Radio România Internațional

Tag: election

  • Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

    Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

     

    Since the night of November 24, when Călin Georgescu came virtually out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential elections, overtaking high-profile politicians, his name has become the most present on TV channels and news websites.

     

    The question of how this was possible was answered by the Supreme Defence Council, although not very convincingly for some. After putting together data coming from the intelligence services, the Council concluded that the independent candidate Călin Georgescu was the beneficiary of a hybrid attack by a foreign state actor, namely Russia, mainly through very high TikTok exposure.

     

    After the first round, the general public came to learn a few things about candidate Georgescu’s election platform, and eventually got to know a character bordering on the bizarre and the toxic. A fierce critic of the West and of Romania’s NATO and EU membership and an admirer of Putin’s Russia, Georgescu promoted a self-sufficient economic system reminiscent of Ceausescu’s ideology, and praised what he considered Romanian exceptionalism and leading figures of Romanian interwar fascism.

     

    On December 6, the Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision in three and a half decades of democracy: it annulled the presidential elections, on grounds that the entire election process had been twisted in Georgescu’s favour.

     

    Backed by the country’s self-styled sovereigntist, but in fact populist and ultranationalist parties, last Friday Georgescu registered his candidacy in the upcoming presidential race, due on May 4 and 18. On Sunday, the Central Electoral Bureau rejected his candidacy, relying precisely on the Constitutional Court’s ruling in December. Predictably, on Tuesday, the Court dismissed Călin Georgescu’s appeal as ungrounded in a final ruling.

     

    According to the Central Electoral Bureau, Călin Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet legality criteria, in that, by failing to comply with the election rules he breached the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial elections.

     

    The sovereigntists, led by AUR party, criticised what they called the “abusive” decision of the Constitutional Court.

     

    Practically born on TikTok, Călin Georgescu’s dazzling but very brief political career seems to have ended at the Constitutional Court. The overexposure, however, brought him other problems as well. The former presidential front-runner was recently placed under court supervision, in a case in which serious charges are brought against him.

     

    The first of them is one of the most severely punished in the Criminal Code, namely incitement to act against the constitutional order. Other charges include false statements regarding his campaign financing, initiating or establishing fascist, racist or xenophobic and anti-Semitic organisations, as well as publicly promoting the cult of individuals guilty of genocide and war crimes. Călin Georgescu denies all accusations. (AMP)

  • February 23, 2025

    February 23, 2025

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    ELECTIONS In Romania, the electoral alliance supporting Crin Antonescu as a presidential candidate in May has been officially registered with the Central Electoral Bureau. The alliance, called  “Romania Forward”, comprises the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), in the ruling coalition, and is also backed by the group of ethnic minorities in the Romanian Parliament. A former education minister, Daniel Funeriu, and the incumbent mayor general of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, have also announced plans to run for president. The election campaign begins on April 4 and ends on May 3, with the vote scheduled on May 4 and the second round on May 18. In December the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election over foreign interference in the electoral process.

     

    AIRCRAFT US aircraft deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base (southeastern Romania) are performing low-altitude training flights in and around Constanţa County these days, the Romanian Air Forces announced. They say the exercises will continue until February 28 and promised that all safety measures have been taken to reduce the noise impact on civilians. Officials say that these trainings aim to increase the response capacity of aeronautical personnel.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    GERMANY Germany is holding elections for the next Bundestag. The Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz, the most likely to become the country’s next chancellor, said at a rally in Munich that he would be a strong voice in Europe in these “troubled times.” The campaign was overshadowed by the rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, which is expected to come in second place, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, however, the fragmented political landscape requires complicated negotiations at a crucial moment for the strongest EU member state. Following a reform of the electoral law, the 21st Bundestag will have 630 MPs, 103 fewer than at present. The campaign was generally focused on hot topics such as illegal migration and, more recently, the challenges to NATO posed by the US President Donald Trump.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team Rapid Bucharest play away from home today against Buducnost, in a decisive match for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Whoever wins will play against the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest. Also today, Dunarea Braila play at home against Larvik for qualification in the quarterfinals of the women’s handball competition EHF European League. On Saturday evening, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea were defeated by the Danish team Ikast Handbold 36-34, in their last match in the competition’s Group B. On Saturday evening, CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the quarterfinals of the EHF European Cup men’s handball competition, although they were defeated by the Finnish team BK-46, 32-31 in Karis, in the second leg of the round of 16. (AMP)

  • February 22, 2025

    February 22, 2025

     

    ELECTIONS The Central Electoral Bureau for the election of the president of Romania in May was selected on Friday. The Bureau is made up of 5 judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the president and vice-presidents of the Permanent Electoral Authority and one representative of each party in Parliament. Parties, political or electoral alliances, ethnic minority organisations and independent candidates will be able to submit their candidacies by March 15, after which the Central Electoral Bureau is to rule on their validity. Thousands of Romanians, supporters of the independent sovereigntist Călin Georgescu, who came out first in the first election round in December, took to the streets again in Bucharest today to demand that the electoral process be resumed from where it was canceled. The billionaire Elon Musk, an advisor to the US president Donald Trump, Friday night posted a critical message on his social network X (the third this week) about the cancellation of the December elections. The US vice-president J.D. Vance had also previously questioned the cancellation of the elections. Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Bucharest would try to provide clarifications about the situation through all diplomatic channels.

     

    RATING Fitch has sent a clear signal that Romania must carry on its fiscal consolidation measures and restore budgetary balance, in order to improve its fiscal credibility, said finance minister Tanczos Barna after the international financial rating agency announced on Friday that it is keeping Romania in the investment grade category. In a statement, the agency confirmed Romania’s long-term rating at ‘BBB minus’, with a negative outlook. According to Fitch, the rating relies on the country’s EU membership and capital inflows that contribute to public revenues and macro-stability. The gross domestic product per capita and the governance and human development indicators are also higher than in countries in the same rating category, the agency explains. These strengths are overshadowed, however, by a significant deterioration of public finances and a sharp slowdown in economic growth in 2024. Adding to this is a possible adverse effect of political uncertainty. In December last year, Fitch announced that it had downgraded the outlook assigned to Romania from stable to negative. The same announcement came later from Standard & Poor’s.

     

    ENERGY Electricity and natural gas tariffs could be offset in Romania even after April 1, when the current aid scheme is set to expire. The energy ministry has posted for public review a draft act extending the capping period, under which the scheme for electricity is extended until July 1, and for natural gas by one year, until April 1, 2026. The capping extension proposal comes as prices on European electricity and gas exchanges have increased significantly, and also as the low temperatures in Romania this winter entailed a significant increase in consumption. As a result, the line minister Sebastian Burduja announced that the government had decided to protect Romanians and support the competitiveness of Romanian companies. After the energy market was deregulated on January 1, 2021, Romania was among the European countries the most severely affected by record-high electricity and natural gas prices. Thanks to the government’s price capping decisions, households and businesses were protected from excessive prices.

     

    CORRUPTION A company and 2 individuals are prosecuted in a case handled by the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), together with investigators from the US Department of Defence, the DNA announced today. The company owned by a Greek national has allegedly bribed a foreign official to get a EUR 9 mln contract to refuel aircraft at the NATO military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu. Two other individuals are suspected of complicity in continuing bribery in connection with an official of a foreign country.

     

    GERMANY Germany holds federal elections on Sunday that are crucial to the country’s future, as the far-right is on the rise and the economy is heading for a third year of recession. The vote comes after the coalition of the Social Democrats, Liberals and Greens led by the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed late last year. According to polls, the Conservatives are expected to win. With the far-right in second place in the polls, however, analysts say that in order to govern, the Conservatives will have to reach a compromise with the Social Democrats or the Greens, overcoming their differences.

     

    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions FCSB will face the French team Olympique Lyon in the Europa League round of 16, according to Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland. FCSB will play the first leg at home on March 6, with the return leg scheduled on March 13. FCSB qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League after outplaying the Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. The aggregate score was 4-1, with the Romanians defeating the Greeks 2-1 in the first leg, and 2-0 in Bucharest on Thursday evening. (AMP)

  • February 21, 2025

    February 21, 2025

    VISIT Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is meeting the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels today. Talks over the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, a.k.a PNRR, as well as the global and regional security are high on the talks agenda. Bucharest’s objective is to renegotiate with the EU officials some targets in the country’s National Plan of Recovery and Resilience so that Romania may entirely absorb the funds allotted through the European mechanism. In Ciolacu’s opinion, there are a series of issues within the PNRR, which need adjustment to present-day realities. The head of the Executive believes that 2025 and 2026 are decisive years when Romania can entirely benefit from funding in the aforementioned plan.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday night qualified for the Europa League’s round of 16 after a 4-1 win on aggregate against, PAOK Thessaloniki, a Greek eleven coached by Romanian Razvan Luceascu. FCSB won the first game in Greece 2-1 and also clinched a 2-0 win in Bucharest last night in front of over 50 thousand football fans. FCSB will be playing their first match at home on March 6 and return one a week later either against Olympique Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt. Lots are being drawn today in Nyon, Switzerland.

     

    THEFT The Dutch police have announced they apprehended a 26 year-old man, who has become the fourth suspect in the theft of the Romanian ancient artefacts from the Drents Museum in Assen. According to police sources, the artefacts haven’t been recovered yet. We recall that on January 25, four extremely valuable golden artefacts part of Romania’s treasure, on display at the Drents Museum, were stolen. The museum was hosting the exhibition entitled “Dacia, the Kingdom of gold and silver”, which was supposed to close a day before the robbery.

     

    JOBS Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Thursday announced that 18 hundred jobs of public and contract servants from the institutions subordinated and coordinated by the government would be axed. The premier referred to a massive drop in the number of the aforementioned jobs of 13.5%, which translates into the biggest cost-cutting initiative in the history of the Romanian government.

     

    BUDGET The Romanian government has approved a budget of roughly 240 million Euros for the preparation and staging of the presidential election on May 4 and 18. The money comes from the Budget Reserve Funds made available to the government and stipulated in the state budget 2025 – says a communiqué of the Executive. We recall the presidential election will take place in May after a first round held in December was annulled through a Constitutional Court ruling, which invoked interferences in the election process.

     

    RABLA Representatives of the Carmakers Association in Romania have proposed to the authorities a new form of the RABLA programme, which no longer includes the Classical and Plus variants. According to the aforementioned association, ecobonuses of higher value might encourage the population to purchase more electric cars and if ecobonuses are funded from green certificates, their value may become more important than the state budget funds. A lower ecobonus value for electric vehicles, which last year was halved at 5 thousand Euros, has caused a major market slump of roughly 32%.

    (bill)

  • February 19, 2025 UPDATE 2

    February 19, 2025 UPDATE 2

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

  • Reactions to the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis

    Reactions to the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis

    The political class in Bucharest reacted to the first resignation in the history of Romanian presidents.

     

     

    Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation from the position of President of Romania on Monday, saying his decision was meant to pre-empt a political crisis. In a public statement, Iohannis described the opposition MPs’ bid to impeach him as useless, unfounded and damaging. He said that he had never violated the Constitution and warned over the danger of Romania facing political crisis had he been impeached.

     

    Klaus Iohannis: “Internally, society will be divided, there will be no discussion about the upcoming presidential elections, there will be no discussion about how Romania will move forward. Externally, the effects will be long-lasting and very negative. Absolutely none of our allies will understand why Romania is impeaching its president, after, in fact, it has already started the procedure for electing a new president. In order to spare Romania and the Romanian citizens from this crisis, from this unnecessary and negative development, I am resigning from the position of President of Romania.”

     

    The leaders of the ruling coalition in Bucharest said they were not aware of Klaus Iohannis’ intention to resign, but that the move was preferable to impeachment, which would have complicated the political situation. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu: “I did not know about it. I am not a big fan of President Klaus Iohannis. I have never voted for him”. Klaus Iohannis is now in the past, said in turn, the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Kelemen Hunor, who explained that 10 years ago Iohannis was elected with huge hopes, but that he left behind a tense society. Kelemen Hunor: “He was elected with great hopes and with the chance to be a good president for every person, for every community. He has now stepped down, leaving behind frustration and disappointment, but, at the same time, has opened the way for all of us, for the coalition, for its candidate and for Romania to elect a good president, a president for every individual”.

     

    The opposition parties, the sovereigntist-isolationist POT, AUR, S.O.S Romania and the pro-European USR, who signed the motion for the president’s impeachment, welcomed the latter’s decision to resign. USR, however, says that the resignation comes very late and does not give answers to the questions that are tormenting the country. USR deputy leader, Ionuţ Moşteanu: “It is a decision that everyone has been waiting for. And USR has contributed to it. It is an advantage for all pro-European candidates that Klaus Iohannis will not be at Cotroceni during this campaign”.

     

    In turn, the representatives of AUR welcomed Klaus Iohannis’ resignation and announced their intention to table a censure motion against the government led by Marcel Ciolacu. The international media also reacted to the first resignation in the history of Romanian presidents. In a troubled Romania, the president throws in the towel, France Presse wrote, adding: “Klaus Iohannis leaves the presidency with an extremely controversial mandate and a high degree of unpopularity”, while Reuters specifies that the outgoing president of Romania resigns to pre-empt an impeachment bid in parliament.

  • January 31, 2025 UPDATE 2

    January 31, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Budget – Romania’s draft budget law for 2025 is going through the last stages of debate before the Government approves it in a meeting that is to take place on Saturday. The Finance Minister in the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR), Tanczos Barna, stated that there is money in the budget for investments in infrastructure, for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the GDP. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will decrease and the budgets of some ministries will increase, such as the environment, health, education or transport ministries.

     

    Chişinău – On Friday the Romanian FM Emil Hurezeanu is going on ​​a working visit to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Radio Chişinău reports. The agenda of the visit includes discussions with the Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihail Popşoi as well as the reception by the country’s president, Maia Sandu, by the president of the Moldovan Parliament, Igor Grosu, and by the deputy prime minister for European Integration, Cristina Gherasimov. The two foreign ministers are to deliver a joint press statement.

     

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

     

    Candidacy – The president of the opposition Save Romania Union (USR), Elena Lasconi, will run again in the presidential election in May. She announced that she has the support of her party and is responsible for the votes cast by citizens two months ago. In turn, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, said that he maintained his decision to enter the presidential race as an independent and the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) would support a common candidate in the race, the former Liberal leader, Crin Antonescu. We remind you that, in December, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the presidential election, citing interference by a state actor, and decided that the electoral process should be entirely resumed. The first round had been won by independent sovereigntist Călin Georgescu and the USR leader Elena Lasconi. On the other hand, European Union member states, including France, Germany and Romania, requested the Commission to take measures to protect the elections in the community space from interference by external actors.

     

    Aircraft – An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed, on Thursday, at the 71st General Emanoil Ionescu Air Base at Câmpia Turzii. The aircraft thus completes the 48th Fighter Squadron with all 16 aircraft, the Romanian Defense Ministry informs. The purchase of the new batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and the related package of goods and services ensures the increase of Romania’s security by defending the national or NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations, through the Permanent Combat Service – Air Policing, under NATO command.

     

    Collision – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message of solidarity to the American people on Thursday following the collision in the air, above Washington, of an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter of the US army. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims” – the head of state wrote on platform X. The American Airlines plane, with 64 people on board, and the military helicopter with three soldiers on board crashed, on Wednesday evening, in the Potomac River. Extremely difficult search operations were launched. Since February 2009, there have been no fatal passenger plane accidents in the United States. (LS)

     

     

  • January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    PNL The former PNL president, Crin Antonescu, has been unanimously confirmed as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition for the upcoming presidential election. ‘The presidential election campaign is the most important political battle for Romania after the fall of communism’, says the PNL interim president, Ilie Bolojan. He pointed out that firm actions, good ruling practices and transparency are needed to regain the trust of the Romanians. Antonescu says he is not running in the presidential race for himself or for the National Liberal Party, but for the country’s citizens and for Romania. The Liberals are the first to have officially validated Antonescu’s candidacy. UDMR is to announce its preference next week, while on February 2, the Social-Democrats are going to convene for a special congress. The first and second round of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18. We recall that in December last year, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the presidential election on grounds of foreign interferences in the election process. That cancelled first round had been won by the pro-Russia extremist candidate, Calin Georgescu.

     

    REACTION Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Sunday announced the setting up at the government level of a crisis cell for the effective coordination of the activities of recovering the four Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The aforementioned cell includes representatives of the Romanian police as well as from the Foreign, Interior and Culture Ministries. The Prime Minister says he held talks with Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, on the urgent dispatching of a forensic team, who will work together with the Dutch authorities on the case. The General Prosecutor’s Office says that a criminal file has been made ex officio on the burglary in Assen. All the stolen artefacts have been insured under the Romanian and international legislation according to exhibition staging procedures. In a news conference at the National History Museum in Bucharest, director Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu says the artefacts stolen from the Dutch museum are being covered by a-35 million Euros insurance with a Dutch insurance company.

     

    VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, will be attending the proceedings of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which is getting underway in Brussels on Monday. The meeting’s agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU-US relations. The energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova and the latest developments in Georgia are also high on the agenda. On Tuesday, Minister Hurezeanu is expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, with the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, and with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.

     

    WIN The Romanian women’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, on Sunday won their away game against Danish side Nykobing, 29-27 and advanced to the third place in the Champions League’s Group A. The Hungarian side Ferencvaros ranks first in the group followed by the French from Metz. Another Romanian side, Gloria Bistrita, is ranking 7th in the group, while the third Romanian team in the competition, Rapid Bucharest, lost to Danish side Esbjerg in group B 26-28 on Sunday. Rapid is presently ranking 7th in the group.

    (bill)

     

  • January 20, 2025

    January 20, 2025

    HOSTAGES The next release of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian Hamas terrorists and transferred to the Gaza Strip will take place next Saturday, when four persons are to be freed – Radio Romania correspondent in Israel says. Three Israeli female hostages were released on Sunday after 15 months of captivity since the Hamas terrorist attack, which led to the war in Gaza. One of the hostages also has Romanian citizenship and another one is of Romanian descent. Authorities in Bucharest hail the release of the first round of hostages upon the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

     

    FAIR Romania is being represented this week at the ”Green Week” exhibition in Berlin, the Agriculture Ministry in Bucharest says. Until January 26, the Romanian stand will be offering samples of Romanian natural food, such as cheese, meat, honey, dairy and bakery products, several types of brandy, wine and cold-pressed oil registered or under registration with European quality systems. Last year, the Green Week event in Berlin was visited by 300 thousand people.

     

    TRUMP The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, is to kick off today his second mandate at the White House, after being sworn in at the US Capitol. Trump is planning to issue dozens of executive actions – more than 100 just on day 1 – including some aimed at ramping up US energy production, tightening border security reeling in regulations and other top policy priorities. Trump pledges to build an anti-missile system to protect the USA as well as the declassification of the files on the assassinations of the former president John F. Kennedy, his brother, Robert Kennedy, and civil-rights activist, Martin Luther King. All the three murders sparked off conspiracy theories that have been around for more than five decades. Relaxed environment protection initiatives and stepped-up petroleum extraction are also among the measures pledged by the new administration.

     

    SESSION Romania’s government coalition has convened today to asses a series of opinion polls on people’s voting intentions for the upcoming presidential election. Social-Democrats and Liberals are to also meet this week for separate talks on the joint candidacy of the former PNL president, Crin Antonescu. The present coalition will also tackle today the budget draft this year, which they want to submit for Parliament approval in the first week of February, when the Parliament session is due to begin.

     

    WEATHER The weather is quite warm in most Romanian regions, with temperatures higher than the season’s average. Insignificant periods of flurries and drizzle are expected in some isolated areas in the country’s west, north-west and center. The highs of the day in Bucharest are way above the season’s average reaching up to 9 and 10 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 7 degrees.

    (bill)

     

  • January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    January 16, 2025 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT In its session on Thursday, the government in Bucharest endorsed a decision on staging the presidential election in May this year as well as the election schedule. The first round is due on May 4 and the second on May 18. The Executive also approved rules for the unfolding of the election process bringing a series of amendments. The Romanians abroad will be able to vote for three days, but on a different schedule. Polling stations will be open between 7 and 21 hours, on Friday and Saturday, but on Sunday, in the countries west to Romania the ballot will end at 21 hours Romania’s time, so that it may not be influenced by exit polls. Authorities have also imposed stricter rules for the election campaign, mainly in the online area. Social network administrators promoting election messages, which do not abide by the law, will have to pay fines up to 5% of their turnout. We recall that the first round of the presidential election was cancelled through a Constitutional Court ruling, which based its decision on documents provided by the country’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) invoking interferences from a so-called state entity. The second round was scheduled on December 8 when Romanians had to choose between the independent ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, accused of links with Russia, and the opposition USR leader, Elena Lasconi. The second and last mandate of the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis was supposed to end in December, but his term in office was extended until the election of a new president, which must be validated by the CCR.

     

    RUSSIA “Nikolai Patrushev, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, uses the same aggressive propaganda and disinformation themes with which Moscow has intoxicated the world in recent years”, reads a statement by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reaction comes after Patrushev said, in an interview in the Russian media, that both Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops, and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) might cease to exist as independent states this year. The Romanian diplomacy stresses that these repetitive public statements cannot hide the reality: the fact that Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine and that it is carrying out massive and systematic hybrid actions against the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian MFA reaffirms that Russia aims to create divisions in Europe.

     

    RATE In the first monetary policy meeting of the year, the Board of Directors of the National Bank maintained the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 6.5% per year, although the inflation rate increased in the last quarter of 2024. The Central Bank’s decision aims to ensure and maintain price stability in the medium term, in a way that contributes to the achievement of sustainable economic growth. The board of directors reiterates that, in the current context, the balanced mix of macroeconomic policies and the implementation of structural reforms, including the use of European funds to stimulate long-term growth, are essential for macroeconomic stability and strengthening the capacity of the Romanian economy to cope with adverse developments. According to experts, the NBR could relax the monetary policy in 2025, but probably only from the second half of the year, pending clearer perspectives on the evolution of inflation and fiscal measures. In 2024, the NBR reduced the reference interest rate twice, from 7 to 6.5%.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s tennis player Jaqueline Cristian for the first time qualified for the third round of a Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne on Thursday after a 7-5, 7-5 win against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old Cristian, who is presently ranking 82nd in the WTA standings, won the match in two hours and four minutes. In the third round the Romanian will be up against Eva Lys of Germany, who outperformed Varvara Gracheva of France also on Thursday. In the women’s double, Romanian Irina Begu and Brazilian Ingrid Martins were defeated in the first round by Peyton Stearns of the USA and Luisa Stefani of Brazil 6-2, 7-6.

    (bill)

     

  • January 15, 2025 UPDATE

    January 15, 2025 UPDATE

    CULTURE DAY In Romania, January 15 was National Culture Day, marking the birth date of the national poet Mihai Eminescu. This year was all the more special as it celebrated the 175th anniversary of the birth of the greatest Romanian poet of all times. Many events took place in Bucharest and throughout the country, including conferences, debates, concerts and exhibitions, and entry to many museums was free. The Bucharest National Opera celebrated National Culture Day on Wednesday evening with a gala performance celebrating Romanian culture as expressed in faith, art and identity. The “Luceafărul” exhibition was opened at the Bruckenthal National Museum in Sibiu, the Lyric Theatre in Iași scheduled a special performance, while an exhibition called “Past, Present and Future” was opened at the Corvin Castle. On National Culture Day, the Radio Romania Culture channel invited a teenager from Vâlcea (south) to the theatre for the first time. With this symbolic gesture, the only national radio station dedicated exclusively to the arts calls on people and institutions to facilitate access to culture for their peers.

     

    PROTEST The ‘CulturMedia’ National Federation of Culture and Press Trade Unions protested on Wednesday, on National Culture Day, wearing white armbands, to warn against the underfunding of the culture sector and the salary inequities to which employees of museums, libraries and cultural centers are subjected. The Federation demands that 1% of GDP be earmarked for Culture, that the salaries of museum and public library employees be brought in line with the education payment scheme, the elimination of the huge salary disparities between employees of performing arts institutions and employees of public museums and libraries, bonuses for work carried out on weekends and public holidays, as well as the payment of overtime. The unionists also demand that hiring be resumed, to counter the chronic personnel shortage in cultural institutions.

     

    BUDGET The VAT will not be increased, Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu promised, after talks on the 2025 state budget bill with the finance minister, Tánczos Barna, and with the head of the national tax administration agency, ANAF. Ciolacu added the tax reform is expected to help bring down the inflation rate and increase people’s spending power. PM Marcel Ciolacu reiterated that the 2025 state budget bill will be passed by the government by the end of this month and will subsequently be sent to Parliament, for review and endorsement in the first week of the legislative session due to begin in February. He also said that the 7% deficit target agreed with the European Commission will be maintained, as will the target of 7% of GDP for investments. The PM also said that last year state revenues went up by 27%, and this year a roughly 30% increase is expected. The main indicators for the 2025 budget will be presented at Thursday’s government meeting. Also on Thursday, the Cabinet is to approve the presidential election timetable.

     

    INTERESTS The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania has decided to keep the key interest rate at 6.5% per annum. Also, the lending facility interest rate stays at 7.50% per annum, the deposit facility interest rate at 5.50% per annum, and the minimum reserve requirements for banks’ national and foreign currency liabilities will also stay unchanged. Last year, the central bank lowered the key interest rate twice, in July, from 7% per annum to 6.75% per annum, and in August to 6.5% per annum. The key interest rate had not been changed since January 2023. According to the bank, the annual inflation rate rose in the last three months of 2024 more than expected, to 5.14% in December, from 4.62% in September. The National Bank estimates the inflation rate will decrease in the first quarter of 2025, but slower ​​than previously expected. Significant uncertainties and risks related to inflation arise from the future tax and revenue policy, given the implementation of the set of tax and budget related measures recently approved by the Government for the purpose of fiscal consolidation, but also from the situation on the labor market and the wage dynamics in the economy. At the same time, significant uncertainties continue to be linked to the evolution of energy and food prices, as well as to future developments in the crude oil market, amid geopolitical tensions, central bank experts argue.

     

    ELECTION The MP Emanuel Ungureanu (Save Romania Union) has filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office against Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the head of the Timiş County Council, Alfred Simonis. Ungureanu said the complaint was related to the the two officials’ TikTok chat about redirecting votes from the Social Democratic party to the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians candidate George Simion in last year’s presidential elections. He accused Ciolacu and Simonis of corrupting voters and misusing influence and authority to obtain undue benefits, as well as preventing the exercise of electoral rights. Emanuel Ungureanu called on prosecutors to question the heads of Social Democratic Party branches and to conduct computer searches to see if the call to direct votes to George Simion and Călin Georgescu circulated on the Social Democrats’ WhatsApp groups. (AMP)

  • January 13, 2025

    January 13, 2025

    Election – The Romanian government will officially set the date of the presidential election this week, after the leaders of the governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) decided, on Wednesday, at the first meeting of 2025, that the presidential election should take place on May 4th and 18th. A large protest was organized on Sunday, in Bucharest, by the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), where people requested the resumption of the second round of the presidential election and the resignation of President Klaus Iohannis. The leader of AUR, George Simion, announced that the protests would continue. The Constitutional Court canceled last year’s presidential election on the grounds that the entire electoral process was flawed.

     

    Culture Day – As every year on January 15, Romania will mark the National Culture Day on Wednesday. This is also celebrated in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, as well as in the diaspora, in the context of celebrating in 2025 175 years since the birth of Mihai Eminescu, considered the greatest Romanian poet. Cultural and educational institutions, NGOs and authorities have prepared events in different more or less conventional spaces to bring culture closer to the public. Among other things, on Tuesday evening, a National Culture Awards Gala will be organized in Botoşani (north-east), during which prizes will be awarded for excellence in culture, for the promotion of Eminescu’s work and of Romanian culture in general or for the development of Romanian literary studies internationally.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian obtained a difficult victory, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 against the Croatian Petra Martic, on Monday, in Melbourne, in the first round of the Australian Open tournament, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Also on Monday, in Melbourne, the Romanian Sorana Cîrstea was defeated by the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4. Svitolina has defeated Cîrstea in all four straight games so far. Anca Todoni, coming from the qualifications, also lost in the first round, on Sunday, against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng. Tuesday will see the match between the last Romanians from the main singles draw, Irina Begu and Gabriela Ruse, who will play against each other.

     

    Visa waiver – Romanian citizens will be able to travel to the United States, after March 31, through a simplified procedure, after the American authorities granted Romania the status of a country participating in the Visa Waiver Program. According to a press release from the Romanian embassy in Washington, Romanians will be able to go to the USA based on an electronic authorization called ESTA, this being applied to all trips for tourist or business purposes whose duration does not exceed 90 days. The authorization will be valid for two years, with unlimited entries or exits from the US. To participate in the Visa Waiver Program, a country must meet requirements related to counterterrorism, immigration enforcement, document security and border management. The requirements also include a visa refusal rate of less than 3%.

     

    Croatia – The acting president of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, won with a crushing score the decisive round of the presidential election on Sunday for a new 5-year mandate at the helm of the country. A socialist with populist views, Milanovici is credited with over 74% of the votes in front of his opponent supported by the conservative right-wing Government. Unlike the Executive, he criticized the military aid provided by the West to Kyiv, which made him be labelled as a pro-Russian, which destroys the country’s credibility within NATO and the European Union. The press agencies also note that the presidential election in Croatia took place in the context in which this country with less than 4 million inhabitants is facing the highest inflation rate in the Eurozone, endemic corruption and an acute lack of work force.

     

    Fires – A total of 24 people have died due to the California wildfires, according to an updated death toll. Residents evacuated because of the fires are flocking to checkpoints set up by law enforcement, hoping that they can recover belongings from their homes or simply to see if the houses still exist. Firefighters estimate that people will not be able to return home before Thursday, so they were promised that a system will be put into operation to check the condition of the homes online. Many areas look like after a bombardment, the international press reports and the power lines and gas pipelines still represent a major danger. (LS)

  • December 30, 2024

    December 30, 2024

    GOVERNMENT In their last session this year, the government in Bucharest is working on an emergency ordinance aimed at curbing public expenses in 2025. The project, agreed upon by the leaders of the ruling PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition contains measures such as ceasing employment in state-owned institutions, freezing pensions and salaries of state-employees as well as the cancellation of bonuses and other rewards. According to the ruling coalition, these measures are aimed at cutting budget expenses by 19 billion lei, the equivalent of 4 billion Euros, which accounts for one percent of the GDP. Trade unions, however, have lashed out at the new austerity measures, and threatened with protests. A law on the state budget for the next year is to be adopted by the government in January and sent for Parliament approval in a special sitting.

     

    PRICE HIKES The Romanians will be paying more for petrol and diesel as of January 1, due to the 6% rise in the fuel excises, says a document recently released by the Finance Ministry. A liter of petrol will be 3 eurocents higher and diesel will have almost the same price. Excises for alcohol beverages will also grow by 4.4% as of January 1. Local taxes and duties will also be adjusted to the inflation rate, but the decision in this respect is going to be made by city halls. The General Council in Bucharest has decided to raise these taxes by 10.4%.

     

    ATLAS Romania’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday night said that on December 18, by means of the Romanian ambassador to NATO, it had conveyed its disapproval over the distribution of a geographic atlas comprising maps from the time of the so-called, ‘greater Hungary’. “The atlas has a provoking nature in the context of the strategic partnership between Romania and Hungary and their NATO allies. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has thus reiterated the position it has consistently conveyed to the Hungarian authorities, that any declaration and provoking gesture is not going to contribute to the consolidation of the partnership relations between Romania and Hungary. The common history has to remain an object of study for historians” – the diplomacy in Bucharest says. Dismantled at the end of the First World War, the so-called ‘greater Hungary’ included territories occupied by Budapest, which today belong to Romania, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia.

     

    SURVEY The war in Ukraine, the political crisis and the latest price hikes have been the main concerns of the Romanians in 2024, says an IRES survey. According to data released, one out of four Romanians is dissatisfied with the way they are living at present and a similar percentage was unable to mention a single reason for being happy in 2024. According to the same sources, politicians remain on the last position in a ranking of the most trusted professional categories. Furthermore, more than half of the Romanians believe that the year 2024 was worse than 2023 in terms of politics, the way the country was ruled and also from the economic point of view. More than four out of 10 interviewees believe the event that most negatively impacted Romania in 2024 was the cancellation of the first round of the presidential election under a Constitutional Court ruling. Over 60% believe the move was a bad decision. The survey was conducted by phone over December 17 and 20 on 964 respondents with an error margin of +/- 3.3%.

    (bill)

  • The Week in Review

    The Week in Review

    A look at the headline-grabbing events of the past week.

     

     Schengen members, at last

     

    The good news of the week, officially confirmed on Thursday, has been Romania’s full accession, alongside with Bulgaria, to the European ​​free movement area. At the end of March, the European partners had agreed to welcome the two states into Schengen with air and sea borders. After the Netherlands and especially Austria decided to no longer oppose, the Justice and Home Affairs Council unanimously approved on Thursday the accession of Romania and Bulgaria with land borders to the Schengen area, as of January 1. Starting with this date, there will be no more checks except at Romania’s borders with Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. However, in the first six months after accession, there will still be alternative or random checks, a security measure to see how the free movement works. Such temporary checks have also been initiated on various internal borders in Schengen, amid an increase in illegal migrants. The authorities in Bucharest welcomed the country’s acceptance into Schengen, emphasizing that the decision translates into faster movement for citizens, lower logistics costs for companies, increased competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market as well as business opportunities and jobs.

     

     

    Unfinished election marathon

     

    At the beginning of the week that is ending, Romanians should have known the name of their next president. The second round of the presidential elections had been scheduled for December 8, and should have marked the end of the electoral marathon that began in June with the local and European parliamentary elections. On December 6, however, the Constitutional Court cancelled the election for president, after finding that the electoral process was flawed by multiple irregularities and violations of the electoral legislation. The direct beneficiary of this electoral process, hijacked by Russia’s hybrid attacks, according to intelligence services, would have been the winner of the first round, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist, who is also anti-West and an admirer of the fascist leaders of the Romanian interwar period. The Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating two of his close associates, former mercenaries. One of them, suspected of planning to cause unrest in the capital Bucharest, is being investigated for failing to comply with the arms and ammunition laws, operations with pyrotechnic objects and public incitement, and the other for using legionary symbols, which had been used by the anti-Semitic and criminal extreme right of the 1930s. The Financial Times carries the opinion of analysts, according to whom the attractiveness of paramilitary groups in Romania, with very “macho” visions, which combine religion with ultra-nationalism, has increased because the authorities have not intervened.

     

     

    Pro-Europeans in the future Parliament negotiate on a joint government

     

    President Klaus Iohannis, whose mandate will be extended until the election of his successor, convened the new Parliament on December 20. Four pro-European parties, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and three self-proclaimed sovereignists, AUR, SOS Romania and POT, will be part the future Parliament, following the December 1st elections. With almost two-thirds of the mandates, the pro-Europeans, joined by the deputies of national minorities, other than the Hungarian one, have began negotiations this week for a broad coalition government. We recall that, before the second round of the presidential elections, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of national minorities had signed the pact for a pro-European and Euro-Atlantic coalition. The document was aimed at blocking Călin Georgescu’s access to the highest position within the state. After the election was cancelled, the signatories of that document renewed their commitment and now promise a governing program focused on development and reforms, which will take into account the priorities of citizens. They agreed that a clear plan is needed to streamline and reduce public spending and bureaucracy in public administration. They also agreed to increase the current pace of investments and reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

     

     

    Inflation, the never-ending problem

     

    The future executive in Bucharest will face a number of challenges, including restoring trust in the political class and reforming state institutions and, last but not least, economic problems. One of the latter is generated by inflation. Fueled by price increases in postal services, fresh fruit and margarine, the inflation rate increased again compared to the previous month. The annual inflation, reported in November 2024 in comparison with the one November 2023, increased again for the second consecutive month, reaching 5.11% from 4.67% in October. One of the causes of the increase in inflation is the high budget deficit, which the Government is struggling to finance, analysts explain. The latest forecast of the Central Bank shows that inflation will fall below 3.5% per year only in 2026.

     

     

    Sports week

     

    Romania’s football champion, FCSB (Bucharest), drew an equal score with the German team Hoffenheim, on Thursday evening, away, in the 6th round of the Europa League. The Bucharest team is ranked 10th in the group and is very close to qualifying for the European spring. They still have two matches to play in January, the last of which is at home against the famous English team Manchester United. In handball, the Romanian women’s national team ranked 11th at the European Championship hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland.

  • December 7, 2024 UPDATE

    December 7, 2024 UPDATE

    ELECTION Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday announced he held talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the two agreed that social media security must be strengthened upon the election in Romania. The talks came after the Romanian Central Election Office had implemented the Friday’s ruling of the country’s Constitutional Court (CCR) on cancelling the entire voting process in the presidential runoffs. According to the head of the Permanent election Authority, Tony Grebla, voting operations have frozen in all polling stations abroad as well as any preparations in the country. Upon the first round of the presidential election on November 24, the runoffs were scheduled for December 8. The voting had already kicked off abroad, where the Romanian nationals were allowed to cast their ballots for three days. In the meantime, the CCR has motivated its decision on cancelling the results of the first round. The magistrates say that after the de-classification of some documents in the country’s Higher Defence Council, they noticed that the entire election process was affected. The court believes the transparent and equitable character of the election campaign has been affected and that the legal regulations on its funding have been ignored. According to the same sources, the candidate who won the first round of the election, the independent Calin Georgescu, benefitted from an aggressive campaign, which violates the national election law through the abusive employment of the social media algorithms and the lack of specific elements of election advertising.

     

    SEARCHES Prosecutors and policemen in Bucharest and other Romanian counties have conducted a series of large-scale search operations on the alleged illegal funding of the election campaign for the independent candidate Calin Georgescu as well as the online behaviour of several citizens active on social networks. The anti-mafia department DIICOT has opened an in-rem criminal file on Calin Georgescu’s campaign regarding the illegal use of IT programmes and the attempt of disturbing the good functioning of IT systems and the attempted illegal access to an IT system. In a communiqué the DIICOT explains these aren’t accusations but the mere framework for evidence gathering and assessment of facts which may lead to a legal and solid resolution.

     

    APPEAL The United States has made an appeal to all the Romanian political parties to ensure the country’s constitutional order and get involved in a peaceful democratic process without violence and intimidation, to reflect the people’s democratic will. The Department of State says in a communiqué that the Romanians are the only ones to express their will not any other country or foreign players. The USA says it was notified by the Constitutional Court ruling over the election in Romania and reiterates its trust in the Romanian institutions and democratic processes including in the investigations concerning any possible interferences in the election process. Parliament parties in Romania have hailed the CCR decision but called for an investigation into any possible interference in the country’s election process. Elena Lasconi, who ranked second in the first round of the election, says the Romanian state stomped on democracy and the election should have been allowed to go on in observance of the peoples’ will. Independent candidate Calin Georgescu has also lashed out at court’s decision, which he described as an officialised coup de etat. Georgescu says that the CCR judges have altered democracy and the country’s legal system is subordinated to the political class.

     

    TENNIS Romania has qualified for the semifinals of the World Table Tennis Cup after winning 8-5 against Germany and losing 8-0 to China in the competition’s second stage in Chengdu. The semifinals and finals will be taking place on Sunday. Romania will be playing China in the semis, while South Korea will be up against Hong Kong. Romania was unable to make it to the competition’s second stage last year.

    (bill)