Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Parliament

  • February 7, 2024

    February 7, 2024

    EU STRASBOURG The unity of the UE is being
    tested, said the president of Romania in his address before the European
    Parliament on Wednesday, as
    part of a debate in the This is Europe series. According to the Romanian
    official, instability has reached alarming levels in the EU. The European
    Union must improve the efficiency of its decision-making processes, and Romania
    is fully engaged in this effort, he added. As for the war in neighbouring
    Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis said Europeans must stand by Ukraine and its people. Prior to the address, the Romanian official had
    a meeting with the president of the EP, Roberta Metsola, and discussed Romania’s
    Schengen accession, the war in Ukraine and the neighbouring R. of Moldova. Romania’s
    full Schengen accession as soon as possible, with its land borders as well,
    will considerably strengthen the Union and its security and will facilitate
    cohesion and cooperation among member states, the Romanian official argued. In
    turn, Metsola said Europe would be stronger with Romania in the Eurozone and the
    Schengen area, and told Romanians it was important for them to take part in
    June’s elections for the EP and not to take Europe for granted.


    MOLDOVA For the Republic of Moldova, carrying on and
    consolidating strategic relations with neighbouring Romania in all sectors is a
    priority, was the message brought to Bucharest by Chişinău’s new foreign
    minister, Mihai Popşoi. He had talks with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa
    Odobescu, and was also received by PM Marcel Ciolacu, who emphasised the interest
    in developing joint projects benefitting the citizens of both states. Romania will
    continue to support Moldova in its EU accession negotiations, the Romanian
    official promised.


    FARMERS
    The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced
    the EC was dropping a proposal to halve the use of pesticides across the EU,
    and explained this had become a symbol of polarisation. The move seems to be a
    concession to the farmers protesting in many EU member states. Meanwhile, the
    EC proposed last week a partial derogation from rules obliging farmers to keep
    certain areas non-productive, and a limitation of Ukrainian imports, while also
    promising to streamline the Common Agricultural Policy.


    NAVAL The Damen Shipyard in Galaţi (south-eastern
    Romania) will build a state-of-the-art multifunctional vessel for the
    Portuguese Navy. The ship will be able to conduct ocean research missions,
    search and rescue as well as emergency aid missions, and will be equipped with a
    UAV launching system. Damen Group was awarded the construction works following
    an EU call for tenders. Funding will be provided under the EU Recovery and Resilience
    Mechanism.


    MIDDLE EAST The US secretary of state
    Antony Blinken is in Israel today, at a time when Tel Aviv is analysing
    the response given by Hamas to a proposed truce, including hostage releases,
    after 4 months of war that have seen countless victims. Blinken, whose country
    is a close ally of Israel, said he would discuss the Hamas answer with the
    Israeli authorities today, as part of his 5th tour in the Middle
    East since October 7. The US secretary of
    state, who has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
    Qatar, is to travel next to the West Bank, an autonomous Palestinian territory
    occupied by Israel since 1967.


    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea plays today in the
    eighth-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi (UAE), against third-seed
    Maria Sakkari of Greece (9 WTA). Cîrstea (26 WTA), leads 2-1 head-to-head, the
    Greek player having won the last match 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round at
    Cincinnati. (AMP)

  • European Parliament election: How to convince young people to vote?

    European Parliament election: How to convince young people to vote?


    Radio Romania, the public service, won an editorial project, “YOU+EU 2024 and beyond”, co-financed by the European Parliament, providing information on the upcoming European elections scheduled for June 6-9, 2024.



    Under this project, Radio Romania produces podcasts, video animations and infographics on European topics, as well as 12 debates, in Romania, and two debates in Romanian and English, in Brussels.



    How



    The second debate in English was held in Brussels, on January 23, 2024, at the headquarters of the European Parliament, themed “What to expect from the European elections? How to convince the young people to vote?”.



    The debate was moderated by Vlad Palcu, Editor, Radio Romania International, and involved the participation of MEPs Alex Agius Saliba, Malta, Vice-Chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Dragoş Pîslaru, Romania, Renew Europe Group, Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Romania, Group of the European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats), and Olivia Nouailhetas-Baneth, Associate Director at Verian Group, former Kantar Media.



  • Interview with Olivia Nouailhetas-Baneth, Associate Director at Verian

    Interview with Olivia Nouailhetas-Baneth, Associate Director at Verian


    As part of the “You + EU – 2024 and Beyond” project, won by Radio Romania and co-funded by the European Parliament, Radio Romania produces podcasts, video animations and infographics on European topics, as well as a series of debates. One such debate took place in Brussels on January 23.



    One of the participants in the debate, Olivia Nouailhetas-Baneth, Associate Director at Verian Group, a global research and public policy center, gave us the following interview.








  • The European Parliament: Preliminary End of Term Review

    The European Parliament: Preliminary End of Term Review

    Radio Romania, the public service, won an editorial project, “YOU+EU 2024 and beyond”, co-financed by the European Parliament, providing information on the upcoming European elections scheduled for June 6-9, 2024.



    Under this project, Radio Romania produces podcasts, video animations and infographics on European topics, as well as 12 debates, in Romania, and two debates in Romanian and English, in Brussels.



    The first debate in English was held in Brussels, on November 28, 2023, at the headquarters of the European Parliament, themed “The European Parliament: Preliminary End of Term Review”.



    The debate was moderated by Diana Petrescu, deputy chief editor, Radio Romania International, and involved the participation of MEPs Mercedes Bresso, Partito Democratico, Italy, Vice-President of the Commission for Development, and Nicolae Ştefănuţă, Independent, Green Group/European Free Alliance, member of the Committee on Budgets, as well as of the former European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Poland, and Olivia Serra Calvo, President of the European Student Think Tank.




  • European Parliament adopts the 2024 budget           

    European Parliament adopts the 2024 budget           


    Gathered in plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted, on Wednesday, the agreement on the EU budget for 2024. A budget that reflects the main priorities of the Union, including economic recovery, green transition and digital transition, and was adjusted to the current difficult geopolitical context. The final version resulted from the negotiations carried out in the last six months with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, negotiations led by the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan. The final draft was voted by a large majority in the plenary of the European legislature.



    The budget has a value of 189 billion euros, and the chief negotiator says that there are now sufficient funds to finance the traditional priorities of the Union, in this case the cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. A very good news for Romania, which receives most of the European funds in non-refundable form on these financing lines. “The first and most important signal we are giving to European citizens, businesses and regions is that funding for 2024 is secure. We have a sufficient budget for the most important needs. Thus, all the programs of the European Union will be properly financed”, said Siegfried Mureşan. Also, he added, the agreement on the budget was reached in due time, so that the budget law can enter into force from the first day of next year and all beneficiaries of European funds can thus benefit from predictability.



    Budget allocations increased by 807 million euros for areas such as research, for the Erasmus+ program or for young farmers. At the same time, the final agreement eliminates the budget cuts in the amount of approximately 700 million euros initially proposed by the Council of the European Union at the beginning of the negotiations. The budget also takes into account the events at the borders of the Union, allocating funds for Ukraine, for the Republic of Moldova, for the Middle East or for the management of the migration issue.



    “We have supplemented the budget for humanitarian aid. We want the European Union to help reduce the risks to humanity caused by the two wars on our borders: in Ukraine and in the Middle East”, said Siegfried Mureşan after the vote in the Plenary of the European Parliament. He also says that the Parliament also took the decision to strengthen the institution of the European Public Prosecutors Office to ensure that the money will be spent correctly at the level of the entire community area. Like the representatives of the Commission, he calls on the European Council to adopt a common position as soon as possible regarding the multiannual budget 2024-2027, in order to be able to plan in time both the financing for the key areas in Europe, as well as to support Ukraine in the long term. (MI)


  • Romania and the Schengen zone

    Romania and the Schengen zone

    Invoking an insufficient
    control over the migrant inflows, Austria and the Netherlands had again blown
    Romania and Bulgaria’s hopes to join Schengen with a negative vote on a
    positive decision in the Justice and Home Affairs Council last December. Only
    Vienna opposed Romania’s accession to Europe’s border-free area, as the country
    needed unanimity in order to join.




    Furthermore, Bucharest and Sofia are in tandem
    in this accession process and the idea of decoupling is out of the question. In
    spite of the actions taken in both countries since the JHA Council in December,
    few things have changed. The Netherlands has started giving diplomatic signals
    that it might give up its vetoing Bulgaria, but Austria is maintaining its
    position, at least at a declarative level. It has even rejected the latest
    appeal by the head of the community Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, who in her
    annual state of the European Union address called on Austria to allow Romania
    and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession without delay.




    Romania expects and
    deserves a positive decision during the Spanish presidency of the EU Council on
    the Schengen enlargement, the president of the European Legislature told in an
    interview to European Newsroom. Roberta Metsola has voiced optimism regarding
    the two countries’ Schengen accession. Not only are you waiting for this
    decision but you also deserve it since 2011. So I believe, we will succeed in
    finding a solution. We have high expectations from this presidency of the EU Council
    to try to work with the Austrian colleagues and others if there are other
    countries where questions still exist and I believe these questions can receive
    their answers, Metsola went on to say. In an interview to a private TV channel
    in Romania, the European Parliament President said that Europe must not let the
    impression that some countries are second class.




    Measures must be taken to guarantee a united
    Europe, in which Romania and Bulgaria are no longer at the gates of Schengen,
    in which extremism is not allowed to grow and in which democratic values are
    defended against Russia.


    The excessive delays of
    the decision regarding Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Europe’s border-free
    area are a double prejudice for the two countries, a limitation of the right to
    free movement and additional costs for their economies, the European official
    says. Although the accession criteria
    have been met for over 12 years, Romanians and Bulgarians still have to waste
    time with border checking while the economic losses incurred are significant.
    According to Romania’s Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, keeping Romania
    outside Schengen involves economic losses of up to 2% of the GDP and the government
    in Bucharest intends to call for compensations.


    (bill)

  • Discontent over Ukrainian grains

    Discontent over Ukrainian grains

    Heated talks were triggered in the latest European Parliament session by the issue of Ukrainian grain exports. The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Polish Janusz Wojciechowski, stated that, in his opinion, the European Commission should extend the temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports in five EU neighboring states, given that the measure contributed to increasing exports outside the bloc



    The Romanian MEP Dacian Cioloş asked the members of the Commission to wake up to reality and appoint a special coordinator of the Union for the export of Ukrainian grains, to ensure that the shipments only transit the neighboring countries and are not sold there. The Union was not able to come up with a common decision, and Russia’s strategy of using food as a weapon to increase its political influence in the world is intolerable, he pointed out. The most vocal were, however, the Polish MEPs, who demanded serious measures to protect farmers in their country.



    Ukraine has become completely dependent on alternative EU routes for its grain exports after Russia pulled out in July from a one-year deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be transported safely through the Black Sea ports, now attacked by Moscow. As a result, farmers in neighboring states – Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia – have been faced with increased competition and serious blockages in their own markets. Thus, there is pressure to extend the ban, which would expire on Friday. The European executive announced, in May, temporary preventive measures that would ban grain sales in these five states, while allowing transit through their territory to markets outside the EU, mainly Africa.



    The Commission has allocated €156 million in compensation to affected EU farmers and raised almost €1.9 billion to improve alternative routes. Over 60% of Ukrainian grain transiting the EU passes through Romania, where farmers’ associations have threatened protests if the ban is lifted. The Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, suggested to the Commission to establish a system of subsidies for the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products outside the bloc. In his opinion, the restrictive measures had a positive effect on the grain market in Romania. The war in Ukraine forced local farmers to export grain at any price. However, their costs are much lower because they are exempt from customs duties, thus leading to unfair competition. (MI)




  • European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova

    European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova

    The Republic of Moldova is going through what is probably the most troubled chapter since it proclaimed its independence in 1991 and since the 1992 armed conflict in Transnistria, which generated a frozen conflict with this Russian-speaking breakaway region. Since then, Transnistria has been permanently hosting Russian troops. With a vulnerable economy and political class divided between pro-Europeans and pro-Russians, Moldova is now a collateral victim in Russias war. The country remains exposed to Russian pressure and energy blackmail, to the economic fallout from the war as well as to the Kremlins attempts at destabilizing the pro-European administration, the European Parliament said in a resolution passed on Wednesday. The document also hails the leadership of the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and the countries authorities in tackling these serious challenges. Moldovas EU accession would represent a strategic investment in a united and strong Europe, the resolution also states, calling for accession negotiations to start by the end of the year, once Moldova has complied with the nine steps identified by the European Commission. Wanted oligarchs must be extradited to Moldova, and the EU must continue its support to help Moldova attain energy independence, MEPs argue.




    Moldovas president, Maia Sandu, has recently urged Moldovans to express their support for Moldovas European track publicly as part of a rally scheduled for May 21 in the Great National Assembly Square in Chișinău. Maia Sandus appeal follows repeated attempts from Russia to destabilize Moldova, from street protests funded by pro-Russians to attempts at toppling the pro-European administration. “I call on you to stand together as a nation and express a clear option to become part of the European family, a decision based on respect, stability and economic cooperation. Let us tell everyone who still has doubts that decisions regarding Moldovas future are taken in Moldova”, Maia Sandu said. The Moldovan official accused pro-Russian factions of using the war in neighboring Ukraine to try to destabilize their own country and taking over the power reins. The economic, energy and security crises facing Moldova could serve as the tipping point for deciding on the geopolitical path the Republic of Moldova should take. A staunch and consistent advocate of Moldovas EU accession and a close supporter of this country in times of dire economic need, Romania has succeeded in drawing support for Moldovas EU aspirations from the most important European countries. (VP)


  • The European Parliament supports Kiev

    The European Parliament supports Kiev

    Gathered for an extraordinary plenary session on the situation in Ukraine on Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU institutions to act and grant the country the status of candidate for EU membership. The document states that the process will take place in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and on the basis of its merits, and in the meantime, efforts must continue to integrate Ukraine into the single market, in accordance with the Association Agreement.



    The resolution, adopted with 637 votes in favor, 13 against and 26 abstentions, “condemns in the strongest possible terms Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine”. At the same time, MEPs call on Russia to cease all military activity in Ukraine. The MEPs categorically reject Moscows rhetoric, which hints at a possible use of weapons of mass destruction, and reminds it of its international obligations. They warn of the dangers of a nuclear escalation of the conflict. The European Parliament calls on the Commission and the Member States to continue to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians, in cooperation with UN humanitarian agencies and other international partner organizations.



    MEPs welcome the swift adoption of the sanctions, but want to see more restrictive measures aimed at strategically weakening Russias economy and industrial base. They say imports of major Russian products, such as oil and gas, should be restricted. New EU investment in Russia and new Russian investment in the Union should also be banned, and all Russian banks should be blocked from the European financial system.



    A number of sanctions, including a ban on access to the SWIFT system, should be extended to Belarus because of its direct support for Russias invasion of Ukraine, the document also says. In addition, the text calls on the EU countries to provide Ukraine with more defensive weapons, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows for individual and collective self-defence.



    “The European Union is going to be much stronger with us, thats for sure. Without you, Ukraine is going to be alone. Prove that you are with us. Prove that you will not let us down!” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the European Parliament in an emotional speech broadcast via video link. Kievs request for membership was “symbolic, political and legitimate,” said European Council President Charles Michel, while Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that it would be a long process before becoming reality. (MI)



  • January 18, 2022 UPDATE

    January 18, 2022 UPDATE


    COVID-19 – The authorities on Tuesday announced 16,760 new COVID-19 infections, double the number reported on Monday, in addition to 70 related fatalities. Bucharest has reached an infection rate of 6.15 cases per thousand and is now in the so-called red zone with a high incidence rate. With 8 million people vaccinated so far, Romania ranks second at EU level after Bulgaria in terms of the lowest percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19.




    ENERGY – On February 1, the government in Bucharest is expected to endorse new measures aimed at capping electricity and gas prices. The aforementioned measures will be promoted through an emergency decree to be passed next week at the latest. Romanias Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă on Tuesday held talks with energy suppliers who, according to government sources, have agreed to newly announced measures for subsidizing and capping energy prices, pledging to write off and reissue the bills that have been wrongfully reported so far. The Prime Minister on Monday announced that following an agreement of the ruling coalition made up of PNL, PSD and UDMR, prices for gas and electricity would be capped and the consumption limit extended.




    MOLDOVA – A Romanian-Moldovan joint government session will be held on February 12, 2022 in Chișinău, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița has announced. In December last year, Prime Minister Gavrilița paid an official visit to Romania, meeting her Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. The Republic of Moldova and Romania are consolidating their robust bilateral cooperation, the Romanian official said at the time, recalling that Romania is Moldovas top trade partner and insisting on the need for this country to improve its business sector so as to attract more Romanian investors. The interconnection of the two countries road infrastructure and reducing tariffs are high on the Romanian Governments agenda. According to Natalia Gavrilița, the absolute priority for Moldova is the interconnection of the two countries energy grids by 2024, which would consolidate the independence and security of the Republic of Moldova.




    EU – Maltese center-right MEP Roberta Metsola was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday. Metsola, who won 458 votes out of the total of 616, had an absolute majority, avoiding the need for a second round of voting. A member of the European Peoples Party, Metsola succeeds Italian Social Democrat David Sassoli who died last week at the age of 65. Sassoli was a highly appreciated Italian politician and journalist, a supporter of the EU, who firmly campaigned for human rights observance around the world, Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac says. A vocal critic of the abuses committed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, in 2021 Sassoli was barred from entering Russia in response to the EU sanctions imposed to some Russian officials. Sassoli was also a supporter of the EU integration efforts of the Republic of Moldova.




    NATO – NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, and Germanys Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Tuesday ruled out a military response to a potential Russian aggression against Ukraine. It will mean high political costs for Russia should there be such an intervention and should the principle of sovereignty of states and the integrity of borders be violated, Chancellor Scholz argued. In turn, Jens Stoltenberg said NATO has also made it clear that Russia will pay a high political and financial cot should it choose the path of “violence”. The NATO official went on to say that, right now, there are certain NATO member states that have expressed their readiness to supply weapons to Ukraine, arguing however that the views on this matter vary across the NATO bloc. Although it has rallied a sizable military force on the Ukrainian border, Russia has denied allegations over its planned invasion. Last week, talks between Moscow and Washington over the future European security framework yielded no result, the Americans having dismissed Russias requests as unacceptable. Moscow has called on NATO to rule out any eastward enlargement, particularly in the case of Ukraine, to cease all cooperation with ex-Soviet countries and to cancel all maneuvers and troop deployments in Eastern Europe.




    TENNIS – Tennis player Simona Halep has qualified to the second round at the Australian Open, after a straight-set win, 6-4, 6-3, against Magdalena Fręch of Poland. A former world no. 1, Halep took one hour and 29 minutes to defeat the Polish challenger. Five Romanian tennis players have so far advanced to the second round: Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea, Irina Begu, Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian. The sixth Romanian player in the main draw, Irina Bara, was knocked out in the competitions opening round. (DB & VP)


  • September 18, 2020 UPDATE

    September 18, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 RO – 1,527 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Friday. 48 people died during this interval, taking the death toll to 4,360. Overall, 110,217 cases of COVID-19 have been reported at national level since the start of the pandemic. 88,235 patients have recovered and 447 people are in intensive care. 6,599 Romanian citizens have tested positive for COVID-19 abroad. 126 of them have died. Most of these cases were reported in Germany, Italy and Spain.



    PANDEMIC – The global number of infections has exceeded 30 million, with an alarming contamination rate reported in Europe. Unlike other European states, which are now taking measures at regional level, on Friday Israel reintroduced nation-wide restrictions to prevent the spread of the Covid – 19 pandemic. Under an Israeli Government decision, only food and drug stores and other key services will remain operational. People are allowed to move within 1 km of their homes. The Police has set up roadblocks all over the country, as traffic remains limited to emergencies only.



    COLECTIV – As of Friday, the Bucharest Court of Appeal is trying the appeal in the Colectiv case, regarding the fire on September 30th, 2015, in a nightclub in Bucharest, in which 64 people died. The court of first instance gave the mayor and employees of the Bucharest District 4 City Hall, the club owners, two firefighters, pyrotechnical experts and representatives of a fireworks company prison sentences of up to 13 years. The Bucharest Tribunals rulings were appealed by both the defendants and prosecutors. In its motivation, the Tribunal claims the tragedy at the Colectiv nightclub is “the result of a chain of crimes and the attitude of the defendants does not reside in their lack of judicial education, but in greed, irresponsibility and ignorance towards the law”.



    RESOLUTION – The European Parliament has passed a resolution whereby it no longer recognizes Alexander Lukashenko as President of Belarus. Voted by a landslide majority, the resolution does not recognize the presidential election of August 9, won by Lukashenko with 80% of the votes. Parliament believes the election was rigged, and that international standards in the matter were breached. In addition, MEPs have called for the introduction of sanctions against Belarus. Member States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have assigned a team of independent experts to investigate possible human rights violations and election fraud in Belarus. In power for the last 26 years, Lukashenko is often labeled as Europes last dictator.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number 2, defeated, on Friday, score 7-5, 6-4, Dayana Yastremska from Ukraine (29 WTA), in the eighth finals of the WTA tournament in Rome. Next Halep will play against the Kazakh Yulia Putinteva (30 WTA). Simona played only once against her at this years Australian Open. It was a clear victory for the Romanian, in the eighth finals. Also in the quarterfinals, on Friday, in Rome, in the doubles, the pair formed by the Romanian Raluca Olaru and Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany) defeated the pair Magda Linette (Poland) – Bernarda Pera (United States), score 5-7, 7 -6, 10-8 and qualified for the semifinals. The competition in the Italian capital takes place without spectators, and competitors must follow strict rules to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The prizes are worth a total of almost 1.7 million euros.



    FOOTBALL – Romanian Cup title holders FCSB on Thursday qualified for the Europa League third preliminary round after defeating FK TSC Backa Topola 5-4 at the end of the penalty shootout. The score was 6-all at the end of regular time, which marked a new record for a European inter-club match. Struggling to assemble a first team lineup after multiple COVID-19 cases were reported at the club, FCSB was rated second-favorite to win. In the third round, FCSB will play Slovan Liberec of the Czech Republic at home. If it manages to eliminate Liberec, FCSB will play against the winner of the match between APOEL of Cyprus and Zrinjski of Bosnia – Herzegovina. Also on Thursday, FC Botosani was eliminated after losing nil-1 to KF Skhendija of North Macedonia at home. Eliminated from the Champions League preliminary rounds, Romanias champions CFR Cluj will play Djurgaarden of Sweden in the third preliminary round of Europa League. If they win, they will taken on the winner of the match pitting Kups Kuopio of Finland against the Lithuanians from Suduva. All the rounds matches are scheduled for next week and consist of only one leg.


  • September 17, 2020

    September 17, 2020

    Covid-19
    RO.     1,679 new cases of people infected
    with SARS-CoV-2 were registered in Romania, compared to the last report, following
    the tests performed at national level – the Strategic Communication Group
    announced this afternoon. The total number of infections has thus reached
    108,690. Also today, another 27 people infected with the new coronavirus have died,
    the total number of deaths in Romania reaching 4,312. 460 patients are in
    intensive care, the Group has also reported. In Romania, 11,540 people
    confirmed with the new coronavirus are in isolation at home, and 5,807 are in
    institutional isolation. Also, 38,167 people are in quarantine at home, and 7
    in institutionalized quarantine.




    Pandemic.
    30 million infections and 945,000
    deaths have been reported worldwide, according to worldomters.info. The United
    States is the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than 6,800,000
    infections and more than 200,000 deaths. In the United Kingdom, the European
    country with the highest number of deaths, over 41,000, the health system can
    no longer cope with the demand for tests, and the government has announced that
    it will rationalize them for the time being. Spain has exceeded 600,000 cases
    and 30,000 deaths. As of Friday, Israel becomes the first country in the world
    to apply the lockdown measure for the second time, due to the very large number
    of new cases of COVID-19.






    Elections. In
    Romania, the electoral campaign for the local elections due on September 27 continues,
    in conditions meant to prevent infections with the new coronavirus. According
    to the Ministry of Interior, wearing a protective mask is mandatory, and for
    all persons participating in electoral events or meetings, observational triage
    and mandatory hand disinfection will be performed. The rules of access and
    personal protection will be displayed in visible places. A physical distance of
    at least one meter between participants will be ensured, including for actions
    carried out on the street or from door to door. A maximum of 50 people will
    attend the events and meetings held indoors, and the duration will be limited
    to a maximum of two hours. In the case of events and meetings held outdoors,
    the organizers must ensure that the number of participants is limited to a
    maximum of one hundred. 41 county council presidents, about 3,200 mayors, over
    1,300 county councilors and 40,000 local councilors will be elected. Election
    had been scheduled for June, but was postponed due to the pandemic, and local
    elected officials have extended their terms by half a year.








    EP. The
    European Parliament has endorsed the need to introduce new sources of revenue
    into the EU budget, a crucial step in authorizing Brussels to borrow from the
    markets and to implement the € 750 billion recovery plan decided by the EU. The
    EP’s advisory but necessary vote paves the way for a European Council decision
    and will allow ratification to begin in the 27 EU states, a process involving,
    depending on the country, a vote of national and/or regional parliaments. The
    aim of the Europeans is to complete this process of national ratifications by
    the end of the year, so that it enters into force, as scheduled, in January
    2021.




    Economy. The
    recovery of the world economy following the crisis caused by the coronavirus
    pandemic could take five years, the chief economist of the World Bank (WB),
    Carmen Reinhart has warned. She says that because of the crisis, inequalities
    between the poor and the rich, as well as those between states, will be
    exacerbated. For the first time in 20 years, global poverty rates will rise,
    the chief economist added. In 2015, the year of the latest World Bank data,
    about 734 million people worldwide lived in extreme poverty, accounting for 10%
    of the world’s population, and their numbers have continued to rise since the
    pandemic broke out.




    Agreement. The Romanian
    Government has concluded an agreement with a Chinese company for the
    construction of Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant, in
    southeastern Romania, the Minister of Ecoomy, Energy and Business Environement,
    Virgil Popescu, has announced. He has stated that parteners are now being
    sought for the project in the EU and NATO countries. The nuclear power plant in
    Cernavoda is the only one of its kind in Romania. Units 1 and 2 are currently operational,
    and together they produce about 20% of the country’s electricity consumption,
    using the Canadian technology known as CANDU.




    Contest. 13 young pianists out of the 55 contestants
    who participated in the first stage of the Piano Section of the George Enescu
    International Contest, the most prestigious cultural event organized by
    Romania, have qualified for the second stage. The 13 are from China, South
    Korea, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Serbia. The
    first stage of the competition, the Piano Section, took place online between
    September 11-15. The second stage, eliminatory, will take place between
    September 17-19. The recordings will be available online on the website of the
    Contest www.festivalenescu.ro starting September 17, from 10.00 (Romanian
    time). It is for the first time in the history of the Enescu Contest when the
    first two stages of the sections are organized online, against the background
    of the pandemic. Access to all online content of the Contest during this period
    is free.




    Football. The holder of the Romanian Football Cup, FCSB,
    meets, tonight, away from home, FK TSC
    Backa Topola, from Serbia, in the second preliminary round of Europa League. If
    they qualify, the Bucharest team will
    receive, in the third round, the visit of the winning team between Riteriai
    (Lithuania) and Liberec (Czech Republic). Also today, FC Botoşani (northeast of
    Romania) plays, at home, with KF Shkendija, from Northern Macedonia, and, if it
    wins, it will meet, also on home turf, most likely, the English team Tottenham
    Hotspur, the big favorite in the duel with the Bulgarians from Lokomotiv
    Plovdiv. Eliminated from the Champions League preliminaries, the Romanian
    champion, CFR Cluj (northwest), will play, this month, directly in the third
    round, with the winner between Djurgaarden (Sweden) and FC Europa (Gibraltar).






    Tennis. Romanian tennis player Irina Begu, (77 WTA) is playing,
    today, in the second round of the WTA tournament in Rome, against the British
    Johanna Konta (13 WTA). Also today, in the doubles, the Romanians Simona Halep
    and Monica Niculescu will play, in the eighth finals, with the Japanese Shuko
    Aoyama and Ena Shibahara. On Wednesday, the Romanian Simona Halep, world number
    2, qualified for the eighth finals of the tournament in Rome, where she is first
    seed, winning with the score of 6-3, 6-4, the match against the Italian Jasmine
    Paolini. In the doubles, the pair formed by the Romanian Raluca Olaru and
    Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany), qualified, on Wednesday, for the quarterfinals of
    the tournament in Rome, after defeating with 6-4, 6-3, the team Miyu Kato (
    Japan) and Sabrina Santamari (USA). The tournament in Rome is part of the
    Premier 5 category and takes place without spectators, and the players must
    follow strict rules to prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The prizes
    are worth a total of almost 1.7 million euros. ( M. Ignatescu)



  • Resolution on the Romanian Revolution

    Resolution on the Romanian Revolution

    The European Parliament on Thursday voted a resolution on marking 30 years
    since the anticommunist revolution of 1989 in Romania. This is the first time
    Parliament adopts an official standpoint on the events of ’89, which altered
    the course of the country forever. Debated in Monday’s plenary sitting, the
    document says that 1,142 people were killed, another 3,000 were gravely wounded
    and a few hundred were detained illegally and tortured. The European Parliament
    thus commemorates the event, paying homage to the victims’ families, saying
    that people’s sacrifice at the time enabled Romania’s transition to democracy,
    the rule of law and market economy, and helped integrated the country in NATO
    in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. MEPs called on Romania to strengthen
    its efforts to clarify the truth in relation to the events of the revolution.

    Parliament
    also called on the institutions of the European Union and its Member States,
    including Romania, to do their utmost to ensure that the crimes of communist
    regimes are remembered, and to guarantee that such crimes will never be
    committed again. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis hailed the adoption of
    the resolution, which again confirms that the sacrifice of Romanians in
    December 1989 is a cornerstone of democracy in Romania. The President admits
    that the state needs to acts swiftly to ascertain the truth behind the events
    of ’89, and to bring the guilty to justice. In December 1989 Romanians said
    no to communism and they paid for that with their lives. Today, Romanians are
    again part of the European family, MEP Traian Basescu said in turn. Back in
    2006, during his term as president, Traian Basescu officially condemned the
    communist regime, labeling it criminal and illegitimate.

    Set up in Romania at
    the end of the Second World War with the occupation of Soviet troops, the
    dictatorship in Bucharest is considered by some historians as some of the
    harshest behind the Iron Curtain. In the first two decades, the repressive
    apparatus of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, a sympathizer of Stalinist Russia, some
    600 thousand people were imprisoned, from democratic high-ranking officials to
    simple peasants who would not give up their lands, from Eastern-Catholic
    cardinals to students who loved their country. Having succeeded Dej, Nicolae
    Ceausescu fueled, for a short while, the illusion of domestic liberalization
    and the breakaway with Moscow. In time, his regime became a one-man
    dictatorship, centered on a grotesque personality cult and imposing a severe
    austerity on the population. His pathological thirst for power would eventually
    turn Romania into the only country in Central and Eastern Europe where the
    toppling of the communist regime resulted in bloodshed.


    (Translated
    by V. Palcu)

  • The Romanian Revolution, debated in the European Parliament

    The Romanian Revolution, debated in the European Parliament


    Sunday will mark 30 years since the anticommunist revolution in Romania. On December 22, 1989, under the pressure of the hundreds of thousands of protesters, dictators Nicolae Ceausescu fled the headquarters of the communist partys Central Committee. Captured and subsequently subjected to a speedy trial, Ceausescu and his wife were executed on December 25 in a barracks in Targoviste. Romania was the only country in Eastern Europe where the toppling of the communist regime was produced with bloodshed. Shortly after the revolution broke out on December 16 in Timisoara, many people were killed, shot down by the so-called terrorists, whose identity is yet to be ascertained. On Monday evening, the European Parliament met in Strasbourg and debated the marking of 30 years since the Romanian Revolution. A European Commission declaration evokes the violence that marked the Romanian revolution and the peoples struggle to topple the oppressive communist regime. European Commissioner for Transport, Romanian Adina Valean, a member of the EPP and the National Liberal Party, read the declaration in Parliament, highlighting the need to pay homage to the Romanians sacrifice and the fact that Europe must make sure that no other member state should see such bloody events.



    “It is important to keep the memory of those events alive, to remember the extraordinary effort and loss of lives Romanians had to go through to obtain their freedom. I understand the European Parliament will pass a resolution of its own, and I think it is important that all these documents represent a testimony of the dangers of dictatorship, of populism, of attacks on the foundations of democracy. Since many European politicians from other member states are very young, its key they should always remember and act together to defend the community against events such as Romanians had to endure”.



    In turn MEP Carmen Avram told RRI more about the resolution the European Parliament is expected to pass on Thursday.



    “The document seeks to uncover the truth behind the events of 1989. 30 years have since passed and its embarrassing for us, as a country, to still not have the answers. Its inadmissible to be a 20-million-strong country and have 20 million versions of the revolution, since each of us has fabricated his own version in the absence of truth. Its important people still talk about the revolution. The resolution will be passed and I hope the situation in Romania is brought to the European fore, and at the same time Romanians should be more mindful of whats happening in their country and on the continent. Once the resolution is passed, we need to address how education on the communist regime and the revolution is done in schools, to see whether more needs doing and to step up our efforts when we talk about our recent past”.


    The revolution was also marked on Monday in a solemn session in the Romanian Parliament.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)




  • A Romanian appointed as European chief prosecutor

    A Romanian appointed as European chief prosecutor

    Laura Codruta Kovesi will become
    the first head of the European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). The European
    Parliament on Tuesday reached a final agreement with the Council of the
    European Union with respect to Kovesi’s appointment. Negotiations started this
    spring, with Parliament backing Kovesi’s candidacy all throughout the talks,
    despite some opposition of EU ministers initially. Ms Kövesi is the perfect
    choice to become EU Chief Prosecutor. She has excellent professional
    competences. Moreover, Romania does not currently hold any key posts in the EU.
    She will be one of the strong women leading in the EU from now on, Spanish
    MPJuan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, the chairman of the European Parliament’s Civil
    Liberties Committee said. We are very pleased that Ms Laura Kövesi will
    be leading the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office. She corresponds best to
    the European Parliament’s vision of a strong and credible EPPO. Ms Kövesi is
    extremely competent, with an impressive record of achievements in fighting
    corruption with remarkable resilience and great courage, the Budget Control
    Committee Chair Monika Hohlmeier in turn said. Last week, the Committee of
    Permanent Representatives in the European Union voted for Kovesi’s appointment
    as European chief prosecutor. At the time, the former head of the National
    Anticorruption Directorate said the vote is the effort of people who have
    supported the fight against corruption. Laura Codruta Kovesi.


    I believe we should understand
    this vote as an achievement of all Romanians who in recent years have supported
    the fight against corruption and upheld the rule of law and European values.


    The agreement over the appointment
    of Kovesi as European chief prosecutor must now be made official by the
    European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Brussels says the
    EPPO will be able to investigate, prosecute and bring to court any offences
    against the EU budget, such as tax evasion, corruption and major cross-border
    VAT fraud. The agency, which is set to start its activity next year, is meant
    to make up for the EU’s shortcomings in terms of combating crime. The European
    Antifraud Office (OLAF) is the only independent agency investigating European
    fund fraud, but it cannot prosecute cases, it can only make recommendations to
    national authorities. 22 states have signed up for the European Prosecutor’s
    Office, including Romania. Sacked from the helm of the National Anticorruption
    Directorate in June last year, Laura Codruta Kovesi has been repeatedly praised
    for her activity as a prosecutor, which led to the conviction of important
    ministers, mayors and MPs.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)