Radio România Internațional

Tag: flu

  • January 5, 2023 UPDATE

    January 5, 2023 UPDATE

    FLU
    The Bucharest-based National Centre for the Supervision and Control of
    Transmissible Diseases with the National Institute of Public Health on Thursday
    announced two deaths caused by the flu in Romania. The country’s Health
    Minister Alexandru Rafila had earlier presented during a news conference the
    situation of diagnosed infections at national level but the authorities decided
    not to announce an epidemic because the situation isn’t dramatic yet in spite
    of the growing number of cases. According to Rafila the flu season has expanded
    a few more weeks and the infection rate is presently at 37% with a peak
    expected around January 15th and 10th. The number of
    infections will go down after that date and the Education Ministry says that
    students will go back to classes after the winter holiday on Monday according
    to the schedule. Face-covering is recommended not imposed but the infected
    students will not be allowed to attend classes.








    FUNDS Romania absorbed 11.3 billion EUR last
    year, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has announced, saying this is the highest
    level of absorption since Romania accessed European funding. In 2023, Romania
    wants to maintain or exceed the current level, which will require solidarity,
    dialogue with social partners, coordination between ministries and political
    stability.








    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Thursday qualified for the
    quarterfinals of the Adelaide International 1, an Australian tennis tournament
    with more than 826 thousand US dollars in prize money. The Romanian secured a
    6-3, 6-0 win against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. Begu, 32, will be up against
    Veronika Kudermetova of Russia. Also on Thursday Romanian Sorana Cirstea
    conceded defeat to the competition’s odds-on favourite, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.








    MOLDOVA Moldova’s relation with Romania has nothing to do with our
    country’s relations with Russia, good or bad, but rely on our way of moving
    forward and on our appreciation for the values that bind us, Moldova’s
    ambassador in Bucharest, Victor Chirilă, has said. Romania is a country
    that will help the Republic of Moldova in any situation, no conditions
    attached, the Moldovan diplomat also told a radio show. At the same time,
    relations with Bucharest are on an upward trend. We’ve seen just how
    important Romania is for Moldova, not just last year, but also during the
    pandemic. Romania stood with us and provided us with assistance to cope with
    the pandemic, ambassador Chirilă went on to say. The Moldovan diplomat
    also recalled Romania’s support in the first months of 2022, when the Republic
    of Moldova faced an energy crisis. In turn, Romania’s ambassador in Chișinău,
    Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, said that the two countries share a special relation
    based on the unity of language, history and culture. The Romanian
    diplomat in turn mentioned the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of Romania,
    Germany and France to launch the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova,
    a multidimensional instrument of support allowing the international community
    to help Moldova. Ambassador Țurcanu promised Bucharest would continue to
    actively get involved at European and international levels to muster a robust
    financial, technical and political assistance for the Republic of Moldova.








    FUNERAL Over 100 thousand Christians on
    Thursday attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict 16th at the Vatican.
    Benedict passed away on December 31, 2022, nearly 10 years after stepping down
    from the Holy See. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Rome, Italian
    president Sergio Mattarella and Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
    as well as representatives of royal houses, ministers and international
    officials attended the event. Representatives of other Christian churches,
    including the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as leaders of other religions
    attended the funeral. The Romanian Orthodox Church was represented by the
    Romanian Bishop of Italy, Siluan. Pope Francis presided the mass, while
    cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was the main celebrant at the altar. The funeral
    sermon was delivered by Pope Francis.


    (bill & VP)

  • September 26, 2022 UPDATE

    September 26, 2022 UPDATE

    ITU – More than 3,000 leaders and delegations from 193 countries are gathering in Bucharest, as of Monday until October 14, to set the global direction of digital transformation and to choose the future leadership of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency for information technology and communications. During the three weeks, the delegations will include representatives of private companies, academic institutions and national, regional and international bodies involved in the organizations activities regarding radio communications and the standardization or promotion of digital transformation in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Romania is the first country in the EU to organize this large-scale event and where the general policies of the ITU will be established, as well as the strategic and financial plans for the period 2024-2027.



    Tokyo — The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, are in Japan, where, on Tuesday, they will participate in the state funeral organized in honor of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who contributed decisively to the start of actions meant to raise the relations between the two countries at the level of a strategic partnership. Shinzo Abe was killed on July 8 by a former officer with a homemade gun during a campaign speech. During Monday’s talks with the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, Nicolae Ciuca said that raising the relations between Romania and Japan to the level of the Strategic Partnership is an opportune political act in the current international context, which materializes the remarkable vision of the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the foreign policy field. An important point of the meeting was the security and defense component, one of the four cooperation pillars of the future Strategic Partnership, the talks also focusing on economic cooperation, given that Japan is the largest Asian investor in Romania. The Japanese Prime Minister appreciated the presence of his Romanian counterpart in Tokyo and assured him of his full support for the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership and the consolidation of bilateral cooperation, including at external level, in the regional and international context that requires the protection of democracy and the rule of law.



    IMF — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised upwards Romania’s economic growth forecast for 2022 up to 4.8%, the Finance Ministry announced on Monday. In June, the chief of the IMF mission for Romania, Jan Kees Martjn, announced that the IMF had improved Romania’s economic growth forecast at almost 3.5%- 4.5% for 2022 and 2023. The reforms included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are on schedule and will significantly contribute to our mission, as well as the fiscal sustainability measures, the management of public investments and the budget consolidation, the Romanian finance minister Adrian Câciu said. An IMF team, led by Jan Kees Martijn, visited Bucharest, between May 30 and June 10, for the annual analysis of the Romanian economy, known as the Article IV Consultation.



    Refugees – The Border Police General Inspectorate informs that, on Sunday, more than 90 thousand people, of whom almost 10 thousand Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania through border points throughout the country. The figure represents a decrease of 7.6% as compared to the previous day. As of February 10, 2022 (a pre-conflict period), more than 2.4 million Ukrainian citizens have crossed the border into Romania, the Border Police General Inspectorate also announced.



    Flu – Health experts expect a significant impact of the flu in the 2022-2023 cold season. They draw attention that vaccination against the flu remains extremely important in reducing the risk of double infection – with the classic flu virus and with SARS-CoV-2, especially among vulnerable categories. In Romania, the first tranches of flu vaccines have already arrived. They can be administered in family doctors offices.



    Rome – Italys far-right leader, Giorgia Meloni, claimed victory in Sundays election on behalf of the right-wing bloc that won most of the seats in Parliament, according to exit polls. Georgia Meloni, who leads the most voted party, Fratelli dItalia, could become the first woman prime minister in the history of the country, if the president entrusts her with the mandate. The alliance of conservative parties, which also includes Matteo Salvinis League and Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia party, obtained between 41.5% and 45.5%, enough to guarantee control of both Houses of Parliament. The center-left could win between 25 and 29 % of the vote, while the populist Five Star Movement, which ran alone, between 14 and 18 %. The new parliament in Rome will have a smaller number of deputies, 400 instead of 630, and 200 senators, instead of the current 315.



    Parliament — On Monday, the debates on the articles related the status of magistrates were resumed in the Romanian Parliament. It is the third bill from the package of new justice laws, drafted by the justice ministry and assumed by the government. The marathon debates in the special parliamentary committee for justice laws have led to the adoption, so far, of over 140 of the 294 articles of the law on the status of judges and prosecutors. Most articles passed in the form proposed by the Government. This week, Parliament also resumes the debates on the energy ordinance, a document currently debated by the Senate’s specialized committees. The Social Democrats (in the governing coalition) say that the bill must be improved and demand that the price cap be related to current consumption and not to last years consumption, as requested by the opposition USR. The PNL (also in the governing coalition) wants the ceiling to be set according to the consumption of the last three years for each individual month. At the debates in the Senate, the representatives of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority said that the fairest way to establish the cap is to take as reference the consumption registered over a certain period of time, because a calculation of the energy price based on the current bill would be complicated for suppliers. (LS)

  • Seasonal flu and the coronavirus pandemic

    Seasonal flu and the coronavirus pandemic

    Centralized results at global level show that in 10 months since the reporting of the first contamination with SARS-CoV-2, the number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 38 million, with the associated deaths going over 1 million. Finding a vaccine is vital, and while waiting for it, doctors are doing their best to save as many lives as possible.



    According to the most optimistic estimates, a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine might be released in several months, but the epidemiological situation is far from reassuring, given that the number of infections is growing considerably by the day, after a period when the contamination rate was on a downward trend. Around 3 thousand new COVID-19 cases and scores of deaths are announced daily in Romania. Hundreds of patients are in ICUs and the coming cold season is reason enough to worry, given the rise in seasonal flu cases.



    The flu vaccination rate in Romania is below 8%, in the context in which experts recommend a 75% immunization rate. Doctor Adrian Marinescu with the ‘Matei Bals’ Institute in Bucharest told Radio Romania that the people who get infected with both the flu virus and the new coronavirus might develop more severe forms of COVID-19.



    Doctor Marinescu has explained that although flu vaccination is very important, it does not immunize the body against the new coronavirus: “There is no proof of a connection between flu viruses and the coronaviruses group to which SARS-CoV-2 belongs. If people get flu vaccine, they will be better because they won’t get the flu. There is no scientific proof of any link between the two categories of viruses. The new coronavirus can pick up mutations at any time, even major mutations. These changes occur quite fast and they need to be documented. For instance, at present we know that probably in the US and Europe there is a coronavirus type which is more contagious but not more aggressive. This is why we are talking about a second wave of the pandemic and about the way people get infected now.”



    Flu vaccination is the more so important during a pandemic, doctors say, because the combination of the two types of viruses is more likely to cause severe forms of COVID-19 or flu, especially in the vulnerable category: old age and chronic diseases. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Romanians this year rely on a double quantity of flu vaccines

    Romanians this year rely on a double quantity of flu vaccines

    A free flu vaccination campaign has kicked off in Romania this week,
    after the first batch of doses has been distributed nationwide. For this
    season, the government has bought three million flu shots, double the quantity
    last season in order to ease the people’s access to this treatment and lower
    the risk posed by influenza against the background of the present COVID-19
    pandemic.






    The vaccine doses will be distributed to the Public Health Directions in
    several stages, like in the previous years. On Monday, the Health Ministry
    commenced the distribution of the first 330 thousand doses to the
    aforementioned directions, which will deliver to family physicians and medical
    units for the immunization of their patients.




    The rest are to be distributed in mid-October and in November for the
    immunization of individuals at increased risk of severe disease. People over
    65, those suffering from chronic diseases, particularly respiratory or
    cardiovascular, metabolic issues, children and seniors in foster and retirement
    homes, medical personnel and pregnant women will be given priority, according
    to recommendations from the World Health Organisation and the European Centre
    for Disease Prevention and Control.






    As every year the immunization campaign will be carried out through the
    family physician offices and other medical units. Given the present
    epidemiological situation, experts recommend people outside the high-risk
    category to purchase the flu vaccine.






    The Health Ministry has called on pharmaceutical units across the
    country to get flu vaccine supplies in due time. Flu vaccines have been
    recommended by physicians as the most effective protection method against
    viruses but Romania is presently at the bottom of a European ranking regarding
    the immunization of its senior citizens who are the most vulnerable category.






    According to the latest data released by the EU Statistical Office, only
    a little over a fifth of Romania’s seniors gets flu shots, which accounts for
    half of the EU average. From the EU countries only Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia
    and Lithuania have reported lower percentages than Romania when it comes to
    immunization. Ireland is at the opposite poll with two thirds of its seniors
    vaccinated being followed by the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium.




    (bill)





  • March 2, 2020 UPDATE

    March 2, 2020 UPDATE

    NEGOTIATIONS The Liberals Monday started negotiations with parliamentary parties with a view to forming a new majority that would support the investiture of Florin Citu’s Cabinet. The parliamentary hearings of the new ministers designate are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Social-Democrats in opposition accuse the Liberals of not giving up on the idea of early elections. Save Romania Unions president Dan Barna said on Monday that the Liberals did not expressly ask for support for the Ciţu government, and added that his party believes the goal is to attain stability. The president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians Kelemen Hunor says his party is ready to ensure the majority required for the investiture of the new cabinet, but that a final decision depends on the order regarding early elections. The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats claims the Liberals try to make sure that the new Cabinet is rejected by Parliament, while the People’s Movement Party says a Liberal Government backed by a parliamentary minority is unlikely to be sworn in. Florin Cîţu’s nomination by president Klaus Iohannis came after the Constitutional Court ruled as unconstitutional the president’s first choice, the interim prime minister and leader of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban. The latter’s government had been dismissed through a vote of no-confidence at the beginning of February.



    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Monday announced that in Romania 42 people are in quarantine centres and over 9,000 are under home monitoring. So far 3 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Romania, one of whom has recovered and has been discharged, and the other 2 are reported to be in good state. Meanwhile, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that the 7 Romanian members of the crew of Diamond Princess vessel, who were transferred last week to a facility in Wako, Japan, are still quarantined. Two other Romanians were brought into the same facility on Sunday, and will remain there for an additional 14 days. The Foreign Ministry added that the state of the 2 Romanians infected with COVID-19 and hospitalised in Japan remains good. On the other hand, the death toll of the new coronavirus has exceeded 3,000, and over 80,000 cases have been confirmed so far, most of them in China, where the daily number of victims is decreasing steadily. South Korea and Italy are of particular concern now, reporting 500 new cases in one day and dozens of deaths so far. The coronavirus risk level in Europe has been raised from moderate to high, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday. 2,100 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in 18 EU member countries to date.



    LEGISLATION The Senate Monday endorsed unanimously a bill that increases punishments for the sexual abuse of children. The bill, tabled by an independent Deputy, raises the minimum penalties for sex crimes against children and introduces in the Romanian legislation a number of provisions from the EU laws designed to fight the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and child pornography. Under the new bill, rape will be punished by 5 to 10 years in prison, as against 3 to 10 years as it was so far, and offences that result in the death of the victim will be punished by 9 to 18 years behind bars. In order to take effect, the bill must be endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies as well.



    FLU The number of deaths from seasonal flu in Romania has reached 49. The last 2 people who died are men, aged 69 and 75 respectively, in Ilfov and Harghita counties. They were both suffering from other conditions and had not received a vaccine. The number of flu cases continued to grow, with around 2,000 new cases confirmed between February 17 and 23. The overall number of people affected by acute respiratory infections (156,500) is a lot higher than last year, but the number of cases is on a downward trend compared to the previous week.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The week in review (February 10-16 2020)

    The week in review (February 10-16 2020)

    Lingering government crisis in Bucharest


    Romania’s
    Prime Minister designate, liberal Ludovic Orban, in Parliament on Monday
    submitted his cabinet members list as well as the slightly changed governing
    programme, so that the cabinet may be sworn in in due course, according to
    procedure. Orban stated no reshuffle occurred this time around and his cabinet
    members were the same as those who last week got the sack through a motion of no
    confidence tabled by the Social Democratic Party, in opposition, backed by the
    Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. The no-confidence vote was a swift
    reaction to Orban 1 Government’s taking responsibility for resuming the
    procedure of electing mayors in two rounds of voting, only a couple of months ahead
    of the upcoming local ballot. According to the set timetable, the hearing of
    Orban 2 cabinet ministers in the Parliament’s specialized commissions will take
    place over February 17 and 19, while the Romanian Parliament’s session held so
    that the government may be sworn in is scheduled for February 24. Ludovic Orban also
    stated the National Liberal Party’s set target was to trigger an early election.
    Leading members of the National Liberal Party therefore announced they would
    abstain from voting their own Government, in the hopes that their action may
    lead to snap election. Concurrently, Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban
    approached some of the parliamentary parties, in a bid to get their support for
    early election.


    How fares Romanian economy?


    Romanian
    economy in 2019 saw a 4.1% growth, according to data made public by the
    National Statistics Institute in Bucharest on Friday, with the aforementioned
    percentage exceeding the European Commission’s 3.8% forecast, but also the
    estimate made by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, whose
    forecast pointed to a 4% growth. However, the economic growth is slower that in
    2018 and 2017, when the reported percentages stood at 4.4% and 7.1%,
    respectively.


    In Brussels, the
    European Commission this past Thursday, in turn published its winter economic
    forecast. The estimates of the Commission point to a 3.8 % growth for Romania’s
    GDP in 2020, and to a growth of 3.5% in 2021. Of the European Union’s 27 member
    states, Malta alone will have a higher economic growth than Romania.


    A series of measures taken for the
    protection of forests


    A 30-day
    grace time was given Romania by the European Commission to stop illegal logging,
    otherwise a new round of sanctions would be imposed. Romania has tens of
    thousands of hectares of virgin and quasi-virgin forests which make the perfect
    habitat for wild animal such as bears, wolves and lynxes. Large-scale illegal
    logging, however, has seriously mutilated vast expands of the country’s
    forested surface areas, and it appears that part of such areas has been
    purposefully made available to illegal loggers. The outgoing Environment
    Minister, the liberal Costel Alexe reminded everybody the European Commission
    had issued its illegal logging warnings as early as 2016.




    Costel Alexe:




    Even at that time the Romanian authorities
    were being asked why they didn’t take any action to protect the country’s
    forests and prevent thieves from robbing them. Three years have passed since
    then, three years during which the Commission showed its patience towards all
    those who ran this sector and those who ruled this country. Three years the
    European Commission waited for illegal logging to stop in Romania. And you know
    what I think? I believe that Europe and the European Commission cared more for
    Romania’s forests than the previous governments.




    Three
    environmental NGOs filed complaints at the European Commission for the
    destruction of the Romanian forests. According to these NGOs, authorities in
    Romania are approving deforestation in the Natura 2000 areas without analyzing
    the impact they might have upon these regions. Furthermore, according to
    Forestry Trade Union Silva in the past years, six rangers have been killed,
    while 650 others have been beaten, attacked with axes and knives or shot while
    trying to prevent illegal logging.




    The coronavirus and seasonal flu epidemic




    Authorities
    in Romania on Thursday announced the first case of infection with the dreadful
    coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc in China and is spreading throughout the
    world. The Romanian, who was on a cruise liner with other Romanian nationals,
    has been admitted to a hospital in Japan. Meanwhile, authorities in Bucharest
    have given assurances that there was no case of coronavirus infection in
    Romania. The outgoing Health Minister, Victor Costache, says that Romania has
    capabilities to diagnose the disease and intends to build another three
    laboratories to carry out tests on this disease outside Bucharest. The former
    Finance Minister Florin Câţu has announced that money has been earmarked for
    the purchase of thermo-scanners to fit Romania’s main airports. In another
    development, a seasonal epidemic of influenza has so far killed 30 in Romania.




    Campaigns to spur state involvement in
    sporting activities




    Some of
    Romania’s best athletes and champions have this week launched an appeal in the
    Senate for the appropriate funding of sporting activities. Romania’s best
    gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, tennis player Simona Halep and former athlete Gabriela
    Szabo have joined their colleagues pleading for the earmarking of at least 1%
    of the country’s GDP for sporting activities.




    Nadia
    Comăneci: We don’t have the obligation of being here
    but our conscience obliges us to make something for this generation, which must
    have at least what we used to have, the opportunities that we had. And it is
    important for today’s generation to see that it has our support.




    Romania’s top
    athletes and champions have been invited to join this initiative launched by
    two senators from the Social-Democratic opposition, who have kicked off a
    legislative project under which, the BNR Arenas sporting facilities can be
    taken over the Romanian state. The document, which was endorsed by the Senate
    has been sent to the decision-making Chamber of Deputies.

    (Translation by Eugen Nasta and bill)



  • 12 February 2020, UPDATE

    12 February 2020, UPDATE

    Assessment.
    A European Commission expert team continued in Bucharest its evaluation of the
    Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. The experts had fresh talks with the
    acting justice minister Catalin Predoiu about a timetable for the amendment of
    the justice laws and the harmonisation of the criminal codes with the rulings
    of the Constitutional Court. On the previous day, Predoiu presented the European
    Commission experts with the bill on the dismantling of the special department
    for investigating magistrates and the stage of discussions on this topic. In its
    latest report on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, the European Commission
    had criticised the creation and the activity of this department, describing it
    as an instrument of political pressure. In October 2019, the European Commission
    proposed maintaining the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, saying that
    Romania had taken steps back in the fight against corruption and the
    independence of the judiciary.




    Infringement. The
    European Commission on Wednesday sent a letter to Romania urging it to properly
    implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which prevents timber companies from
    placing on the EU market products obtained from illegal logging. This letter is
    in effect tantamount to a formal opening of the infringement procedure. The
    national authorities have been unable to effectively check the operators and
    apply appropriate sanctions. Inconsistencies in the national legislation do not
    allow Romanian authorities to check large amounts of illegally harvested timber,
    the letter also reads. The European Commission gives Bucharest one month to
    take the necessary measures. Romania’s acting environment minister Costel Alexe
    said Brussels waited three years for Romania to take measures and criticized
    the previous governments. He is having an official meeting with the European
    environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius on Friday, presenting him with
    the solutions envisaged. Also on Wednesday, the European Commission sent a
    letter of formal notice to Romania for not implementing the European Anti-Money
    Laundering Directive and for not adopting a national air pollution control
    programme. Other EU states also received similar notices, all being given two
    months to address the situation.




    NATO. NATO defence ministers are having talks in Brussels mainly about the
    Alliance’s modernization and adjustment to the regional and international
    security challenges. The agenda of the two days of meetings, where Romania is
    represented by its defence minister Nicolae Ciuca, includes the allied
    operations, with focus on the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to
    the Romanian defence ministry, other topics include the cooperation between
    NATO and the European Union to ensure European and transatlantic security and reconfirm
    the unity of the Alliance. In the opening of the talks, NATO secretary general
    Jens Stoltenberg called on the Taliban to demonstrate their commitment to
    solving the conflict in Afghanistan and the cessation of violence, one day
    after a deadly attack in Kabul.




    Cooperation.
    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday met in Bucharest the foreign
    minister of Saudi Arabia, Adel Bin Ahmed
    Al-Jubeir. Iohannis hailed the good ties existing between the two countries,
    against the backdrop of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of
    diplomatic relations. The need was also emphasised to develop these ties, both
    in the economic area and in areas such as infrastructure, agriculture, IT,
    renewable energy, tourism, defence and security. The Saudi minister hailed
    Romania’s position on important international issues such as the Middle East
    peace process, Syria and Yemen, underlining the similarity of the positions
    held by the two states vis-à-vis these issues.




    Ruling.
    The Constitutional Court of Romania ruled on Wednesday that there is no legal
    conflict of a constitutional nature between the government and Parliament with
    respect to the budget and social security bills. A complaint in this regard had
    been filed by the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies after the
    Liberal government sought to pass these bills through the government
    responsibility procedure. Also on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court judges
    rejected a complaint from the Ombudsman referring to the provisions of an emergency
    order on the administrative code. The Court did, admit, however, an objection
    raised by the Social Democratic Party about the government’s assuming
    responsibility for a bill amending a controversial order relating to fiscal and
    budgetary measures. As a result, state employees will continue to be able to
    receive and a pension and a salary at the same time.




    Flu.
    Two more men have died because of the seasonal flu in Romania, raising the
    death toll to 31 people. The latest victims, aged 46 and 68, had not been
    vaccinated against the flu. A flu epidemic was officially declared in Romania
    last Thursday. Classes in schools have been suspended in some cases. Experts
    say the rising trend will be maintained in the next few weeks, given the low
    vaccination rate among the population.




    Eurovision. Roxen will represent
    Romania at the 2020 Eurovision singing contest in Rotterdam. Several songs have
    been written for her, and the five best will be publicly presented on February
    21st, to then get into the national selection stage on March 1st.
    Roxen rose to fame last summer thanks to the song You Don’t Love Me, which
    was played in France, Mexico, the US, Russia, Spain, Greece, Switzerland,
    Turkey, Kazkhstan and Estonia. At the Eurovision, Roxen will compete on May 12th,
    in the first semi-final. The final of the Rotterdam contest will be held on May
    16th. The best Eurovision results obtained by Romania were third place
    in 2005 and 2010.



  • The Week in Review (03-09.02.2020)

    The Week in Review (03-09.02.2020)

    “Le roi est mort, vive le roi!”



    The Liberal leader Ludovic Orban — the PM dismissed on Wednesday through a motion of no confidence following the vote of 261 MPs from Bucharest, was again designated, only one day after removal, to occupy the PM position and form a new government by the right wing president Klaus Iohannis. Fresh from marathon talks with the representatives of all parliamentary parties and groups, the Romanian president announced his decision and expressed his wish to hold early parliamentary elections.



    Klaus Iohannis: “Returning to the voters is the correct solution. To put it simply, returning to the electorate means early elections. And holding early elections is my first option.”



    But, for holding early elections, Parliament should reject two consecutive proposals for prime minister. Until then, according to the Constitution, the candidate to the PM position must ask, within 10 days from his designation, for Parliament’s vote of confidence on his program and government membership. Ludovic Orban said he would maintain the ministers of the former cabinet, because he is contented with their activity, and since the National Liberal Party is in favor of early elections, the Liberals decided to reject any proposal for a new government.



    Ludovic Orban: “There is no party holding an absolute majority in Parliament on its own, therefore it’s the president who decides on the candidate for the position of PM. From my point of view, I believe we can have early elections.”



    Until holding a vote in Parliament for the second Orban government, the interim leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu, announced he was considering notifying the Constitutional Court in relation to the designation of the outgoing PM Ludovic Orban as the new PM: “After obtaining the largest number of votes ever in Parliament for a no confidence motion, I doubt that the re-designation of Ludovic Orban as PM is legal. I am not an expert in constitutional matters, but we’ll certainly ask for clarifications until getting a vote in Parliament.”



    In the no confidence motion, the Social Democrats alongside the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania accuse the Orban government of having infringed on the democratic principles, because they preferred assuming responsibility for the law on the election of mayors in two rounds of voting only a few months ahead of the local elections, out of political reasons and not in the interest of citizens.



    According to the Social Democratic Party, the first Orban government violated decisions of the Constitutional Court and recommendations of the European institutions. The Liberals argued, however, that returning to the election of mayors in two rounds will give them more legitimacy and representation. Anticipating the scenario of a defeat during Wednesday’s vote, one evening earlier, the first Orban cabinet adopted a record number of emergency decrees, namely 25, of which some were vehemently contested by part of the public opinion in Romania.



    International reactions to the sacking of the Orban cabinet



    Romania’s latest political developments did not go unnoticed by the international press. According to Radio Free Europe, the Orban cabinet fell after only 3 months in office, through a no-confidence vote initiated by the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) and endorsed by a Parliament majority made up of the PSD, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) and Pro Romania. The total number of yes-votes stood at 261, exceeding even the PSD estimates.



    The situation was caused by several mistakes, which enraged both the Social Democrats and also the parties that used to back the Orban cabinet. In turn, Deutsche Welle believes the present political crisis in Romania looks more like an endless political loop and not a real chance to a fresh start. Bloomberg, Euronews, the New York Times, Le Monde, Le Figaro, La Croix, Courrier International, La Libre Belgique have also covered Romania’s latest political crisis and so have the Al Jazeera TV channel in English as well as several sites such as euractiv.com, euobserver.com and politico.eu.



    Flu epidemic and coronavuris



    Against the background of an increasing number of flu-related deaths, authorities on Thursday declared a flu epidemic in Romania. According to the National Center for the Control and Supervision of Communicable Diseases, the number of infections has doubled as compared to previous estimates and to the number registered last week and the flu virus has been confirmed in 60% of the cases tested. Officials have cautioned against the flu infections, which is likely to maintain its upward trend in the following weeks, but this is not unexpected as many people have not been vaccinated. The Romanian authorities have also given assurances they have taken all the protection measures against the coronavirus.



    Winter has finally arrived in Romania



    After more than two months of warm, spring-like weather, most of Romania’s territory has this week been hit by a wave a cold weather with snowfalls and blizzard. Road, rail, maritime and air traffic has been disrupted and many towns and villages have been left without electricity. Gale-force winds have broken down trees and destroyed roofs. The extreme weather phenomena have prompted the authorities to close down schools. And speaking about winter and extreme weather conditions, we cannot wrap up this programme without mentioning the performance obtained by a 45 year old Romanian, Tiberiu Useriu, who has come second in the Yukon Arctic Ultra race, staged every year close to the Arctic Circle. Tibi Useriu has covered the 500 kilometer distance in 7 days and 33 minutes. Yukon Arctic Ultra is a tougher race than 6633 Arctic Ultra, Tibi managed to win three years in a row. (translation by L. Simion and D. Bilt)

  • February 8, 2020

    February 8, 2020

    Government – The PM designate of Romania, Ludovic Orban, announced he would submit, on Monday, in Parliament the list of ministers and an updated governing program with a view to starting procedures for the investment of a new government. The announcement came after President Klaus Iohannis designated the Liberal leader to from a new cabinet. The decision was made after the first Orban government was dismissed on Wednesday through a no confidence motion initiated by the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, following the government’s decision to assume responsibility for a bill on returning to the election of mayors in two rounds of voting, only a few months ahead of the elections. The Romanian president also reiterated his opinion that holding early elections was the best option for Romania at the moment. The interim leader of the PSD Marcel Ciolacu said he was considering notifying the Constitutional Court over the re-designation of the outgoing PM Ludovic Orban as the new PM. To call early elections the Parliament should reject two proposals of PM designate.



    USR — The political committee of the Save Romania Union party (USR) represented in the Romanian Parliament and the National Council of PLUS, led by the former PM and European Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, are meeting today in separate meetings to decide on a merger. The USR deputy Ionut Mosteanu pointed out that the national bureaus proposed that a merger congress should take place in July, but the decision lies with the leaderships of the two parties. In another development, following internal elections, 91% of the USR members voted for their party to be positioned on the center-right side of the political spectrum. The referendum called at the initiative of the USR president Dan Barna unfolded for 7 days starting on February 1.



    Flu — 23 Romanians have so far died of the flu since the beginning of the flu season. The latest flu victims are two women and three men aged between 26 and 67. They all suffered from other diseases and had not been allegedly vaccinated. On Thursday the Romanian healthcare authorities officially declared a flu epidemic. More than 16 thousand pupils from across Romania are affected by the partial or full suspension of classes due to the flu. Experts say that the upward trend of flu cases will be maintained in the coming weeks, since lots of Romanians have not got a flu shot.



    Tennis – The matches pitting the Romanian and Russian teams in the playoff of the Fed Cup World Group continue Saturday in the northwestern Romanian town of Cluj Napoca. In the singles competition Ana Bogdan will play against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Elena Gabriela Ruse against Veronika Kudermetova while in the doubles the pair Irina Bara/Raluca Olaru will be up against Ana Blinkova/Ana Kalinskaia. On Friday evening, after the first day of competition, the two teams were on a par with the same number of points 1-1. The Romanian Elena Gabriela Ruse (166 WTA) was defeated in 2 sets by Ekaterina Alexandrova (28 WTA), and Ana Bogdan (90 WTA) won against the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (38 WTA) in 3 sets. The winning nations will advance to the inaugural Fed Cup Finals in Budapest scheduled for April 14 to 19.



    Rugby — Romania’s national rugby team is playing today against Portugal, away from home, in the 2nd round of the Rugby Europe Championship, after having been defeated in the first round by Georgia. This is the 25th match between Romania and Portugal, with the Romanians winning 21 of the 24 matches played since 1967. In the 3rd round of the Rugby Europe Championship, Romania will take on Spain on February 22 in Botosani, northeastern Romania.(translation by L. Simion)

  • 7 February 2020, UPDATE

    7 February 2020, UPDATE

    Government. President Klaus Iohannis has appointed the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban
    to begin talks with a view to forming a new government and presenting it to
    Parliament for a vote of confidence. Iohannis made this decision after
    consultations with parliamentary parties and reiterated that the best option
    right now is holding early elections. The previous Orban cabinet was ousted on
    Wednesday after a no-confidence motion filed by the Social Democrats, the main
    party in opposition, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians over a bill
    to reintroduce the two-round voting system for the local elections. Under the
    Constitution, the prime minister designate has 10 days to submit his or her cabinet
    and governing platform to Parliament for a vote of confidence. On Friday, the
    Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party both threatened to
    complain to the Constitutional Court over various aspects related to the
    political situation in Bucharest. The prime minister designate said he would
    submit the list of ministers and an updated governing programme to Parliament on
    Monday.






    EU budget. The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Friday had talks in
    Brussels with the president of the European Council Charles Michel about the
    future multinannual budget, given that following Brexit, the EU is without one
    of its biggest contributors. He said he was ready to negotiate really hard for
    Romania to obtain as big a chunk as possible of the EU cohesion and common
    agricultural policy funds. The flexibility between different funds would be
    very important for us, said president Iohannis, adding that Romania would also
    like the green economy transition fund not to form part of the cohesion fund,
    but add to it. Charles Michel has had talks this week with a number of heads of
    state and government over the EU long-term budget for the 2021-2027 period. The
    European Commission and the European Parliament have asked for an increase in
    the contribution of the EU member states to cover the gap left by the UK, but a
    number of net contributing states would like a diminution of the EU budget
    instead. Also on Friday, president Iohannis met the European commissioner for
    transport Adina Valean, who was Romania’s pick for this job.




    Electric cars. Germany and France have unveiled plans to build a huge
    factory to produce batteries for electric cars, as part of Europe’s plans to
    rival the US group Tesla and the Chinese companies when it comes to the
    production of essential parts for electric cars, Bloomberg reports. The
    facility, which is to be built near the German city of Kaiserslautern, is to complement
    another factory opening in the French region of Hauts de France. Together, the
    two factories will cost around 5 billion euros and will have a combined
    production capacity of around 48 gigawatts an hour. In Romania, interim prime
    minister Ludovic Orban, on a visit to the Ford factory in Craiova, southern
    Romania, said a solid partnership between manufacturers and the government is
    needed in order to stimulate the local production of electric cars. The French
    car maker Renault also has a production factory in Romania, near Pitesti, in
    the south, where the Dacia car is made.




    Coronavirus. The death toll
    of the coronavirus epidemic reached 637 on Friday, with the number of cases
    exceeding 31,000 in China. The Chinese doctor who warned in December last year
    against the upcoming epidemic died on Friday due to the virus, triggering a
    wave of discontent in China and criticism of the Government. Some 320 cases
    have been reported in 27 other countries and regions outside continental China,
    two people being killed, in Hong Kong and the Philippines. In Hong Kong, 3,600
    passengers and crew members are kept in quarantine for the third day in a row,
    after three people onboard had been confirmed to be carriers of the
    coronavirus. Another 41 people on board a cruise ship kept in quarantine in
    Japan tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, increasing the number of
    confirmed cases to 61, while thousands of passengers have been confined to
    their cabins while the testing continues. 17 Romanians are on board this ship,
    two tourists and 15 crew members, but none was infected.




    Flu. Five new deaths caused by the
    flu were confirmed on Friday in Romania, raising the toll this season to 23,
    the National Centre for the Supervision and Control of Communicable Diseases
    has announced. The victims were all suffering from other diseases, as well, and
    had not been vaccinated against the flu. The Romanian authorities on Thursday
    declared a flu epidemic in Romania for the second year in a row, after flu
    cases grew by 99% in the last week, double the level expected, to reach 7,000
    cases. Last year, almost 200 people died because of the flu in Romania.

    Fed Cup. Romania’s Fed Cup team play Russia in the
    World Group on Friday and Saturday in Cluj Napoca, in the north-west. In
    Romania’s opening match, Elena Gabriela Ruse, world no. 166, lost in two sets
    to
    Ekaterina Alexandrova, world no. 28, while also on Friday, Ana Bogdan defeated Veronika
    Kudermetova, world. no. 38 in three sets. The winner
    of the Romania-Russia match will qualify for the final tournament of the Fed
    Cup, which will be hosted by Budapest between the 14th and the 19th of
    April.

  • January 31, 2020 UPDATE

    January 31, 2020 UPDATE

    FLU Eleven people died in Romania from seasonal flu so far, according to the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. Experts announced that the week of January 20th was the seasons first week of epidemic. Several schools in Bucharest and elsewhere in the country were also closed because of flu cases. The Education Ministry announced that full or partial suspension of classes because of the flu affects over 5,500 students, but that this is not the number of cases among children. Neighbouring Bulgaria is also affected, with 19 regions officially declaring a flu epidemic and classes suspended in nearly 1,900 schools and kindergartens.




    BREXIT As of February 1, Britain is the first state to leave the EU since its establishment. The British economy accounted for 15% of the EU economy, and London is the worlds financial capital. The UK was also the EU member state with the largest defence budget. The kingdom joined the European community in 1973, 16 years since the Rome Treaty had been signed and 22 since the European Coal and Steel Community had been set up by France, West Germany, Italy and Benelux. In 2016, the UK decided through a referendum to leave the bloc, which kicked off a controversial and complicated negotiation process. The transition period which begins on Saturday ends late this year. One of the most critical aspects that need working out is a trade agreement to avoid customs duties between the 2 parties. Romania regrets Britains decision and hopes it will remain a close and trustworthy partner, sharing the same system of values, President Klaus Iohannis said in a statement. He emphasised that Bucharests main goal has been to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Romanian citizens who live, work and study in the UK, a goal which is properly reflected in the Withdrawal Agreement. Romania wishes to deepen its strategic partnership with Britain, so as to strengthen the post-Brexit relation between the 2 countries, president Iohannis also said.




    AVIATION Poland signed on Friday a 4.6 billion US dollar deal on the procurement of 32 last-generation stealth F-35 aircraft from the US, to consolidate its air forces and also its relations with Washington, AFP reports. This is an important day for the Polish military aviation, for the countrys security and for the security of this part of Europe, Polands president Andrzej Duda said. The first fighters could be supplied in 2024, making Poland the first Central and Eastern European country to use this kind of aircraft.




    VIRUS No coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Romania so far, the ministerial committee for the management and monitoring of the potential infections with the new virus has announced. Prevention measures have been put in place in airports and medical units designated for the treatment of possible infection cases. The National Authority for Consumer Protection in Romania has given assurances that there is no contamination risk from goods imported from China since the virus has a lifespan of 24 hours outside the human body, and it takes around 35 days to transport goods from China into Romania. The World Health Organisation has declared the new coronavirus a global emergency as the death toll in China stands at 213, out of nearly 10,000 cases.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 30, 2020

    January 30, 2020

    PARLIAMENT The Social Democratic Party, in opposition, has today tabled its first motion of censure against the Liberal Government of Romania. The move was triggered by the Orban Cabinet’s decision to take responsibility for a bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system for the election of mayors, half a year ahead of local elections. The text of the motion entitled ‘The Orban/Liberal Government – the privatisation of Romanias democracy reads that the Government must go not only because attempting to change the voting system right before the election comes against European standards, but also because these changes were operated unilaterally, without parliamentary consultation and debate. According to the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and interim leader of the Social Democrats, Marcel Ciolacu, this is the most serious case of abuse of power. For the motion to pass, the Social Democrats need 233 votes. The party has 198 seats in Parliament, and their allies, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, another 30. With 5 or 6 votes short, Marcel Ciolacu said the Social Democrats are negotiating with fellow MPs. PM Ludovic Orban said he was unconcerned with the motion, and that he does not believe it has any chances to pass.




    PENSIONS The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis has a meeting today with top officials for the Higher Council of Magistrates, at their request. The meeting focuses on the scrapping of special pensions for magistrates, following the vote in Parliament on January 28th. Magistrates have initiated protests against the decision. Initiated by the Liberal Government, the bill passed by Parliament scraps all pensions that are calculated under a special procedure, except for those paid to military, police and intelligence service personnel. The benefits paid to retired artists, athletes and journalists also went untouched.




    FLU Ten people died in Romania from seasonal flu so far, according to the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control. The last death was reported in Sibiu (centre), where a 90-year old woman was infected with the AH1N1 flu virus. Several schools in Bucharest and elsewhere in the country were also closed because of flu cases. The Education Ministry announced that full or partial suspension of classes because of the flu affects over 4,000 students, but that this is not the number of cases among children.




    CORONAVIRUS The head of the World Health Organisation has called a new meeting today of the committee on the new coronavirus, to decide whether to label the situation as an international public health emergency. Airlines around the world have decided to suspend or restrict flights to continental China, as the virus spread, killing over 170 people so far. The total number of confirmed cases is nearly 8,000. A growing number of countries are evacuating their citizens from Wuhan, where the epidemic first started. A Romanian citizen also requested to be repatriated from the region. Although some experts say the virus is not as dangerous as SARS was, its quick spreading raises concerns, and some of its traits are still unknown.




    BREXIT Britain is leaving the EU on Friday night, after 47 years since joining the bloc in 1973. The Brexit deal was endorsed by the European Parliament on Wednesday, and some formalities are finalised in todays EU Council meeting. The transition will take 11 months, during which the EU and the UK will work to define their new partnership. At midnight on January 31, the British colours will be taken off the EU institutions. At a meeting with members of the British business community in Romania, PM Ludovic Orban said Bucharest supports the negotiations for a future close relationship between the Union and the UK.




    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep was defeated today by Spains Garbine Muguruza (32 WTA) 7-6, 7-5, in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. Halep fails to play a new final in Melbourne, after the one she lost in 2018 to the Danish Caroline Wozniacki. Despite the defeat, as of February 3rd Simona goes up to the second place in the WTA ranking. Halep will also be closer to the top ranked player, the Australian Ashleigh Barty, who also lost in the Australian Open semis. Muguruza will be playing the final against the American Sofia Kenin (15 WTA).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Flu season in full swing in Romania

    Flu season in full swing in Romania

    Romania is not facing an outbreak of
    seasonal flu at the moment, but only an intensification in the circulation of
    the virus in some parts of the country. The number of cases is lower than last
    year, but experts do not rule out the possibility that this number may rise over
    the coming weeks given that vaccine coverage only amounts to a third of that recommended
    by the World Health Organisation.




    The manager of the Matei Bals
    Institute for Infectious Diseases, dr. Adrian Streinu Cercel says that almost
    1,600 persons came to the hospital he works at last weekend, with more than 600
    being diagnosed with the flu. He again called on the population to realise the
    importance of vaccination.




    People are worried about the flu,
    but they only do so during the flu season. I would advise them to get worried
    in March or April and start thinking that around October they should get the
    vaccine.




    Doctors warn that apart from
    anti-flu vaccination, personal hygiene also plays an important role in
    preventing disease. They also recommend avoiding contact with sick people and
    staying away from crowded areas. Visitor access has already been restricted at
    several hospitals in Romania and classes have been suspended for a few days in
    a few kindergartens and schools. The Bucharest transport authority says it
    plans to distribute face masks free of charge to passengers to prevent the
    appearance of hotbeds of infectious diseases. More care will also be given to
    disinfect the vehicles used in public transport.




    As if seasonal flu wasn’t causing
    enough alarm among the population and the authorities, Romania, like other
    states around the world, is now forced to take prevention measures about the
    new coronavirus originating in China. The health minister Victor Costache tells
    us more about the measures envisaged by an inter-ministerial committee for
    monitoring and managing potential infections with the new coronavirus:




    We have a first centre capable of
    testing and identifying the coronavirus at Matei Bals, with regional centres
    about to be set up within a week at the most in Iasi, Cluj, Timisoara, Targu
    Mures and Bucharest. The transport ministry has already created, since
    Saturday, a special access corridor for everyone coming from China. A data base
    was also created for all these passengers to know their exact whereabouts in
    Romania.




    According to the manager of the
    Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Diseases Adrian Streinu Cercel, the risk of
    a coronavirus case to reach Romania is low. Nevertheless, prevention is better
    than cure, as the old saying goes.

  • Romanian authorities on alert for coronavirus

    Romanian authorities on alert for coronavirus

    The newly found coronavirus, discovered in China, is not as strong as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which caused an epidemic that killed over 750 people in 2002-2003, but it proves to be more contagious, as it is able to spread even before any symptoms appear in patients, Chinese health officials announced on Sunday. The new disease, which emerged in Wuhan in December, has already contaminated thousands of people in China, and the death toll is rising by the day.



    The Chinese officials are trying to ease away fears, explaining that whereas the death rate with SARS was around 10%, the rate for the new coronavirus is lower. There is no need to panic, but nor should people be careless: for the most part of the patients, the symptoms are benign and treatable, and many of the people who died over the past 2 months had been already suffering from other diseases and were over 65.



    The symptoms include severe coughing, fever and breathing difficulties. Antibiotics and antiviral medication are useless. The patients must be hospitalized and may receive treatment for the internal organs, but recovery depends largely on the state of their immune system. For the time being there is no vaccine, but the virus strain has been isolated by Chinese researchers, which is the first step in creating a vaccine.



    The countries having already confirmed coronavirus cases include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, the USA, Canada and France.



    In Romania, travelers coming from this geographic region are monitored. Alerts have been issued in Cluj (north-west), Timisoara (west), Constanta (south-east) and Bucharest, but by Monday noon they had been disconfirmed, according to a recently established inter-ministry committee for the monitoring and management of possible coronavirus infections, which includes experts from the Healthcare Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and Transport Ministry.



    Special measures are in place with respect to the 25 members of a traditional music group currently in Beijing, who are due to land in Bucharests Otopeni Airport on Tuesday afternoon. As regards other musicians, who were on a 40-day tour in China and have already returned to Romania, county healthcare authorities are checking on them on a daily basis.



    Last week authorities decided to purchase thermal scanners for airports, to detect passengers whose body temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius. Fliers and billboards disseminate information, and permanent medical units are on duty in airports. Unfortunately, however, the Romanian authorities also have to deal, at the same time, with the common, seasonal flu, which is already making victims in the country.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • 27 January, 2020

    27 January, 2020

    Parliament. The Romanian Parliament meets in extraordinary session from
    today until Wednesday evening to discuss the elimination of special pensions
    and the election of mayors in two rounds, with the government seeking to pass
    the latter bill by assuming responsibility for it. Senators and deputies can
    still submit amendments to the local elections bill today for the government to
    debate them tomorrow. The Save Romania Union and the Alliance of Liberals and
    Democrats says they will submit amendments, while the Social Democratic Party
    in opposition is already preparing to file a no-confidence motion against the
    Liberal government. The Social Democrats, supported by the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, are planning to file the motion next week. With
    regard to the pensions bill, prime minister Ludovic Orban says his party is in
    favour of calculating pensions based on the contribution principle, with the
    exception of service pensions for the military. The interim president of the
    Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu says the bill is unconstitutional
    because it also eliminates the special pensions for magistrates.




    Anniversary. Romanian prime minister
    Ludovic Orban is today attending in Poland the official events marking the 75th
    anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau.
    The events are held by the Polish authorities on International Holocaust
    Remembrance Day. In a statement by the Romanian government, the festivities,
    which are held under the high patronage of the Polish president Andrzej Duda,
    are attended by officials from many states, Holocaust survivors and members of
    Jewish associations. The Romanian government reiterates its commitment to
    continue efforts to assume responsibility for the country’s past, to promote education
    and research on the Holocaust and commemorate the victims, the statement also
    reads. A foreign ministry release says the dramatic episode of the Holocaust
    remains a lesson of national and world history that should never be forgotten,
    in the current international context marked by growing intolerance, xenophobia
    and anti-Semitism. Last week, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis attended an
    international Holocaust remembrance forum in Israel.




    Coronavirus. The authorities in
    Bucharest are considering whether to introduce thermal scanners on airports in
    Romania. These instruments can detect the persons whose body temperature is
    higher than 38 degrees Celsius, as high fever is one of the symptoms of the new
    coronavirus. In China, tighter measures are being taken to contain the spread
    of the virus, which has already killed over 80 people. In Beijing, the
    authorities have postponed the reopening of schools, more travel restrictions
    are in place and wearing a face mask is becoming obligatory. These exceptional
    measures are taken as there is yet no vaccine against the coronavirus. In
    China, the number of confirmed cases is nearing 3,000. The coronavirus, which
    originates in animals and causes pneumonia, has spread to Europe, the United
    States and Australia. The symptoms include severe coughing, fever and breathing
    problems, and in some cases failure of the vital organs.




    Flu. Another person has died in
    Romania because of the flu, with the total number reaching four since the
    beginning of the season. The latest victim is a 43-year-old man from Sibiu
    county, in the centre. Doctors recall that vaccination is the only effective prevention
    measure. The number of people who have taken the anti-flu vaccine in Romania is
    higher than last year, when almost 200 people died because of the complications
    caused by the flu.




    Tennis.
    World no. 3 Simona Halep of Romania today defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens, world no. 17, in straight sets, in the
    quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of
    the year. In the next round, Halep will face the Estonian player Anett Kontaveit, world no. 31. A finalist in Melbourne
    in 2018, Halep has won both of her previous matches against Kontaveit, which
    took place in 2017, in Miami and Rome. Also today, in the women’s doubles, the
    Romanian-Japanese pair Monica Niculescu and Misaki Doi lost to Hao-ching
    Chan and Latisha Chan of Taiwan in straight sets in the fourth round. On the 3rd
    of February, Simona Halep will become the tennis player with the most
    consecutive weeks in the top 10 WTA among the players born after 1980. She will
    reach the 315 mark, overtaking the current holder of the record, the Swiss
    player Martina Hingis, who spent 314 consecutive weeks in the top 10.






    Handball. The Romanian women’s handball side Gloria Bistriţa on Sunday
    night won their first match in the EHF Cup, as they defeated the Danish side
    Odense Handbold 25:23 at home. In their previous Group C matches, Gloria had
    two draws and a loss. In Group B, Măgura Cisnădie lost at home to the Danish side Kobenhavn Handball 28:33. This
    was their fourth defeat in four matches. Group matches will come to an end on
    the 9th of February. On Saturday, in their first matches in the
    Champions League main groups, Romanian title holders SCM
    Ramnicu Valcea defeated the Slovenian side RK Krim Mercator Ljubljana, 31:16,
    while vice-champions CSM Bucharest lost to the Hungarian side Ferencvaros Budapest:
    23:33.