Radio România Internațional

Tag: EU

  • October 25, 2023 UPDATE

    October 25, 2023 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT The government of
    Romania is ready to pass an emergency order on new minimum wages in
    constructions, agriculture and the food industry, PM Marcel Ciolacu announced.
    He made the statement after a meeting with trade unions and employer
    associations. Both in terms of the new minimum salary in constructions (around
    EUR 920) and of the ones in agriculture and the food industry (roughly EUR
    690), not a penny of the net wages is being cut, Marcel Ciolacu explained. On the other hand, the government drafted an order on
    reducing public sector expenditure at the end of this year.


    EU The president of
    Romania, Klaus Iohannis, takes part on Thursday and Friday in the meeting of
    the European Council and the inclusive Euro Summit meeting in Brussels, the
    Romanian presidency announced. The agenda of the European Council meeting
    includes topics like the situation in Ukraine, updating the Multi-Annual
    Financial Framework, economic issues, migration management and the EU foreign
    relations, with a focus on the situation in the Middle East, Kosovo and Serbia,
    and the developments in the Sahel region. As far as Ukraine is concerned, the
    EU leaders will also discuss the Union’s multidimensional support. President Iohannis
    will emphasise that Romania will remain a firm supporter of Ukraine and will
    plead for further support from the European bloc to that country for as long as
    necessary. Mr. Iohannis will also support opening accession negotiations with Ukraine
    and the R. of Moldova by the end of this year. At the Euro Summit, the
    participants will discuss the economic situation in the EU.


    REVOLUTION The case
    file concerning the December 1989 anti-communist uprising will be tried on its
    substance, the Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled after the magistrates dismissed
    all the objections made by the defendants. The decision is not final and may be
    challenged. The defendants in the so-called Revolution case include the
    former president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and the
    retired general Iosif Rus, indicted by military prosecutors for crimes against
    humanity committed between December 22 and 30, 1989, when over 1,000 people died and some 3,000
    were wounded. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist
    regime ended in violence and the communist leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu
    were executed.


    ARMY DAY In all military units in
    Romania and theatres of operations where Romanian troops are deployed, ceremonies
    were held on Wednesday to mark the Romanian Army Day. In Bucharest, president
    Klaus Iohannis said this is a very complicated period, with global peace and
    security threatened by regional conflicts. Europe is facing the worst crisis
    since WWII because of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, while the
    October 7 terrorist attack on Israel might destabilise the Middle East in the
    long run, Iohannis added. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu said Romania’s NATO
    membership is a guarantee that the security of Romanian citizens will never
    come under threat. The defence minister Angel Tîlvăr pointed out that the
    Romanian Army has risen to NATO standards in many respects, and added that
    earmarking 2% of GDP since 2017 and 2.5% of GDP this year to the defence sector
    enabled the implementation of ambitious procurement programmes. Meanwhile, the
    Romanian troops’ participation in UN, EU and NATO missions over the past
    decades has strengthened Romania’s security profile, Angel Tîlvăr added.


    ISRAEL Israel has demanded the resignation of the UN Secretary General, Antonio
    Guterres, over accusations of justifying terrorism and the crimes committed by
    Hamas. Guterres said in a Security Council meeting that the attacks of Hamas on
    Israel did not happen without reason. He made it clear, however, that the
    suffering of the Palestinians in what he called 56 years of suffocating
    occupation cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas, just as these
    attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. On
    Wednesday, Israel accepted a request from the US to delay its invasion of Gaza
    for the time being, so that the US may bring missile defence in the region, US
    and Israeli officials announced, quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The United
    States says it will work with China to de-escalate the situation in the Middle
    East. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said he would work with
    the Chinese foreign minister, who is travelling to Washington at the end of this
    week, to prevent the conflict from expanding. The president of France, Emmanuel
    Macron, Wednesday concluded his two-day tour to the Middle East, which included
    Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. His message was unambiguous, calling
    for preventing a spill-over of the conflict, for freeing the hostages taken by
    the terrorist group Hamas and for aid for the Palestinians in Gaza. (AMP)

  • A new meeting for the Republic of Moldova

    A new meeting for the Republic of Moldova

    Western diplomats and geopolitical experts agree that the Republic of Moldova is the most vulnerable among the neighbors of Ukraine which was invaded by Russian troops. It is considered, in the specialized rankings, as one of the poorest states on the continent. It does not belong to any military alliance, because an outdated Constitution, adopted three decades ago, stipulates complete neutrality. The pro-Russian break-away region of Transnistria or Trans-Dniester (east) has been, de facto, out of the control of the central authorities since 1992. The capital, Chişinău, is teeming with Moscow’s agents who have reached as far as the Parliament. All in all, the state could not survive without the assistance of Western partners. On Tuesday, the fourth edition of the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova took place in Chişinău. It was created last year at the initiative of neighboring Romania, France and Germany, to help overcome the crises and effects generated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine.



    About 50 delegates, foreign ministers from the European Union countries and representatives of international financial institutions and organizations participated. The host, the pro-Western president Maia Sandu, recalled that the Republic of Moldova managed to overcome a difficult winter, to help the numerous Ukrainian refugees and its own population, vulnerable to energy bills, and to strengthen its institutions, against the background of hybrid aggressions from Russia. She compared the support that external partners have offered and will continue to offer to Chişinău with a ‘collective enterprise or community, an old custom in the Romanian tradition in which neighbors gather to help each other. With the help of friends, the Republic of Moldova is better prepared for this winter, and Russia’s energy blackmail has failed Moldovas president pointed out, as quoted by Radio Romania correspondents in Chişinău. She admits that, although the Republic of Moldova has become stronger in the fight against disinformation and in the fight with Russia’s hybrid war, the threats have not yet been overcome, and Moscow will try to influence next month’s local elections by using dirty money.



    Attending the meeting, the French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, underlined the importance of European support for the Republic of Moldova, which benefits both the population and the economy in the long term. Infrastructure, connectivity and structural reforms are the key to getting closer to the European Union, Catherine Colonna pointed out. And her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said that the support platform for the Republic of Moldova is a successful initiative, which managed to mobilize external funds in just a few weeks and to help citizens overcome both the energy crisis and the crisis caused by the waves of Ukrainian refugees. (LS)

  • Informal European Summit

    Informal European Summit

    The EUs informal summit hosted in Granada by the Spanish presidency of the EU Council, ended with a limited joint statement, which made no reference to the thorny issues. The statement should have included elements regarding migration, EU enlargement, national and cyber security and the EUs industrial autonomy from third countries such as China, Russia and the United States. The main divergences arose, as expected, in relation to the common European migration pact. Hungary and Poland vehemently opposed its inclusion in the final statement, and the press reports that the two leaders from Budapest and Warsaw, respectively, used very harsh words. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Hungary feels violated and attacked when EU member states impose a threshold on migration, while Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said such a measure was a dictate from Brussels which he will never accept.




    However, the EU law says that in order to take a decision on the pact for migration, unanimity is not necessary, but only a majority of votes, so, in the end, there will be such a pact in the EU, despite the staunch opposition of Hungary and Poland. Another important topic, which stirred the waters at the Granada summit, was the expansion of the community bloc. The 2030 deadline for taking in new EU members, launched by the High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has been rejected. European leaders, including Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, deem it unrealistic. The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, said that the candidate states will enter the Union depending on effort and merit, a statement reinforced by the head of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen said that EU enlargement must remain a process based on individual merit. Therefore, the final declaration only mentions that the EU will have more than 30 members.




    Among the candidate states are the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the countries of the Western Balkans and even Turkey. A decision that could generate effects is expected to be taken at the European summit scheduled for December. The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, voiced optimism in this respect, especially after the European Parliament passed a resolution demanding the start of accession negotiations with Chisinau by the end of the year. Until then, however, the Granada Declaration maintains the commitment of the 27 heads of state and government from the EU bloc to a strong, dynamic, competitive and cohesive Europe in a changing world. (EE)


  • EU enlargement, under the spotlight

    EU enlargement, under the spotlight

    The European Union is the result of an ever-evolving integration and enlargement process. After the establishment, in 1951, by six countries — Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — of the European Coal and Steel Community, the forerunner of todays European Union, there were several enlargement waves. Those in 1973, 1981, 1986, 1995 and 2004 were followed, in 2007, by the wave that included Romania and Bulgaria, and by another one in 2013. The 2013 enlargement was the last one in a decade. In 2020, the EU lost one of its members, Britain, following the famous Brexit, which left the European bloc with only 27 members. In order to join the EU, candidates must prove that they are able to fully assume the role of members of the Union, which is to rigorously fulfill all the accession criteria. In other words, the enlargement policy involves an often difficult process, but which, in the end, should bring benefits to both parties – the candidates and the European Union.




    The EU leaders discussed this weekend in Granada, Spain, about the perspectives of EU enlargement. Romania, represented by President Klaus Iohannis, supports the accession process of the neighboring Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as that of the countries in the Balkans. Nevertheless, it believes it would be unrealistic to advance deadlines for enlargement. Klaus Iohannis: “Taking a decisive step as regards Ukraine or Moldova, will not be decided tomorrow. There are talks that will lead to a strategic agenda for the coming years. For me personally and for us, in Romania, it is obviously very important that Ukraine and Moldova take quick steps towards European integration, which is why we conducted a very strong lobbying.”




    As many as 5 Western Balkan states have candidate status at present and, in some cases, have initiated accession negotiations. These states are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Lets not forget Turkey, which also wants to be part of the Union. Kosovo, whose independence is recognized only by some of the EU states, applied for membership in 2022. In Eastern Europe, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine received the status of candidate countries in 2022. Georgia also hopes to receive it. Chisinau and Kyiv would like the accession negotiations to begin as soon as possible, and the European Parliament has just passed a resolution asking the Commission to start these procedures with the Republic of Moldova sooner. (EE)

  • Rumänien unterstützt die Friedenssicherung im Kosovo

    Rumänien unterstützt die Friedenssicherung im Kosovo


    Rumänien wird demnächst eine Infanteriekompanie entsenden, die als Teil der strategischen Reserve für die NATO-Operation im Kosovo nominiert wurde. Dies hat das Verteidigungsministerium in Bukarest mitgeteilt. Die Entscheidung folgt der Genehmigung des Nordatlantikrats, zusätzliche Truppen zu schicken, um die aktuelle Situation auf dem westlichen Balkan zu bewältigen. Als Mitglied der NATO und der Europäischen Union ist Bukarest verpflichtet, militärische Kräfte und Mittel für die Bemühungen zur Aufrechterhaltung eines stabilen Sicherheitsumfelds in der Balkanregion bereitzustellen, die historisch als Pulverfass Europas“ bekannt ist. Rumänien gehört zu den fünf EU-Ländern, die den Kosovo nicht anerkennen. Seine Truppen sind dort, um den Frieden zwischen den Volksgruppen zu bewahren. Derzeit hat Rumänien rund 330 Soldaten im Westbalkans stationiert.




    Die Spannungen im Kosovo eskalierten erneut, nachdem eine paramilitärische Bande von mehreren Dutzend Männern Ende letzten Monats einen kosovo-albanischen Polizisten getötet und einen weiteren verwundet hatte. Drei Mitglieder des Kommandos, allesamt Kosovo-Serben, wurden bei einem Einsatz der kosovarischen Spezialpolizei getötet. Die Präsenz serbischer Truppen in der Grenzregion erinnert an das Verhalten Russlands gegenüber der Ukraine vor seiner Invasion“, sagte die Au‎ßenministerin des Kosovo, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz. Wir haben in den vergangenen Jahren keine solche Truppenkonzentration erlebt“, so Gervalla-Schwarz, und die Waffen, die sie dort haben, die Panzer, geben uns ein ungutes Gefühl, da wir nicht wissen, wie die internationale Gemeinschaft reagieren wird“. Die Au‎ßenministerin Kosovos forderte die EU auf, Ma‎ßnahmen gegen Serbien zu ergreifen, wie das Einfrieren des Kandidatenstatus. Die Vereinigten Staaten hatten angekündigt, dass sie eine Aufstockung der serbischen Truppen an der Grenze zum Kosovo beobachten. Vergangene Woche sagte der serbische Präsident Aleksandar Vučić, dass seine Truppen nicht die Grenze zu einer ehemaligen serbischen Provinz überschreiten werden. Diese wurde 2008 unabhängig von Belgrad. Eine Eskalation des Konflikts würde Serbiens Bemühungen, der Europäischen Union beizutreten, schaden. Der Befehlshaber der serbischen Armee, General Milan Moisilovic, erklärte, dass er den Rückzug von etwa der Hälfte der mehr als 8 000 Soldaten angeordnet habe.

  • EU-Außenministertreffen in Kiew

    EU-Außenministertreffen in Kiew


    Die Au‎ßenminister der EU-Mitgliedsstaaten haben sich am Montag in Kiew getroffen, um ihre Solidarität mit der von russischen Truppen besetzten Ukraine zu bekunden. Dies teilte der EU-Au‎ßenbeauftragte Josep Borrell mit. Dieses war das erste Treffen au‎ßerhalb der EU. Das Treffen wurde von dem ukrainischen Au‎ßenminister Dmitro Kuleba als innerhalb der zukünftigen Grenzen der Europäischen Union“ begrü‎ßt. Seine französische Amtskollegin Catherine Colonna sagte, das Treffen zeige, dass die Ukraine Teil der europäischen Familie ist. Vergangenes Jahr hat die EU der Ukraine den Status eines Beitrittskandidaten zuerkannt, aber keinen Zeitplan für den Beitritt festgelegt. Die neue EU-Botschafterin in Kiew, Katarina Mathernova, erklärte letzte Woche, dass der Beitritt der Ukraine im Jahr 2030 ein realistisches Ziel sei. Bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt müsse sich die Ukraine gegen eine Invasion wehren und die Unterstützung der westlichen Partner sei unerlässlich. Im Namen des Nachbarlandes Rumänien sagte Au‎ßenministerin Luminița Odobescu: Die Sicherheit in der Ukraine und den umliegenden Staaten ist fragil. Die Grenze Rumäniens zur Ukraine ist die längste. Die russischen Angriffe auf die zivile Infrastruktur der Ukraine, einschlie‎ßlich der Donauhäfen an der rumänischen Grenze, verschärfen die Lage. Diese Angriffe haben nicht nur wirtschaftliche Folgen für die Ukraine, sondern auch für die Weltwirtschaft, zum Beispiel für die Ernährungssicherheit. Die Schifffahrt auf der Donau und dem Schwarzen Meer ist ebenfalls gefährdet. Rumänien bemüht sich, der Ukraine mithilfe der Solidaritätskorridore zu helfen. Wir werden uns bemühen, den Transit bis zum Jahresende auf vier Millionen Tonnen Getreide zu erhöhen.“




    Josep Borrell teilte mit, dass die Europäische Union die militärische Unterstützung für die Ukraine erhöhen werde. Er sprach mit ukrainischen Beamten über Artillerie, Luftabwehr- und elektronische Kampfführungssysteme sowie über langfristige Hilfs- und Ausbildungsprogramme. Experten sagen, dass die europäischen Länder mehr militärische Unterstützung zusagten, nachdem das von der republikanischen Rechten dominierte US-Repräsentantenhaus ein Gesetz verabschiedet hat, das ein 6-Milliarden-Dollar-Paket für die Ukraine gestrichen hatte.




    Der Zusammenhalt der EU-Mitglieder musste erneut bestätigt werden, nachdem die linkspopulistische Partei Smer-SSD am Samstag die Parlamentswahlen in der Slowakei gewonnen hatte und ihr Vorsitzender, Robert Fico, bereits zum Premierminister ernannt wurde. Er sagte, er werde der benachbarten Ukraine keine weitere Kugel“ schicken und rief zu besseren Beziehungen zu Russland auf.

  • Second tranche of Romania’s NRRP, disbursed

    Second tranche of Romania’s NRRP, disbursed

    At the end of last week, the European Commission transferred 2.76 billion euros to Romania, the second payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (NRRP). The European Commission said that the payment was made because Romania fulfilled 49 milestones and objectives related to the second tranche. They cover key reforms in areas such as the green and digital transition – the adoption of the law on decarbonisation and the enforcement of the law on cloud services used in the public sector, Brussels said. At the same time, Romania also presented the reforms to improve the application of public policies, the promotion of tourism and culture, the development of human resources in the healthcare sector, the improvement of tax collection and the sustainability of pensions, the modernization of the education system infrastructure, as well as the consolidation of the independence of the judicial system and of the fight against corruption.



    The head of the Bucharest Government, the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, hailed the Commission’s announcement. He said that the Romanian Government has the duty to manage efficiently and transparently these funds, which are intended for key reforms for the country’s green and digital transition. Ciolacu pointed out that the Romanian Government is now also focusing on completing all milestones and targets related to the third payment request in order to submit it to the European Commission as soon as possible and thus increase the chances of receiving the third installment earlier.



    In turn, the speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, the president of the National Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition alongside PSD, said that the wise use of money from Brussels will mirror in the stability of the budget and would have a multiplier effect, leading to the improvement of the living standards of every Romanian. The PNL leader also said that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan contracted by Romania is a complex one and that only for this second payment request, more than 3,000 documents had to be submitted. Payments under the NRRP, a key instrument at the heart of the NextGenerationEU program, are based on performance and depend on Romania’s implementation of the investments and reforms set out in its own plan.



    Romania submitted its second payment request to the European Commission in December 2022, and in June 2023 Brussels approved a partially positive preliminary assessment of it, but found that two benchmarks related to energy investment were not satisfactorily met. However, the Commission acknowledged that Romania has already taken measures to fulfill them. Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be financed with over 29 billion euros, in grants and loans. The cumulative value of funds received by Romania so far under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, is almost 10 billion euros. (EE)




  • State of the European Union

    State of the European Union

    The war in Ukraine, the tensions with Russia or the energy crisis are some of the immediate realities included in the State of the Union Address delivered in the European Parliament in Strasbourg by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen – the last such address in the current mandate of the European Commission. Therefore, it was a moment of reflection not only on the past year, but on the entire mandate. And the main message would be that over 90% of the political objectives that the current Commission set at the end of 2019 have been met.



    Some of the Commissions priorities for the end of its mandate were summarized, in an interview for Radio Romania International, by the head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, Ramona Chiriac: “The von der Leyen Commission wants to take additional steps in relation to better supporting the business community. Also, an additional step taken towards European citizens is a new vision of a strategic dialogue on the European agricultural policy. We will equally continue the dialogue on the new budget schedule, in which, as you know, there is also a component for Ukraine, because the support for Ukraine remains as long as they need our support.”



    The Commissions attention is also focused on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Although in her State of the Union Address, Ursula von der Leyen clearly said that the two deserve to be welcomed in the free travel area, she did not offer a clear solution to overcome the opposition of Austria, the only country of the 27 EU members still against it. Anyway, addressing all the MEPs from all the countries and from all the political groups represented in the EP, Mrs. von der Leyen had an encouraging message, which was applauded, for the migration management policies of Romania and Bulgaria. The Romanian MEPs, regardless of their political color, believe that Bucharest must put pressure on the European authorities to obtain entry into Schengen by the end of the year.



    Here is the Social Democrat Victor Negrescu: “I would have expected the president of the European Commission to come with a definite date regarding Romanias accession to the free travel area or with alternative solutions in the event of a possible new refusal by Austria.”



    in his turn, the liberal Siegfried Mureşan underlined that: “I hope that the Austrian Government will have a rational, correct attitude, and that the unjustified veto against Romania will be lifted as soon as possible.”



    Finally, Dacian Cioloş, from the Renew Europe group, a former European Commissioner, believes that Romania should adopt a radical position: to use its right of veto on any subject that requires unanimity at the European level, until the European leaders resolve the Schengen problem. (LS)

  • The priorities of the second parliamentary session

    The priorities of the second parliamentary session

    The Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies on Monday began the second ordinary parliamentary session of the year. According to the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the priorities include, besides the government’s taking responsibility before Parliament for a legislative package aimed at fiscal changes and administrative reform, a new pension law and tougher punishments for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs:



    Marcel Ciolacu: “We know that there are many inequities in the old pension law. We continue to have in Romania pensions of 1,500 lei (almost 300 Euros), and also of 30-40,000 lei (that is 6 – 8,000 Euros). I have also discussed with my colleagues about the package that will be included in a single law, the law on assuming responsibility, which includes measures for combating evasion, for reforms in the local administration, as well as measures to accommodate a smaller deficit than last year”.



    Moreover, the Prime Minister tried, the other day, in Brussels, to convince the European Commission of the capacity of the Romanian government to respect a new budget deficit target this year, higher as compared to the one assumed by Romania, of 4.4%, to cover the aid that Bucharest granted to neighboring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNNRand special pensions were also at the center of recent negotiations. The governing partners of the Social Democrats, the Liberals, announced that a new pension law, which would solve the inequities in the system, represents a priority. For the moment, however, the document regarding the reform of special pensions has been declared partially unconstitutional by the judges of the Constitutional Court of Romania, even if the changes made to special pensions represent a requirement under the PNRR.



    On the other hand, the opposition announces a censure motion if the package of fiscal-budgetary measures is adopted by the government’s taking responsibility for it before Parliament. The Save Romania Union leader, Cătălin Drulă, believes that an increase in fees and taxes is not a viable solution.



    Cătălin Drulă: “Ciolacu is preparing to bury Romanias economy! He has already slowed economic growth, businesses are complaining, there are no more orders, sales are decreasing and they want to increase taxes and drive investors away from Romania. Why? To pay the bill for the budget fraud”.



    However, Marcel Ciolacu gave assurances in Brussels that Romania is a credible and responsible and above all a fair partner, both of the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament. The Romanian government experts continue to discuss with European officials about the renegotiation of the PNRR, taking into account the principles established by the prime minister at the meetings he had in Brussels. After the European Commission sees the reforms that the government is making, it will propose to the European Council a renegotiation of the value of the budget deficit, which will allow Bucharest to obtain a higher deficit. A decision on the new percentage could be made by the end of the year. (LS)

  • September 2, 2023

    September 2, 2023

    Budget — The European Commission might agree to a higher budget deficit than the one originally assumed by Romania for this year, says the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, after the meeting, in Brussels, on Friday, with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Romania assumed a deficit of 4.4%, but it wants to increase it to over 5%. Marcel Ciolacu also mentioned the package of laws that the government will take responsibility for in Parliament, stating that among the fiscal measures considered, there will not be an increase in the VAT rate over 19%. In Brussels, the Prime Minister Ciolacu also met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. They reiterated their support for Bucharests accession to Schengen and, on the other hand, they thanked Romania for the strong support offered to neighboring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.



    Summit — The US President Joe Bidens special envoy on climate issues, John Kerry, is coming to Bucharest. The US State Department announces that, on Wednesday, he will participate in the Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, a diplomatic format that includes 12 member states of the European Union located between the Baltic, Black and Adriatic seas. John Kerry will talk about how an accelerated transition to clean energy strengthens energy security and resilience in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as about new nuclear technologies, including Romanias role in the construction of small modular reactors. John Kerry was Secretary of State between 2013 and 2017, during the second term of President Barack Obama.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea qualified, for the first time, in the round of 16 of the US Open tournament, the last Grand Slam competition of the year, on Friday, in New York, after her surprise victory over Kazakhstans Elena Rîbakina, with the score 6 -3, 6-7, 6-4. The Romanian (30 WTA) achieved her best performance at Flushing Meadows. In the round of 16, Sorana Cîrstea will face the Swiss Belinda Bencic. Also in New York, in the womens doubles, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the round of 16, after defeating the Russian-Australian pair Irina Hromaceva/Daria Saville 6-2, 6-2. Ruse and Kostiuk reached the semifinals of the doubles event at the Australian Open this year, stopped in the round of 16 at Roland Garros and in the second round at Wimbledon.



    Swimmer – The Romanian librarian Avram Iancu finished, on Friday, his swimming race on the Rhine, through which he wanted to support, in his own way, the importance of Romanias accession to the Schengen Area. A multi-sport athlete, he managed to cover the 1,032 kilometers of the river in 48 days, without a neoprene suit or other aids, making an effort that he described as titanic and unimaginable. In the summer of 2017, Avram Iancu became the first man in the world who managed to cross the Danube River using only the strength of his arms. (LS)

  • Athen: Treffen der Balkanländer

    Athen: Treffen der Balkanländer

    Auf Initiative des griechischen Premierministers trafen sich gestern die Staats- und Regierungschefs der Balkanstaaten in Athen, 20 Jahre nach dem Gipfel in Thessaloniki, der den Grundstein für die Erweiterung der EU um die westlichen Balkanstaaten legte. Das Ziel des informellen Treffens war es, die Fortschritte der letzten Jahre in Bezug auf die regionale Zusammenarbeit in Südosteuropa sowie die Herausforderungen durch die Entwicklungen im Ukraine-Konflikt zu besprechen. In Athen trafen sich die Staats- und Regierungschefs aus Serbien, Montenegro, Moldau, Nordmazedonien, dem Kosovo, Rumänien, Bulgarien, Kroatien und Bosnien-Herzegowina sowie die Präsidenten des Europäischen Rates und der Europäischen Kommission, Charles Michel und Ursula von der Leyen. Der ukrainische Präsident, Volodymyr Selenskyj, nahm an dem Treffen in Griechenland teil, was als Zeichen der Unterstützung für die Ukraine und die transatlantische Perspektive der gesamten Region gewertet wird. Die Chefin der Europäischen Kommission schrieb auf einer Webseite: Wir müssen unsere Freunde, die zukünftigen Mitglieder der EU, viel früher an uns heranführen. Wir wollen auch Barrieren zwischen unseren Regionen abbauen.“ Das Treffen widmete sich neben der EU-Erweiterung auch der Energiesicherheit und den Sanktionen gegen Russland, denen sich Belgrad nicht angeschlossen hat. Die Forderung nach Sanktionen gegen Russland aufgrund des Krieges gegen die Ukraine wurde vom serbischen Präsidenten Aleksandar Vučić in der Abschlusserklärung des Athener-Treffens gestrichen. Die Teilnehmer waren sich einig, dass es wichtig ist, den ständigen Dialog und die Koordination im Bereich der Sicherheit und der regionalen wirtschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit fortzusetzen. Sie bekräftigten ihre Solidarität mit der Ukraine und der Republik Moldau. Sie erklärten ihre Unterstützung für den Erweiterungsprozess mit den westlichen Balkanstaaten und den östlichen Nachbarstaaten.




    Im Rahmen seiner Rede erklärte Rumäniens Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu detailliert, wie Bukarest die Ukraine unterstützt und unterstrich dabei auch die Herausforderungen, vor denen die rumänischen Bauern beim Exportieren von ukrainischem Getreide stehen. Ciolacu schlug eine europäische Strategie zur Verwaltung des Getreideverkehrs, die Bereitstellung weiterer Mittel für die Landwirtschaft und Ernährungsindustrie sowie den Aufbau einer besonderen Infrastruktur vor. Der rumänische Premierminister betonte auch die strategische Bedeutung der Erweiterung des Schengen-Raums und verwies auf die Notwendigkeit eines raschen Beitritts Rumäniens. Marcel Ciolacu forderte in seinen Gesprächen mit der Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, die Zusammenarbeit im Hinblick auf den Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum zu intensivieren. Der Premierminister bekräftigte die Notwendigkeit einer europäischen Einigung und schlug eine gemeinsame regionale Zusammenarbeit in den Bereichen Energie, Handel und Bekämpfung hybrider Gefahren vor. Ciolacu erörterte mit seinem griechischen Amtskollegen, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, die Ausweitung der bilateralen und regionalen Zusammenarbeit und versicherte Präsident Selenskyj, dass Rumänien der Ukraine bis zu ihrem Sieg und dem Wiederaufbau helfen werde.



  • August 18, 2023

    August 18, 2023


    OLYMPIAD – Romania took 1st place at the Central European Olympiad in Informatics 2023 (CEOI 2023), held in Magdeburg, Germany. Student Luca Perju-Verzotti with the Tudor Vianu National College of Informatics in Bucharest took the first place and gold medals. Gold, silver and bronze medals were also won by three students with the Aurel Vlaicu Theoretical High School in Orăștie (central Romania) and the International Theoretical High School of Informatics in Bucharest.



    GDP — Romania is among the countries with the best results in terms of GDP growth and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the first quarter of this year, according to the Eurostat. Romanias GDP is 2.4% and has increased more than the European average of 1.2%. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, Romania has reduced them by almost 5%, while the European average is 2.9%. The EU economy as a whole has become more efficient and less polluting. In the first quarter of 2023, EU economy’s greenhouse gas emissions totalled 941 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent, a 2.9% decrease compared with the same quarter of 2022. This decrease took place simultaneously with a 1.2% increase in the EU’s GDP in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter of 2022, Eurostat reports. Most emissions were released by the housing sector – 24%, followed by industrial production – 20%, electricity and gas sector – 19%, agriculture – 13% and transport and storage – 10%. The largest decrease in emissions occurred in the electricity and gas sector – 12.3% while the transport and storage sector had the largest increase – by 7.2%


    FOREIG AFFAIRS – The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, spoke on the phone with her Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, and also with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Melanie Joly. According to a press release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, during the discussion with the Armenian counterpart, Minister Luminiţa Odobescu reconfirmed Romanias support for the development of the relationship between the Armenia and the EU. Regarding the situation in the South Caucasus, the Romanian official welcomed the mediation efforts of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and voiced support for the peaceful resolution, through dialogue, of all pending issues, respecting the principles and norms of international law, including the provisions of international humanitarian law. On the other hand, during the telephone conversation with the Canadian counterpart, the very good cooperation on various files of bilateral interest was emphasized, such as cooperation in the energy sector, in the security and defense sectors and in the promotion of human rights. Also, the two ministers highlighted the joint commitment of Romania and Canada to provide sustained support to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, both in the context of efforts to combat the effects of Russias war in Ukraine, and in support of the European path of the two states.



    GOVERNMENT – The text of an emergency order that modifies the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, but also the proposals of the Ministry of Transport in terms of cutting red tape are on the agenda of todays meeting of the Romanian government. The government also wants to adopt and submit to parliament a draft law to revise the article of the Criminal Code, which refers to the punishment of discrimination and incitement to hatred.



    VISIT — The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denîs Şmîhal, is in Bucharest today for talks with Romanian officials on aspects related to regional security, in the context of Russias military aggression against Ukraine. We will also discuss Romanias efforts regarding the transit of Ukrainian grain to ensure access to food worldwide, as well as issues related to the bilateral agenda for the protection of Romanian farmers and the rights of Romanian minorities in Ukraine, Romanian PM, Marcel Ciolacu said.


    FOOTBALL –Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe football squad, holder of the Romanian Cup, qualified to the Europa Conference League play-off after the 1-0 victory against FC Aktobe on Thursday evening, in Kazakhstan, in the second leg of the third preliminary round of the competition. In Sfantu Gheorghe, Sepsi had finished the match with Aktobe in a draw. On Thursday evening, the Romanian vice-champion FCSB was eliminated from the Europa Conference League by the vice-champion of Denmark, FC Nordsjaelland, who, after a goalless draw in Bucharest, won at home 2-0, in the second leg of the third preliminary round. Romanias champion, Farul Constanţa, has also qualified to the Europa Conference League play-off, which won the away match with Flora Tallinn of Estonia. Two Nordic teams will be the opponents of the Romanians in the play-off: HJK Helsinki (Finland), for Farul and FK Bodoe/Glimt (Norway) for Sepsi. (EE)


  • Working abroad and its effects on children

    Working abroad and its effects on children


    For over 20 years now, since labour migration started to spread among Romanians, one of its most dramatic consequences has become apparent with the children left behind in their home country, in the care of the grandparents or other relatives. While many of the parents take their kids with them when leaving the country for various jobs in the EU, there are also lots of cases of families torn apart when one of their members takes a job abroad.



    Save the Children Organisation has long warned about this situation, and a recent survey provides updated information on the scope of this phenomenon. Based on data collected in July-September 2022, the survey indicates that nearly one-quarter of the children up to 17 have had a parent working abroad. Of these, in 61.5% of the cases only the father had been or was still away for work, and in 20.4% only the mother, but 18.1% of these kids were left at home in Romania while both their parents were working abroad.At present, over 500,000 children are in this situation, most of them at very young ages. On average, mothers leave after the children turn 6, while fathers usually leave for work when the kids are much younger. As for deciding to leave, the survey indicates that children are consulted even though they are still very young. Anca Stamin, of Save the Children Organisation, has more details:



    Anca Stamin: “83% of the adults we interviewed said the kid had been involved in the decision. The children themselves, however, say they were involved in a much smaller proportion, 63%, and we tend to believe the children. Moreover, almost one-third of the kids who have been asked, that is 31%, say that when asked, they did not agree with their parents leaving. I would also like to emphasise that, unfortunately, the survey revealed what I was saying earlier, namely that most kids in this situation are not covered in the records of social assistance services. Basically, only 39% of the childrens families say the social assistance service is aware of the kids status. Meanwhile, schools have been informed in 57% of the cases. So what we do know is that neither schools, nor social services have complete information in this respect, and that parents or families are rather reluctant to declare that the parents are away for work.”



    The fact that parents fail to notify the authorities with respect to the children left at home makes is difficult for the authorities or NGOs to step in in case of problems. And the survey run by Save the Children highlights the additional risks facing the children left behind by their parents who work abroad.



    Anca Stamin: “Data reveal a major difference between children from families with migrants and children in families without migrant workers, in terms of risk behaviours. Among the former, there is a 38% chance of exposure to explicit sex and porn online, and a twice as high risk of becoming aggressive with other children and of drinking alcohol. Similarly, they are vulnerable to smoking and substance abuse. All these take place in the context of no parental control, easy access to devices, lack of communication with the parents or caretakers, and, on the other hand, in the absence of good health education. These negative behaviours are also a form of expressing the negative emotions that children feel after their parents have left the country. We have been working with children in this situation, and many of them feel abandoned or even guilty for their parents leaving. Even when parents mean well, it is a mistake to tell children they are leaving for the kids sake, because they place an additional burden on the child.”



    Communication is key in preserving family ties, and todays digital revolution makes it a lot easier. Most parents, for instance, keep in touch with their kids via video online platforms, and only 19% of them only speak over the phone. Also, 45% of them talk to their kids every day, and 15% of the parents speak several times a day with their kids. But unfortunately, there are also cases where communication is less frequent: 33% of the parents only talk to their children every 2-3 days, and 7% of them once a week. Even worse, 20% of the teenagers who have a parent away for work only speak with them once a week or less. Andreea Penescu is 12, and her father left for work to Switzerland when she was 2. This is how the sixth-grader communicates with her father:



    Andreea Penescu:”Over the phone, via text messages. When he has a holiday or there is an occasion, he comes home, although we rarely see each other. Most often we talk on the phone or via messages. Its not a very close relationship, but I wouldnt say its a cold one either. I mean, we stay in touch. Its okay, but I am a lot closer to my mum.”



    Andreea also says she never visited her father in Switzerland, and this summer is the first time she has an opportunity to spend 2 weeks with him there. As for why her father left, the girl says it was in order to improve the family financial situation. But although things are better now in this respect and she would have rather her family stayed together, Andreea is not considering moving to Switzerland:



    Andreea Penescu:”Its not that we couldnt. But I dont want to, and I think mum doesnt want to, either, because we have our lives built here in Romania, step by step and day by day. I have my friends and my school here, my mother has friends and co-workers, and I know it would be quite hard to start all over again, with a new language, a new life, a new lifestyle.”



    Although Andreea seems at peace with the current situation and although she does well in school, the Save the Children survey shows that a parents migration leads to a 62% chance that the kids performance in the first few years of school will be rather poor. (AMP)


  • August 14, 2023 UPDATE

    August 14, 2023 UPDATE

    Government – The Romanian government is working on finalizing two laws aimed at reducing the budget deficit. According to a draft law made public recently, the owners of luxury cars would have to pay a tax. Those who work in the IT field, now exempt from taxation, will have to pay the tax, if their salary exceeds 10,000 lei (about 2,000 Euros) per month. Those working in constructions and agriculture will have to pay health insurance contributions, from now on. Finally, state employees who have a monthly gross salary of over 10,000 lei will no longer receive holiday vouchers. SMEs with incomes up to 300,000 lei will pay a tax of 1%, and those that exceed this income will pay a tax of 3%. Regarding the emergency ordinance that will reduce the state apparatus, the government is analyzing the possibility of abolishing 200,000 unfilled positions, merging some public institutions and reducing the number of state secretaries, the number of management positions, the number of members in the boards of administrators and of members of local authorities offices. Some of the measures mentioned in the press are already publicly contested by state employees and the business environment.




    Mini-holiday – This is the busiest period on the Romanian Black Sea coast resorts this summer as many Romanians are on a mini-holiday occasioned by the Christian celebration of the Assumption of Mary also called the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Eastern Church. Over 120 thousand tourists are estimated to be spending this mini-holiday in Romanias seaside resorts. From the resort of Mamaia to Vama Veche, musical events, theatre performances and open-air recitals are attracting tourists as well as the demonstrative military drills due on August 15th which also marks the Navy Day in Romania. After a break of four years, people will be able to witness from the shores of the cities of Constanta and Mangalia a series of military exercises involving the participation of Romanias naval forces followed by a parade of its warships. The Romanian seamen will participate in a series of games and contests, which will be followed by fireworks at night. Numerous events are already underway on the Romanian Black Sea coast, and are likely to continue for the entire week. Standing out among them is the Festival of the ancient cities of Dobrogea at Tropaeum Traiani in Adamclisi, southern Romania.




    Conviction – The former Social Democratic finance minister, Darius Vâlcov, who was definitively convicted by the Romanian justice system and fled to Italy, was brought to the country on Monday afternoon, under escort, by an airline flight. He is to serve a 6-year sentence in a penitentiary. The extradition took place after the Court of Cassation in Rome issued a final sentence in this regard. Vâlcov is the first famous fugitive that the Romanian authorities manage to bring from Italy. Several Romanians convicted by the countrys courts, mostly in corruption cases, found refuge there to escape prison.




    Exercise – About 250 servicemen from France and Luxembourg and 65 pieces of military equipment from the NATO Battle Group stationed in Romania are involved as of Monday until August 18th in a military drill entitled DEPLOYEX, which is taking place in the shooting range at Babadag, south-eastern Romania, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. The exercise is meant to test the rapid deployment of troops and military gear and contributes to improving the level of interoperability of the forces making up the NATO Battle Group, being a sequel of the training programs earlier staged in Cincu, central Romania. The NATO battle group contributes to increasing Romanias military cooperation with the rotating participant countries, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and implicitly to strengthening the security of the Euro-Atlantic space on the Eastern Flank, a Defense Ministry communiqué writes. Cooperation with the strategic partners and the existence on the national territory of relevant war structures contribute to raising the of defense and deterrence capabilities in the context of the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Black Sea region, the ministry also shows.




    Ice cream – Romania is the ninth producer of ice cream in the European Union, with a production of 35 million liters in 2022, according to data published on Monday by Eurostat. Germany ranks first, with a production of 620 million liters, followed by France and Italy. Besides being the largest producer of ice cream in 2022, Germany produced, on average, the cheapest ice cream in the EU, at a price of 1.5 Euros per liter. At the opposite pole, the most expensive ice cream was made in Austria, with an average price of 7 Euros per liter. The member countries produced a quantity of 3.2 billion liters of ice cream last year, increasing by 5% compared to 2021.

  • July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    WEATHER Extreme temperatures are still forecast in most of Romania,
    particularly in the south and east, where the temperature-humidity index will be above
    the critical 80% ceiling. The highs are expected to range between 25 and 37
    degrees Celsius. Most regions will also be facing atmospheric instability, with
    heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and wind. Code yellow and code orange alerts are
    in place in the west of the country, where strong wind, thunderstorms, hail and
    heavy rainfalls are expected.


    FIREFIGHTERS On Wednesday Romania sent another 40 firefighters and
    several fire engines to Greece, where the authorities requested international
    assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The decision to send
    additional intervention equipment and personnel was made by the Romanian
    government. Romania has deployed a total of 13 fire engines and 80 fire
    fighters, after the Greek authorities issued a code-red alert for extreme heat
    across the country, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius expected to
    contribute to the spreading of wildfires. The Romanian fire fighters are to
    stay in Greece until August 1.

    CLIMATE The UN says humanity must prepare for more intense heat
    waves and recommends that citizens develop their own battle plan to
    face these extreme day and night temperatures. In North America, Asia, North
    Africa and the Mediterranean, temperatures will keep exceeding 40 degrees
    Celsius in the coming days. According to experts, heat-trapping greenhouse gas
    emissions are at the origin of climate change. Italy is subject to new alerts for
    particularly hot weather, while several regions in Spain have been placed under
    code red alerts due to the extreme danger induced by the heat wave.


    GOVERNMENT The new minister for labour and
    social solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, and the new minister for family,
    youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday in
    a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. Oprescu replaces Marius
    Budăi, and Intotero takes over from Gabriela Firea, who resigned following a
    scandal concerning abuse in care homes for the elderly. The appointment decrees
    were signed by president Klaus Iohannis earlier on Wednesday.


    MEETING The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu had an informal meeting
    with the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, during a private visit by Orban to Romania. According
    to a news release issued by the government, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that the
    Romanian party is seeking to maintain an open, positive, and constructive
    approach in the relations between the 2 countries. He welcomed Budapest’s
    support for Romania’s Schengen accession efforts, and voiced hopes that Hungary
    would remain an ally in this respect for Romania. The 2 officials also
    exchanged views on the topic of the EU’s current priorities, ahead of Hungary taking
    over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2024.


    GRAIN Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and
    Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least
    until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced
    on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a
    joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the
    imports of wheat, maze, rape
    and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also
    suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain
    open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry,
    the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in
    these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council
    meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from
    the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a
    temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue
    to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the
    agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. (AMP)