Radio România Internațional

Tag: flu

  • March 5, 2019 UPDATE

    March 5, 2019 UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The Government of Romania Tuesday passed changes to the controversial Emergency Order 7 on the justice laws, which had triggered protests across the country. Under the changes announced by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, only prosecutors with at least 15 years of seniority may hold top positions in the Public Ministry, and only the prosecutors division of the Higher Council of Magistrates, instead of the entire body, is required to give an advisory opinion on appointments. Also, good reputation will no longer be a criterion in dismissing magistrates, and the salaries of IT experts in the judicial system remain unchanged. Tudorel Toader made no comments on the controversial provisions regarding the new division investigating magistrates, which stay in place. The new changes have been operated despite the negative opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates. Last Sunday in Bucharest and other major cities nearly 8,000 people protested against Emergency Order 7 modifying the justice laws. The prosecutors and judges in some 80 courts and prosecutors offices in half the country have also protested these days, by suspending work or by picketing court buildings.




    VISIT The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă announced a working visit to Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, when she will attend 2 events devoted to equal opportunity and promoting womens rights and will have meetings with senior EU officials, including the European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans and the Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier. This years edition of the Womens European Council is held in a partnership with the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, and will focus on better representation of women in politics and on promoting women into leadership positions, Viorica Dăncilă said. The second event will be organised by Romanias permanent representation to the EU, and will also be devoted to gender equality. The Romanian PM also added that on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will convene, chaired by Interior Minister Carmen Dan and Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. The agenda includes EU-wide cooperation in the field of the judiciary and border security, the Common European Asylum System and the Unions response to migration and terrorism.




    FLU Two more people died in Romania because of the flu, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control confirmed on Tuesday. The 2 women were over 80 and also suffered from other, chronic conditions, and only one of them had been immunised against the flu. The total number of deaths caused this season by the flu has reached 165. According to the latest data, over 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so far.




    VOLLEYBALL The Romanian womens volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj Tuesday defeated Ştiinţa Bacău 3-0, in the return leg of the Romanian semi-final of the CEV Cup, the second top official competition in Europe. Alba Blaj had also won the first leg, in Bacau, 3-0, a week ago. Last year, Alba also played the Champions League final, which they lost in Bucharest to the Turkish club VakifBank Istanbul. The other semi-final of the CEV Cup pits Hungarian team Swietelsky Bekescsaba against Yamamay e-work Busto Arsizio of Italy.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 24, 2019 UPDATE

    February 24, 2019 UPDATE

    SUMMIT – Cooperation between the EU and the League of Arab States is vital in the fight against terrorism, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said at the first EU-The League of Arab States Summit, underway in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Iohannis underlined that Romania is firmly opposed to all forms of terrorism and violent extremism. The Romanian president also said the evolutions in the region over the past few years included a series of crises which continue to impact everyones security, in spite of the efforts that are being made by local actors and by the international community. Klaus Iohannis said that economy is the engine to positive transformation and he added that trade exchanges and investments contribute to sustainable development, containing poverty and creating new jobs. The President of Romania has also reiterated that migration continues to be a major challenge. “We should approach the root causes of this scourge and closely cooperate with the origin and transit countries, Klaus Iohannis has also said.



    MAGISTRATES– The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila has invited representatives of the magistrates associations and of the Superior Council of Magistracy to talks on Monday, on the recent changes to the justice laws. In a communiqué, the prime minister has expressed her cabinets availability to support all judicial institutions to perform a correct act of justice, towards ensuring full respect for the citizens rights. The announcement is made shortly after Fridays protests by the magistrates across the country, against the provisions of an emergency decree issued on Tuesday by the government. According to prosecutors and judges the new changes may lead to an institutional deadlock and impact the independence of the judiciary. We recall that several prosecutors offices in Bucharest and several other cities have decided to suspend their activity, for a week, as from Monday, in token of protest against the new changes to the justice laws



    VENEZUELA – The EU on Sunday condemned the acts of violence by troops loyal to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro which blocked convoys of humanitarian aid from crossing into Venezuela. Violence broke out on Saturday when four trucks attempted to cross the border from Columbia into Venezuela, backed by the crowd which demanded free access for the humanitarian convoy sent mainly by the US. According to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, the main causes of the current crisis are political and institutional, and consequently the solution could only be political. She called for restoring democracy to Venezuela by holding free, transparent and credible presidential elections. Several European states have recently announced they recognize the opposition leader in Venezuela, Juan Guaido, as interim president. In exchange, China and Russia recognize Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate president of the country.



    DIASPORA – Experts on Diaspora-related problems from 9 countries, including Greece, Italy, France and the UK, attended a debate in Craiova, southern Romania, between February 22 and 24. The event was organised by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad, now that Romania is holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The participants presented examples of reinsertion and reintegration of citizens, after their return to their countries of origin, as well as awareness raising campaigns on human trafficking.



    FLU – The National Public Health Institute on Sunday announced a new death caused by the flu virus, thus taking to 149 the total number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania since the start of the season. The last person to die of flu is a man, 39, without pre-existing conditions, who hasnt gotten a flu shot. The latest data released by the National Public Health Institute show over 1.3 million people have been vaccinated against the flu so far.



    TRAVEL – The Tourism Fair which started in Bucharest on Thursday came to a close on Sunday. Over 330 companies from 15 countries have presented their travel offers to visitors. A Romanian-Moldovan joint project titled “The Route of Ruler Stephen the Great, was also launched during the fair, in an effort to boost cooperation between the two countries and to contribute to developing the areas along this route, in terms of tourism. The new project is destined for Moldovan and Romanian citizens, as well as for foreigners who want to embark on an interesting cultural and historical itinerary. The route includes 24 historical and cultural attractions on Romanias territory and 10 others located in the Republic of Moldova. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • February 24, 2019

    February 24, 2019

    SUMMIT — The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is currently attending The EU-The League of Arab States Summit, held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which brings together for the first time heads of state or government from both sides. The major objective of the summit is to set up a cooperation platform between the European Union and the Arab world as an important strategic partner in the southern neighbourhood. The Sharm el-Sheikh Summit also offers an opportunity to both sides to boost their relations and join forces to cope with common challenges. In this context, the European and Arab states leaders will approach a series of regional and global issues, such as migration, fighting terrorism, the sustainable resolution of regional crises and climate change. On Saturday, President Klaus Iohannis held talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The Romanian president underlined the very good and solid relationship between the two countries, saying Egypt is one of Romania’s traditional friends in the region and a key factor in ensuring regional stability and security. The two heads of state have expressed their determination and interest in boosting bilateral relations, particularly their economic dimension.



    PROTEST — Magistrates in Bucharest and several other cities across Romania have decided to suspend their activity, for a week, as from Monday, after on Friday they protested in front of courts against the new changes to the justice laws. Prosecutors and judges say the provisions of Ordinance 7, adopted by the government early this week, can lead to an institutional deadlock and impact the independence of the judiciary. Some of the changes to the justice laws which has stirred the magistrates’ discontent refers to the appointment of top level prosecutors, as these positions can also be occupied by judges who have earlier been prosecutors, the seniority condition being thus eliminated. The Ordinance has been criticised both in Brussels, by the European Commission, and in Romania, by the magistrates’ associations, the Superior Council of Magistracy, through its department for prosecutors and the right-of-centre opposition.



    REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA — Some three million voters in the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population are called to the polls today to elect their new MPs. The Moldovan authorities have opened 2,141 polling stations. 123 stations have been opened abroad. 12 such polling stations have been opened in Romania, 2 of which in Bucharest. The ballot is monitored by some 4,200 national and international observers. Opinion polls indicate as favourite in the election the Socialists’ pro-Russian party, which prompt pundits to say Moldova will slow down on its European path after the elections. For the first time ever, the elections are held based on the mixed voting system, with 50 MPs being elected directly on party lists, whereas 51 others will by elected in uninominal electoral constituencies, in only one round. A referendum on downsizing the number of MPs from 101 to 61, in the future, and introducing the possibility of replacing them by the citizens is held concurrently with the elections.



    DIASPORA — Experts on Diaspora-related problems from 9 countries are attending a debate in Craiova, southern Romania, for the first time during a rotating presidency. The talks focus on issues related to the Diaspora in the EU, laying emphasis on socio-professional reintegration of people in their countries of origin, cracking down on human trafficking and eradicating the scourge of modern slavery. The participants are presenting examples of reinsertion and reintegration of citizens, after their return to their countries of origin, as well as awareness raising campaigns on human trafficking. On Saturday, the spokesperson for the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad, Adriana Dănilă, said these meetings are aimed at drafting measures and establishing practical instruments to support the Romanians living abroad.



    YELLOW VESTS — Yellow vests protests have been reported in France for the 15th Saturday in a row. Enjoying a much larger participation than last week, the rally ended in new violent actions. The French Interior Minister, Christophe Castaner, has condemned the damages produced in several towns across France and has hailed the intervention of the riot police. Some 30 people have been arrested in Paris and scores others have been taken into custody across France.



    FLU — The National Public Health Institute on Sunday announced a new death caused by the flu virus, thus taking to 149 the total number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania since the start of the season. The last person to die of flu is a man, 39, without pre-existing conditions, who hasn’t gotten a flu shot. The latest data released by the National Public Health Institute show over 1.3 million people have been vaccinated against the flu so far.



    TRAVEL — The Tourism Fair which started in Bucharest on Thursday will close its doors today. Participating have been 330 companies from 15 countries. A project titled “The Route of Ruler Stephen the Great”, destined for Moldovan and Romanian citizens, as well as for foreigners who want to embark on an interesting cultural and historical itinerary has been launched during the fair. The route includes 24 historical and cultural attractions on Romania’s territory and 10 others located in the Republic of Moldova. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • February 20, 2019 UPDATE

    February 20, 2019 UPDATE

    Rule of law — The European Commission is following with great concern the latest developments related to the rule of law in Romania, said Wednesday Margaritis Schinas, the EC spokesperson. Both the content and the procedure used for the latest changes, namely an emergency decree, without consultations with the justice representatives and those directly interested, run counter to the recommendations made by the EC as part of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, which is supported by all member states. Consequently the EC will ask the Romanian government to provide explanations related to the latest modifications. The EC spokesperson reminded that the Commission’s November report urged Romania to implement a solid and independent system for the appointment of high-ranking prosecutors, based on clear and transparent criteria and supported by the Venice Commission. The EU also called on Bucharest to revise the justice law by taking into account the recommendations made as part of the MCV and by the Venice Commission and GRECO. Mr. Schinas also said that Romania should urgently bring the reform process back on track and should abstain from taking any measure that cancels the progress reported over the past years.



    EU Copyright Directive — The EU member states on Wednesday validated, at the Committee of the Permanent Representatives COREPER meeting, the political agreement reached by Romania, in its capacity as president of the Council of the EU, with the European Parliament over the copyright reform. According to a communiqué posted on the website of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, this is a further, important step towards passing the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, a law that is currently one of the most difficult files under discussion at European level. The balanced provisions of the Directive stipulate a correct pay of copyright holders and also take into account the interests of private users, the Romanian culture minister Daniel Breaz explained for Radio Romania News and Current Affairs. According to him, the European citizens will have access to a richer offer of online cultural content and educational materials as well as to trustworthy and quality news. The directive will have a positive impact on a large category of actors, for instance, press publishers, cultural institutions, education institutions, artists, performers, creators and professionals from the cultural field.



    Tennis — World no. 2 player, Romanian Simona Halep, on Wednesday qualified to the quarter finals of the WTA tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Halep defeated the Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (23 WTA) 6-3, 7-5 in the eighth finals. Halep, 3rd seed in the Dubai tournament, on Tuesday defeated Canadian Eugenie Bouchard 7-6, 6-4. Also on Wednesday the pair made up of Romanian Irina Bara and Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was eliminated in the doubles’ eighth finals, 6-4, 6-4, by the 8th-seeded pair Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany)/Demi Schuurs (the Netehrlands).



    Flu — 147 people have so far died from the flu in Romania since the start of the cold season, show latest data provided by the National Centre for the Monitoring and Control of Transmittable Diseases within the National Public Health Institute. The victims were suffering from other diseases and had not been vaccinated against the flu. Romania is currently in the grips of a flu epidemic. (news update by L. Simion)

  • February 19, 2019 UPDATE

    February 19, 2019 UPDATE

    COMPET – The “Horizon Europe program was the main point on the agenda of the EU Competitiveness Council in Brussels, the innovation and research section. The meeting was chaired by Romanian Research Minister Nicolae Hurduc, who said Romania wants to ensure the necessary conditions for the continuation of the Horizon Europe program starting 2021. This important project 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. The Commission suggests that 100 billion Euros be earmarked for this sector in the following long term budget of the EU, for the 2021-2027 timeframe. The program had supported over 18 thousand projects and had allotted over 31 billion Euros until May 2018.



    BRANCUSI DAY – Romanians on Tuesday celebrated Brancusi Day, devoted to the 143rd birth anniversary of the outstanding 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 modern 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 Brancusis works, which in his will he left to Romania. However, upon the refusal of the communist authorities in Romania to bring home Brancusis works upon the sculptors 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.



    GAC –The European Commission has noticed little progress has been made since December in various domains in Poland “There are also a number of new, worrying developments, especially in the field of disciplinary procedures against judges who make public statements about the rule of law in Poland or who have asked preliminary questions to the European Court of Justice, the First Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, said fresh from the General Affairs Council meeting. “We still have worries about the situation of the constitutional tribunal, he also said. Article 7 might be triggered in Polands case for failure to observe the rule of law. In Brussels, the participating ministers prepared the work agenda of the European Council meeting due next month. The meeting, chaired by the Romanian minister for European affairs, George Ciamba, was devoted to the multi-annual financial framework post 2020, considering a political agreement on the future budget of the EU should be reached as late as this autumn.



    RETRIAL – The High Court of Cassation and Justice on Tuesday 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.



    CHILD ALLOWANCE – The Romanian Government on Tuesday increased the child allowance from some 18 Euros to some 32 Euros a month. The measure will take effect as from March 1, and PM Viorica Dancila has given assurances the necessary sums of money have been included in the state budget law, who has been forwarded to president Klaus Iohannis for promulgation. Also on Tuesday, the government adopted Romanias national selection procedure for European prosecutor. Thus, Bucharest should designate three candidates for the position of European prosecutor by March 31, the justice minister Tudorel Toader has said. According to him, the short term by which nominations can be sent to Brussels comes to explain the urgent adoption of the bill, and the selection procedure will be made by the Justice Ministry.



    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.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player world no. 2 Simona Halep on Tuesday defeated Eugenie Bouchard of Canada,7-6,6-4, in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Championships, totalling 2.8 million dollars in prize money. Also on Tuesday, 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 and D. Vijeu)

  • February 18, 2019

    February 18, 2019

    EU The Romanian Economy Minister, Niculae Bădălău, is chairing in Brussels today 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 includes matters concerning the internal market and industry, the strategy for the single market for goods and services, while seeking to improve the competitiveness of the European economy. The Council will also exchange opinions on the single market overview process, and will hold a public debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on EU industry. Participants will also adopt conclusions on promoting development and the use of artificial intelligence.




    JUDICIARY The High Court of Cassation and Justice has once again postponed, to March 18th, 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 is taking part today in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda includes an assessment of the situation in Ukraine, ahead of this years presidential and parliamentary elections. The EU foreign ministers will also discuss Syria, the latest developments in Venezuela and the outcomes of the first meeting of the international contact group for Venezuela. Decisions and conclusions are also expected as regards the situation in Yemen, diplomacy in the context of climate change, as well as the Unions human rights priorities as part of the United Nations this year.





    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 Unions 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 immunised against the flu. Romania is currently struggling with a flu epidemic.




    EUROVISION Romanias representative in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Tel Aviv in May, is Ester Peony with a song called On a Sunday. Twelve songs competed in the national final last night. For the first time, the winner of the Romanian final was decided by an international jury and the public. The semi-finals in Israel are scheduled to take place on May 14th and 16th, and the final on May 18th. Romania will compete in the second semi-final, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia. The countrys best performances so far were 2 third-places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 16, 2019 UPDATE

    February 16, 2019 UPDATE

    AWARD – ”Monsters”, the debut feature film of Romanian director Marius Olteanu won the award offered by the Tagesspiegel readers at the 69th edition of the Berlin Film Festival. The film, selected in the Forum category, tells the story of Dana and Arthur, two young people married for eight years. The film explores their life together for 24 hours, and the way in which various problems and encounters with other people brings along the end of their relationship. Marius Olteanu is both the film’s director and scriptwriter.



    PRESIDENCY – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday that the international multilateral system is under growing pressure, that the solution in this case is cohesion and that the main objective should be an Enhanced European Commitment. That is why, the President went on to say, this message of unity and cohesion clearly defines Romania’s priorities at the helm of the Council of the EU. President Iohannis, attending the 55th edition of the Munich Security Conference as the guest of honor, has also said that efforts should focus on developing a harmonized approach between NATO and the EU. In his opinion, this could be done by combining NATO’s comprehensive role in collective defense with the EU’s integrated approach to crisis management.



    MEETING – President Klaus Iohannis reiterated on Saturday, during a meeting with the American Vice President Mike Pence, Romania’s firm commitment to consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the US and to strengthening the trans-Atlantic ties. According to the Presidential Administration, the two officials have evoked the excellent stage of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership and ways to strengthen it, with an emphasis on its economic and defense dimensions.



    FLU – In Romania, the number of deaths caused by the flu stands at 128. The most recent victim is a 27-year-old woman who suffered from additional health conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu. We remind you that Romania is facing a flu epidemic.



    CANDIDACY – The Social Democrat Mircea Draghici on Saturday announced that he decided to withdraw his candidacy for the position of Transport Minister of the Bucharest cabinet. His party colleague, Lia Olguta Vasilescu did the same on Tuesday, when she withdrew her candidacy for the position of Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration. The two had been proposed for these posts by the Social Democratic Party, the main party of the ruling coalition. President Klaus Iohannis had rejected Lia Olguta Vasilescu’s candidacy but had not made any specification as regards Mircea Draghici.



    BUDGET BILL – The government majority formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, with the support of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, on Friday passed the budget bill proposed by the government without major changes. The budget is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, a deficit level of 2.76% and a GDP of over 1,000 billion lei (the equivalent of more than 200 billion euros). The government says healthcare, education and investments are the privileged areas. The Opposition, however, says that the budget is based on unrealistic economic estimates.



    PROTESTS – Rallies were held on Friday in Bucharest and other Romanian cities in support of the former head of the anti-corruption directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi and against the government coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. On Friday, Kovesi went to the Department for the Investigation of Magistrates with the General Prosecutors Office in Bucharest to be briefed upon the accusations leveled against her in a file where she has been charged with abuse of office, bribe-taking and false testimony. After the hearings, Kovesi said she had submitted two recusation applications against both the special prosecutor and the departments chief prosecutor. Kovesi said she wasnt guilty and that there was no coincidence that the subpoena she received came right ahead her upcoming interview with the European Parliament for the position of European chief prosecutor. The local press has credited Kovesi as Romanias right candidate for the job.



    EU – The European Union will soon have a more solid framework for bank regulation and supervision after ambassadors of the member states have approved an accord reached by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Parliament in Strasbourg. The document provides for a series of revised norms aimed at reducing risks in the EU banking sector. The measures agreed on will provide the guarantee that the banking sector has enough capital to grant loans to natural persons and companies under safety conditions, Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has said.



    RUGBY – Romania’s national rugby team defeated Germany on Saturday 38-10 in the second match of the 2019 Rugby Europe International Championship held in Botosani, in north-eastern Romania. Romania lost the first match to Georgia, 9-18 in the Romanian city of Cluj while Germany was defeated by Belgium in Brussels. Romania is on the 18th place in the world rankings while Germany is on the 27th place. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • February 16, 2019

    February 16, 2019

    PRESIDENCY – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday that the international multilateral system is under growing pressure, that the solution in this case is cohesion and that the main objective should be an Enhanced European Engagement. That is why, the President went on to say, this message of unity and cohesion clearly defines Romania’s priorities at the helm of the Council of the EU. President Iohannis, attending the 55th edition of the Munich Security Conference as the guest of honor, has also said that efforts should focus on developing a harmonized approach between NATO and the EU. In his opinion, this could be done by combining NATO’s comprehensive role in collective defense with the EU’s integrated approach to crisis management.




    FLU – In Romania, the number of deaths caused by the flu stands at 128. The most recent victim is a 27-year-old woman who suffered from additional health conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu. We remind you that Romania is facing a flu epidemic.




    CANDIDACY – The Social Democrat Mircea Draghici on Saturday announced that he decided to withdraw his candidacy for the position of Transport Minister of the Bucharest cabinet. His party colleague, Lia Olguta Vasilescu did the same on Tuesday, when she withdrew her candidacy for the position of Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration. The two had been proposed for these posts by the Social Democratic Party, the main party of the ruling coalition. President Klaus Iohannis had rejected Lia Olguta Vasilescu’s candidacy but had not made any specification as regards Mircea Draghici.




    BUDGET BILL – The government majority formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, with the support of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, on Friday passed the budget bill proposed by the government without major changes. The budget is based on an economic growth rate of 5.5%, a deficit level of 2.76% and a GDP of over 1,000 billion lei (the equivalent of more than 200 billion euros). The government says healthcare, education and investments are the privileged areas. The Opposition, however, says that the budget is based on unrealistic economic estimates.




    PROTESTS – Rallies were held on Friday in Bucharest and other Romanian cities in support of the former head of the anti-corruption directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi and against the government coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. On Friday, Kovesi went to the Department for the Investigation of Magistrates with the General Prosecutors Office in Bucharest to be briefed upon the accusations leveled against her in a file where she has been charged with abuse of office, bribe-taking and false testimony. After the hearings, Kovesi said she had submitted two recusation applications against both the special prosecutor and the departments chief prosecutor. Kovesi said she wasnt guilty and that there was no coincidence that the subpoena she received came right ahead her upcoming interview with the European Parliament for the position of European chief prosecutor. The local press has credited Kovesi as Romanias right candidate for the job.




    EU – The European Union will soon have a more solid framework for bank regulation and supervision after ambassadors of the member states have approved an accord reached by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Parliament in Strasbourg. The document provides for a series of revised norms aimed at reducing risks in the EU banking sector. The measures agreed on will provide the guarantee that the banking sector has enough capital to grant loans to natural persons and companies under safety conditions, Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has said.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 3 in the world, on Friday qualified for the finals of the WTA tournament in Doha, Qatar, a competition with more than 900 thousand dollars in prize money. The Romanian defeated Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Today Halep will be up against Elise Mertens of Belgium who secured a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 win against Angelique Kerber of Germany. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • February 5, 2019 UPDATE

    February 5, 2019 UPDATE


    DRAFT BUDGET – According to experts with the Fiscal Council in Bucharest, Romanias budget deficit at the end of this year might stand at around 3% of the GDP, against an overestimation of revenues from VAT and social contributions. The experts believe that, in the event of macroeconomic developments less favourable than those taken into account in building the budget, the level could be even exceeded. Fitch rating agency too believes that the budget deficit target proposed by the Romanian Government is unrealistic, and the premises that the 2019 budget is based on, such as the economic growth rate, are too optimistic. The 2019 draft budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a budget deficit of 2.5% of the GDP and an annual inflation rate of 2.8%.



    JHA – Over February 6-8, Bucharest is hosting an informal meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The participants will discuss terrorism, migration and asylum seeking, the Schengen area and means of developing judicial collaboration in civil and commercial matters. Attending the meeting will be, among others, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove, the Eurojust president Ladislav Hamran, the Executive Director of Europol, Catherine de Bolle, and the Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, has held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, on the sidelines of the EU and the League of Arab States ministerial meeting held in Brussels on Monday. During the talks, the Romanian foreign minister approached issues related to the future bilateral agenda, laying emphasis on boosting political, economic and sectoral cooperation. Meleşcanu has reiterated Romanias commitment to maintaining its support for Iraq. He has also expressed concern over the escalation of violence in Yemen and gave assurances that Romania will get actively involved in all the EUs demarches to politically solve the conflict in the region. The Romanian foreign minister has also reiterated Bucharests support for Lebanons unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for the European and international initiatives aimed at consolidating the stability of the Lebanese state.



    EUROPEAN CHIEF PROSECUTOR – The former chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kövesi, is the first on the list of preferences for the position of European Chief Prosecutor. She is followed by prosecutors from France and Germany, respectively. The selection procedure for the position of European Chief Prosecutor does not depend on the candidates country of origin, as it is unfolding exclusively at European level. The New European Prosecutors Office will closely cooperate with OLAF, to detect and investigate cases of fraud all across the European Union. The European Prosecutors Office will have competence to research and prosecute crimes which impact the EU budget, such as corruption and fraud related to European funds. Laura Codruta Kovesi has been removed from office as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, following a decision issued by the Constitutional Court. Earlier, President Klaus Iohannis had rejected as ungrounded the proposal to remove Kovesi from office, a proposal formulated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader.



    POPE – Pope Francis on Tuesday ended his historical visit to the United Arab Emirates, with a grand mass celebrated in the open, in a country which authorises the practice of the Christian faith, on condition this is done in churches, FP reports. One of the organisers has announced some 170,000 people attended the event, an unprecedented public gathering in the United Arab Emirates. Participating have been Catholic believers from some 100 countries, alongside some 4,000 Muslims. According to the local media, that was the largest gathering ever in that small Gulf country, which is home to approximately half of the 2 million Catholic expats who live on the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday, the Pope gave a speech in the United Arab Emirates, urging people to build bridges between peoples and cultures.



    FLU – The number of people who have succumbed to the flu in Romania stands at 82, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The last three people who succumbed to the flu had pre-existing conditions and had not been vaccinated. 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 – Romanian tennis player Marius Copil on Monday qualified for the eighth finals of the ATP tennis tournament in Sofia, with over 500,000 Euro in prize money up for grabs, after he defeated the Swiss Stan Wawrinka, in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Copil, no. 56 ATP, got his first victory over his famous contender, no.57 ATP and three times winner of a Grand Slam. Copil will meet in the eighth finals the winner of the match between Spains Fernando Verdasco, 6th seed, and Bulgarian Alexandar Lazarov.


  • February 5, 2019

    February 5, 2019

    DRAFT BUDGET – Talks on Romania’s 2019 draft budget continue. The budget bill should have been approved by the Government today, as planned, but it has been postponed once again after on Monday evening the leaders of the ruling coalition made up of the Social-Democratic Party- the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats failed to reach general consensus, mostly on local budgets. Both mayors and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania have been critical of these budgets. The leader of the Union, Kelemen Hunor, says the 2019 draft budget, in its current form, has some serious problems, especially as far as local administration is concerned. He has said that after talks with the Prime Minister he will decide whether or not the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania endorses the budget. The opposition parties are also critical of the budget.



    DIPLOMACY — The Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, has held bilateral talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, on the sidelines of the EU and the League of Arab States ministerial meeting held in Brussels on Monday. During the talks, the Romanian foreign minister approached issues related to the future bilateral agenda, laying emphasis on boosting political, economic and sectoral cooperation. Meleşcanu has reiterated Romania’s commitment to maintaining its support for Iraq. He has also expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Yemen and gave assurances that Romania will get actively involved in all the EU’s demarches to politically solve the conflict in the region. The Romanian foreign minister has also reiterated Bucharest’s support for Lebanon’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for the European and international initiatives aimed to consolidate the stability of the Lebanese state.



    EUROPEAN CHIEF PROSECUTOR — The former chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kövesi, is the first on the list of preferences for the position of European Chief Prosecutor. She is followed by prosecutors from France and Germany, respectively. The selection procedure for the position of European Chief Prosecutor does not depend on the candidate’s country of origin, as it is unfolding exclusively at European level. The New European Prosecutor’s Office will closely cooperate with OLAF, to detect and investigate cases of fraud all across the European Union. The European Prosecutor’s Office will have competence to research and prosecute crimes which impact the EU budget, such as corruption and fraud related to European funds. Laura Codruta Kovesi has been removed from office as chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, following a decision issued by the Constitutional Court. Earlier, President Klaus Iohannis had rejected as ungrounded the proposal to remove Kovesi from office, a proposal formulated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader.



    POPE — Pope Francis on Tuesday ended his historical visit to the United Arab Emirates, with a grand mass celebrated in the open, in a country which authorises the practice of the Christian faith, on condition this is done in churches, FP reports. One of the organisers has announced some 170,000 people attended the event, an unprecedented public gathering in the United Arab Emirates. Participating have been Catholic believers from some 100 countries, alongside some 4,000 Muslims. Accordign to the local media, that was the largest gathering ever in that small Gulf country, which is home to approximately half of the 2 million Catholic expats who live on the Arabian Peninsula. On Monday, the Pope gave a speech in the United Arab Emirates, urging people to build bridges between peoples and cultures.



    FLU — The number of people who succumbed to the flu in Romania stands at 82, according to the latest data released by National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The last three people who succumbed to the flu had pre-existing conditions and had not been vaccinated. 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 — Romanian tennis player Marius Copil on Monday qualified for the eighth finals of the ATP tennis tournament in Sofia, with over 500,000 Euro in prize money up for grabs, after he defeated the Swiss Stan Wawrinka, in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Copil, no. 56 ATP, got his first victory over his famous contender, no.57 ATP and three times winner of a Grand Slam. Copil will meet in the eighth finals the winner of the match between Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, 6th seed, and Bulgarian Alexandar Lazarov. (Translated by D. Vijeu)

  • 1 February, 2019

    1 February, 2019

    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 more funds for investment, healthcare and education, and less
    money for the business environment, communications and energy ministries. Municipal mayors are
    unhappy with the new budget, as the local authorities are to incur most of
    the social spending so far covered from the central budget.


    Meeting. Bucharest is hosting the informal meeting of EU foreign
    ministers (the so-called Gymnich meeting) hosted by the
    Romanian foreign minister Teodor Melescanu and chaired by the EU foreign policy
    chief Federica Mogherini. The agenda of talks features international topics
    such as the Eastern Partnership, Venezuela, Syria and China. EU foreign
    ministers will also hold a joint working meeting with their counterparts from the
    EU candidate countries, Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
    Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. First held in 1974, the Gymnich meetings bring
    together foreign ministers for informal talks. Unlike the meetings of the
    External Affairs Council, Gymnich meetings do not adopt any conclusions or
    other documents.






    Defence. As of today, Lieutenant General Laurian Anastasof takes
    over as interim chief of the defence 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 the
    defence 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.




    Talks. British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt is in Romania today for
    talks with president Klaus Iohannis and prime minister Viorica Dancila,
    according to the UK embassy in Bucharest. Hunt is expected to discuss bilateral
    cooperation in areas such as combating modern slavery and hybrid threats, as
    well as Brexit and the future bilateral relations. This is his first official
    trip to Romania. He will also host a talk about the freedom of the press
    attended by journalists from the Romanian media.






    Flu. The number of deaths caused by flu in Romania has reached 64. The
    most recent victim is a man from southern Romania with preexisting
    medical conditions and who 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. The 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 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.



  • January 31, 2019

    January 31, 2019

    NATO President Klaus Iohannis on
    Thursday reiterated Romania’s decision to remain a strong and trustworthy NATO
    member. After talks in Bucharest with the Alliance’s Secretary General, Jens
    Stoltenberg, Iohannis underlined that Bucharest, which allots 2% of the GDP for
    defence is a provider of security and stability in the region. Iohannis stood
    for a solid transatlantic relationship, indispensable to the security of the
    Euroatlantic area. Stoltenberg’s visit to Bucharest comes at a time when NATO
    celebrates 7 decades since its foundation and Romania 15 years since its entry
    into the alliance. On Wednesday, Stoltenberg attended the informal meeting of
    the defence ministers in the EU member countries. The NATO official said the EU
    cannot replace NATO and it is important that its efforts in the field of
    defence should not compete with those of the Alliance’s, but be complementary. Stoltenberg
    said that after Brexit, 80% of the Alliance’s military spending would come from
    non-EU countries, while three of the four task forces based in Poland and the
    Baltic countries would be led by non-EU countries. In turn, Federica Mogherini
    the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has said the
    EU – NATO partnership is essential.










    EMPLOYMENT Under the latest government decision, companies will be
    able to hire up to 20 thousand foreign workers in an attempt to solve the
    labour force crisis in Romania. The Labour Ministry in Bucharest has announced
    the number of workers rises by 5 thousand as compared to last year. According
    to a communiqué issued by the Labor Ministry, the measure has been taken in
    order to respond to Romania’s potential of economic development, and its need
    for workers in certain sectors, which cannot be covered from the local labour
    force. The measure was also aimed at preventing illegal employment.








    FLU The death toll of the latest flu
    wave that hit Romania stands at 61 – sources in Bucharest have announced adding
    that none of the victims was vaccinated. Schools remain open all over the
    country in spite of a government’s decision on Wednesday to declare that the
    country is presently being affected by a flu epidemic. Classes are suspended
    only when 20% of the students are suffering from the disease. Only 14 schools
    and kindergartens in Bucharest as well as several others across the country
    have so far been closed down.








    FINES The Council of Competition has fined 7 food retailers and
    suppliers in Romania with 19 million Euros for price fixing. The sanctions have
    been applied following an investigation into price fixing operations involving retailers
    and suppliers between 2010 and 2016. The Council has found out that retail
    prices were not being set according to market rules but the retailer and
    supplier set a fixed or a minimum price to resell products to consumers, a
    method that eventually translated into higher prices for consumers. In 2015 the
    institution sanctioned other retailers and their suppliers with 35 million
    euros in fines for the period between 2005 and 2009.




    GYMNICH Today
    and tomorrow, Bucharest is playing venue for a Gymnich meeting to be hosted by
    Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu and chaired by the EU High
    Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.
    High on the talks agenda are topical international issues such as the Eastern
    Partnership, Venezuela, Syria and China. The EU foreign ministers are also to
    participate in a working session with foreign ministers from the EU-accession
    candidates, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro,
    Serbia and Turkey. The Gymnich format was founded in 1974 with the view to
    bringing together foreign ministers for informal talks. Every state that takes
    over the EU rotating presidency is to stage such a meeting during its mandate.


    translated by bill)

  • January 29, 2019

    January 29, 2019

    FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.




    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.




    UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.




    CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.




    BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.




    EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 28, 2019 UPDATE

    January 28, 2019 UPDATE

    BUDGET – In Bucharest, the 2019 draft budged will be presented by the Government on Tuesday, Darius Valcov, the adviser of PM Viorica Dancila has said. According to Valcov, more money than last year will be allotted to education and healthcare. Romanias consolidated budget at the end of last year registered a deficit of 2.88% of the GDP, just like in the previous year, according to data published on Monday by the Finance Ministry. Budget revenues were by 17.2% higher than in 2017. Budget expenditure was by 16.8% higher than in 2017, due in particular to staff expenditure, which was by 23.7% higher than in the previous year.




    FLU – In Romania, 47 people have died from the flu this winter, Romanian authorities have announced. Some 3 million pupils have resumed school on Monday, after on Friday all classes were suspended, over the flu scare. Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu has announced that classes will not be suspended this week, as it is the last in the first semester of the school year. Authorities will soon decide whether to declare flu epidemic at national level, given the alarming increase in the number of cases across the country.




    EU COUNCIL — The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea, attended in Monday in Brussels the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the first during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The main topic on the agenda was the Common Agricultural Policy 2020. Protecting farmers in the community area and encouraging the production of vegetable proteins are priorities of the next Common Agricultural Policy that Romania also supports. Also, under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy, the Commission has proposed to allow the use of certain grape varieties that had been banned a few years ago.




    DATA PRIVACY – The National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing organized on Monday in Bucharest, on the European Data Privacy Day, the conference titled “Ensuring the Observance of the GDPR”. The event was held under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The European Data Privacy Day is celebrated on January 28th by all the countries members of the Council of Europe and celebrates the adoption in 1981, in Strasbourg, of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data. 43 European states have joined the international convention, as wells as countries from other continents. Tiberiu Gandu, the Executive Director of the National Association of Telecommunications and Internet Providers, has stated that, in terms of personal data protection, the EU has the strongest regulation in the world.




    TALKS – Romania wants to actively participate in the consolidation of the European project and plans to make things advance in the economic, financial and fiscal sectors, to the member countries’ benefit. The statement was made on Monday by the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici during a meeting he had in Bucharest with his Norwegian counterpart, Siv Jensen. The two officials also talked about the priorities of Romania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in the economic and financial sectors.




    WEATHER – Weather in Romania is getting warmer, after days of extreme phenomena affecting the capital Bucharest and 20 counties. According to the latest report, presented on Monday by the Interior Ministry, some 8,000 fire-fighters, police officers and gendarmes were deployed across the country to intervene in extreme situations. Some 2,200 trees and 44 electricity poles fell and damaged 360 vehicles. According to a communiqué issued by the Energy Ministry, some 22,000 households are still without electricity, especially in the south and east of the country. Traffic has been resumed and is now normal on all motorways and national roads.




    MOLDOVA – The Moldovan branch of Amnesty International on Monday voiced concern over the high risk of violation of the electoral law and the international conventions that the Republic of Moldova is a party to, Radio Chisinau reports. According to an Amnesty International release, several candidates have reported cases of police failing to intervene in cases of harassment and aggression perpetrated by alleged sympathizers of their opponents political parties. The announcement was made given that parliamentary elections are due in the Republic of Moldova on February 24th.




    TENNIS – The Japanese Naomi Osaka, who has recently won the Australian Open, is the new number one in the WTA rankings. The Romanian Simona Halep has stepped down to the third place. Osaka, aged 21, is the first Asian player to become leader in the tennis professional circuit. Second in the rankings comes the Check player Petra Kvitova, a finalist in the Australian Open, with 700 more points that Halep. Romania still has 6 players in the top 100. In the mens rankings, the Romanian Marius Copil has gone up to the 56th position, the best in his career. (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • January 28, 2019

    January 28, 2019

    FLU – In Romania, 43
    people have died from the flu this winter, Romanian authorities have announced.
    Some 3 million pupils have resumed school today, after on Friday all classes
    were suspended, over flu scare. Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu has
    announced that classes will not be suspended this week, as it is the last in
    the first semester of the school year. Authorities will soon decide whether to
    declare flu epidemic at national level, given the alarming increase in the
    number of cases across the country.




    EU COUNCIL – The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Petre Daea,
    is attending in Brussels the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the first
    during the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. According to a
    communiqué issued by the Ministry, the main topic on the agenda is the Common
    Agricultural Policy 2020. ‘The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU aims
    to help ensure European convergence and cohesion, with a view to ensuring a
    sustainable and fair development for all the citizens of the Member States by
    increasing competitiveness and bridging development gaps, the communiqué also
    reads.




    DATA PRIVACY – The National Supervisory Authority for
    Personal Data Processing is organizing in Bucharest today, on the European Data
    Privacy Day, the conference titled Ensuring the Observance of the GDPR. The
    event is held under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of
    the EU. The European Data Privacy Day is celebrated on January 28th
    by all the countries members of the Council of Europe and celebrates the
    adoption in 1981, in Strasbourg, of the Convention for the Protection of
    Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data. 43 European
    states have joined the international convention, as wells as countries from
    other continents. Tiberiu Gandu, the Executive Director of the National
    Association of Telecommunications and Internet Providers, has stated that, in
    terms of personal data protection, the EU has the strongest regulation in the
    world.




    BUDGET – Romania’s
    consolidated budget at the end of last year registered a deficit of 2.88% of
    the GDP, just like in the previous year, according to data published on Monday
    by the Finance Ministry. Budget revenues were 17.2% higher than 2017. Budget
    spending was 16.8% higher than in 2017, due in particular to staff expenses,
    which were 23.7% higher that in the previous year. The 2019 draft budget has
    not been presented by the Government yet.




    WEATHER – Weather
    in Romania is getting warmer, after days of extreme phenomena affecting the
    capital Bucharest and 20 counties. According to the latest report, presented
    today by the Interior Ministry, some 8,000 fire-fighters, police officers and gendarmes
    were deployed across the country to intervene in extreme situations. Some 2,200
    trees and 44 electricity poles fell and damaged 360 vehicles. According to a
    communiqué issued by the Energy Ministry, there are some 22,000 households still
    with no electricity, especially in the south and east of the country. Traffic
    has been resumed and is now normal on all motorways and national roads.




    MOLDOVA – The
    Moldovan branch of Amnesty International has today voiced concern over the high
    risk of violation of the electoral law and the international conventions that
    the Republic of Moldova is a party to, Radio Chisinau reports. According to an
    Amnesty International release, several candidates have reported cases of police
    failing to intervene in cases of harassment and aggression perpetrated by alleged
    sympathizers of their opponents’ political parties. The announcement has been
    made given that parliamentary elections are due in the Republic of Moldova on
    February 24th.

    TENNIS – The Japanese Naomi Osaka, who has recently
    won the Australian Open, is the new number one in the WTA rankings. The
    Romanian Simona Halep has stepped down to the third place. Osaka, aged 21, is
    the first Asian player to become leader in the tennis professional circuit.
    Second in the rankings comes the Check player Petra Kvitova, a finalist in the
    Australian Open, with 700 more points that Halep. Romania still has 6 players
    in the top 100. In the men’s rankings, the Romanian Marius Copil has gone up to
    the 56th position, the best in his career.