Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Commission

June 2, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Starting today children aged 12-15 can get immunized
against COVID-19 after the European Medicines Agency has authorized the Pfizer
BioNTech vaccine as safe for being administered to children in this age bracket.
The online platform will allow parents, legal guardians or next of kin to
enroll children. Starting December, 2020, nearly 8 million doses of vaccine
have been administered to over 4.3 million people. Most people have taken both
anti-COVID shots. In recent days, the number of COVID infections has gone down.
All counties remain in the green zone, where the incidence rate remains below 1
per thousand inhabitants. On Tuesday, several relaxation measures took effect.
Outdoor events now allow for a larger number of participants. Indoor pools and
playgrounds have also reopened. On Wednesday, 164 new cases of COVID-19 were
reported in the last 24 hours by the Group for Strategic Communication, in
addition to 26 related fatalities. 391 patients are currently in intensive
care.

DEBATE – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, is
today attending an online conference of the European People’s Party (EPP) in
the European Parliament titled Let’s talk about the future of Europe.
According to the Presidency, the head of state will present Romania’s vision
about the future of the European Union and highlight the fact that our country
will actively contribute to identifying priorities and joint solutions with a
view to meeting European citizens’ expectations. Attending the debate will be
EPP president, Manfred Weber and Romanian MEP, Siegfried Mureşan.

PNRR – Romania’s Prime Minister, Florin Cîţu, is presenting
Romania’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), submitted to the European
Commission on Monday. Joining the Prime Minister will be deputy prime ministers Dan Barna and Kelemen Hunor and Minister for Investments and European Funds,
Cristian Ghinea. In a press release, the European Commission writes Romania has
applied for €14.3 billion in grants and €15 billion in loans under the Recovery
and Resilience Mechanism. The Plan also provides for measures in the fields of
sustainable development, education, healthcare, the renovation of buildings and
the digitization of public administration. The Commission will review Romania’s
plan based on specific criteria, one of which stipulates that 37% of spending
should be devoted to investments and reforms supporting climate change and 20%
for digital transition.

NATO – Romania’s Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, pointed out
on the sidelines of the meeting of NATO Defense Ministers, the importance of
consolidating NATO’s presence on the eastern flank and reiterated Romania’s
commitment to allotting 2% of the country’s GDP to defense spending. NATO
Ministers prepared the NATO summit of June 14 and discussed a series of topics
such as the developments in Afghanistan, Belarus, Russia or China, but also the
need to adapt to the era of growing global competitiveness. In this context,
NATO ministers tackled the NATO 2030 agenda regarding the adaptation of NATO to
future challenges. We are presented with a number of challenges to our
security that we need to tackle together, because no country and no continent
can deal with them alone, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has said.

COVID CERTIFICATES – Seven EU member States (Bulgaria, the
Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Croatia and Poland) – have connected to the
gateway verifying COVID and started issuing first EU digital COVID certificates
and have already started issuing the first certificates, the European
Commission writes. The Commission proposed the introduced of the certificate in
order to resume free travel over the summer in full safety. The certificate is
free, secure and available to all citizens in digital or printed format. The
certificate provides evidence a person has taken the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, has
a negative test result for COVID-19 or has had the disease. 22 countries have
already successfully tested the gateway. While the Regulation will be applied
from July 1, all Member States, which have passed the technical tests and are
ready to issue and verify certificates, can now start using the system on a
voluntary basis.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu is today playing Serena Williams of the United
States in the second round at Roland Garros. Also today, another Romanian,
Sorana Cîrstea, will take on Martina Trevisan of Italy. On Tuesday, the
Romanian-German pair, Horica Tecău/Kevin Krawietz
advanced to the second round in the men’s doubles after ousting Ariel Behar
(Uruguay)/Gonzalo Escobar (Ecuador). In the women’s singles, Ana Bogdan was
awarded a walkover win after her oponent in the second round, Japan’s Naomi
Osaka, withdrew from the competition. Simona Halep, world no. 3 and the winner
of the French Open in 2018, did not take part due to an injury. (VP)

2 June 2021
Parliament debates over the National Recovery and Resilience Plan

Reforms, investment and a better management of
taxpayer money are the main objectives of the Government, which will be implementing
the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, known as PNRR. Prime Minister Florin
Cîţu on Wednesday presented the Plan in Parliament. The 30 billion Euro allotted
by the European Commission will reach every corner of Romania to recover the
time lost in the last 30 years, the Prime Minister promised. Florin Cîţu said
that Romania will be receiving funds that will be invested particularly in
transport, education and healthcare, also to be used to carry out reforms. The
Prime Minister said guarantees are needed to make sure public funds are not
wasted over the coming period. Florin Cîţu:

This plan or reform won’t cut back on revenues,
pensions and other apocalyptic scenarios. It’s a way of efficiently administering
our present-day budget, of paying higher pensions and salaries by 2030 without destabilizing
Romania’s finances.

PNRR is different from all the other programs run
so far on European funds, Prime Minister Florin Cîţu also said. The Romanian
official said it came in response to the economic fallout of COVID-19 and is
focused on investments and reforms. Florin Cîţu added that investments will be
implemented together with Romanian investors in particular, warning at the same
time that all investment projects must be finalized by 2026, or else the
European funds would be lost. The European Commission is interested in the
sustainability of public salaries and pensions, Liberal leader Ludovic Orban
said in turn. The co-president of the USR-PLUS alliance, Dan Barna, expressed
optimism over the political support and responsibility regarding the Government’s
reforms. The plan has sparked discontent in the ranks of the opposition, who
criticized the document and accused the Government of trying to introduce
austerity measures. The Social-Democratic Party in opposition announced it
would call a no-confidence vote in Parliament. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu:

Your proposals mean freezing incomes, increasing
the retirement age and taxes for businesses and the population. You consider
yourselves the apostles of transparency, but in fact you’re just the trumpets
of austerity.

The co-president of the ultranationalist party
AUR, George Simion, in turn said that his party’s MPs will support any
no-confidence motion against Florin Cîţu’s Cabinet. On May 31, Romania will be submitting
the plan to the European Commission, and on June 2 it will be officially
published. Bucharest is due to receive €29.2 billion, of which €14.2 billion in
grants and €15 billion as loans. (VP)

27 May 2021
EC launches Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme

The European Commission has launched the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme. With a budget of €26.2 billion, (compared to €14.7 billion for 2014-2020), the new and revamped programme will fund learning mobility and cross-border cooperation projects for 10 million Europeans of all ages and all backgrounds.

RadioRomaniaInternational · In the Spotlight – EC launches Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme

1 April 2021
January 27, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The anti-COVID-19
vaccination campaign continues in Romania. Over 487 thousand Romanians have
taken the anti-COVID shot so far, and only 1,200 minor adverse reactions have
been reported. Last week Romania received only half of the vaccine doses
scheduled to arrive. Therefore, of the people performing key duties, included
in the second phase of the campaign, people under 65 years of age without
chronic illnesses will be reappointed for vaccination with a 10-day delay,
Valeriu Gheorghiță, the head of the
National Committee overseeing the campagin has said. The Romanian official
explained there’s a shortage of some 117 thousand doses, and given that delays
are likely to continue, the authorities have prepared several scenarios under
which certain categories of people will receive the vaccine with certain
delays. The goal for the first phase of the campaign has been met. 90% of the
people included in this phase have been vaccinated or are scheduled for
vaccination, Valeriu Gheorghiță added. According to the latest update released
today by the Group for Strategic Communication, another 3,174 new infections
with SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the last 24 hours, as well as 77 related
fatalities. So far 718,612 people got infected with COVID-19 since the start of
the pandemic and 18,015 have died to the virus. 1,025 patients are currently in
intensive care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Companies producing anti-COVID-19 vaccines, which have received
massive investments from the European Union, must now make good on their
promises and honor their delivery obligations, European Commission President,
Ursula von der Leyen, has warned. The statement comes after a string of delays
announced by the Pfizer-BioNTech group in the delivery of its vaccine, which
was followed by a similar announcement from the AstraZeneca group. In other
news, the World Health Organization has approved the use of the anti-COVID-19
vaccine produced by the American biotechnology company Moderna, which must be administered
in two doses 28 days apart. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom became the first
country in Europe to exceed the 100,000 COVID-related death toll, which deepens
the crisis in this country. At global level, over 100 million infections have
been confirmed since the start of the outbreak and at least 2.1 million people
have died, the latest worldometers.info update reveals.

BUDGET – President Klaus Iohannis
yesterday evening talked with leaders of the ruling coalition on the 2021 state
budget, which is due to be submitted to Parliament for debate early next month.
Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor told Radio Romania the draft budget is a
priority right now, saying the deficit cannot exceed 7.1% of the GDP. The
Social-Democrats in opposition claim the Government is working on an austerity
budget. After consulting with representatives of trade unions on Tuesday on
this matter, the Social-Democratic Party will release its own alternate budget
later today. In Bucharest, trade unionists with the Publisind trade federation
staged a protest against the low salaries in the public sector and the
Government’s plans to freeze salaries over 2021. The federation warns that,
unless their demands are met, protest actions will continue indefinitely.

ROMANIA-US RELATIONS – Foreign
Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu today sent a letter of congratulations to his
US counterpart, Antony Blinken, who took over his mandate as US Secretary of
State after being confirmed in office by the US Congress. According to the
Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu expressed Bucharest’s
readiness to continue the expansion of the Strategic Partnership with the
United States, a key pillar of Romania’s foreign affairs and security policy.
The Romanian Minister said Romania remains a trusted ally and a close partner
of the United States, expressing confidence that, over the term in office of
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the two countries will continue close
coordination and ensure the security and prosperity of their citizens, as well
as to promote regional stability, including in the Black Sea region. Moreover,
Minister Aurescu argued in favor of a strengthened US military presence in
Romania, underlying the development of a reliable and sustainable deterrence
capability in the Black Sea region, an area of strategic importance to trans-Atlantic
security. At the same time, Bogdan Aurescu pointed out one of Romania’s
priorities is the continuous development of economic cooperation with the
United States. Also on this occasion, Minister Aurescu extended an invitation
to Secretary of State Blinken to visit Romania.

HOLOCAUST – Romania’s President, Klaus
Iohannis, today conveyed a message marking the International Holocaust
Remembrance Day. President Iohannis said remembrance doesn’t just bring back
the pain, but also serves to educate us to steer clear of inherent traps
generated by oblivion. Europe is currently facing waves of extremism, populism
and anti-Semitism, the President argues, and over the last 20 years Romania has
developed a series of policies and instruments to combat such phenomena. In
this context, the President urged the Government to swiftly adopt the national
strategy on the prevention and combating of anti-Semitism, xenophobia,
radicalization and hate speech. A brief ceremony honoring the victims of the
Holocaust was observed today in Bucharest. Various events are also staged in
other cities across the country.

US-RUSSIA RELATIONS – The
newly instated American President, Joe Biden, had his first telephone
conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The two leaders
agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension of the New
Start nuclear arms control treaty by another five years. The Treaty signed by
the United States and Russia, is due to expire on February 5. Political pundits
say Biden said he would adopt a harsher tone in his relations with Vladimir
Putin than his predecessor, Donald Trump, who repeatedly refused to face his
Russian counterpart. The White House writes Joe Biden also expressed the United
States’ support for the sovereignty of Ukraine, raising other issues of
concern, such as Russia’s involvement in various elections, cyber-attacks and
the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The American President
underlined he wants to cooperate with President Putin, wherever this is
possible.

WEATHER – A code yellow alert against heavy snowfalls is in place until
tonight for eight counties in the southern half of the country and the capital
city. Blizzards and strong wind are expected in the mountains. The snowfalls
have disrupted road traffic, which has been shut down on certain national roads
due to reduced visibility. Rail traffic has also been affected, over 25 trains
have already been cancelled. Due to the strong wind all maneuvers in Romanian
ports on the Black Sea have been suspended. (V. Palcu)

27 January 2021
January 26, 2021

COVID-19 – 2,877 new Covid-19
infections have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours out of the 28
thousand tests carried out nation-wide, the Strategic Communication Group
announced on Tuesday. 97 fatalities have also been reported and roughly 8
thousand people infected are being treated in hospitals, out of whom 1,002 in
intensive care units. Over 700 thousand people have been infected on the
Romanian soil since the outbreak, and 90% of them have been cured. However, the
number of those infected with the new strain, initially identified in Britain, is
on the rise and some experts believe the new form is to gain momentum in
Romania in March. The national immunization campaign is in full swing in
Romania, which is currently seeing its second stage.

VACCINES – Romania wants vaccine certificates
not to affect freedom of travel in the EU, Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister,
Bogdan Aurescu, said on Tuesday in a ceremony marking the launch of the six-month
Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Vaccination is
voluntary, and this should be an important factor, the Romanian official said.
Minister Aurescu pointed out that, right now, vaccinated people arriving in
Romania are not subject to quarantine. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa favors the idea that European citizens
holding vaccine certificates should travel freely. The idea is supported by
tourism-dependent countries, as well as Germany.

RECOMMENDATIONS
– The European Commission highly recommends member states to apply measures
aimed at restricting circulation in order to urgently curb the number of
travel-related infections and thus ease pressure on the healthcare institutions
dealing with the pandemic. According to the Commission, tests can be done
concurrently with implementing compulsory quarantine up to two weeks. Travelers
can also be required to fill in forms on their journeys and contacts. The
measures proposed by the EU executive are aimed at limiting the COVID-19
infections and also the virus mutations.

BUDGET – Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party in opposition
on Tuesday talked to the leaders of the main trade confederations about its
alternate state budget, which the Social-Democrats want to present publicly on
Wednesday. The Social-Democrats claim there are enough financial resources for
investments and the increase in salaries, pensions, even to accommodate the
doubling of state allowances for children. The Social-Democrats accuse the
coalition Government of promoting austerity policies, and have promised they
would also include the proposals of their social partners in their own
alternate budget. In turn, Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said the upcoming
budget is based on a 7% budget deficit, agreed upon with the European
Commission, and will focus on investments and healthcare. The Prime Minister
also said the Government is working on modifying the laws on pensions and the single
salary.

PROTESTS – Trade unions on Tuesday continued their
protests against the Government’s social policies. Since the start of this
month unionists have been protesting in front of the presidency, the Government
building and various ministries, demanding a decent minimum wage, fair
pensions, quality public services, the unblocking of collective negotiations,
fair taxes and the rightful enactment of laws. Protest actions staged by the
Cartel Alfa trade confederation, one of the biggest in Romania, are scheduled
until February 28, and also include memorandums, notifications, petitions or
talks with MPs. The Government in Bucharest says the demands should be taken
under advisement in the context of the crisis generated by the COVID-19
pandemic, also considering the budget must observe a deficit of 7%.

SURVEY – Six in ten Romanians (59%) believe the Diaspora’s main
contribution to Romanian economy consists of money sent to families back home,
while 21% say it is money spent during their visits to Romania, a recent survey
conducted by a company specializing in online money transfers reveals. According
to the survey, a Romanian sends home an average of €500 every month,
considering the income of someone working Great Britain or Spain is
approximately €2,000. World Bank figures reveal that Romanians sent home some
$7.2 billion in 2019, accounting for 3% of the country’s GDP. Still, only 20%
of Romanians believe people who’ve left the country contribute to the
development of local economy by means of investments upon their return home.
Moreover, 60% of Romanians believe people who left the country should return. (D.
Bilt & V. Palcu)

26 January 2021
January 26, 2021

COVID-19 – 2,877 new Covid-19
infections have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours out of the 28
thousand tests carried out nation-wide, the Strategic Communication Group
announced on Tuesday. 97 fatalities have also been reported and roughly 8
thousand people infected are being treated in hospitals, out of whom 1,002 in
intensive care units. Over 700 thousand people have been infected on the
Romanian soil since the outbreak, and 90% of them have been cured. However, the
number of those infected with the new strain, initially identified in Britain, is
on the rise and some experts believe the new form is to gain momentum in
Romania in March. The national immunization campaign is in full swing in
Romania, which is currently seeing its second stage.

VACCINES – Romania wants vaccine certificates
not to affect freedom of travel in the EU, Romania’s Foreign Affairs Minister,
Bogdan Aurescu, said on Tuesday in a ceremony marking the launch of the six-month
Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Vaccination is
voluntary, and this should be an important factor, the Romanian official said.
Minister Aurescu pointed out that, right now, vaccinated people arriving in
Romania are not subject to quarantine. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa favors the idea that European citizens
holding vaccine certificates should travel freely. The idea is supported by
tourism-dependent countries, as well as Germany.

RECOMMENDATIONS
– The European Commission highly recommends member states to apply measures
aimed at restricting circulation in order to urgently curb the number of
travel-related infections and thus ease pressure on the healthcare institutions
dealing with the pandemic. According to the Commission, tests can be done
concurrently with implementing compulsory quarantine up to two weeks. Travelers
can also be required to fill in forms on their journeys and contacts. The
measures proposed by the EU executive are aimed at limiting the COVID-19
infections and also the virus mutations.

BUDGET – Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party in opposition
on Tuesday talked to the leaders of the main trade confederations about its
alternate state budget, which the Social-Democrats want to present publicly on
Wednesday. The Social-Democrats claim there are enough financial resources for
investments and the increase in salaries, pensions, even to accommodate the
doubling of state allowances for children. The Social-Democrats accuse the
coalition Government of promoting austerity policies, and have promised they
would also include the proposals of their social partners in their own
alternate budget. In turn, Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said the upcoming
budget is based on a 7% budget deficit, agreed upon with the European
Commission, and will focus on investments and healthcare. The Prime Minister
also said the Government is working on modifying the laws on pensions and the single
salary.

PROTESTS – Trade unions on Tuesday continued their
protests against the Government’s social policies. Since the start of this
month unionists have been protesting in front of the presidency, the Government
building and various ministries, demanding a decent minimum wage, fair
pensions, quality public services, the unblocking of collective negotiations,
fair taxes and the rightful enactment of laws. Protest actions staged by the
Cartel Alfa trade confederation, one of the biggest in Romania, are scheduled
until February 28, and also include memorandums, notifications, petitions or
talks with MPs. The Government in Bucharest says the demands should be taken
under advisement in the context of the crisis generated by the COVID-19
pandemic, also considering the budget must observe a deficit of 7%.

SURVEY – Six in ten Romanians (59%) believe the Diaspora’s main
contribution to Romanian economy consists of money sent to families back home,
while 21% say it is money spent during their visits to Romania, a recent survey
conducted by a company specializing in online money transfers reveals. According
to the survey, a Romanian sends home an average of €500 every month,
considering the income of someone working Great Britain or Spain is
approximately €2,000. World Bank figures reveal that Romanians sent home some
$7.2 billion in 2019, accounting for 3% of the country’s GDP. Still, only 20%
of Romanians believe people who’ve left the country contribute to the
development of local economy by means of investments upon their return home.
Moreover, 60% of Romanians believe people who left the country should return. (D.
Bilt & V. Palcu)

26 January 2021
The EU calls for budgetary caution

At the end of December, the European Commission issued a warning to the Romanian center-right coalition government: in a letter sent to Bucharest, the Commission stated that it wanted to have a dialogue with the Romanian Executive on the 2021 budget and on immediate and medium-term corrective measures, so that the situation of public finances did not become unsustainable. In the absence of appropriate measures, Romania’s public debt could reach 100% of the GDP in 2027, and covering it becomes risky, said the Commission, which added: Given the seriousness of the fiscal situation, we strongly encourage you to consider other fiscal policy initiatives as of 2021, both in terms of revenues and expenditures.

The letter appeared in the press in Bucharest this week, almost simultaneously with a new appeal by the Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, according to which the Romanian Government must keep the budget deficit under control, as in 2020 spending rose sharply, and revenues fell considerably due to the pandemic. We expect from Romania a robust budget for 2021, wrote, on Thursday, the Brussels official after a telephone conversation with the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare. The latter promised that promoting investment remained a priority, just like the use of European funds. Minister Nazare also gave assurances that the Romanian authorities are considering a fiscal consolidation and a gradual reduction, starting this year, of the budget deficit, which in 2024 would get below the level of 3% allowed by the European regulations. All this without affecting, however, Romania’s capacity to adopt measures meant to support the economy in this difficult situation generated by Covid-19. In turn, the Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Claudiu Năsui, spoke, in a televised interview, about the need for the massive reform of state-owned companies.

The opposition Social Democrats, in power until the autumn of 2019, believe that the European Commission’s warning confirms that the current center-right government in Bucharest will be forced to take fiscal consolidation measures, which means austerity. According to the president of the Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, unlike the other countries in the European Union, Romania spent money without having a serious plan of economic stimulation and recovery, beating, instead, record after record in terms of contracting loans. (M. Ignatescu)

8 January 2021
European loans to support labor market

The European Commission has found ways to support the labor market, faced with serious challenges, against the background of the coronavirus crisis. The Commission came up with a set of measures meant to correct the big economic imbalances and diminish their negative impact on people’s living standards. Thus, the EU set up a temporary support instrument to protect workers and jobs. Under its SURE programme, the Commission offers each member state financial support of up to 100 billion euros. This support, in the form of loans granted on favorable terms, will assist Member States in addressing sudden increases in public expenditure to preserve employment. Specifically, they will help cover the costs directly related to the financing of national short-time work schemes, and other similar measures they have put in place as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, including for the self-employed.

The European Commission has disbursed 8.5 billion euros in the third instalment of financial support, to five member states under the SURE instrument. As part of these operations, Belgium has received 2 billion euros, Hungary 200 million euros, Portugal 3 billion euros, Romania 3 billion euros and Slovakia 300 million euros. The loan is granted for 15 years under the same terms that the Commission took it out from the market. 16 member countries have so far received financing under the SURE instrument. The next disbursements will take place over the course of the months ahead, following the respective bond issuances.

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has said that Romania will receive a total amount of 4 billion euros, in two instalments. The loan has a negative interest rate which means that Bucharest will have to repay less than it received. The EC President has also said that the loan encourages healthy Romanian firms to keep their employees even if there is not enough work for them. She has explained that under the SURE programme, salaries will be subsidized and, at the end of the crisis, when the market recovers and the company already has the qualified staff that it needs, it can start working properly. The EC works on alternatives for the member states to have access to the money in the recovery package, the European official has explained. Hungary and Poland have vetoed the coronavirus recovery package because they object to linking access to the European money with countries’ respect of the rule of law. On the other hand, the bonds issued under SURE are social bonds. This Framework is meant to provide investors in these bonds with confidence that the funds mobilized will serve a truly social objective. (Translated by Elena Enache)

2 December 2020
November 26, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA
– The country’s Supreme Defense Council on December 3 will examine the national
anti-COVID-19 vaccination strategy, the Presidency announced on Thursday. The
strategy was previously adopted in a Government session. President Klaus
Iohannis expressed hope that, the moment the first results of the new
anti-COVID-19 vaccine come out, people will be less reluctant to take the shot.
Almost 450,000 people have had Covid-19 in Romania since the start of the
outbreak, with some 9,000 new cases and 171 new deaths reported on Thursday.
1,226 people are receiving intensive care treatment. A number of villages
around Bucharest are in lockdown. People’s health comes first and easing
restrictions too early risks undoing the progress made, said president Klaus
Iohannis. He explained that, according to statistical data, new infections have
begun to drop slightly countywide over the last six days.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD
– Global coronavirus cases pass 60 million and the death toll 1.42 million. The
US, which is the worst hit country in the world, has recorded 13 million cases
and at least 268,000 deaths. In Europe, the president of the European
Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the first European citizens may be
vaccinated before the end of December. In a speech before the European
Parliament, she said EU member states should start preparing the logistics for
the deployment of the vaccine doses. The European Union on Wednesday signed a
contract with the American biotechnology company Moderna for 160 million doses
of its vaccine, which offers 94.5% protection. Meanwhile, most countries are
struggling with high infection rates. Despite this, France, Ireland and the UK
have announced plans to ease restrictions around Christmas, to allow people to
visit friends and families.

PLAN– The Recovery
and Resilience Plan for Romania was presented on Thursday by President Klaus
Iohannis and Prime Minister Ludovic Orban. Under the plan, Romania will be
allotted €30 billion worth of European funds, to be invested in reforms, infrastructure
and many sectors that need to be modernized and revived. The Recovery and
Resilience Plan will be submitted to public consultation before being presented
in Brussels, so that funding be released next year.

MOLDOVA – The
European Union has paid the first installment worth €50-million to the Republic
of Moldova as part of the financial agreement signed this summer. The purpose
of this loan, the total value of which amounts to €100 million, is to reduce
restrictions on external funding, lowering the balance of payments and meeting
budgetary needs, the Moldovan Finance Minister has said. Moldova’s President
elect, Maia Sandu, thanked the EU for its financial support, saying it is
crucial to keeping the economy healthy. On the other hand, the Moldovan
official said the first weeks of her mandate will be devoted to organizing the
visit to Chişinău to
be paid by Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis.

BORDER POLICE -
The Romanian Border Police have apprehended six Syrian nationals who crossed
illegally into Romania on the Bulgarian border. Five adults aged 17-35 and a
10-year-old child, the migrants were in route to a West-European country. They
have been taken into custody by Bulgarian authorities who will conduct an
investigation. 3 Moroccan nationals aged 26-36 were also detained on the
Hungarian border, also claiming they were headed for Western Europe.

MARADONA – The former
great Romanian player Gheorghe Hagi deplores the death of Diego Maradona,
saying he was unique and an inspiration to him for his love of the game. Hagi
was often compared with the Argentina star player and was even called
Maradona from the Carpathians at the peak of his career. The former
Romanian international player Miodrag Belodedici also paid tribute to Maradona,
saying he considers him to be the best player in history. Maradona died from heart
attack aged 60 at his home in Buenos Aires on Thursday. He won the World Cup
with the national side in 1986, but was eliminated from the 1994 world
championship after testing positive for
doping. After struggling with drug use, overeating and alcoholism for many
years, Maradona reinvented himself and took over the management of the
Argentinean national side in 2008. Three days of national mourning were
declared in Argentina after his death.

FIFA RANKING -
Romania went up 7 places to the 37th position in the FIFA ranking published
today, so they will be in pot two for the 2022 World Cup qualifying draw. The
leap made by Romania in the world ranking comes after its results in November:
a 5-3 win against Belarus in a friendly match, a 3-nil win against Norway
Romania was handed by UEFA and a draw against Northern Ireland in the Nations
League competition. Romania is now in Europe’s top 20. The draw for the 2022
World Cup in Qatar will take place on 7th December. (C. Mateescu & V. Palcu)

26 November 2020
September 26 – October 2 , 2020

Local elections in the time of pandemic

46% of the Romanians with the right to vote went to the polls
last Sunday to elect their local authorities. Although lower than at the previous
such election, the turnout was good in the complicated context created by the
pandemic, which imposed unprecedented health safety measures on election
Sunday. The vote has already brought about changes and heralds a tough
confrontation at the parliamentary elections due in December. For the first
time, the governing Liberals won the political vote, practically doubling its
number of county council presidents and winning the majority of town halls. Moreover,
the National Liberal Party broke the monopoly of the Social Democrats in counties
that had been loyal to them for 2 or 3 decades. However, the Social Democratic
Party, with the largest number of members in parliament, is still the political
party that holds most mayoralties and the first place with regard to the number
of county council presidents. The great loss for the party is the one recorded
in Bucharest, which it had totally controlled for four years. The independent
Nicusor Dan, supported by the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania -
PLUS Alliance will be the mayor of the capital, replacing Gabriela Firea.

The candidates of the center-right alliance created ad-hoc in
Bucharest also won in three of the 6 sectors of the capital. At the Municipal
Council, the Social Democratic Party is on the first position, but the Save
Romania – PLUS Alliance obtained scores that will allow them to decide together
the administration of a city rich in resources, but poor in vision and
projects. Through the second place obtained at the political vote on Bucharest
and the winning of some important municipalities like Timişoara and Braşov, in
which they dethroned liberal mayors, the Save Romania – PLUS Alliance confirms
its status as an alternative political force. The victory of a German in
Timişoara and a French woman in sector 1, the richest in Bucharest, is the proof
that the Alliance comes with something new in Romanian politics. Unperturbed by
the pandemic, the electoral process is overshadowed by scandals and cross-fire accusations
of fraud between the Social Democratic Party and the Save Romania – PLUS Alliance, especially regarding the number
of votes obtained in Bucharest and sector 1 in particular.

Daily records of new coronavirus infections

This week, Romania has for the first time exceeded the threshold
of 2000 daily infections. Specialists had anticipated that this would be the
case, especially after the opening of schools. The number of daily infections
is increasing throughout Europe and there is talk of the imminence of a second
wave of the pandemic. In Romania, more than 130,000 cases of infection have
been reported, and the number of dead is approaching 5,000. Some 500 patients
are constantly in intensive care, but only one third are intubated and need
ventilation, said the Minister of Health, Nelu Tataru. At national level, the
incidence of COVID-19 cases is close to one in one thousand inhabitants, but
the differences are big from one area to another. That is why the
reintroduction of restrictions or even quarantine must be established according
to the local situation of the coronavirus epidemic, and not at the level of the
entire county, said Prime Minister Ludovic Orban. He also called on the
authorities responsible for daily inspections to ensure compliance with health
protection measures. The Ministers of the Interior, Transport, Labor and Health
are called upon to draw up a plan containing clear actions for the
implementation of these measures

The EC Report on the rule of law and Bucharest’s response

The health crisis caused by the pandemic has consumed almost all
the energy of the political actors in Bucharest. Thus, the commitment to put back
on track the judiciary, severely affected by the controversial changes to the
laws of justice and criminal and criminal procedure codes during the last
left-wing government, seemed forgotten. In its latest report on the rule of law
in Romania, the European Commission states that the laws of justice, the
functioning of the National Audiovisual Council, access to public information
and the excess of emergency ordinances are the main problems. The document
emphasizes that in 2020, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to correct
through judicial reforms the measures with negative impact adopted in the
period 2017-2019, which led to the alleviation of tensions in the judiciary.

According
to the evaluation, the controversial measures with a negative impact on judicial
independence continue to apply, such as the functioning of the Section for the
Investigation of Crimes in the Judiciary, which deals exclusively with
prosecuting crimes committed by judges and prosecutors. Further implementation
of these measures increases uncertainty with regard to the functioning of the justice
system, especially through the effects they have together, the European
Commission warns. On the day the report was published in Brussels, in
Bucharest, the Ministry of Justice launched a public debate on the proposals to
amend the justice laws. They aim at strengthening the role of the Superior
Council of Magistracy in organizing and conducting competitions and examinations
through the National Institute of Magistracy and professionalizing the process
of selecting magistrates by eliminating any means of entering the judiciary
without competition. Also, the line ministry decided the elimination of the
early retirement scheme for magistrates, the strengthening of the principle of prosecutor
impendence in the judiciary and the dismantling of the Section for the
Investigation of Crimes in the Judiciary.

Less
optimistic economic forecasts

The European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development has revised downwards its forecasts regarding
Romania’s economic evolution in 2020 and 2021, as a result of the crisis
triggered by the pandemic. According to the latest forecasts, Romania’s economy
would record a 5% drop this year, as to the 4% estimated in May. For 2021, EBRD
expects a 3% expansion of Romania’s GDP, against a 4% growth forecast in
spring. Therefore, after a robust growth of 4.1% in 2019, Romania is facing
recession in 2020. According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,
the key transmission channels are lower consumption and declining exports. (M. Ignatescu)

3 October 2020
September 28, 2020 UPDATE

ELECTION
– President Klaus Iohannis on Monday said Sunday’s results in the local
election mark a victory for Romanian democracy, but also an unprecedented
victory reported by right-wing parties. The President said the voter turnout
was good, considering the health crisis the country is facing, and this proves
society is acting responsibly. Romanians have voted for a new direction, for
common sense and respect towards citizens, as well as for democracy, President
Iohannis said. The President congratulated the National Liberal Party and the
Save Romania Union – PLUS alliance for their good results in Sunday’s ballot,
and asked them to continue cooperating with a view to shaping up a new majority
in Parliament after the legislative election slated for December. According to
partial results, the independent candidate Nicuşor Dan, backed by the
National Liberal Party in power and the Save Romania Union – PLUS alliance won
42.78% of the vote, to the detriment of his opponent, Social-Democrat Gabriela
Firea, the current Mayor General of Bucharest, who won 37.95% of the vote.
Candidates supported by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union-PLUS have
reported victories in 3 of the 6 districts in the capital city, while left-wing
candidates have won the mayor seats in the other three. Over 46% of Romanians
voted in Sunday’s ballot to elect 41 presidents of county councils, over 1,300
county councilmen, 40,000 local councilmen and over 3,200 mayors. Nationwide,
the Social-Democratic Party has reportedly won 20 county councils, the Liberals
17 and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians 4.

COVID-19
– 1,271 new coronavirus infections were reported on Monday in Romania, taking
the total number of cases to almost 124,000. 99,344 people have recovered. 30
new deaths were also reported on Monday, with the death toll now standing at
4,748. Globally, the pandemic has caused more than 1 million deaths and over
33.3 million infections, according to worldometers.info. Some 25 million people
have recovered. The worst hit regions in terms of number of deaths are Latin
America and the Caribbean, Europe, the United States and Canada. In the US
alone, infections have passed 7.3 million and the death toll is nearing
210,000. India also topped 6 million cases on Monday. According to World Health
Organization officials, coronavirus fatalities could double to 2 million before
a successful vaccine is widely used, and this figure could be even higher
without coordinated measures to contain the pandemic.

FUNDING
– The European Commission has approved modifying the Competitiveness
Operational Programme for Romania, by redirecting funding worth €550 million
from the Cohesion Fund in order to offset the economic fallout of the
coronacrisis. According to a Commission release, some 120,000 SMEs and other
digitization and e-education initiatives will be able to access the funds. The
Commission recalls Romania has already attracted some €350 million worth of EU
funds in the healthcare sector to help doctors in the first line of defense
against COVID-19. Thanks to the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative, a
total of €900 million from the Cohesion Fund is being earmarked to efforts at
combating the coroanvirus and its effects in Romania.

EPPO -
Romanian Laura Codruța Kovesi was sworn
in on Monday as the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office at the
Court of Justice of the European Union. Joining her in the swearing-in ceremony
were another 22 prosecutors representing the 22 EPPO member states. In a joint
agreement signed on October 16, 2019, the European Parliament and the Council
of the European Union designated Laura Codruța Kovesi as the first head of the
EPPO. Under a resolution passed on July 27, 2020, the Council of the European
Union appointed the first European prosecutors. EPPO is an independent body of
the European Union charged with investigating, prosecuting and taking to court
crimes that infringe on the EU’s financial interests, such as corruption, or
cross-border VAT fraud that result in a prejudice exceeding €10 million. To
this end, the EPPO is conducting investigations and prosecutions working with
the relevant courts of law in member states. The EPPO will be headquartered in
Luxembourg.

DEFICIT – Romania’s budget deficit went up to 5.18% of the GDP after the first
eight months of the year, from 2.1% in the similar period of last year, the
Ministry of Finance reports. Over half of the deficit reflects the costs of
measures introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. According to official
estimates, the budget deficit will reach 8.6% this year, 5% of which directly accounting
for the economic fallout of COVID-19.

TENNIS – 4 Romanian tennis players will
be competing in Tuesday’s first round at Roland Garros. Ana Bogdan will take on
Timea Babos of Hungary, Monica Niculescu will play Danielle Collins of the
United States, Sorana Cîrstea will
go up against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, while Irina Bara will play Donna
Vekic of Croatia. On Wednesday, Simona Halep, the top seed at Roland Garros,
will play another Romanian player, Irina Begu. In the last encounter at the
semi-finals in Prague, Halep defeated Begu. Eight Romanian players will compete
in the women’s doubles: Raluca Olaru, Monica Niculescu, Irina Begu,
Andreea Mitu, Irina Bara, Ana Bogdan, Patricia Ţig and Sorana Cîrstea. In the
men’s doubles, Romanian Horia Tecău and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands,
last year’s quarterfinalists, are seeded 12 and will play Cristian Garin of
Chile and Pedro Martinez of Spain.

(Translated by C. Mateescu & V. Palcu)

28 September 2020
July 8, 2020

Covid-19 RO. Another 18 deaths in people infected with the new coronavirus were registered in Romania, the Strategic Communication Group announced today at noon. In total, 1,817 people diagnosed with COVID-19 have died. Also today, another 555 cases of infection were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 30,175. There are currently 237 patients in intensive care. Of the people confirmed positive, 22,284 have been discharged. 5,095 Romanians abroad have tested positive, and 122 have died. Specialists call for responsibility and say that the current evolution of the epidemic, with many outbreaks through community transmission, is due to the fact that prevention measures are not sufficiently observed.

Pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has killed nearly 540,000 people worldwide since the disease broke out in China in late December, France Presse reports from official sources. About 11,700,000 cases of infection have been officially diagnosed in 196 countries and territories, of which over 6 million are considered cured. In the US, more than 60,000 new cases of infection were reported on Tuesday, a record for a period of 24 hours. The toll of the epidemic in the United States, the most affected in the world, has reached almost 3 million cases. Washington has confirmed that it has officially notified the UN of the USs withdrawal from the World Health Organization, which it accuses of reacting late to the pandemic. The United States is the largest contributor to the WHO. Several countries, such as Australia and Spain,are facing local pandemic outbreaks and have reintroduced containment measures. In Serbia, thousands of protesters clashed with police forces in the capital Belgrade after the government announced a weekend quarantine in the city in response to an increase in Covid-19 cases. The crowd stormed the Parliament building.

Economy. The European Commissions estimate of Romanias 6% economic drop in 2020 is too pessimistic, the Romanian Finance Minister Florin Cîţu has stated today. During a specialized conference, he recalled that, on Tuesday, the National Institute of Statistics confirmed the growth of the Romanian economy in the first quarter of the year by 2.7%. For next year, the EC estimates a 4% increase in Romanias GDP, compared to a 4.2% increase forecast in May. On the other hand, the inflation rate would be 2.5% this year and 2.8% next year. As for the EU economy, the EU executive has warned that in 2020 it will face a deep recession due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, despite the rapid and comprehensive political response at Union and national level. Also today, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has met in Brussels with European Parliament President David Sassoli and Council President Charles Michel to discuss the Unions economic recovery plan following the crisis caused by the Covid – 19 pandemic. Also participating are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.

Elections. The Romanian Chamber of Deputies is debating and voting, today, as the decision-making body on this matter, the bill initiated by the opposition Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, by which September 27 is established as the date of the local elections. The bill was endorsed yesterday by the Senate, which added several amendments. Most are related to the organization of the election and have been approved by the Permanent Electoral Authority. Meanwhile, the PEA has made public the calendar and main stages of the election process. The election campaign is scheduled to begin on August 28 and end the day before the election. It is also envisaged to halve the minimum number of supporters required to submit applications. Local elections have been postponed for the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. Parliamentary elections are also due in Romania this year.

Baccalaureate. In Romania, the special session of the baccalaureate exam continues , organized for the first time, against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. The first test, in Romanian Language and Literature, took place on Monday, today is the profile and specialization test and tomorrow is the day for the test in the mother tongue and literature. 141 students are being tested these days, as they could not sit for the baccalaureate exams at the same time as their colleagues due to health problems. The promotion rate registered at the June-July session of the national Baccalaureate exam after solving the appeals is 64.5 %.

Study. Romania has a quarter of the underage mothers in the European Union, ranking first among the members states in this regard. More than 8,600 girls became mothers before coming of age, two years ago, and 725 of them even before turning 15. A study conducted by the organization “Save Romanias children” shows that less than 2% of the underage mothers interacted with public social assistance services, half of them did not receive information about sex education, and almost two thirds had dropped out of school before getting pregnant. 10% of the fathers are underage themselves.

Football. The Bucharest teams FCSB and Dinamo are playing, this evening, the decisive match in the semifinals of the Romanian Football Cup. In the first leg, on Dinamos turf, FCSB won 3-0. Tomorrow, in the other semifinal, CSM Poli Iaşi (east) fill face Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center). Sepsi won 5-1 at home. The final of the Romanian Cup will be played on July 22, on neutral ground, in Ploieşti (south). The domestic championship resumed last month, after being interrupted in March due to the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The leader is CSU Craiova (south), followed by the defending champion CFR Cluj (northwest) and FCSB. (M. Ignatescu)

8 July 2020
May 27, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The
coronavirus death toll in Romania stands at 1.223 people. 165 new cases have
been reported in the last 24h, bringing their total number to some 18.600, the
Group for Strategic Communication announced. Over 90% of the victims had at
least one other medical condition, the National Institute for Public Health
reports. Over 3.000 Romanians abroad have tested positive for SARS CoV-2, the
highest numbers being reported in Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain and
France. Of them 100 have died. 30 hospitals in Romania have been aproved for
taking part in a study on plasma-based treatment. Plasma taken from patients
who have recovered after being infected with COVID can be administered to
patients in critical condition only in certain circumstances.

COVID-19 WORLDWIDE – The total
number of people infected with coronavirus has reached 5.7 million globally.
352.000 people have died to the virus, while over 2.4 million patients have
recovered. The death toll in the United States has exceeded 100.000, while
Brazil has reported 1.000 deaths in 24h. The death toll has risen to 37.000 in
Great Britain, while the virus has killed 33.000 people in Italy. Spain has
begun a 10-day mourning period for the victims of COVID-19, some 27.000 people.
On the other hand, European countries continue to ease restrictions. As of
today, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have reopened their common
borders with special travel conditions. Beaches have reopened in Spain and the
United States, while Japan has lifted the state of emergency. Mosques in Iran
are now open, while people in Greece can again eat in taverns and restaurants.
Austria has authorized sports activities with a maximum number of 300 people,
while in Moscow shops will reopen and people can go for short walks around the
city. Poland has sanctioned public gatherings with a maximum number of 150
people.

DEFENSE – Public policies in
the field of national security will be conceived and implemented to the benefit
of the citizen only, so Romanians should feel safe and trust the institutions
are there to defend and protect them, President Klaus Iohannis said on the
sidelines of the country’s Supreme Defense Council meeting. On Tuesday the
Council adopted the 2020-2024 National Defense Strategy. The strategy was
devised to deal with a pandemic that affected the entire world and has
generated a profound economic crisis, the President pointed out. The strategy
also tackles foreign policy, public order, education, healthcare, the economy,
the environment, energy security and cyber security. The Strategic Partnership
with the US as well as our country’s NATO and EU membership have been confirmed
as pillars of Romania’s foreign policy. The Council also decided to deploy
1.940 military and civilians for external operations and missions.

RECOVERY
PLAN – The European Commission wants Member States to back a €2.4 trillion economic recovery plan,
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The bailout package consists of
loans under three financial chapters as well as non-refundable aid. One
instrument, dubbed Next Generation EU, amounts to €750 billion, will address
the countries the most affected by the pandemic. Romania has been allotted €33
billion. The plan has been met with reluctance in the Netherlands, Denmark,
Austria and Sweden, the so-called Frugal Four, who are reluctant to give away
money as grants. The Commission will discuss the plan at the EU Summit of June
18-19.

ECONOMY
– The Government has adopted several measures to help the business sector
recover after the COVID pandemic. One measure is meant to simplify a financial
rescue plan addressing SMEs. The measures adopted in the last two months and a
half have had a huge impact on the budget, tantamount to 1.5% of the GDP,
Finance Minister Florin Citu has said. The Government has also greenlit the
disbursement of additional funds to cover lockdown-related costs and other
measures in the field of healthcare.

MOTION -
In Bucharest the Chamber of Deputies passed the simple motion against Education
Minister Monica Anisie. Filed by the Social-Democratic Party and the leftist
Pro Romania Party, both in opposition, the document claims Minister Anisie has
brought the education system on the verge of chaos due to her incompetence or
disinterest. The opposition wants the Education Minister gone, saying she lacks
vision and strategy. In turn, Monica Anisie claims the education system cannot
navigate the challenges faced by the current generation, as it is held back by
conservative canons that undervalue students’ skills. The Minister rebuked
former Social-Democratic Education Minister for their failure to implement
e-schooling.

(Translated by V. Palcu & E. Enache)

27 May 2020
May 4, 2020 UPDATE

CONFERENCE – Romanian Prime
Minister Ludovic Orban on Monday evening held a press conference, 6 months
after being sworn into office. Nearly half of this period has been marked by
the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister said Romania wasn’t ready for this
crisis and has made a huge effort to cope. Ludovic Orban said the restrictions
imposed so far have produced an effective result in the fight against COVID-19.
Romania’s testing capacity now stands at 11,000 tests per day, being carried
out in 60 centers with 100% accuracy, the Romanian official said. Romania now
has all the necessary medicine to treat the virus. The restrictions are
temporary and will be lifted gradually, depending on the evolution of the
pandemic. The Government’s purpose was to lower the impact on the economy, and
the situation right now exceeds the forecasts of many economic pundits. Ludovic
Orban also said the Government is assessing the financial resources and
instruments that will help economic recovery. Investment will target transport,
energy, healthcare, education and agriculture. Orban said public and private
investments will drive economic growth. Romania can also accommodate any
company that chooses to relocate its business from other countries.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – The
European Commission on Monday organized an international video-conference aimed
at raising funds to support the development of a vaccine and effective
treatments of the coronavirus. An estimated 7.4 billion euros were raised,
which will go to setting up a world health organization and research networks.
In the opening of the event, the Commission donated 1 billion euros, the same
as Norway, while Germany and France have each contributed 500 million euros. Italy
donated 140 million euros. Canada’s contribution will stand at 850 million
dollars, Saudi Arabia will donate 500 million dollars, 388 million pounds will
be donated by Great Britain while Israel will contribute 60 million dollars.
The United States did not take part in the initiative. Any vaccine against the
coronavirus should be considered a global public product, French President
Emmanuel Macron said. In turn, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pointed overcoming
the crisis will involve the biggest health effort in world history. Despite the
latest promising progress, many researchers doubt a viable vaccine used for
mass-immunization would be available earlier than next year.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

4 May 2020
May 4, 2020 UPDATE

CONFERENCE – Romanian Prime
Minister Ludovic Orban on Monday evening held a press conference, 6 months
after being sworn into office. Nearly half of this period has been marked by
the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister said Romania wasn’t ready for this
crisis and has made a huge effort to cope. Ludovic Orban said the restrictions
imposed so far have produced an effective result in the fight against COVID-19.
Romania’s testing capacity now stands at 11,000 tests per day, being carried
out in 60 centers with 100% accuracy, the Romanian official said. Romania now
has all the necessary medicine to treat the virus. The restrictions are
temporary and will be lifted gradually, depending on the evolution of the
pandemic. The Government’s purpose was to lower the impact on the economy, and
the situation right now exceeds the forecasts of many economic pundits. Ludovic
Orban also said the Government is assessing the financial resources and
instruments that will help economic recovery. Investment will target transport,
energy, healthcare, education and agriculture. Orban said public and private
investments will drive economic growth. Romania can also accommodate any
company that chooses to relocate its business from other countries.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – The
European Commission on Monday organized an international video-conference aimed
at raising funds to support the development of a vaccine and effective
treatments of the coronavirus. An estimated 7.4 billion euros were raised,
which will go to setting up a world health organization and research networks.
In the opening of the event, the Commission donated 1 billion euros, the same
as Norway, while Germany and France have each contributed 500 million euros. Italy
donated 140 million euros. Canada’s contribution will stand at 850 million
dollars, Saudi Arabia will donate 500 million dollars, 388 million pounds will
be donated by Great Britain while Israel will contribute 60 million dollars.
The United States did not take part in the initiative. Any vaccine against the
coronavirus should be considered a global public product, French President
Emmanuel Macron said. In turn, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pointed overcoming
the crisis will involve the biggest health effort in world history. Despite the
latest promising progress, many researchers doubt a viable vaccine used for
mass-immunization would be available earlier than next year.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

4 May 2020