Radio România Internațional

Tag: extreme

  • November 22, 2024

    November 22, 2024

     

    WEATHER Nearly 3-quarters of Romania’s territory is under various severe weather alerts, valid at least until tonight. A code red warning for snowstorms at altitudes of over 1,700 m is in place in several counties in the centre and south of the country. Parts of Romania’s mid-west are subject to code orange alerts for strong wind, ranging from 80 to 120 km/h, and heavy snowfalls are expected in the mountains. Mixed precipitation and wind are also forecast for the west, north-west and centre of the country, according to a code yellow alert.

     

    ELECTION Voting has begun abroad, in the first round of Romania’s presidential election. Voting is already underway in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea. Those who have already cast their ballots today join the over 4,200 who voted by mail. Voting abroad takes place over three days, from November 22 to 24. In the country, Romanians will be able to vote for their next president on Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with extensions granted only if there are still voters in polling stations or queuing outside. Almost 19,000 polling stations are set up in the country and 950 abroad for this election. The most polling stations abroad are in Italy – 158, Spain – 147 and the United Kingdom – 107. 13 candidates take part in the race for the president post. Also on Sunday, a local referendum is held in Bucharest, with three questions related to administrative issues, including the distribution of tax revenues and the issuance of construction permits, as well as the fight against drug use. A 30% turnout is needed for the referendum to be valid.

     

    SCHENGEN The interior ministers of Romania and Bulgaria, Cătălin Predoiu and Atanas Ilkov respectively, are meeting today in Budapest with their Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, to discuss the 2 countries’ full Schengen accession, vetoed by Austria so far. The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu, as well as his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, will also attend the meeting, held under the auspices of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU. During the talks, the officials will consider an agreement on the full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen. A decision on lifting external border controls could be taken on December 12 in Brussels, in the Justice and Home Affairs Council, but this needs the support of all EU member states. Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Schengen at the end of March, by suspending controls at air and sea borders. Land border controls remained in place, however, because of Austria’s veto, which Vienna says is related to concerns about illegal migration.

     

    DEFENCE Signing the agreement with the US for the procurement of F-35 aircraft is another decisive step forward for Romania towards a modern and efficient national defence, well connected to our international partners, PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday. He attended the signing of the Protocol launching the Romanian Air Force’s transition to 5th generation F-35 aircraft. The document was signed by the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr and the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec.

     

    UKRAINE Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said Russia had hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of medium-range missile designed to carry nuclear warheads, in response to Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory with Western-supplied missiles. Addressing the nation, Putin said the war in Ukraine had acquired elements of a global conflict after the United States, France and Britain agreed with the use of their missiles against Russia, and he warned that his country had the right to use its weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against Russian territory. In case of escalation, Putin added, Russia would respond decisively and symmetrically. The United States, which according to Reuters was informed shortly before the Russian missile launch, said Moscow was the one escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Washington, however, said it had no reason to change its nuclear doctrine based solely on Putin’s irresponsible rhetoric.

     

    NETANYAHU Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he would continue to defend the country in any way he could, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu described the court’s decision as an anti-Semitic act, while Israel’s president and the parliament speaker called it an attack on justice and truth. The US President Joe Biden called the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, “outrageous”, and promised the US would stand by Israel in the face of a threat to its security. According to Biden, the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction in this case. As for President-elect Donald Trump, he did not react to the decision to issue the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and Gallant, but his future national security adviser, Mike Waltz, promised a “strong response” to the ICC’s anti-Semitic leaning. (AMP)

  • Prolonged drought wreaks havoc on Romania

    Prolonged drought wreaks havoc on Romania

    With record high temperatures and scarce precipitations, the past two years have wreaked havoc on Romania presently witnessing a chronic drought with devastating effects on the economy and the everyday life of its citizens. Restrictions to drinking water consumption have been maintained in more than 4 hundred towns and villages across the country, the most affected regions being the eastern counties of Botoşani, Iaşi, Vrancea, Neamţ and Bacău.

    But water supplies have also been affected in the southern counties of Giurgiu and Gorj and representatives of the Romanian Waters have again urged people to avoid wasting water supplies as reservoirs are presently filled only 78%. Water supplies have been seriously diminished in 120 towns and villages in Botoşani County as reservoirs here cannot accumulate enough water and residents have been advised to make their own minimum reserves during outages.

    In villages around the area, which lack centralized water supplies, wells have completely dried up and people must travel 3-4 kilometers to get water. Against the scarce water supplies, experts urge people to use drinking water only for drinking and resort to alternatives for other activities whenever possible.

    The prolonged drought this summer has wreaked havoc on crops as well. In July this year, field minister Florin Barbu notified EU Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski that large areas of Romania’s farmland had been affected by drought and he has recently called on the European Commission to compensate the Romanian farmers heavily affected by drought.

    Large regions in Romania have been affected by drought and the heavy losses incurred by farmers are jeopardizing the economic viability of the Romanian farms as well as the country’s security interests, Bucharest has reported. ”The significant damage caused by unfavorable weather phenomena are calling for urgent compensations in the basis of an exceptional measure to contribute to solving the specific issues caused by these phenomena” says the letter Romania’s Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu sent to the European Commission. According to the ministry, the total estimated budget of maximum 75.2 million dollars for the crops sown in the autumn of 2023 must be urgently reimbursed to farmers. The low level of precipitations and the temperatures higher than usual this summer have wreaked havoc on the crops sown in spring as well, mainly corn and sunflower on a surface of roughly two million hectares. According to the Minister, Romania has incurred losses of 200 Euros per hectares.

    (bill)

  • Romania in the grip of severe weather

    Romania in the grip of severe weather

     

    Extreme weather has been reported in the past few days in Romania, with code red, orange and yellow alerts issued in various parts of the country.

     

    Heavy rainfalls, storms and hail caused serious damages on Thursday night in several counties in the south and west of the country. An immediate severe weather alert was also in place for the capital city Bucharest and the adjacent Ilfov County.

     

    Bucharest saw medium-size hail and strong wind, with speeds reaching 90 km/h. Heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms were also reported, and the locals were warned by the RO-Alert system not to leave their homes. Emergency Inspectorate teams were called to remove the water and the trees fallen in the streets.

     

    The severe weather also disrupted traffic at the Otopeni International Airport, with some flights diverted to other airports.

     

    In several counties, national roads were obstructed by the trees taken down by the wind. In Craiova (southern Romania), parks were evacuated and underpasses were closed down. Streets were flooded and tram traffic was suspended.

     

    In Mehedinți County, in the south-west, an extremely violent storms, with gusts of wind reaching 70-80 km/h and hailstones the size of pigeon eggs, destroyed roofs and tore scores of trees, which fell on vehicles. The roofs of two school buildings were ruined.

     

    In rural areas, hailstorms destroyed hundreds of hectares under wheat and barley crops just before harvest time, as well as maize, sunflower and vegetable crops, vineyards and orchards.

     

    Several areas in the south of the country were under code yellow and orange alerts for heat, and the heat stress index was around the critical 80 units.

     

    It is an atypical summer, with extreme weather occurrences, including hailstorms, heavy rainfalls and heat waves, according to experts, who expect such phenomena to be even more frequent in the forthcoming period. Specialists estimate that 2024 will be the toughest year since 2016 in terms of weather conditions. They also say that, at least this year, extreme weather occurrences are going to be much more frequent, with hailstones, for instance, much larger than in previous years.

     

    Since April 15, as many as 94 hail cannons have been used to fight this phenomenon. The system has been fiercely opposed by some farmers, who argue that the use of hail cannons leads to reducing or preventing rainfall, although so far there is no scientific evidence in this respect. (AMP)

  • Extreme weather in Romania

    Extreme weather in Romania

     

    Several parts of the country have been under code red alerts for storms early this week. Heavy downpours within short periods of time, strong wind and hailstorms have caused serious damage, and calls were made to the emergency number 112 especially in the centre of the country.

     

    In Alba County, the bad weather caused flash floods and left thousands of people without electricity in several towns and villages, while railway traffic between Braşov and Sighişoara was disrupted for hours after a fir tree fell on the rail tracks. The roofs of scores of houses were affected by storms, and households were flooded. In Odorheiu Secuiesc, hundreds of trees were torn down, damaging houses and vehicles, for which people have already applied for reparations.

     

    The head of the National Meteorology Administration, Elena Mateescu, explained that such occurrences are favoured by the very high temperatures reported over the past few days, entailing severe heat stress.

     

    Elena Mateescu: “It is a summer during which we will certainly be speaking about such occurrences quite frequently, especially in June, which is traditionally the month with most precipitations during the year. Rain is good. Definitely, storms and hailstorms are less good, but the precipitations during this period should meet the water needs of large areas, especially in the eastern part of the country, which is currently hit by severe, indeed extreme drought. The weekend will once again see rising temperatures, reaching 35-36 degrees Celsius, and the same temperatures will likely be reported early next week as well, especially on Wednesday. The updated forecasts for June point to a good probability that each week will see higher temperatures than usual.”

     

    A heat wave holds the country in its grasp these days, with deepening heat stress and a temperature-humidity index reaching a critical 80 units. In fact, the temperature will be higher than normal throughout the month, including at night time, with Romania close to having tropical nights of 20 degrees Celsius. At the same time, weather instability will be significant, with heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms, strong wind and hail. According to meteorologists, the highs could exceed 37 degrees Celsius in the coming days. (AMP)

  • July 28, 2023

    July 28, 2023

    WEATHER The PM of Romania Marcel
    Ciolacu requested all the institutions in charge to centralise data on the damages
    caused by the extreme weather over the past few days in Romania. Measures will
    be taken subsequently to address the situation and to avoid similar occurrences
    in the future, a government spokesperson said. According to the General
    Inspectorate for Emergencies, over 50 localities in 19 counties and the capital
    city Bucharest have been affected this week by storms and heavy rainfalls.
    Several people died, and houses, buildings and vehicles have been damaged.


    CANCER The government endorsed a National Plan on
    Cancer Prevention and Treatment. The new programme facilitates quick access to
    prevention measures, diagnostic, treatment and palliative services. The
    healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, said investments would be made in the
    field of oncology, and all services for patients would be free of charge,
    including advanced radiation therapy. He added that the government would also
    develop an innovation fund, mainly benefiting cancer patients. The plan will be
    implemented in several stages over the next 5 years. Representatives of the
    Federation of Cancer Patients Associations however are unhappy with the absence
    of implementing rules for the plan, without which, they argue, it is impossible
    to know how long it would take from diagnosis to the start of the actual
    treatment.


    DISSIDENT The High Court of Cassation and Justice in
    Bucharest Thursday upheld a ruling clearing two former Communist political
    police officers, Marin Pîrvulescu and Vasile Hodiş, of the charges related to
    the torturing of dissident Gheorghe Ursu.
    They were originally tried for crimes against humanity. The construction
    engineer, poet and writerGheorghe Ursu was investigated by the Securitate in the ’80s,
    after he sent letters to Radio Free Europe and kept a diary of the horrors
    of the communist regime. He was arrested in September 1985 and died 2 months
    later, after being beaten while in detention. After
    Thursday’s ruling of the supreme court, the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said she would have liked not to see
    any form of repression and torture validated. The Group for Social
    Dialogue, a political and social NGO, says the supreme court’s decision to
    acquit the torturers of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu is the most radical form of
    rehabilitation of communist totalitarianism. Prosecutors are looking into
    exceptional methods to challenge the ruling.


    GREECE The Romanian foreign ministry warns the Romanian
    nationals who are in Greece or intend to travel there that the local
    authorities said the risks of wild fires remains high today in several parts of
    that country. The situation is particularly serious in Rhodes, where 92
    Romanian fire fighters are also deployed. In order to better respond to this
    phenomenon, the European Commission announced plans to create its own firefighting
    fleet, and procure an additional 12 aircraft to this end, deployed around the
    Mediterranean, where most wildfires are reported.


    SECURITY
    The US Senate Thursday night endorsed the National Defence Authorisation Act
    (NDAA), which included a bill on Black Sea security. With this decision, the US Senate confirms the
    status of the Black Sea as a region of critical geo-strategic importance and
    paves the way for enhanced US engagement in the region. The US Senate’s
    decision also confirms the county’s strong support for a comprehensive US
    presence in the Black Sea region, jointly with its allies and partners, in
    strategic areas such as security and defence, economy, energy and democratic resilience, the
    Romanian Ambassador to Washington Andrei Muraru
    said. The bill endorsed by the Senate is to be reconciled in September with the
    version of the NDAA already approved by the House of Representatives. A bill
    similar to the
    Black Sea Security Act is also pending in the House, with good chances to be
    included in the reconciliation procedure and in the final text of the NDAA sent
    to president Joe Biden.


    FOOTBALL Three
    Romanian teams played last night in the Europa Conference League qualifiers. Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe won, 2-0
    away from home, the match against the Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. Romanian
    champions Farul Constanța also won their home match against FC Urartu, 3-2, while former champions CFR Cluj drew
    at home against the Turkish side Adana Demirspor,
    1-1. The return leg is scheduled for August 3. (AMP)

  • July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    HEAT Wednesday was a new day with extreme heat in Romania. The capital
    city Bucharest and several counties in the south and south-east were subject to
    a code red alert for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a
    temperature-humidity index above the critical 80 units. Code orange and yellow
    alerts were also in place elsewhere in the country. On Tuesday the extreme
    temperatures disrupted railway traffic and caused road traffic restrictions. On
    the other hand, violent storms were reported in the west, north and centre of
    the country, where substantial damages were reported. On
    Thursday, the temperature is expected to drop significantly, to highs between
    19 and 28 degrees Celsius.




    PROTEST Romanian construction workers Wednesday picketed the government
    headquarters to protest the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the tax facilities
    granted to the employees in this sector. The head of the National Trade Union
    Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, said the proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code
    affect not only the construction sector, but other categories of employees as
    well. The BNS and the Familia General Federation of Trade Unions came up with a
    set of measures to avoid the scrapping of tax facilities as of September 1,
    including a new collective bargaining agreement for the sector and a gradual
    elimination of the fiscal facility, in keeping with the roadmap agreed on under
    the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as of 2025. They also suggest adjustments
    to budget appropriations for the investment projects funded by the government
    or from EU funds, as well as a salary policy for this sector for the
    forthcoming years able to ensure balanced salaries, especially in the private
    sector.


    MEETING The Romanian
    foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Wednesday had talks with her French
    counterpart, Catherine Colonna, about the security situation at the Black Sea.
    In a Twitter post, Odobescu described the dialogue as very good. Bilateral
    cooperation was reconfirmed on this occasion. We have emphasised our joint
    support for Ukraine and the R. of Moldova, as well as our determination to
    consolidate security and resilience at the Black Sea, the Romanian diplomacy
    chief said in her post.


    DIPLOMACY The foreign
    minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, Wednesday requested a
    limitation on the number of Russian diplomats accredited to Chişinău. He said
    the country has been for several years the target of hostile policies on
    Russia’s part, and that some of them were completed via the Russian Embassy
    there. Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry
    for explanations, after a media report revealed that the Russian diplomatic
    mission had installed high-performance espionage and interception equipment on
    its rooftop. The media in Chişinău mentioned 28 satellite dishes and telecoms
    devices, while individuals tied to Russian intelligence services were seen on
    the buildings. The authorities in Chisinau decided that the two countries’
    embassies would have equal numbers of diplomatic personnel, specifically 10 diplomatic
    positions and 15 administrative, technical and support posts, Moldpres reports.
    Consequently, the staff of Russia’s embassy in Chişinău will be reduced from 84
    to 25.


    NATO The NATO
    secretary general Jens Stoltenberg convened a first NATO – Ukraine Council
    meeting at ambassador level on Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv. The meeting
    focused on consultations on recent developments, with participants discussing
    the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, the NATO spokesperson Oana
    Lungescu said. Ukraine’s request came after Russia terminated the so-called
    grains deal and started attacking the Ukrainian port infrastructure. Also on
    Wednesday, the head of the press office for the southern Ukrainian defence
    command, Natalia Humeniuk, said Russia was already using Shahed-type drones
    assembled in Russia.




    SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici Wednesday qualified into
    the final of the 100m freestyle race at the World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, the defending world champion in
    this event, also holds the world record, set last year at the European
    Championships in Rome. The 100m freestyle final is scheduled for Thursday. On
    Tuesday, Popovici, also a former world champion in the 200m freestyle event,
    finished the competition’s final on the 4th place. (AMP)

  • Europe in the grip of heat wave

    Europe in the grip of heat wave

    The northern hemisphere struggled with yet another week of scorching heat. Temperatures were significantly over 40° Celsius in Italy and Spain, for instance, while devastating wildfires ravaged Greece, Canada and California. In the Canary Islands, a fire has destroyed 5,000 ha of land this month, forcing the evacuation of 4,000 people.



    On the Greek island of Rhodes, over 250 fire-fighters, including 52 from Romania, are working to put out a large-scale wildfire caused by the extreme heat and fed by strong winds. Thousands of hectares of forests, small and big hotels, homes, churches, and farms have been destroyed, and 30,000 tourists and locals were evacuated. The authorities have arranged for tourist repatriation flights and say this is the largest evacuation in the history of Greece, where a code red alert for extreme heat is still in force until 27 July.



    Several other parts of Europe are also under code red alerts, as temperature records are being reported around the world. Italy holds the heat record for continental Europe with 48.8 degrees Celsius measured in Sicily on 11 August 2021. On Tuesday, the highest temperature reported in that region was 44 degrees Celsius. On the same day, Spains meteorology agency announced 45.3 degrees Celsius in Catalonia, and 43.7 degrees Celsius in the Balearic Islands.



    In the south of France, record high temperatures were reported especially in the Alps, Pyrenees and on the island of Corsica, with 11.9 degrees Celsius above the average for this season. Red code heat alerts were also introduced in Serbia, Slovenia and northern Croatia, while Switzerland also reported wildfires.



    The UN called on the world to prepare for more intense heat waves, advising people to prepare their own personal emergency plans to handle these temperatures. The extreme heat that holds the northern hemisphere in its grip puts “an increasing strain” on healthcare systems, the World Health Organisation warned, as hospitals in the most affected regions have already announced increases in the number of emergencies related to the high temperatures.



    In turn, the World Meteorological Organisation has recently warned of an increased risk of deaths linked to excessively high temperatures.



    All these warnings come after last summer heat waves caused over 60,000 deaths in Europe alone, according to a recent survey. Currently temperatures are dropping slightly, but the weather remains hot in the south of Europe, where temperatures stay above 40 degrees Celsius in Sicily, Cyprus and Greece. But according to the World Meteorological Organisation, heat waves will continue to affect many parts of the world in August as well. (AMP)

  • July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    July 19, 2023 UPDATE

    WEATHER Extreme temperatures are still forecast in most of Romania,
    particularly in the south and east, where the temperature-humidity index will be above
    the critical 80% ceiling. The highs are expected to range between 25 and 37
    degrees Celsius. Most regions will also be facing atmospheric instability, with
    heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and wind. Code yellow and code orange alerts are
    in place in the west of the country, where strong wind, thunderstorms, hail and
    heavy rainfalls are expected.


    FIREFIGHTERS On Wednesday Romania sent another 40 firefighters and
    several fire engines to Greece, where the authorities requested international
    assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The decision to send
    additional intervention equipment and personnel was made by the Romanian
    government. Romania has deployed a total of 13 fire engines and 80 fire
    fighters, after the Greek authorities issued a code-red alert for extreme heat
    across the country, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius expected to
    contribute to the spreading of wildfires. The Romanian fire fighters are to
    stay in Greece until August 1.

    CLIMATE The UN says humanity must prepare for more intense heat
    waves and recommends that citizens develop their own battle plan to
    face these extreme day and night temperatures. In North America, Asia, North
    Africa and the Mediterranean, temperatures will keep exceeding 40 degrees
    Celsius in the coming days. According to experts, heat-trapping greenhouse gas
    emissions are at the origin of climate change. Italy is subject to new alerts for
    particularly hot weather, while several regions in Spain have been placed under
    code red alerts due to the extreme danger induced by the heat wave.


    GOVERNMENT The new minister for labour and
    social solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, and the new minister for family,
    youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday in
    a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. Oprescu replaces Marius
    Budăi, and Intotero takes over from Gabriela Firea, who resigned following a
    scandal concerning abuse in care homes for the elderly. The appointment decrees
    were signed by president Klaus Iohannis earlier on Wednesday.


    MEETING The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu had an informal meeting
    with the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, during a private visit by Orban to Romania. According
    to a news release issued by the government, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that the
    Romanian party is seeking to maintain an open, positive, and constructive
    approach in the relations between the 2 countries. He welcomed Budapest’s
    support for Romania’s Schengen accession efforts, and voiced hopes that Hungary
    would remain an ally in this respect for Romania. The 2 officials also
    exchanged views on the topic of the EU’s current priorities, ahead of Hungary taking
    over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2024.


    GRAIN Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and
    Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least
    until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced
    on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a
    joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the
    imports of wheat, maze, rape
    and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also
    suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain
    open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry,
    the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in
    these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council
    meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from
    the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a
    temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue
    to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the
    agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. (AMP)

  • June 22, 2023

    June 22, 2023

    AID In today’s
    Cabinet meeting, the government is to pass a resolution concerning emergency
    aid granted to the citizens affected by extreme weather conditions this year. The
    emergency aid totals EUR 1.4 million. Households in the centre, south-west and
    south of the country have been hit by heavy rainfalls and other extreme weather
    conditions this month, requiring the intervention of military firefighters.


    VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises
    caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the
    talks held in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and
    of Moldova, Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to
    Moldova in its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
    consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks. During
    his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate speaker
    Nicolae Ciucă.


    NATURAL GAS The manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday
    said that in 2027 the first amounts of natural gas would be extracted through
    the Neptun Deep project, turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer
    in the EU. The statements were made at the government’s headquarters in
    Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and Romgaz made an announcement concerning the
    development of Neptun Deep, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian
    part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2 decades, the project is expected to generate
    a gas output 30 times higher than the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million
    households. The estimated revenues to the Romanian state will be around EUR 20
    bln. Neptun Deep is a major step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting
    Romania’s and the region’s energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.


    INVESTMENT The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new
    funding for Romania. The total EUR 675 mln will go into transport, urban
    development and small enterprises. EUR 600 mln will be earmarked for the
    transport sector, to add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB
    Group and Romania mark 30 years of partnership, with over EUR 17 bln granted by
    the bank in more than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations
    in the country. Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years,
    I am proud that the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
    hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
    climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
    Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
    of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
    financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.


    MAYOR The former
    mayor of Bucharest’s districts 4 and 5, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, was released
    from prison on Wednesday, after the supreme court admitted his appeal for
    cancellation. The former mayor has served 1 year out of a 4-year prison
    sentence for abuse of office in the Colectiv investigation. He is now entitled
    to resume his office as mayor of district 5. The High Court of Cassation
    however dismissed the appeals of the other individuals sentenced in the same
    case. The head of the Colectiv Association, Eugen Iancu, said the release of
    the ex-mayor was not surprising, given that the officials who authorised the
    operation of the Colectiv night club had also been freed. Justice in Romania is
    an overpaid embarrassment, Iancu said. On the night of 30 October 2015, 64 youth
    died in a fire during a rock concert in the Colectiv night club. After legal
    proceedings spanning several years, prison sentences were given to mayor
    Piedone, the club owners, the firefighters who inspected the club without
    taking the required fire safety measures and the pyrotechnicians in charge of
    the fireworks during the show.


    UKRAINE The US will provide USD 1.3 million worth of
    additional aid for the Ukrainian economy, particularly its essential
    infrastructure, the US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced at the
    International Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. In turn, the European
    Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised the bloc would create a
    EUR 50 bln fund for Kyiv in the next 4 years. Scores of high-ranking
    politicians and business people from around the world take part in the
    conference. Romania is represented by its new foreign minister, Luminiţa
    Odobescu.



    FOOTBALL Romania lost 3-0 to Spain in Bucharest on Wednesday night, in the Under-21
    European football championships that the country is hosting jointly with Georgia. Romania plays in B, alongside
    Spain, Ukraine and Croatia. The final tournament takes place between 21 June
    and 8 July and brings together 16 teams, divided into 4 groups. Two of them
    play in Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and the other 2 in Georgia. Romania
    is also hosting 2 quarter-finals and a semi-final. The top 3 ranking teams in
    the tournament qualify into the Olympic Games due in Paris next year. (AMP)

  • July 27, 2022

    July 27, 2022

    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania
    is to pass today the implementing rules for an emergency order on rescheduling
    bank loan repayments. Instalments can be deferred for a maximum of 9 months,
    with citizens and companies having to prove that their monthly expenses have
    increased by at least 25%. The government’s decision follows a steep rise in
    inflation and a drop in people’s spending power. The agenda of today’s
    government meeting also includes the provision of emergency aid to
    underprivileged citizens. The Cabinet would like to spend some EUR 200,000 to
    support around 250 families and individuals in difficulty either because of
    fires or floods, or because of health problems. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian
    refugees in Romania remain a matter of priority for the government, which plans
    to take products from the state reserves and distribute them as aid to the
    refugees.


    ENERGY Romania is widely supported by the US, says the Romanian
    energy minister, Virgil Popescu, who had working meetings on Tuesday with
    officials from the US Department of State. In a social media post, the Romanian
    official said he had received assurances from Washington regarding support for
    the development of the Romanian civilian nuclear programme. Virgil Popescu mentioned
    that the Romanian authorities plan to complete the funding for the building of
    reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant by the end of the year, and
    that the financial support of the US partners is very important. The US also
    provides the assistance required for the implementation of a small modular
    reactor, the first of this kind in Romania.


    DIPLOMACY Romania is deeply anchored
    in a Euro-Atlantic system of values, security and unwavering solidarity, as a
    result, among other things, of decades of diplomatic work, the Romanian foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu stated today, on the celebration of 160 years since the
    Foreign Ministry was established. He reviewed the history of the institution,
    mentioning the outstanding personalities in Romanian diplomacy, and highlighted
    the current challenges. ‘When, for the first time since 1945, the threat of a
    brutal, unjustified and unprovoked war launched by Russia against our neighbour
    Ukraine looms over Europe, the implications can only be of global scale. (…) Together
    with our allies and partners, we are deeply committed to outlining a complex diplomatic
    response to this aggression that has tragic humanitarian consequences and
    incalculable economic costs,’ foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said.


    AWARD The British PM Boris Johnson Tuesday presented the Ukrainian
    president Volodymyr Zelensky with the Sir Winston Churchill leadership award,
    news agencies report. The ceremony took place at 10 Downing Street, with
    Mr. Zelensky attending by video link. Named
    after one of Europe’s greatest war time leaders, the award is presented by the Churchill
    International Society to honour personalities that have demonstrated
    extraordinary leadership skills. Upon accepting the distinction, Volodymyr
    Zelensky said that No one knows how much time and effort it will take to
    achieve that victory, but the victory is worthwhile. This will become a joint
    history, as prominent as it was during Churchill times.


    COVID-19 Over 9,800 new SARS-CoV-2
    infections were reported over the last 24 hours in Romania, out of some 30,000
    tests, the authorities announced today. The number of Covid-19 patients in
    hospitals has reached 3,570, with 233 patients in intensive care, and 29
    COVID-related deaths were also reported. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said next week Romania might see 10,000 new cases daily. Although spreading
    very quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.


    EMPLOYMENT 70% of the Romanians working 2 jobs do so in order to
    increase their incomes in the long run, according to a poll conducted by a
    recruitment platform. According to experts, with remote work becoming
    widespread, employees are more in control of their time and therefore they find
    it easier to juggle with 2 jobs. Even so, most of them (72%) choose a part-time
    second jobs. Asked what they find to be the most difficult when working 2 jobs,
    6 out of 10 said keeping a balance between personal and professional life is
    the biggest challenge. Over 52% of the respondents believe it is impossible to
    have 2 jobs at the same time for more than a year. The poll was conducted in
    July and involved 1,200 respondents.


    WEATHER Bucharest and 14 counties in the south of Romania are today
    under a code orange alert for extreme heat, with temperatures expected to reach
    40 degrees Celsius in these regions according to the National Meteorology
    Agency. Thermal discomfort is severe, with the temperature-humidity index (THI)
    over 80. According to weather experts, periods of severe atmospheric
    instability are also expected, first in the mountains and central Romania, and
    later tonight in the south and south-east of the country as well. In Bucharest
    at noon the temperature was 35 degrees Celsius. (AMP)

  • July 20, 2022

    July 20, 2022

    WEATHER Romanian authorities have issued an amber heat alert valid today
    in 12 counties in the west of the country, and amber and orange alerts covering
    more than three-quarters of the country for the period July 22 – 24. As of
    Thursday, the extreme heat wave will cover most of the country, with the
    temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeding 80. Highs will generally range from
    35 to 37 degrees Celsius, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius
    expected on Friday and Saturday in the west, north-west and south-west.


    NATO The Senate, as the decision-making chamber in the
    Parliament of Romania, convenes today in a special meeting to ratify the NATO
    Accession Protocols of Finland and Sweden. Previously,
    the Chamber of Deputies had endorsed the
    bill ratifying the protocols. The documents were signed on July 5 in Brussels. Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to
    join the North-Atlantic Alliance comes amid security concerns related to
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


    HOLIDAY Every year on July 20 Romania
    celebrates Aviation and Air Forces Day, which overlaps the religious holiday of St.
    Elijah, regarded as the patron saint of pilots. In Bucharest, a military ceremony is held
    today, which brings together over 20 military aircraft of the Romanian, British
    and Italian Air Forces, Interior Ministry and Intelligence Service helicopters,
    a Tarom plane and 4 planes from the Romanian Air Club. Military aircraft will
    be flying over other cities across the country. The Romanian military aviation
    was established in 1910,
    when Aurel Vlaicu designed the first military aircraft.


    COVID In Romania, the National Public
    Health Institute announced that in the previous week 171 Omicron infections
    were confirmed in the country. All of these are SARS-CoV-2
    variants that cause concern. According to the institution, by July 17, as many
    as 6,611 Omicron infections had been reported. The number of COVID-19 cases
    continues to rise, and experts say the current wave is caused by an Omicron
    sub-variant of the coronavirus, which spreads a lot more quickly and is able to
    infiltrate the protection given by
    the current vaccines and previous infections.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
    scheduled to pass a bill today concerning the procurement of some of the
    most advanced electric trains, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Only 3 countries
    in the EU are currently using or testing such trains. The Transport Ministry
    plans to purchase a total of 12 hydrogen electric trains. Also in the transport
    sector, the government intends to start expropriation procedures in order to
    widen the Bucharest South ring road. The Cabinet will also discuss the
    2022-2027 National Strategy on Research, Innovation and Smart Specialisation,
    which will create the framework for an efficient and effective spending of national
    funds. Two other documents are due to be reviewed today, a memorandum concerning
    talks with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on non-reimbursable
    EU funding, and another memorandum endorsing the 2022-2024 strategy for
    governmental debt management.


    ANTI-SEMITISM The
    pandemic context, vaccination campaigns, public campaigns raising awareness on
    the rise in cases of anti-Semitism and the information on the history of the Holocaust
    are the main factors contributing to a strengthening of online and offline hate
    speech, reads the latest monitoring report issued by the ‘Elie Wiesel’ National
    Institute for Holocaust Research in Romania. According to the institution, vandalism
    cases, the praising of inter-war far-right figures and people convicted for war
    crimes or known for their extremist attitude, anti-Semitic messages in
    Parliament and minimising the memory of Holocaust victims remain common
    occurrences in Romania. Central authorities have reconfirmed their commitment
    to fight extremist actions by endorsing a National Strategy for preventing and
    fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech and by
    introducing Jewish and Holocaust history as a school subject, the report also
    says. However, the lack of awareness and responsibility among local authorities
    hinders the implementation of the principles upheld by the central authorities. (AMP)

  • Extreme heat and storms in Romania

    Extreme heat and storms in Romania




    The
    week begins with scorching temperatures in Romania, where the heat wave and
    storms have been making the headlines in recent days. Meteorologists announced
    weather will remain erratic for the next few days as well, and issued code
    orange and yellow alerts for extreme heat for the west of the country and some counties
    in the south and centre.


    In the
    west of Romania, temperatures of 38-39 degrees
    Celsius are expected, while in the
    rest of the country highs are likely to reach 34-37 degrees. Afternoons will
    see summer storms with electrical discharges, especially in the mountains, with
    such phenomena also likely to be reported in the rest of the country.


    For the past few days, weather experts have been issuing tens of alerts for
    storms and heavy rainfalls, and the effects of some of them are still visible. In
    Dolj County, in the south, where several localities were under a code red alert
    on Saturday, the storms wreaked havoc. The most dramatic situation was reported
    in the county capital Craiova, where it rained heavily, the wind blew roofs
    away and brought hundreds of trees down, some of which fell on streets and on
    vehicles.


    Local
    authorities are still working to address the damages caused by Saturday’s
    storm, when in less than one hour extreme weather led to cars being taken away
    by water and on some streets the water infiltrating under the asphalt caused it
    to swallow and break. In some parts of the city, the water reached above
    vehicle wheels. It rained more than 60 litres per square meter, and we have to
    keep mind that all the sewage networks in Europe, not only in Romania, are
    designed to carry 25 litres per square metre, the Mayor of Craiova said.


    More
    than 100 calls to the emergency number 112 were received, and authorities
    suspended tram traffic in the city. Emergency teams worked at full capacity.


    In Miercurea
    Ciuc, in central Romania, trees fell on electricity cables, leaving 2,000
    households in the dark. Here as well, emergency teams had to work to drain the
    water from the streets and squares flooded by the heavy rainfall.


    The
    weather caused problems in Mehedinţi County in the south-west as well, where
    the wind tore trees down, and blew away the roof of an apartment building in
    the town of Drobeta Turnu Severin.


    In Vâlcea
    County, also in the south, the roof of a church steeple fell over electricity
    cables, while in the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea the wind brought down a utility
    pole. (AMP)

  • June 30, 2022

    June 30, 2022

    HEAT WAVE
    The National Meteorology Agency issued a code-red alert for extreme heat for
    Thursday and Friday in 6 counties in the west and north-west of the country.
    According to weather experts, highs of 38-39 degrees Celsius will be reported
    in these counties, an absolute record for this time of the year. The rest of
    the country is mostly under orange-code alerts, for temperatures of up to 36-38
    degrees Celsius, and code-yellow alerts, for highs of 33 to 36 degrees Celsius.
    On the other hand, 18 counties in the east and centre of the country are today
    under a code-yellow alert for atmospheric instability.


    NATO NATO leaders are focusing today, the second day of the
    summit in Madrid, on the challenges and threats in the southern neighbourhood,
    including the food crisis deepened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
    participants will discuss the progress in the fight against terrorism, means to
    ensure food security, and Allied support options for the organisation’s
    southern partners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Madrid,
    president Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution in providing
    humanitarian aid to Ukraine and in reducing risks related to food security. He
    will also underline Romania’s support for vulnerable partners, particularly the
    neighbouring R. of Moldova and Georgia. On Wednesday, the first day of the
    summit, NATO adopted a new strategic concept, which defines Russia as the most
    significant and direct threat to Allied security and stability.


    EXAMS After the appeals stage, the share of 8th-graders
    who passed the national evaluation this year is 82.4%, the Education Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu announced. The number of children who
    got straight As has also increased to 237. Minister Cîmpeanu said last week that the
    number of pass grades among students sitting the national evaluation exam
    reached an absolute record this year compared to the last 10 years, namely 82.3%,
    which means 122,166 children had passed the exam prior to appeals. Last year
    the figure was 5.5% smaller. The grades obtained in the national evaluation are
    the main criterion for high school admission.


    UKRAINE On Thursday the Russian Army announced pulling out of the Serpent
    Island, a strategic location in the Black Sea controlled by Moscow ever since
    the beginning of its invasion in Ukraine. Russia’s defence ministry described
    this as a proof of good will, which should facilitiate Ukraine’s grains exports.
    This decision will not enable Kyiv to take advantage of the imminent food
    crisis by claiming that it is unable to export grains because of Russia’s
    complete control over the north-western part of the Black Sea, the Russian
    defence ministry added, and said mine sweeping is expected on the Black Sea
    coast, including ports. In turn,
    Kyiv had announced that Russian troops had been forced out of
    the remains of their unit on Serpent Island, following a successful Ukrainian
    operation.





    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (43 WTA) moved
    up into the 3rd round of the Wimbledon tournament, after defeating Italy’s
    Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-4, 6-4. Next, Begu is to take on Jelena Ostapenko of
    Latvia (17 WTA), seed no. 12. Another Romanian player, Sorana Cîrstea, lost the
    second round to Tatjana Maria of Germany. Four other Romanians are scheduled to
    play in the second round today: Simona Halep against Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium),
    Mihaela Buzarnescu against Coco Gauff (USA), Irina Bara against Paula Badosa
    (Spain) and Ana Bogdan against Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic).

  • August 1, 2021 UPDATE

    August 1, 2021 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu Saturday had talks over the telephone with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, concerning the incident involving the Mercer Street vessel in the Hormuz Strait area, in which a Romanian and a British national were killed on 29 July. The Romanian foreign ministry says it is in touch with both the company managing the ship, and with the local authorities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and is prepared to provide consular assistance. Also on Saturday, Bogdan Aurescu exchanged views on the matter with the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, and agreed on the need to clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of the incident. Dominic Raab voiced the willingness of the British authorities to coordinate with the Romanian party with respect to the repatriation procedures. A Romanian national and a British citizen from the crew of the oil tanker “Mercer Street were killed in an attack in unclear circumstances, as the vessel was sailing with no cargo onboard off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned ship is managed by the London-based company Zodiac Maritime, headed by an Israeli businessman.




    COVID-19 On Sunday 152 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported, out of nearly 22,000 tests. The authorities also announced no new COVID-related deaths, but reported 5 previous deaths, over 400 people hospitalised and 59 patients in ICUs. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 relaxation measures took effect in Romania on Sunday. In places with infection rates below 2 per thousand, outdoor events may be attended by up to 75,000 people, private indoor events by 400 participants, and sports competitions may be held with crowds up to 75% of the venue capacity. Participants must be vaccinated, tested or must have recovered from the disease. A maximum of 500 people may take part in rallies, with mandatory face covering, which remains a prerequisite in all indoor or busy areas. Also as of Sunday, the COVID-19 vaccine platform allows appointments for youth aged 12 to 17. Over 5 million people have received at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine in Romania. 7,330 people have got the vaccine in the past 24 hours.




    FESTIVAL Cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Medieval Sighişoara Festival, the longest-lasting festival of its kind in Romania, bringing together artists, craftsmen and a large number of guests, came to a close on Sunday with a concert by the Romanian band Phoenix. The only medieval citadel still inhabited in southeastern Europe, Sighişoara saw over the weekend warriors, knights, ladies of the court and master craftsmen pouring in from all corners of the country and from abroad.




    MOUNTAIN RESCUE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis posted a message on Sunday, on National Mountain Rescue Day, praising the “dedication and self-sacrifice of mountain rescue workers. The Romanian Mountain Rescue Association, known as Salvamont, the only mountain rescue service in the country, celebrated on Sunday 117 years since the first mountain rescue structures were established in the country.




    WEATHER Romania remains in the grip of a severe heat wave, with 16 counties and the capital Bucharest subject to code orange alerts for extreme heat and severe thermal discomfort valid on Monday, and a similar, code yellow alert in another 8 counties. The heat index is over the critical 80-unit threshold. Highs will be ranging between 37 and 40-41 degrees Celsius.




    MOLDOVA A new, pro-European and pro-reform government may be sworn in within days in the Republic of Moldova, after president Maia Sandu nominated Natalia Gavriliţă, from Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), for prime minister. She announced she would make public a proposed cabinet list in the following days, and voiced hopes that the new government will be sworn in as soon as possible. PAS, which holds a majority of seats in Parliament following the election of June 11, and the small party ŞOR, said they would support the new cabinet, whereas the Socialists and Communists warned they would vote against. Natalia Gavriliţă is the vice-president of PAS, a party founded by incumbent president Maia Sandu 5 years ago. She was an education minister in Maia Sandus cabinet in 2019, held several positions in Moldovas economy and education ministries, and worked for several years in private multinational companies.




    OLYMPICS Romanias rowing team returned on Sunday to the country with 3 medals—a gold and 2 silver—from the Tokyo Olympics. Romania finished the rowing competition on 4th place in the ranking after New Zealand (3 gold, 2 silver), Australia (2 gold, 2 bronze) and the Netherlands (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze). The 3 medals won by the Romanian team coached by the Antonio Colamonici (Italy) were brought home by Ancuţa Bondar and Simona Radiş—gold in women’s double sculls; Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari—silver in mens coxless four; and Marius Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosă—silver in mens two-frame event. The overall medal count for the Romanian rowers in the Olympics is 20 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze medals. So far in Tokyo Romania has won one other medal, silver for Ana-Maria Popescu in the epee event. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Extreme heat and traffic restrictions

    Extreme heat and traffic restrictions


    Romania is struggling these days with a new wave of extreme heat, which is expected to hold the country in its grips until early next week. Thermal discomfort is severe, and temperatures are reaching as high as 40 degrees Celsius. Weather experts warn that temperatures will not go below 20 degrees Celsius even at night, in some parts of the country.



    The southern regions are subject to a code orange alert for extreme heat, particularly difficult to withstand, according to experts, as the temperature-humidity index is predicted to go above the critical 80-unit threshold. Also, until Sunday night, except for the northern parts of the country, a code yellow alert against extreme heat is in place in all regions, with highs expected to hit 39 degrees Celsius.



    The bad news is that the first part of August is likely to be as hot, with highs predicted to stay around 37-38 degrees Celsius in the first days of the month as well, especially in the south and south-east.



    The brutal heat pushed the countrys electricity consumption to a record 8,865 MW on Wednesday. Given the current weather forecasts, the National Power Dispatch estimates similar electricity consumption levels for the coming days as well.



    With the heat persisting in the next period, the interior ministry has instructed its local structures in the counties subject to the code yellow and orange alerts to take measures to mitigate the effects of the rising temperatures. Interior ministry personnel will support local authorities in managing risk situations.



    In turn, the National Motorway and Road Corporation announced traffic restrictions up until Saturday night, for the period between noon and 8pm, for vehicles larger than 7.5 tonnes across the country except for the counties Harghita, Neamţ, Suceava and Botoşani, in the centre and north-east. The restrictions were introduced in order to help protect and preserve bitumen road segments and to prevent asphalt distortion caused by heavy duty traffic.



    The National Railways Corporation also announced that the speed of passenger and freight trains will be 20-30 kmph lower until the end of the week, to ensure traffic safety in areas where temperatures will reach 39 degrees Celsius. The measure will only be in place where rail temperatures exceed 50 degrees, to prevent rail dilation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)