Radio România Internațional

Tag: Gaza

Încă un cetăţean român, ostatic în Fâşia Gaza

În urma verificărilor efectuate de către autoritățile române, pe baza informațiilor transmise de către autoritățile israeliene, încă un cetățean cu dublă cetățenie, israeliană și română, cu domiciliul în Statul Israel, este ostatic în Fâșia Gaza, a informat, joi, Ministerul român al Afacerilor Externe (MAE).

În total, patru persoane cu dublă cetățenie, română și israeliană, sunt, în prezent, ținute ostatice de Hamas în Fâșia Gaza.

Tal Haimi este primul cetățean român luat ostatic în Fâșia Gaza, după ce gruparea palestiniană Hamas a atacat Israelul pe 7 octombrie.

Ambasada României la Tel Aviv și Consulatul General al României la Haifa mențin contactul cu autoritățile israeliene.

Potrivit MAE, cinci persoane cu cetăţenie israeliano-română au fost confirmate decedate în cele trei săptămâni de conflict în Orientul Mijlociu.

2 November 2023
November 1, 2023

Measures – Part of the new fiscal measures aimed at reducing the budget deficit in Romania have come into force today. According to the law for which the Government has assumed responsibility in Parliament, those working in the IT field will pay the income tax for amounts exceeding 10,000 lei (the equivalent of 2,000 euros). Local public institutions and authorities cannot finance from budget funds the organization of community events, such as festivals, concerts, local competitions or other themed celebrations. Other fiscal measures, such as the introduction of new taxes for SMEs or the payment of the health insurance contribution for the value of meal vouchers, will take effect on January 1, 2024. The measures run counter to many business people’s interests. At a conference on this topic, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, the participants argued that to limit the budget deficit, the priority measures should include combating tax evasion, improving revenue collection and improving the work of the Tax Office. The President of the Chamber, Mihai Daraban, said that the governors now have more options available before attacking the business environment.

Donation – The first F16 fighter jets that the Netherlands will donate to Ukraine will arrive, in two weeks, at the training center created in Romania –the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced. He emphasized that the current situation in the Middle East should not and will not be able to distract the Netherlands from the fight of the Ukrainians against the Russian aggression. For their part, Denmark, Norway and Belgium have announced that they will supply Ukraine with F16 aircraft.

Conflict – The ambassadors from the group of Arab states and of some member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had a meeting with the members of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Romanian Senate. The ambassador of Lebanon in Bucharest, Rana Mokaddem, thanked Romania for the humanitarian aid given to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip and warned that the conflict in the Middle East risks expanding. “We are here as if we represented Palestine in this situation, calling for a peaceful solution, but one that respects the dignity of the Palestinians. Palestine is a victim, from our point of view” – she said. Previously, the members of the Senate Foreign Policy Committee received Ella Haimi, the wife of the Romanian-Israeli citizen held hostage in the Gaza Strip. She also met with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and asked for help both for her husband and for the other hostages taken by Hamas terrorists. The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that two other people with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, who are hostages in the Gaza Strip, have been identified.

Anniversary – Today, Radio Romania celebrates 95 years of uninterrupted broadcasting. In recognition of the determining role that Radio Romania has in Romanias history, Parliament decided, in December 2019, to establish November 1 as the National Radio Day. Over three million people listen to Radio Romania every day. Tonight, the Radio Romania Gala will take place at the Radio Hall, which will honor the moment of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation’s first transmission. In Timişoara, this years European Capital of Culture, the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair will take place until November 5. Friday, November 3, the anniversary concert of the National Radio Orchestra is scheduled. Between November 22-26, a new edition of the Gaudeamus Radio Romania Fair, the longest-running project of its kind in the country, will be organized at the Romexpo Compound in Bucharest.

Football – The match between the national football teams of Israel and Romania, from the EURO 2024 Qualifying Group I will take place in Hungary, the Romanian football federation announced on its official website. The game will be played on November 18, in Felcsut, approximately 50 kilometers from Budapest. UEFA stated that “the presence of spectators will be allowed”. Previously, the continental forum decided to suspend all scheduled matches in Israel, due to the armed conflict there. Apart from the match against Israel, Romania is to meet Switzerland, on November 21, in Bucharest. After eight games, Romania is undefeated and occupies first place in the group, with 16 points. Switzerland (15 points) and Israel (11 points) have one match and two matches respectively to play. The two top-ranking teams go to the final tournament in Germany. Romania has not reached a European football championship since 2016, and a World Cup since 1998. (LS)

1 November 2023
Punctul de frontieră de la Rafah, dintre Fâșia Gaza și Egipt, s-a deschis

Punctul de frontieră de la Rafah, dintre Fâșia Gaza și Egip, a fost deschis azi dimineaţă, informează Ministerul român al Afacerilor Externe (MAE).

Pentru început, precizează sursa citată, va fi permisă trecerea frontierei pentru funcționarii organizațiilor internaționale, cazurile medicale și cetățenii din statele cu comunități reduse în Fâșia Gaza. MAE spune că a primit asigurări, de la autoritățile egiptene și cele israeliene, că punctul de frontieră va continua să fie deschis pentru evacuări și în următoarele zile. Ministerul de la Bucureşti rămâne în strânsă legătură cu autoritățile israeliene și egiptene pentru evacuarea cetățenilor români și a familiilor acestora.

O a doua echipă consulară mobilă, a fost trimisă, în regim de urgență, pentru a consolida capacitatea de sprijin consular. Celula de Criză a MAE, activată încă de la debutul crizei și care acționează în regim de permanență, 24/7, menține coordonarea cu alte state și organizații internaționale care întreprind demersuri similare pentru proprii cetățeni/funcționari.

MAE este pregătit să asigure condițiile necesare pentru evacuarea cât mai rapidă a cetățenilor români din Fâșia Gaza care au solicitat acest lucru pe lângă Oficiul de Reprezentare al României la Ramallah.Peste 240 de cetățeni români au cerut sprijin pentru a putea părăsi Gaza.

1 November 2023
01.11.2023 (mise à jour)

SRR – Radio Roumanie a marqué ce mercredi, 1 novembre, 95 années
d’activité. Pour célébrer son rôle en Roumanie, le Parlement a décidé en
décembre 2019 que la journée du 1 novembre devienne la Journée de la radio
roumaine. Plus de trois milions de personnes écoutent chaque jour les émissions
de la radio publique. Des institutions publiques, des ONG et des personnalités
artistiques et culturelles ont tenu à féliciter la radio publique. Le premier
ministre, Marcel Ciolacu, a rappelé que cela fait presqu’un siècle que Radio
Roumanie encourage les valeurs et les traditions roumaines. Pour sa part, le
président de l’Académie roumaine, Ioan Aurel Pop, a ajouté que la radio
publique a été témoin de plusieurs moments importants de l’histoire nationale. A
Timisoara, capitale européenne de la culture en 2023, la Foire du livre
Gaudeamus patrônée par Radio Roumanie se déroule jusqu’au 5 novembre. Le
vendredi, 3 novembre, un concert anniversaire sera présenté par l’Orchestre de
Radio Roumanie. Ensuite, du 22 au 26 novembre, la Foire du livre Gaudeamus se
poursuivra à Bucarest, au Palais des Expositions Romexpo.

Pensions de retraite– En Roumanie, le projet de la nouvelle loi de la retraite a été soumis au débat public et figure désormais sur le site du Ministère du Travail. Le document a reçu l’avis favorable de la coalition au pouvoir et l’Exécutif voudrait l’adopter en procédure d’urgence d’ici la fin du mois. Toutes les pensions de retraite seront indexées sur l’inflation, a fait savoir le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu qui a précisé que la période minimale de cotisation sera de 15 ans et celle maximale de 35 ans. La stabilité au travail sera récompensée aussi. Les femmes ayant plusieurs enfants pourront bénéficier d’une réduction de l’âge de la prise de la retraite. Les pensions de retraite seront majorées en deux reprises, la première fois à partir du 1 janvier et ensuite, à partir du 1 septembre.

Salaires – Le gouvernement de Bucarest a approuvé
mardi, lors d’une réunion extraordinaire, les nouveaux salaires minimums pour
les secteurs de la construction, de l’agriculture et de l’industrie
agro-alimentaire. A partir du 1er novembre, le Smic dans le secteur du BTT est majoré de presque 14,6% pour monter à presque 900 euros, tandis que dans les
domaines de l’Agriculture et de l’Industrie alimentaire, il connaît une
hausse de 14,53% et approche les 700 euros. Selon les données officielles,
590 000 salariés des secteurs de la construction, de l’agriculture et de
l’industrie alimentaire roumaine sont concernés par ces changements. En augmentant les salaires, le gouvernement souhaite que les
salariés de ces secteurs ne voient pas leurs salaires baisser, suite à la suppression
de l’exonération du paiement de l’assurance maladie.

La Haye
– Les
premiers avions de combat F16 dont les Pays-Bas feront don à l’Ukraine
arriveront dans deux semaines au centre de formation créé en Roumanie, a
annoncé le Premier ministre néerlandais Mark Rutte. Lors d’une discussion par vidéoconférence avec le président
ukrainien Volodymyr Zelenski, publiée sur Internet, le Premier ministre
néerlandais a souligné que la situation actuelle au Moyen-Orient ne devrait pas
et ne pourra pas ébranler le soutien apporté à l’Ukraine par les Pays-Bas. L’agence
Reuters a rappelé qu’à leur tour, le Danemark, la Norvège et la Belgique
avaient annoncé qu’ils fourniraient à l’Ukraine des avions F16.

Ambassadeurs – Les ambassadeurs du groupe des pays arabes et de
plusieurs pays membres de l’Organisation de la coopération islamiques ont eu
une entrevue avec les membres de la Commission pour la politique étrangère du
Sénat roumain. L’ambassadrice du Liban à Bucarest, Rana Mokkadem, a remercié
Bucarest pour son aide humanitaire accordée à la population civile de la Bande
de Gaza et a averti sur le risque de propagation du conflit dans la région. En
quelque sorte, on représente la Palestine et on lance un appel à une solution
pacifique, qui respecte la dignité des Palestiniens. Selon nous, la Palestine
est la vraie victime a-t-elle déclaré. Antérieurement, l’épouse d’un citoyen
ayant la double nationalité, israélienne et roumaine, détenu dans la bande de
Gaza, a rencontré lundi à Bucarest les membres de la Commission de politique
étrangère du Sénat. Ella Chaimi a
rencontré aussi le premier ministre, Marcel Ciolacu et a demandé l’aide de l’Etat
roumain pour la libération de son mari et des autres otages. Le
Ministère roumain des Affaires Etrangères affirme avoir identifié deux autres
citoyens ayant la double citoyenneté, israélienne et roumaine, détenus en otage
dans la Bande de Gaza.

Football – Le match entre les sélections nationales de football
israélienne et roumaine comptant pour la qualification à l’Euro 2024 aura lieu
le 18 novembre, en Hongrie, a annoncé la Fédération roumaine sur son site. La
présence des spectateurs sera permise. Antérieurement, le forum continental a
décidé de suspendre tous les marchs prévus en Israël, en raison de la situation
politique et militaire dans la région. A part la rencontre avec Israël, la
Roumanie a encore un match à disputer au sein de son groupe de qualification,
le 21 novembre, contre la Suisse. Après huit victoires consécutives, la
Roumanie a 16 points et elle domine son groupe, suivie par la Suisse et Israël.
Les deux équipes premièrement classées seront qualifiées au tournoi final en
Allemagne. La dernière participation de la Roumanie à un championnat européen
de football remonte à 2016.

Météo
– Le temps se refroidit sur l’ensemble de la Roumanie où des pluies tomberont
sur plusieurs régions. Les températures iront jeudi de 13 à 20 degrés.

1 November 2023
October 30, 2023

Visit. The Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, the Czech Vera Jourova, is on a formal visit to Bucharest today. She has met with the minister of justice, Alina Gorghiu, for talks on the rule of law and justice reforms, where Romania is in a good place, as she told Radio Romania. “There are still new laws that must be implemented in practice and this must be done not for Brussels, but for the Romanian people, in order to have access to a very well prepared judicial system”, the European official also stated. Vera Jourova will also meet with president Klaus Iohannis, Prime-Minister Marcel Ciolacu and several ministers, to discuss topics such as the digitalization projects included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, artificial intelligence and combating disinformation. Vera Jourova will also participate in a meeting on digital technology and will visit the European Cybersecurity Competence Center.

Motion. The Bucharest Chamber of Deputies is debating, today, a simple motion against the Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, from the PSD-PNL coalition Cabinet. The Save Romanian Union and the Force of the Right Party, which filed the motion, consider him responsible for the increase in taxes, as a result of the application of fiscal measures for which the Government recently assumed responsibility in Parliament. The vote on the simple motion is scheduled for Tuesday.

Gaza. In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian civilians are in urgent need of fuel, food and water. The Palestinian Red Crescent announced on Sunday evening that the Israeli army had bombed several times around one of its hospitals in Gaza, causing damage and endangering patients and civilians who had come there to take refuge. At the same time, thousands of people broke into warehouses and aid distribution centers in the south and center of the Strip, taking basic food. 33 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered, on Sunday, through the Rafah crossing point on the border with Egypt. It was the largest convoy to enter the besieged Palestinian territory since the limited resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries. “Preventing the access of humanitarian aid” to the Gaza Strip could constitute a “crime”, said, on Sunday, in Cairo, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, after visiting Rafah.

Israel. The Israeli army has announced that it struck targets in Syria and Lebanon, in response to rocket fire coming from these countries. In another development, new rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip targeted, today, the south of Israel, the most affected being the city of Netivot, where a residential block was hit, writes The Times of Israel, noting that there were no victims. Palestinians in the north of Gaza also said there had been intense air and artillery strikes as Israeli troops, backed by tanks, launched a ground assault on the enclave. The Israeli military say they have hit more than 600 targets in recent days, killing dozens of terrorists and continuing to expand its ground operations in Gaza. After the attacks of the Islamist group Hamas on October 7, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel. On the other hand, Hamas authorities in Gaza say that the toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes has exceeded 8,000.

Handball. Romanias womens handball champion, CSM, defeated Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro 29-24, away from home, in group A of the Champions League, on Sunday. The Bucharest team scored its third victory in this European season. After six stages, the Romanian champion is in 4th place, with 6 points, in the group dominated by Gyori Audi of Hungary. In the next stage, CSM will play at home against the Hungarian team Debrecen, on November 11. On Saturday, in group B of the competition, the vice-champion Rapid Bucharest defeated Krim Ljubljana from Slovenia, 27-22. In the next round, they will play at home against the Norwegian Vipers Kristiansand, on November 12. (MI)

30 October 2023
October 28, 2023 UPDATE

ISRAEL
Romania and other countries are
making joint efforts to help the over 3,000 people in Gaza with dual
citizenship, including Romanian nationals, to leave that region, PM Marcel
Ciolacu said. He explained that the situation was not easy to handle, and added
that 260 applications have been received from Romanian nationals who want to
leave Gaza, but many Palestinians are trying to do the same. What matters is
for the situation not to spiral out of control, he also said. The
Israeli army Saturday announced it entered the north of
Gaza Strip and expanded military operations in the Palestinian enclave, while
stepping up attacks against Hamas. The
army once again asked the locals still in the north of Gaza Strip to move
immediately to the south, explaining that the north is currently a battlefield.
According to Israeli army estimates, some 700,000 people have already left the
area, and the UN says out of the almost 2.2 million people in Gaza Strip, around
1.4 million have been relocated since the conflict began. In fresh talks with the Israeli defence minister, the Pentagon chief
Lloyd Austin called
for the protection of civilians during the operation. On Friday night, the UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The
resolution is not compulsory, but it has political weight. Israel and the US
voted against, while Romania abstained.

DIPLOMACY
The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday had a telephone
conversation with the British foreign secretary James Cleverly, to discuss the
security situation in Israel and Gaza Strip, focusing on the need to ensure
close coordination in order to avoid regional spill-over. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, the 2 officials emphasised the importance of
continued humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza and of the immediate and
unconditional release of all hostages.The
Romanian diplomacy chief also discussed with her Qatari counterpart, Sheikh
Mohammed Al Thani, given that Qatar is a mediator in the Hamas hostage crisis.
Odobescu appreciated Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mitigate the humanitarian
crisis, and spoke about the aid Romania has decided to send there.

AMBASSADOR The Black Sea region plays an important
role for NATO, and Romania is a very close partner for the USA, the US
Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec reiterated. In an interview to Radio
Romania, the US official said that Romania, which is located next to the
conflict in Ukraine, has faced problems like the Ukrainian refugee crisis and
the transport of grains via Romanian sea ports, and in this context the
security and defence relations between the 2 countries have become even closer.
We have tripled the number of US troops in Romania, so now we have over 3,000 American
troops here and we are working with our Romanian partners with respect to
defence and deterrence, to safeguard every piece of NATO territory, Kathleen
Kavalec pointed out.

POPULATION The population of Romania on July 1 was
approx. 21.9 million, down 0.3% since the corresponding month of last year. Almost
3 million of them are currently living abroad. Romania is also facing
population ageing, with 125 elderly citizens for each 100 youth. The average
age is 42.4 years, 0.3 years more than on July 1, 2022. The number of citizens
in urban communities is nearly 3 million higher than the number of rural
inhabitants, however urban population dropped by 0.8% over the past year while
the rural population grew by 0.3%.

UKRAINE Ukraine is seeking international support for its peace plan,
in a 2-day meeting held as of today in Malta. As many as 50 countries are
taking part, but Russia is not among them. According to AFP, this is the 3rd
meeting of this kind, and organisers hope it would result in a joint
declaration. The 10-point plan proposed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
Zelenskyy includes, among other things, the pull out of Russian troops from the
occupied Ukrainian territories, including Donbas, part of which is under
separatist control since 2014, and Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
Last year, Moscow annexed 4 Ukrainian regions, partly occupied by its troops
after the large-scale invasion of February 24.

DST
On Saturday night, Romania switches to winter time, setting clocks back one
hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday will thus be 25-hour long. Daylight saving time,
first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is currently used
in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent years, with the EU
asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and choose either winter
time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet to be made. (AMP)

28 October 2023
October 28, 2023

ISRAEL
The Israeli Army has today announced it entered the
north of Gaza Strip and expanded military operations in the Palestinian
enclave, while stepping up attacks against Hamas. For the 3rd
consecutive night, tanks entered the area, supported by 100 aircraft. According
to the latest information available, clashes are on-going and Israeli troops
are still on site. The Army has avoided official announcements regarding the
land attacks, so as not to jeopardise the lives of the over 220 hostages taken
by Hamas, Israeli media report. Israel
had only made brief raids in Gaza during the 3 weeks of strikes designed to
eliminate the Hamas fighters, who killed over 1,400 Israelis on October 7. Telephone
and internet connections with Gaza have been cut in what the media describe as
the largest strikes so far. An Israeli military spokesman said that today
Israel will allow access to Gaza for trucks carrying food, water and medicines.
In fresh talks with the Israeli defence minister, the Pentagon chief called for
the protection of civilians during the operation. On Friday night, the UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The
resolution is not compulsory, but it has political weight. Israel and the US
voted against, while Romania abstained.

DIPLOMACY
The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday had a telephone
conversation with the British foreign secretary James Cleverly, to discuss the
security situation in Israel and Gaza Strip, focusing on the need to ensure
close coordination in order to avoid regional spill-over. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, the 2 officials emphasised the importance of
continued humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza and of the immediate and
unconditional release of all hostages.

POPULATION The population of Romania on July 1 was
approx. 21.9 million, down 0.3% since the corresponding month of last year. Almost
3 million of them are currently living abroad. Romania is also facing
population ageing, with 125 elderly citizens for each 100 youth. The average
age is 42.4 years, 0.3 years more than on July 1, 2022. The number of citizens
in urban communities is nearly 3 million higher than the number of rural
inhabitants, however urban population dropped by 0.8% over the past year while
the rural population grew by 0.3%.

UKRAINE Ukraine is seeking international support for its peace plan,
in a 2-day meeting held as of today in Malta. As many as 50 countries are
taking part, but Russia is not among them. According to AFP, this is the 3rd
meeting of this kind, and organisers hope it would result in a joint
declaration. The 10-point plan proposed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
Zelenskyy includes, among other things, the pull out of Russian troops from the
occupied Ukrainian territories, including Donbas, part of which is under
separatist control since 2014, and Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
Last year, Moscow annexed 4 Ukrainian regions, partly occupied by its troops
after the large-scale invasion of February 24.

DST
On Saturday night, Romania switches to winter time, setting clocks back one
hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday will thus be 25-hour long. Daylight saving time,
first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is currently used
in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent years, with the EU
asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and choose either winter
time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet to be made. (AMP)

28 October 2023
October 22, 2023 UPDATE

Markup. The capping of the trade markup of basic foods will be extended by 90 days in Romania, starting November 1, according to a draft ordinance posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, and other products will be added to the list. The list of foods with markups capped at no more than 20% will also include: minced meat, garlic, round grain rice, tomato broth, cake, margarine, yeast and cream. The draft shows that the Governments decision had a positive impact, and the extension of the application period is necessary because the winter period is coming, when households expenses with utilities increase, as well as the need for consumption during the winter holidays. The initial list included 14 basic products, including: white bread, eggs, cows milk, white wheat flour, sunflower oil, fresh chicken and pork.

Alliance. In Bucharest, the National College of the Peoples Movement Party voted for the creation of a political alliance with the Save Romania Union (USR) and Forza Dreptei (the Force of the Rigth). The decision was taken unanimously, a party press release reads. The president of the party, Eugen Tomac, who was mandated to represent PMP in the relationship with the two parties, claims that a right-wing alliance is the only solution for Romania. Two days ago, the USR leader, Cătălin Drula, had stated that the negotiations for the formation of a right-wing pole with PMP and Forța Dreptei were at an advanced stage, and the objective was a joint list for next years European parliamentary elections.

Hostage. A person having dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, initially reported in the list of missing persons, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has announced. According to the quoted source, until this moment, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other Romanian citizens in Israel and they maintain contact with the Israeli authorities. More than 200 foreign and dual-national Israeli hostages were kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas fighters in the unprecedented attack on October 7 that sparked a war. The first release of hostages, confirmed by both sides, took place on Saturday. It is about two American women – mother and daughter, kidnapped while they were visiting the Nahal Oz kibbutz. Qatar, which negotiated the release of the two Israelis with dual citizenship, said it would continue negotiations with the Hamas organization until the release of the kidnapped civilians, regardless of nationality. For its part, Israel states that it will continue to pressure Hamas diplomatically and militarily to obtain the release of all hostages.

Gaza. A second convoy with humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, through the Rafah crossing point, on the border with Egypt. It is aid for the Palestinian civilians there, affected by the Israeli blockade imposed after the Hamas attack on October 7. The United States announced late Saturday that it was increasing its military presence in the Middle East because of “recent escalations by Iran and its allied forces” in the region. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), as well as several batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles, will be deployed “across the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced. The United States has also sent several ships, including aircraft carriers, to the Middle East in recent weeks. In another move, the Israeli army accused the Lebanese Hezbollah of trying to achieve a military escalation in the border area with the risk of drawing Lebanon into war, after new exchanges of fire between Israel and the Shiite group. The Gaza Peace Summit organized by Egypt ended on Saturday without a joint final statement from the 34 countries and international organizations that participated in the meeting. Instead, Israel criticized the meeting for not coming up with a direct condemnation of the Islamist group Hamas. All this time, the Israeli army has continued its preparations for a ground attack on the Gaza Strip, which it is now bombarding. About 4,400 Palestinians have lost their lives in the bombing of Gaza, after Hamas, which controls it, attacked Israel two weeks ago, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the UN, the number of people who have fled their homes in Gaza due to Israeli attacks has now risen to 1.4 million, which is almost two-thirds of the 2.2 million people who live in the Palestinian enclave.

Festival. The Astra Film Festival, the biggest international documentary film event in Romania, announced its winners last night. In the “Romania” section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “Earths Sweet Kiss”, made by the French filmmaker Gautier Gumpper. It is a film that tells the story of a Romanian who chose to live under a bridge in Strasbourg, a place he transformed into a beautiful and useful garden, while protesting in a unique way at the European Court of Human Rights for injustice against him in Romania. In the Central and Eastern Europe section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “The Northeast Winds” (Georgia), by Nikoloz Bezhanishvili, made in Stalins hometown in Georgia. The winner of the Emerging Voices of Documentary Film section is the film (France/Belgium) “Adieu Sauvage”, by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento, a foray into the life of an Amerindian community in Colombia. And the best student documentary was designated a Romanian film – “Dancing at my parents wedding”, by Andreea Chiper. In this film, a young filmmaker watches a VHS tape from her parents wedding that took place 25 years ago, in an attempt to get to know her family better and also find herself.

Theater. The 23rdNational Theater Festival continues in Bucharest. The event takes place until October 30 and offers the public 30 productions from Romania and three foreign shows. The selection was made from over 150 shows staged in the 2022-2023 season, produced by state and independent theaters. The program also includes debates, conferences, exhibitions, evocations, reading performances, creative workshops, presentations of cultural institutions and projects, meetings and dialogues with guest artists, online events, radio shows. During the festival there is also a book fair, a true marathon of releases and presentations of new publishing products in the field of performing arts, signed by important authors and published by various publishing houses in Romania and abroad. (MI)

22 October 2023
October 22, 2023

Markup. In Romania, the capping of the trade markup of basic foods will be extended by 90 days, after November 1, according to a draft ordinance posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, and other products will be added to the list. The list of foods with markups capped at no more than 20% will also include: minced meat, garlic, round grain rice, tomato broth, cake, margarine, yeast and cream. The draft shows that the Governments decision had a positive impact, and the extension of the application period is necessary because the winter period is coming, when households expenses with utilities increase, as well as the need for consumption during the winter holidays. The initial list included 14 basic products, including: white bread, eggs, cows milk, white wheat flour, sunflower oil, fresh chicken and pork.

Hostage. A person having dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, initially reported in the list of missing persons, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has announced. According to the quoted source, until this moment, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other Romanian citizens in Israel and they maintain contact with the Israeli authorities. More than 200 foreign and dual-national Israeli hostages were kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas fighters in the unprecedented attack on October 7 that sparked a war. The first release of hostages, confirmed by both sides, took place on Saturday. It is about two American women – mother and daughter, kidnapped while they were visiting the Nahal Oz kibbutz. Qatar, which negotiated the release of the two Israelis with dual citizenship, said it would continue negotiations with the Hamas organization until the release of the kidnapped civilians, regardless of nationality. For its part, Israel states that it will continue to pressure Hamas diplomatically and militarily to obtain the release of all hostages.

Protests. On Saturday, protests related to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip took place in the major capitals of the world. The largest demonstration in Europe took place in London, where approximately 100,000 people participated in a solidarity march with the Palestinians. In Germany, pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bielefeld and other cities. In Ireland, people took to the streets in Dublin in solidarity with those in the Gaza Strip and against Israels actions. In Romania, in Bucharest, a rally was held in support of the civilians stuck in Gaza. It took place under special security conditions and no incidents were recorded. In the United States there were also demonstrations demanding the stop of Israeli bombing.

Military. The United States has announced that it is increasing its military presence in the Middle East because of “recent escalations by Iran and its allied forces” in the region. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), as well as several batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles, will be deployed “across the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced. The United States has also sent several ships, including aircraft carriers, to the Middle East in recent weeks. In another move, the Israeli army accused the Lebanese Hezbollah of trying to achieve a military escalation in the border area with the risk of drawing Lebanon into war, after new exchanges of fire between Israel and the Shiite group. The Gaza Peace Summit organized by Egypt ended on Saturday without a joint final statement from the 34 countries and international organizations that participated in the meeting. Instead, Israel criticized the meeting for not coming up with a direct condemnation of the Islamist group Hamas. All this time, the Israeli army has continued its preparations for the entry of troops into the Gaza Strip, which it is bombarding. About 4,400 Palestinians have lost their lives in the bombing of Gaza, after Hamas, which controls it, attacked Israel two weeks ago, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the UN, the number of people who have fled their homes in Gaza due to Israeli attacks has now risen to 1.4 million, which is almost two-thirds of the 2.2 million people who live in the Palestinian enclave.

Festival. The Astra Film Festival, the biggest international documentary film event in Romania, announced its winners last night. In the “Romania” section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “Earths Sweet Kiss”, made by the French filmmaker Gautier Gumpper. It is a film that tells the story of a Romanian who chose to live under a bridge in Strasbourg, a place he transformed into a beautiful and useful garden, while protesting in a unique way at the European Court of Human Rights for injustice against him in Romania. In the Central and Eastern Europe section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “The Northeast Winds” (Georgia), by Nikoloz Bezhanishvili, made in Stalins hometown in Georgia. The winner of the Emerging Voices of Documentary Film section is the film (France/Belgium) “Adieu Sauvage”, by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento, a foray into the life of an Amerindian community in Colombia. And the best student documentary was designated a Romanian film – “Dancing at my parents wedding”, by Andreea Chiper. In this film, a young filmmaker watches a VHS tape from her parents wedding that took place 25 years ago, in an attempt to get to know her family better and also find herself.

Theater. The 23rd National Theater Festival continues in Bucharest. The event takes place until October 30 and offers the public 30 productions from Romania and three foreign. The selection was made from over 150 shows staged in the 2022-2023 season, produced by state and independent theaters. The program also includes debates, conferences, exhibitions, reading performances, creative workshops, presentations of cultural institutions and projects, meetings and dialogues with guest artists, online events, radio shows. The festival also hosts a book fair, a true marathon of releases and presentations of new publishing products in the field of performing arts, signed by important authors and published by various publishing houses in Romania and abroad. (MI)

22 October 2023
Război

Război în Orientul Apropiat, război între israelieni și palestinieni, între evrei și arabi. Nu sunt titluri noi, noi sunt doar generațiile care își dau tributul de morți. Noi sunt dimensiunile crimei împotriva oamenilor, masacrele rupte ca din filme bolnav de violente. La începutul anului 2009, chiar în primele zile ale acestuia, Israelul a început o ofensivă terestră în teritoriul Gaza, pe care îl evacuase, conform înțelegerii din 2005, pentru a-i lăsa pe palestinieni să se autoguverneze autonom. Ofensiva militară terestră a fost lansată pentru a distruge capacitatea palestinienilor din Gaza de a acumula arme și de a trimite rachete peste civilii și orașele din Israel.

În martie 2006, în urma alegerilor, singurele desfășurate vreodată în Gaza, Hamas preluase puterea și intensificase atacurile cu rachete împotriva Israelului. Acestuia i se reproșa că distrusese un tunel săpat de cei din Gaza, Israelul considerând că aceste tuneluri sunt folosite pentru a răpi civili și militari israelieni și a-i duce în Gaza, ca ostateci.

Este cunoscut cazul caporalului Gilad Shalit, răpit în 2006, la scurt timp după ce Hamas a câștigat puterea în Gaza, exact prin tunelurile săpate pe sub linia de demarcație. A fost ținut ostatic, fără contact cu părinții săi, cinci ani. A fost eliberat în 2011, la schimb cu peste o mie de palestinieni inculpați pentru diferite delicte, soldate cu moartea a peste 500 de cetățeni israelieni. Unul dintre ei chiar făcuse parte din echipa care îl răpise, în 1994, pe un alt soldat israelian, care a fost ucis, însă, după câteva zile de detenție. Acești doi militari israelieni, unul salvat, altul ucis, nu împliniseră 20 de ani când au fost răpiți de Hamas. Toate acestea se întâmplau acum 15 ani, dar totul este de mare actualitate.

Operațiunea israeliană în Gaza, din 2009, fusese precedată nu de o pace consistentă ci de acorduri de pace niciodată respectate, de un război fără încetare și doar cu evoluții sinusoidale. Acum mai bine de patru decenii, în 1982, armata israeliană a invadat sudul Libanului, unde se stabilise Organizația pentru Eliberarea Palestinei și lansa atacuri împotriva Israelului. Hamas nu exista la acea dată, urma să fie creată cinci ani mai târziu, în 1987.

Declanșatorul invaziei a fost tentativa de asasinat care l-a făcut pe ambasadorul israelian să rămână pe patul de spital, paralizat, următorii 21 de ani din viața sa chinuită. În sudul Libanului, operațiunea israeliană a dus la un război civil în care diferitele partide libaneze, majoritatea sponsorizate de un stat străin, s-au luptat între ele inclusiv cu dementa armă a masacrului. S-a obținut plecarea din Beirut în Tunis a conducerii Organizației reprezentative a palestinienilor dar războiul nu se încheiase. În septembrie 1982, profitând că forțele internaționale din Liban se îndepărtaseră de zona luptelor iar armata israeliană înconjurase două tabere de refugiați palestinieni din sudul Libanului, fără a intra, însă, în spațiul lor, tinerii dintr-o miliție libaneză creștină i-a masacrat pur și simplu pe palestinienii musulmani.

Masacrul din Sabra și Shatila a fost anunțat ca un răspuns la masacrul de la Damour, din 1976, când luptătorii palestinieni și musulmani libanezi au omorât cu sălbăticie între o mie și 1.500 de creștini maroniți libanezi, femei și bărbați de toate vârstele. Cu două zile mai devreme, peste o mie de palestinieni care controlau orașul Karantina din Liban și mulți musulmani libanezi au fost uciși de mai multe miliții creștine libaneze reunite. Aceasta este o lecție bine învățată și aplicată în Orientul Apropiat: răspunsul la un masacru este un alt masacru.

Peste ani, în sudul Libanului a apărut Hezbollahul, organizația islamică susținută deplin de Iran, care continuă lupta de hărțuire împotriva statului israelian. Acesta răspunde atacurilor Hezbollah și nu exclude încă o intervenție terestră în sudul Libanului. Evident, nu găsim un răspuns la întrebarea dacă este sau nu război, dar tot ce aflăm poartă însemnele unei astfel de stări. Și tot mai mult, organizații mai puternice ca statele apar pe scenă și joacă acest rol, inclusiv într-un plan internațional. ISIS a folosit chiar numele de ”stat”, în autocaracterizare sa. Unele organizații au negociat pacea și autonomia pentru poporul pe care îl reprezintă, altele refuză dreptul unui stat de a exista și îi declară război. Și astfel ne întoarcem de unde nici nu am plecat.

22 October 2023
Wochenspiegel

Rumänien steht zu Israel

Der rumänische Premierminister gehörte zu den ersten Staatsoberhäuptern, die diese Woche nach Israel reisten, um ihre Solidarität mit dem jüdischen Volk zu bekunden. Marcel Ciolacu bekundete das Mitgefühl der rumänischen Gesellschaft für die Opfer des von Hamas-Terroristen begonnenen Krieges und dankte den israelischen Behörden für die Unterstützung bei der Rückführung von Rumänen aus dem Gebiet. Mehr als 2.000 rumänische Staatsbürger wurden aus Israel nach Hause gebracht. Das rumänische Außenministerium kümmert sich um 350 Rumänen und ihre Familien im Gazastreifen. Rumänien wird seinen Verbündeten in diesen schwierigen Zeiten bedingungslos zur Seite stehen. Ciolacu forderte ebenso eine sofortige Freilassung sämtlicher von Terroristen verschleppter Personen und den Verzicht auf jegliche Aggression gegenüber der Zivilbevölkerung. Er forderte zudem die Öffnung der humanitären Korridore im Gazastreifen und die Bereitstellung von Hilfe für die Geflüchteten. Auch der rumänische Präsident verurteilte die Terroranschläge auf israelisches Gebiet. Auf der außerordentlichen Tagung des Europäischen Rates im Videokonferenzformat betonte Klaus Iohannis, dass Bukarest das legitime Recht Israels auf Selbstverteidigung, das im Einklang mit dem humanitären Völkerrecht ausgeübt werden muss, unmissverständlich unterstützt.

Rumänische Regierung in Kiew

In dieser Woche fand in Kiew das erste Zusammentreffen der Regierungen Rumäniens und der angrenzenden Ukraine statt. Es wurde ein Memorandum über die Zusammenarbeit bei der Gewährleistung des sicheren Transits ukrainischer Produkte unterzeichnet, das auch einen Anhang über die Strategie für den Ausbau der Grenzübergangsstellen und der Straßeninfrastruktur enthält. Ferner wurde ein Abkommen zur Errichtung einer Grenzstraßenbrücke über den Fluss Theiß sowie eine Vereinbarung zur Kooperation zwischen der Verteidigungsindustrie, Pharmaindustrie und der Rückführung von Personen abgeschlossen. Die ukrainische Regierung verabschiedete ein Dokument, in dem festgestellt wird, dass die rumänische Minderheit in der Ukraine Rumänisch und nicht Moldauisch spricht. Marcel Ciolacu wurde von Präsident Volodymyr Selenskyj empfangen.

Neue haushaltspolitische Maßnahmen

Die haushaltspolitischen Maßnahmen, die die Regierung kürzlich ergriffen hat, um den rumänischen Haushalt auszugleichen, können in Kraft treten. Das Verfassungsgericht hat den Antrag der oppositionellen öko-liberalen USR und der rechten AUR zurückgewiesen. Der Präsident muss das Gesetz noch unterzeichnen, bevor es in Kraft treten kann. Einige Regelungen, wie die Kürzung der Stellen von Leitern öffentlicher Einrichtungen oder die Zahlung von Krankenversicherungsbeiträgen für Arbeitnehmer im Baugewerbe und in der Landwirtschaft, sollten am 1. Oktober in Kraft treten. Nächste Woche werden Vertreter der Exekutive mit den Sozialpartnern über die Höhe der Mindestlohnerhöhung im Baugewerbe und in der Landwirtschaft sprechen, damit die Beschäftigten in diesen Sektoren nicht von der Erhöhung der Sozialversicherungsbeiträge betroffen sind. Die Regierung erwartet, dass das rumänische Haushaltsdefizit in diesem Jahr auf 5,7 % sinken wird.

Gesetz über Sonderrenten tritt in Kraft

Präsident Klaus Iohannis unterzeichnete die neue Fassung des Gesetzes über die Sonderrenten für bestimmte Kategorien von Staatsbediensteten. Aufgrund der Entscheidung des Verfassungsgerichts vom Sommer und den Anmerkungen der Europäischen Kommission wurde das Gesetz erneut geprüft und am Montag von der Abgeordnetenkammer, dem Entscheidungsgremium, verabschiedet. Die Opposition, die Privilegien abschaffen wollte, kritisierte auch diese Version. Sie sagt, dass der Grundsatz nicht respektiert wird, der für normale Rumänen gilt: Die Rente wird nach den Beiträgen zur nationalen Rentenkasse berechnet. Richter, die zu den Begünstigten dieses Gesetzes gehören, können mit einer Rente in Höhe von 80 % der durchschnittlichen monatlichen Bruttobezüge und Zulagen der letzten vier Tätigkeitsjahre in den Ruhestand treten. Die Nettopension sollte nicht höher sein als das Gehalt des letzten Monats vor der Pensionierung. Zudem können Richter und Staatsanwälte ab dem nächsten Jahr in den Ruhestand treten, wenn sie 25 Dienstjahre nachweisen können und mindestens 47 Jahre und vier Monate alt sind. Jährlich wird das Ruhestandsalter der Richter um vier Monate erhöht, bis sie das Alter von 60 Jahren erreichen.

Neues Treffen für die Republik Moldau

Die Konferenz zur Unterstützung der Republik Moldau, die im vergangenen Jahr auf Initiative Rumäniens, Frankreichs und Deutschlands ins Leben gerufen wurde, fand in Chisinau statt, um dem Land bei der Bewältigung der Auswirkungen der russischen Aggression in der Ukraine zu helfen. Präsidentin Maia Sandu erklärte, dass die Regierung in Chisinau den Frieden bewahren und die europäischen Lebensbedingungen für die moldauischen Bürger gewährleisten will. Es herrschte Konsens unter den Teilnehmern, dass europäische Hilfe von Bedeutung ist, wobei Infrastruktur, Konnektivität und Strukturreformen die Grundlage für eine Annäherung an die Europäische Union bilden. Rumänien hofft, dass die Republik Moldau Ende des Jahres eine Einladung zur Aufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen erhält.

21 October 2023
October 20, 2023 UPDATE

SCHENGEN The European Commissioner
for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, says that the good results obtained by
Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an
additional argument in favor of the accession of the two states to the European
Free Movement Area – Schengen. The statement was made at the Home Affairs
Council meeting in Luxembourg. Several countries pleaded for Romania and
Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. Austria and the Netherlands, which opposed the
accession last December, did not present any argument.

SUMMIT The transformation of
Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a long-term process, which
requires a strong national plan and must be embraced by all political, business
and civic forces, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, told the
participants in the second Climate Change Summit. According to him,
mitigating the effects of climate change in the short, medium and long run, is
a priority for the Cabinet. He also stated that in collaboration with the
private sector, solutions for the future can be developed, so that Romania in
2030 will be better prepared to deal with climate challenges. In turn, the
President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stated that the impact of climate change
is global and appreciated the fact that part of the Summit is taking place in
universities. He stressed that young people must have opportunities to
participate in the process of decarbonisation and acceleration of the green
transition.

HEALTH The government of Romania Friday approved three National
Healthcare Strategies for the next 7 years: a general strategy on public health
and healthcare, and 2 specific ones, focusing on fighting in-hospital
infections and on vaccination, respectively. The healthcare minister Alexandru
Rafila explained that the vaccination strategy encourages lifelong
immunisation, and is designed to preserve low risks of re-emergence of serious
diseases like polio, measles and rubella in Romania. He also emphasised that
the strategy has nothing to do with compulsory vaccination, but assigns tasks
to public institutions and the medical professionals with respect to information
and resources. Also on Friday, the government increased the amounts paid to the
households affected by flooding, landslides and other natural conditions. Money
has also been earmarked from the reserve fund for carrying on investments in
transportation and unblocking healthcare payments.

AID The National Committee for
Emergency Situations in Romania has decided to provide aid to the population in
Gaza Strip. The humanitarian aid will consist, among other things, of food,
water, beds, mattresses and tents. The transport will be provided with the
support of the Romanian Ministry of Defence and international organisations,
the Romanian Government has announced.Meanwhile, hundreds of Romanians
with medical qualifications have enrolled on the health ministry’s website to
go to Israel and help if necessary, although Romania has not received any
request in this respect up to this point.

THEATRE The 33rd edition
of the National Theatre Festival started in Bucharest on Friday. Until October
30, under the motto Laboratories of the Sensitive the public will be able to
watch 30 Romanian productions and 3 foreign plays. The programme also includes roundtables,
conferences, exhibitions, book launches, reading and radio shows, as well as
creative workshops and Q&A sessions with artists. (AMP)

20 October 2023
October 19, 2023 UPDATE

Deficit. Romania’s budget
deficit is to decrease to 5.7% of the GDP, following the application of the law
on fiscal-budgetary measures for which the Government has recently assumed
responsibility and which was declared constitutional on Wednesday. The PM
Marcel Ciolacu stated that the new deficit target could be assumed through a
budget adjustment in the next period. Next week, the government representatives
will have a meeting with the stakeholders, to set the level of the minimum
salary in constructions and agriculture, so that these sectors’ employees
should not be affected by the payment of the health contribution, from October
1, as provided by the current law. PM Ciolacu criticized the opposition Save
Romania Union-USR because when they were in the government coalition, they
included fiscal reform measures in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan,
which they are now opposing. On the other hand, USR considers the decision of
the Constitutional Court unfair and says that the law is an attack on the
incomes of citizens who work honestly in Romania. USR has also announced that
they will file a simple motion against the finance minister.

Green economy. The transformation of Romania’s economy into a green and digital one is a
long-term process, which requires a strong national plan and to be assumed by
all political, business and civic forces, states Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu
in a message conveyed to the participants of the second edition of the
Climate Change Summit. According to him, mitigating the effects of
climate change in the short, medium and long term is a priority for the current
cabinet, aiming at the same time to increase the resilience and sustainability
of the energy and agricultural system, improving the management of water and
mineral resources. He also states that both through the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan, as well as other European and national financial instruments,
and in collaboration with the private sector, solutions for the future will be
developed, so that Romania in 2030 will be better prepared to face the climate
challenges.

Schengen. The Justice and
Home Affairs Council, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the
European Union, took place in Luxembourg on Thursday, which also addressed
issues regarding the Schengen Area. A central point of the intervention of the
Romanian delegation was the presentation of the excellent results of the Pilot
Project agreed by Romania with the European Commission in March 2023, which was
implemented at the border with Serbia in the last 6 months. Among the concrete
results of this project are an updated, more effective national legislation in
matters of asylum and return, participation in the Frontex Joint Reintegration
Services Program, an IT system for managing return cases aligned with the IT
system of the Frontex Agency, equipment and efficient border control systems.
The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Ylva Johansson, was impressed
by the success of the project, emphasizing that, through the excellent results
of the measures implemented by Romania, it is a model for all member states.
She also appreciated that the Romanian authorities have been implementing, in
advance, the provisions of the new Pact on migration and asylum. A number of
member states actively intervened in favor of the accession of Romania and Bulgaria
to the Schengen Area, and the Spanish Presidency reconfirmed that the
completion of the process is its priority. We recall you that, at the end of
last year, a unanimous decision regarding Romania’s entry into the Schengen
area could not be adopted, due to Austria’s opposition. The Netherlands opposed
Bulgaria’s accession.

Israel.
Israel has announced that it hit Hezbollah
targets in Lebanon, and the Radio Romania correspondent reports that the
Israeli army is preparing to face a new front in the north of the country.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant has stated that Hezbollah is 10 times stronger
than Hamas. In humanitarian terms, Israel approved the entry of aid into the
Gaza Strip, from Egypt, through the Rafah crossing. In another move, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whom he met in Israel on Thursday, that Britain
stands in solidarity with his country, adding that it is also important to
provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. In Cairo, Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II called for an immediate end
to the conflict in Gaza, accusing Israel of applying collective punishment. The
European Parliament adopted a resolution by which it strongly condemns the
brutal attacks by Hamas, calls for the immediate release of all hostages,
recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense, but emphasizes that any of its
actions must strictly respect international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, the
Israeli forces have continued to launch rockets towards the Gaza Strip and
announced the liquidation of several Hamas leaders.

Missing. Israeli
authorities announced the disappearance of a person with dual citizenship,
Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Bucharest said on Thursday. Until this moment, the Embassy of Romania in
Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received
requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other
Romanian citizens in the State of Israel, and they are constantly maintaining
contact with the Israeli authorities, says the MFA. According to the
Israeli authorities, so far, four citizens with dual Israeli-Romanian
citizenship have died and two are missing.

Festival. The city of Iasi, in
eastern Romania, is hosting the 11th edition of FILIT – the Iasi International
Festival of Literature and Translation which started on Wednesday, an event
attended by guests from 25 countries. This year’s event takes place under the
high patronage of the European Commission’s representation in Romania and the
National Commission of Romania for UNESCO. Writers,
translators, editors, festival organizers, literary critics, booksellers, book
distributors, managers and journalists are attending FILIT. Until October 22,
various events are scheduled, such as literary meetings with prestigious
writers, white nights of poetry and music, workshops and professional round
tables, concerts and readings. (MI)

19 October 2023
October 19, 2023

Deficit — Romanias budget deficit is to decrease to 5.7% of the GDP, following the application of the law on fiscal-budgetary measures for which the Government has recently assumed responsibility and which was declared constitutional on Wednesday. The PM Marcel Ciolacu stated that the new deficit target could be assumed through a budget rectification in the next period. Next week, the government representatives will have a meeting with the social partners, to set the level of the minimum salary in constructions and agriculture, so that these sectors’ employees should not be affected by the payment of the health contribution, from October 1, as provided by the current law. PM Ciolacu criticized the opposition Save Romania Union-USR because when they were in the government coalition, they included fiscal reform measures in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which they now contest. On the other hand, USR considers the decision of the Constitutional Court unfair and says that the law is an attack on the incomes of citizens who work honestly in Romania. USR also announced that they will file a simple motion against the finance minister.

Schengen — The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said that the good results obtained by Romania and Bulgaria in the management of pilot projects on migration are an additional argument in favor of the two states joining the European Border Free Area – Schengen. The statement was made before todays meeting in Luxembourg of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, which will also address the subject of Romania’s and Bulgarias accession to Schengen. Previously, the European Commission publicly announced that both countries had reported progress, also thanks to the new migration and asylum programs that they are running. We recall that, at the end of last year, a unanimous decision failed to be adopted in relation to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, due to the opposition of Austria and the Netherlands. Austria justified its position claiming that Romania is part of the Balkan route of illegal migration, an accusation rejected by the Romanian authorities and officially dismantled by the European institutions. In turn, the Netherlands said that it supported Romanias accession, but not Bulgarias, although the two are analyzed in a joint file.

Festival — Iasi, in the east of Romania, hosts the 11th edition of FILIT — the Iasi International Festival of Literature and Translation which started on Wednesday, an event attended by guests from 25 countries. This years event takes place under the high patronage of the European Commissions representation in Romania and the National Commission of Romania for UNESCO. Writers, translators, editors, festival organizers, literary critics, booksellers, book distributors, managers and journalists are attending FILIT. Until October 22, various events are scheduled such as literary meetings with stars of the world literary scene, white nights of poetry and music, workshops and professional round tables, concerts and readings.

Israel — The US president, Joe Biden, reiterated, on Wednesday, in Israel, the US commitment to the security of its main ally in the region and confirmed the Israeli version of the explosion at a hospital in Gaza, where hundreds of people died. The Hamas terrorist organization has accused Israel of having bombed the hospital, while the Israeli military have provided evidence that the explosion was caused by a missile mistakenly fired by the Islamic Jihad, the other armed group in Gaza. After the meeting with the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden called for the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, following the bloody attack launched by Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7. In the meantime, Israel announced that it hit the targets of the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and Radio Romania’s correspondent reports that the Israeli army is preparing to face a new front in the north of the country. The defense minister Yoav Galant said that Hezbollah is 10 times stronger than Hamas. As regard the humanitarian aid, Israel approved the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, from Egypt, through the Rafah border-crossing point. The aid will have to consist of 100 trucks per day and will have to be secured, the UN said. On the other hand, the British PM Rishi Sunak told Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whom he met in Israel on Thursday, that Britain stands in solidarity with his country, adding that it is also important to provide humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu was also in Israel, where he had talks with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and with the representatives of the Romanian community, affected by the deterioration of the security situation in the area.

Protests — Protests against Israel and the US have been reported in various parts of the world. At least one hundred protesters occupied, on Wednesday, a building of the US Congress, to ask the officials and the Joe Biden administration to press for a cease fire in the Gaza Strip. In Greece, approximately 10,000 people gathered in downtown Athens, in solidarity with the Palestinians. In Istanbul (Turkey), a crowd carrying pro-Palestinian flags and placards gathered in front of the Israeli consulate, then forced their way inside the consulate after breaking through a police barricade. Incidents also took place at the US embassies in Lebanon and Iraq, at the Israeli embassy in Jordan and at the French embassy in Iran.

Meeting – In the first joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Ukraine, in Kyiv, the prime ministers of the two countries, Marcel Ciolacu and Denis Şmîhal, established the mechanism for the import of Ukrainian grains on Romanian territory, with measures to protect the local farmers. On the other hand, the Ukrainian government adopted a document recognizing that the Romanian minority in Ukraine speaks Romanian and not the so-called Moldovan language, which in fact does not exist. (LS)

19 October 2023
October 18, 2023

GOVERNMENT The first joint meeting of the Romanian and Ukrainian governments takes place in Kyiv today. The agenda includes the development of
infrastructure in the border region, economic cooperation and regional security.
The main topic is a mechanism allowing Ukraine to export grains to Romania. First
of all, the grain quality must be similar to that of grains in Romania and the
EU, and secondly, only the Romanian farmers who prove they no longer have grain
stocks will be authorised to import from Ukraine. Another topic is the ethnic
minorities in Ukraine, with Bucharest requesting that their rights be the same
as the rights enjoyed by minorities in Romania. The Romanian government
believes Ukraine should no longer recognise the Moldovan language, arguing that
in fact it does not exist. Marcel Ciolacu is accompanied by the minister of
defence, Angel Tâlvăr, the minister of public health, Alexandru Rafila, the
economy minister, Radu Oprea, the agriculture minister, Florin Barbu and the
secretary of state with the interior ministry, Raed Arafat. The Romanian PM
will have talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal, and with the
chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk. Marcel Ciolacu is also
scheduled to meet the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in
Bucharest last week.

BUDGET The Constitutional Court dismissed the
notification filed by Save Romania Union and the Force of the Right in
opposition in Romania with respect to the bill on fiscal and
budget-related measures for which the Government has undertaken responsibility
before Parliament. The Constitutional Court president, Marian Enache, said the
Cabinet’s responsibility concerned a sole and unified purpose, namely to
increase revenues to the public budget and to cut down on expenditure, and that
the responsibility procedure was in line with the requirements of the
Constitutional Court and its case law. Marian Enache also says the Court’s
decision was made on a majority of votes. After the decision of the
Constitutional Court, the bill may be signed into law by the president of
Romania, Klaus Iohannis.

GAZA
The Romanian foreign ministry voices shock and deep sadness at the news of the
blast and loss of innocent lives on Tuesday night at
the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza. In a message issued on Wednesday, the
ministry emphasises that all civilians and civilian infrastructure must be
protected at all times, and that responsibility must be
clearly identified. Hundreds of people were killed or wounded
in a missile strike on the hospital in Gaza, for which Israel and the
Palestinians blame each other. The Israeli army denies that its forces were
responsible for the attack, and blames the incident on a failed launch of a
missile from Gaza by the Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian armed group, which
in turn denies the allegations. The attack was condemned by the international
community, with several Arab leaders accusing Israel of war crimes. The US leader Joe Biden, who is on a solidarity
visit to Israel today, has voiced regret and anger at the event. Jordan has
cancelled a summit in which Joe Biden was to discuss the war with King Abdullah II, with
Mahmoud Abbas and the president of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. On the other hand, the UN secretary general
Antonio Guterres will be in Cairo on Thursday, for talks with Abdel Fattah al-focusing
on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The talks take place as Egypt calls on Israel to allow aid
shipments to that territory. On Tuesday,
the US authorised its non-essential embassy staff to leave Beirut, as security
worsens in Lebanon as well, in the context of the war between Israel and Hamas.

ALERT Belgium,
France, Italy and Spain have raised their terrorist alert levels to a maximum, following
attacks in western Europe over the past few days. On Monday 2 Swedish nationals
were killed in Brussels by a Tunisian illegal migrant, later on identified and
shot by the Belgian police. The Islamic State group
claimed the attack and said it targeted Sweden because of its affiliation to
the global coalition against Jihad movements. On Tuesday, Versailles palace
in Paris was evacuated and stayed closed for the day after a new bomb alert,
just as it happened with the Louvre Museum on Saturday. The president of France
Emmanuel Macron said Islamic terrorism is rising once again and that all
European countries are vulnerable to this threat. Over 100 people have been
arrested over the past week in France under anti-Semitism charges and for
terrorism support. On Tuesday, EU leaders, including the president of Romania
Klaus Iohannis, discussed the conflict between Israel and Hamas which killed more
than 4,000 people in the last 10 days, and agreed to do whatever they can to
avoid a regional escalation of the conflict. (AMP)

18 October 2023