Radio România Internațional

Tag: flu epidemic

January 30, 2023 UPDATE

ARREST – Former national football team headcoach Victor Pițurcă has been arrested by
anti-corruption prosecutors in an investigation into the acquisition of
non-compliant medical products for military hospitals during the pandemic,
judicial sources say. As a footballer, Victor Pițurcă won
the European Champions’ Cup with Steaua Bucharest in 1986. He later coached Steaua
Bucharest, FC U Craiova, Romania’s Under-21 team, FCSB, Romania’s senior team
(twice, over 2004-2009 and 2011-2014), Universitatea Craiova and Al-Ittihad
(Saudi Arabia). The head of Romania’s top military manufacturer and exporter,
Romarm, Gabriel Țuțu, was also detained.

FORESTS – The European Union will grant Romania €1 billion under the
National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), of which €800 million will be
earmarked to a forestation program targeting 55 thousand hectares. The
remaining €200 million will be spent on digitizing surveillance and control
systems designed to combat illegal logging. Cristian Ghinea, the former
coordinator of Romania’s PNRR and a former USR Minister for Investment and
European Projects, warned that, to be able to meet forest protection targets,
the National Forest Authority – ROMSILVA must be reformed and digitized.

AGRIFISH – Romania’s Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, on Monday said in
Brussels that Romania is a major exporter of farm animals to third countries,
and expressed support for legislative changes designed to increase the
well-being of animals, although any change should not rule out certain types of
transport. Minister Daea pointed out that Bucharest will not accept a ban on
live animal transport over long distances. The Romanian official also said that
Romania opposes the cap on 150 UVM on animal transports as well as the application
of this criterion to cattle transports. According to a European Parliament
press release, the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during
Transport found systematic failures to enforce the existing rules on the
protection of animals during transport and made recommendations for the
revision of the rules, which is expected in 2023. Minister Petre Daea is
attending the Agrifish (Agriculture and Fishing) Council meeting in Brussels.
High on the agenda are the situation of food markets, bioeconomy, honey
labeling, the industrial emission directive and animal transport.

HEALTH – Health Minister Alexandru
Rafila has told a private television station that the number of flu and viral
infection cases is decreasing in Romania. According to the minister, the flu
epidemic will end in approximately two to three weeks. Alexandru Rafila said
that in the last week alone, the number of cases reported was by 25% lower
compared to the previous week, standing at some 100,000 new infections. He also
stressed that there were no problems with the stocks of medicines used in viral
respiratory infections, even if their consumption has increased more than
usual.

SESSION – Romanian senators and
deputies return, this week, to Parliament, for the first parliamentary session
of the year. Among the priorities on the agenda are sensitive bills, such as
the one on public service pensions, which should no longer exceed the salary
from the active period, or the proposals to amend the education laws, on which
the parties in the government coalition have so far failed to reach consensus.

ICR – The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR)
announced the relaunch of the Cantemir Cultural Partnerships and Financing
Program, intended for international projects. The main aim of the program is to
connect culture operators from Romania with partners from abroad. Through the
Cantemir Program, previously run between 2006 – 2012 and resumed in 2023 with
some changes, ICR will grant non-refundable funding for cultural initiatives in
the fields of visual arts – fine arts, decorative arts, science/research and
architecture, design, new media, photography, performance and performing arts -
theater, music and dance. (LS & VP)

30 January 2023
January 8, 2023 UPDATE

School — School starts on Monday after the winter holidays, and the resumption of classes takes place in the context of a growing number of respiratory infections. Romania is in a state of moderate epidemic alert due to the flu, and the authorities decided that the directors of educational units should send recommendations to parents on how they can recognize the symptoms of such infections, in order to determine whether or not it is necessary to send their children to school. School inspectorates have the obligation to designate a person responsible for permanent communication with the public health departments and to inform the Education Ministry about any exceptional situation from an epidemiological point of view found in educational units. The school managements have the obligation to carry out the daily triage of pupils at the beginning of the first class, in each shift, to provide the necessary materials for the periodic disinfection of hands and surfaces and to periodically ventilate the rooms.

Timisoara – The first event within the “Timişoara – European Capital of Culture 2023” project is scheduled for Monday, when the vice-president of the Commission, Margaritis Schinas, will officially hand over this title in a ceremony at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. This year, Timisoara (western Romania) is one of the three European capitals of culture, along with the cities of Elefsina in Greece and Veszprém in Hungary. The official opening of the event will take place between February 17 and 19, and throughout the year no less than 50 shows, concerts, film premieres, exhibitions and other forms of cultural manifestation have already been included in the calendar of events. Participating are more than 2,500 artists from the country and abroad.

Handball – Romanias womens handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, defeated the Montenegrin team Buducnost on Sunday, at home, in group B of the Champions League and climbed to the third place. The score was 39 to 29. Rapid will play their next away game against Team Esbjerg from Denmark on January 15. On Saturday, Romanias vice-champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated the Czech team Banik Most away from home with the score 35-26, in a Group A match of the Champions League. With this success, Rapid Bucharest players have consolidated their position as the leader of the group. CSM will play the next match on January 14, at home, against the Danes from Odense Handbold.

WB — The World Bank is worried that new adverse shocks could push the global economy into recession this year, with small countries being particularly vulnerable, Bloomberg reports. The warning is included in the biannual Global Economic Prospects report, which is to be published on Tuesday. Even in the absence of another crisis, global economic growth this year is expected to slow down significantly, reflecting the tightening of the monetary policy to counter high inflation, the worsening financial conditions and the continued disruption caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine, the report shows. And the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, started the year 2023 by warning that the world would face a more difficult year than the previous one. One third of the world economy will be in recession because the US, the EU and China are slowing down simultaneously, the head of the IMF estimated.

Ukraine — New bombings took place in several parts of Ukraine, after the end of the 36-hour truce unilaterally decreed by Russia during the Christmas period. Ukrainian officials said at least one person was killed in the Kharkov region. Explosions were also reported in the southern cities of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopov. In the east, Russia continued to attack Ukrainian positions even during the truce, the BBC reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that that is proof of how false Moscows words are and that peace will be restored only after the Russian forces are expelled from his country.

Protests – Approximately 10,000 Israelis participated, on Saturday evening, in Tel Aviv, in protests against the new right-wing government. Many Israelis accuse the administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering democracy through the proposed legal reforms. These would allow a simple majority of MPs to cancel the decisions of the High Court, the correspondent of the public station in Israel reports. The NGOs promise an unprecedented resistance of the civil society against these plans that would protect people maintained in high positions, who were already condemned definitively. The Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, requested the regulation of judicial control and the addition of more political representatives to the commission that selects the judges of the Supreme Court.

Pensions – Mandatory private pension funds in Romania had assets worth over 95 billion lei (approximately 19 billion Euros) at the end of November last year, an increase of 11% compared to the level recorded at the same date in 2021, shows the Financial Supervisory Authority – ASF. Most investments made by these funds are Romanian assets, mostly government bonds or shares listed on the stock exchange. ASF data also show that almost eight million people are enrolled in private pension funds, pillar 2. As for the optional pension funds, they had assets worth 3.58 billion lei (approximately 700 million Euros), higher by 9% and almost 620 thousand participants. (LS)

8 January 2023
January 8, 2023

School — School starts on Monday after the winter holidays, and the resumption of classes takes place in the context of a growing number of respiratory infections. Romania is in a state of moderate epidemic alert due to the flu, and the authorities decided that the directors of educational units should send recommendations to parents on how they can recognize the symptoms of such infections, in order to determine whether or not it is necessary to send their children to school. School inspectorates have the obligation to designate a person responsible for permanent communication with the public health departments and to inform the Education Ministry about any exceptional situation from an epidemiological point of view found in educational units. The school managements have the obligation to carry out the daily triage of pupils at the beginning of the first class, in each shift, to provide the necessary materials for the periodic disinfection of hands and surfaces and to periodically ventilate the rooms.

Timisoara – The first event within the “Timişoara – European Capital of Culture 2023” project is scheduled for Monday, when the vice-president of the Commission, Margaritis Schinas, will officially hand over this title in a ceremony at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. This year, Timisoara (western Romania) is one of the three European capitals of culture, along with the cities of Elefsina in Greece and Veszprém in Hungary. The official opening of the event will take place between February 17 and 19, and throughout the year no less than 50 shows, concerts, film premieres, exhibitions and other forms of cultural manifestation have already been included in the calendar of events. Participating are more than 2,500 artists from the country and abroad.

Handball — Romania’s womens handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, play on Sunday, on home ground, against the Montenegrin team Buducnost, in group B of the Champions League. Rapid is ranked 4th and Buducnost 5th. On Saturday, Romanias vice-champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated the Czech team Banik Most away from home with a score of 35-26, in a Group A match of the Champions League. With this success, the Bucharest players have consolidated their position as leaders of the group. CSM will play the next match on January 14, at home, against the Danish team Odense Handbold.

WB — The World Bank is worried that new adverse shocks could push the global economy into recession this year, with small countries being particularly vulnerable, Bloomberg reports. The warning is included in the biannual Global Economic Prospects report, which is to be published on Tuesday. Even in the absence of another crisis, global economic growth this year is expected to slow down significantly, reflecting the tightening of the monetary policy to counter high inflation, the worsening financial conditions and the continued disruption caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine, the report shows. And the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, started the year 2023 by warning that the world would face a more difficult year than the previous one. One third of the world economy will be in recession because the US, the EU and China are slowing down simultaneously, the head of the IMF estimated.

Ukraine — New bombings took place in several parts of Ukraine, after the end of the 36-hour truce unilaterally decreed by Russia during the Christmas period. Ukrainian officials said at least one person was killed in the Kharkov region. Explosions were also reported in the southern cities of Zaporizhzhia and Melitopov. In the east, Russia continued to attack Ukrainian positions even during the truce, the BBC reports. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that that is proof of how false Moscows words are and that peace will be restored only after the Russian forces are expelled from his country.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea managed to reach the main singles draw of the Adelaide International 2 (WTA 500) tournament in Australia, with total prizes of over 780,000 US dollars, after defeating the Estonian Kaia Kanepi on Sunday, in the last round of the qualifications. Instead, Ana Bogdan missed the tournament after she was defeated by the Czech player Katerina Siniakova. Another Romanian, Irina Begu, is directly qualified for the main singles draw, where she will face the Australian Storm Hunter. Begu reached the semifinals at Adelaide International 1 (WTA 500), where she was eliminated by the one who won the tournament, the Belarusian player Arina Sabalenka.

Protests – Approximately 10,000 Israelis participated, on Saturday evening, in Tel Aviv, in protests against the new right-wing government. Many Israelis accuse the administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of endangering democracy through the proposed legal reforms. These would allow a simple majority of MPs to cancel the decisions of the High Court, the correspondent of the public station in Israel reports. The NGOs promise an unprecedented resistance of the civil society against these plans that would protect people maintained in high positions, who were already condemned definitively. The Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, requested the regulation of judicial control and the addition of more political representatives to the commission that selects the judges of the Supreme Court. (LS)

8 January 2023
March 13, 2019

BUDGET -
Parliament is today re-examining the 2019 draft budget. President Iohannis sent
the bill back to Parliament after the Constitutional Court ruled against his
objections tied to its elaboration. The ruling coalition has announced it won’t
make any modification, as the current dispositions ensure the necessary
resources for the most important economic fields. The President said budget
allocations are based on unrealistic estimates, affecting the functioning of
key public institutions as well as the development of local communities and the
implementation of strategic investments. Klaus Iohannis on Monday ratified the
social security budget for 2019, so that pensioners should not suffer from what
he has called the incompetence of the Social-Democratic Party.

MUSEUM -
Romania’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said Romania pays special attention to
combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and hate speech. The Romanian official
attended the conference titled The Future of Memory: The National Museum of
Jewish and Holocaust History in Romania. Viorica Dancila said this museum will
contribute to educating society and owning to some difficult moments in the
past. The Prime Minister said effective measures must be taken to combat
anti-Semitism and make sure Jews can live in safety in Europe. The Conference
was organized by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union,
in cooperation with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Elie Wiesel National
Institute for the Study of the Holocaust and the Federation of Jewish
Communities from Romania.

ELI-NP -
The Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics Center in Magurele today hosted
an event marking a remarkable breakthrough – the high-power laser has reached
and exceeded 10 Petawatts, a new world record. Experts believe this project can
pave the way for countless vistas of scientific research. The authorities in
Bucharest have congratulated the team of Romanian and foreign researchers. The
Government says it supported this complex project, one of the most important
European research facilities built with EU and national funds.

BREXIT -
The British Parliament is today voting on a no-deal Brexit after the House of
Commons yesterday voted against an agreement with the EU on Brexit for the
second time. If British MPs vote for a no-deal Brexit, London will most likely
call for a postponement of their withdrawal from the community bloc, originally
scheduled for March 29. Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her deep regret
with Tuesday’s vote and what she has termed the best and only possible deal.
EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier reacted to Tuesday’s vote, saying
the EU has done everything in its power to ensure the deal goes through and
that only London authorities can overcome this deadlock. European Council
President Donald Tusk in turn said the UK must come up with a good explanation
as regards any delay. In Bucharest, Minister Delegate for European Affairs
George Ciamba said the authorities will continue their efforts to protect the rights
of Romanian citizens in the UK and of British citizens in Romania.

STATISTICS -
The average net income in Romania has dropped to some 625 euros in January this
year, down by 0.7% as compared to December 2018, reads a report made public on
Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute. The highest level of the
average net income was reported in the IT services fields, while the lowest
level in the apparel manufacturing industry. The average net income has gone up
by 18.2% as compared to January 2018.

FLU
EPIDEMIC – The death toll of the flu epidemic in Romania has
reached 172, according to the latest report of the National Center for
Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases. The latest victim is a
68-year-old woman from Galati County infected with the type A flu virus. She
had no previous medical problems and had not taken the anti-flu vaccine.
According to the National Institute for Public Health, some 1.3 million people
have taken the anti-flu vaccine this season.

MOTION -
The right-wing opposition has filed a simple motion against Finance Minister
Eugen Teodorovici, to be debated on Monday in the Chamber of Deputies and voted
on Wednesday. Titled The Social-Democratic greed undermines national economy,
the document says the latest emergency decree introducing additional taxes for
banks, energy and telecom companies harms the country’s economy, and the
ministers responsible must be held accountable in Parliament.

MEETING -
Romanian Foreign Ministry Teodor Melescanu met with the Speaker of the
Parliament of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, who is on a visit to Bucharest.
Teodor Melescanu reiterated Romania’s support for North Macedonia’s European
accession efforts. Talat Xhaferi’s visit coincides with the Senate’s vote on
the ratification of North Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol, scheduled to
take place today. The vote is the final step in the process of adopting the law
ratifying the protocol, after the Chamber of Deputies cast its vote in
February.

TENNIS -
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep WTA no. 2 on Tuesday lost to Marketa
Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in the round of 16 at Indian
Wells, a tournament with over 9 million dollars up for grabs. Halep won the
tournament in 2015 and reached the semi-finals last year. The pair made up of
Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands was ousted by Novak
Djokovic of Serbia and Fabio Fognini of Italy.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

13 March 2019
February 25, 2019 UPDATE

JUDICIARY – Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on Monday said
a dialogue mechanism has been set up during talks held between the authorities
and magistrates over emergency decree 7. According to the Justice Minister, the
mechanism will result in a memorandum, so that each draft law proposed by the
Government, beyond decision-making transparency, should be submitted to the
Superior Council of Magistracy at least five days in advance so it can be
analyzed, debated and approved. The Romanian official said one of the
provisions in the decree allowing judges to be appointed at the helm of
prosecutor’s offices will be repealed. The announcement followed a meeting
between Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and representatives of magistrates’
associations and of the Superior Council of Magistracy at the Government
headquarters in Bucharest. On Friday, magistrates in Bucharest and across the
country protested against the changes to the justice laws, calling for the
independence of the judiciary. Also in protest, several prosecutor’s offices
have suspended their activities this week. The anti-mafia prosecutor’s office
also decided to suspend its activity until March 8, during which time only
emergency cases will be investigated. Citizens too protested on Sunday evening in
Bucharest and other cities. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila has given assurances
that the Government is willing to support all institutions in the field in
order to ensure fair justice for all citizens.

MOLDOVA – The Parliamentary election in Moldova on Sunday observed
the legal and democratic standards, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced
on Monday. In turn, the OSCE said the ballot did not report any major incidents
and was held in a professional and transparent manner. The pro-European
opposition however labeled the vote as one of the most undemocratic in the
history of the republic. Igor Dodon’s pro-Russia socialists have won the largest number
of seats in parliament, 35 out of 101. Second came the left-of-center
Democratic Party, of the controversial oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, with 30,
followed by the pro-European rightist ACUM alliance, with 26. Also, 3
independents and 7 representatives of the people’s party, headed by the
pro-Russia mayor of Orhei, Ilan Sor, will be represented in Parliament. Sor is
accused of involvement in the stealing of one billion dollars from the
country’s banking system.

PRESIDENCY – Romania’s President Klaus
Iohannis has called on the Government to repeal Decree no. 7 and implement the
recommendations of the latest report issued by the European Commission under the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and included in the reports of the
Venice Commission. According to a presidency release, the head of state said
the new decree and the manner of its adoption pose a challenge to the
separation of powers and violate the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court,
also ignoring Romania’s obligations as an EU Member State. The President said
that in any democracy, the judiciary cannot be subordinated to politics, and
any quick modification of regulations to the benefit of certain people or
groups cannot be described as an emergency.

BANKING – Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici on Monday
attended the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies for the debate of the
effects of Decree 114, which has sparked discontent among banks and several
businesses. Under the new decree, prices for natural gas and energy has been
capped for the next three years, all bank assets will be taxed according to the
ROBOR inter-bank rate, while the tax on gambling will also go up to 2% of the
turnover. Minister Teodorovici said the decree supports local public
authorities via the Development Fund, the construction sector and a better
capitalization of potential in tourism. The bill is under debate in the Senate.
If the Senate does not cast its vote until March 1, it will be automatically
submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body.

BRUSSELS – Candidates running for the position of Chief European
Prosecutor will appear before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and
Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Budgetary Control in the European
Parliament. The Chief Prosecutor will head the European Prosecutor’s Office
which is expected to start its work in 2020. The three candidates are
Jean-Francois Bohnert of France, Laura Codruta Kovesi of Romania and Andrei
Ritter of Germany. This month Bucharest and other large cities in Romania have
seen manifestations in support of the former head of the National Anticorruption
Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, who was subpoenaed by the special section investigating
magistrates. She is accused of abuse of office, bribe taking and perjury.
Kovesi has dismissed all accusations, saying the charges will affect her candidacy.

COOPERATION – Romania supports the need for a strong partnership
between the EU and the Arab League to find common solutions to current
developments, such as migration, radicalization and terrorism, as well as in
order to deal with medium- and long-term challenges, such as climate change,
sustainable development and the creation of new jobs, President Klaus Iohannis
said on the sidelines of the first EU-Arab League summit, held in Sharm El
Sheikh, Egypt. On Monday, participants adopted a statement highlighting the
parties’ decision to consolidate cooperation with a view to capitalizing on
existing potential to ensure regional stability, prosperity and welfare.

EUROPOL – The 4th meeting of the Mixed
Parliamentary Control Group of Europol met on Monday in Bucharest. Attending
were delegations of all Member States. EUROPOL was founded in 1995 with a view
to preventing and combating terrorism and crime affecting several member
states. EUROPOL director Catherine De Bolle said the agency’s strategy for the
coming years include the use of new technologies so that information is not
simply collected, but also shared, based on an operationalization of IT
capacities at agency level. Catherine De Bolle appreciated cooperation with the
Romanian Police in combating cybercrime and drug trafficking.

FLU EPIDEMIC – The National Institute for Public Health on Monday
announced two more people died to the flu virus, raising the death toll to 151
this season. Both victims suffered from previous diseases and had not taken the
anti-flu vaccine. According to the Institute, some 1.3 million people had taken
the anti-flu shot.

25 February 2019
February 19, 2019

COMPET – The EU Competitiveness Council (COMPET) continues its
agenda today with one its most important innovation and research programmes,
Horizon Europe. The meeting is presided by Romanian Research Minister Nicolae
Hurduc and the program represents one of Romania’s top priorities during its
term at the helm of the Council of the EU. According to the Romanian official,
research and innovation should be the core engine of the European Union, which
has the human resources and necessary infrastructure to maintain its status of
leader in the field of scientific research. Romania wants to ensure the
necessary conditions for the continuation of the Horizon Europe program
starting 2021.

GAC – The General Affairs Council
meeting today in Brussels is expected to decide the work agenda of the European
Council meeting due next month. Presiding is Romanian Minister for European
Affairs, George Ciamba. Talks will focus on the multiannual financial framework
post-2020, considering a political agreement on the future budget of the EU
should be reached as late as this autumn. EU officials will also look at the
status of triggering Article 7 sanctions procedures against Poland for failure
to observe the rule of law, and against Hungary, respectively, for failure to
uphold fundamental European values.

BRANCUSI DAY – Romanians today celebrate Brancusi Day, devoted to
the birth anniversary of famous sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The artist
embodies Romanian identity in its material and spiritual entirety, succeeding
in committing it to the legacy of universal culture, says Ioan-Aurel Pop, the
President of the Romanian Academy. An iconic figure of modernist art,
Constantin Brancusi was born in Romania and moved to Paris. He is recognized as
one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th century. The National
Museum of Modern Art in Paris hosts a great number of Brancusi’s works, which
in his will he left to Romania. However, upon the refusal of the communist
authorities in Romania to bring home Brancusi’s works upon the sculptor’s
death, the collection was bequeathed to France along with the contents of his
workshop in Paris. The Romanian Parliament declared February 19 Brancusi Day
in 2015.

FLU – The death toll of the flu epidemic in Romania has reached
138. According to a press release of the National Center for Infectious Disease
Surveillance and Control, the last three victims are a 68-year-old woman
without a previous history of medical diseases who had taken the anti-flu shot
and another two women, aged 64 and 81 respectively, both suffering from other
medical conditions and who had not taken the anti-flu vaccine.

PSD – The Executive Committee of the
Social-Democratic Party (PSD) is today meeting to decide on the new nominations
for the positions of Transport and Regional Development ministers. The
nominations are expected to be discussed later today jointly with coalition parties.
According to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, the proposals will also be
presented to President Klaus Iohannis before an official announcement is made.
Talks follow after Social-Democrat Mircea Draghici withdrew his candidacy for
the position of Transport Minister. Previously, Lia Olguta Vasilescu also
withdrew her candidacy for the position of Minister of Regional Development.
President Klaus Iohannis has repeatedly refused the nomination of Lia Olguta
Vasilescu, although he made no reference to Mircea Draghici.

RETRIAL – The High Court of Cassation and Justice today admitted
the appeal for annulment filed by former Romanian Senator Dan Sova against his
3-year prison sentence in a case where he was charged with influence peddling.
The National Anticorruption Directorate accused Sova of having received 100,000
euros in exchange for facilitating a judicial assistance contract between a
thermal power plant in Govora and a local law firm. Dan Sova was released from
prison in December last year after having served six months of his detention
time, following a Constitutional Court ruling concerning the illegal structure
of the five-judge panel.

HANDBALL – Romanian handball side CSM
Bucharest will play RK Borac Banja Luka of Bosnia Herzegovina in the
quarterfinals of the men’s Challenge Cup, following a draw hosted today by
Vienna. The first leg will be played on home turf on March 23 or 24 while the
return leg will be played the week thereafter.
A win against the Bosnian side will pit CSM Bucharest against the winner
of the match between HC Vise BM of Belgium and Russia’s HC Neva SPb Sankt
Petersburg.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player world no. 2
Simona Halep is today playing Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in the second round of
the Dubai Duty Free Championships, totaling 2.8 million dollars in prize money.
Halep has played Bouchard four times, the last time winning against her in the
Australian Open last year. Simona Halep has three wins against Eugenie
Bouchard. Also today the pair made up of Raluca Olaru of Romania and Darija
Jurak of Croatia defeated second-seeds Nicole Melichar of the United States and
Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 7-6, 7-6 and have advanced to the doubles
quarterfinals.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2019
February 18, 2019 UPDATE

EU – The Romanian Economy Minister,
Niculae Bădălău, on Monday chaired in Brussels the first meeting of the
internal market and industry section of the Competitiveness Council (COMPET),
under the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. The agenda of the
Council meeting included talks on competitiveness, artificial intelligence and
its impact on EU industry and the Commission’s communication A Clean Planet
for all: A European strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern,
competitive and climate-neutral economy. Moreover the Council also adopted the
conclusions on the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence, which is part
of a Coordinated Plan on the Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence
Made in Europe.

JUDICIARY – The High Court of Cassation
and Justice has once again postponed, to March 18, the appeal filed by the
Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison
sentence he had received from the court of first instance in a
corruption-related case. In June 2018, the Supreme Court sentenced Dragnea for
instigating abuse of office, in a case involving the fictitious employment of 2
individuals who were on the payroll of the Teleorman Directorate General for
Social Assistance and Child Protection, but who actually worked exclusively for
the Social Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea, who was the head of the County
Council at the time, was accused of having ordered the hiring. He claims to be
innocent and has appealed the initial ruling, but the trial has been repeatedly
postponed, amid controversies regarding the membership of the 5-judge panels at
the Supreme Court. In 2016, Dragnea also received a suspended 2-year prison sentence
for attempted election fraud, but last summer the Supreme Court reversed the
decision to suspend his sentence.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS – The Romanian Foreign Minister
Teodor Meleşcanu on Monday attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in
Brussels. The agenda included the developments in Ukraine and Syria. According
to Minister Melescanu, concerning Syria, everyone agreed that the EU needs to
get more involved in finding a political solution to the crisis in this
country, considering the impact the crisis is having on the EU, especially in
terms of migration and the return of military combatants from Syria. As regards
Ukraine, Teodor Melescanu said it is important the Council sends a clear
message of support by means of its resolutions that should focus on the
observance of Ukraine’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Moreover,
the Romanian official said the best solution after the election in Moldova
would be a pro-European Parliament majority that should continue its EU
accession path.

STATISTICS – 1.6% of Romanian employees
were working in culture-related fields in 2017, as against the 3.8% the EU
average, according to data made public by the European Statistics Bureau,
Eurostat, on Monday. Around 8.7 million EU citizens were working in culture-related
fields or had professions in this field. The highest rates were reported in
Estonia (5.5%) and Sweden (4.8%). According to Eurostat, in 2017 EU households
allotted an average 8.5% of their total expenses to entertainment and culture,
with Denmark and Sweden spending as much as 11.5% and 11% respectively,
compared to Greece with 4.6% and Romania with 5.8%. The total expenses for
entertainment and culture across the EU in 2017 reached 710 billion euros,
accounting for 4.6% of the Union’s GDP.

FLU – In Romania, the number of
deaths caused by the flu has reached 131. According to the National Centre for
Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control, the last victims are a woman and 2
men. They had previous conditions and had not been immunized against the flu.
Romania is currently struggling with a flu epidemic.

NAVY – The Lieutenant Lupu Dinescu minesweeper on Sunday left
the port of Constanta to join the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group. The
mission is aimed at carrying out specific actions in the Black Sea to ensure
NATO’s collective defense on its eastern flank. Taking part are vessels from
Bulgaria, Germany, Spain and Turkey. The Group will also take part in the
Poseidon 19 Romanian-Bulgaria bilateral exercise. The crew of the Romanian
minesweeper comprises 78 military.

PIPELINE – Construction works for phase
II of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline kicked off on Monday, the Romanian
Ministry of the Economy reports. The project is proof of Romania’s support for
the Republic of Moldova and of its efforts to consolidate energy security and
integration on the European single energy market. The first phase of the
pipeline was inaugurated in 2014 and can carry some 1,5 billion cubic meters of
natural gas.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep
is as of Monday world number 2 in WTA standings. She will play Eugenie Bouchard
of Canada in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships,
totaling 2.8 million dollars in prize money. Also on Monday, the pair made up
of Irina Bara of Romania and Dalila Jakupovic of Slovenia advanced to the round
of 32 in the doubles competition, after easing past Belinda Bencic of
Switzerland and Daria Kasatkina of Russia, 2-6, 6-4, 11-0. They will next play
Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, seeded 8th
in the competition, who ousted Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania and Alicja
Rosolska of Poland. Mihaela Buzarnescu on Monday also lost to Sofia Kenin of
the United States in the singles competition, 6-3, 6-nil.

(Translated by Ana-Maria Popescu
& V. Palcu)

18 February 2019
February 15, 2019

BUDGET
BILL – Parliament today adopted the 2019 budget and social
security budget bills. The state budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth, a
2.76% deficit and a GDP of some 200 billion euros. More funds this year will go
to healthcare, education and investment.

DEPOSITION -
The former chief of the National Anticorruption Agency (DNA), Laura Codruta
Kovesi, will be deposed by the special Magistrates’ Investigation department of
the Prosecutor General’s Office in Bucharest. The deposition concerns a case
where Kovesi is suspected of abuse of office, bribe-taking and perjury. Kovesi
yesterday claimed she was innocent, adding that the timing of the subpoena,
overlapping with her planned visit to the European Parliament for an interview
for the position of chief European Prosecutor, is no coincidence. European
media believe Kovesi is favorite to be awarded this position. Kovesi’s indicter
is former Social-Democrat MP Sebastian Ghita, himself the subject of several
corruption investigations, who fled to neighboring Serbia. President Klaus
Iohannis has called on the special department tasked with investigating
magistrates to quickly clarify Kovesi’s indictment. The President claims this
special unit should not be used as a political investigation tool to intimidate
magistrates and prosecutors. In turn, the right-wing opposition labeled the
move as a political police operation orchestrated by the power. The European
Commission announced it is closely monitoring the latest developments, in the
context of the procedure for selecting the European Chief Prosecutor. The
Commission has reiterated its message for Romania concerning the independence
of the judiciary, saying it is of paramount importance that the country should
have an independent and professional judiciary.

GOVERNMENT -
The Romanian Government is today meeting to approve, among other things, a
decree setting the European Parliament election for May 26. Romania will have
33 MP seats in the new term, one more than its current number. The Government will
also discuss draft decree for the setup of the National Environmental Health
Risks Registry and a memo on approving the de
minimis scheme for the program aimed at modernizing and developing spa
resorts.

FLU
EPIDEMIC – The number of people who died to the flu virus this
season has reached 127, the National Center for the Surveillance and Control of
Communicable Diseases has announced today. Yesterday health authorities
signaled a slight decrease over the course of last week in the number of
reported respiratory infections, owing most likely to the inter-semester break.
According to data made public by the National Institute for Public Health, last
week some 2,500 confirmed cases of flu and over 103,000 cases of cold were
reported overall in Romania.

SECURITY – As
a high-ranking representative of Romania, the country currently holding the
six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, President
Klaus Iohannis is tomorrow opening the series of debates as part of the 55th
Munich Security Conference, together with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel
and the President of Egypt, the country currently holding the presidency of the
African Union. The Romanian official will underline the need to consolidate
NATO as a warrantor of Euro-Atlantic Security, as well as the fact that
cooperation and coordination between NATO and the EU guarantees security and
prosperity. Klaus Iohannis pointed out that the Black Sea region is one of the
most important strategic landmarks of the current security context, and Romania
wants to remain a pillar of regional stability and a source of security and
stability in NATO and the EU. The Munich Security Conference is a major global
forum for the discussion of security policy.

AGREEMENT -
Ambassadors of EU Member States on Friday signed an agreement between the
Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European
Parliament regarding a series of revised norms reducing risks in the EU banking
sector. Measures to reduce risks will guarantee enough capital in the banking
sector to give loans to natural and legal persons in complete safety. At the
same time, taxpayers are protected against any potential difficulties the banks
might experience, Romania’s Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said earlier
today. The agreement will also consolidate the capital requirements imposed on
banks with a view to cutting incentives for excessive risk exposure. The
banking package also contains a framework for the cooperation and information
sharing among the various authorities involved in the supervision and
resolution of cross-border banking groups.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep,
world number 3 and seeded first in the Qatar Total Open in Doha, is today
playing fourth-seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the competition’s
semi-finals. Svitolina leads 4-3 in direct encounters with Halep. In the other
semi-final, Germany’s Angelique Kerber is playing Elise Mertens of Belgium.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 February 2019
February 9, 2019 UPDATE

Rugby — On Saturday Romania’s national rugby team was defeated by Georgia 19-8 on home ground, in Cluj, in the northwest, in its debut match of the 2019 Rugby Europe Championship. This is the 2nd most important competition after the famous Six Nations Championship. Romania’s team will next play in Botosani, in the northeast, on February 16 against Germany.

Tennis — The women’s tennis teams of Romania and the Czech Republic have equal scores, 1-1, after the Fed Cup World Group first round tie, following Simona Halep’s win against Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday in Ostrava, the Czech Republic. Previously, Mihaela Buzarnescu had been defeated by Czech Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-4. Sunday will see the matches pitting Halep against Pliskova and Buzarnescu against Siniakova. In the doubles, the pair Irina Begu/Monica Niculescu will take on the pair Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova. In the men’s competition, following Wednesday’s drawing of lots, Romania will be up against Zimbabwe in the first round of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group II.

Flu epidemic — The Romanian health minister Sorina Pintea says the flu season has not started to subside yet. According to data published by the National Public Health Institute a total of more than 3 thousand cases of confirmed flu were reported last week and over 145 thousand cases of viral respiratory infection. The health minister recalled that another 30 thousand vaccine doses have been purchased and distributed across Romania. So far 98 people have been killed by the flu virus. (update by L. Simion)

9 February 2019
February 8, 2019

BUDGET – Romanias 2019 draft budget is presented for adoption in Government session today, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has announced. He has stated that the document provides for significantly more money for investments, health-care and education. Also, the draft budget stipulates the allocation of 2% of the GDP for defence, in keeping with Romanias commitment to its partners in the North-Atlantic Alliance. Also, the necessary funds are secured for increasing pensions by 15%, as of September this year, as well as significant budgets for the local administration. The draft budget, criticized by the right-wing opposition, was built on an estimated 5.5% economic growth rate, an inflation rate of 2.8% and a deficit of 2.5% of the GDP.

JHA – An informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council continues in Bucharest, focusing on justice. Todays agenda includes topics such as means of boosting judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters and obtaining electronic evidence in criminal cases. The talks are chaired by the Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, who has announced that another topic of discussion is the functioning of the European Public Prosecutors Office. Competing for the position of head of this office are three candidates, including the former head of the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. On Thursday, the participants approached the issues of terrorism, police cooperation, the Schengen Area and migration.

VENEZUELA – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has decided to recognize Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela, the Presidential Administration announced on Friday. Klaus Iohannis believes that, as Romania is currently holding the Presidency of the EU Council and against the background of an increasing dynamics of international developments, Romania must have fast and well-grounded reactions with regard to foreign policy issues, in keeping with the main priorities it has constantly related to on long term. The US, Canada and most countries in the EU and Latin America have voiced support for Guaido. On Saturday, at a UN Security Council meeting, President Nicolas Maduro was supported by China and Russia. Maduro has rejected the calls for new elections made by the US, Canada, the EU and the Latin American countries.

CORRUPTION – Radu Mazare, the former mayor of the Romanian Black Sea Port of Constanta, has received a final 9 year prison sentence issued by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, in a case involving illegal return and assignment of plots of land in the vicinity of beach areas in the county. Mazare will not serve his sentence, though, as he has fled to Madagascar. The former Social Democratic president of the Constanta County Council, Nicusor Constantinescu, and the former financier of the Dinamo Football Club, Cristian Borcea, have also received sentences in the same case. According to investigators, states assets were illegally deprived of large plots of land, worth some 114 million Euros.

CENTRAL BANK – On February 12th, the board of the Romanian Central Bank will be heard in Parliament, the Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has announced. He has stated that the Senates Budget and Finance Committee had sent the invitation some time ago, but the meeting could not be held, as there were points that needed clarification. Mugur Isarescu also declined an invitation to a hearing on Thursday, as it overlapped with the Boards meeting on monetary policy.

DEVESELU – The Russian Defense Ministry has urged the US to destroy the anti-missile shield in Romania, claiming the system violates the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. The request was made after both the US and Russia announced their withdrawal from the treaty signed in 1987. In response, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that the facility in Deveselu, in southern Romania, is purely defensive, and allegations that the base might be used to launch nuclear missiles are used by Russia to justify its own intention of building missiles that do not observe the INF treaty. In turn, US officials have stated that the US Administration has no intention of providing Europe with nuclear weapons, even if a potential termination of the INF treaty would allow it to develop new missiles.

FLU – The number of people who have succumbed to the flu in Romania has reached 95, according to the latest information provided by the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The victims had all suffered from other diseases and had not been vaccinated against the virus. So far, some 1.3 million Romanians have got the anti-flu shot and the Health Ministry has purchased another 30,000 shots for people at risk: patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, children and elderly. Flu epidemic has been declared in Romania after the country registered three consecutive weeks of epidemic nature and the flu death toll increased.

8 February 2019
February 6, 2019 UPDATE

VISIT – Romanian PM Viorica
Dăncilă on Wednesday paid a visit to Brussels. She presented Romania’s
priorities at the helm of the Council of the EU during the plenary session of
the European Committee of Regions. Also on Wednesday she met with Katharina von
Schnurbein, EU coordinator for combating anti-Semitism. Prime Minister Dancila
said combating anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial are key priorities for the
Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Also on Wednesday, PM Dancila met
with the Secretary General of the World Jewish Restitution Organization,
Collette Avital. Talks focused on Romania’s recent efforts to accelerate the
process of Jewish restitution, as well as the latest legislative action to pay
allowances for Holocaust survivors. Prime Minister Dancila on Thursday will
attend the conference titled The Fight against Anti-Semitism: a common
approach to better protect Jewish communities in Europe. From politics to
action. Also on Thursday, Viorica Dancila will meet with European Council
President Donald Tusk and with European Commission First Vice-President, Frans
Timmermans.

DRAFT
BUDGET – Talks continue in Bucharest on Romania’s 2019 draft
budget, as the leaders of the ruling parties met on Wednesday with
representatives of the Municipal Cities’ Association, who are discontent about
the way in which money is allotted to local communities. Social-Democrat leader
Liviu Dragnea said the budget of local municipalities will be at least
tantamount to last year. Mayors remain disgruntled, saying talks would continue
on Thursday at the Finance Ministry. The coalition intends to finalise talks
for the budget to be discussed in Friday’s session of the Government, to then
be forwarded to Parliament for debate. Meanwhile, the Fitch rating agency has warned that the 2019 budget bill, in the
current form which has been launched for public debate, is actually based on
optimistic estimates and does not shed light on the uncertainty over the tax on
bank assets. The Fitch analysts are
sceptical that Romania will observe the budget deficit target of 2.6%, given
that the state budget is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, higher than
the 3.2% initial estimate by the agency.

ROMANIAN-US
RELATIONS- Romanian deputy prime-minister Ana Birchall, on a visit to the US, has
reiterated the Romanian Government’s firm commitment to further develop the
relation with the US on all dimensions of the Strategic Partnership. According
to a communiqué, during her official visit to the US, Ana Birchall has had
talks with several US high officials with responsibilities on the relation with
Romania. They approached issues of high interest on the bilateral agenda, such
as organising the Romania-US Strategic Dialogue, whose last session was held in
Bucharest, in June 2018. The officials also tackled opportunities of
cooperation with the Romanian side to promote common objectives on the
trans-Atlantic agenda, such as Romania’s priorities during its tenure at the
helm of the Council of the European Union.

MEETING -
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Wednesday met with a delegation of the
Bundestag Committee for European Affairs, led by President Gunther Krichbaum.
Talks focused on the latest development of the EU eastern vicinity and the
Black Sea region, highlighting the support given by Romania and Germany to
maintaining active action and commitment from the EU towards states in the
Eastern Partnership. Both sides also reiterated the joint interest to
developing cooperation in the Black Sea region, as well as regarding the
European Union Strategy for the Danube Region.

STATE
OF THE UNION – US President Donald Trump has launched an
appeal for unity in his State of the Union address in Congress on Tuesday. He
said the economic miracle of his country cannot be stopped by fighting,
policies and partisan investigations. The US President has underlined that his
agenda is a national one, in the interest of all Americans. Donald Trump, who
has made of migration policies a priority of the second year of his term in
office, devoted much of his address to this issue, calling on Congress to
defend the US’s southern border from illegal migrants, who come-according to
him- with a criminality potential.

MACEDONIA – The NATO member states on Wednesday
signed in Brussels, the NATO Accession Protocol with Macedonia, an important
step towards accepting that Baltic country as the 30th member of the
organization. Macedonia will be allowed to participate from now on, in NATO
meetings, as observer, until all allied countries ratify the accession
protocol. This step has been taken after the resolution of a protracted dispute
between Skopje and Athens on the name of the country. The former Yugoslav
republic agreed last year to change its name into The Republic of North
Macedonia, to thus make a clear distinction between the former Yugoslav
republic and the old Greek province of Macedonia. The name change will become
official once Greece has ratified the accession protocol.

FLU – The number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania stands
at 91, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance
and Control of Communicable Diseases. Doctors call
again on people to get the anti-flu shot. Almost all people who died of the flu
virus had not been vaccinated. Some 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so
far, and the Health Ministry has purchased another 30,000 doses of the vaccine
for people in the high risk category: people with chronic diseases, pregnant
women, children and elderly people. A flu epidemic has officially been
declared in Romania, because of the fast-paced spread of the virus and the high
number of flu-infections and deaths.

TENNIS – The Romanian
men’s Davis Cup team will take on Zimbabwe in the first round of Group II in
the Europe Africa zone, according to Wednesday’s draw venued in London. The
match will be played on home turf. Romania and Zimbabwe previously played each
other in the Davis Cup in 2000, in Harare, Romania winning 3-2. Other matches
in Group 2 are South Africa vs. Bulgaria, Denmark vs. Turkey, Lithuania vs.
Morocco, Egypt vs. Slovenia and Norway vs. Georgia.

(Translated by D. Vijeu & V. Palcu)

6 February 2019
February 3, 2019

MEETING – The Executive
Committee of the Social-Democratic Party is meeting today in Bucharest. The top
issues on the agenda are the 2019 budget bill and preparations for the European
Parliament elections due in May. Regarding the budget, Finance Minister Eugen
Teodorovici said it will be approved in the Government session on Tuesday.
Published on the website of the Finance Ministry, the bill is based on a 5.5%
economic growth rate, a 2.8% inflate rate and a 2.5% deficit of the GDP.
Additional funds will go to healthcare, transport and education while the
ministries of the business sector, communications and energy will receive less
funds. Mayors are unhappy as local authorities are expected to cover some of
the social spending so far provided in the budget of central authorities. The
right-wing opposition has criticized the bill.

ELECTION – The Save
Romania Union in opposition and the Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS)
decided to form an election alliance ahead of the European Parliament elections
due in May. The decision was taken on Saturday by the two parties’ executive
committees. PLUS leader Dacian Ciolos, a former European Commission for
Agriculture and Prime Minister of Romania, is top of the joint list for the
ballot in May. The final list will be announced over the coming period, Save
Romania Union Dan Barna said. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians has
also designated its candidates for the European Parliament elections, and will
decide on the final order in March.

FLU EPIDEMIC – The death
toll of the flu epidemic in Romania has reached 69. The latest victim is a
41-year-old woman infected with the type-A flu virus. She also had a history of
pre-existing medical conditions and hadn’t taken the flu vaccine. Health
Minister Sorina Pintea said the flu is extending nationwide and expects the
virus to be widely circulated in February as well. Some of the measures to
counter the epidemic are harsher hospital access restrictions, antiviral
medicine restocking, prophylactic treatment of people who come in contact with
the sick and the vaccination of all unvaccinated medical staff.

UKRAINE – The Foreign
Ministry hails the celebration of 10 years since the International Court of
Justice issued a ruling in the Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea
(Romania vs. Ukraine). According to a release issued by the Ministry, ICJ set
the line of delimitation between the continental plateau and the economic areas
of the two states, giving Romania 9,7000 skm of the 12,200 under dispute. The
resolution of the ICJ was beneficial to both states, favouring the approach of
a bilateral agenda constructively, also contributing to regional stability.
According to the Ministry, the decision, which put an end to a 42-year-old
dispute, became a reference point for subsequent maritime delimitations, being
quoted extensively in the jurisprudence of the ICJ and other international
courts of law, as well in the doctrine of international law in this matter.

AWARDS – The winners of
the 2019 BBC Audio Drama Awards are announced on Sunday as part of a ceremony
venued at the BBC Broadcasting House Radio Theatre in London. The production of
the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio Drama Department The
Confession, Doina Papp’s adaption of Dostoevski’s The Demons, directed by
Ilinca Stihi, is one of the three finalists selected for the Best European
Drama section. The BBC Audio Drama awards celebrates the originality and
qualify of on air and online radio drama shows as well as the actors, writers,
producers and sound engineers’ creativity.

TENNIS – The Romanian pair
made up of Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu on Sunday won the doubles
competition at the WTA tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand, totalling 250 thousand
dollars in prize money. In the final the two defeated Ana Blinkova of Russia
and Yafan Wang of China, 2-6, 6-1, 12-10. This is the second trophy for Begu
and Niculescu, after the title won in Hobart. The two players also played the
Wuhan and Moscow finals in 2015 and the one in Luxemburg in 2012.

HANDBALL – Romanian
champions CSM Bucharest on Saturday defeated 32-26 Krim Mercator Ljubljana of
Slovenia in Group 2 of Champions League. CSM is now third-placed with 8 points,
after Hungary’s Gyor with 12 and Vipers Kristiansand of Norway with 8 points.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

3 February 2019
February 1, 2019 UPDATE

BUDGET – The Romanian
government on Thursday night published the draft budget for 2019, which is
based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a budget deficit of 2.55% and an average
annual inflation rate of 2.8%. The bill provides for additional funds for
investment, healthcare and education, and less money for the business environment,
communications and energy ministries. Mayors are unhappy with the new budget,
as the local authorities are to incur most part of the social spending so far
covered from the central budget.

GYMNICH – The European Union wants to maintain the provisions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty, signed during the Cold War, the EU High Representative for
Foreign Policy and Security, Federica Mogherini said in Bucharest on the
sidelines of the Gymnich informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers. In turn,
Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said the Eastern Partnership is a
priority of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, while Bucharest
wants an official agreement of member states and partners states to continue in
this format after 2020. Romania will also contribute to the EU trade mechanism
with Iran, Melescanu also said. The mechanism will allow EU companies to do
business with Iran, bypassing US sanctions. The so-called Instrument in Support
of Trade Exchanges addresses European SMEs, which will thus be able to send
medicine, medical equipment and food to Iran.

WITHDRAWAL – US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo on Friday announced the withdrawal of the United States
from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which opens up a period of
uncertainty for the European Union, France Press reports. Signed in 1987 by the
USSR and the United States, the INF Treaty put an end to the missile crisis at
the time. US officials accuse Russia of creating a missile system that violates
the treaty. Moscow instead claims the missiles have a maximum range of 480 kms,
in line with Treaty provisions. Prior to the announcement, Russia warned
Washington that a withdrawal would be irresponsible and could impact other
strategic agreements. In turn, NATO expressed support for the US decision,
calling on Moscow to return urgently to full and verifiable compliance to
preserve the INF Treaty within the next six months.

DEFENSE – As of Friday,
Lieutenant General Laurian Anastasof took over as interim chief of general
staff following an order by minister Gabriel Les. On Thursday, the Bucharest
Court of Appeal admitted a request from the Defence Ministry to suspend a
decree from last December by which president Klaus Iohannis extended the term
of General Nicolae Ciuca as chief of general staff. The defence minister
Gabriel Les said on Thursday that he was waiting for the court to publish its
ruling before making a nomination for the position. The court’s ruling is
binding, but the President’s Office can appeal it.

UK – Romania’s President
Klaus Iohannis on Friday met in Bucharest the British Foreign Secretary Jeremy
Hunt. Talks focused on the latest developments such as Brexit and Romanian-British
relations. Regarding the latest decisions of the British Parliament with
respect to Brexit, Klaus Iohannis said a withdrawal not supported by an
agreement will bring about significant negative consequences both for London
and the other Member States. Klaus Iohannis pointed out the negotiated
Withdrawal Treaty is the most effective mechanism to ensure an orderly Brexit,
limiting its negative consequences and guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens
living, working or studying in Great Britain. In turn, the British official
underlined Britain’s special support for the President’s efforts to maintain
and consolidate the rule of law in Romania.

FLU
EPIDEMIC – The number of deaths caused by flu in Romania has reached 67.
The victims had pre-existing medical
conditions and had not received the flu vaccine. The authorities in
Bucharest on Wednesday officially declared a flu epidemic and warned that the
virus will continue to circulate intensely this month.

HANDBALL -CSM Bucharest player
Cristina Neagu has been chosen the best female handball player in 2018 on the
Handball-Planet website after a poll that involved journalists and fans from
different countries. She is followed in the ranking by the French player
Amandine Leynaud and the Russian player Anna Vyakhireva. This is the
third time Neagu is declared the world’s best female player on this website,
after 2015 and 2016. The ranking also features the Romanian line-player Crina
Pintea from the Hungarian side Gyor. Neagu sustained a serious injury in
December during the European Championship in France, where she became the best
all-time scorer in the history of this competition.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

1 February 2019
Flu epidemic in Romania

Romania is officially facing a flu epidemic, with hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths reported in the last three weeks. Delivered by Health Minister Sorina Pintea, the announcement was to be expected. There are no areas safe from the virus, nor people impervious to this disease, considering the death toll included people who were not at risk either in terms of their age or their history of medical conditions.

Calling on the population not to panic, Minister Pintea said the incidence of the disease is not expected to decrease in the coming month, readdressing the population and doctors certain recommendations: “Visitors will have restricted access to all health units, especially in high-risk wards. Stocks of antiviral medicine necessary for the treatment of acute respiratory diseases must be replenished immediately. All patients showing symptoms associated with influenza must immediately undergo antiviral therapy upon admission. Prophylactic antiviral treatment will be applied to people who had contact with the admitted patients, while all unvaccinated medical staff will proceed to immediate vaccination. Protection equipment will be restocked and used appropriately. Additionally, antiseptics and disinfectants will be immediately restocked in order to ensure a rigorous hygiene of hands and surfaces”.

Vaccination remains the key preemptive solution. The Health Ministry announced it has ordered an additional 30,000 shots for the population at risk, which started being distributed on Thursday to all public health directorates that requested the vaccine. Of the 1.3 million anti-influenza vaccine shots ordered initially some 12,000 are still available. People are urged to observe the regulations stipulated in this situation.

Sorina Pintea: “Consulting family physicians for any symptoms associated with flu in order to decide if hospital care is recommended, the voluntary home isolation of all people presenting flu-related symptoms, observing coughing and sneezing public etiquette, proper hand hygiene, wearing the appropriate protection equipment, and anti-flu vaccination are recommended”.

Health authorities have also recommended people to avoid crowded areas, expressing confidence that the nearing inter-semester one-week break will favor a slowdown in the circulation of the disease. Children, however, would best avoid activities in collectivity. At any rate, school inspectorates are free to suspend classes partially or fully wherever a 20% increase in the incidence of flu cases is reported.

31 January 2019
January 30, 2019

FLU — Romania has officially declared a flu epidemic after the number of deaths caused by this disease reached 57. Health Minister Sorina Pintea has urged people not to panic and has made it clear that a drop in the number of infections in the month of February is not to be expected. Among the immediate measures announced is restricting visitors’ access to hospitals, increasing the vaccine stocks, the prophylactic treatment of people who have contact with patients with flu symptoms and the immunization of all medical personnel. Minister Pintea has pointed out that immunization is the only solution to prevent the disease. The most common flu symptoms are high fever, muscle aches and fatigue. At least two of the people who died from the flu had no underlying medical conditions and they resorted to self-medication with antibiotics, which are contraindicated in this case.

EUROSTAT – Malta, Ireland and Romania are the EU countries with the smaller organic surface area, of less than 2% of the total area used in agriculture, a Eurostat report has shown. Among the EU Member States, the countries with the largest shares of organic area in 2017 were Austria (23.4%) Estonia (19.6%) and Sweden (19.2%), followed by Italy (14.9%), the Czech Republic (14.1%), Latvia (13.9%) and Finland (11.4%). The total organic area in the European Union was 12.6 million hectares in 2017, covering 7% of the total agricultural area, which is an increase by 25% as compared with 2012. The total organic area includes both the “area under conversion” and the “certified area”. Before an area can be certified as “organic”, it must undergo a conversion process, which may take 2 to 3 years, depending on the crop.

BUDGET — The 2019 draft budget is being launched in public debate today after representatives of the Bucharest Government analyze the mayors’ proposals in terms of funds distribution to local authorities. The mayors of Romania’s biggest cities on Tuesday, at a meeting with Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, asked for at least one third of the funds from the national budget to be allotted to local administration. Minister Teodorovici has announced that the draft budget was built on a deficit of around 2.55% and an economic growth of 5.5%. He has also said that large amounts will be earmarked for key sectors such as health, education and defense.

BREXIT — Two months ahead of Brexit, British PM Theresa May has said she wants to reopen negotiations with the EU in order to reach a withdrawal accord that should be supported by most British MPs. On Tuesday, the House of Commons voted on a series of amendments on the Prime Ministers withdrawal deal. MPs approved an amendment seeking “alternative arrangements” to replace the Irish backstop. An amendment rejecting a no-deal Brexit was also passed, although the vote is not binding on the government. On the other hand, EU leaders have insisted that negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement cannot be reopened.

MEETING — A two-day informal meeting of the EU defense ministers has started today in Bucharest. The event is taking place against the background of Romania’s holding the presidency of the Council of the EU, and is chaired by the High EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. A working dinner is being held today on “Women, Peace and Security”. Also approached will be stage and perspectives for the implementation of the EU’s global strategy for foreign and security policy. Attending the meeting will be NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg and the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. (Translated by Elena Enache)

30 January 2019