Radio România Internațional

Tag: European

  • European gold for Romanian athletics

    European gold for Romanian athletics

     

    Every two years in early spring, European athletics begins its competition season with the continental indoor championships. This is where we get a first glimpse at the new talents emerging internationally and the prospects for the forthcoming season.

     

    And the results of the recently concluded European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands, were surprisingly pleasurable for Romanian athletics fans. Romania finished the competition with 2 medals: gold for Andrei Rareş Toader in the men’s shot put competition, and silver for Diana Ion in the women’s triple jump.

     

    It was the best Romanian record in a continental indoor athletics competition in recent years. After 8 years without medals, since the 2015 edition, the Romanians only reached the podium again in 2023 in Istanbul, where Claudia Bobocea won silver in the 1500 meters, and Gabriel Bitan won the bronze in the long jump.

     

    But Romania had not won a European title at an indoor championship for 20 years, more precisely since the one won by Elena Buhăianu in the women’s 1500 meters, in 2005 in Madrid.

     

    Before the start of this year’s competition, Romanian coaches had been moderately hopeful. The target set by the athletics federation in Bucharest was a 4th to 6th place and two qualifications in the finals. In an interview with Agerpres news agency, the coach of the national team Oana Pantelimon highlighted the chances of Andrei Rareş Toader, who had had an excellent start of the season. On Sunday, he met all expectations.

     

    He qualified for the shot put finals in 4th place, with a 20.59m throw. In the final, however, he managed 21.27 m, a whole 23 centimetres better than the contender Wictor Petersson (Sweden). Moreover, this was a new national record for Romania.

     

    The first medal of the Romanian team in Apeldoorn, the silver in the triple jump, had been won on Friday by Diana Ana Maria Ion. With 14.31 m, she achieved the most important performance of her career so far. The gold went to the Spanish athlete Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, who jumped six centimetres higher than Diana. The bronze medal went to the Finnish Senni Salminen, with 13.99 m.

     

    Next up is the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, which will take place from March 21 to 23. The competition was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was postponed for three years in a row and it has been rescheduled for this year. (AMP)

  • November 2, 2024 UPDATE

    November 2, 2024 UPDATE

    FLOOD According to authorities in Bucharest every Romanian national in the Spanish regions affected by the latest flooding will be able to benefit consular and logistic support by means of Romania’s diplomatic representations. Bucharest is effectively cooperating with the Spanish authorities to set up a rapid and effective mechanism for the repatriation of those willing to return to Romania if need be. Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is expected to meet his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez in a couple of days for talks over the setting up of a logistic centre to help the Romanian nationals affected by flooding in Spain. On Saturday Ciolacu said that a crisis management cell had been created by the Foreign Ministry, but a logistic centre would be also set up jointly with the Spanish authorities. Rescue teams in Spain are making it to the areas blocked by catastrophic flooding where the death toll has reached 211, including four Romanians. One of the victims has been confirmed by the Romanian authorities while a family with a child has been mentioned by the Spanish press. Nine Romanians are reported missing in Spain and the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is verifying the information about them. The Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the consulate in Castellon de la Plana are in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities. The region of Valencia, in south-eastern Spain, has been affected by devastating floods, experts have deemed as unprecedented. Spain has declared three days of national mourning.

     

    ELECTION The ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova will be seeing the second round of its presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent pro-European president, Maia Sandu, will be running against the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. The first round on October 20 was held concurrently with a referendum on the country’s EU accession and was marked by attempted frauds sponsored by Russia and the runaway oligarch Ilan Şor, who had fled the country in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence. In the first round of voting Maia Sandu got 42.49% and Alexandr Stoianoglo 25.95%. In another development the Constitutional Court has validated the referendum on the country’s EU accession after 50.38% of the Moldovans voted in favour. The Republic of Moldova submitted its EU accession candidacy in March 2022 and the EU kicked off accession negotiations with the former soviet republic in June this year.

     

    MOLDOVA In an interview to Radio Romania, the country’s Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, has highlighted the importance of the presidential election in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking country, both from the voters’ point of view and also from Bucharest’s desire to have a trustworthy dialogue partner in Chisinau. The Romanian minister has also said the Moldovans must vote not only with their hearts but also with their minds for a better future and to bring the republic where it belongs, namely in the European Union. Like in the first round of voting, 16 polling stations will be open in Romania; three in Bucharest, two in Cluj, western Romania and Iasi, in eastern Romania. The cities of Brasov, Sibiu, Timisoara, Craiova, Oradea, Suceava, Bacau, Galati and Constanta each will have one polling station. Moldovan citizens can cast their ballots in Romania by producing an ID or passport between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

     

    AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners. On this occasion the MEPs are going to assess the commissioners’ competences, independence and their attachment to European values, essential elements to serve as members of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen. According to the schedule announced by the European Parliament, the auditions are to end on 12 November, a day when the six executive vice-presidents of the future Commission, including Romanian Roxana Mînzatu who holds the portfolio, ‘People, competences, training’, will have to answer a series of questions. The entire European Commission will have to get greenlight from the European Parliament, the vote being scheduled for the plenary session of 25-28 November in Strasbourg. After getting Parliament confirmation, the European Commission will have to be officially appointed by the European Council through voting. The commission must have the yes-votes of 55% of the member states.

    (bill)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

     

    Romania’s rowing team finished second at the European Championships held last week in Szeged, Hungary. With 8 medals, of which 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze, Romania was only outperformed by Britain, with 10 medals, 8 of which were gold, one silver and one bronze.

     

    Romania won gold medals in the women’s eight, women’s double sculls and pairs, and the men’s double sculls event. The biggest performance in this year’s championships was that of Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel, the winners of gold medals both in the women’s pair event and in the women’s eight race, for which Radio Romania International designated them the Athletes of the Week.

     

    Ioana Vrînceanu was born in Târgu Neamț, north-eastern Romania, on March 7, 1994. She is a member of the Steaua Bucharest club, and she started winning medals in 2017, when she won the gold with Romania’s eight team both at the European Championships in Račice, and in the World Championships in Sarasota. In the double sculls event, she won the European title in 2022, in Munich, together with Denisa Tîlvescu, and then in Bled, with Roxana Anghel, last year.  At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in 2021, she was part of the team that came out 6th in the women’s eight event.

     

    Roxana-Iuliana Anghel also comes from the north-east of Romania, more precisely from Câmpulung Moldovenesc, where she was born on January 1, 1998. A member of the Dinamo Bucharest club, Roxana-Iuliana Anghel also took part in the Tokyo Olympics, where she came out 9th in the quadruple sculls event. Since last year she has been competing in the women’s pair race together with Ioana Vrînceanu, with whom she has already won two European championships. (AMP)

  • March 22, 2024 UPDATE

    March 22, 2024 UPDATE

     

    EUROPEAN COUNCIL Brussels hosted a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday, in which Romania was represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who also attended the Euro Summit on Friday. He stated that Ukraine must remain a priority on the EU agenda, and welcomed the agreement on the support to be provided to this country. Mr. Iohannis reiterated that Romania remains one of Ukraine’s steadfast supporters and will continue to provide assistance particularly in the humanitarian and military areas, and in terms of grain transport. The Romanian official also highlighted the importance of continued European support for the Republic of Moldova, which is facing unprecedented hybrid threats from the Russian Federation during its pre-election period. The European Commission Friday proposed the introduction of tariffs for grain imports from Russia and Belarus, in a move to prevent Moscow and Minsk from distorting the markets. According to the Commission, the tariffs are also designed to contain Russia’s capacity to finance its war in Ukraine and to reduce Russia’s sales of grains stolen from Ukraine. EU leaders unanimously adopted a critical statement concerning Israel, calling for an immediate humanitarian pause and for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access into and throughout the Gaza Strip via all routes. The European Council also urged Israel to refrain from carrying out a ground operation in Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are seeking safety.

    MOLDOVA The Parliament of Moldova has adopted a Declaration voicing confidence that the EU accession is the only way to secure its future as a sovereign, neutral, democratic and undivided state. Moldovan MPs call on the entire society to prove unity and solidarity in order to strengthen political and social dialogue in the name of the national interest and of this strategic goal-the EU accession. The document also emphasises that for decades the European Union has been a “reliable partner” for Chisinau, “selflessly” providing the country with logistic and financial support for solving its many domestic problems. In December 2023, the European Council decided the initiation of accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova.

    FUGITIVES Sentenced offenders having left the country will have to cover the costs of their repatriation, under a draft order passed by the government and submitted to parliament for approval. The new provisions also apply for defendants under investigation, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu announced. She explained that the new legislation concerns 2 situations: when a fugitive flees from prosecution or trial, and when an offender having received a final sentence tries to avoid serving the sentence. The justice minister emphasised that last year the Romanian state spent some EUR 2 mln to bring 800 convicted fugitives back to the country. A list of famous Romanian fugitives includes the former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former head of Romania’s Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, Alina Bica, the son of the president of the Professional Football League, Mario Iorgulescu, and Paul Philippe of Romania.

    CLIMATE Climate change is an undeniable fact, which requires immediate measures, the Romanian minister of environment, waters and forestry Mircea Fechet said on Friday at a conference in Bucharest occasioned by World Water Day and World Meteorological Day. The Romanian official also mentioned the conflict near Romania’s borders, which also impacts the environment. “We are not living the easiest of times,” he said, and added that we should take this opportunity to think about what is happening near Romania and about what we have to do. The participants emphasised the importance of efficiently conveying the information provided by weather experts, by hydrologists and climatologists, and the need to manage water resources in a responsible and efficient manner. They also voiced concern with the already visible consequences of climate change.

    ELECTIONS The Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party in the ruling coalition in Romania have validated their candidates on the joint list for the European Parliament elections scheduled for June 9. Originally at the top of a list of 20 eligible positions, the independent candidate Ramona Chiriac, head of the European Commission Representation in Bucharest, has withdrawn her candidacy for personal reasons. Both parties are keeping most of the current MEPs, but new names also appear on the list. From the Social Democrats, the joint list includes, among others, the former Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, the former minister of family and equal opportunities Gabriela Firea, the incumbent state secretary with the Department for Romanians Everywhere Gheorghe Cârciu, and MEPs Dan Nica and Victor Negrescu. Among the Liberal candidates for the European Parliament are Adina Vălean, the current EU transport commissioner, Virgil Popescu, the former minister of energy, and the MEPs Rareş Bogdan, Siegfried Mureşan, Dan Motreanu, Gheorghe Falcă, and Daniel Buda. The list will be finalised next week. (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    Romania’s women’s handball team has qualified for the 2024 European Championships hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. On Sunday night, in Group 1, Romania, missing its star players Cristina Neagu and Crina Pintea, defeated Croatia away from home 25-23. Romania, which tops the group standings with 8 points, is yet to play against Bosnia-Hertegovina away from home and against Greece at home. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament, along with the best 4 teams having ranked 3rd in each group.

     

    The Kenyan-born Romanian athlete Joan Chelimo Melly won Sunday’s semi-marathon race in Paris, and set a new national record on this occasion. Coached by Carol Şanta at the Dinamo Bucharest club, Joan Chelimo Melly has qualified to the Paris Olympics marathon event this summer. She finished the race in one hour, 6 minutes and 57 seconds, followed by the Kenyan athletes Veronica Loleo and Jesphine Jepleting, respectively. Romania’s previous semi-marathon record, 1 hour 7 minutes and 45 seconds, had been set by another Kenyan-born athlete, Stella Rutto, on 21 February 2021.

     

    At the Glasgow World Athletics Indoor Championships, the Romanian athlete Alina Rotaru-Kottmann finished 8th in the long jump finals. Two other Romanians, Diana Ion and Andreea Taloş, came out 9th and 10th in the triple jump final.

     

    Romania’s rugby team played on Saturday against Georgia, away from home, in the semi-finals of the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship. Georgia won the match, 43-5. In the other semi-final, on Sunday, Portugal defeated Spain, 33-30. The finals are scheduled on the 17 March in Paris, with Romania and Spain playing for the 3rd place, and Georgia and Portugal competing for the trophy.

     

    This past weekend also saw matches counting towards the 29th round of the Romanian football SuperLeague. On Friday, Poli Iaşi drew against Dinamo Bucharest, 0-0. On Saturday, UTA Arad beat FCU Craiova 3-2, FC Hermannstadt defeated Oţelul Galaţi 4-1, and Farul Constanţa drew against CFR Cluj, 1-1. On Sunday, Universitatea Cluj defeated FC Botoşani 1-0 while FCSB outplayed Petrolul Ploieşti 1-0, with two other matches, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe vs FC Voluntari and Universitatea Craiova vs Rapid Bucharest scheduled for Monday. FCSB rank first in the current standings, with 64 points, followed by Rapid (51) and CFR Cluj (50). (AMP)

  • Maia Sandu, awarded for promoting European values

    Maia Sandu, awarded for promoting European values

    The
    president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, Saturday received the ‘Timişoara
    Award for European Values, established this year by the authorities of the
    2023 European Capital of Culture to honour personalities who champion or uphold
    European values within and outside the Union.


    I
    accept this prize, Maia Sandu said at the award ceremony, as a vote of
    confidence in Moldova’s and its citizens’ capacity to see through their fight
    for freedom. She also thanked Romania for its unwavering support, and said she
    wanted for her country the prosperity enjoyed by the other EU member states.


    Maia
    Sandu: I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the gratitude and high
    appreciation for the support we have received from Romania, an unconditional,
    brotherly support for which we will always be grateful. What we see here in Timişoara,
    what we see in the European Union’s cities, is what we want for the Republic of
    Moldova as well. Let the living standards I see in your city, the freedom of
    thought and of speech, the European values become undefeatable, here and in the
    Republic of Moldova.


    The
    Moldovan official also highlighted that the eastward enlargement of the EU has
    been a large-scale historical reparation, which will not be complete as long as
    countries like Moldova and Ukraine are left outside the bloc. The nations that
    choose freedom, she argued, belong together with the states and peoples of the
    free world, and not in a grey area, subject to constant threats to their
    sovereignty and independence.

    We all know that in the Republic of Moldova such
    threats, be they direct or via disloyal agents, oligarchs willing to sell out
    their fellow countrymen without shame, will not disappear, but rather they will
    strengthen unless we break our harmful ties with the past. But we are not
    afraid and we are not wavering. Over the past few years, we have managed to end
    our dependence on Russian natural gas, we have redirected our exports to new
    markets, we have been building and restoring bridges and roads connecting us to
    the EU. The Republic of Moldova is no longer at the service of Kremlin;
    instead, it is taking its fate in its own hands and stepping resolutely on the
    path of European integration, Moldova’s president added.


    She
    also said that this has been acknowledged by the EU member countries in
    December 2023, when they decided that Moldova and Ukraine deserve to start
    accession negotiations.


    In
    these troubled times, Maia Sandu is not only a strong leader for her nation,
    but a role model for millions of Europeans outside Moldova as well, the Mayor
    of Timişoara Dominic Fritz emphasised. According to him, Maia Sandu believed in
    Moldova’s European aspirations when many were dismissing them as utopian and, with
    unbelievable effort and courage, she is fighting resolutely to shape a European
    future for Moldova. (AMP)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    Romania’s men’s volleyball team
    concluded Group D of the European Championships in Tel Aviv – Yafo, Israel, with
    a clear victory against defending Olympic champions France. The 3-1 win (25-23,
    16-25, 25-18, 25-21) secured Romania its qualification in the eighth-finals.




    The best Romanian players were
    Adrian Aciobăniţei, currently playing for the Polish side Skra Belchatow, who
    scored 20 points, Alexandru Raţă with 12 points and Robert Călin with 11 points.
    On the French side, the best players were Stephen Boyer with 19 points scored,
    Yacine Louati with 15 and Kevin Tillie with 11.




    Romania had started the
    competition with 2 matches lost, 0-3 to Portugal and 2-3 to Israel. But the
    Romanian team made a strong come-back in the second part of the group stage and
    won their last 3 matches, 3-2 against Turkey, 3-1 against Greece and 3-1 against
    France.




    In the last 2 matches of the
    group, Turkey defeated Israel, 3-0 and France beat Greece 3-0. In the final
    group D standing, France ranks first with 12 points, followed by Portugal with 9,
    Romania also 9, Turkey with 8 points, Israel (4 points) and Greece (3 points). The
    top 4 teams in the group qualify in the eighth-finals.




    Romania will take on Croatia, the
    team that came second in Group B, on the 9 September in Varna, Bulgaria.




    In the previous edition of the
    competition, hosted by France, Slovenia, Belgium and the Netherlands in 2019,
    Romania finished 21st in the ranking. In the history of the European
    Volleyball Championships, Romania’s best results were gold in 1963, two silver
    medals in 1955 and 1958, and two bronze medals, in 1971 and 1977.




    The 2023 European Championship
    takes place in 4 countries-Israel, Italy, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, between
    28 August and 16 September. (AMP)

  • July 30, 2023

    July 30, 2023

    GOVERNMENT The government
    prepares to pass a set of fiscal measures in the coming days, designed to bring
    more money into the state budget and to keep the deficit close to this year’s
    target of 4.4% of GDP. As of this autumn, employees in agriculture,
    constructions and IT may have to contribute 10% of their incomes to the public
    healthcare fund. The government also intends to keep only 2 VAT rates, 9% for
    foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and hospitality services, and 19% for all other
    sectors. Governmental sources say the ruling coalition are also discussing a
    reorganization of the public sector, by scrapping 200,000 posts which are
    currently vacant. At the same time, the Cabinet is working on measures to support
    citizens cope with the rising inflation. The government is considering an
    increase in minimum wages in 2 stages: to roughly 670 euro in September and to
    750 euro as of January next year. But the plan is opposed by private
    entrepreneurs, who say they cannot afford to raise minimum wages for employees.
    According to a recent poll, should this measure be introduced, more than half
    of the private entrepreneurs in the country said they would raise prices for
    their products and services or downsize their staff.


    FIRE A Romanian fire fighter unit specialising in
    wildfires is leaving for France today, as part of a redeployment programme
    organised by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and
    Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). As many as 40 Romanian fire fighters
    with fire engines, water tanks and other equipment will be stationed in
    Marseilles, on the Mediterranean Coast.


    TRIBUTE The Bucharest National
    Opera orchestra performs tonight for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
    Vienna, in a tribute concert to the Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu. The
    year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to mark 170 years since
    the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous composer. The concert
    will consist exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu: New Moon, the first
    Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the Romanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir
    and orchestra of the National Opera House in Bucharest are conducted by Daniel
    Jinga, with special guests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist
    Maria Coman.


    UKRAINE A Ukrainian drone
    attack on Moscow hit 2 office buildings last night, the mayor of Russia’s
    capital city Sergei Sobyanin said, according to France Presse. According to the
    Russian defence ministry, a drone was shot down and 2 others were neutralized but
    crashed into a building compound. This was the latest in a string of attacks
    that Moscow blames on Kyiv, while also claiming the US and their NATO allies
    have provided assistance to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities say
    at least 2 were killed and 1 wounded in a Russian missile attack on the city of
    Zaporizhzhia.


    SPORTS Romania finished 4th
    at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival in Maribor (Slovenia), with 9
    gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals. This is the best performance for Romania in
    this competition, after the ones in 1995 (Bath) and 2003 (Paris), when it came
    out 3rd. On Saturday, the last day of the event, Romania won 2 gold medals,
    thanks to Alin Şavlovschi, in the men’s 2,000 m hurdles race and Bianca Maria
    Tiţa, Ştefania Balint, Maria Denisa Capotă and Alexandra Ştefania Uţă, who won
    the women’s relay race with a new competition record (2’06”13). Romania’s
    women’s handball team won the silver after losing the final to France, 32-27. Three other
    medals were won in the tennis competition, by Giulia Safina Popa in the women’s
    singles, Giulia Popa and Alexia Tatu in women’s doubles and Yannick Theodor
    Nicolas Alexandrescou/Alejandro Mateo Berge Vega Nourescu in the men’s doubles.
    In the gymnastics competition, Alexia Gabriela Vânoagă won the silver in the
    beam final. Romania participated in the Festival with a team of 92 athletes. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash




    Krakow
    and the region of Malopolska in Poland are these days hosting the European
    Games. On Wednesday, Romanian athletes won 2 more medals. In boxing, Lăcrămioara
    Perijoc qualified into the semi-finals of the 54 kg category, thus securing a
    spot in the Paris Olympics. She will take on Turkey’s Hatice Akbaş, the
    category’s defending world champion, and if she loses, she still gets the
    bronze medal. In teqball, the Romanian athlete Kinga Barabasi, no 5 in the
    world, has secured a place in the women’s final, after defeating Nanna Lind
    Kristensen (Denmark) in the semi-final on Wednesday. The other finalist is
    Amelie Julien of France.




    Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse failed to
    move up to the main competition of the Wimbledon, after losing the 2nd
    qualification round to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela
    Ruse gets GBP 21,750 and 20 WTA points. Irina Begu, Sorana Cîrstea, Ana Bogdan and
    Jaqueline Cristian are taking part in the main draw, with Begu seed no 29.




    Also in tennis, Monica Niculescu and Eri
    Hozumi are playing the semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany.
    In the quarter-finals, the Romanian – Japanese pair defeated seeds no 2, Yana
    Sizikova (Russia) and Kimberley Zimmermann (Belgium), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.




    Romanian football teams have started their
    summer training season. Rapid Bucharest, currently on a training session in
    Slovakia, drew 1-all against Dunajska Streda in a friendly played on this
    occasion. On Saturday, they are playing another friendly against the Hungarian
    side Győr, and next Wednesday they are scheduled to play against Slovakian
    champions Slovan Bratislava. (AMP)

  • June 24, 2023 – UPDATE

    June 24, 2023 – UPDATE

    PRICES
    Romania is the EU member country with the smallest prices for foodstuffs and soft
    drinks, according to the European Statistics Office. Specifically, in Romania, such
    products were nearly 30% cheaper than the European average. In fact, Romania
    also saw the lowest levels of household end consumer prices. At the opposite
    pole, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most expensive countries to live
    in. The most significant differences were in terms of alcohol and tobacco
    prices-such products are over 3 times more expensive in Denmark compared to Bulgaria.
    The latter country also reports the lowest prices in the hospitality industry.


    ENERGY The European Commission approved the takeover
    of the Romanian operations of the Italian utilities group Enel by the Public
    Power Corporation (PPC) in Greece. The EC reached the conclusion that the
    takeover raises no competition concerns, given that the operations of the 2
    companies do not overlap. Enel announced in March it would sell its Romanian
    operation to PPC for EUR 1.26 bln, in a plan to reduce debt and focus on green
    energy. Enel group, which operated in Romania since 2005, is currently a major
    player in energy supply and distribution, in renewable energy and advanced
    energy services. It services over 3 million consumers in 3 major regions in
    Romania. With the takeover completed, the Greek group Public Power Corporation becomes
    the largest player in the electricity market in South-Eastern Europe.


    BLOUSE The Romanian blouse was celebrated this year as
    well on 24 June, both in the country and in Romanian communities around the
    world. The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a cultural diplomacy
    instrument and a means to promote Romanian culture and traditions. The country
    hosted events devoted to the traditional blouse, ia, including an Art Safary
    exhibition of folk costumes in Bucharest, screenings and creative workshops for
    children, as well as a fashion show featuring the traditional blouse as a street
    wear element. Some museums, including the Ethnography Museum in Braşov and ASTRA
    Museum in Sibiu, received visitors free of charge if they came dressed in
    traditional blouses. Last year the Romanian blouse was included in the UNESCO Heritage list.


    THEATRE
    The central Romanian city of Sibiu, a European capital of culture in 2007, is
    hosting the International Theatre Festival, currently in its 30th
    year. This year’s theme is Miracle.
    Until 2 July, 825 indoor and outdoor events
    will take place, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries.
    All the outdoor performances are free of charge. The festival also keeps its
    online section, which includes 40 shows. The official opening took place on
    Friday night, with the play A Cathedral Full of Organs staged at the Lutheran
    Cathedral of St. Mary in Sibiu.


    HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic
    Christians celebrated on Saturday the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the
    last Old Testament prophet. St. John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus;
    he urged people to repent their sins and baptised them in the River Jordan. John
    also baptised Jesus, presenting him to the world as the Messiah. The Christian
    feast day of St. John the Baptist overlaps a pre-Christian tradition in which
    24 June was devoted to the Sânziene, gentle fairies believed to bring fertility
    and wealth.


    ROWING Romania’s Cătălin Chirilă won the silver in the men’s canoe single
    500m final on Saturday at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska (Poland). This
    was the 4th medal for Romania, after Bianca Ghelber won the silver in
    the hammer throw event, athlete Andrea Miklos won the bronze in the 400 m race,
    and Ştefan Comănescu also came in 3rd at the 67 kg kumite.
    Romania takes part in the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, between 21 June
    and 2 July with 150 athletes in 18 disciplines. (AMP)

  • June 23, 2023 UPDATE

    June 23, 2023 UPDATE

    SECURITY We are under an obligation to provide
    security to the Republic of Moldova, because Romanians also live there, PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday.
    The previous day the Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the statements
    made by the Russian-installed
    governor in occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo. The Romanian diplomacy says in a
    Twitter post that such statements addressed to the Republic of Moldova, but
    which also refer to a part of the territory of Romania, a member of NATO, are
    unacceptable and that targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime. The
    reaction comes after Saldo threatened that the Russian army could attack a
    bridge over Prut River, in response to an alleged Ukrainian attack on one of
    the bridges connecting Kherson to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed by
    Moscow 9 years ago. Chisinau has summoned the Russian ambassador to the
    Republic of Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, for explanations. Created on some of
    the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1940, the
    Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow in 1991.


    STOCK MARKET In Romania, the Association of Fund Administrators
    welcomed the historic decision to list Hidroelectrica, through the sale of the
    stake held by Proprietatea Fund. The Association chief, Horia Gustă, says the
    listing is a huge development opportunity for the Bucharest Stock Exchange, which
    thus consolidates its entry in the big league of European financial markets. Moreover,
    the company’s presence will attract significant sums of money and major
    international investment funds into Romania. In turn, Hidroelectrica’s CEO
    Bogdan Badea says he expects nearly EUR 10 bln in capitalisation.
    Hidroelectrica is the country’s largest electricity producer and it recently
    became one of the most important energy suppliers for households.


    IMMIGRANTS 43 foreign citizens were caught, Friday morning, trying
    to cross Romania’s western border illegally. They were hidden in a truck driven
    by a Romanian national, which was carrying parcels on the Romania-Hungary
    route. The authorities found that the people hidden among the goods are from
    Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. The foreigners are being
    investigated for attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border, and the truck
    driver for migrant trafficking.


    FOOD The large chain stores in Romania have agreed, in the framework
    of the dialogue started with the Government, that they could voluntarily reduce
    the shelf prices of 10 basic food categories. The announcement was made by
    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, but talks will continue. In order for the
    reduction to be implemented, either a voluntary agreement of the sellers or an
    emergency ordinance is being considered, but in both cases, the prime minister promised
    that the government does not want to put pressure on Romanian producers.


    THEATRE The Sibiu International Theatre Festival began on Friday in
    central Romania. The event, which has a 30-year long tradition, brings to
    Romania 5,000 artists from 75 countries, in hundreds of events to be held until
    2 July.




    FOOTBALL On Saturday in Bucharest Romania takes on Ukraine,
    in Group B of the European Under-21 Football Championship, which it hosts
    together with Georgia. In the same group, Spain will play against Croatia. In
    the debut matches, the Under-21 national team was beaten 3-0 by Spain, while
    Ukraine defeated Croatia 2-0. The final tournament takes place between 21 June and
    8 July, and it brings together 16 teams, divided into four groups. Two are
    hosted by Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (north-west), and two by
    Georgia. Two quarter-finals and a semi-final will also take place in Romania.
    The top three finishers qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Romania
    is at its 3rd consecutive participation in the competition, with a total
    of 4 final tournament presences, starting with 1998, when it hosted the final
    tournament for the first time. The country’s best performance was in 2019, when
    it reached the semi-finals, which secured the national team’s qualification in
    the Tokyo Olympics. (AMP)

  • June 22, 2023

    June 22, 2023

    AID In today’s
    Cabinet meeting, the government is to pass a resolution concerning emergency
    aid granted to the citizens affected by extreme weather conditions this year. The
    emergency aid totals EUR 1.4 million. Households in the centre, south-west and
    south of the country have been hit by heavy rainfalls and other extreme weather
    conditions this month, requiring the intervention of military firefighters.


    VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises
    caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the
    talks held in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and
    of Moldova, Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to
    Moldova in its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
    consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks. During
    his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate speaker
    Nicolae Ciucă.


    NATURAL GAS The manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday
    said that in 2027 the first amounts of natural gas would be extracted through
    the Neptun Deep project, turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer
    in the EU. The statements were made at the government’s headquarters in
    Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and Romgaz made an announcement concerning the
    development of Neptun Deep, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian
    part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2 decades, the project is expected to generate
    a gas output 30 times higher than the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million
    households. The estimated revenues to the Romanian state will be around EUR 20
    bln. Neptun Deep is a major step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting
    Romania’s and the region’s energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.


    INVESTMENT The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new
    funding for Romania. The total EUR 675 mln will go into transport, urban
    development and small enterprises. EUR 600 mln will be earmarked for the
    transport sector, to add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB
    Group and Romania mark 30 years of partnership, with over EUR 17 bln granted by
    the bank in more than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations
    in the country. Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years,
    I am proud that the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
    hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
    climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
    Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
    of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
    financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.


    MAYOR The former
    mayor of Bucharest’s districts 4 and 5, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, was released
    from prison on Wednesday, after the supreme court admitted his appeal for
    cancellation. The former mayor has served 1 year out of a 4-year prison
    sentence for abuse of office in the Colectiv investigation. He is now entitled
    to resume his office as mayor of district 5. The High Court of Cassation
    however dismissed the appeals of the other individuals sentenced in the same
    case. The head of the Colectiv Association, Eugen Iancu, said the release of
    the ex-mayor was not surprising, given that the officials who authorised the
    operation of the Colectiv night club had also been freed. Justice in Romania is
    an overpaid embarrassment, Iancu said. On the night of 30 October 2015, 64 youth
    died in a fire during a rock concert in the Colectiv night club. After legal
    proceedings spanning several years, prison sentences were given to mayor
    Piedone, the club owners, the firefighters who inspected the club without
    taking the required fire safety measures and the pyrotechnicians in charge of
    the fireworks during the show.


    UKRAINE The US will provide USD 1.3 million worth of
    additional aid for the Ukrainian economy, particularly its essential
    infrastructure, the US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced at the
    International Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. In turn, the European
    Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised the bloc would create a
    EUR 50 bln fund for Kyiv in the next 4 years. Scores of high-ranking
    politicians and business people from around the world take part in the
    conference. Romania is represented by its new foreign minister, Luminiţa
    Odobescu.



    FOOTBALL Romania lost 3-0 to Spain in Bucharest on Wednesday night, in the Under-21
    European football championships that the country is hosting jointly with Georgia. Romania plays in B, alongside
    Spain, Ukraine and Croatia. The final tournament takes place between 21 June
    and 8 July and brings together 16 teams, divided into 4 groups. Two of them
    play in Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and the other 2 in Georgia. Romania
    is also hosting 2 quarter-finals and a semi-final. The top 3 ranking teams in
    the tournament qualify into the Olympic Games due in Paris next year. (AMP)

  • Romanian rowers on the European Championships podium

    Romanian rowers on the European Championships podium

    Romania finished second in the medal standing by
    country at the European Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia, with 5 gold
    medals and a silver one.


    The last day of the competition brought Romania most
    of the medals. Ionela Cozmiuc won the champion title in lightweight women’s single
    sculls, then Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel did the same in the women’s pair
    final, while world and Olympic champions Simona Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar won the
    women’s double sculls race.


    Last year, Ionela Cozmiuc won her first European
    champion title in the lightweight women’s single sculls, which however is not
    an Olympic event. She also won the event’s final at the World Championships in
    the Czech Republic, and now she has added yet another gold medal to her track
    record.


    Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel deployed excellent
    tactics in the final, and came ahead of the Dutch team by over one second at
    the end. Last year in Munich, Ioana Vrînceanu won the continental title
    together with Denisa Tâlvescu.


    In Bled, Simona Radiș and Ancuța Bodnar had the
    toughest competition since 2019, when they won the silver medal at the European
    Championships in Lucerne. They have dominated this event in all major
    competitions since, by significant margins, as was the case last year both in
    the European and the World championships. They have 4 European champions titles
    in the women’s double sculls – in 2020 in Poznan, in 2021 in Varese, in 2022 in
    Munich, and now in Bled.


    The last day of the competition, Sunday the 28 May,
    ended with yet another victory for Romania, in the women’s eight. The Romanians
    defeated teams from Italy, the UK and Germany. Of the 9 athletes in the Romanian
    team, 7 have 2 gold medals each in this year’s continental championships.


    On Saturday, Romania had won another gold medal in
    Bled, in the women’s quadruple sculls final. The Romanians defeated the UK and
    Netherlands.


    Meanwhile, the European and World champions Marius
    Cozmiuc and Sergiu Bejan, who on Saturday won the European silver in the men’s
    eight race, on Sunday finished way behind their opponents, finishing 5th.
    In the men’s quadruple sculls final, the Romanian team were very close to
    getting the gold, but in spite of a strong finish they were unable to catch up
    with the French team. Last year, the same Romanian team won the bronze in
    Munich. In fact, the European Championships in Munich in 2022 saw the best
    performance in the history of Romanian rowing, with 5 gold and 3 bronze medals.
    (AMP)

  • May 3, 2023

    May 3, 2023

    BANK The foreign currency reserves of the
    National Bank of Romania were in excess of EUR 53 bln at the end of April, up 0.21%
    compared to the previous month. The gold reserves stay at 103.6 tonnes. High
    forex reserves ensure investor confidence, analysts explain, adding that this
    was mostly due to EU fund receipts.


    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in Romania dropped slightly, from
    5.5% in February to 5.4% in March, but unemployment among youth remains high,
    at 22.2%, the National Statistics Institute reports. The number of people
    between the ages of 15 and 74 receiving unemployment benefits in March was over
    453,000, a decrease compared both to the previous month of this year and to the
    corresponding period in 2022. Among men, the rate was 5.8%, whereas the
    proportion of unemployed women was 5%. For adults aged 25 to 74, the
    unemployment rate stood at 4.4%.


    CORONATION Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of
    Romania, and the Prince Consort, will take part on Saturday in the coronation
    of King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
    the Royal House of Romania announced today in a Facebook post. In the 157 years of existence of the Royal House of
    Romania, the connection with the British royal family has been steady, based on
    admiration, respect and affection, both in its official dimension, representing
    the two nations, and in its private, family aspect, reads the post. The Royal
    House adds that this reliable relationship has spanned the 19th, 20th
    and 21st centuries and five generations.


    PRESS The World Press Freedom
    Day celebrated on the 3rd of May occasioned the opening of a special
    exhibition at the National Romanian Literature Museum in Bucharest. The event
    was organized jointly with the Romanian Union of Professional Journalists. The
    exhibition, which opens a series of events devoted to journalists in all fields,
    is intended as a starting point for a future Museum of Romanian Press. The World
    Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, and is
    designed to highlight the importance of and the need for freedom of expression.


    EDUCATION A draft law regulating higher education in Romania was
    approved by the specialist committee in the Chamber of Deputies, with a number
    of amendments. Among other things, grants and training programmes will be
    offered every year to Romanians from abroad who wish to study in Romania. Welfare
    grants may be received concurrently with other types of grants, should student
    meet relevant criteria. As for salaries, higher education institutions may
    increase salaries within their approved budgets. Fines have also been
    introduced, ranging from EUR 20,000 to 40,000, for those who sell BA, MA or
    doctoral theses online, in violation of intellectual property rights. The new
    laws on the undergraduate and higher education sectors will most likely be
    subject to voting in the Chamber of Deputies next week. The Senate is then to take
    its final vote.


    GRAINS The European Commission
    announced exceptional and temporary preventive measures on imports of
    a limited number of products from Ukraine. They concern only 4 products-wheat, maize,
    rapeseed and sunflower seed-and are designed to alleviate logistical
    bottlenecks concerning these products in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and
    Slovakia. Meanwhile, Romania will receive an additional EUR 30 bln
    to support farmers affected by the cheap grains imports from Ukraine. (AMP)