Radio România Internațional

Tag: embassy

November 20, 2024 UPDATE

Schengen – The Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu on Wednesday talked, during a video conference, with his Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, on the subject of Romania’s accession to the Schengen area with land borders. The Romanian official stated that a good opportunity was created for the meeting that will take place in Budapest on November 22, in which the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will also participate. With this discussion, I concluded a set of three successive meetings with the Austrian minister, Gerhard Karner, the Bulgarian minister, Atanas Ilkov, and the Hungarian minister, Sandor Pinter, in which I intended to harmonize the positions, so that the Budapest meeting should result in a new step forward for Romania’s accession to Schengen with land borders, Catalin Predoiu added.

Commissions – The Romanian Parliament approved, with a large majority of votes, the setting up of two commissions of inquiry to investigate the expenses made by the Presidential Administration in the last 10 years and to ‘investigate the real estate mafia’. The first commission was initiated by the social-democratic groups in the governing coalition with the liberals. The members of the commission want to find out, among other things, the sums paid by the Presidential Administration for the rental of planes, for the internal and external travel of the president of the country or the expenses incurred for the development of the golf courses pertaining to protocol villas. The other commission of inquiry, initiated by the National Liberal Party starting from the Nordis case, aims to identify the ways in which homes in the project stage were sold to two or more people and to identify the mechanisms through which homes promised to bona fide buyers are later resold through fictitious companies. The mandate of the current parliament will end at the end of this year, so the two commissions only have time to investigate until the winter holidays.

Ukraine – The Romanian Embassy in Kyiv has taken additional measures to ensure the protection of its staff. The Romanian Foreign Ministry says that the activity was limited to emergency actions, in coordination with the diplomatic missions of the other allied and EU member states, considering the security developments in Ukraine. The situation is constantly monitored and, in consultation with the Ukrainian authorities, the measures will be adapted according to developments. Ukraine used, on Tuesday, for the first time, American ballistic missiles against a target on the territory of Russia, as a result of the permission received from the Biden administration, which is at the end of its mandate. A thousand days after the beginning of the Russian invasion, the European Parliament promises Ukraine that the EU will stand by it as long as necessary. The Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that, without European aid, Ukraine would have fallen under Russian occupation.

Football – The Romanian national football team won the match with Kosovo 3-0 after the latter abandoned the match, the European Football Union announced on Wednesday. The Kosovo players abandoned Friday’s game in Bucharest, from the League of Nations, with only a few tens of seconds before the end, at the score 0-0. They motivated their decision by the fact that some spectators chanted “Serbia, Serbia”. Kosovo has declared its independence, but it is not recognized by Serbia or Romania. The team from Kosovo left the field for the same reasons in the match between the two teams in September 2023, in the EURO 2024 preliminaries, but later the Kosovo players returned to the pitch after about an hour and the match could end (2-0 for Romania). Following UEFA’s decision on Wednesday, Romania finished C2 with 18 points and promoted to League B. Kosovo ranked second with 12 points, Cyprus finished third with 6 points and Lithuania is on last position, without any point.

Training center – Two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft of the Royal Dutch Forces, the last to equip the European F-16 Training Center, landed on Wednesday at the 86^th Air Base in Feteşti (south-east), the Romanian Defense Ministry (MApN) announced. According to MApN, the aircraft join the 16 planes already in Romania to strengthen the training capacity of the Center, which currently has a total of 18 aircraft of this type. By establishing the European F-16 Training Center, Romania has committed to providing a high-quality training environment, with access to state-of-the-art technical resources and know-how, not only for Romanian pilots, but also for those from allied and partner states, including Ukraine. The F-16 Center contributes to the creation of common operational standards and to strengthening the capacity of the North Atlantic Alliance to face the complex challenges in the Black Sea region and in Eastern Europe. (LS)

20 November 2024
July 27, 2023

WILDFIRES
Forty Romanian fire fighters are
relocated today from Attica region on Greece’s Rhodes Island, heavily affected
by uncontrolled wildfires, the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergencies
announced. They travel by sea together with 3 fire engines and a 10-ton fire
truck, as well as a personnel transport vehicle. According to the Romanian Foreign
Ministry, high fire risks continue to be reported today in several parts of
Greece, while the weather is expected to change radically, with strong storms
forecast especially in Thrace, Macedonia, Khalkidhiki and the north-eastern
Aegean coast. Romanian citizens who plan on traveling to Greece in this period
are advised to get fully informed of the situation ahead of leaving, and those
who are already in the affected areas are urged to comply with the instructions
issued by local authorities and follow official sources of information.

NATURAL GAS Romanians will have safe access to natural gas, even in
the case of lower temperatures than usual in the winter season, as Azerbaijan guaranteed
Romania access to a capacity of up to 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas if
necessary. The statement was made by the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, who
had a meeting in Bucharest with his counterpart E.S. Parviz Shahbazov. The
filling level for Romanian storage facilities is over 75.5%, significantly over
the level promised by Romania to the EU, and nearly 700 million cubic metres
more than we had at the same time in 2022, the minister said in a social media
post on Thursday. He added that he discussed with the energy minister of Azerbaijan about ways
to develop the strategic partnership, bilateral investments and joint projects in the energy sector, including a green corridor to connect the Caspian Sea to
the Black Sea. The cooperation between Romania and Azerbaijan in the energy
sector entails major benefits not only for the two countries, but for the
security of Europe as a whole, Sebastian Burduja pointed out.

UKRAINE The Russian army hit the port
infrastructure in the region of Odessa (southern Ukraine) in an overnight
missile attack that killed a security guard and damaged a cargo terminal, the
local authorities announced on Thursday morning. The ports in the Odessa region,
at the Black Sea or the Danube River, have turned into the preferred targets of
the Russian army, after Moscow recently terminated a deal allowing Ukraine to
export grains to international markets.

MOLDOVA The Russian
Federation will have to downsize its Chişinău Embassy personnel, according to a
decision made by the Moldovan authorities and already communicated to Russia’s
ambassador in that country. Russia will keep 10 diplomats and 15 technical and
support personnel, on a par with the number of staff of the Moldovan embassy in
Moscow. According to Moldova’s foreign minister Nicu Popescu, Moldova has been
for decades the target of hostile policies and activities on the part of the
Russian Federation, and many of the Russian embassy’s activities were aimed to
destabilize the country. In Moscow, the foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria
Zaharova, said the decision was ungrounded and a further step taken by Chişinău
towards deteriorating bilateral relations.

WEATHER The weather cools
significantly in Romania, where after a heat wave with temperatures above 40
degrees Celsius, the highs are expected to range only between 19 and 28
degrees, with some 25 degrees reported in Bucharest at noon. Thunderstorms
made victims the previous day, with a 64 year old woman dead as a tree uprooted
by the wind fell over her car on the Transalpina
road in Alba County, and two siblings in Botoşani County struck by lightning on
a field. In Harghita County railroad transport was disrupted after several
trees fell on the tracks, several localities in Iaşi County were left without
drinking water and the Black Sea port of Constanţa was closed because of the
strong wind.

SPORTS
The athletes Constantin Popovici and Cătălin Petru Preda won the first medals
for the Romanian team at the 2023 World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka
(Japan). Today they ranked first and second in the high diving competition.
Popovici, 34, is Romania’s first world high diving champion. Twenty-three
athletes took part in this event. (AMP)

27 July 2023
July 26, 2023 UPDATE

HEAT Wednesday was a new day with extreme heat in Romania. The capital
city Bucharest and several counties in the south and south-east were subject to
a code red alert for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a
temperature-humidity index above the critical 80 units. Code orange and yellow
alerts were also in place elsewhere in the country. On Tuesday the extreme
temperatures disrupted railway traffic and caused road traffic restrictions. On
the other hand, violent storms were reported in the west, north and centre of
the country, where substantial damages were reported. On
Thursday, the temperature is expected to drop significantly, to highs between
19 and 28 degrees Celsius.

PROTEST Romanian construction workers Wednesday picketed the government
headquarters to protest the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the tax facilities
granted to the employees in this sector. The head of the National Trade Union
Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, said the proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code
affect not only the construction sector, but other categories of employees as
well. The BNS and the Familia General Federation of Trade Unions came up with a
set of measures to avoid the scrapping of tax facilities as of September 1,
including a new collective bargaining agreement for the sector and a gradual
elimination of the fiscal facility, in keeping with the roadmap agreed on under
the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as of 2025. They also suggest adjustments
to budget appropriations for the investment projects funded by the government
or from EU funds, as well as a salary policy for this sector for the
forthcoming years able to ensure balanced salaries, especially in the private
sector.

MEETING The Romanian
foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Wednesday had talks with her French
counterpart, Catherine Colonna, about the security situation at the Black Sea.
In a Twitter post, Odobescu described the dialogue as very good. Bilateral
cooperation was reconfirmed on this occasion. We have emphasised our joint
support for Ukraine and the R. of Moldova, as well as our determination to
consolidate security and resilience at the Black Sea, the Romanian diplomacy
chief said in her post.

DIPLOMACY The foreign
minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, Wednesday requested a
limitation on the number of Russian diplomats accredited to Chişinău. He said
the country has been for several years the target of hostile policies on
Russia’s part, and that some of them were completed via the Russian Embassy
there. Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry
for explanations, after a media report revealed that the Russian diplomatic
mission had installed high-performance espionage and interception equipment on
its rooftop. The media in Chişinău mentioned 28 satellite dishes and telecoms
devices, while individuals tied to Russian intelligence services were seen on
the buildings. The authorities in Chisinau decided that the two countries’
embassies would have equal numbers of diplomatic personnel, specifically 10 diplomatic
positions and 15 administrative, technical and support posts, Moldpres reports.
Consequently, the staff of Russia’s embassy in Chişinău will be reduced from 84
to 25.

NATO The NATO
secretary general Jens Stoltenberg convened a first NATO – Ukraine Council
meeting at ambassador level on Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv. The meeting
focused on consultations on recent developments, with participants discussing
the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, the NATO spokesperson Oana
Lungescu said. Ukraine’s request came after Russia terminated the so-called
grains deal and started attacking the Ukrainian port infrastructure. Also on
Wednesday, the head of the press office for the southern Ukrainian defence
command, Natalia Humeniuk, said Russia was already using Shahed-type drones
assembled in Russia.

SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici Wednesday qualified into
the final of the 100m freestyle race at the World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, the defending world champion in
this event, also holds the world record, set last year at the European
Championships in Rome. The 100m freestyle final is scheduled for Thursday. On
Tuesday, Popovici, also a former world champion in the 200m freestyle event,
finished the competition’s final on the 4th place. (AMP)

26 July 2023
April 6, 2022

COVID-19 2320 new COVID-19 infections have been reported in Romania on
Wednesday, a lower number than in the previous day. Authorities have also
announced 18 related fatalities. 2290 patients are being treated in hospitals,
out of whom 338 in ICUs. However, doctors have cautioned that the number of flu
infections is on the rise and some patients were in need of hospital care.

AID On Tuesday in Berlin, Germany, France and Romania co-chaired an
international conference on the setting up of a support platform for the
Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet Romanian-speaking country. The participants,
roughly 50 delegations representing international organizations and countries,
have pledged to grant Chisinau 695 million Euros worth of aid as well as
political support in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine. Nearly 12
thousand out of the 100 thousand Ukrainian refugees, who arrived in the
Republic of Moldova, are to be taken over by other countries.

INTEREST The Robor index, after which costs for
consumer credits with variable interest rate are being calculated, has gone up
from 4.62% to 4.68 % and according to Romania’s Central Bank, this has been the
highest in the past 9 years. Romania’s Central Bank (BNR) has today raised the
yearly key rate from 2.5 to 3%. The key rate, which sets the future evolution
of all bank interests, is also the main element in the fight against inflation.
The BNR has cautioned against the inflation rate, which is expected to reach
higher levels in the following months than previously estimated. Inflation is
on the rise due to the latest price hikes in fuel and food against the
background of the war in Ukraine and the international sanctions imposed.

VICTORY U-BT Cluj-Napoca, a basketball side from north-western Romania on
Tuesday secured a 76-73 home win against MHP Riesen of Germany in the quarter
finals of the Champions League. At their first participation in the
aforementioned competition, U-BT performed before 10 thousand spectators, a
record number for indoor matches in Romania. The return game against MHP is due
in Germany in a week. In case of an aggregate draw, the Romanian champions are
to play another home game after the best-of-three system. The winner will be up
against the victor of the match pitching Baxi Manesa against Unicja Malaga. In
the other matches of the quarters Israeli side Hapoel Holon is up against
French team Strasbourg while Spanish side Lenovo Tenerife plays Tofas Bursa of
Turkey. The Final Four will be hosted by Bilbao over May 6th and the
8th.

EMBASSY A man lost his life on Wednesday after he
had rammed his car into the wall of the Russian embassy in Bucharest. According
to investigators, the man crashed his car into the embassy’s gate and set
himself ablaze. Many containers with flammable substances have been found in
his car. An investigation is underway by the prosecutors of the Bucharest Court
and the Homicide Department of the Bucharest Police. According to papers in
Bucharest, the man has been identified as Bogdan Draghici, the head of the
Anti-discrimination Association of All Fathers, TATA, who was indicted in the
past for having sexually abused his daughter. Before the incident Draghici had posted
on Facebook a message of solidarity with Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops.

(bill)

6 April 2022
Romania’s foreign minister invited to Parliament

Romanias embassy in Kyiv is fully operational, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu announced.

Invited by the foreign policy committees in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies to present the security developments in the Black Sea region, the minister said a procedure was put into place to bring back into the country the families of the diplomatic staff at the Romanian embassy in the capital Kyiv and the consulate general in the Black Sea port city of Odessa, in the south of Ukraine.

The other 2 consular offices, located in Solotvino, in Transcarpathia, and in Cernăuţi, in northern Bukovina, both of them in the west of Ukraine, are not covered by this procedure, thanks to the higher security level in those regions, the minister explained.

Aurescu added that all the embassies of EU member states in Kyiv apply the same logic, and it was important for Ukraines western partners to convey a coherent message.

Last week, the Romanian foreign ministry announced raising the alert level for Ukraine. With the steady Russian military buildup at Ukraines border, the Romanian authorities firmly recommend that Romanian nationals avoid travelling to that country and pay close attention to regional developments. They also urge Romanian citizens in Ukraine to reconsider remaining there.

Avoiding travels to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, to the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where pro-Russian secessionists play a major role, and to Ukraines borders with Russia and Belarus, is also highly recommended.

The authorities also urge Romanian nationals, including journalists, to avoid large crowds, to stay up to date with information from reliable sources and to promptly adjust their plans to the security situation.

Bucharest used all the official channels, from the presidency to the government and foreign ministry, to affirm its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. As a NATO and EU member state, Romania has joined in the sanctions against the Russian Federation.

According to Romanian mass media, in the case of a Russian invasion in Ukraine, Bucharest is also taking into account the management of an inflow of refugees from that state.

The Romanian community is Ukraine, totaling over 400,000 people, is mostly located in northern Bukovina, northern and southern Bassarabia and Hertsa County, all of them former Romanian territories annexed by the former USSR in 1940 and incorporated into Ukraine in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union. (A.M.P.)

17 February 2022
April 19, 2021

COVID-19 Over half a million Pfizer BioNTech vaccine doses reach Romania today, after nearly 4 million other doses received so far from the American-German producer. Since the start of the vaccine rollout in Romania on December 27, over 2.6 million people have been immunised, 1.6 million of them having also received the booster dose. Romania currently uses Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines. Meanwhile, 2,265 new COVID-19 cases were reported yesterday, out of almost 19,500 tests. This is the lowest number in the last 7 weeks. The authorities also announced 160 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours, and 1,475 patients are currently in intensive care. Again, the largest number of cases were reported in Bucharest, and the highest infection rates are registered in Ilfov County (south-east), followed by the capital and Cluj County in the centre-west, each with over 5 infections per thousand for 14-day periods. Another 7 counties are also in the red zone, with over 3 infections per thousand inhabitants.

GOVERMENT The right-of-centre coalition in power in Romania, comprising the National Liberal Party, the USR/Plus party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, convene for the first meeting since the health minister Vlad Voiculescu from USR/Plus was dismissed last week. The USR/Plus leaders criticised the Liberal PM Florin Cîţu’s decision to oust Voiculescu, and requested an emergency coalition meeting to discuss withdrawing political support to the PM. In turn, the leaders of the other 2 parties in the coalition have reiterated their support for Florin Cîţu and underscored that USR/Plus must come up with a new nomination for health minister. On Friday, in a press conference after his dismissal, Vlad Voiculescu made serious accusations against the PM and other Liberal leaders. He claimed that he had uncovered vulnerabilities in the system, which prove the central and local authorities’ inability to handle the pandemic, accused PM Cîţu of disinterest and complained of lack of dialogue on the problems in the healthcare system.

DIPLOMACY The EU foreign ministers are holding an online meeting today to discuss the latest tensions between Russia and the Czech Republic. Prague accused Moscow of being involved in a 2014 blast at a Czech weapon storage facility. The Russian foreign minister dismissed the accusation as ungrounded and absurd. On Saturday the Czech Republic expelled 18 Russian Embassy staff accused of espionage related to the blast. In turn, Moscow announced on Sunday that 20 Czech Embassy staff are personae non-gratae and have to leave Russia. The EU foreign ministers are also to discuss today the case of Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny, currently detained in Russia. Germany and France asked Russian authorities to provide medical care to Kremlin’s leading critic, whose health is deteriorating steadily. The White House warned that Russia would face consequences if Aleksei Navalny died in prison. The situation in Ukraine will also be on the agenda of today’s meeting. The head of Romania’s diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu will highlight Romania’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighbouring Ukraine, and will voice the country’s concern with Russia’s deploying troops and military equipment in Crimea, at Ukraine’s eastern border and in the Black Sea region.

NASA The American space agency NASA today makes the first attempt at powered, controlled flight of an aircraft on another planet. The nearly 2-kilo Ingenuity helicopter will attempt to rise 3 m above the surface of Mars, and to stay there for 30 seconds before returning. The main challenge is that the Martian atmosphere is just 1% as dense as Earth’s at the surface, which gives the drone’s rotors little to lift on. This is why the vehicle had to be very light and compact. The rover Perseverance will send confirmation photos to Earth.

PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 infections worldwide is now over 142 million, with 120 million patients recovered and 3 million dead, according to the latest worldometers.info updates. As of today, in Italy, only 3 out of 20 provinces remain in the red zone, with the toughest restrictions. The others are included in the orange zone, but many will be rated as yellow zone as of next week, allowing the reopening of restaurants and resuming travels from one region to another. As of today, 7 million children in Italy return to schools after over a year of absence. Meanwhile, UK reports decreases both in terms of COVID-related deaths and in terms of infections, and the number of people getting vaccines every 24 hours has reached 600,000. In Israel, mass vaccination led to the almost complete reopening of the economy. The infection rate has been staying very low for over a week. Israeli citizens are no longer bound to wear face covering outdoor, and school activities are back to normal. Across the ocean, over half of the total number of adults in the US have received at least a first dose of anti-COVID vaccine. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

19 April 2021
September 4, 2019 UPDATE

REPATRIATION All diplomatic personnel of the Embassy of Romania in Kabul will be brought back to the country as soon as possible, in the wake of Monday nights terror attack. A 43-year old Romanian member of the security team was killed, while another member of the diplomatic mission was wounded and is currently stable. The embassy headquarters was damaged severely and is out of use. In Bucharest, the Foreign Ministry, President Klaus Iohannis and PM Viorica Dăncilă firmly condemned the attack and reiterated Romanias support to the fight against terrorism. The head of state awarded the Romanian killed in Kabul the Star of Romania order in the rank of Knight. Romania is one of the top 5 contributors to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, with over 760 troops deployed so far to that theatre of operations.

CONFERENCE NATO will continue to make long-term investments, in line with its commitment in the Western Balkans, the chairman of NATOs Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach said in Bucharest on Wednesday, at the end of the conference of Balkan defence chiefs on military cooperation. In turn, the Romanian chief of staff, Gen. Nicolae Ciucă, said maintaining appropriate military cooperation and the provision of real support would help Balkan countries to build efficient institutions and to reform their defence sectors in order to cope with the challenges generated by poverty, terrorism, social and inter-ethnic tensions. President Klaus Iohannis in turn said in a message that Romania, as a NATO and EU member country, pays special attention to the countries in this region and supports closer ties between them and the European and trans-Atlantic family. Attending the conference were delegations from Albania, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, with Croatian and Slovenian officials as observers. This has been the 13th edition of this event designed to improve regional cooperation, strengthen security in the Balkans, identify and develop a regional crisis management mechanism and enhancing the interoperability of military forces in the region.

VOTE A total of 20,040 Romanians living abroad had registered to vote by mail and 19,430 for polling station voting until Wednesday, ahead of the November presidential election, the Permanent Electoral Authority has announced. According to the same source, the registration deadline may be postponed from September 11 to 15, which means that Romanian citizens who live abroad have another 11 days to enrol as voters abroad on a dedicated platform, www.votstrainatate.ro. Around 9.7 million Romanians are currently living outside the country, according to data provided by the 70 diplomatic missions and centralised by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad.

FOOTBALL Romanias national football team plays against Spain in Bucharest on Thursday, in the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign. Organisers say over 50,000 tickets have been sold. Spain is the unchallenged leader of Group F with 12 points, followed by Sweden with 7 points and Romania, also with 7 points but a worse goal difference. The group also includes Norway (5 points), Malta (3 points) and the Faroe Islands (0 points). Romanias next match is against Malta, on September 8, on home turf. The Romanian U21 team is to take on Denmark on September 10 in Aalborg, in the first qualifier for the EURO 2021.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

4 September 2019
Attack on the Romanian embassy in Kabul

A suicide attack claimed by the
Taliban has left some 20 people dead and more than 100 wounded on Monday night
in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul. The attack came shortly after a
meeting between president Ashraf Ghani and the US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to
discuss a draft peace agreement with the Afghan insurgents, an accord that some
of the Taliban do not favour, however.

The victims of the attack include
Romanian nationals, members of Bucharest’s diplomatic mission in Kabul. In an
interview to Radio Romania a few hours after the incident, the Romanian foreign
minister Ramona Manescu spoke about the circumstances of the attack:

Unfortunately, our embassy came
under attack, it was a car bombing, followed by an armed attack that went on
for quite a long time on the Romanian mission in Kabul. The attack continued
and fire was set to several adjacent buildings. Tragically, we lost a member of
the security staff, a man who sacrificed his life to save that of others, a
young man we can only be indebted to and who we must pay the tribute he
deserves.

Romania is one of the top five
contributor countries to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, deploying over 760
military to this theatre of operations. Romanian troops have taken part in
missions in this country ever since January 2002. Dozens of them have been
killed or wounded since then in attacks, but it is for the first time that the
embassy headquarters have been targeted. Romania’s foreign minister Ramona
Manescu:

It is not the first time that such
an attack has taken place. Of course we have perhaps been spared this so far,
but have seen other cases when civilian sites have been targeted. So it is all
the more important to stay there and stand firmly with our partners in the
fight against terrorism and especially this type of terrorism.

President Klaus Iohannis and prime
minister Viorica Dancila have both condemned the attack most firmly and have
reiterated Romania’s support for the fight against terrorism in all its forms.
Almost 200 people have been killed and some 900 wounded in attacks taking place
in Kabul since the beginning of the year. In a joint statement released on
Tuesday, a number of former US ambassadors to Afghanistan have warned of the
risks involved in a hasty pullout of US troops before real peace is achieved.

4 September 2019
August 7, 2019 UPDATE

VISIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will be received at the White House on August 20 by the US President Donald Trump. The announcement was made last night in Bucharest and Washington. The White House news release reads that President Donald Trump looks forward to celebrating together with his Romanian counterpart 30 years since the fall of communism in Romania and the 15th year of Romanias membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The White House also announced that the 2 leaders will discuss how best to meet the many shared security challenges facing the United States and Romania and ways to advance fair and reciprocal trade and energy partnerships. According to the Romanian Presidency, Klaus Iohannis will emphasise that Romania will continue to be a reliable strategic partner and a responsible and trustworthy ally of the US.

CARACAL INVESTIGATION Romanian investigators Wednesday resumed searches at the Caracal home of Gheorghe Dincă, who alleged, after being apprehended more than a week ago, that he had killed and then incinerated 2 teenagers. On Tuesday, the investigators found in a forest near Caracal new bone and tooth fragments, which forensic experts found to be human. So far, only traces of 15-year old Alexandra Macesanus DNA were found in the ashes at Gheorghe Dincăs residence. A number of people were questioned and storage devices were searched. An outrageous series of mistakes made by the authorities in relation to the case has already led to high-level dismissals and resignations. The prosecutor division of the Higher Council of Magistrates requested the Judicial Inspection unit to check the activity of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism and the prosecutors offices attached to courts, focusing on the way of handling criminal cases involving human trafficking and child trafficking, as well as offences like kidnapping and manslaughter in cases of missing persons. On Wednesday, State Secretary with the Interior Ministry Raed Arafat presented PM Viorica Dăncilă with a report on ways to improve the emergency call tracking system. Arafat coordinates an inter-ministerial committee set up in late July in the wake of the Caracal case.

NAVY The Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa launched a series of events devoted to Navy Day, traditionally celebrated on August 15. On Wednesday, the Day of sea resources and navy education, military divers held diving workshops for the 80 winners of a Facebook competition. Also, the military port hosted a ceremony welcoming the Mircea Training Ship from a sail devoted to the celebration of the vessels 80 years in the service of the Romanian Navy. Mircea sailed more that 8,500 miles in 93 days and stopped in 12 European ports, welcoming over 12,000 visitors on board. Until August 15, other Danube and Black Sea ports will also host concerts, book launches and interactive workshops devoted to the Romanian Navy Day.

REPATRIATION A group of 15 people, Romanian citizens and their Syrian families, were repatriated on Tuesday via Turkey, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. The operation was completed with support from the Romanian embassies in Damascus and Ankara, of the Romanian Consulate in Istanbul and of Romanias Honorary Consul in Iskenderun. The Foreign Ministry also mentioned that since the start of evacuation operations in Syria, in 2011, 784 Romanian citizens and their families have been repatriated. At present, the Romanian Embassy in Damascus provides assistance and consular protection to citizens from various states, including Australia, Canada, France, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, and others, based on individual requests.

DIASPORA Nearly 9,000 Romanian citizens who intend to vote in this autumns presidential election, whether by post or in polling stations abroad, had enrolled on the dedicated online platform until Wednesday. The Romanian citizens who wish to vote by mail must fill in an online form posted on www.votstrainatate.ro, enclosing a scan or photo of their ID and a copy of the document proving their right to stay in a foreign country. The registration forms will be active until September 11. Approximately 9.7 million Romanians live abroad, according to data communicated by 70 diplomatic missions and centralised by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

7 August 2019
The Week in Review 25-31.03.2019

The Romanian embassy in Israel, reason for polemics in Romania

King Abdullah II of Jordan has cancelled
his 3-day visit to Romania scheduled to start on Monday. He made this decision
following the Romanian prime minister Viorica Dancila’s announcement regarding
the government’s intention to relocate the Romanian embassy in Israel from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem. Prime minister Dancila underlined that a decision in this
regard would be passed after what she called the completion of the analysis by
all constitutional actors involved in the decision-making process in Romania
and with the full consensus of decision makers. The prime minister made these
statements at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference (AIPAC),
which she was invited to attend. President Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the
final decision in this regard belongs to him, given that, according to the Constitution,
he is in charge of Romania’s foreign policy decisions and he is also Romania’s
representative at external level. The EU has communicated its stand on the
issue and claims that the only realistic solution to the conflict between
Israel and Palestine is that of two states with the same capital.

In October 2018, the Romanian Foreign
Ministry presented the government with an analysis of the effects of moving the
Romanian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The document includes
pro and against arguments, said the Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu,
who nevertheless abstained from expressing his ministry’s recommendation. The
idea of relocating the Romanian embassy in Israel was first launched by the
strongman of the government coalition in Bucharest, the Social Democratic
leader Liviu Dragnea, at the end of 2017 at a private TV station. His
statements caused virulent reactions from the rightist opposition. Also the
Palestinian Authority has temporarily recalled its ambassador to Bucharest.

Start for European Parliament election campaign

Thursday was the last day when parties,
political alliances and independent candidates in Romania could submit their
candidacies for the EP elections due on May 26. The lists were submitted to the
Central Electoral Bureau alongside 200 thousand support signatures in the case
of parties and 100 thousand signatures for independent candidates. By April 6,
the Central Electoral Bureau is expected to issue the approval or rejection
decisions of candidacies, and by April 12 candidates are expected to challenge
the Bureau’s decisions. Subsequently, the order on voting ballots will be
established following a drawing of lots.

The election campaign will start on April
27 and will come to an end in the morning of May 25. According to a latest
opinion survey on voting intentions, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the
opposition Liberal Party are almost on a par, with 26% of the votes. Next come
the 2020 Alliance of the Save Romania Union and PLUS parties with 15% and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats, a junior partner in the governing coalition, and the
Pro Romania party (made up of dissidents from the PSD) both with 9%. The Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania would get 5% of the votes.

Referendum on justice

On Thursday President Klaus Iohannis
announced he would call a referendum on justice, to be held on the same day
with the European Parliament elections. He did not say what question would be on the ballot but he
vehemently criticized the governing coalition for issuing emergency decrees in
the justice field and for keeping the judiciary under permanent attack.
According to the president, it is illegitimate to issue an emergency decree on
justice matters before citizens can express their will in a referendum. In
reply, the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea accused the president of
trying to subordinate the magistrates, and said he was close to filing a
complaint for high treason against Klaus Iohannis.

Corruption
and anti-corruption

The former head of the National Anti-Corruption
Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi has been placed under ‘judicial control’ by
the prosecutors of the Section for investigating judges and prosecutors,
meaning that she is banned from leaving the country or speaking to the press. She
has been accused of abuse of office, bribe taking and false testimony. The file
was opened in December 2018 following a notification made by the former Social Democratic
deputy Sebastian Ghita, a fugitive who is hiding in Serbia after having been prosecuted
in several corruption files. Ghita claims that 8 years ago Kovesi asked him to
pay 200 thousand Euros for bringing back home from Indonesia, by plane, a
Romanian citizen on whose name an international arrest warrant had been issued
for large-scale economic crimes.

Meanwhile, the second round of negotiations between
the representatives of the Council of the EU and of the European Parliament for
the designation of the European chief prosecutor has ended without results. The
European Parliament supports as their favourite Mrs. Kovesi while the Council
of the EU the French Jean-François Bohnert. The next
rounds of negotiations are scheduled for April 4 and 10. The future European
chief prosecutor will have a 7-year mandate and the European Prosecutor’s
Office will become operational in late 2020.

International
sports competitions

Romania’s women’s volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj lost
the match, away from home, against the Italian team Busto Arsizio, 1-3, in the last
round of the CEV Cup final, the 2nd most important European
competition. In the first round the Italians had won 3-0. Last year, Alba also
played in the final of the Champions League which they lost, in Bucharest, to Turkish
side VakifBank Istanbul. Now news from football. Romania’s national football
team won 4-1 against the Faeroe Islands, on home ground, the match in Group F
of the preliminaries of the 2020 European Championship. In the debut match the
Romanians had lost to Sweden 1-2. The group also includes Spain, Norway and
Malta, and the first and second ranking teams will qualify to the final. The
drawing of lots for the Euro 2020 will take place in Bucharest on November 30. Bucharest
will also host 4 matches of the final tournament, three in the group stage and
one in the round of 16.

30 March 2019
Romania’s embassy in Israel again in the news

The Romanian prime minister Viorica
Dancila on Sunday took many by surprise when she said the Romanian embassy in
Israel would be relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after the conclusion of an
ongoing analysis on the appropriateness of such a move and in full agreement
with all decision makers. The announcement was accompanied by the commitment to
inscribe into law the right to Romanian citizenship for the Jews who left
Romania during the communist era and to pensions for the Holocaust survivors
and was made at a conference of the American Israel Public
Affairs Committee, where it was received with enthusiasm.

After being later rebuked in
harsh terms by president Klaus Iohannis, who has the final say in foreign
policy matters, the prime minister said she expressed a personal opinion about
moving the Romanian embassy. And yet, her announcement was very clear:

I am pleased to announce today that after the conclusion of the
analysis by all the constitutional actors involved in the decision-making
process in my country and, in full consensus, I as the prime minister of
Romania and the government I lead will move the Romanian embassy to Jerusalem,
the capital of Israel.

That she wasn’t merely voicing a personal
opinion is demonstrated by both the reaction of her Israeli counterpart
Benjamin Netanyahu, who congratulated her on her announcement, and that of the
secretary general of the PLO, Saeb Erekat, who criticised Dancila and called on
the European Union to take measures.

Prime minister Viorica Dancila has once again
demonstrated her complete ignorance with regard to foreign policy and to how
important decisions for the Romanian state are made, president Klaus Iohannis
was quick to point out in a statement. Out of a desire to claim a decision that
isn’t only the government’s to make, as the impression was given, the prime
minister has rushed to make public announcements although no decision has been made
in this sense, the president’s office has said. The statement underlines that
the decision to move the Romanian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will only
be made after the conclusion of an ongoing analysis and only with the approval
of all institutions with responsibilities in the area of foreign policy and
national security. The final decision belongs to the president of Romania,
who, under the Constitution, is responsible for Romania’s foreign policy
decisions and represents the country internationally, the statement also
writes.

Disappointed, by her own accounts, by the
president’s reaction, prime minister Viorica Dancila said moving the embassy is
good for the country and that this fact and the desire to move closer to Israel
and the United States does not mean that Romania is moving away from the
European Union. At this moment, all EU member states’ embassies are in Tel
Aviv. The idea to move Romania’s embassy to Jerusalem was unexpectedly launched
by the leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea and was interpreted
as an attempt to ingratiate himself with the Republican administration in
Washington and underline the constitutional role of the current president.

25 March 2019
March 24, 2019 UPDATE

VISIT The PM of Romania Viorica Dăncilă reiterated on Sunday in Washington her Cabinets intention to relocate the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. She said a decision would be made “after thorough analysis by all constitutional decision-makers and if full consensus is reached. The PM made these statements during the conference of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which invited her to the US. In October 2018, the Foreign Ministry presented the Government with a report on the effects of relocating the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The report included both the pros and cons to this decision, Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu said, but he would not disclose the ministrys recommendation on the topic. The idea of moving the embassy was first mentioned by the head of the ruling coalition in Romania, the Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea, in a private TV show in late 2017. The plan prompted strong criticism from the right-wing Opposition and President Klaus Iohannis, who, under the Constitution, coordinates the countrys foreign policy. The Palestinian Authority also temporarily recalled its ambassador to Bucharest.

MEETING EU transport ministers and state secretaries are taking part on March 26th and 27th in the informal meeting of EU transport ministers held in Bucharest under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. They will discuss, among other things, the future of mobility in the Union and means to strengthen connectivity and cohesion by means of the TEN-T network. According to the organisers, an enlarged and consolidated trans-European transport network will help improve territorial cohesion, the accessibility and connectivity of all regions in the EU, thus stimulating investments and narrowing development gaps.

TRANSPORT The Romanian Transport Operator Federation (FORT) announces in a news release that on Wednesday, March 27th they will protest in Strasbourg against the EU Mobility Package 1, alongside other employer associations from Romania and Eastern European countries. The Federation is against the obligation for drivers to return home at least every 4 weeks or, if a driver chooses the reduced weekly rest option, every 3 weeks on the road. FORT also demands a review of regular weekly rest rules and is also against applying the rules of posting to road transport.

PROTESTS The weekly “yellow vest protest in France took place on Saturday under strict police control, following the incidents of March 16th in Paris, which had prompted President Emmanuel Macrons criticism of the police force. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, protesters access to certain parts of the city was prohibited, and the police checked thousands of people to identify individuals intent on resorting to violence. Across the country, many individuals were detained while trying to reach Paris equipped with baseball bats, projectiles, gas masks. Significant clashes between the protesters and the police were also reported in Lyon, Lille and Montpellier, but order has been restored. The so-called “yellow vest movement emerged in November as a protest against a rise in fuel prices.

FOOTBALL Romanias Under-21 football team are scheduled to play a friendly against Denmark on Monday, after on Thursday they lost a match against Spain, during a training session in that country. In the 2019 European Youth Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino, Romania plays in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia. Meanwhile, Romanias national football team was defeated on Saturday night, 2-1, in Sweden, in a EURO 2020 qualifier match held at the Friends Arena in Solna. On Tuesday, Romania is playing at home against Faroe Islands. The group also includes Spain, Norway and Malta, and the top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament games, 3 in the group stage and an 8th-final.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

24 March 2019
September 28, 2018 UPDATE

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE – Same sex relationships fall within the ‘private life and ‘family life categories, argue the judges of Romanias Constitutional Court in response to a notification by a Romanian-American couple related to a Civil Code article regarding the non-recognition of same-sex marriages. According to the Constitutional Court, members of stable same sex couples have the right to express their personality as part of their relationship and to have their corresponding rights and obligations recognised officially. The Constitutional Court adds that Romania has no form of official and legal recognition of same sex relationships, a situation only found in 5 other EU member states, namely Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. The Constitutional Court clarifications come during the campaign for a referendum on October 6 and 7, when Romanians are called to vote if they want the concept of “family redefined in the Constitution as being based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than of spouses, as it is at present. The revision bill is based on a citizens initiative and it was denounced as discriminatory by human rights and sexual minority rights associations.

TREASON CASE – The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism in Romania (DIICOT) announced on Friday that it has closed a case based on the high treason accusations brought by the president of the National Liberal Party in opposition against PM Viorica Dăncilă. According to the Directorate, the case, which concerned the memorandum approved by the Government with respect to the relocation of the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was dismissed because no breach of the law has been established. The criminal complaint filed in May by the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban also concerned Liviu Dragnea, the president of the Social Democratic Party in power, who was accused of unlawful disclosure of state secrets, Orban said at the time.

EU PRESIDENCY – The Government of Romania must stand united ahead of taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, and domestic political disputes are an obstacle in this respect, the Ambassador of Germany to Bucharest, Cord Meier-Klodt said on Friday. The German diplomat also added that with the EU presidency, which Romania is to hold in the first half of 2019, come opportunities that the country must not miss. The statements were made in Cluj, north-western Romania, where the German Ambassador attended a conference on The Romanian Presidency of the European Union Council: Opportunities and Challenges. The participants also included the Ambassador of Romania to Germany, Emil Hurezeanu.

INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the Euro zone increased in September 2018 from 2% to 2.1%, shows a preliminary survey published on Friday by Eurostat. In September, the most significant price hikes in the Euro zone were reported in the energy field, where an annual increase of 9.5% was reported, followed by 2.7% price rises for foodstuffs, alcohol and cigarettes and 1.3% for services. In August, Eurostat says, Romania had the highest year-on-year inflation rate among EU states for the 7th consecutive month, with a 4.7% increase in consumer prices, after 4.3% in July. The National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of 2018 from 3.6% to 3.5%.

TURKEY – The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, criticised the situation in Turkey during a joint press conference on Friday with the visiting President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The German official mentioned issues such as the freedom of the press and human rights, and called for immediate solutions to the situation of several German citizens detained in Turkey. Still, Merkel listed shared German-Turkish interests, including the partnership within NATO, the migration problems and the fight against terrorism. In turn, Erdogan called on Germany to extradite the supporters of Turkish cleric Gülen. Hundreds of supporters of this terror group live in Germany, the Turkish President said, blaming them for a failed coup 2 years ago. Turkey and Germany also announced on this occasion that they will have a meeting in the forthcoming weeks, together with Russia and France, on the situation in Syria.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Raluca Olaru Friday qualified for the doubles final of the tournament in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), with 250,000 US dollars in total prize money. In the semi-finals, they defeated the Russians Margarita Gasparian and Anastasia Potapova, 2-1. In the final Begu and Olaru are facing Olga Danilovic (Serbia) / Tamara Zidansek (Slovenia).

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 September 2018
May 16, 2018 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria, in an informal meeting of the European Council and the EU – Western Balkans Summit. According to the Presidential Administration, the agenda of the informal European Council meeting includes topics concerning the digital, research and innovation sectors, as well as the decision of the US to introduce customs duties for steel and aluminum imports. At the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the heads of state and government will discuss connectivity, security and migration. President Iohannis will emphasise the importance of projects in the field of connectivity, infrastructure, energy and digital networks, which are able to enhance the convergence between the EU and the Western Balkans region, the Presidency also says.

EU PRESIDENCY – The Minister delegate for European affairs Victor Negrescu Wednesday presented Parliaments specialist committees with a first draft of Romanias priorities during its EU presidency in the first half of next year. Safety and Europes shared values, the Europe of convergence: growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, and Europe as a global player are the four themes of interest of Romanias term at the helm of the EU Council. The document, which is undergoing validation procedures, will be presented in Parliament next month by PM Viorica Dăncilă. Negrescu said a national and political consensus on the final document was necessary.

EMBASSY – The Ambassador of Palestine in Romania, Fuad Kokaly, was called to Ramallah for emergency talks, the Palestinian Embassy in Romania announced. The Foreign Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) resorted to the measure as Romania is one of the countries having blocked a joint EU statement on the relocation of member state embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the news release reads. France Presse and DPA report that the Palestinian Authority announced on Wednesday having recalled “for consultations its ambassadors to 4 EU member countries that sent their representatives to a ceremony organised on Sunday by Israel to mark the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The 4 countries are Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania. The EU criticised the US President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his decision to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

PROTESTS – The Government of Romania Wednesday passed an emergency order operating changes in the law on public sector employee salaries, agreed on with trade unions. The changes will benefit employees in public education and healthcare. Under the order, all the healthcare staff whose net incomes dropped in March compared to February will receive compensations. Also, the 30% ceiling on bonuses will no longer apply to on-duty time for doctors and nurses. Also on Wednesday the Government of Romania passed an emergency order earmarking the funds required for keeping specialised personnel in the defence industry. Defence industry staff Tuesday and Wednesday picketed the Government headquarters to warn about the problems facing the companies and the employees in this sector. The Romanian defence industry risks getting shut down because of the shortage of skilled personnel and the lack of investments, one of the protest organisers told AGERPRES news agency.

BSEC – The Speaker of the Senate of Romania Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Wednesday took part in a summit bringing together the heads of parliaments of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation member states. In an address during general debates on ’25 years of BCEC: the role of parliaments in shaping the future of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation’, Tăriceanu pleaded for an integrated approach to transport and energy infrastructure projects, able to improve the connectivity of member states. The Speaker of the Romanian Senate also reiterated his confidence in the future of cooperation at the Black Sea and in the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in promoting peace, stability and wellbeing in member countries.

TENNIS – Romanian and world no 1 Simona Halep will play on Thursday against the American Madison Keys, seed no 13, in the eighth-finals of the WTA tournament in Rome. On Wednesday in the second round Halep defeated Japans Naomi Osaka, no 21 WTA, in straight sets, while Madison Keys won against the Croatian Donna Vekic. This will be the 7th match between Simona Halep and Madison Keys, with the Romanian having won 5 of them. Also on Wednesday Irina-Camelia Begu, no 41 WTA, was defeated in the second round by the German Angelique Kerber, no 12 WTA.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 May 2018
May 15, 2018 UPDATE

CONSULTATIONS – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila held talks on Tuesday on the countrys foreign policy, also on a prospective relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A communiqué issued by the Presidency shows the president underlined that it is mandatory for Romanias foreign policy to be pursed solely in the interest of the country and that domestic tensions on foreign policy issues should come to an end immediately, for Bucharest to remain a credible player in the relation with the US, at the level of the European Union and NATO, as well as within the other strategic partnerships it is committed to. In turn, Viorica Dăncilă has said that in her capacity as head of the government, her main responsibility is to implement the governing program, including the chapter devoted to foreign policy. In this context, according to the PM, launching an analysis and assessment process into the possibility of relocating the Romanian Embassy in Israel, a proposal analysed by other countries too, is also part of this chapter. The government has recently adopted a memorandum on the opportunity of relocating the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

SOFIA– President Iohannis will attend on Wednesday and Thursday in the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia, the informal meeting of the European Council and the EU-Western Balkans Summit. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, Wednesdays agenda of the informal meeting of the European Council will cover issues related to such domains as IT, research and innovation. The participants will also tackle the decision made by the US on introducing customs duties on steel and aluminium imports. On Thursday, at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the heads of state and government will approach such issues as connectivity, security and migration. President Iohannis will underline the importance of projects in the field of connectivity, infrastructure, energy and digital networks, given that they all can enhance the convergence between the EU and the Western Balkans regions, the communiqué also reads.

RULING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest on Tuesday announced that on May 29, it will issue the ruling in the trial in which the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea, is facing corruption charges. The anti-corruption prosecutors request a 7 year and five month jail sentence for abuse of office and two years and six months for forgery. They say that when Dragnea was head of the Teleorman County Council, he made several employees of the Social Assistance Directorate fictitiously hire two persons who were members of the Social Democratic Partys local organization. Although the two were working exclusively for the Social Democratic Party, their salaries were paid from public money. We recall that in 2016, the Court found Liviu Dragnea guilty of having local Social Democratic leaders take people to polls illegally, in order to make sure the referendum against the then president was validated, and gave him a 2-year suspended sentence.

ECONOMIC GROWTH – Latvia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania reported the biggest economic growth in the EU in the first quarter of 2018 as against the same period of 2017, according to preliminary data made public by the Eurostat on Tuesday. Romania has reported a 4.2% economic growth. Also, according to data made public by the Romanian Statistics Institute on Tuesday, Romanias economy in the first quarter of the year went up by 4% on gross terms and by 4.2% on seasonally as against the same period last year.(translated by E. Enache and D. Vijeu)

15 May 2018