Radio România Internațional

Tag: High Court of Cassation and Justice

  • November 8, 2018 UPDATE

    November 8, 2018 UPDATE

    MEETING – The Romanian Interior Minister Carmen Dan is attending in Washington the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting. At the meeting, Carmen Dan will present Romanias priorities in the field during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year. The EU is represented in Washington by the Austrian ministers of the interior and justice, on behalf of the current Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the members of the delegation representing Romania, the country that is to take over the Presidency in January 2019, and the European Commissioners for migration, home affairs and security.



    ACCUSATION – The National Anticorruption Directorate claims that the Speaker of the Romanian Senate, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, indirectly received 800,000 USD dollars worth of material benefits from an Austrian company while he was Romanias Prime Minister, in 2007-2008. The amount accounted for a 10% commission from the value of addenda and was used for the benefit of the dignitary. The case was opened in 2018, by bringing together three criminal cases, of which one was taken over by the anticorruption prosecutors, at the request of the Austrian judicial authorities. In a communiqué issued at the request of Agerpress News Agency, the Directorate also mentions the fact that, in keeping with the legal and constitutional provisions in force, prosecuting Tariceanu for bribe-taking is possible only if endorsed by the Senate. Previously, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu had stated the Government made no payment in relation to the Microsoft licenses during his term as prime-minister. We recall that several people, including ministers, have been prosecuted in the so-called Microsoft case, for acts of corruption in relation to license agreements concluded for schools, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.



    EC – On Thursday, the European Commission decided to send Romania a formal letter calling on the Romanian authorities to stop using the split VAT payment mechanism. According to the Commission, the mechanism runs counter to both the EU regulations in the field and the freedom to provide services. In another move, also on Thursday, the Commission noted that an energy producer in Romania – the Hunedoara Energy Complex – has received incompatible state aid amounting to 60 million Euros. According to the EC Representation in Romania, the state must recover the illegal aid and the related interests.



    JUDGE PANELS – On Friday, the High Court of Cassation and Justice will designate, by drawing lots, the members of the five-judge panels for 2018. There are four panels consisting of five judges, two for criminal and two for civil matters. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court admitted the notification filed by prime-minister Viorica Dancila regarding the formation of the 5-judge panels and decided there was a constitutional conflict between Parliament and the High court of Cassation and Justice. The Constitutional Court has decided that the latter should urgently take measures to form the 5-judge panels.



    EPP – On Thursday, the German politician Manfred Weber was elected candidate of the European Peoples Party (EPP) for the seat of president of the future European Commission (2019-2024). Weber, who got 80% of the votes, defeated the Finish Alexander Stubb. The Romanian parties members of EPP, the National Liberal Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians and Peoples Movement Party supported Weber. On Wednesday, the first day of the Congress, EPP adopted a resolution calling for the observance of the EUs fundamental values. The document reads that nationalist and populist extremism, disinformation, discrimination and failure to observe the rule of law are the biggest threats against freedom and democracy in Europe, after the fall of the Iron Curtain. We recall that the next EC is to be formed after next years elections for the European Parliament, due in spring.



    AIR BASE – On Friday, the Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor and his Canadian counterpart Harjit Singh Sajjan pay a visit to the Mihail Kogalniceanu air-base in south-eastern Romania. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the two officials will meet with the Canadian detachment deployed in Romania. The 135 Canadian soldiers are taking part in air policing missions, under NATO command.



    HANDBALL – The Romanian mens handball team Dinamo Bucharest defeated Ademar Leon of Spain on home turf on Thursday, in a match part of Champions Leagues Group D. The victory brought Dinamo 10 points and made it top of the group. The main contenders for the qualification to the play-offs, are Ademar Leon, with 9 points, and Wisla Plock (Poland) and Elverum (Norway) with 8 points each. This is the third season for Dinamo Bucharest in the most important inter-club competition in the world.

  • June 22, 2018 UPDATE

    June 22, 2018 UPDATE

    SENTENCE – The Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, decided in the emergency meeting held on Friday to support Liviu Dragnea further hold his public positions, namely, that of leader of the Social Democratic Party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. On Thursday, Dragnea was sentenced to prison for instigation to abuse of power by a court of first instance. The executive president of the Social Democratic Party, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, believes that Dragnea should benefit from the presumption of innocence until the final ruling, while the party vice-president and Interior Minister Carmen Dan claims that the sentence issued by the High Court of Cassation and Justice is politically motivated. The High Court of Cassation and Justice has said in a communique that Government and Parliament members do not have the legal competence to state that the application of the law is under the influence of the arbitary. The communique also says that the unfolding of judicial procedures in a state of law is based on the fact that judges are the only ones qualified to have a say on how grounded an accusation is, based on the evidence in the file. The right-wing opposition wants Dragnea to resign from his public offices.




    REVOLUTION CASE – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has submitted to the Minister of Justice Tudorel Toader the request for the criminal prosecution of the retired admiral Emil Cico Dumitrescu, investigated for crimes against humanity committed during the 1989 Revolution. The first post-communist president Ion Iliescu and the former prime-minister Petre Roman, as well as his deputy Gelu Voican Voiculescu are also being prosecuted in the Revolution case. They allegedly masterminded a military diversion, aimed to legitimize them as leaders of the power that took over after the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu attempted to flee, a diversion in which many people were wounded and killed and which caused significant material damage. 1,166 people died in the events of December 1989, 800 of them after the toppling of the Ceausescu regime.




    JUSTICE LAWS – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption, as soon as possible, of an interim decision of the Venice Commission as regards the justice laws in Romania is extremely necessary, state counsellor Bogdan Dima has said before the plenary session of the Venice Commission. The Law on the functioning of the Higher Council of Magistracy, just like the ones regarding judicial organization and the status of judges and prosecutors, is on the agenda of the talks that the chairman of the parliamentary committee in charge with the laws, Florin Iordache, is having at the plenary session of the Venice Commission, the advisory body of the Council of Europe in the field of constitutional law. Iordache has stated that the three bills are in line with the opinions expressed by the Venice Commission and do not affect the independence of the judiciary. A Venice Commission delegation has recently paid a visit to Bucharest, to analyze the justice laws. Their modification, in the form wanted by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society voices.




    DECISION – The EU Council has adopted a decision establishing that Romania has once again failed to take effective action to correct a significant budget deviation and is asked to take urgent measures in this respect. The Council issued a new recommendation, the third to Romania since June 2017 under the EUs significant deviation procedure. The Council recommends that Romania take measures to ensure that the nominal growth of net primary government expenditure does not exceed 3.3% in 2018 and 5.1% in 2019, representing an annual structural adjustment of 0.8% of GDP in both years. This will put Romania on an appropriate adjustment path towards its medium-term budgetary objective. Any windfall gains should be used for deficit reduction, and budgetary consolidation measures should secure a lasting improvement. The Council set a deadline of 15 October 2018 for Romania to report on action taken.




    CENTER – The Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor has announced that a recovery center for soldiers returned from theaters of operations abroad will be established near Targoviste, in southern Romania. Investment might start next year. The project is an initiative of the Veterans Association and of the Disabled Veterans Association.




    MILITARY DRILL — Troops, equipment and vehicles of the US Army have started to arrive in Romania and Bulgaria for a two-month rotation, in support of the Atlantic Resolve Operation, the Romanian Defense Ministry announced on Friday. The rotation of the ‘IRONHORSE’ brigade will start in Romania, with a part of equipment and troops going further, to Bulgaria. The American soldiers will train alongside Romanian troops from the air and land forces with a view to enhancing interoperability between the participating units, the release also reads.




    MOLDOVA — Moldova’s Court of Appeal endorsed on Thursday the invalidation of the early elections for the office of mayor of the capital Chisinau. The second round of the ballot was won on June 3rd by the representative of the pro-European opposition, Andrei Nastase, who defeated the pro-Russia socialist Ion Ceban. Nastase has announced he will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice and has called for street protests. The decisions made by the courts have already triggered protests in the country and reactions from the European Union and the US Embassy in Chisinau, who have called for the appeal procedures to be carried out in a transparent manner. In Bucharest, the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has warned that the invalidation of elections might affect the stability of the republic, and the right-wing opposition has voiced support for Nastase. If Nastases win is not validated by a higher instance, Chisinau will be headed by an interim mayor until the local election normally due next year.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)




  • June 19, 2018 UPDATE

    June 19, 2018 UPDATE


    JUSTICE LAWS – The Public Ministry has voiced concern over the way in which the Romanian Parliament endorsed a number of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to the Public Ministry, the observations and proposals made by the Higher Council of the Magistracy and magistrates professional associations were not taken into consideration. The changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure were endorsed on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making chamber of parliament on this matter, after the Senate had passed it as well. 175 Deputies voted in favour and 78 against.



    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court of Romania rejected as ungrounded the notifications filed by the opposition National Liberal Party and the High Court of Cassation and Justice concerning changes to the law on the status of judges and prosecutors. In its notification, the High Court had stated that the phrasing was general and imprecise, leading in turn to the impossibility of applying the law. The Constitutional Court also rejected president Klaus Iohannis notification concerning changes to the referendum law. One of the claims was that the document included provisions concerning the initiation and procedural steps in revising the Constitution, which fall outside its competence.



    PRESIDENCY– President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting on Tuesday with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, to discuss the forthcoming Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis stated that a compromise solution for the multi-annual budget must be balanced and meet the new priorities of the Union, such as border protection, migration, the ERASMUS programme, innovation and defense, and keep a substantial level of funding for traditional policies such as cohesion and the common agricultural policy. The President also stressed Bucharests determination to support the efforts to resume the full implementation of the Schengen system, adding that the consolidation of the visa-free area cannot be completed without the full integration of Romania and Bulgaria.



    US-ROMANIA– Romanias deputy PM for strategic partnerships Ana Birchall had a meeting on Tuesday with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell, as part of the 6th annual political meeting for Romania-US Strategic Dialogue. Ana Birchall emphasized Romanias interest in identifying and implementing new joint projects contributing to the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the US. She pointed out the huge potential in the fields of energy, IT and film industry. On the other hand, she requested the support of the American side for Romanias Visa Waiver application and thanked the US for its support to Romanias efforts to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On Monday, in an address at the University of Bucharest, the American official said Romania made progress towards a strong judicial system and must not backtrack on it. The US official added that the US appreciated the resilience of the Black Sea countries, but also warned against the danger posed by the influence of Russia and China in the region.



    TALKS – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu held talks in Brussels on Tuesday with the European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Gunther Oettinger and with the Commissioner for Research Carlos Moedas. During the meeting with Oettinger, Negrescu said that the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in the first half of 2019, will make efforts to conclude in the best of conditions several European files. Also, the Romanian official assured Commissioner Moedas that Romania will pay special attention to research and innovation.



    CHINA – At a meeting in Beijing with the North-Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Chinese President Xi Jinping voiced hope that North Korea and the US would implement the conclusions of last weeks summit in Singapore. International agencies report that the Pyongyang regime wants Chinas support to have international economic sanctions eased, in exchange for promises of denuclearization. The visit is Kims third to China since March.



    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champions CFR Cluj on Tuesday found out their potential opponents in the second preliminary round of the Champions League, following the UEFA draw in Nyon, Switzerland. CFR Cluj will play against the winner of the match between the Swedish squad Malmo FF and the winner of the competitions qualifiers. On Wednesday, vice champion FCSB (former Steaua Bucharest) and Viitorul Constanta will find out their opponents in the Europa League. The Romanian cup winners CSU Craiova will play straight into the third preliminary round.




  • June 12, 2018 UPDATE

    June 12, 2018 UPDATE


    VENICE COMMISSION – On Tuesday, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis met with a delegation of the Venice Commission, which is in Romania for talks on the modifications brought to the justice laws. At the end of the meeting, the head of state said he was looking forward to the specialists opinion. Also on Tuesday, the delegation held talks with members of the Special Parliamentary Committee in charge with the laws. Previously, the experts had met with judges of the Constitutional Court and asked for clarifications about the letter sent by the Court to several European institutions concerning the pressures that the court is allegedly subject to. On Monday, the delegation talked to the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader and the Prosecutor General Augustin Lazar. We recall that president Iohannis and the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have requested the opinion of the Venice Commission regarding the changes brought to the justice laws. The request was made against accusations launched by the right-wing opposition, part of the press and civic organizations according to which the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats are trying to stop the fight against corruption and get control over the magistrates. In another move, the Venice Commission has also been notified by the Constitutional Court of Romania about what the court magistrates say are attacks against the institution, following the courts opinion, which says that there is a legal constitutional conflict between the justice minister and the president of the country. The latter has rejected as ungrounded the request made by the justice minister regarding the removal from office of the head of the National Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi.



    RULING – Judges with the High Court of Cassation and Justice have postponed for June 29th the verdict in the case involving the former head of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism Alina Bica, businessman Dorin Cocos and his son. Bica is accused of aggravated abuse of office while employed as a secretary of state and representing the Justice Ministry in the Central Commission for Compensation Settlement within the National Authority for Property Restitution. The former chief of the anti-mafia prosecutors office is in Costa Rica, together with Dorin Cocos ex-wife, Elena Udrea, herself a former minister and tried for corruption. For a very long time, Elena Udrea was dubbed the most influential member of the ex-President Traian Basescus circle. The 2 have requested political asylum in Costa Rica.



    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in Romania went up to 5.4% in May, the highest level registered in the past five years. The increase occurred against the background of prices going up for foodstuffs, by almost 4%, for non-food products by almost 8% and for services by almost 3%. The National Bank of Romania has recently revised upwards, to 3.6%, the inflation rate forecast for the end of the year, and to 3% the inflation rate for the end of 2019.



    CONFERENCE– At a conference held on Tuesday under the title “We are inventing the future! Our bet on science!”, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis said that there is still a gap between Romania and Western Europe in economic and social terms and pointed out that Romanias modernisation in the future depends a great deal on its investment in innovation. Iohannis said that special attention needs to be paid to the development of major projects in strategic fields and that research is the key of any sustainable economic growth strategy. “Increased European funds absorption and private investment are a must for Romania to be able to develop its research infrastructure,” the head of state also said.



    SUMMIT– The US President Donald Trump has stated he is very proud of the outcome of his historic meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The latter has in turn promised that the world will see a major change. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have pledged to work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The American leader has given assurances that this process will start very soon and that the relationship with North Korea will be very different. According to Reuters, although the summit in Singapore marks only the beginning of a diplomatic process, it could fundamentally change the security landscape of Northeast Asia, just as former U.S. President Richard Nixons visit to Beijing in 1972 led to the transformation of China.



    THEATRE – The 25th International Theatre Festival continues in Sibiu (central Romania). This is the largest performing arts event in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. Some 60 events were held on Tuesday, the 5th day of the festival, including 14 street performances, 5 dance shows and 8 theatre performances. Thousands of artists from over 70 countries are performing every day both in theatre halls and in unconventional venues.



    HANDBALL– Romanias national womens handball team will play against Norway, Germany and the Czech Republic in group D of this years European Championships, according to the drawing of lots held on Tuesday in Paris. The final tour will take place between 29 November – 16 December. At the previous edition of the championships, two years ago, the Romanian squad came in 5th. On Wednesday, Romanias mens squad will play in Cluj, north-western Romania, against the Macedonian team, a decisive match in the qualifiers for the 2019 World Championship, to be hosted by Denmark and Germany. In the first game hosted by Skopje on Sunday, the Romanian handball players were defeated 24 – 32.


  • June 8, 2018 UPDATE

    June 8, 2018 UPDATE


    B9 FORMAT- On Friday in Warsaw, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda participated in the meeting of the Bucharest 9 Format, which includes NATO members from central and Eastern Europe. The participants adopted a joint declaration, about which the Romanian President said it reflects common evaluations and objectives focusing on strengthening Euro-Atlantic security. He also stated that NATOs eastern flank must be further consolidated. Also, the Romanian head of state has said that earmarking 2% of the GDP for defence and investing in modernizing the military capability are investments in a countrys own security and Romania has fulfilled its commitment to ensuring that. In turn, the Polish President Andrzej Duda has stated that the joint declaration will help the decision-making process at the NATO summit due in Brussels next month.



    CORRUPTION – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest has postponed for June 21st its ruling in the case in which the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea is accused of acts of corruption. Its the second time that the court postpones its verdict. The reason invoked was that part of the defendants in this case filed some written conclusions on June 7th, and the judges need time to study them. Last month, prosecutors of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate requested a sentence of 7 years and 5 months in prison for abuse of office and 2 years and 6 months for forgery. They say that Liviu Dragnea, during his term as president of the Teleorman County Council, ordered the fictitious employment of two Social Democratic party members by the Directorate for Social Work and Child Protection. The two were paid from public money although they allegedly worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Dragnea claims he is innocent and has denied prosecutors accusations. In 2016 Dragnea received a 2-year suspended prison sentence for attempted electoral fraud.



    DEFENCE – The very good cooperation in the field of defence, with focus on the British military contribution in Romania, was high on the agenda of the talks held in Brussels on Friday between the Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor and the British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. The Romania – Great Britain bilateral meeting was held on the second day of the NATO Defence Ministers summit, at the general headquarters of the Alliance, reads a communiqué issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry. Minister Fifor appreciated Great Britains active participation in air-policing missions and also its constant presence in the Black Sea, thus proving its commitment to NATOs deterrence and defence posture in the region. In turn, the British secretary of defence stressed that the fact that Romania is a regional stability factor and has a substantial contribution to maintaining security in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions.



    CEREMONY – General Nicolae Ciuca, the Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, will attend on Saturday the ceremony occasioned by the anniversary of the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the invitation of Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach, according to a communiqué issued by the Romanian Defence Ministry. This is recognition of the good cooperation between the two armies and an opportunity to promote at military level the interests of the Romanian Army in the relation with the British Army, one of its most important allies, the communiqué also reads.



    G7 – At the opening of the G7 summit hosted by Canada, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk blamed the US President Donald Trump for defying world order, France Presse reports. On Friday, the first day of the two-day summit, Donald Trump urged G7 to reintegrate Russia, which was expelled from the format in 2014, after annexing the Crimean Peninsula. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has stated that she expects difficult discussions at the summit, between Washington and its partners, especially with regard to international trade, climate protection, development and external policies.



    FESTIVAL- Almost 13 million Euros is the budget of this years edition of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, which started on Friday. Until June 17, the audience will have the opportunity to watch some 524 performances. The 25th edition of the festival has brought to Sibiu 3,300 artists from 73 countries. This is the first year when the festival has two honorary patrons: the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, a former mayor of Sibiu, and Prince Charles, the Heir to the British Crown, who is famous for his passion for the region of Transylvania, in central Romania.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings and first-seed at the Roland Garros, will play in the final against the American Sloane Stephens, no.10 in the WTA classification. In the semifinals, Halep defeated the Spanish Garbine Muguruza, number three in the world, and winner in Paris in 2016, while Sloane Stephens defeated her co-national Madison Keys (no.13 WTA). This is the third Roland Garros final for Simona Halep, after the ones in 2014 and 2017, which she did not manage to win.


  • May 15, 2018

    May 15, 2018

    ECONOMIC GROWTH – Latvia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania reported the biggest economic growth in the EU in the first quarter of 2018 as against the same period of 2017, according to preliminary data made public by the Eurostat on Tuesday. Romania has reported a 4.2% economic growth. Also, according to data made public by the Romanian Statistics Institute on Tuesday, Romania’s economy in the first quarter of the year went up by 4% on gross terms and by 4.2% on seasonally as against the same period last year.




    CONSULTATIONS – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Viorica Dancila held talks on Tuesday on the country’s foreign policy matters. On Monday, President Iohannis had sent the PM an official letter, inviting her to consultations on a number of issues, among which the bilateral ties between Romania and Israel, a possible relocation of Romania’s Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the latest developments in Middle East. The decision to hold consultations with PM Dancila was taken after President Iohannis had asked Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu for explanations on the reasons why Romania did not support the EU’s joint declaration regarding the relocation of some embassies to Jerusalem. We remind you that the Bucharest Government has already adopted a memorandum regarding the start of procedures for the relocation of the Romanian Embassy, but that the head of state made it clear that such decision cannot be taken without its approval.




    RULING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice in Bucharest is today discussing the final term of the trial in which the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea, is charged with abuse of office. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, when he was head of the Teleorman County Council Liviu Dragnea made several employees of the Social Assistance Directorate fictitiously hire two persons who were members of the Social Democratic Party’s local organization. Although the two were working exclusively for the Social Democratic Party, their salaries were paid from public money. We remind you that in 2016, the Court found Liviu Dragnea guilty of having local Social Democratic leaders take people to polls illegally, in order to make sure the referendum against the then president was validated, and gave him a 2-year suspended sentence.




    ISRAEL — Thousands of Palestinians are gathering again today at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, one day after the Israeli army killed almost 60 protesters and wounded around 2,400, according to France Press. Palestinian protests might also take place in the West Bank. The violence occurs in the context of the inauguration, on Monday, of the new American Embassy in Israel, based on a controversial decision by US President Donald Trump to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump’s decision was criticized by a large part of the international community and caused the rage of the Palestinians who want East Jerusalem to become the capital of their future independent state. Upon the initiative of Kuwait, the UN Security Council is meeting today. Turkey accused Israel of state terrorism and genocide, claiming that the US has its share of guilt. Paris also condemned the Israelis’ violent action against Palestinian protesters. Amnesty International representatives have spoken about war crimes and the EU and London have made an appeal for peace.




    HANDBALL – Romania’s AHC Potaissa of Turda, in north-western Romania defeated on Monday evening, on home turf, the Greek side AEK Athens 33-22, in the first leg of men’s Challenge Cup Final. The second leg will be played on Sunday in Athens. A year ago, AHC Potaissa Turda were left in tears after losing the men’s EHF Challenge Cup final against Sporting CP.(Translated by Elena Enache)

  • May 10, 2018

    May 10, 2018

    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry is confident that diplomatic efforts will continue towards a real progress and a final and sustainable solution to the Iranian file, reads a communiqué issued by the Ministry. Also, the document states that Romania will keep collaborating with the international community and the US, its main strategic partner, to properly manage the cases concerning nuclear programmes. Bucharests reaction comes after Washington decided to pull out from the nuclear agreement with Iran, against the background of a negative view of the US Administration regarding the policies promoted by Iran and the lack of real guarantees regarding regional policy and the development of its ballistic programme. The historic agreement was concluded in 2015, after 12 years of crisis and 21 months of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (the US, Russia, China France and Great Britain), plus Germany. The document provides for a limitation of the Iranian nuclear programme in exchange for lifting international sanctions. The EU has deeply regretted the USs decision to withdraw from the agreement.



    ROYALTY DAY – May 10th marks three major events in the Romanian history: the beginning of the rule of Carol I, state independence and the coronation of the first king of Romania. The events dedicated to Royalty Day started with a marathon and a military ceremony at the statue of King Carol I, honoring the memory of the founder of the national dynasty and of the Romanian state. Guests from across the country and also from the neighboring Republic of Moldova are expected at the Elisabeta Palace this afternoon to attend the already famous Garden Party. The day will end with the opening of the exhibition titled May 10th, Royalty Day”, organized under the auspices of the Royal House of Romania. The last king of Romania, Michael I, died last year, on December 5th, aged 96. He died in Switzerland, but he was buried on December 16th in Curtea de Arges in Romania, which is also the final resting place for his wife Queen Anne and the other three sovereigns of Romania.



    CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania is today debating the notification filed by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis regarding the law that clears all interdictions applied to MPs in the 2007-2013 period for conflict of interests. The head of state believes that the law lacks clarity and predictability. He has drawn attention to the fact that by removing these interdictions, the stability of the legislative framework is affected with regard to integrity and the law runs counter to the commitments made by Romania under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. We recall that under this mechanism, the European Commission has been monitoring the Romanian judiciary ever since the countrys EU accession in 2007.



    CORRUPTION – The High Court of Cassation and Justice might rule today on the Rovinari-Turceni case, in which the former prime-minister and Social Democratic leader Victor Ponta has been tried for forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, committed while he was a lawyer. The National Anticorruption Directorate has called for a sentence of imprisonment, and the High Court has so far postponed five times a ruling. Also on trial in the same case is the former Transport Minister and Social Democratic Senator Dan Sova, for accessory to influence peddling, forgery, aggravated tax evasion and money laundering. Prosecutors say that Victor Ponta, through his private practice, got from another law firm, Sova and Associates, the amount of 39,000 Euros for an alleged cooperation, which has not happened in reality. The aim was apparently to award Victor Ponta for the contracts that Sova and Associates concluded with the state-owned energy companies, says the Anticorruption Directorate.



    EUROVISION – The band The Humans is representing Romania at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest hosted by Lisbon with a song titled Goodbye. This evening the band will perform in the second semi-final of the contest, alongside soloists and bands from another 17 countries. 19 countries were represented in the first semi-final held on Tuesday, of which 10 have qualified for the final. Besides Portugal, which is the host country, the so called Eurovision Big Five (Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain and Spain) have qualified straight into the big final due on Saturday. Last year, Portugal won with a song titled Amar pelos dois, performed by Salvador Sobral.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings, is today playing against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, no.6 in the WTA classification, in the quarter finals of the WTA tournament in Madrid, with 6.7 million Euro in prize money. The two players have met seven times before, and the Romanian has won six times. Karolinas only success was at the 2016 Fed Cup. Simona Halep has won the latest two editions of the tournament hosted by the Spanish capital.

  • April 13, 2018 UPDATE

    April 13, 2018 UPDATE

    PROSECUTION — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday sent the Justice Minister a formal request to allow the prosecution of the former president Ion Iliescu, the former prime minister Petre Roman and the former deputy prime minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu. The prosecutors office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice has also been notified about this request. The prosecution is connected to the Revolution case, which investigates the events that led to the collapse of the communist regime in December 1989. The three officials are accused of crimes against humanity. According to prosecutors, the armed incidents that took place in the aftermath of December 22 across Romania point to a pre-established plan aimed at taking over power and legitimizing the new leaders. Those targeted by the investigation say they are innocent. We recall that because of the delays in the Revolution case, Romania has received a conviction from the European Court of Human Rights. According to the Court, the importance of this case for Romanian society should motivate the authorities to prosecute swiftly.



    DNA — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis next week will announce his decision over the request to dismiss the chief-prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruta Kovesi. The President recently said his decision will take into account all the documents that he has been provided with by both parties. In February Justice Minister Tudorel Toader called for Kovesi’s dismissal, whom he accused of seriously overstepping the bounds of her authority. The Superior Council of Magistracy issued a negative opinion related to his request.



    LE DRIAN — French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has cancelled his work visits scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Albania and Slovenia due to the crisis in Syria, authorities in Tirana in Ljubljana have announced. After his visit to Romania Le Drian visited Serbia, where he admitted his tour coincides with very delicate international developments.



    UDREA — The High Court of Cassation and Justice on Friday ruled against the request filed by former minister Elena Udrea who asked to be deposed in court by video-conference or letters rogatory, in the Bute Gala case, as there is no evidence she was granted political refugee status in Costa Rica, as her lawyers claim. The Court was supposed to discuss on Friday the final hearing in the case in which the former regional development and tourism minister Elena Udrea was sentenced to 6 years in prison for bribe taking and abuse of office. She also had to pay almost 3 million euros in damages. In the same case, the former president of the Romanian Boxing Federation Rudel Obreja was sentenced to 5 years in prison, while the former economy minister Ion Ariton was acquitted. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, Udrea coordinated a system through which persons in her entourage received, with her knowledge, sums of money from representatives of business companies to guarantee on-time payment of works financed by the ministry she was running. Udrea is also accused of causing ministry employees to overstep their duties during the acquisition of advertising services for the Bute Gala, causing losses to the ministrys budget. Elena Udrea is under investigation in a number of other cases prosecuted by the National Anticorruption Directorate.



    HEALTHCARE — Trade unions in the healthcare sector will announce within a week whether protests will continue, waiting to see the effects of the promised made on Friday by Health Minister Sorina Pintea. According to the Romanian official, hospitals can use their own funds to give financial bonuses and stimulants to employees with slashed revenues. Last month healthcare unionists staged large protests in Bucharest, while this week they protested spontaneously in Bucharest and other cities, unhappy with the 30% cap on bonuses.



    HANDBALL — The Romanian womens handball side SCM Craiova on Saturday face the Turkish side Kastamonu in a return match at home as part of the EHF Cup semifinals. Craiova won the first leg 23-22. If they make it to the final, it would be a first for the Romanian side, who are now at their second participation in the European cups. In more news from womens handball, the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest are playing the French side Metz away on Sunday as part of the Champions League quarterfinals. CSM won the first leg in Bucharest 34-21. We recall they won the Champions League title in 2016.


    (Translated by C. Mateescu & V. Palcu)

  • February 28, 2018

    February 28, 2018


    ANTI CORRUPTION – The Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate in Romania, Laura Codruta Kovesi, has today presented the 2017 activity report of the institution she has headed since May 2013. She has stated that last year was a difficult year for the fight against corruption, as it was fiercely challenged and questioned. Despite that, Mrs. Kovesi has announced that the anticorruption prosecutors solved more than 3800 cases, which is a record for the institution, and forfeited goods worth more than 200 million Euros. The presentation of the report comes against the background of the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader starting last week the procedure to dismiss Laura Codruta Kovesi. The final decision in this matter lies with the president of the country, Klaus Iohannis, who has stated that the Directorate and its leadership have been doing a very good job. Today, the head of state has said that he is waiting for a number of documents to substantiate his decision, stressing though that, quote we are far from dismissal.



    VISIT – The first vice-president of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights Frans Timmermans will be paying a formal visit to Bucharest on Thursday. According to the European Commission Representation in Romania, he will meet with president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the speakers of the two chambers of parliament, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea. Timmermans will also hold meetings with representatives of the judiciary and members of the parliamentary committee set up to amend the justice laws.



    JUSTICE – Romanian President Klaus Iohanniss competence to appoint judges for the offices of president and vice-president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice comes in violation of the constitutional competence of the Superior Council of Magistracy, reads the Romanian Constitutional Courts decision on the modifications brought to the status of judges and prosecutors. On January 30th, the Constitutional Court advised that the law was, in its entirety, constitutional as regarded the criticism formulated by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the National Liberal Party. Among other things, these modifications stipulate that the president and vice-presidents of the High Court of Cassation and Justice are appointed by Romanias president, based on the proposals made by the Judges Department of the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the head of state cannot refuse these appointments. The Constitutional Court noted that the presidents responsibility would be devoid of content if he would not be able to refuse the appointment of a magistrate, but the elimination of this right does not raise constitutionality issues, as it allows a stronger role to be played by the Superior Council of Magistracy as guarantor of the independence of the judiciary.



    MOTION – The National Liberal Party has today filed in plenary sitting of the Chamber of Deputies a simple no-confidence motion against the Education Minister Valentin Popa. According to the Liberals, what the coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has done with regard to education, was to close schools in the year in which we celebrate 100 years since the Great Union, to sack inspectors via fax machines because they failed to comply with the directions set by the party, and hold examinations outside the law. Also, the school dropout rate is on the rise, young people have no possibility to learn about trades in school, and diplomas are far from attesting competences. All these, the Liberals say, are alarm signals that call for an urgent dismissal of the education minister. The leader of the Liberal Group in the Chamber of Deputies Raluca Turcan has stated that this should happen before it is too late.



    EXTREME WEATHER – Europe keeps being affected by the bad weather caused by a cold wave from Siberia. Severe weather warnings are in place in many countries neighboring Romania, and more roads and highways are likely to be closed. In Bulgaria, for instance, codes red and orange warnings have been issued for blizzard and frost. The Romanian Foreign Ministry has issues travel warnings for Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, France, Sweden and Ireland, which are all under codes yellow and orange for heavy snow, blizzard and frost. Extremely low temperatures have also been recorded in central Europe, in countries like Germany, Italy and Spain. From the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, the cold wave, dubbed the Beast from the East by the British media, has claimed at least 24 lives in the past days and has severely hampered traffic. On the other hand, the Arctic region is faced with abnormally high temperatures, spiking over 30 degrees. (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)




  • Scandal rocks Romania’s Anti-Corruption Directorate

    Scandal rocks Romania’s Anti-Corruption Directorate

    An institution highly appreciated abroad, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate in Romania is at the heart of a huge scandal. In a television show, a former Social Democratic MP, Vlad Cosma, who has been sentenced to 5 years in prison by a court of first instance, launched grave accusations against some anti-corruption prosecutors in Prahova County, in the south.



    Cosma claimed he had been asked to plant evidence in a case involving the former Social Democrat PM Victor Ponta and businessman Sebastian Ghita, who later fled the country to Serbia. Vlad Cosma produced audio recordings to substantiate his allegations.



    In response, the chief of the anti-corruption unit in Prahova, Lucian Onea, has told a press conference that the institution he runs has never tampered with evidence or made illegal deals with defendants.



    Shortly after the accusations were made public, the judicial inspection corps has announced that it will run checks to identify possible cases of misconduct. Meanwhile, the Forensics and Prosecution Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is running its own investigations, further to complaints filed after the Ploiesti tapes were made public.



    Moreover, the civil society representatives in the Higher Council of Magistracy, Romeo Chelariu and Victor Alistar, believe that “the most serious blow to the independence of the judiciary would be to sweep this grave distortion of judicial powers under the rug and to fail to take steps to correct the system.” They also believe this is not the only case of this kind in the Romanian judicial system.



    Observers have mixed opinions on the matter. On the one hand, there are those who are deeply concerned with the practices revealed by the former Deputy Vlad Cosma. Many of them talk about a so-called “illegitimate parallel state” which is attempting to seize power in spite of the latest legislative elections won by the Social Democrats.



    Furthermore, if the allegations prove correct, some say we could identify political police elements in Romania. Voices in the Social Democratic Party claim that under these circumstances Laura Codruta Kovesi, the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, must go.



    The other side consists in supporters of the Romanian anti-corruption watchdog. They dismiss claims concerning a parallel power circle and say Cosma’s accusations are aimed at staining the prosecutors and police officers whose efforts to curb corruption have interfered with the interests of certain politicians and businessmen.



    These allegations should not be subject to political debate, the right-wing Opposition argues, but if they are proved then obviously justice must take its course.


  • March 13, 2017 UPDATE

    March 13, 2017 UPDATE

    PM’s Hour — The Romanian PM Sorin Grindeanu on Monday explained to Romania’s deputies why his cabinet issued emergency decrees no. 6 and no. 9 which eliminate the budgetary spending caps for public authorities and suspend sanctions for exceeding the approved limits. Grindeanu responded to the accusations brought by the opposition Liberal Party that harshly criticized the two decrees and asked for their urgent cancellation. According to the Liberals through these orders huge sums of money could be channeled towards the Social Democratic Party’s clientele and fundamental articles in the fiscal responsibility law are canceled. The PM asked parliamentarians to set aside political interests and work together for the well being of citizens. He underlined that Romania had to develop given that more than 60% of rural households have outdoor toilets and people have poor access to education and healthcare services. Both emergency decrees have been passed by the Senate and will next reach the Chamber of Deputies, which acts as a decision maker in this case.



    Corruption Verdict – The magistrates of the High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed for the 28th of March a verdict in a case known as the Bute Gala involving the former development minister Elena Udrea and seven other persons. They are accused of bribe taking, abuse of office and attempt to use false documents and statements to obtain European funds illegally. In essence, prosecutors accuse the defendants of illegal use of public funds to finance a sports event organized by a private company and signing a contract with this company to purchase services although the law did not allow it. Previously, prosecutors requested that Elena Udrea be given close to maximum sentence in prison, given that she played the biggest role in the perpetration of the incriminated deeds. The National Anticorruption Directorate also requested that the former economy minister Ion Ariton be given a prison sentence. The former minister and MP Elena Udrea is the subject of several other criminal investigations.



    Detention Conditions — Romania’s Senate on Monday voted a number of amendments to the Law on the execution of sentences and other custodial measures. The amendments stipulate, among other things, that a detention space smaller than 4 square meters per person should be deemed inappropriate, and the detainees being held in such conditions should receive a reduction of their sentence of 3 days per month. The draft law was supported by all parliamentary parties. The opposition National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union say they voted for the amendments, but consider that, in order to solve the situation of Romanian penitentiaries, the authorities should build new prisons and take alternative measures such as house arrest and the introduction of bracelets. The bill will be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, a decision-maker in this case.



    Migrant Workers Abuse – The Romanian Embassy in Rome and the Consulate in Catania have taken the first steps in their relation with the Italian authorities regarding the situation disclosed by The Observer regarding the Romanian women abused at the work place in Italy, the Romanian Foreign Ministry pointed out. The Romanian consul in Catania will meet with the prefect in Ragusa (Sicily) during the week. The statements of the Romanian Foreign Ministry come after on Sunday the British weekly The Observer published an investigation according to which as many as 7,500 Romanian women farm workers in the Sicilian province of Ragusa, in Italy, are victims of abuse, including threats and sexual assault, which are perpetrated with almost total impunity. The authors of the article spoke to ten Romanian women working on farms in Ragusa who described their exploitation and sexual abuse as routine occurrences. They say they are forced to work 12 hours a day in extreme heat, with no water and without pay and to live in degrading and unsanitary conditions in isolated outbuildings. They are often subject to physical violence, threatened at gunpoint and blackmailed with threats to their children and family.



    Supreme Council of National Defense — Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense will meet on March 21, the Presidential Administration has announced. The talks will focus on Romania’s mandate at the NATO summit in Brussels to be held on May 24 and 25 and on issues related to equipping the armed forces. The participants will assess the activity of the institutions operating in the security field in 2016 and their targets for 2017. The meeting will also tackle other issues of interest to national security. At the previous meeting of January 31, the Supreme Council approved the budgets of the institutions operating in the national security domain included in the state budget bill for 2017.



    Foreign Affairs — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, on Monday discussed with ambassadors from countries in the Asia-Pacific region accredited to Bucharest. Talks focused on extending and diversifying bilateral cooperation in such fields as energy, IT and communications, agriculture and farming and food industry. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, minister Meleşcanu highlighted the importance the Romanian government grants to promoting Romania’s relations with the countries in that area, namely China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam.



    Diplomatic Dispute — EU and NATO officials have made an appeal for calm and have asked Turkey to refrain from exaggerated declarations and actions in its disputes with the Netherlands and Germany, which could fuel the escalation of the existing tension. Appeals come against the backdrop of souring diplomatic relations, over the past days, between Ankara and several European capitals that denied access to certain Turkish officials who intended to participate in meetings meant to support the Turkish expatriates in Europe to vote in a referendum on the modification of the Constitution. The referendum is scheduled for April and the amendments to the constitution would grant enhanced powers to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Previously Germany, Austria and Switzerland had refused to approve of pro-Erdogan meetings. The Turkish minister for European affairs Omer Celik said Monday that, in the current context, Ankara should reanalyze segments of the agreement on immigration concluded with the EU. (translation by L. Simion)

  • Verdict in the Microsoft case

    Verdict in the Microsoft case

    In the Microsoft case, dubbed by the Romanian media as one of the most spectacular in the judiciary history of post-Communist Romania, the High Court of Cassation and Justice has sentenced all four defendants to prison, under a final ruling. Two well-known business people, Dorin Cocos and Nicolae Dumitru, the former Communications Minister Gabriel Sandu and the former mayor of Piatra-Neamt Gheorghe Stefan have received, in total, 14 years in prison.



    Also, the High Court has decided to seize more than 17 million Euros from the four. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, in April 2004, the renting contract for Microsoft licenses was concluded in onerous conditions for the state budget and allowed the payment of significant commissions to those involved. A bribe of 60 million Euro and a damage to the state budget of 27 million Euros were the main accusations.



    Prosecutors investigated the contracts on the basis of which, during several governments, the education system benefited from IT licenses that were far too many and way too expensive than the real needs would have required. In exchange for those customized contracts, which are by no means an exception in the Romanian public institutions’ procurement policy, decision-makers and business people benefited from unjustified commissions.



    Dorin Cocos, although known as a successful and discreet businessman, seems to have been the big fish in this case. Close, for years, to the former head of state Traian Basescu, Cocos, just like many other so-called local tycoons, did not stay away from public contracts, which actually, according to the media, is the very foundation of the huge empire that he managed to build.



    Gheorghe Stefan, also known as Pinalti, a nickname he got thanks to his passion for football, was the perfect example of a small town mayor with a huge influence in the ruling party. In turn, the former communications minister Sandu, did nothing, as he himself confessed, but collect money for the party, before the presidential elections of 2009, won by Traian Basescu. Stefan and Sandu were members of the Liberal Democratic Party, which subsequently merged with the National Liberal Party.



    The Microsoft case, another resounding victory for the National Anticorruption Directorate, says a lot about a vicious and toxic system, in which politicians and business people join forces to achieve their own, personal pecuniary interests, where parties place unsuitable people in the upper layers of the public administration, and political parties get funding by tapping the public budget.