Radio România Internațional

Tag: FCSB

  • March 14, 2025

    March 14, 2025

    PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – Candidates for the presidential election in May have two more days to register with the Central Election Bureau, the deadline being March 15 at midnight. So far, only two candidates are officially enrolled in the race, their candidacies having been validated by the Constitutional Court: Crin Antonescu, supported by the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition, and the Bucharest Mayor General, Nicuşor Dan, who runs as an independent candidate. Deputy Victor Ponta also registered his candidacy as an independent candidate, for which he was excluded from the Social-Democratic Party. On the other hand, the Constitutional Court’s decision to definitively reject the candidacy of independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist who unexpectedly won the first round of last year’s presidential election, has prompted the parties that supported him, AUR and POT, to prepare a new electoral strategy. Thus, the leaders of the two parties, George Simion and Ana-Maria Gavrilă, announced they would both submit their candidacies for the presidential election, and one of them will withdraw once their candidacies are validated. The leader of USR, Elena Lasconi, who advanced to the second round last year, Diana Şoşoacă (from SOS Romania), who expressed confidence her candidacy would be upheld this time, as well as and MEP Cristian Terheş from the Romanian National Conservative Party, also submitted their candidacies.

     

    AID – The Government on Thursday adopted an additional 160-Euro financial aid for 2.5 million pensioners, more specifically those reporting incomes below 520 Euro. The aid will be disbursed in two installments, the first in April, the second in December, says Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.

     

    STATISTICS – Romania’s active population stood at 8.17 million people at the end of 2024, of whom 7.7 million were employed, the National Statistics Institute reports. The employment rate is by 20% higher in the male segment and very low for youth. The unemployment rate at national level was 5.9%, with young people aged 24 and below accounting for 25% of the total number of unemployed.

     

    TRADE DEFICIT – Romania’s trade deficit increased by 38% in January, compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. In 2024, Romania exported goods worth €92.6 billion, while its imports stood at €133.4 billion. Romania’s deficit remains significant, especially in relations with China, Germany and Poland, while recording surpluses with the UK, the Republic of Moldova and the USA, although in smaller volumes. Trade in agricultural products and foostuffs remains vulnerable, as Romania mainly exports raw materials and imports end products. To reduce the €5 billion trade deficit in this area, experts recommend a strategy focused on the export of value-added products and more efficient use of statistical data for better-founded economic decisions.

     

    WEATHER ALERT – Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert against strong wind, in place today for the west, southwest and center. On Thursday, storms were reported in Bucharest and several counties, with a code red alert against thunderstorms in place for several hours. The storm killed a man, injured another two people and caused significant material damages. Rooftops were torn off, electricity poles snapped and power outages were reported in over 35 settlements. In Bucharest and the neighboring Ilfov County over 60 trees were felled, constructions elements came loose and a pole was knocked down by the wind. Dozens of cars were damaged. Variable skies and temperatures ranging between 16 and 24 degrees Celsius are reported for today, with possible showers and thunderstorms announced in most regions.

     

    FOOTBALL – UEFA has handed FCSB a 30,000-Euro fine for the incidents reported in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16, played in Bucharest. Parts of the stadium will also be closed for the next match in EU competitions. The penalties were awarded due to the racist or discriminatory abuse by fans. The club will have to pay an additional 1,500 Euro for torches lit in the stands. FCSB lost the first leg 3-1 in Bucharest last week as well as the second leg played yesterday away from home to Olympique Lyon of France. (VP)

  • March 13, 2025

    March 13, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SUPPORT  – Romania’s Foreign Affair Minister Emil Hurezeanu reiterated, at a working meeting with EU ambassadors in Bucharest, Romania’s support for the neighboring Ukraine and for the consolidation of the European Union’s security and defense policy. At the same time, Hurezeanu emphasized the importance of a solid transatlantic partnership, vital for European security and prosperity. The meeting in Bucharest was held in the context of Poland holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

     

    ELECTIONS –  Elena Lasconi, the leader of the pro-Western party USR and Diana Şoşoacă, the head of the populist, ultranationalist party SOS Romania, are today submitting their candidacies for the May presidential elections. Both parties are in the opposition. Sosoaca also ran in last year’s presidential race, but the Constitutional Court rejected her candidacy. Elena Lasconi qualified for the second round, alongside the pro-Russian and anti-West extremist Calin Georgescu, but the Constitutional Court annulled the election due to the electoral process being flawed in favor of the latter. The Court has rejected Georgescu’s candidacy for the upcoming elections. Following this decision, the AUR leader George Simion and POT leader Ana Maria Gavrilă, both populist ultranationalists who supported Georgescu, have announced that they will submit their candidacies, with one of them to withdraw after their validation. Former PSD leader and prime minister Victor Ponta also entered the presidential race, which has triggered his expulsion from the party. The PSD – PNL – UDMR ruling coalition has a common candidate, namely, the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu. He and the current Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, are the only political competitors accepted, so far, by the Central Electoral Bureau and validated by the Constitutional Court. The deadline for registering candidacies at the Central Electoral Bureau is March 15.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate rose to 5.02% in February, from 4.95% in January. Food prices rose by 4.54%, non-food prices by 4.79%, and services by 6.42%, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics. The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards, to 3.8%, from 3.5% previously, the inflation forecast for the end of 2025 and anticipates that it will reach 3.1% at the end of 2026, according to data made public in February by the Governor of the National Bank, Mugur Isărescu.

     

    STRIKE – A two-hour warning strike has taken place today at IAR Ghimbav, a Romanian aeronautical plant in central Romania. The reason for the protest is the government’s emergency ordinance on reducing budget spending. According to the unions, the document stipulates that the bonus granted under the Collective Labor Agreement upon retirement is paid in instalments, over five years, while following fresh negotiations it is to be capped at a maximum of one basic salary. The protesters say that an ordinance that cancels the granting of certain rights, directly affects the negotiation of the collective labor agreement.

     

    PLANT – Several dozen employees of the Liberty Galati steel plant (southeastern Romania) protested on Wednesday, unhappy with the delays in the payment of salaries and other rights. The plant has not been operational for nine months. Workers have not yet taken the decision to call an all-out strike and say they are still waiting for clarification from the plant’s management. According to experts, the situation in Galati reflects the general crisis in the European steel industry.

     

    PENSIONERS – The Bucharest government has today approved the granting of financial aid of 800 lei (approx. 160 euros) for 2.5 million pensioners. Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu explained that this support is intended for those with incomes of up to 2,574 lei (approx. 515 euros). The first installment will be granted in April, and the second in December. Also today, the executive has also approved a draft emergency order to amend Order no. 59/2000 regarding the status of forestry employees. Ciolacu announced that they would no longer benefit bonuses equivalent to at least five salaries, in the last month of activity. These bonuses amounted to 10 salaries in the case of Romsilva leaders, Marcel Ciolacu also said. In January, the Minister of Environment, Mircea Fechet, said that there are hundreds of former Romsilva employees who have received retirement bonuses of 100,000 euros.

     

    FOOTBALL – The Romanian football champion, FCSB (Bucharest), is up against the French team Olympique Lyon, this evening, away, in the decisive leg of the round of 16 of the Europa League. FCSB lost the first match against Lyon 3-1. The Bucharest team qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League after eliminating, following a double victory, the Greek team PAOK Salonic, coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. (EE)

     

  • March 5, 2025

    March 5, 2025

    PROPOSAL – Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has hailed the proposals announced by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the EU limitations on government borrowing. Marcel Ciolacu claims that Romania has constantly advocated for this solution. Von der Leyen proposed the creation of a new fund, which could mobilize almost €800 billion for defense investments at EU level, as well as for military aid for Ukraine.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The Florida Attorney General’s Office is officially investigating the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, after the two arrived in Florida last week, dpa reports. The Tate brothers are also being investigated in Romania for human trafficking and exploitation of young women. They were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were initially subject to a ban on leaving the country. However, Romanian authorities eventually allowed them to leave, and the two went to Florida. According to the German news agency, their release is rumored to have been brokered by the Trump administration, but the White House leader has denied any involvement. Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer, has become a symbol of online misogyny in recent years, along with his brother Tristan. Romanian prosecutors accuse the two of coercing women to produce commercial videos with sexually explicit content. Investigations have revealed at least 34 alleged victims, including a 15-year-old girl. Both brothers deny any wrongdoing.

     

    PROTEST – Union members at the Damen Shipyard in Mangalia (southeast), an insolvent company, will protest on Friday in front of the Dutch embassy and the headquarters of the judicial administrator in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the local trade union, which stated that the action seeks to draw attention to the major crisis facing the shipyard, so that the conflict between the company’s shareholders is settled. The Romanian state owns the majority 51% package of the shipyard in Mangalia. The shipyard went insolvent in June 2024, and its activity has been suspended for over nine months, with most employees being put on furlough.

     

    APPEAL – The appeal filed by the former presidential candidate, pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu, against the prosecutors’ decision to place him under judicial control as part of an investigation where he faces six separate charges, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order, was heard today in Bucharest. The Prosecutor General’s office last Wednesday placed Georgescu under judicial control for 60 days, during which time several interdictions apply.

     

    TRAVEL FAIR – Romania’s tourist offers are promoted over March 4-6 at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade fair. Germany, Romania’s number one trade partner, is also the largest market for Romanian tourism, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan says. Last year, Romania reported a 10% increase in the number of German tourists, totaling some 240 thousand. At ITB Berlin, Romania is promoted by means of cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, holidays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, rural tourism and city breaks. One of the top attractions this year is also the “George Enescu” International Festival. The 27th edition will be held over August 24 – September 21 in Bucharest, bringing together 4,000 musicians, reputed orchestras, conductors and soloists which are bound to turn Bucharest into the capital of classical music.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday will take on Olympique Lyon of France at home in the round of 16 of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled for March 13 in France. The Bucharest club advanced to the round of 16 of Europa League after a two-leg win over PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. (VP)

  • February 22, 2025

    February 22, 2025

     

    ELECTIONS The Central Electoral Bureau for the election of the president of Romania in May was selected on Friday. The Bureau is made up of 5 judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the president and vice-presidents of the Permanent Electoral Authority and one representative of each party in Parliament. Parties, political or electoral alliances, ethnic minority organisations and independent candidates will be able to submit their candidacies by March 15, after which the Central Electoral Bureau is to rule on their validity. Thousands of Romanians, supporters of the independent sovereigntist Călin Georgescu, who came out first in the first election round in December, took to the streets again in Bucharest today to demand that the electoral process be resumed from where it was canceled. The billionaire Elon Musk, an advisor to the US president Donald Trump, Friday night posted a critical message on his social network X (the third this week) about the cancellation of the December elections. The US vice-president J.D. Vance had also previously questioned the cancellation of the elections. Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Bucharest would try to provide clarifications about the situation through all diplomatic channels.

     

    RATING Fitch has sent a clear signal that Romania must carry on its fiscal consolidation measures and restore budgetary balance, in order to improve its fiscal credibility, said finance minister Tanczos Barna after the international financial rating agency announced on Friday that it is keeping Romania in the investment grade category. In a statement, the agency confirmed Romania’s long-term rating at ‘BBB minus’, with a negative outlook. According to Fitch, the rating relies on the country’s EU membership and capital inflows that contribute to public revenues and macro-stability. The gross domestic product per capita and the governance and human development indicators are also higher than in countries in the same rating category, the agency explains. These strengths are overshadowed, however, by a significant deterioration of public finances and a sharp slowdown in economic growth in 2024. Adding to this is a possible adverse effect of political uncertainty. In December last year, Fitch announced that it had downgraded the outlook assigned to Romania from stable to negative. The same announcement came later from Standard & Poor’s.

     

    ENERGY Electricity and natural gas tariffs could be offset in Romania even after April 1, when the current aid scheme is set to expire. The energy ministry has posted for public review a draft act extending the capping period, under which the scheme for electricity is extended until July 1, and for natural gas by one year, until April 1, 2026. The capping extension proposal comes as prices on European electricity and gas exchanges have increased significantly, and also as the low temperatures in Romania this winter entailed a significant increase in consumption. As a result, the line minister Sebastian Burduja announced that the government had decided to protect Romanians and support the competitiveness of Romanian companies. After the energy market was deregulated on January 1, 2021, Romania was among the European countries the most severely affected by record-high electricity and natural gas prices. Thanks to the government’s price capping decisions, households and businesses were protected from excessive prices.

     

    CORRUPTION A company and 2 individuals are prosecuted in a case handled by the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), together with investigators from the US Department of Defence, the DNA announced today. The company owned by a Greek national has allegedly bribed a foreign official to get a EUR 9 mln contract to refuel aircraft at the NATO military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu. Two other individuals are suspected of complicity in continuing bribery in connection with an official of a foreign country.

     

    GERMANY Germany holds federal elections on Sunday that are crucial to the country’s future, as the far-right is on the rise and the economy is heading for a third year of recession. The vote comes after the coalition of the Social Democrats, Liberals and Greens led by the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed late last year. According to polls, the Conservatives are expected to win. With the far-right in second place in the polls, however, analysts say that in order to govern, the Conservatives will have to reach a compromise with the Social Democrats or the Greens, overcoming their differences.

     

    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions FCSB will face the French team Olympique Lyon in the Europa League round of 16, according to Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland. FCSB will play the first leg at home on March 6, with the return leg scheduled on March 13. FCSB qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League after outplaying the Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. The aggregate score was 4-1, with the Romanians defeating the Greeks 2-1 in the first leg, and 2-0 in Bucharest on Thursday evening. (AMP)

  • A preview of the football game FCSB vs PAOK Thessaloniki

    A preview of the football game FCSB vs PAOK Thessaloniki

    Romania’s football champion FCSB, on Thursday will be vying for a place in Europa League’s round of 16. On the National Arena in Bucharest, the Romanian side will be playing the Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki, a team coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, in the second leg of the play-off.

    FCSB won the first match last Thursday 2-1. Tanzanian Mbwana Samatta put the hosts into the lead in the first half of the game. But PAOK’s Brazilian player Taison was given an early bath and in the second half FCSB managed to capitalize on the situation and scored twice through Andrei Gheorghiţă and Cameroonian Joyskim Dawa. The two sides played in the League’s group also in Thessaloniki last October, when FCSB won the match 1-0 although outnumbered after the elimination of Darius Olaru.

    FCSB will not be relying on Darius Olaru on Thursday too, since the midfielder is recovering from the injuries he got during the game against Hamburg, part of the team’s training session in Turkey.

    However, the Romanian side proved it can do without Olaru pretty well  and the team is still capable of mounting quick and flexible schemes during the match. We recall that the last year’s champions, FCSB, managed to make it to the top of the Romanian Superleague and into the play-off of the Romanian championship.

    In turn PAOK ranks fourth in the first Greek league after Olympiakos, AEK and Panathinaikos. PAOK has disappointed its fans and is presently hankering for a good show in Bucharest during a match, which is going to be attended by 4 thousand Greek fans.

    Fans of the two sides are expected to come in large numbers and brave the elements during the game on Thursday as seats were sold a long time ago.

    FCSB versus PAOK will be umpired by a team from Slovenia, headed by Matej Jug, an experienced 45 years old official, who has been on FIFA’s list since 2007.

    (bill)

  • February 14, 2025

    February 14, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SECURITY – Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu is taking part, until Sunday, in the  International Security Conference in Munich, where heads of state and government and hundreds of defense experts are discussing major global issues, especially a possible peace in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, security threats and challenges in the political, economic, commercial and technological fields will be addressed. In the thematic sessions of the conference, Emil Hurezeanu will present Romania’s assessments of current challenges, with an emphasis on the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region and the implications of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. At the same time, he will emphasize the danger of Russia’s hybrid actions and the importance of countering them. On the other hand, the Romanian official will highlight the importance of a more robust transatlantic relationship in managing these challenges and combating the threats faced by the Euro-Atlantic community and will highlight the importance of continuing to provide solid support for increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    DRONES – The diplomacy in Bucharest firmly condemns the irresponsible attack of the Russian forces against Ukraine on February 13, when two drones carrying explosive material violated the airspace and fell on Romanian territory, near the border with Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops. By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the ministry, to be informed of the firm condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must end, Romania having the right to take the necessary response measures, the Ministry said.

     

    NEGOTIATIONS – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal negotiated by the United States and Russia without Kyiv’s involvement. Zelenskyy is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance today in Munich on the sidelines of the annual Security Conference, after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed by phone to immediately begin negotiations to end the war. Trump said after the discussion with Putin that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is impractical and that its return to the borders it had, before the Russian invasion, is unlikely. The statements have angered Ukraine and European countries, who see them as a capitulation to Russia and a threat to Europe’s security.

     

    THREAT – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that an explosion was heard overnight, followed by a fire at the new sarcophagus that protects parts of reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Fire safety personnel responded to the fire within minutes and no casualties were reported. Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, the Agency also reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky announced, in turn, that Russian drones had hit the radiation protection shield at Chernobyl. According to the Ukrainian head of state, after an initial assessment, it was found that the attack had seriously damaged the shield.

     

    PRESIDENCY – Ensuring Romania’s stability is the main priority of the interim president Ilie Bolojan during his three-month term. In his first message as head of state, after taking over the post from his predecessor, Klaus Iohannis, who had resigned, Ilie Bolojan said that his main priorities are ensuring the country’s economic, social and political stability. He also promised that the presidential elections in May will be fair and transparent.

     

    INFLATION – In Romania, the annual inflation rate decreased slightly, to 4.95%, last month, compared to January 2024, when it was 5.14%. According to data published today by the National Institute of Statistics, over the past 12 months, food prices have increased by 4.54%, non-food prices by 4.60%, and services by 6.54%. The latest inflation forecast of the Central Bank indicates a decrease of this index to 3.5%, for the end of the current year.

     

    FOOTBALL- The Romanian football champion FCSB defeated Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 on Thursday evening in the first leg of the play-off for the Europa League’s round of 16. The decisive leg against the Greeks coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu is scheduled for February 20 in Bucharest. Also on Thursday, in men’s handball,  champion Dinamo Bucharest lost, 26-33, the home match against the Hungarian One Veszprem , in Group A of the Champions League.

     

  • February 13, 2025

    February 13, 2025

    DRONE According to the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, its surveillance and monitoring systems last night identified an air target which was flying into Romania’s airspace for nearly one kilometer on its way to Ukraine. Authorities immediately conveyed a RO-Alert message to prevent the population in the area and two F-16s belonging to Romania’s Air Force and two Eurofighters jet planes belonging to the Spanish Air force took off. The same sources have also reported a possible impact on the national soil close to the border with Ukraine, but without any material damage. In another development, the president of the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said today that two Russian drones violated the air space of her country and exploded on the ground. No citizens were in danger. Sources of the Ukrainian army announced that last night Russia attacked Ukraine with 140 drones.

     

    NATO NATO defence ministers are convening in Brussels for the first time since Republican Donald Trump started his mandate at the White House. High on the agenda is a negotiated solution to the war in Ukraine. Tomorrow the participants will be focusing on how to raise military expenses and the war in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has called on the allies, which didn’t’ raise their defence budgets over 2% yet, to do that until summer. Rutte has hinted that at the NATO summit this year he will be calling for a 3% raise of the GDP. He has also said the European allies and Canada should raise their support for Ukraine much over what the United States is offering now.

     

    TRADE The expansion of the free-trade zone in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta is high on the agenda of the Romanian government today. The Executive wants to give an impetus to the region’s economic development and improve trade exchanges in the region. In another development, the coalition government is expected to make a decision aimed at carrying on the present scheme of capped prices in electricity for household consumers, which is supposed to end in late March and lead to higher invoices. Sources of the ruling coalition say that pensioners with a monthly income of 514 Euros will benefit from financial support in two stages. The Labour Ministry is expected to draw up a draft law in this respect, which is going to be endorsed by the government. We recall that early this year, the Executive decided not to adjust pensions to the inflation rate as envisaged, a move, which has triggered a wave of discontent.

     

    FCSB Romania’s football champions FCSB will take on the Greek champions, PAOK Thessaloniki, in an away match tonight which counts towards the first round of the play-offs for qualifying for the Europa League’s round of sixteen. The return match is due in Bucharest on February 20. PAOK, which is coached by Romanian Razvan Lucescu, and FCSB also met this season in the competition’s main stage, and the Romanians won the match in Thessaloniki 1-0. FCSB ended the main stage in the eleventh place, whereas PAOK in the 22nd. The first eight sides have qualified directly for the eighth finals, while the others ranking from the ninth position to the 24th have joined a double-legged playoff to make it to the round of 16.

     

    (bill)

     

  • January 31, 2025 UPDATE

    January 31, 2025 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT The Romanian government has completed all the preliminary procedures before passing the draft 2025 state budget law on Saturday. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the news that the budget bill has been finalised has triggered a decrease in the interest rates at which the country borrows money in foreign markets. He said that, after the budget is endorsed in Parliament, other positive effects will follow. Ciolacu mentioned that exports will increase this year by over 3% as a result of Romania’s full Schengen accession, and emphasised that the warm weather in January allowed construction works to progress significantly, especially as regards the highway infrastructure. As a result, the budget earmarked to transportation has been increased by almost 20% compared to last year. A priority for this year is attracting foreign investments, Ciolacu added. In this respect, he announced that a foreign holding has announced plans to relocate a factory from Bulgaria to Romania. Moreover, the PM said that there are clear signals that the strategic partnership with the US is entering a new economic dimension and that next week he will have talks with the heads of major American investment funds.

     

    MOLDOVA Romania has stood by the R of Moldova and will continue to do so, in order to increase its energy resilience and support it in its EU accession efforts, the Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu promised in Chişinău on Friday, during his first official visit in this capacity. He was received by president Maia Sandu and had meetings with his Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popşoi, and with the speaker of parliament Igor Grosu. Maia Sandu and Emil Hurezeanu discussed ways to strengthen economic ties between the two states and to encourage Romanian companies to invest in Moldova. Emphasis was also placed on improving transport infrastructure, including the construction of new bridges over the Prut and streamlining cross-border traffic. During his meetings in Chişinău, Emil Hurezeanu emphasised that Moldova’s citizens are not alone in facing the energy crisis and can count on the support of Romania and other partners. ‘The destabilising effects of the energy crisis have helped tighten our ties. We are happy that Romania has managed to cover over 60% of the citizens’ current energy demand, and the preparation of high-voltage lines is also underway. We have been and will remain by the side of the Republic of Moldova,’ Emil Hurezeanu concluded.

     

    THEFT The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu called on his Dutch counterpart David van Weel to carry on efforts in the case of the theft of Romania’s Dacian treasury items and offered the Dutch side all the necessary support. The two ministers had a bilateral meeting during an informal meeting of EU justice ministers hosted by Warsaw. So far, 3 persons have been detained in connection to the theft. A break-in occurred last weekend at Drents Museum during which a golden helmet and three gold Dacian bracelets were stolen, some of Romania’s most important national heritage items.

     

    FLU The number of respiratory infections is on the rise in Romania and the health ministry declared a state of epidemiological alert. Official data show that almost 134,000 patients were diagnosed with respiratory infection symptoms last week, including 11,000 flu cases. Eight people died from flu last week, taking the toll to 22 this season.

     

    JUSTICE The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu Friday took part in an informal meeting of EU justice ministers in Warsaw, where current issues were discussed, such as mutual cooperation in the field of ​​justice, the consequences of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine and the future of justice. According to a news release issued by the Romanian justice ministry, Radu Marinescu stressed that Romania has offered war victims both support for access to justice, through professional bodies, and other forms of counseling, through Romanian NGOs and authorities. In a separate work session, Radu Marinescu welcomed the initiative of the Polish presidency to continue discussions dedicated to judicial cooperation, under the umbrella of the rule of law.

     

    SPORTS Romanian football champions FCSB (Bucharest) lost 2-0 on Thursday on home turf to the English team Manchester United, in Europa League’s 8th and final round. According to the draw in Nyon (Switzerland) on Friday, the Bucharest team will take on the Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, in Europa League’s play-offs for the round of 16. FCSB will play the first leg away from home on February 13, and the return leg in Bucharest on February 20. The winner will play in the round of 16 against Olympique Lyon. In tennis, Romania plays Bulgaria in Craiova on Friday and Saturday, in the Davis Cup World Group I play-offs. The winner moves up to World Group I, while the defeated team will play in World Group II. Romania and Bulgaria have met only once before in the Davis Cup, in 1988, when Romania won decisively with a score of 5-0. (AMP)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

    The Romanian football club FCSB finished in 11th place the main group phase of Europa League. Given that 36 teams participated in this phase of the competition, the place held by the Romanian champions in the end is commendable and guarantees FCSB a spot in the playoffs. In the last group fixture, coach Elias Charalambous’s trainees were defeated 2-0 on Thursday, in Bucharest, by the English side Manchester United. The Romanian team had a good first half, even having a great opportunity to score on minute 10, wasted by Mihai Popescu. In the second half of the game, Manchester took the lead with goals scored by Diogo Dalot, on minute 60, and Kobbie Mainoo, eight minutes later. FCSB remains on a positive path, having recorded four wins, two draws and two losses. In the final standings, FCSB is ranked better compared to many top teams in Europe such as Ajax, Real Sociedad, Galatasaray or Porto.

     

    This weekend, FCSB has another tough match, this time in the Romanian Super League. On Sunday, on National Arena stadium in the capital-city, the Bucharest club will face CFR Cluj. Right now, FCSB is in second place in the league tables, tied on points with the team in first place, Universitatea Cluj. CFR is only two points behind the defending champions, in third place.

     

    Let us further note the other games scheduled for the 24th round of the Romanian foobtall super league. On Friday, FC Hermannstadt plays against UTA Arad, while Unirea Slobozia will take on Dinamo Bucharest. Three games are scheduled for Saturday. FC Botoşani, the team in last place in the standings, will play the visiting side Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, which is two points away from a playoff position. Then, in Galaţi, the local side Oţelul will take on Gloria Buzău, two teams fighting to avoid direct relegation to the second-tier division. Gloria is six points behind Oțelul right now. The evening will end with the game in Cluj, between Universitatea and Rapid Bucharest, a confrontation that is shaping up to be a great game. On Sunday, prior to the match pitting FCSB against CFR, Universitatea Craiova will play Politehnica Iași at home, a match with the home side dubbed as favorites. The last match of the round is scheduled for Monday, when Farul Constanța is playing Petrolul Ploiești. (VP)

  • January 30, 2025

    January 30, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s draft state budget for 2025 will be finalized today.  On Saturday it will be approved by the Government and next week by Parliament, Finance Minister Tanczos Barna announced. He said that the budget includes money for investment in infrastructure and for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the Gross Domestic Product. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be smaller and the budgets of some ministries, such as Environment, Health, Education or Transport, will increase.

     

    ENERGY – Bucharest’s Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, has announced  that the Court rejected Greenpeace’s request to suspend the work on the Black Sea gas exploitation. He said that this is a victory for Romania’s energy independence and that the strategic project that Greenpeace tried to block in court will double Romanian gas production, create jobs and bring over 20 billion euros to the budget. Moreover, the gas from the Black Sea will ensure a more stable and lower price for Romanians, and Romania will become a regional energy supplier. Last year, Greenpeace requested in Court the suspension of the environmental agreement for the Neptun Deep project, due to concerns related to environmental protection, climate change and compliance with legislation. Neptun Deep is owned in equal shares by OMV Petrom company and the state owned company Romgaz. Production will be approximately 8 billion cubic meters annually for approximately 10 years.

     

    EVACUATION – Numerous Romanians, employed by a private military company operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), crossed the border into neighboring Rwanda on Wednesday to surrender to the authorities there, sources in Kigali said, quoted by international news agencies. The Romanians had been hired to fight alongside the Congolese army in the conflict that opposes it to the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, in the Goma region. The Rwandan Ministry of Defense confirmed their surrender and spoke of “280 Romanian mercenaries” being evacuated by buses to the capital, Kigali.

     

    CRASH – An American Airlines passenger plane and a US military Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, US officials said, quoted by international news agencies. According to Washington media, several bodies were pulled from the water and no survivors were found. American Airlines said there were 64 people on board the plane – 60 passengers and four crew members. Three military personnel were on board the helicopter. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message of solidarity, to the American people. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims”, Iohannis wrote on platform X.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champion FCSB and the famous English team Manchester United will meet on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the eighth and final round of the main phase of the Europa League. United is in fourth place in the standings, with 15 points, and FCSB is in eighth place, with 14 points. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9-24 must get past the the play-off to advance to the round of 16.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby team will make their debut on Friday evening in Bucharest, in a match against Germany, in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians will also play against Belgium, on February 8, away, in Mons, and Portugal, on February 15, at home, in Botoşani (northeast). Romania can secure direct qualification for the Rugby World Cup in Australia, if it finishes the championship in one of the first two places of the group. With one exception, Romania has participated in all the world final tournaments.

  • Preview of FCSB vs. Manchester United football match

    Preview of FCSB vs. Manchester United football match

    Preview of FCSB vs. Manchester United football match

    29/01/2025

    One of the advantages of the presence of Romanian clubs in advanced stages of European inter-club competitions is that it allows our audience to watch the top European teams live. Supporters of the Romanian champions, FCSB, will be able to watch, for instance, on Thursday, at National Arena stadium in the capital-city, one of the biggest and oldest teams in the English championship, Manchester United, a team followed every weekend by hundreds of millions of viewers from all over the world. For FCSB, this will be the final match in the main group phase of Europa League and also the last chance to advance directly to the round of 16. To take advantage of this opportunity, the Romanian champions must secure a result that allows them to remain in one of the top 8 places in the League. Right now, FCSB is ranked 8th, with 14 points obtained in the seven rounds played so far. Manchester United is in 4th position, having only one point more than the team from Bucharest. Interestingly, however, the English side has not lost a single game in this phase of the competition, a performance that only Lazio, the leader of the standings, and Galatasaray, the team below FCSB in the standings, have managed to achieve.

     

    If a win guarantees them a place in the round of 16, it must be said that FCSB can qualify directly even in the event of a draw, but that scenario depends on the results of other group fixtures. Galatasaray, for instance, will play at Ajax, in the Netherlands, and the Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt, which is also one point below FCSB, will play Nice. Two other teams currently have two points less than the Romanian champions, namely Olympiakos, which will play Qarabag at home, and Viktoria Plzen, which will face Athletic Bilbao away from home.

     

     

    Whereas the standing in Europa League is not too bad for Manchester United, the English club is having a nightmare season in Premier League. After 23 rounds, the club ranks 12th and has lost ten games played so far. Also after 23 rounds, FCSB has recorded four losses in the current edition of the Romanian Super League, tantamount to the total number of losses reported last season. At present, FCSB ranks second in the league tables, tied on points with the leader, Universitatea Cluj. (VP)

  • January 23, 2025

    January 23, 2025

    Protest – Railway workers, reserve military, policemen, miners, foresters, steel workers or employees of the Bucharest Subway system are expected, on Friday, at a rally organized near the government headquarters, against the background of the dissatisfaction generated by the social and salary policies of the governing coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the Federation of Railway Transporters’ Unions from Romania (FSTFR) announces. It estimates the number of participants in the protest will stand at 30,000.

     

    Corruption – The mayor of Sinaia, the most popular resort on the Prahova Valley (southern Romania), the liberal Vlad Oprea, was brought to the headquarters of the National Anticorruption Directorate on Thursday, to be heard in a case. According to the prosecutors, he claimed and received bribe of almost 240,000 Euros from a businessman, in order to facilitate the issuance of the necessary documentation for the construction of a hotel in the city. Oprea is also accused that, between July 2019 and January 2024, he allowed the unauthorized activity of providing public catering services for a restaurant in Sinaia, in order to obtain undue benefits.

     

    Captivity – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announces that the Romanian sailor from the crew of the ship “Galaxy Leader”, freed from Yemen, is safe and sound. The crew has been in captivity for more than a year after the Houthi rebel group captured the ship, at the start of a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea motivated by Israel’s war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The 25 sailors from the Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine were detained in November 2023 by Houthi fighters, who used a helicopter to board the cargo ship running between Turkey and India. A Houthi-controlled Yemeni television station said the crew had been freed and handed over to Oman, following the completion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on Sunday. The release comes after months of diplomacy work involving the sailors’ home countries, as well as the UN’s International Maritime Organization. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the action is the result of the efforts of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the other institutions within the crisis cell. The Romanian authorities also thank the external partners, especially the Sultanate of Oman and neighboring Bulgaria, for the important support given to solving this complex and extremely difficult case.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champion, FCSB, from Bucharest, plays, this evening, away from home, in Baku, against the Azerbaijani team Qarabag FK, in the seventh stage of the Europa League. With two stages before the end of the main phase of the competition, FCSB is in 10thplace, with 11 points, and Qarabag is in 33rdplace, with 3 points. The first eight teams in the ranking will qualify for the round of 16, while the teams from 9th to the 24th positions will play a play-off to qualify for the round of 16. FCSB still is to play the famous English team Manchester United, at home, on January 30.

     

    Reorganization – The reorganization of central public institutions and of state-owned companies in Romania, with a view to reducing budget expenses, is dissatisfying more and more employees. Several ministries have already announced reorganizations and staff reductions. The Parliament leadership also announced the reduction of civil servant positions by approximately 400, which led to a spontaneous protest by the employees in the halls of the institution.

     

    Drones – A new disinformation by the Russian media, regarding last week’s drone attacks against the civilian port infrastructure in Ukraine, near the border with Romania, was denounced by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. The Kremlin propaganda falsely claimed that the Russian attack drones targeted an operation to transport Romanian soldiers or Romanian mercenaries from the Romanian shore to the Ukrainian one. According to the phantasmagoric scenario, the forces of the Romanian Army would have intervened in the unfolding of the events and would have opened fire on the Russian drones with equipment deployed on the Romanian territory. The alleged confrontation would have resulted in numerous victims on the Romanian side, dead and wounded. But all this did not happen, states the Romanian Defense Ministry. These “ungrounded aberrations”, as the Defense Ministry calls them, are part of the pattern of Russian operations to influence and manipulate public opinion in both the Romanian and NATO areas.

     

    TikTok – The vice-president of the European Parliament, the Romanian social democrat Victor Negrescu, states that the EC will present in a relatively short time its report on the interference, through the Chinese network TikTok, in the presidential election in Romania. The European Commission can come up with specific recommendations or impose a fine for that network – said the social democratic MEP. He added that the Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, spoke about the possibility that all social networks, not just TikTok, which intervene in democratic debates and elections, could be subject to stricter control and could be sanctioned if they violate the European legislation in the matter. (LS)

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    Romania’s football champions, FCSB, will be playing their first official international game on Thursday. In the seventh leg of Europa League, the trainees of coach Elias Charalambous are taking on Azerbaijani side, Qarabag, in an away game. This is FCSB’s last but one match in the main group. The Romanians are presently ranking 10th and a win will help them join the first eight sides, which means direct qualification in the competition’s round of sixteen.

    Top-tier sides, such as Ajax, Real Sociedad, Roma or Porto are coming after FCSB and unless the Romanians get a better position in the ranking they will be playing tie matches for a place in the round of 16.

    We recall that out of the six matches played so far, FCSB has recorded three victories, ended two in a draw and lost only one. In turn, Qarabag has scored only one win and lost five matches.

    Unfortunately, for the game in Azerbaijan, coach Charalambous cannot count on his skipper, Darius Olaru, who is recovering from injuries. Without him on the pitch, FCSB managed only a one-all draw in the domestic championship, on their own ground against FC Hermannstadt. FCSB put up a good show and controlled most of the game, but failed to capitalize on many chances. Fullback Valentin Cretu managed the equalizer for FCSB, and that was a goal that he scored after a long time in the FCSB lineup.

    In the domestic championships, FCSB comes second, two points after the leader, Universitatea Cluj. At home Qarabag tops the ranking 11 points ahead the runner-up.

    FCSB has one more game in hand in the main group of Europa League. They will be up against Manchester United in Bucharest next Thursday. Although presently hankering for good results, Manchester United is still a force to be reckoned with.

    (bill)

  • The Sports Year 2024

    The Sports Year 2024

    Romania made it back to the world’s top rankings in 2024. At the Olympics in Paris, the Romanian delegation came 23rd in the world’s medal ranking, a headway since the previous edition in Tokyo, where they ranked only 46th.

    The Olympic Games kicked off in Paris in late July with a grandiose but controversial ceremony of issues less related to sports though…The first medals for Romania were brought by swimmer David Popovici: gold in the 200 meters free-style race and bronze in the 100-meter event.

    Then Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache stepped onto the podium’s highest step in the double scull race and so did Simona Radiş and Ancuţa Bodnar in the similar women’s event. Ioana Vrînceanu and Roxana Anghel became silver medalists in the women’s pair event and so did Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc in the women’s lightweight double scull. The third Olympic title was obtained by the Romanian eight in the last day of the rowing competitions.

    Weightlifter Mihaela Cambei reaped silver in the 49 kilogram category, while gymnast Ana Maria Barbosu obtained bronze in the floor event, upon a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport based in Lausanne.

    Football again grabbed the limelight after the end of the Olympics, and Romania boasted a representative in the Champions League’s qualifiers, FCSB, one in the Europa League’s qualifiers, Corvinul Hunedoara, and another two in the Conference League: CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova. FCSB made it to the third round of the Champions league, where they were stopped in their tracks by the Czech side Sparta Prague. The Romanian champions later played in the playoffs for Europa League, where they outperformed LASK Linz of Austria. After six matches, FCSB ranked 10th in Europa League with three wins, two draws and a defeat.

    In January they will be playing Qarabag of Azerbaijan, and Manchester United in a home match. Corvinul Hunedoara were knocked out in the second preliminary round by Rijeka of Croatia. They next joined the Conference League’s third round where they got outperformed by Astana of Kazakhstan. In the same competition Universitatea Craiova were knocked out of the qualifiers by the Slovenian side Maribor. CFR Cluj managed to obtain the best performance and made it to the play-offs, where they lost to Cypriote side Pafos.

    In the second half of the year, Romania’s national football side played in the Nations League under the guidance of the famous Romanian headcoach and football legend, Mircea Lucescu, who had come back to the Romanian national side after almost 40 years. Romania won all the six matches in the second group of League C, which also included Cyprus, Lithuania and Kosovo. Our footballers won five matches and the match in Bucharest against Kosovo was decided by the UEFA after the visitors had left the pitch before the final whistle and the result was three-nil to Romania. So Romania ended up among the best four winners in the Nations League groups and secured their place in the World Cup playoffs. Lots drawn in December have placed Romania in Group H together with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. Our footballers will be playing Bosnia and Herzegovina in March. The group’s winners are directly qualified whereas the 12 sides in the second positions in the groups plus the best sides in the 2024-2025 edition of the Nations League, which didn’t qualify in the preliminaries, will be vying for the four places available in the European zone.

    We cannot end without mentioning the best Romanian athletes who left us in 2024. Canoe sprinter Vasile Dîba left us in February. Dîba stepped on the highest step of the podium at the Montreal Olympics in 1976. The former great handballer Stefan Birtalan, double world champion and Olympic medalist, left us in May.

    Javelin thrower, Mihaela Peneş, gold medalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and silver medalist in Mexico City in 1968, left us in August. On December 2 we lost one of Romania’s greatest goalkeepers, Helmut Duckadam. He was dubbed the Hero in Seville, after he had saved four penalty shots in the 1986 finals of the European Champions Cup Steaua Bucharest won against Barcelona.

    Dan Grecu, the first world champion in Romania’s men gymnastics, bronze medalist at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 also left us in December.

    (bill)

  • December 13, 2024 UPDATE

    December 13, 2024 UPDATE

    PLANES Three F-16 Fighting Falcons, Romania bought from Norway, touched down at Air Base 71 in Campia Turzii, north-western Romania on Friday. According to sources with the Romanian Defence Ministry, the three multi-role warplanes are going to join the 48th Fighting Squadron, which boasts a total of 15 similar aircraft. Romania will buy from Norway 32 F-16 jet fighters, which are expected to improve the country’s security capabilities and contribute to the defence of its airspace and even NATO’s airspace, the communiqué also says. Romania has recently signed the contract for buying the first 32 fifth-generation fighters F-35. The first F-35 fighters are to arrive in Romania in 2030.

     

    FOOTBALL Lots drawn in Zurich on Friday for the preliminaries of World Cup 2026  have placed Romania’s national football side in Group H, which also includes Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. Romania’s champions, FCSB, drew 0-0 against Hoffenheim of Germany on Thursday in the 6th round of Europa League. The team from Bucharest ranks 10th in the group standings and holds good chances of advancing to the next phase. Two more rounds follow in Germany, with the final match scheduled at home against Manchester United of England.

     

    UKRAINE The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom met in Berlin on Thursday to reiterate support for Ukraine and its irreversible NATO track. The Ministers also promised Kyiv additional military support in the war against Russia as well as post-conflict security guarantees. At the end of the meeting, the Foreign Ministers joined the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, in signing the Berlin Declaration, given that the scenario of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia has become a possibility with Donald Trump’s return at the White House. Several member states, including the USA and Germany, have expressed reluctance towards the prospect of a swift accession to NATO for Ukraine. In the case of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies could deploy a peace-keeping corps to Ukraine, as a security guarantee.

     

    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis is expected to convene the new Parliament on December 20. Having won nearly two thirds of seats after the December 1 parliamentary election, pro-European parties and the group of national minorities have engaged in talks with a view to forming a coalition cabinet. Leaders of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR) have agreed that each party would control a number of ministries equal to their share in Parliament. The new cabinet will comprise 16 ministries. Three self-proclaimed sovereignist parties – the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), SOS Romania and the Young People’s Party (POT) – will also be represented in the new Parliament. The new government will very likely be sworn in ahead of the Christmas holidays. For the time being, the pro-European coalition has agreed to designate a common candidate for the 2025 presidential election.

    (bill)