Radio România Internațional

Tag: governmnet

  • Romania has a new Government

    Romania has a new Government

    The new Government in Bucharest was voted in by the Parliament.

     

    The new Government of Romania, led by the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, took the oath before President Klaus Iohannis on Monday evening. It was an intense political day, a first in the last 35 years when the designation of the Prime Minister by the head of state, the hearing of the ministers, the investiture vote, the oath taking and the first meeting of the Government took place. Earlier, on the same day, the leaders of the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, UDMR and of the deputies belonging to national minorities had signed a political agreement to form a majority and a government.

     

    The new Government has a slimmer structure than the previous one. It is composed of 16 ministries, of which eight are led by PSD, six by PNL and two by UDMR. The government also has three deputy prime minister positions, one of which belongs to the PSD – deputy prime minister without portfolio, and the other two with portfolio – PNL and UDMR. The Ciolacu 2 Government, as it is called by the media, received Parliament’s vote of confidence with 240 votes in favor, by 7 more than the minimum number needed.

     

    Cătălin Predoiu at the helm of the Interior Ministry, Angel Tîlvăr at the Defense Ministry, Sorin Grindeanu at the Transport Ministry, Alexandru Rafila at the Health Ministry or Sebastian Burduja at the Energy Ministry are the ones that kept their positions. New names of ministers have appeared, such as those of Daniel David at the Education Ministry or Emil Hurezeanu at the Foreign Ministry, who are not party members, but are supported by the Liberals. The new Ministry of Economy and Digitization is headed by the Social Democrat Bogdan Ivan, while the Social Democrat MP Radu Marinescu has joined the cabinet at the Ministry of Justice.

     

    Two other portfolios, held by the UDMR, are the Development Minister portfolio, held by Cseke Attila, and that of Finance Minister, held by Tánczos Barna. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the rapid organization of presidential elections and measures to boost the business environment are the main short-term objectives of the new cabinet. He also said that Romania has a functional government, which sends a signal of stability to the Romanian private sector and foreign investors. According to the PM, there are already positive signs, following the vote in Parliament, such as the fact that the interest rates at which the country takes out loans on the foreign markets have started to decrease. Ciolacu also warns that 2025 will not be an easy year and that public money need to be spent decently: “Is normal that this economic crisis in developed countries would also be felt in Romania in 2025. We will have a difficult economic year. Romania cannot provide public services like the West does, with budget revenues to which not everyone contributes”.

     

    In turn, the Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, said that, in his second term, the priority is the fight against drug trafficking. He also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue to maintain a low migration rate, but also an elevated safety rate, which in Romania is high compared to other European states: “The challenges, in terms of ​​drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal migration, cyber security, hate speech and emergency situations are unprecedented in terms of number, are complex and sometimes simultaneous. This new reality also dictates our priorities in the coming years”.

     

    On the other hand, the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said that the Mihail Kogălniceanu Base (southeast) will be modernized upon an investment of 2.5 billion euros, which will turn this location into the most important NATO military base in Europe. Angel Tîlvăr: “I presented a series of measures taken by the Ministry of Defense and I believe that the figures that I also presented prove that the decisions we have taken are good and we will continue to apply them. At the same time, we will try to increase the number of activities and actions to lead to the transformation or preservation of the military sector as an attractive sector for those who want a career in this respect”.

     

    For the first time in Romania, the Ministry of Public Finance will be headed by a representative of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Minorities in Romania (UDMR) –  Tánczos Barna. He gave assurances that taxes will not increase in 2025 and also that the same taxation system will be maintained.

     

  • December 24, 2024

    December 24, 2024

    Transmitter – Dear friends, Radiocom has reported a major malfunction at one of the shortwave transmitters in Țigăneşti, near Bucharest. The RRI programs have been temporarily moved to a second transmitter, to other frequencies and, partially, to other target areas. Please go to RRI’s website, the How to listen button, to see the new frequencies.

     

    Government – The investiture of the new Romanian Government, PSD-PNL-UDMR, sent a positive signal to Romanian businessmen and foreign investors, claims the social-democratic prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. Last night, at the first meeting of his cabinet, he said that the interest rates for Romania’s external loans have already started to decrease. One of the priorities of the new Government is the setting up of the budget for next year, which seems to be, at the same time, the main difficulty it will face in the assumed effort to reduce expenses. The draft budget law is based on a new emergency ordinance regarding fiscal-budgetary measures, which will include a large part of the unpopular measures that the Government must implement in order to reduce the deficit.

     

    Cernăuţi – The leaders of the Romanian community in the Cernăuţi (Chernivtsi) region, in present-day Ukraine, express their concern over the Romanian state’s interrupting the payment of scholarships for students and teachers from Romanian schools and high schools, the special envoy of the state press agency AGERPRES reports. The scholarship, worth 400 Euros, is granted annually by the Romanian Government, through the Department for Romanians Everywhere, with the aim of encouraging learning in the Romanian language. Last year, over 5,500 students and over 1,200 teachers from Romanian schools in the Cernăuţi region benefited from this money, whose payment was, however, suspended in 2024. Over 400 thousand ethnic Romanians live in the neighboring state, the majority in northern Bukovina, in northern and southern Bessarabia and in Herța County, eastern Romanian territories annexed in 1940, following an ultimatum, by the Stalinist Soviet Union and taken over in 1991 by Ukraine, as a successor state.

     

    Christmas Pastoral Speech – ‘Let’s not forget, in our prayers and in the signs of our brotherly love for Christmas and New Year, our Romanian brothers who are far from their country and home’ the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, asks in His Christmas Pastoral Speech. On New Year’s Eve and on the first day of the New Year, let’s raise prayers and thank God for the benefits we received in the past year and let’s ask Him for help in all the good and useful work of the New Year, the Patriarch said. And Cardinal Lucian, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Church United with Rome, urges in the Christmas Pastoral Speech to a life ‘in harmony and communion with one another’, stressing that one cannot contribute to a future of peace and freedom, without learning the lessons of history. At the last population and housing census in Romania, of 2021, religious affiliation was declared by 16.397 million people from the total resident population. 85.3% of them are Orthodox, 0.7% Greek Catholic. 0.9% of the interviewees declared themselves without religion or atheists.

     

    Chişinău – Maia Sandu took the oath of office as the president of the Republic of Moldova on Tuesday, during a ceremony held at the Palace of the Republic in Chişinău. In her speech, the head of state emphasized that European integration and justice reform remain the main objectives in her new mandate. At the same time, she warned that joining the European Union is not a miraculous solution for all internal problems, but said that the Republic of Moldova managed to defend its democracy in the face of external threats. Maia Sandu is the 6th president of Moldova, the first woman in this position and the first directly elected president who obtained two mandates. (LS)

     

  • August 29, 2024

    August 29, 2024

     

    FARMERS – An insurance system for agricultural land will be approved by the Romanian Government as part of a series of measures to help farmers whose crops have been ravaged by drought, Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu said on Wednesday. The measures, to be adopted next week, include funds for this summer’s damage, but also a mechanism to ensure autumn and spring crops. Minister Barbu, specified that compensation of up to 3,000 lei ($671.14) per hectare will be granted, which will lead to unblocking lending for Romanian farmers. The necessary funds will be provided from the national budget, while 17 million euros will come from the EU’s risk fund. Also, the state aid scheme called “Farmer’s Credit” will be supplemented with approximately 80 million euros.

     

     

    ELECTIONS – The Romanian government has set the dates for this year’s presidential elections. The first round will take place on November 24, and the second on December 8. Last week the Government also decided the calendar of the legislative elections, scheduled to take place on December 1, when Romania’s National Day is celebrated. We remind you that on June 9, Romanians have already elected their representatives in the European Parliament, as well as mayors and heads of local and county councils.

     

     

    MUSIC – The 2024 George Enescu International Competition kicks off in Bucharest on Saturday. Until September 27, a record number of candidates – 667 musicians aged 13 to 35 from almost 60 countries are competing in the Composition, Cello, Violin and Piano categories. This year’s edition of the Competition will also include a Masterclass consisting of musical workshops for young artists specializing in conducting, violin, cello or piano. The workshops will be held by the acclaimed Romanian conducter Cristian Măcelaru, principal conductor of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and musical director of the National Orchestra of France. The George Enescu Competition started in September 1958 and this year it reaches its 19th edition.

     

     

    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is today taking part in an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers hosted in Brussels by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, talks are mainly focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. Taking part in the talks regarding the Russian aggression against Ukraine is the head of diplomacy from Kyiv, Dmytro Kuleba. The presentation of recent developments on the ground and the European Union’s multidimensional support for Ukraine are on the agenda. The situation in the Middle East is addressed in the context of increasing tensions in the area and the escalation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the sustained efforts of the US for a cease-fire agreement between the parties and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

     

     

    CELEBRATION – The Romanian Academy celebrates, in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca (north-west) and Iasi (north-east), Romanian Language Day, established by law on August 31. Today, in the Hall of the Bucharest Academy, a festive session has been scheduled. The Institute of Linguistics and Literary History in Cluj organizes cultural, academic and educational activities registered under the aegis of “Romanian Language Week – Words that connect us”. Moreover, on August 31, the Iaşi Branch of the Romanian Academy meets the public, in the Botanical Garden, for an event named “Romanian Language Day – the celebration of Romanians everywhere”. During this period, events are also organized in the diaspora, the Romanian Language Day being one of the most important cultural diplomacy events, aimed at highlighting the diversity and cultural heritage of the various Romanian-speaking communities around the world.

     

     

    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse qualified, on Wednesday, to the third round of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Czech Barbora Krejcikova, the winner of this year’s edition of Wimbledon in two sets, 6-4, 7-5. In the next round, Gabriela Ruse, who reaches the third round for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, will be up against the Spanish Paula Badosa. The Romanian won the only direct match with her so far, in February 2022, in the first round in Dubai.