Radio România Internațional

Tag: Europa League

Debakel für rumänische Fußballklubs in Europa

In der Champions League kam nur der FCSB weiter – der Klub war früher bekannt als Steaua Bukarest, musste aber aus juristischen Gründen umgetauft werden. Den Bukarester gelang es, sich für die Play-off-Runde der CL zu qualifizieren, nachdem es vor einer Woche auf eigenem Platz gegen Viktoria Plzen gerade mal für ein 2-2 reichte. Die Tschechen waren klare Favoriten, doch der FCSB setzte sich in Pilsen überraschenderweise mit 4 zu 1 durch und steht jetzt wie gesagt im Play-off. Das Team unter Trainer Nicolae Dică, früher selbst ein Star bei Steaua, schaffte ein gutes Spiel und steht nun vor dem letzten Test für die CL, der reichsten Klubmeisterschaft in Europa. Auf der Bukarester Seite fiel besonders intensiv ins Gewicht, dass sie erfahrene Spieler vom finanziell nicht ganz so starken früheren Landesmeister Astra Giurgiu wie den einheimischen Denis Alibec oder die Portugiesen Filipe Teixeira und Junior Morais kaufen konnten. Trainer Nicolae Dică gratulierte den Spielern und sagte, dass sie Charakter gezeigt haben. Es war gerade diese Spielerfahrung, die dem amtierenden Landesmeister Viitorul Constanţa fehlte. Die Fu‎ßballer vom Schwarzen Meer wähnten sich wohl in Sicherheit, nachdem sie im Hinspiel vor eigenem Publikum 1-0 gegen APOEL Nicosia aus Zypern gewannen. In der Rückrunde verlor das Team von Ex-Weltstar Gheorghe Hagi jedoch 0 zu 4. APOEL, wo viele altgediente Veteranen spielen, erwies sich als zu harte Nuss für die noch sehr jungen Spieler von Viitorul. Doch der Klub aus Constanţa bleibt im Rennen für eine Qualifizierung in der Europa League.

Au‎ßer Viitorul ist keine einzige rumänische Mannschaft mehr dabei in der Europa League. Drei von ihnen gingen nach der letzten RUnde packen. Dinamo Bukarest unterlag 0 – 3 in Bilbao gegen Athletic, das Hinspiel endete 1-1. Universitatea Craiova verlor 0-2 auf dem Stadio San Siro gegen den AC Mailand, nachdem die Italiener sich auch im Hinspiel 1-0 durchsetzten. Und Astra Giurgiu unterlag 0-1 gegen den ukrainischen FK Oleksandria, nach einem 0-0 in Giurgiu vor einer Woche. Das Aus für Astra war quasi eine Überraschung, doch der Klub hatte mehr als die Hälfte der Spieler veräu‎ßert, mit dem er in der letzten Saison in den europäischen Pokalmeisterschaften mitgemischt hatte. Dinamo und Universitatea Craiova sind von ihrem Formhoch von vor 30 Jahren meilenweit entfernt und können starken Clubs nicht mehr das Wasser reichen, ihr Scheitern war sozusagen vorprogrammiert.

4 August 2017
Nachrichten 04.08.2017

Rumänien ist von einer neuen Hitzewelle erfasst. Der Wetterdienst hat bis einschließlich Samstag abend für 12 Landkreise im Westen und Südwesten des Landes Hitzealarmstufe Rot ausgerufen, da die Temperaturen bis auf 42 Grad C klettern werden. Für die restlichen Regionen Rumäniens gilt die Warnstufe Orange, bei Höchstwerten bis 39 Grad. In den Großstädten wurden Erste-Hilfe-Zelte aufgestellt, wo Passanten Schatten und kaltes Wasser finden können. Das Notdienstpersonal, die Rettungswagen und der Rettungsdienst SMURD bleiben im Alarmzustand. Im Schienen- und Straßenverkehr wurden Beschränkungen eingeführt – es kam zu Verspätungen von Zügen und zu Verzögerungen im Warenverkehr, da Fahrzeuge von über 7,5 Tonnen Gewicht in Gebieten mit Warnstufe Rot und Orange nicht mehr fahren dürfen. Infolge der extrem hohen Temperaturen und der Dürre wurden die Mais- und Sonnenblumenkulturen teilweise zerstört. Laut Meteorologen werde die Hitzewelle bis Mitte der näcsten Woche sich allmählich auf die südlichen Regionen beschränken. Parallell dazu kann es zu heftigen Platzregen und Gewittern mit Hagelbildung kommen. Auch in anderen europäischen Ländern wurde Hitzealarm ausgerufen – Stufe Rot in Italien, Polen, Ungarn, in der Schweiz, Serbien, Kroatien, Bosnien, Slowenien und Montenegro, und Stufe Orange in Deutschland, Frankreich, Spanien, Bulgarien und der Republik Moldau.

An diesem Wochenende finden in Rumänien mehrere Gedenkveranstaltungen zu Ehren der Helden des Ersten Weltkrieges statt. Am Freitag gab es eine Gedenkfeier am Helden-Mausoleum in der Ortschaft Soveja, Landkreis Vrancea (im Osten), wo die Gebeine von fast 2000 rumänischen und russischen Soldaten ruhen. Der Höhepunkt der vom Verteidigungsministerium und vom Landkreisrat Vrancea organisierten Veranstaltungen ist eine Gedenkfeier am Sonntag, annläßlich des 100. Jahrestages der großen Schlacht von Marasesti, der wichtigsten militärischen Aktion Rumäniens im Ersten Weltkrieg. Das Mausoleum in Marasesti wurde auf dem Schlachtfeld errichtet, wo im Sommer 1917 die rumänische Armee der technisch viel überlegenen deutschen Armee standgehalten hat. Bei der Schlacht in Marasesti waren 480 rumänische Offiziere und mehr als 21.000 rumänische Soldaten gefallen.

An diesem Wochenende findet in Sibiu/Hermannstadt (in der Mitte Rumäniens) das 27. Sachsentreffen statt, unter dem Motto “In der Welt zuhause, in Siebenbürgen daheim. An dem Treffen beteiligen sich etwa 12.000 Siebenbürger Sachsen aus Rumänien, Deutschland, Österreich und den Vereinigten Staaten. In der mittelalterlichen Stadtmitte von Sibiu/Hermannstadt werden mehr als 50 Events organisiert – Ausstellungen, Buchvorstellungen, Volksmusik- und Volkstanzveranstaltungen. Der Höhepunkt des 27. Sachsentreffens ist die Parade der sächsischen Volkstracht am Samstag; daran beteiligt sich auch der in Sibiu geborene rumänische Staatspräsident, Klaus Iohannis, selbst ein Siebenbürger Sachse. In einem Communique des Präsidialamtes erklärte Präsident Iohannis, das diesjährige Sachsentreffen biete vor allem der jungen Generation der Siebenbürger Sachsen, die im Ausland leben, die Möglichkeit, Rumänien, die Heimat ihrer Eltern, besser kennen und lieben zu lernen.

FUSSBALL: Rumäniens Vizemeister FCSB (ex Steaua Bukarest) hat sich für das Play-off der Champions League qualifiziert. Die Bukarester besiegten auswärts Viktoria Pilsen 4-1, nachdem das Hinspiel in Bukarest 2-2 endete. Am 15. August wird FCSB in Portugal gegen Sporting Lisabona spielen; das Rückspiel findet eine Woche später in Bukarest statt. Im Play-off der Europa League trifft Rumäniens Meister Viitorul Constanta auf den österereichischen Meister FC Red Bull Salzburg. Das Hinspiel ist für den 17. August in Buklarest geplant; das Rückspiel wird am 24. August in Salzburg ausgetragen.

4 August 2017
Romanian teams in European football cups

After a week full of football events, Romania still has chances to be represented in the Champions League. FCSB, better known in Europe under its old name, Steaua Bucharest, has managed to qualify for the Leagues play-offs, after defeating the Czech side Viktoria Plzen 4-1. In the first leg, in Bucharest, they had tied 2-all. So, Romanias vice-champion is moving on. The team trained by the young coach Nicolae Dica cut a nice figure on the field, managing to attack sharply and to ensure a compact defense, and so they are now right at the gates of the most important European inter-club competition. What counted a lot was the good game and the experience of the players transferred from Romanias 2016 champion, Astra Giurgiu: Denis Alibec and the Portuguese Filipe Teixeira and Junior Morais.

At the press conference held after the game, coach Nicolae Dica said:

“I want to congratulate the guys for what theyve done tonight. They have shown character and unity. Their game was very good and that is why weve managed this qualification.”

Experience in European confrontations was exactly what Romanias champion Viitorul Constanta lacked in the third preliminary round of the League. After defeating on home turf APOEL Nicosia 1-0, the team trained by the former big player Gheorghe Hagi lost nil-4, away from home. The difference was made by the two overtime sessions. APOEL, a genuine multinational, made up of mature, experienced players, was too hard a nut to crack for the young Romanian footballers. Viitorul Constanta, however, remains in the European competitions, and will play in the Europa Leagues playoffs.

The teams that represented Romania on Thursday, in the third preliminary round of Europa League were eliminated. Dinamo Bucharest lost nil-3 to Athletic Bilbao, away from home, after a draw in Bucharest. CS Universitatea Craiova was defeated by AC Milan on San Siro, 2-nil, and Astra Giurgiu lost to Ukraine, in Oleksandria, nil-1, after an 0-all draw at home. Astras elimination was a surprise, but it can be explained by the fact that more than half of the team with which it had made it to the European spring last season has been sold in the meantime.

Dinamo and Craiova, former European Cup semifinalists in the 1980s, were faced with really powerful opponents, so they did not really stand a chance. The two teams have not played in Europe for a long time now, so, with low UEFA coefficients, they have not managed to make it to the next stage. The only satisfaction they have is that they had the opportunity to play, on an equal footing, against two big European teams.

4 August 2017
Nachrichten 03.08.2017

Rumänien ist von einer neuen Hitzewelle erfasst. Der Wetterdienst hat bis einschlie‎ßlich Samstag für 12 Landkreise im Westen und Südwesten des Landes Hitzealarmstufe Rot ausgerufen. Für die restlichen Regionen Rumäniens gilt die Warnstufe Orange. Bis Ende der Woche bleibt es sehr warm in Rumänien. In der Nacht liegen die Tiefstwerte zwischen 22 und 25 Grad C; die THT klettern am Tage oft bis auf 39 Grad und erreichen vereinzelt sogar 42 Grad C. In den Gro‎ßstädten wurden Erste-Hilfe-Zelte aufgestellt, wo Passanten Schatten und kaltes Wasser finden können. Im Schienen- und Stra‎ßenverkehr wurden Beschränkungen eingeführt — es kam zu Verspätungen von Zügen und zu Verzögerungen im Warenverkehr, da Fahrzeuge von über 7,5 Tonnen Gewicht in Gebieten mit Warnstufe Rot und Orange nicht mehr fahren dürfen. Auch in anderen europäischen Ländern – Ungarn, Serbien, Kroatien, Italien und Frankreich – wird es in der ersten August-Dekade extrem hei‎ß werden. Das rumänische Au‎ßenministerium warnte auch vor Reisen nach Montenegro und Bosnien und Herzegowina.

Der rumänische Staatspräsident, Klaus Iohannis, beteiligt sich am Samstag in Sibiu/Hermannstadt (in der Landesmitte) am 27. Sachsentreffen, das vom 4. bis 6. August unter dem Motto “In der Welt zuhause, in Siebenbürgen daheim” stattfindet. Präsident Iohannis ist der Meinung, das diesjährige Treffen biete vor allem der jungen Generation von Siebenbürger Sachsen, die in Deutschland leben, die Möglichkeit, Rumänien, die Heimat ihrer Eltern, besser kennen und lieben zu lernen, steht in einem Communique des Präsidialamtes. Ein ganzes Wochenende lang wird Tradition mit Ausstellungen, Konzerten, Volksveranstaltungen und vielem mehr zelebriert. Spezielle Angebote für Jugendliche ergänzen das Programm. Auf Initiaitve des Verbands der Siebenbürgisch-Sächsischen Heimatortsgemeinschaften findet das traditionelle Sachsentreffen ausnahmsweise im August und über ein ganzes Wochenende statt und wird in Zusammenarbeit von mehreren Siebenbürgisch-Sächsischen Vereinen und Institutionen ausgetragen. Ziel ist möglichst vielen in Deutschland lebenden Jugendlichen die Teilnahme zu ermöglichen und ihnen Siebenbürgen näher zu bringen. An dem Treffen beteiligen sich Vertreter der Siebenbürger Sachsen aus Rumänien, Deutschland, Österreich und den Vereinigten Staaten.

Russland hat zeitweilig den Import von Schweinen und Schweinefleisch aus Rumänien eingestellt, nachdem in Nordwestrumänien mehrere Fälle von afrikanischer Schweinepest gemeldet wurden. Auch der Transit wurde beschränkt, berichtet die russische Presseagentur ITAR-TASS. Rumänien bleibt allerdings nach Angaben der Tiergesundheitsbehörde – wie im Mai bestätigt – frei von klassicher Schweinepest. Die Behörden sagte, dass die herkömmliche Schweinepest und die afrikanische Schweinepest zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche Krankheiten seien. Die 100% tödliche afrikanische Schweinepest, die nicht auf den Menschen übertragbar ist, wurde bis dato in mehreren Ländern gemeldet — in Polen, Estland, Litauen, Lettland, Belarus, in der Republik Moldau, in der Ukraine und in der Tschechischen Republik.

Die Zahl der ausländischen Touristen in Rumänien ist in den ersten sechs Monaten des Jahres um über 10 Prozent gegenüber dem gleichen Vorjahreszeitraum gestiegen. Das geht aus Daten heraus, die das Statistische Amt am Donnerstag veröffentlichte. Demnach kamen die meisten Reisenden — 30%- aus Deutschland. Auf Platz zwei und drei in der Liste der Herkunftsländer kamen Israel und Italien. Über 1,2 Millionen Ausländer besuchten im ersten Halbjahr Rumänien.

In Cluj/Klausenburg (im Westen Rumäniens) hat am Donnerstag das Untold-Festival begonnen — es ist das grö‎ßte Festival für elektronische Musik, das in Rumänien organisiert wird. Über 200 renommierte Künstler des Genres sollen auftreten; rund 10 Millionen Euro haben die Veranstalter investiert. Letztes Jahr kamen über 300.000 Zuschauer aus der ganzen Welt.

Russlands Ministerpräsident Dmitri Medwedew hat die neuen US-Sanktionen gegen sein Land als “Handelskrieg” bezeichnet. Präsident Donald Trump hatte ein vom Kongress beschlossenes Sanktionsgesetz am Mittwoch unterschrieben und somit in Kraft gesetzt. Medwedew warnte, dass die neuen Strafma‎ßnahmen “Konsequenzen” nach sich ziehen würden.

FUSSBALL: Rumänien Vizemeister FCSB (ex Steaua Bucuresti) hat sich für das Play-off der Champions League qualifiziert. Die Bukarester besiegten auswärts Viktoria Pilsen 4-1, nachdem das Hinspiel in Bukarest 2-2 endete. Der amtierende Meister Viitorul Constanta scheiterte am APOEL Nicosia aus Zypern und kassierte eine 0-4 Niederlage, nachdem das Team den Fans im Hinspiel mit einem 1-0 Hoffnung machte. Viitorul darf allerdings im Play-off der Europa League weitermachen.

3 August 2017
July 27, 2017

LEGISLATION – The Government of Romania is discussing today a bill on vaccination, which lays down responsibilities for the authorities, healthcare staff and parents. The bill is designed to regulate the organisation and financing of vaccination in Romania, and to raise awareness on the benefits, safety, quality and possible adverse reactions of vaccines. The bill also provides for a national reserve stock covering at least the annual vaccine needs, with doses valid for at least one and a half years. The bill was drafted after the large number of measles cases and deaths caused by this disease prompted the World Health Organisation to include Romania in the 5 countries that total over 80% of the number of cases reported worldwide. We have more on this after the news.

MOLDOVA – The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova has dismissed today as unconstitutional an order signed by the pro-Russian Socialist President Igor Dodon regarding a planned referendum in September. The Court president, Tudor Panţâru, quoted by Radio Romania correspondents in Chişinău, said that by signing that order Dodon breached the Constitution. According to the order, the referendum scheduled for September 24 was designed to give the President increased powers in order to dismantle Parliament and call early elections. The Moldovan pro-European Liberals challenged the order and notified the Constitutional Court.

EXPO 2017 – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, is on a visit to Kazakhstan today and tomorrow, to take part in the official ceremony occasioned by Romanias Day at “Expo 2017 Astana. Future Energy and to mark 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. According to a news release issued by the Foreign Ministry, during the visit Teodor Meleşcanu will have political talks with his counterpart, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, and meetings with officials and lawmakers in Kazakhstan. He will also visit Karaganda region, home to an important Romanian community. Expo 2017 Astana brings together participants from 114 countries and is due to end on September 10. Romanias stand will present the most powerful laser in the world, which is currently being built in Magurele, southern Romania.

JUSTICE – The Romanian Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, discussed the progress in implementing the recommendations of the latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report, during a meeting with the first vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, in Brussels on Wednesday. Tudorel Toader emphasised that reforms in the judiciary will be operated in a transparent manner, based on public debates and consultations, and will follow the regular parliamentary procedure. In turn, Timmermans appreciated the major progress made by Romania in reforming its judicial system and fighting corruption, and said Brussels was expecting further improvement in this respect.

ART – As part of a Romanian-American cultural exchange project, the National Museum of Maps and Old Books in Bucharest and Blue Hill Art and Cultural Center put together an exhibition on contemporary American printmakers. The exhibition includes 34 works by 11 American artists, and the opening ceremony takes place today in Bucharest.

FOOTBALL – The 3 Romanian teams taking part in Europa League are playing tonight, on home turf, in the first leg of the competitions third preliminary round. Universitatea Craiova takes on the Italian side AC Milan, Dinamo Bucharest plays against Athletic Bilbao, and Astra Giurgiu against the Ukrainian team FK Oleksandria. On Wednesday night, Romanian champions FC Viitorul Constanţa defeated APOEL Nicosia 1-0, in the first leg of the third preliminary round of the Champions League. On Tuesday, in the same stage of the competition, vice-champions FCSB (formerly Steaua Bucharest) drew at home, 2-2, against the Czech side FC Viktoria Plzen. The second leg is scheduled for next week.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

27 July 2017
July 26, 2017

BRUSSELS – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader is meeting in Brussels today with the First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. The two officials will discuss the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and its prospects. The agenda of talks also includes the package law on the judiciary, which Tudorel Toader wants to see passed by the Romanian Government by September 1st. The meeting with Frans Timmermans was agreed upon during the visit that Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has paid to Brussels recently.

MOLDOVA – The European Peoples Party (EPP) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) have today denounced the deterioration of the rule of law and democratic standards in the Republic of Moldova. In a joint statement, the EPP and ALDE leaders Joseph Daul and Hans van Baalen respectively, call on the EU to reassess the agreement of association with this former soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population. They are accusing the ruling democrats and the socialists headed by the pro-Russia president Igor Dodon of autocratic tendencies. Daul and van Baalen say that the Alliance made up of the Democratic Party of Moldova and the Socialist Party of Moldova has stubbornly rejected the recommendations made by the Venice Commission and has changed the election system. The two parties also condemn the growing number of acts of intimidation and harassment targeting the pro-European opposition and the use of selective justice to quiet them down, as it has happened with the liberal mayor of Chisinau, Dorin Chirtoaca, arguably accused of corruption.

NATO – A British fighter from the Mihail Kogalniceanu base in south-eastern Romania has been sent to intercept two Russian Tupolev bombers which were flying across the Black Sea, close to the NATO airspace. According to the British media, the NATO combined air operations centre in Torrejon, Spain, was the one that ordered the plane to intercept the Russian fighters. There are four British Typhoon aircraft at Mihail Kogalniceanu, and their role is to carry out patrol missions across the Black Sea.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has voiced Romanias full support for a mediation by Kuwait of the crisis in the Gulf region. He has appreciated the measures taken by the Emir of Kuwait, the Sheikh Sabah Ahmad al Jaber Al-Sabah to ease the tension by bringing the parties to the negotiation table and by starting a political dialogue between Qatar and its neighbours. The latter accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Melescanu made the statement during a meeting he had with Kuwaits ambassador to Bucharest, Talal Mansour Alhajeri. According to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed the current stage of Romanian – Kuwaiti cooperation, with focus on prospects of boosting political dialogue and cooperation within international organisations.

EXTREME WEATHER – One person has died and 30 have been wounded by storms in various parts of Romania. Heavy rainfalls, hail and strong winds have left dozens of localities without electricity. Houses and yards have been flooded, hundreds of trees have been felled down, breaking electricity poles, cars and roofs, and many roads have been covered in mud. For today, weather experts have announced variable skies and scattered rain showers in the north and east. In the hilly and mountain areas though, heavy rains, thunderstorms and powerful winds continue.

FRANCHOPHONE GAMES – On Tuesday, Romanian athletes won a golden medal and one silver at the 2017 Francophone Games in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Both medals were won in the mens javelin throw event. Romania has so far won 18 medals: 5 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze. This year Romania is participating in the games with 57 athletes in 6 events. At the previous edition, hosted by Nice, France, Romania won 23 medals. Previously Romania used to take part in both segments of the games, sports and culture, but this year it is only active in the sporting events.

FOOTBALL – Romanias football champion FC Viitorul Constanta is today taking on APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus, in the first leg of the Champions Leagues third preliminary round. On Tuesday, in the same stage of the competition, Romanias vice-champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) ended in a draw, 2-2, the match against the Czechs from FC Viktoria Plzen. On Thursday, in the Europa League, also in the third preliminary round, CS Universitatea Craiova will meet the famous AC Milan, Dinamo Bucharest will play against Athletic Bilbao, and Astra Giurgiu will take on the Ukrainians from FK Oleksandria. All matches are hosted by Romania. The return games are scheduled for next week.

26 July 2017
19 July, 2017

Republic of Moldova visit. The Romanian prime minister Mihai Tudose travels
to the majority Romanian speaking Republic of Moldova on Friday. He is due to
meet this country’s pro-western prime minister Pavel Filip for talks on
expanding bilateral cooperation and Bucharest’s support for Moldova’s European
path. The media in Chisinau note that the agenda of the Romanian prime minister
does not include talks with the republic’s pro-Russian and Socialist president,
Igor Dodon. Moldova is the second foreign trip made by Tudose since he took
office at the end of June. He first travelled to Brussels last week, where he
told EU officials that Romania has the immense task of ensuring that Moldova
stays on its pro-European course.

Romania-Serbia. Romania supports neighbouring Serbia in
its bid to join the European Union and is ready to intensify cooperation for a
further development of its traditionally good relations with Serbia, said
Romania’s ambassador in Belgrade Oana Cristina Popa during talks with the
Serbian labour minister Zoran Đorđević. The latter thanked Bucharest for its
support and called for better cooperation in his field. A constant supporter of
Serbia’s territorial integrity, Romania is one of the five EU member states yet
to recognise the independence of the southern province of Kosovo with a
majority Albanian population, but has urged Belgrade to respect the rights of
the sizeable ethnic Romanian minority in Vojvodina and in Timoc Valley, in the
east.

Brexit effects. The Brexit effect on the local
economy may translate into a drop in external demand for Romanian products and
in the flow of direct foreign investments, the National Bank of Romania
estimates. In a report assessing the implication of Brexit on the Romanian
economy, central bank experts believe the direct and predictable negative
effect in the medium run includes the diminution of the European budget and
thus of structural funds. The amount of Romania’s trade exchanges with the UK
is relatively low, with exports to Britain accounting for less than 5% of total
exports and imports accounting for 2% of total imports. On the other hand, the
UK has become a destination for Romanian migrants relatively recently, when
labour restrictions were lifted on the 1st of January 2014. The UK
is expected to leave the European Union in the first half of 2019, when Romania
will be holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

Loan.
The European Investment Bank is to
grant a loan of 1 billion euros to Bucharest to co-finance priority transport
infrastructure projects benefiting from European structural and investment
funds. The loan has a maturity of up to 25 years, including a 7-year period of
grace, with each withdrawal being considered a loan in itself, with its own
maturity and period of grace. The loan will cover the state budget contribution
that co-finances priority transport projects under the Large Infrastructure
Operational Programme 2014-2020. The investments will benefit from
non-reimbursable funds from the EU and will be used to promote sustainable
transportation and eliminate obstructions in the transport infrastructure
network. Emphasis will be placed on multimodal transport systems and reducing
the impact of transport on the environment, the relevant Romanian ministry says
in a press release.

NATO exercise. Around 1,000 military from 16 NATO member states are
participating in an air defence exercise known as TOBRUQ LEGACY 2017. Drills
are held today as part of this exercise at the shooting range in Capul Midia,
south-eastern Romania, and involve troops from Romania, the US and Slovenia.
TOBRUQ LEGACY 2017 is hosted by three countries, the Czech Republic, Lithuania
and Romania, and forms part of the Saber Guardian 2017 exercise. Aimed at
enhancing interoperability between different air defence forces in Europe, Saber
Guardian is the largest exercise carried out in this part of Europe, involving
25,000 military from 22 allied and partner states.

Ranking. Romania is one of the countries to
make greatest progress in terms of the ability to adjust to significant changes,
shows a report published on Wednesday by the consultancy firm KPMG and quoted
by Reuters. Romania now ranks 49th, up 32 places from 2015, in a
ranking made by KPMG. Romania is behind countries like the Czech Republic,
Poland and Hungary, and ahead of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine. The study measures
the ability of 135 states to respond to short-term shocks and long-term
tendencies such as natural disasters, economic crises and climate changes.

Football. The
Romanian side Astra Giurgiu are in Azerbaijan, where they are due to play
against Zira FK on Thursday, in the final leg of the Europa League second
preliminary round. In the fist leg at home, Astra won 3-1 and if they qualify
they will face the Ukrainian side FK Oleksandria in the third preliminary round.
Also in this round, CS Universitatea Craiova will play against AC Milan, while
Dinamo Bucharest face the Spanish side Athletic Bilbao. In the Champions
League, the new Romanian champions FC Viitorul are to face the winner between
APOEL Nicosia from Cyprus and F19 Dudelange from Luxemburg. Vice-champions FCSB
(formerly known as Steaua Bucharest) will meet the Czech side Viktoria Plzen.

19 July 2017
July 14, 2017 UPDATE

SABER GUARDIAN– The Romanian Foreign Ministry has hailed the 2017 Saber Guardian multinational military exercise, held on Romanias territory by the United States Ground and Service Forces Europe. According to a Ministry press release, the exercise brings together over 20 NATO and partner states, with a significant number of troops and technical equipment, being the largest and most comprehensive military exercise hosted by Romania in recent years. Saber Guardian is a key military exercise, contributing to consolidating defense and deterrence capabilities on NATOs eastern flank and to developing interoperability between participant countries. The exercise is also a sign of solidarity, highlighting the robust trans-Atlantic relation and the bilateral strategic partnership between Romania and the United States, signed 20 years ago.

NATO – Romania is a constant and reliable partner, said in Bucharest on Friday the chairman of the NATO military committee General Petr Pavel. He appreciated Romanias contribution to sharing responsibilities within NATO, both by allocating 2% of the GDP to defense and by participating in military missions and operations. General Petr Pavel mentioned the presence of Romanian soldiers in missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, but also in the standing NATO maritime groups. Also, Romania plays host to the missile defense shield in Deveselu, in the south. The NATO official also mentioned Romanian soldiers participation in numerous drills and exercises, such as the one that is unfolding these days under the name of Saber Guardian.

JULY 14 – The National Day of France was celebrated on Friday at the French Embassy in Bucharest. The theme of the event was sport, and guests of honour were big Romanian and French athletes. The reception was attended by the new Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose. He stated that, for two hundred years, Romania and France had overcome many obstacles thanks to the values they shared and the solid friendship between them. The Romanian Prime Minister extended an invitation to his French counterpart Edouard Phillipe to come and visit Bucharest. In turn, the French ambassador Michel Ramis said that the strategic partnership between France and Romania, concluded in 2008, was based on three pillars: proximity, the European family and the economic-industrial partnership. According to the Ambassador, there are some 2,400 French companies active in Romania, which circulate 4 billion Euros worth of direct investments. Thus France is the 5th largest foreign investor in Romania. Michel Ramis also said that Bucharest could count on Frances full support in its preparation for taking over the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – The Romanian Minister of the Environment Gratiela Gavrilescu will attend the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development hosted by New York between the 17th and the 21st of July. The event is organised under the aegis of the UN Economic and Social Council. The main issue on the agenda is eradication of poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world. According to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of the Environment, at the event in New York 44 states will present national reports on the implementation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. The ministers meeting will be held on July 19-20, and the participants will sign a joint declaration.

WORLD EXHIBITION– Romanias pavilion at the World Exhibition hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan, is visited on average by 1,500 visitors per day, Mihail Dediu, the head of the Romanian delegation told Radio Romania. The theme this year is the energy of tomorrow. Romanias pavilion is devoted to the high-power laser in Magurele, southern Romania, the largest research project in Romania in the last 50 years. Romania thus wants to promote Romanias potential for innovation in the field of research, Mihail Dediu said.

CLIMATE CHANGE– Climate change will prompt a swift temperature spike, intensifying extreme meteorological phenomena and heavy downpours, causing crop failures and coral loss in the Asia-Pacific area, climate experts have warned. These developments are the result of the failure to observe the Paris Accord on Climate Change. Signed in 2015 and enacted in November 2016, the agreement provides for keeping a global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius as compared to pre-industrial levels. To reach this target, swifter and harsher measures are needed, climate experts argue. If the worlds population keeps emitting greenhouse gases fueling global warming, the average global temperature will rise by at least 4 degrees by the end of the century, and even by 6 degrees Celsius in some regions.

FOOTBALL– Romanias champion FC Viitorul Constanta will play against the winner of the match between APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus and F19 Dudelange of Luxembourg, in the third preliminary round of the Champions League. Vice-champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) will also play in the third round against the Czechs from FC Viktoria Plzen. In Europa Leauge, CS Universitatea Craiova will taken on the Italian AC Milan and FC Dinamo Bucharest will play against Athletic Bilbao. On Thursday, the Romanian football club Astra Giurgiu defeated 3-1 Zira FK of Azerbaijan in the first leg of the Europa League second preliminary round. The return leg will be played on July 20 in Baku.

WIMBLEDON — The pair made up of Monica Niculescu of Romania and Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan on Friday qualified for the Wimbledon doubles final, after defeating Markota Ninomiya of Japan and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 2-1. Niculescu and Chan will play the final against the Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. This is Niculescu’s best performance in a Grand Slam doubles competition, after reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals in 2010 and the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2012. The best-rated player from Romania right now, Simona Halep, WTA no. 2, was knocked out in the quarterfinals after losing to Johanna Konta of Great Britain.

14 July 2017
Fotbal flash

Echipele române
de fotbal se află, în aceste zile, în plină pregătire. FC Viitorul, campioana
României, a trecut cu 2 la 1 de echipa FK Zira, din Azerbaidjan. Pentru
constănţeni au marcat Alexandru Stoica şi Vlad Morar. FK Zira ar putea fi
adversara Astrei Giurgiu în Europa League dacă trece de luxemburghezii de la
Differdange în primul tur preliminar al competiţiei.

Astra a început
pregătirea de vară cu o înfrângere. Echipa antrenată, din acest sezon, de
Eduard Iordănescu, a pierdut cu 2 la 4 jocul disputat cu FK Trepca,
câştigătoarea campionatului din Kosovo.

Dinamo
Bucureşti, ca şi Astra, se antrenează în Slovenia. Elevii lui Cosmin Contra au
pierdut primul joc, pe care l-au susţinut în compania formaţiei NK Osijek.
Gruparea croată s-a impus cu scorul de 4 la 1.

Trecem la
ştirile de pe piaţa transferurilor. Echipa FCSB, fostă Steaua Bucureşti, s-a
înţeles cu Viitorul Constanţa pentru Dragoş Nedelcu. Campioana României urmează
să primească un milion şi jumătate de euro, plus 20% dintr-un eventual
transfer. Potrivit ProSport, Nedelcu va avea o clauză de reziliere de 30 de
milioane de euro.

Printre
achiziţiile clubului CFR Cluj se află şi unul dintre cei mai valoroşi
internaţionali români ai momentului: mijlocaşul Ovidiu Hoban. Acesta a evoluat
ultima dată în Israel, la Hapoel Beer Şeva, de unde a venit la Cluj liber de
contract. Cea mai importantă achiziţie a clujenilor este însă antrenorul Dan
Petrescu. De-a lungul carierei, acesta a condus echipe din Polonia, Rusia,
China şi ţările arabe, fiind, la această oră, unul dintre cei mai respectaţi
tehnicieni români.

22 June 2017
Fotbal flash

Echipele române
de fotbal se află, în aceste zile, în plină pregătire. FC Viitorul, campioana
României, a trecut cu 2 la 1 de echipa FK Zira, din Azerbaidjan. Pentru
constănţeni au marcat Alexandru Stoica şi Vlad Morar. FK Zira ar putea fi
adversara Astrei Giurgiu în Europa League dacă trece de luxemburghezii de la
Differdange în primul tur preliminar al competiţiei.

Astra a început
pregătirea de vară cu o înfrângere. Echipa antrenată, din acest sezon, de
Eduard Iordănescu, a pierdut cu 2 la 4 jocul disputat cu FK Trepca,
câştigătoarea campionatului din Kosovo.

Dinamo
Bucureşti, ca şi Astra, se antrenează în Slovenia. Elevii lui Cosmin Contra au
pierdut primul joc, pe care l-au susţinut în compania formaţiei NK Osijek.
Gruparea croată s-a impus cu scorul de 4 la 1.

Trecem la
ştirile de pe piaţa transferurilor. Echipa FCSB, fostă Steaua Bucureşti, s-a
înţeles cu Viitorul Constanţa pentru Dragoş Nedelcu. Campioana României urmează
să primească un milion şi jumătate de euro, plus 20% dintr-un eventual
transfer. Potrivit ProSport, Nedelcu va avea o clauză de reziliere de 30 de
milioane de euro.

Printre
achiziţiile clubului CFR Cluj se află şi unul dintre cei mai valoroşi
internaţionali români ai momentului: mijlocaşul Ovidiu Hoban. Acesta a evoluat
ultima dată în Israel, la Hapoel Beer Şeva, de unde a venit la Cluj liber de
contract. Cea mai importantă achiziţie a clujenilor este însă antrenorul Dan
Petrescu. De-a lungul carierei, acesta a condus echipe din Polonia, Rusia,
China şi ţările arabe, fiind, la această oră, unul dintre cei mai respectaţi
tehnicieni români.

22 June 2017
May 25, 2017 UPDATE

NATO SUMMIT – Romania stands for a strong, yet well balanced eastern flank of NATO, said Romanias President Klaus Iohannis at the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Brussels. He also stressed the fact that Romania believes that transatlantic cooperation and, in particular, the ties between the US and Europe must become stronger. The Romanian head of state also pointed out that Romania is interested in a unitary approach to the relation with Russia. On the sidelines of the summit, Klaus Iohannis talked on Thursday with his Polish counterpart Andrezj Duda about the strategic partnership between Romania and Poland and cooperation within NATO.

TRUMP – On Thursday in Brussels, the US President Donald Trump called on the NATO member countries to focus on terrorism, migration and Russias threats. Attending for the first time a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past, the US leader reiterated his call for all the member countries to observe their financial committments. The US has repeatedly called on the NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. Also on Thursday, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, without taking part in combat operations. Belgium is the last but one leg of Trumps first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. The US President will next attend the G7 summit in Sicily.

GLOBSEC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend in Bratislava, on Friday and Saturday, the 12th Global Security Forum. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Melescanu will talk about European security developments, as part of the panel titled “European Force Awakens”. On the occasion, the Romanian Foreign Minister will present Romanias vision with regard to consolidating the EUs role in the field of security and defence and boosting cooperation with NATO.

MANCHESTER ATTACK – On Thursday, the Manchester Police arrested two suspects in connection with Mondays night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured more than 110, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence services list of suspects and most likely did not act alone.

EXERCISE – Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATOs Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliances eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.

IMF – Romanian economy will report a 4.2% growth rate in 2017, with fiscal relaxation likely to affect market trust, reads an IMF report made public on Thursday. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in reducing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, mentioning however that Romania should reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF believes that fiscal relaxation, doubled by growing political tension in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale bill, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks to the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.

STRIKE – On May 30th, air traffic controllers in Romania will start an indefinite all-out strike, the president of the Air Traffic Services Trade Union Gabriel Tudorache announced on Thursday. He said that during the strike, at least one third of the planes transiting Romanias air space will be guided, which is some 3,000 planes per day. On May 12th, air traffic controllers held a 2 hour warning strike, and dozens of planes were delayed upon taking off from and landing on the Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest. They are unhappy with the lack of a new collective employment agreement and that employment has been frozen, particularly since, after the conflict in Ukraine, the number of planes flying through Romanias airspace has increased significantly.

ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania on Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Christ. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, telling his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharests authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated alongside Heroes Day. On Thursday at noon, church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, their faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.

FOOTBALL – English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night, in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled for June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid will take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romanias Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil.

25 May 2017
May 25, 2017

PRESIDENCY — The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is taking part today in Brussels in the meeting of NATO leaders. According to the Presidency, he will emphasise that Romania is a reliable, predictable and responsible ally, especially after having increased its Defence budget to 2% of the GDP. President Iohannis will also lay emphasis on the importance of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and will support an enhanced role of the Alliance in fighting terrorism. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian President will have a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. The main topic of discussion will be the strengthening of the bilateral strategic partnership, the Presidency also announced.

EXERCISE — Four thousand military, heavy equipment and helicopter gunships will be deployed to the Cincu shooting range in central Romania, to take part in one of the biggest NATO military exercises in recent years. The troops are part of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force. The main aim is defending Romania as part of emergency interventions on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Joining Romanian troops will be military from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Norway, Albania and Bulgaria.

IMF — Romanian economy will grow by 4.2% in 2017, with fiscal relaxation slightly likely to affect market confidence, reads an IMF report made public today. The international lender has hailed the progress Romania has made in curbing economic imbalances, after the financial global crisis, recommending however that Romania reorient its policies from boosting consumption towards supporting investors. IMF claims that fiscal relaxation, doubled by the growing political turmoil in Romania, might affect consumption and investment. On the other hand, the unified pay scale law, currently under debate in Parliament, as well as the latest tax cuts, pose certain risks for the budget deficit, which the IMF expects to stand at 3,7% this year. The report is based on the talks IMF officials had with Bucharest authorities in March.

ASCENSION DAY – Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman-Catholic believers in Romania are today celebrating Ascension Day. According to Christian beliefs, 40 days after Resurrection, Lord Jesus departed from Earth into the presence of God from the Mount of Olives, warning his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. Since 1920, when, after WWI, all Romanian historical provinces united under Bucharest’s authority, Ascension Day has been celebrated together with the Heroes’ Day. Today at noon church bells were rung in all Orthodox churches across Romania to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for the Romanian people, faith and country, and the names of the soldiers killed in WWI were solemnly read out in most garrisons which also hosted military and religious ceremonies.

MOLDOVA — The special envoy of the Austrian presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE, Wolf Dietrich Heim, is today meeting pro-Russian separatist leaders from Transdniestr. On Wednesday, Heim held talks in Chisinau with the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration, Gheorghe Balan, the latter accusing separatists of avoiding dialogue, especially after Chisinau and Kiev authorities have voiced their plans to set up joint border crossing checkpoints on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border with Transdniestr. We recall that Russian troops are still deployed in Transdniestr, a breakaway region east of Moldova, although Moscow pledged to withdraw its troops after the OSCE Summit of 1999 in Istanbul.

TRUMP –US President Donald Trump is in Brussels, where he takes part for the first time in a NATO Summit, after having been rather critical of the Alliance in the past. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, announced the Alliance would join the international coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group, although it will not take part in combat operations. The decision has long been called for by the US, which is heading the coalition and which has repeatedly called for NATO members to raise their defence budgets to 2% of the GDP. On Wednesday, his first day in Brussels, Trump had a meeting with King Philippe I of Belgium, while thousands of people were protesting in the Belgian capital city against his presence. Brussels is a stage in Trump’s first international tour as president, after Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Italy and the Vatican. Trump will next head for Taormina, in Sicily, for the G7 summit.

LONDON ATTACK — The Manchester Police today arrested two suspects in connection with Monday’s night terror attack, taking the number of arrests to 8. Another woman suspected of having been involved in the attack was released without being indicted. We recall that a blast on Manchester Arena on Monday killed 22 people and injured another 60, being claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organization. On Tuesday, British authorities have identified the suspect as being 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a Lybian-born British national born in Manchester. According to Interior Secretary Amber Rudd, Abedi was on the British intelligence’s suspect list and most likely did not act alone.

MIGRANTS — Tens of migrants, among whom many children, drowned on Wednesday after falling from an overcrowded wooden boat off the Libyan coast. A ship of the Italian coast guard that coordinates rescue services in the area alongside several commercial ships have managed to rescue scores of survivors. Last Friday another 150 migrants were reported missing. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration almost 1,300 people have died on their way to Europe. 50,000 of them have managed to reach Italy, France Press reports.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea, 67 WTA, is today playing Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, 28 WTA, in the quarterfinals of the Nurnberg tournament, totalling 230,000 dollars in prize money. In another development, Horia Tecau or Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands have qualified to the semi-finals of the tournament in Geneva, offering 500,000 dollars in prize money. In the quarterfinals, Tecau and Rojer ousted the competition’s first seeds, Philipp Petzschner of Germany and Alexander Peya of Austria in straight sets.

FOOTBALL — English giants Manchester United have for the first time won the Europa League Trophy. Wednesday night in the final hosted by the city of Stockholm in Sweden, Manchester United grabbed a 2-nil win against their Dutch challengers Ajax Amsterdam. The Europa League final was played ahead of the Champions League final, scheduled on June 3 in Cardiff, where Spanish giants Real Madrid take on the no less famous Italian contenders Juventus FC. This coming Saturday in the town of Ploiesti, southern Romanian team Astra Giurgiu for the first time ever is pitted against FC Voluntari, in Romanian Cup Final. Also as an absolute first, the domestic championship title went to FC Viitorul, a team from south-eastern Romania’s Constanta. The team was founded in 2009 by the former great Romanian footballer Gheorghe Hagi. The League Cup, a competition exclusively created for first-tier teams, went to Dinamo Bucharest. In the final, Dinamo defeated Poli Timisoara 2-nil. (Translated by V. Palcu, L. Simion, A.M. Popescu & E. Nasta)

25 May 2017
Athlete of the Week on RRI: Footballer Nicolae Stanciu

Romania no longer has any representative in European inter-club competitions. Astra Giurgiu was the last Romanian team to be knocked out from European competitions this season. Astra lost in the Europa League round of 32 by Genk of Belgium. Under these circumstances, only a handful of Romanian players performing for other European clubs are newsworthy in the Romanian football press.

Once such club is Anderlecht Brussels, the team of two Romanian players, Alexandru Chipciu and Nicolae Stanciu. The Belgian side made it to the Europa League round of 16 and holds good chances of advancing to the next phase. Last Thursday, Anderlecht defeated APOEL of Cyprus 1-nil away from home, the only goal of the match being scored by Nicolae Stanciu. The Romanian midfielder was designated Player of the Week by the UEFA website, grabbing 37% of the votes, followed by Ruslan Malinovski, Genks Ukrainian midfielder, with 25% of the votes, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Manchester Uniteds Armenian midfielder, with 23% of the votes.

For his achievement, we have designated Nicolae Stanciu Athlete of the Week on RRI.

Nicolae Stanciu was born on May 7, 1993 in Cricau, Alba County, central Romania. He made his debut with the local side Unirea Alba Iulia. He played his first match in professional competitions at the age of 15, in a second-tier league match against Corvinul Hunedoara, which Unirea won 4-1. He made his debut in the Romanian First League in 2010 at only 17 years of age, in a match against Steaua Bucharest, which Alba Iulia won 2-1.

In June 2010 the German club VfB Stuttgart signed Stanciu for a 500k Euro fee, but shortly released him on loan back to his home club, Unirea Alba Iulia. In 2011 he was signed by FC Vaslui, and in 2013 he got transferred to Steaua Bucharest. In 2016 Steaua sold Stanciu to Anderlecht.

Nicolae Stanciu made his debut for Romanias national team on March 23, 2016, in a friendly game against Lithuania, scoring the only goal of the match. His first official cap for Romania was last years opening match of the European Football Championship against the host country, France. Romania lost the game 2-1, the goal for Romania being scored by Bogdan Stanc from a penalty kick obtained by Nicolae Stanciu. (Translated by V. Palcu)

14 March 2017
February 23, 2017

ANTI-CORRUPTION In Romania, the efforts made with regard to the justice system must be supported by a stable legislative and institutional background in order for the system to be effective in combating corruption, said in Bucharest the chief-prosecutor of the National Anti-corruption Directorate Laura Docruta Kovesi upon presenting the 2016 activity report of the Directorate. The idea has also been stressed by the head of state Klaus Iohannis, who has stated that there are some gaps in the Romanian legislation with regard to the judiciary and real consultations on this matter are a must. He has stated that he will unconditionally support the strengthening of the rule of law, saying that the role of the National Anti-corruption Directorate is essential in fighting corruption and observing the law. According to the report, in 2016 the directorates activity was more effective. Some 1300 people were indicted, of which 870 got final sentences. The latter include 3 ministers, 6 senators, 11 deputies, 16 magistrates and 20 directors of state-owned companies. More than one quarter of those sent to court in 2016 were found guilty of abuse of office, which caused the state losses of over 260 million Euros. Recovering the losses was an important component and precautionary measures were taken, worth some 760 million Euros.

ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has signed the decrees on the appointment of the new ministers of Justice, Economy, Business environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, as well as of the Minister Delegate for European Funds. Two nominations were expected initially, for Justice and Business Environment, as the two offices had remained vacant against the background of the political crisis triggered by the Governments attempt to amend the Criminal Codes under an emergency decree and to operate a collective pardon. On Wednesday, the Social Democratic Party decided to operate four changes in the cabinet, all of them validated by the leadership of the party. Tudorel Toader, a former judge with the Constitutional Court, was nominated for the office of Minister of Justice. According to the Prime Minister, his main priorities are the elimination of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and transposing the Courts decision into the criminal codes. The proposal for the Ministry of Business Environment and SMEs is Alexandru Petrescu, who had to give up the Economy, where the next minister will be Mihai Tudose. Tudose used to hold the same office in the Ponta Cabinet. Rovana Plumb is the proposal for Minister Delegate for European Funds. Sorin Grindeanu has explained that this field needs a person that has both governmental and political experience, and Rovana Plumb has both.

FOREIGN POLICY The State Secretary with the Romanian Foreign Minister George Ciamba has held talks in Brussels with the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. The two officials talked about the EU policy on assistance for development and humanitarian aid. George Ciamba highlighted Romanias support for the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement on migration, highlighting Bucharests contribution to the Facility for Refugees in Turkey and the interest in participating in the projects run as part of this facility. As regards the situation in eastern Ukraine, he reiterated Bucharests support for the integrity and sovereignty of that country, as well as support for observing the cease-fire decisions, in order to prevent the humanitarian crisis from deepening. Also in Brussels, the Romanian official held talks with assistants to the NATO Secretary General on the role of the Alliance in combating terrorism and cyber attacks. The NATO officials hailed Romanias important contribution to the efforts made by the Alliance, including by means of a substantial commitment in Afghanistan, as part of the Resolute Support Mission, as well as by taking part in strengthening the defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Iraq.

FOOTBALL Romanias football champion Astra Giurgiu is today taking on, away from home, the Belgian squad KRC Genk, in the final match of Europa Leagues final 32. In the first match of the leg, held in Giurgiu, the match ended in a draw 2-2. According to the specialized press, Astra still stands chances of qualifying for the return game. Qualified for the first time in this stage of the competition, from a group in which it played against AS Rome, Viktoria Plzen and Austria Vienna, Astra Giurgiu is the last Romanian team still standing in the current edition of the European cups.

23 February 2017
17.02.2017

Bruxelles – En visite à Bruxelles, le premier ministre roumain Sorin Grindeanu poursuit ses pourparlers avec de hauts responsables de la Commission européenne et du Conseil Européen. Son objectif est d’assurer tous les partenaires de la Roumanie que la lutte contre la corruption est une des priorités du gouvernement de Bucarest. Cette visite se déroule sur la toile de fond de la crise engendrée par la tentative du cabinet Grindeanu de modifier la législation pénale par décret d’urgence. Ce vendredi, le premier ministre roumain doit s’entretenir avec le président du Conseil Européen, Donald Tusk, avec le président de la Commission européenne, Jean Claude Junker, et avec le vice-président de la Commission, Jyrki Katainen, chargé de l’occupation de la main d’œuvre, de la croissance économique, des investissements et de la compétitivité. Jeudi, à l’issue des pourparlers avec Frans Timmermans, premier vice-président de la Commission, Sorin Grindeanu a déclaré que son gouvernement allait continuer la lutte contre la corruption et que les modifications de la législation pénale seraient opérées uniquement au Parlement. Pour sa part, Frans Timmermans s’est félicité de l’abrogation du controversé décret, recommandant à l’Exécutif de Bucarest d’être plus transparent. A la même occasion, le premier ministre roumain a révélé qu’il prenait en compte l’idée de nommer une personne apolitique à la tête du ministère de la Justice, dont la ministre déléguée aux Affaires européennes, Ana Birchall, est actuellement ministre par intérim.

Fonds européens – Le Tribunal de l’UE a décidé d’annuler des corrections financières appliquées par la Commission européenne à la Roumanie. Il y a deux ans, la Commission européenne avait appliqué à la Bucarest des corrections d’environ 128 millions d’euros, décidant d’exclure la Roumanie du financement de certaines dépenses par le biais du Fonds européen agricole de garantie et du Fonds européen agricole pour le développement rural. Une décision que le Tribunal de l’UE vient d’annuler. Pour sa part, l’agent gouvernemental Răzvan Horaţiu Radu précise que, même si la Commission peut attaquer la décision du tribunal, il est possible que le jugement final reste inchangé, vu la pratique habituelle de la Cour de Justice de l’Union.

Moldova – Le gouvernement roumain a approuvé l’octroi de la 2e tranche de 50 millions d’euros du crédit remboursable destiné à la République de Moldova voisin, un pays à population majoritaire roumanophone. L’accord portant sur cette aide financière remboursable entre Bucarest et Chisinau a été signé en octobre 2015. La Roumanie a conditionné l’octroi de l’argent par l’adoption de plusieurs réformes par le pays voisin. Une première tranche de 60 millions d’euros a été allouée en août 2016, la République de Moldova ayant prouvé les progrès enregistrés par la signature d’un programme de financement avec le FMI. Entre temps, le gouvernement de Chisinau et le FMI ont également signé un Accord de coopération, suite auquel le pays a reçu une ligne de crédit d’environ 176 millions de dollars.

Défense – Le Partenariat Stratégique roumano-américain est très important, a affirmé le président du Comité des forces armées américaines de la Chambre des représentants, le congressman républicain Mac Thornberry. Lors de pourparlers avec l’ambassadeur roumain à Washington, George Maior, Mac Thornberry a salué l’augmentation par la Roumanie des fonds destinés à la Défense, estimant que cela s’encadrait dans une distribution équitable des tâches au sein de l’OTAN. Parallèlement avec la discussion entre les deux responsables, les ministres de la Défense des Etats membres de l’OTAN réunis à Bruxelles ont décidé de financer la présence militaire alliée en Mer Noire.

DAESH – Le ministre roumain de la défense Gabriel Les a réitéré l’appui de la Roumanie aux actions de la communauté internationale visant à stabiliser la situation en Syrie et en Irak et à combattre le terrorisme au niveau mondial. Il a participé à Bruxelles, à la réunion des ministres de la Défense des pays contributeurs à la Coalition mondiale anti-DAESH. Gabriel Les a fait savoir que Bucarest y contribuerait avec une cinquantaine de formateurs, qui dérouleront des missions d’instruction et de conseil des forces de sécurité irakiennes. Les ministres de la Défense ont également analysé les défis sécuritaires et les mesures à entreprendre durant la période de stabilisation de la région après la déstructuration du groupe Etat Islamique, notamment dans la perspective de l’appui humanitaire et de la reconstruction.

Cinéma – Le film « Ana, mon amour » du réalisateur roumain Călin Peter Netzer est projeté aujourd’hui dans le cadre de la compétition officielle du Festival International du Film de Berlin. Călin Peter Netzer a déjà remporté l’Ours d’or en 2013 pour son film « La position de l’enfant ». Cette année, l’acteur roumain Tudor Istodor a participé lui aussi à la Berlinale, dans la catégorie « shooting stars », pour son rôle dans le film « Fixeur ». La Roumanie est également représentée au festival de Berlin par deux réalisatrices, une scénariste, un acteur, une technicienne et un producteur de film.

Foot – Le club champion de Roumanie au foot, Astra Giurgiu a terminé à égalité, 2 partout, le match joué à domicile contre les Belges de KRC Genk, dans le premier tour des 16e de finale de l’Europa League. Les joueurs d’Astra ont réussi à deux reprises à récupérer un décalage d’un but et, selon la presse sportive, gardent leurs chances de qualification au match retour, prévu pour jeudi prochain en Belgique. Astra est l’unique club de foot roumain toujours présent dans un championnat européen.

Météo – Les températures sont à la hausse en Roumanie. Il pleut par endroits sur l’ouest, le nord et le centre du pays, alors que le ciel est variable sur le reste du territoire. Les températures maximales de ce vendredi iront de 2 à 12 degrés. 4 degrés et du soleil à midi à Bucarest.

17 February 2017