Radio România Internațional

Tag: Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu

February 8, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 February 2019
February 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.

5 February 2019
August 23, 2018 UPDATE

COMMEMORATION – On Thursday, Romania celebrated the day
commemorating the victims of fascism and communism. On the occasion, President
Klaus Iohannis said that people should never forget these victims, and that the
present generation has to actively fight for democracy and the rule of law. The
president recalled that recently there have not been any regimes more
bloody than fascist and communist dictatorships, which had a major impact on
the development of states in Central and Eastern Europe, destroying the lives
of millions of people. Forgetting these victims, the president said, would be
an affront to history and humanity. The day of August 23rd is also the day when
the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was signed.

MIGRATION – The annual net migration of EU
citizens to Great Britain dropped in March this year to the lowest level since
2012, with Romanians and Bulgarians accounting for half of the total number,
according to data made public on Thursday by the British Office for National
Statistics. The figures show that, for the first time in the past 10 years, the
number of EU citizens leaving Great Britain is higher than that of people going
to that country. In all, net migration has reached 271,000 people, by 28,000
more than in the previous year, due to a record migration of citizens from
outside the EU. The number of EU citizens migrating to Great Britain has
dropped significantly after the British voted for the country’s separation from
the EU, in June 2016. Employers’ associations are worried that companies will
find it difficult to hire the personnel they need.

BUCHAREST – The Romanian Prime Minister
Viorica Dancila has accused what she termed as an assault against state
institutions and an attempt to divide the country and has called on the Cabinet
members to avoid the spiral of conflict. This is the first reaction of the head
of the Executive since the violent events of August 10, during the
anti-Government protest of the Diaspora. Hundreds of people, mostly
participants in the protest, but also gendarmes, needed medical care. Hundreds
of complaints have been filed at the Prosecutor’s Office in relation to the way
in which security forces reacted during the meeting. The right-wing opposition
has called for the resignation of the Interior Minister Carmen Dan, who, they
say, is politically responsible for the disproportionate reaction of the
gendarmes. In turn, the Social Democratic Party has stated that the whole thing
was an attempt to topple the country’s legitimate government by force.

AMCHAM – The American Chamber of Commerce in
Romania, AmCham, has called on Romanian decision-makers and holders of public
offices to show responsibility both in action and in statement and to stop
discriminating against certain categories of Romanians depending on their
employers. On behalf of the business community it represents, approximately 430
American, Romanian and international companies, AmCham states in a communiqué that
for 25 years it has mediated the dialogue between Romanian authorities and
companies that have helped develop the Romanian economy by means of investments
worth more than 22 billion dollars and have created some 250,000 jobs. The
private sector put Romania on the global map of investments and it’s the most important
contributor to the state budget, the communiqué also reads. We recall that the
president of the ruling Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has stated on a
TV station that there are multinationals that finance protests in Romania and
some companies have interests that run counter to the interest of the Romanian
state.

ARMY PROGRAM -
On Thursday, the Romanian Government approved a new army equipping program,
titled ‘Mobile anti-ship missile system’. According to the Executive, the
supply contract, which will be multi-annual and will cover the 2018-2022
period, is worth 137 million Euros. The documents approved by the Romanian
Government on Thursday include a simple ordinance promoted by the Ministry of
Regional Development and Public Administration, under which local public
authorities are helped to finalize projects that benefit from European funding.
It’s a support mechanism that allows local administration to access loans from
revenues from privatizations, registered with the Treasury, up to a maximum of
170 million Euros. Also, the Government approved an ordinance that completes
several provisions in the field of education.

DIPLOMACY – The
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu received on Thursday the Ambassador
of the United Kingdom Andrew Noble. According to a communiqué issued by the
Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed the excellent relations between
Romania and the United Kingdom and cooperation prospects. Also, they agreed
that the strategic partnership between the two countries should be strengthened,
by adapting it better to the current European and bilateral realities, including
Romania’s taking over the presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1st,
2019.

WEST NILE VIRUS – The number of people infected by the West Nile virus, which is
transmitted by mosquitoes, has doubled in the past two weeks, according to the
National Centre of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. The cases
reported include 56 cases of meningitis or meningoencephalitis and also 6
deaths caused by the virus. Most cases were reported in the counties of Dolj,
Iasi and in Bucharest. Doctors warn that the infection is not transmitted from
humans to humans, only through the bites of infected mosquitoes. The Health
Ministry has announced that, in order to eliminate the risk of transmission
through transfusion, safety measures have been put in place in all transfusion
centers in the country. Also, local
authorities have been urged to take carry out disinfection in order to prevent
the spread of the virus.

ATTACK
– The Islamic State terrorist organization has claimed the attack on Thursday
in Trappes, in the western suburbs of Paris. A man stabbed to death his mother
and sister and seriously injured another person, before being apprehended by
security forces. According to the police, some 50 people from the area have
been recruited to fight in Iraq and Syria. The town, which has 30,000
inhabitants, is one on the list of 30 areas that need additional police forces
and logistics.

23 August 2018
August 22, 2018

NATIONAL DEFENSE COUNCIL – The Romanian coalition Government has called
for an urgent meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense to endorse the
latest budget adjustment. According to a communiqué issued by the Government,
formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats, the request was submitted to president Klaus Iohannis. The
announcement was made after on Tuesday the leader of the Social Democratic
Party, Liviu Dragnea, accused the head of state of trying to block the
adjustment by not summoning the Defense Council. Also on Tuesday, the
presidency informed that the secretariat of the Supreme Council of National
Defense was trying to get the individual approval of the members of the Council
regarding the proposed budgets for the institutions dealing with national
security. According to the Government, the adjustment is needed in order to
provide the necessary money for salaries, social welfare, the payment of
Romania’s contribution to the EU budget, local budgets and measures to combat
the African swine fever.

COOPERATION – Romania and Slovakia support the EU’s traditional
policies within the future multi-annual financial framework, said in Bratislava on Tuesday
the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu at the annual meeting of the
Slovak diplomacy. He stated that Slovakia will support Romania during its
presidency of the Council of the EU, in the first half of 2019. Minister
Melescanu also stressed the importance of rendering the activity of European
institutions and decision-makers more effective, in order to first meet the
expectations and priorities of the EU citizens. Teodor Melescanu has stated
that his visit coincided with the celebration of 50 years since the reprisal of
the Prague Spring and has recalled that Romania was the only country in the
communist block that did not take part in the invasion of Czechoslovakia
decided by the Soviet Union.

AFGHANISTAN – 23 Romanian gendarmes have left on a 6-month mission in
Afghanistan, to train, advise and assist the Afghan institutions and security
forces. The head of the contingent, colonel Dragos Buzoianu, with a vast
expertise in international missions, was also appointed adviser to the Chief of
Staff of the Afghan National Police. So far, the Romanian Gendarmerie has
deployed 8 contingents in Afghanistan. Also, Romanian gendarmes are
participating in 9 missions under the aegis of the EU, the UN and the OSCE.

PRINCE CHARLES – Prince Charles of Great Britain supports financially the
restoration of a medieval church in a village in Hunedoara, western Romania.
The church is a historical monument built in the 14th century and
requires repair works, estimated to cost approximately 6,500 Euro. Works are
due to start in September, under the program called ‘Ambulance for Monuments’,
which Prince Charles supports constantly. Since 2016, 15 monuments in the west
and centre of Romania have been refurbished under this program. We recall that
Prince Charles has several properties in Romania, which he visits on a regular
basis.

PROETNICA FEST – The town of Sighisoara, in
central Romania, is hosting the 16th Intercultural Festival
ProEtnica. The event organized as part of the European Year of Cultural
Heritage is attended by some 600 representatives of national minorities. Until
Sunday, some 50 groups and ensembles representative for the 20 national
minorities living in Romania will be performing on the festival’s stages, in
the only inhabited medieval fortress in south-eastern Europe. The festival also
includes a science section, film screenings and art exhibitions, as well as stands
of products made by craftspeople.

SWINE FEVER – Some 5000 wild boars in the areas where outbreaks of
African swine fever have been confirmed are to be hunted down. The decision was
made after the sanitary-veterinary authorities confirmed new outbreaks, as the
virus was further spread by wild boars. Currently there are more than 600
outbreaks in more than 100 towns and villages in 9 counties across Romania.
Thousands of pigs have been culled, both in private households and farms.
Specialists say there is no danger for food safety.

SIMONA HALEP – According to Forbes Magazine, with 7.7 million dollars,
the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 1 in the WTA standings, ranks 8th
among the players with the highest incomes this year. She has won the Grand
Slam in France, at the Roland Garros and also another two WTA tournaments.
Besides the prizes awarded at these competitions, Simona has received an
important amount of money from sponsorships. The classification is topped by
the US tennis player Serena Williams, with 18.1 million dollars.

22 August 2018
June 25, 2018

NO-CONFIDENCE – Thousands of Romanians went to the streets on Sunday evening, calling for the resignation of the Government led by Viorica Dancila. They are worried that the current executive, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, might adopt, under an emergency decree, the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which have been adopted recently. These changes are the object of the no-confidence motion filed by the National Liberal Party, which is being read in parliament today and will be voted on Wednesday. The right wing opposition blames the Government for having destroyed the economy and the justice system. Also today, the Romanian MPs are to debate a simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union, which calls for the resignation of the Transport Minister Lucian Sova. He is accused of incompetence and of having blocked funding for the building of motorways in Romania.

NATIONAL DEFENSE – The meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on Wednesday, headed by the President Klaus Iohannis. The meetings agenda includes Romanias objectives for the NATO summit in Brussels next week and the Romanian Armed Forces that can be deployed for missions and operations abroad in 2019. A fresh NATO training mission in Iraq will be officially announced at the summit of the Alliance scheduled for July. Also, NATO wants to set up ground forces command units. Romania has already announced its intention to host such a command unit. Bucharests stand on the relation between the EU and NATO, a topic that will be approached at the summit, must also be established at the meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense.

FAC – The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu is today attending the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. The EU foreign ministries will have a joint working session with the defense ministries, to assess the progress in security and defence. Also, the ministers will discuss the consolidation of the relationship between NATO and the EU, in the presence of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Also today, Romania and Bulgaria will give briefings on the stage and prospects of EU-supported regional cooperation initiatives in the Black Sea Area.

CVM – The European Commission is currently conducting a fresh evaluation under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. For three days, a Commission delegation will analyze the impact of the changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes on the Romanian justice system. The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that a document was drawn up, highlighting the progress made by Romania.

MOLDOVA – The Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova (Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population) is today examining the appeal to the invalidation of the early elections for the office of mayor of Chisinau, issued by two lower courts. On June 3rd, the second round of mayoral elections was won by the representative of the pro-European opposition Andrei Nastase, who defeated the pro-Russia socialist Ion Ceban. The invalidation of the result of the election triggered large-scale protests across the country and reactions from the EU and the US, which have called for a transparent appeal procedure. In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has warned that political tension might affect the republics stability, and the right-wing opposition has voiced support for Nastase. If Nastases win is not validated, Chisinau will have an interim mayor until the local elections due next year.

MIGRATION – The European mini-summit on migration ended on Sunday in Brussels without any concrete measures being adopted. The leaders of the 16 participant countries agreed over the need to curb illegal migration and protect the European frontiers, but there was no consensus as to how that would be achieved. The German Chancellor Angela Markel stated that, unless solutions were found at the level of the EU, bilateral agreements will be proposed, while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed the creation of international protection centers in the transit countries and sanctions against the EU countries that do not accept refuges. The Visegrad Group (made up of Hungary, Poland, the Check Republic and Slovakia) boycotted the meeting. New talks will be held at the European Council this week.

BACCALAUREATE – The high-school graduation examinations – the Baccalaureate – have started in Romania today. Some 137,000 students are participating, in 440 examination centers across the country. Today was the day for Romanian language and literature examination. On Tuesday, students belonging to the national ethnic minorities will sit for the examination in their mother tongues, Wednesday is the compulsory specialty examination, and on Thursday students will be tested into a matter of their own choice. For the first time, the oral examinations were taken during the school year. The first results are to be posted on July 4th, and the final ones on July 9th.

SCIENCE – Researchers from across the world are these days in Brasov, in central Romania, attending the International Nuclear Photonics Conference. Romania was chosen to host the second edition of this event, given that it is home to the most powerful laser in the world, which will be rendered operational next year. On Sunday, the participants discussed the applications of this technology, after they had visited the Magurele facility, near Bucharest. The first edition of the Conference was held in California in 2016.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep remains no.1 in the world, according to the WTA rankings published on Monday. To Halep, its the 34th week as world leader. Next on the podium there come Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The top 100 includes another five Romanian tennis players: Mihaela Buzarnescu (28), Irina Begu (33), Sorana Cirstea (47), Monica Niculescu (59) and Ana Bogdan (63).

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

25 June 2018
May 5-11, 2018

May 9th a day with threefold significance for Romania

May 9th has a threefold significance for the Romanians. On May 9th they celebrate the Independence Day, proclaimed in 1877, the victory of the United Nations coalition in World War Two and also Europe Day. At a reception offered by the Romanian Presidency on this occasion, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis deplored the fact that there are politicians in Bucharest who question the Union’s role and relevance, at the same time neglecting the benefits of belonging in this project, arguing that Romania would be better off outside the European family.

The country’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said in a communiqué that Romania believes in the European project and that it is taking action for its support and development. The Romanians’ standard of living has constantly grown after the country’s EU accession 11 years ago, Angela Cristea, the head of European Commission Representation also said. According to Mrs. Cristea, Romania has to continue its efforts to have the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism lifted, which is an instrument through which Brussels is monitoring the situation in Romania’s legal system.

The government has reached an agreement with trade unions from Romania’s healthcare system

After spontaneous protests in hospitals around the country, several rounds of talks between the government and trade unions and a two-hour token strike, employees of Romania’s healthcare system decided to give up their all-out strike scheduled for May 11th. The agreement between the government and trade unions also provides that all employees who lost money as a result of the new salary law will be reimbursed. The healthcare minister Sorina Pintea now says the government will again amend the law on public sector salaries.

The changes will only cover the way in which benefits are granted, the labor minister Lia Olguţa Vasilescu has pointed out. She says on-duty time performed by physicians and nurses will no longer be subject to the provision that stipulated a 30% cap on benefits. Commentators say, however, that this does not heal the most acute problems in the system: old hospitals with precarious equipment and full of bacteria, shortages of sometimes essential medicine, insufficient and still unmotivated medical staff, or staff hostile to patients despite the generous pay rise.

Financial disputes between the President and the government

The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday again called for the resignation of the Social Democratic Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă. The president this time invoked a series of low economic performances by the present government. After the publication of the budget execution report for the first quarter of the year, the president argued the national budget is under a tremendous pressure against the backdrop of increasing total expenses and that the evolution of public finances is completely unsatisfactory. The president has lashed out at the PSD-ALDE government, which he accuses of having neglected major investments and of having failed to turn Romania’s economic growth rate of 7% into a rise in revenues.

Klaus Iohannis: “After almost one year and a half of Social Democratic governing, including this debatable situation of the so-called pay rises, we see no roads, no motorways, no schools, no hospitals. The Social Democratic Party is in fact mortgaging the future of the country. It raises salaries and pensions and neglects major investments in infrastructure or investments that are needed for the country’s development in general.”

The Government, on the other hand, says that Romania’s economic parameters for the first quarter of the year grew as compared to the same period of 2017. Deputy Prime Minister Viorel Stefan has stated that budget revenues grew by 12%, and investments doubled as compared to 2017.

UNITER Gala

Directors Mihai Măniuţiu and Yuri Kordonski and actors Mariana Mihuţ and Victor Rebengiuc are the big winners of this year’s UNITER Awards Gala. The Theater Union of Romania — UNITER — has this year celebrated the best actors and directors of the year 2017 in the Transylvanian city of Alba Iulia, in central Romania, the symbol of the Great Union of the Romanian historical provinces, which took place 100 years ago.

The award for best performance in 2017 went to ‘Rambuku’ by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, adapted by Anca Măniuţiu and directed by Mihai Măniuţiu. Best director was designated the Russian Yuri Kordonsky, for the show ‘The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her Heartless Grandmother’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Great actors Mariana Mihut and Victor Rebengiuc won the best actress and best actor awards respectively, for their parts in ‘Exit the King’ by Eugene Ionescu, directed by Andrei and Andreea Grosu.

The best TV drama performance was designated ‘Midwinter Night’s Dream’ by Tudor Muşatescu, and the best radio drama award was won by ‘Ovid, the Pontus Euxinus Exile’, based on a script by Emil Boroghină and produced by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. The award for the best Romanian play in 2017 went to Daniel Oltean, for the play ’50 seconds’. Also, UNITER handed the lifetime achievement award to actor Horaţiu Mălăiele.

The Romanian Foreign Minister heard in Parliament in relation to the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel

The Memorandum on the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was discussed in Government last week and was submitted to the President only after being approved by the Executive, the Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu stated. On Wednesday, he was heard by the Foreign Policy Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in relation to the memorandum, which created a conflict between the President and the Government. According to the law, the head of state is the only one that can move an embassy from one city to another, and Klaus Iohannis has voiced discontentment with the fact that statements on the topic have been carried in the public space as if a decision had already been made. Meleşcanu also stated that the document was not classified as top secret, but that it includes information that is not public, and is therefore confidential.

Teodor Melescanu: “Our concern is to conduct a serious analysis of the legal, political and economic implications of the decision to relocate the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and to provide the arguments that political decision-makers — Parliament, President and Prime-Minister- need in order to take a common stand on the matter.”

Minister Meleşcanu has also admitted that the talks on the relocation of the embassy might affect Romania’s candidacy for a position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

12 May 2018
April 20, 2018 UPDATE

EMBASSY – On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced, in a communiqué, that an analysis and assessment process was launched concerning the relocation of Romanias Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, so as to find the best stand in this matter, taking into consideration the latest developments and the stands of Romanias partners and strategic allies. Previously, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis had stated that the relocation would represent, at this stage, a violation of international law, adding that he had not been informed or consulted about this decision. According to the Romanian Presidency, such an important decision must be taken only after consulting with and getting the approval of all institutions with foreign policy and national security responsibilities and, in keeping with the Constitution, it is the head of state that takes the final decision. President Iohanniss reaction came a day after the Chamber of Deputies Speaker, Liviu Dragnea, had announced that the Government adopted a memorandum green lighting the start of the procedures for the relocation of Romanias Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In turn, the Embassy of Palestine in Bucharest has described the Governments action as a violation of the international law and of the European Councils decisions, and also a decision that contradicts the official stand of the Romanian state on the Israeli – Palestinian conflict.

JUSTICE – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that by next Wednesday he will submit to the Parliamentary committee that analyses the justice laws the institutions stand on the bill amending the criminal codes. On Thursday, the Commission announced that the proposals regarding the modification of the Criminal Code, of the Criminal Procedure Code of Criminal Procedure and of the Code of Civil Procedure would be debated as of May 2nd. The aim is to put the three codes in line with the rulings issued by the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as with the provisions of the relevant European Directive.

VISIT – On Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu was received in Tunis by the Prime Minister Youssef Chahed. Melescanu reiterated Bucharests intention to resume, as soon as possible, the proceedings of the Romania – Tunisia Joint Committee. Also, he stressed Romanias support for the reform process in Tunisia and for the consolidation of the ties between Tunisia and the EU, ahead of the EU – Tunisia Association Council, due on May 15th. On Thursday, Melescanu and his counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui signed several documents, including the Declaration on the Romania – Tunisia Joint Committee, which covers fields such as the economy, defence, justice, education and tourism.

PROTEST – More than 2000 railway trade unionists protested in Bucharest on Friday, calling for solutions to avoid the bankruptcy of the National Rail Freight Company (CFR Marfa), for support for the endorsement of a law on the status of the railway personnel and for multi-annual investments in the field. Railway workers said they would start an all out strike and submitted a document to the Romanian Government, explaining the reasons for the strike. Romania has the seventh longest rail network in Europe, but, because of the lack of funding in upgrading works, hundreds of restrictions have been put in place, thus extending a lot the duration of a trip by train. The Transport Minister Lucian Sova says that solutions are being looked for so that the railway administrator recovers the debt of over one hundred million euro from CFR Marfa, money that could be used for repairing works.

MOLDOVA – The Romanian Government will continue to support the countrys strategic partnership with the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, the Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia-Elena Intotero has said on her first working visit to Chisinau. The Romanian Minister has met with representatives of the central administration, religious denominations and local authorities. Natalia-Elena Intotero discussed with the Moldovan Minister of Education, Culture and Research Monica Babuc the two countries joint projects in the Diaspora. The Romanian language is a heritage of both Romania and the Republic of Moldova, Minister Intotero has said, adding that Bucharest counts on Chisinaus support to promote the study of the Romanian language in all regions of the Republic of Moldova.

ENERGY – Two years ago, Estonia, Denmark and Romania were the countries least dependent on energy imports for domestic consumption in the EU, according to data published by Eurostat on Friday. In 2016, the EU had to import approximately half of the consumed energy (53.6%). Since 2004, the EUs energy dependency has stood at over 50%, with the highest rate registered in 2008 (54.5%). On Friday, the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) announced that after the investigation conducted by the Competition Council, discounts on distribution fees will be calculated. The president of the Council Bogdan Chiritoiu has recently stated that he will recommend a reduction of fees, given that they were increased only as a result of arrangements made by the companies in the field.

20 April 2018
April 17, 2018

REVOLUTION CASE – Army prosecutors have today announced the extension of the interval for the criminal prosecution of the former president of the country Ion Iliescu to December 27-31, 1989, for which an endorsement of investigation is not necessary. Ion Iliescu has been summoned to the Prosecutor Generals Office to be informed about the start of his prosecution for crimes against humanity, in the 1989 Revolution Case. On April 13th, the current president Klaus Iohannis endorsed the start of the criminal prosecution of Ion Iliescu, of the former prime-minister Petre Roman and of the former deputy prime-minister Gelu Voican Voculescu in the Revolution Case. The three ex-officials are now being prosecuted and can be sent to court for crimes against humanity, allegedly committed between the 22nd and the 31st of December 1989, when they were holding positions in the National Salvation Front Council, which back then was holding both the executive and the legislative power. According to prosecutors, the armed incidents that occurred after December 22nd, in several towns and cities across Romania, are indicative of the fact that everything occurred as the result of a pre-established plan, aimed at helping the new leaders take over power and gain legitimacy. The three former officials, though, say they are innocent. According to official statistics, in December 1989 more than 1100 people were killed and more than 3000 were wounded, mostly after the arrest of dictator Ceausescu and his wife.

BUCHAREST FORMAT – Bucharest is hosting the first parliamentary summit of the Bucharest Format (B9), attended by representatives of nine European countries and high ranking NATO officials. The summit is aimed at strengthening the role of national parliaments in the security and defense fields. The agenda of the event, which will last until Thursday, includes topics such as the future presence of NATO, the defense and deterrence posture, fighting terrorism, perceptions regarding the threats facing the participant countries and legislative consolidation in the defense field. The B 9 summit is aimed at conveying a unitary and coherent message concerning the strengthening of NATOs Eastern flank, ahead of the NATO summit to be hosted by Brussels in July.

FAC – The EU foreign ministers, gathered in Luxembourg, have voiced support for all the measures aimed at preventing new chemical attacks against civilians in Syria and have called for a re-launch of the political process, aimed to put an end to the conflict. Attending the External Affairs Council, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that Romania firmly condemns the use of chemical weapons in any circumstances, especially against civilians. Talking about the prolonged crisis in Syria, Melescanu has drawn attention to the danger of a military escalation, which would have serious consequences in the region, and has called on all the parties involved to support the UNs efforts to find a political solution.

SUMMIT – On May 4th, the Bulgarian city of Ruse will play host to an informal meeting of the presidents of Bulgaria, Austria and Romania, the countries holding successively the rotating presidency of the EU Council as of January 1st, 2018. According to the press office of the Bulgarian presidential administration, the three heads of state will debate topics of European interest, which are also among the priorities of the current Bulgarian presidency of the EU Council. The meeting in Ruse is an expression of the three countries political will to ensure a common stand with regard to the main topics on the EU agenda, such as the European prospects of the Western Balkans, the future of the cohesion policy and the interconnection of the energy networks in the region.

PROTESTS – Hundreds of employees of the County Emergency Hospital in Craiova, south-western Romania, have today continued their protest against the drop in their incomes an said that, unless their claims are settled, they will start an all-out strike. Health-care employees in Iasi, in the north-east, and Resita, in the west, have also protested today against the new salary scheme used in the sector. On Monday, hundreds of employees with several hospitals in Bucharest and other cities across Romania came to the streets to protest against the 30% cap on bonuses, which has diminished their incomes significantly. The health minister Sorina Pintea has stated that the incomes have dropped only for 10% of the health-care staff and has explained that the bonus cap must be observed. Pintea has also said that hospital directors must manage their activities properly and provide the money for the existing gaps from the hospitals own funds.

MUSIC AWARDS – On Monday, Radio Romania awarded the best Romanian music performers and the best pieces and albums recorded last year. The award for best female voice went to the pop singer Andra, and for best male voice to the soloist of the band Directia V, Cristi Enache. The rock band Vunk and the pop band The Motans won the awards for best rock and best pop artists respectively. The prize for best album and best singer of the year was won by Smiley, and the excellence award went to the pop-rock singer Dida Dragan.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest will learn today their opponents in the Final Four semifinals, following a drawing of lots. CSM Bucharest qualified on Sunday night for the so called Final Four of the Champions League, although it had lost 20-27 to the French from Metz, in a match away from home. In the first match, on home turf, CSM had won 34-21. The other three teams that have qualified for the Final Four are the current champion Gyor ETO of Hungary, HC Vardar of Macedonia and Rostov-Don of Russia. The semifinals and the final will be held on May 12 and 13, in Budapest, where the Romanian team won the competition back in 2016. (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

17 April 2018
April 15, 2018 UPDATE

DNA – Early next week, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis will announce his decision regarding the request for the removal from office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi. Recently, the head of state, who had previously voiced his trust in the chief prosecutor, has stated that his decision will take into consideration all the documents provided by both parties. In February, the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader asked for the dismissal of the anti-corruption chief prosecutor, accusing her of having exceeded her powers. The Higher Council of Magistracy has issued a negative opinion on the request.

FAC – On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Dominated by the situation in Syria, the agenda of talks also includes topics such as the relations with Iran, the developments in the Western Balkans, the relationship between Brussels and Moscow and the EU financial instruments to be used within the Multiannual Financial Framework post-2020. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini will inform the foreign ministers about the developments in Gaza and Venezuela.

ATTACK – The US Ambassador to the UN Nikky Haley has stated that the United States will not pull out its troops from Syria until Washingtons goals are reached. In this way, she said, the US wants to make sure that no chemical weapons will be used in Syria, that the Islamic State will be defeated and the neighboring Iran will be closely monitored. In another move, Great Britain has stated it has no immediate plan to repeat Saturdays attack against installations and chemical weapons stores in Syria. The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has warned, though, that the British will consider further action if the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad uses again chemical weapons against his own people. The statements were made after the US, Great Britain and France launched, in the early hours of Saturday morning, the largest attack against Syrian targets since the start of the civil war, in retaliation for the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Damascus regime.

SYRIA – In a message on Twitter, president Klaus Iohannis says that Romania condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria and stands by the actions carried out by its strategic partners. The Romanian Foreign Ministry too has reasserted its firm support for any effort made by the international community to stop the conflict in Syria. Also, a message posted on the Governments Facebook page reads that Romania supports the firm response of its strategic partners to the attack in Syria, which claimed victims among the civilian population.

DIASPORA – The Minister for Romanians Around the World Natalia Intotero continues her visit to Spain. On Sunday she had meetings with Mrs. Amparo Marco Gual, the mayor of Castellon de la Plana, and with representatives of the Romanian associations in the Valencian community. According to a communiqué issued by the ministry, the high level of integration of the local Romanian community, which is not only the largest foreign community, but also the best articulated in Castellon, has been a major topic on the agenda of talks. There are some 20,000 Romanians living in Castellon de la Plana, out of some 52,000 living in the Castellon region. Also on Sunday, Natalia Intotero met with representatives of Romanian associations in the region, for talks on ways in which the Romanian Government could better support the Romanian communities in the Iberian peninsula, including non-reimbursable funding for projects aimed at preserving Romanian identity.

VISIT – The Secretary of State Dan Neculaescu has met in Cernauti with representatives of the Romanian community in the region for talks on the situation concerning the rights of the Romanian community in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian official has also held talks with the leadership of the regional and local administration, and stressed the need for a sustainable solution for the Romanian communitys legitimate interest in benefiting from education in their mother tongue, at all levels. Other topics were also approached during the meeting, such as cross-border cooperation, for the benefit of both parties.

HUNGARY – The central electoral committee of Hungary confirmed on Sunday the final results of the parliamentary elections held on April 8th. FIDESZ, headed by the nationalist prime-minister Viktor Orban, won 133 of the 199 seats. Second came the far right Jobbik party with 26, followed by the Socialists with 20. This is Orbans fourth term in office as prime-minister. Holding two thirds of the seats in parliament will allow him to change the constitution.

SPOTLIGHT – Sunday was the last day of the Spotlight Festival in Bucharest, during which giant images were projected on emblematic buildings in Bucharest. This years edition, the fourth, was titled United We Shine and brought to Bucharest 27 installations, projections and video mapping sessions from France, Australia, Israel, Germany, China, Russia, Italy, Spain and Romania. For the first time at the Spotlight Festival, works of art were also projected on the facades of several buildings, including the Romanian Atheneum.

HANDBALL – The Romanian womens handball champion CSM Bucharest on Sunday qualified for the Champions League Final Four, although it was defeated by the French team Metz 20-27, away from home, in the return game of the quarter finals. In the fist game, on home turf, the Romanians had won 34 to 21. The other teams that have qualified for the Final Four are the current European champion Gyor ETP of Hungary, HC Vardar of Macedonia and Rostov-Don of Russia. The semi-finals and the final will be held on May 12 and 13 in Budapest, where the Romanian team won the championship in 2016. On Saturday, SCM Craiova qualified for the final of the EHF cup, after a draw, 18-18, at home, with the Turkish team Kastamonu, in the decisive leg of the semi-finals. In the first game, the Romanians had won 23 to 22. This is Craiovas second participation in the European cups. In the final they will play against the Norwegians from Vipers Kristiansand.

15 April 2018
March 11-16

IMF
recommendations for Romania

The International Monetary Fund recommends a
balanced mix of monetary and fiscal policies and support for investment, so
that Romania may be able to uphold the growth pace reported last year. An IMF
mission visited Bucharest this week. Fund officials met with Prime Minister
Viorica Dancila, highlighting the need to step up tax collection and maintain
public spending within sustainable limits. The Prime Minister said the economic
and fiscal measures adopted by the Government are viable, estimating an
economic growth of 6.1%, mostly based on investments made with EU funds. For
nearly two weeks the IMF made a comprehensive analysis of Romania’s economy, a
process that must be seen through every year in every EU Member State that has
no ongoing agreement with the IMF. Fund officials met with authorities,
representatives of political parties, trade unions, business associations,
academia and banks.

Fickle
weather across the country

The heavy rainfall and the massive snow
meltdown triggered by the unexpectedly soaring temperatures across the country
have caused a rise in the flow of several rivers in Romania. According to the
Interior Ministry, floods affected dozens of villages in various areas, the
most serious of which were reported in central Romania. Line Minister Carmen
Dan went to personally ascertain the damages, trying to convince the locals to
leave their homes until the danger has passed.

Regional
meetings in Bucharest

Romania’s Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu
received his Bulgarian and Greek counterparts in Bucharest, Ekaterina Zaharieva
and Nikos Kotzias, respectively. The three held talks during the
Romania-Bulgaria-Greece trilateral meeting and discussed issues of strategic
regional relevance, such as the developments in the Western Balkans, the
eastern neighbourhood, the Black Sea area, the Danube Strategy and the
prospects of the Middle East peace process . The three ministers agreed that
community funds are grounded on the principle of European solidarity, and that
the future EU budget should be balanced and not sacrifice subsidies to
agriculture and cohesion. Also this week Bucharest hosted a meeting of NATO
Defense Ministers from nine former communist states. The Ministers agreed that
NATO’s eastern flank must be consolidated. Romania’s Defense Minister Mihai
Fifor said allied presence is robust alongside NATO’s entire eastern flank,
both in the northeast, in the Baltic States, as well as in the southeast, in
Romania and the Black Sea region. Bucharest and Warsaw are the engine of the
so-called B9 Initiative, which also comprises Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary. The Foreign Ministers of the
nine countries wanted to reach a common approach ahead of the NATO Summit
scheduled to take place in Brussels in July.

Solidarity with the United Kingdom

In a message launched on Wednesday, the Romanian Foreign
Ministry has expressed solidarity with the United Kingdom and firmly condemns
the use of a military-grade nerve agent on the territory of an Allied state.
The reaction comes after British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Moscow was
guilty of the poisoning, in south-western Great Britain, of the former Russian
double agent Serghei Skripal, of his daughter and of a British police officer.
Many voices of the international community have deemed Skripal’s poisoning as a
severe breach of international norms and agreements on chemical weapons.

A unionist wave is sweeping the Republic of Moldova

The number of communes and towns in the
Republic of Moldova (a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian
speaking population) where mayors and local councils have adopted symbolical
declarations stating their wish to reunite with Romania has reached 120. These
local leaders as well as all those supporting the reunification idea are
expected in Chishinau this month, to attend a big people’s assembly to mark 100
years since Bessarabia united with Romania.
Initiated by the Alliance for the Centennial Anniversary, made up of
civic organisations from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and the diaspora, the
meeting is meant to reiterate their confidence that the Union is the only solution
to restoring historical truth, joining the EU and NATO, to ensuring welfare and
freedom. A province with a majority Romanian-speaking population and part of
the Tsarist Empire, Bessarabia united with Romania in the wake of WW I, on
March 27, 1918. The Soviet Union re-annexed it, in 1940, following an
ultimatum, and on part of its territory, the current Republic of Moldova was
set up.

Romanian
books in Germany

20 years on, since it was honorary guest
of the International Book Fair in Leipzig, in eastern Germany, Romania has
again enjoyed this status, this week. One of the oldest events of its kind in
the world, which promotes reading, has brought together over 2,500 exhibitors
from 48 countries. Visitors had the chance to meet Romanian writers who are
already well known in the German-speaking area such as Nora Iuga, Mircea
Cărtărescu, Norman Manea and Filip Florian, as well as budding writers like
Lavinia Branişte and Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu.Over 40
translations from Romanian literature, most of them supported by the National
Book Centre with the Romanian Cultural Institute have been promoted.

17 March 2018
Support for Romanians in Ukraine

On Thursday the Romanian Government adopted concrete measures to
support the ethnic Romanian students and their teachers in the neighboring
Ukraine. Therefore, the best one thousand students will receive from the
Romanian state monthly scholarships amounting to 200 lei, that is around 50
Euros. Also 300 teachers from the Romanian schools in Ukraine will be able to
attend teacher training and development courses in the universities of Cluj
(northwest), Suceava (northeast), Iasi (east) and Galati (center east).

Those
who can enroll in these courses are the teachers who hold diplomas allowing
them to be teachers on the territory of Ukraine and who can provide documents
proving that they have declared their Romanian identity. The candidates will be
selected by the higher education institutions that organize the training
courses, with the support of the associations, organizations and foundations of
ethnic Romanians in Ukraine.

These measures, initiated upon the proposal of the
Ministry for Romanians Abroad, are meant to ensure the observance of the right
to linguistic identity for the ethnic Romanians in Ukraine, through means that
should provide tuition in their mother tongue, writes a communiqué of the
aforementioned ministry. Bucharest is thus trying to mitigate the effects of
the new Ukrainian education law, which was passed last autumn and which largely
restricts the ethnic minorities’ right to education in their mother tongue.

According
to that law, children belonging to the ethnic minorities in Ukraine will be
able to study in their language only in kindergarten and primary school.
Starting with secondary school, they will have to study exclusively in
Ukrainian. This month, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu proposed
to his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin that Romania and Ukraine draft a
common document on the implementation of the Ukrainian education law.
Previously, Minister Melescanu and his counterparts from Hungary, Bulgaria and
Greece had signed a joint letter in which they expressed concern with and
profound regret over the passing of the new education law in Ukraine.

The
Romanian education minister Liviu Pop traveled to Kiev to make a plea against
this law. In a declaration voted unanimously in Romania’s Parliament, Bucharest
officials called for the re-examination of the law and warned that they were
following ‘very closely and with concern’ the developments generated by the
provisions of this law. In turn, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis decided
to postpone his visit to Kiev. Analysts consider Bucharest’s concerns
absolutely legitimate, given that almost half a million ethnic Romanians live
in Ukraine, most of them in the eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940,
following an ultimatum, by the former Soviet Union. The territories were taken
over by Ukraine as a successor state in 1991.

26 January 2018
August 31, 2017 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY — Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Thursday said Romania must take on higher responsibilities in European economic diplomacy and fulfill its full potential. Addressing the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy in Bucharest, Minister Melescanu also referred to the need to diversify trade relations by focusing on emerging economies and regaining influence on traditional markets and looking towards others. The theme for this year’s meeting is “A Changing World — The Stakes of Romania’s Foreign Policy”.

APPOINTMENT — The head of the Permanent Election Authority Daniel Barbu on Thursday took over the leadership of the World Election Bodies Association (AWEB) for a two-year tenure. Barbu was sworn in at the third meeting of AWEB hosted by Bucharest. The decision was taken at the AWEB General Assembly of 2016. Romania’s Election Authority joined AWEB as soon as the association was founded in 2013. AWEB currently comprises election authorities from over 100 countries from all over the world.

ROMANIAN LANGUAGE DAY –The Romanian Language Day was celebrated on Thursday. On this occasion, the Ministry for the Romanian diaspora organized in Bucharest, in a partnership with the Romanian Academy, a conference on “Romanian language revival and renewal in the diaspora,” while the Romanian Cultural Institute organised activities in major cities abroad. Conferences, roundtables, book launches, recitals and exhibitions were held in Istanbul, New York, Madrid, Tel Aviv and Warsaw. The Romanian Language Day was also celebrated in the Republic of Moldova, and according to the ambassador of Romania to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, this is further proof of the profound unity of the people living on the two banks of Prut River.

PARLIAMENT — Parliament will resume its plenary sessions on Friday after the summer recess. High on the MPs’ agenda are several emergency orders, among which one on increasing pensions to reflect inflation and another on capping child-rearing benefits to 1,850 euros per month. The draft law on vaccination and amending the laws on the judiciary are also on Parliament’s agenda.

JUDICIARY — The Romanian Justice Ministry has made public the bill modifying the laws on the judiciary, on which Minister Tudorel Toader has requested the official opinion of the Superior Council of Magistrates. The bill, which is intended to make the management of courts and prosecutor offices more efficient, stipulates changes primarily in terms of the professional assessment, promotion, and appointment to senior positions of staff in the judicial system. Some of the changes announced a while ago by Minister Tudorel Toader concern the appointment of the prosecutor general and of the chief prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism by the Superior Council of Magistrates based on a nomination by the Justice Minister, and the setup of a special directorate to investigate offences committed by magistrates. The measures have been criticized and prompted street protests. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate says this is a form of pressure on the work of prosecutors, while the Prosecutor General, Augustin Lazar, says that if endorsed, the bill would affect the independence of magistrates and the activity of judicial institutions.

EXCISE — Romanian carriers criticize the Government’s decision to increase fuel excises, and predict dark times will come for Romanian transports. The Romanian Federation of Transport Operators says each additional eurocent in the price of petrol and diesel will have a direct impact on the competitiveness of Romanian road carriers and will force many international transport operators to buy fuel from abroad. On Wednesday the Government decided to increase fuel excises in 2 stages, as of September 15 and October 1, respectively. Finance Minister Ionuţ Mişa explained that the measure would be introduced gradually so as not to generate a shock, consisting in higher prices and lower consumption, which would affect the state budget.

BREXIT — EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier said no significant progress has been made on the main points of negotiations with Great Britain. Barnier said there are confidence issues between the two camps. In turn, British Secretary for Brexit David Davis urged the EU to be more flexible.

FOOTBALL — Romania’s national football team is preparing for the game against Armenia, to be played on Friday on home turf, and the one against Montenegro away from home on Monday, as part of the preliminary Group E of next year’s World Football Cup hosted by Russia. The unchallenged leader of the group is Poland, with 16 points, followed by Montenegro and Denmark, with 10 points each, Romania and Armenia, 6, and Kazakhstan, with 2 points. In this preliminary campaign, the Romanian team is for the first time in its history managed by a foreign coach, the German Cristoph Daum. (Translated by A.M. Popescu & V. Palcu)

31 August 2017