Radio România Internațional

Tag: elections

  • December 29, 2024

    December 29, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SURVEY – More than half of Romanians say that 2024 has been, from an economic viewpoint, worse than the previous year for their country, according to an IRES survey. The war in Ukraine, the political crisis and the rising prices have been the main concerns in 2024. One in four Romanians is unhappy with the way they currently live, and a similar number say that they did not have a single reason for joy in 2024. The data also shows that politicians continue to be last in the ranking of categories that Romanians trust. Asked which event they think has had the most negative affect on Romania in 2024, more than 4 in 10 Romanians indicate the cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections, by the decision of the Constitutional Court. Over 60% believe that this decision was bad, while a third say it was good.

     

    ELECTIONS – The presidential elections in Romania could take place on March 23, 2025, the first round, and on April 6, the second round, according to the Bucharest media that cites political sources with the PSD-PNL-UDMR government coalition. Held on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT), grounded their ruling on the interference of an unnamed state. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by the independent nationalist Călin Georgescu, accused of connections with Putin’s Russia, and by the leader of the USR (in opposition), Elena Lasconi. In the Diaspora, where the polling stations for the second round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted by the time the Court decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of the invalidated elections would be nearly 1.4 billion lei (280 million euros). On December 21, the second and final five-year presidential term granted to the incumbent President, Klaus Iohannis, was due to expire, but his mandate was extended until the election of a new president, to be validated by the Constitutional Court.

     

    ORDER – The Bucharest government on Monday, in their last meeting this year, will pass an emergency order that provides for the reduction of public sector spending in 2025. The project, agreed on by the leaders of the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition, includes measures such as suspending state employment or freezing pensions and salaries for the public sector employees at the level of 2024. Moreover, extra-hours will no longer be paid and no bonuses or premiums will be granted. The government claims that, with these measures, they want to reduce budget spending by 19 billion lei or 1% of the GDP, but not to give up on improving people’s lives and investments. The unions criticized the provisions of the document and warned that protests will follow. As for the State Budget Law for next year, it is to be adopted by the government in January and sent to Parliament for adoption.

     

    TRAFFIC – Over 183,600 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, have crossed the borders of Romania in the last 24 hours, the border police have announced. As of January 1, 2025, when Romania joins the Schengen free movement area with land borders, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed. These are 17 road and railway crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road points, including ferry crossings, railway and port points on the southern border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points in Brăila and Cernavodă. As of January 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will be carried out only randomly, based on risk analysis.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian is in the main draw of the tournament in Auckland (New Zealand), which kicks off on Monday. The Romanian (26 years old, 85 WTA) will play in the first round against Ukrainian Iulia Starodubteva (24 years old, 101 WTA), a first-time meeting. We remind you that, on Saturday, Romanians Anca Todoni and Ana Bogdan qualified for the main draw of the WTA tournament in Brisbane, Australia. Ana Bogdan faced Colombian Emiliana Arango in the decisive match, whom she defeated 6-2, 6-4, and will debut in Brisbane against Russian Anastasia Potapova. Anca Todoni won the match against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-3, and will be up against Cristina Bucsa of Spain.

     

    PLANE CRASH – At least 177 people died on Sunday after a Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in Muan, South Korea. Likely caused by a collision with a flock of birds, this is an unprecedented aviation disaster in the Far East country. It is also the first fatal accident in the history of Jeju Air, one of the biggest low-cost airlines. According to the authorities in Seoul, quoted by international press agencies, the airport control tower warned the crew about the risk of a collision with birds. The plane hit a wall at the end of the runway and was immediately engulfed by flames.

  • December 20, 2024 UPDATE

    December 20, 2024 UPDATE

     

    PARLIAMENT The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament resulting from the elections on December 1 Friday convened in separate sessions for the first time. The new legislature comprises as many as 465 MPs, 331 Deputies and 134 Senators. Seven political parties have members in the 2 Chambers, of which 4 are pro-European (the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) and 3 are sovereigntist parties (the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians—AUR, SOS Romania and the Party of Young People—POT). The 19 national minorities are also represented in Parliament. Until a new Senate speaker is elected, the most senior Deputy, the Social Democrat Ioan Stan, an MP since 2000, serves as acting speaker. He said Parliament’s top priorities are citizen safety, economic development and strengthening social balance. In turn, the most senior Deputy, Seres Dénes of the UDMR, who has been an MP since 1992, serves as acting speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. “It is time we worked together to protect the fundamental values of democracy, overcoming any political differences,” Seres Dénes said.

     

    VISIT Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban was received in Bucharest on Friday by his Romanian counterpart, PM Marcel Ciolacu. On this occasion, the Romanian Prime Minister highlighted the “decisive” role that Hungary played in Romania’s full Schengen accession. “It is an excellent result that would not have been possible without the decisive involvement during the Hungarian presidency of the EU”, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised. He added that Hungary is one of Romania’s most important trade partners. In turn, Viktor Orban said he believes that “a new era of cooperation” between Romania and Hungary is beginning. “Hungary wants to continue and deepen its collaboration with Romania,” the Hungarian PM stated. On November 22, the Romanian PM met his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, for talks, among others, on Romania’s full Schengen accession. The visit to Budapest took place in the context in which Hungary is holding the rotating EU presidency until the end of December.

     

    DEFENCE Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, accompanied by senior defence officials, made a working visit to Romania on Friday, in the Caracal Garrison, where Portuguese troops are currently deployed. According to a news release issued by the Romanian defence ministry, the defence chief of staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met with the Portuguese officials to discuss the security situation, bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and joint training opportunities. General Vlad highlighted the strengthening of the relations between Romania and Portugal this year, emphasising the valuable contribution of the Portuguese troops to consolidating NATO’s response capacity in Romania.

     

    FORESTRY The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Friday signed into law the Forestry Code, endorsed on December 17 by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The Code defines the legal framework for the digitised fight against illegal logging. Video surveillance of forest roads with monitoring/recording systems is introduced, which will help detect theft and illegal logging. New forestry offences are also defined, such as falsifying digital forestry data or declarations, which will be punished by imprisonment for up to 5 years. The new Forestry Code provides, among other things, for the establishment of a National Forestry Registry, which will include all forest owners in Romania.

     

    EU SUMMIT The war in Ukraine, the EU’s trade relations with the United States, the situation in the Middle East and Russia’s interference in the elections were some of the topics discussed at the EU winter summit in Brussels. Attending the summit was also Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for unity between the European Union and the United States to obtain peace and save Ukraine. The EU heads of state and government also discussed the supply of military equipment and ways to consolidate Ukraine’s energy sector and other civilian infrastructure that has come under deliberate and increasingly intense attacks by Russia. Talks also looked at the effects of Donald Trump’s return to office on transatlantic trade relations. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU and the United States should do everything to avoid a trade war, because both economies would be affected and China would be only one standing to gain. Also, European leaders recognised Russia’s meddling in the election process in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and called for more efficient coordination across the Union to counter Moscow’s hybrid attacks. (AMP)

  • December 18, 2024

    December 18, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    RATING – Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on Romania’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to Negative from Stable, meaning a further downgrade is possible, the rating agency said in a statement. According to Fitch, the assessment reflects the major risks Romania faces due to additional political tensions on the political scene after the cancellation of the presidential elections due to external interference, as well as the parliamentary elections that resulted in a more divided Parliament, with a rise in the far right and anti-EU parties, reflecting the increased polarization of Romanian society. The Fitch outlook, which measures a Government’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations, could lead to an increase in interest rates for the loans that the Government plans to take out from the foreign market.

     

    SUMMIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is participating, today and Thursday, in Brussels, in the EU – Western Balkans Summit and the European Council meeting. On Thursday, the European Council agenda will include topics such as Ukraine, migration, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s civil and military preparedness and response to crises, the EU’s role in the world and the enlargement of the Union, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and issues related to freedom, security and justice.

     

    PARLIAMENT – A reception center for the newly elected senators and deputies is open as of today until Friday at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest. The new MPs are being guided, these days, through the formalities needed in order to take over their mandates. The new Parliament resulting from the legislative elections of December 1 was convened, on Friday, for its constituent session. In the meantime, the first clear results are emerging after almost a week and a half of negotiations between the parties that want to form the future Parliament majority. PSD, PNL, UDMR and the national minorities other than the Hungarian one have presented the main directions of a 4-year governing program. After tensions in recent days, it is not yet known whether the USR will also be part of the future government.

     

    COMMEMORATION – In Timişoara, events dedicated to the anti-communist Revolution of December ’89 continue today. Tuesday, the city in western Romania was a day of mourning in memory of those killed at the outbreak of the Revolution. After the bloody repression of the uprising on December 17, the large factories went on strike, and the workers gathered in the city center. On December 20, Timişoara became the first Romanian city free from communism  and from here the flame of the Revolution spread throughout the country, to culminate, on the 22nd, in Bucharest, with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, trying to escape.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The European Commission has launched an official investigation into TikTok, for Russia’s interference in the Romanian presidential elections. The EC is collecting data to determine whether the platform violated EU law. Among other things, the risks to civic discourse or paid political advertising and content are being investigated. On the other hand, the leadership of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned Russian interference and the role of TikTok, a Chinese-controlled platform, in destabilizing the democratic process in Romania.

  • December 14, 2024 UPDATE

    December 14, 2024 UPDATE

     

    NEGOTIATIONS In Bucharest, negotiations on a future coalition of the pro-European parties in Parliament have made progress with respect to the structure of the new government. The Social Democratic Party will control 7 ministries, the National Liberal Party 4, Save Romania Union 3, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania 2, said the Social Democrats’ senior vice-president Sorin Grindeanu. It has not yet been decided which ministries will go to each party and the names of the new ministers. On the other hand, the Social Democrats and and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians plead for a single presidential candidate of the coalition. After the Constitutional Court cancelled the election for president, the future executive will have to decide by the end of the year on a new presidential election calendar, the UDMR believes. The pro-European parties elected in Parliament hope to come up with a cabinet by Christmas.

     

    EU FUNDING Romania collected EUR 1.9 billion in EU structural and cohesion funds in 2021-2027, and the overall absorption rate, 6.11%, is close to the EU average of 6.19%, the minister of investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu announced. The absorption rate for the structural and cohesion funds under centrally managed programmes is higher, namely 7.3%, Caciu said in a Facebook post. He emphasised that Romania is yet to to catch up on Regional Programmes, where the absorption rate is 3.2%, but he voiced confidence that the example set by the current coalition comprising the Social Democrats and the Liberals in terms of management and implementation of European funds, including decentralisation, will be followed by the new government, and the pace of EU fund absorption will be sustained, so as to replicate the success of the 2014-2020 period.

    PARLIAMENT On Monday the last week of work for the current legislature begins, with many bills still unfinished for Romanian Senators and Deputies. Until the new Parliament is convened, the Chamber of Deputies should adopt the new Forestry Code, which has been on the agenda for several months. The code is a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and a priority for the Government, which says the document must be adopted by the end of the year. The bill provides, among other things, for the seizing of vehicles carrying stolen wood, for green belts around major cities, for preemptive rights and reasonably priced quality materials for local furniture manufacturers, for video monitoring of forest roads, and bans clear-cutting in all protected areas. Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to vote on a bill punishing holders of multiple positions financed from the state budget and on another one limiting to two the number of terms in office for the heads of the secret services. The current MPs remain in office until December 20, when the first session of the new Parliament is scheduled, following the December 1 general elections.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s trade deficit was EUR 5.5 billion higher in the first 10 months of the year than in the same period in 2023, according to data made public by the National Bank. More than half of this deficit is the result of growing imports of goods. The central bank also says that the total foreign debt went up over EUR 18 billion and exceeded EUR 186 billion. According to analysts, along with the very high budget deficit, these are the main problems of the Romanian economy, and they must be solved concurrently, which is very difficult. They believe that through a correct budget adjustment, expenses would be cut, and revenues could be raised by eliminating corruption and through a fair tax system.

     

    ANNIVERSARY Timişoara marks 35 years since the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989, which broke out in this city in western Romania. Under the motto “35 years of freedom”, events dedicated to the 1989 heroes and celebrating the three and a half decades since Timişoara became the first city free from communism in Romania will take place between December 15 and 20. The agenda includes, as every year, religious services, wreath-laying, exhibitions and film screenings. A concert entitled Requiem in Memoriam is scheduled on Sunday at the Banat Philharmonic, Monday will see the inauguration of the Freedom Portal, a light installation that reproduces sounds from the Revolution, followed by the traditional march “Heroes Never Die”. Tuesday will be a day of mourning, and the events on December 20 will end with a concert called “Rock for revolution”. (AMP)

  • December 14, 2024

    December 14, 2024

     

    NEGOTIATIONS In Bucharest, negotiations on a future coalition of the pro-European parties in Parliament have made progress with respect to the structure of the new government. The Social Democratic Party will control 7 ministries, the National Liberal Party 4, Save Romania Union 3, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania 2, said the Social Democrats’ senior vice-president Sorin Grindeanu. It has not yet been decided which ministries will go to each party and the names of the new ministers. On the other hand, the Social Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians plead for a single presidential candidate of the coalition. After the Constitutional Court cancelled the election for president, the future executive will have to decide by the end of the year on a new presidential election calendar, the UDMR believes. The pro-European parties elected in Parliament hope to come up with a cabinet by Christmas.

     

    EU FUNDING Romania has collected EUR 1.9 billion in EU structural and cohesion funds in 2021-2027, and the overall absorption rate, 6.11%, is close to the EU average of 6.19%, the minister of investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu announced. The absorption rate for the structural and cohesion funds under centrally managed programmes is higher, namely 7.3%, Caciu said in a Facebook post. He emphasised that Romania is yet to catch up on Regional Programmes, where the absorption rate is 3.2%, but he voiced confidence that the example set by the current coalition comprising the Social Democrats and the Liberals in terms of management and implementation of European funds, including decentralisation, will be followed by the new government, and the pace of EU fund absorption will be sustained, so as to replicate the success of the 2014-2020 period.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s trade deficit was EUR 5.5 billion higher in the first 10 months of the year than in the same period in 2023, according to data made public by the National Bank. More than half of this deficit is the result of growing imports of goods. The central bank also says that the total foreign debt went up over EUR 18 billion and exceeded EUR 186 billion. According to analysts, along with the very high budget deficit, these are the main problems of the Romanian economy, and they must be solved concurrently, which is very difficult. They believe that through a correct budget adjustment, expenses would be cut, and revenues could be raised by eliminating corruption and through a fair tax system.

     

    ANNIVERSARY Timişoara marks 35 years since the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989, which broke out in this city in western Romania. Under the motto “35 years of freedom”, events dedicated to the 1989 heroes and celebrating the three and a half decades since Timişoara became the first city free from communism in Romania will take place between December 15 and 20. The agenda includes, as every year, religious services, wreath-laying, exhibitions and film screenings. A concert entitled Requiem in Memoriam is scheduled on Sunday at the Banat Philharmonic, Monday will see the inauguration of the Freedom Portal, a light installation that reproduces sounds from the Revolution, followed by the traditional march “Heroes Never Die”. Tuesday will be a day of mourning, and the events on December 20 will end with a concert called “Rock for revolution”.

     

    IMPEACHMENT South Korea’s prime minister Han Duck-soo Saturday vowed to ensure a stable government after the National Assembly voted to impeach president Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed attempt to introduce martial law on December 3, AFP reports. Tens of thousands of protesters cheered outside the National Assembly building as the vote was announced. Citing difficulties in passing his budget, Yoon Suk-yeol stunned the country by imposing martial law overnight, but was forced to lift it 6 hours later under pressure from parliament and the street. Under investigation for mutiny, Yoon, 63, is banned from leaving the country, as are his former defence and interior ministers and the commander of the short-lived martial law. (AMP)

  • Steps towards a majority government and parliament

    Steps towards a majority government and parliament

    The pro-Europeans in the future Parliament have agreed to form a parliamentary majority and the government.

     

    On December 4, the PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of national minorities signed a document that was intended to be a pact for a pro-European and Euro-Atlantic coalition. This took place shortly after the parliamentary elections and the validation, by the Constitutional Court, of the first round of the presidential elections, and before what was supposed to be the second round, on December 8. The pact was aimed to block the access to the position of head of state to the independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist and anti-West candidate, whose victory in the first round had stunned and worried Romania’s strategic partners. The  December 4th pact spoke about forming a coalition for stability and modernization, a commitment to development and reforms and the reaffirmation of Romania’s European and Euro-Atlantic path. In the end, the signatories called on citizens to vote, in the second round, in an informed and rational manner, to choose a pro-European, democratic and secure Romania and to reject isolation, extremism and populism.

     

    On December 6, the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) cancelled the presidential election, motivating that the entire election process was flawed, with Călin Georgescu being the beneficiary. Even though he seems to be out of the competition, the parties which would have supported him in the second round and which share, at least in part, his ideas, namely the AUR, SOS Romania and POT, are in Parliament, where they hold a third of the mandates. Against this background, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and national minorities other than the Hungarian one, renewed their commitments, prior to the CCR ruling.

     

    After further talks, the pro-European parties pledged to form a pro-European majority in Parliament and a pro-European government and to support a possible joint pro-European candidate in the presidential elections. In keeping with this commitment, the four parties and representatives of national minorities will work on a joint governing program, based on development and reforms and which will take into account the priorities of the Romanian citizens. The signatories have agreed that a concrete plan is needed to streamline and reduce public spending and red tape in public administration. They have also agreed to increase the current pace of investments and reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The pro-European parties have also committed to increasing trust in institutions and the political class, to bring more transparency in public spending  and more respect for citizens.

     

    George Simion, the leader of AUR, the flagship party of the sovereigns’ bloc in Parliament, has criticized in harsh terms the pro-European parties, accusing them of clinging to power. The future Government will only be known after the new Parliament is sworn in, on December 21st. Its priorities will include  drawing up the next year’s budget and the establishment of the calendar for the presidential elections.

     

     

  • Major social networks and online disinformation

    Major social networks and online disinformation

               

    “Voters’ freedom to form an opinion is based on the right to get accurate information on candidates, therefore the involvement of state or non-state entities in propaganda or election disinformation campaigns must be eliminated,” the Constitutional Court said on Friday, in presenting the grounds for cancelling the presidential election in Romania.

    According to the information presented by the intelligence services to the Supreme Defence Council and subsequently declassified, “the main flaws concerning the process of electing the president of Romania in 2024 have to do with voter manipulation and with distorting equal opportunity for the election contenders, by means of un-transparent usage, against election laws, of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the election campaign, as well as through online and other campaign financing from undeclared sources,” the Court also said.

    The target of all these accusations is the extremist, sovereigntist candidate Călin Georgescu, a Vladimir Putin admirer who reached the second round of the presidential ballot virtually out of the blue.

    As far back as in August, the National Communications Administration and regulatory Authority (ANCOM) and the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) sent an official notification to the major online platforms, informing them of their obligations during the electoral process. The AEP then submitted notifications to TikTok on various irregularities, requesting measures to ensure the lawful conduct of the election campaign in Romania, but the platform failed to answer these requests promptly, ANCOM said.

    The National Audio-Visual Council and ANCOM also notified Meta, TikTok, X and Google of their obligations to combat disinformation, in line with the relevant EU regulation, and called for enhanced content moderation mechanisms.

    In spite of these calls and requests, the defence ministry warns that fresh online disinformation activities are reported, especially on TikTok. According to InfoRadar, an information portal run by the defence ministry to counter fake news, the new campaign focuses on Romania’s borders and port infrastructure.

    One of the posts claims that Romania will close its borders and secure them with troops, while another one falsely presents military equipment that the Romanian Army does not possess and claims that equipment is deployed in the port of Constanţa, allegedly in preparations for war.

    The ministry explains that this is false information and promises its communication structures will continue to warn against disinformation attempts as they are identified. (AMP)

  • December 6, 2024

    December 6, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    CYBER SECURITY – The European Commission has stepped up its monitoring of the TikTok platform, asking it to freeze all information on its system related to the European Union elections, in order to study it in depth. The Commission has also convened several meetings with officials from member states, European institutions and other digital platforms with which it will analyze systemic information risks across the entire bloc. The decisions come after, in the presidential elections in Romania, the candidate ranked first in the first round on November 24, Călin Georgescu, was allegedly heavily promoted on TikTok through a well-organized campaign, worth millions of dollars, although he says he did not spend anything.

     

    ELECTIONS – More than 4,200 people voted in the Diaspora by Friday at 1 p.m. (Bucharest time), in the second round of the presidential elections in Romania. The independent Călin Georgescu and the USR leader Elena Lasconi are the two contenders. Voting began abroad on Friday at 1 a.m. (Romania’s time), and the first polling station was opened in New Zealand. Australia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and India followed. Voting in the Diaspora in the presidential elections takes place over three days, from Friday to Sunday. Voting in the country is allowed only on Sunday, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

     

    PROTESTS – Thousands of people participated, on Thursday evening, in the University Square in Bucharest, in a rally for freedom and democracy. Famous figures from the arts and literary world were present, including actor Victor Rebengiuc and writer Ana Blandiana, both known for their civic involvement. We recall that the victory of the pro-Russian extremist Calin Georgescu in the first round of the presidential elections, on November 24, triggered protests in Bucharest and other major cities. The United States voiced concern about what Romanian intelligence services have demonstrated to be Russia’s involvement in the election process, in order to influence the outcome of the presidential elections. The high political uncertainty has, on the other hand, led to a decrease in confidence in the Romanian economy.

     

    St. NICHOLAS – Christians celebrate Saint Nicholas today, one of the most popular saints, to whom the tradition of giving gifts is related. He was a bishop at the beginning of the 4th century in Myra, the current city of Demre in Turkey. He was very generous and helped those in need in a discreet way. He did it in such a way that the person who received it did not know where the help came from. Hence the tradition that Saint Nicholas is waited for by children to leave them gifts in shoes on the morning of December 6. Over 800,000 Romanians celebrate their name day today.

     

    HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s national handball team plays today against Sweden, their second match in the main Group I of the European Championship – EHF EURO 2024, hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. On Thursday evening, the Romanian women were defeated, 30-25, by the world champion, France. They will also play in the group with Hungary and Poland. Romania has participated 14 times in the European Women’s Championship, obtaining a single medal, bronze, in 2010. In men’s handball the Romanian champion, Dinamo Bucharest was defeated, also on Thursday, on home turf, by the French team Paris Saint-Germain Handball, 40-33, in Group A of the Champions League. Dinamo suffered its third consecutive defeat in the group. The Romanians will next play against group leaders Veszprem of Hungary on February 13, 2025.

     

    GAUDEAMUS – The Gaudeamus 2024 Book Fair, organized by Radio Romania, continues in Bucharest until Sunday. The honorary president of the current edition is writer Mircea Cărtărescu, one of the best-known and most appreciated contemporary Romanian writers, the holder of numerous national and international awards. Over 200 exhibitors have announced their participation in Gaudeamus 2024, hundreds of editorial events are scheduled and tens of thousands of titles are presented, many of them for the first time.

     

  • Romania to see presidential run-off on Sunday

    Romania to see presidential run-off on Sunday

    Romanians are preparing for the second round of the presidential elections, the last ballot in a busy election year that saw European Parliamentary and local elections in June, followed by parliamentary and presidential elections later in the year. The three consecutive Sundays hosting the elections of president and Parliament, namely 24th November and 1st and 8th December are a test for the authorities and society.

    After the first round of the presidential elections, to the logistical challenges was added a huge surprise and a political and social scandal. Contrary to all predictions, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu and the leader of the centre-right Save Romania Union Elena Lasconi came first and second, respectively, in the race. Following a complaint about possible fraud, the Constitutional Court last Thursday requested the Central Electoral Bureau to conduct a vote recount. After the parliamentary elections on 1st December, the constitutional judges met again on Monday and rejected the request for the cancellation of the results of the first round of voting. This means that Călin Georgescu and Elena Lasconi will race for the presidential seat on 8th December.

    Aged 62, Călin Georgescu graduated the agronomy faculty before holding a number of posts such as director of the National Centre for Sustainable Development, president of the European Research Centre of the Club of Rome, a director with the foreign ministry, an under-secretary in the environment ministry and a rapporteur at a United Nations office. Seen by a section of the Romanian electorate as a patriot and defender of Christian values and by others as anti-Semite and pro-Russian, he is against the European Union and NATO. Opinion polls ahead of the first round failed to pick up on his popularity, which is why his winning almost 23% of the votes cast in the first presidential ballot was such as shock.

    It was also a surprise to see Elena Lasconi finish in place, with 19% of the votes. Born in 1972, she worked for over 20 years as a TV reporter, producer and news presenter. She entered politics in 2020, when she won the elections to become mayor of the small town of Câmpulung, in Argeș county, winning a second term in June this year. Her political rise to acquire countrywide fame was quick. Also in June, she was elected leader of the Save Romania Union, which now backs her for president of the country. Her career was not without controversy, one of the most notable being her position to support the traditional family, which generated tensions within her own party and in public, in relation to her daughter, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. So she will face Călin Georgescu in the presidential run-off this Sunday in what looks like a very tight and tense race.

  • The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    Pro-European parties have mustered the votes of 57% of the Romanians who went to the polls to cast their ballot for the country’s future legislature, whereas the so-called sovereignist, isolationist political groups have gathered 32%.

    The elections registered a record high turnout, over 52% – the largest in the past 20 years. And seven political groups have cleared the minimum 5% threshold to become part of the new Legislature.

    The incumbent ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) got most of the votes followed by the sovereignist AUR, which doubled its number since the last election four years ago. The co-ruling National Liberal Party, a.k.a PNL, has obtained a better result than its leader in the last week’s presidential election. The number of votes it won was close to that obtained by the centre-right USR.

    The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania has also cleared the minimum threshold and so has the extremist-sovereignist SOS Romania party led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă as well as the newly-established Young People’s Party (POT) founded by Ana-Maria Gavrilă, who had made it to Parliament on AUR tickets four years ago.

    Shortly after the exit-polls on Sunday night leaders of the seven parties made statements. “Through their vote in the Parliamentary elections the Romanians said they wanted the continuation of the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic progress”, Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu said.

    “This is an important signal the Romanians have sent the political class – to continue to develop the country on European money but at the same time to protect our identity, national values and faith,” the AUR leader, George Simion, said. According to him the Romanians want a change and the representatives of his party will ensure the observance of the national values and democracy and that dialogue is the solution to Romania’s future. The interim PNL president, Ilie Bolojan, has thanked the Romanians for their interest in the election and has assured them the Liberals will continue to support the state reforms. In turn, the USR leader, Elena Lasconi, has made an appeal to unity for defending democracy and European values.

    Most of the Romanians abroad have endorsed the AUR party, but options also included USR, SOS Romania and POT. Turnout abroad was also significant, standing at roughly 800 thousand voters, three times higher than in the 2020 election. The largest number of voters was reported in Britain, but also in Italy and Germany.

    (bill)

  • December 2, 2024

    December 2, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS Romania’s new Parliament will be comprised of 7 political parties. In Sunday’s general elections, the Social Democratic Party in power won the largest number of votes, around 22%, followed by the sovereigntist AUR party with roughly 18%, double their figure in the last election 4 years ago. Third comes the National Liberal Party, another member of the ruling coalition for the past 4 years, which won some 14% of the votes, and 4th is the right-of-centre USR party, with around 12%. The 5% parliamentary threshold was also made by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, the extremist party S.O.S. Romania led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă, and the newly founded sovereigntist Young People’s Party (POT). The turnout was over 52%, the highest in the last 20 years. Outside Romania, some 800,000 Romanian nationals voted, 3 times more than in the previous parliamentary election.

     

    COURT The Constitutional Court of Romania is expected to decide today whether to validate or cancel the first round of the presidential election of November 24. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court judges requested the recount of all ballots, after receiving a complaint that votes obtained by a candidate who had withdrawn from the race at the last minute had been transferred to another contender. The recount decision was criticized by most of the candidates in the race, who warned that a possible cancellation of the November 24 election would generate tensions and instability. If the Constitutional Court validates the first round, the second round will take place on Sunday, December 8 between the top two candidates – Călin Georgescu, running independently and widely seen as a pro-Russian extremist, and the president of the USR party (opposition), Elena Lasconi.

     

    NATIONAL DAY Romania’s National Day, marked on December 1, was celebrated on Sunday throughout the country with parades, military and religious ceremonies, shows, artistic events, and fireworks. The traditional parade took place in the capital city, attended by over 2,500 Romanian and foreign military personnel. President Klaus Iohannis, who hosted his last National Day reception as head of state, sent a message of unity and solidarity to overcome crises and move forward with dignity.

     

    GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Book Fair, organised by Radio Romania, takes place between December 4 and 8. This year’s edition has the writer Mircea Cărtărescu as honorary president. The official opening of the 31st edition takes place on Wednesday, December 4, at Radio Romania’s stand at the fair. The 200 participants have prepared hundreds of events on this occasion.

     

    PARDON The outgoing US President Joe Biden has announced that he has pardoned his 54-year-old son Hunter, who was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm, of lying to prosecutors, and who pleaded guilty to tax fraud. When he took office, Biden promised not to interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making. Now, the president, who leaves office on January 25, says Hunter Biden was selectively and unfairly prosecuted simply because he is his son. President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, has described the move as an abuse.

     

    AID The UK will increase by GBP 19 mln its humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the situation is “catastrophic”, the British international development minister, Anneliese Dodds said ahead of traveling to Cairo for a conference on the subject, AFP reports. Dodds says that the people of Gaza are in vital need of food and shelter during the winter and that the Cairo event will be an opportunity to come up with concrete solutions to the humanitarian crisis. Dodds insists that Israel must act immediately to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, while international aid organisations accuse the Israeli authorities of not allowing aid trucks to enter the besieged Palestinian territory in sufficient numbers. The UK has committed to a total of GBP 99 mln in humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territories this year, the British government said. (AMP)

  • The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania

    The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania

    The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania, after 98% of the vote count. According to partial returns, PSD got 22.54% of the votes for the Chamber of Deputies. In second place is the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) with 17.75%, followed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) with 13.60% and the Save Romania Union (USR) with 11.99%. Coming next are SOS Romania with 7.10%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) with 6.49% and POT with 6.24%.

    The parties got similar results in the race for the Senate. PSD got 22.90% of the votes, AUR–18.07%, PNL–14.49%, USR–11.91%. They are followed by SOS Romania–7.51%, UDMR–6.54% and POT– 6.18%. The rest of the parties and alliances failed to pass the 5% electoral threshold.

    7,981,120 Romanians went to the polls, the voter turnout was 52.50%.

  • December 1, 2024

    December 1, 2024

    National Day – Romania’s National Day is celebrated today, December 1, throughout the country, with parades, military and religious ceremonies and shows. Thousands of people attended the parade in the center of Bucharest, which enjoyed the participation of over 2,500 Romanian soldiers from the army and other law enforcement agencies. Along with the Romanian soldiers, 240 foreign soldiers participated in the parade, as part of detachments from allied countries: Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States and Turkey. President Klaus Iohannis hosted, on Saturday, the last reception dedicated to the National Day in his capacity as head of state. At the end of his 10-year mandate, Iohannis sent a message of unity and solidarity, in order to overcome crises and move forward with dignity. The Romanian Cultural Institute organized abroad events dedicated to the National Day. December 1, 1918 marks the establishment of the Romanian unitary nation state. At the end of the First World War, all the provinces inhabited mostly by Romanians that were, until then, under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian and Tsarist empires: Transylvania, Banat, Bucovina and Bessarabia became part of the Kingdom of Romania.

     

    Message – Romania’s commitment to security and democracy in Europe is a model for all nations to follow, said the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in a message sent on December 1 and published on the website of the US diplomatic mission in Bucharest. He congratulated the Romanians and conveyed that the United States is proud to collaborate with Romania in the process of modernizing the army and in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. “Romania’s support for Ukraine, including welcoming refugees and providing security assistance, has bolstered the cause of freedom in the face of Russia’s aggression. Your leadership in helping Ukrainian grain reach global markets has helped feed the world” Blinken recalled. He showed that his country is proud to collaborate with Romania, to address global challenges and secure the prosperity and wellbeing of our peoples.

     

    Elections – In Romania, more than 18 million Romanian citizens with the right to vote are expected, today, to the polls, to vote for the future Parliament for the next four years. The representatives of 31 parties and alliances, as well as 19 organizations of national minorities, registered in today’s elections, are competing for the 331 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and the 134 senatorial seats. By 1 p.m. local time, more than 4.2 million people had gone to the polls, that is, approximately 24% of the citizens with the right to vote. More than 300 thousand Romanians abroad voted until 1 p.m., in the 950 polling stations opened by the authorities for those outside the borders. In the diaspora, Romanians can vote during two days, Saturday and Sunday. We remind you that on June 9, local and European Parliament elections took place in Romania simultaneously.

     

    CCR – The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) will decide, on Monday, December 2, whether to validate or cancel the first round of the presidential election, held on November 24. The Central Electoral Bureau could complete, today, the recount of the votes, requested by the CCR following the notification of one of the candidates regarding possible fraud. The sending of ballots from abroad, which started on Friday, will continue until December 3, the Foreign Ministry announced. According to the results of the first round, the pro-Russian extremist Calin Georgescu, an independent, and the center-right pro-European candidate Elena Lasconi ranked on the first two places. The CCR’s decision to recount the votes was criticized by the majority of political forces, on the grounds that it would decrease the confidence of the population in the correctness of the electoral process and in the state institutions. The second round of presidential election is scheduled for December 8.

     

    Handball – The Romanian women’s national handball team will meet the team of Montenegro today in Debrecen, Hungary, in the second match of group B of the European Championship to be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. In the first match, the Romanian players defeated the Czech Republic, and the Montenegrin team defeated Serbia. The teams ranked on the first two places will qualify for the main groups. This is the first continental final tournament with 24 teams at the start.

     

    Tbilisi – The new High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, on Sunday labeled as “unacceptable” the forceful dispersal by the Georgian police of the pro-EU demonstrations, which took place for the third night in a row, AFP informs. The American diplomacy also denounced the excessive use of force by the police against pro-European demonstrations. The Caucasus country has been prey to tensions since the ruling Georgian Dream party proclaimed its victory in the elections at the end of October, which the opposition and President Salome Zurabishvili consider rigged, press agencies write. The demonstrations were caused by the decision of the government, accused of pro-Russian authoritarian drift, to postpone until 2028 the discussions regarding the integration of this country from the Caucasus into the EU. These demonstrations were dispersed with water cannons and tear gas by the police, who made over 150 arrests. (LS)

     

  • November 28, 2024 UPDATE

    November 28, 2024 UPDATE

    CSAT – The Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), meeting on Thursday in Bucharest, found that there were cyber attacks with the aim of influencing the correctness of the electoral process in the first round of the presidential election in Romania, the Presidential Administration reports. The members of the Council confirmed that, in the current regional security and especially electoral context, Romania, along with other states on the Eastern Flank of NATO, has become a priority for the hostile actions of some state and non-state actors, especially the Russian Federation which shows a growing interest in influencing the public agenda in Romanian society and social cohesion. The Presidency of Romania shows that the analysis of the documents revealed the fact that, by violating the electoral legislation, a candidate in the presidential election, in this case the independent Călin Georgescu, benefited from a massive exposure due to the preferential treatment that the TikTok platform gave him with an impact on the final result of the election. In this sense, the CSAT members asked the authorities with responsibilities in the field of national security, those with responsibilities in the smooth running of the electoral process, as well as the criminal investigation bodies to urgently take the necessary steps to clarify these aspects.

     

    STS – The Special Telecommunications Service (STS) reported that no vulnerabilities were identified regarding the provision, under security conditions, of communications services and information technology made available to the Permanent Electoral Authority, the organizer of the November 24 presidential election. STS also states that, neither before nor during the electoral process, did it receive information from other entities with responsibilities in the field of cyber security regarding the development of cyber attacks.

     

    Constitutional Court – The Central Electoral Bureau approved the recount of all ballots in the first round of the presidential election, after the Constitutional Court of Romania has asked for it. With unanimity of votes, the CCR judges decided to request the re-verification and recount of all valid and invalid ballots from the November 24 election. The deadline by which the Central Electoral Bureau has to convey the results to the Constitutional Court is Friday, at 2:00 p.m., when a new meeting of the CCR is scheduled. The judges’ decision comes after the request of the presidential candidate Cristian Terheş, who argued that the votes received by Ludovic Orban would have been counted for Elena Lasconi, who ranked second with a difference of only 2,742 votes from the 3rd placed candidate, the current prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. At the same time, the judges of the Constitutional Court rejected, also unanimously, as late, the request to cancel the first round of voting made by Sebastian Popescu, a candidate from the New Romania Party. We remind you that on December 1 parliamentary elections will take place in Romania and the second round of the presidential election is scheduled for December 8.

     

    Reactions – The decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) to request the Central Electoral Bureau to recount all the votes cast in the first round of the presidential election is criticized by several political parties. CCR is playing with national security, wrote on Facebook Save Romania Union’s (USR) candidate for the presidential seat, Elena Lasconi, qualified in the second round of the presidential election. She says that extremism is fought by voting and not by behind-the-scenes plotting. The leader of the Forţa Dreptei (Force of the Right) party, Ludovic Orban, who gave up running in the first round in favor of Elena Lasconi, believes that CCR is playing along the Social Democratic Party (in the governing coalition) to remove the USR candidate from the decisive round of the election. He believes that the result of the vote is clear, unambiguous and without any question mark. In turn, the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, George Simion, criticized the Constitutional Court and accused it of turning into a pawn on the political stage. According to the law, the CCR cancels the elections if the voting and the results took place through fraud in such a way as to change the assignment of the mandate or the order of the candidates who can participate in the second round of voting. In this situation, the CCR will order the repeat of the first round of the presidential election on the second Sunday from the date when the election was cancelled.

     

    December 1 – Approximately 2,500 specialists and military personnel, 190 technical equipment and 45 aircraft will participate in the traditional military parade in Bucharest, on December 1, on the National Day of Romania. Along with the Romanian soldiers, approximately 240 foreign soldiers from Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia and France will march in the parade. They will be joined by colleagues from Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Great Britain, Spain, the USA and Turkey. At the same time, an exhibition of military equipment will be organized which can be visited after the end of the official ceremony. Romania’s National Day will be marked by military ceremonies in other large cities of the country, as well as in the theaters of operations where Romanian soldiers are deployed.

     

    BOR – The Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church has reminded its clergy that they are not allowed to support candidates or participate in electoral campaigns as supporters. They are required to maintain their neutrality both in public statements and in practical activity. The political option of the priest will be expressed only by secret personal vote, the heads of the Orthodox Church have stressed, ahead of the parliamentary elections due on December 1, on the National Day, and the second round of the presidential election, on December 8. At the same time, the Synod reiterates its appeal to the leaders of the political parties not to allow the recruitment of members from the clergy, nor the use for political purposes of church personnel, locations, services and symbols. BOR does not recommend supporting any political party or any political ideology, but urges all citizens to make choices aimed at achieving the good of the country and at promoting Christian values in society. At the last population census in Romania, in 2021, 85.3% of the total resident population declared themselves Christian Orthodox. (LS)

     

  • November 26, 2024 UPDATE

    November 26, 2024 UPDATE

    ELECTIONS – The Central Election Bureau presented the final results of the first round of the presidential elections in Romania on Tuesday. According to the data, independent candidate Călin Georgescu ranks first in the voters’ preferences with 22.94% of the votes. In second place is the leader of the Save Romania Union (USR), Elena Lasconi, with 19.18%, and in third place, the president of the Social Democratic Party, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, with 19.15 percent. Next is the president of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, George Simion, with 13.86% of the votes, that of the National Liberal Party, Nicolae Ciuca – 8.79% and the former deputy secretary general of NATO, Mircea Geoană, who ran independently and was preferred by 6.32% of the voters. All other candidates got under 5% each. After the results of Sunday’s election, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu resigned from his position as president of the Social Democrats. The PNL leadership also resigned.

     

    DIPLOMACY – Romania is ‘firmly’ committed to supporting democratic values ​​of human rights, including gender equality, combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia and any form of discrimination, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday. “Romania’s foreign policy initiatives are inseparable from the country’s membership in the area of ​​freedoms and rights guaranteed by its status as a member state of the European Union and a NATO ally’, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release regarding the ‘external concerns’ that emerged after the first round of the presidential elections. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the fact that, “35 years since Romania returned to the family of Western democracies, through the courage of those who died in the Romanian Revolution, these values ​​are the ones that guarantee peace, security and prosperity for all Romanian citizens, wherever they may be”. In this context, the National Audiovisual Council asked the European Commission to open an official investigation into the TikTok platform. The CNA took as a benchmark the report made by Expert Forum, which established that the electoral preferences for the candidate Călin Georgescu increased from 2 to 22% based on a campaign conducted on the Chinese network. The RENEW group in the European Parliament also asked the social network to provide explanations regarding compliance with the legislation on digital services. We recall that, a year ago, the European Commission asked staff to remove TikTok from their work devices.

     

    EUROPEAN UNION – MEPs reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine in Strasbourg on Tuesday, condemning cooperation between Russia and North Korea and calling on the European Union to step up its support for Kyiv’s forces. A recent statement by the leaders of the European Parliament calls on the bloc to “step up support for Ukraine in all ways, including politically, financially, militarily and through humanitarian aid”. It also reiterated that the EP “stands by and supports Ukraine in every way possible until its victory”. Also on Tuesday, the European Union’s budget for next year was increased to almost 200 billion euros following negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council. The budget proposal was debated in the European Parliament and will be voted on Wednesday, when the final vote on the new European Commission is also scheduled.

     

    G7 – The Foreign Ministers of the G7 states on Tuesday voiced their support for ‘an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah’, saying that ‘it is time to reach a diplomatic solution in Lebanon’, France Presse reports. On the other hand, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that Israel ‘has no excuse’ for refusing the ceasefire in Lebanon, negotiated by the US and France. At a time when diplomatic efforts are intensifying, Israel has increased its bombing of Hezbollah strongholds, especially on the southern outskirts of Beirut. In this context, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed concern about the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where according to his office almost 100 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and doctors. We recall that on October 8, 2023, the Lebanese group Hezbollah opened a front against Israel in support of Hamas, its Palestinian ally.

     

    MOLDOVA – Justice, economy and security are the main priorities for the Republic of Moldova in the coming years, President Maia Sandu said on Tuesday, at the European Integration Forum in Chisinau. She emphasized that accession to the EU is the only chance to save democracy, to develop in peace and stability. Despite the anti-EU propaganda and the Kremlin’s attempts to turn us away, Moldovan citizens have shown that European values ​​are also their values, said Maia Sandu, recalling the constitutional referendum following which the Constitution was amended and the European path was included as a strategic objective. We recall that the neighboring state officially submitted its application for EU accession in March 2022, just a few days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In June the same year, the European Council granted Moldova the candidate country status.