Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU presidency

Key Priorities of the EU’s Belgian presidency

Although partial, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Europes border-free area, Schengen, is a good thing, Alexander De Croo, the Prime Minister of Belgium, whose country is holding the EUs half-yearly presidency, has said. De Croo says that the two countries accessions with their air and maritime borders on March 31st, are major steps and he expects the next stages to follow soon (Quote): “I know both countries have made great efforts, steps forward to answer all the questions asked by so many countries concerning Schengen and wed like to really applaud all the efforts made. I think those partial steps made are a good sign and a first step, but I expect, if things go as planned, the next steps to follow.

The consequences of an incomplete Schengen accession are significant from the economic point of view. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in the autumn of 2023 that the prejudice would be at least 2 % of the GDP and the former minister of the Economy, Florin Spataru says that Romanias annual loss stays around 10 billion euros. The losses incurred by Romanias transport companies are huge, Romanian MEP Dan Nica has also said. He added the Romanian transporters are being humiliated because they have to spend hours and even days at border checkpoints and he believes these drivers must get compensations for the losses.

Dan Nica:” We must find funds for this and made them available immediately so that transport companies and transporters get compensations for their huge losses. They have done nothing wrong and deserve compensations for the huge financial losses incurred.”

Although Romania and Bulgarias complete Schengen accession is important for the Belgian presidency of the EU, others are its key priorities. In the context of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas and the growing tension in the Red Sea region, the EU focuses its attention onto the presidential election in the USA, a country that has played a key role in Europes security since the end of WWII.

A day after the former US president, Donald Trump, consolidated its status as the Republicans favourite candidate for the November election, the Belgian Prime Minister says that Europe should not fear Trumps return to the White House, in spite of his America first promoted principle.

Alexander De Croo believes the EU must embrace the prospect in order to put Europe on a more solid footing – stronger, more sovereign, more self-reliant.

De Croo has pledged the EUs Belgian presidency will contribute to the protection of its citizens, strengthening the economy and preparing the common European future.

(bill)

17 January 2024
November 9, 2023 UPDATE

Gaza – Romania will continue the dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities for the evacuation of the other Romanian citizens and their family members in the Gaza Strip, depending on the developments on the ground and the agreement of the parties involved, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. A consular team will remain available in the area of the Rafah border-crossing to Egypt to provide further assistance. The border was reopened on Thursday, when the evacuation procedures continued for foreign citizens who received permission from the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to transit this point, to Egypt, including 51 Romanian citizens and their family members. In the past few days, several groups of Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and transported to Romania by a TAROM aircraft from Cairo. In another development, the White House shows that Israel on Thursday announced a four-hour daily break in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip to allow civilians to withdraw – a first since the beginning of the war. Previously, the NATO allies said they support the humanitarian pauses in the war between Israel and Hamas, to allow the access of aid to the Gaza Strip. According to the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, international law must be respected and civilians must be protected in this conflict.

NATO — Germany will deploy four Eurofighter planes to Romania to support NATOs air policing mission starting at the end of November. The decision comes a few weeks after the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube. The attacks, carried out right next to the Romanian border, as well as the remains of drones found in Romania, have increased the security risks for the military alliance whose members have a mutual defense commitment. In September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the Russian strikes near the border as “destabilizing,” even though there were no indications that Russia intended to strike a NATO member. The German air forces have previously supported NATO’s air policing mission in Romania, in the context in which the alliance strengthened its military presence along the eastern flank, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.

Schengen — One of the major objectives of Hungary’s EU presidency in the second half of 2024 will be to promote Romania’s integration into Schengen, unless progress is made on the matter before, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said. According to a press release issued by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, he emphasized that the Hungarian government attaches strategic importance to the cooperation between the two countries. “The most important base and resource of this strategic cooperation is the Hungarian community that lives in Romania, said Szijjarto. He added that Romania becoming a member of the Schengen area is a clear national interest of Hungary. Romania, the Hungarian foreign minister said, “is Hungary’s second-largest export market and its Schengen membership will obviously make our economic and trade relations much stronger.” Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2024.

EU – The European Commission recommended the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Commissions favorable opinion must be approved by the 27 members at the December 14-15 EU summit. Until then, the states in question will have to carry out some key measures. From Bucharest, the NATO deputy general secretary, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, welcomed the EC announcement. The official expressed certainty that Ukraine will become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and showed that there is no fatigue regarding the efforts of the allied countries to support Kyiv in facing the Russian aggression.

Tourism –Bucharest will see, between November 9 and 12, the autumn edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair, considered the most important tourism event in the country that takes place in a physical format. Besides discounts for early booking, some agencies also promote Black Friday discounts. Those interested can find offers both in the country and abroad, complex tour on all continents, including to new or exotic destinations. This year there are two new destinations for the Romanian market: Gran Canaria, in the Spanish Canary Islands, and Faro, in Portugal.

Pensions — The Romanian government adopted, during Thursdays meeting, the new pension law, which provides for two increases in the coming year. The document also establishes the recalculation of all pensions according to new criteria, so that inequities in the system are eliminated. The executive wants the pension law to be adopted by the Parliament by November 20. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the new pension law will remove the threshold of 9.4% of the GDP, representing pension expenses. At the same time, the prime minister announced that next year there will be no tax increases, but requested a plan of measures to increase revenue collection to the state budget.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse will play against the Serbian Mia Ristic, on Friday, in Kraljevo, in the first singles match of the play-off of the Billie Jean King Cup competition between Romania and Serbia. In the second singles match, which will also take place on Friday, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian will play against Aleksandra Krunic. On Saturday, Cristian will be up against Ristic, and then Ruse will play against Krunic. The doubles match will pit Katarina Kozarov/Natalija Stevanovic from Serbia against Irina Bara/Monica Niculescu from Romania. The winning team will qualify for the final tournament of the competition, and the losing team will play in Group I. Serbia leads Romania 2-1 in direct matches, after winning with the score 2-1 in 2007, in the first round of Group I, Europe/Africa zone, and with the score 2-1 in 2008, in the same phase. In 2014, in Bucharest, Romania won 4-1 and advanced to the Fed Cup World Group, the current Billie Jean King Cup. (LS)

9 November 2023
July 1, 2023 UPDATE

Aid – Spain is allocating a new aid package for Ukraine, worth 55 million Euros, and promises long-term support to Kyiv, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in a speech held in the Ukrainian Parliament on Saturday. Of this amount, 51 million will reach Ukraine through the World Bank, to support small and medium sized enterprises, and the rest of the money will be used for the reconstruction of schools bombed by the Russians. Spain took over the presidency of the European Union on Saturday, July 1. Pedro Sánchez also addressed the subject of Ukraines NATO accession, giving assurances that he supported the establishment of the Ukraine-NATO Council.

Riots — The French President Emmanuel Macron postponed his state visit to Germany, which was scheduled for Sunday evening until Tuesday, due to riots started in France after the deadly shooting of a teenager of African origin by a member of the law enforcement. The French police arrested almost 1,000 people throughout the country, and the authorities brought out armored vehicles of the Gendarmerie on the streets and mobilized no less than 45,000 policemen and gendarmes. The public transport at night was banned and the sale of pyrotechnic or flammable materials was restricted. The most violent protests took place in Marseille, Lyon, Grenoble and in some parts of Paris. President Emmanuel Macron accused the protesters of using the teenagers death for their purpose and urged parents to keep their children at home.

B-FIT Street! — This weekend July 1 and 2 promises to be a festive one in Bucharest, where the biggest international street theater festival in the city, B-FIT in the Street! is scheduled. After a three-year break, the event returns to Bucharest and transforms the central streets into pedestrian areas, where spectators can witness aerial acrobatics and interactive music performances. They will also enjoy sound installations, street musicians, cabaret dancers, fantastic characters who perform in itinerant shows, creative workshops and sports activities.

Shipyard — The Severnav shipyard from Drobeta-Turnu Severin (south-west of Romania) launched the first fully equipped ship on Friday, after a 12-year production break. The cargo named “Napoleon” was made for a Romanian ship owner. It is a chemical tank, equipped with the latest technologies and equipment, dedicated to river transport of petroleum products – gasoline, diesel or bio-components. The shipyard on the Danube, with an experience of about 170 years, is trying to resume the construction of turnkey ships. This year, at Severnav, at least nine more ships are going to be launched for the Romanian market as well as for the Western European market.

Migration — The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the management and strengthening of the Union borders are among the main elements in the fight against illegal migration. She hopes that the ongoing pilot projects in Bulgaria and Romania will serve as a model of good practices for other external borders as well. The European leaders, gathered on Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, had heated debates on the issue of migration management, without reaching an agreement. Poland and Hungary are opposed to the pact that provides for the relocation of asylum seekers on the principle of solidarity. However, the reform continues its course, after last month it was approved by the Council through a qualified majority, instead of consensus.

Russia — 40 employees of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, together with their family members, are to leave Romania on board a civil aircraft belonging to a Russian airline. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Romanias decision to reduce the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission reflects the current level of bilateral relations, in the context of Moscows launching a war of aggression against Romanias neighbor Ukraine. We remind you that, at the beginning of this month, the Romanian diplomacy announced Russia that it must reduce the number of posts in Romania by 61%. It was Russia’s choice to reduce posts and to ask its officials to leave Romania. (LS)

1 July 2023
January 1, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 Romania — In Romania the national anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign will be resumed on Monday, with the vaccination of the medical staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. Since the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, over 10 thousand people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Romania, with common, minor side effects having been reported in 26 cases and general reactions in 22 cases. Almost 4 thousand new cases of contamination have been reported in the past 24 hours following the processing of 15,900 tests nationwide, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Friday. Until January 1, 2021, over 636,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Romania, with 566,365 patients having recovered. 74 deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 15,800. 1,111 patients are currently in ICUs. The number of Romanian citizens from abroad contaminated with the new coronavirus reached 7,063 and 130 have died from the disease.

Brexit – As of January 1, 2021 the UK is no longer part of the EU. The UK’s new status brings about major changes in the relation between the UK and the EU. The most important changes concern the European citizens who want to work and study in the UK. 4 million EU citizens are living in the UK of whom almost 600,000 are Romanians. The great majority of EU citizens have asked for and received the right to stay in the UK after Brexit, which means that their rights are protected. The situation is different for those European citizens who intend to move to the UK in the future. Those who want to work in the UK will need a visa. Visas will be paid for and will be granted according to certain criteria. The Romanian and European students who want to study in the UK starting with the next academic year will also need visas and tuition fees will be considerably higher. The EU citizens who want to visit the UK as tourists do not need a visa if their stay is not longer than 6 months. The people who received criminal sentences higher than one year in prison may be denied entry into the UK as of January 1.

EU presidency – Portugal took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from Germany on January 1. Its main objectives are to prepare for the post-Covid-19 recovery and to complete the procedures aimed at implementing the Resilience and Recovery Facility. Lisbon will focus on five major domains: social Europe, green Europe, digital Europe, global Europe and resilient Europe. The social agenda will be at the top of the list of priorities, as a main pillar of the European response to COVID-19. Other issues on the agenda of the Portuguese presidency are the EUs relationship with the UK after Brexit, gender equality, the fight against discrimination, poverty and social exclusion and the protection of vulnerable groups.

New Year celebrations — The whole world celebrated the New Year in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic. Open air parties were cancelled and people stayed at home, observing the quarantine or restrictive measures imposed by the authorities in a move to stop the spread of the disease. Many traditional events on the New Year such as fireworks shows and concerts were broadcast online. The first to welcome the new year 2021 with fireworks shows were the inhabitants of the island countries of Kiribati and Samoa in the Pacific Ocean followed by New Zealand and Australia where the traditional fireworks shows took place without spectators. In Europe, most people stayed at home and watched TV while in the US 2020 the year of the pandemic ended in the spirit of the past 10 months, with restrictions, social distancing and bans on any kind of meeting or gathering. Romanians also missed the traditional New Year open air concerts. Most Romanians welcomed the New Year at home while others chose to travel. In the country, the top destinations for the New Year parties were the resorts on the Prahova Valley (south) and in Maramures county (north), Bukovina (northeast), the Black Sea Coast and the Danube Delta. As regards foreign destinations, Romanians chose the Maldives and Zanzibar.

Energy – As of January 1, 2021 Romanias electricity market has been liberalized, which means that prices are no longer set by the state, but on the stock exchange. As compared to the gas market liberalization as of July 1, 2020, when consumers benefited from better prices, the energy market liberalization will bring about higher bills which might increase by up to 26% for certain consumers. Analysts accuse the authorities of having mismanaged the situation, by failing to inform the population properly. Before liberalization there were approximately six million household consumers on the regulated market in Romania that benefited from the lowest prices on the market, but after January 1, unless they sign a new contract with a supplier, they risk being automatically transferred by the current supplier on a universal service contract, which is the most expensive on the market. According to an analysis made by the Smart Energy Association, active consumers, namely those who got informed and signed a contract with a supplier, will have their energy bills increased by an average 5%. On the other hand, passive consumers that did sign a new contract will pay energy bills higher by 26%.

Messages — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis thanked the Romanian citizens in the traditional New Years message for the effort they made in 2020, a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. Klaus Iohannis underlined that the entire country is looking with hope and confidence to the New Year 2021. The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has promised Romanians that the government will do its best to re-launch the economy this year, after 2020, a difficult year for the country. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Liberal Ludovic Orban, has said in his New Years message that 2020 was perhaps the hardest year in Romanias recent history, but that he hopes that by mid-2021 vaccination will end the pandemic. The Speaker of the Senate, Anca Dragu, has stated, in her New Years message posted on her social media page, that she wants 2021 to be a year of recovery, when they are going to start to rebuild a better Romania ‘for us and the future generations’. Praying together, being kind and cooperating in doing good deeds can work wonders, turning fear into courage and hope, said the Patriarch of the majority Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, at the religious service held to mark the New Year. (tr. and update by L. Simion)

1 January 2021
6 December, 2018

EU presidency. The Romanian interior minister Carmen
Dan is to present a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in
Brussels with the programme of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the
European Union between 1st January and 30th June 2019.
The priorities include consolidating the Union’s internal security, the
management of its external borders, migration and combating online
radicalisation. The Romanian official supports a stronger role for Frontex in
managing migration and securing external borders and says she will give
priority to combating terrorist content online based on the principle of
community policing, which is meant to facilitate the relationship between
security forces and expat communities in the EU states. Romania has notable
expertise in this field, as the Romanian police are taking part in operative
missions in states such as Italy, Spain, France and Bulgaria, says the
Romanian interior ministry. The next meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs
Council will take place in Bucharest between the 6th and the 8th
of February.

Environment. The European
Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries Karmenu Vella has today begun an official trip to Bucharest, according
to Romania’s European Commission Representation. Vella is due to meet
the Romanian deputy prime minister and environment minister Gratiela Gavrilescu
and other government officials. The Commissioner is also expected to attend a
conference on circular economy
success stories to discuss waste collection and
recycling and the funding and promotion of the transition to a circular
economy.

Reshuffling. Liviu Dragnea, the
speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the leader of the ruling Social
Democratic Party has threatened to refer president Klaus Iohannis to the
Constitutional Court next week unless the latter accepts the new proposals for
transport and development ministers. Iohannis says he is still considering the
two nominations, that of Olguta Vasilescu for the development ministry and of
Mircea Draghici for the transport ministry. At the end of November, president
Iohannis accepted six nominations as part of a reshuffling of Viorica Dancila’s
cabinet, namely for defence, labour, economy, culture, communications and youth
and sport. He also criticised the fact that in the two years since they came to
power, the Social Democratic Party and their junior ruling partners the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have replaced 70 ministers, which he said
was too much.

Poll.The
Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in Romania,
has dropped below 25% in voting intentions according to a survey conducted by
IMAS and commissioned by the Save Romania Union in opposition. The National
Liberal Party is in second place with more than 23%, followed by the Save
Romania Union with almost 15%. The Social Democrats’ partners, the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats, have 12% of voting intentions. The Romania Together
Movement led by the former technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos has 8% of
voting intentions. The poll also puts the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania, which has a collaboration agreement with the ruling coalition, at
5.8%. The poll was conducted in November, using a sample of 1,010 people and
has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

Poll. Corruption, inflation, the situation of the
economy, the government and the healthcare system are some of the problems
facing Romania at the moment according to a poll conducted by SC CT&Research SRL and commissioned by the Black Sea University
Foundation. Corruption is considered the biggest problem by 50% of respondents,
while 73% of them believe things are going in the wrong direction in Romania.

Internet. Almost three quarters (72.4%) of households in Romania have
access to home internet, up 3.8% compared with last year, according to the
National Institute for Statistics. Almost 63% of these households are in cities.
82% of home internet connections are fixed broadband
connections, followed by mobile broadband connections (57.3% and narrowband
connections (12.5%). Among Romanians aged 16 to 74, the proportion of people
who have ever used internet is 78.8%. Of current users, 75.5% use the internet
daily or almost daily.

Handball. Romania
defeated European defending champions Norway 31:22 on Wednesday in Brest in
their final Group D match at the European Women’s Handball Championship in
France. Romania put on a remarkable performance to defeat Norway for the first
time at a final tournament in the last 18 years. They now top the preliminary
group and will advance to the next stage with a maximum of points. In the other
group fixture, Germany defeated the Czech Republic. Romania and the Netherlands
begin their main round Group 2 matches with 4 points each, Hungary and Germany
with 2 and Spain and Norway with zero points. Romania next face the Netherlands
on the 9th of December, Spain on the 11th and Hungary on
the 12th. The two best-ranked teams in the group will make it to the
semifinals.

6 December 2018
5 December, 2018

EU presidency. The Romanian prime minister Viorica Dăncilă said in Brussels, after her
government met the European Commission, that the latter are firmly convinced
that Romania can successfully carry out its upcoming presidency of the Council
of the European Union. She added that Romania wants an ambitious mandate,
saying the meeting of the Romanian government with the College of Commissioners
was part of the preparations for Romania’s taking over the EU Council’s
rotating presidency on 1st January 2019. In Brussels, the prime
minister presented the agenda
and priorities of the Romanian term. The president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker said the Romanian government is
ready to take over the presidency. He also said that there are still
differences between the Romanian government and the Commission with respect to
the rule of law, but that they are not related to the presidency of the EU
Council, but are a matter of bilateral relations. He recalled that Romania’s
presidency faces difficult moments, such as the UK’s expected withdrawal from
the Union on 29th March next year. Also, the basic directions of the
future financial framework need to be established and there are 257 dossiers
that need to be debated within only four months, ahead of the start of the
European Parliament election campaign. Jean Claude Juncker also expressed hope
that Romania would join Schengen by the time the term of the current Commission
comes to an end, in October 2019.

Survey. The results of the Educated
Romania project initiated by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis were launched
on Wednesday for public debate. According to the Presidential Administration,
the project has been the most extensive public consultation in education, involving
the participation of over 10,000 people. The priorities of the project, which
was launched in 2016, refer to the teaching career, educational management,
equity, vocational education, higher education, the evaluation of pupils and
students and early education. The website of the project was also launched on
Wednesday, where the results will be available for consultation and where all
those interested are invited to leave their opinions and suggestions.

Commemoration.
Romanians on Wednesday
commemorated their last sovereign, King Michael I, who passed away at his
residence in Switzerland, on December 5, 2017, at the age of 96. A religious
ceremony organised by the family was held at the Royal Resting Place in Curtea
de Arges, in southern Romania, where all of Romania’s kings are interred. In
Bucharest, Senators kept a moment of silence in memory of King Michael I. It
is a gesture of normalcy in the year of
Great Union Centenary, when we should
show respect for history and the people who have written it, the
initiator of the proposal, Liberal Senator Mario Oprea has said. He was a
person whom I admired and respected the most, of all those whom I met along my
entire life, said writer and political analyst
Stelian Tănase, who has launched in Bucharest a book entitled Conversations
with King Michael, which consists in the transcripts of 12 dialogues he had
with the former sovereign in 2005.

NATO. The Romanian foreign minister Teodor Meleşcanu on Wednesday
attended the second day of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. The meeting
first tackled the Western Balkans, with the talks being also attended by the EU
foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. The Romanian official emphasised the
importance of a unified message and the coordination of NATO and EU actions in
this region, which Romania will continue to support strongly during its
upcoming term as holder of the EU Council presidency. The final part of the
meeting was dominated by the situation in Afghanistan, with Teodor Melescanu
underlining that his country would continue to maintain an active profile and a
significant presence in the Afghan theatre of operations next year. Also on
Wednesday, the Romanian minister met Wess Mitchell, the US Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. They discussed the
bilateral political, economic and security relationship, the developments in
the Black Sea area and ways to manage the challenges in the region.

Radio
Romania. Radio
Romania and Radio France have concluded a four-year cooperation agreement. The
document has been signed in Paris by the presidents of the two public stations,
Georgică Severin and Sibyle Veil. The project is meant to tighten the
sustainable relations between Romania and France through cultural activities as
well as exchange of journalists. The President of the Romanian Radio
Broadcasting Corporation, Georgică Severin, has underlined that Romania has
remained a pole of Francophony in eastern Europe. According to Georgică
Severin, Radio Romania will soon sign a similar agreement with RAI and has
reached an advanced stage of negotiations for a partnership with the BBC.

5 December 2018
January 22, 2018

CABINET — The leadership of the Social-Democratic Party is today convening to discuss nominations for the new Cabinet to be led by Social-Democrat Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. The Social-Democrats and their junior coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, said they want to keep the current Ministers for the portfolios of Foreign Affairs, the Environment, Energy and Liaison with Parliament. The previous Government had 27 ministers, three Deputy Prime Ministers and two delegate ministers. Meanwhile the opposition is taking action, the Liberals saying they will start talks with the other political parties and MPs to persuade them to vote against the new Cabinet. The Liberals aim to win as many votes as possible to prevent the new cabinet from being sworn in. Parliament’s vote is scheduled for January 29.

FAC — Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is today attending the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels. The main topics on the agenda for talks are Libya, the post-Cotonou agreement and the peacemaking process in the Middle East. The EU’s Foreign Ministers will also attend a working breakfast, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as special guest. Additionally, a working breakfast with Werner Hoyer, the President of the European Investment Bank, will also be held on the sidelines of the event. The Cotonou Agreement, adopted in 2000, is the most comprehensive agreement between the European Union and developing countries, regulating EU relations with a total of 79 countries, of which 48 in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Agreement is aimed at reducing and eventually eradicating poverty.

PROTEST –A few dozen people on Sunday staged a silent protest in front of the Government building against the ruling coalition’s modifications to the justice laws. Displaying the flags of Romania and the European Union and chanting slogans such as “#rezist”, “united for justice” or “stolen justice”, protesters covered their eyes and mouth with scarves and stool still, their backs turned to the Government buildins. The silent protest was staged after Saturday evening tens of thousands of people joined in large anti-government rallies in Bucharest, other large cities and abroad.

EU PRESIDENCY— Romania is stepping up its efforts to prepare its term at the helm of the European Union in January 2019. The first meeting of the Finland-Romania-Croatia trio is scheduled to take place today. The trio format was first set up under the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 and has the purpose of outlining long-term objectives. The three countries will prepare a common agenda with major topics that will be tackled in the European Council over a period of 18 months. Romania will have its own six-month program. The priority of Romania’s mandate is preparing the European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 2019. Bucharest authorities want to adjust Romania’s priorities depending on the evolution of key topics of EU interest, of which the most important are Brexit and the post-2020 multiannual financial framework.

GERMANY — German Social-Democratic leaders have started official negotiations with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Conservative Party to form a new Government. Hundreds of Social-Democrat delegates met in Bonn for a special congress, to renew their alliance with the Conservatives, an alliance that was first started in 2013. The two parties already agreed, earlier this month, on a joint governing program. The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany Party, which last September secured its first seats in the Federal Government, has criticized the Social Democrats for their decision. Negotiations are expected to start this week, much to the relief of Germany’s European partners, Reuters reports.

TENNIS — Romania’s tennis player Simona Halep, WTA no. 1, today qualified to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, where she is seeded first. In the round of 16 she ousted Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-3, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, Halep will play either Karolina Pliskova or Barbora Strykova, both of the Czech Republic. In the women’s singles, tenth-seeds Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu are playing Jennifer Brady and Vania King of the United States in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. (Translated by V. Palcu)

22 January 2018
October 5, 2017 UPDATE

EPIDEMIC — The number of confirmed cases of measles reported in Romania has exceeded 9,400, the National Centre for Monitoring and Control of Viral Disease with the National Institute of Public Health announced on Thursday. So far the epidemic has killed 34 people. In another development, the draft law on organizing and funding vaccination activities was given a favourable opinion from the Senate’s Committee of Constitutionality. The new legislation is due to take effect on January 1, 2018.

PROTESTS — Health Ministry representatives and trade unions in the healthcare system on Thursday held a new round of negotiations. They are against the bonuses policy, the unitary pay law and the transfer of social security payments from employers to employees. Also, they demand the elimination of the 30% cap on specific bonuses and the full application of salary increases for all healthcare and social assistance employees as of March 1, 2018. Protest actions have been held for almost two weeks in several cities in Romania, including Bucharest, where several thousand people gathered on Wednesday. Protests have been staged by one of the biggest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa. A protesters’ delegation, including employees from the police, healthcare, transport, education and public administration sectors, attended the talks with the government. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday.

EU PRESIDENCY — Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said Romania is making progress regarding preparations for taking over the Presidency of the EU Council in 2019. According to the Romanian official, the effort will involve some 1,500 people, who will undergo training with Romanian and European Commission experts. Romania wants to be more active at EU level and will try to make the most of its term at the helm of the EU, Negrescu went on to say.

EU BODY — The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a document whereby the European Prosecutor’s Office will become operational in 2020. The Prosecutor’s Office will focus on combating VAT and community funds fraud. So far, some 20 Member States, including Romania, have signed off on the project. The new body will have the authority to investigate and criminally prosecute cases of embezzlement of structural funds, tax evasion and other crimes that are detrimental to the EU’s financial interests. The Prosecutor’s Office will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Every year, public authorities across Europe incur VAT-related losses of nearly 50 billion euros.

ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE — During his visit to the Western University of Timisoara on Thursday, Romanian Intelligence chief Eduard Hellvig said he has repeatedly called on Parliament’s support for adopting the legislation on national security. Hellvig says the Romanian Intelligence Service is not involved in power games and wants a transparent and civil leadership of the Service, via the Parliament’s special committee. Hellvig added that the leadership of the service should not become a political instrument or tool for the media.

CONFERENCE — Romanians trust the EU more than other citizens from the community bloc, and more often than not seek the answers to their problems in Brussels, the head of the European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Angela Cristea said on Thursday. Cristea added that Romania is not one of those member states that react poorly to recommendations from Brussels. Angela Cristea attended the 6th edition of Bucharest Forum, devoted to geopolitical and economic issues and bringing together high-ranking officials, representatives of the business sector and world experts.

SPAIN — Spain’s Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday decided to call off Monday’s plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia, when the independence of this province was to be announced. In another development, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the only way out of the deadlock was to abandon the declaration of independence. In turn, European Commission Vice-president Frans Timmermans called for dialogue between the two parties, saying that this is a matter for Spain to resolve of its own accord.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea no. 44 WTA qualified on Thursday to the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Beijing with more than 6.3 million dollars up for grabs, after defeating world no. 4 and former world leader Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-5. On Friday Cirstea will be up against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, no. 9 in the world. Another Romanian player, Simona Halep, no. 2 in the world, qualified to the quarterfinals after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia and will next play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. (Translated by E. Enache & V. Palcu)

5 October 2017
October 5, 2017 UPDATE

EPIDEMIC — The number of confirmed cases of measles reported in Romania has exceeded 9,400, the National Centre for Monitoring and Control of Viral Disease with the National Institute of Public Health announced on Thursday. So far the epidemic has killed 34 people. In another development, the draft law on organizing and funding vaccination activities was given a favourable opinion from the Senate’s Committee of Constitutionality. The new legislation is due to take effect on January 1, 2018.

PROTESTS — Health Ministry representatives and trade unions in the healthcare system on Thursday held a new round of negotiations. They are against the bonuses policy, the unitary pay law and the transfer of social security payments from employers to employees. Also, they demand the elimination of the 30% cap on specific bonuses and the full application of salary increases for all healthcare and social assistance employees as of March 1, 2018. Protest actions have been held for almost two weeks in several cities in Romania, including Bucharest, where several thousand people gathered on Wednesday. Protests have been staged by one of the biggest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa. A protesters’ delegation, including employees from the police, healthcare, transport, education and public administration sectors, attended the talks with the government. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday.

EU PRESIDENCY — Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said Romania is making progress regarding preparations for taking over the Presidency of the EU Council in 2019. According to the Romanian official, the effort will involve some 1,500 people, who will undergo training with Romanian and European Commission experts. Romania wants to be more active at EU level and will try to make the most of its term at the helm of the EU, Negrescu went on to say.

EU BODY — The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a document whereby the European Prosecutor’s Office will become operational in 2020. The Prosecutor’s Office will focus on combating VAT and community funds fraud. So far, some 20 Member States, including Romania, have signed off on the project. The new body will have the authority to investigate and criminally prosecute cases of embezzlement of structural funds, tax evasion and other crimes that are detrimental to the EU’s financial interests. The Prosecutor’s Office will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Every year, public authorities across Europe incur VAT-related losses of nearly 50 billion euros.

ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE — During his visit to the Western University of Timisoara on Thursday, Romanian Intelligence chief Eduard Hellvig said he has repeatedly called on Parliament’s support for adopting the legislation on national security. Hellvig says the Romanian Intelligence Service is not involved in power games and wants a transparent and civil leadership of the Service, via the Parliament’s special committee. Hellvig added that the leadership of the service should not become a political instrument or tool for the media.

CONFERENCE — Romanians trust the EU more than other citizens from the community bloc, and more often than not seek the answers to their problems in Brussels, the head of the European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Angela Cristea said on Thursday. Cristea added that Romania is not one of those member states that react poorly to recommendations from Brussels. Angela Cristea attended the 6th edition of Bucharest Forum, devoted to geopolitical and economic issues and bringing together high-ranking officials, representatives of the business sector and world experts.

SPAIN — Spain’s Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday decided to call off Monday’s plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia, when the independence of this province was to be announced. In another development, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the only way out of the deadlock was to abandon the declaration of independence. In turn, European Commission Vice-president Frans Timmermans called for dialogue between the two parties, saying that this is a matter for Spain to resolve of its own accord.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea no. 44 WTA qualified on Thursday to the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Beijing with more than 6.3 million dollars up for grabs, after defeating world no. 4 and former world leader Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-5. On Friday Cirstea will be up against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, no. 9 in the world. Another Romanian player, Simona Halep, no. 2 in the world, qualified to the quarterfinals after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia and will next play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. (Translated by E. Enache & V. Palcu)

5 October 2017
The challenges of Romania’s EU presidency in 2019

A member of the European Union since 2007, Romania will take over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Council in early 2019, six months earlier than originally planned on account of the UKs decision to leave the Union. The Romanian authorities see the countrys mandate at the helm of the EU as a challenge and a premiere for Romania, as well as an opportunity to show what Romania can do for Europe. “We have to ensure professional management and demonstrate our ability to come up with compromise solutions that are acceptable for the EU member states and institutions”, presidential advisor Leonard Orban told Radio Romania. The Romanian official also explained what the EU presidency entails:

“First and foremost, its about ensuring the carry-over of various ongoing projects, whether were talking about legislative debates and processes or decisions that must be enacted. This must be done in an unbiased manner so as to defend the interests of all stakeholders in a balanced approach. Of course, each presidency has its own priorities, but these should be well contextualised so as to reflect ongoing developments at European level. Surely, you can table any priority, but they must be credible and achievable. We should not have unrealistic expectations from Romanias term as holder of the EU presidency, on the contrary, we should adjust our expectations to what can be done in a very complicated context.”

Among other things, the mandate will be marked by the UKs leaving the Union and also by the negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework. It will be a special situation, says Leonard Orban:

“[…] during Romanias EU Council presidency there will be elections for the European Parliament, which means that an entire series of legislative dossiers will have to be completed by early April. So in the first part of the mandate there will be huge pressure to finalise this legislative process. Secondly, there will be another important priority, that is the future EU budget after 2020. One way or another intense negotiations will be held during Romanias EU Council presidency. Of course, we need very good professionals. There are also other elements that we are interested in, and I will give you the example of the Eastern Partnership. It is a priority for us, but, I repeat, there is a whole series of topics to be debated and decisions to be taken during Romanias presidency. “

Besides the Eastern Partnership, the organisation of a summit in Romania, the continuation of the enlargement process, the security of the Black Sea region, the evolution of the Danube strategy and migration to the EU should also feature among Romanias concerns during its presidency, say the Romanian officials. Vasile Puscas, who led the negotiations for Romanias accession to the EU, explains:

“A process of Euroasian integration is taking place in the East, things are heating up in the south, in the Balkans, and in the north and north-west, we see illiberal or autocratic regimes. Given that we havent had any major achievements since we joined the Union ten years and four months ago, we will have the chance to demonstrate that we are truly committed to the process of European integration. If we play an active and not just an expositive part in this process, we will have the chance to build a strong economy at home and a balanced society from a social, political and cultural point of view, which would allow us to take part in the decision-making process with credible initiatives. Credible in the sense that we should also be able to implement them. In the first semester of 2019, when Romania will be holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council, all eyes in Europe will be on us to see if we are able to implement what we say we want for the EU. If we focus on implementation and achieving the internalisation of the European policies, we will be most credible as regards our projects for our presidency of the EU Council.”

In preparation for Romanias term, the Government has set up a National Council for the preparation of Romanias taking over the EU Council Presidency, has adopted an action plan, and has also set up a special unit within the Foreign Ministry, which will focus on this project.

1 September 2017
1 July, 2017 UPDATE

Weather. After a hot day, yellow and orange
code alerts for storm have been issued in Romania. Torrential rain, hail and
thunderstorms are expected in the south-west, centre and east of the country
and in the mountains. The weather will become even more unstable on Sunday
evening, when a yellow code alert will be in place in the south and south-east
of the country. In some areas, the lows will not drop below 20 degrees Celsius,
while the highs will reach 34 degrees.

Protests. Fresh anti-government protests have been
announced on Sunday in Bucharest, three days after the investiture of a
government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats and led by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose. The civic
organisations initiating the protest blame the government for the slow pace of the
anti-corruption fight, in particular at top level. We recall that five months
ago, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Bucharest, across
the country and in the diaspora to protest against plans by the previous
government to ease criminal laws via an emergency order. The move was seen as
an attempt to exempt influential figures from the political scene and the
administration from accountability.

UK-Romania. Great Britain and Romania have a special
partnership, which they wish to develop and strengthen, said the British
ambassador to Bucharest Paul Brummel at a conference on the consequences of the
UK’s leaving the European Union. He emphasised that bilateral trade exchanges
have reached record levels, at around 4 billion euros a year. Earlier, Brummel
said 2017 is the most intense year in recent years with respect to
Romanian-British military partnership. He said the Romanians who live, work and
study in Great Britain are welcome, adding that he was delighted with the
quality of Romanian doctors working in his country.

Law. The public
sector pay law came into force on the 1st of July, after being
signed by president Klaus Iohannis this week. The law will, however, be applied
starting next year. It provides for a gradual increase in public sector
salaries within the next five years, by more than 50% on average. The pension
index also went up by 9% on 1st of July. At the same time, however,
the price of electricity for domestic users went up by 8%, according to the
liberalisation timetable. A full liberalisation is expected on 1st
of January 2018, when the electricity price will be established by the stock
market.

Defence.
The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has called a meeting of the Country’s
Supreme Defence Council on Tuesday to discuss the army’s equipping plan for the
2016-2026 period. This year, Romania has allocated 2% of its GDP to defence
spending. The meeting on Tuesday will also look at the activity of the Romanian
Intelligence Service in 2016. According to the president’s office, the
Country’s Supreme Defence Council will also discuss about the number of troops
that may be made available by Romania for international missions and operations
in 2018.

EU. On Saturday, Estonia took over the EU rotating
presidency for the first time since joining the bloc in 2004. One of its
priorities will be to consolidate cooperation with the countries in Africa and
the Middle East to manage the migration problem. Another important goal,
according to the country’s prime minister Juri Ratas, is the digitalisation of
Europe and the free movement of data. The president of the European Commission
Jean-Claude Juncker, who travelled to Tallin on Friday, welcomed the intentions
of the Estonian government.

Festival. In July, Bucharest is playing host to
the International Street Theatre Festival, which brings together hundreds of
participants from Romania, France, Columbia, Italy, Germany, Holland, Austria
and Spain. Every week-end from Friday to Sunday, the streets of Bucharest will
host performances on stilts, magic shows, street dance performances and living
statues. Acrobatics, light shows, juggling with torches and tango and cabaret
performances will be held in the evening.

Tennis.
World no. 2 Simona Halep of Romania will play Marina Erakovic of New Zealand on
Monday in the first round at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the
year. Last year, Halep reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and was a
semifinalist in 2014. Also in the first round of the women’s draw, Romania’s
Monica Niculescu, world no. 51, will face Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova;
Sorana Cirstea, world no. 62, plays Dutch player Kiki Bartens; while Irina
Begu, world no. 69, faces the British player Naomi Broady. Ana Bogdan, world
no. 114, who makes her Grand Slam debut, will face the Chinese player Ying-Ying
Duan. In the men’s draw, Romania’s Marius Copil, world no. 85, will face the
German player Peter Gojowczyk in the first round.

1 July 2017
January 4, 2017 UPDATE

SWEARING IN — The Romanian Parliament on Wednesday granted the vote of confidence to the government formed by the Prime Minister designate, Social-Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, and its governing program, which was presented to the legislature. The 26 ministers proposed by the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats had been previously heard by the relevant parliamentary committees. After the vote in Parliament, the members of the new cabinet were sworn in, with president Klaus Iohannis in attendance. Sevil Shhaideh, the first nomination made by the Social Democratic Party for the position of prime minister, who was rejected by president Klaus Iohannis, is now deputy prime minister and minister of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds. Among others, the portfolios of the ministries of the Economy, Education, Health, Justice, Transports and the Interior will be held by representatives of the Social Democratic Party. In exchange, representatives of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have received four portfolios in the new cabinet- the Foreign Ministry, the Relation with Parliament, Energy and the Environment. Daniel Constantin, the co-leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, has been proposed for the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister.

MEASLES — The measles outbreak may be widening, according to experts with the main infectious disease hospital in Timisoara, in the west of Romania, the main city in the region with the most cases. According to them, 124 children have been stricken by the disease. In the first three days of the year alone, 30 patients were admitted into hospital for the disease, the youngest being six weeks old. The epidemic broke out in Romania in the autumn, with 10 confirmed deaths and over 2,000 infections throughout the country. According to the Ministry of Health, the main reason for the outbreak is the parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children, which physicians warn is hazardous.

MINING — The miners in Lupeni, in Romanias coal country, have gone on a spontaneous protest against the economic situation of their employer, the Hunedoara Energy Complex. The protesters claim that they work for low wages only four days a week. The complex, which employs 5,200 people, has filed for insolvency proceedings, and awaits a court decision, which is the only way it can continue work.

TURKEY — The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said the authorities have identified the perpetrator in the attack that left 39 dead on New Years Eve in Istanbul, without providing details. Turkish media alleged on Wednesday that he is from a Central Asian country. 16 people, including the wife of the attacker, have been detained. The attack occurred as Turkish forces are attempting to retake the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State, where Ankara leads an offensive against Jihadists, as well as Kurdish militias.

EU PRESIDENCY — This year, Malta takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. Over the next six months, the new team will have to grapple with major issues such as migration, security, and social inclusion, as well as the expected Brexit crisis. Malta joined the EU in 2004, and is right in the path of refugees trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, right now ranking fourth in the world, has been defeated by Czech player Katerina Siniakova, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. Romania has no other representative in the competition after Sorana Carstea was defeated by Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska and Monica Niculescu, lost to Wang Qiang. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Raluca Olaru- Olga Savchuk will be playing in the quarterfinals against the Chinese pair Chen Liang- Jing Jing Lu. We recall that Simona Halep was the winner of the Shenzhen tournament in 2015. (Translated by C. Cotoiu and D. Vijeu)

4 January 2017
4 January, 2017

PRIME MINISTER — The 26 ministers in the cabinet put together by the newly elected majority in Parliament, headed by Sorin Grindeanu, are being under confirmation proceedings in Parliament in Bucharest. If a confirmation vote comes through, the new government can be sworn in today in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis. The president previously rejected the Social Democratic candidate for prime minister, Sevil Shhaideh. As part of the coalition, the Social Democratic Party proposed ministers for education, the economy, health, justice, transportation and the interior ministry, while the partner Alliance of Liberal and Democrats proposes ministers for foreign relations, parliament relations, energy and environment.

MEASLES — The measles outbreak may be widening, according to experts with the main infectious disease hospital in Timisoara, in the west of Romania, the main city in the region with the most cases. According to them, 124 children have been stricken by the disease. In the first three days of the year alone, 30 patients have been admitted into hospital for the disease, the youngest being six weeks old. The epidemic broke out in Romania in the autumn, with 10 confirmed deaths and over 2,000 infections throughout the country. According to the Ministry of Health, the main reason for the outbreak is parents refusing to vaccinate their children, which physicians warn is hazardous.

TURKEY — The Turkish Foreign Minister said the authorities have identified the perpetrator in the attack that left 39 dead on New Years Eve in Istanbul, without providing details. Turkish media alleged on Tuesday that he is from a Central Asian country. 16 people, including the wife of the attacker, have been detained. The attack occurred as Turkish forces are attempting to retake the northern Syrian city of Al-Bab, a stronghold of the so-called Islamic State, where Ankara leads an offensive against Jihadists, as well as Kurdish militias.

MINING — The miners in Lupeni, in Romanias coal country, have gone today on a spontaneous protest against the economic situation of their employer, the Hunedoara Energy Complex. The protesters claim that they work for low wages only four days a week. The complex, which employs 5,200 people, has filed for insolvency proceedings, and awaits a court decision, which is the only way it can continue work.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, right now ranking fourth in the world, has been defeated by Czech player Katerina Siniakova, 52nd seeded, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen, China, with 625,000 dollars in prize money. Romania has no other representative in the competition, after Sorana Carstea, 78th seeded, was defeated by Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska, 3rd seeded, and Monica Niculescu, 38th seeded, lost to Wang Qiang, 73rd seeded. In the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Raluca Olaru- Olga Savchuk will be playing in the quarter finals against the Chinese pair Chen Liang- Jing Jing Lu. We recall that Simona Halep was the winner of the Shenzhen tournament in 2015.

EU PRESIDENCY — This year, Malta takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. Over the next six months, the new team will have to grapple with major issues such as migration, security, and social inclusion, as well as the expected Brexit crisis. Malta joined the EU in 2004, and is right in the path of refugees trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.

4 January 2017
July 27, 2016

EU – Romania will hold the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union for January-June 2019, by six months earlier than initially scheduled. The EU Council has taken this decision following Britain’s vote to leave the EU. British Premier Theresa May has said that her country will not take over the EU presidency next July as the London government will be busy negotiating the terms of its EU exit. Estonia will be the country to hold the EU presidency as of next July, instead of Britain.

SOLIDARITY – The Romanian Orthodox Church has said that the attack that took place in a church in northwestern France is a “symbolic attack on Europe’s Christian identity”, and has voiced solidarity with the French people. On Tuesday, two terrorists killed in a barbaric way an 84-year old priest during the religious service he was holding in the presence of several people. One of them was seriously injured in the attack. The perpetrators were killed by the police. ISIS has claimed the attack.

DRILL – Over July 27th and August 7th, 27 hundred soldiers from 10 countries are participating in a large-scale exercise in Cincu, central Romania. Five NATO members are to join the drill: Romania, the USA, Canada, Poland and Bulgaria. They will join five members of the Partnership for Peace: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The opening ceremony will be attended by Romanian Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc.

VOTING – The Bucharest Government will submit to public debate, until mid-August, a draft emergency order on the revision of the postal voting law for Romanians abroad, PM Dacian Ciolos has announced today. We remind you that parliamentary elections will be held in Romania at the end of this year. The National Liberal Party has asked the Government to take several measures to facilitate voting abroad. One of these requests is to increase the number of polling stations abroad at least to the level of 2014. Also, applications by Romanian citizens living abroad to be included in the Election Registry should be submitted by made electronic post. According to the Electoral Authority, over 3,600 applications to be included in the Election Registry have been submitted by July 25, 2016. Over 3 million Romanians are currently working abroad legally, most of them in EU countries.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, WTA’s 5th seed, qualified on Wednesday morning to the round of sixteen of the tennis tournament in Montreal, Canada, after defeating Australian Daria Gavrilova no 54 WTA, 6-2, 6-3. Halep will next meet the winner of the game between Czech Karolina Pliskova and Italian Sara Errani.

FOOTBALL – Romania’s vice champion Steaua Bucharest was up against the Czech side Sparta Praga in an away match on Tuesday evening in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The match ended in a draw with both teams scoring once. In the same stage of the competition, Romania’s champion Astra Giurgiu is today playing at home against FC Copenhagen.

27 July 2016
July 1, 2016

EU PRESIDENCY – Slovakia is today taking over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from the Netherlands, against fears sparked by the Brexit vote. Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that the future of a Union with 27 member states cannot be decided by the few, referring to meetings of some Western officials immediately after the referendum in the United Kingdom. The Slovakian official said the EU would have to redefine its underperforming policies, especially those referring to migration. Romania and Bulgarias accession to the Schengen Area is one of the priorities of Slovakias term in office, according to Radio Romanias Brussels correspondent. Slovakia will host an informal EU summit in September, the first to be organised outside Brussels since 2000.

TALKS – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis on Monday has invited Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu, as well as the leaders of parliamentary parties, to a new round of talks in the wake of the Brexit vote. Britains decision to leave the European Union has had less influence on financial markets in Romania than on those in other states in the region, but this doesnt mean the impact wont be more serious in the future, National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has said. The Romanian official pointed out that the result of the referendum has fuelled uncertainty on international markets.

ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania is a trusted ally of NATO and remains a pillar of security and stability in the region, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has said while attending the inauguration ceremony for NATOs two command centres in Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis explained that NATOs command structures in Romania have a major role as part of collective efforts to improve the Alliances capability of successfully responding to current and future threats. The president also referred to the recent inauguration of the anti-ballistic defence facility in Deveselu, recalling that Romania has increased its defence budget and will do so up to 2% of its GDP by 2017. The Multinational South-East Division Command in Bucharest has joined other five NATO units on its eastern flank in Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales NATO decided to set up these command centres as a response to Russias ingressions in Ukraine. The event in Bucharest is held one week ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw.

BOMB ATTACK – The three men involved in the bomb attack at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, which killed 44 people and wounded over 250, were all from the former Soviet Union, Turkish sources have announced. One man was from the Northern Caucasus, while the others were from Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan. Turkish officials say that most of the existing data point to the involvement of the Islamic State terrorist cell. The organisation has not claimed the attack, but this is true of other similar attacks in Turkey. The triple bomb attack on Tuesday is the fourth and most serious in Istanbul this year. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has announced the authorities would increase security forces in all airports.

WIMBLEDON – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranked 5th in WTA standings, is today playing Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 28th WTA, in the third round at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. On Thursday, in the second round, Halep trounced Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-1, 6-1. Also in the third round, Monica Niculescu, 47th WTA, is playing Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, 11th WTA, after on Thursday she defeated Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia, 6-1, 6-4. The Wimbledon tournament has been disrupted by the heavy rain this week.

EURO 2016 – The national football teams of Belgium and Wales are today playing in the second quarterfinal at the European Football Championship in France. In the first match on Thursday, Portugal knocked out Poland at the penalty shootout. Portugal will be playing the winner of todays match. On Saturday, former world champions Italy and Germany are pitted against each other. The host country France is playing Iceland on Sunday. Romania was knocked out in the group phase after grabbing 1 point in three matches.

COCAINE – A record high quantity of 2,5 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated 625 million euros, was seized by the border police from a container in the port of Constanta, south-eastern Romania. The ship carrying the cocaine was coming from South America. The drugs were supposed to reach European markets. Investigators have detained five people, all foreign nationals, in this case.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

1 July 2016