Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Political Community Summit

  • November 8, 2024 UPDATE

    November 8, 2024 UPDATE

    SALARIES – The average annual adjusted salary of a Romanian full-time employee is the fourth lowest in the European Union. Eurostat data show an annual increase of approximately 2,500 euros for 2023, but the total value remains less than half of the EU average. On the other hand, the data published by the National Institute of Statistics show that most of the unemployed in Romania are adults between the ages of 25 and 74. The NIS draws attention to the level of unemployment among young people, those aged between 15 and 24, which exceeds 23%. In September, the national unemployment rate stood at 5.5%, similar to that of August, which had, however, increased slightly compared to the previous month.

     

    EPC – On the sidelines of the European Political Community summit held in Budapest, EU leaders called on US president-elect Donald Trump to avoid trade wars, to maintain support for Ukraine and to refrain from disrupting global order. On Friday, talks focused on increasing EU competitiveness, with leaders adopting a joint declaration reflecting a number of goals designed to boost competitiveness, which will guide the activity of EU institutions over the coming period. The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, warned that migration remains an important challenge at European level, which requires a common and comprehensive response. Talks during the plenary session stressed the significant impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the entire continent, but also at global level. They emphasized the need for coordinated action at European level to support Kyiv. At the meeting on supporting the Republic of Moldova, the European leaders also pledged to keep providing the necessary support so that the state can continue the reforms and the fight against external interference.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate will go up slightly in the final months of the current year and will see a heightened fluctuation in the first semester of 2025, remaining above the target range and the previously anticipated values, the Central Bank reports. Major uncertainties and risks arise from the impact of fiscal and revenue policies, considering the fiscal and budgetary measures that might be implemented starting next year for the purpose of budgetary consolidation. Labor market conditions and wage dynamics also remain a source of uncertainty and risk. At the same time, significant uncertainty continues to be associated with the evolution of energy and food prices, as well as the future trajectory of the price for crude oil, against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions. The National Bank’s board of directors on Friday decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate 6.50% per year. The Bank is closely watching developments on the domestic and international levels and is prepared to use the instruments at its disposal in order to fulfill the fundamental goal of ensuring price stability in the medium term, with a view to preserving financial stability.

     

    FLOODS – Madrid authorities announced 78 people are still missing, 10 days after the most devastating storms that occurred in the last century in this country. The most severely affected region was Valencia. The official death toll stands at 219. In Valencia alone, 211 bodies have been recovered so far, the other eight victims being discovered in the neighboring regions of Castilla–La Mancha and Andalusia. Other regions of Spain were subsequently hit by further episodes of severe weather. The clean-up operation is in full swing, but some of the 75 affected towns and villages are still covered in mud. Many buildings are still inaccessible or difficult to access, as the entrances are partially blocked by vehicle debris and household items. (MI&VP)

  • October 5, 2023 UPDATE

    October 5, 2023 UPDATE

    Summit. Additional anti-drone defense systems will be brought to Romania, in the context of Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube, President Klaus Iohannis announced at the summit of the European Political Community that started on Thursday in Granada, Spain. He said the strikes on Ukrainian ports are war crimes because only civilian infrastructures are targeted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a discussion with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about military aid and EU enlargement. Sánchez has announced that a decision will be made on Friday regarding the establishment of a new strategy for the European Union regarding its enlargement from 27 to 35 members. He stressed that the enlargement of the EU must be done after a strong reform of the way it functions and how decisions are made in the community block. Related to this topic, the President of Romania stated that it is very important for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to take rapid steps towards European integration, but he termed as “unrealistic” the setting of deadlines for accession. In turn, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has stated that her country has high hopes that accession negotiations will begin in December, after the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding that they begin before the end of the year.



    Accident. A Romanian family of four, the parents and two children, residing in Germany, are among the victims of the road accident involving a bus near Venice, which left 21 dead and 15 wounded. The vehicle fell off a bridge and caught fire. All the dead have been identified and the municipality decreed three days of mourning on Wednesday. The family was spending their holiday in Mestre. The real cause of the accident remains unknown. The prosecutors office in Venice has opened an investigation into the accident.



    Government. The Romanian government approved on Thursday the emergency ordinance that regulates the betting and gambling industry. Thus, betting companies must be based in Romania. Also, in order to protect players or people at risk, alcohol will no longer be sold in gambling spaces, and slot machine games will no longer be allowed in bars. Other aspects concern advertising and publicity for gambling, while the annual licensing fees will rise considerably. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stated that huge profits of such companies ending up outside the country must stop. “Its not normal for the betting industry to have so much power,” he said. The executives attention is also focused on a mechanism to protect Romanian farmers and national production from grain imports from Ukraine, after the lifting of restrictions by the European Commission. Ciolacu stated that the mechanism agreed with all the parties involved will allow the import only on the basis of an authorization for limited quantities of grain and will apply only to Romanian farmers and processors who demonstrate that they need to replenish their stocks.



    Central Bank. The National Bank of Romania has maintained the monetary policy interest rate at 7% per year, a value set in January 2023. The Board has also kept unchanged the interest rate at which commercial banks can borrow from the Central Bank and the one they receive when keeping their money in deposits established at the central bank. According to current assessments, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease until the end of the current year. Starting from 2024, inflation will be influenced by the existence of major risks arising from the new fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the government and the degree of absorption of European funds, but also by the war in Ukraine and economic developments below expectations in Europe.



    Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court of Romania decided, on Thursday, that the law prohibiting the aggregation of pension and salary is unconstitutional. The Court ruled that the published provisions regarding the prohibition of combining the pension with the salary contravene the fundamental right to work, guaranteed by the Constitution. On June 29, the High Court of Cassation and Justice notified the Constitutional Court regarding the amendments to the law on service pensions and to the law on the aggregation of the pension with the salary. Both laws were endorsed by Parliament on June 28. The law is now going back to Parliament.



    Nobel. Norwegian writer Jon Fosse was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday for “his innovative plays and prose that give voice to the unsayable,” the Nobel Committee announced. Last year, the award went to French author Annie Ernaux “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”. The 2023 Nobel season will continue with the awarding of the Peace Prize on October 6. The Riksbank Sveriges Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel will be announced on October 9. (MI)


  • European Political Community Summit

    European Political Community Summit


    The Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, predominantly Romanian-speaking) hosted on June 1, at the Mimi Castle in the village of Bulboaca, the second summit of the European Political Community – a new platform for political coordination, which aims to promote dialogue and cooperation in order to address issues of common interest and to strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent. The nearly 50 leaders present at the summit discussed security and peace, the development of the economic and social infrastructure in the European space and resilience in the face of the threats produced by the war in Ukraine. At the same time, European officials reiterated their support for the Republic of Moldova in order to achieve the commitments assumed as a candidate state for joining the European Union.



    The summit reflects the strong determination of the European leaders to bring peace back to Europe, the host of the meeting, President Maia Sandu, stressed. According to her, the meeting ended with several concrete results for her country, among them the decision regarding the reduction of tariffs for roaming services, the launch of the EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova, a new aid package worth approximately 1.6 billions euro and 50 million euro worth of non-reimbursable funding from Norway. Maia Sandu also emphasized the fact that organizing the summit only 20 km from Ukraine “is a clear expression of solidarity with that country and the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for freedom, European values ​​and the future of the continent”.



    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated at the summit that he received a strong signal of support from the allies in the matter of providing fighter planes. Zelenskiy also said that Ukraine needed future security guarantees, if joining NATO was not possible for the moment.



    Also present at the summit, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, praised the reforms undertaken by the Republic of Moldova with a view to joining the EU and promised to “significantly” increase the size of the EU delegation to Chisinau, in order to “help the implementation of reforms”, while the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the Transnistrian dispute would not be an impediment for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the Union.



    In his speech, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stressed that the Republic of Moldova is not alone, and the support of the democratic states will continue for both Chisinau and Kyiv. “The military aggression against Ukraine has been the most disruptive period after the Cold War. It is our responsibility, as the Community of European democratic states, to respond to this historic moment and to support the most vulnerable among us”, the Romanian head of state also said. (MI)




  • June 1, 2023 UPDATE

    June 1, 2023 UPDATE

    Education. On Thursday, the Romanian Government approved the ordinance that establishes increases in the basic salaries in education by 1,000 lei for the teaching staff and by 400 lei for non-the teaching staff. The normative act covers the public requests of the teaching staff, said the Minister of Education, Ligia Deca. She stated that these are measures with immediate effect, starting June 1, and the changes provided for in the salary law should be implemented gradually, over the next three years. In turn, Labor Minister Marius Budai said that negotiations with the unions will continue, to establish the news salary grid. Also on Thursday, the education unions announced that the all-out strike in pre-university education would continue on Tuesday, after the mini-holiday occasioned by the Childrens Day and the Orthodox Pentecost.



    EPC Summit. At the second European Political Community (EPC) summit, Klaus Iohannis stressed again the importance of the support for Ukraine, a country that continues to be the target of Russias “merciless” attacks. The head of state has stated that the summit hosted by the Republic of Moldova is illustrative of its European vocation, for the seriousness of the reform efforts dedicated to its accession to the European Union and demonstrates the focus on the entire Eastern Neighborhood and the Black Sea region. Iohannis welcomed the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the meeting. Our summit must strongly reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine and its citizens to defeat Russian aggression and rebuild a peace based on the principles of the UN Charter, Klaus Iohannis stressed.. He also said that the European Unions support for the Republic of Moldova must benefit from more visibility, as its strengthening also means the strengthening of Europes strategic resilience. Almost 50 heads of state and government are participating in the Summit hosted by the Republic of Moldova. The European Political Community is an intergovernmental format for debate and a platform for political coordination between European states in order to promote political dialogue and cooperation on topics of common interest, for the consolidation of security, stability and prosperity on the continent. The first meeting of the CPE took place in October 2022, in Prague.



    Security. NATO will monitor the airspace of the Republic of Moldova during the European Political Community Summit, Reuters reports. The meeting of the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union and 20 other countries at a famous winery located only 20 km from the Ukrainian territory constitutes a security and organizational challenge for the Republic of Moldova, the agency writes. NATO has announced that AWACS planes will monitor the airspace of the Republic of Moldova until Friday. Remnants of missiles from the war in neighboring Ukraine have been found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova several times in recent months. AWACS can detect planes, missiles and drones at a distance of hundreds of km, which makes them an important early warning capability, stated the spokesperson for the Alliance, Oana Lungescu.



    NATO. The NATO foreign ministers gathered in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, to finalize the details of the summit in July. The main topic is the conflict in Ukraine, but, according to the Radio Romania correspondent, another topic is Swedens accession to the Alliance, a step postponed due to the conditions imposed by Turkey. The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that new laws related to terrorism entered into force in Sweden on June 1, which shows that Sweden is taking steps against the terrorist groups mentioned by Turkey. The head of the North Atlantic Alliance pointed out that, in recent months, the collaboration between Sweden and Turkey has strengthened, and “Sweden has demonstrated that it keeps its word”. Stoltenberg said that the NATO member states must take into account Turkeys “well-founded concerns” regarding its own security, considering that it is the allied state most affected by terrorist attacks. The head of NATO concluded that, under these conditions, Swedens accession will happen soon.



    MSC. Romania is participating, until June 9, in the 107th meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization – IMO, an event that takes place at the organizations headquarters in London, reads a press release from the Romanian Maritime Training Center – Ceronav. The event is of major importance in the field of maritime transport and represents an essential opportunity for discussions and actions regarding maritime safety and security. The MSC is the highest technical body of the IMO, which develops the rules regarding the safety of maritime navigation at the international level. Romania is an active member of the IMO and one of the most important suppliers of maritime officers for the international fleet, said Ovidiu Sorin Cupşa, Ceronavs CEO.



    EP. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution drawing attention to Hungarys inability to take over the rotating presidency of the European Council in July 2024, due to issues related to the rule of law. MEPs belive that Hungary is no longer a democracy and demand that certain rights be suspended, according to Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union. “Viktor Orbán lives with the illusion that he can use the European Union as an ATM and, at the same time, not respect the Unions values,” said Dutch MEP Thijs Reuten. He offered as an example Budapests position towards the war in Ukraine, Hungary being the only EU country that blocked European aid to Kyiv.



    Children. More than half of Romanian children want to leave the country and settle abroad, according to the report on the state of children in Romania, published by “Save the Children” organization on Thursday. The data draw attention to the phenomenon of school dropout, to the large number of Romanian children who are not in the direct care of their parents, and recall the fact that Romania leads, at the European level, in terms of the number of underage mothers. Poverty is the phenomenon that affects many of the children, and in the “emotional well-being” chapter, statistics show that minors are not immune to anxiety and depression. The study carried out by Save the Children also shows that almost a quarter of Romanian minors, who are now up to 17 years old, had or have a parent who went to work abroad, and a third of them said that they did not agree with their leaving. Currently, over 72,000 children in Romania have parents working abroad, according to the National Authority for the Protection of Childrens Rights and Adoption. (MI)

  • June 1, 2023

    June 1, 2023


    Education. The emergency ordinance approved today by the Romanian Government radically changes the salary system in education, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca has stated. The ordinance provides for an increase in the gross salary of teaching and auxiliary staff of 1,000 and 400 lei respectively. Also, the government has promised that, in the new salary grid, the salary of a beginner teacher will be related to the average gross salary in the economy and will represent the reference point of the salary grid in education. The increases stipulated by the ordinance had been rejected by education trade unions as insufficient. The government is to meet with union representatives again today.



    EPC. The situation in Ukraine, issues related to energy, security and interconnectivity are the main topics on the agenda of the European Political Community Summit (EPC), said the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the host of todays meeting. According to her, during the bilateral meetings, the participants will also discuss the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the EU. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is also participating, along with heads of state and government from almost 50 countries and leaders of European institutions. By hosting the European Political Community Summit, the Republic of Moldova reconfirms its European vocation and consistency in the implementation of the reform process necessary for joining the European Union, stated the presidential administration in Bucharest. President Iohannis will give a speech in the plenary session and will participate in the working group on security. He will address the impact of the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, in the security, economic, food or humanitarian fields, as well as the sustained support for the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also present at the meeting. The European Political Community is an intergovernmental format for debate and a platform for political coordination between European states in order to promote political dialogue and cooperation on topics of common interest, for the consolidation of security, stability and prosperity on the continent. The initiative of a European political community belongs to French President Emmanuel Macron, and the first meeting of the EPC took place in October 2022, in Prague.



    NATO. NATO will monitor the airspace of the Republic of Moldova during the European Political Community Summit, Reuters reports. The meeting of the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union and 20 other countries at a famous winery located only 20 km from the Ukrainian territory constitutes a security and organizational challenge for the Republic of Moldova, the agency writes. NATO has announced that AWACS planes will monitor the airspace of the Republic of Moldova until Friday. Parts of missiles from the war in neighboring Ukraine have been found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova several times in recent months. AWACS can detect planes, missiles and drones at a distance of hundreds of km, which makes them an important early warning capability, stated the spokesperson for the Alliance, Oana Lungescu.



    MSC. Romania is participating, until June 9, in the 107th meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization – IMO, an event that takes place at the organizations headquarters in London, reads a press release from the Romanian Maritime Training Center – Ceronav. The event is of major importance in the field of maritime transport and represents an essential opportunity for discussions and actions regarding maritime safety and security. The MSC is the highest technical body of the IMO, which develops the rules regarding the safety of maritime navigation at the international level. Romania is an active member of the IMO and one of the most important suppliers of maritime officers for the international fleet, said Ovidiu Sorin Cupşa, Ceronavs CEO.



    Childrens Day. On June 1st, Childrens Day, the Romanian Parliament opened its doors, an action that has already become tradition. Children can visit several halls of the parliament building, the plenary rooms or the offices of the two speakers and they can participate in theater performances, interactive games or presentations of military equipment. Several embassies, including those of Spain, Turkey, Italy and Japan, have stands in the Senate courtyard, which offer children games from their countries. Events dedicated to children are taking place all over the country. Childrens Day is also the start of the mini-holiday occasioned by the Orthodox Pentecost. More than 70,000 tourists are expected on the Black Sea Coast. The authorities have announced special measures, and the Ministry of the Interior has engaged additional staff in order to maintain public order and safety. (MI)