Radio România Internațional

Tag: economic recovery

  • April 1, 2024 UPDATE

    April 1, 2024 UPDATE

    Deepfake – The National Cyber Security Directorate Romania published a “Guide to Deepfakes”, aimed at protecting and educating the general public on cyber security risks. The Guideline provides detailed information on deepfake production and identification. The authors are confident that by understanding these concepts, users are more aware of the related risks and may take adequate protection measures. Deepfake is a form of digital manipulation using advanced AI techniques to create false images or audio-video materials. According to the institution, this may have a severe impact on society, as it erodes public confidence in online information.

     

    Banking – The consumer credit reference index (IRCC) dropped to 5.90% per year, from 5.97% 3 months ago, the National Bank announced. This is the first significant decrease of the index in the past 12 months, and will lead to smaller interest rates as of this month. In June the IRCC is expected to decrease further, to 5.84%. The downward trend will help bring down interest rates for mortgage loans for nearly half a million Romanians. Meanwhile, the 3-month ROBOR index which influences the costs of variable-rate loans in the national currency has reached 6.06% per year, as opposed to 6.05%. IRCC is the index used for setting the interest rates for variable-rate loans in the national currency since May 2019, when it stood at 2.36%. It was designed by the government as a solution to offset the effects of the ROBOR index, which had been rising from one month to the next at the end of 2018.

     

    Parliament – The Parliament of Romania convenes on Tuesday in a joint meeting to mark 20 years since the country joined the North Atlantic Alliance and 75 years since the establishment of NATO. Parliament will adopt a declaration on this occasion. Also this week, the Chamber of Deputies is scheduled to give its final vote on a government bill introducing penalties for breaches of the EU regulation on the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in appliances such as refrigerators or AC systems. The penalties may reach EUR 20,000 in fines, and 6-month to 3-year prison sentences. Deputies in the specialist committees are also to discuss as of this week new draft regulations on the compulsory motor insurance, stipulating fines 15 times higher than in the past for uninsured drivers and a ceiling of EUR 400 on self-paid car repairs. Also this week, the Senate is to discuss the merger of local elections with the European Parliament elections, scheduled for June 9th.

     

    Protests – The Romanian Post Workers’ Union went on an all-out strike on Monday, but the postal offices’ activity is taking place normally in most counties of Romania, as the management of the institution claims. The protesters demand an increase in salaries by a net amount of 400 lei (approx. 80 euros) and an increase in the loyalty bonus. They draw attention to the fact that the pay of 90% of the employees will be, as of this summer, at the level of the minimum wage. According to the authorities, it will increase to 3,700 lei (approx. 740 euros) from July 1. The company management announced that the demands of the employees are justified, but that there have already been significant salary increases. The Romanian Post is a national operator and is owned by the state.

     

    Drills – Joint exercises of the Moldovan, Romanian and American military are taking place in the Republic of Moldova until April 19. The Moldovan Defense Ministry announced that they would train, will exchange experience and increase the level of interoperability. The drills will take place in the training centers of the National Army of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    Visit – The special representative of the United States of America for the economic recovery of Ukraine, Penny Pritzker, arrives in Bucharest in two days. She will visit the UN Refugee Agency Center at the Romexpo Exhibition Compound, together with Romanian officials and the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec. She will talk about the life of refugees in Romania and their role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. At the same time, Penny Pritzker will meet with members of the Romanian Government and private sector leaders to discuss regional cooperation, including emergency energy assistance for Ukraine and the long-term benefits of infrastructure investments. (AMP, LS)

  • May 18, 2021 UPDATE

    May 18, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday
    highlighted the need to accelerate the vaccination campaign, warning that
    fading signs of the pandemic might induce a false sense of security in people
    who haven’t got immunized. The president said a large number of the population
    still needs to get vaccinated. The President had a work meeting with Prime
    Minister Florin Cîţu and government members regarding the anti-COVID-19
    vaccination campaign. According to the president, the success of the
    vaccination will impact the full reopening of all social and economic sectors
    in post-pandemic Romania. According to the Facebook page of the vaccination
    campaign, over 4 million people got vaccinated at national level since the
    start of the vaccination campaign, and 6.9 million doses of vaccine have been
    administered so far. According to the authorities, Romania ranks 7th
    at European level in terms of the percentage of fully-vaccinated population and
    21st at world level. Tens of thousands of people have been immunized
    in recent days in drive-through centers (by car) and through vaccination
    marathons across the country. The capital’s Emergency Situations Committee
    decided on Monday that preschoolers and pupils will be able to return to class
    physically, starting Wednesday, with the observance and application of all
    protection rules. On the other hand, the Strategic Communication Group reported
    on Tuesday 681 cases of infection with the new coronavirus out of almost 32
    thousand tests performed nationwide. In the last 24 hours, 91 patients
    diagnosed with COVID-19 died. There are now more than 4,600 patients in
    hospitals, of whom 716 in intensive care. At this moment, at national level, an
    incidence higher than 1 per one thousand inhabitants is registered only in Cluj
    county – 1.18, and Alba county – 1.14.




    VACCINATION CERTIFICATE – Romania is ready to introduce the green vaccination
    certificate that will be used at European level, the spokesperson for the
    Special Telecommunications Service, Cătălin Chirca told Radio Romania. STS is
    already working on an IT system with two components: a portal wherefrom
    citizens will download their green certificate for free and an application that
    will allow the verification of issued certificates. Adina Vălean, the European
    Commissioner for Transport, has explained that, currently, there are 18 member
    countries that have scheduled tests of their solutions and the connection that
    their databases will establish with the European information exchange platform.
    Romania is scheduled for May 21 to take its interoperability test. The green
    vaccination certificate, which will contain a QR code, will facilitate free
    movement in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will certify that a person
    has been vaccinated against coronavirus or, as the case may be, that he or she
    has recently had a negative test result or that he or she has been infected
    with the virus.




    ECONOMY – In the first quarter of this year, Romanian economy
    was the most dynamic in the European Union, with a growth of the Gross Domestic
    Product of 2.8% compared to the last quarter of 2020, according to preliminary
    data published on Tuesday by Eurostat. Next come Cyprus (2%), Hungary (1.9%)
    and Lithuania (1.8%). Earlier, the National Institute of Statistics had too
    announced this growth, above estimates, of the Romanian economy in the first
    quarter of 2021. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu wrote on Facebook that it’s the
    fastest economic recovery in history, in response to the biggest crisis in the
    last hundred years. He also wrote that the Government is preparing new measures
    to make Romania’s post-pandemic economy stronger and more competitive. For this
    year, the authorities estimate an economic growth of about 4.3%, after a
    decline of 3.9% in 2020.




    CONFLICT – France has called on Israel to grant swift and
    unrestrained access to humanitarian aid to Gaza after a crucial crossing point
    was closed down, French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Tuesday in the
    National Assembly. The international community is making efforts to put an end
    to the bloody Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. On Tuesday, following
    Israel’s latest air strikes and missiles launched by Hamas, the situation escalated
    at the Kerem Shalom border crossing point, which Israel closed down a few hours
    later after a new missile barrage from the Palestinian side. Also on Tuesday,
    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave assurances that the United States
    will not stand in the way of UN diplomacy in the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue,
    without promising, however, they would support a UN Security Council resolution
    calling for a ceasefire. According to France Press news agency, the US official
    recalled that President Joe Biden on Monday voiced support for a ceasefire agreement.
    Israel and Hamas militants continue to bomb each other’s positions after a week
    of intense fighting. (MI & VP)

  • July 2, 2020

    July 2, 2020

    Covid-10 RO. In Romania, the total number of Sars-Cov-2 infections stands at 27,700, according to the Strategic Communication Group. The death toll has reached 1687. Of the people confirmed positive, more than 19,300 have been declared cured and discharged from hospital. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,795 Romanian citizens abroad have been confirmed with COVID-19, mostly in Germany, Italy and Spain. So far, 115 Romanian citizens abroad have died due to the new coronavirus. In the context of the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the authorities have stressed the fact that companies that do not comply with safety rules will be sanctioned and that controls will be intensified.



    Economy. The Liberal government in Bucharest has presented an ambitious economic recovery plan after the pandemic, with a budget of 100 billion euros and based, in particular, on attracting European funds. The document covers transport and energy infrastructure, health, education, investments for local development, agricultural and irrigation infrastructure, environmental investments and sports infrastructure. The aim is to increase the gross domestic product per capita so that it reaches 87% of the European Union average in five years. The major difference in approach would be, according to the initiators, economic growth based on massive investments, which would replace the current model based mainly on consumption. However, the Social-Democratic opposition claims that this is an exclusively electoral program.



    Unemployment. The unemployment rate in Romania rose to 5.2% in May 2020, at the level of the first half of 2017, the National Institute of Statistics has reported today. The unemployment rate for men – 6.1% – exceeded that of women by 2.1 percentage points. For people aged 25 to 74, the unemployment rate was estimated at 4.2% in May 2020. The number of unemployed aged 25 to 74 accounts for 74.9% of the total number of unemployed estimated for May 2020. The Institute also says in its communiqué that the arrivals registered in the tourist reception structures in May 2020 decreased by about 97% compared to those in May 2019, and those of foreign tourists account for 3.8%. According to the National Institute of Statistics, these data capture the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and of the measures taken by the authorities as a result of declaring a state of emergency on the Romanian territory starting with March 16, 2020 and the state of alert as of May 17.



    Pandemic. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection around the world has exceeded 10.8 million, and the number of deaths reported as being associated with Covid-19 has reached 519,000, according to Worldometers website. More than six million people infected with Sars-Cov-2 have been declared cured. The United States ranks first in the world with regard to the number of cases of infection and death. Nearly 53,000 coronavirus infections were recorded in the United States in 24 hours, a record high since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has exceeded 130,000. For at least the next three weeks, all indoor activities in bars, restaurants, theaters and other facilities in the US state of California will be banned due to the steep increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, the California governor has announced. The governor of Michigan, in the north of the country, also announced the closure of most bars. Brazil, which ranks second in the ranking of the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, has reached the threshold of 60,000 deaths associated with the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus.



    UN. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict zones around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Washington, the call for a global armistice, except for the anti-terrorist operations, was delayed by three months, due to the disputes between the United States and China. The resolution, which was introduced in the Council by France and Tunisia, is the first related to the coronavirus pandemic. It covers the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Congo and does not apply to military operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The resolution calls for “all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days” to allow for delivery of humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations.



    Russia. The Russians overwhelmingly approved the amendment to the constitution, which strengthens the power of President Vladimir Putin. The Radio Romania correspondent in Moscow recalls that the most contested amendment gives Putin the right to run for two more six-year presidential terms. The amendments extend the prerogatives of parliament, government and the judiciary, but maintain and strengthen the presidents control over the main state institutions and decision-making mechanisms. The new version of the fundamental law bans the alienation of Russian territory, which also includes Crimea and the South Kurile Islands, and imposes the priority of Russian law over international law. Also, elements of the current conservative ideology of the Kremlin are introduced in the Constitution, being mentioned the faith in God, the marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and the defense of historical memory. The opposition condemns the amendments as an attempt to extend Putins power. (M. Ignatescu)

  • July 1, 2020 UPDATE

    July 1, 2020 UPDATE

    Economy. The Romanian executive launched, on Wednesday an economic recovery plan of over 100 billion Euros. At the presentation of the plan, the Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said that the elaborated program took into account the problems facing Romania, accentuated by the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have found that companies access to resources, to capital, is extremely difficult and restricted,” the prime minister said. Attending the event, President Klaus Iohannis spoke about “a project of major importance for Romania of tomorrow”. According to the head of state, Romania must adapt to the new conditions and become more competitive. “The time has come for all economic measures to be included in a single plan and to turn on the engines for economic recovery”, Klaus Iohannis stated. The opposition has criticized the plan, saying it does not provide real economic recovery solutions. The Save Romania Union has said many of the proposals are outdated, populist and with no funding sources. According to the new economic plan, 80% of the money would be invested in transport, health, education and energy infrastructure. The relaunch plan also provides support measures for the areas affected by the coronavirus crisis, grants for SMEs, digitalization, employee support and employment. The money would come from both the state budget and European funds.



    Natural gas. The Romanian natural gas market has been fully liberalized as of July 1st. Tariffs are no longer regulated by the government, but set by the stock exchange. Liberalization comes at a time when the energy supply market is highly concentrated, with 2 companies providing such services for 90% of the household consumers. These companies have sent their customers offers at the same prices as before, and unless they receive an answer, the new contracts will take effect by default. A week ago, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu told AGERPRES news agency that households should pay 10-15% less for natural gas. He explained that, unless major suppliers cut down prices, the Competition Law enables the government to intervene in the market for a 6-month period.



    COVID-19 In Romania, 27,296 cases of coronavirus infection have been reported so far, with 326 new cases confirmed over the past 24 hours. 20,749 patients have recovered, and 1,667 have died. The healthcare minister Nelu Tătaru announced 2 days ago that the increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases prompted the authorities to postpone the lifting of further restrictions as of July 1. Three relaxation stages have been introduced since mid-May, when Romania switched from a state of emergency to a state of alert. Among the Romanians living abroad, 4,795 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and 115 of them have died.



    Pandemic. The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has exceeded 10.6 million, with the death toll standing at 515,000 and 5.8 million recovered patients, according to worldometers.info. In the US, the number of new cases has increased significantly in the last 24 hours, reaching a total of 2.7 million. More than 130,000 Americans have died and millions have lost their jobs. The economy contracted sharply in the first quarter, and is expected to decline rapidly in the second. Meanwhile, the EU has approved a list of safe countries for non-essential travel, as of July1st. The list, which includes 14 countries (Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay) will be updated every 2 weeks, depending on local COVID-19 developments.



    Parliament. Until mid-July, the Parliament of Romania is holding a special session. The Chamber of Deputies is set to discuss a number of bills, including the one establishing the date of local elections and an initiative banning people with criminal records from running for public office. On Monday the Deputies will hear PM Ludovic Orban on the procurement contracts signed during the pandemic. In turn, the Senate is also to vote on the local elections bill, after the Government decided the election should take place on September 27.



    EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the EU must prepare for the possibility that negotiations with London on the post-Brexit relation wont secure a deal, as “progress in the negotiations has been very limited.” “I will continue to press for a good solution. But we in the EU and also in Germany must and should prepare for the event that an agreement is not reached after all” Merkel told the German Chamber of Deputies on the first day of Germanys Presidency of the Council of the EU. Germany took over the rotating presidency of the Council from Croatia, on July 1st, and it will be holding it for six months. Managing the crisis triggered by the new coronavirus will be the main focus of the German term, according to a program approved by the German Government on June 24th, titled Make Europe Strong Again. With the EU facing the deepest economic recession since WWII, the member states must agree, in the following months, on a multi-annual budget for 2021-2027 and on the operation of the European Recovery Fund, designed by the European Commission to support the economies of the countries most affected by the pandemic, especially Italy and Spain. (M.Ignatescu)

  • June 30, 2020 UPDATE

    June 30, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 RO. The latest data published by the Strategic Communication Group show some 27,000 cases of Covid-19 in Romania. So far, most infections have been reported in the county of Suceava, in the north-east, and in the capital Bucharest. Of the people confirmed positive, more than 20,000 have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. So far, 1,651 people have died of Covid-19 in Romania. Outside Romanias borders, 4,795 Romanians have tested positive, and 115 have died. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Tuesday that, because of the latest developments with regard to the new cases of infection, a decision would be made to postpone other relaxation measures, and stated he would support the proposal formulated by the National Committee for Emergency Situations in this respect.



    Pandemic. The World Health Organization warns that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over and has urged people to mobilize without waiting for a vaccine. With more than half a million deaths and 10.4 million cases worldwide, the virus continues to wreak havoc in 30 of the 50 US states, seems to have reappeared in China, the country where the pandemic started, and remains present in Europe, with isolated outbreaks, which are however cause of concern. Brazil has exceeded the threshold of 1.3 million infections and 58,000 deaths. However, the worst situation remains in the US, where 2.7 million cases of infection have been reported and 128,000 people have died of Covid-19. In Europe, the most affected countries remain the UK, Italy, France and Spain. The British Government has established the first quarantine area in the English city of Leicester, after an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus infection there. On Tuesday, the Council of the EU adopted a recommendation on the gradual lifting of restrictions on non-essential travel from third countries, drawing up a list of 14 states from which travel to the EU is allowed as of July 1st. The countries are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The list will be reviewed and, if necessary, updated every 15 days. In addition, China will be included in that list of Beijing applies a reciprocity regime for travelers from the European Union.



    Economy. A comprehensive economic recovery plan will be announced in Romania on Wednesday. The Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has promised that all the laws ensuring the plans implementation will be passed in a months time. He has given assurances that, despite speculations, the National Liberal Party will not give up the 16% flat tax, given that it is a Liberal measure that has had good effects on the economy. In turn, the finance minister Florin Citu has explained that the plan will be based on investments and that record allocations will be made in this field. As of the next budget adjustment, funds will be increased by several billions of Euros, he said.. According to the finance minister, if the project is successful, the 4th quarter of the year is going to be much better. Even the tax collection for June is going to be higher than in 2019, the minister also said.



    Parliament. The Romanian Parliament approved, on Tuesday, the National Defense Strategy of Romania for 2020-2024, a document submitted by president Klaus Iohannis. The strategy is based on several major elements, namely the EU and NATO membership, as well as the Strategic Partnership with the US. The threats mentioned in the document are the economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the strengthening of the military potential in the vicinity of Romania, the volatility of the regional security situation, hostile stands in the public space, cyber attacks, distortions in energy markets, interference and hostile takeovers, Agerpres reports. The parliament in Bucharest ends its ordinary session on Tuesday, but as of Wednesday it will convene in a two-week extraordinary session.



    Consultation. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had a bilateral video-conference consultation with European Council President Charles Michel on Tuesday in preparation for a European Council meeting in Brussels on July 17 and 18. The discussion focused on the future multiannual budget of the Union for the period 2021-2027 and the Economic Recovery Plan proposed by the European Commission. Regarding the budget, Iohannis stressed that Romanias major goal is to obtain the highest possible allocations for cohesion and agriculture policies. With regard to cohesion policy, he called for greater flexibility in absorbing the amounts allocated and supported increasing transfers between different funds to adapt available funding to specific development needs. The Romanian president also stood for a 30-year repayment period for the funds allocated for economic recovery.



    Survey. Most Romanian managers are anticipating a drop in their business turnover this year and a recovery of losses by mid 2021, shows a survey conducted among the managers of more than 500 companies operating in Romania. The most optimistic are the managers from the agricultural field while the most pessimistic are those in services, a sector that was hit hard by the crisis. Half of the Romanian managers interviewed say that overcoming the crisis is possible through a pro-active attitude, through increased investments and increased productivity, while one third of them say they would cut down on costs first. Another conclusion of the survey is that we are not facing a financial crisis yet. 44% of the managers interviewed say that, in their companies, the working capital has improved.



    Gopo Awards. Corneliu Porumboius film La Gomera was the big winner at the Gopo Awards Gala, which awarded the best Romanians films made in 2019. The film got 9 awards, including the one for best film, best director and best screenplay. La Gomera tells the story of Cristi, a corrupt Romanian policeman, involved in a business with the mafia worth 30 million Euros, who reaches the island of La Gomera in Spain to learn El Silbo, a whistled language used by the locals. This language will help him free Zsolt, a trafficker arrested in Bucharest and the only one who knows where the money was hidden. The 14th edition of the gala, organized by the Association for the Promotion of Romanian Film, together with the Urban Film and Culture Association, is the first outdoor event in the history of the Gopo Awards Gala. (M.Ignatescu)


  • May 19, 2020

    May 19, 2020

    Coronavirus Romania — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is having 2 meetings today with government members on measures aimed at managing the COVID-19 pandemic. The death toll is Romania has reached 1126. According to the authorities, the total number of contaminations has exceeded 17,100, with almost 10,100 patients having recovered from the infection. As many as 3,000 Romanian citizens from abroad have been infected with COVID-19, mostly in Italy, Spain and Germany and 103 have died, especially in Great Britain, Italy and France.



    COVID-19 World — The alert system for outbreaks used by the World Health Organization should be revised given that some states have reacted more slowly to the coronavirus outbreak, show the conclusions of a first report issued by an independent committee that analyzed the way in which the WHO acted in the case of the coronavirus pandemic, DPA reports. Around the world, almost 4.9 million people have been contaminated with the new virus, 1.9 million have recovered and over 320,000 have died. The US is the hardest hit country of the world with 90,000 deaths and almost 1.5 million cases of contamination. Brazil comes 3rd after the US and Russia in the ranking of countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus. In Europe the highest number of cases has been reported in the UK, Italy, France and Spain. Meanwhile, the EU states continue to gradually lift restrictions.



    Border check points — Traffic congestion is still reported at the Nadlac checkpoint in western Romania. Over the past days, tens of thousands of Romanians have entered Romania through the border checkpoints between Hungary and Romania, with the social distancing rules having been infringed. The health minister Nelu Tataru has warned of the danger caused by the situation and of the risk of the emergence of new coronavirus hotbeds, since many of the people entering Romania come from the former red zones. Also, the Romanian authorities say that, following talks with the Hungarian authorities, measures have been taken to avoid congestion and the number of checkpoints has been increased. The Border Police has announced that they are now working at full capacity in the 5 open checkpoints at Romania’s western border.



    Berlin — The Romanian labor minister Violeta Alexandru is a working visit to Germany. The agenda of her visit includes talks with German officials and the representatives of the German Farmers’ Union, as well as visits at the asparagus farms in the State of Brandenburg. Earlier during her visit to Germany, labor minister Violeta Alexandru met with the representatives of the Faire Mobilitat Project, the talks focusing on the main problems faced by the Romanian citizens working in Germany. The discussion approached aspects related to the labor legislation and the contractual conditions, as well as to the support this organization’s counseling centers provide to the Romanian citizens through the Faire Mobilitat counseling network. The Romanian official has asked for clarifications regarding the Romanian citizens’ labor contacts, the period of notice on termination of employment, the way of reimbursing the employees’ travel to and from the work place, their medical insurance, accommodation conditions and so on.



    Economic recovery — The French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel have proposed an economic recovery plan worth 500 billion Euros for the EU countries affected by the coronavirus crisis which has caused an unprecedented recession in Europe — shows a common statement of the two leaders who had a video-conference on Monday. Angela Merkel has pointed out that the countries hardest hit by the crisis should benefit from these funds with priority. In turn, the French President has said that the countries receiving aid are not obliged to reimburse the money. The president of the EC Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council Charles Michel have hailed the announcement. The economic recovery plan is based on several pillars among which health, environmental protection and digital development. (tr. L. Simion)

  • May 5, 2020

    May 5, 2020

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Barber
    shops, dental clinics and museums across Romania will reopen on May 15, after
    being shut down due to the coroanvirus pandemic. People will also be able to
    move around the city without a signed declaration. President Klaus Iohannis
    yesterday spoke about these measures, saying the state of emergency will be
    replaced with a state of alert, which will allow the authorities to keep the
    situation in check. Meanwhile the COVID-19 death toll in Romania has reached
    827 people, while the number of confirmed cases now stands at 13,800. 5,500
    people have recovered. Health Minister Nelu Tataru says the pandemic could
    reach its peak at the end of the week. According to the Government’s Group for
    Strategic Communication, some 2,400 Romanian nationals living abroad have
    tested positive for coronavirus, mostly in Italy. Of them 96 have died to the
    virus.




    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Italy, the
    first country in the world to impose total quarantine for the entire population
    due to the coronavirus pandemic, has started easing restrictions. For the
    second day in a row, the number of deaths is below 200, while the total number
    of confirmed cases stands at some 100,000. As of today, 4.5 million Italians
    have returned to work. Until May 17, Italians can move around the city only for
    work, health problems, to shop or to visit their relatives, while observing
    social distancing measures. The British Government is also expected to announce
    a gradual lifting of restrictions this week. According to the BBC, the measures
    will include spaced-out working hours for employees, while preserving telework
    where possible over the coming weeks, possibly months. In France, the
    Government’s plans for a gradual return to normal life starting May 11 have
    been met with political criticism. The right-wing Senate has voted against the
    Government’s relaxation plan, although the vote is purely consultative, bearing
    no effect on the implementation of the strategy already approved last week in the
    National Assembly. Over 250,000 people have died worldwide since the beginning
    of the outbreak in December last year in China.


    MEETING – President Klaus Iohannis is today meeting
    with representatives of the business sector to discuss economic recovery
    measures. In yesterday’s press conference, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
    presented a series of economic measures, which include subsidizing up to 41.5%
    of salaries, representing the income tax and contributions to national schemes.
    Over the coming period the Government
    will launch a support program for large companies, patterned on the SME Invest assistance
    program.






    TOURISM – Arrivals and
    bookings in accommodation units across Romania have dropped by nearly 70% in
    March compared to the same period in 2019, the National Statistics Institute
    reports. The average stay for March was 2 days for Romania tourists and 2.1
    days for foreign tourists. Additionally, compared to March, 2019, the number of
    foreign tourists who entered the country dropped by over 50%, standing at some
    410,000 people, while the number of Romanians who left the country stood at 653,000
    people, a 56% drop.




    GLOBAL RESPONSE – The European
    Commission yesterday organized a video-conference aimed at raising funds to
    support the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Commission President Ursula von
    der Leyen hailed the exemplary response of the international community. Over
    the course of a few hours some 7.4 billion euros were raised. Madonna, the Bill
    and Melinda Gates Foundation, in addition to heads of state and government and
    international organizations promised to make donations. The European Commission
    will donate 1 billion euros, France and Germany also contributing 500 million
    euros each. The European Investment Bank promised important funds and a large
    plan for investment. China will be donating over 45 million euros, while South
    Africa over a billion. The United States did not take part in the Global
    Response initiative, given its open conflict with the World Health Organization
    and China, who want to develop vaccines of their own. French President Emmanuel
    Macron and King Abdullah of Jordan have warned the development of a universal
    vaccine against COVID-19 is not a competition, but should involve cooperation.


    (Translated by V.
    Palcu)








  • The Week in Review September 14 – 20

    The Week in Review September 14 – 20

    The Romanian Prime Minister is Under Prosecution


    Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta is under prosecution, the first head of government to get indicted for irregularities in the 25 years since the fall of communism. A party colleague, Dan Sova, is also being prosecuted with 17 accusations of forgery, conspiracy to commit aggravated tax evasion and money laundering. The cases revolve around the energy complexes of Turceni and Rovinari. The alleged violations were committed while Ponta was a lawyer in the private sector. In parallel, prosecutors have concluded that Victor Ponta has to be investigated for conflicts of interest as prime minister as well. His co-defendant, Dan Sova, a former minister for transportation, is being prosecuted for conspiracy to commit abuse of office. He is suspected of having pocketed hundreds of thousands of Euros for contracts that deprived the state of around 16 million Euros. The situation is getting thorny for the standing government and the Social Democratic Party, insofar as President Iohannis called once again on Ponta to step down. The Social Democrats, however, refuse, as illustrated by interim party chair Liviu Dragnea:


    Liviu Dragnea: “We have no guarantee that Pesident Iohannis would appoint as prime minister another Social Democrat. Victor Ponta is a prime minister who has led several governments which have generated in Romania good economic results, and not only economic. Romania is not about to burn down. Romania isnt about to burn down even tomorrow. Nothing terrible is going to occur over the next few days. It is important for him to put some order in his thoughts, and, depending on his decision, we will talk, the two of us and as a political party, as a coalition.


    Ponta continues to deny all charges.



    Romania and the Refugee Crisis


    Romania continues to oppose mandatory refugee quotas faced with the wave of migration of late, and next week the country will plead once again with the EU against such measure. The announcement was made by President Klaus Iohannis, after he consulted the Higher Defense Council of the country. The head of state has reiterated Bucharests commitment to take in 1,785 refugees, even though the European Commission would like Romania to take in three times as many. However, if the EU forces Bucharest to take in more than the number they volunteered to, the Defense Council took into account asking the EU for money to cover the extra expenses. Here is what President Iohannis said:



    Klaus Iohannis: “If anything like this should happen, it is clear that we have to do something. A decision has not been made, but the idea has been circulated, which probably may lead to a solution, of using European funds for expanding facilities for taking in refugees, or, at the extreme, of course, of using European funds for building more centers to house refugees.



    Also this week, a verbal war ensued between Romania and Hungary after Budapest announced it planned to erect a razor wire fence to fend off refugees on the Romanian-Hungarian border, similar to the one built on the border with Serbia. The position of the Bucharest government in relation to the way Hungary treats migrants is in line with the positions expressed in the EU, as well as in other international organizations. The Romanian government reiterated that a fence on its border with Hungary was not in conformity with European norms. The Romanian government believes it is fundamental to observe these norms, as well as human rights.



    The Mayor of Bucharest is Under Detention


    Dan Marin, representing the small National Union for the Progress of Romania Party, in the ruling coalition, is acting as of Tuesday as mayor of Bucharest. As such, he said:



    Dan Marin: “Right now there is a void of information as regards the financial situation at City Hall, which is why one of the first measures I will take is to run an external audit.



    Dan Marin takes over from Sorin Oprescu, suspended as mayor by the prefect of the capital city due to prosecution. Anti-corruption prosecutors accuse Oprescu, who is under temporary arrest, of having taken 25,000 Euros in bribes, alleging that he ran a kickback ring in his administration.



    The Romanian Economy Shows Signs of Recovery


    The IMF representative in Romania and Bulgaria, Guillermo Tolosa, said this week that Romania may overtake economically in the next three years European countries such as Greece, the Czech Republic and Portugal, if it maintains fiscal stability and manages to draw in investments, especially in infrastructure. Also this week, annual inflation reached a historic low in a quarter century, minus 1.9%, without the risk of deflation. The National Forecast Commission has upped its figures for 2015 on economic growth from 2.8% to 3.3%, allowing for the possibility of 4% in 2018.