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Reactions after Government is ousted

Three parties supported Tuesday’s parliamentary vote of no confidence against the government made up of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, headed by the Liberal leader Florin Citu. The result of the vote was more than relevant: out of 318 MPs present in Parliament, 281 were in favor of the motion. MPs representing parties in the opposition, such as the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) as well as those of the Save Romania Union (USR), that has been part of the coalition government until September, voted against Citu’s cabinet. No wonder that Florin Citu’s speech in Parliament was mainly directed against the latter. Florin Citu: ʺAfter having plotted to oust the Government, USR now wants to be again part of the ruling coalition but with a softer leader, someone picked by themselves, who looks the other way when instead of choosing the right path they choose the left. ʺ

The USR vice president, Dan Barna, was quick to respond to Citu’s accusations: ʺYou could have been a reformist PM, but instead you preferred to be the brakeman of the governing programme that was supposed to get us out of the crisis. ʺ

In his turn, PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, accused the Citu Government that in 9 months in office he did not propose concrete measures for health, economy or higher living standards: ʺOur problem and Romanians’ problem is that you destroyed this country in your absurd fight for power.ʺ

On the other hand, the Liberals saw the ousting of the Citu Government as an irresponsible act, in the context of the pandemic and of the very high energy and gas bills. The Government out, each political party in Parliament makes its stand public and follows its own agenda. These agendas, however, are so divergent that putting together a coalition able to get the support it needs to be sworn in, is highly unlikely. PSD and AUR want a technocratic government until early elections are called. USR is willing to come to power again, but not with Florin Citu as PM. In their turn, the Liberals themselves are divided over the matter. Some of them say the current Liberal leader should be nominated again as PM, while others support the former party leader, Ludovic Orban.

It is the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, that will have the last say on the matter. He gave the parties unusually much time to negotiate. Klaus Iohannis: ʺTo give political parties time to meet, find mature solutions and present them during the consultations, I will only summon political parties to consultations next week.ʺ

The PM nominated by President Iohannis will have 10 days to present Parliament with a team and a governing programme, with a view to getting the confidence vote. In the meantime, the Romanian political crisis grabs headlines in international media, from the US to India. (EE)

6 October 2021
October 5, 2021 UPDATE

Government. Romania’s minority government formed
by the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania fell on Tuesday after a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. The motion
against the government was initiated by the Social Democrats in opposition and
also got the votes of the Save Romania Union, itself in the coalition government
until not long ago, and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians. The motion got
281 votes in favour, with the minimum required number being 234. Romanian
president Klaus Iohannis said he would invite political parties for
consultations next week and called for maturity and responsibility. He
emphasised that Romania is in crisis, a crisis of the public healthcare system,
of the energy prices and, now, of government. He deplored the tensions between
politicians and described the situation as complicated.

Finance. The National Bank of
Romania on Tuesday increased the key interest rate to 1.5% per year, the
interest rate to encourage deposit to 1% per year and the Lombard loan interest rate
to 2% per year. The National Bank also decided to retain current levels of
minimum reserve rates for liabilities in the national and foreign currency for
lending institutions. In another move, the Romanian economy is forecast to see
a growth rate of 4.3% this year, after shrinking by 3.9% last year, while next
year it is estimated to grow by 4.1%, according to the World Bank’s latest
regional economic outlook published on Tuesday. Romania’s economy did better
than expected, according to the World Bank, by shrinking by 3.9% in 2020. A
proactive, but limited, fiscal response, of 4.4% of GDP helped companies retain
their employees and fuelled household incomes. However, the World Bank is
expecting poverty to deepen in the short-term because of the Covid pandemic.

Covid-19. Romania saw a record
number of new Covid cases since the start of the pandemic, as over 15,000 new infections
from 77,000 tests were reported on Tuesday, as well as 252 new related
fatalities. Some 14,500 people infected with Covid are receiving hospital
treatment and almost 1,500 are in intensive care, including 22 children. The
incidence rate passed 10 per 1,000 inhabitants in Bucharest. On Tuesday,
Romania activated the EU Protection Mechanism to
be able to purchase Tocilizumab, medication used in the treatment of Covid-19.
The head of the Department for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat explained the
decision to activate the Mechanism saying Romanian hospitals may run low on this
drug in two or three weeks’ time. He added that Romania is also considering
asking for certain equipment, especially individual medical oxygenators. In
another move, the European Medicines Agency approved the administration of the
third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to people over the age of 18, saying
that protection against Covid-19 may decrease in time, after the first two
doses. In Romania, the vaccine booster shot began to be administered last week.

Nobel. Scientists Syukuro
Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi on Tuesday were jointly awarded the
Nobel prize in physics. According to an announcement made by Goran K. Hansson,
the secretary general of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, the three
scientists were rewarded for their groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems. On
Monday, American researchers David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the Nobel prize
in medicine for discovering how our bodies feel heat and touch. The Nobel
awards season continues with the prize in chemistry on 6th October,
literature on 7th October, peace on 8th October, and
economics on 11th October. (CM)

5 October 2021
No-confidence motion against the Government

The cabinet headed by the Liberal Florin Cîţu was dismissed on Tuesday
following a no-confidence motion backed by 3 out of the 5 political parties in
the Parliament of Romania.

The document tabled by the Social Democrats and entitled STOP poverty,
price rises and convicted criminals reads that Romania’s only way out of the
on-going political, economic and social crisis is for the Cîțu government
to step down.

The Social Democrats criticised the Cabinet for Romanians’ worsening
living standards, for the lack of measures to counter the energy price rises
and the depreciation of the national currency, and for the alarming increase of
the country’s public debt. The list also includes the poor absorption of EU
funds, the inadequate implementation of support programmes for small businesses
and the disinterest in the Romanian farmers’ problems.

The Opposition also
blamed the government made up of the National Liberal Party, USR and the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania for the disaster in public
healthcare, and argued that instead of fighting the COVID pandemic, the
government managed to hinder the fight against chronic diseases.

The Social Democrats were by no means lenient with USR PLUS either,
although Cîţu’s cabinet became a minority government precisely due to the USR leaving
the ruling coalition. But in spite of the criticism, USR backed the
no-confidence motion, to make sure that Florin Cîţu, whom they blame for
breaking up the coalition, is sacked. The nationalist party AUR also supported
the motion.

Ahead of the vote, Florin Cîţu described what he called the new majority
(the Social Democratic Party, USR, AUR) of being irresponsible. The head of the
Liberal floor group in the Chamber of Deputies, Florin Roman, said after the
vote that the Liberals will come up with a new PM nomination, as soon as the
party’s leading structures decide so.

The Social Democrats are hoping for early elections, and, should a
political majority be reached, they are considering a government of experts
until such elections are held, the party chief Marcel Ciolacu said. The ball is
now in president Iohannis’s court, according to the Constitution, the Social
Democratic leader also said, and emphasised the need to overcome this moment
of political hysteria and to move into a responsible and constitution-abiding
area.

The new president of USR, Dacian Cioloş, called on the outgoing PM to
show self-discipline and said he expected a balanced response from the
National Liberal Party. He said he would refrain from further comments until a realistic
proposal for a ruling coalition is made.

In turn, Deputy George Simion, co-president of AUR party, said Florin
Cîţu should not be kept even on an interim term, and mentioned that his party
has a list of experts ready for a technocratic government, and will negotiate
it with the other political parties. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

5 October 2021
No-confidence motion against Romania’s government

The Liberal Florin Cîţu’s cabinet is today facing its most important
political test to date-a vote on a no-confidence motion tabled against it by
the Social Democrats in opposition. The document, entitled STOP to poverty, price
rises and convicted criminals, argues that Romania’s only way out of the
on-going political, economic and social crisis is for the Cîțu government
to step down.

The Social Democrats criticise the government for Romanians’ declining
living standards, for the lack of measures to counter the rise in energy prices
and the depreciation of the national currency, and for the alarming increase of
the public debt. The list goes on with the poor absorption of EU funds, the
inadequate programmes to support small and medium businesses, and the
disinterest in farmers’ difficulties.

Also, according to the Social Democrats, the government made up of the
National Liberal Party, USR PLUS and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania did not fight against the COVID pandemic, but rather only managed to
hinder the fight against chronic diseases.

The opposition does not fail to mention PM Florin Cîţu’s problems with
the law, during his student years in the US, when he was caught driving under
the influence. The story came to light recently, and it probably would have
been overlooked had it not been for the problems within the ruling coalition.

The motion is not by no means lenient as far as USR is concerned,
although the Cîţu government became a minority government precisely because USR
left the coalition. Although they are criticised in the motion as well, USR announced
they would support the motion, so as to make sure PM Florin Cîţu, whom they see
as responsible for breaking up the ruling coalition, is removed.

In fact, USR were the first to table a motion of censure against the
Liberal government. This motion, also backed by the nationalist party AUR, got
stuck at the Constitutional Court, and will become redundant if the Social
Democrats’ motion passes.

The government stands little chances to survive the motion. Arithmetic shows
that the Social Democrats, USR and AUR have 280 votes in Parliament, and the
motion only needs 234 votes to pass. The cabinet only relies on the
163 votes of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians, whereas the parliamentary groups representing other ethnic
minorities will not take part in the vote.

Florin Cîţu accused what he called the new
majority made up of the Social Democratic Party, USR and AUR, of being
irresponsible, and announced that the Liberal MPs will take part in the
debates, but will not vote. (tr. A.M.
Popescu)

5 October 2021
New leaders for USR party

The
merger between Save Romania Union and Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (PLUS)
concluded with the congress held this weekend. The third-largest party in
Parliament will be known from now on, more simply, as USR.

Dacian
Cioloş, former EU commissioner for agriculture and Romania’s PM after the 2015 Colectiv
tragedy, will be the party’s president until 2023, when the current leading
team is to be assessed and the strategy for the 2024 legislative and
presidential elections put together.

High-profile
politicians are also among the party’s new vice-presidents: former leader Dan
Barna, who lost the election for party president by a small margin, Vlad
Voiculescu, Cătălin Drulă and Claudiu Năsui, all of them members of the
coalition government until the recent clash with Florin Cîţu’s Liberals.

Dacian
Cioloş has the ambitious goal of making USR Romania’s top right-of-centre party:

Dacian Cioloş: Our
goal is to be prepared in 2024 to become the country’s leading right-wing party.
This means we have to grow as a party, to strengthen our public voice and to
increase our membership.

The
former party leader Dan Barna lost to Cioloş, but his team is the one that has
a majority in the party’s National Bureau. He insisted on the need for unity:

Dan Barna: We
are a team that will move on together and will make USR Plus a strong party, a
party that will matter in any kind of negotiations in the coming months and
years.

A party
created on the foundations of an NGO joined by civil activists, young employees
in multinational corporations and businesspeople, USR has aimed from the very
beginning to be different from traditional parties like the Social Democrats
and the Liberals. However, ideological affinities with the Liberal Party gave
rise to the coalition formed shortly after last year’s parliamentary election,
a coalition also joined by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

After
the justice minister Stelian Ion, a USR member, was dismissed, his party colleagues
left the cabinet and tabled a no-confidence motion to dismiss PM Cîţu, blamed
for causing the coalition to break up.

USR
say they will return to the government provided that the Liberals appoint
another prime minister. But the negotiations between the two parties depend
entirely on whether Florin Cîţu’s minority government survives the
no-confidence motion, due for vote on Tuesday.

According
to commentators, USR would benefit from staying in opposition until the
elections of 2024. But since the former NGO has already had a taste of power
and some experience in governing, the Liberals may find it easier to convince
them to return as partners in a ruling coalition. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

4 October 2021
Government faces two no-confidence motions

In the wake of last winter’s parliamentary elections,
the parties ranked second, third and fifth went on to form a ruling coalition. The
senior partner was the National Liberal Party, which got over 25% of the votes,
followed by USR-PLUS with some 16% and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania with about 6%. Tensions between the Liberals and USR-PLUS were
visible from their very first year in power, but they peaked when the Liberal
prime minister Florin Cîțu sacked the latter’s health minister in April, and
then its justice minister in September. It was too much for USR-PLUS, so all
its ministers resigned from the cabinet, with the prime minister later also
sacking its under-secretaries, prefects and sub-prefects.

It wouldn’t take long
until the next political move, as USR-PLUS joined forces with a nationalist
party in opposition, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, and filed a
no-confidence motion against the government, withdrawing their political
support for prime minister Cîțu. If the motion passes, USR-PLUS says it is
willing to sit at the negotiation table with the National Liberal Party and the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania to re-enter government; if the
motion does not pass and Cîțu stays on as prime minister, it will be in
opposition. Cîțu has been accused of being incapable of running a coalition
government, of not being able to overcome a narrow party mindset and of
seeming determined to sacrifice general interest and the welfare of the
country’s citizens.

The government challenged the no-confidence motion in the Constitutional
Court, which on Tuesday accepted the existence of a legal conflict between the government
and Parliament but ruled that the motion must continue its course. Having already
been read out in a plenary session, the motion now needs to be debated and
voted on. Except that, on the very day when the Court published its verdict,
the Social Democratic Party, which won the parliamentary elections but is in
opposition, filed its own no-confidence motion. So at the moment, Cîțu’s government
is faced with two such documents. The Social Democrats’ motion is the first to
be voted on, on 5th October. USR-PLUS and the Alliance for the Union
of Romanians say they will be voting in favour.

Faced with this prospect, Cîțu,
who sees everything that goes in Parliament as a competition among those who
want to destabilise the country on the verge of winter, says the Liberals are
open to dialogue and collaboration with USR-PLUS unless the latter votes in
favour of bringing down the government. So, with the coronavirus pandemic surging
again, the situation on the Romanian political scene is extremely hectic and
unpredictable. (CM)

29 September 2021
September 28, 2021

Covid-19. Romania today began to administer the vaccine booster shot as
the country is struggling with the fourth wave of the pandemic, amid a steep
rise in new cases and hospital admissions. The incidence rate in some 600 towns
and villages passed 3 per 1,000 inhabitants over 14 days. One village in Ilfov
county, near Bucharest, and another in Prahova county, in the south, saw 8 cases
per 1,000 inhabitants. The incidence rate is between 7 and 8 cases per 1,000
inhabitants in Timişoara, in the west, and four other big cities around the
country, while Bucharest passed 5.

Certificate.
The European Covid certificate may become mandatory for Romanian healthcare
staff working in the public and state sectors, under a new bill proposed by the
health ministry. The certificate serves as proof that a person is fully jabbed
against Covid, has tested negative for the virus or has recovered from the
infection in the last six months. Employees who do not meet either of the three
conditions face suspension for a month and even termination later on. The bill
also stipulates that the staff will have to pay themselves for the Covid tests.
Employers will only cover testing costs for persons who are advised against getting
the vaccine for health reasons.

Resignation.
The Liberal Adrian Oros resigned as minister of agriculture and rural
development, saying that for prime minister Florin Cîţu, agriculture and the
food industry were never priorities. He says the ministry’s budget for this
year is 60% that of last year, which has a negative impact on ongoing projects,
and that no major project in agriculture was included in the National Plan for
Recovery and Resilience. Adrian Oros was the only minister in the Cîţu cabinet
to support Ludovic Orban as leader of the National Liberal Party. Cîţu won the
leadership of the party for the next four years. At the beginning of September,
the Save Romania Union and PLUS withdrew from the ruling coalition with the
Liberals and the Democratic Union and Ethnic Hungarians in Romania following a
disagreement over a regional development fund and filed a no-confidence motion
in Parliament, refusing to return to government with Cîţu as prime minister.

Motion. The Constitutional Court today accepted a complaint from prime
minister Florin Cîţu of a legal conflict between Parliament and
government with respect to the no-confidence motion filed by the Save Romania
Union and PLUS and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians. Cîţu says the
initiation and submission of the motion violated the Constitution. The two
parties who filed the motion say they are going to submit a new one if the
Constitutional Court rules against them. The Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania, who has remained in government alongside the Liberal Party,
called for the immediate restoration of the coalition to overcome the political
crisis. The Social Democratic Party, in opposition, today filed its own
no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government.

Exercise. A Romanian-Ukrainian exercise called Riverine 2021 is taking
place on the Danube river, between Tulcea, in Romania, and Izmail, in Ukraine,
involving military river boats, helicopters, divers and marines from the two
countries. Some 600 staff are taking part in tactical manoeuvres in keeping with
NATO operational standards and are training for emergency interventions. The
exercise aims to consolidate bilateral military cooperation in the naval area
and improve the capacity of the Romanian Navy staff to respond, fast and
efficiently, to a wide range of threats on NATO’s south-eastern flank.

Debate. The Romanian foreign ministry and the European Institute of
Romania are today hosting a debate on post-pandemic solutions for the economy,
as part of events under the Conference on the Future of Europe. The aim of the
debate is to analyse the effects of the pandemic on economic policies and the
implications of the health crisis on contemporary economic thought and
reasoning. The Conference on the Future of Europe is a platform for debate and
discussion held at citizens’ initiative, with every European being able to
share their ideas about the future of the Union. (CM)

28 September 2021
Romania’s Liberals have new leaders

As
of Saturday, PM Florin Cîţu is the president of the National Liberal Party, the
leader of the ruling coalition in Bucharest, after defeating his former party chief
Ludovic Orban. The two spared no efforts during the battle for supremacy, and
commentators agree that the competition degenerated, severely damaging the
party image and, more importantly, virtually obstructing the work of the
government.

This
comes at a time when Romania is faced with yet another shortage of intensive
care beds for severe COVID cases, and with a dramatic increase in energy prices. The
Liberals’ new president, Florin Cîţu, sees his election as the starting point
of a trend that will change the country.

Florin
Cîţu: I promise to be the president of all
Liberals, regardless of your vote. We are a united party and will use all our
resources against our political opponent, the Social Democratic Party. You should
know that this was not just a campaign, it was a movement, started within the
National Liberal Party, a movement that will change Romania for the better.

While
for 60% of the participants in the Liberals’ congress Florin Cîţu is the
solution, for their former partners in the ruling coalition, USR PLUS, he is
the problem. USR PLUS left the right-of-centre coalition after the justice
minister Stelian Ion was dismissed out of the blue, and said they would not
return in the government unless Florin Cîţu gives up the PM post.

Without
USR PLUS, Cîţu’s Cabinet has no parliamentary majority to back it, and risks
being dismissed if the no-confidence motion tabled by USR PLUS and the
nationalist party AUR is validated by the Constitutional Court and passed in
Parliament. This
is precisely why the new Liberal leader announced negotiations with all
political parties, to put together a parliamentary majority to support his
cabinet.

The
Social Democrats in opposition seem to want Cîţu dismissed as well. They say
the days of the current government are numbered and that, in case the USR PLUS
– AUR motion fails, they have drafted their own no-confidence motion. The
Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu had this to say:

Marcel
Ciolacu: Definitely, as soon as the Constitutional Court greenlights the
motion, the Social Democratic Party will vote in its favour. If the Court
dismisses the motion, we will immediately table our own motion against the
government and will invite the other parties to back it.

A
minority government is not a novelty in Romania. A government made up of the
Liberals and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, unofficially
backed by the Social Democrats, and headed by Călin Popescu Tăriceanu, was in
power between 2007 and the elections of 2008. The price was high, however: the
government had to give up all major reform projects and to adopt populist
measures, lacking financial support.

The
same threatens to be the case at present as well, although Florin Cîţu promised
adamantly to put an end to irresponsible public spending and to streamline public
administration. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

27 September 2021
September 22, 2021

INVESTIGATION
Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors are looking into the procurement of
anti-Covid vaccines, amid suspicions of abuse of office and obtaining undue
benefits. Nobody is officially under charges as yet. The incumbent finance
minister Dan Vîlceanu says he has no information regarding the procurement of
anti-Covid vaccine outside the mechanism created by the European Commission and
for prices negotiated at EU level. The former health minister Vlad Voiculescu
claims however that based on the decision of PM Florin Cîțu, Romania ordered
too many doses and was subsequently forced to sell or donate some of them. W

COVID-19 7,045 new COVID-19 cases out of 54,000
tests were reported in Romania on Wednesday. This is the highest daily figure
this year. Also, 130 Covid patients died in the past 24 hours, and over 1,000
people are in intensive care. The capital city Bucharest and 3 counties in
Romania are in the red zone after reporting infection rates of over 3 per
thousand. In places with infection rates between 3 and 6 per thousand,
participation in indoor events is conditional on the green certificate. The
Romanian Physicians College calls on citizens to understand the impact and
consequences that the novel coronavirus infection may have, and urges the
authorities to find fair and immediately applicable solutions to contain the
disease. The college also warned that a high infection rate means increased
pressure on hospitals, and supports the opinion of scientists around the world
who say vaccination is one of the most efficient and readily accessible
instruments to fight this pandemic.

UN
While in New York, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis addressed
the heads of state and government of the over 100 countries attending the annual
meeting of the UN General Assembly. In his speech, the Romanian official
emphasized the importance of an international order based on rules. Klaus
Iohannis is also scheduled to take part in a global summit aimed at
coordinating the international response to the pandemic, organized by the US
president Joe Biden, and in a meeting with representatives of Jewish
organisations in the US.

GOVERNMENT The Romanian government may pass today a
programme entitled Caring for children. The short-term goal of the programme
is to ensure psychological and emotional protection for children during the
pandemic and post-pandemic period, and the long-term goal is related to a
mechanism to protect children from physical, sexual and emotional violence both
within families, society and online. The Cabinet is also discussing today the
reorganisation of the Prime Minister’s control corps.

INSURANCE At the request of the City Insurance
shareholders, Romanian prosecutors will investigate the management of this
insurance company. The shareholders filed a criminal complaint with the
Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, and accuse the City
Insurance employees in Romania of forming an organised crime group, fraud and
embezzlement. Other criminal complaints, filed by the Financial Supervising
Authority right before requesting the bankruptcy of City Insurance, may lead to
investigations by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. Meanwhile, the
Government may pass today an emergency order stepping up the payment of car
insurance claims before the company is declared bankrupt.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan
Aurescu is hosting today in New York the 10th ministerial conference
of the Community of Democracies, on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly.
The conference brings together foreign ministers and other top-level officials
of CoD member states and civil society representatives, to discuss the current
challenges and opportunities facing democracy. The event is titled Democracy
and resilience: shared goals.ˮ

FESTIVAL The 25th George Enescu International Music Festival
continues in Romania. This edition brought together a total of 3,500 Romanian and foreign musicians, performing in
Bucharest, Sibiu, Iaşi, Timişoara and Constanţa. Radio Romania is a co-producer
of the festival, alongside the Romanian Television Corporation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 September 2021
September 10, 2021

GOVERNMENT The government convenes today in Bucharest to discuss several bills in the field of education, including a resolution on the implementation of the “Educated Romania programme initiated by president Klaus Iohannis. The programme comprises 7 technical reports that review of state of affairs in Romanian public education and suggest specific targets and measures in the short, medium and long run. Some of the goals targeted for 2030 are Romania ranking in the top 30 countries in the world in the PISA tests; a minimum 80% pass rate in the middle school graduation tests and 75% pass rate in the Baccalaureate exams, as well as organising policies designed to reduce the number of schools with pass rates below 50%.

EVACUATION The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu received in Bucharest 139 out of the 156 Afghan citizens evacuated from Afghanistan by the inter-institutional task force activated in on August 13 in Romania. These include former collaborators of the Romanian troops in the Afghanistan theatre of operations, students on grants in Romania, and other vulnerable categories, such as journalists, human rights activists, magistrates and their families. The group of Afghan citizens was brought from Islamabad by an aircraft operated by a Romanian commercial line, with the flight coordinated and organised by the Foreign Ministry. Bogdan Aurescu told the Afghan citizens that Romanian authorities will do their best to provide these friends of Romania with decent living conditions and a chance to start over. Meanwhile, the Romanian task force will continue to process the support requests coming from Afghan citizens, the Romanian official added.

COVID-19 On Thursday Romania once again reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus infections. Around 4,000 COVID patients are now hospitalised, over 500 of them in intensive care. The national vaccine coverage rate is around 31%, with 5.2 million people fully immunised so far. The state of alert has been extended by another 30 days as of today.

INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate reached 5.3% in August, from 5% in July, as non-food prices went up by 7.92%, food prices by 2.7%, and the prices of services rose by 2.97%, according to data released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute. According to a report delivered in August by the National Bank governor Mugur Isărescu, the central bank updated its inflation forecast for the end of this year to 5.6%.

POLL Four out of five respondents (81%) say the EU should only grant funding to the member states that observe democratic principles and the rule of law, according to an Eurobarometer poll made public on Friday by the European Parliament, ahead of the State of the EU debate due on September 15. The Eurobarometer shows evident public support for transparency and effective control of the EU funds provided as part of the NextGenerationEU programme. According to the poll, 53% of the EU citizens (58% in Romania) fully agree, and another 32% (29% in Romania) tend to agree, that efficient control should be in place. Asked about issues the European Parliament should pursue as its priorities, the respondents mentioned fighting climate change, poverty and social exclusion, supporting the economy and creating new jobs, public health, migration and asylum. The Eurobarometer poll was conducted between August 17 and 25, online, in all the 27 member states, with roughly 1,000 interviewees in most countries.

UNTOLD Cluj-Napoca (north-west) is hosting these days the largest electronica festival in Romania, UNTOLD. Over 70,000 people from over 100 countries are expected to attend this special edition, held in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from famous DJs like Dimitris Vega and Like Mike, the world celebrated pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir is also performing, in an original blending of electronic music and traditional sound. UNTOLD is more than just music, it is also about fire and light shows, performances by renowned troupes like the Moon Ladies (Italy), about art exhibitions, including a south-American art exhibition that showcases the traditions of Amazonian tribes. A fashion show bringing together the works of 20 designers, as well as percussion workshops, are also among the highlights of the festival. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

10 September 2021
September 3, 2021

Dismissal – The Romanian PM, the Liberal Florin Cîţu, on Friday convened a meeting of the governing coalition in order to solve the current political crisis generated by the dismissal of the justice minister, Stelian Ion representing the USR-PLUS Alliance. USR PLUS are asking for the resignation of the prime minister and his replacement with another representative of the Liberals, warning that, otherwise, they will table a censure motion. The Liberals who support Florin Cîţu believe that the solution for overcoming the political crisis is a new proposal from USR PLUS for the Justice Ministry. The representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR (in the governing coalition) consider that, at this moment, there is no alternative to this coalition and hope that a solution will be reached through which the current governmental formula will remain in place. On the other hand, the “Anghel Saligny” Investment Program, which is supposed to have triggered the current crisis in the ruling coalition, will be again on the table of the government on Friday and will be discussed in a meeting which is not going to be attended by the USR PLUS ministers. The interim justice minister, the Liberal Lucian Bode, announced last night that he would approve the project, unlike his predecessor, Stelian Ion. The “Anghel Saligny” program is intended for the local infrastructure and would have a funding of 50 billion lei (about 10 billion Euros).

Forum – Romania remains a pillar of stability in the Black Sea and Western Balkans region, and one of the priorities is to defend common strategic interests, President Klaus Iohannis said in a message in the opening of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum hosted by Bucharest. The head of state said that “during all this difficult period, Romanias efforts to support its partners in the region are a concrete proof of the fact that only through unity and solidarity crisis situations can be overcome and the best solutions can be found to be able to move forward”. The 5^thedition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum takes place on Friday and Saturday in Bucharest, the Romanian Defense Ministry reports. The forum is organized by the New Strategy Center (NSC), with the support of NATOs Public Diplomacy Division, in partnership with the Defense and Foreign Ministries. NSC is a Romanian think tank founded in 2015, which operates in the field of international relations, security and defense. It organizes various events and publishes specialized studies, especially to promote the strategic importance of the Black Sea region and the Balkans.

COVID-19 Ro–While interest for vaccination is dropping in Romania, the number of new Covid-19 cases in on the rise. 1,470 new cases were reported on Thursday and 26 Covid-associated deaths. Also on Thursday the authorities announced that almost 11 thousand people have got vaccinated. The coordinator of the national vaccination campaign, doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă said that people should understand that vaccination provides protection to the immunized people and reduces the pressure on the health system. On the other hand, Valeriu Gheorghiţă warns that those who buy vaccination certificates do nothing but waste money and take the risk of getting sick, being hospitalized and even losing their lives. He called for drastic sanctions against these acts and urged doctors who receive such requests to address the authorities. 400 people are being investigated in approximately 200 criminal cases related to false vaccination certificates.

List – In Bucharest, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has updated the list of countries with an epidemiological risk for visitors. Spain moves out of the red list and enters the yellow list, while Austria moves from the green list to the yellow one, following the increase in the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate. Israel, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey and Portugal remain in the red zone, and the Netherlands and Bulgaria remain on the yellow list. The new list takes effect on Sunday.

Football – The Romanian national football team defeated, on Thursday evening, in Reykjavik, the national team of Iceland, in a match from the 2022 World Championship preliminaries. The next matches of the national team will be on September 5, with Liechtenstein in Bucharest, and on September 8, with Northern Macedonia in Skopje. Romania ranks 4^th in the 2022 World Cup qualification Group J, with 6 points, being outranked by Armenia, with 10 points, Germany, with 9 points and Northern Macedonia, with 7 points. The first-ranked team is directly qualified, and the second goes to the playoffs.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, seed no. 12, today meets Elena Ribakina from Kazakhstan, in the third round of the US Open tournament, the last Grand Slam of the year. Halep remained the only representative of Romania in the singles competitions. Sorana Cirstea lost, yesterday, in the second round, to the American Shelby Rogers.

Enescu – The George Enescu International Festival continues today, at the Romanian Athenaeum, with a concert given by the Royal Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Grigore. Also today, the Palace Hall in Bucharest will host a new concert by the La Scala Theater Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada, featuring violinist Julian Rachlin. Friday’s program also includes a concert in Bacău, by the Mihail Jora Philharmonic Orchestra there, under the baton of Jessica Cottis. In Cluj-Napoca, pianist Yeon-Min Park and violinist Valentin Șerban, both winners of the 2020/2021 George Enescu International Competition will give a recital. 32 orchestras from 14 countries are participating in the 2021 anniversary edition of the “George Enescu” International Festival.

Attack – Six people were injured at a supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand, after an attack with a knife committed by an extremist who was already in the attention of the police. The attacker was a Sri Lankan citizen who had been living in New Zealand for ten years and was shot dead by the police. The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the attacker was a “violent extremist” and described the incident as a “terrorist attack”. The man was allegedly inspired by attacks by the Islamic State jihadist group. Tough restrictions against COVID-19 are in place in Auckland, with only supermarkets and medical centers being open. In May, four people were stabbed in a supermarket in Dunedin, in the south of New Zealand. In March 2019, 51 people were killed in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch by a supporter of the white supremacy. (LS)

3 September 2021
August 6, 2021

COVID-19 In Romania, the number of new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases remains high, over 200 per day. On Friday 230 new cases and 5 deaths were reported. Over 500 patients are hospitalized, 68 of them in intensive care. As regards the vaccine rollout, the number of fully vaccinated people went over 4.9 million on Thursday. According to a report by the National Public Health Institute, over 80% of the people diagnosed with the disease last week were not vaccinated. Data also indicates that over 85% of the COVID-related deaths were reported among unvaccinated or partly vaccinated patients. On Thursday, the government extended the state of alert by another 30 days.

WILDFIRES Several European countries are responding to Greeces call for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. One of them is Romania, which is sending today over 100 fire-fighters and scores of fire engines. The hundreds of fires in Greece and Turkey have affected the air quality in the east of the Mediterranean, as smoke carrying fine particles has spread as far as to northern Africa. Adding to this is the high concentration of African dust over Greece, which also reduces air quality. The Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his country was experiencing an unprecedented environmental crisis. He added that if anyone still has the slightest doubt that climate change is real, they should come to Greece to see its severity first hand. Over 150 wildfires have been reported in Greece so far, and one of them is threatening Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, where the Olympic flame is lit in modern times.

MOLDOVA In the R. of Moldovas capital city Chişinău, Parliament convenes today in a special session to vote on the new pro-European government. The prime minister designate, Natalia Gavriliţă, and the 13 members of her cabinet, presented a governing programme focused on the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, as well as on improving citizens living standards. The new government also aims to strengthen the strategic partnership with Romania, so as to ensure Moldovas EU accession. The vote is expected to be unproblematic, as the Action and Solidarity Party, which backs the new government, has 64 seats in Parliament, and only 51 votes are required for the cabinet to be endorsed. Natalia Gavrilița was designated for the PM post by president Maia Sandu, under a presidential order issued on July 30, after consultations with the parliamentary parties.

NUCLEAR Romania and Canada Thursday signed a Memorandum of Agreement on strengthening cooperation in the civilian nuclear power field. The document was signed by Romanias minister for energy Virgil Popescu and Canada’s ambassador to Romania Annick Goulet. Attending the event, PM Florin Cîţu said the memorandum would consolidate bilateral cooperation in the field, as the Canadian partners would be involved in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant projects and in other civilian nuclear power ventures in Romania. The Canadian industry has exceptional experience in CANDU projects and has already completed CANDU upgrade and construction projects, the PM added, and voiced his satisfaction that Canadian partners are joining the US ones in developing the nuclear sector in Romania. In turn, Ambassador Annick Goulet emphasised that cooperation in the nuclear power field has been a vital element of the 55-year long relations between the 2 countries.

FESTIVAL One of the most eagerly awaited summer festivals in Romania, Electric Castle, begins today and is scheduled to end on August 15. The opening gigs are taking place at Banffy Castle in Bonţida, and others will follow in the city of Cluj Napoca in the coming days. After a difficult period for festival goers, things are returning to normal. According to the organisers, hundreds of volunteers are helping in this years edition, as they did in previous years as well. Taking part in the 10-day event held in over 20 locations in Bonţida and Cluj are 250 artists from 23 countries.

OLYMPICS The Romanian Cătălin Chirilă has today qualified into the semifinals of the 1,000m canoeing race in the Tokyo Olympics, after winning the first of the 5 qualifying series held at the Sea Forest Waterway base. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday. Over the years, kayak and canoeing have brought Romania 34 Olympic medals. The last gold medal was won by Florin Popescu, currently the coach of Romanias Olympic canoeing team, and Mitică Pricop, 21 years ago in Sydney. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

6 August 2021
August 1, 2021 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu Saturday had talks over the telephone with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, concerning the incident involving the Mercer Street vessel in the Hormuz Strait area, in which a Romanian and a British national were killed on 29 July. The Romanian foreign ministry says it is in touch with both the company managing the ship, and with the local authorities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and is prepared to provide consular assistance. Also on Saturday, Bogdan Aurescu exchanged views on the matter with the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, and agreed on the need to clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of the incident. Dominic Raab voiced the willingness of the British authorities to coordinate with the Romanian party with respect to the repatriation procedures. A Romanian national and a British citizen from the crew of the oil tanker “Mercer Street were killed in an attack in unclear circumstances, as the vessel was sailing with no cargo onboard off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned ship is managed by the London-based company Zodiac Maritime, headed by an Israeli businessman.

COVID-19 On Sunday 152 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported, out of nearly 22,000 tests. The authorities also announced no new COVID-related deaths, but reported 5 previous deaths, over 400 people hospitalised and 59 patients in ICUs. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 relaxation measures took effect in Romania on Sunday. In places with infection rates below 2 per thousand, outdoor events may be attended by up to 75,000 people, private indoor events by 400 participants, and sports competitions may be held with crowds up to 75% of the venue capacity. Participants must be vaccinated, tested or must have recovered from the disease. A maximum of 500 people may take part in rallies, with mandatory face covering, which remains a prerequisite in all indoor or busy areas. Also as of Sunday, the COVID-19 vaccine platform allows appointments for youth aged 12 to 17. Over 5 million people have received at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine in Romania. 7,330 people have got the vaccine in the past 24 hours.

FESTIVAL Cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Medieval Sighişoara Festival, the longest-lasting festival of its kind in Romania, bringing together artists, craftsmen and a large number of guests, came to a close on Sunday with a concert by the Romanian band Phoenix. The only medieval citadel still inhabited in southeastern Europe, Sighişoara saw over the weekend warriors, knights, ladies of the court and master craftsmen pouring in from all corners of the country and from abroad.

MOUNTAIN RESCUE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis posted a message on Sunday, on National Mountain Rescue Day, praising the “dedication and self-sacrifice of mountain rescue workers. The Romanian Mountain Rescue Association, known as Salvamont, the only mountain rescue service in the country, celebrated on Sunday 117 years since the first mountain rescue structures were established in the country.

WEATHER Romania remains in the grip of a severe heat wave, with 16 counties and the capital Bucharest subject to code orange alerts for extreme heat and severe thermal discomfort valid on Monday, and a similar, code yellow alert in another 8 counties. The heat index is over the critical 80-unit threshold. Highs will be ranging between 37 and 40-41 degrees Celsius.

MOLDOVA A new, pro-European and pro-reform government may be sworn in within days in the Republic of Moldova, after president Maia Sandu nominated Natalia Gavriliţă, from Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), for prime minister. She announced she would make public a proposed cabinet list in the following days, and voiced hopes that the new government will be sworn in as soon as possible. PAS, which holds a majority of seats in Parliament following the election of June 11, and the small party ŞOR, said they would support the new cabinet, whereas the Socialists and Communists warned they would vote against. Natalia Gavriliţă is the vice-president of PAS, a party founded by incumbent president Maia Sandu 5 years ago. She was an education minister in Maia Sandus cabinet in 2019, held several positions in Moldovas economy and education ministries, and worked for several years in private multinational companies.

OLYMPICS Romanias rowing team returned on Sunday to the country with 3 medals—a gold and 2 silver—from the Tokyo Olympics. Romania finished the rowing competition on 4th place in the ranking after New Zealand (3 gold, 2 silver), Australia (2 gold, 2 bronze) and the Netherlands (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze). The 3 medals won by the Romanian team coached by the Antonio Colamonici (Italy) were brought home by Ancuţa Bondar and Simona Radiş—gold in women’s double sculls; Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari—silver in mens coxless four; and Marius Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosă—silver in mens two-frame event. The overall medal count for the Romanian rowers in the Olympics is 20 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze medals. So far in Tokyo Romania has won one other medal, silver for Ana-Maria Popescu in the epee event. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

1 August 2021
July 21, 2021

COVID-19 The number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania is relatively low, but authorities expect a slight increase in the coming period. 102 new infection cases and 2 related casualties were reported on Wednesday out of over 27,000 tests performed. 38 patients are in intensive care. As regards the anti-Covid vaccination, more than 16,600 people got immunized in the past 24 hours. 4.7 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated so far. Romania will continue, both independently and at EU level, to donate or re-sell some vaccine doses. This week a new donation to the Republic of Moldova is scheduled, after batches sent previously to Serbia, Ukraine, Argentina and Vietnam.

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania convenes today in a meeting scheduled to focus, among other things, on a regulation concerning the provision of financial aid for the purchase of computers. The draft resolution regulates the issue of 200-euro vouchers to be distributed to youth, and the identification data required of the beneficiaries. The governments agenda also includes regulations concerning the annual budgets of several public institutions. PM Florin Cîţu said a resolution will also be passed in todays meeting, granting the funds for reconstruction works already initiated in the places affected by natural disasters since the beginning of the year. To address the damages occurring in the past few days, the PM requested a quick assessment so that the funds may be earmarked in the mid-year budget adjustment.

MILITARY A military ceremony was held today in central Bucharest, at the Arch of Triumph, to mark the completion of the Romanian Armys mission in Afghanistan. President Klaus Iohannis decorated the battle flags of the Romanian units that took part in the NATO mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan. A moment of silence was observed, and the names of the 27 Romanian troops who died in that theatre of operations were recited. The head of state emphasized that the Romanian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan will be remembered as the longest, most complex and most important military operation outside national borders since WW2. According to Iohannis, for 19 years over 32,000 troops took part in this mission.

DEFICIT Romanias agri-food trade deficit went up nearly 66% in the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period of 2020. According to the Romanian Agriculture Ministry, in January – March 2021 Romania exported agricultural and food products worth 1.74 billion euro and spent almost 2.5 billion euro on importing such products.

MIGRANTS Six migrants from Afghanistan, Syria and Algeria were caught by Romanian authorities in the last 24 hours trying to cross the border illegally into Hungary. According to the Romanian Border Police, 4 of the migrants were found in a lorry headed for the Netherlands, another one in a truck going to Denmark, while a 6th was trying to walk over the border. Investigations are under way in all 6 cases.

FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj Tuesday defeated 2-1 away from home the Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, in the second preliminary round of the Champions League. On Thursday CS Universitatea Craiova will take on the Albanian side KF Laci, while Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe will play against Spartak Trnava of Slovakia, in the second preliminary round of the newly created Europa Conference League. Also playing in the second preliminary round are Romanias vice-champions FCSB, who will take on Shahtior Karaganda of Kazakhstan. The first leg is scheduled for 22 July, and the second leg a week later.

TENNIS Irina Bara (Romania) / Varvara Lepchenko (USA) Tuesday qualified in the quarter-finals of the doubles competition in Gdynia (Poland), after defeating 7-6 , 7-6 the Polish players Ania Hertel/Martyna Kubka. Bara and Lepchenko are to play next against seeds no. 3 Ana Danilina (Kazakhstan) / Lidia Morozova (Belarus). In the singles tournament, Bara is up against Kristina Kucova (Slovakia) in the 8th-finals, while another Romanian player, Irina Begu, seed no. 3, takes on Katarzyna Kawa of Poland. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

21 July 2021
July 10, 2021 UPDATE

Pandemic Romania. 36 new Covid cases from some 24,000 tests were reported
in Romania on Saturday, as well as 19 deaths, with only one being recorded in
the last 24 hours. 54 Covid patients are still in intensive care. The Romanian
government extended the state of alert nationwide for a further 30 days from 12th
July. The coordinator of the mass vaccination campaign, dr. Valeriu Gheorghiţă warned that Romania may
see an increase in the number of new Covid cases driven by the spread of the Delta
variant. According to official data, over 25,000 Covid jabs were administered
in Romania in the last 24 hours. Since the start of the vaccine roll-out in
late December, more than 4.8 million people have received the Covid vaccine in
Romania, with at least 4.6 million being fully vaccinated.

Government. As interim finance minister, prime minister Florin Cîţu has requested
the state of the budget execution and staff expenditure from every ministry and
public institution in Romania and to be briefed on the situation of investment
projects in the last five months. He said on Saturday he will keep the interim
job for 45 days and that certain projects must be stepped up, adding that like
the outgoing finance minister Alexandru Nazare, all ministers are constantly evaluated.
The prime minister took over as interim finance minister this week after sacking
Nazare, saying the latter did not fulfil his objectives.

Travel. More than 150,000 people crossed the
Romanian border in the last 24 hours, according to the border police. 78,000
entered the country and 75,600 exited it. The border police are working at
maximum capacity and are advising those travelling by road to use all border
crossing points open for international travel to avoid overcrowding.

Rep. Moldova. Early parliamentary elections are
taking place on Sunday in the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a
majority Romanian-speaking population. 12 of the 150 voting stations abroad are
in Romania. The country’s pro-western president Maia Sandu dissolved Parliament
in late April and called early elections. One of the main themes of the
election campaign was whether Moldova should look more to the West or the East,
geopolitically speaking.

Football. Italy and England are playing the
European Football Championship final hosted by London’s Wembley stadium on
Sunday. In the semis, England defeated Denmark 2-1 in extra-time, while Italy
defeated Spain 4-2 on penalties. Bucharest hosted four Euro 2020 matches, three
in the group stage and one in the round of last 16. The president of the
European Commission Ursula von der Leyen hopes Italy
beats England in the final, her spokesperson said. EU officials usually
avoid taking positions, but the UK’s exit from the Union made von der Leyen’s
allegiance to founding EU member Italy inevitable, Reuters notes. (CM)

10 July 2021