Radio România Internațional

Tag: finance ministry

  • New measures aimed at cutting public expenses

    New measures aimed at cutting public expenses


    The PSD-PNL coalition government in Bucharest has announced it will continue to promote discipline in spending public money, with a declared purpose of curbing the budget deficit. In this respect, the Executive has come up with a fresh emergency ordinance aimed at diminishing expenses at the end of the year.


    The Finance Ministry put the project up for public debates on Tuesday. Under the new provisions, public institutions and city halls are facing a new series of restrictions related to the organization of festivals and competitions. Credit accountants are no longer allowed to sign legal contracts for the purchase of office furniture, or other goods as well as maintenance and repair services.


    Also, under the new law, the implementation of the pay rises legally obtained by state employees has been postponed for the year 2024. Romanias Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu says that no one has to worry about the new law though as there are enough budget funds for salaries and the other expenses the government pledged to cover. Pensions will be indexed as of January 1st according to the inflation rate of 13.5%.


    “We have enough money for pensions, wages, to ensure the state functioning and other investment” – the head of the government has said. Mass-media points to the fact that the new government measures are coming shortly after the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, has revealed that Romania, with 6.3%, and Hungary with 6.6% are the countries with the highest government deficit out of all the 27 EU members.


    According to the same sources, Romania has registered a 5.9% GDP deficit in the first three months of 2023 and of 6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022.


    In the meantime, the opposition USR and the Liberal splinter, Force of the Right have tabled a simple motion against the Liberal Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, whom they blame for skyrocketing expenses during his mandate.


    According to the motion initiators, in order to gather money for the government, Boloş and Ciolacu have decided to cut the tax payers incomes with another round of tax raises, which have seriously affected the small enterprises. The two would have opted for a short-term financial gain at the expense of long-term stability and prosperity.


    From the ruling coalition, PSD MP, Gabriel Zetea has defended his team underlying the government must resort to measures aimed at curbing public spending. Public institutions must prove their readiness to save public money at the end of the year.


    Next year, Zetea pledges, fiscal adjustment measures are to come into effect for private entrepreneurs. Political analysts are also expecting a happier 2024 for the public and private sector alike as the entire political class will be focusing on winning the electorate and muster votes in the upcoming elections, for the European Parliament, as well as in the local, legislative and presidential elections.


    (bill)


  • Minimum Wages on the rise in Romania

    Minimum Wages on the rise in Romania


    As announced while the government was assuming responsibility for a new series of fiscal-budgetary laws, minimum salaries in Romania are to be raised by 10%, from 3,000 to 3300 RON, the equivalent of 660 euros. The beneficiaries of the new measures are over 1.8 million employees working mainly in transport, trade and SMEs.


    The aforementioned pay raise is aimed at protecting the income of every employee, at the same time boosting employment, the purchase power and curbing illegal work. Other social categories in the low income bracket, such as the handicapped and those involved with various independent activities and intellectual property rights, are to also benefit the new measure.


    This government will not give up on the priority of raising the minimum salary and we would like to have another raise in 2024, which we are going to discuss with social partners, the head of the Romanian Executive, Marcel Ciolacu has said. The Romanian official has also insisted that no minimum wages are to decrease in Romania upon the enforcement of the new fiscal-budgetary law package for which the government has assumed responsibility before Parliament. For this reason the Executive decided to scrap the draft ordinance on raising the minimum salaries in the construction sector as these salaries would have decreased upon the introduction of the health insurance contributions. As a result, employees in constructions, agriculture and food industry will have their salaries unchanged as they dont have to pay health contributions.


    Marcel Ciolacu:” According to the calculations the Finance Ministry presented on Thursday, upon the introduction of health insurance contributions for all employees, the minimum net salary in constructions, agriculture and food industry could have dropped. We have all, and especially I, pledged that such a thing is not going to happen as this is something I do not agree with. No minimum net pay was supposed to be trimmed, so we decided to cancel this ordinance to prevent this from happening. The field ministries are to revise the text and until then all the wages in the aforementioned fields, constructions, agriculture and food industry will remain unchanged as the employees there are exempted from paying health insurance contributions.”


    The government initially wanted to raise the minimum gross wages in constructions from 4,000 to 4,500 lei, the equivalent of roughly 900 euros, but the National Trade Union Block proposed that the gross wages in constructions be raised to 46 hundred lei and in agriculture to 35 hundred lei. The new form of the aforementioned ordinance might be high on the agenda of the new round of talks the government is going to have next week. Time enough for the Finance Ministry to recalculate the money involved.


    (bill)


  • April 1, 2020

    April 1, 2020


    ANALYSIS -
    President Klaus Iohannis is today chairing a meeting aimed at analyzing and presenting
    public safety and order measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Taking part are Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Interior Minister Marcel Vela,
    Defense Minister Nicolae Ciuca and State Secretary with the Interior Ministry,
    Police Chief Bogdan Despescu. Authorities report 2,245 infections with the new
    coronavirus and 85 deaths. 220 people have recovered. Prosecutors have launched
    a criminal investigation into several irregularities reported at the Suceava
    County Hospital in Suceava, the only county where total quarantine has been declared
    and where a large number of medical staff and patients have tested positive for
    COVID-19. A third of the total number of people who died to the virus were from
    Suceava.




    UNEMPLOYMENT
    – Businesses, self-employed people and other types of employees can apply for
    technical unemployment starting today. Labor Minister Violeta Alexandru made a
    series of declarations regarding the two decrees regulation this field. The
    state will thus pay 75% of the average gross salary, namely no more than 475
    euros. The measure is in place only during the state of emergency. Athletes are
    also eligible for this type of unemployment benefits. All the related documents
    will be filed online.




    LOAN – The
    Finance Ministry has taken out a new loan worth 415 million euros on the local
    markets. Finance Minister Florin Citu says the money will be used to pay
    salaries, pensions, social welfare benefits and VAT refunds. Financial
    institutions have provided the state with funds after a period when cash
    withdrawals, from both the population and businesses, have doubled compared to
    December 2019. The National Bank says this represents the peak of financial
    tensions caused by the coronavirus crisis.




    INDUSTRY -
    The Romanian pharmaceutical industry will report a record high turnover in 2020,
    an estimated 14 billion euros, in the context of the growing demand of
    medication and sanitary equipment generated by the coronavirus pandemic, reads
    a recent study conducted by KeysFin, one of the country’s top business
    information providers. According to estimates, the economy will drop in 2020 by
    as much as 7%. Still, the pharmaceutical industry, which has been reporting
    constant growth in the last 10 years, will be one of the privileged sectors in
    the current context, alongside the food, IT&C and agriculture industries,
    as well as energy, natural gas and water supply providers. Some 170
    manufacturers of medicine and pharmaceutical gear are certified in Romania, in
    addition to 6,500 retailers and wholesalers trading these types of products.








    CORONAVIRUS
    IN EUROPE – The COVID-19 pandemic has
    killed over 30,000 people in Europe, of which two thirds in Italy and Spain,
    France Press quotes information released by national authorities. France is the
    country with the third-largest number of victims. Europe is the continent most
    affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Commission has proposed the disbursement
    of an additional 75 million euros to support operations aimed at repatriating
    European citizens and increasing the reserve budget for the purchase of medical
    equipment. The Commission is considering an adjustment of the said budget.
    Since the start of the pandemic, some 2,300 EU citizens have been repatriated
    from China, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Tunisia, Georgia, the
    Philippines and Cape Verde. Another 80 similar flights are scheduled for the
    coming days.


    STUDY – Isolation and other measures adopted to avert the
    COVID-19 pandemic from spreading have saved the lives of some 59,000 people in
    11 European countries, researchers with the Imperial College in London have
    revealed. The measures taken under advisement are quarantine for the sick, the
    closing-down of schools and universities, banning public gatherings, social
    distancing measures and general isolation. Italy, the first country to introduce
    strict measures and where the pandemic has reached its peak, some 38,000 lives
    were saved due to the decision to impose total quarantine, the study reveals.
    Next on the list is Spain with 16,000 lives saved, followed by France with
    2,500 lives saved, Belgium with 560, Germany with 550, the UK with 370,
    Switzerland with 340, Austria with 140, Sweden with 82, Denmark with 69 and
    Norway with 10 lives saved. Researchers say that any more deaths will be
    averted by keeping interventions in place until transmission drops to low
    levels.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • Motion against the Finance Minister

    Motion against the Finance Minister

    Romanian Senators on Monday passed
    a simple motion filed by the Social-Democrats against Liberal Finance Minister
    Florin Citu. The National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, the Democratic
    Union of Ethnic Hungarians as well as unaffiliated Senators voted against, while
    Social-Democratic Senators voted in favor. The initiators of the motion accuse
    Citu of making hazardous declarations at the start of his mandate, causing a
    spike in the exchange rate, which in turn entailed higher interest rates and
    price hikes for Romanians. Florin Citu claims the motion filed by the
    Social-Democratic Party is purely political and that he would step down only if
    the Liberal Party demands it. Citu says the former Finance Minister Eugen
    Teodorovici knew at the start of 2019 that the budget deficit would increase to
    4% without taking additional measures.


    The motion is not about me, it is
    a political undertaking that tries to conceal the dire political problems of
    Romania. Its initiators obviously want me to keep quit regarding the disastrous
    situation I found at the Finance Ministry. To them and to all the
    Social-Democrats I say the following: the National Liberal Party promised it would tell Romanians the truths at any cost. Enough is enough! Things cannot
    continue this way. The time you could steal without being held accountable
    stops here.


    In turn, Liberal Senator Alina
    Gorghiu says the Social-Democrats have no real reasons to launch criticism at
    Florin Citu. Social-Democrat Senator Stefan Oprea has told Florin Citu he is
    promoting measures that would take the budget deficit to figures he was
    estimating while he was in opposition.


    The figures you were prophesizing,
    at times in a very hysterical manner, when you spoke about the
    Social-Democratic governance, must come true today, and you need to make sure
    the 4.4% deficit is real, by any means possible. It matters little that budget
    revenues have been at a standstill for the past two months, or that public
    spending has skyrocketed during your term. All that matters is that your 4.4%
    deficit estimate should stand.


    Interim Social-Democratic leader
    Marcel Ciolacu believes the National Liberal Party did not understand
    Parliament’s vote of no-confidence against Florin Citu. After the motion was
    passed, Ludovic Orban said he would not replace Florin Citu, arguing the
    Social-Democratic Party is not entitled to criticize and ask for resignations
    after the disastrous budget it left behind. Under the Romanian Constitution,
    the passing of a simple motion does not necessarily entail the dismissal of the
    minister in question.

    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • August 7, 2018

    August 7, 2018

    BUDGET ADJUSTMENT – The Romanian Finance Ministry has finalized the bill for the first budget adjustment this year, grounded on a budget deficit of 2.97% of the GDP. According to a press release, economic results are encouraging and reflect a 5.5% growth rate, underlying the state budget for 2018. The budget adjustment is positive, calculated on a surplus of budget revenues of nearly 1.3 billion euros. Additional funds will go to local authorities and the National Social and Health Insurance Fund. The ministries of health, education, interior and agriculture will get additional money. More funds have been earmarked to the Ministry of Public Finance, in order to ensure Romania pays its contribution to the EU budget. At the opposite pole, the budgets of the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service, the ministries of Research, Energy and Foreign Affairs will be slashed. The budget adjustment law will be adopted in the second half of August.



    ROMANIAS JUDICIARY – US Senators John McCain of the Republican Party and Christopher Murphy of the Conservative Party have addressed a joint letter to the Romanian Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila, expressing concern with the dismissal of the chief anti-corruption prosecutor and calling on the Government to step up its efforts to combat corruption. The two Senators wrote that, as strong supporters of the US-Romania relationship, they noted with regret that President Klaus Iohannis was recently forced by a court ruling to dismiss Laura Codruta Kovesi. We recall that President Klaus Iohannis removed Kovesi from office last month following a Constitutional Court ruling. In another development, the New Europe publication headquartered in Brussels has drawn up an analysis, claiming that Kovesis dismissal provides Romania with the opportunity of eliminating past abuses. New Europe analysts claim Romania is by far the European country with the highest number of human rights violations. New Europe also highlights the fact that anti-corruption prosecutors assigned by Kovesi were recorded while discussing attempts to fabricate evidence.



    INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania expects the inflation rate to drop in the third quarter of the year and to stand at around 3,5%, close to the maximum limit set by the Bank. Governor Mugur Isarescu said that, according to preliminary reports, Romania will have a negative inflation rate starting July and will see a drop in prices. The National Bank decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 2.5% per year, against the backdrop of the evolution of the inflation rate.



    COMMEMORATION – The Mausoleum in Marasesti, Vrancea County, eastern Romania, on Monday hosted ceremonies commemorating the heroes who gave their lives in the First World War. Attending the event were high-ranking Government officials, Ambassadors and military officers. A moment of silence was held, floral tributes were paid and a symphonic festival was held on the occasion of 101 years since the battle of Marasesti, the most important military operation of the Romanian Army in World War I. Seen as one of the most impressive monuments in the country, the Mausoleum in Marasesti was built on the exact place where, in 1917, the Romanian army fought the German army, its military superior. Over 480 officers and 21,000 soldiers died in the armed conflict.



    VIRUS – The African swine fever virus continues to spread across Romania, the number of hotbeds now reaching 580 in over 100 towns in villages in 8 counties, according to the latest toll. Some 78,000 pigs were slaughtered. Authorities continue to take specific action to prevent the virus from spreading. Wild boars carrying the disease in affected areas will be shot down, while special disinfection checkpoints will be set up in border crossing points. Pig farmers will be compensated for their losses, while the recent budget adjustment has earmarked additional funds to the program aimed at eradicating this disease.



    EXTREME WEATHER – The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has issued a travel warning for Germany in place until Thursday against temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and thunderstorms. Croatia is under a code red alert against extreme heat and heavy traffic. Spain and Italy have seen the first casualties due to the recent heat wave. On Monday thermometers read 46.8 degrees in Portugal, while a wildfire has razed over 1,000 hectares of woodland to the ground. Another wildfire on the French-Spanish border has disrupted traffic on a highway in the Pyrenees. In the Netherlands, several segments of motorways have been shut down while four nuclear reactors were pre-emptively closed in France. Code red and orange alerts against extreme heat are in place in several European countries.



    TENNIS – Six Romanian tennis players are competing in the main draw at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, totaling 2.8 million dollars in prize money. WTA no. 1 Simona Halep is seeded first in the tournament and will compete straight into the second round. Irina Begu, WTA no. 55, will play Ashleigh Barty of Australia on Tuesday in the first round, while Sorana Carstea, 54th WTA and Mihaela Buzarnescu, 20th WTA will take on players from preliminary rounds, namely Monica Niculescu, 69th WTA and Qiang Wang of China, respectively. Finally, Ana Bogdan, 82nd WTA, will go up against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)


  • Budget bills, closer to endorsement

    Budget bills, closer to endorsement

    The draft state budget and social security budget laws for next year have entered the parliamentary debate stage, after the specialised budget and finances committees in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies passed them last week. The state budget bill submitted by the Government was slightly changed in the committee, with the most important amendment concerning the transfer of nearly 1 billion euros to local budgets. The amendment, tabled by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, stipulates an increase from 75% to 100% of the income tax quota channelled into the local budgets of administrative units. The Finance Minister Ionut Misa explains:



    “What I can tell you at this point is that most administrative units will be affected, particularly smaller ones. But we must make an analysis, see the exact figure and the impact of this amendment that has been approved.”



    The Finance Minister added that the amendment was designed to offset the income tax reduction from 16 to 10%. The impact of this amendment is yet to be established, but should the figure be substantial, it could push the budget deficit above the estimated limit, Ionut Misa also says.



    The Liberal Senator Florin Citu, in Opposition, says the debates in the parliamentary committees were smoother than in previous years. But the Liberals accuse the Government of increasing personnel and social assistance spending, and of cutting investments in order to make up for it. Florin Citu:



    “Of course we cannot back this budget structure, because it cuts down resources that should have been channelled into investments and takes them to salaries and social assistance instead. We will be reaching a 17-year peak of social assistance and salary expenditure, and record-low investment.”



    The Opposition also says that the revenues on which the public budgets rely are overestimated by at least 2 billion euros, and that the breakdown by expenditure category undermines the national economy.



    The 2018 state budget calculations take into account an economic growth rate of 5.5%, an average exchange rate of 4.55 leu for the euro and average monthly wages of around 565 euros. The Government expects next year’s budget deficit to account for 2.97% of the GDP and says funds have been allotted for the promised pay raises and the 10% increase in pension point value as of July 1, 2018.


    Parliament is to cast the final vote on the 2 draft laws on December 21.


    (Translated by A.M. Popescu)

  • May 15, 2017 UPDATE

    May 15, 2017 UPDATE

    PROTEST – Nearly 22,000 employees with the Romanian Finance Ministry on Monday took part in an unplanned protest, in response to the salary bill under debate in Parliament. They say the draft law puts them at a disadvantage. Trade union leaders in the sector had talks with representatives of the Ministry, but no results have been reached and negotiations will be resumed on Wednesday. The protesters call on the Government and the Finance Ministry to revise the pay schemes in the bill, so that they should reflect the complexity and importance of the activity of the Ministry and its subordinated units. They warn that the strike is open-ended, which may hamper the tax collection activities and the institution’s public relations. Employees of the customs system also took part in the protest.



    CYBER-SECURITY — The Romanian Intelligence Service is organising the first national cyber-security exercise, which will last until Wednesday and involve more than 60 public and private institutions. The effort is designed to help develop an efficient warning, alert and response system against cyber-attacks and other incidents. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, the exercise had been planned before the ransomware attack that crippled computers around the world late last week. In another development, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism has launched an investigation into this cyber-attack which endangered the security and integrity of IT systems and data. Friday’s global attack known as “WannaCry” made over 200,000 victims, especially institutions, from at least 150 countries. The Romanian Intelligence Service confirmed that Romania was affected by the attack since May 12, but the scope is yet to be established. One of the targets was the Romanian Foreign Ministry, where an attempted cyber-attack was countered on Friday.



    FAC — Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Monday attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. Melescanu expressed hope that the Eastern Partnership summit of November will be a landmark in EU relations with the six countries in the program. Additionally, the Romanian official highlighted Romania’s support for the European integration efforts of partner states and the reforms they must carry out. The Council agenda’s also included the EU’s Global Defence Strategy and the developments in the Horn of Africa



    INFLATION — The National Bank of Romania has revised downwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, from 1.7% to 1.6%, and the one for 2018 from 3.4% to 3.1%, the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu announced on Monday. Since 2013, the National Bank’s inflation target has been 2.5% per year, plus/minus 1%. The inflation targeting strategy was introduced in line with the European Central Bank policy, but the central bank of Romania rarely managed to attain this target. In 2016, the inflation target was negative 0.5%, slightly below estimates, according to the National Statistics Institute, mostly due to the lowering of the standard VAT rate from 24% to 20%, as of January 1, 2016.



    FRANCE — The new President of France, the centrist Emmanuel Macron on Monday appointed Edouard Philippe of the Republican right as Prime Minister. Aged 46, Philippe is the former mayor of Le Havre in the west and is due to announce the structure of his cabinet. International news agencies write that this is the first time the president appoints a Prime Minister who is not a member of his party. The decision reflects Macron’s willingness to win over some of the right wing’s influence in order to secure majority in Parliament after the elections scheduled in June. Also on Monday Macron met with Chancellor Angela Merkel in an attempt to rebuild the French-German tandem as a driving engine of EU development. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the agenda of talks included topics like continental security, economy, investments and social protection.



    CANNES — The Romanian director, script writer and producer Cristian Mungiu is the president of Cinéfondation and the short-reel section in the 70th Cannes Film Festival due on May 17-28. A foremost representative of the “Romanian new wave”, Cristian Mungiu has a long-standing tradition of being a part of the Cannes Festival. After the Palme d’Or won for his second feature film, “4, 3, 2,” he was also awarded for the script of “Beyond the Hills” and for directing “Baccalaureate”. In related news, 200 minutes of Romanian shorts will be presented this year in Cannes, as part of a programme called “Romanian Short Waves”. Another Romanian director, Alexander Nanau, who signed the photography for Sonia Kronlund’s “Nothingwood”, will take part in the screening of the film in the “Quinzaine des réalisateurs” section.



    DAYS OF JAPANESE CULTURE — The Centre for Romanian-Japanese Studies jointly with the Romanian-American University is playing host to the Days of Japanese Culture. Yukio Mishima’s novel The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea will be launched at the Humanitas Bookstore in Bucharest, and will ocassion a talk on Bushido and turf wars in Japan’s largest cities, revealing a different facet of Japanese society.



    TENNIS — The Rome tennis tournament, with 2.7 million US dollars in total prize money, kicked off on Monday, with Romanian players also taking part. Irina Begu (44 WTA) is up for a difficult start, with a match against Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova (18 WTA), while Monica Niculescu (48 WTA) will also be taking on a top player, the Dutch Kiki Bertens (20 WTA). After having recently won the Madrid tournament for the second running year, Simona Halep (4 WTA) will go straight into the second round in Rome, to play German Laura Siegemund (35 WTA). Monica Niculescu is also taking part in the doubles event, together with Christina McHale of the US, against the pair made up of Sara Errani and Martina Trevisan of Italy. In the men’s doubles, Horia Tecău of Romania and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer play today against the Americans John Isner and Jack Sock, while Florin Mergea and the Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi have defeated Tommy Haas of Germany / Max Mirnyi of Belarus. (Translated by A.M. Popescu and V. Palcu)

  • May 15, 2017

    May 15, 2017

    PROTEST – Nearly 22,000 employees with the Romanian Finance Ministry have taken part today in an unplanned protest, in response to the salary bill under debate in Parliament. They say the draft law puts them at a disadvantage. Trade union leaders in the sector had talks with representatives of the Ministry, but no results have been reached and negotiations will be resumed on Wednesday. The protesters call on the Government and the Finance Ministry to revise the pay schemes in the bill, so that they should reflect the complexity and importance of the activity of the Ministry and its subordinated units. They warn that the strike is open-ended, which may hamper the tax collection activities and the institutions public relations. Employees of the customs system are also taking part in the protest.




    CYBER-SECURITY – The Romanian Intelligence Service is organising the first national cyber-security exercise, which will last until Wednesday and involve more than 60 public and private institutions. The effort is designed to help develop an efficient warning, alert and response system against cyber attacks and other incidents. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, the excercise had been planned before the ransomware attack that crippled computers around the world late last week. Fridays global attack known as “WannaCry made over 200,000 victims, especially institutions, from at least 150 countries. The Romanian Intelligence Service confirmed that Romania was affected by the attack since May 12, but the scope is yet to be determined. One of the targets was the Romanian Foreign Ministry, where an attempted cyber attack was countered on Friday.




    INFLATION – The National Bank of Romania has revised downwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, from 1.7% to 1.6%, and the one for 2018 from 3.4% to 3.1%, the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu announced on Monday. Since 2013, the National Banks inflation target has been 2.5% per year, plus/minus 1%. The inflation targeting strategy was introduced in line with the European Central Bank policies, but the central bank of Romania rarely managed to meet this target. In 2016, the inflation target was negative 0.5%, slightly below estimates, according to the National Statistics Institute, mostly due to the lowering of the standard VAT rate from 24% to 20%, as of January 1, 2016.




    EU – The EU Foreign Ministers are analysing today, in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the progress made under the Eastern Partnership, which focuses on the cooperation with 6 ex-Soviet states, including the Republic of Moldova. Romania is represented by Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The talks take place ahead of the Partnership summit due in November in Brussels. The agenda of the meeting also includes the implementation of the EU global defence strategy, as well as developments in the Horn of Africa, particularly in terms of politics and security. On the sidelines of the Council meeting, a working lunch is held by the “Friends of Ukraine Group, which includes the EU foreign ministers and their Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin.




    FRANCE – The new President of France, the centrist Emmanuel Macron, sworn in on Sunday, is to appoint a prime minister who should announce the names in his new cabinet on Tuesday. Macron has kept the name of the next prime minister under veils, but according to the media the most likely to be nominated is the mayor of the western French port-city of Le Havre, Édouard Philippe. Also today, Macron has a meeting in Berlin with Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom, commentators say, he will try to rebuild the French-German tandem as a driving engine of EU development. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, the agenda of talks includes topics like continental security, economy, investments and social protection.





    CANNES – The Romanian director, script writer and producer Cristian Mungiu is the president of Cinéfondation and the short-reel section in the 70th Cannes Film Festival due on May 17-28. A foremost representative of the “Romanian new wave, Cristian Mungiu has a long-standing tradition of being a part of the Cannes Festival. After the Palme dOr won for his second feature film, “4, 3, 2, he was also awarded for the script of “Beyond the Hills and for directing “Baccalaureate. In related news, 200 minutes of Romanian shorts will be presented this year in Cannes, as part of a programme called “Romanian Short Waves. Another Romanian director, Alexander Nanau, who signed the photography for Sonia Kronlunds “Nothingwood, will take part in the screening of the film in the “Quinzaine des réalisateurs section.




    TENNIS – The Rome tennis tournament, with 2.7 million US dollars in total prize money, begins today, with Romanian players also taking part. Irina Begu (44 WTA) is up for a difficult start, with a match against Latvias Anastasija Sevastova (18 WTA), while Monica Niculescu (48 WTA) will also be taking on a top player, the Dutch Kiki Bertens (20 WTA). After having recently won the Madrid tournament for the second running year, Simona Halep (4 WTA) will go straight into the second round in Rome, to play the winner of the match pitting the German Laura Siegemund (35 WTA) against the Japanese Naomi Osaka (49 WTA). Monica Niculescu is also taking part in the doubles event, together with Christina McHale of the US, against the pair made up of Sara Errani and Martina Trevisan of Italy. In the mens doubles, Horia Tecău of Romania and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer play today against the Americans John Isner and Jack Sock, while Florin Mergea and the Pakistani Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi will play against Tommy Haas of Germany / Max Mirnyi of Belarus.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)