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Growth facility for the Republic of Moldova

Western analysts and political decision-makers alike agree that the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) is the most fragile of Ukraine’s neighbors invaded by the Russian troops. The pro-Western Moldovan president Maia Sandu and the government led by Dorin Recean manage, however, to keep it afloat and are taking steps on the path of European integration, a target which, last year, after a referendum, was also included in the Constitution. The target of a hybrid war, orchestrated by Moscow and seasoned with intense false propaganda, subjected to repeated attempts at political destabilization, host, even if temporary, to numerous Ukrainian refugees, to whom it must ensure living conditions, the Republic of Moldova would not have resisted, in the last three years, without the consistent support of neighboring Romania and of the West, in general. On Thursday, the specialized commissions of the European Parliament adopted the legislative report of the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan from the Liberal Party, in the Bucharest governing coalition, and affiliated to the European People’s Party (PPE) regarding the Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova, worth almost two billion Euros.

The report calls for an increase in pre-financing, from 7%, as stipulated in the proposal submitted by the European Commission, to 20% of the total amount. According to Mureşan, ‘it is important that these funds reach the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, in order to finance roads, hospitals, bridges and to modernize the public administration. These are measures that lead to an increase in people’s living standards and accelerate European integration. These are measures that help the Republic of Moldova get over the economic and energy crisis caused by the new gas delivery blackmail launched by the Russian Federation’. He also added that the European Union can be safe and stable only if the Republic of Moldova is also safe, stable and energy independent. That’s why our objective, of the European Union, is to help the Republic of Moldova to get modernized, develop and get rid of energy dependence on Russia, the Romanian MEP went on to say.

‘Out of the total amount of 1.92 billion Euros, 420 million will be allocated to the component of non-reimbursable grants for the Republic of Moldova, and the remaining 1.5 billion represent loans guaranteed with the support of the European Union’ explained, in his turn, the MEP Dan Barna, a Save Romania Union (USR) member and a RENEW rapporteur for this file. The vote in the European Parliament paves the way for the so-called trilogue process between the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, in which the final form of the legislation regarding the support for Chişinău will be decided. The trilogues are scheduled to start in February, and the final vote could be given in the plenary session of the EP in March. (LS)

31 January 2025
November 12, 2024 UPDATE

VISIT Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu is on official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he has meetings with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, PM Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with members of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, PM Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

EC Roxana Mînzatu, nominated by Romania for European commissioner, said during her interview by the European Parliament’s specialist committees that Europeans will face many challenges in the coming years, and they need to be prepared for this, which is the first pillar of her programme. The second pillar, which she described as a key one, concerns quality jobs. The third element of her term in office is social justice. Roxana Mînzatu, nominated for executive vice-president of the EC for people, skills and preparedness, has been interviewed by the members of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Culture and Education. Roxana Mînzatu, 44, was a state secretary with the Ministry for European Funds in March-September 2015. In 2016-2020, she was a member of the Romanian Parliament, and in 2019 she also served as Minister for European Funds. In June this year she was also elected MEP, backed by the Social Democratic Party. Roxana Mînzatu has a Bachelor’s degree in political sciences and a Master’s degree in European integration.

ELECTION Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have requested to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the vote in the country. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

INFLATION The annual inflation rate climbed from 4.62% in September to 4.67% in October, the National Statistics Institute reports. Food prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Service prices also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has adjusted its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first 9 months of 2024, reaching some EUR 23.5 bln, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded EUR 69 bln, a 1.4% drop, while imports totaled nearly EUR 93 bln, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

GOTECH WORLD Officials and representatives of the business sector took part in the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals in the region with access to B2B tech solutions, insights into various digital fields and networking opportunities. (VP, AMP)

12 November 2024
October 23, 2024

Visit – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is paying an official visit to Montenegro today, at the invitation of his counterpart Jakov Milatović. This is the first visit at the level of heads of state since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Klaus Iohannis will be received by President Jakov Milatovic at the official residence in Cetinje. The talks will focus on such topics as political and diplomatic cooperation, defense and support for Montenegro’s European path. Opportunities for increasing investments and commercial exchanges, stimulating contacts in the fields of energy, tourism, agriculture, internal affairs, research, education and culture will also be analyzed.

Election – Today, the US has expressed its concern about Russia’s interference in the second round of the November 3 presidential election in the Republic of Moldova, a competition which is going to be very tight. The US is concerned that Russia will try, once again, to prevent the Moldovans from exercising their sovereign right to choose their own leaders, said the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in a statement quoted by AFP. Washington has already denounced that Russia did everything in its power to disrupt the first round of the presidential election and last Sunday’s referendum, with the aim of undermining democracy in the small ex-Soviet Republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population, especially through illegal financing, vote buying, disinformation and malicious cyber activities. We remind you that the Moldovans approved by a tiny margin, with a little over 50% of the votes, amending the Constitution with a view to their country’s EU accession. At the same time, the current president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, ranked first, with 42.45% of the votes, in the first round of the presidential election, but she is preparing for a difficult second round, in which she will fight with the representative of the Socialist Party, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who obtained 25.98%.

Budget – Today, the European Parliament pronounces on the budget for next year, in a different version than the one proposed by the EC and the one discussed in the Council, which announces negotiations. Initially, the European Commission had considered a budget of approximately 200 billion Euros, which it proposed both to the Council and the Parliament. The Council cut 8 billion Euros from this proposal, while the Parliament increased it by another 1 billion. One of the two chief negotiators of the EP, the Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu, says that the version of the EP, of 201 billion Euros, would be the correct one, both from the point of view of the multi-annual budget setting and from the point of view of what is needed for the Union’s common policies. The European Parliament agrees with the increase in the budget for border security, defense and external actions, but believes that the big problem is in the economy and in the social sector, domains for which more money would be needed, says Victor Negrescu.

Salary – Romania’s Chamber of Deputies adopted, as a decision-making body, the draft law on the minimum wage. It transposes a European directive that aims to improve the working and living conditions of employees. The document stipulates that the minimum basic gross salary guaranteed to be paid should be established annually, through periodic updating, after consultations with the nationally-representative unions and employers’ associations and should take into account the cost of living and economic and social indicators.

Year of the Child – The Romanian authorities announce a series of measures in the run-up of the Year of the Child to be marked in 2025. The measures are aimed at supporting children and promoting their rights, especially of those from disadvantaged areas. The law under which 2025 becomes the Year of the Child in Romania was passed by Parliament earlier this month. (LS)

23 October 2024
Schengen accession with the land borders, a hot topic again

European officials support the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen this year.

The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, supports the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area with the land borders, by the end of the year. The official announced that this is be the message to be conveyed at the Justice and Home Affairs Council due on Thursday in Luxembourg. Ylva Johansson has said that Bulgaria and Romania have done everything possible, they have implemented all the additional measures and her message to the ministers at Justice and Home Affairs Council will be to take the last step and lift checks at the two countries’ land borders. The statement was made during a European Parliament discussion about the reintroduction of border checks by some countries in the Schengen area and the effects of these decisions on the free movement area.

Ylva Johansson said she was proud to live in the Schengen area. It is the largest circulation area in the world – 450 million people from 29 countries can move freely through Europe, she said. Almost 30% of Europe’s population lives in a border area and 50 million people live directly next to an internal border, she explained. Thank you for putting such an important debate on the agenda, the commissioner told the MEPs.

As regards Romania’s Schengen accession with land borders, the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union has also announced recently, in a statement that it will present, at the JAI meeting, the situation of the full implementation of the Schengen acquis in Romania and Bulgaria. We remind you that at the end of last year, the Council decided to eliminate checks at the air and sea borders with Romania and Bulgaria, but in order to set the date for the elimination of the land borders, another Council decision is needed.

In Bucharest, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that there is direct communication with the authorities in Austria, which have opposed Romania’s accession, and added that in the upcoming period there will be good news for the country as regards Schengen. Meanwhile, several European officials have renewed their message of support. Europe needs Romania and Romania enjoys our support as regards Shengen and its legitimate interest in lifting checks at the land borders as quickly as possible, the German ambassador in Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, has said recently.

8 October 2024
July 18, 2024

Meeting – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, which is taking place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. According to a Presidential Administration press release, the program of the meeting includes a plenary session and working groups, and the discussions focus on topics such as security in Europe, support for Ukraine, challenges related to migration, protecting democracy and promoting energy security. During the debates, President Iohannis will address current issues regarding the continuation of support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the context of Russia’s war of aggression. On the sidelines of the plenary session, an informal meeting of the Coordination Group for the Republic of Moldova is scheduled. The members of the group, which includes the leaders from Romania, France, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, the EU, alongside the Republic of Moldova, will discuss aspects related to Chişinău’s resilience in dealing with multiple current threats.

EP – Today, the European Parliament is voting on a proposal for Ursula von der Leyen to obtain a new mandate as President of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen (65) needs the votes of at least 361 of the 720 MEPs. On Wednesday, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) announced that it found irregularities related to the transparency of the contracts concluded by the European Commission for the purchase of anti-COVID-19 vaccines, a case that directly targets Ursula von der Leyen. Also on Wednesday, the new European Parliament voted its first resolution, aimed at financial, humanitarian and military support for Ukraine, to help it repel Russia’s attacks.

Football – The winner of the Romanian Football Cup, Corvinul Hunedoara (from center-western Romania), plays, today, in Sibiu (center) against the Hungarian team Paksi FC in the decisive leg of the first preliminary round of the Europa League. In the first match, Corvinul, returning to the European cups after a break of 42 years, won, away from home, 4-0 against the vice-champion Hungary. If it passes Paksi FC, Corvinul Hunedoara will play in the second preliminary round of the Europa League with the Croatian team HNK Rijeka. The other Romanian teams participating in the European competitions are the Romanian football champions, FCSB (Bucharest), CFR Cluj (from north-western Romania) and Universitatea Craiova (south-western Romania).

Campaign – The Romanian government has today launched the campaign “We qualify Romania”, whose objective, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, is to allow Romanians access to the “Visa Waiver” program. The PM claims that there is “a huge opportunity” and urged all Romanians who have valid B1 or B2 visas and those who had such a visa to apply for its renewal. The Romanian government has committed to meeting the accession criteria by the end of the American fiscal year, which ends on September 30. The renewal of the visa for the United States costs the same as a normal visa, i.e. 185 dollars (approx. 840 lei). Romania can enter the “Visa Waiver” program in 2025 if the visa refusal rate is below 3%. Over the past three years, it has fallen from 17% in 2021 to 8% last year. The “Visa Waiver” is a US government program that allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit through the US territory without a visa.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian plays, today, against the Italian Lucia Bronzetti, in the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth over 230,000 Euros. Jaqueline Cristian has qualified for the round of 16 after defeating the Argentinean Julia Riera in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday. The Romanian Irina Begu has also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Palermo tournament, after defeating the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5, score 6-2, 7-5. (LS)

18 July 2024
Two Romanians in the EP leadership

Two of the 14 vice-presidents of the new European Parliament are Romanians: Victor Negrescu and Nicolae Ştefănuţă, who were elected in the first round of voting, on Tuesday, in the first session of the EP. Victor Negrescu ran on behalf of the Social-Democrats group, and Nicolae Ştefănuţă on behalf of the Greens, but both enjoyed the support of the parliamentary majority formed around the People’s Party, Social-Democrats and Liberals from Renew. Aged 38, Victor Negrescu represented Romania as a member of the European Parliament (2014 – 2017, 2020 – present), also holding other administrative roles in the European Parliament, such as quaestor and vice-president of the Education and Culture Commission. Last but not least, Victor Negrescu was appointed chief negotiator of the European Parliament regarding the European budget for 2025.

The new vice-president Victor Negrescu said that he would seek to be more than a vice-president of the European Parliament, that he would continue to be a strong voice for Romanians at the level of European institutions because today, more than ever, we must demonstrate that we can count and that we can impose our points of view with professionalism, while also pointing out that he appeared before the MEPs with three clear priorities: democratization and opening of the European Parliament to citizens, respect for all MEPs from all member states and strengthening the role of the Parliament in the European decision-making process.

Victor Negrescu: “I would like to influence the budget of this institution and the decision-making process at the level of several committees in the European Parliament, so that the agenda of the European Parliament should correspond more closely to the agenda of the citizens.”

The other vice-president from Romania, Nicolae Ştefănuţă (42), an MEP since 2019, has obtained the current MEP mandate as an independent, but in the European Parliament he is affiliated with the Greens, the fourth largest group in the European legislature, a group which, although not officially within the majority, supports the idea of isolating the extremes.

Nicolae Ştefănuţă: “The Greens are participating in the sanitary cordon, in this initiative to preserve the pro-European center and we want to show that we are serious partners. I hope that the other groups will also be serious partners for the governance of this continent.”

He also added that it is an honor for him to become vice-president of the European Parliament today, but also a great responsibility. He aims to bring Parliament closer to people, especially young people. The social crisis, inequality and discrimination make young people worried about the future. We, the entire office of the Parliament, have the duty to show them that European democracy works, that their rights are respected and that their voice is heard, said Nicolae Ştefănuţă. (LS)

17 July 2024
July 16, 2024 UPDATE

Weather – Romania is under a code red alert for extreme heat, extended in almost the entire country until Thursday, except for 11 counties in the northern half that are under a code orange alert for extreme heat. Highs of 42 degrees C are announced, and the lows will not drop below 22 degrees Celsius. Thermal discomfort will be particularly intensified, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. The sky will be variable. There will be periods of atmospheric instability, at first in the mountainous areas, then locally and in the northern half, and only in isolated areas possibly in the rest of the territory. There will be temporary, increased cloudiness, showers that will turn into torrential rains, frequent electrical discharges and wind gusts of 50…70 km/h.

EP – The new European Parliament started its activity on Tuesday. The first plenary session takes place in Strasbourg and, according to the agenda, MEPs have three days to choose their president, vice-presidents and the makeup of the specialized committees. On Thursday, the MEPs will vote on the renewal of Ursula von der Leyen’s mandate as president of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen, who already has the support of the heads of state and government from the EU member countries, needs the votes of at least 361 MEPs. The European People’s Party, which she is a member of, is still the first political force in the European Parliament, having 188 elected members after the June elections. The Social Democrats obtained 136 seats, and the liberals from Renew, 77 seats. The grand coalition that traditionally brings together these three parties would thus provide enough votes to ensure Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election, but, as in the case of the 2019 vote, it is not certain that all the MPs of the majority coalition will vote for her, so she is also looking for support from the Greens. On Tuesday, Roberta Metsola secured, with broad support, a new mandate as president of the European Parliament, thus leading the EP for another two and a half years. Ms Metsola’s appointment was approved by a large majority of MEPs. The Romanian MEPs, Victor Negrescu, from the Social Democrats and Nicolae Ştefănuţă, supported by the Greens were elected vice-presidents of the EP. There is a total number of 14 vice-president posts.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth 232,244 Euros, after defeating the Spanish Marina Bassols Ribera 6-0, 6-0. Begu won in just 58 minutes. In the second round, she will meet the Italian Martina Trevisan or the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5. The Romanian Jaqueline Cristian is also on the singles table from Sicily, seed no. 7, and she will play in the first round against the Argentinean Julia Riera.

IMF – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its estimates that the world economy will register an advance of 3.2% this year, amid improved growth forecasts for China and India, according to the latest update of the “World Economic Outlook” report, published on Tuesday. At the same time, the IMF slightly improved its growth estimates for 2025, when the world economy is expected to register an advance of 3.3%, 0.1% more than the previous forecast. The forecasts for emerging Europe (a region where Romania is included) were also improved by 0.1%, up to an advance of 3.2% this year. The most recent forecasts of the IMF for Romania date back to April, when the international financial institution estimated that the Romanian economy would grow at 2.8% this year, accelerating to 3.6% in 2025.

Chişinău – The acting president of the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian speaking population), Maia Sandu, is the favorite in the presidential election due in October, shows a new opinion survey published in Chişinău. Maia Sandu – of pro-European orientation – would obtain 34% of the votes, while her political rival, the former president of the state, the socialist Igor Dodon, of pro-Russian orientation, would gather 18% of the votes, according to the survey. Regarding the EU accession referendum, which will take place on the same day as the presidential election, 53% of the respondents plan to vote “Yes”. (LS)

16 July 2024
June 12, 2024

ELECTIONS The alliance comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party (currently in power in Romania) carried close to 49% of the votes in Sunday’s elections for the European Parliament, according to partial data released by the Central Electoral Bureau. Next came AUR party with nearly 15%, the United Right Alliance with 8.6 %, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania with 6.5% and SOS Romania party with 5%. One of the 33 MEPs to represent Romania in the European Parliament is non-affiliated. Local elections were also held in Romania on Sunday, with the Social Democrats winning the mayor and county council elections, followed by their Liberal partners and by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. In Bucharest, the incumbent mayor general, Nicuşor Dan, has won a new term in office, with the United Right Alliance and the Social Democrats securing the most seats in the Bucharest city council.

INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate dropped from 5.9% in April to 5.12% in May, as foodstuff prices went up 1.24%, non-food prices rose by 6.38%, and services are 9.29% more expensive, the National Statistics Institute announced on Wednesday. The National Bank adjusted the inflation forecast for this year to 4.9%, from 4.7% previously, and expects the indicator to reach 3.5% by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, net investments in the national economy totalled some EUR 7 bln in the first quarter of the year, up 6.7% as compared to Q1, 2023, the institution also reports.

UKRAINE As many as 95 investment projects are being discussed at the International Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin. Today, the participants discuss the funding for these reconstruction projects. So far the European Commission has announced agreements with various banks amounting to EUR 1.4 bln, and a EUR 1.9 bln assistance package. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday called for the consolidation of air defence in the face of Russian attacks. Attending the conference, the Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu said Bucharest supported Ukraine with electricity and was working to improve inter-connection. Bucharest has a regional approach, which also includes the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, Luminiţa Odobescu pointed out. The agenda of the conference in Berlin also includes Ukraine’s EU accession. We have more details after the news.

NATO The German Armed Forces are contributing 2 operations centres and a PATRIOT combat squadron to NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence international exercise Ramstein Legacy 24, held in Romania and Bulgaria. According to the German Embassy in Bucharest, roughly 260 German troops and 100 vehicles traveled to the Romanian Black Sea coast. “We stand strong with our Allies to ensure the security of Romania and of our entire Allied territory,” the German Ambassador to Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, said after visiting the German military. After Romania and Bulgaria, Germany is the biggest troop contributor in this week’s exercise, alongside units from France, Finland, the UK, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey and Hungary near Constanţa, in south-eastern Romania. Units from Greece, Italy and Slovenia are also taking part in the Bulgarian section of the exercise, which is designed to improve interoperability and help integrate the NATO air defence forces into the NATO common air defence command structure.

CONCERT The British alternative rock band Coldplay perform in Bucharest today and tomorrow. Some 50,000 fans are expected to attend each of the two concerts held on the National Arena as part of the band’s “Music Of The Spheres” world tour.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football team is in Wurzburg, Bavaria, where they will stay during the European Football Championship hosted by Germany and due to start on Friday, June 14. Romania plays in Group E and will take on Ukraine on June 17 in Munich, on Belgium on June 22 in Cologne, and on Slovakia, on June 26, in Frankfurt. Romania last took part in a European championship final tournament in 2016, in France. (AMP)

12 June 2024
June 8, 2024 UPDATE

Elections – More than 40,000 employees of the Romanian Interior Ministry will be mobilized throughout the country to maintain order and public safety and to ensure protection measures at polling stations, on Sunday, when local and European Parliament elections are scheduled. According to the Interior Ministry, the electoral campaign took place under normal conditions, without serious events. The polling stations will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m. The presidents of the polling stations can decide to extend the vote until 23:59, if there are people who did not have the time to exercise this right, but are inside or in the immediate vicinity of the station. Approximately 19 million Romanians are called to the polls in the nearly 19,000 polling stations in the country. Abroad there will be 915 polling stations, twice as many as compared to the EP elections five years ago, most of them being opened in Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Romania will send 33 representatives to the EP. For the first time, the data on the voter turnout will be presented in real time, online, on the election day, for each separate election, on the website of the Permanent Electoral Authority. We remind you that this year the presidential election is scheduled in September and the legislative elections in December.

European elections – Tens of thousands of people demonstrated, on Saturday, in Germany, the day before the European elections, against the extreme right, AFP informs. ‘Germany is diverse!’, ‘Stop the hate!’, ‘Down with racism!’, were the slogans written on the placards of the demonstrators in Berlin. Demonstrations also took place in Stuttgart, Leipzig, Dresden, Munich, and Frankfurt. Despite the scandals that marked its campaign for the European Parliament, the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) hopes to achieve its best performance in this election on Sunday. The elections for the 720 members of the European Parliament are already taking place in several states of the EU. In the Netherlands, the vote took place on Thursday, and in Ireland the electoral process took place on Friday. The Czech Republic voted on Friday and Saturday. Voters from Italy, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia also went to the polls. At the level of the European Union, more than 370 million voters are expected to go to the polls.

Weather – Areas in southern Romania, including the capital Bucharest, will come under a Code Orange alert for scorcher and severe thermal discomfort on Sunday, and the warning is valid until Tuesday morning. Particularly high temperatures will be recorded for this time of the year, with highs ranging between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. The weather will be scorching which leads to a heightened thermal discomfort, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. Meteorologists warn that temperatures will remain particularly high in the coming days, especially in the southern and southeastern regions. Also, the National Meteorological Administration issued for the same period a Code Yellow alert for thermal discomfort and high temperatures in the east, south-east, south-west and center. On Sunday, the sky will be variable, with temporarily heavy clouds, showers, electrical discharges and short-term intensification of the wind, in the northwest and center. There will be torrential rains, storms and hail. The maximum temperatures will generally range between 26 and 37 degrees C, and the minimum between 11 and 22 degrees C.

Denmark – Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said on Saturday that she suffered a slight cervical strain following an assault on Friday evening when a man punched her in a market in Copenhagen, Reuters reports. ‘Apart from this, the prime minister is fine, but she is shocked by the incident,’ the official statement said. After the incident, Frederiksen was taken to the hospital for a check-up. All the official events that the Danish PM was supposed to attend on Saturday have been cancelled. The attacker, a 39-year-old man, was detained. The incident took place two days before the Danes went to the polls in the European Parliament elections. Three weeks ago, the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an assassination attempt. “I am shocked by the news of the attack on the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Violence has no place in our societies”, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, wrote on the X platform. (LS)

8 June 2024
June 8, 2024

Elections – Today is a day of reflection in Romania, before the European Parliament and local elections that take place on Sunday. The polling stations will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 10:00 p.m., compared to 9:00 p.m. in the previous elections. The presidents of the polling stations can decide to extend the vote until 23:59, if there are people who did not have the time to exercise this right, but are inside or in the immediate vicinity of the station. Approximately 19 million Romanians are called to the polls in the nearly 19,000 polling stations in the country. Abroad there will be 915 polling stations, twice as many as compared to the EP elections five years ago, most of them being opened in Italy (150), Spain (147) and Great Britain (104). In the elections for the European Parliament, there are 15 candidates for one seat, and Romania will send 33 representatives to the EP. According to the data presented by the Permanent Electoral Authority, there are 20% fewer competitors in the local elections compared to four years ago. For both elections, over 102 million ballots were printed, and the Romanian authorities claim that they have taken all the necessary measures regarding the smooth running of the electoral process. For the first time, the data on voter turnout will be presented in real time, online, on election day, for each separate election, on the website of the Permanent Electoral Authority. We remind you that this year the presidential election is scheduled in September and the legislative elections in December.

EP elections – The elections for the 720 members of the European Parliament are already taking place in several states of the EU. In the Netherlands, the vote took place on Thursday, and exit polls showed an increase in the popularity of the extreme right, which would have obtained seven seats in the future European Parliament, compared to only one in the current legislature. In Ireland, the electoral process took place on Friday, as well as in the Czech Republic, where voting will continue today. Italian citizens will also vote for two days. Also today, voters in Latvia, Malta and Slovakia will go to the polls to nominate their future MEPs, while the rest of the EU countries will hold European Parliament elections on Sunday. Over 370 million voters are expected to go to the polls throughout the European Union.

GDP – The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the euro zone and the European Union registered an advance of 0.3% in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, according to data published by Eurostat. According to statistics, Romania’s economy recorded an evolution slightly above the European average, with a GDP growth of 0.4% in the first three months of the year, after a contraction of 0.6% in the last three months of 2023. The Eurostat data are similar to those previously announced by the National Institute of Statistics, which revised downwards Romania’s economic growth in the first three months of this year, to 0.4%, from 0.5% as previously estimated.

Salaries – Almost 1.9 million employees in Romania will receive their salary increased by 284 lei (approx. 57 Euros), net value, from July 1, after the Romanian Government approved the increase of the gross minimum wage from 3,300 lei (approx. 660 Euros) to 3,700 lei (approx. 740 Euros) and raised from 200 lei (approx. 40 Euros) to 300 lei (approx. 60 Euros) the monthly amount exempt from the payment of the income tax. The executive believes that this approach will have positive effects on economic growth, the purchasing power of employees and will contribute to the reduction of undeclared work. However, the decision does not apply to employees in agriculture and the food industry, as legal provisions in force apply to these categories. The government representatives said that this increase is a step towards the adoption, as of November, of the minimum wage at the European level.

Attack – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu conveyed a message following the attack on his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, which took place on Friday in a Copenhagen square. “I am shocked by the news of the attack on the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Violence has no place in our societies”, Marcel Ciolacu wrote on the X platform today. Mette Frederiksen was attacked by a man on Friday, but no signs of injury are reported. The police announced that a man was arrested and the incident is being investigated, but did not provide further details. The incident took place two days before the Danes went to the polls in the European Parliament elections. Three weeks ago, the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured in an assassination attempt.

Fraud – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is conducting investigations in Romania and Spain, in a case involving a fraud in public procurement of 10 million Euros. EPPO specifies in a statement that it is about European funds for the modernization of the water infrastructure and the improvement of energy efficiency. Several searches have been carried out so far in Hunedoara county (west), at a hospital and another public institution, thee beneficiaries of the funds, as well as in the Spanish region of Andalusia. The European prosecutors show that a group of companies from Romania, which also included a company from Spain, presented false documents and statements in order to receive the contracts for the execution of the works. (LS)

8 June 2024
Romania, before the local and European elections

Almost 19 million Romanians with the right to vote are expected to go to the polls on Sunday, June 9, when the elections for the European Parliament take place, as well as the local elections for the appointment of mayors, of the presidents of County Councils and of the municipal and local councilors. For this double election, the Bucharest administration is organizing almost 19,000 polling stations in the country and 915 abroad. Approximately 370 million citizens from the 27 EU member states are expected to elect their representatives in the EP. The most voters are in Germany, over 65 million, followed by those in France, 50.7 million and Italy, 47.3 million. In this ranking, Romania is on 6^th position.

According to the Statistical Office of the EU, Romania ranks 13^th in terms of the number of people who could vote for the first time after reaching the required age, with over a million young people. The ballots for the local and European Parliament elections have already been sent to the polling stations in the country and abroad. 18 million were distributed in Romania, while 2.5 million abroad. The President of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Toni Greblă, explained that Romanians cannot vote in the country with a simple passport, but with an identity card or another equivalent document.

At the same time, he briefly explained the voting procedure: “At 7:00 a.m. all polling stations will be ready for the voting process. The Romanians abroad will receive only one ballot, for the European Parliament elections. In the country, voters will receive five ballots, if they vote in the locality where they reside, and they have the right to vote for the local and European Parliament elections. They will place each of the five ballots in the five specially designated and inscribed ballot boxes and then leave the polling station.”

Romanians who are not in the country on Sunday can vote in the European Parliament elections at any polling station abroad, the Foreign Ministry reported. The institution recommends that they should identify the nearest polling station on the mae.ro website and have a valid identity card. The distribution of the 915 polling stations organized abroad, a figure two times higher compared to the previous European Parliament elections, was directly proportional to the number of Romanian citizens in each country.

The most stations will be in Italy, 150, followed by Spain, 147, and Great Britain, 104. There are also places where polling stations have not been established, either because the Romanian military personnel were withdrawn, or because the diplomatic mission was closed or moved, as is the case in Afghanistan, Mali, Sudan, Libya, and also in Rostov-on-Don, in Russia, and Odessa, in Ukraine. The first country where the polling stations will be opened is New Zealand, on Saturday at 10 p.m. Romanian time, and the electoral process abroad will take place depending on the time zone for 34 hours. The last stations will close on Monday morning, when voting closes on the West Coast of the US and in Canada, in Vancouver. (LS)

6 June 2024
Election campaign to start in Romania

In exactly one month, Romanians are expected to the polls to elect their representatives in the European Parliament, as well as their future mayors, local and county councilors. The campaign for the local and European Parliament elections due on June 9 officially begins on Friday. If for the EP election Romanian citizens can vote anywhere in the country or abroad, for the local elections they can cast their vote only in the constituencies where they are domiciled or reside. The candidacies for the local elections that remained definitive will be displayed both at the headquarters of the county electoral offices, at the headquarters of the Central Electoral Bureau, and on the website of the Permanent Electoral Authority. After the printing of the ballots, a sample will be made public, for the citizens to get familiarized with them and identify the political competitors for whom they are going to vote, and thus be able to vote having all the necessary information, explained the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Toni Grebla.

In order to make things clear, he also explained how the people who will be at their domicile or residence address on the election day will be able to vote for the local officials: “The Romanian citizens having their domicile in the country vote only in the constituencies which they are assigned to for the local elections. For the citizens who reside in a place other than that where they are registered in the permanent electoral lists, they can vote only on the condition that the residence, the non-domicile visa was obtained more than 60 days before the date of June 9.”

Those who go to vote on June 9, will receive five ballots – four for the local officials and one ballot for the list or independent candidate for the European Parliament elections. As in previous elections, an IT specialist will check the submitted ballots to eliminate the risk of a multiple vote.

Toni Greblă explained that for the European Parliament elections, the novelty is that approximately 900 polling stations will be organized abroad for all Romanians with the right to vote: “For the European Parliament elections, there is only one electoral constituency, at country level, and there is only one list of candidates for the EP elections for each political competitor. So, there is a ballot that is identical both for the citizens who vote in Romania and for those who vote abroad, regardless of where they have their domicile or residence. All they need is to be Romanian citizens with the right to vote.”

Toni Greblă also made a series of clarifications regarding the election posters, claiming that non-compliance with the rules will attract the punishment of the guilty. The European Commission has also launched a campaign to warn citizens about the risks of disinformation and the ways in which it can be fought against. Furthermore, a new web page provides access to all useful information in this regard. (LS)

9 May 2024
End of European Parliament legislature

In Strasbourg, the last plenary session of the current European Parliament (EP) has come to an end. The EP adopted several important directives. One of them establishes new rules that ensure that workers on online platforms have a fair professional status. They guarantee that a person working on online platforms cannot be fired based on a decision made by an algorithm or automated decision-making system. Instead, digital work platforms must ensure human oversight of important decisions that directly affect the people working on platforms.

Also, new rules were adopted regarding the violation of traffic rules abroad. They expand the list of traffic violations committed by non-resident drivers. The list thus includes new elements, such as dangerous parking and overtaking, crossing the continuous white line, and leaving the scene of an accident. With around 40% of cross-border traffic offences currently going unpunished, MEPs are trying to get EU countries to cooperate more in finding foreign drivers who break the rules. The new rules oblige national authorities to answer the requests from another EU country without delay and within two months at most from collecting the necessary information.

At the same time, the EP has given the green light to new rules forcing companies to reduce their negative impact on human rights and the environment. Slavery, child labor, labor exploitation, loss of biodiversity, pollution or destruction of natural heritage are among the negative effects targeted by the directive. The norms will apply to EU and non-EU companies and parent companies with more than 1,000 employees and a worldwide turnover of more than 450 million Euros. On the other hand, the first European norms on combating violence against women and domestic violence were also approved. The directive calls for stricter laws against cyber-violence, better support for victims and measures to prevent rape.

The EP also adopted a revised law to improve air quality, which imposes stricter limits for 2030 for several air pollutants. Thus, the air quality indices will be comparable in all member states and access to justice and the right to compensation for citizens will be ensured if the rules are violated. Other adopted directives establish that the maximum limit of cash payments is 10,000 Euros, establish that agricultural farms with less than 10 hectares will not be penalized if they do not comply with the common agricultural policy and that certain types of single-use plastic packaging will be prohibited starting from January 1, 2030. We remind you that, between June 6-9, European Parliament elections will take place in the EU states. In Romania, they will be on June 9, together with the local ones. (LS)

26 April 2024
March 28, 2024 UPDATE

Francophonie – Romania is hosting an economic mission of the International Organization of La Francophonie, as well as a dedicated economic forum on its sidelines, a high-profile platform addressing businesses from French-speaking countries. Attending will be entrepreneurs and government officials from 88 member states. In an opening statement delivered on Wednesday, the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, highlighted opportunities to further develop trade and investment between Central Europe, including Romania, and other French-speaking countries. On the sidelines of the event, Romanian companies can talk to potential business partners from Africa, Asia, North America, the Caribbean or Europe. Agri-food, IT, green energy and medical industry are but some of the sectors featured in the economic forum.

Schengen – On March 31, Romania will join the Schengen area with its air and maritime borders. Starting this day, Romanians travelling to EU space and Schengen member states will no longer go through customs and passport control, but will go straight to boarding gates. Romania’s partial accession to Schengen will be marked on Friday through the inauguration of a new international departures terminal at the “Traian Vuia” Airport in Timișoara. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis are expected to attend the opening event.

Press freedom – The European Council and the European Parliament have given the green light to the final draft of the Media Freedom Act, which compels members states to guarantee editorial independence of public service media by ensuring sustainable and predictable funding. The law protects online content and ensures enhanced transparency of media ownership. Authorities will be prohibited from pressing journalists and editors to disclose their sources, an underlying principle of investigative journalism in addition to access to information. The Media Freedom Act will also introduce an independent committee for media services comprising media authorities from member states, which will advise the European Commission regarding member states’ degree of compliance with the law.

Energy – The Romanian government has approved the extension until March 31, 2025 of the electricity and natural gas price cap scheme for consumers. At the end of Thursday’s meeting, the Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja explained that measures are also included so that after the expiry of the mentioned deadline there should not be any sudden price increases. The executive also approved the extension by three months of the period of application of the civil liability car insurance rates practiced by insurers on February 28, 2023, when an adjustment of a maximum of 6.8% is allowed. The capping was valid until the end of this month, but now it will apply until June 30, 2024. According to the Finance Ministry, the measure is necessary to combat the excessive price increase and the gradual stabilization of the profile market, so as to avoid negative effects in other sectors of the economy.

NATO – The Romanian Foreign Ministry launched, on Thursday, the “Born in NATO” campaign, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Romania’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and of the 75th anniversary of NATO’s creation. The campaign is dedicated to young people born after Romania joined NATO in 2004 and aims to promote the role and values of the North Atlantic Alliance. Co-initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, the campaign will include a series of events, between March and December 2024, with the aim of familiarizing young people with the values and objectives of the Alliance. At the launch of the campaign, the Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu spoke about Romania’s involvement within the Alliance and about the country’s contribution to strengthening security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. She also encouraged young people to get actively involved in society to promote the values on which NATO is based, such as individual freedoms, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. For her part, the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Ann Kavalec, highlighted the close collaboration between the two countries, emphasizing the role and values of the Alliance in ensuring regional and global security and stability. He also pointed out that the Strategic Partnership Romania – US reflects the common commitment to promoting peace, security and democracy.

Council – NATO countries have strongly condemned Russia’s latest airstrikes against Ukraine and pledged to continue strengthening its defense, according to a statement issued at the end of Thursday’s meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, convened at ambassadorial level, at Kyiv’s request. “Russia’s continuous attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure in Ukraine demonstrate the urgent need for continued support from our side”, said the Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mircea Geoană, who chaired the Council meeting, which was joined via video conference by the Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. NATO mentions in the press release that the allies are providing Ukraine with unprecedented military, financial and humanitarian assistance.

Presidency – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has ratified the law banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. The law seeks to reduce the exposure of children and teenagers to tobacco products and stipulates fines up to 20,000 EUR, depending on the severity of the offense. The head of state also ratified the law on developing social services to prevent disenfranchised children from getting separated from their families. Under the new law, local authorities must organize daycare centers in local communities, with half of the expenses getting covered by the state. (VP, LS)

28 March 2024
March 18, 2024

ELECTIONS An emergency order merging the EP and Romania’s local elections on June 9 is discussed as of today in the Romanian Senate committees. The ruling coalition says the decision was made in order to motivate citizens to vote, but the opposition criticised the move. Save Romania Union, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right party argue that the draft order changes essential elements in the elections only a couple of months before the vote date, which is against constitutional and international principles. AUR party, also in opposition, urged the Ombudsman office to challenge the new legislation before the Constitutional Court. Under the document, candidates may run in the local elections on behalf of a different party, provided that they notify the candidacy 45 days before election date.

AMMUNITION PM Marcel Ciolacu Sunday night announced that Romania would have the most advanced ammunition powder production facility in Europe, in which the EU will also be a partner. Romania is set to receive EUR 47 mln in EU funding for this project implemented by the Romanian state-owned company Romarm jointly with Germany.

STRIKE In Romania, local administration staff are on two-hour daily warning strike until the end of the week. Protests were also held one month ago, but were suspended after civil servants were promised solutions for their salary problems. Meanwhile, the leaders of the “Solidaritatea Sanitară” Trade Union Federation are meeting today for talks on a prospective all-out strike. Healthcare employees have been consulted online on the issue. Unionists say the 20% pay raise recently approved by the government is insufficient. Unionists in the trade sector, affiliated to the Cartel Alfa bloc, are also picketing the labour ministry headquarters today, to demand decent wages and working conditions.

RUSSIA Vladimir Putin won the highest election score in the history of post-communist Russia, and secured another 6 years as president of the country he has been leading since late 1999. At midnight he thanked his supporters at his campaign office, where he gave a one-hour press conference saying his main challenge in this new term would be resolving tasks related with what he calls Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Russia’s elections were criticised around the world. The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was obvious for anybody that “there is no evil Vladimir Putin will not commit” in order to extend his rule. In turn, the White House claimed the elections in Russia were neither free nor fair, given Putin’s track record of imprisoning his political opponents. Poland said the vote in Russia, held under extreme pressure, made it impossible for the election to be free and democratic. News agencies mention that under Vladimir Putin Russia was involved in several brutal wars, in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine, and the democratic system introduced after the fall of the Soviet Union has been replaced by a regime in which independent media have been forced out of the country and the opposition has been largely eliminated, with many of Putin’s critics assassinated, arrested or forced to leave the country.

MISSILE The US today condemned the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea into the Sea of Japan, during the US state secretary Antony Blinken’s visit to South Korea. The presumed missile launch is the second of this kind by Pyongyang this year, after a hypersonic missile fired on January 14. Antony Blinken reached South Korea on Sunday afternoon, to take part in the 3rd Summit for Democracy conference, an initiative of the US president Joe Biden hosted by Seoul until Wednesday. (AMP)

18 March 2024