Tag: government

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The only way to
    curb the Covid-19 epidemic is vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus
    Iohannis said on Wednesday night, at the end of a meeting with those involved
    in managing the healthcare crisis. Until a significant proportion of the
    country’s population gets vaccinated, the authorities decided, among other
    things, that face masks will be compulsory as of Monday in both outdoor and
    indoor public areas. Night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated, while
    during the day access to an important number of activities will be conditional
    on the digital COVID certificate. Iohannis also announced that as of Monday all
    school children will have a 2-week holiday. Previously, the head of state had said
    that preparations for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania had been
    flawed, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. On Wednesday
    the Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158 new Covid-19 cases
    in 24 hours, and 423 related deaths, of which 9 from before the reference
    timeframe.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 19, 2021

    October 19, 2021

    COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced on Monday over 10,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections and 261 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours. More than 1,700 patients are
    currently in intensive care. As regards vaccination, in Romania, the number of
    people that went through a full vaccination plan stands at roughly 5.7 million.
    The Romanian interim Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, has announced that 26
    patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been transferred to Hungary and that the
    situation these days is rather critical. Meanwhile, 32 medical staff from the
    neighbouring Republic of Moldova came to Romania on Monday and will treat
    COVID-19 patients for 12 days, in a mobile hospital in the village of Leţcani,
    Iaşi County. Romania now has new vaccination targets, after missing the
    previous ones because of citizens’ reluctance to the jab.


    AID Poland and Slovenia announced they are ready to help
    Romania fight the on-going healthcare crisis. The offers came after president
    Klaus Iohannis presented the situation in a videoconference ahead of a European
    Council meeting due in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Attending the
    conference were the prime ministers of the 2 countries, who voiced their
    willingness to help Romania, as well as the president of the European Council,
    Charles Michel, ho undertook to facilitate EU-level aid. Hit hard by the 4th
    wave of the pandemic, Romania has already received medical equipment from Poland,
    Italy and Denmark.


    GOVERNMENT The relevant parliamentary committees are interviewing
    today the proposed members of PM designate Dacian Cioloş’s cabinet. Deputies
    and Senators will discuss with both former ministers in the coalition
    government comprising the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union and the
    Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, headed by the Liberal Florin Cîţu.
    Stelian Ion is once again nominated for justice minister, Ioana Mihăilă for
    health minister and Cătălin Drulă for transport minister, while former deputy
    PM Dan Barna is the proposed foreign minister. New names in the cabinet include
    environment activist Mihai Goţiu for environment minister, the former prefect
    of Bucharest Alin Stoica for interior minister and former fighter pilot Nicu
    Fălcoi for defence minister. The decision of Save Romania Union (USR) to
    present Parliament with a proposed one-party government was made after
    negotiations with the former partners failed to lead to the restoration of the
    right-wing coalition. The Liberals and
    ethnic Hungarian party would not resume cooperation with USR, because the
    latter backed a motion of no-confidence against the Cîţu government. The Social
    Democrats in opposition are also against a government headed by Cioloş, whom
    they accuse of irresponsibly protracting this political crisis. The Social
    Democrats and the nationalist party AUR demand early elections. Cioloş’s team
    needs 234 votes in Parliament, and USR only has 80 MPs. The vote on the
    proposed government is scheduled for Wednesday.


    AUTOMOTIVE The Ford production unit in Craiova (south-western Romania) is
    temporarily downsizing operations because of a semiconductor shortage. Until
    Thursday the plant will operate in one shift instead of three, both in the
    vehicle and the engine production divisions. The vehicles for which sale
    contracts have already been signed will be a priority, the management announced.
    Employees will be paid idle time up to 78% of their base salaries. In turn, the
    Dacia plant in Mioveni, Argeș County, controlled by the French group Renault, suspended
    its operations for lack of electronic components on October 8, sending home
    around 90% of its 14,000 employees at the time.


    OPINION POLL The Army and the Church rank first in terms of public
    confidence in Romania, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Information
    Warfare analysis and Strategic Communication Laboratory. Specifically, some 87%
    of the Romanians say they trust the Army, 70% the Church, 67% – the Romanian Intelligence
    Service and the Romanian Academy. Confidence is politicians is low, at some 20%,
    with the President, Parliament and Government on the top 3 positions. The main
    threats against Romania, according to over 40% of the respondents, are the
    politicians’ corruption and incompetence. The main threats facing the EU are an
    economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and disagreements between some member
    states. the poll was conducted by telephone between October 1 and 10, with a de
    +/- 3.1% margin of error.



    MOLDOVA The leader of the Socialists Party in the neighbouring Republic of
    Moldova, the pro-Russian ex-president Igor Dodon, announced he stepped down as
    a Parliament member and party president. He said he will continue to work as
    part of the Moldovan-Russian Entrepreneur Union, to strengthen economic
    relations with Russia. Dodon explains his role as an opposition leader will be
    better served from outside Parliament. One year ago he lost the presidential
    election to pro-European Maia Sandu, whose party, Action and Solidarity, defeated
    the Socialists and their allies, the Communists, in July’s early parliamentary
    election. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 18, 2021 UPDATE

    October 18, 2021 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT The Standing Bureaus of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies decided that
    the proposed members of PM designate Dacian Cioloş’ cabinet will be interviewed
    on Tuesday by the relevant parliamentary committees. The vote on the
    governmental team as a whole was scheduled for Wednesday. The Romanian prime minister
    designate and leader of Save Romania Union (USR), Dacian Cioloş, Monday
    submitted to Parliament the governing programme and the proposed membership of
    his one-party cabinet, as validated on Sunday by USR. The new Cabinet includes
    USR ministers from the former cabinet, as well as new names. Dacian Cioloş
    chose the option of a minority, one-party government, after negotiations with
    the former partners, the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union
    of Ethnic Hungarians (UDMR), failed to lead to the restoration of the
    right-wing coalition. The programme includes decisions related to rebalancing
    energy prices, handling the COVID pandemic and other specific issues, such as
    the dismantling of the Special Section for the Investigation of Crimes in the
    Judiciary and scrapping special pensions. The Cioloş Government needs 234 votes
    in Parliament, and the USR has 80 MPs. The former Liberal government led by
    Florin Cîţu was dismissed by a motion of no confidence filed by the
    Social-Democratic opposition and supported by USR and the nationalist party AUR.








    COVID-19 The Romanian interim Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, has announced that
    26 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been transferred to Hungary. One of
    them unfortunately died in the meantime. The Romanian official added that the
    situation these days is rather critical. Meanwhile, 32 medical staff from the
    neighbouring Republic of Moldova came to Romania on Monday and will treat
    COVID-19 patients for 12 days, in a mobile hospital in the village of Leţcani,
    Iaşi County. Authorities in Bucharest announced on Monday more than 10,000 new
    SARS-CoV-2 infections and 261 deaths. More than 1,700 patients are currently in
    intensive care. Regarding vaccination, in Romania, the number of people that
    went through a full vaccination plan stands at roughly 5.7 million.






    VACCINE It could take Romania more than 7 months to get 40% of its
    population vaccinated against COVID, and 31 months to reach a 70% rate, at the
    current vaccination pace, the World Health Organisation estimates. WHO
    representatives talked with Romanian authorities on Monday to identify the
    cause of the failure of the country’s vaccination programme. Romanian officials
    informed the WHO experts of the steep rise in the number of severe cases and
    COVID-19 related deaths, and added that 92% of the fatalities were reported
    among the unvaccinated. Meanwhile, the WHO said the proportion of fully
    vaccinated people is significant in Romania, indicating that once they start
    the immunisation, Romanians go through with the required number of doses. The
    WHO announced it would work with Bucharest to identify training and know-how
    exchange opportunities with respect to vaccine safety and the development of a
    communication strategy.

    EU MEETINGS The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, participated on Monday in a
    videoconference with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and
    other European leaders, in preparation for the European Council meeting due on
    October 21 – 22, the Presidential Administration has announced. The Romanian head of state emphasised the need to quickly identify
    efficient short-term solutions, as the ongoing energy crisis will have
    substantial effects on all EU member countries, with a deep social and economic
    impact. Klaus Iohannisalso
    stressed the importance of diversifying energy supply sources and of reducing
    reliance on third countries for energy supplies. The main topics on the agenda
    of this week’s European Council meeting are the epidemiological and vaccine
    situation, the EU digital agenda, the increase in energy prices, migration, the
    European trade policy and the Union’s foreign relations.

    PANDEMIC Over one billion anti-COVID vaccines produced in
    the EU have been exported to over 150 countries since December 2020, the
    president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday. EU exports mainly went to
    major economies like Japan, Turkey and the UK. Some of the vaccines were
    exported or donated to poorer countries, and according to Ursula von der Leyen
    the EU plans to increase donations in the coming months and to send at least
    500 million doses to vulnerable countries. Meanwhile, the European Centre for
    Disease Prevention warns of the high risk of death among the unvaccinated
    population as we move forward in the autumn and winter, urging countries to
    speed up efforts to convince those who have not been immunised.
    Although at EU level the full vaccination rate is 74% of the adult population,
    the gaps between states are still large, ranging between 22% and 91%, with the
    lowest rates of vaccinated population reported for Bulgaria and Romania, and
    the highest in Portugal and Ireland. Worldwide, so far, at least 241 million
    cases of new coronavirus infection have been reported and more than 4.9 million
    people have died, according to wordlmeters.info. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Dacian Cioloș is nominated for prime minister

    Dacian Cioloș is nominated for prime minister

    After Monday’s marathon talks with parliamentary parties, president
    Klaus Iohannis proposed Dacian Cioloș, the leader of the centre-right Save Romania
    Union, as a candidate to form a new government. We recall that the minority government
    led by Liberal leader Florin Cîţu and formed by the National Liberal Party and
    the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania last week lost a vote of
    confidence in Parliament. Only a few days ago, the president harshly criticised
    the Save Romania Union for withdrawing from the government and allying itself
    with the Social Democrats and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians in
    opposition to bring down the government. After Monday’s talks, Klaus Iohannis gave
    this statement:


    The parties had different approaches, different
    proposals, which they also made public. Of all these proposals, I decided to
    nominate Dacian Cioloş as candidate for the position of prime minister.



    In September, prime minister Florin Cîțu sacked the
    then justice minister, who was a member of the Save Romania Union, and as a
    result this party withdrew all its ministers from the government and went on to
    vote alongside the opposition in favour of a no-confidence motion initiated by
    the latter. Except that the Save Romania Union made it perfectly clear before
    the vote that they were willing to rejoin the government, but not as long as Florin
    Cîțu is the prime minster.

    After his nomination, Dacian Cioloș said his party,
    which is the third biggest in Parliament, would negotiate with its former
    government allies with a view to forming a new government. Judging by their public
    statements, however, neither the Liberal Party nor the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians in Romania are in any rush to start talks with the Save Romania
    Union. The Liberals are inviting Dacian Cioloș to form a majority with the
    opposition and the party of ethnic Hungarians are saying the Save Romania Union
    must first clarify why they brought down the government they had been part of. From
    the opposition, the Social Democrats say the president’s decision to nominate Dacian
    Cioloș brings the country one step closer to early elections and see it as a political
    game, given he has no working majority.

    Under the Constitution, Cioloș has ten
    days to form a parliamentary majority. If he pulls it off, he would become prime
    minister for the second time, having previously occupied this position between
    November 2015 and January 2017. He also previously served as European
    Commissioner for Agriculture and was, until recently, the leader of the Renew
    Europe group in the European Parliament. (CM)