Radio România Internațional

Tag: funerals

May 21, 2024

goVisit – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to Ankara today, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The PM is accompanied by a delegation of ministers, in the context of which they will sign a series of agreements in the field of tourism, SMEs and urban planning. A joint meeting of the governments of the two states will also take place. Marcel Ciolacu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan will sign the joint declaration regarding the setting up of the high-level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries. According to a press release of the Romanian government, the prime minister’s intention is to increase bilateral trade exchanges to 15 billion dollars through future projects in energy, transport, agriculture, agri-food industry and defense. Last year, bilateral trade amounted to over 10 billion dollars, and Turkey is Romania’s main economic partner outside the European Union. In the context of the visit, the Turkish authorities have today published in the Official Gazette a decree under which the Romanian citizens can enter Turkey for transit or for tourism purposes only with the ID. They can stay in Turkey for 90 days at the most.

Iran – Iran will hold elections on June 28, after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi. Today, the funeral ceremonies for the former president have begun near the place where he died on Sunday, following the crash of the helicopter he was in. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared five days of national mourning on Monday after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and appointed the First Vice President Mohammed Mokhbe as interim president.

Royalty – Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, and His Royal Highness Prince Radu are paying a visit to Luxembourg these days, in order to emphasize “Romania’s role in the European Union and NATO and to support the European aspirations of the Republic of Moldova”. In the presence of His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Her Majesty Margareta is giving a speech today at the Pierre Werner Institute on the security of the eastern borders of the EU and NATO. In the following days, the Custodian of the Crown and the Prince Consort will visit the University of Luxembourg and meet with students and staff from Romania. A visit is also scheduled to the Notre-Dame Saint-Sophie School, as well as to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, where they will meet the Romanians who work there. The program also includes a meeting with the members of the Romanian community in Luxembourg, as well as the inauguration of the photography exhibition “Contribution of the Royal Family to the consolidation of Romania’s role in NATO and the EU 2002-2023”.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan was voted the winner of the Heart Award, for her contribution in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, according to the competition’s Instagram page. Ana Bogdan won two of the three matches played in April in the meeting with Ukraine, as the Romanian team came back from 0-2 to 3-2. Thus, Romania qualified for the first time to the final tournament of the competition. The Romanian team will face Japan in the round of 16 of the Billie Jean King Cup, and if they win, they will play in the quarterfinals with Italy. The final tournament will take place between November 12-20, in Seville. On the other hand, in Strasbourg, the pair made up of the Romanian player Monica Niculescu and the Spanish Cristina Bucşa qualified, on Monday, to the quarterfinals of the doubles event of the WTA 500 tournament, after defeating the Czech-Slovak pair Marie Bouzkova/Tereza Mihalikova, 6-1, 6-3. In the quarterfinals, Niculescu and Bucşa will play against the Americans Ashlyn Kruger/Sloane Stephens.

Law – Penalties for trafficking in persons and minors, slavery or child pornography will no longer be suspended, according to a draft law that will receive the final vote in the Bucharest Chamber of Deputies. According to the new regulations, an increase in the penalties for these crimes will be applied. Thus, for slavery, child pornography and human trafficking, the prison sentence can reach up to 12 years, and if minors are involved, the sentence will be up to 20 years. We come back to that after the news.

Moldova – The Republic of Moldova signs, today, a security and defense pact with the European Union. Cooperation in this field is intensifying against the background of the war in Ukraine and in the context in which Chişinău accused Russia of waging a hybrid war against it. The security pact will be signed within the Association Council between the two parties and takes place on the sidelines of the General Affairs Council in Brussels. The collaboration thus extends on several security levels, from the military or cyber security to the fight against manipulation and disinformation, from border management to the fight against corruption. According to the Financial Times publication, the partnership with Brussels in the field of security and defense will allow the Republic of Moldova to exchange information and carry out joint military exercises, as well as to be included in the common arms procurement system of the EU. (LS)

21 May 2024
September 11, 2022 UPDATE

CELEBRATION The celebration of 150 years since the death of Avram Iancu, the leader of the 1848 Revolution in Transylvania, included events devoted to this national hero. Military ceremonies and religious services were held, followed by a traditional music show in Ţebea (Hunedoara County). In a message on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis mentioned that Avram Iancu believed in the power of action and will be remembered as a fighter for social and national freedom. The head of state also mentioned Russias aggression against Ukraine and the revival of an “imperialist mindset.” The joint efforts of the international community, political dialogue rather than confrontation, and our goals, converging and complementary to those of NATO and the EU, will ensure the consolidation of European security and stability, especially in southeastern Europe and at the Black Sea, president Klaus Iohannis also said.

9/11 In Bucharest, PM Nicolae Ciucă Sunday addressed a message of solidarity with the people of the USA, 21 years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. “The tragedy of the American nation, shared by the entire planet, struck at the heart of freedom and democracy: the trust in and respect for the other. We honour the memory of those who passed away and we stand by the survivors and rescuers in the terrorist attacks of 9/11,” the Romanian Prime Minister said. Mr. Ciucă also mentioned Romanias continued solidarity with the US, as reflected in the military cooperation between the 2 countries. “Our troops, in increasingly complex missions, have proved professionalism and dedication, contributing to the safeguarding of peace and democratic values. In the most important missions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Romanian troops showed solidarity with their American partners, fighting together the worlds democracies against terrorism and defending fundamental rights and liberties,” reads the message. Nearly 3,000 people were killed 21 years ago by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking 4 aircraft.

QUEEN The state funerals for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, will take place on the 19 September. Meanwhile, Britons will have several days to pay their respects to their former sovereign, first in Edinburgh and then in London, where the Queens coffin is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. On Saturday, King Charles III was proclaimed monarch, and today he was officially proclaimed head of state of Australia and New Zealand. The British monarch is the sovereign of 14 other countries apart from the UK, although with a largely ceremonial role. The King is also the head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 countries, most of them former British colonies. For over 4 decades, King Charles has been involved in charities lobbying for environment and heritage conservation, but as head of state he will take on exclusively constitutional responsibilities. As a Prince of Wales, the new King has visited Romania almost every year for 2 decades, supporting a number of organisations and projects, especially in Transylvania, where he owns several estates. The UK Embassy in Bucharest opened an online condolence book for members of the public, but hundreds of Romanians went to the embassy offices to bring flowers and light candles for the Queen. The flag at the embassy office was flown at half-mast.

FLIGHTS The national airline TAROM continues to repatriate the Romanians stranded in international airports after the private operator Blue Air suspended flights. On Sunday around 200 people were brought from Greeces Zakynthos and Rhodes islands, with another 200 to be repatriated on Monday, after 350 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Greece on Saturday. Four other special flights had previously been organised to Israel, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October. Blue Airs current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

UKRAINE Since early September the Ukrainian army has freed some 2,000 sq.km of the countrys territory, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Ukrainian forces are currently engaged in 2 counter-offensive campaigns, one in the south, targeting Herson, and the second one in the Kharkiv area in the north-east, where they entered the key cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. According to international media, these are the most important gains for Ukraine since early April, when the Russians were pushed out of Kyiv area. Reuters quotes a former chief of pro-Russian militias in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, as talking about a “major defeat” for Russia.

NUCLEAR Operations at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, controlled by Russian forces, have been fully stopped as a safety measure, Ukraines nuclear operator Energoatom announced on Sunday. Another emergency shut-down had been ordered in August. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, while president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the region around it to be demilitarised. (AMP)

11 September 2022
September 11, 2022

9/11 In Bucharest, PM
Nicolae Ciucă Sunday addressed a message of solidarity with the people of the
USA, 21 years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. The tragedy of the American
nation, shared by the entire planet, struck at the heart of freedom and democracy: the trust in and respect for the other. We honour the memory of
those who passed away and we stand by the survivors and rescuers in the
terrorist attacks of 9/11, the Romanian Prime Minister said. Mr. Ciucă also
mentioned Romania’s continued solidarity with the US, as reflected in the
military cooperation between the 2 countries. Our troops, in increasingly
complex missions, have proved professionalism and dedication, contributing to
the safeguarding of peace and democratic values. In the most important
missions, in Iraq and Afghanistan, Romanian troops showed solidarity with their
American partners, fighting together with the world’s democracies against terrorism
and defending fundamental rights and liberties, reads the message. Nearly 3,000 people were killed 21 years ago
by 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking 4 aircraft.

QUEENThe state funerals for Queen Elizabeth II,
who passed away on Thursday, aged 96, will take place on the 19 September. Meanwhile,
Britons will have several days to pay their respects to their former sovereign,
first in Edinburgh and then in London, where the Queen’s coffin is scheduled to
arrive on Tuesday. On Saturday, King Charles III was proclaimed monarch, and
today he was officially proclaimed head of state of Australia and New Zealand. The
British monarch is the sovereign of 14 other countries apart from the UK, although
with a largely ceremonial role. The King is also the head of the Commonwealth, an
association of 56 countries, most of them former British colonies. For over 4
decades, King Charles has been involved in charities lobbying for environment
and heritage conservation, but as head of state he will take on exclusively
constitutional responsibilities. As a Prince of Wales, the new King visited
Romania almost every year for 2 decades, supporting a number of organisations
and projects, especially in Transylvania, where he owns several estates. The UK
Embassy in Bucharest opened an online condolence book for members of the
public, but hundreds of Romanians went to the embassy offices to bring flowers
and light candles for the Queen. The flag at the embassy office was flown at
half-mast.

FLIGHTS The national airline
TAROM continues to repatriate the Romanians stranded in international airports
after the private operator Blue Air suspended flights. Today around 200 people
will be brought from Greece’s Zakynthos and Rhodes islands, with another 200 to
be repatriated on Monday, after 350 Romanian nationals were repatriated from
Greece on Saturday. Four other special flights had previously been organised to
Israel, Greece, Cyprus
and Spain. Several thousand Romanians have been stranded in international airports
since Tuesday night, when Blue Air announced it was suspending flights. Although
the authorities have unfrozen the accounts of the airline, which had excessive
debts to the Romanian state, Blue Air said it would only resume flights on 10 October.
Blue Air’s current estimated debts amount to EUR 230 mln.

UKRAINE Since early September
the Ukrainian army has freed some 2,000 sq.km of the country’s territory,
president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Ukrainian forces are currently engaged
in 2 counter-offensive campaigns, one in the south, targeting Herson, and the
second one in the Kharkiv area in the north-east, where they entered the key
cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. According to international media, these are the
most important gains for Ukraine since early April, when the Russians were
pushed out of Kyiv area. Reuters quotes a former chief of pro-Russian militias
in eastern Ukraine, Igor Girkin, as talking about a major defeat for Russia.

NUCLEAR Operations
at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, controlled by Russian
forces, have been fully stopped as a safety measure, Ukraine’s nuclear operator
Energoatom announced on Sunday. Another emergency shut-down had been ordered in
August. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling the nuclear plant, while
president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the region around
it to be demilitarised. (AMP)

11 September 2022
May 19, 2018 UPDATE

DEFENCE – Romania has met all its commitments to NATO, the Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said on Saturday. He added that the US President Donald Trumps request for the other Allied countries to also earmark 2% of their GDP to defence is justified. This is the second consecutive year when Romania allots these funds to defence, Fifor explained. He also mentioned that nearly 700 Romanian troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan, and the major Army equipment upgrade projects undertaken by Romania upon joining NATO are reaching their final stages.

MUSEUMS – Scores of Romanian museum employees Saturday protested in front of the Ministry of Culture and National Identity headquarters. They say salaries do not reflect the importance, responsibility and complexity of their work, and some of them have lost incomes since the implementation of the unified pay scheme for public sector employees and the transfer of social security payments from employers to employees. The Culture Ministry announced in a news release that several meetings have been held recently with trade unions in the sector, and solutions to their problems are being searched for. The protests came ahead of the 14th edition of the famous Long Night of Museums, in which 180 museums and partner organisations in Romania are taking part. In Bucharest, taking part in the event are the National Art Museum of Romania, the National History Museum, the George Enescu National Museum, the Grigore Antipa Natural History Museum, and the Romanian Peasant Museum. Exhibitions, concerts and film screenings have been put together, for all ages and for all tastes.

ROYAL WEDDING – The historical city of Windsor, near London, Saturday hosted the wedding of Price Harry of Wales, grandson to Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, with his fiancée, the 36 year old American actress Meghan Markle. The official ceremony combined the elegance of the royal protocol with the glamour of Hollywood events. Thousands of people gathered on Saturday morning in the usually quiet town, to celebrate the princely couple. Buckingham Palace previously announced that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain granted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the title of Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

DIASPORA – The second regional consular meeting in the campaign entitled “2018 Dialogue with the Diaspora on consular topics ended in Rome on Saturday. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, taking part in the event were representatives of the Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices in Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Switzerland, Montenegro and Israel. Talks focused on topics related to consular activities, particularly the handling of the situations that require the activation of the Foreign Ministry Crisis Response Task Force, as well as the use of the IT systems that are part of the E-Cons integrated platform, which currently services the entire consular network of the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

CHISINAU – The Republic of Moldova Sunday holds the first round of early elections for the mayors of capital city Chisinau and the second-largest Moldovan town of Balti, in the north. The posts have been vacant since the resignation of the mayors elected in June 2015, namely the pro-European Liberal Dorin Chirtoaca in Chisinau and the pro-Russian populist Renato Usatii in Balti. Both officials claimed the trials were political shams. These early elections are seen as a test for this autumns parliamentary election. Analysts quoted by Radio Romania correspondents, say Sundays vote for a new mayor of Chisinau, where one-third of the countrys population lives and which generates half of Moldovas GDP, is also important in geo-political terms, given the competition between pro-Russian and pro-European politicians in this country.

FUNERALS – The funerals of the great Romanian film director Lucian Pintilie were held in Bucharest on Saturday. Pintilie died on Wednesday at the age of 84. His staging of the Inspector General (1972), as well as his films The Reconstruction and For Whom the Bell Tolls, Mitică, were banned by the communist censorship. In 1973, he left for Paris, where he continued his career. After the fall of communism, he returned to Romania and made a series of films, mostly Romanian-French co-productions, one of which, “Too Late (1996), was included in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival.

CONFERENCE – Former East-European political leaders pleaded in Bucharest on Saturday for dialogue as a means to promote security in the Korean Peninsula. Chairing the meeting designed to support a peaceful reunification of Korea, Emil Constantinescu, president of Romania in 1996-2000, emphasised the importance of cultural diplomacy between the 2 countries. The ex-president of Albania, Rexhep Meidani, believes recent developments to be encouraging, including the prospective meeting of the US President Donald Trump with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Also attending the conference in Bucharest are, among others, the former presidents of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, of Belarus, Stanislav Shushkevich, and of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic.

HANDBALL – The Romanian mens handball team AHC Potaissa of Turda (in north-western Romania) Sunday faces the Greek side AEK Athens, away from home, in the decisive leg of the Challenge Cup final. On Monday, the Romanians won the first leg, at home, 33-22. According to commentators, Potaissa, which last year lost the final of the same competition to Sporting Lisbon, is a step away from winning the trophy. At the end of last week, the Romanian womens team SCM Craiova won the EHF Cup final, defeating the Norwegian side Vipers Kristiansand, while Romanian champions, CSM Bucharest, won the bronze in the so-called Champions League Final Four in Budapest.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

19 May 2018
December 13, 2017

KING MICHAEL I – The coffin carrying the body of the late Romanian King Michael I was flown to Romania from Switzerland on Wednesday, ahead of his funeral this weekend. A military plane transported the coffin, covered in the royal coat of arms. At the airport in Bucharest flags were flown at half-mast and Orthodox priests performed a religious service in the presence of King Michael’s five daughters. The coffin was then taken to Peles Castle in the mountain resort of Sinaia, the birthplace of King Michael I. The road was lined with people who wanted to say good-bye to their last King as the cortège travelled to Sinaia. Romanian and Moldovan officials are expected to pay their respects at the Peles Castle. Later this evening, the coffin will be brought to the Royal Palace in Bucharest, where people can pay their respects. King Michael I will be buried with state honours on Saturday, December 16 at Curtea de Arges, where all Romanian kings were interred. King Michael, who died in Switzerland on December 5th, aged 96, was forced to abdicate and leave the country in 1947, when Romania was ruled by a Soviet puppet government and was under Soviet military occupation.

LAWS — The amendments to the justice laws regarding judicial organisation and the functioning of the Higher Council of Magistracy are today debated and voted on by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, only two days after the magistrates’ new status was endorsed. It was decided that the Judicial Inspection be further subordinated to the Higher Council of Magistracy, although the ruling coalition initially proposed that it should be an autonomous body. Also, the special parliamentary committee in charge of amending the laws in the judicial sector has decided to set up a special department for the investigation of crimes in the justice system. The amendments to the justice laws have come to the attention of the Council of Europe, that has called on Romania to offer clarifications on the controversial draft laws, after the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has for the first time activated a procedure for exceptional circumstances in this case.

BUDGET BILL – The 2018 state and social security bills are being debated in the joint budget and finance committees of Romania’s Parliament, with the final vote on the bills scheduled for December 21. The budget for 2018 was based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a 3.1% inflation rate, an average exchange rate of 4.55 lei for the Euro and an increase in the average number of employees by 4.2%. Healthcare, education and investments are the priorities of the government in Bucharest if we look at the amount of funds these areas have been allocated in the 2018 budget bill. The budget bill is contested by the Opposition that has filed almost 4 thousand amendments to it.

PROTEST — The Romanian Confederation of Authorised Transporters and Operators has suspended the protests announced for today in Bucharest and other Romanian cities. Early this week, the confederation announced that 35 thousand transporters will protest against piracy and fiscal evasion but its representatives have stated that all their demands have been met. They say that road transport accounts for 4.7% of the GDP every year but argue that state authorities tolerate piracy so that the number of illegal transporters is almost equal to that of legal ones.

WORLD BANK – The World Bank will end its financial support for oil and gas exploration within the next two years in response to the growing threat posed by climate change. After 2019, the WBG — which includes the World Bank and three other institutions — will stop investing in upstream oil and gas, according to an announcement made at the One Planet Summit in Paris on Wednesday. The World Bank said it will continue to lend “in exceptional circumstance” but only in the very poorest countries and if the project does not conflict with the 2015 Paris climate change accord. French president Emmanuel Macron hosted the summit attended by 164 world leaders, government members, business leaders and prominent figures.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

13 December 2017
The Nation Mourns for King Michael I

King Michael I has finally returned home for good. One week after his death at his residence in Switzerland, the body of the last sovereign of Romania was brought back to his country on Wednesday morning, and was laid in state for a few hours at Peles Castle, the royal residence in Sinaia mountain resort, in the Southern Carpathians. The kings acquaintances said that the king was very much attached to the palace, the place where he was born, on October 25th, 1921.

Ceremonies at the palace were reserved for state officials. President Klaus Iohannis, members of Parliament and Government from Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova were the only ones present there to present condolences. Everyone wishing to pay homage one last time to the king may do so at the Royal Palace in Bucharest, where his coffin will lie in state until Friday night, in what used to be the throne room.

Thousands have already brought flowers and lit candles in front of the palace, which became a veritable place of pilgrimage as of Tuesday, December 5th, when the kings death was announced. King Michael will be laid to rest on Saturday, December 16th, in Curtea de Arges, in the royal necropolis at the Medieval Christian Orthodox church there.

At final rest there are his wife, Queen Anne, who passed away last year, as well as his three predecessors from the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, Carol I, Ferdinand, and Carol II. This line came to the throne in 1866, laying the foundations of modern Romania. They achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, and brought together Greater Romania as a country in 1918, when, at the end of WWI, they gathered under the authority of Bucharest all provinces with a majority Romanian population.

According to the Royal House, the funerals in Curtea de Arges are expected to be attended by about one hundred foreign politicians, royal figures and heads of state and government. The authorities in Bucharest have decreed three days of national mourning for the 14th, 15th and 16th of December. Parliament already held a solemn session on Monday, paying homage to the last sovereign, who took the throne in 1940. He was forced to abdicate and go into exile seven years later under pressure from the communist government and Soviet troops.

In 1944, a young King Michael had already written history by taking the country out of its alliance with Nazi Germany and bringing it alongside its traditional allies, Great Britain and the United States. President Klaus Iohannis said that King Michael symbolized the hope of a reborn and free Romania, and he would be remembered as a great statesman.

The kings first born, Crown Princess Margaret, Custodian of the Crown, said that she and the nation have lost a parent. She promised that the Royal House would continue to support all the fundamental institutions of the state in order to help the country progress.

13 December 2017
December 11, 2017 UPDATE

KING MICHAEL I — The Parliament of Romania convened in a solemn session on Monday, in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis, to pay tribute to King Michael I. The head of state said in his address that King Michael I symbolised the hope of a reborn and free country, and that His Majesty would forever be remembered as a great leader. The Royal House will continue to deploy all efforts, alongside the state institutions, for the country to advance within the EU and NATO, Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, also said. Attending the Parliament’s solemn session were former presidents Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea and Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church. King Michael I died on December 5, at 96 years of age, in Switzerland. Ever since, Romanians have been bringing flowers and candles at the Romanian and Swiss residences of the Royal House. The King’s body will be brought to the country on December 13. The authorities have declared a national mourning on December 14, 15 and 16. King Michael I, the last of Romania’s 4 sovereigns, will be buried on Saturday, December 16, in Curtea de Arges, in the south of the country, where all Romanian royalty are interred. Many Romanian and foreign personalities are expected to attend the funerals. Historians agree that by having the pro-German Marshall Ion Antonescu arrested and having the country join the Allies, Michael I helped shorten WW2 by six months. Forced by the Communists to abdicate in 1947, the ex-King was only allowed to return to Romania after the fall of communism. He was one of the strongest supporters on Romania’s joining NATO and the EU.

CORRUPTION – The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, convened in plenary sitting, has decided to make an urgent assessment of the draft laws in the Romanian justice system. According to the Council of Europe’s communiqué on Monday, various institutions and public persons from Romania and from abroad have voiced serious concerns at the fact that these projects might endanger the effectiveness of the battle against corruption and might undermine the independence of the judiciary. This is the first time when GRECO uses this newly introduced regulation. It can be applied when an institutional reform, a legal initiative or a procedural revision can lead to a serious violation, by a member state, of the Council’s anti-corruption standards. Thousands of people took to the streets once again on Sunday night in Bucharest and other major cities, to protest the changes to the justice laws promoted by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The protesters say the Power is attempting to have the judiciary subordinated to political circles and to stop the fight against corruption.

LAWS — The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest endorsed on Monday the changes to the status of magistrates proposed by the special parliamentary committee for the justice laws. In keeping with the new provisions, prosecutors become part of a hierarchy topped by the justice minister. Also, the head of state may no longer challenge judge and prosecutor appointments but can still hold his current responsibilities with regard to appointing the prosecutor general and the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and of the Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism. The bill will be submitted to the Senate, the decision making body in this case.

BUDGET — The Parliament of Romania begins the debates on the 2018 state budget bill this week. The public budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth rate and earmarks higher funds for healthcare, education, agriculture and investments. The state budget and social security budget bills were distributed on Thursday to the MPs, who had until this morning to submit amendments. The proposals will be discussed by Parliament’s specialised committees starting on Tuesday and will be finalised on Saturday. Debates on the amended texts will begin next Monday in Parliament, with the final vote scheduled on December 21.

STATISTICS — Romania’s trade deficit in the first 10 months of the year was 10.2 billion euros, nearly 2.3 billion euros more than in the corresponding period of 2016, the National Statistics Institute announced. According to the institution, in October, Romania’s exports exceeded 5.7 billion euro, while imports reached 7 billion euros. As compared to October 2016, exports were 13.3% higher, and imports rose by 16.7%. The intra-EU trade accounted for 75.9% of Romania’s total imports and exports in the first 10 months of the year.

ISRAEL — While on a visit to Brussels on Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and said he expected European countries to follow suit. Ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers, Netanyahu pointed out that Trump’s decision, condemned by Palestinians and by the European governments, would make Middle East peace possible. He called on Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and Jerusalem as its capital. Netanyahu had a meeting on Monday with the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who welcomed the first visit by an Isaraeli PM to the EU in 22 years. She emphasised that the bloc would respect the “international consensus” on the status of Jerusalem and reiterated the Union’s commitment to a two-state solution. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, says Trump’s recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel threatens to compromise the Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Street protests against the decision continued in Muslim countries, while the Arab League has called on the US Administration to reverse it, on grounds that it will escalate tensions in the region.

HANDBALL — Romania’s women’s handball team was defeated by the Czech Republic on Monday, 27-28 in the round of 16 of the World Championships in Germany. Romania had won four matches in group A against Paraguay, Slovenia, Spain and Angola and had lost the match against France. Romania won the bronze medal in the previous championship, held in 2015, and is the only team to have taken part in all the 22 world final tournaments in the history of the competition.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

11 December 2017
December 11, 2017

KING MICHAEL I – The Parliament of Romania convenes in a solemn session today, in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis, to pay tribute to King Michael I. Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown, will also give an address. The former sovereign died on December 5, at 96 years of age, in Switzerland. Ever since, Romanians have been bringing flowers and candles at the Romanian and Swiss residences of the Royal House. The Kings body will be brought to the country on December 13. The authorities have declared a national mourning on December 14, 15 and 16. King Michael I, the last of Romanias 4 sovereigns, will be buried on Saturday, December 16, in Curtea de Arges, in the south of the country, where all Romanian royalty are interred. Many Romanian and foreign personalities are expected to attend the funerals. Historians agree that by having the pro-German Marshall Ion Antonescu arrested and having the country join the Allies, Michael I helped shorten WW2 by six months. Forced by the Communists to abdicate in 1947, the ex-King was only allowed to return to Romania after the fall of communism. He was one of the strongest supporters on Romanias joining NATO and the EU.

BUDGET – The Parliament of Romania begins the debates on the 2018 state budget bill this week. The public budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth rate and earmarks higher funds for healthcare, education, agriculture and investments. The state budget and social security budget bills were distributed on Thursday to the MPs, who had until this morning to submit amendments. The proposals will be discussed by Parliaments specialised committees starting on Tuesday and will be finalised on Saturday. Debates on the amended texts will begin next Monday in Parliament, with the final vote scheduled on December 21.

PROTESTS – Thousands of people took to the streets once again on Sunday night in Bucharest and other major cities, to protest the changes to the justice laws promoted by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The protesters say the Power is attempting to have the judiciary subordinated to political circles and to stop the fight against corruption. They were joined by the leaders of the right-wing opposition, the president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban, and the president of Save Romania Union Dan Barna, and by the former PM Dacian Ciolos, who accused the ruling coalition of attacking the very foundation of the rule of law. In response, the head of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania and Senate Speaker Calin Popescu-Tariceanu says the revision of the laws regulating the judicial system is designed to strengthen the rule of law and the independence of magistrates.

STATISTICS – Romanias trade deficit in the first 10 months of the year was 10.2 billion euros, nearly 2.3 billion euros more than in the corresponding period of 2016, the National Statistics Institute announced. According to the institution, in October, Romanias exports exceeded 5.7 billion euro, while imports reached 7 billion euros. As compared to October 2016, exports were 13.3% higher, and imports rose by 16.7%. The intra-EU trade accounted for 75.9% of Romanias total imports and exports in the first 10 months of the year.

ISRAEL – While on a visit to Brussels today, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and said he expected European countries to follow suit. Ahead of a meeting with EU foreign ministers, Netanyahu pointed out that Trumps decision, condemned by Palestinians and by the European governments, would make Middle East peace possible. He called on Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state and Jerusalem as its capital. Netanyahu had a meeting today with the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who welcomed the first visit by an Isaraeli PM to the EU in 22 years. She emphasised that the bloc would respect the “international consensus on the status of Jerusalem and reiterated the Unions commitment to a two-state solution. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, says Trumps recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel threatens to compromise the Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Street protests against the decision continued in Muslim countries, while the Arab League has called on the US Administration to reverse it, on grounds that it will escalate tensions in the region.

HANDBALL – Romanias womens handball team is playing against the Czech Republic today, in the round of 16 of the World Championships in Germany. If they win, the Romanians will be facing next the winner of the match between the Netherlands and Japan. So far, France, Montenegro, Denmark and Sweden have qualified into the quarter-finals. Romania won the bronze medal in the previous championship, held in 2015, and is the only team to have taken part in all the 22 world final tournaments in the history of the competition.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

11 December 2017
Reactions after Queen Anne’s Death

August 1st 2016 will go down in history as a sad day for the Romanian people and the Royal House of Romania. Anne, the wife of the former sovereign of Romania Michael I, died in a hospital in Switzerland. Daughter of Prince Rene of Bourbon-Parma and Princess Margaret of Denmark, Anne was born on September 18th 1923 in Paris. Anne could count both the last king of France, Charles X, and the first king of the French, Louis Philippe I, among her ancestors. On the maternal side, she was the great-granddaughter of King Christian IX of Denmark.

She spent her childhood in France and in 1939, when the war broke out, she followed her family to Spain and then America. There she studied art and, in order to earn a living, also worked as a shop assistant. In 1943 she enlisted as a volunteer in the French army. She traveled alongside her regiment to Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Luxembourg and Germany, and was awarded the French War Cross.

Anne met her future husband. Michael I, in London in November 1947, at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain and Prince Philip of Greece. Had Romanian society not been faced with the scourge brought by Soviets in 1948, the wedding would have taken place in Bucharest, to be joyfully celebrated by the entire nation. Unfortunately, the King was forced to abdicate so the wedding took place in Greece. The two sovereigns were married 70 years, of which 40 spent far from the country, in Britain and Switzerland. In Romania, the royal family returned only after the anti-communist revolution of 1989.

Historian Adrian Niculescu with more: “Queen Anne played the role of wife of an exiled king, and what she mainly did was build a family. Her role was institutional, but her main contribution was to morally support King Michael.

“Queen Anne was one of the most important symbols of wisdom, dignity and moral conduct, said Romanias president Klaus Iohannis in a message of condolences. In turn, the Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has stated that the Queen was “a symbol of nobility, discretion and dignity. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Daniel and many political leaders and public figures have too conveyed messages of condolences.

The honorary president of the National Liberal Party Mircea Ionescu Quintus, now aged almost 100, was profoundly marked by the passing of Queen Anne, whom he knew in person: “I talked to her and I understood that, although she was not a crowned queen in this country, she was a queen, not just because she was born royalty, but because she really had the demeanor of a queen and this is the memory of her that I mostly cherish. I am very sad that shes gone and I am sad for the King, whos now left alone.

The leader of the Social – Democrat senators, Mihai Fifor, has also voiced his regret for the death of Queen Anne: “The fourth queen of Romania, Her Majesty Queen Anne has died leaving behind nothing but light. We are sad and there is nothing we can do but express our sympathy for His Majesty King Michael I and the entire Royal House. Our hearts go out to them.

At the former Sovereigns request, his wifes funeral will be held in southern Romania, at the Curtea de Arges Monastery, which hosts the Romanian Royal sepulchres.

(Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

2 August 2016