Radio România Internațional

Tag: Fitch

  • February 22, 2025 UPDATE

    February 22, 2025 UPDATE

    ELECTIONS The Central Electoral Bureau of Romania announced that it decided on Saturday to admit the registration of the Protocol on the establishment of the electoral alliance “Romania Forward”, signed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), in the ruling coalition, in order to support Crin Antonescu’s candidacy in the presidential elections. Antonescu is also backed by the group of ethnic minorities in the Romanian Parliament. 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. The election campaign begins on April 4 and ends on May 3, with the vote scheduled on May 4 and the second round on May 18. In December the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election over foreign interference in the electoral process. Thousands of Romanians, supporters of the independent sovereigntist candidate Călin Georgescu, who came out first in the first election round in December, took to the streets again in Bucharest on Saturday to demand that the elections be resumed with the second round.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan said on Saturday that Romania welcomes the release of the 6 Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza, one of whom has dual, Israeli and Romanian citizenship. “We take this opportunity to reiterate our support for implementing the ceasefire agreement and releasing the hostages, as well as for the urgent provision of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza,” president Bolojan posted on social media. He also mentioned that Romania thanks the US, Qatar, Israel and Egypt for the efforts made to free the hostages. On Saturday, Hamas handed over the last 6 hostages in a first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Israel in Gaza, which provided for the release of a total of 33 captives. Hamas, in turn, receives over 700 Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

     

    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, the finance minister Tanczos Barna said 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.

     

    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.

     

    AIRCRAFT US aircraft deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base (southeastern Romania) are performing low-altitude training flights in and around Constanţa County these days, the Romanian Air Forces announced. They say that the exercises will continue until February 28 and promised that all safety measures have been taken to reduce the noise impact on civilians. Officials say that these trainings aim to increase the response capacity of aeronautical personnel.

     

    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.

     

    HANDBALL CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the quarterfinals of the men’s handball competition EHF European Cup, although they were defeated by the Finnish team BK-46, 32-31, on Saturday, in Karis, in the second leg of the round of 16. Minaur also played the first match in Finland, on Friday, winning 33-30. Last season, Minaur Baia Mare reached the semifinals of the European Cup. (AMP)

  • 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)

  • December 19, 2024 UPDATE

    December 19, 2024 UPDATE

    TALKS The last thing Romania needs is a wide-scale governmental and Parliamentary crisis, the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis, said on Thursday. There is no time now for petty arguments and every leader must see themselves as a state-person and negotiate for a new government to propose a budget and stage presidential election as soon as possible next year, Iohannis went on to say. The Romanian president has announced he will summon the political parties for a new round of talks. His statement comes after the announcement by the country’s Prime Minister and Social-Democratic leader, Marcel Ciolacu that the PSD is going to withdraw from the talks for setting up an Executive and that it will be voting for a minority right-wing government. The interim PNL chair, Ilie Bolojan, says the Liberals are willing to contribute to finding a solution. In his opinion the country is already in a complicated situation and the inability to build up a ruling coalition will cost the Romanians dearly. The USR MP, Catalin Drula, whose party has been accused of far-fetched claims for carrying on the talks, has lashed out at Ciolacu’s statement and the UDMR has made an appeal to the coalition partners to come back to the negotiations table. After the cancellation of the presidential election, the pro-European parties, which won seats in Parliament following the election round on December 1st, namely PNL, USR and UDMR have kicked off talks with a view to forging a coalition government.

     

    SUMMIT ‘There would be no winners in a potential trade war between the United States and the European Union except China’, the EU’s Foreign Affairs High Representative, Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. Her statement comes against the uncertainties related to the future decisions by the Trump administration, due to take over on January 20th. There are fears the new US administration might raise import fees for European products up to 20%, an alternative being considered by heads of state and government at the European Summit underway in Brussels. The aforementioned summit, where Romania is being represented by its president, Klaus Iohannis, has high on its agenda the situation in Ukraine, migration, the Middle East, the bloc’s civil and military training, crisis-response as well as the situation in the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

     

    FITCH The Fitch rating agency has worsened Romania’s outlook from “stable” to “negative” regarding the raring for long-term loans in foreign currency. Among the reasons cited, Fitch mentions political risk factors, including “eroded political credibility” and political uncertainty, as well as fiscal slippages and unsustainable spending. An important factor that has been taken into account is the large budget deficit. Among the causes, Fitch lists public sector wage spending and “unfunded pension increases ahead of the election”. In addition, the new Romanian Parliament is more divided and there is an increase in the share of extreme right anti-European parties, which reflects the rising polarization of Romanian society. On the other hand, a plus for Romania is, according to Fitch, the solid banking sector. Among the factors that can lead to a positive rating, the agency mentions the higher than projected fiscal consolidation, which supports the stabilization of the public debt (GDP) in the medium term and the reduction of external indebtedness and external financing risks.

     

    FOOTBALL The main shareholder of the football club Rapid Bucharest, one of the most popular in Romania, the businessman Dan Şucu, became the majority shareholder of the Italian club Genoa, the Serie A group announced on its official website. The source points out that, following a capital increase to 45,356,262 Euros, of which 5,356,262 Euros are free and another 40,000,000 paid on December 14, the Board of Directors approved the Romanian investor’s offer. He subscribed to the entire capital increase, obtaining, in return, a share in the share capital of about 77% of Genoa CFC and leaving the previous shareholders as a minority – the release also states. President of the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Şucu (61 years old) is a prominent figure in the Romanian economy. He is the founder of Mobexpert, the largest furniture brand in Romania, with over 2,200 employees. He is also involved in the real estate sector and in the media, with a key role in the business daily “Ziarul Financiar”. Genoa is ranked 13thin Serie A after 16 matches, with 16 points.

     

    (bill)

  • December 18, 2024 UPDATE

    December 18, 2024 UPDATE

    Council – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, who is participating in the EU Summit – Western Balkans and the European Council meeting, argued, on Wednesday, that an integrated approach and finding tools and solutions are needed, because this is what the people are awaiting from the EU leadership and from the national leaderships. The head of state, who had a first meeting with the new president of the European Council, António Costa, discussed with him “the importance of resilience and a strategic orientation, to be able to manage all the challenges”. Klaus Iohannis stated that efforts are needed to combat Russia’s “malignant” interference, to reduce exposure to these treacherous attacks. “Romania had an enormous problem and it coped with it”, the president declared on Wednesday, referring to foreign interference in the electoral process. On Thursday, the agenda of the European Council will include topics such as Ukraine, migration, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s preparation in the civil and military fields and the response to crises, the role of the EU in the world and the EU enlargement, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and issues related to freedom, security and justice.

     

    Rating – Fitch confirmed Romania’s long-term foreign currency rating at ‘BBB minus’, but worsened the assigned outlook from stable to negative, which means that a further downgrade is possible – the financial rating agency said in a statement. According to Fitch, the rating reflects the major risks facing Romania due to additional political tensions emerging on the political scene following the cancelation of the presidential election due to external interference, as well as to the parliamentary elections that resulted in a more divided Parliament, with an increase in extreme right-wing, anti-EU parties, reflecting the increased polarization of Romanian society. Added to these causes are fiscal imbalances and the increase in public debt. The rating granted by Fitch, which measures the ability of a Government to honor its financial obligations, could lead to an increase in interest rates for the loans that the Executive intends to take out from the foreign market.

     

    Parliament – A reception center for the newly elected senators and deputies is open as of Wednesday until Friday at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest. The new MPs are being guided, these days, through the formalities needed in order to take over their mandates. The new Parliament resulting from the legislative elections of December 1 was convened, on Friday, for the setting-up session. On Wednesday, the representatives of the PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of national minorities other than the Hungarian one continued the discussions to finalize the governing program and the structure of the new executive. The leaders of USR left the meeting, after they conditioned their entry into the government on the approval of some measures, including the urgent adoption of the state budget for next year and the establishment in the coalition of a commission of inquiry regarding the conditions for organizing the elections and preventing foreign influences. The intention of the pro-European parties is for the future government to be endorsed by Parliament by the holidays. If USR decides not to be part of the future executive – PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of national minorities have a total of 244 mandates of senators and deputies. 233 votes are needed to invest the government in Parliament.

     

    Timişoara – In Timişoara (western Romania), manifestations dedicated to the anti-communist revolution of December 1989 continued on Wednesday. Tuesday, in the city in western Romania, was a day of mourning in memory of those killed at the outbreak of the Revolution. After the bloody repression of the revolt on December 17, the big factories went on strike and the workers lined up and gathered in the city center. On December 20, Timişoara became the first city free from communism in Romania, and from here the flame of the Revolution spread throughout the country, to culminate, on the 22nd, in Bucharest, with the escape of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, Elena.

     

    Handball – Romania will host the European Men’s Youth Handball Championship in 2026, the Romanian Handball Federation announced on Wednesday. The championship will take place in Cluj-Napoca and Turda. This is the second European competition that Romania will organize in 2026, when the country will host the European Women’s Handball Championship, along with the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey.

     

    National minorities – Romania is a model of good coexistence between citizens, whether they belong to the majority or to national minorities, and a model of promoting identity rights – the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, on Wednesday in a message on the occasion of the Day of National Minorities in Romania, December 18. “Through dialogue, respect and understanding, the Romanian citizens, belonging both to the majority and the minority, have managed to coexist harmoniously in their communities, as well as at the national level” the head of Romania’s government also said. Several events dedicated to the Day of National Minorities were organized, also on Wednesday, by the Department for Interethnic Relations within the General Secretariat of the Government, in collaboration with the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum. The 19 minorities, other than the Hungarian one, recognized by the Romanian state are represented, practically, ex officio, in the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. UDMR, the main political party of the Hungarian minority, the most numerous in the country, has been present without interruption, since 1990, in post-communist Romania’s Parliament. As of 1996, UDMR has been part of numerous coalition governments in Bucharest, whether right-wing or left-wing. (LS)

     

  • December 18, 2024

    December 18, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    RATING – Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on Romania’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to Negative from Stable, meaning a further downgrade is possible, the rating agency said in a statement. According to Fitch, the assessment reflects the major risks Romania faces due to additional political tensions on the political scene after the cancellation of the presidential elections due to external interference, as well as the parliamentary elections that resulted in a more divided Parliament, with a rise in the far right and anti-EU parties, reflecting the increased polarization of Romanian society. The Fitch outlook, which measures a Government’s ability to fulfill its financial obligations, could lead to an increase in interest rates for the loans that the Government plans to take out from the foreign market.

     

    SUMMIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is participating, today and Thursday, in Brussels, in the EU – Western Balkans Summit and the European Council meeting. On Thursday, the European Council agenda will include topics such as Ukraine, migration, the situation in the Middle East, the EU’s civil and military preparedness and response to crises, the EU’s role in the world and the enlargement of the Union, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and issues related to freedom, security and justice.

     

    PARLIAMENT – A reception center for the newly elected senators and deputies is open as of today until Friday at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest. The new MPs are being guided, these days, through the formalities needed in order to take over their mandates. The new Parliament resulting from the legislative elections of December 1 was convened, on Friday, for its constituent session. In the meantime, the first clear results are emerging after almost a week and a half of negotiations between the parties that want to form the future Parliament majority. PSD, PNL, UDMR and the national minorities other than the Hungarian one have presented the main directions of a 4-year governing program. After tensions in recent days, it is not yet known whether the USR will also be part of the future government.

     

    COMMEMORATION – In Timişoara, events dedicated to the anti-communist Revolution of December ’89 continue today. Tuesday, the city in western Romania was a day of mourning in memory of those killed at the outbreak of the Revolution. After the bloody repression of the uprising on December 17, the large factories went on strike, and the workers gathered in the city center. On December 20, Timişoara became the first Romanian city free from communism  and from here the flame of the Revolution spread throughout the country, to culminate, on the 22nd, in Bucharest, with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, trying to escape.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The European Commission has launched an official investigation into TikTok, for Russia’s interference in the Romanian presidential elections. The EC is collecting data to determine whether the platform violated EU law. Among other things, the risks to civic discourse or paid political advertising and content are being investigated. On the other hand, the leadership of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemned Russian interference and the role of TikTok, a Chinese-controlled platform, in destabilizing the democratic process in Romania.

  • August 31, 2024 UPDATE

    August 31, 2024 UPDATE

     

    LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day was celebrated on Saturday both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events were held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on the cultural heritage and an invaluable heritage we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the phrase “Romanian language.” This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

     

    VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Saturday was on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova, for talks with his counterpart Maia Sandu. On this occasion, the two officials signed a Joint Declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, which has received consistent support from Romania so far to withstand the many challenges it has been facing. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. He emphasized that Romania’s strategic commitment to supporting the democratic development of Moldova would remain unwavering in the long run, and called on all international partners to provide consistent support in its EU accession efforts. In turn, Maia Sandu said Romania played a vital part in consolidating her country’s energy independence, and also highlighted Bucharest’s support in the EU accession process. The Romanian president’s visit to Chişinău took place as Romania and Moldova celebrated the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

     

    RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the country’s income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above ‘BBB’ category peers. The international institution’s decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romania’s economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

     

    PENSIONS A bill on raising the pension tax threshold in Romania from EUR 400 at present to EUR 600 is to be endorsed next week in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect, the culture minister Raluca Turcan announced. She said the measure had been promoted since 2022 by the National Liberal Party, and that after its endorsement in Parliament it would take effect on October 1. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party decided a few days ago that the new bill should be rushed through Parliament, instead of being endorsed by the government under an emergency order.

     

    LAW The legislation regarding extended restraining orders took effect in Romania on Saturday. The goal is to protect all victims, irrespective of their relations with the abuser. The justice minister, Alina Ghorghiu, says that previously, restraining orders were only issued for cases of domestic violence, but the new legislation also includes psychological abuse. She encouraged all victims to seek protection and to report abuse cases, regardless of the form of abuse and of who the abuser is. In this context, the Romanian justice ministry has initiated an awareness raising campaign called “Living in fear is not living.” In 2023, nearly 80,000 cases of domestic violence were reported to the police, and in over 30,000 cases the victims were women. (AMP)

  • August 31, 2024

    August 31, 2024

     

    LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day is celebrated today both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events are held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on an invaluable cultural heritage that we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the phrase “Romanian language.” This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

     

    VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed in Chişinău on Saturday a joint declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate resilience in the Republic of Moldova. The document defines and strengthens bilateral cooperation in this critical area for consolidating and safeguarding democracy and stability in the neighbouring state. President Maia Sandu said Romania had invested massively in the development of Moldova and remained the staunchest supporter of its EU accession efforts at international level. In turn, Klaus Iohannis promised that Bucharest’s commitment to supporting Chisinau in any crisis, including in the energy sector, is firmer than ever. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. Romania will be the most reliable and active supporter of Moldova’s EU accession efforts, and I encourage all international partners to provide consistent and long-term support to this country and its citizens, Iohannis added. His visit to Chişinău took takes place as Romania and Moldova celebrate the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

     

    RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the country’s income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above ‘BBB’ category peers. The international institution’s decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romania’s economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

     

    ENESCU As of today, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest is hosting the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition, one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. Until September 27, some of the world’s best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano. The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra. The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competition’s opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)

  • Trade balance deficit on a downward trend

    Trade balance deficit on a downward trend

    Traditionally an importer, post-communist Romanias economy buys more than it sells, and the trade balance deficit is a chronic issue. The first seven months of 2023 promise, however, slight corrections. In this interval, the deficit stood at 15.6 billion Euros, 17% lower than the same period last year, show data published by the National Institute of Statistics. Romanias exports totaled 55 billion Euros, 4.6% higher than in the same period of the previous year. At the same time, between January 1 and July 31, 2023, Romania imported goods worth 70 billion Euros, down by 1.1% as compared to the similar period of 2022. Important shares in the structure of commercial exchanges are held by cars and transport equipment (44.8% for export and 36.3% for import) and by other manufactured products (30.3% for export and 29.2% for import).



    The Romanian economy remains strongly anchored in the trade flows of the European Union. The value of intra-EU27 goods exchanges in the first seven months of 2023 was over 40 billion Euros for exports and 52 billion for imports, accounting for 72.8% of the total exports and 73.6% of the total imports. The value of extra-EU27 exchanges was almost 15 billion Euros for exports and over 18 billion for imports, accounting for 27.2% of the total exports and 26.4% of the total imports. A few days ago, the Fitch rating agency reconfirmed Romanias sovereign rating at BBB minus, with a stable outlook. The decision is supported by capital flows from the European Union, which support investments and the country’s macroeconomic stability, as well as by the positive evolution of the GDP per capita and indicators of governance and human development, which are at higher levels as compared with other countries from the same rating group. According to Fitch, the Romanian economy will register a 2.9% growth this year and 3.2% next year.



    The Finance Minister, Marcel Boloş, wrote on his Facebook page that the Fitch Agencys decision to reconfirm Romanias sovereign rating is a strong signal that the country is on the right track and is regarded with confidence by international investors. Experts argue, however, that Romanias rating could be improved, if the authorities manage to reduce the budget deficit and the public debt in the medium term. The international economic press writes that Romania now wants to raise approximately three billion Euros from the international markets, through the third sale of bonds this year. The Romanian government exceeds its loan target, in the context in which, it will most likely need more funds to finance a larger budget deficit, the foreign experts conclude. (LS)

  • 09.09.2023 (mise à jour)

    09.09.2023 (mise à jour)

    Drones – Des nouveaux fragments de drone similaire à ceux utilisés par l’armée russe ont été découverts samedi par des militaires des Forces navales roumaines aux alentours de la localité de Plauru, compté de Tulcea, à proximité de la frontière avec l’Ukraine, fait savoir le ministère de la défense de Bucarest. Celui-ci condamne fermement les attaques exécutées par la Fédération de Russie contre des objectifs et des éléments d’infrastructure civile des ports ukrainiens du Danube. « Ces attaques sont injustifiés et enfreignent gravement les règles du droit international humanitaire, étant en effet des crimes de guerre » – souligne le ministère de la Défense de Bucarest. « L’identification par les autorités roumaines sur le territoire de la Roumanie, à proximité de la frontière avec l’Ukraine de nouveaux débris de drone, similaire à ceux utilisés par l’armée russe, indique le fait qu’une transgression inacceptable de l’espace aérien souverain de la Roumanie, Etat allié de l’OTAN a eu lieu, impliquant des risques réels à l’adresse de la sécurité des citoyens roumains de la région », a précisé le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis. Le chef de l’Etat a fermement condamné les attaques répétées de la Russie contre la population et contre l’infrastructure civile ukrainiennes, y compris celles contre les ports ukrainiens du Danube, à proximité de la frontière avec la Roumanie. Parallèlement, Klaus Iohannis a annoncé dans ce contexte s’être entretenu avec le secrétaire général de l’OTAN, Jens Stoltenberg pour l’infirmer des nouvelles évolutions et le responsable otanien a réaffirmé la solidarité totale avec la Roumanie.

    Notation – L’agence de notation Fitch a reconfirmé la notation de dette gouvernementale de la Roumanie à 3B-/F3 pour la dette à long et court terme en devises, ainsi que la perspective stable, a annoncé ce samedi le ministère des Finances de Bucarest. Selon l’agence, la décision repose sur le statut de membre de l’UE, ainsi que sur l’évolution positive du PIB par habitant. Parallèlement, l’agence souligne aussi la dette publique stable de la Roumanie, ainsi que l’évolution à la baisse du taux d’inflation. De l’avis des experts de Fitch, l’économie roumaine enregistrera une progression de 2,9% cette année, respectivement de 3,2% l’année prochaine, alors que le pays bénéficiera de fonds européens importants, tant dans le cadre financier pluriannuel 2021-2027, que depuis le mécanisme de relance et de résilience. La décision de l’agence de reconfirmer la notation souveraine de la Roumanie et de maintenir une perspective stable est de l’avis du ministre des finances, Marcel Boloş, un signal fort que le pays est sur la bonne voie et qu’elle est vue avec de la confiance par les investisseurs et par les partenaires internationaux. L’annonce est une reconnaissance de nos efforts constants de contrôler le déficit budgétaire, afin de soutenir le milieu des affaires et de promouvoir une croissance économique soutenable a annoncé Marcel Bolos.

    Maroc – Les autorités roumaines maintiennent un contact étroit avec celles du Maroc et sont prêtes à leur offrir de l’assistance – a annoncé aujourd’hui le premier ministre roumain Marcel Ciolacu. Des centaines de personnes ont perdu la vie suite à un tremblement de terre de qui a frappé le Maroc la nuit dernière, provoquant des dégâts énormes et semant la panique à Marrakech, célèbre destination touristique, mais aussi dans d’autres villes. Le séisme a eu une magnitude de 6,8 sur l’échelle de Richter. « Attristé par le désastre qui a eu lieu au Maroc. Nos pensées visent les familles de ceux qui ont perdu la vie dans cette tragédie » a écrit aussi le président roumain Klaus Iohannis sur le réseau X, ex-Twitter. Le séisme a suscité une série de gestes de solidarité dans le monde et de nombreux Etats dont Isräel ont offert leur aide aux autorités de Rabat. L’Algérie a annoncé fermer son espace aérien, fermé depuis septembre 2021 a tous les avions civils et militaires marocains mais uniquement aux vols transportant des aides humanitaires et des blessés du séisme.

    Aviron – La Roumanie a décroché trois médailles dans la finale de samedi des Championnats du monde d’aviron de Belgrade : l’argent au quatre sans barreur féminin, bronze du deux de pointe et deux de couple poids léger. La Roumanie évoluera aussi dimanche dans trois autres finales : deux de couple femmes, huit à barreur femmes et huit à barreur messieurs. Rappelons-le, l’année dernière la Roumanie a remporté quatre médailles d’or aux Championnats du monde d’aviron à Racice en République Tchèque.

    Rugby – Et dans la Coupe du monde de rugby en France, la Roumanie a souffert la défaite la plus brutale de son histoire face à l’Irlande sur le score de 82 à 8. Les sportifs roumains, surnommés les chênes ont surpris tout le monde en ouvrant les hostilités suite a une relance du virevoltant Vaosova conclue par Rupanu. Et pourtant, le XV de Trefle a inscrit pas moins de douze essais, ne recensant aucun blessé. Ce fut une véritable démonstration pour les Irlandais qui décrochent pour leur part la victoire la plus large de leur histoire en Coupe du monde.

  • Nachrichten 19.04.2023

    Nachrichten 19.04.2023

    Der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis setzt heute seinen Besuch in Brasilien fort. Er reist nach Rio de Janeiro, wo er mit dem stellvertretenden Gouverneur des Bundesstaates und dem stellvertretenden Bürgermeister der Stadt zusammentreffen und einen Kranz am Denkmal für die im Zweiten Weltkrieg gefallenen Helden niederlegen wird. Am Montag traf Iohannis mit seinem Amtskollegen Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva zusammen. Die beiden Staatsoberhäupter unterzeichneten eine gemeinsame Erklärung über die Entwicklung der bilateralen Beziehungen. Gleichzeitig sicherte Klaus Iohannis seinem Amtskollegen Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seine Unterstützung zu, die EU-Brasilien-Agenda durch Projekte voranzubringen, die den Bürgern zugute kommen. Der Besuch in Brasilien ist die erste Etappe einer Südamerikareise, die auch Chile und Argentinien einschließt. Ziel ist es, den hochrangigen Dialog mit diesen Ländern wieder aufzunehmen und die Position Rumäniens als EU- und NATO-Mitglied zu dem von Russland ausgelösten Krieg in der benachbarten Ukraine darzulegen.



    Rumänien wird die Einfuhr von Getreide und Ölsaaten aus der Ukraine einschränken, zusätzliche Sicherheitsmaßnahmen für Transportmittel im Transit durch das Land einführen und direkte Zollkontrollen für alle Agrar- und Lebensmittelprodukte aus der Ukraine einrichten, teilte das Ministerium für Landwirtschaft und ländliche Entwicklung in Bukarest am Mittwoch mit. Die Entscheidungen wurden getroffen, nachdem Landwirtschaftsminister Petre Daea eine Online-Diskussion mit seinem ukrainischen Amtskollegen Mikola Solski geführt hatte. Die beiden Beamten werden sich am Freitag, den 21. April, in Bukarest treffen, um sso schnell wie möglich die besten Lösungen für beide Seiten zu finden. Daea bekräftigte, dass Rumänien als Mitgliedstaat die Bemühungen der Europäischen Kommission unterstützt, die Ukraine angesichts der russischen Aggression zu unterstützen, und dass es weiterhin den Getreidetransit aus diesem Land in Drittländer und über die traditionellen Handelswege sicherstellen wird. Ähnliche Maßnahmen wurden auch von anderen osteuropäischen EU-Ländern ergriffen, da die niedrigen zollfreien Preise für ukrainische Agrarerzeugnisse die örtlichen Landwirte beeinträchtigen.



    Das Europäische Parlament bekräftigt sein Engagement für den Beitritt der Republik Moldau zur Europäischen Union. In einer am Mittwoch angenommenen Resolution erklären die Abgeordneten, dass dies eine geostrategische Investition in ein geeintes und starkes Europa wäre. Die Abgeordneten weisen darauf hin, dass die Beitrittsverhandlungen bis Ende 2023 beginnen müssen, nachdem die neun von der Europäischen Kommission festgelegten Etappen abgeschlossen sind, und dass die Union das Land weiterhin bei der Erreichung der Energieunabhängigkeit unterstützen muss. Die Republik Moldau, so heißt es in dem Dokument weiter, sei nach wie vor russischem Druck und Erpressung im Energiebereich, wirtschaftlichen Turbulenzen aufgrund des Krieges in der benachbarten Ukraine sowie vom Kreml unterstützten Versuchen ausgesetzt, die pro-europäische Regierung des Landes zu destabilisieren.



    Der von der USR und Forța Dreptei, der demokratischen Opposition in Rumänien, eingebrachte einfache Antrag gegen Landwirtschaftsminister Petre Daea wurde am Mittwoch in der Abgeordnetenkammer abgelehnt. Die Initiatoren sind der Meinung, dass Daea direkt für den Anstieg der Preise für Grundnahrungsmittel, das Missmanagement der Schweinepest und der Vogelgrippe sowie die Nichtbereitstellung von EU-Mitteln für rumänische Landwirte, die von Getreideimporten aus der Ukraine betroffen sind, verantwortlich ist. Der Landwirtschaftsminister erklärte, dass alle Anschuldigungen nicht auf realen Daten beruhten.



    Mehr als 12 Tausend Besucher aus Rumänien und dem Ausland haben das Nationale Kunstmuseum in Timisoara (Westrumänien) besucht, um die erste Retrospektive des rumänischen Künstlers Victor Brauner seit der offiziellen Eröffnung der Europäischen Kulturhauptstadt Timisoara 2023 im Februar zu bewundern. Wahrscheinlich hat noch keine Ausstellung in der Geschichte des Museums so viele Besucher angezogen wie die Ausstellung Victor Brauner: Erfindungen und Magie in nur zwei Monaten, sagte der Direktor der Einrichtung, Filip Petcu. Rund 100 Werke (Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Skulpturen, Stiche und Dokumente) umfasst die dem rumänischen Surrealisten gewidmete Retrospektive. Davon sind 40 Werke eine besondere Leihgabe des Centre Pompidou in Paris, zusammen mit Werken aus den Sammlungen des Saint-Etienne Metropole, des Musee Cantini Marseille und anderer Museen in Rumänien oder aus Privatsammlungen im Ausland.



    Einer der Indikatoren, die in der Bewertung von Fitch zur Verbesserung des langfristigen Ratings von Bukarest berücksichtigt werden, ist die Anpassung der Ausgaben an die Einnahmen, sagte Oberbürgermeister Nicușor Dan am Mittwoch. Er schrieb auf Facebook, dass die Bemühungen der Stadtverwaltung um finanzielle Stabilisierung sichtbar werden, da Fitch das individuelle Kreditprofil von Bukarest von BBB+ auf A verbessert hat, eine Klasse höher als das nationale Rating, was eine hohe Fähigkeit zur Erfüllung von Verpflichtungen bedeutet. Fitch Ratings bestätigte am 15. April Bukarests langfristiges Rating für Fremd- und Landeswährungsschulden mit ‘BBB-‘ und hob den Ausblick von negativ auf stabil an. Die Entscheidung erfolgt, nachdem Fitch im vergangenen Monat das Rating der rumänischen Staatsverschuldung mit BBB-/F3 für langfristige und kurzfristige Fremdwährungsschulden erneut bestätigt und den Ausblick für das Land von negativ auf stabil angehoben hatte. Mit einer Bevölkerung von etwa 2,16 Millionen Einwohnern ist Bukarest für mehr als 30 % der rumänischen Wirtschaft verantwortlich und das lokale Wohlstandsniveau ist mehr als viermal so hoch wie der nationale Durchschnitt, so Fitch.


  • April 19, 2023

    April 19, 2023

    VISIT The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis is carrying on his visit to Brazil today. He travels to Rio
    de Janeiro, where he has meetings scheduled with the deputy governor and the deputy
    mayor of the city, and will pay tribute to the World War II heroes. On Monday, Mr.
    Iohannis met with his counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two officials
    signed a joint statement on the development of bilateral relations. Klaus
    Iohannis assured his counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of Romania’s
    support for advancing the EU – Brazil agenda through projects designed to
    benefit citizens. This is the first stage of the Romanian president’s
    south-American tour, which also includes Chile and Argentina. The goal is to rekindle
    the top-level dialogue with these countries and to present Romania’s position,
    as an EU and NATO member, with respect to the war launched by Russia in
    neighbouring Ukraine.


    AGRICULTURE A
    simple motion tabled by the opposition against the agriculture minister Petre
    Daea has been dismissed in the Chamber of Deputies today. The motion was
    discussed in parliament on Tuesday. The initiators argued that
    Daea
    was directly responsible for the steep rise in the prices of basic foodstuffs, for
    the poor handling of the swine fever and avian influenza crises, and also for
    the failure to secure EU funding for the Romanian farmers affected by the grain
    imports from Ukraine. The agriculture minister said none of the allegations
    were based on actual figures. On the other hand, he is set to discuss with his
    Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solskyi today, about the situation created by the duty-free
    Ukrainian grain imports to the EU. Last week, Poland and Hungary, followed by
    Slovakia, announced a temporary ban on these imports. Poland also suspended
    grain transit on its territory, but following talks between the two parties an
    agreement was reached on Tuesday to resume transit, provided that the grains
    are not sold in that country. Hungary also announced that Ukrainian grain
    shipments would be sealed and monitored while on Hungarian territory. In
    Bucharest, the Social Democratic Party intends to persuade the ruling coalition
    to temporarily suspend these imports, in order to protect Romanian farmers, in
    the absence of sufficient compensation from the European Commission. Brussels
    on the other hand finds the measure unacceptable and has called for coordinated
    decisions, while promising a new aid package for the affected farmers.


    ART Since the
    start of the Timisoara – 2023 European Capital of Culture programme this
    February, over 12,000 Romanian and foreign art lovers have visited the National
    Art Museum in Timişoara, western Romania, to see the first retrospective
    exhibition devoted to Victor Brauner. Probably no other exhibition in the
    history of the museum has attracted so many visitors as ‘Victor Brauner: Inventions
    and magic did in only two months, the museum director Filip Petcu said on
    Monday. Some 100 works, including paintings, drawings, sketches, etchings and
    documents by the Romanian surrealist artist are on display in Timişoara. Of
    these, 40 are on loan from the Pompidou Centre in Paris, while others have been
    made available by Saint-Etienne Metropole, Musee Cantini Marseilles and other
    museums or private collections in Romania and abroad.


    FINANCE One of
    the indicators taken into account by Fitch Agency when improving Bucharest’s
    long-term issuer default rating was the adjustment of expenditure to revenues, the
    mayor Nicuşor Dan announced on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, he says that the
    municipality’s efforts to achieve financial stability are beginning to yield
    fruit, given that Fitch has improved Bucharest’s standalone credit profile from
    ‘BBB+’ to ‘A’, a class higher than the national rating, which means a good
    capacity to meet financial obligations. On April 15, Fitch Ratings reconfirmed
    Bucharest’s ‘BBB-‘ ratings for long-term foreign and local currency debt and
    upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. Last month Fitch had also
    reconfirmed Romania’s BBB-/F3 rating for long and short-term foreign currency
    debt and upgraded the outlook from negative to stable. With a population of approx.
    2.16 million, Bucharest accounts for over 30% of
    Romania’s economy, and its local wealth level is more than four times the
    national average.



    USA
    Fox News, the TV channel of choice of US Conservatives, has agreed to pay USD
    787.5 million to the voting technology company Dominion, after a last-minute
    settlement to avoid a lawsuit concerning its coverage of the 2020 presidential
    elections, France Presse reports. Dominion had originally claimed USD 1.6 bln.
    The settlement saves the pearl of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire from what the New
    York Times described as the defamation trial of the century. The lawsuit was generally
    viewed in the US as a test for the limits of the freedom of expression
    guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and of the fight
    against misinformation. (AMP)

  • 15.04.2023 (mise à jour)

    15.04.2023 (mise à jour)

    Pâques – Les chrétiens orthodoxes et les grec-
    catholiques célèbrent le 16 avril le dimanche de Pâques, la plus grande fête de
    la chrétienté. Le nom de Pâques tire sa source du mot Pesah, qui en hébreux
    signifie passage. « Que les fêtes pascales nous inspirent et qu’elles nous
    rendent encore plus empathiques envers nos semblables touchés par la guerre et
    les catastrophes » a transmis le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis,
    dans un message.




















    Sécurité – Plus
    de 24.000 policiers, gendarmes et sapeurs-pompiers sont mobilisés ces jours-ci
    pour veiller à la sécurité des Roumains durant les fêtes pascales. On s’attend
    à ce que le trafic routier soit bien chargé et que quelque 800.000 fidèles se
    rendent à la messe de samedi, à minuit. La Gendarmerie a mis en place des
    dispositifs de maintien de l’ordre. Chaque jour, plus de 2700 policiers seront
    présents aux événements religieux et artistiques organisés durant cette période
    pour veiller à la sécurité publique.


    Visite – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, fera
    du 18 au 26 avril des visites au Brésil, au Chili et en Argentine pour une
    redynamisation des relations bilatérales. Les visites sont censées lancer de
    nouvelles opportunités de collaboration dans différents domaines, tels économie,
    commerce, recherche, protection de l’environnement, changements climatiques,
    agriculture, éducation, culture et protection civile.






















    Culture – A l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de l’art,
    le ministre roumain de la Culture, Lucian Romascanu, a affirmé que l’art reste
    une expression de la liberté individuelle et il a appelé les Roumains à
    respecter les artistes. Considérée comme une célébration internationale des
    beaux-arts, la Journée mondiale de l’art a été déclarée par l’Association
    internationale de l’art en 2012, lors de
    la XVIIème Assemblée générale de Guadalajara, au Mexique. Elle est célébrée
    chaque année, le 15 avril, date de la naissance de Leonard de Vinci.


    FMI – L’économie européenne s’est débrouillée d’une
    manière raisonnable ces dernières semaines, mais elle se confronte actuellement
    à un ralentissement de son rythme de croissance et donc, à des multiples
    risques, avertit le FMI. Le taux de l’inflation reste élevé et il dépasse le
    seuil de 10% dans la plupart des pays émergeants et dans certains pays avancés.
    Une baisse de l’inflation pourrait survenir suite à la diminution des tarifs
    énergétiques et à l’amélioration de la situation des chaînes
    d’approvisionnement. Le FMI prédit pour les économies avancées un taux moyen d’inflation
    de 5,6% d’ici la fin de l’année et un taux de 11,7% pour les économies
    émergentes. Selon les prévisions, en Roumanie, l’inflation poursuivra sa
    tendance à la baisse. La BNR rappelle que le taux annuel de l’inflation s’est
    réduit de 16,37% en décembre 2022 à 15,52% en février dernier.




    Notation – L’agence de notation internationale Fitch
    Ratings a confirmé vendredi la note BBB – de la capitale roumaine, Bucarest, pour
    ses émissions souveraines de long-terme en devises et en monnaie locale et a
    amélioré la perspective de négative à stable. Le mois dernier, l’agence a
    réitéré la note de BBB – F3 de la Roumanie pour sa dette publique en devises et
    en monnaie locale et a révisé la perspective de négative à stable. Par
    ailleurs, Fitch a révisé le profil de crédit de Bucarest de BBB plus à A, après
    que le profil de risque ait passé «d’un niveau moyen réduit » à « un
    niveau moyen ». La capitale roumaine est responsable de plus de 30% de
    l’économie roumaine et le niveau du patrimoine moyen des Bucarestois est quatre
    fois supérieur à la moyenne nationale. Les dépenses en capital de la ville
    pourraient augmenter entre 2023 et 2025, ce qui entraînerait un déficit moyen
    de 3% sur la totalité des revenus, apprécie Fitch.


    Météo – Les 24 prochaines heures, les températures seront
    aux alentours de la moyenne saisonnière, sauf dans le sud et le sud-ouest où il
    fera plus doux que la normale. Le ciel sera partiellement couvert et des pluies
    tomberont sur le sud, le sud-ouest et le centre du pays. Des précipitations
    mixtes sont signalées à plus de 1800 mètres d’altitude. Les températures iront
    dimanche du 13 au 22 degrés.

  • 25.03.2023 (mise à jour)

    25.03.2023 (mise à jour)

    Visite
    – Le président du Conseil européen, Charles Michel, entame lundi une visite
    officielle à Bucarest pour des discussions avec le chef de l’Etat roumain,
    Klaus Iohannis. A l’issue de leur entrevue, les deux responsables politiques
    feront des déclarations de presse. La visite survient deux jours après la
    réunion de Bruxelles des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement de l’UE, consacrée
    notamment à la situation en Ukraine.














    Défense – Le ministre
    roumain de la Défense, Angel Tîlvar, et les ambassadeurs des pays nordiques
    accrédités à Bucarest ont examiné ensemble l’actuelle situation de sécurité
    provoquée par la guerre menée par la Fédération de Russie en Ukraine. Le
    ministre roumain a transmis aux représentants diplomatiques danois, estonien,
    finlandais, suédois et lituanien la volonté de Bucarest de rester profondément
    impliqué dans les efforts de développer les relations de coopération avec leurs
    pays. Les discussions ont mis en avant l’importance de poursuivre le soutien
    international accordé à l’Ukraine. Angel Tâlvar a réitéré l’importance
    d’accorder le soutien des alliés aux partenaires à l’Est des frontières de
    l’OTAN, comme la République de Moldova.


    Economie -
    L’agence de notation internationale Fitch Ratings vient de confirmer la note
    BBB assortie d’une perspective négative de la Roumanie pour ses émissions
    souveraines de long-terme en devises. La note F3 de la dette à
    court terme en devises a été également confirmée par l’agence mondiale de
    notation financière. Pour la première fois depuis avril 2020, celle-ci a révisé
    à la hausse la perspective de la note de la Roumanie de négative à stable. La
    décision de Fitch représente une preuve de confiance dans les perspectives de
    croissance de l’économie roumaine, fondée sur la poursuite des programmes
    gouvernementaux et sur l’encouragement des opportunités de développement du
    pays, a déclaré le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca. L’agence de notation Fitch a
    mis en évidence aussi bien la résilience économique de la Roumanie dans le
    courant de 2022 que sa stabilité politique lui ayant permis de gérer la crise
    énergétique et celle provoquée par la guerre en Ukraine. Dans le contexte des fonds
    européens que Bruxelles versera à Bucarest dans le cadre de l’exercice
    financier pluriannuel 2021-2027 que via le Plan national de relance et de
    résilience, le pays pourrait connaître une croissance économique de 2,3% d’ici
    la fin de l’année et de 3% en 2024. Pour améliorer sa note, la Roumanie devrait
    stabiliser sa dette publique en pourcentage du PIB à moyen terme, parallèlement
    à la diminution de son déficit publique et des risques.










    Protestations -
    Des policiers et des militaires en réserve ont protesté samedi devant le siège
    du Ministère des Affaires Intérieures de Bucarest pour réclamer la mise en
    place sous sa forme initiale, de la loi des salaires et des pensions
    militaires. Les protestataires demandent un système prédictible des pensions de
    retraite, comme c’est le cas partout dans les pays membres de l’OTAN et de
    l’UE. Les syndicalistes exigent également des bonus salariaux, la majoration du
    ratio de nourriture et des suppléments financiers censés compenser le stress
    neuropsychique. Vendredi, le Syndicat des militaires en réserve et celui des
    Policiers ont organisé une marche de protestation pour dénoncer les problèmes
    auxquels se confronte le système de la défense et de la sécurité nationale.








    Police
    – La Police roumaine a fêté samedi les 201 années écoulées depuis sa première
    attestation documentaire. A cette occasion, différentes manifestations ont été
    organisées à travers la Roumanie. « Les policiers sont ceux qui nous
    protègent et qui jouent un rôle essentiel au sein du système de sécurité
    nationale » a précisé le premier ministre, Nicolae Ciuca dans un message
    transmis à cette occasion. Et lui de souligner la nécessité que la Police
    roumaine se réinvente pour répondre aux nouveaux défis en matière de
    criminalité.




















    Météo – Il fera
    doux partout en Roumanie dans les 24 prochaines heures. L’instabilité
    atmosphérique sera accentuée notamment dans la moitié orientale du territoire.
    Des précipitations mixtes pourraient tomber à plus de 1700 mètres d’altitude.
    Dimanche, les températures iront de 11 à 22 degrés.

  • 25.03.2023

    25.03.2023

    Economie – L’agence
    de notation internationale Fitch Ratings vient de confirmer la note BBB
    assortie d’une perspective négative de la Roumanie pour ses émissions
    souveraines de long-terme en devises. La note F3 de la dette à
    court terme en devises a été également confirmée par l’agence mondiale de
    notation financière. Pour la première fois depuis avril 2020, celle-ci a révisé
    à la hausse la perspective de la note de la Roumanie de négative à stable. La
    décision de Fitch représente une preuve de confiance dans les perspectives de
    croissance de l’économie roumaine, fondée sur la poursuite des programmes
    gouvernementaux et sur l’encouragement des opportunités de développement du
    pays, a déclaré le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca. L’agence de notation Fitch a
    mis en évidence aussi bien la résilience économique de la Roumanie dans le
    courant de 2022 que sa stabilité politique lui ayant permis de gérer la crise
    énergétique et celle provoquée par la guerre en Ukraine. Dans le contexte des fonds
    européens que Bruxelles versera à Bucarest dans le cadre de l’exercice financier
    pluriannuel 2021-2027 que via le Plan national de relance et de résilience, le
    pays pourrait connaître une croissance économique de 2,3% d’ici la fin de
    l’année et de 3% en 2024. Pour améliorer sa note, la Roumanie devrait
    stabiliser sa dette publique en pourcentage du PIB à moyen terme, parallèlement
    à la diminution de son déficit publique et des risques.










    Protestations -
    Des policiers et des militaires en réserve ont protesté samedi devant le siège
    du Ministère des Affaires Intérieures de Bucarest pour réclamer la mise en
    place sous sa forme initiale, de la loi des salaires et des pensions
    militaires. Les protestataires demandent un système prédictible des pensions de
    retraite, comme c’est le cas partout dans les pays membres de l’OTAN et de
    l’UE. Les syndicalistes exigent également des bonus salariaux, la majoration du
    ratio de nourriture et des suppléments financiers censés compenser le stress
    neuropsychique. Vendredi, le Syndicat des militaires en réserve et celui des
    Policiers ont organisé une marche de protestation pour dénoncer les problèmes
    auxquels se confronte le système de la défense et de la sécurité nationale.






















    Une heure pour la Planète – Des millions de citoyens, des institutions et des entreprises du monde
    entier éteindront ce soir les lumières une heure durant dans le cadre du
    mouvement international « Une Heure pour la planète », célébré le
    dernier samedi du mois de mars. Selon le Ministère roumain de l’Environnement,
    à partir de cette année, le Fonds mondial pour la nature lance le défi d’offrir
    une heure à la planète tous les mois. La biodiversité se perd à une vitesse
    sans précédent et l’économie mondiale dépend de la nature, a fait savoir le
    ministère roumain. Organisé pour la première fois le 31 mars 2007, à Sydney,
    « Une Heure pour la planète » tire la sonnette d’alarme quant aux
    changements climatiques. Le Ministère roumain de l’Environnement rejoint les
    8000 institutions de 195 pays qui éteindront les lumières ce soir, à 20h30,
    heure de Bucarest. Parmi les institutions participantes figure aussi le Palais
    du Parlement de Bucarest dont l’éclairage aussi bien extérieur qu’intérieur
    sera interrompu une heure durant, à partir du 20h30.










    Heure d’été
    – Cette nuit, la Roumanie s’apprête à
    passer à l’heure d’été. Par conséquent, dimanche matin, à 3 heures du matin, il
    sera donc 4 heures. On perdra ainsi une heure de sommeil, mais on gagnera une
    heure de soleil dans la soirée. Le passage à l’heure estivale n’entraînera pas
    de changements sur les horaires des trains, a fait savoir la SNCF de Roumanie.


    Tennis – La
    joueuse roumaine de tennis, Sorana Cîrstea s’est qualifiée pour le troisième
    round du tournoi WTA 1000 de Miami, en Floride, après une victoire vendredi
    soir contre la Française, Caroline Garcia, quatrième mondiale. Cîrstea s’apprête à rencontrer la Tchèque, Karoline
    Muchova, face à laquelle elle s’est déjà inclinée deux fois. Dans le concours
    de double dames, Irina Begu de Roumanie et Anhelina Kalinina, d’Ukraine ont
    obtenu leur qualification dans les 8ème de finale après avoir battu la paire
    nippone Ahuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara. Leur prochain match, Begu et Kalinina le
    joueront contre Monica Niculescu, de Roumanie et Alicja Rosolska, de Pologne.














    Football – La
    sélection roumaine de football rencontre ce samedi la Principauté d’Andorre au
    tableau du tour préliminaire de l’EURO 2024, accueilli par l’Allemagne. La
    Roumanie fait partie du groupe 1 aux côtés du Belarus, de la Suisse, d’Israël
    et du Kossovo. Le 28 mars, les Tricolores joueront à Bucarest, contre les
    Biélorusses.






    Météo – Les
    températures sont à la baisse dans l’ouest, le nord et le centre de la
    Roumanie. Dans les régions orientales et méridionales de la Roumanie, le temps
    demeure particulièrement doux pour fin mars. La giboulée touche les sommets des
    Carpates. Samedi, les températures maximales vont de 11 à 23 degrés. Nous avons
    22 degrés et un beau soleil à midi, à Bucarest.





  • 08.10.2022

    08.10.2022

    Ukraine – Les autorités ukrainiennes annoncent la découverte de deux cimetières dans la ville de Liman, dans l’est, récemment libéré de sous le contrôle des occupants russes. Selon la BBC, le gouverneur de la région Pavlo Kirilenko, l’un des deux cimetières contient quelque 200 tombes, où des civils seraient enterrés. L’autre est un fossé commun contenant tant des civils que des militaires. L’Ukraine a accusé à maintes reprises la Russie d’avoir commis des crimes de guerre contre les civils des régions occupées. Plusieurs attaques aux missiles ont eu lieu aujourd’hui à Kharkiv. Samedi matin, le pont qui relie la péninsule de Crimée et la Russie a été endommagé par l’explosion d’un camion alors qu’un train constitué de wagons citerne chargés de carburants traversait le détroit. Les liens ferroviaire et routier à travers le pont ont été coupés. La destruction du pont est un nouveau coup dur à l’effort de guerre russe en Ukraine, puisqu’il perturbe une route cruciale d’approvisionnement. Moscou a annexé la Crimée illégalement en 2014, avant d’envahir durant la même année certaines régions de l’Ukraine.

    Prague – Lors de sa visite à Prague, à l’occasion de la réunion informelle du Conseil européen, le président roumain Klaus Iohannis a réitéré la position de la Roumanie en faveur de l’indépendance, de la souveraineté et de l’intégrité territoriale de l’Ukraine. Il a par ailleurs assuré du soutien continu de Bucarest, y compris pour la préparation de l’hiver dans le contexte de tension accrue avec la Russie. Il a déclaré que des mesures « plus pertinentes » étaient nécessaires à l’échelle de l’UE, afin de réduire les prix des l’Energie et a souligné l’importance de diversifier les sources d’énergie. Le chef de l’Etat a réitéré l’idée de séparer les marchés du gaz et de l’électricité et a mentionné le besoin d’un paquet plus ample de mesures. A l’agenda du Conseil européen figurait entre autres la situation en Ukraine, l’évolution du secteur de l’énergie, la question des prix de l’énergie et de l’approvisionnement ainsi que la situation économique européenne.

    Oslo – Trois champions russe, ukrainien et bélarusse de la lutte pour les libertés civiles ont décroché vendredi un Nobel de la paix assorti d’une critique du régime autoritaire et répressif de Vladimir Poutine, en pleine guerre en Ukraine. Le prestigieux prix a été conjointement attribué au militant bélarusse Ales Beliatski, en prison dans son pays, a l’ONG russe Memorial — frappée par un ordre de dissolution — et au Centre ukrainien pour les libertés civiles, qui s’emploie a documenter les crimes de guerre russes dans le conflit en cours. Ce prix intervient alors que l’Ukraine se confronte à une invasion russe et aux crimes de guerres qui auraient été commis par ses troupes. Le comité Nobel norvégien souhaite honorer trois champions remarquables des droits humains, de la démocratie et de la coexistence pacifique dans les trois pays voisins que sont le Belarus, la Russie et l’Ukraine, a déclaré sa présidente Berit Reiss-Andersen.

    Fitch
    –     L’agence de notation Fitch Ratings a confirmé la notation souveraine de la
    Roumanie à 3B minus avec une perspective négative, la dernière note de la
    catégorie « recommandée aux investissements ». Cette note est
    due l’appartenance à l’UE et aux flux des capitaux qui soutiennent les
    investissements et à la stabilité macroéconomique. Y contribuent aussi le PIB
    par tête d’habitant, les indicateurs relatifs à la gouvernance et au
    développement humain, qui sont supérieurs à ceux d’autres Etats qui bénéficient
    d’une note de la catégorie 3B. Pourtant, le déficit budgétaire et le déficit du
    compte courant plus élevé par rapport à d’autres Etats, les performances
    réduites de la consolidation budgétaire et la rigidité du budget, ainsi qu’une
    position de débiteur extérieur net sont des faiblesses incontestables, selon Fitch.
    L’agence s’attend aussi à une réduction du déficit fiscal de l’année 2022 à
    6,4% du PIB suite à une performance solide dans le secteur des recettes. Selon
    Fitch, l’économie devrait enregistrer une avancée de 6,2% en 2022, une des taux
    de croissance les plus élevées de l’UE. Elle est menée par la constitution des
    stocks, mais aussi par la consommation privée solide, malgré la guerre en
    Ukraine.

    Iasi – Coup d’envoi aujourd’hui à Iasi dans le nord-est de la Roumanie du pèlerinage organisé à l’occasion de la fête de la Saint Parascheva. Jusqu’au 16 octobre quelque 300 000 fidèles de Roumanie et d’étrangers sont attendus à la cathédrale métropolitaine d’Iasi. Autour de la fête de Sainte Parascheva, le 14 juillet la ville moldave devient le plus grand centre de pèlerinage du pays.

    ANIMEST – Plus de 340 films et courts métrages figurent à l’affiche de la 17ème édition du Festival international de film d’animation, Anim’est, qui se déroule du 7 au 16 octobre à Bucarest. Selon les organisateurs, cette année à l’affiche du festival figurent des projections et des événements spéciaux, des fêtes et des master classes données par des professionnels de l’industrie invités spéciaux à Bucarest. Parmi les productions présentées, plusieurs se sont déjà remarquées dans des festivals et des compétitions internationales. C’est le cas, par exemple, de « Flee », du Danois, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Sur l’ensemble des films signés par des artistes roumains, notons « L’île », une comédie surréaliste inspirée par l’histoire de Robinson Crusoé.

    Météo – Il fait généralement beau ce weekend en Roumanie. Le ciel est variable, couvert sur le sud et le sud-est, où des pluies sont possibles. Les températures tourneront autour des 20 degrés.