Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU Council

  • January 8, 2019

    January 8, 2019

    EU COUNCIL The Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs is taking part in Brussels in the meeting of the General Affairs Council presided for the first time by Romania. Bucharest will present on this occasion its priorities as holder of the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The agenda of the meeting also includes the 2021-2027 financial framework, as well as measures to fight online manipulation, in the context of the elections for the European Parliament due in May. The visit of the College of European Commissioners to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th, marks the official launch of the Romanian Presidency in Bucharest, minister Ciamba added. The 4 pillars of the Romanian presidency are “Europe of convergence, “A safer Europe, “Europa – a stronger regional actor, and “Europe of shared values. Bucharest has earmarked a budget of 60-80 million euros for its EU Council presidency.




    CHILD ALLOWANCES The Romanians working in Austria whose child allowances for the children left in their home country were cut down further to legislative changes in the host country may request support from SOLVIT Romania, which is subordinated to the Foreign Ministry. SOLVIT is a network set up and coordinated by the European Commission in the field of the internal market, which relies on the cooperation of the 31 Centres that are part of the public administration of the countries affiliated to the European Economic Area. Specifically, where a violation is identified, SOLVIT Romania will contact SOLVIT Austria, which is in charge with contacting the relevant national authority in order to identify a solution to the problem. Moreover, Romanian authorities are also currently working with the European Commission with respect to the Austrian legislative measures that lower the child allowances paid to Romanian workers in Austria to the level of the child allowances paid in Romania.




    COHESION Romania will be earmarked 31 billion euro under the Cohesion Policy, in 2021 – 2027, which is 8% more than in the 2014 – 2020 period, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu announced. The cohesion policy has the largest budget for the post-2020 period, namely 373 billion euro, and Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy and Finland will receive higher amounts than in the current period, the European official said. According to Corina Cretu, the European Commission wants 3-party negotiations with the European Parliament and Council to be initiated as soon as possible and the procedures for accessing EU funds simplified. This will prevent delays in implementing projects in all EU member states. Corina Creţu added that she will talk about this during the visit that the EC president Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the College of Commissioners will make to Bucharest on January 10th and 11th.




    PROTESTS The French PM Édouard Philippe announced plans to ban participation in unauthorised protests, after 8 consecutive weekends of “yellow vest rallies. He said the government would draft a bill punishing those who fail to declare the organisation of a protest, those who take part in one and those who wear masks to cover their faces. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and other cities last weekend, but the number of protesters was lower than in previous weekends, and so was the extent of violent clashes. Anti-government protesters are disgruntled with the fuel taxes and the low living standards. They also want to make sure that citizens initiative referendums will be introduced as a guarantee of democracy.




    VISIT North-Korean president Kim Jong-un is on a visit to Beijing, where he will have talks with Xi Jinping, the president of China, which is North Koreas main diplomatic and trade ally. Kim visited the country 3 times in 2018, 2 of the trips taking place ahead of the historic meeting with the US president Donald Trump, which many commentators saw as an opportunity to coordinate strategies. The current 3-day visit fuels speculations regarding a second USA – North Korea summit to be held soon. Trump has recently said the place of the meeting will be announced in the near future.




    INTERNET While waiting for the results of the recent presidential elections, the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have cut internet access and text messaging services and have blocked the French radio station RFI, news agencies announce. The government said this was a measure meant to preserve public order and to stop the dissemination of fictitious election results. Meanwhile, the EU and the African Union Monday denounced the coup attempt in Gabon, a former French colony in Africa. Here too, the internet was shut down and power was cut in several areas. Internet shutdowns were also reported in Sudan and Cameroon over the past few months. In Uganda, in 2016, internet access was blocked around election time, with the authorities claiming that this was the only way to prevent the dissemination of fake news inciting violence.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, is playing her first match this year against the Australian Ashleigh Barty (15 WTA), in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Sydney. Barty Tuesday defeated the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (22 WTA) 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Halep won both her matches against Barty without losing a set, in the Montreal semi-finals and in the 8th-finals of the Cincinnati tournament. Simona, who had to cut her 2018 season short because of a herniated disc, last won a match in August, against Arina Sabalenka of Belarus, in the Cincinnati semi-finals, lost the following 3 matches and withdrew in the fourth.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 2, 2019 UPDATE

    January 2, 2019 UPDATE

    EU The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Romania on taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, for the first time since its accession, and wished it good luck. I am confident that you will deliver and I am looking forward to working with you, Donald Tusk posted on his official Twitter account. Between January 1 and June 30, Romania will have to handle an EU agenda filled with political developments and dossiers with a decisive impact on the future of the bloc, including Brexit, the negotiation of the forthcoming EU budget, the European Parliament elections due in May. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu says Romania should use all the opportunities entailed by the EU Council presidency, including in terms of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. In a Facebook post, Creţu adds that both herself and the European Commission as a whole are ready to support the Romanian authorities for a successful presidency.




    EURO Twenty years since the introduction of the single currency, high-ranking EU officials, including the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, emphasised the importance of the European currency. The Euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability, said the European Commission chief, who is one of the signatories of the treaty that created the single currency. I know that was the most important signature I ever made, Juncker added in a news release. 20 years on, we have a generation that only knows the Euro as a national currency, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in his turn. The Euro became the official currency of 11 EU member states on January 1, 1999, with notes and coins going into circulation in 2002. At present the Euro is used by some 340 million people in 19 of the 28 member countries, and is the second most important currency in the world after the US dollar.




    JAPAN Emperor Akihito, who is to step down in April, sent his hopes for peace for his nation and the entire world, in his last New Years address, delivered before a record number of people who came to see the event, according to Kyodo and dpa. On April 30, at the age of 85, Akihito will be the first Japanese sovereign to relinquish power in the last 200 years. In 2016 he announced his intention to withdraw from power, putting forth concerns that his old age would prevent him from accomplishing his duties. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan on January 7, 1989, at 55 years of age, after the death of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought in World War 2. Akihitos oldest son, Prince Naruhito, will be crowned on May 1.




    JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by a private television channel on Tuesday that he would like to close the subject of a government decree regarding amnesty and pardons. He emphasised that the most his ministry can do is to approve a bill initiated in Parliament on this topic. Toader also said that he has never done and will never do something likely to create a situation similar to the one triggered by the 2017 government decree no. 13, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted criticism from the EU and the USA.



    ELECTIONS The elections for the European Parliament will be held between May 23rd and 26th this year. MEPs are elected every 5 years, and as of this year the Parliament will have 705 members, as compared to 751 at present. This is because of Britains withdrawal from the EU. Of the 73 seats currently held by UK, 46 will be eliminated and the other 27 will be distributed to EU member states that are under-represented in the Unions legislative body. Romania gets 33 seats, 1 more than at present.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Monica Niculescu (99 WTA), Wednesday qualified into the quarter-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen (China), after defeating the Czech Kristyna Pliskova 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4. In the quarter-finals Niculescu will play against the Chinese Yafan Wang (70 WTA). Tomorrow in the same tournament another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) takes on the American Alison Riske (62 WTA).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 2, 2019

    January 2, 2019

    EU The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Romania on taking over the EU Council presidency on January 1, for the first time its accession, and wished it good luck. I am confident that you will deliver and I am looking forward to working with you, Donald Tusk posted on his official Twitter account. Between January 1 and June 30, Romania will have to handle a EU agenda filled with political developments and dossiers with a decisive impact on the future of the bloc, including Brexit, the negotiation of the forthcoming EU budget, the European parliament elections due in May. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu says Romania must use all the opportunities entailed by the EU Council presidency, including in terms of the cohesion policy for 2021-2027. In a Facebook post, Creţu adds that both herself and the European Commission as a whole are ready to support the Romanian authorities for a successful presidency.




    EURO Twenty years since the introduction of the single currency, high-ranking EU officials, including the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, emphasised the importance of the European currency. The Euro has become a symbol of unity, sovereignty and stability, said the European Commission chief, who is one of the signatories of the treaty that created the single currency. I know that was the most important signature I ever made, Juncker added in a news release. 20 years on, we have a generation that only knows the Euro as a national currency, the head of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi said in his turn. The Euro became the official currency of 11 EU member states on January 1, 1999, with notes and coins going into circulation in 2002. At present the Euro is used by some 340 million people in 19 of the 28 member countries, and is the second most important currency in the world after the US dollar.




    JAPAN Emperor Akihito, who is to step down in April, sent his hopes for peace for his nation and the entire world, in his last New Years address, delivered before a record number of people who came to see the event, according to Kyodo and dpa. On April 30, at the age of 85, Akihito will be the first Japanese sovereign to relinquish power in the last 200 years. In 2016 he announced his intention to withdraw from power, putting forth concerns that his old age would prevent him from accomplishing his duties. Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan on January 7, 1989, at 55 years of age, after the death of his father, Hirohito, in whose name Japan fought in World War 2. Akihitos oldest son, Prince Naruhito, will be crowned on May 1.




    JUSTICE The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader said in an interview aired by a private television channel on Tuesday that he would like to close the subject of a government decree regarding amnesty and pardons. He emphasised that the most his ministry can do is to approve a bill initiated in Parliament on this topic. Toader also said that he has never done and will never do something likely to create a situation similar to the one triggered by the 2017 government decree no. 13, which brought hundreds of thousands of Romanians into the streets and prompted criticism from the EU and the USA.




    ELECTIONS The elections for the European Parliament will be held between May 23rd and 26th this year. MEPs are elected every 5 years, and as of this year the Parliament will have 705 members, as compared to 751 at present. This is because of Britains withdrawal from the EU. Of the 73 seats currently held by UK, 46 will be eliminated and the other 27 will be distributed to EU member states that are under-represented in the Unions legislative body. Romania gets 33 seats, 1 more than at present.




    TENNIS The Romanian Monica Niculescu (99 WTA), is playing today against the Czech Kristyna Pliskova (94 WTA) in the 8th-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China. Tomorrow, in the same tournament, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) takes on the American Alison Riske (62 WTA) in the quarter-finals.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 31, 2018

    December 31, 2018

    EU COUNCIL Romania takes over on January 1st, for the first time since its accession in 2007, the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The priorities of the Romanian presidency fall into 4 categories: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values. During its term, Romania will have to manage several complex issues like Brexit, the 2021-2027 budget, a coherent strategy on migration and increasing the Unions global role. The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. The page, available at romania2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts.




    NEW YEARS MESSAGE The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday released a New Years address, in which he urges Romanians to capitalise on the presidency of the EU Council in order to prove that “Romania is fully committed to consolidating the European project. PM Viorica Dancila also said today in her New Years address that Romania is prepared for the presidency of the EU Council, which it takes over on January 1. She emphasised that this is a national project that must bring together public institutions, political actors and civil society. Viorica Dancila also said that in 2019 her Cabinet will continue to take “the right decisions for Romania, and added that the Government has a “clear role: sustainable economic growth and major investments able to ensure better living standards for as many citizens as possible.




    POLICE In Romania, over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. Emergency intervention and prevention missions will be conducted these days by over 4,900 fire-fighters. On New Years night, fire-fighting and paramedic teams are deployed in the areas where public events are held. Around 300 emergency medical units are on standby. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. In Bucharest, the City Hall organises an over 6-hour long outdoor party that also celebrates the 100 years since the Romanian nation state was formed. Romanian artists will be joined by the international DJ Andre Tanneberger, known under the stage name ATB, who will mix live. Impressive fireworks shows are scheduled for midnight.




    RUSSIA The Romanian Foreign Ministry requested the Russian Embassy in Bucharest to update the historical information it uses, and stressed that past bilateral relations must not allow for speculations and unfounded opinions. The message follows a Russian Embassy Facebook post deploring the fact that Romanian and western media regularly publish articles that slander the Red Army troops who freed Central and Eastern Europe from fascism. “Anti-Soviet and anti-Russian critics insist on telling people that the Red Army was a gang of ruthless thieves and rapists, says the Embassy in the post that, the Romanian Foreign Ministry argues, lacks the accuracy required for an academic debate. Bucharest also mentions that a commission of Romanian-Russian historians has been set up, and is best suited to analyse the history of bilateral relations. The Soviet troops that marched into Romania at the end of World War 2 only left this country in 1958, and the communist dictatorship they ushered in lasted until 1989.




    JOURNALISTS The number of journalists and mass media workers killed on the job this year went up to 94, as compared to 82 in 2017, the International Federation of Journalists announced. The victims include 84 journalists, cameramen and technicians, as well as 10 media staff such as drivers and protection officers. They died in targeted killings, bomb attacks and cross fire incidents. The most dangerous place for journalists this year was Afghanistan.




    UKRAINE The presidential election campaign in Ukraine started on Monday and will last until March 31st. candidates have until February 3rd to enrol and until February 8th to register their candidacy with the Central Electoral Commission. According to the latest polls, the former Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko, is the frontrunner 16-18% of the vote intentions. The incumbent president, Petro Poroşenko, is gaining ground and ranks second in current polls with 14%, followed by the actor and comedian Vladimir Zelenskiy, with 8-12%.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 30, 2018

    December 30, 2018

    EU The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. Romania is to take over the helm of the Council on January 1, 2019, for 6 months. The page, available at românia2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts. The calendar of the Romanian presidency will be posted on this website after January 15th.




    MONARCHY Romania today commemorates 71 years since monarchy was abolished and the country was declared a “peoples republic. On December 30th, 1947, with the country under Soviet military occupation and headed by a communist puppet government, King Mihai I was forced to relinquish power and to leave the country. Previously, on August 23rd, 1944, during WW2, the King had ordered the arrest of the countrys de facto leader, Marshall Ion Antonescu, Romanias withdrawal from its alliance with Hitlers Germany and joining its traditional allies, the USA and Britain. Historians say this decision shortened the war by at least 6 months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. King Mihai I was only allowed to return to Romania after the 1989 Revolution, when he regained his Romanian citizenship and some of his properties. The King lobbied for Romanias accession to NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007. He passed away on December 5th, 2017, at 96 years of age. His first born, Princess Margareta, is custodian of the Crown and the Kings successor as head of the Royal House of Romania.




    MEDAL A Romanian woman born in Timişoara (west) and currently the owner of a bar in Rome was decorated by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, for her courage of informing against 2 members of a mafia family. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Italy, Roxana Roman, 34, was granted the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, for her contribution to upholding the law. Roxana Roman owns a bar in Romanina neighbourhood in Rome, where on Easter day 2 members of the Casamonica mafia family attacked her husband, Marian Roman, and a client with disabilities. Although the mobsters ravaged the bar and warned them not to report the matter to the police, the Romanians were not intimidated and informed against them. It was the natural thing to do, says Roxana Roman. “The neighbourhood has been living in fear for a long time. There are lots of people willing to change things, but we need a new attitude, and this begins with ourselves, she told Italian mass media.




    POLICE Over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Some 9,000 police with more than 3,000 vehicles are in charge of preventing and handling events that might jeopardise public safety and security. A helicopter of the Aviation Inspectorate General, with a policeman also on board, will monitor the most crowded areas. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. Meanwhile, the Police continue searches for the Brasov robbery perpetrators, who on Friday night blew up an ATM containing over 30,000 euros. The door and front window of the respective bank unit were shattered and pieces were scattered on the sidewalk and in the street.




    TOURISM Over 2 million foreigners checked in during the first 9 months of this year in Romanian hotels and boarding houses. According to the National Statistics Institute, they spent more than 1 billion euros. Foreign tourists came to Romania for business, congresses, conferences, courses, trade fairs and exhibitions. Close to half of them used travel agencies to arrange their trips to Romania, and most of them travelled by plane.




    HANDBALL Romanias mens handball team Saturday night lost the final of the “4 Nations Cup, held in the Polish city of Opole, against the host country Poland. The score was 6-5 after penalty shootouts. In the semis Romania beat the Czech Republic 27-26. The national team, coached by Spains Manuel Montoya and the Romanian Eliodor Voica, is next to have a training session in Slovakia, followed by a tournament in which the host country and Netherlands are also taking part. The mens handball team failed to qualify into the World Championship due next month in Germany and Denmark. On the other hand, Romanias womens handball team has already booked its ticket to next years World Championship in Japan, after finishing 4th in the European Championship in France this month.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 21, 2018 UPDATE

    December 21, 2018 UPDATE


    EU COUNCIL – On January 1st, 2019, Romania takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from Austria, which has been a serious and reliable partner, said on Friday in Bucharest president Klaus Iohannis, in a joint press conference with the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. The Romanian head of state stressed the very good collaboration between the two countries institutions and the support provided by Austria in ensuring an effective transition to the Romanian presidency of the Council. Also, Klaus Iohannis hailed the results obtained by Austria during its term. In turn, the Austrian Chancellor thanked the Romanian president for taking care of democracy and the rule of law, stressing that the head of state is a guarantor of the two values. With the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila Sebastian Kurz talked about the main issues on the European agenda, such as the future of the EU and the bilateral relation between Romania and Austria.



    1989 REVOLUTION – Ceremonies commemorating the heroes of the 1989 Revolution will be held across Romania on Saturday. In Bucharest, events will be hosted by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, one of the hotspots of the Revolution, as well as by the Romanian Television and the Telephone Palace. On Friday, Romania commemorated 29 years since the anti-Communist Revolution extended from Timisoara to Bucharest and the whole country. The Revolution culminated on December 22nd with protesters laying siege to the headquarters of the Communist Party and with dictators Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu attempting to flee Bucharest. Over 1,000 people died and some 3,400 others were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was toppled violently and where the communist leaders were executed.



    MOTIVATION – President Klaus Iohannis failed to fulfill his constitutional responsibilities when he did not acknowledge the resignations of two ministers and the vacancy of the two posts, reads the motivation issued on Friday by the Constitutional Court to the decision under which the Court had ruled that there was a constitutional conflict between the Government and the head of state. Also, the prime-minister cannot reiterate a proposal for a ministers appointment, in the sense that they cannot indicate the same person for the same office, at the same ministry, the motivation also reads. The Constitutional Court of Romania is of the opinion that, in order for the conflict to be settled, the president of Romania should issue immediately the decrees acknowledging these vacancies and to respond, in writing, to the proposals made by the Prime Minister. On December 7th, PM Viorica Dancila announced that the Government had informed the Constitutional Court that the president did not make a decision about the appointment of the ministers of transport and regional development respectively. Previously, Klaus Iohannis had refused the proposals, saying they were inappropriate.



    JUDICIARY – Romanias High Court of Cassation and Justice has continued to suspend the serving of prison sentences received by several high-level officials under corruption charges. Among them are the former chief of the anti-terrorism and anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who requested asylum in Costa Rica, the former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, and former Social Democratic ministers and MPs Dan Şova and Constantin Niţă. They have been released, until final rulings are passed on their appeals. The argument put forth for the suspension of their sentences was that the membership of the 5-judge panels passing the rulings had not been set correctly.



    DEFENSE – A new session of the Romanias Supreme Defense Council will be held on the 28th of December, to analyze the requests made by the National Defense Minister Gabriel Les, concerning some vacancies in the leadership of the Romanian Army, the Presidential Administration announced on Friday. On Wednesday, Gabriel Les had announced that he would not extend the term of the current Chief of Staff, Nicolae Ciuca, whose contract expires on the 31st of December. The previous meeting of the Council was held on December 19th to approve the 2019-2028 army equipment programme and the means and forces to be deployed next year for missions and operations abroad.



    RUSSIA – Romania is open to a dialogue with Russia on topics that do not come in violation of international sanctions, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Radio Romania. He explained that one of the goals of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council is to have the Black Sea area acquiring the status of priority area, both in terms of security and also economically. “Lately, we have been very much concerned about the growing Russian military presence in the Black Sea area and on the eastern borders of the EU and NATO. That is why, one of the topics that Romania will focus on while holding the presidency of the EU Council is the Black Sea area and the fact that this is a priority issue for the EU” Teodor Melescanu has stated.



    ICE HOTEL – On December 23, the only ice hotel in Romania will be opened at Balea Lac in the Southern Carpathians. The official inauguration of the entire compound, to also include an ice church and several igloos, will take place next February. The ice hotel, built entirely of ice blocks, is located at an altitude of 2034 meters. This year, the theme that has inspired the hotels decoration is Frozen Love, promoting love and passion for nature, fresh air and trekking in the winter season. A perfume inspired from this theme will also be launched. Bookings for tourists who want to experiment sleeping at minus 2 degrees Celsius were made months in advance, especially by Britons. The Ice Hotel has been built every year, starting 2005.

  • December 21, 2018

    December 21, 2018

    REVOLUTION – Today Romania commemorates 29 years since the anti-communist Revolution extended from Timisoara to Bucharest and the whole country. On December 20th, 1989, after several days of repression by the Communist authorities, the people of Timisoara took to the streets in great numbers. The army withdrew to the barracks and from the balcony of the Opera House in Timisoara the people declared Timisoara the first city of Romania free of Communism. On December 21st, the anti-Communist revolution extended to Bucharest and culminated on December 22nd with dictators Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu fleeing Bucharest. Over 1,000 people died and some 3,000 others were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was toppled violently and where the communist leaders were executed. 29 years on, the prosecutors’ investigation into those events has not been finalized and the culprits are still at large. Initially classified, the revolution file was reopened in 2017 after the judges decided that the previous investigations had been very superficial. Military prosecutors announced the extension of criminal procedures, in rem, in relation to crimes against humanity. Military prosecutors have indicted former president Ion Iliescu in the “Revolution” case.




    ICE HOTEL — On December 23 the only ice hotel in Romania will be opened at Balea Lac in the Southern Carpathians. The official inauguration of the entire compound, to also include an ice church and several igloos will take place next February. The ice hotel, built entirely of ice blocks, is located at an altitude of 2034 meters. This year, the theme that has inspired the hotel’s decoration is Frozen Love, promoting love and passion for nature, fresh air and trekking in the winter season. A perfume inspired from this theme will also be launched. Bookings for tourists who want to experiment sleeping at minus 2 degrees Celsius were made months in advance, especially by Britons. The Ice Hotel has been built every year, starting 2005.




    JUDICIARY – Romania’s Supreme Court has continued to suspend the serving of prison sentences received by several high-level officials under corruption charges. Among them are the former chief of the anti-terrorism and anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who requested asylum in Costa Rica, the former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, and former Social Democratic ministers and MPs Dan Şova and Constantin Niţă. They have been released, until final rulings are passed on their appeals. The argument put forth for the suspension of their sentences was that the membership of the 5-judge panels passing the rulings had not been correct. The supreme court held drawing of lots sessions for the 5-judge panels 3 times this year, when the Law on the organisation of courts was modified, further to a Constitutional Court decision, at the request of the Government and following an objection by the Social Democratic Party president Liviu Dragnea, who is tried for corruption at the Bucharest Court of Appeals.




    MOLDOVA — The European Commission has called on the Republic of Moldova to take immediate and concrete action against corruption, money laundering and illegal migration, or face the risk of seeing the accord allowing Moldovan citizens to travel visa free to EU countries, suspended, according to a EC report presented recently in Brussels. Radio Chisinau has reported that the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has taken note of the evaluation and recommendations of the European Commission, pointing out that the report also mirrors the positive evolutions in this country. The Republic of Moldova was the first state of the Eastern Partnership to receive a liberalized visa regime with the EU on April 28, 2014.




    GOVERNMENT — The Bucharest Government made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) is today holding a new meeting. Although not included on the agenda, the Cabinet might also discuss the emergency decree on the fiscal measures announced recently by the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovoci and contested by the head of state Klaus Iohannis, the right-of-center opposition, the banking sector and the energy and communication companies. Teodorovici announced so called taxes on greed leveled on banks, depending on the evolution of interbank loans, as well as a package of measures for energy companies — a contribution equal to 3% of turnover, capping natural gas prices, and price controls for electricity prices. The fiscal and budget measures for 2019 presented by Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici sent the market plummeting to minus 7%.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • December 20, 2018

    December 20, 2018

    PARLIAMENT The Parliament of Romania is today debating and voting on the second no-confidence motion against the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, and headed by Viorica Dăncila. According to the Opposition, the current Cabinet is a threat to Romanias national interests, to its economic and political stability. The authors of the motion criticise the laws on the judiciary and claim the Prime Minister failed to comply with the governing programme undertaken at the start of her term. In reply, the PM claimed that the alternative the Opposition offers to citizens is to suspend income increases and even to slash salaries and pensions. Viorica Dancila also defended the justice laws, emphasising that they were endorsed by Parliament, rather than by an emergency decree as it was the case with the Ciolos Cabinet. Initiated by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, the Peoples Movement Party and unaffiliated MPs, the document was signed by 163 MPs, but needs 233 votes in order to pass. Yesterday the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania announced that its MPs would attend the meeting, but would abstain from voting.



    STOCK EXCHANGE The Association of Capital Market Professionals says the prospective endorsement of a recent government decree on fiscal and budgetary measures is the most brutal and irrational attack against the Romanian capital market since its re-establishment in 1995. The Bucharest Stock Exchange opened on a slight increase today, but plunged back down, after experiencing its worst day so far on Wednesday. Substantial losses were reported by banks and energy and utilities companies, after on Tuesday the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici announced that by the end of the year a government decree would be passed introducing certain fiscal and budgetary measures. These include a so-called “tax on greed charged on banking revenues, and a package concerning energy companies, such as a 3% of turnover contribution, a cap on natural gas prices and electricity price control. The business community in Romania warned against the negative effects of the new taxes announced by the Government for 2019. President Klaus Iohannis urged the Cabinet to reconsider the decree, to negotiate it with employers and trade unions and to endorse a more sustainable version after thorough analysis and review.



    EU The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, receives in Bucharest on Friday the Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Romania will symbolically take over the presidency of the EU Council, which it will hold as of January 1. The 2 officials will discuss the priorities on the European agenda, such as the future of the Union, the EU budget after 2020, Brexit, and the elections for the European Parliament. On Wednesday in a meeting with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis said Romanias goal during its presidency of the EU Council is to begin as soon as possible the negotiations on the future relations between the Union and Britain, if the withdrawal agreement is ratified by London and approved by the European Parliament. Iohannis also said that Romania supports a stronger European Union, which is closer to its citizens and able to guarantee their security and prosperity. He also emphasised the importance of the informal meeting of European leaders in Sibiu on May 9, 2019, when the EU strategic agenda for 2019-2024 will be discussed.



    JUDICIARY Romanias supreme court suspended the serving of prison sentences received by several high-level officials under corruption charges. Among them are the former chief of the anti-terrorism and anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who requested asylum in Costa Rica, the former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, and former Social Democratic ministers and MPs Dan Şova and Constantin Niţă. They have been released, until final rulings are passed on their appeals. The argument put forth for the suspension of their sentences was that the membership of the 5-judge panels passing the rulings had not been correct. The supreme court held drawing of lots sessions for the 5-judge panels 3 times this year, when the Law on the organisation of courts was modified, further to a Constitutional Court decision, at the request of the Government and following an objection by the Social Democratic Party president Liviu Dragnea, who is tried for corruption at the Bucharest Court of Appeals.



    COMMEMORATION Sirens sounded for 3 minutes in Timisoara today, in memory of the day of December 20, 1989, when Timisoara was proclaimed the first city free from communism in Romania. The largest plants went on strike back then, and workers gathered in the city centre, alongside tens of thousands of other locals. The Army withdrew from streets, the protesters who had been arrested were released, and the peoples demands were read out from the famous Opera House balcony. Also on December 20, the first revolutionary committee, called The Romanian Democratic Front, was set up. Members of the families of the Timisoara victims are traveling to Bucharest today to commemorate one of the most important events in modern Romanian history. They will arrive at the place where the bodies of 44 Timisoara heroes, shot dead on December 17, were cremated. The uprising that started in Timisoara spread on December 21 to Bucharest and other Romanian cities. Over 1,000 people died and some 3,000 others were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was toppled violently and where the communist leaders were executed.



    FOOTBALL Romanias national football team will end the year on the 24th position in the ranking that FIFA made public on Thursday. Romania started the year on the 40th place. This years 24th place is the best ranking Romanias football team has held since 2016. The teams future opponents in the EURO 2020 qualifiers are Spain, in 9th place, Sweden – 14, Norway – 46, Faeroe – 98, and Malta – 182.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania ready to take over EU Council presidency

    Romania ready to take over EU Council presidency

    Romania was admitted into the EU on the first day of 2007, and on that same day next year it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. The head of the executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, recalled that this half year will have to include the Brexit process, scheduled for March. This period also covers the time when the community sets the framework for its budget for the 2021-2027 time frame, and a coherent migration strategy. In total, 257 issues have to be covered in a mere four months, considering the campaign for European Parliament elections.



    Last week, Romanian PM Viorica Dancila went to Brussels to assure European officials that Romania will handle the presidency well, one that she described as ambitious, but realistic. Romania also promised it would act as an impartial mediator that seeks consensus. These were necessary provisions, given that last month European Affairs Minister Victor Negrescu resigned after disagreements with the rest of the cabinet. In addition, both the European Commission and the European Parliament leveled unfettered criticism at the government in Bucharest over issues such as corruption and the rule of law.



    President Klaus Iohannis, a constant critic of the majority coalition and its present prime minister, whom he repeatedly asked to resign, said Romania was ready to take over the presidency of the EU Council. On Thursday, at the Euro Summit, he said: “We are ready. There is always room for better, but I would like to tell you with all sincerity that, after all the blunders that occurred, which I pointed out at the time, preparations are in at an advanced stage. Things are moving, and I think this is good news for Romanians, but mostly for our European partners, even though we may have difficulties in some areas. We are fairly well prepared for the presidency, and we will carry through.”



    In expectation of the moment, President Iohannis had meetings with European leaders, such as the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country will be handing over the presidency of the Union as well as Finnish PM Juha Sipila, whose country will take over the EU Council presidency from Romania, who assured the Romanian leader of their entire support. They also talked about the informal summit on the future of Europe scheduled to take place on May 9th 2019 in the central Romanian city of Sibiu, which will have a major role in setting the strategic agenda of the Union.

  • December 13, 2018 UPDATE

    December 13, 2018 UPDATE

    BRUSSELS – Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is attending in Brussels
    the European Council meeting and the Euro Summit. The Council’s agenda includes
    negotiations on the future EU budget after 2020, the Union’s Single Market,
    migration, climate change and the fight against racism and xenophobia. As
    regards the future budget of the EU, Romania’s president pleads for its rapid
    adoption, specifying that Romania, while holding the presidency of the Council
    of the EU, will act towards ensuring significant progress in the negotiations. Also,
    he supports the efforts made by the members states with regard to the external dimension
    of migration and an active involvement in the dialogue with the external
    partners, the countries of origin and transit. On the sidelines of the summit,
    president Iohannis has had a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
    They have discussed the informal summit on the future of Europe to be hosted by
    the Romanian city of Sibiu on May 9th, 2019, which will play a major
    role in outlining the strategic agenda of the EU for 2020-2024.




    COOPERATION – Romania benefits from
    the US’s unequivocal support for a quick accession to the Organization for
    Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the conclusions drawn
    at the meeting in Washington between the Romanian Minister for the Business Environment,
    Stefan-Radu Oprea, and the US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The two
    officials discussed Romania’s priorities during its term at the helm of the Council
    of the EU and boosting investment under the strategic partnership between the
    two countries. According to statistics, bilateral trade exchanges stood at a
    total 2 billion dollars in the first nine months of the year, 6.8% more than in the same period last year.
    Romanian exports to the US grew by 29%, up to 1.15 billion dollars, and imports
    from that country dropped by 15%, to 800 million dollars.






    NO-CONFIDENCE -
    A no-confidence motion against the Government formed by the Social Democratic
    Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and headed by the Social
    Democrat Viorica Dancila will be filed in the Romanian Parliament on Friday.
    The document has been signed by 163 Senators and Deputies members of the opposition National Liberal Party,
    Save Romania Union and People’s Movement Party, as well as by non-affiliated
    MPs. The initiators of the motion say that this is not a just request from the
    opposition, it’s a national emergency, and those who will try and reject it
    will carry a historic responsibility on their shoulders. The motion will be
    debated and voted on next week.






    MOLDOVA – The local and parliamentary elections that are
    due in the Republic of Moldova next year pose risks to the economic development
    of the former Soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population,
    according to analysts with the Expert-Grup Center in Chisinau, quoted by Radio
    Romania correspondents. In their opinion, a drop in foreign assistance and
    budget revenues could increase the internal debt and also fees and taxes. For
    2019, experts forecast an economic growth within the 3.5 – 5.2% range. However,
    they also warn that decreasing taxes only a few months before the elections
    will diminish budget revenues and therefore, after the election, the future
    Government might increase other taxes and resort to loans from the internal
    market, especially given that foreign financing has been dropping. Business
    people are reluctant to investing, waiting for the result of the elections.
    Parliamentary elections are scheduled for February, and the local ones are due
    in June. Opinion polls indicate the pro-Russia Socialists as the favourites,
    followed by the pro-European opposition and the ruling Democratic Party.






    HANDBALL – On Friday night in Paris, Romania’s national women’s handball
    team will face the Russian team, in the semi-finals of the European
    Championship hosted by France. In the same stage of the competition, the host
    country plays against the Netherlands. The Romanian handballers have also
    secured their participation in the World Championship in Japan, next year. The
    star and leader of the Romanian team, Cristina Neagu, dubbed the best scorer in
    the history of European competitions, has unfortunately sustained an injury and
    she will not be able to play.









  • December 12, 2018

    December 12, 2018

    ATTACK — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message of condolence to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, following Tuesday’s attack in the eastern French city of Strasbourg. Romania stands by France in its battle against those who threaten the lives of innocent people and our way of living, President Iohannis has said in his message. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry there are no Romanian citizens among the victims and no consular assistance has been requested. Romania’s Consulate monitors the situation and keeps in touch with local authorities. Romania’s PM Viorica Dancila has firmly condemned, in a Facebook post, the attack on innocent people. Hundreds of police officers are hunting a gunman who killed three people and wounded 12 others in a shooting in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The suspect escaped after exchanging fire with soldiers and armed police. The shooting took place close to a popular Christmas market near one of the central squares, Place Kléber. The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Police sources said the 29-year- old suspect was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services as a possible terrorist threat. France had raised its security alert level to “emergency attack”.




    UKRAINE — State Secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Dan Neculaescu, has said in a message to the Ukrainian authorities that they must implement the Venice Commission’s recommendations as regards the education law. Romania says the law banning schools from teaching in minority languages beyond primary school level is unacceptable, as it deprives national minorities of the rights they have earned. The Romanian official’s position was presented at the 7th session of the Romanian-Ukrainian joint intergovernmental commission regarding the protection of national minorities, held in Bucharest. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, in spite of the efforts deployed, it was not possible to have the text of the session’s protocol agreed on and signed at the December 11 meeting. Dan Neculaescu has voiced confidence that the Ukrainian side will not take measures likely to restrict the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine. Almost 500 thousand Romanian nationals live in the neighbouring country, most of them on the Romanian territories annexed by the USSR in 1940 and taken over by Ukraine, as a successor state, in 1991.




    GAC – Romanian Minister-Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, has taken over officially the mandate of president of the General Affairs Council of the European Union, at the end of a meeting with his counterparts, held in Brussels. Special attention was paid at the meeting to the 2021-2027 multi-annul financial framework, in preparation for the debates to be held by the European leaders at the European Council due on December 13-14.




    PENSIONS — The Chamber of Deputies’ final vote on the new pension law, scheduled for today, has been postponed, after having been green lighted by the Labour and Social Protection Committee on Tuesday. Some MPs in the opposition say this is due to the fact that the ruling alliance has not managed to gather enough votes for the bill to pass. Among its provisions is also the one saying that work experience worth 15 years is the minimum amount that qualifies a worker for a public pension.




    EU COUNCIL – The Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies convene in joint session today in Bucharest to adopt the declaration regarding the parliamentary dimension of the EU Council presidency that Romania is taking over on January 1st, 2019. Also today, PM Viorica Dancila is invited to present before Parliament the government’s priorities during the Romanian mandate at the helm of the EU Council. For six months Romania will be at the centre of the European decision-making process, at a time of complex international developments, such as Brexit and also the multi-annual financial framework and the European Parliament elections.




    HANDBALL – Romania’s national women’s handball team is today playing against Hungary in Nancy, their last game of the European Championship’s main groups. Scheduled in the same group are the games between Spain and Norway and Holland and Germany. On Tuesday evening Romania beat Spain, 27-25 and are now top of the table with 6 points. Following are Holland also with 6 points, Norway, Germany and Hungary with 4 points each. Spain are bottom of the table, with zero points. The first two teams of the group qualify to the semi-finals. Romania’s best result so far at the European Championship was the bronze in 2010.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • December 4, 2018 UPDATE

    December 4, 2018 UPDATE

    EUROPEAN AFFAIRS – Romanian PM Viorica Dancila alongside members of her cabinet will attend a common meeting of the Government of Romania and the Commission of Europe in Brussels on Wednesday, in the run up to Romanias taking over the presidency of the EU Council as of January 1. On Tuesday, Viorica Dancila attended a conference on the future of Europe, organized by the Aspen Romania Institute, where she said that to Romania, EU accession marked the fulfilment of national aspirations, and democracy, economic growth and safety are the undeniable result of Romanias European path. Viorica Dancila also said the most important files to be discussed during Romanias term include the financial framework, migration, the reform of the Euro zone and innovation. The Romanian Prime Minister also said that in her capacity as head of government she will make all the necessary efforts for Romania to join the Euro zone in 2024.



    UKRAINE – Romanian defence minister, Gabriel Leş, who was heard on Tuesday by the Senates relevant committee, said that as regards the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, diplomacy and political dialogue havent had their final say yet and that Romania is closely and carefully watching the situation, alongside the NATO structures. According to Radio Romanias correspondent to Moscow, Russias Black Sea fleet will carry out drills in the Black Sea, south of the Kerch Strait in Crimea, as from Tuesday night until December 9. The respective area has been declared dangerous for navigation. The drills are unfolding soon after the Russian-Ukrainian naval incident in the Kerch Strait, when Russian ships seized Ukrainian naval vessels with 24 sailors on board, for allegedly having illegally crossed the border. In the wake of the incident, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko instituted martial law in the regions along the border with Russia and in those close to the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin has deemed the incident as a provocation staged by Petro Poroshenko to serve his electoral purposes. The Western states have condemned Russias actions and called on Russia to return the Ukrainian vessels and marines it had seized.



    FRANCE – French PM, Edouard Philippe, has announced the 6 month suspension of three fiscal measures which should have been enforced as from January 1, 2019, among which a fuel tax which was the root-cause of yellow vest protests. Violent clashes were reported between yellow vest protesters and the riot police in the streets of Paris on November 17. The yellow vests protested the rise in fuel prices, denouncing the decrease in the purchasing power as a result of the envisaged measures and accused the French President Emanuel Macron of adopting policies which favour the richer members of the French society. The protests, which have spread to other regions of France, have a significant impact on the French economy, namely millions of Euros, pundits warn.



    CLARIFICATIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry considers that the article carried by the DPA German Press Agency and taken over by the German public television channel ZDF on the anniversary of Romanias Great Union Centennial does not observe the historical truth. The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that the necessary steps have been taken, through the agency of the Romanian Embassy in Berlin, for the two German institutions to make the required corrections. On December 1, 2018 ZDF carried a piece of news about Romanias National Day, taken over from the DPA, which said that Romania celebrated 100 years since the annexation of the former Hungarian province of Transylvania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry underlines that on December 1, 1918 at the National Assembly in Alba Iulia (in central Romania) 100 thousand people decided upon the union with Romania, with the participation of all parties, religious denominations and social categories. The resolution of the National Assembly in Alba Iulia was first signed by the representatives of the German minority in Transylvania and Bukovina, the Romanian Foreign Ministry writes in the communiqué. Also on Tuesday, the German Embassy in Romania announced it had requested the two German eidtorial teams to make corrections of the excerpts in the article on the Centenary. The Embassy underlined that any public reporting contradicting the fact that the Romanian modern state was set up following the unification of several regions, including Transylvania, does not correspond with the standpoint of the Federal Government.



    CORRUPTION – The legal committee in Romanias Senate on Tuesday postponed the vote on the request made the National Anti-Corruption Directorate to start the criminal prosecution of the Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who is accused of bribe taking. The committee will draft a report after which the request for lifting the officials immunity will be voted in the plenum of the Senate. In early November, the DNA had asked for the Senates approval to begin the criminal investigation of Calin Popescu Tariceanu. Prosecutors claim that the speaker of the Senate indirectly received bribe worth 800 thousand dollars, between 2007 and 2008, when he was prime minister, from an Austrian firm. The money accounted for a 10% commission on the value of the contract addendum and was allegedly used by the dignitary for his own benefit.



    HANDBALL – Romanias national handball team will meet Norway on Wednesday. Romania has qualified to the main groups of the European Championship hosted by France, after defeating the German team 29-24. That was the Romanians second match in Group D. In the first match, the Romanian handballers defeated the Czech team. Romanias national handball teams best result so far was the bronze medal at the 2010 European Championship. The leader of Romanias national team Cristina Neagu scored 5 times in the match against Germany, thus becoming the best goal scorer in the history of the European Championships, with 206 goals. (Translated by L. Simion and D. Vijeu)

  • November 17, 2018

    November 17, 2018

    VISIT The president of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, will be on an official visit to Romania on November 19 and 20, in the context of Romania taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. Klaus-Heiner Lehne will have meetings, among others, with the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, PM Viorica Dăncilă, the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament, the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, and with the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba. Several top-level EU officials will also be in Bucharest next week, including the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. They will discuss topics of interest for the future of the Union and for the proper management, during Romanias EU Council presidency, of several major dossiers, such as the multi-annual financial framework, the post-Brexit situation of the European bloc and the security policy. The Romanian PM reiterated that Bucharest is prepared to take over the EU presidency and said the action plan is ready, the operation mechanisms are in place and the means of implementing the action plan has been defined.




    FINANCIAL Fitch agencys announcement regarding Romanias country rating is a confirmation of the fact that Romania has a sustainable economic growth, and contributes to strengthening investors confidence in the national economy, said the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, after Fitch confirmed the “BBB minus rating for Romanias long-term foreign currency debt, with a stable outlook. The expansionist fiscal policy launched in 2016 has weakened Romanias public finances, Fitch experts say, adding that in the first 9 months of this year revenues stand at only 69% of the revised annual targets, and the budget deficit is one percentage point above the figure in January – September 2017. However, Fitch expects the Government to meet its 2.96% deficit target for this year, so as to avoid the excessive deficit procedure. The international financial rating agency estimates a 3.5% economic growth rate for Romania this year, 3.2% in 2019 and 3% in 2020, reflecting the slow-down in the EU, a tightening monetary policy and a reduction in tax incentives.




    GAUDEAMUS Book launches continue today, as part of the Gaudeamus Book and Education Fair organised by Radio Romania in Bucharest. Until the end of this 25th edition of the Fair on Sunday, visitors will be able to attend various events and benefit from substantial discounts offered by the over 300 participating publishers. The central theme of the current edition is the Romanian Union Centennial, and is illustrated by a representative stand, hosting around 600 volumes devoted to this historic event and scores of events, launches, debates, film screenings and public lectures. The stand also enables the public to meet and talk to some of the most important Romanian writers, literary critics and historians.




    START-UPS Romanian entrepreneurs interested in the Start-Up Nation programme, designed to encourage the set-up of small and medium-sized enterprises by means of non-reimbursable grants, will be able to use a special software as of December 1. According to the Minister for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Ştefan Radu Oprea, applications can be submitted for one month. Last year in the Start-Up Nation programme, over 30,000 applications were submitted, the Minister added, more than 8,000 contracts were signed, of which 7,200 projects are still active, and over 21,000 jobs have been created.




    CENTENNIAL The members of the Romanian ethnic community in Hungary are celebrating today the Great Union Centennial in Gyula. The event is part of a series devoted to the 100 years since Greater Romania was founded, and it brings together officials and personalities from major Romanian academic centres, Romanian MPs and local authorities. The event also has a component devoted to the Romanian ethnics in Hungary: a ceremony in which representatives of the Romanian community in Hungary, including headmasters of schools with Romanian tuition, are awarded by the “Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute for Romanians abroad. The ceremony will be followed by the screening of a film about the 1918 Union and the opening of an art exhibition on the same theme.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania’s confidence in EU dwindles

    Romania’s confidence in EU dwindles

    Just months ahead of Romania’s first term as holder
    of the EU Council presidency, the perception of its citizens regarding the EU
    membership is on a downward trend, with the support rate going down from 59% to
    49%. It is the sharpest decline in this respect in the European bloc, according
    to the latest Eurobarometer released by the European Parliament.


    It is no good news, says the Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis, who believes however that the fall is only temporary. As we
    know, a nation’s view of the EU membership is generally shaped by domestic issues,
    rather than European ones. So, if we manage to solve our issues at home, I
    believe Romanians’ attitude towards Europe will return to normal, that is to
    over 50%, Iohannis has explained. In fact, the Eurobarometer confirms this
    view. In Romania, the turbulent national context that
    the country has known since August seems to be affecting its traditionally
    higher EU support indicators too. Romania is shaken by various protests against
    the government to denounce corruption and the judiciary overhaul. The national
    discontent seems to reflect on the perception Romanian respondents expressed
    about the EU in this survey, illustrated in the decreasing indicators showed
    below, the report reads.


    The temporary nature of this perception is
    perfectly plausible, given that 65% of the Romanians say they would vote
    against Romania’s leaving the Community, if a referendum were held on this
    topic. At EU level, the average support rate for EU membership is 62%, up 2%
    since April. The survey also shows that 21% of the Romanians believe the
    country’s EU membership is a bad thing, whereas the European average for this
    indicator is 11%. Also, 64% of the Romanians say the EU accession benefited
    their country, as opposed to a 68% European average. According to 13% of the
    Romanians, the main benefit of EU accession was that the bloc contributed to
    strengthening democracy in their own country. On the other hand, half of
    Romania’s citizens support a European economic and monetary union, with the Euro
    as a single currency. As for the topics on which next year’s campaign for the
    European Parliament elections should focus, Romanians say protection of
    external borders is the most important issue for them.

  • EU chief negotiator for Brexit, in Bucharest

    EU chief negotiator for Brexit, in Bucharest

    The European Unions chief negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, had a meeting in Bucharest with key Romanian political leaders. They looked at the current stage of the Unions negotiations with London, and at the next steps to be taken in Britains withdrawal from the European bloc.



    Michel Barniers presence in the Romanian capital is not accidental. On January 1, Romania is to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union Council, and the agenda of the following 6 months will be dominated by this delicate issue, which is expected to be settled in the first half of next year. In fact, Michel Barnier himself emphasised that, as the holder of the rotating Council presidency, Romania will play a key role in ensuring the institutional framework required for an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the Union and in the negotiations on the future relations between the two parties.



    Preserving the unity of the 27 member states in the Brexit talks is extremely important, and it is an essential prerequisite for the proper management of the entire process, President Klaus Iohannis said during his meeting with Michel Barnier. In his view, the integrity of the single market and the indivisibility of the 4 freedoms are core pillars of the European project, and they are non-negotiable. Equally important, according to the President of Romania, is the Brexit financial settlement.



    And not least, given that the Romanians make up the second largest foreign minority in the UK, after the Polish one, Bucharest firmly supports the importance of an ambitious mobility regulatory framework, which will fully comply with the non-discrimination and reciprocity principles. As PM Viorica Dancila and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said, Bucharest will closely monitor the implementation of the exit agreement, so that all the Romanian citizens residing in the UK may continue to live, work and study in the same terms as they have done so far.



    According to the National Statistics Institute and other relevant institutions, 328,000 Romanians live in the UK at present, with the largest communities reported in urban areas like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Belfast. More than 2,000 Romanian physicians work in Britain, alongside financial and banking experts, artists, architects, teachers, IT experts and researchers. Around 10,000 Romanian youths are currently enrolled in British universities.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)