Radio România Internațional

Tag: handball

  • March 7, 2025

    March 7, 2025

    EU The European Union has put together an arms plan agreed on Thursday evening by the leaders of the member states. The plan will prioritise strengthening defence on the eastern flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, to withstand Russia’s expansionist tendencies. European leaders have once again expressed their support for Ukraine and for providing security guarantees, together with the United States, if a ceasefire is agreed. Member states will have a fund of EUR 150 billion available for defence spending. The priorities are air and missile defence systems, artillery, high-precision strike systems, drones and anti-drone systems, various types of ammunition and AI technology. The Baltic states, Poland and Romania have garnered support for their view of prioritising the eastern flank in terms of EU-funded projects.

     

    TREASON The Bucharest Court of Appeals last night ordered that 2 members of the so-called “Vlad Ţepeş” Command be placed under pre-trial arrest. They are charged with treason and ties to Russian agents. Four other members of the organisation are under court supervision for a period of 60 days. Radu Theodoru, a retired major general, aged 101, is also being investigated as a suspect in the case. According to the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, the group aimed to replace the constitutional order and pull Romania out of NATO.

     

    ELECTIONS The non-affiliated mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, has today submitted his candidacy and list of support signatures for the presidential elections in May to the Central Electoral Bureau. The independent candidate Călin Georgescu, backed in the presidential race by AUR and POT parties (in opposition), will also register his candidacy today. On Sunday, the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu, backed by the ruling coalition’s electoral alliance, “Romania Forward”, is expected to arrive at the BEC headquarters. Another competitor is the former Social-Democratic prime minister Victor Ponta, who announced that he will run as an independent and that he will register his candidacy next week. Prospective presidential candidates have one week left to register with the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC), as the registration deadline is March 15. Candidates must submit lists with at least 200,000 supporter signatures.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s economy grew by 0.9% last year, and in the last quarter of 2024 the GDP rose by 0.7% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023 and by 0.8% compared to the third quarter of 2024, according to unaudited data released on Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INS). The 2.9% drop in net exports, a result of the 3.6% decrease in exports of goods and services concurrently with a 3.4% increase in imports, had a negative impact on GDP growth.

     

    PROTEST Trade unionists at the Damen Shipyard, operated by a Dutch company in the south-eastern Romanian town of Mangalia, jointly with employees who have been laid off or idled, today picketed the Dutch Embassy and the headquarters of the administrator in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the “Navalistul” Union, which said in a statement that the action aims to warn against the major crisis the shipyard is facing. According to the source, there is a risk that the shipyard will be closed, which will affect the entire local community.

     

    SPORTS Romania’s champions CS Dinamo Bucharest defeated the Danish side Fredericia HK, 37-32 on Thursday evening in Odense in its last match in Group A of the men’s handball Champions League. Dinamo, which had already qualified for the play-offs, finished the group in fifth place and will face the German team SC Magdeburg in their effort to qualify into the quarter-finals. In football, Romanian champions FCSB were defeated at home by the French team Olympique Lyon, 3-1, in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The decisive leg will be played next week in France. (AMP)

  • February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    COMMEMORATION Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that any responsible person wants a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and expressed hope that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the efforts to end the war in Romania’s neighbouring country will be successful. The Romanian PM said in a Facebook post that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is a project worth over EUR 500 billion, from which Romanian companies should gain as much as possible, Mr. Ciolacu added. On Sunday, around 150 people, mostly Ukrainian refugees, gathered in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest to mark 11 years of Russian aggression and 3 years since the start of the full-scale invasion. The participants carried Ukrainian and Romanian flags, as well as banners with messages against the war started by Russia and against the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian ambassador to Bucharest also attended the protest.

     

    POPE FRANCIS Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery, in a message sent on Sunday on behalf of himself, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the clergy and all Romanian Orthodox believers. The Patriarch says he prays for Pope Francis to recover and resume his pastoral and missionary work as soon as possible. Aged 88, Pope Francis has been hospitalised in Rome for almost 10 days with bilateral pneumonia, and his health has worsened. Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    ARREST Ten individuals close to a French drug trafficker arrested on Saturday in Romania, have been detained over suspicions of having participated in the escape and flight of the repeat offender, the Paris prosecutor announced on Sunday. The known leader of a drug trafficking group, the man had been wanted since his escape in France in May 2024, during which two police officers were killed. On Saturday, Romanian police identified and detained him near a shopping center in Bucharest, and handed him over to the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian player Elizabeta Samara won the silver at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup, which brought together Europe’s best table tennis players in Montreux (Switzerland). On Sunday, the Romanian lost the final to Ying Han (Germany), 2-3. Another Romanian, Bernadette Szocs, lost the quarter-finals on Saturday. Szocs won the competition in 2018, in 2019 she lost the final, and in 2021, 2022 and 2024 she came out third. Elizabeta Samara also won a third place in 2018.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team HC Dunărea Brăila have qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF European League, after a 33-33 draw against the Norwegian side Larvik on Sunday in their last match in Group A. The result won Dunărea Brăila the group stage. In the quarter-finals, they will face the second-placed team in Group B, Ikast Handbold (Denmark). In turn, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, the winners of Group B, will face Thueringer HC (Germany). The first leg games take place on March 22-23, and the return matches on March 29-30. Meanwhile on Sunday, CS Rapid Bucharest managed to qualify for the play-offs of the Women’s Handball Champions League, after drawing away from home against the Montenegrin team Buducnost Podgorica, 21-21, in the last round of Group B. (AMP)

  • February 23, 2025

    February 23, 2025

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    ELECTIONS In Romania, the electoral alliance supporting Crin Antonescu as a presidential candidate in May has been officially registered with the Central Electoral Bureau. The alliance, called  “Romania Forward”, comprises the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), in the ruling coalition, and is also backed by the group of ethnic minorities in the Romanian Parliament. A former education minister, Daniel Funeriu, and the incumbent mayor general of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, have also announced plans to run for president. The election campaign begins on April 4 and ends on May 3, with the vote scheduled on May 4 and the second round on May 18. In December the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election over foreign interference in the electoral process.

     

    AIRCRAFT US aircraft deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base (southeastern Romania) are performing low-altitude training flights in and around Constanţa County these days, the Romanian Air Forces announced. They say the exercises will continue until February 28 and promised that all safety measures have been taken to reduce the noise impact on civilians. Officials say that these trainings aim to increase the response capacity of aeronautical personnel.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    GERMANY Germany is holding elections for the next Bundestag. The Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz, the most likely to become the country’s next chancellor, said at a rally in Munich that he would be a strong voice in Europe in these “troubled times.” The campaign was overshadowed by the rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, which is expected to come in second place, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, however, the fragmented political landscape requires complicated negotiations at a crucial moment for the strongest EU member state. Following a reform of the electoral law, the 21st Bundestag will have 630 MPs, 103 fewer than at present. The campaign was generally focused on hot topics such as illegal migration and, more recently, the challenges to NATO posed by the US President Donald Trump.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team Rapid Bucharest play away from home today against Buducnost, in a decisive match for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Whoever wins will play against the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest. Also today, Dunarea Braila play at home against Larvik for qualification in the quarterfinals of the women’s handball competition EHF European League. On Saturday evening, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea were defeated by the Danish team Ikast Handbold 36-34, in their last match in the competition’s Group B. On Saturday evening, CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the quarterfinals of the EHF European Cup men’s handball competition, although they were defeated by the Finnish team BK-46, 32-31 in Karis, in the second leg of the round of 16. (AMP)

  • February 22, 2025 UPDATE

    February 22, 2025 UPDATE

    ELECTIONS The Central Electoral Bureau of Romania announced that it decided on Saturday to admit the registration of the Protocol on the establishment of the electoral alliance “Romania Forward”, signed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), in the ruling coalition, in order to support Crin Antonescu’s candidacy in the presidential elections. Antonescu is also backed by the group of ethnic minorities in the Romanian Parliament. The Central Electoral Bureau for the election of the president of Romania in May was selected on Friday. The Bureau is made up of 5 judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the president and vice-presidents of the Permanent Electoral Authority and one representative of each party in Parliament. Parties, political or electoral alliances, ethnic minority organisations and independent candidates will be able to submit their candidacies by March 15, after which the Central Electoral Bureau is to rule on their validity. The election campaign begins on April 4 and ends on May 3, with the vote scheduled on May 4 and the second round on May 18. In December the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election over foreign interference in the electoral process. Thousands of Romanians, supporters of the independent sovereigntist candidate Călin Georgescu, who came out first in the first election round in December, took to the streets again in Bucharest on Saturday to demand that the elections be resumed with the second round.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan said on Saturday that Romania welcomes the release of the 6 Israeli hostages held captive in Gaza, one of whom has dual, Israeli and Romanian citizenship. “We take this opportunity to reiterate our support for implementing the ceasefire agreement and releasing the hostages, as well as for the urgent provision of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza,” president Bolojan posted on social media. He also mentioned that Romania thanks the US, Qatar, Israel and Egypt for the efforts made to free the hostages. On Saturday, Hamas handed over the last 6 hostages in a first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Israel in Gaza, which provided for the release of a total of 33 captives. Hamas, in turn, receives over 700 Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

     

    RATING Fitch has sent a clear signal that Romania must carry on its fiscal consolidation measures and restore budgetary balance, in order to improve its fiscal credibility, the finance minister Tanczos Barna said after the international financial rating agency announced on Friday that it is keeping Romania in the investment grade category. In a statement, the agency confirmed Romania’s long-term rating at ‘BBB minus’, with a negative outlook. According to Fitch, the rating relies on the country’s EU membership and capital inflows that contribute to public revenues and macro-stability. The gross domestic product per capita and the governance and human development indicators are also higher than in countries in the same rating category, the agency explains. These strengths are overshadowed, however, by a significant deterioration of public finances and a sharp slowdown in economic growth in 2024. Adding to this is a possible adverse effect of political uncertainty. In December last year, Fitch announced that it had downgraded the outlook assigned to Romania from stable to negative. The same announcement came later from Standard & Poor’s.

     

    ENERGY Electricity and natural gas tariffs could be offset in Romania even after April 1, when the current aid scheme is set to expire. The energy ministry has posted for public review a draft act extending the capping period, under which the scheme for electricity is extended until July 1, and for natural gas by one year, until April 1, 2026. The capping extension proposal comes as prices on European electricity and gas exchanges have increased significantly, and also as the low temperatures in Romania this winter entailed a significant increase in consumption. As a result, the line minister Sebastian Burduja announced that the government had decided to protect Romanians and support the competitiveness of Romanian companies. After the energy market was deregulated on January 1, 2021, Romania was among the European countries the most severely affected by record-high electricity and natural gas prices. Thanks to the government’s price capping decisions, households and businesses were protected from excessive prices.

     

    GERMANY Germany holds federal elections on Sunday that are crucial to the country’s future, as the far-right is on the rise and the economy is heading for a third year of recession. The vote comes after the coalition of the Social Democrats, Liberals and Greens led by the Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed late last year. According to polls, the Conservatives are expected to win. With the far-right in second place in the polls, however, analysts say that in order to govern, the Conservatives will have to reach a compromise with the Social Democrats or the Greens, overcoming their differences.

     

    AIRCRAFT US aircraft deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base (southeastern Romania) are performing low-altitude training flights in and around Constanţa County these days, the Romanian Air Forces announced. They say that the exercises will continue until February 28 and promised that all safety measures have been taken to reduce the noise impact on civilians. Officials say that these trainings aim to increase the response capacity of aeronautical personnel.

     

    CORRUPTION A company and 2 individuals are prosecuted in a case handled by the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), together with investigators from the US Department of Defence, the DNA announced today. The company owned by a Greek national has allegedly bribed a foreign official to get a EUR 9 mln contract to refuel aircraft at the NATO military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu. Two other individuals are suspected of complicity in continuing bribery in connection with an official of a foreign country.

     

    HANDBALL CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the quarterfinals of the men’s handball competition EHF European Cup, although they were defeated by the Finnish team BK-46, 32-31, on Saturday, in Karis, in the second leg of the round of 16. Minaur also played the first match in Finland, on Friday, winning 33-30. Last season, Minaur Baia Mare reached the semifinals of the European Cup. (AMP)

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club

    Among the great athletes who sadly passed away in 2024 there is former handball legend and head-coach Ştefan Birtalan. He was born on September 25, 1948 in Zalau, northern Romania. When in high school he took up handball, volleyball, basketball and athletics.

    Minerul Baia Mare was among the first teams Birtalan was signed up by. Minerul got first promoted to the second-tier division, Division B, and then to Division A. From 1970 to 1985, with an interruption from 1981 to 1983, Stefan Birtalan played for Steaua Bucharest, a team with which he won the domestic championship title 12 times. With Steaua Bucharest Army Club, in 1971 Birtalan was a European Champions Cup finalist. We recall Steaua won the Cup in 1977.

    In 1974, 1976 and 1977, Birtalan was awarded Romania’s best athlete title. For the Romanian national teams, he had been playing from 1966 when he made his debut with the juniors’ national teams. In 1968, at the age of 20, Birtalan scooped Romania’s best athlete title. He was then selected for the national seniors’ team, when they won the world title in Paris, in 1970, and in Berlin, in 1974, in then the German Democratic Republic. Also in Berlin, in 1974, Stefan Birtalan was designated top scorer, with 43 goals scored.

    Birtalan participated in three editions of the Olympic games. In Munich, in 1972, when Romania walked away with bronze, Birtalan played only one game. However, in 1976, in Montreal, where Romania won the silver medals, Birtalan played in six games and was the competition’s most efficient scorer, with 32 goals scored. In 1980, in Moscow, he participated in an edition of the Olympic Games for the third time around, walking home with a bronze medal. Birtalan played in all six fixtures Romania had on schedule, scoring 23 goals.

    As a head-coach, Ştefan Birtalan began his career in the Italian second-tier league, with Follonica. Upon his return to Romania, he was Radu Voina’s deputy head-coach with Steaua Bucharest. Concurrently, Birtalan trained Romania’s men’s youth national team. From 1991 to 1994, Stefan Birtalan was Steaua’s head-coach. Birtalan then activated in Qatar, as a coordinating head-coach of all national handball teams of the Gulf Country.

    In 2002, Birtalan gave up being a head-coach altogether because of health problems. He was then co-opted by Steaua Bucharest in the handball section’s management staff.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest, in 2025 as well, have succeeded to go past the Champions League’s group phase. It has been a while since CSM Bucharest have secured the 3rd position in the competition’s Group A, also succeeding to advance to the quarterfinals’ playoffs.

    CSM had a rather unassuming start in the ongoing season, so they sadly lost a number of precious points which denied them the opportunity to fight for one of the first two positions in the rankings. That could have secured them their ticket for the quarterfinals.

    Gaining access to the competition’s quarterfinals were Metz Handball of France and Ferencváros Budapest, the teams that won their double-legged ties against CSM Bucharest. Notwithstanding, in the wake of their last defeat by French holders Metz Handball on January 12, CSM Bucharest have had a win-all record.

    CSM’s most recent win was the one they succeeded this past weekend, when they trounced Norway’s vice champions Storhamar, 32-21, away, one more time proving they were a truly top-notch team. CSM Bucharest’s most efficient scorer was Crina Pintea, with ten goals on her record sheet.

    Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Crina the Athlete of the week.

    Crina Pintea was born on April 3rd, 1990, in eastern Romania’s Bacau County. At the age of 20, Crina made her debut as a senior player with Handball Club Zalău, with then head-coach Gheorghe Tadici at the helm. In 2015, with Handball Club Zalau, Crina Pintea reached as far as the EHF Cup’s final, also playing the EHF Cup’s semifinals in 2016.

    In 2015, Crina Pintea began talks with HCM Baia Mare, and that is why Gheorghe Tadici excluded her from the team. Crina Pintea was then signed up by German side Thüringer, the team with which she also won the Bundesliga in 2016. In 2017 she played for the French team Issy Paris Hand, later known as Paris 92. For 2017 – 2018 competition season, Crina Pintea was designated the best pivot of the French domestic women’s handball championship. Later on, Crina’s contract with Paris 92 was taken over by the Hungarian side Gyor.

    We recall in 2019, with Gyor, Crina Pintea won the Champions League. Crina Pintea then had a short stint with CSM Bucharest, returning to Gyor afterwards, for one single competition season. She has been playing for CSM Bucharest since 2022. With the national team, Crina made her debut in 2012. In 2015, with the national team, Crina Pintea won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark. Notwithstanding, in 2024, Crina Pintea made public her retirement from the national team.

  • February 16, 2025 UPDATE 2

    February 16, 2025 UPDATE 2

    Conference – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, met, at the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, with three American senators, both from the Republican and Democratic parties. He discussed with Jane Shaheen, James Risch and Christopher A. Coons about foreign interference in last year’s presidential election in Romania and about the preparation of measures to prevent the repetition of such a situation, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. According to a statement made public on Sunday, the main themes of the discussions were the security situation in the Black Sea region as well as the ways to capitalize on the Romania-US Strategic Partnership, the continuation of support for Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops and the involvement in its reconstruction process. Minister Hurezeanu emphasized, in the context, the importance of continuing the robust presence of the United States in Romania.

     

    Cooperation – Attending the conference in Munich, the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, met, on the sidelines of the Security Conference, with his counterparts from Albania, Pirro Vengu, and Bulgaria, Atanas Zaprianov. The discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation in the field of defense and military mobility. One of the essential topics addressed during the talks was the Pan-European Military Mobility Corridor VIII, a strategic project in which Romania participates together with Albania, Bulgaria, Italy and North Macedonia. Angel Tîlvăr reiterated Romania’s commitment to facilitating the rapid transit of forces and military equipment in South-Eastern Europe, emphasizing the importance of reducing bureaucratic barriers and harmonizing critical infrastructure, the Romanian Defense Ministry (MApN) informed. The ministers also discussed the importance of strengthening NATO’s defense and deterrence posture in the Black Sea region.

     

    Air transport – The Romanian airport administrators will be able to ground the planes of those companies that do not comply with European legislation regarding the compensation owed to passengers, if the draft emergency ordinance put up for public debate by the Economy Ministry is adopted. According to the initiators, the new regulation completes the Air Code and ensures the respect of the passengers’ rights. The National Authority for Consumer Protection will compel air transport operators to comply with passenger compensation obligations, by granting money or vouchers, according to their agreement with them. Passengers entitled to damages must submit a written request to ask for compensation, which is set between 250 and 600 Euros per person, depending on the distance of the flight routes.

     

    Handball – Romanian’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated, on Sunday, away from home, score 32-21, the Norwegian team Storhamar Handbal Elite, in Group A of the Women’s Champions League. CSM achieved its fourth consecutive victory in the competition and cannot miss the third place in the group of eight teams. The top two teams qualify directly for the quarter-finals, and the teams ranked on the 3rd to the 6th places compete in a play-off for access to the quarter-finals.

     

    Commemoration – At least 1,500 people gathered, on Sunday, at the tomb in Moscow of Alexei Navalny, long considered the main opponent of the Kremlin, one year after his death, in an Arctic prison colony, the international media report.  Dozens of families with children went, in the cold, to the cemetery, where the security system was rather discreet, consisting of plainclothesmen. Joining the commemoration were also Western diplomats, representatives of the American, French, Spanish, Norwegian and European Union embassies.  Arrested in January 2021, upon his return to the country, after he had been treated in Germany following his poisoning, Navalnyi was sentenced to heavy penalties in several cases. The last sentence, in August 2023, was 19 years in prison, for “extremism”. Navalny had communicated mainly through messages sent to his lawyers and then posted on social media, in which he denounced the invasion of Ukraine and called on Russians to ‘resist’ the Kremlin.  The circumstances of his death remain unclear. (LS)

  • February 16, 2025 UPDATE 1

    February 16, 2025 UPDATE 1

    Conference – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, met, at the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, with three American senators, both from the Republican and Democratic parties. He discussed with Jane Shaheen, James Risch and Christopher A. Coons about foreign interference in last year’s presidential election in Romania and about the preparation of measures to prevent the repetition of such a situation, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. According to a statement made public on Sunday, the main themes of the discussions were the security situation in the Black Sea region as well as the ways to capitalize on the Romania-US Strategic Partnership, the continuation of support for Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops and the involvement in its reconstruction process. Minister Hurezeanu emphasized, in the context, the importance of continuing the robust presence of the United States in Romania.

     

    Handball – Romanian’s champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated, on Sunday, away from home, with a score of 32-21, the Norwegian team Storhamar Handbal Elite, in Group A of the Champions League for women’s handball. CSM achieved its fourth consecutive victory in the competition and cannot miss the third place in the group of eight teams. The top two teams qualify directly for the quarter-finals, and the teams ranked on the 3rd to the 6th places compete in a play-off for access to the quarter-finals.

     

    Air transport – The Romanian airport administrators will be able to ground the planes of those companies that do not comply with European legislation regarding the compensation owed to passengers, if the draft emergency ordinance put up for public debate by the Economy Ministry is adopted. According to the initiators, the new regulation completes the Air Code and ensures the respect of the passengers’ rights. The National Authority for Consumer Protection will compel air transport operators to comply with passenger compensation obligations, by granting money or vouchers, according to their agreement with them. Passengers entitled to damages must submit a written request to ask for compensation, which is set between 250 and 600 Euros per person, depending on the distance of the flight routes. (LS)

  • February 16, 2025

    February 16, 2025

    Conference – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, on Saturday had meetings with his Dutch and Ukrainian counterparts on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference which ends on Sunday. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), the Romanian FM and the Dutch official, Caspar Veldkamp, ​​addressed aspects of the bilateral agenda, given that this year Romania and the Netherlands are celebrating 145 years of diplomatic relations. A priority of the discussion was the investigation into the theft of the Dacian treasure pieces, which took place last month at the Drents Museum in Assen. The Dutch side gave assurances, once again, that all efforts are being made to recover the pieces, in close collaboration with the Romanian side. Also, Emil Hurezeanu had a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha. The two had an extensive review of the main themes concerning the Romanian-Ukrainian political and diplomatic dialogue, including the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. The Romanian minister reiterated Romania’s support for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, insisting on the legitimate right of the Ukrainian people to obtain a just and lasting peace with the direct involvement of Ukraine, as well as of the neighboring states with which it shares the same vision. Also on the sidelines of the Munich Conference, Emil Hurezeanu had meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, with the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and expatriates from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, with the foreign minister of India, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, with his Filipino counterpart, Enrique Manalo, as well as with his Serbian counterpart, Marko Djuric.

     

    Cooperation – Attending the conference in Munich, the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, met, on the sidelines of the Security Conference, with his counterparts from Albania, Pirro Vengu, and Bulgaria, Atanas Zaprianov. The discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation in the field of defense and military mobility. One of the essential topics addressed during the talks was the Pan-European Military Mobility Corridor VIII, a strategic project in which Romania participates together with Albania, Bulgaria, Italy and North Macedonia. Angel Tîlvăr reiterated Romania’s commitment to facilitating the rapid transit of forces and military equipment in South-Eastern Europe, emphasizing the importance of reducing bureaucratic barriers and harmonizing critical infrastructure, the Romanian Defense Ministry (MApN) informed. The ministers also discussed the importance of strengthening NATO’s defense and deterrence posture in the Black Sea region. Angel Tîlvăr thanked his counterparts for the contribution to the multinational NATO structures deployed on the territory of Romania, highlighting that this cooperation demonstrates the solidarity and unity of the Alliance, MApN also said. Another critical issue of the discussions was the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, scheduled for the summer of this year.

     

    Corruption – The head of the Joint Logistics Command of the Romanian Army, three-star general Cătălin Ştefăniţă Zisu, was placed by prosecutors under judicial control on bail worth one million lei (approx. 200 thousand Euros), for abuse of office with particularly serious consequences, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) reports. The defendant must make the amount available for the DNA within seven days. The Defense Ministry proposed his urgent transfer to the reserve status. The prosecutors also indicted the reserve colonel Lucian Amorăriţei, for several crimes of forgery, use of forgery and abuse of office, and the businessman Ionel Olteanu. The investigators show that, between 2022-2023, the two military approved the settlement of the issued invoices, although they knew that part of the works at the Ghencea Military Cemetery, in Bucharest, had not actually been carried out. The damage is estimated at almost 12 million lei (approx. 2.4 million Euros).

     

    Motion – The opposition S.O.S. Romania party announced that it would submit to Parliament, on Monday, a censure motion against the Government led by the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, a document also assumed by the opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and signed by 125 parliamentarians. The Save Romania Union (USR) also in opposition said that they would decide whether or not to support the initiative when the document is submitted to the vote. Instead, the governing coalition assures that the motion has no chance to pass. No Social Democratic MP will vote for the censure motion against the Ciolacu Government, says the vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, the social democrat Daniel Suciu. He added that this approach, initiated by the opposition, would endanger the stability of the country. The interim president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Cătălin Predoiu, says that the liberals will defend the Government by vote. Also on Monday, the Education Minister, Daniel David, is expected at the Chamber of Deputies, at the Government Hour, at the request of the AUR. The AUR MPs criticize the measures proposed by the minister regarding the elimination of the mandatory character of the study of geography and history by high school students and demand that these subjects remain in the school curriculum as a basis for educating the new generations.

     

    Handball – SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea from Romania qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF European League women’s handball competition, after defeating the German team BV Borussia Dortmund, score 32-27, on Saturday evening, at home, in Group B. After five stages, the team from Vâlcea remains the undefeated leader, with 9 points, followed in the ranking by Ikast Handbold from Denmark (6 p.), Borrusia (3p.) and Sola HK from Norway (2p.). In the last stage, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea will play away from home with Ikast Handbold, on February 22. The group matches are played until February 23, and the top two teams qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition, scheduled for March 22nd and 23rd  and March 29th and 30th followed by the F4 Tournament, on May 3rd and 4th.

     

    Elections – Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, has given assurances that he will take all the necessary steps, within the limits of his powers, to organize free, fair and transparent elections. On Saturday, the interim president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the interior minister Cătălin Predoiu, said that the Romanian state must do more to explain what happened in the presidential election last year and the reaction of the institutions to how the integrity and legality of the election were affected. The statement came after the US Vice President J.D. Vance said at the security conference in Munich that the decision to cancel the election in Romania was made based on “flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.” Ilie Bolojan stated, on Saturday, at a meeting held in Bucharest with a delegation of the business environment from Romania, that he would make efforts to make Romanians regain trust in state institutions. (LS)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    Romanian football team FCSB has made a giant leap towards Europa league’s round of 16. ON Wednesday in the first leg counting towards the competition’s play-off, holders FCSB grabbed a 2-1 away win against PAOK Thessalonica. PAOK drew first blood on 21 minutes through their Tanzanian footballer Mbwana Samatta.

    Late into the first half PAOK’s Brazilian player Taison got yellow-booked for the second time around, so PAOK were one main shy on the pitch. In the second half of the game FCSB took advantage of that and scored twice, through Andrei Gheorghita on 50 minutes and Cameroonian player, Joyskim Dawa, in the 60th minute. The return leg is scheduled this coming Thursday, on February 20.

    This coming weekend will see matches being played, counting towards the Romanian Superleague’s 27th round. On Friday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe play FC Hermannstadt Sibiu, while Universitatea Craiova are pitted against Oţelul Galaţi. On Saturday, Petrolul Ploiesti play a home game against UTA, Arad, while in Bucharest, Dinamo receive the visit of Farul Constanţa.

    On Sunday, Poli Iaşi play a home game against CFR Cluj, while FCSB travel to Buzău, for a game against the local side Gloria. The 27th round’s last two fixtures are scheduled on Monday, as Universitatea Cluj are pitted against Unirea Slobozia and Rapid Bucharest face FC Botoşani. At the top of the as-it-stands table are CFR Cluj and FCSB, with 46 points each. Three other teams have 45 points each, Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Cluj and Dinamo Bucharest.

    In news from rugby, on Saturday in Botosani, the Romanian national squad play Portugal. The fixture is crucial, deciding the winner of Group B as part of Rugby Europe Championship, Europe’s second-tier competition. We recall Romania and Portugal defeated Germany and Belgium, in Group B’s first two games, thus securing one of the first two positions according to group rankings as well as the ticket for the 2027 edition of the World Cup.

    This coming weekend will see matches being played, counting towards a fresh round in the women’s version of the European handball competitions. In The Champions League’s Group A, on Saturday Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud play a home game against French opponents Metz Handball. On Sunday, CSM Bucharest take on Norway’s Storhamar, away from home. According to the group ranking, CSM are 3rd-placed, while Gloria, 7th. In Group B, Romanian vice-champion team Rapid Bucharest are 7th-placed.

    In the EHF European League on Saturday, in Group A, Dunărea Brăila play in Spain’s Elche. Danish head-coach Jan Leslie Lund’s trainees are 2nd placed according to the as-it-stands table, on a par with the top-of-the-table team, Germany’s Thüringer. In Grupa B, top-of-the-table team, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, play a home game against Borussia Dortmund.

  • Sports flash

    Sports flash

    Corona Braşov and Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc on Wednesday won their regular season matches as part of the Erste Liga ice hockey competition. Defending champions Corona Brasov on home turf defeated Hungarian opponents Jegesmedvék of Miskolc 6-4. Corona came from behind, being lead 4-nil. Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc grabbed a 6-2 home win against Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák.

    The regular season’s top team is the Hungarian side Budapest Jégkorong Akadémia. With 78 points on their record sheet, the Hungarians are on a par with ACSH Gheorgheni. In Erste Liga’s play-offs, Jégkorong Akadémia take on Újpest, ACSH Gheorgheni go against Jegesmedvék, Debrecen play Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc, while Corona are pitted against Ferencváros. We recall in the previous edition of Erste Liga’s final, in the game against Ferencvaros Corona emerged as winner, 4-nil on aggregate.

    Three of the teams representing Romania in the European women’s handball competitions grabbed comfortable wins in this past Wednesday’s domestic championship games. As part of the National League’s 17th round, CSM Bucharest grabbed a 28-21 home win against CSM Târgu Jiu. We recall CSM are the best-placed Romanian team in the Champions League. Dunărea Brăila defeated CSM Iasi, 32-23, at home, while SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea trounced CSM Slatina, 41-31, also on home turf.

    CSM Bucharest have a comfortable lead according to the as-it-stands table. Another team playing in the Champions League, Rapid Bucharest, on Wednesday competed in Romanian Cup’s round of 16. Rapid grabbed a 46-16 away win against second-tier team Star Mioveni, securing a place in the quarterfinals where they go against CSM Târgu Jiu on March 16.

    As part of the Challenger tennis tournament, in Bahrain’s Manama, an event with 200,000 USD in prize money all told, the Romanian-Spanish pair made of Victor Cornea and Sergio Martos Gornes on Wednesday advanced to the men’s doubles quarterfinals. Cornea and Martos Gornes defeated Benoit Paire and Yusuf Qaed, 6-2, 7-6. The top-seeded Romanian-Spanish pair received 2, 030 USD and were granted 20 points according to the ATP rankings.

  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

     

    There are 2 rounds left in the group stage of the women’s handball Champions League. Of the 3 Romanian teams in the competition, only one, CSM Bucharest, has already secured its qualification for the quarter-final play-offs. At the moment, Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud and Rapid are ranking 7th in their groups and need good results in the last games to move forward. CSM are in 3rd place in Group A, after a spectacular comeback. After a defeat at the start of 2025, against the very leader of Group A, the French team Metz, the Romanian champions won the following 3 games. It was not enough to hope for one of the top 2 places in the standings, which ensures direct qualification for the quarter-finals, but it has definitely improved their chances to move into the play-offs.

     

    A 3rd place in Group A would have CSM face the 6th-ranking team in Group B, which could even be Rapid Bucharest. The Romanian champions took an important step in this direction in Bucharest on Sunday, when they defeated the team in 4th place in the standings, Podravka Koprivnica, 31 to 30. The Romanian team’s top scorer was, once again, Cristina Neagu, with 8 goals. She was designated Athlete of the Week by Radio Romania International.

     

    In addition to contributing to the team’s success, in the game against Podravka Cristina Neagu achieved a remarkable individual performance: she scored goal number 1200 in the Champions League, a record for the competition. She is best placed to become the competition’s all-time top scorer, followed by two other veterans: the Montenegrin Jovanka Radicevic, from Krim Ljubljana, with 1,164 goals, and Serbia’s Andrea Lekic, currently playing for Ferencváros Budapest, with 1,063. The race will probably end after this season, as Neagu and Radicevic have announced their retirement, and Lekic is already 37 years old, and has been playing in the Champions League for 18 years.

     

    Cristina Georgiana Neagu was born in Bucharest, on August 26, 1988. In 2006, she joined Rulmentul Brașov, then she moved to Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. In 2010, with Oltchim, she reached the Champions League final. After the team in Vâlcea was disbanded, she transferred to Buducnost Podgorica, with which she won the Champions League in 2015. Since 2017, she has been playing for CSM Bucharest. In 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, the International Handball Federation named her the best player in the world. (AMP)

  • January 19, 2025

    January 19, 2025

    UNIONS Romanian trade unionists ask the politicians in power to talk directly with the people, because social tensions are high, and the powder keg could explode at any moment. This warning was issued by the Cartel Alfa federation in a statement that says political decision-makers have abandoned open communication with Romanians. The budget deficit must be corrected by improving collection, but the government refuses to take any measures outside of recipes that have proven ineffective for years, Cartel Alfa also says.

     

    JOBS Nearly 33,000 positions are declared vacant by employers in Romania, the National Employment Agency announced. Most of them, over 20,000, are intended for unskilled applicants or primary and secondary school graduates. Another 10,000 jobs require high school, post-secondary school or vocational education. A little over 1,900 jobs require a degree, including positions as engineers in various sectors, computer programmers, financial and accounting experts or veterinarians. Also, employers from the European Economic Area offer employment through the EURES Romania network; 100 jobs are available in Germany and Spain, and another 27 in Austria, Ireland and Malta.

     

    ECONOMY The World Bank has revised downward its outlook for the Romanian economy this year, mainly due to the fiscal consolidation measures recently announced by the government. In its latest global economic outlook report, the World Bank lowers its estimate for Romania’s economic growth rate to 2.1% this year, as against 3.8% forecast in June 2024. Also, in 2026, Romania’s GDP growth is expected to be 2.6% compared to 3.8%, as estimated in June. On the other hand, economic growth in Central Europe is expected to recover to 2.8% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, thanks to robust private demand. Export growth in Central Europe is expected to remain modest due to slow progress in the Euro area. The level of investments, especially in Poland and Romania, is expected to improve, thanks to structural reforms and EU funding.

     

    MILITARY Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania by ferry, in order to take part in a major NATO exercise, London announced. 2,400 British soldiers with 730 military vehicles will form the main battle group, supported by troops from five other NATO countries, with the United Kingdom assuming command of the land component. The new Allied Reaction Force (ARF) replaced the NATO Response Force (NRF) last year, and aims to respond quickly and effectively to any threat in times of peace, crisis or conflict.

     

    MIDDLE EAST A senior Israeli official said that Israel received a list of hostages in Gaza who are to be released today by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has resigned to protest the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media reported today. Ben-Gvir’s far-right and ultranationalist party will leave the ruling coalition. After months of deadlock in the 15-month war in Gaza, a three-stage agreement was reached earlier this week. During an initial six-week ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza are to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, while the Israeli army is to pull out of densely populated areas in Gaza. Meanwhile, however, the army carried on its attacks in Gaza, where at least five people were killed.

     

    HANDBALL The women’s handball team CS Rapid Bucharest face today at home the Danish side Odense Handbold, in the Champions League Group B. The day before, in Group A, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest defeated the Slovenian side Krim Mercator Ljubljana 36-23, also at home. In the same group, Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud were defeated, away from home, by the Croatian team RK Podravka Vegeta Koprivnica, 26-25. In the group standings, CSM are in 4th place, with 10 points, and Gloria are in 6th place, with 6 points.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open on Sunday, after defeating Hanyu Guo (China) / Alexandra Panova (Russia) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6). Ruse and Kostiuk have played two Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and one at Roland Garros in 2024. In the quarterfinals, they will take on Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia). (AMP)

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Upon the European Championship, which ended the year 2024 for women’s handball, the inter-club competitions have again grabbed the limelight.

    The Champions League saw its ninth leg and the EHF European League kicked off with its groups phase.

    Today we are going to talk about the only Romanian success registered in the past weekend in the Champions League, which belonged to Gloria Bistrita Nasaud. On Saturday, the Romanians clinched their third win in the present edition of the aforementioned competition, where our handballers had just made their debut. Coach Florentin Pera’s trainees clinched a 31 – 28 home win against the Norwegians from Storhamar, a side which defeated them twice last year;  the first time  in the finals of the EHF European League, in Austria in May, and also on Storhamar’s own ground in October, when they got a 25-23 win.

    The Norwegians were also close to victory in Bistrita as well, as they were leading the game 15-13 before the break. However, Gloria managed an excellent second half and secured the victory in the end of the game.

    Spanish player Danila So Delgado Pinto was Gloria’s most effective scorer with 7 goals scored. Left wing Sonia Serafinceanu also managed six goals at the end of her best game in the Champions League this season. And for this reason, Radio Romania International has designated her Athlete of the Week.

    Sonia Mariana Serafinceanu was born in Hunedoara, on July 25th 1997 and took up handball at the local school sports club. She made her debut in the national league with local side Muresul and played for various top-tier sides, such as Cetate Deva, Universitatea Cluj, CSM Slatina and Minaur Baia Mare.

    She has been playing for Gloria since 2021. Sonia made her debut with Romania’s national side in 2029 at the 51st edition of the Carpathians Trophy, held in Brăila. She was part of the national lineup at the last year’s edition of the European Championship. After a lackluster play against Czechia, she scored 6 goals against Montenegro, 7 against Serbia and 3 against France. She didn’t play against Sweden but joined the Romanian lineup in the match against Hungary, where she scored 5 times.

    (bill)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    The international women’s handball inter-club competition season will be resumed at the weekend. Three Romanian teams compete in the Champions League. In Group B, Rapid Bucharest on Sunday play French opponents Brest Bretagne, away. Rapid are not the favorites for the group-winner position, given that Brest Bretagne stand real chances to be at the top of the table or second-placed in Group B, thus booking their ticket for a straight participation to the quarterfinals.

    Brest Bretagne are now 4th-placed in the Group, with 10 points in five wins. With three points, Rapid are 7th-placed, the last-but-one position in Group B. Rapid’s record is made of one win, one draw and six defeats, according to the fixtures they’ve played so far. We recall in October in Bucharest Brest Bretagne won, 34 to 31.

    In Group A, the first team to resume participation in the League is Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud. Head-coached by Florentin Pera, who is also the head-coach of the national team, Gloria take on Norway’s Storhamar on home turf, this coming Saturday. Gloria and Storhamar are placed in Group A’s lower echelon. With a mere four points in eight games, Gloria are 7th-placed, the last-but-one position in the group. Storhamar are 6th-placed, having one point more than Gloria.

    The direct match pitting Gloria against Storhamar in Norway, in October, 2024, made the difference since Storhamar won, 25-23. We recall that in May 2024 Gloria Bistrita and Storhamar played the EHF European League final. Back then Storhamar won, 29 to 27.
    CSM Bucharest is the other Romanian team playing in the Champions League’s Group A. This coming Sunday, CSM play an away game against top-of-the-table team Metz Handball of France. In Bucharest, Metz won by the narrowest of margins, 31 to 30. Metz are the only team with a win-all record in the League’s ongoing season. CSM had a rather bumpy run this past fall.

    With four wins and four defeats and 8 points, CSM are 4th-placed, on a par with 3rd-placed team, Krim Ljubljana. We recall that after 14 rounds of the group phase, the first two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals. 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th-placed teams will engage in playoff matches in a bid to secure a place in the quarterfinals, while 7th and 8th-placed teams will be eliminated.

    The EHF European League group fixtures are also scheduled at the weekend. On Saturday, in Group A, Dunărea Brăila play a home game against Spanish opponents Elche. The other Group A teams are Germany’s Thüringer and Norwegian squad Larvik. The other Romanian team, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, on Sunday play an away Group B game against Germany’s Borussia Dortmund. Also part of the League’s Group B are Ikast of Denmark and Sola of Norway.