Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Council

March 6, 2025

EU The interim President of Romania Ilie Bolojan had a meeting in Brussels on Thursday with the PM of Poland, Donald Tusk, the topics approached by the 2 officials including the strengthening of NATO’s Eastern Flank. Mr Bolojan takes part in an extraordinary European Council meeting, where EU heads of state and government are discussing support for Ukraine and European defence. The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zeleskyy and the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte were also invited to attend. The European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has already sent European leaders a plan to re-arm Europe, with 5 financing instruments: increasing national defence budgets, a EUR 150 bln loan for common defence projects, possible financing from the bloc’s cohesion funds, from the European Investment Bank and private funds. The plan also increases military aid to Ukraine. Last week, Mr. Ilie Bolojan invited the political parties in the Romanian Parliament to consultations, to discuss Romania’s response to the current security challenges. Most parties opposed Romania sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, in the event of an end to the conflict with Russia, but voiced willingness, in principle, for Romania to continue supporting the neighbouring country.

TREASON Prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences (DIICOT) have detained six individuals over charges of forming an organised crime group and treason. According to DIICOT, the defendants apparently set up a paramilitary organisation and negotiated Romania’s exit from NATO with Russian agents. Prosecutors say that the organised crime group was structured like a military-type organisation, with management ranks and operative personnel. Radu Theodoru, a retired general and 101-year-old war veteran, was also among the organisation’s leaders. The group used online platforms to release video materials and recruit members. At the same time, it took steps to hold negotiations with foreign political and military actors regarding the replacing of the current constitutional order. In January, DIICOT also says, 2 of the defendants travelled to Moscow, where they came into contact with people willing to support the organisation’s efforts to take over power in Romania.

GOVERNMENT The Romanian government is set to pass several emergency orders today, concerning, among other things, the heathcare reform and the spending of EU funds. In the field of healthcare, the government wants to improve regulations on public medical care for freelancers, on the taxation of medicines, on the organisation and operation of medical offices and the granting of sick leaves. In a separate emergency order, the Romanian government earmarks the financing for certain local authorities to complete works to extend and upgrade natural gas infrastructure. Finally, the cabinet is also to approve the amount of this year’s state aid for the livestock sector.

EU FUNDING Romania has received over EUR 100 billion in European funds since its accession on January 1, 2007, the minister of investments and European projects, Marcel Boloş, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. According to him, Romania is no longer an economic periphery, but a country that is rapidly catching up and has surpassed Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of GDP per capita, an essential indicator of the standard of living. If we are reckless, we blame the European bloc, but the fact that we are at the best moment of our country’s development is due to our EU and NATO membership, Mr. Boloş emphasised.

TRAVEL Romanian tourism increased slightly in the first month of this year, compared to January 2024, with 12% more nights spent in tourist accommodation units, says the National Tourism Agency. Over 84% of visitors were Romanians, with an average length of stay of almost two days, while foreigners stayed in accommodation facilities for slightly more than two days. According to experts, the upward trend will continue this year, when it could exceed the level reported in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions FCSB take on the French team Olympique Lyon in Bucharest tonight, in the Europa League round of 16. The return leg will take place in France on March 13. The Romanian team qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League, after outplaying the Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. (AMP)

6 March 2025
February 24, 2025 UPDATE

UKRAINE – Monday marked three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and leaders from the Baltic and Nordic countries travelled to Kyiv to reaffirm their support for Ukraine, at a time when the new stand of the United States changes the data of the conflict. In a video message to the participants, the acting President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, said that Ukraine’s security is vital both for Romania and for the entire European continent, and that support for Kyiv must continue. He pointed out that it is necessary for Ukraine and the European Union to be involved in the peace negotiations and that Romania is ready to coordinate with all European, American and allied partners to contribute to finding the fastest path to a just and lasting peace. A similar message was conveyed by the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, according to whom Romania must support both the American resolution on the cessation of the war in Ukraine and the European one at the UN. Also on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington for talks with Donald Trump, to convince him to also take into account the security of the Europeans in his talks with Moscow representatives.

MOTION – The censure motion against the Romanian coalition government, led by the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, will be submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, according to MPs representing the party SOS Romania, in the opposition. They specified that the document is signed by 154 MPs from SOS Romania, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Young People’s Party. A week ago, the motion’s signatories announced that they would postponed tabling the motion until the document was also signed by the Save Romania Union. However, the USR representatives announced that they would not sign the motion, since the opposition does not have the necessary votes for it to pass, and this process should have been initiated after the presidential elections in May. In turn, the parties that form the governing coalition in Bucharest, PSD, PNL and UDMR, announced that they would reject any such move against the executive. They argue that there are no solid reasons to remove the government in the current context of instability, especially since the executive has begun to implement its governing program approved in parliament at the end of last year.

CONSULTATIONS – The Romanian parliamentary parties are called to consultations with the interim president, Ilie Bolojan, on Wednesday, to prepare Bucharest’s position at the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on March 6. The main topics of discussion will be related to the support for Ukraine and the preparation of the European Union’s common defense strategy, after the American administration led by Donald Trump announced that it wants to reduce its military presence in Europe. The consultations will be attended, in keeping with the percentages obtained in last year’s legislative elections, by the Social Democratic Party, followed by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, SOS Romania, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, the Young People’s Party and the Parliamentary Group of National Minorities. Each party will have one hour allocated to discussions.

CORRUPTION – Anti-corruption prosecutors on Monday raided over 40 locations in the port of Constanța (southeast), targeting possible cases of corruption. The investigation might involve port managers and officials who took or gave bribes of some 6 million euros.

WASTE– The city of Ploiești (south) is on the verge of a health crisis after no waste has been collected for nearly a week. Mayor Mihai Poliţeanu has called on central authorities to declare a state of emergency. The mayor calls on the Interior and Environment ministries to urgently unlock procedures to award environment permits and take legal action against the management of the local waste collection company, whose contract expired on January 15 and license at the end of 2024. Mayor Poliţeanu says the municipality was unhappy with the quality of waste collection services, and that the newly contracted operator was unable to start its activity due to an illegal deed extending the contract of the old operator. Under these circumstances, the Prahova County Environment Protection Agency did not issue an environment permit for the new operator. The Ploiești municipality has filed a notification in this regard.

GERMANY – The Conservatives have won Sunday’s parliamentary election in Germany, although the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the far-right party, grabbed its best score yet. The CDU/CSU coalition of center-right parties grabbed some 29% of the vote, while AfD came in second with 20%, an unprecedented result for a far-right party in post-Nazi federal Germany. “We have never been stronger at national level”, AfD leader Alice Weidel said after the election. Set up in 2013, the anti-migration party doubled its score compared to the 2021 election. The acting chancellor Olaf Scholz is the big loser of the current ballot, after the Social-Democrats grabbed only 16% of the vote, compared to 25% in 2021. The Greens won some 13%, the radical left 9%, while the Liberals apparently won’t reach the 5% threshold that allows them representation in the Bundestag.

AWARD – Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude has scooped the Silver Bear for best script at the Berlin International Film Festival, for his feature film “Kontinental 25”, which tells the story of a bailiff facing a moral crisis.

24 February 2025
December 19, 2024

Coalition – This is not the time for petty arguments, and every leader must see himself as a statesman and negotiate in order to have a government that should propose a budget and organize the presidential election as soon as possible next year, said the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis. He announced that he would convene consultations with the political parties. Iohannis’s statement comes after the announcement of the Romanian Prime Minister and social-democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu that the PSD is withdrawing from the talks regarding the formation of the government and will vote for a right-wing minority government in Parliament. Prior to this announcement, the USR had set conditions to remain in the coalition formula which the discussion partners considered exaggerated. After the cancellation of the presidential election, the pro-European parties that entered parliament following the December 1 elections, PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR, began negotiations for the formation of a broad coalition government.

Stock exchange – The Bucharest Stock Exchange registered decreases of almost 3% on almost all indices in Thursday’s meeting, at noon, and recorded transactions worth 2.63 billion lei (around 530 million Euros). The main BET index, which shows the evolution of the 16 most liquid companies, registered a decrease of 2.75%, up to 16,300.37 points, and the BET-Plus index, which shows the evolution of the 37 most liquid shares from the Bucharest Stock Exchange, was down by 2.68%.

European Council – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, today, in the meeting of the European Council, which is taking place in Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration in Bucharest, the agenda of talks includes topics such as: Ukraine, migration, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s preparation in the civil and military fields and the response to crises, the EU enlargement, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and issues related to freedom, security and justice. The European leaders’ discussion regarding Ukraine aims at analyzing the situation on the ground and the most appropriate ways to comply with the support commitments to the Ukrainian people and to continue the efforts necessary to reject the Russian invasion and ensure the prevalence of international law. The Romanian President will also inform the members of the European Council about the situation in Romania as a result of foreign interference in the electoral process. ‘I will emphasize that this is not a threat only to Romania, but to European democracies and values, in the most general way. Effective coordination at the level of the entire Union is necessary on the topic of combating foreign interference and hybrid attacks from Russia,’ said President Iohannis.

Football – The main shareholder of the football club Rapid Bucharest, one of the most popular in Romania, the businessman Dan Şucu, became the majority shareholder of the Italian club Genoa, the Serie A group announced on its official website. The source points out that, following a capital increase to 45,356,262 Euros, of which 5,356,262 Euros are free and another 40,000,000 paid on December 14, the Board of Directors approved the Romanian investor’s offer. He subscribed to the entire capital increase, obtaining, in return, a share in the share capital of about 77% of Genoa CFC and leaving the previous shareholders as a minority – the release also states. President of the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Şucu (61 years old) is a prominent figure in the Romanian economy. He is the founder of Mobexpert, the largest furniture brand in Romania, with over 2,200 employees. He is also involved in the real estate sector and in the media, with a key role in the business daily “Ziarul Financiar”. Genoa is ranked 13^thin Serie A after 16 matches, with 16 points.

Fitch – The Fitch rating agency has worsened Romania’s outlook from “stable” to “negative” regarding the raring for long-term loans in foreign currency. Among the reasons cited, Fitch mentions political risk factors, including “eroded political credibility” and political uncertainty, as well as fiscal slippages and unsustainable spending. An important factor that has been taken into account is the large budget deficit. Among the causes, Fitch lists public sector wage spending and “unfunded pension increases ahead of the election”. In addition, the new Romanian Parliament is more divided and there is an increase in the share of extreme right anti-European parties, which reflects the rising polarization of Romanian society. On the other hand, a plus for Romania is, according to Fitch, the solid banking sector. Among the factors that can lead to a positive rating, the agency mentions the higher than projected fiscal consolidation, which supports the stabilization of the public debt (GDP) in the medium term and the reduction of external indebtedness and external financing risks. (LS)

19 December 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)

2 November 2024
June 26, 2024 UPDATE

SUMMIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, attends the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Support for the neighbouring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the new structure of the European Parliament, are on the meeting’s agenda, according to a press release from the Presidency. EU leaders will also continue discussions on appointments at the top of the EU institutions, following the recent European elections.

CURRENCY Romania does not meet the conditions for switching to the single currency, the European Commission said after assessing judicial compatibility and the fulfillment of the so-called convergence criteria. The European Commission looked at price stability, the soundness of public finances, the currency exchange rate stability and the stability of long-term interest rates, areas in which Romania still has a lot to do. Bulgaria, on the other hand, does meet the criteria, but it is not yet a member of the exchange rate mechanism. One of the requirements for joining the Euro zone is a minimum 2-year participation in the mechanism, without major monetary tensions.

CITIZENSHIP A bill modifying the Citizenship Act was endorsed by the Parliament of Romania on Wednesday. A provision allowing foreign citizens who are married and living together with a Romanian national abroad for at least 10 years to be granted Romanian citizenship has been scrapped. The prerequisite for applicants to obtain Romanian citizenship is for them to have legally resided in Romania for at least 8 years or, if they are married to Romanian citizens, for at least 5 years. Refugees may also be granted Romanian citizenship after 3 years, instead of 8 years previously. The document also provides for biometric checks such as fingerprints and face recognition, for those who apply for Romanian citizenship, so as to prevent fraud. Also on Wednesday, Romanian MPs passed legislation binding business operators to card customers who purchase alcohol, energy drinks and tobacco in order to make sure they are over 18. The fines for failure to comply range from EUR 2,000 to 6,000.

REHAB Detoxification and rehabilitation centres for drug addicts will be established in each of the 8 development regions in Romania, under a bill passed by the Chamber of Deputies in this respect. Dan Tănasă, a member of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR, in opposition) says drug trafficking is a topic on the agenda of the Supreme Defence Council, which is a clear sign that Romania has been hijacked by drug trafficking networks. Tănasă also said setting up such centres does not tackle the core issue. In response, the Social Democrat Florin Buicu, whose party is the main partner in the ruling coalition, said prevention is necessary with respect to drug consumption, but that the need for addict treatment centres is undeniable. The bill is to be submitted to the president of Romania for promulgation.

USR The ex-journalist Elena Lasconi, the mayor of Câmpulung Muscel (southern Romania), was elected president of Save Romania Union (in opposition, affiliated to RENEW in the European Parliament) with 68% of the online votes of party members. Lasconi said the reconstruction of USR would now begin, with a party congress scheduled for this weekend, when the members of the party’s leading structure, the National Bureau, will also be elected. The former USR leader Cătălin Drulă resigned following the local and EP elections of June 9, when the United Right Alliance, comprising USR, the People’s Movement Party and the Force of the Right came below the Social Democrats and the Liberals (in the ruling coalition) and AUR party.

NATO The 32 NATO member countries Wednesday confirmed the nomination of the Dutch PM Mark Rutte for secretary general. France Press says the withdrawal of the candidacy of Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis and of the objections raised by Hungary and Slovakia paved the way for Rutte securing the top NATO post. He is to take office on October 1, when the last extension of the current secretary general Jens Stoltenberg’s term in office expires. Appointed in 2014, Stoltenberg saw his term in office extended 4 times in the context of the war in Ukraine. (AMP)

26 June 2024
January 30, 2024 UPDATE

Tribute. Romanias president, Klaus Iohannis, will be in Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday for a ceremony paying tribute to Jaques Delors (1925-2023), former European Commission president over 1985-1995, and for a special meeting of the European Council. The main topic on Thursdays agenda is securing consensus at community level over the main elements in the package set to reform the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. The most anticipated decisions regard support for Ukraine at all levels, including military assistance via the European Peace Facility, in line with Ukraines specific needs. President Iohannis will firmly argue in favor of Ukraine remaining a top priority on the EU agenda.

IMF. A special IMF delegation led by Jan Kees Martijn is in Bucharest to conduct a new assessment of the Romanian economy. The mission takes places four months after the previous visit and has an advisory role. The IMF estimates a 2.3% economic growth for Romania this year and a budget deficit of 6% of the GDP. IMF experts have urged Bucharest to implement additional reforms, particularly in the field of taxation. Last autumn, the IMF argued that Romanian authorities should first and foremost seek to eliminate tax exemptions and privileges, implement more efficient VAT-related measures, reform property taxes and encourage the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Romania has no standing agreement with the IMF at present.

Trains. On Tuesday, the Romanian Transport Ministry signed a 640-mln-EUR contract for the purchase of 62 new electric short-track trains. The contract was signed with the Polish manufacturer PESA, the same company expected to deliver 20 long-track trains in early 2026, as per the contract signed in December 2023. The trains will enter circulation on the main electric rails or segments that underwent modernization works in western and northwestern Romania. Romania has purchased another 37 electric trains from Alstom, France. On Monday, the Transport Ministry signed a contract with the French company worth 150 mln EUR, for the purchase of 16 new electric engines, with money from the fund of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Aurescu. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis signed, on Tuesday, the decree for the release of Bogdan Aurescu from the position of presidential advisor as of February 1. On November 9, 2023, the UN General Assembly and Security Council elected Bogdan Aurescu as a judge of the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a term beginning on February 6, 2024. The ICJ, based in The Hague, is the main judicial body of the UN, being the most prestigious and respected international court. The ICJ was established in 1945, based on the UN Charter. It is made up of 15 permanent judges, elected for a term of 9 years, with the possibility of being re-elected, who meet the conditions required for the exercise of the highest judicial positions in their countries of origin or who are jurists with a recognized competence in the field of international law. The 15 judges are chosen in such a way as to ensure the representation of the main forms of civilization and the main legal systems of the world.

CPI. The 2023 Corruption Perception Index, published by Transparency International, shows that most countries have reported little to no progress in combating corruption in the public sector. The EU as a whole is either flat or showing signs of decline in this respect. The EU average in the last five years stood at 64. With a score of 46, Romania remains one of the underperformers at EU level, alongside Bulgaria (45) and Hungary (42), which reflects a dysfunctional rule of law. In several countries, including Romania, there are huge gaps between legal provisions and the way they are enforced, the document states. With respect to Romania, Transparency International recommends updating legislation in the field of public integrity, improving organizational and decision-making transparency, including through efficient public consultations and improving access to public information.

Protest. Farmers protests continue across Europe against the current environmental policies, fuel excises and unfair competition. In France, farmers have blocked the main motorways in and out of Paris and other large cities, warning they wont leave unless their demands are met. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to present a number of proposals on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday. Paris has accused some EU partners such as Spain or Italy of “unfair competition”, France Presse and EFE report. Also German farmers blocked on Monday access roads on several segments across the country, particularly in the Hamburg region, disgruntled with the governments decision to scrap diesel tax breaks. Farmers protests have also been reported in Greece and North Macedonia.

Championship. A total of eight athletes will represent Romania at the World Aquatics Championships hosted by Doha over February 2-18, five in swimming events and three in diving. The big absentee is swimmer David Popovici, European champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle events. Constantin Popovici, the defending high diving world champion, and Cătălin Preda, world vice-champion, will lead the Romanian delegation. (MI)

30 January 2024
December 14, 2023 UPDATE

Budget — After approval by the Romanian Government, Romania’s draft budget for 2024 will be sent to Parliament for debate. The calculations are based on an economic growth of 3.4%, a deficit target of 5% and an average annual inflation rate estimated at 6% of the GDP. The budget law includes the pension and salary increases already announced, and also most of the measures from the fiscal package assumed by the government. Among the ministries that will receive more money compared to the 2023 allocations are the education, development, environment and family ministries, while smaller budgets will go, among others, to the ministries of energy, of investments and European projects.

Brussels – The leaders of the EU states, gathered in Brussels, decided on Thursday to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, after the European Commission had made a recommendation in this regard in November, AFP and Reuters report. The announcement was made by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, who is presiding over the EU summit in Brussels. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis congratulated Moldova and Ukraine for the start of EU accession negotiations and considers the decision of the European Council as ‘historic’. At the European Council, besides the issue of EU enlargement, they also address the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, support for Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and security and defense. Regarding the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will plead for an approach that promotes the financing balance between the commitments already assumed and the new priorities on the European agenda and that does not involve reductions of funds for the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. As regards the situation in the Middle East, Iohannis will insist on the need for increased involvement of the EU in the region, in order to protect civilians, de-escalate the conflict and resume the peace process based on the solution of two states, Israeli and Palestinian. On Thursday, on the sidelines of the European Council, Klaus Iohannis met with the recently appointed Prime Minister of Poland, the liberal Donald Tusk, with whom he analyzed the priorities on the NATO agenda and the bilateral relationship.

Recovery and Resilience – Romania will send the third payment request from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to Brussels on Friday, December 15 — the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said at the meeting of the Interministerial Committee for the Coordination of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR. This has a total value of 2.7 billion euros, from which the pre-financing already received was deducted, and covers 74 targets and milestones corresponding to the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2022.

Summit — The reconstruction of Ukraine and Romania’s strategic role in this process was the topic of an international conference, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday in Romania’s mountain resort of Sinaia. Attending the conferencce were officials from the country and abroad, independent experts, representatives of the business environment, academia and the diplomatic corps. The Romanian PM, Marcel Ciolacu, and the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denîs Şmîhal, sent video messages to the participants, in which they talked about the Romanian-Ukrainian partnership and Romanias support for Ukraine.

Drones — The Romanian diplomacy strongly protests against the incident caused by the uncontrolled crash of a drone used in the attack on the Ukrainian port infrastructure, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, in an uninhabited area about four kilometers upstream from the town of Grindu, on the Danube. “This represents a new violation of Romanias airspace, contrary to international law,” the Romanian Foreign Ministry MAE states in a communiqué. MAE firmly requests Russia to stop the repeated attacks against the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure, as well as the irresponsible escalation of the security situation, including at the border between Romania and Ukraine. Following the incident, MAE has summed the ambassador of the Russian Federation to Bucharest. The Romanians living in the area were warned by RO-ALERT messages about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, they were advised not to panic and to take shelter, if the situation requires it. This year, the Romanian Defense Ministry identified remains from several drones used by Russia in attacks against the Danube ports in Ukraine, essential for the export of Ukrainian cereals.

UN – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) welcomed the 68th anniversary of Romanias admission to the United Nations on December 14. All these years, Romania asserted itself as a supporter and defender of multilateral diplomacy, including through active involvement in the organizations three fundamental areas of activity: international peace and security, development and human rights. MAE emphasizes that Romania will continue to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change. At the same time, it will aim to strengthen the support dedicated to the most vulnerable partners, in order to respond to current challenges, as well as to develop sustainable economies and resilient, fair and inclusive societies.

Hamas – Romania joins the international community to support Israels efforts to release the hostages kidnapped by Hamas, the PM Marcel Ciolacu said after meeting, on Thursday, in Bucharest, with Israels Interior Minister, Moshe Arbel, and with family members of Israeli citizens of Romanian origin who were held hostage in the Gaza Strip. In this context, the Romanian PM reiterated that “de-escalation is a viable solution for restoring security in the region”. Also on Thursday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE announced the death of a person with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, held hostage in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas since October 7. The announcement comes after on December 2, MAE announced the death of another person with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, captive in the Gaza Strip. Currently, two people with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, are still held hostage by Hamas, and the Romanian diplomacy reiterates the need to release all the hostages. The Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv maintains contact with the Israeli authorities – the MAE also states. (LS)

14 December 2023
December 14, 2023

BUDGET Romania’s draft 2024 budget is to be endorsed by the
Cabinet in a meeting today. The document will subsequently be submitted for
review in Parliament. The budget is based on a 3.4% economic growth rate, a
budget deficit target of 5% of GDP and an estimated annual inflation rate of 6% of GDP. The
draft law also includes the already announced salary and pension increases, as
well as most of the measures in the Government’s new legislative package. The
ministries that will receive more money than in 2023 are the education,
development, environment and family ministries, while lower appropriations
would be received by the energy ministry and the ministry for investments and
EU projects.

SUMMIT The president of
Romania, Klaus Iohannis, takes part on Thursday and Friday in the European
Council meeting in Brussels, where important and complex topics will be
approached, according to the Romanian Presidency. These include the EU
enlargement, a revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial Framework,
support for Russia-invaded Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, security and
defence, migration and the Union’s future Strategic Agenda. As far as the
Multi-Annual Financial Framework for 2021-2027 is concerned, president Iohannis will plead
for an approach that promotes financial balance between the already existing
commitments and the new priorities on the EU agenda, and does not involve a cut
in the funding of the Common Agricultural Policy and the Cohesion Policy, the
Presidency says. As for the situation in the Middle East, Mr. Iohannis will
insist on the need for increased involvement of the EU in the region, in view of protecting
civilians, de-escalating the conflict and resuming the two-state peace process.

UKRAINE The reconstruction of Ukraine and Romania’s strategic role
in this process is the topic of an international conference held in the
Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia. Taking part are Romanian and foreign
officials, independent experts, business people, academia and diplomats. The
head of the Romanian government, Marcel Ciolacu, and the Ukrainian prime
minister Denys Shmyhal, sent a video message to the participants, highlighting
the Romanian-Ukrainian partnership and Romania’s support for Ukraine.

FUNDING On Friday, December 15, Romania will submit its 3rd
payment request under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the PM Marcel
Ciolacu said at a meeting of the inter-ministry coordination committee for this
programme. The funding under the Plan amounts to EUR 2.7 bln and covers 74
targets and benchmarks for the second half of the year 2022.

ISRAEL The
Romanian foreign ministry this morning announced the death of another person
with Romanian and Israeli citizenship taken hostage in Gaza by the Islamist
group Hamas. Tal Haimi was kidnapped on October 7, and his death had
already been announced by the Israeli Embassy in Romania. According to a
Facebook post by the Israeli diplomatic office, Tal Haimi’s wife had come to
Bucharest in late October to request Romania’s assistance in the efforts to get
the Hamas hostages freed. On December 2, the foreign ministry said the Israeli
authorities announced the death of a person with dual, Romanian and Israeli
citizenship, captive in Gaza. Two other people with Romanian and Israeli
citizenship are currently held hostage by Hamas, and Romania’s foreign ministry
reiterates the need for all hostages to be released. The Romanian Embassy in
Tel Aviv stays in touch with the Israeli authorities, the foreign ministry also
said.

ALERT Alert
messages were sent to the citizens in the counties of Galaţi and Tulcea, near Romania’s Ukrainian border, on Wednesday night. People
were warned against objects falling from the airspace, were urged not to panic
and take shelter if necessary. These were the first RO-ALERT messages sent to
the population in nearly 3 months, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This
year the defence ministry identified parts of 3 drones used by Russia in
strikes on Ukrainian Danube ports, which had fallen in Tulcea County. (AMP)

14 December 2023
December 12, 2023

Summit. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will participate, from Wednesday until Friday, in Brussels, in the EU Western Balkans Summit and in the European Council, in which context he will support the decisions regarding the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis will support the granting of candidate status for Georgia, as well as the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, when the necessary progress is made to meet the accession criteria. He will also insist on accelerating the accession process of the Western Balkan states.

Moldova. The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, had a telephone conversation on Tuesday with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, majority Romanian), Dorin Recean, during which he reiterated the strong support of the Bucharest Government for Chisinaus European path. According to a Government press release, Prime Minister Ciolacu emphasized the active support that Romania is giving to the neighboring state for the start of the EU accession negotiation process, in the context of the European Council that will take place this week. The two prime ministers also discussed bilateral cooperation projects, especially in the fields of cross-border energy interconnections and the financial assistance that Romania provides for the development of the Republic of Moldova.

Budget. In 2024,Romanias budget deficit will stand below 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, lower than the one that will end this year. According to the Romanian Government, important additional sums will be granted next year to Education, Health, Transport and Investments. According to the 2024 draft budget, the salaries of budget employees and teachers, as well as pensions will increase. All these pay rise and budget allocation increases will be made without increasing taxes as well, says the Government. The heads of the governing coalition are counting on a future package of measures to increase collection and reduce tax evasion, as well as on the digitization of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration.

Schengen. According to President Klaus Iohannis, Romanias accession to the Schengen Area would send a strong message of solidarity and unity from the European Union. The president has called for a positive decision in this regard as soon as possible. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes that some of Austrias conditions for accepting Romania in the area of free movement, starting with the airports, are not exaggerated. From the opposition, the Save Romania Union states that Romania deserves a full admission to Schengen and calls on the authorities to come up with a concrete plan to achieve this goal.

Awards. The Ministry of Education is organizing, today, an award ceremony for the students winners of this years international Olympiads, the teachers who trained them and the schools where they study. 138 students who obtained 164 medals, prizes and mentions at 28 international Olympiads and regional competitions will be awarded at the event hosted by the National Theater in Bucharest. They have won 6 gold medals with maximum score, 51 gold medals or first prizes, 55 silver medals/second prizes, 30 bronze medals/third prizes, and 22 honorary mentions or equivalent diplomas respectively.

Handball. Romanias national team ended their participation in the World Womens Handball Championship in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with a victory, defeating Poland 27-26, on Monday evening, in the last match of the third main group. Thus, Romania has finished in third place in the group and has not fulfilled its objective at this final tournament, namely the qualification for the quarter-finals. The Romanians ranked 12th in the final ranking of the competition and will very likely not participate in the 2024 Olympics. Romania is the only national team that has participated in all 26 editions of the Womens World Handball Championship. It has a world title (1962), two silver medals (1973, 2005) and one bronze medal (2015). At the previous edition, Romania ranked 13th. (MI)

12 December 2023
October 25, 2023 UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

25 October 2023
October 16, 2023 UPDATE

Pensions – In Bucharest, the draft law on special pensions, granted to magistrates and other public system employees, was adopted on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The document had previously been approved by the Senate plenum, as the first chamber notified, with the changes requested by the Constitutional Court – CCR. Compared to the form that passed the Senate, no substantive amendments were introduced. Thus, the taxation thresholds of up to 20% for the non-contributory part were kept, as well as the annual increase, by four months, of the retirement age up to 60 years. The law provides, among other things, that magistrates will have a pension of 80% of the average gross monthly allowances and increments collected in the last four years of activity. The plenum of the Chamber of Deputies adopted only proposals related to the legislative technique and rejected all the amendments proposed by the opposition Save Romania Union – USR and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR. The USR leader, Cătălin Drula, said that this law actually maintains special pensions, and the Liberal Party deputy, Florin Roman, stated that the adoption of the oppositions amendments would have made the law unconstitutional. The Social Democratic Party – PSD claims that the law respects both the decisions of the CCR and the requests of the European Commission, while AUR considers the new form unacceptable, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR condemns the non-compliance with the contribution principle.

Meeting – The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called an extraordinary online meeting of all heads of state or government in the European Union for Tuesday, in the context of the Middle East situation. In a statement published on Monday, Charles Michel once again condemned the actions of Hamas, which he considers terrorist, and demands the immediate release of the hostages. The head of the European Council said that Israel has the right to defend itself, within the limits of international law and respecting humanitarian principles. He believes that this conflict can create tensions including on the European continent and can amplify extremism in the European Union. The extraordinary council meeting, he added, will address the issue from the point of view of ensuring assistance to the affected civilians, the impact of civilian migration to the states in the area and avoiding the escalation of the conflict by involving all regional actors. Charles Michel believes that the solution is peace based on the existence of two states: Israel and Palestine.

Repatriation — The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the Romanian authorities are in contact with almost every Romanian citizen in the Gaza Strip. He says that, at present, there are no reasons for concern about their lives, but everyone hopes that they will arrive in Romania as soon as possible. About 350 Romanians with dual citizenship are supposed to be in the Palestinian enclave, controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas and bombed intensively by the Israeli army.

Israel – The Israeli army asked Palestinian civilians in the northern Gaza Strip again, on Monday, to move to the south of the territory. It is estimated that one million people have already left their homes in the northern area controlled by the terrorist movement Hamas. The situation of these people is very difficult, humanitarian agencies point out, and they are asking for the sending of strictly necessary aid to the Gaza Strip The Israeli army announced that the number of people abducted by Hamas and taken to the Gaza Strip is 199. The bombing continued on both sides. On the northern border of Israel, following the frequent fire exchanges with the Hezbollah organization, a measure was taken to evacuate 28 Israeli towns in the immediate vicinity of the border with Lebanon and a 2 km wide strip was established which was declared a closed military area.

Football – The Romanian national football team became the leader of the EURO 2024 Qualifying Group I after defeating Andorra, 4-0, on Sunday evening, in Bucharest. The Romanian footballers achieved their clearest victory of this qualifying campaign. In another match from Group I, Switzerland drew the match with Belarus 3-3 at home. We remind you that Israels matches have been postponed. Romania is to play its last games in the group in November, with Israel, away from home, and with Switzerland on home ground. Kosovo is also part of Group I. (LS)

16 October 2023
June 28, 2023 UPDATE

European Council — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, in the summer European Council meeting. According to the Presidential Administration, the meeting will begin with a working lunch with the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, an opportunity to discuss the challenges and common approaches at the level of the two organizations in the context of Russias aggression against Ukraine. Later, during the working sessions, European leaders will debate, among other things, the situation in Ukraine, the need to maintain strong European support for this state at all levels, as well as the implementation of sanctions and the continuation of efforts to hold Moscow accountable for the crimes committed. Previously, President Klaus Iohannis was in The Hague at a small-scale meeting dedicated to the preparation of the NATO summit in Vilnius next month, attended by representatives of seven allied states from the eastern and northern flanks.

Special pensions – The Romanian Senate adopted, on Wednesday, the draft law on the reform of the special pension system in the form previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies. The document refers to the pensions of magistrates, soldiers, diplomats, parliamentary officials, Court of Accounts or aeronautical personnel. The bill provides, among other things, for a gradual increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years, a minimum of 25 years of experience in the specialty so that magistrates can benefit from a special pension and the taxation by 15% of the sums that exceed the level of the average net salary. The reform of special pensions is not only an obligation assumed by Romania through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, but also an outstanding debt to the Romanians – said the representatives of the coalition made up of the PSD-PNL, who argued that the imbalances in society must be eliminated, and the rules must be the same for everyone. From the opposition, Save Romania Union – USR criticized the bill, for the lack of real reform, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians on Romania – UDMR appreciated that the parliamentarians failed to be braver and eliminate special pensions, but that the adopted law represents an important step to create a fair and equitable system. We remind you that, on Monday, the Romanian Parliament also adopted a bill regarding the elimination of the special pensions of senators and deputies. The reform of the special pension system is a milestone in the PNRR.

Deficit – Romania’s budget deficit went up to 2.32% of the GDP after the first five months of the year, from 1.72% at the end of April, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. Budget revenues stood at over 197 billion lei, up by 10.4%, while expenses amounted to 234 billion lei, up by 17.3%. This years budget is based on a budget deficit level of 4.4% of the GDP.

Moldova — The pro-Western President Maia Sandu remains the most popular political figure in the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), and her party, Action and Solidarity (PAS), would get the most votes in the event of early parliamentary elections — according to a study quoted by Radio Chisinau. If presidential elections were held next Sunday, almost 38% of the respondents would vote for Maia Sandu. The former pro-Russian president, the socialist Igor Dodon, would be voted by only 14.2% of the voters, and the current mayor of the capital, Chisinau, the ex-socialist Ion Ceban, would get 6.2% of the votes. The criminal fugitive Ilan Şor, who is in Israel and considered the main vector of Moscows interests in the Republic of Moldova, would get 2.5% of the votes. About 43.5% of the respondents said that they do not trust any political figure. In the case of the parliamentary elections, PAS would obtain 44.3% of the votes, the pro-Moscow Bloc of Socialists and Communists 21.5%, and the recently dissolved populist party of Ilan Şor – 13.6%. Almost 60% of the respondents were in favor of joining the European Union, while 37% would vote to join the Russian-controlled Eurasian Union. Joining NATO is supported by 33.4% of the respondents.

Court — The Constitutional Court of Romania rejected, on Wednesday, the notification of the Save Romania Union – USR (in opposition) and Forța Dreptei — the Force of the Right (Liberal opposition) in relation to the law amending the Criminal Code regarding the sanctioning of protests and established that the law, adopted by the PSD-PNL government majority, is constitutional. According to a press release, the Court says that increasing the special limits of criminal penalties and regulating some aggravated forms of crimes is the exclusive competence of the legislator, a responsibility that it exercises in accordance with the states criminal policy. The MPs of USR and Forţa Dreptei notified the judges of the Court, on the law amending the Criminal Code, after the sanctions regarding the disturbance of public order and became harsher.

Anti-corruption – In Romania, in the months of April and May 2023, in the corruption files dealt with by the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), 57 defendants were convicted, through 39 final court decisions, for crimes of taking and giving bribe, influence peddling, abuse of office or embezzling European funds. According to a press release issued by the DNA, the sentences ordered by the judges against the 57 defendants vary between 7 years and 4 months in prison and one year with the postponement of the punishment. Among those definitively convicted are: a minister, a secretary of state, a prosecutor, a public notary, a police officer, three city mayors, a director from the National Citizenship Authority, a director from the Mures Water Basin Administration (center), a manager of a Bucharest hospital and nine other civil servants. (LS)

28 June 2023
March 23, 2023

Brussels — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is participating, on Thursday and Friday, in the spring meeting of the European Council and in the Euro Summit in an extended format, hosted by Brussels. According to the Presidential Administration, they will tackle the situation in Ukraine, especially food security and the reconstruction process, climate change and measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “We must be united on the side of Ukraine, we must be in solidarity with Ukraine, we must help Ukraine with everything we can. It is very important that Ukraine has a strong position and that we can do many things”, said the Romanian president in a press conference before the start of the Council. There will be other extremely important topics, President Iohannis also said, related to the economy, the single market, competitiveness. They will discuss the best methods to prevent the deindustrialization of Europe and the energy issue, as well as the situation of the Republic of Moldova, which will receive substantial additional aid from the EU.

Chisinau – On a visit to Chisinau, accompanied by several ministers, the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had talks with the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and with the Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The meetings focused on issues related to the accession of this state to the EU, the way in which the republics economy can develop, the path to democratic reforms and the situation in the area in the context of the conflict in Ukraine. The leader from Chisinau thanked Romania for the support provided for the population and the economy of the Republic of Moldova to get through the complicated winter, caused by an exponential increase in energy and gas costs, and through the acute lack of supply of these resources, in particular following the interruption of supply by Gazprom for several months. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă thanked, in turn, for the decision of the Moldovan Parliament to adapt the legislation in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court, respectively to grant the Romanian language the status of official language in the Republic of Moldova. Consolidating the security environment in the Republic of Moldova and ensuring the resources to combat any form of destabilization of this country is a priority for Romania, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă also said during the discussions with Dorin Recean. Romania is our advocate in all European institutions, therefore we can advance on our European path, said the Moldovan Prime Minister. During the meetings, the implementation stage of the support program for the Republic of Moldova presented, financed with 100 million Euros by the Government of Romania. In this sense, the Romanian Prime Minister announced the release of the first tranche worth 25 million Euros of this program.

London – The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of his counterpart, James Cleverly. The two officials will discuss bilateral strategic partnership relations, as well as international developments, with an emphasis on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Republic of Moldova, the relations between the EU and the United Kingdom and cooperation within NATO. On Wednesday, minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting with the UK Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace, with whom he discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the field of defense and within the North Atlantic Alliance, with an emphasis on the stability and security of the Black Sea. On the sidelines of the visit, the heads of the Romanian and British diplomacies will sign the updated Joint Declaration of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and will open the first edition of the Romania – United Kingdom Bilateral Forum.

Protests – France is almost blocked today, on the ninth day of national mobilization against the pension reform. With a general strike in many areas and street demonstrations announced in almost 300 localities, the trade unions and the opposition want to force the French government to withdraw the law it has just adopted, which provides for the increase in the retirement age, from 62 to 64 years old. On Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron said that the reform was an unfortunate necessity to protect the pension system and that he accepted its unpopularity.

Film – The first feature film of the Romanian director Alexandru Belc – “Metronome” will be screened on Friday at the Muranów cinema in Warsaw. The film represents Romania at the Francophone Film Festival in Poland, which takes place between March 22 and 26 in Warsaw. Along with the Romanian film, the Festival includes eight other fiction films from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Morocco, proposed by the French Institute in Poland, which is also the main organizer. At the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival, “Metronome” was awarded the Best Director Award in the “Un certain regard” section. (LS)

23 March 2023
February 5-11

Romanias president at the European Council in Brussels

At the European Council in Brussels, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, welcomed, together with other European leaders, the presence of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as further proof of European solidarity and unity and close coordination in support of the Ukrainian people in the face of the war started by the Russian Federation. In this context, the head of state emphasized the importance of maintaining the European support for Ukraine. He highlighted, at the same time, the solidarity showed by Romania, as a neighboring and friendly state, which has contributed both at humanitarian and economic level, as well as in terms of increasing connectivity, facilitating grain transport or supporting Kyivs European aspirations.

Klaus Iohannis also defended the need to keep putting pressure on Russia, including by adopting additional sanctions. In another move, the head of state announced that he will continue the discussions regarding Romanias accession to the Schengen area and said that he would soon travel to Bulgaria, to start a series of joint actions at diplomatic level together with his counterpart.

Klaus Iohannis: “Joining the Schengen area is important to me, to Romania and to the Romanian citizens. I dont want to link the discussion to a specific date, because, as we saw in December, such things cannot be tied to a certain date, because there are many European considerations here. Unfortunately, however, the decisions are also linked to some domestic policy issues in some member states. I believe that this is not good, but its something that cannot be ignored either. I discussed this matter with the president Rumen Radev and yes, we will also take joint action.”

According to the head of state, Romania is not a source of migration and is not a transit country. Klaus Iohannis added, in Brussels, that the problem is a European one and Romania wants to participate in finding the best solutions. He also said that migration and Schengen are to different matters.

Romanian stands by Turkey after the quake

Romania has joined the international teams and sent two search and rescue crews to the areas heavily affected by the earthquakes that hit southern Turkey. There are almost 120 Romanian rescuers on the ground, accompanied by seven specially trained dogs, who have managed to save several victims so far. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, has given assurances that the Romanian rescuers will help Turkey for as long as it takes.

Raed Arafat: “Theyll stay there as long as it takes. If we need to exchange personnel or send logistical support further, this will happen quickly, with the support of our colleagues in the Air Force, in the hope that we will be able to save as many people as possible and, of course, provide the necessary support to the colleagues who are faced with an unprecedented situation”.

Moreover, Bucharest has already approved support for Syria, which was also heavily affected by Mondays earthquakes. Romania will help with materials, clothing and food. In another move, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repatriated several Romanian citizens who were in Turkey and who requested this after the earthquake. The Romanian Embassy in Ankara announced that it stays in contact with dozens other Romanians in that country.

The second Patriot system for Romania

This week, Romania has received the second Patriot system out of a total of four contracted under the Air Force equipping program. According to the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, the Romanian military are taking part in an intensive training program to be able to use these anti-aircraft defense systems. The official has stated that equipping the Air Force with Patriot systems adds “a robust, credible, interoperable and flexible air defense capability, intended to help fulfill the missions of the Romanian Army”.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the latest generation of Patriot systems arrived in Romania for the first time in 2020, and this year the first stage of the equipping program will be completed. The delivery of the next two started last year and their testing and reception should be completed by the end of April. The first system delivered to the Romanian Air Force has performed, since 2021, specific anti-missile defense missions in the airspace of Romania and NATO.

7% key interest rate

After two years of record interest rates and 11 increases, the National Bank of Romania decided, like the other Central Banks in the region, to maintain the key interest rate at 7% per year. The Central Bank has also kept the current levels of the minimum reserve ratios for liabilities in lei and in foreign currency for credit institutions, i.e. those amounts that commercial banks are obliged to hold in the National Bank accounts. The National Banks decisions take place in the context in which the Bank expects the annual inflation rate to decrease faster than previously anticipated. The annual inflation rate fell slightly last December, reaching just over 16%. In addition, the Central Bank expects the indicator to reach a single digit in the third quarter of this year, amid the extension of energy price capping and compensation schemes. (MI)

11 February 2023
October 8, 2022 UPDATE

European Council. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated, on Friday, in Prague, Romanias stand regarding the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the continuation of Bucharests constant support, on multiple levels, including in preparation for winter, in the context of the new escalations caused by the Russian Federation. The head of state participated in the informal meeting of the European Council in the Czech capital, where he expressed Romanias openness to the reconstruction process. In another move, regarding the high level of energy prices, a constant concern for Romania, Klaus Iohannis recalled the need to adopt measures to ensure the decoupling of the price of electricity from the price of natural gas. The main topics on the agenda of the European Council meeting concerned the situation in Ukraine, developments in the field of energy, from the point of view of the impact of high prices and efforts for ensuring supply security, as well as the economic situation at the European level. As for Ukraine, European leaders strongly rejected and unequivocally condemned Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions following fake referendums.

Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities have announced that two cemeteries were found in the city of Lyman (east), recently freed from the control of the Russian occupiers. Lyman, a town in the Donetsk region, was liberated from the control of the Russian forces a week ago. According to the BBC, the governor of the region, Pavlo Kirilenko, said that at one of the cemeteries there are about two hundred graves, where civilians are believed to be buried. The other is a mass grave, where both civilians and soldiers could be buried. Kirilenko stated that the authorities have started an investigation and soon the dead bodies will be exhumed. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of committing war crimes against civilians in the occupied areas. In another development, several rocket attacks on the city of Hharkiv were reported on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia was badly damaged after a truck was detonated alongside a train of fuel tank cars. The destruction of the bridge deals another serious blow to Russias war effort in Ukraine, disrupting a crucial supply route. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, ahead of this years Russian invasion.

Rating. Fitch Ratings Agency has confirmed Romanias sovereign rating at BBB minus with a negative outlook, this being the last note in the investment-grade category (recommended for investments). The rating is supported by the EU membership and the capital flows that support investment and macrostability, and the GDP per capita (GDP per capita value expressed in standard purchasing power parity), governance and human development indicators, which are above the values of other states benefiting from a BBB rating. However, these values are counterbalanced by a budget deficit and a current account deficit that are higher compared to the deficits of other countries, by low performances regarding budget consolidation and high budget rigidities, and a relatively high net external debt, Fitch says. The agency estimates a reduction of the fiscal deficit in 2022 to 6.4% of the GDP, following the solid performance on the revenue side. According to Fitch, the economy would register a 6.2% growth in 2022, one of the highest growth rates in the EU. This is driven by the build-up of stocks, but also by solid private consumption, despite the war in Ukraine.

Nobel. Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties are the laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for their defense of human rights and resistance against power abuses, the Nobel Committee announced on Friday from Norway. This award comes against the background of Ukraine fighting the Russian invasion, and there are many accusations that numerous war crimes have been committed. The Norwegian Nobel Committee explained, in its motivation, that the Peace Prize laureates have been promoting, for many years, the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy, the Committees announcement also reads.

Festival. More than 340 short and feature films are presented, until October 16, in several locations in Bucharest, at the 17th International Animation Film Festival Animest. According to the organizers, this year the event includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses supported by professionals specially invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a mans escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation of the story of Robinson Crusoe. (MI)

8 October 2022