Radio România Internațional

Tag: epidemic

  • March 19, 2020

    March 19, 2020

    Bucharest Parliament — Romania’s Parliament is having an online joint session today aimed at analyzing the request of President Klaus Iohannis on declaring a state of emergency for 30 days. It is for the first time that such a special procedure is used for debate and remote electronic voting, which was approved on Monday by the joint permanent bureaus of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. In another development, the PM Ludovic Orban announced on Thursday increased penalties for those who prevent or thwart the effort of fighting the coronavirus epidemic as well as for those who make false declarations in relation to their possible contamination. The government also decided to increase the ceiling for guaranteeing credits for SMEs by almost 1 billion Euros. Also, the executive decided to ensure the payment of 75% of the gross salary for technical unemployment, but not more than 75% of the average gross salary, said Thursday the PM Ludovic Orban. So far 277 cases of COVID-19 infections have been reported on Romania’s territory, 25 people have recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital.





    MAE – The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that 89 Romanian citizens returned home from Spain on Thursday, following the intervention of the Foreign and Transport Ministries’ officials. On Wednesday they facilitated the repatriation of 100 Romanian citizens: 74 from Malta and 26 from Egypt. According to the same source, the repatriations are part of the actions undertaken by the authorities to help the Romanian citizens who were abroad temporarily to return home and to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. MAE reiterated appeals to the Romanian citizens to avoid unnecessary trips abroad and recommended the Romanian citizens who are temporarily away from home to urgently return home. Also, MAE calls on the Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence abroad to strictly observe the recommendations of the authorities of those states and underlines that travelling to Romania is not recommended.



    Coronavirus world — At least 219,000 cases of COVID-19 infections have been confirmed around the world and more than 8,800 deaths. China has announced that the COVID-19 community spread has ended and the new cases reported are from those people who return from abroad. In Italy the number of victims nears the total number reported in the Hubei region in China, where the virus appeared. As many as 3,000 people have died in Italy, 475 in the past day alone, which points to the biggest death toll since the coronavirus outbreak in the north of the country. In France the number of people infected with COVID-19 is well beyond 9,000 with 264 deaths reported. The EU has closed its borders for foreign citizens and banned non-essential travel in the Schengen area in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In this context the European Central Bank announced an emergency plan of 750 billion Euros for public and private debt in a bid to control the economic impact of the pandemic. According to estimates, the GDP in the Euro zone might drop by 5% this year.



    Romanian Academy — The president of the Romanian Academy Ioan-Aurel Pop says that in the context of this ‘hugely bad situation’ represented by the coronavirus pandemic, Romanians have had a lot to gain in terms of communication, dialogue and kindness. He has urged people to help instate a climate of law and order. In a Facebook post Ioan-Aurel Pop writes that ‘this is no time to lament, but this is time to better adapt to the situation and go on’.



    Statistics – The population of Romania, according to the domicile criterion, numbered 22.175 million people on January 2020, lower by 0.1% as against the same month of 2019 – show data provided by the National Institute of Statistics on Thursday. At the reference date, the population residing in urban areas was of 12.5 million people. Also the process of population aging intensified as compared to January 1, 2019, with a slow drop in the share of young people and a small rise in the share of old people. (translation by L. Simion)

  • March 16, 2020 UPDATE

    March 16, 2020 UPDATE

    Coronavirus Romania — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced that a state of emergency was declared as of Monday on the entire territory of Romania for 30 days. Thus, schools will be closed to protect children, pupils and students. Price caps may be regulated for medicines, basic foodstuffs and public utility services. Employees will benefit from social protection, the state of emergency allows the authorities to adopt gradually or immediately such measures as closing the borders, some restaurants, cafes and clubs. Also road, rail and air traffic may be gradually restricted on certain routes as well as subway traffic in Bucharest. Also in the sanitary field, people may be hired without a contest, necessary materials will be purchased directly and the state may requisition certain medicine stocks. The government may adopt measures to support companies affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. As regards the judiciary, their activity will continue only in relation to extremely urgent cases. According to the authorities, the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Romania reached 168, and 9 of these people have recovered and have been discharged from hospital. More than 3 thousand people are in institutionalized quarantine and over 15,500 are in quarantine at home and under medical monitoring. So far more than 36 criminal investigations have been opened in relation to the crime of thwarting efforts to combat the spread of the virus. Meanwhile the authorities have decided that all asymptomatic people who come to Romania from countries with at least 500 confirmed COVID-19 infections such as France, Germany, Spain, Iran and China will enter mandatory self-isolation at home for a period of 14 days. The measure applies to people entering the country by air and by road. After Romania officially entered stage three of the outbreak, the authorities stepped up efforts, adding new measures to those already taken, such as restricting all cultural, scientific, artistic, religious and sports events in enclosed spaces and attended by more than 50 people. Parliament passed an amendment allowing for its sessions and voting to take place through electronic means, in exceptional circumstances.



    Coronavirus world — The EC will introduce temporary restrictions for a period of 30 days related to non-essential travel within the EU as part of its efforts to combat and contain the spread of the new coronavirus in Europe. The leaders of the member states will have a videoconference on Tuesday to deal with the issue. More and more states in Europe, the new hotbed of the coronavirus pandemic according to the World Health Organisation, have taken drastic measures to contain the spread of the virus. Italy, which has been in lockdown for several days, saw a record 368 deaths in 24 hours on Sunday. Spain is in almost total lockdown, being the second worst affected country in Europe after Italy. The Spanish authorities said on Monday that the initial 15-day quarantine period would be extended. The situation is also deteriorating in France and Germany has partially closed borders with Austria, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland, for all but commercial and business travel. Poland already closed its border with Germany last week. The World Health Organisation says most cases of infection with Covid-19 are now outside China, the country where the outbreak started. On Monday, China announced 16 new infections, of which 12 in persons coming from abroad and said everyone entering Beijing will automatically go into quarantine for 14 days. (update by L. Simion)

  • March 10, 2020

    March 10, 2020

    COVID-19 In Romania there are 52 people in quarantine facilities, to be tested for the COVID-19, the Strategic Communication Group has announced today. 11,235 other people are under home monitoring. So far 17 cases of infection have been reported nation-wide. Five of them have recovered and have been discharged. All the patients are in a good medical state, while the elderly and people with chronic conditions are closely monitored. On Monday, the National Committee for Emergencies decided to suspend classes in under-graduate schools between March 11 and 22, and the period may be extended in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. The authorities also approved the suspension of road passenger transport to and from Italy. The measure will be in force until March 31. Between March 12 and 31, railway transport to and from Italy is also suspended. Under a previous order all flights to and from Italy had been grounded until March 23. Airlines have to inform the citizens boarding direct flights from Italy, China, Iran or South Korea to Romania that they will be quarantined once they reach Romania. Those who enter the country through border checkpoints, coming from the aforesaid 4 countries, are quarantined either in the border county or will stay under home monitoring.



    EPIDEMIC The entire population of Italy, nearly 60 million people, were put under lockdown because of the COVID-19 epidemic, after the government decided to extend the restrictions introduced in northern Italy across the country. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the order signed last night by PM Conte urges companies to allow employees to take annual leaves, so as to reduce travelling even for professional purposes. The decision comes after the number of coronavirus cases in Italy has reached over 9,000, with over 460 deaths. The new action plan, dubbed by PM Conte “Im staying home, takes effect today and will stay in force until April 3. Travelling across the Peninsula is restricted, except for emergencies, healthcare or business purposes. All schools and universities will be closed until April 3, public gatherings are forbidden, the football championship is suspended, and bars and restaurants will only be open until 6PM.



    CONSULTATIONS The acting PM Ludovic Orban is having consultations today with the parliamentary parties and groups, with respect to the roadmap for early elections. The vote could be held in June, but coronavirus concerns have prompted proposals to postpone it to this autumn, when parliamentary elections are also due. The only party that announced it would not take part in the talks is the Social Democratic Party, which claimed the political agenda of the National Liberal Party is completely at odds with the current priorities of the Romanian citizens. Meanwhile, on Thursday Parliament will hold the investiture vote for the Cabinet headed by the PM designate Florin Citu.



    ECONOMY The Gross Domestic Product went up 0.1% in the Euro zone and 0.2% in the EU in the 4th quarter of 2019 compared to the previous quarter, according to data released on Tuesday by Eurostat, AFP reports. Among Member States, the strongest growth was reported in Ireland (1.8%), Malta (1.7%) and Romania (1.5%). In year-on-year terms, in Q4 2019 compared to the corresponding period of 2018, the GDP rose by 1% in the euro zone and 1.2% in the EU. The member countries with the highest growth rates were Ireland (6.3%), Hungary (4.6%), Malta (4.3%) and Romania (4.2%). For Romania, figures made public previously by the National Statistics Institute indicate that in 2019 the GDP rose by 4.1% since 2018.



    MEETING The interim foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is taking part today and tomorrow in Vilnius in a meeting of the foreign ministers of B9 countries. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, attending the event are also NATO officials and US State Department representatives. The meeting focuses on the implementation of the decisions made at the London summit in December 2019, with an emphasis on the reflection process on the consolidation of NATOs political dimension, on a fair distribution of responsibilities and on the Allied approach to security risks in the region. Recent developments related to NATOs role in fighting terrorism and to the management of new challenges, such as cybercrime or energy security, will also be discussed. The B9 Format is an initiative launched by Romania and Poland, with Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also taking part.

  • Mobilisation against the coronavirus

    Mobilisation against the coronavirus

    Romanian authorities urge citizens not to panic as the new coronavirus is spreading in Europe, particularly in Italy, and recommend that people only resort to official sources for information. An emergency committee has been called to put together an action plan for the management of what the experts now call the COVID-19 infection. The authorities passed a resolution laying down measures to improve the response to and prevention of the infection. The interim interior minister Marcel Vela presented these measures:



    Marcel Vela: “Quarantine is in place for the citizens who travel from Italy to Romania, as well as home isolation for those who live in risk areas in Italy. The government will issue a resolution to earmark the funds for the quarantine measures, for salaries and for the production of information materials. The Healthcare Ministry and Defence Ministry will appoint experts for a task force in charge with outlining possible scenarios, depending on how the epidemic develops. A call service will also be in place for the people who need information regarding the COVID-19 infection.



    A communication group will also provide official information to the mass media and citizens. Marcel Vela also announced that the airport forms to be filled in by passengers coming from high-risk areas will also include a Criminal Code article regarding the penalties for false statements. The measure is introduced after 2 Romanians failed to stay in home isolation for 14 days after returning from China, and are now facing prison or a fine.



    At present around 1,000 people in Romania are under home isolation measures, and several dozen are in quarantine. Quarantine centres have been designated in several parts of the country, for those suspected of being infected. According to the acting healthcare minister Victor Costache, Romania has around 120 quarantine centres for around 4,000 suspected patients.



    In turn, PM designate Ludovic Orban called on Romanians to avoid trips to high-risk areas in Italy, except for cases of absolute necessity. Orban urged the nearly 1.2 million Romanian ethnics living in Italy to comply with all the decisions and recommendations made by the Italian authorities. Meanwhile, President Klaus Iohannis announced a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday, and called for responsibility on the part of politicians and mass media in handling this crisis.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review (03-09.02.2020)

    The Week in Review (03-09.02.2020)

    “Le roi est mort, vive le roi!”



    The Liberal leader Ludovic Orban — the PM dismissed on Wednesday through a motion of no confidence following the vote of 261 MPs from Bucharest, was again designated, only one day after removal, to occupy the PM position and form a new government by the right wing president Klaus Iohannis. Fresh from marathon talks with the representatives of all parliamentary parties and groups, the Romanian president announced his decision and expressed his wish to hold early parliamentary elections.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Returning to the voters is the correct solution. To put it simply, returning to the electorate means early elections. And holding early elections is my first option.”



    But, for holding early elections, Parliament should reject two consecutive proposals for prime minister. Until then, according to the Constitution, the candidate to the PM position must ask, within 10 days from his designation, for Parliament’s vote of confidence on his program and government membership. Ludovic Orban said he would maintain the ministers of the former cabinet, because he is contented with their activity, and since the National Liberal Party is in favor of early elections, the Liberals decided to reject any proposal for a new government.



    Ludovic Orban: “There is no party holding an absolute majority in Parliament on its own, therefore it’s the president who decides on the candidate for the position of PM. From my point of view, I believe we can have early elections.”



    Until holding a vote in Parliament for the second Orban government, the interim leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, announced he was considering notifying the Constitutional Court in relation to the designation of the outgoing PM Ludovic Orban as the new PM: “After obtaining the largest number of votes ever in Parliament for a no confidence motion, I doubt that the re-designation of Ludovic Orban as PM is legal. I am not an expert in constitutional matters, but we’ll certainly ask for clarifications until getting a vote in Parliament.”



    In the no confidence motion, the Social Democrats alongside the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania accuse the Orban government of having infringed on the democratic principles, because they preferred assuming responsibility for the law on the election of mayors in two rounds of voting only a few months ahead of the local elections, out of political reasons and not in the interest of citizens.



    According to the Social Democratic Party, the first Orban government violated decisions of the Constitutional Court and recommendations of the European institutions. The Liberals argued, however, that returning to the election of mayors in two rounds will give them more legitimacy and representation. Anticipating the scenario of a defeat during Wednesday’s vote, one evening earlier, the first Orban cabinet adopted a record number of emergency decrees, namely 25, of which some were vehemently contested by part of the public opinion in Romania.



    International reactions to the sacking of the Orban cabinet



    Romania’s latest political developments did not go unnoticed by the international press. According to Radio Free Europe, the Orban cabinet fell after only 3 months in office, through a no-confidence vote initiated by the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) and endorsed by a Parliament majority made up of the PSD, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and Pro Romania. The total number of yes-votes stood at 261, exceeding even the PSD estimates.



    The situation was caused by several mistakes, which enraged both the Social Democrats and also the parties that used to back the Orban cabinet. In turn, Deutsche Welle believes the present political crisis in Romania looks more like an endless political loop and not a real chance to a fresh start. Bloomberg, Euronews, the New York Times, Le Monde, Le Figaro, La Croix, Courrier International, La Libre Belgique have also covered Romania’s latest political crisis and so have the Al Jazeera TV channel in English as well as several sites such as euractiv.com, euobserver.com and politico.eu.



    Flu epidemic and coronavuris



    Against the background of an increasing number of flu-related deaths, authorities on Thursday declared a flu epidemic in Romania. According to the National Center for the Control and Supervision of Communicable Diseases, the number of infections has doubled as compared to previous estimates and to the number registered last week and the flu virus has been confirmed in 60% of the cases tested. Officials have cautioned against the flu infections, which is likely to maintain its upward trend in the following weeks, but this is not unexpected as many people have not been vaccinated. The Romanian authorities have also given assurances they have taken all the protection measures against the coronavirus.



    Winter has finally arrived in Romania



    After more than two months of warm, spring-like weather, most of Romania’s territory has this week been hit by a wave a cold weather with snowfalls and blizzard. Road, rail, maritime and air traffic has been disrupted and many towns and villages have been left without electricity. Gale-force winds have broken down trees and destroyed roofs. The extreme weather phenomena have prompted the authorities to close down schools. And speaking about winter and extreme weather conditions, we cannot wrap up this programme without mentioning the performance obtained by a 45 year old Romanian, Tiberiu Useriu, who has come second in the Yukon Arctic Ultra race, staged every year close to the Arctic Circle. Tibi Useriu has covered the 500 kilometer distance in 7 days and 33 minutes. Yukon Arctic Ultra is a tougher race than 6633 Arctic Ultra, Tibi managed to win three years in a row. (translation by L. Simion and D. Bilt)

  • February 5, 2020 UPDATE

    February 5, 2020 UPDATE

    MOTION Romanias Liberal government was dismissed on Wednesday under a no-confidence motion tabled by the Social Democrats in Opposition. The motion got 261 votes, which was more than the required 233-vote threshold. The document signed by the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, accuses the Orban Cabinet of breaching democratic principles, by changing the electoral legislation too close to the scheduled election date. As a result, the bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system in local elections is also rejected. President Klaus Iohannis invited political parties to consultations on Thursday, and said he may announce his proposal for a PM on the same day. Iohannis made it clear that he is in favour of early elections and that the best solution for Romania is to turn to voters. Iohannis also said that if parliamentary parties do not agree with early elections, he will insist for a government with a reform agenda, built by and around the Liberal Party.




    MOLDOVA International Monetary Fund experts Wednesday announced that the 3-year plan agreed with the Republic of Moldova has run according to expectations and has met all performance criteria. The reforms implemented by the authorities helped rehabilitate the banking sector and strengthen macroeconomic and financial stability. The progress is particularly commendable considering the unstable domestic political scene, with 3 governments succeeding each other during the implementation period, the IMF also says. According to the institution, in 2019 Moldovas GDP grew by 4.2%, and it is expected to stay around 4% in the medium run. The budget deficit in late 2019 was 1.5% of the GDP, below the cap set under the programme.



    WHO – The director general of the WHO said the world
    still has time to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading and causing a
    larger-scale global crisis. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that the
    epidemic is first of all an emergency for China, and managing the situation at
    the virus epicentre is the best way to stop its spreading. On Wednesday the WHO
    requested over 610 million euros in funds for fighting the epidemic in the next
    3 months. So far over 24,000 people have been contaminated with the new
    coronavirus and almost 500 have died from the virus. In Bucharest, the
    government approved the setting up of emergency care stocks for epidemic
    situations and the required quarantine measures, through an emergency order
    which also provides for the purchase of thermal scanners to equip the country’s
    16 airports.


    GERMANY For the first time in post-WW2 Germany, the prime minister of a state was elected thanks to the votes of a far-right party on Wednesday. The Liberal candidate Thomas Kemmerich was elected in Germanys eastern state of Thuringia with help from Angela Merkels Christian Democrats and the anti-immigration and anti-elite party Alternative for Germany. So far Germanys traditional parties had rejected any cooperation with the far-right, or even agreed to various alliances in order to isolate the far-right. Wednesdays result is seen by the German media as a “political earthquake.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 14, 2019 UPDATE

    September 14, 2019 UPDATE

    EU The Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici believes it is absolutely necessary for any major initiative of the new European Commission to take into account the interests of all member countries, and not only of the stronger, more influential members. According to a news release issued by the ministry, Eugen Teodorovici took part on Friday in a meeting of the Eurogroup in inclusive format and in an informal meeting of the EU ministers for economic and financial affairs (ECOFIN), organised by the Finnish presidency of the Council of the EU. The Eurogroup talks focused on the budget for convergence and competitiveness. The agenda of the ECOFIN meeting, which continued on Saturday, included topics like hybrid threats and the resilience of financial market infrastructure, enhanced action on climate change and rebooting the capital markets union. While in Helsinki, Minister Teodorovici also had a meeting with the vice-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Pierre Heilbronn, with regard to the Banks projects in Romania and its future strategy, as well as to the national strategy to develop the Romanian capital market.



    ELECTION The Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania has drawn up and posted for public debate a draft law endorsing the Guidelines for financing the campaigns for the 2019 presidential election. Meanwhile, the Romanians who live abroad only have Sunday left to announce how they intend to vote in this election. By filling in an online form at www.votstrainatate.ro, people may choose to vote by post or at polling stations abroad. Also, beginning Thursday and until October 19, Romanian diplomatic missions may request to the Foreign Ministry the set-up of polling stations abroad. The first round of Romanias presidential election is scheduled on November 10, with the runoff due on November 24.



    VISIT The Minister for the Romanian diaspora, Natalia Intotero, is in Italy until September 18, to discuss with representatives of the Romanian communities in that country about the options for voting in the forthcoming presidential election. Meetings are held in Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Cagliari, Catania, Cosenza, Bari, Naples and Rome. Other topics approached also include human trafficking and the problems facing the Romanian nationals in various economic sectors in Italy, which is the host of the largest Romanian community abroad (around 1.2 million people).



    MILITARY Nearly 300 troops from Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the USA and Ukraine have taken part this week in a new training module as part of the multinational exercise Black Sea Rotational Force 19 (BSRF), held in the town of Babadag, in the south-east of Romania. The module included tactical shooting drills, first aid simulations as well as practice involving command and control procedures. BSRF is an annual exercise conducted by the US Marine Corps Forces Europe in the Balkan, Black Sea and Caucasus region. The exercise is aimed at enhancing the inter-operability of the armed forces, by means of joint training for peacekeeping and counter-insurgence operations.



    MEASLES In Romania, the total number of confirmed measles cases is close to 18,300, according to the latest report made public by the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. In the past week 54 new cases have been reported. Complications caused by this disease have killed 64 people in Romania since the start of the epidemic.



    TERRORISM The White House confirmed on Saturday that Osama bin Ladens son and successor as Al-Qaida leader, Hamza bin Laden, was killed, Reuters and AFP report. According to the US Presidency, Hamza bin Laden was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region. Hamza bin Laden was regarded as the favourite son and virtual successor of Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist network behind 9/11, was was also killed in 2011, in Pakistan.



    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Patricia Ţig, Ana Bogdan and Jaqueline Cristian Saturday managed to get past the qualifiers in the Korea Open. Two other Romanians, Mihaela Buzărnescu and Irina Begu, are also taking part in the competition. Mihaela Buzărnescu was defeated on Saturday by Japans Nao Hibino, 4-6, 6-0, 0-3, in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Hiroshima (Japan).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 16, 2019

    June 16, 2019

    MOLDOVA The PM of Romania Viorica Dăncilă sent a support message to her counterpart from the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and invited her to Bucharest on her first official visit in this capacity. According to a news release issued on Sunday by the Government, Romania is confident that the new Cabinet in Chisinau will carry on the EU accession efforts and successfully implement the required reforms, the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement with the EU. PM Dăncilă also reiterated Bucharests willingness to carry on the Strategic Partnership for the European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, which is at the core of the two countries bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, PM Maia Sandu has called for the resignation of the Constitutional Court judges, who Saturday cancelled their previous rulings that dismantled Parliament and invalidated the new government, thus favouring the Democratic Party headed by tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc. On Friday the Democratic Party relinquished power and its leader left the country.



    NO-CONFIDENCE A no-confidence motion tabled by the right-of-centre opposition in Romania against the Government made up by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats will be discussed on Tuesday in Parliament. According to the document, Romania immediately needs a government with a pro-European stand and focusing on the countrys development priorities, namely education, healthcare, public investments and attracting European funds. The motion signatories, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, Peoples Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, believe Viorica Dăncilăs Cabinet must be dismissed over the repeated attempts at issuing emergency orders in the field of the judiciary and the poor handling of the EP elections. For the motion to pass, it needs 233 votes. PM Dăncilă, who is also the interim president of the Social Democratic Party, has asked the Social Democrat MPs to attend the meeting, but to abstain from voting.




    WHITSUNDAY Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including in Romania, celebrate today the Pentecost, the event which, 50 days after Easter, marks the establishment of the Christian Church. According to the New Testament, this is when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 Apostles. Following a sermon given by St. Peter, 3,000 people were baptised and formed the first ever Christian community. In Romania, 23,000 police, gendarme and other forces are mobilised to ensure public order and safety during the events organised on Whitsunday and Whit Monday.




    THEATRE The 26th edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) continues. This years motto is “The Art of Giving. Scheduled for Sunday are a Japanese theatre performance and a concert by the French artist Adam Naas. A total of 540 events are held as part of the Festival until the 23rd of June, bringing to Sibiu more than 3,300 artists and guests from 73 countries. According to the organisers, FITS is a celebration of the performing arts, from theatre to dance and music, but book launches, exhibitions and conferences are also organised on the sidelines of the event. This is the largest and more complex theatre festival in Romania and in Europe, and Radio Romania is one of the co-producers.




    MEASLES 207 new cases of measles have been confirmed this week in 19 counties in Romania and in the capital Bucharest, according to data made public by the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. The largest number of cases was reported in Suceava County – 67, Neamţ County – 42 and Sălaj County – 19, among unvaccinated children. Since the onset of this epidemic, the number of cases has reached 17,340, and 64 people died so far.




    FOOTBALL 12 teams, Romania included, are taking part as of today in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino. Romania plays in Group C alongside England, France and Croatia. The first matches in Group A are played on Sunday, with Poland taking on Belgium and Italy facing Spain. Romania will play its first match on Tuesday, against Croatia. This is the second participation in a final tournament for Romania, after the one in 1998. The top ranking team in each of the 3 groups, as well as the best of the second-placed teams in each group, will move forward to the semi-finals. The final is scheduled for June 30.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 18, 2019

    February 18, 2019

    EU The Romanian Economy Minister, Niculae Bădălău, is chairing in Brussels today the first meeting of the internal market and industry section of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET), under the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. The agenda of the Council meeting includes matters concerning the internal market and industry, the strategy for the single market for goods and services, while seeking to improve the competitiveness of the European economy. The Council will also exchange opinions on the single market overview process, and will hold a public debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on EU industry. Participants will also adopt conclusions on promoting development and the use of artificial intelligence.




    JUDICIARY The High Court of Cassation and Justice has once again postponed, to March 18th, the appeal filed by the Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison sentence he had received from the court of first instance in a corruption-related case. In June 2018, the Supreme Court sentenced Dragnea for instigating abuse of office, in a case involving the fictitious employment of 2 individuals who were on the payroll of the Teleorman Directorate General for Social Assistance and Child Protection, but who actually worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea, who was the head of the County Council at the time, was accused of having ordered the hiring. He claims to be innocent and has appealed the initial ruling, but the trial has been repeatedly postponed, amid controversies regarding the membership of the 5-judge panels at the Supreme Court. In 2016, Dragnea also received a suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted election fraud, but last summer the Supreme Court reversed the decision to suspend his sentence.




    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu is taking part today in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda includes an assessment of the situation in Ukraine, ahead of this years presidential and parliamentary elections. The EU foreign ministers will also discuss Syria, the latest developments in Venezuela and the outcomes of the first meeting of the international contact group for Venezuela. Decisions and conclusions are also expected as regards the situation in Yemen, diplomacy in the context of climate change, as well as the Unions human rights priorities as part of the United Nations this year.





    STATISTICS 1.6% of Romanian employees were working in culture-related fields in 2017, as against the 3.8% the EU average, according to data made public by the European Statistics Bureau, Eurostat, on Monday. Around 8.7 million EU citizens were working in culture-related fields or had professions in this field. The highest rates were reported in Estonia (5.5%) and Sweden (4.8%). According to Eurostat, in 2017 EU households allotted an average 8.5% of their total expenses to entertainment and culture, with Denmark and Sweden spending as much as 11.5% and 11% respectively, compared to Greece with 4.6% and Romania with 5.8%. The total expenses for entertainment and culture across the EU in 2017 reached 710 billion euros, accounting for 4.6% of the Unions GDP.




    FLU In Romania, the number of deaths caused by the flu has reached 131. According to the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, the last victims are a woman and 2 men. They had previous conditions and had not been immunised against the flu. Romania is currently struggling with a flu epidemic.




    EUROVISION Romanias representative in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Tel Aviv in May, is Ester Peony with a song called On a Sunday. Twelve songs competed in the national final last night. For the first time, the winner of the Romanian final was decided by an international jury and the public. The semi-finals in Israel are scheduled to take place on May 14th and 16th, and the final on May 18th. Romania will compete in the second semi-final, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia. The countrys best performances so far were 2 third-places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 29, 2019

    January 29, 2019

    FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.




    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.




    UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.




    CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.




    BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.




    EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania, close to a flu epidemic

    Romania, close to a flu epidemic

    Romania is on the verge of a flu epidemic,
    medical authorities have warned, urging people to get the flu vaccine as the safest
    way to protect themselves from the disease. The number of deaths from
    complications caused by the flu stands at several dozens and the number of
    infected people is expected to grow. The coordinator of the Immunization Group of
    the National Association of General Practitioners, Gino Dumitra, explains:

    The data that we have collected in
    Romania in the past 15 years show that, on average, the biggest number of cases
    is reported around March 15th.
    That means we are expecting more infections to be reported in the coming
    period. Of course, ideally, people should have got the flu shot in November or
    early December, but they can still get it now. It takes two to three weeks from
    the moment of vaccination for the body to get really protected against the
    virus.


    In order to limit the number of infections,
    pre-university classes were suspended on Friday, at the recommendation of the
    Health Ministry, which is expected to take a decision next week on whether to
    declare or not a flu epidemic. Health Minister Sorina Pintea has stated that she
    will declare an epidemic if the next report of the National Public Health Institute
    confirms the third epidemic week in a row. Sorina Pintea:


    I have asked the National Public
    Health Institute to present, on Tuesday, the situation at national level, for
    us to be able to take the necessary measures as soon as possible. The decision
    to suspend classes can be taken by school inspectorates and health authorities,
    when the situation calls for it.


    The measures aimed at preventing the virus from
    spreading include restricting access to hospitals and other medical units and daily
    triages in schools and kindergartens. Similar measures have been taken in
    countries neighboring Romania, which are facing the same problem. In Bulgaria,
    where the biggest number of infections was reported in counties in the south
    and east, hundreds of schools and kindergartens have suspended their activity
    over the flu scare, with experts expecting a peak in the first month of
    February. Hungary, Greece and Croatia
    have also been affected by the disease, with a growing number of people
    infected with the A-type flu virus reported.



  • Romania is bracing up for a flu epidemic

    Romania is bracing up for a flu epidemic

    Influenza is taking its toll on the Romanians and the authorities said that the number of people infected is on a daily rise. The number of fatalities from respiratory complications have prompted experts to declare the onset of the flu season, which has also proved its epidemic character in recent days.



    Health Minister Sorina Pintea has pointed out that the people who were killed by the disease had only one thing in common — they were not vaccinated. According to the Romanian minister, 1,255,000 people from risk groups have been inoculated. Data made available at this moment shows that the number is very low as the Romanians decided not to get the anti-flu vaccine, the Romanian minister has also pointed out. Doctors are urging the population to get vaccinated saying that immunization is the most effective method through which we can protect ourselves from infection, mainly in the case of the most vulnerable categories, such as elderly people, children, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases.



    Health Minister Sorina Pintea has told a TV station that Romania is facing a flu epidemic: “We have already had an epidemic week and we stand good chances that on Thursday, when we are going to present the data released by the National Institute for Statistics, to be in the second week. And for this reason, the measures we, jointly with the experts, have communicated to the public healthcare directorates and the Education Ministry are measures usually taken when you are facing an epidemic. And as a recommendation to those presenting symptoms, the first thing they have to do is pay a visit to a GP and if possible remain indoor, away from crowded places. Also important is to stay away from self-medication.”



    According to Minister Pintea, measures aimed at keeping infections at bay in schools and other education institutions are of equal importance. “I have called on public healthcare authorities to monitor the situation at county level,” Minister Pintea has also said, adding that kindergartens and other education institutions ready to implement daily triages will be briefed on a daily basis on the evolution of this phenomenon for a better assessment of the measures to be taken so as to prevent the spreading of the flu virus.



    Depending on the situation in the area, medical units have the responsibility to restrict people’s access to hospitals and other medical units, particularly to high-risk wards, the Romanian Health Minister has also said. Sorina Pintea has made an appeal to the population to strictly apply expert recommendations to avoid the spread of infection. Experts recommend visits to the GP in the case of people showing symptoms suggesting flu infection and possible hospitalization.

  • Epidemic and vaccination

    Epidemic and vaccination

    It is the season of virus infections and flu, and the number of cases of airborne transmissible diseases is increasing by the day. That is why, several hospitals in Romania have decided to restrict the visiting hours schedule. That is the case of the Regional Oncology Institute in the Northeastern city of Iasi, which is in quarantine, after a patient suffering from leukemia died of flu. Flu has also been confirmed with other patients suffering from cancer, some of them in a very serious condition. The patients are very likely to have been infected by a visitor. That is why, the manager of the Institute, Gabriel Dimofte said that the visitors’ access was forbidden and that they are running tests on the patients to stop the spread of the virus.



    Gabriel Dimofte: “People are no longer allowed to enter the hospital as visitors because the risk is very high. With a large number of visitors, the hospital risks being very crowded. Several patients are undertaking rapid tests and we are going to have the results in the next few days. There are six patients suffering from flu in the intensive care unit; one or two are already feeling better and will hopefully come out of the unit in a day or two. There are still another five patients under control in the hematology unit.”



    People can catch a mere cold any time of the year, but flu is more frequently reported from October through February since the weather conditions and the sudden changes of temperature trigger a lower immunity. Since 10 people have died of flu in Romania so far and the number of such cases is still very high, doctors further advise people to get vaccinated. They also recommend that people should strictly observe hygiene measures, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and avoid self-medication.



    Special attention is being paid to the categories of people at risk, that is patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, elderly and children. People in the western city of Timisoara who are ill and need to be admitted to hospital might go through a nightmare situation, given that last weekend media footage gave glimpses of wards in the Hospital of Infectious Diseases with badly peeling walls, rusty furniture and sheets instead of curtains across the windows.



    Consequently, the hospital has been fined for existing unhealthy conditions, inadequate lavatory facilities and faulty waste management. What’s really tragic is that fines will not solve the problem and it is equally tragic that there are many such hospitals across Romania. People can die prematurely in Romania because of the under-funding that has affected the healthcare system for years on end, because of the local officials’ glaring indolence in making investments in the healthcare infrastructure, and because of a faulty management and an acute shortage of medical staff. For instance, the authorities are facing big difficulties in solving the long crisis caused by the shortage of immunoglobulin after certain producers have withdrawn from the market.

  • Child immunization in Romania, mandatory or not?

    Child immunization in Romania, mandatory or not?

    In Romania measles affected over 10 thousand people and killed 36 last year alone, according to official statistics made public recently. The measles epidemic continues into 2018 as well. Heated debates took place in Romania in previous years on whether the immunization of children should be mandatory or not. A bill instating the obligation to vaccinate children was passed by the Government last year, and scheduled for endorsement in Parliament. The fact that 9,688 measles cases of the over 10,000 were reported in people who had not been vaccinated against measles, did nothing but fuel polemics. Most medical doctors and representatives of the medical system are in favor of the anti-measles vaccine becoming mandatory, unlike a part of the civil society and parents.



    Doctor Sandra Alexiu, vice president of the National Society of Family Medicine explains: “In Romania, unlike other types of vaccines that we were short of, the one against measles, wich is included into the MMR vaccine, to also cover mumps, and rubella, has always been available. The conclusion is, at least from our data, that it is natural to link the epidemic to vaccine refusal. Moreover, we can also explain the re-emergence of measles through the lack of trust in the Romanian medical system from parents and patients in general. The system has failed big time a number of times, it is now going through a crisis and one of the elements that caused the people’s lack of trust is precisely the lack of vaccines, which have not been supplied on time. And I’m talking about vaccines against other types of diseases, which resulted in little trust in the effectiveness of vaccination in general, which has also been fuelled by anti-vaccination campaigns that are international, not only local.”



    On the other hand, people who support the right to refuse vaccination, insist on their right to choose freely. It is the case of Lion Mentor Association, whose president, Irina Thiery, explains her stand and the stand of the people she represents: “Lion Mentor is not against immunization. We live in country governed by the rule of law, where, in our opinion, vaccination is a choice. Therefore, we respect the citizens who choose to assume the risks of vaccination, but we are firmly and irrevocably against it being mandatory. Vaccination is a preventive medical act, not a therapeutic one, and must be done following medical tests, either routine or more advanced ones. To minimize risks, check-ups must include genetic, allergy, neurological and immune system testing. It is only this type of testing that could prevent, to a certain degree, some adverse effects such as allergies, paralysis, sudden death and epilepsy.”



    All these adverse effects are included in the instructions on label of each vaccine and their emergence depends on he patient. Sandra Alexiu: “The most common adverse reactions are mild, and are local reactions found in many adults and children, such as redness or stiffness where the shot was given, or mild fever. These reactions are included in the vaccine’s instructions. But there are also more serious adverse effects. These effects must be compared to the importance of vaccination and the fact that it is a means to prevent other diseases that cannot be treated, but only prevented through vaccination. For instance, out of 100 unvaccinated children, 1 can have measles-induced encephalitis, and risks dying because of the seriousness of this condition. On the other hand, if we refer to post-vaccination reactions, 1 in 1 million immunised children can develop post-vaccination encephalitis, but there are no cases of death after the anti-measles vaccine.“



    It is precisely these types of statistics that anti-vaccination campaigners are questioning: “These adverse reactions can occur in 1 patient out of 10, or, if we refer to the less frequent ones, in 1 patient out of 100,000. The one in a million situation, as vaccine advertisements say, is not true. In Romania, medical doctors are not instructed to report adverse reaction cases. For instance, three counties have not reported any case of adverse reactions in the past three years, which we believe is not true.”



    In this context, official statistics on measles epidemic are also regarded with scepticism. Irina Thiery: “There are not single-diagnosis protocols in Romania. It means that a registered and reported measles case is not necessarily a real measles case. Similar symptoms can lead to different diagnoses. So the Health Ministry cannot support the number of cases reported officially with concrete and undeniable medical documents. An analysis into a number of deaths reported by the National Medicines Agency as having been caused by measles is intriguing, as measles is reported as the cause of death in only 10 of the 36 deaths. In the other cases, measles is only an additional factor, alongside other conditions and pre-existent diseases.”



    Given that in the case of contagious diseases prevention and outbreak is not only an individual matter, but also a social one, we asked several parents to tell us their opinion on vaccination: “I am in favor of vaccination. If other parents believe vaccines are harmful, they have the right to raise their children according to their own philosophy. If I weren’t convinced of the advantages of immunization, I would not care if the whole country believed the opposite.”



    Another parent has said: “I’m the mother of a 8-year old girl and she got all vaccines recommended to children. I respect the opinion of parents who choose not to immunize their children, but I cannot agree with it as long as all doctors recommend vaccination.”



    As for the way in which society is affected by the proliferation of contagious diseases possibly triggered by the refusal of immunization and given the prospect of vaccines becoming mandatory, another parent has said: “Children also have rights and when parents are wrong somebody has to step in. That is why I believe this law is necessary.”


    At present, the bill providing for the compulsory vaccination of children is in the Chamber of Deputies, pending debate.


  • August 25, 2017

    August 25, 2017

    JUSTICE – The European Commission has asked the Government of Romania to provide more details regarding the suggested reform of the judiciary, and has expressed concerns that this may be a step back in the fight against corruption. The European Commission requested further explanations from Bucharest and mentioned that the irreversibility of Romanias progress in curbing corruption over the past 10 years is vital. The ruling Social Democratic Party called for calm and reiterated that the endorsement of the new legislation is a lengthy process, requiring approvals from many institutions, and that its coalition partner, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, believes the changes will strengthen the rule of law. The National Liberal Party in opposition accuses the ruling coalition of trying to make the judiciary subordinated to the executive power. President Klaus Iohannis described the proposed changes of the justice system laws, announced on Wednesday by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, as an attack against the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. In turn, the National Anti-Corruption Agency criticises the changes announced by the Justice Ministry, and announces a general assembly meeting in a weeks time, in order to express the institutions views on these changes.



    VISIT – The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria today, had a meeting in Varna with his counterpart Rumen Radev, who said the EU Directive on seconded workers should seek a balance between the older and newer members of the Union. Macron pointed out that he would like Bulgaria, which will take over the half-year presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2018, to play a full role in the talks on deepening the European integration, and added that this country should be a member of the new Schengen area. Bulgaria is the third stage of the French Presidents tour, after Austria and Romania. On Thursday in Bucharest, Emmanuel Macron and his counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, decided to consolidate the bilateral strategic partnership, particularly in the political, economic, cultural and research areas. Iohannis said France and the EU need Eastern Europe if the European project is to be re-launched, and pointed out that Romania is a trustworthy partner.



    DIPLOMACY – A new round of 3-party talks between the foreign ministers of Romania, Poland and Turkey, takes place today in Warsaw. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the topics include the situation in the Western Balkans, with a focus on the support given by NATO to these partners in its eastern flank. Special attention will be paid to strengthening NATOs deterrence and defence posture, based on the guidelines laid down at the 2016 Warsaw Summit and the specific roles of Romania, Turkey and Poland in this process. The Foreign Ministry mentions that todays meeting is the fourth in this format. The previous 3-party consultations were held in Ankara in August 2016.



    MILITARY – Constanta County in south-eastern Romania, hosts several multinational naval and air exercises. The Romanian Navy and the American destroyer USS PORTER are taking part in a joint exercise at the Black Sea, aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the participating vessels. The military drills will end on August 28th. The USS PORTER, which arrived in the port of Constanta on Tuesday, is in Romania for the 4th time. Meanwhile, 4 CF-188 Hornet aircraft of the Canadian Air Forces will conduct air policing missions together with Romanian Air Force planes, as part of NATOs plan to strengthen the Alliances eastern flank.



    MIGRATION – Illegal migration at Romanias western border has surged recently, says the Regional Border Police Inspectorate. The Timisoara police found more than 100 migrants, including 42 children, in a local boarding house. Out of the total number, 82 are Iraqis, and most of the others are African refugees. The majority are coming from Serbia and trying to cross into Hungary, so as to go further into western Europe. Apart from the increase in the number of migrants trying to get into the Schengen area, the number of people smugglers identified and arrested by the Romanian border police.



    MEASLES – The number of deaths caused by measles in Romania has reached 33, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, subordinated to the National Public Health Institute, has announced today. The latest victim was a 10-month Iraqi girl, who came into Romania through Timis County, in the west, in early July. Romania is struggling with the most severe measles epidemic of the past few years. More than 8,000 cases have been reported so far. The large number of cases and deaths made the World health Organisation include Romania on a list of 5 countries that account for a combined 80% of the total number of measles cases in the world. The Government of Romania has recently passed a bill that makes children vaccination mandatory.



    FOOTBALL – Romanias football vice-champions, FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucharest), are to find out their opponents in the Europa League group stage, following the drawing in Monaco today. On Wednesday night, FCSB was kicked out of the Champions League playoffs, after it was defeated at home 1-5 by the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. The first leg had ended in a goalless draw. On Thursday, Romanian champions Viitorul Constanta lost the playoff for the Europa League groups, being thrashed 0-4 by the Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg. Viitorul had already lost the first leg, 1-3 at home.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)