Radio România Internațional

Tag: Gaza

October 17, 2023 UPDATE

ISRAEL — Romania remains a consistent state within its relations in the Middle East and maintains its position as a promoter of peace, but it will unconditionally stand by its allies in difficult moments, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday, at the end a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, in Israel. He pointed out that Romania strongly condemned what happened in Israel in the last few days, and that alongside with the international community it calls for the immediate release of all hostages and persons kidnapped and for refraining from any other act of aggression, especially against civilian targets. At the same time, Ciolacu called for the opening of humanitarian corridors in Gaza. In turn, Benjamin Netanyahu thanked for the solidarity Romania showed to Israel in the face of the Hamas attacks. In this context, Netanyahu assured his counterpart that the Israeli authorities would do everything in their power to help evacuate Romanians from the Gaza Strip. During his visit to Israel, Marcel Ciolacu also met with members of the Romanian community, which he assured of the full support of the government in Bucharest. The Romanian authorities have so far provided support for the safe repatriation of over 2,200 Romanian citizens from Israel and are further making efforts to offer consular assistance to Romanian citizens who ask for support to return to the country.

COMMEMORATION — The prime ministers of Belgium and Sweden will pay tribute together on Wednesday to victims of Monday’s attack in Brussels, France Presse reports. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, wrote a message on a social network saying the two countries “weep together” for the victims – two Swedes, supporters of their national football team, who travelled to Brussels for the qualifying match to the European Championship, against the national team of Belgium. The Swedish PM, Ulf Kristofferson, announced his presence in Brussels for the commemoration. The perpetrator of the attack, a 45-year-old Tunisian, who lived in Belgium illegally, was shot dead by the Belgian police on Tuesday morning. After the “brutal terrorist attack”, as PM Alexander De Croo called it, Belgium raised the state of security alert to the highest level in the countrys capital, Brussels.

GAS — Romania’s gas deposits are full, so if winter is mild, the country may get through the next period without having to resort to imports, Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja said. Moreover, Romania can support in this respect, if needed, the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, Minister Burduja says the capped prices for energy and gas for consumers should be maintained, given that international markets have felt the effects of the security crisis in the Middle East.

GRAIN — Ukraine exported 10.5 million tons of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first nine months of the year, the port authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Overall, the port shipped over 25 million tons of grain between January and September 2023, the authority said, matching its previous annual record high. During his visit to Bucharest last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ‘corridor’ would be soon be established to take Ukrainian grain to Romania via Moldova. The Romanian government has said that, with investment in infrastructure ongoing, it aims to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain to 4 million tons, while port operators are also investing in equipment to increase loading speeds. Ukraine’s grain production in 2023 is likely to exceed 56 million tons, but Russia’s blocking its main Black Sea ports has affected deliveries.

SUPPORT – Convened in a plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of further support for Ukraine worth 50 billion euros, for the 2024-2027 period. The funds are aimed for the “reconstruction and modernization” of the country. The Ukraine Facility is part of the Unions long-term budget review, which needs to be adjusted after multiple crises that have taken place since 2021. The EU has so far allocated 30 billion euros from its budget to support Ukraine after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. Starting June 2022, Ukraine has the status of candidate country to EU accession.

TEL AVIV — The U.S. President, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel on Wednesday to hold talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and to make it clear that Israel has the right to defend itself, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced. President Biden will reaffirm his solidarity with Israel, in the context of a ground offensive prepared by Israel against the Hamas militants in Gaza, Blinken has also said. According to the US Secretary of State, Biden will be informed about how Israel will conduct its operations in such a way as to minimize the loss of civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza without Hamas benefiting from it. (EE)

17 October 2023
October 16, 2023 UPDATE

Pensions – In Bucharest, the draft law on special pensions, granted to magistrates and other public system employees, was adopted on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The document had previously been approved by the Senate plenum, as the first chamber notified, with the changes requested by the Constitutional Court – CCR. Compared to the form that passed the Senate, no substantive amendments were introduced. Thus, the taxation thresholds of up to 20% for the non-contributory part were kept, as well as the annual increase, by four months, of the retirement age up to 60 years. The law provides, among other things, that magistrates will have a pension of 80% of the average gross monthly allowances and increments collected in the last four years of activity. The plenum of the Chamber of Deputies adopted only proposals related to the legislative technique and rejected all the amendments proposed by the opposition Save Romania Union – USR and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR. The USR leader, Cătălin Drula, said that this law actually maintains special pensions, and the Liberal Party deputy, Florin Roman, stated that the adoption of the oppositions amendments would have made the law unconstitutional. The Social Democratic Party – PSD claims that the law respects both the decisions of the CCR and the requests of the European Commission, while AUR considers the new form unacceptable, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR condemns the non-compliance with the contribution principle.

Meeting – The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called an extraordinary online meeting of all heads of state or government in the European Union for Tuesday, in the context of the Middle East situation. In a statement published on Monday, Charles Michel once again condemned the actions of Hamas, which he considers terrorist, and demands the immediate release of the hostages. The head of the European Council said that Israel has the right to defend itself, within the limits of international law and respecting humanitarian principles. He believes that this conflict can create tensions including on the European continent and can amplify extremism in the European Union. The extraordinary council meeting, he added, will address the issue from the point of view of ensuring assistance to the affected civilians, the impact of civilian migration to the states in the area and avoiding the escalation of the conflict by involving all regional actors. Charles Michel believes that the solution is peace based on the existence of two states: Israel and Palestine.

Repatriation — The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the Romanian authorities are in contact with almost every Romanian citizen in the Gaza Strip. He says that, at present, there are no reasons for concern about their lives, but everyone hopes that they will arrive in Romania as soon as possible. About 350 Romanians with dual citizenship are supposed to be in the Palestinian enclave, controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas and bombed intensively by the Israeli army.

Israel – The Israeli army asked Palestinian civilians in the northern Gaza Strip again, on Monday, to move to the south of the territory. It is estimated that one million people have already left their homes in the northern area controlled by the terrorist movement Hamas. The situation of these people is very difficult, humanitarian agencies point out, and they are asking for the sending of strictly necessary aid to the Gaza Strip The Israeli army announced that the number of people abducted by Hamas and taken to the Gaza Strip is 199. The bombing continued on both sides. On the northern border of Israel, following the frequent fire exchanges with the Hezbollah organization, a measure was taken to evacuate 28 Israeli towns in the immediate vicinity of the border with Lebanon and a 2 km wide strip was established which was declared a closed military area.

Football – The Romanian national football team became the leader of the EURO 2024 Qualifying Group I after defeating Andorra, 4-0, on Sunday evening, in Bucharest. The Romanian footballers achieved their clearest victory of this qualifying campaign. In another match from Group I, Switzerland drew the match with Belarus 3-3 at home. We remind you that Israels matches have been postponed. Romania is to play its last games in the group in November, with Israel, away from home, and with Switzerland on home ground. Kosovo is also part of Group I. (LS)

16 October 2023
Air bridge for Israel

The Romanian public opinion and the political class have never been insensitive to the situation in the Middle East. Israel is home to hundreds of thousands of Romanian-born Jews, or to their descendants. In the Arab world, from Magreb to Levant, including the the Palestinian territories West Bank and Gaza, there are numerous mixed families, most of them made up of Romanian women who married Arabs that came to study in Romania. In the late 1960s, the communist regime in Bucharest was the only regime, behind the former Iron Curtain, which did not suspend diplomatic ties with the state of Israel, although dictator Nicolae Ceausescu invoked, at the same time, what he called the rightful cause of the Palestinian people and had almost fraternal relations with its leader, Yasser Arafat. Driven by the ridiculous ambition of playing a key role internationally, Ceausescu fooled himself that he could mediate peace between Jews and Arabs.

The new wave of violence between Israel and Gaza horrified Romania and prompted the authorities to react quickly, to ensure the protection of its citizens, who risk being victims in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. PM Marcel Ciolacu said authorities are in touch with almost every Romanian of those around 350 in the Gaza Strip, but that no one has managed to leave the Palestinian enclave due to the military blockade imposed by Israel. Ciolacu has explained that the lives of the Romanians in Gaza, most of them with dual citizenship, are not in danger at the moment but that everybody hopes they will come to Romania as soon as possible.

As regards the support granted to the Ukrainian refugees in Israel, Ciolacu said Romania brought in 3,000 such citizens, most of them only transiting the country and 48 asking to remain on Romanian territory. The request for this support was made by the European authorities, with no costs incurred for Romania.

Last week, more than 2,000 Romanian citizens returned from Israel, on 22 flights operated by both the state-owned company Tarom and private companies. Tarom suspended its regular flight to and from Tel Aviv as of Thursday, but it will further operate special flights at the request of the crisis cell with the Romanian Foreign Ministry and will remain in close contact with the authorities in managing the current situation. Tarom is one of the few air companies which did not cancel its flights to Tel Aviv after the terrorist attacks of Hamas on Israel. In fact, between October 7 and 10 when the horrible massacres occurred, it doubled the number of flights between Bucharest and Tel Aviv. (EE)

16 October 2023
October 16, 2023

GAZA According to Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, the
authorities in Bucharest are keeping in touch with almost every Romanian in the
Gaza Strip. He says that for the time being there is no reason for concern
regarding their lives, but everybody hopes they will reach Romania as soon as
possible. About 350 Romanians with double citizenship would be in the Hamas-controlled
Palestinian enclave constantly bombed by the Israeli troops.

TRUCE Egypt, Israel
and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza beginning at
nine hours local time, a situation coinciding with the re-opening of the Rafah
border crossing to allow in aid and the evacuation of foreigners, two Egyptian
security sources, quoted by Reuters, said on Monday. However, Israel denies the
existence of such a truce, Reuters says, quoting a statement from the office of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel continues to beef up its troops
close to Gaza before the envisaged ground onslaught. Over 14 hundred people,
mainly civilians, have been killed in the latest bloody Hamas attack. In turn,
Palestinian sources are speaking about roughly 27 hundred people killed in the
Israeli bombardments on Gaza.

LAW A draft
law on the special pensions of the magistrates and other categories of state
employees is today being subjected to debates and voting in the decision-making
Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The document has been endorsed after the
latest amendments required by the Constitutional Court. Under the present form
of the draft, the magistrates’ pensions are to be based 80% on an average of
their gross monthly indemnities and the bonuses they got in the last four years
of activity while their retirement age is to increase on a yearly basis until
the age of 60. The opposition USR believes the PSD-PNL majority has brought
only superficial amendments to the law whereas the ruling coalition has
recalled that the special pensions reform is a key element of the National Plan
of Recovery and Resilience and must be completed as soon as possible.

FOOTBALL Romania’s
national eleven has become leader of the qualifying Group One for the EURO 2024
after a 4-0 home win against Andorra. This has been our footballers’ clearest victory
so far in the present qualification campaign. In another Group One match,
Switzerland ended in a 3-all draw their home game against Belarus. We recall
that Israel’s games have been postponed. Romania has two more games in hand,
against Israel, which is an away game and a home game against Switzerland. The
aforementioned group also includes Kosovo.

(bill)

16 October 2023
October 15, 2023 UPDATE

Israel – The Israeli army is deployed along the Gaza Strip for a ground offensive in the north of the Strip, an army spokesman announced on Sunday. Israel has consistently urged Gaza inhabitants living in the north of the territory to leave south as quickly as possible, accusing Hamas, which opposes the evacuation, of preventing civilians from leaving. Israel says it is targeting Gaza City to destroy the operations center of the Palestinian Islamist movement, labeled as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Over 1,400 people were killed in Israel during the attack launched on October 7 by Hamas commandos, show the latest figures provided by the army on Sunday. The Israeli response to the attack killed over 2,400 people in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened, on Sunday, for the first time, the extended emergency cabinet. The meeting, held at the military headquarters in Tel Aviv, began with the ministers holding a moment of silence in memory of the Israelis killed by Hamas on October 7. On the other hand, Israels army blocked the border with Lebanon after pro-Iranian Hezbollah militias, allied with Hamas, attacked an Israeli settlement with rockets, killing one man and wounding three others. On a diplomatic level, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to Israel on Monday, extending his Middle East tour by one day. On Sunday Antony Blinken had a meeting in Riyadh with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country has suspended talks regarding a possible normalization of relations with Israel.

MAE — The Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE announced that, against the backdrop of the deterioration of the security situation in the State of Israel and the Gaza Strip, the Crisis Cell is continuing its ongoing efforts to evacuate, under safe conditions, the Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip who requested this. There are approximately 200 Romanian citizens in the Gaza Strip who would like to leave the area and have requested the support of the Romanian authorities. The MAE, through the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv, the Romanian Representative Office in Ramallah and the Romanian diplomatic missions in the region, maintains coordination with other states and international organizations that undertake similar measures for their own citizens or officials. On Saturday, 58 Romanian citizens returned from Israel with a private flight. All in all, so far, 2,220 Romanians have been repatriated from Israel. On the other hand, the MAE confirmed the death of two other Romanian-Israeli citizens. The death toll thus rises to four.

Luxembourg – The Romanian Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet, participates on Monday, in Luxembourg, in the meeting of the Environment Council. According to the data published on the website of the European Council, high on the agenda of the meeting are such issues as the purification of urban waste water and the standards regarding CO2 emissions for new heavy vehicles, among others. The Environment Ministers will try to reach an agreement on a proposal to revise the Directive on the treatment of urban wastewater. The proposal asks member states to draw up plans for large cities to manage urban runoff generated by rainfall.

Trade – The online sale of goods and services has progressed in Romania and has come to represent 3.17% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product. Thus, Romania dominates the market in Eastern Europe, generating almost 60% of the sales in the region. A turnover of almost 10 billion Euros is estimated for this year. Compared to Central and Eastern Europe, only Poland and the Czech Republic surpass Romania, and, at the level of the continent, the country ranks 12th, the Romanian Association of Online Stores informs on the occasion of the National E-Commerce Day. 94% of Romanian buyers prefer to order online from Romanian stores, while 21% also ordered from foreign websites.

Handball — Romania’s womens national handball team defeated the Greek team, away from home, score 32-20, on Saturday, in Group 1 of the 2024 European Championship preliminaries. The Romanian players have scored the 2nd outright victory in this stage of the championship, after a score of 49-17 with Bosnia-Herzegovina, at home. In another match, Croatia outperformed Bosnia-Herzegovina, in an away match. Romania takes first place, with 4 points, followed by Croatia, 4 points, Greece, 0 points, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0 points. The national team will play the next match on February 28, at home, against Croatia. (LS)

15 October 2023
October 14, 2023 UPDATE

Tel-Aviv – At 16:00 hours local time (13:00 GMT), the deadline given by the Israeli Defense Forces to Palestinian civilians in the north of the Gaza Strip to leave the area safely has expired. Israel has repeatedly accused the terrorist group Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The Israeli militarys order for more than a million Palestinians to leave the northern enclave is seen as a sign that it is planning a ground offensive. The Israeli army announced on Saturday that its bombing of the Gaza Strip resulted, among other things, in the death of another Hamas leader. The bloody attack launched on October 7 by the terrorist movement resulted in the death of over 1,300 Israelis, mostly civilians, and 3,200 wounded. Over 100 people, Israelis and foreigners, were taken hostage and taken to the Gaza Strip. For their part, the Palestinians announced that more than 2,200 people were killed and 10,000 wounded in the Israeli bombings of Gaza.

Repatriation — The Romanian Foreign Ministry – MAE confirmed, on Saturday, the death, in the context of the security situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip, of two more people with dual Israeli-Romanian citizenship, residing in Israel. Also, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in dialogue with the Israeli authorities to verify the information regarding the disappearance of a person with dual Israeli-Romanian citizenship. All in all, four Romanians have died in this country since the outbreak of the armed conflict. On the other hand, another 58 Romanian citizens returned to Romania from Israel on Saturday, with a flight operated by a private company, the Foreign Ministry informs. Over 2,200 Romanians returned home after the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Football – On Sunday, Romania’s national football team meets Andorra, in Group I of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. The match is hosted by Bucharest, and access is only allowed to children under 14, according to a UEFA decision. In the same group, the match Switzerland versus Belarus is played. On Thursday, Romania drew 0-0 in Budapest with Belarus and remains on second place in the group, after Switzerland. Israel, whose games were postponed, and Kosovo are also part of Euro 2024 Qualifying Group I.

Paris – The Louvre Museum in Paris, the largest museum in the world, closed exceptionally on Saturday at noon for security reasons, in the context in which France raised the threat alert level following the Islamist attack committed on Friday in Arras (northern France), France Press reports. The Louvre Museum received a written message evoking a risk for the museum and for visitors, a spokeswoman for the institution said. France has once again raised the threat alert level which allows the exceptional mobilization of means, after the assassination of a teacher, who was stabbed by a young man in front of a high school from the city of Arras. This act was labeled as “Islamist terrorism” by the French President Emmanuel Macron. The Elysée Palace announced on Saturday the deployment of 7,000 soldiers on the French territory.

Tourism — Romania will be promoted as a tourist destination for one month, between October 15 and November 15, on the British BBC television station. TV producer Charlie Ottley, known for his documentaries about Romania, such as “Wild Carpathia” and “Flavors of Romania” also collaborated in designing the campaign. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism points out that the purpose of the action is to increase the visibility of Romania as a tourist destination in Europe, with special focus on Great Britain. The ministry also mentions that the BBC is available in almost all countries of the world, the content being accessible in millions of hotel rooms, on planes, cruise ships and mobile devices. (LS)

14 October 2023
14.10.2023 (mise à jour)

Tel-Aviv – Israël a pressé samedi les Palestiniens d’évacuer rapidement le nord de la bande de Gaza laissant présager d’une prochaine offensive terrestre, une semaine après l’attaque sanglante et sans précédent lancée par le mouvement islamiste palestinien Hamas. Le délai accordé aux civils palestiniens du nord de la bande de Gaza de partir vers le sud de celle-ci a expiré à 16 h locales, soit 13 heures TU. Israël a constamment accusé le groupement terroriste Hamas d’utiliser les civils en tant que boucliers humains. Selon l’armé israélienne, ses bombardements contre la bande de Gaza ont tué un autre leader du Hamas. Les attaques terroristes lancées par le Hamas contre Israël, les plus meurtrières de l’histoire de cet Etat ont fait plus de 1 300 morts et plusieurs milliers de blessés. Une centaine de personnes, israéliennes et étrangères, ont été pris en otage et amenées dans la Bande de Gaza. Enfin, les palestiniens annoncent que depuis samedi dernier plus de 2 200 personnes ont été tuées et près de 10 000 blessées au Gaza et en Cisjordanie.

MAE
– Le ministères des AE de Bucarest a confirmé samedi le décès dans le contexte
de la situation sécuritaire d’Israël et de la Bande de Gaza de deux autres
personnes à double nationalité israélo-roumaine, domiciliés en Israël.
L’ambassade de Roumanie à Tel Aviv est en dialogue avec les autorités
israéliennes pour vérifier les informations relatives à la disparition d’une
personne à double nationalité israélo-roumaine. Au total, quatre personnes à
nationalité roumaine sont décédées dans ce pays depuis le début de la guerre. 58
ressortissants roumains sont rentrés samedi d’Israël, à bord d’un vol aérien par
une compagnie aérienne privée, fait savoir le ministère des Affaires Etrangères
de Bucarest. L’équipe consulaire mobile de l’Ambassade de Roumanie à Tel Aviv
et l’Office de représentation de Roumanie à Ramallah est prête à accorder de
l’assistance consulaire aux ressortissants roumains d’Israël qui souhaitent revenir
en Roumanie. Le ministère des Affaires Etrangères recommande aux ressortissants
roumains qui se trouvent toujours sur le territoire de cet Etat de suivre
strictement les conseils des autorités israéliennes. Plus de 2 200 Roumains ont
quitté Israël suite aux attaques du Hamas.

Paris – Le musée du Louvre a Paris, le plus grand du monde, a exceptionnellement fermé samedi à la mi-journée « pour raisons de sécurité », alors que la France est en alerte « urgence attentat » au lendemain d’une attaque islamiste a Arras. Le château de Versailles, a également été évacue samedi après-midi après une alerte a la bombe, a appris l’AFP de sources policières. L’alerte a la bombe est passée par un message anonyme sur le site moncommissariat.fr, a précisé a l’AFP une source proche du dossier.

Notation
– L’agence de notation Standard & Poor’s a reconfirmé la notation
souveraine de la Roumanie à BBB – avec une perspective stable, fait savoir le
ministère des Finances de Bucarest. La décision repose sur le niveau bas de la
dette extérieure et gouvernementale et sur les perspectives solides de
croissance. Selon le ministre de tutelle, Marcel Boloş, cette confirmation aide
le pays à accéder les marchés des capitaux à des couts plus réduits et
d’attirer davantage d’investissements étrangers, ce qui contribuera à la
croissance économique et pour les citoyens cela signifie créer des emplois et
améliorer la qualité de la vie. Standard & Poor’s estime que l’économie
roumaine enregistrera cette année une hausse de 2,3%.

Transports – La Commission européenne a approuvé un schéma d’aide de 24 millions d’euros, demandé par la Roumanie pour soutenir les investissements dans les ports maritimes et intérieurs, dans le contexte de la guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine. La mesure, partiellement financée par les fonds de cohésion, soutiendra les opérateurs portuaires privés pour qu’ils puissent améliorer le fonctionnement des couloirs de solidarité Ukraine – Union européenne. Le but de la mesure est de remédier les déficiences liées à la capacité des infrastructures portuaires par l’achat d’équipements pour le transport des marchandises des distances courtes et par le développement des capacités de stockage temporaire. L’aide ne dépassera pas les 2 millions d’euros par bénéficiaire et sera accordée jusqu’au 31 décembre.

Kosovo – La mission roumaine au Kosovo a été renforcée de 130 militaires, a annoncé le ministère de la Défense de Bucarest. Actuellement, l’opération de l’OTAN KFOR implique quelque 210 militaires roumains. La décision de majorer le dispositif roumain a été adoptée suite à l’autorisation par le Conseil de l’Atlantique Nord de renforcer la présence militaire pour gérer la situation actuelle dans les Balkans de l’Ouest. Sur le terrain, dans le nord du Kosovo, où les tensions s’amplifient depuis plusieurs mois, le principal parti serbe souhaite organiser au plus vite des élections. Depuis près d’une année, aucun serbe ne travaille plus dans des institutions publiques telles la police et la Justice. Tous les serbes ont démissionné en novembre dernier lorsque le gouvernement de Pristina ont annoncé interdire l’utilisation des plaques d’immatriculation serbes au Kosovo. Lorsque les nouveaux maires albanais élus avec une participation de mois de 4% ont commencé à s’installer, les manifs ont rapidement dégénéré en révolte. Une trentaine de militaires du KFOR ont été blessés dans ces heurts.

14 October 2023
October 13, 2023

ISRAEL In a special session
on Thursday night the Israeli Parliament endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s emergency unity government and a cabinet of war. According to
observers, an enlarged coalition is needed for the adoption of large-scale
military and political decisions in the following days after the unprecedented bloody
attacks of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The attacks resulted in a
war with Israel which has left thousands of dead, mostly civilians, on both
sides. Roughly 150 people have been taken hostage by Hamas and are being held
in captivity in Gaza. In another development, the presidents of the European
Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, are
today flying to Israel to express the EU’s solidarity after the bloody Hamas
attacks. In turn, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is being expected in
Qatar for talks with the local leaders including with a view to finding a
solution to the hostages crisis. The head of the US diplomacy went to Tel Aviv
on Thursday, where he said that the United States would always support Israel
and that the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations aren’t being represented by
Hamas, which presently rules Gaza. The UN has made an emergency appeal for
donations for the vulnerable residents of the West Bank and Gaza. Over 400
thousand Palestinians have been relocated in the past days from the besieged
Strip, which has been constantly under the bombardment of the Israeli army. The
United Nations says the Israeli military informed it late on Thursday that 1.1
million Palestinians in Gaza should relocate to the enclave’s south within the
next 24 hours.

REPATRIATIONS
Another 127 Romanian citizens have been safely repatriated from Israel. They
have been flown to Romania by several airline companies since Thursday night,
the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. Over two thousand Romanians have
been flown home by means of an air bridge involving 22 flights. Out of the 350
Romanians in Gaza, who have been monitored by the authorities in Bucharest, 50
have requested assistance to come back to Romania. In the meantime, Romania’s
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says the government is considering the
possibility of covering the transport fees for the families with low incomes.
He has made an appeal to Romanians to avoid any pilgrimage to the region in
this period.

FOOTBALL
Romania’s national football side ended in a goaless draw their Thursday’s match
against Belarus in Budapest as part of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. Although
they managed a good show on Thursday the Romanians failed to defeat a rather
modest opponent. Belarus is playing their games on neutral ground, upon a UEFA
decision. In another Group one game, Kosovo defeated Andorra 3-0 while the
match pitching Israel against Switzerland has been postponed for November 15th.
After the draw on Thursday, Romania ranks second in the group with 13 points
after Switzerland with 14. Israel ranks third with 11 points, followed by
Kosovo with 7, Belarus with 5 and Andorra with 2. On Sunday, Romania will be
playing Andorra at home in a game, when only children under 14 are granted access
to the stadium.

(bill)

13 October 2023
Hăbări ditu bana românească şi internaţională

VIZITĂ – Prezidentulu Klaus Iohannis va s’nkiseascã ñiercuri vizită tu Ungarie, cãlisitu di omologlu a lui maghiaru Katalin Novák, aestã hiindalui prota vizitã ufiţialã tru Budapesta ţi u faţi unu prezidentu românu tru 14-lli añi ditu soni. Uidisitu cu spusa ali Administrație Prezidențialã, vizita s’faţi tu contextul a unãllei dinamicã criscutã a ligãturloru tu livelu analtu, dupu vizita ufiţialã ţi u feaţi prezidentulu Katalin Novák, București tru yismãciuni 2022 și cu furñia cã avea loatã parti la 8-lu Summit a Inițiativãllei Trei Amări, nicukiru hiinda România tru yismãciuni 2023. Caplu a statlui nãpoi lu spuni sinferlu şi dişcllidearea ali Românie ti lucãrlu deadunu hãirlãticu, pragmaticu și transparentu cu Ungaria. Aţelli doi prezidinţã va u facã isapi catastisea di adzã tu livelu reghionalu, europeanu și globalu, tru contextulu a polimlui di fuvirseari ţi-lu-faţi Arusia contra ali Ucrainã.

EXERCIȚIU – Cama di 400 di militari llia parti tu Steadfast Jupiter 2023, nai cama lãrguriu exercițiu NATO asistatu di computeru, disvãrtitu tu Tsentrulu Comunu di Antrenamentu Getica” di Tsincu, nolgica ali Românie. Llia parti askirladz di tu 17 stati aliati și cama di 20 sumunităț di tu pareia di cumandu și forți NATO. Exercițiulu ari tu amprotusa unã abordari di 360 di gradi a securitatillei și apărarillei colectivã ali Alianțã Nordu-Atlanticã. Uidisitu cu spusa a Ministerlui ali Apărari, exercițiul ari tu scãpo s’anvãrtuşeadzã adunarea stogu și interopearabilitatea-a forțãlor armate ascumbusiti și easti hopa di bitisitã ti certificari a Comandamentului Truplui Multinațional di Notu-Datã ditu România, axizitu s’asiguripseasã cumandulu şi controlu a opearațiuñilor terestri ali NATO pi livelu reghionalu, tu iţi catandisi.

UCRAINA – Prezidentulu ali Ucrainã, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, feaţi marțã unã vizită ufiţialã tru România. Dupu andamsi, prezidentulu Zelensky haristusi ali Românie ti ndruparea ali Ucrainã tru nai ma greulu sticu di oarã ditu istoria a llei. Mjuabeţli cu prezidentulu Klaus Iohannis avurã tu amprotusa securitatea la Amarea Lae, cuupiararea bilatearală, integrarea ali Ucrainã tru UE și euro-atlantică, cata cum și tiñisearea acutotalui/ pãnu di mardzinã/tu capu a ndrepturlor ti inşilli ţi ţãnu di minoritățli naționale. Tu arada-a lui, Iohannis lu-asiguripsi omologlu a lui ucrainean ti apofasea ali Românie tra s’ndrupascã ma largu vãsilia viţinã, ahãtu kiro cãtu va s’hibã ananghi, până la eliberarea-a teritoriului… Zelenskyy avu muabeţ şi cu premierlu român Marcel Ciolacu, prezidentulu a Senatlui, Nicolae Ciucă, și prezidentulu interimaru tu Camera a Deputaţloru, Alfred Simonis.

ISRAEL — Israelu hãbãrisi cã ascumbuseaşti alţã 60.000 di rezerviști ma mulţã andicra di aţelli 300.000 cari eara cllimaţ cama ninti. Forțe cabaia mãri şi echipamenti greali furã ardãpsiti tu sinurlu di tu Cumata Gaza. 100 di oamiñi acãţaţ di Hamas cându lu-ari atacatã Israelu suntu țãnuti ostatiţi, a deapoa organizația teroristă fuvirsi cã va s’ahurheascã sã-lli vatãmã ma s’hibã cã ma multi ţinti ţivili, va s’hibã bombardate. Isapea-apolimlui anamisa di Israel și pareia teroristă Hamas nãstricu ndauã ñilli di morțã și pliguiţ, tru dauli părțã. Aghențiile umanitari ali ONU feaţirã timbihi ti consecințili greali şi ti consecinţili greali di itia-a Israelui ţi va s’nkiseascã unu asediu total tu Cumata ca apanjdasi ti ataca nkisitã di Hamas. Aghenția ONU tră Cilimeañi easti gãilipsitu ti restricția di apă și alimenti tru Gaza. Tutunãoarã, aghențiile ONU cutugursirã vãtãmarea aisraelieañiloru di pareili armãtusiti paestinieani și lã cãftã s’ãlli siligheascã ustatiţlli.

Autoru: Udãlu a Hãbãrloru

Armânipsearea: Taşcu Lala

10 October 2023
October 10, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT – President Klaus Iohannis will pay a visit to Hungary on Wednesday, at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novák, this being the first official visit to Budapest by a Romanian president in the last 14 years. According to the Presidential Administration, the visit takes place in the context of increased dynamics of high-level contacts, after the official visit made by President Katalin Novák to Bucharest in September 2022, and the participation in the 8th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, hosted by Romania in September 2023. The head of state will reiterate Romania’s interest and openness to a constructive, pragmatic and transparent cooperation with Hungary. The two presidents will analyze the current situation at the regional, European and global level, in the context of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine.

EXERCISE – More than 400 soldiers take part in the Steadfast Jupiter 2023, the most complex computer-assisted NATO exercise, held at the Getica Joint Training Center in Cincu, central Romania. Military personnel from 17 allied states and over 20 subunits of the NATO command and force structure are taking part. The exercise focuses on a 360-degree approach to the security and collective defense of the North Atlantic Alliance. According to the Defense Ministry, the exercise is intended to strengthen the cohesion and interoperability of the armed forces involved and represents the final certification stage of the Southeast Multinational Corps Command in Romania, able to ensure the command and control of NATO’s ground operations at regional level, in any situation.

UKRAINE – Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid an official visit to Romania on Tuesday. After the meeting, President Zelenskyy thanked Romania for supporting Ukraine at the most difficult time in its history. Talks with President Klaus Iohannis focused on security at the Black Sea, bilateral cooperation, Ukraines EU and Euro-Atlantic integration as well as full respect of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. In turn, Iohannis assured his Ukrainian counterpart of Romania’s determination to further support the neighboring country, as long as needed, until its entire territory is liberated. Zelenskyy also had talks with the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the Speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, and the interim Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfred Simonis.

ISRAEL – Israel announced that it is mobilizing another 60,000 reservists in addition to the 300,000 that have already been called up. Massive forces and heavy equipment were concentrated on the border with the Gaza Strip. 100 people captured by Hamas when it attacked Israel are kept hostage, and the terrorist organization has threatened to start killing them if more civilian targets are bombed. The toll of the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas exceeded several thousands dead and wounded, on both sides. UN humanitarian agencies have warned of the serious consequences of Israel imposing a total siege on the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack. The UN Children’s Agency has expressed concern about the restriction of water and food to Gaza. UN agencies also condemned the mass killing of Israelis by Palestinian armed groups and asked them to release the hostages.

IMF – The International Monetary Fund estimates an economic growth of 2.2% for Romania this year compared to the previous forecast of 2.4%, according to a report the IMF presented on Tuesday. For 2024, the IMF estimates a 3.8% economic growth. The annual inflation rate forecast stands at 10.7% in 2023 and at 5.8% in 2024. According to a report of a recent IMF mission to Bucharest, budget deficit will stand at 6% this year and 5% next year. The head of the IMF mission in Romania, Jan Kees Martijn said the government’s fiscal package is designed to curb public spending, although additional measures are required to boost efficiency and revenues. (EE)

10 October 2023
Israelul sub tir de rachete, după ce a eliminat lideri ai Jihadului Islamic

Israelul a fost, astăzi, sub un tir de rachete, după ce armata a eliminat, în Fâşia Gaza, trei lideri ai Jihadului Islamic Palestinian, organizaţie considerată teroristă de către Statul Israel, a transmis corespondentul Radio România, Dragoş Ciocîrlan. Forţele aeriene israeliene au lovit miercuri, pentru a doua zi consecutiv, ţinte ale Jihadului Islamic din Gaza, iar militanţii palestinieni din Gaza au început să lanseze rachete peste graniţă, declanşând sirene şi trimiţând locuitorii Israelului în adăposturi.

Armata israeliană a declarat că, în cadrul operaţiunii denumite Scut și săgeată”, a lovit locaţii de lansare a rachetelor aparţinând grupării, în timp ce o serie de explozii au zguduit diferite puncte, inclusiv ceea ce martorii, citaţi de Reuters, au descris ca fiind o tabără de antrenament în partea de nord a Fâşiei Gaza şi o zonă deschisă în sud. La câteva minute după loviturile israeliene, sirenele au sunat în oraşul Sderot din sudul Israelului, şi în zona din jurul Fâşiei Gaza, precum şi în oraşul Aşkelon, avertizând asupra rachetelor care se apropiau.

Israelul a lansat marţi o serie de lovituri, vizând ceea ce a declarat că sunt lideri de rang înalt ai Jihadului Islamic responsabili de planificarea unor atacuri împotriva Israelului. Cel puţin 10 civili palestinieni au fost ucişi în aceste lovituri, precum şi 3 comandanţi de rang înalt. Au fost ucişi Khalil al-Bahtini, comandantul Brigăzilor al-Quds din nordul Fâşiei Gaza, Tariq Ezzedine, purtător de cuvânt al mişcării, şi Jihad al-Ghannam, secretar al Consiliului Militar al Jihadului Islamic Palestinian.

Ambasadorul Israelului la Bucureşti, Reuven Azar, a transmis mass-media din România noi informații legate de operațiunea efectuată de Israel în Gaza.

10 May 2023
June 18, 2021

Covid-19RO. 87 new cases of coronavirus infection were reported in Romania in the past 24 hours, in some 27 thousand tests performed. Also, 5 deaths were reported. The number of patients in intensive care has dropped below 200. The head of the vaccination campaign in Romania, Valeriu Gheorghita, has announced that vaccination coverage at national level stands at 25% of the eligible population. 29,000 doses of vaccine have been administered in the past 24 hours, accounting for less than one third of the number reported during the peak vaccination periods. Since the start of the national vaccination campaign, on December 27, 2020, more than 4.6 million people have been immunized in Romania, of whom 4.3 million with both doses. According to a study by the Research Institute for Quality of Life, even if most Romanians are aware of the danger posed by the coronavirus, some 2 million are against vaccination, and 800,000 say that the pandemic is not real.

Commemoration. Today, for the first time, the Day of the Victims of Deportation During the Communist Regime is marked in Romania. In the country, the deportation of people by repressive means was inspired by the model offered by the Soviet gulag. Starting in 1944, the first actions targeted ethnic Germans accused of collaboration with the Nazi authorities. That was followed by the relocation of the families of big owners of land, factories or other commercial enterprises. The peasants who opposed collectivization were also deported. The most tragic episode in the deportations chapter took place on June 18, 1951, when about 44,000 people on a 25 km strip on the border with Yugoslavia were deported to Bărăgan (southeast), in one of the most secret, fast and repressive actions ever organized by the communist authorities. After 1955, former political detainees released from prisons were sent to various localities, most of them in the Bărăgan villages already built as a result of the 1951 deportation. In 1967, the deportation of Romanian citizens was declared illegal even by the communist authorities.

Protest. Romanian road freight carriers have announced that they will deliberately hamper traffic on the main roads in the country this afternoon. The protest comes after the announcement made by the Ministry of Transport that it will change the way the road fee, known as the vignette, is going to be calculated from now on, namely per kilometer and depending on the pollution norm, not related to duration, as it is now. Transport companies are also dissatisfied with the controls operated by the Tax Office, which considers that the per diems that truck drivers get abroad must be taxed.

Employment. The employment rate of the working age population (15-64 years) was 60.8% in the first quarter of this year, down from 65.8% in the previous quarter, and the unemployment rate rose to 6.1%, compared to 5.2% in the previous quarter, according to data published today by the National Institute of Statistics. The employment rate was higher for men and people in urban areas. Also in the first quarter, Romanias active population was 8.1 million people, of which 7.6 million were employed and 496,000 were unemployed. The unemployment rate during this period was 6.1%.

Conflict. The Israeli army has launched air raids on the Gaza Strip for the second time in three nights. The raids are the first since a ceasefire agreement ended the Israeli-Hamas conflict a month ago. Several explosions were heard near the town of Khan Younis (southern Gaza Strip), but no casualties were reported. Israeli defense forces said they had attacked military compounds and a rocket launch base of the Hamas militant group in response to the launch of incendiary balloons into southern Israel. Hamas sees the raids as “propaganda of the new government”, while the Israeli army say they are ready for any scenario, including the resumption of hostilities, the BBC reports.

EURO 2020. At EURO 2020 today, in group D, Croatia plays against the Czech Republic in Glasgow, and England takes on Scotland in London. Also today, in group E, Sweden plays against Slovakia in St. Petersburg. On Thursday, in Copenhagen, in group B, Belgium won the match against Denmark 2-1, and in group C, Ukraine defeated in Bucharest North Macedonia, also 2-1. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands defeated Austria and qualified for the next round. For the firs time in history, Bucharest is hosting four EURO2020 matches and it also has two brigades of referees.

Tennis. The Romanian – German pair Horia Tecău/Kevin Krawietz are playing today against the Belgian Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen in the semifinals of the doubles event of the Halle tournament in Germany, with 1.3 million Euro in prize money. Previously, they defeated the Argentinean pair Andres Molteni/Guido Pella, 6-4, 6-2. Tecău and Krawietz, third seed in Hally, have lost two finals this year, one in Rotterdam and one in Barcelona. (MI)

18 June 2021
May 23, 2021

COVID-19 The PM of Romania Florin
Cîţu said the vaccine rollout must be stepped up so that the relaxation
measures planned for the forthcoming period may be implemented as soon as
possible. Several vaccination marathons are held this weekend in various
towns in the country, and drive-thru centres are operational. Since the end of
December, nearly 7.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in Romania,
with more than 3.1 million people receiving the booster dose as well.
Meanwhile, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Romania continues to drop, with
307 new cases reported on Sunday out of nearly 18,500 tests. This is the lowest
number in nearly 11 months. In hospitals, the number of coronavirus patients in
intensive care is 590. Also, 56 COVID-related deaths were reported for the past
24 hours.

COUNCIL The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis takes part on Monday and Tuesday in a special European Council meeting to be held in Brussels. According to the presidency, the head of state will plead for quick and consistent implementation of the digital green certificates at European level, but will reiterate that these must not affect citizens freedom of movement. Iohannis will also call for a European mechanism to be put in place as soon as possible to ensure vaccine donations to non-EU countries. The main topics on the agenda of the European Council are the EU-wide coordination of COVID-19 measures, fighting climate change, and the Unions relations with Russia and the UK.

MIGRANTS Romanian border police in Borş Sunday found 30 Syrian and Iraqi nationals trying to cross the border illegally into Hungary. According to the police, the migrants, aged between 3 and 34, were hiding in a truck registered in Turkey, with a Turkish driver, heading for France.

EUROVISION The Italian band Maneskin won the 65th edition of the Eurovision song contest, held this year in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, under strict COVID-19 containment measures. Italys victory, the 3rd in the history of the country and the first since 1990, took place in a gala attended by only 3,500 people. The public had to produce negative COVID-19 tests and to wear face masks. Romania failed to qualify into this years Eurovision final. Over the years, Romanias best performances in this competition were two 3rd places (in 2005 and 2010) and a 4th place in 2006.

MIDDLE EAST The UN Security Council Saturday called for full compliance with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in its first statement since the conflict broke out on May 10, AFP reports. The Security Council members welcome the ceasefire signed on 21st May and acknowledged the major role played by Egypt and other countries in the region. Since the start of the crisis on 10 May, at least 248 Palestinians, including 66 children and Hamas fighters, died in Israeli attacks, whereas in Israel 12 people died, including a child.

FOOTBALL The football club Universitatea Craiova won Romanias Cup after defeating Astra Giurgiu away from home 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night. This is the 8th trophy of this kind for Universitatea. Meanwhile, CFR Cluj won its 4th consecutive football championship on Tuesday night, defeating FC Botoşani 1-0, away from home in the 9th round of the League I playoffs. CFR has won the national champions title 6 times before, and will be the only Romanian team in the Champions League. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 May 2021
תמיכה במדינת ישראל

בנוסף למפגן הציבורי שאורגן ע”י האגודה הציונית ברומניה, אירוע תמיכה במדינת ישראל שני התקיים, אונליין, כמה שעות לפני הכרזת הפסקת האש . פיגועי הטרור וירי הרקטות על אוכלוסיית ישראל גונו בחריפות. האירוע נפתח עם רגע דתי שבו הרב הרב הראשי של רומניה, רב רפאל שפר, התפלל למען עם ישראל ולמען העם הרומני.

נשיא התאחדות הקהילות היהודיות ברומניה, חבר הפרלמנט סילביו וקסלר, הדגיש כי מדינת ישראל נתונה להתקפה מתמשכת מופנית נגד האוכלוסייה האזרחית. נשיאת הסנאט הרומני , אנקה דראגו, קראה לשלום והצהירה כי חלק מאנשינו עוברים תקופת מצוקה, דרך דרמות שלא ניתן לדמיין בעולם מודרני. הפיתרון היחיד הוא להחזיר את השלום. אני חוזרת ומדגישה את רצוני שהשלום יוחזר בהקדם האפשרי, הדגישה דרגו.

רומניה תומכת במאמצים שעשו ארה”ב, האיחוד האירופי והאו”ם כדי לקיים הפסקת האש מיידית, אישר מחדש נשיא לשכת הצירים, לודוביק אורבן. אנו מגנים בתוקף את ירי הרקטות ששיגר חמאס מרצועת עזה לעבר אזורים מיושבים בישראל, אמר אורבן. לדבריו, רומניה מעוניינת שהדיאלוג והדיפלומטיה ייכנסו לתפקידן הטבעי, כדי למצוא פתרונות בהקדם האפשרי, כך שכל אובדן חיי אדם והסכסוך יסתיים במהרה.

עומר ינקלביץ , שר לענייני התפוצות בישראל, דברה על כך שבשבועיים האחרונים אזרחים ישראלים חפים מפשע הותקפו מסביב לשעון. המחויבות של רומניה להגן על זכותה של ישראל להגן על עצמה מפני טרור נותנת לנו כוח, אמרה ינקלביץ.

גרמניה מגנה בתוקף את פיגועי הטרור נגד ישראל ונגד אזרחיה, אמר Bernd Fabritius, נציב הממשלה הפדרלית הגרמנית למיעוטים.

רומניה תומכת במאמצים הדיפלומטיים של האיחוד האירופי, לצד גורמים האחרים , כדי להחזיר את השקט והדו-קיום הטוב בישראל, אמרה מזכירת המדינה של משרד הבריאות, דניאלה גיטמן, שהתייחסה גם ליחסים הדו-צדדיים המיוחדים שבין רומניה לישראל, אותם תיארה כשותפות עם ערכים אסטרטגיים. יש צורך ברוגע, יש צורך בדיאלוג בין הצדדים, הדגישה גיטמן.

נציגי הכנסייה הרומנו-קתולית והכנסייה האורתודוכסית הרומנית הביאו גם הם את הזדהותם עם העם הישראלי ואמרו כי על האלימות להיפסק. הארכיבישוף המטרופוליטן של בוקרשט, AUREL PERCA, אמר שהוא עוקב בדאגה אחר המצב בישראל. אנו מעלים תפילה שאלוהים ייתן הבנה טובה ושלום, הרמוניה, רצון טוב לכל מי שחי בארץ הקודש אמר פרקה.

הכומר הפטריארכלי הבישוף גרום מסיני קרא את ההודעה ששלח הפטריארך דניאל, ראש הכנסיה האורטודוקסית הרומנית, שאמר שיש להפסיק את הסכסוך המזוין בין יהודים לפלסטינים ולהחזיר את השלום הבין-עדתי והדת בישראל. כל סכסוך מזוין ממושך, המונע על ידי שנאה וטינה, גורם לסבל רב ולפצעים עמוקים מאוד בכל רישומי החיים החברתיים, אמר הפטריארך של הכנסייה הרומנית האורתודוכסית.

23 May 2021
18.05.2021

Coronavirus – Le Comité pour les situations d’urgence de la capitale a décidé que les élèves pourront retourner dans les écoles à partir de mercredi, avec le respect de toutes les règles sanitaires. Quant aux chiffres de l’épidémie, les autorités roumaines font état de 681 cas de contamination sur près de 32.000 tests effectués et de 91 patients décédés des suites de l’infection dans les dernières 24 heures. 4.600 malades sont actuellement hospitalisées, dont 719 en réanimation. A ce moment, seulement les départements de Cluj (1,18) et d’Alba (1,14) enregistrent un taux d’incidence supérieur à un pour mille habitants.

Vaccination – La Roumanie est prête à introduire le certificat vert numérique, a déclaré pour Radio Roumanie le port parole du Service de télécommunications spéciales, Cătălin Chirca. Il s’agit, bien évidement, du passeport vaccinal qui permettrait aux possesseurs de voyager librement en Europe. Le Service roumain de télécommunications spéciales travaille déjà à un système informatique en ce sens : d’un côté un portail web qui permettrait aux citoyens de télécharger gratuitement leur certificat vert et d’un autre une application pour vérifier les certificats émis. Adina Vălean, commissaire européenne aux Transports, a expliqué qu’à présent 18 pays membres de l’UE étaient en train de tester leurs propres solutions informatiques et de vérifier si le lien entre leurs basses de données et la plateforme européenne fonctionnait. Ce vendredi 21 mai ça sera au tour de la Roumanie de tester cela. Le certificat vert numérique, qui comprendra un code QR pouvant être scanné, prouvera qu’une personne a été vaccinée contre la Covid-19, a reçu un résultat négatif à un test de dépistage ou a guéri de la maladie.

Economie – La Roumanie a eu, au premier trimestre 2021, la plus dynamique économie d’Europe, avec une augmentation de son PIB de 2,8% par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2020, indiquent les données préliminaires publiées mardi par Eurostat. Dans ce classement, la Roumanie est suivie par Chypre (2%), la Hongrie (1,9%) et la Lituanie (1,8%). Plus tôt dans la journée, l’Institut national de la statistique annonçait également une croissance de l’économie du pays au-delà des prévisions. Selon un post Facebook du premier ministre Florin Cîţu, il s’agit du plus rapide redressement économique de l’histoire, qui vient en réponse à la plus grande crise économique du siècle dernier. Le chef de l’exécutif roumain a également précisé que son cabinet préparait de nouvelles mesures pour soutenir une économie roumaine post-pandémie plus forte et plus compétitive. La gouvernement de Bucarest prévoit une croissance économique d’environ 4,3% en 2021, après un déclin de 3,9% l’année précédente.

Gaza – Bruxelles se penche à son tour sur le conflit entre Israël et les groupes palestiniens de Gaza, le plus meurtrier depuis l’été 2014, lors d’une visio-réunion d’urgence des ministres européens des Affaires étrangères. Le ministre grec des Affaires étrangère, Nikos Dendias, participera aux discussions depuis le Proche-Orient. Le chef de la diplomatie hellène est le premier haut responsable européen de son niveau à visiter Israël, les territoires palestiniens, la Jordanie et l’Egypte, dans une tentative d’apaiser le conflit. Lundi, après une semaine de lutte entre Israël et les militants palestiniens, le président américain Joe Biden a exprimé son soutien à un cessez-le-feu lors d’un entretien téléphonique avec le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu. Selon une déclaration de la Maison Blanche, les Etats-Unis sont en train de travailler avec l’Egypte et avec autres partenaires afin d’arrêter les hostilités. Antérieurement, les diplomates américains ont bloqué à trois reprises une déclaration du Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU appelant à « une cessation des violences » au Proche-Orient. Washington, le principal allié d’Israël, a expliqué qu’un document de ce type serait contre-productif vis-à-vis de ses efforts de médiation du conflit. L’Egypte, le principal médiateur de la région, a promis de travailler aux côtés de la France pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu. Depuis le début des hostilités, le 10 mai, 212 Palestiniens ont été tués à Gaza dont au moins 61 enfants, et plus de 1.400 blessés. Côté israélien, 10 personnes ont été tuées, dont un enfant, et 294 blessées.

Eurovision – La 65e édition de l’Eurovision de la chanson démarre aujourd’hui à Rotterdam, aux Pays-Bas, sous haute sécurité. La représentante de la Roumanie, Roxen, sera la 13e artiste à monter sur scène lors de cette première demi-finale. 10 artistes se qualifieront ce soir pour la finale et 10 autres seront choisis le jeudi 20 mai, au moment de la deuxième demi-finale. Les 20 finalistes seront rejoints samedi prochain, le 22 mai, pour l’acte final par les représentants des Pays-Bas et des Big Five – la France, l’Allemagne, l’Italie, l’Espagne et le Royaume-Uni. La Roumanie a obtenu deux fois la 3e place à l’Eurovision, en 2005 et en 2010, et la 4e place en 2006. Le slogan de cette 65e édition de l’Eurovision est « Open Up ».

Météo – Temps capricieux et plutôt froid en Roumanie pour cette période de l’année. Tout le pays est placé sous vigilance jaune vents forts. Le vent soufflera jusqu’à 50-60 km/h sur la plupart du territoire et atteindra 70 à 80 km/h localement sur l’ouest et le sud du pays. En montagne, les rafales pourront même aller jusqu’à 80-100 km/h. La moitié nord du pays sera touchée par des pluies fortes. Les températures maximales iront de 13 à 23°, avec 19° à midi dans la capitale Bucarest.

18 May 2021