Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Commission

  • The European Commissioner Roxana Mânzatu in Bucharest

    The European Commissioner Roxana Mânzatu in Bucharest

    Shortly after taking office, the European Commissioner nominated by Romania, Roxana Mânzatu, visited her home country in an official capacity.

     

    A member of the Social Democratic Party (in the ruling coalition) since 2000, when she was 20 years old, a former Deputy in the national parliament and a former MEP, with a brief term as minister for European funds, the Romanian politician is one of the vice-presidents of the new European Commission, in charge with “People, Skills and Preparedness”. In this capacity, she said, she manages around 20% of the European Union’s multiannual budget.

     

    At a meeting in Bucharest on Tuesday with Romania’s acting president, Klaus Iohannis, she discussed the role of education in fighting disinformation and manipulation, as well as in strengthening the democratic resilience of European societies.

     

    According to the Romanian Presidency, the head of state pointed out that areas such as artificial intelligence, security and defence have a major social component, and the success of these policies depends on society’s preparation and knowledge.

     

    One of the topics discussed with the Social-Democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu and his ministers of labour, European funds and education was the so-called “Compass”, a plan by Brussels to restore EU competitiveness. “We cannot be competitive without well-trained human resources and without good working conditions. The point of this compass is to guide future policies, financing (…) We prioritize new technologies, innovation, access to financing, the elimination of cumbersome administrative procedures, a lot of simplification, coordination between member states. But we can only do all this if we have workforce that is prepared and motivated to work in the respective sectors,” Commissioner Mânzatu argued.

     

    In February, she announced, the EC will launch the Clean Industrial Deal, a plan for the industrial decarbonisation of the continent, which she claims is “pragmatic, focused on interventions in important sectors that can ensure strategic autonomy for the European economy.” The automotive industry, among other sectors, is taken into account, which Roxana Mânzatu says is very relevant for Romania, has ensured Europe’s global leadership and provides 13 million jobs in the Union.

     

    In an exclusive interview for Radio Romania, Roxana Mânzatu said she regretted that there are not enough Romanian beneficiaries in the research and innovation areas in the relevant programmes launched by the Commission. “I told all my colleagues, we are fully open to working even better with European money, so that people can feel the impact of these funds even more,” the Commission vice-president concluded. (AMP)

  • The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The 9th edition of the European Migration Forum took place in Brussels in November. High on the agenda was the role of civil society in the implementation of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Launched in April 2024, the document replaced the former Dublin III Regulation and seeks to support the European Union’s efforts to untangle the current migration gridlock by strengthening border security, facilitating asylum and repatriation procedures and strengthening solidarity with Member States located at the Union’s external borders. Far from being unanimously welcomed, the Pact was met with criticism from NGOs, publications and specialists across the European continent – ​​both from anti-migration and far-right parties (for whom the new regulation does not propose sufficient measures to stop migration) and from leftists and activists (for whom the document poses a threat to human rights). At the end of 2023, for instance, 50 NGOs signed an open letter to the European Commission voicing fears about a future system with possible flaws. This system would favor the normalization of arbitrary detention of migrants, racial profiling, and would use “crisis” procedures as a reason to reject entry at the border and redirect people to so-called safe third countries, thus exposing them to risks of violence, torture and imprisonment.

     

    Professor Cristian Pîrvulescu, the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at SNSPA and President of the Integration and Immigration Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, tried to account for part of the hesitancy towards the new regulation:

     

    “We had our misgivings towards the Pact, primarily regarding the definition of third countries, because the list of third countries where people who are denied asylum in the European Union are expelled is not at all certain. There are, from our point of view, many shortcomings in the way the Commission has compiled this list, and there are states that are apparently safe, but which the geopolitical situation can turn into completely unsafe states. Moreover, one of our problems concerns the right to apply to enter the territory of the European Union and to go through asylum procedures, which is essential for all those who arrive at the EU borders, whether we are talking about Schengen or non-Schengen borders. In addition, the asylum procedures, as explained by the new Pact, are greatly shortened”.

     

    In 2023, over 117 million people were forcibly displaced, and the UNHCR estimated that by the end of 2024, this figure would increase to 130 million. However, the majority remain in their regions of origin, and only a small share seek protection in Europe.

     

    On the sidelines of the European Migration Forum, RRI spoke to Flavius ​​Ilioni Loga, executive director of the LOGS Association, a grassroots organization operating in Timișoara since 2019, which promotes the integration of vulnerable migrant groups through education and combating human trafficking. Flavius Ilioni was designated “Urban Hero” in Timișoara in 2021, and his team is made up of social workers, psychologists and cultural mediators. I asked him about the vulnerabilities of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum:

     

    “We could not say that we ideally suited to make a legal analysis of the Pact. But there is criticism at the level of organizations regarding policies related to pushbacks, what is happening at the external borders, including on the Romanian border with Serbia, the presence of FRONTEX — how many FRONTEX employees are inspected to actually protect the rights of those who are refugees and who have the right to seek asylum. There is also criticism regarding the implementation of the Pact exclusively with support of the authorities versus that of civil society. We are talking about this exclusive responsibility of national governments to determine who will be involved in the resettlement or integration of people arriving from abroad. The processing of asylum applications, obviously, is the remit of national authorities, but when it comes to legal assistance, counseling, how will this be done? This can be seen as a barrier in the way of organizations like ours, to have direct access to the authorities in Bucharest, for example, which are 600 kilometers away from Timișoara, and that might raise issues when it comes to helping and supporting the solidarity effort at the local and community level”.

     

    According to data provided by the General Inspectorate for Immigration submitted for publication and analysis to the European Council for Refugees and Exiles, in 2023 Romania received a total of 10,346 applications for international protection, of which, by the end of 2023, only 5,561 had been processed. Of these, only 491 had received refugee status, and 438 subsidiary protection. (VP)

  • A new European Commission

    A new European Commission

    The new European Commission, the second to be headed by Ursula von der Leyen, will take over from 1st December, after being approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

    In her speech, von der Leyen promised to revitalise the Union’s stagnating economy, boost competitiveness, reduce bureaucracy, unblock investments and bridge the innovation gap with the United States and China. Support for Ukraine, defence, managing migration, enlargement, climate actions, the budget reform and the rule of law will also feature among her team’s priorities. “Our fight for freedom may look different to generations past. But the stakes are just as high,” von der Leyen told MEPs. “These freedoms will not come for free. It will mean making difficult choices. It will mean massive investment in our security and prosperity. And above all it will mean staying united and true to our values. Finding ways to work with each other – and overcoming fragmentation”, vom der Leyen emphasised.

    The European Commission’s first initiative will be the Competitiveness Compass, a strategic plan to boost the European economy based on three pillars: innovation, the plan for industry and economic security, implying more European autonomy.

    The Commission’s new executive vice-presidents include Romania’s Roxana Mînzatu, who will be coordinating social policies, skills, professional training and certain educational policies. The new Social Climate Fund will also be part of her portfolio, with Romania to receive 6 billion euros for spending on measures to reduce energy poverty. Mînzatu will also coordinate some of the policies meant to prepare society for crises, a new concept within European policies. This also refers to educating and preparing society to cope with manipulation.

    Ursula von der Leyen also said that the Union must allocate more money to match Russia’s military spending, which accounts for 9% of GDP, while that of Europe accounts for a mere 1.9% on average.

    Wednesday’s vote for the new European Commission reflects the fragmentation within the current European Parliament, where there is no stable majority, but which, for the first time since 1999, has rejected none of the commissioners proposed, Politico notes. The new Commission got fewer votes on Wednesday than its president Ursula von der Leyen last summer and, at 54%, has the least support from the European Parliament since 1993.

    After the vote, the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said she was confident Parliament would work well with the new Commission.

  • November 26, 2024

    November 26, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS The leaders of the Social Democratic Party (in the ruling coalition in Romania) have decided that Victor Negrescu should be in charge with the party’s political communication until the December 1 general elections, PM Marcel Ciolacu announced. The latter stepped down as party leader after failing to move into the second round of the presidential ballot. The leaders of the other party in the ruling coalition, the National Liberal Party, also resigned, beginning with its president Nicolae Ciuca, who only came out fifth in the first round. Party heavyweight Ilie Bolojan will serve as interim president for the Liberals. He announced his party would support the pro-European, right-of-centre Elena Lasconi in the second round due on December 8, against the pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu, the surprise winner of the first round.

     

    NATIONAL DAY Nearly 2,500 troops and specialists from the defence ministry, the interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service, the National Penitentiary Administration and the Romanian Customs Authority, with about 190 vehicles and 45 aircraft, will take part in the military parade organised on Sunday, December 1, in Bucharest, on the occasion of Romania’s National Day. Along with Romanian soldiers, around 240 foreign troops will also march in the parade, deployed to Romania from Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Spain, the USA, Turkey and other countries. The foreign units include about 21 vehicles, including combat aircraft.

     

    EUROPEAN UNION A European Parliament plenary session has begun in Strasbourg, where the final vote on the new European Commission will be held tomorrow. The EU’s support for Ukraine, amid North Korea’s growing involvement on Russia’s side, and another hot topic, the Gaza Strip situation, are being discussed. Talks are also taking place ahead of the adoption of the Union’s 2025 budget. According to the Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu, one of the negotiators, Parliament managed to secure a EUR 10 billion higher budget for next year compared to 2024, namely almost EUR 199.5 billion in commitments and EUR 155 billion in total payments, including amounts for special instruments outside the multiannual financial framework. The issue of Romania and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession will also be discussed in the evening, following a recent agreement in Budapest, according to which Austria will withdraw its veto in the Council to allow this last step. Discussions could also include references to the fact that the Dutch Parliament might block this full accession in early December, as the “Financial Times” wrote a few days ago.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah are about to conclude a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. According to Lebanese sources, the US and French presidents are expected to announce the ceasefire soon, after intense diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict that began last October, concurrently with Israel’s war against the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza. The deal between Israel and Lebanon is not backed, however, by all the political forces in the state or by the presidents of local councils in the towns on the border between the two states, Radio Romania’s correspondent reports. According to him, PM Netanyahu has talks today with all the heads of the political factions in the ruling coalition in an attempt to convince them to support the agreement, and in the afternoon he will convene a meeting of the political and security cabinet to the same effect. What seems to have convinced the Israeli PM to accept the deal, the correspondent also says, was the United States’ guarantee that it would support Israel’s right to attack Lebanon if the terms of the agreement were violated. (AMP)

  • Political agreement on the new European Commission

    Political agreement on the new European Commission

     

     

    The leaders of the three major political groups in the European Parliament have given the green light to the members of the next European Commission. They finally said yes to all the 7 European Commissioner nominations that were still under evaluation, thus ending the weeks-long deadlock between the EU’s political factions over the composition of the future Commission.

     

    Between November 4 and 12 Parliament heard the prospective European commissioners in Ursula von der Leyen’s new team. After the interviews, however, for more than a week, the fate of the 6 vice-presidents and of the Hungarian nominee for public health and animal welfare commissioner Olivér Várhelyi was in limbo over political disagreements between the European People’s Party, Renew, and the Socialists and Democrats.

     

    One of those left waiting was Roxana Mânzatu, Romania’s proposal, who would hold the post of Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness. During the interview, she was asked questions not only about employee rights and the Erasmus programme, but also about the illegal extension of her house in Brașov, a topic also covered by Romanian media.

     

    In a social network post, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu welcomed Roxana Mînzatu’s validation as vice-president of the EC and as commissioner for a “relevant” sector. She is an excellent professional and will do Romania credit, said the Romanian PM.

     

    It is the first time since 1999 that no EU commissioner candidate has been rejected, which is a step back for the power of the EP, Politico notes. Along with the agreement on the membership of the future European Commission, the leaders of the main parties represented in Brussels also signed a document in which, as a parliamentary majority, they undertake to work together during their term in office to support Ukraine and to enhance the bloc’s security and competitiveness. The signatories also agreed to adopt a new industrial agreement and to boost circular economy, friendly to the environment. Last but not least, an efficient migration policy is being considered.

     

    The European Parliament’s final vote on the new Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will be given in next week’s session in Strasbourg. Two-thirds of the MEP votes are needed for the Commission to be endorsed. According to the procedural calendar, if the vote is favorable, the new commissioners will take office on December 1.

     

    The formula proposed by Ursula von der Leyen is slightly changed, with a vice-president position for European diplomacy chief (Kaja Kallas), 5 executive vice-presidents who will also coordinate certain policies, as well as 20 commissioner posts. (AMP)

  • Downward forecast from the European Commission

    Downward forecast from the European Commission

    Romania’s economic growth estimate has been recalculated by the European Commission (EC), at a value well below the initially established figure. In the forecast published in the spring of 2024, the estimate was that the economy would register an advance of 3.3% this year, followed by one of 3.1% in 2025. In a recent document, however, the EC states that the growth rate of the Romanian economy will slow down to 1.4% this year, then accelerate slightly to 2.5% in 2025. During this year, industrial production, constructions, IT and transports have slowed down due to the decrease in external demand from Romania’s main trading partners, the rapid increase in wages and the high energy prices. At the same time, retail sales have grown strongly as available incomes have grown at a rapid pace. However, the dynamic private consumption was largely counteracted by the negative contribution of exports to the GDP growth, while the growth of private investments was moderated by the uncertainty surrounding the expected fiscal consolidation measures, the EC stated.

     

    On the other hand, according to the new forecasts, Romania’s budget deficit is forecast to reach 8% of the GDP in 2024 and to remain at a high level of 7.9% of the GDP in 2025. Comparatively, in the spring, Brussels estimated that the deficit was expected to reach 6.9% of the GDP in 2024 and 7% of the GDP in 2025. According to the EC, the deficit exceeding the expectations reflects a very rapid increase in government spending, mainly due to increases in public sector wages, to spending on goods and services, and social transfers, including pensions. It also reflects a slightly slower revenue growth due to weaker than expected economic activity. The good news is that inflation is expected to continue to decline in Romania, from an average of 10% in 2023, to around 5.5% in 2024. However, pressures on prices remain high, due to strong domestic demand, on the backdrop of increasing salaries and pensions, warns the EC.

     

    Despite the economic slowdown, the demand for jobs remains strong, and the unemployment rate will be 5.5% in 2024 and 2025 and 5.4% in 2026. At the same time, public debt is expected to increase from 48.9% of the GDP in 2023 to almost 60% by 2026. The forecast does not include any impact of the government’s potential budget deficit reduction measures on revenues or expenditures, measures included in the medium-term fiscal and structural plan that Romania presented to the EC in October. These measures are not sufficiently specified by the government at this stage, the report points out. However, they have the potential to significantly reduce the public deficit in relation to this forecast, if they are designed and implemented properly in the budget for 2025. In its latest report, the IMF also revised downwards to 1.9% the estimates regarding the advance of the Romanian economy this year, from 2.8% as forecast in April. (LS)

  • November 5, 2024

    November 5, 2024

     

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION Roxana Mînzatu, Romania’s nominee for European Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness is interviewed today by Parliament’s specialist committees. She is one of the six vice-presidents of the European Commission, headed by Ursula von der Layen. Mînzatu aims to make the teaching career more attractive, given that at least 24 EU member states are facing a shortage of teachers, and at the same time to improve the Erasmus+ programme, viewed as far too expensive by many Romanian students. On November 12, next week, Roxana Mînzatu will be heard in the specialist committees of the European Parliament.

     

    DEFENCE “The Romanian and French military are fully engaged in ensuring security and stability in the Black Sea region,” the Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said in Paris, at a meeting with his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu. The agenda included current topics related to bilateral cooperation, with an emphasis on strategic defence priorities, in the complex security context of the Black Sea region and of the Russian Federation’s continuing war of aggression in Romania’s neighbor, Ukraine. The 2 officials also discussed aspects related to the collaboration between the two states within NATO, the European Union and bilaterally. Minister Tîlvăr was among the Romanian officials accompanying PM Marcel Ciolacu, who met with his counterpart Michel Barnier on Monday.

     

    FINANCE The Romanian finance minister, Marcel Boloş, took part  in Brussels today in the meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council, where they discussed VAT in the digital age, the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the annual reporting, EU statistics, international meetings and financing the climate transition. The Council will also pass two legislative acts in the field of insurance.

     

    FORUM Bucharest is hosting the Romania-Japan Energy Forum, an event that brings together companies and public institutions in the field of energy from both countries. The forum stepped up joint projects in the field of energy, in particular the development of new generation nuclear power, the expansion of renewable energy storage capacities, the production of green hydrogen and the implementation of carbon capture, use and storage technologies. As part of the forum, the Romanian energy ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Tarnița-Lăpuștești investment (central Romania), a project of strategic importance for balancing the energy system in Romania in the context of increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. Relations between Romania and Japan were raised to the strategic partnership level on March 7, 2023.

     

    ELECTION DAY US citizens today elect their president. Running for office are vice-president Kamala Harris, supported by the Democratic Party, and the former White House leader Donald Trump, the candidate of the Republican Party. Both finished their campaign in Pennsylvania, a state that could decide who the next president will be. Over 80 million voters have already cast their early vote by mail, a record number that shows interest in this election, seen by many as critical for the future of American democracy. A staggering USD 2.6 bln has been spent in the last eight months to convince the voters. Opinion polls show that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are practically tied.

     

    GEORGIA Thousands of Georgians gathered in the centre of the capital city Tbilisi on Monday evening, to protest the results of the October 26 legislative elections, won by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, and challenged by the opposition, whose supporters are now announcing protests will continue until the election is repeated. The newly elected opposition MPs refused to enter Parliament, and described the election as illegitimate, while Western observers speak of irregularities during the campaign and the vote. The opposition parties, supported by the pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili, claim that there have been frauds and demand an international investigation or repeat elections under ‘international administration’. Both ideas are rejected by the government. Attending the protest, Salome Zourabichvili told the demonstrators that the Republic of Moldova won, referring to the victory of her pro-European counterpart Maia Sandu, and that “Georgia must not give up either”. Russia dismissed the Georgian opposition’s accusations of meddling in the election process, and the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation last Wednesday to investigate election fraud allegations. (AMP)

  • November 2, 2024

    November 2, 2024

    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 commissioner’s 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.

     

    FLOOD Rescue teams in Spain are making it to the areas blocked by catastrophic flooding where the death toll has reached 205, 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. 16 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 on Sunday will be seeing the second round of the presidential election. 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 left the country in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence. The socialist candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo says he wants to put an end to divisions and create an authentic European model, where the state is working for the citizens, and he urged citizens to get united for justice and progress. In another development Maia Sandu accuses Stoianoglo of being Moscow’s puppet and also under the control of oligarch Ilan Şor. The elections in the Republic of Moldova are taking place against the background of a tense election campaign.

     

    WEATHER And now a couple of things about the weather, which is warm for this time of the year in almost the entire territory with isolated showers reported in some regions. The highs of the day are ranging between 12 and 22 degrees Celsius with a noon reading in Bucharest of 18 degrees.

    (bill)

  • The future EU budget

    The future EU budget

    On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted a proposal for next year’s EU budget, expected to stand at 201 billion EUR. However, it is not the final version, because the European Parliament must reach an agreement with the EU Council. The latter would like the European Union to invest about 10 billion EUR less. On the contrary, MEPs say more money is needed, given the slightly fragile situation from an economic point of view. On the other hand, the European Council advises caution and says it does not want to put pressure on national budgets or on the population. The European Parliament emphasizes the common policies of the community bloc, while the Council focuses more on issues at national level. Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu is one of the two negotiators of the European Parliament in its relations with the Council.

     

    “The version of the European Parliament offers more opportunities for Member States, because we tried to integrate those measures with an immediate effect on citizens’ lives. Whether we are talking about Erasmus or the Civil Protection Mechanism, these are direct intervention mechanisms. Whether we are talking about agriculture and the support for young farmers or whether we are talking about improving the transport infrastructure, again, we see these programs have an immediate effect in increasing the standards of living”.

     

    In addition, the budget proposed by the European Parliament benefits all states with smaller contributions to the European budget, which then stand to gain from the distribution of money through community programs and policies. What are the benefits for Romania? Victor Negrescu explains:

     

    “I would refer here, in particular, to the support offered by the European Parliament for the program devoted to border security, in which we mention the support for the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area. I would refer here to the coordination of the social security system, which would allow the European diaspora, including the Romanian one, to transfer their rights and social benefits, including pensions, more easily from one state to another. I refer here to the consistent support for the agricultural sector or to the consistent support for the Republic of Moldova, which is greater than the one proposed by the Council”.

     

    The European Parliament and the EU Council will start negotiations, of course, with the participation of the European Commission. The latter has its own budget proposal, similar to the one put forward by Parliament. The EU budget is expected to be adopted in the second half of November. (VP)

  • The Cohesion Policy between the outgoing and the next European Commission

    The Cohesion Policy between the outgoing and the next European Commission

    The 2024 European Week of Regions and Cities has recently taken place in Brussels, under the motto “Empowering Communities”.

    The 22nd edition of the Week has  been organized primarily by the European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission.

    RRI’s Eugen Cojocariu has attended the event and has taken the opportunity to ask the President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro,  how he rates the outgoing European Commission’s activity concerning the cohesion policy and what he expects from the next Commission.

  • Roxana Mânzatu, vice-president of the European Commission

    Roxana Mânzatu, vice-president of the European Commission

    At the end of tense negotiations, the head of the European Commission, the German Conservative Ursula von der Leyen, on Tuesday made public the structure of the new community executive. For the first time, Romania was awarded a position of vice-president of the European Commission, which will be held by the current Social-Democrat MEP, Roxana Mînzatu. She held a temporary portfolio as Minister for Investments and European projects over June-November 2019. In Brussels, Roxana Mînzatu will oversee skills, education and culture, quality jobs, social rights and demography as the new vice-president for People, Skills and Preparedness. She believes her remit, namely the labor market, is key for the competitiveness of the Union.

     

    “We cannot talk about Europe’s competitiveness without the people. We cannot talk about competitiveness without enough workers in all sectors and for all technologies.  There is no question of competitiveness, if you are struggling with poverty, social conflicts, and young people don’t have jobs that match their skills”.

     

    President von Der Leyen announced that, along with preserving the balanced social and security model, economic competitiveness remains one of the EU’s top priorities. The EU official also insisted on ensuring gender balance in the new College of Commissioners. Of the 27 portfolios, 11 are held by women and 16 by men. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, in order to strike a balance in that respect, four women and two men were nominated for the six positions of commission vice-presidents. Also to that end, three commission vice-presidents are from Eastern Europe and three from Western Europe. At the same time, pundits say, the distribution of portfolios also reflects Ursula von Der Leyen’s need to secure two-thirds of the necessary votes in the European Parliament. Thus, a position of vice-president was granted to the right-wing radicals from the European Conservatives and Reformists, who are not part of Renew, the majority popular-socialist coalition.

     

    In Romania, the president of Roxana Mînzatu’s party, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, says that her nomination brings Romania to the decision-making table at EU level. The future Romanian commissioner will coordinate both the field of education and the area of ​​social policies, as well as related financing programs, the European Social Fund or the Climate Fund, the Prime Minister added. Meanwhile, the opposition states that a truly important portfolio for Romania would have been one with more economic weight. On an ironic note, the media writes that our Hungarian neighbors, famous for their defiance towards decision-makers in Brussels, were awarded the future portfolio for Animal Welfare. (VP)

  • Talks on the Green Corridor

    Talks on the Green Corridor

    The Romanian national energy carrier Transelectrica and counterpart companies from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Hungary have signed an association agreement for the “Green Energy Corridor Power Company”, based in Romania. The company will seek to implement the Green Energy Corridor project, namely a high-voltage underwater cable that will connect, via the Black Sea, Romania and Georgia, the connection being extended to Hungary and Azerbaijan. The eighth ministerial meeting of the Green Corridor project, held on Tuesday in Bucharest, approved the feasibility study prior to the implementation of the project. The Green Corridor is endorsed by the European Commission, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, attended the signing of the agreement between the parties in December 2022. “This strategic project will help consolidate national and regional energy security, increase connectivity in the Black Sea basin and capitalize on the potential of renewable energy. At the same time, we agreed on the possibility of adding to the feasibility study a new component, namely an optical fiber cable that will connect the four countries, contributing to the improvement of data flows and supporting the digitization of the region. Over the next period, we will also analyze the possibility of Bulgaria joining this infrastructure project, the approach being also open to our brothers across the Prut” (the Republic of Moldova e.n.), Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said.

     

     

    His counterpart from Azerbaijan, Parviz Shahbazov, thanked the European Union for supporting the project as early as its early foundations, thanks to which more renewable energy produced in the Caspian Sea area will reach Europe. Baku wants to interconnect this corridor with another one, which involves ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Azeri official said. In turn, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, pointed out that this project can contribute to the energy security of the European Union and is key to having a competitive energy market. The representative of Hungary, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, stated that this infrastructure project needs to be completed as soon as possible. “We will break world records, considering the length of the submarine cable will be approximately 1,200 kilometers – a cable like no other has ever been built” – the Hungarian Foreign Minister added. (VP)

  • Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected

    Ursula von der Leyen, re-elected

    The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has been confirmed at the helm of the European Commission for the next 5 years, after she was voted, on Thursday’s first session of the new European Parliament since the June election. The support for von der Leyen was even greater compared to her first term, although right-wing and left-wing opposition forces have consolidated their presence in the community bloc. Her candidacy was dealt a major blow, analysts say, after an EU Court of Justice ruled, a day before the election, that Ursula von der Leyen had not been transparent enough with the public about pandemic contracts for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines. However, everything turned out well at the end of intense negotiations that took place until the very morning of the voting day, according to some political sources. Ursula von der Leyen received 401 votes although she needed half plus one of the total of 720. In her speech in Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen pleaded for a strong Europe and promised to make industry and defense her priorities. The president of the European Commission reconfirmed the continuation of support for Ukraine in all forms and condemned the actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that could have weakened the Union, after his recent visit to Moscow, in the context in which Hungary holds the EU Council presidency.

     

     

     

    According to the EPP, Ursula von der Leyen’s party of origin, the pro-European, pro-Ukraine and pro-rule of law majority in the European Parliament reflects the reality of European society. Ursula von der Leyen’s agenda targets both right-wing and left-wing policies, managing to respond to most of the citizens’ requests. The Social Democrats, the second largest group in Parliament, supported von der Leyen after her program included social and agricultural policies. Renew, the third-largest group in the coalition, gave von the Leyen less votes than before. Romanian MEPs however voted to support Ursula von der Leyen’s second term in office. Although they are not part of the coalition, part of the Greens voted in favor of Ursula von der Leyen. Just in like with the Social-Democrats, the Greens were promised the Commission would focus on environmental policies and the plan for affordable housing. The vote and hearings on EU Commissioners are scheduled to follow. Governments of EU Members will each have to present two candidates (one woman and one man) for the positions of European commissioners, von der Leyen said. The final vote on the structure of the Commission could be slated for September.

     

     

     

    The only incident of first day was the aggressive intervention of Romanian MEP Diana Şoşoacă, who was twice expelled from the hall for interrupting the session. The incident was criticized by all parliamentary groups, including the radical or extremist ones, and condemned by the Romanian MEPs because it mars the image of Romania at international level. Listed as a pro-Russian politician and leader of the populist SOS Romania party, the former Senator returned to her antics in the Romanian Parliament. In Brussels, however, failure to observe the rules is subject to immediate sanctions. (VP)

  • European funds for ammo production

    European funds for ammo production

    A member of NATO and the EU, Romania must constantly adapt its security policies in the context of security developments in the region. On Sunday, Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, told a private TV station that there is no risk Romania should be attacked by the Russian Federation, as our country is a member of NATO and hosts thousands of troops from the USA and other allied EU states on its territory. In such a volatile security context, Bucharest must however work together with its allies and partners to modernize and expand its weapons and munitions stocks.  Romania will receive 47 mln EUR for a project carried out by the state-owned company Romarm jointly with Germany.

     

     

    This is part of a financial assistance package worth 513 mln EUR disbursed by the European Commission to Member States, designed to help the European industry increase its production and preparation of ammunition. This will be a state-of-the-art factory on Romania’s territory, Marcel Ciolacu says, adding that the investment will total 400 mln EUR. According to our correspondent in Brussels, the EU disbursed the funds to co-finance 31 projects developed by Member States, resulting in a total investment of around 1.4 bln EUR in the supply chain. The budget allotted to Romania is the biggest of all the 31 winning projects, alongside a similar one carried out in France and Sweden. This will the first installment of a 2-bln-EUR budget disbursed for the production of ammunition in order to strengthen the EU’s defense industry.

     

     

    The selected projects cover a number of areas, including explosives, powder, shells and missiles. According to Commission representatives, European annual production capacity for 155 mm shells had already reached 1 million per year in January 2024, and is expected to double by the end of 2025. The increase in production is expected to ensure additional artillery shells delivered to Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression, as well as to replenish the stocks of European states that delivered weapons and munitions to Ukraine. At the same time, the European Commission incentivizes Member States to jointly acquire defense products to ensure medium- and long-term predictability for the European military industry. (VP)

     

  • March 14, 2024

    March 14, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS The ruling coalition in Romania convenes today to discuss a joint candidate in the election for mayor general of Bucharest. So far the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party have failed to reach an agreement on the topic. The 2 parties will however present a joint list of candidates for the elections for the European Parliament, due on 9 June, concurrently with the country’s local elections. The head of the European Commission’s representative office in Bucharest, Ramona Chiriac, the top nominee on this list, announced she would take unpaid leave to prepare her campaign. A career diplomat, Chiriac has nearly 20-year long experience in European affairs. The election campaign starts on 10 May and ends the day before the elections. Also this year, Romania will hold presidential elections in September and parliamentary elections in December.

     

    TREASURE  In a debate on Thursday, MEPs called on Russia to fully return Romania’s national treasure, and urged the European Commission and other relevant EU institutions to support Romania in its efforts. This was the first discussion in the European Parliament concerning the Romanian national treasure illegally appropriated by Russia during WWI. The EU Commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said the treasure had been sent for safekeeping to Russia, but was never fully returned, either by the Soviet Union or the Russian Federation. The EU is prepared to support the Romanian authorities in fully recovering the treasure, should they request EU assistance, Elisa Ferreira said, but she warned that Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine entailed the suspension of cooperation mechanisms with Moscow. The EP debate on the treasure will be followed by a vote on a resolution in this respect. During WWI, Romania sent its national treasure for safekeeping to Russia, its only ally in the vicinity, but the Communist regime seized the assets and refused to return them. The National Bank entrusted Moscow with a total of 91.48 tonnes of pure gold.

     

    MEDIA The European Parliament passed the European Media Freedom Act, which is designed to protect journalists and media organisations in the EU from political and economic interference. According to the Radio Romania News and Current Affairs’ correspondent, under the new legislation member states will be obliged to protect journalists from governmental, political, economic and private interference, and all forms of interventions in editorial decisions will be banned. In order to ensure transparency with respect to mass media ownership, all channels, regardless of their size, will have to make public their ownership structure and their use of public funding.

     

    RECOVERY The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu Thursday announced that the ministers coordinating reforms would have a meeting next week with Celine Gauer, the European Commission’s director general of the Recovery and Resilience Task Force, to analyse major benchmarks in Romania’s 3rd payment request. He denied that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan has reached a deadlock, and emphasised that Romania’s relation with the European Commission is quite good. Previously, the minister for European investments and projects, Adrian Câciu, also said the 3rd payment request was not frozen. The explanations came after information was leaked regarding the European Commission freezing the 3rd payment request under the NRRP for failure to meet certain benchmarks, which according to Save Romania Union in opposition were related to appointments in the management of state-owned energy corporations and the agency charged with monitoring state-owned companies. Under the NRRP, all these institutions, without exception, must operate in compliance with corporate governance principles. On Thursday the government approved changes to the multi-annual budget for the reforms and investments undertaken in the NRRP.

     

    AID The National Emergency Committee passed a resolution under which Romania is to grant international assistance to Jordan, consisting in medical equipment and supplies necessary for the operation of a field hospital in Gaza. The donated products and equipment come from the medical emergency inventory managed by the Inspectorate General for Emergencies, and were flown to the site by aircraft made available by the defence ministry.