted. He has shown that farmers are now in a difficult situation, also because the authorities have blocked or delayed several running projects. Also, the Social Democrats blame the agriculture minister for failing to take concrete measures to address drought and the export of cereals during the COVID crisis. In turn, Adrian Oros claims that PSD’s motion clearly shows that his actions ran counter to certain groups of interests, which had controlled the ministry in the past years. The PSD announced it was considering further motions against other members of the Government, such as the education, health and interior ministers.

Berlin — The Romanian labor minister Violeta Alexandru on Monday started a working visit to Germany. The agenda of her visit includes talks with the federal minister of labor and social affairs Hubertus Heil and with the federal minister of food and agriculture, Julia Klockner. The Romanian official will also visit asparagus farms in the State of Brandenburg and will talk with the representatives of the German Farmers’ Union. Labor minister Violeta Alexandru also met with the representatives of the Fair Mobilitat Project, the talks focusing on the issues faced by the Romanian citizens who work in Germany related to labor legislation, contractual conditions as well as to the support this organization’s counseling centers provide to the Romanian citizens through the Fair Mobilitat counseling network. The Romanian official’s working visit to Germany ends on Tuesday evening.

Border check points — Monday was the second day with traffic congestion at the border check points between Hungary and Romania, but the waiting time was reduced considerably. According to the Border Police, at the Nadlac check point people waited 4 hours to enter Romania, although 7 lanes were open. Another 8 mobile check points have been set up for the vehicles entering Romania. To exit Romania, people waited for about 50 minutes, with 4 lanes open for checking documents. (tr. by L. Simion)

18 May 2020
Excessive Deficit Procedure for Romania

The inevitable has eventually happened: the European Commission opened the Excessive Deficit Procedure for Romania, announced the acting finance minister Florin Citu, who has been designated to form a new government. In mid February, an EC report wrote that Bucharest did not observe the deficit criterion defined in the Treaty, which is limited at 3% of the GDP and that opening the Excessive Deficit Procedure was justified.

According to the EC winter forecasts, Romania’s government deficit reached 4% of the GDP in 2019 and it is expected to go up to 4.9% in 2020 and to 6.9% in 2021. The increase in the budget estimates is mainly based on a forecasted pension rise by 40%, scheduled to take effect as of September 2020, and on a new pension recalculation scheduled for September 2021. The pension law is the main cause of the estimated rapid growth of the government deficit and of the risks posed to fiscal sustainability, the EC also shows, its comments being actually in line with the repeated warnings of the Romanian analysts and experts. They also speak about a possible budgetary quake if pensions are increased by the entire amount stipulated, and not in stages.

Moreover, the EC noticed that between December 2019 and January 2020 the Romanian authorities adopted new tax cuts and doubled child allowances. In other words, they put additional pressure on the budget, in an irresponsible populist move, the same experts claim. Still, the finance minister says that Romania has a sustainable and credible plan to reduce the deficit, which was negotiated and accepted by the European Commission.

One month ago, the Romanian authorities sent a letter to the Brussels officials in which they claim that the deterioration of the budget deficit in 2019 can be accounted for, to a great extent, through the increased expenses for personnel, social assistance and investments, while the share of revenues within the GDP remained greatly unchanged. Also, the Romanian authorities underline that the fiscal-budgetary strategy for the period 2020-2022 shows a gradual adjustment of the budget deficit on medium term, even if the percentage remains above the reference value of 3% of the GDP until 2021.

The EU recommends Romania to take measures in order to overcome the Excessive Deficit Procedure by 2022, the adjusted values being 3.6% for 2020, 3.4% for 2021 and 2.8% for 2022. According to the finance minister, during the talks with the EC representatives, he underlined the Romanian government’s firm commitment to applying a responsible and sustainable fiscal policy and that the reduction of the deficit should be made in such a way not to endanger the country’s economic growth. The draft recommendation of the Council of the EU is to be discussed and adopted at the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on March 17. (translation by L. Simion)

5 March 2020
March 4, 2020 UPDATE

Brussels — The European Commission on Wednesday proposed to the Council to open the Excessive Deficit Procedure for Romania and passed a recommendation according to which Romania should put an end to this situation in 2022 at the latest. A report passed by the EC in February shows that Romania does not observe the deficit criterion defined in the treaty (a maximum of 3% of the GDP) and that opening the Excessive Deficit Procedure is therefore justified. According to the EC winter forecasts, Romania’s deficit reached 4% of the GDP in 2019 and it is expected to go up to 4.9% in 2020 and to 6.9% in 2021. The pension law is ‘the main cause that led to the estimated rapid growth of the deficit and to the risks posed to fiscal sustainability’ the report also shows. The interim finance minister Florin Citu had said Romania had a sustainable and credible plan to reduce the deficit, which was accepted by the EC entirely.

Hearings — Hearings of the ministers proposed by the new PM designate Florin Citu will continue until Thursday in Parliament’s special committees. On Wednesday the candidates for the transport and sport ministries received positive reviews while the candidates for the labor, health, education and culture ministries received negative reviews. On Tuesday positive reviews were given to the ministers designated for the defense, agriculture and environment portfolios while the candidates for the finance, development and justice ministries received negative reviews. The opinions of the committees are consultative, with the investiture vote being expected to take place next week. The only modification in the new government is the finance minister, Lucian Ovidiu Heius who replaced Florin Citu now designated PM. Citu was nominated PM by President Iohannis after the Constitutional Court ruled as unconstitutional the re-designation as interim PM of the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban who had just been dismissed from the position through a no confidence motion.

Coronavirus — Another 2 cases of coronavius infection have been confirmed on Romania in the western city of Timisoara and Suceava in the north, which brings to number of infections to 6. Out of the other 4 people infected, 2 are in a stable state and the other 2 have tested negative at the latest tests. 35 people are in institutionalized quarantine and more than 10 thousand have been isolated in their homes and are under medical monitoring at national level. The National Committee for Special Emergency Situations has announced a series of new rules to combat the spreading of the virus in Romania. This virus is now spreading faster outside China than in China itself. Around 92 thousand cases in more than 70 countries of the world have been confirmed. 48 thousand patients have recovered and over 3,100 have died. The World Bank announced Tuesday an emergency plan of 12 billion dollars to help countries take measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic, to save lives and diminish the economic impact. (news update by L. Simion)

4 March 2020
February 21, 2020

Attack — The Romanian Foreign Ministry officials confirmed last night that a Romanian citizen is among the victims of the double attack in Germany that targeted immigrants. The attack occurred in the city of Hanau, near Frankfurt, in central Germany. The Romanian authorities conveyed condolences to the family of the victim and firmly condemned any act of violence and Xenophobia. A 43 year old German killed 9 people on Wednesday evening in two cafes in Hanau. The other victims, besides the Romanian citizen, are immigrants of Kurdish, Bulgarian and Bosnian origin and 3 German citizens. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced what she called the ‘poison represented by racism in Germany’ adding that the German authorities were opposed strongly and determinedly to all those who were trying to divide German. The political class accused the far right group ‘Alternative for Germany’ of instigating people to violence through its messages. The co-president of the Alternative for Germany, the former Christian Democrat Alexsander Gauland vehemently rejected the accusations. Solidarity manifestations took place last night in several cities across Germany. At the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin several hundred people commemorated the victims of the attack, making a human chain around the gate.

Brussels — European leaders are meeting for the second day in Brussels to discuss the new budget for the next 7 years, which deeply divides the EU countries. Last night, the summit proceedings were interrupted for the president of the European Council Charles Michel and the head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen to have bilateral talks with all the heads of state and government attending the summit, in an attempt to reach an agreement. On Friday morning the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis met with the two European leaders. President Iohannis wants Romania to be allotted enough money for the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy in the future multiannual budget of the EU. He also asked for more funds for Romania than what was allotted in the previous budget. Klaus Iohannis believes that each country will try to maximize its chances in the negotiations, but expressed skepticism over a compromise being reached after this extraordinary summit. The president of the European Council is expected to forward today to all European leaders a new draft of the EU multiannual budget after he had previously proposed an EU budget of 1.7% of the member states’ GDP, that is 1,095 billion Euros.

Green Deal — The European Parliament Office in Romania is presenting today the situation of the financial measures proposed through the European Green Deal. The rapporteur of the European Parliament on the financing of the Green Deal, Siegfried Muresan, will deliver a speech regarding the resources allotted for the proposed measures and the connection with the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. At the EP extraordinary session held in Brussels in December 2019, the EC presented the European Green Deal which provides for turning Europe into the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The plan is designed to attract public and private investments worth at least 1,000 billion Euros in the coming decade.

Sports — The world’s no. 2 tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, top seeded in the Dubai tennis tournament, is meeting today the American Jennifer Brady (24 WTA) in the semifinals. The Dubai tournament in the UAE has prizes up for grabs worth a total of 2.6 million dollars. In the quarter finals Halep defeated Aryna Sabalenka (13 WTA) of Belarus 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Also today Romania’s women’s handball vice champions CSM Bucharest will be up against Ferencvaros of Hungary. The Hungarians defeated the Romanian hanballers 33-23 in the first leg of the Champions League main groups. In another development, Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj ended in a 1-all draw the home match against the Spanish eleven FC Seville in the Europa League round of 32. The return match is scheduled for next week.

Coronavirus — The new coronavirus has killed another 118 people in continental China, especially in Hubei province, taking the death toll to 2.236 victims at national level- the Chinese health authorities have announced. However, the number of new cases reported in China has declined, which is encouraging, said in Geneva, the secretary general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus. Two Romanian citizens who were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship are hospitalized in Japan after they tested positive for Covid-19, but their heath condition is good. (translation by L. Simion)

21 February 2020
December 1, 2019 UPDATE

National Day — Romania’s national day is the most emotional celebration of the Romanian nation and a symbol of freedom, being equally a celebration of democracy, of our fundamental rights and liberties, said Sunday the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the reception organized at the Cotroceni Palace. On December 1 Romania marked 101 years since the creation of the Romanian unitary nation state. As many as 4 thousand military and experts and around 200 vehicles participated in Bucharest in a traditional military parade. The event, which was attended by President Klaus Iohannis, also involved the participation of 500 military from 21 allied countries. Various events took place in other cities of Romania. Another military parade was held Sunday in Alba Iulia, in the center, the place of the Great Union of December 1, 1918, in the presence of the PM Ludovic Orban. The Romanian military on mission in the theaters of operations in Afghanistan, the western Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland also participated in military ceremonies to mark the national day.

Washington — The American president Donald Trump conveyed a message to his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Romania’s national day. Romania is a precious ally for the US and NATO, shows the message of the White House. Also the American president hailed Romania’s firm commitment in relation to sharing responsibilities and trans-Atlantic security. Donald Trump also expressed appreciation for Romania’s commitment to consolidate the common values of democracy, the rule of law and the free market economy.

EU – The new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen takes office on December 1. The EU members have decided that the new Commission will have only 27 commissioners, after Great Britain refused to appoint a commissioner in the context of Brexit. The Romanian Adina Valean with the European Peoples Party has been appointed Transport Commissioner. The first official meeting of the College of Commissioners takes place on December 4, when several administrative decisions will be made.

Albania — Romania on Sunday sent humanitarian aid to Albania, which was hit by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday. Two C-130 Hercules planes of the Romanian Air Forces carried the humanitarian aid and brought back to Romania the 52 firefighters and their equipment, as they participated alongside other countries in the search and rescue operations undertaken there. These operations officially came to an end on Sunday. The Albanian PM Edi Rama announced that 51 people died in the 6.4 magnitude quake, several hundreds were wounded and thousands were left homeless. The most affected cities are Thumane in the north, Durres on the Adriatic Sea coast and the capital Tirana.

Handball – Romania’s national women’s handball team obtained its first victory at the world championship hosted by Japan, defeating the team of Senegal 29-24 on Sunday, in Kumamoto, in the championship’s Group C. On Saturday, in their first match, the Romanian handballers were defeated by Spain 31-16. In the other matches of the group, Montenegro defeated Kazakhstan 30-21 and Spain defeated Hungary 29-25. Romania’s next match is scheduled for December 3, against Kazakhstan. As of 1957 until 2017 Romania’s women’s team has never missed a world final tournament. They got silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.

Football — Romania’s national football team will play in Group C alongside the Netherlands, Ukraine and Austria, if they manage to qualify to EURO 2020, according to the drawing of lots that took place Saturday in Bucharest. Romania’s capital will host 4 matches of the Euro 2020 final, three in the group stage and one in the round of 16. The Romanian footballers have not managed to pass the preliminary stage but they still have chances to qualify after the Nations League playoffs, following which 4 national teams will go to Euro 2020. Romania will take on Iceland on March 26 and if they wins they will play on March 31 with the winner of the match pitting Bulgaria against Hungary. According to UEFA, the total costs for the organization of the European championship in the summer of 2020 stand at 680 million Euros, while revenues exceed 2 billion Euros. One million tickets will be put up for sale between December 4th and 18th for the supporters of the 20 qualified national teams, the Romanian Football Federation announced. If Romania’s national team qualifies, they will play at least 2 matches in Bucharest. (translation by L. Simion)

1 December 2019
October 12, 2019 UPDATE

EC — The president of the European Parliament, the Italian David Sassoli, said Saturday that it would be probably impossible for the future European Commission to take on its prerogatives as of November 1 and that the takeover would be postponed for December 1. He explained that Romania, Hungary and France need to propose another 3 commissioners whose candidacies have to be analyzed by Parliament. The confirmation vote of the entire team made up of the German Ursula von der Leyen was scheduled for October 23 in the EP during a plenary session in Strasbourg. The candidates of Romania and Hungary were rejected by the Legal Affairs Committee JURI due to suspicions of possible conflicts of interest. France’s candidate also caused integrity-related suspicions in the context of investigations into alleged fictitious jobs when she served as an MEP.

Election campaign — Saturday saw the start of the election campaign for the November presidential election in Romania. 14 candidates are running in the presidential race among whom the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis representing the National Liberal Party, the interim prime minister Viorica Dancila from the Social Democratic Party, Dan Barna representing the Alliance Save Romania Union-PLUS, Theodor Paleologu representing the People’s Movement Party, Mircea Diaconu, supported by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and Pro Romania party and or Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Running for the presidential seat and representing extra-parliamentary parties are Cătălin Ivan, Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana Bruynseels and Viorel Cataramă. Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpănaşu are running as independents. The first round will take place on November 10, and the second round will be held on November 24. Under a government decision, the Romanians abroad will vote in the first round of the election for 3 days, from November 8 to 10, and from November 22 to 24 in the second round.

Handball – Romania’s national men’s handball team Dinamo Bucharest on Saturday defeated 30-20 (16-10), away from home, Russia’s team Cehovskie Medvedi in a Champions League Group D match. With two wins and a draw in the previous matches, Dinamo Bucharest accumulated 7 points and consolidated their position as group leaders. They managed to obtain 12 consecutive victories in all competitions. (update by L. Simion)

12 October 2019
European Parliament Committees Reject Commission Candidates

The incoming president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is trying to form her team of commissioners, but the job seems more complicated than anticipated. In Brussels, the Polish and Swedish candidates, Janusz Wojckiechowski, proposed for Agriculture, and Ylva Johansson, proposed for Internal Affairs respectively, have been rejected after they were heard by Parliaments specialized committees. The MEPs from the agriculture and internal affairs committees will submit further questions for the two candidates, who could be heard by the committees once again.

The Romanian MEPs too have complained about the two nominees. The Social Democrat Carmen Avram has stressed the fact that agriculture must be headed by a competent person:

“For us, as Romanians, the vision of the new commissioner for agriculture was extremely important, but we heard nothing about that. That is why I agree that this candidate be heard again, because this is extremely important to Romania.”

In turn, the MEP Sigfried Muresan, a member of the European Peoples Party group, has too voiced disappointment with the Polish candidate:

“To farmers in Romania and for a robust common agricultural policy, a strong commissioner is an absolute necessity, and the candidate we saw yesterday was by no means prepared to manage this extremely important portfolio.”

Also, Frances nominee for the EUs internal market, Sylvie Goulard, who is facing an inquiry by the European Anti-Fraud Office, failed to convince the European Peoples Party group, who requested additional clarification, in particular with respect to an alleged fictitious employment of one of her collaborators.

Another two candidates had been rejected before: Romanias Rovana Plumb and Hungarys Laszlo Trocsanyi, proposed for transport and neighborhood and enlargement respectively. The two were rejected because of some conflicts of interests.

The Romanian MEP Dan Nica, a former minister of communications, is the new proposal set forth by the Social Democratic Party to replace Rovana Plumb. The party also has a backup proposal, in case the European Commission wants a woman for this particular portfolio, namely Gabriela Ciot, who is currently a State Secretary with the Foreign Ministry.

3 October 2019
Romania’s new proposals for European Commissioner

The unwanted decision of the European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee JURI placed Romania in a delicate situation: the recent rejection by JURI of Rovana Plumb, nominated for the post of European Commissioner for Transports now obliges Romania to come up with another proposal. Meeting on Tuesday evening in Bucharest, the PSD National Executive Committee decided to nominate MEP Dan Nica, a former communications minister, for the post.

The Social Democrats also have a backup nomination Gabriela Ciot, a secretary of state with the Foreign Ministry, in case the EC wants a woman to take that post. The PM Viorica Dancila pointed out that she would also inform the president Klaus Iohannis about the nomination, after clarifying with the head of the EC Ursula von der Leyen the procedure for designating Romania’s candidate.

Viorica Dancila: “Dan Nica remains our proposal, because he is the leader of the delegation of Social Democratic MEPs in the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. Of course, we have a backup nomination, a woman, Gabriela Ciot, if the case may be. We will do the same as Hungary.”

More exactly, if Hungary, whose first candidate was also rejected, makes two new proposals, Romania will do the same. If Hungary makes only one proposal, Romania will also make one proposal.

Discontented with the nomination of both Rovana Plumb and the other two persons, the Liberals, in opposition, called on the PM to no longer make any nomination without consulting president Iohannis and without the vote of the expert committees in Parliament. The president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, has drawn attention that there is the risk of a new rejection, and consequently Romania’s image will be affected.

Ludovic Orban: “Romania should appoint an impeccable person from the point of view of integrity, who should have the proper background for the post of European Commissioner. If the respective person is accepted by JURI, as he or she meets the integrity criteria, the person will be next heard in the Transport and Tourism Committee TRAN, and he or she may fail to get the vote of MEPs unless having the proper background.”

However, the PM Dancila contradicts the Liberal leader saying that Dan Nica is a respected person, and the coordinator of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee ITRE. As to Gabriela Ciot, the prime minister says she was one of the Romanian officials who actively participated in the events held during Romania’s successful presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019, recommending her as an expert in working with the European institutions and in approaching the issues on the European agenda. (translation by L. Simion)

2 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 14, 2019

EU The Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici believes it is absolutely necessary for any major initiative of the new European Commission to take into account the interests of all member countries, and not only of the stronger, more influential members. According to a news release issued by the ministry, Eugen Teodorovici took part on Friday in a meeting of the Eurogroup in inclusive format and in an informal meeting of the EU ministers for economic and financial affairs (ECOFIN), organised by the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU. The Eurogroup talks focused on the budget for convergence and competitiveness. The agenda of the ECOFIN meeting, which continues today, includes topics like hybrid threats and the resilience of financial market infrastructure, enhanced action on climate change and rebooting the capital markets union. In Helsinki, Minister Teodorovici also had a meeting with the vice-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Pierre Heilbronn, with regard to the Banks projects in Romania and its future strategy, as well as to the national strategy to develop the Romanian capital market.

FESTIVAL In Bucharest, the Romanian Athenaeum is hosting today, on the 15th day of the George Enescu International Festival, a concert by the Liege Royal Philharmonic, conducted by Tiberiu Soare. The soloists include the Italian soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci, in Poulencs opera for soprano and orchestra “The Human Voice. Also today, the Oslo Philharmonic will give a second concert at the Palace Hall, under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. They will perform the symphonic poem Don Juan by Richard Strauss and George Enescus Sinfonia Concertate for cello and orchestra, opus 8. More than 20 choirs are also performing in several venues in Bucharest, as part of a related project entitled The city sings. The George Enescu International Festival takes place until September 22 and brings together over 2,500 of the worlds most valuable musicians from 50 countries, in 84 concerts and recitals. Bucharest and other cities in Romania and 5 other countries—Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Rep. of Moldova—are hosting performances as part of the Festival. Radio Romania has been a co-producer ever since the first edition of the Festival, in 1958.

ELECTION The Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania has drawn up and posted for public debate a draft law endorsing the Guidelines for financing the campaigns for the 2019 presidential elections. Meanwhile, the Romanians who live abroad only have today and tomorrow left to announce how they intend to vote in this election. Extended under a government emergency order this week, the deadline is September 15. Also, beginning Thursday and until October 19, Romanian diplomatic missions may request to the Foreign Ministry the set-up of polling stations abroad. The first round of Romanias presidential election is scheduled on November 10, with the runoff due on November 24.

VISIT The Minister for the Romanian diaspora, Natalia Intotero, is in Italy until September 18, to discuss with representatives of the Romanian communities in that country about the options for voting in the forthcoming presidential election. Meetings are held in Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Cagliari, Catania, Cosenza, Bari, Naples and Rome. Other topics approached also include human trafficking and the problems facing the Romanian nationals in various economic sectors in Italy, which is the host of the largest Romanian community abroad (around 1.2 million people).

MILITARY Nearly 300 troops from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the USA and Ukraine have taken part this week in a new training module as part of the multinational exercise Black Sea Rotational Force 19 (BSRF), held in the town of Babadag, in the south-east of Romania. The module included tactical shooting drills, first aid simulations as well as practice involving command and control procedures. BSRF is an annual exercise conducted by the US Marine Corps Forces Europe in the Balkan, Black Sea and Caucasus region. The exercise is aimed at enhancing the inter-operability of the armed forces, by means of joint training for peacekeeping and counter-insurgence operations.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu was defeated by Japans Nao Hibino, 4-6, 6-0, 0-3, on Saturday in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Hiroshima (Japan). This has been the best performance this year for Buzărnescu (125 WTA), and the first time she won 3 consecutive matches.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

14 September 2019
Warnings from the European Commission

On Thursday, Romania received from the European Commission a formal notice letter regarding its failure to observe some of the obligations it has as a member state. Thus, the country is facing infringement procedures in fields such as monitoring pollution, financial services, the use of firearms, illegal migration and child protection.

The Commission has noticed that the modifications brought to the Energy Law have maintained the obligation to sell natural gas with priority on the Romanian market, which violates EU law and creates unjustified barriers to gas exports from Romania. Bucharest has two months to respond to the arguments put forward by the Commission. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to bring the matter before the Court of Justice of the EU.

A similar action can be undertaken also if Romania does not get in line with the EU rules on motor insurance. The Commission believes that the national legislation in question, which obliges insurers to issue, for certain categories of vehicles, a policy valid only on Romanian territory, is contrary to the Motor Insurance Directive, which requires that third-party motor liability insurance policies cover the whole territory of the EU on the basis of a single insurance premium.

Three of the infringement procedures target the Romanian Government’s inability to meet its commitments with regard to combating pollution. As regards air quality monitoring, the European Commission speaks of a systemic failure.

In Bucharest, the Ministry of the Environment has reacted immediately to the warnings. It has acknowledged the problem and promised to restructure the national air quality monitoring network. A communiqué issued by the ministry reads that, lately, Romania has taken important steps towards modernizing the network and rendering it more effective.

With regard to greenhouse gases, Romania is at least two years behind in terms of compliance, but the ministry says that Bucharest has made significant progress in this field as well, and a new law is currently being drafted .

Romania is not the only country to have received warnings from the European Commission. In total, in July, the European Commission sent 130 such formal notice letters, including to Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary and Spain. Austria, too, has received a reasoned opinion, due to the incompatibility of its law on the indexation of family benefits and family tax credits with EU rules. Such indexation also affects the Romanian citizens working in Austria who contribute to the social security fund.

26 July 2019
July 16, 2019

The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is presenting today before the European Parliament the main objectives, actions and results of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the first half of 2019. Romanias term, the first since its accession to the EU in 2007, focused on cohesion and citizens and was appreciated as a successful one, thanks to the results obtained during that period, including the finalization of 90 legislative files and the organization of the summit in Sibiu, central Romania. Before presenting the report in the European Parliament, Viorica Dancila will have talks with the new president of the European Parliament, the Italian David Maria Sassoli.

Ursula von der Leyen has pledged before the European Parliament to launch a green deal for Europe to curb climate change if she is voted President of the future European Commission. Before the voting, she told the European Commissioners she would like Europe to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. To reach that goal, Ursula von der Leyen has stated she will propose a sustainable investment plan and to turn parts of the European Investment Bank into a climate bank. Also, she has stated that if she is endorsed as president of the European Commission, she stands ready for a further extension of the UK withdrawal date, should more time be required for a good reason. Ursula von der Leyen is trying to get today the endorsement of the European Parliament to become the first woman president of the European Commission, and the second German to take this office since the setting up of the institution, back in 1957. Her term would start on November 1st.

Alongside another 11 NATO member countries, Romania is taking part in the international military exercise Breeze 2019, unfolding until July 21st in the Black Sea, in the territorial waters of Bulgaria. Participating are some 2,000 military staff from Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, the US and Turkey. The main objective of the exercise is to increase interoperability and interaction between the naval forces of the participating countries. A maritime security operation will be simulated during the exercise. There are 26 battle and auxiliary ships participating in the drills, as well as 10 planes and helicopters, the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group. Representatives of various institutions, NGOs and state-owned organisations are also participating in the exercise.

The European Union has announced it will do whatever possible to salvage the nuclear agreement with Iran and has called on Teheran again to put an end to all uranium enrichment activities that run counter to the commitments assumed under the international agreement signed in Vienna, in 2015. Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has stated that Irans recent breaches of the nuclear deal are not significant and can be reversed, following Irans admission of surpassing the limit established under the international deal. The Spokesperson for Irans atomic energy agency has stated that Iran might revert to the situation before the signing of the agreement. Concluded between Teheran and P 5+1 (China, the US, France, Great Britain, Russia and Germany), after years of efforts, the deal provides for a limitation of the Iranian nuclear programme, in exchange for lifting international sanctions. After the US left the deal, last year, Iran has repeatedly threatened to do the same, unless its interests are guaranteed.

The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.4 in the WTA rankings, will present the Wimbledon trophy to the Romanian public on Wednesday, during an event organized by the Bucharest municipality on the National Arena. Halep is the first Romanian to have won the Wimbledon trophy after the two finals lost by Ilie Nastase back in 1972 and 1976, when he played against Stan Smith of the US and the Swedish Bjorn Borg respectively. Halep has confessed that her main objective in 2020 is to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she will represent Romania. Simona Halep will receive from the countrys president Klaus Iohannis the Order of the Star of Romania, Romanias highest civil order. (translated by M. Ignatescu)

16 July 2019
July 11, 2019 UPDATE

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – On Thursday, the former Romanian Social-Democrat MEP Ioan Mircea Pascu, proposed by the Romanian Government for the office of interim European Commissioner for Regional Policy, was interviewed by the EC President Jean-Claude Juncker. The candidate proposed by Estonia was also heard on Thursday. According to regulations, the EC president must verify the candidates skills and abilities before deciding on assigning them a certain portfolio. The two candidates will also be heard by the chairs of the European Parliament Committees and the MEPs are to vote in Strasbourg, next Thursday. Pascu would replace Corina Cretu, who on May 26th was elected MEP for the Pro Romania Party, formed by dissidents, former members of the Social Democratic Party. Pascu is a veteran of leftist politics in Romania. In 2004, when Romania became a NATO member, he was Minister of Defense. Since 2007, when Romania joined the EU, Pascu has been a member of the European Parliament.

DECISION – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, who in March announced that Romania would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, claims that president Klaus Iohannis should take responsibility for a decision on this matter. Its the responsibility of the president of the country, who should give a clear answer about moving the embassy, Dancila has stated. She has also said that Romania has very good ties with both Israel and the countries in the Gulf area, and has announced she is to pay another visit to Qatar. In spring, during a visit to the United States, at the invitation of a pro-Israeli lobbying organization, the Prime Minister announced the moving of the embassy. Following that announcement, King Abdulah II of Jordan canceled his planned visit to Romania. The idea of moving the embassy was first launched on a TV station by the Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea, who is now in prison for corruption.

POPULATION – On January 1st, 2018, Romanias resident population stood at 19.5 million inhabitants, and the natural growth remained negative, according to data made public by the National Statistics Institute on Thursday. The female population accounted for 51.1% of the total. As compared to January 2017, the population had aged, with the adult population (aged 15 to 64) accounting for 66.2% of the total population. Romania ranks 7th among the members of the EU, which has a total of 513.5 million inhabitants. The figures were published on World Population Day, an event observed on July 11the every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues.

MOLDOVA – The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova, Eduard Harunjen, resigned on Thursday. He claimed health problems, but also said that some politicians had been trying for some time to get control over the Prosecutors Office. Previously, the Interior Minister Andrei Nastase had called for the prosecution of Harunjen, for participation in usurpation, exceeding his professional responsibilities, judiciary interference and passive corruption. Appointed in 2016, the Prosecutor General allegedly handled political files as ordered by the former Democratic government, controlled by the oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc. The new Moldovan Prime Minister, the pro-European Maia Sandu, has announced she would like to have a European prosecutor heading the Prosecutor Generals Office, saying she asked the former head of the National Anticorruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kovesi. The pro-Russia president of the country, Igor Dodon, does not favour the idea of bringing a European prosecutor to Chisinau. Ms Kovesi is competing against the French Jean-Francois Bohnert for head of the future European Public Prosecutors Office, which might become operational next year.

JAZZ – 60 artists from around the world are participating in the Garana Jazz Festival, in south-western Romania, which started on Thursday and lasts until Sunday. The famous Norwegian sax player Jan Garbarek is back after 12 years, together with another three outstanding musicians: the Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, the German composer Rainer Bruninghaus and the Brazilian guitar player Yuri Daniel. On Friday, the Catholic Church will host the traditional annual concert given at the festival by the organ player Raul Kusak. The Garana Jazz Festival, organized by the cultural foundation Jazz Banat, a member of the European Jazz Network, has been held for 20 years, bringing outstanding musicians and a large audience to the little village in the Banat Mountains.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 7 in the WTA rankings, on Thursday qualified for the first time for the final of the Wimbledon tournament, the third Grand Slam of the year, after defeating in the semi-finals the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-3. In the other semifinal, the American Serena Williams (10 WTA) has defeated the Czech Barbora Strycova. The final between Halep and Williams, both former world no.1, will be held on Saturday. To Halep, aged 27, this is the 5th Grand Slam final. She is the second Romanian representative to play the Wimbledon final, after Ilie Nastase, who lost the finals in 1972 and 1976.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

11 July 2019