Radio România Internațional

Tag: holidays

  • The conclusions of the Labour Day and Easter holiday

    The conclusions of the Labour Day and Easter holiday

    Around 25,000 police, gendarmerie and border police forces, as well as fire fighters were in action every day to ensure citizens’ safety over the Labour Day and Easter holiday, said the interior ministry in Bucharest. Special attention was given to tourist resorts, churches, places hosting public events, train stations, airports and other busy areas. Over 200 public events were monitored, attended by around 170,000 people. On Easter Eve, the security forces conducted patrols around Romania’s 12,000 churches, attended by 2.6 million people for the midnight service.

    Law enforcement authorities said they noticed fewer problems this year compared with last year, namely 37.5% fewer burglaries and 42.8% fewer serious road accidents, with 47.8% fewer persons sustaining injuries in road accidents and 13% fewer casualties. Emergency situation crews carried out 1,540 actions, 60 of which aimed at extinguishing fires. The police handed out around 60,000 fines over the holiday, amounting to almost 5 million euros, the spokeswoman for the interior ministry Monica Dajbog said on Tuesday. 4,500 motorists who were considered a threat to public safety lost their driving licences, 600 of them for drunk driving and 87 for driving while under the influence of drugs and other banned substances.

    The authorities also conducted checks on the Black Sea coast, at the Sunwaves festival in Mamaia, one of the most popular techno music festivals in eastern Europe. The police found dozens of young people who were in possession of drugs and who are now subject to criminal investigations. The police also arrested foreign citizens intending to sell high risk drugs, such as ecstasy, cocaine and ketamine.

    On the other hand, the hoteliers in Mamaia, a resort stretching over 8 km with 30,000 accommodation places, are complaining that people didn’t really flock to their resort; while tourists are complaining of very high prices and often subpar services in hotels and restaurants. Employers in the hospitality industry say there has been a shortage of local labour and skilled labour for some years now, which is why many are hiring workers from South Asia, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

  • December 30, 2023 UPDATE

    December 30, 2023 UPDATE


    INVOICING Electronic invoicing will become compulsory in Romania as of January 1 for all B2B transactions. The system entails benefits particularly in terms of curbing VAT frauds, the finance minister Marcel Boloş told a press conference. He also said that those who will not use the e-Invoicing system may receive penalties of 3 to 10 years in prison, if the new law on fighting economic and financial crime passes the Constitutional Court review. The authorities count on additional revenues of EUR 1 bln. Minister Boloş also said that in December the national tax authoritys directorate for large taxpayers secured a record-high total of EUR 3.2 bln in state budget revenues. In fact, this month was also exceptional in terms of revenues from EU funding, which exceeded EUR 2.6 bln.



    INSURANCE The government extended a cap on the price of compulsory motor insurance policies, which will stay at the level in February 2023 until March next year. The cap will stay in place for as long as it is necessary for market regulation, but in 3-month stages, the government spokesman Mihai Constantin announced. The Cabinet also passed a bill making insurance compulsory for electric bikes and scooters, but exempting electrically powered wheelchairs used by people with disabilities from compulsory insurance.



    POLICE Close to 24,000 interior ministry staff will be on duty during the 4-day New Years holiday, while road traffic will be monitored by 360 radar speed guns and DUI check teams. Also, around 5,000 fire-fighters are on duty every day around the country, to provide emergency assistance if necessary. The border police also took steps to enhance border monitoring and to streamline vehicle and person transit at checkpoints. Meanwhile, the authorities announced having seized over 100 tonnes of fireworks kits and opening more than 500 criminal investigations in this respect, and have once again called on parents not to buy firecrackers for their children as such materials may be extremely dangerous.



    POLL The activities carried out part of the Timişoara – European Capital of Culture 2023 programme, including the Constantin Brâncuşi exhibition, received the most votes (29%) to be designated the event of the year 2023 in Romania, in a survey carried out by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES). According to the poll, the second event that marked Romania in 2023 was the qualification of the national football team to the final tournament of the European Championship – UEFA EURO 2024, which will take place next summer in Germany (24% of responses). Regarding culture and free time, 58% of the survey respondents said that they read at least one book in 2023, and 41% that they also bought books, 36% went to a show, and 20% went to a stadium or attended a sports competition. More than three quarters of the survey participants (76%) stated that they went to church this year.



    UKRAINE Fridays massive Russian strikes on Ukraine, which killed at least 30 people and wounded over 160 others, are “appalling assaults” the UN deputy secretary general Mohamed Khiari said in a Security Council meeting in New York. Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation as the largest Russian air attack since the start of the war, with close to 160 missiles and drones hitting a maternity ward, educational facilities, and other industrial, military and civilian targets. NATO member Poland also reported the violation of the Polish airspace by a Russian missile. The strikes triggered large-scale international condemnation, with the US president Joe Biden calling on Congress to take immediate steps to send fresh aid to Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russias ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya blamed the toll on the misuse of Ukraines air defence systems, “the use of which has led to the deaths of civilians.” (AMP)


  • Reminiscing about Christmases past

    Reminiscing about Christmases past

    The taste of winter holidays, with carollers, traditional dishes and the warmth of old stoves, is recreated year after year at the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum in Bucharest. And because the first snow this winter has already fallen in the capital city, we checked in to see what the Museum has in store for us this year. Here is museum curator Eugen Ion, with details:


    Eugen Ion: “This seasons Customs and Traditions Festival, which we organise every year, took place on the 9th and 10th of December, with caroller parades held on the museum alleys and of course a fair of traditional craftsmen, which is also a regular feature in all the events that our museum hosts.”



    We asked Eugen Ion where the carollers came from this year:


    Eugen Ion: “There were several regions, we had carollers coming from Focşani, Suceava, Bistriţa Năsăud, Sighetul Marmaţiei, Mureş, Teleorman, from many parts of the country. Each caroller group comes with their own accessories. For instance, we have the Bears of Preuteşti, Suceava, who come in bear costumes, we have the Watchmen of Dolheşti, also in Suceava County, who perform in unique costumes reminding of the guards of the old times, the Cununiţa Group from Bistriţa Năsăud, who come dressed in traditional outfits, and other caroller groups from other parts of the country. Basically we recreate the traditions preserved in those areas. A lot of guests visit the fair, and because this year it has snowed already, it was truly dream-like.”



    Cununiţa Group from Ilva Mare, in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, presented a folk theatre play: “Belciugarii” or the Goat Dance. The plot is based on the most common occupation in the region, which is sheep breeding. On Christmas Eve, the group of carollers go from door to door and delight villagers with this ancient tradition. The characters are the shepherd, which takes care of the goats, and the bear that tries to attack the herds. There is also a flute and clarinet player. The group is made up of 20 people, performers and carollers.



    Coming from Tulcea is the group of “Moşoaie” (midwives) who perform carols accompanied by the bells worn by carollers on their footwear. They also wear masks made of painted pumpkins, designed to chase away evil spirits. And since a lot of Turkish and Tatar ethnics live in the region as well, on the Moşoaie Festival the tradition has it for the Turks to welcome the Moşoaie in their homes and for the Romanian locals to make “baklava”, a typically Turkish dessert.



    In the villages of Bukovina, masked carollers go around in groups comprising a number of different characters: the bear, goat, deer, horses, the devils, the doctors, and so on. The bear dance is a New Years tradition specific to the eastern part of the country, Moldavia. The bear is played by a young man who wears animal fur adorned with red tassels on his head and shoulders. He is accompanied by the bear leader, followed by musicians and by an entire group of other characters, including a child who plays the bear cub. In the beat of drums and the sound of flute, the bear grunts and stomps the ground, mimicking the slow steps of a real bear. The custom is believed to purify the ground and make it fertile for the new year, and is believed to be rooted in an ancient Thracian cult.



    This year, the “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum is also hosting a Carolling Workshop. Eugen Ion gave us more details:


    Eugen Ion: “The carolling workshop is organised by Naomi Guttman, a graduate of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest. Children are taught how to play carols on traditional musical instruments, and there are two age groups, one for 7-11 year-olds and the other one for teenagers aged 12 to 15.”



    We also asked museum curator Eugen Ion why it is important to educate children about traditional Romanian carols:


    Eugen Ion: “They are a core part of Romanian culture. These are very old traditions, even older than the rise of Christianity in our part of the world. Basically, it is the very essence of the Romanian nation, and it is vital for us to preserve this essence. We are also conducting a campaign these days to collect presents for children in special care centres. The campaign is called “Paving the way for good deeds,” and will end on the 20th December. People interested in donating new clothes and toys may come to our special area designated for donations.”



    On New Years, in traditional households and in urban communities alike, the tradition of going door to door performing old songs and dances like Sorcova, Pluguşorul, the Goat or the Bear Dance is still preserved. “Pluguşorul” and the “Sorcova”, performed on New Years Day, are believed to bring prosperity and wealth for the hosts, while those who would not welcome the carollers during the winter holidays are said to be in for a bad year, with difficulties and poverty. (AMP)

  • January 2, 2022 UPDATE

    January 2, 2022 UPDATE

    Covid — 958 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, alongside 17 deaths – the Strategic Communication Group announced on Sunday. Health experts say that the 5th pandemic wave will reach Romania in the first weeks of 2022 and estimate that a threshold of 25,000 infections per day could be reached. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that the law on the introduction of the so-called COVID green certificate could be adopted either in a special session of parliament or by government decree. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have been vaccinated with the so-called booster dose.



    Finance — For January 2022 the Romanian Finance Ministry planned loans from commercial banks worth 4.4 billion lei, of which 300 million lei through the issuance of discounted treasury bonds and 4.1 billion lei through ten government bond issues. Adding to these could be the amount of 615 million lei, through additional sessions of non-competitive offers, related to bond auctions. The total amount of 5.015 billion lei (the equivalent of over one billion Euros) will be used to refinance the public debt and to finance the state budget deficit.



    Handball — Romanias national mens handball team starts training for the preliminary qualifying tournament for the World Championship, to be held in Cluj-Napoca (northwest). Between January 7-9, 2022, the Romanian handballers will meet the national teams of Israel, Cyprus and the Republic of Moldova, opponents considered accessible by the specialized press. Last week, Romania played, also in Cluj, two training matches with the Turkish national team, which it won 26-24 and 35-25, respectively. The friendly matches replaced, in the schedule of the two teams, a new edition of the traditional Carpathian Trophy, which was canceled, after numerous players contaminated with COVID-19 were identified in the groups of the other two participants, Switzerland and Iran. Romanias coach is the famous Spanish coach Xavi Pasqual, who won the Champions League with Barcelona three times.



    Pay rise — Since January 1, the minimum gross salary in Romania has increased to 2,550 lei (the equivalent of about 510 Euros), the pension point to 1,586 lei (320 Euros), and the minimum social allowance increased to 1,000 lei (200 Euros). Allowances for children aged 2 to 18 also increased to 243 lei (about 49 Euros), and to 600 lei (about 120 Euros) for children up to two years or up to three years in the case of disabled children. However, the level of excise duties for almost all product categories – petrol, diesel oil, beer, wine and spirits – is also increasing, the only exception being for cigarettes. For the approximately 3.7 million consumers who have not yet concluded a free-market contract, electricity tariffs increase by 50 up to 90%, depending on the supplier, but people will not pay increased bills now, because they have been capped and will be compensated from the state budget until March 31, 2022. Analysts warn that increases in pensions and salaries will not be felt by the population, tough, as these increases come in the context of price rises, which will continue in the next period.



    Energy – Romanian energy experts expect the Romgaz National Natural Gas Company to sign, this spring, the contract to take over the shares of the American operator ExxonMobil in the Neptune Deep perimeter of the Black Sea, which would ensure Romanias energy independence for many years. The Neptune Deep perimeter in the Black Sea has the largest gas reserve discovered so far off the Romanian coast, which is estimated at over 80 billion cubic meters and having an uncertain potential of up to 200 billion. Given that today Romanias consumption is up to 12 billion cubic meters per year, this perimeter is the equivalent of the national consumption for at least eight years. According to initial plans, with the start of operations, Neptun Deep could provide two billion cubic meters of gas in the first year, just enough for Romania to become independent of imports. Production is going to increase annually to six billion, after which it will decrease with the gradual depletion of the gas amount in the depths. The shareholders of Romgaz, a company owned by the Romanian state, have already approved this takeover and thus the company will become an equal partner, within the Neptun Deep project, with another company partly owned by the Romanian state, Petrom. Following the expected change in the offshore law, gas exploration in the Neptune Deep perimeter could begin in 2026-2027.



    Borders – The Border Police supplemented the personnel and the checkpoints at Romania’s western border where the traffic has intensified. Many Romanians who work abroad leave Romania after the holidays, consequently, traffic has intensified at the Romanian-Hungarian border. At the Nadlac II Border Point, one of the busiest border-crossing points at the border with Hungary, eight control lanes have been opened for cars leaving Romania, to which two mobile stations are added.



    Schools — Secondary and high school pupils resume classes on Monday after the winter break alongside the students of the vocational and post-compulsory education system. According to the timetable approved by the Education Ministry pupils in the preschool and primary education system will end the winter holidays on January 9. The first semester will end on January 14, and the second semester will begin on January 17. The next holiday, namely the spring (Easter) holiday will be between April 15 and May 1. (LS)

  • Crowding in border checkpoints

    Crowding in border checkpoints

    As it happens every year, the Romanians living abroad
    are beginning to come home these days to spend their winter holidays with their
    families. This is the second Christmas and New Year’s that people will
    celebrate under pandemic restrictions.


    The new rules for entering Romania, introduced by the
    authorities on December 10 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus
    variant, Omicron, are making checkpoints even more crowded than usual. Many Romanians
    are not vaccinated and unaware of the new restrictions.


    Those who come from outside the EU must present a PCR
    test not older than 48 hours. Those who test negative, even if unvaccinated or
    not recovered from the disease, will have to isolate for 10 days, while
    travellers without a test will have to quarantine for 14 days.


    For those who come from the EU, the requirements
    include the digital certificate confirming vaccination, recovery from the
    disease or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. The rules apply for
    both Romanian and foreign nationals.


    Border police warn that, because people are not aware
    of these regulations, at the Nădlac 2 checkpoint on Romania’s western border, in
    8 hours as many as 1,400 people were quarantined either for 10 or for 14 days. And
    with the quarantine documents requiring time to fill in, the waiting times at
    the border are even longer.


    In order to avoid crowding, the number of agents and
    of lanes has been increased in most border points. But even so, people are
    waiting for as long as 2 hours to get into Romania.


    And so do lorries and trucks. Customs officers and
    border police say their number has been on the rise since mid-November, when fruit
    and vegetable imports went up, and the processing capacity stayed the same.


    According to border police, these days at the southern
    border, with Bulgaria, truck drivers have been waiting for as long as 2 hours, on
    the western border, in Borş 2, waiting times are around one hour, and in the
    north-east, at the Ukrainian border, the longest waiting time is 2 hours, at
    the Siret checkpoint. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • The Week in Review (6-12.12.2021)

    The Week in Review (6-12.12.2021)

    The state of alert has been extended in Romania, but sanitary measures have been eased for the winter holidays period



    The state of alert instated in Romania in the context of the coronavirus pandemic has been extended for another 30 days as of December 9th, but the government has eliminated several restrictions against the backdrop of a lower number of contaminations. Therefore, protective masks are no longer mandatory in open, uncrowded spaces, and access to enclosed premises will be also allowed to unvaccinated people who present a negative Covid test result. Also the ban on people’s movement at night after 11 p.m. has been lifted. On Christmas and New Year’s Eve, restaurants will be open at half of their capacity but only for the vaccinated people, those who have had the disease or who have a negative test result. In another development, the vaccination rate remains low. Since the onset of the vaccination campaign on December 27, 2020, more than 7.8 million people have been vaccinated, of whom 7.6 million are fully vaccinated.



    New rules on entering Romania to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron



    The Romanian authorities have adopted stricter measures for those who enter Romania, to prevent the spread of the new virus strain, Omicron. As of December 10, people coming to Romania from outside the EU will have to provide a negative PCR test result not older than 48 hours. The unvaccinated people and those who have not had the disease but do provide a negative test result will be quarantined for 10 days. If they fail to provide the test, the quarantine period will be 14 days. Rules are different for people coming from EU countries. Just as before, they need to present the green certificate attesting that they are vaccinated, have had the disease in the past 180 days or have a negative PCR test result obtained 72 hours before the trip at the most. These rules apply to both Romanian and foreign citizens. The measures will be applied until January 8, at midnight.



    Authorities are drafting Romania’s 2022 budget



    Romania’s state budget for 2022 will be drafted without introducing new taxes and any changes to the taxation system will be made in a predictable way following dialogue with the private business environment, said the finance minister Adrian Cârciu. In turn, the labor minister Marius Budăi announced that he signed and sent for approval two emergency decrees which are to be approved soon by the governing coalition made up of the PNL-PSD-UDMR. The first decree provides for an increase in child allowances and the second for an increase in the pension point and the minimum pension, which will thus go up from 800 lei to 1,000 lei (about 200 Euros). The governing coalition intends to forward the 2022 draft budget to Parliament by December 24.



    NATO and the eastern flank



    NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on the Allies, at the Aspen forum in Bucharest, to invest in critical infrastructure and diminish dependance on the resources coming from states that are potential adversaries. Jens Stoltenberg has labelled Russia and China the main global actors that undermine the world order which is based on rules, and that are both acting in areas that have become essential for the security of the democratic space. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has spoken in favor of boosting the NATO military presence on the eastern flank and of fully equipping the Alliance to be able to face challenges coming from Russia. Klaus Iohannis and the other European leaders that are part of the B9 format have had consultations with the American President Joe Biden who has shared the results of his recent talks with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Klaus Iohannis considers it necessary to boost the NATO and US military presence in Romania and the Black Sea region. In turn, the White House leader promised additional military capabilities to the NATO members in Central Europe and clearly highlighted his commitment to Article 5 in the Alliance Treaty, which stipulates that an attack against an ally is considered an attack against everybody.



    The Moldovan PM Natalia Gavriliţa visits Romania



    The PM of Moldova, an ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Natalia Gavriliţă on Thursday paid a visit to Bucharest where she was received by President Klaus Iohannis. He reiterated Bucharest’s commitment to granting its full support to the Republic of Moldova in the processes of transformation, modernization and implementation of reforms in such domains as energy, transports, information society, green transition, justice and education, in the spirit of the Strategic Partnership for European integration. Previously, the Moldovan PM had met her Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă, who announced that the two parties wanted to conclude, as soon as possible, a new agreement on granting non-reimbursable financial assistance to Moldova, after the expiry of the former agreement this year. Natalia Gavriliţă believes that a better economic, commercial and infrastructure integration of Romania and Moldova is the guarantee to an accelerated integration of Moldova into the EU.



    Ana-Maria Popescu, the Romanian fencer with the biggest number of titles announced her retirement



    The Romanian fencer Ana-Maria Popescu, Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo, has announced her retirement after a career of 20 years. Aged 37, Ana-Maria Popescu was chosen by the International Fencing Federation, at the end of November, the best woman fencer of the world for the fifth time, which is a record. She received this title in the seasons 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2012-2013, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Ana-Maria Popescu has three Olympic medals (one gold and two silver), seven world medals (2-2-3) and 13 European medals (7-4-2), alongside numerous World Cups, being the Romanian fencer with the biggest number of titles. (LS)

  • August 3, 2021

    August 3, 2021

    COVID-19 On Tuesday 233 new SarsCov2 cases were reported in Romania, the largest number in 2 months. The number of coronavirus patients in hospitals remains over 400, with 60 of them in ICUs. Five COVID-related deaths were also reported. The number of new coronavirus cases in growing in Europe, whereas in Romania containment measures are more relaxed than in other countries, state secretary Raed Arafat said. Nonetheless, he emphasized, Romanians fail to observe them and have largely given up wearing face masks in public transport means. In spite of repeated warnings on an imminent new wave of infections, the vaccine rollout is also lagging. Romania has recently managed to reach 5 million people receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, a target originally set by the authorities for early June.




    BUDGET In Bucharest, the Liberal PM Florin Cîţu announced a first draft of the mid-year state budget adjustment bill is ready and will be forwarded soon to the leaders of the right-of-centre ruling coalition. The prime minister also said he was still waiting for all ministers to report the budget execution for the first half of the year, and called for more responsibility in public spending in the next 6 months. In an internet post, Florin Cîţu reminded his cabinet members that they must reach all the budget targets undertaken at the beginning of this year.




    TENSIONS Tensions between Israel, the UK and the US are deepening following the drone attack on an oil tanker managed by an Israeli businessman in the Arabian Sea, which killed a Romanian and a British crew members on July 29. Israel described the incident as a violation of international law. In Bucharest, the Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the attack and summoned the Iranian ambassador to an emergency meeting. Similar measures were also taken in London, where PM Boris Johnson said Iran must face the consequences. Britain and the US harshened their criticism of Iran, accusing it of being behind the attack. The government in Tehran invited the charges daffaires with the embassies of the UK and Romania to talks, protesting the accusations against Iran.




    HOLIDAYS 28% of the EU citizens cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home. An analysis of Eurostat data conducted by the European trade union confederation found that inequity in terms of access to holidays between people with incomes below 60% of average salary and those with incomes above this threshold has deepened in 16 member states over the past decade. Romania has the widest gap in this respect in the EU, according to the Cartel Alfa trade union federation.




    VACCINE The European Union has reached a major goal of providing at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine to 70% of the adults in the Union, but member states must step up vaccination rates in order to contain the quicker-spreading variants, the European Commission chief warned on Tuesday. Ursula von der Leyen said that, apart from the first dose target being met, 57% of the EU adults are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 68% of the adults in the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland have received their first dose, whereas 53.7% of the approximately 400 million adults in the 31 countries are fully vaccinated.




    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are playing at home today against the Swiss side Young Boys Bern, in the first leg of the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League. The second leg is scheduled for August 10 in Switzerland. CFR Cluj qualified into the 3rd round after defeating Lincoln Red Imps FC of Gibraltar, while the Swiss champions beat Slovan Bratislava. Should it get past the Swiss opponents, CFR Cluj will take on the winner of the match pitting Ferencvaros Budapest against Slavia Prague in the Champions League play-offs, according to Mondays draw in Nyon (Switzerland). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • State of alert extended once again

    State of alert extended once again

    The government of Romania decided to extend the state of alert in the country by another 30 days, beginning on Tuesday, April 13, to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.



    In other words, all the measures already known to Romanians remain in place, from mandatory face covering both outdoors and indoors to physical distancing. Indoor restaurants, theatre and cinema halls are also closed.



    A night curfew is in place between 10 pm and 5 am. In places with infection rates above 4 per thousand, the curfew begins at 8pm at the weekend, and shops close at 6pm. These measures apply throughout the week in places where the infection rate is above 7.5 per thousand. Gyms are also closed if the Covid infection rate is over 4 per thousand, to be opened when the figure drops below 3.5.



    The only concessions made by the authorities have to do with the religious holidays celebrated these days. After Catholic Christians were able to enjoy an almost normal Easter holiday and Jews in Romania were able to attend the Passover ceremonies, Orthodox Christians will also be able to travel without restrictions on Resurrection night, celebrated on 1 May, unlike last year when church attendance was prohibited. Muslim believers were not overlooked either, with the government allowing them to move freely on the night of 8 May when they celebrate the Ramadan.



    On the other hand, traditionally 1 May is the start of the holiday season in Romanias Black Sea resorts. Given that for the past year the hospitality industry has suffered severely because of the Covid-19 containment measures, this year the government decided that seaside resorts may open, at a maximum 70% of their accommodation capacity and in full observance of relevant regulations, just as it is the case at present with mountain resorts.



    The interior minister Lucian Bode has recently travelled to Constanța, the biggest Romanian city on the Black Sea coast, to warn police and gendarmes that their mission during the Easter and 1 May weekend will be particularly difficult, as lots of tourists will be coming to the seaside. Health is paramount, the minister cautioned, so the police must do everything in their power to ensure restrictions are observed. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Winter holidays amid restrictions

    Winter holidays amid restrictions

    Romanians returned to work after the 3-day New Year mini-holiday which they spent in pandemic conditions, like many other people around the world. The traditional open-air concerts and parties in the big cities were canceled and most Romanians had to stay at home, thus observing the quarantine or restrictive measures imposed by the authorities in a bid to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.



    Other Romanians chose to travel in the country, their preferred destinations being the rural and mountain areas such as Bran, Moeciu, Prahova Valley, Vatra Dornei resort, the regions of Maramures, Bukovina, Hateg Land and Apuseni. Guest houses were the most popular accommodation facilities for tourists as health protection rules could be applied more easily there. According to the tourism industry representatives, the occupancy rate in accommodation facilities in some regions of Romania was even 100%.



    Some of the most popular destinations in this period were the ski resorts, given that the skiing season opened in Romania. Those who stayed at home watched on TV people queuing for hours on end at the gondola lifts on the Prahova Valley. Long car queues were also formed on the national roads linking the capital Bucharest to the resorts on the Prahova Valley. In some places, the gendarmes were called to ensure the observance of health protection measures, as the people crowded more than in the previous years. Nevertheless, there were places in Romania, such as the spa resorts, where people did not crowd at all, and spa tourism representatives complained about a sharp drop in the spa resorts occupancy rate of up to 80%.



    The Romanian authorities did not introduce further restrictions during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Romanians having to observe the measures imposed by the state of alert. Private parties or events were banned as well as festive dinners in open or enclosed spaces. Activity was also banned in pubs, clubs and discos. Previous restrictions remained in force such as the ban on peoples movement during the night in the 11 p.m. -5 a.m. interval, except for justified situations provided by the law.



    Tourists were allowed to eat only on the premises of the accommodation facilities they chose, while observing the social distancing and hygiene rules. Those who stayed at home could not party on the New Years Eve as they used to, as parties in their own apartments were forbidden. Those who violated the rules and restrictions received fines worth up to 4 thousand Euros. Some Romanians chose to spend the holidays abroad, the most popular destinations for them being Egypt, Maldives and Zanzibar. (tr. L. Simion)

  • December 19, 2020

    December 19, 2020

    GOVERNMENT The 466 Romanian Deputies and Senators elected on December 6 today start the procedures for taking over their seats and forming the new Parliament. President Klaus Iohannis convened the first meeting of the new legislative on Monday, December 21st. Meanwhile, representatives of the future right-of-centre ruling coalition today resume negotiations on the governing programme, after having announced last night an agreement on the distribution of key positions in the new parliament and cabinet. Specifically, the coalition agreed that the Chamber of Deputies speaker position will be held by the Liberals, and the Senate speaker post will go to the USR PLUS Alliance. The PM designate will be the incumbent finance minister Florin Cîţu. The Liberals will get 9 ministries in the new cabinet, USR PLUS – 6, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, 3. The latter 2 parties will also appoint 2 deputy prime ministers. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party, which came first in the general election, insists that the fair solution in the current circumstances is a government of national union, headed by Alexandru Rafila, who represents Romania at the World Health Organisation. The Social Democratic president Marcel Ciolacu said his party will never endorse a government made up of the National Liberal Party, USR PLUS Alliance, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, which, he says, keeps Romania in an ongoing crisis.




    COVID-19 5,158 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Saturday, out of nearly 25,800 tests conducted across the country. 139 COVID-related deaths were also reported, taking the total death toll to 14,296. 1,274 patients are currently in intensive care. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 588,000 cases have been reported in Romania, 493,000 of whom have recovered. President Klaus Iohannis warned that until enough people have received vaccines, all restrictions must be complied with. Containment measures are to remain in place during the winter holidays.




    COMMEMORATION 31 years since the anti-communist Revolution in Romania, the city of Timişoara (west), where the uprising first started, continues to commemorate its heroes. Thursday was a day of mourning, as on December 17, 1989, the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu ordered the use of lethal ammunition against the street protesters. On December 19, to cover the massacre, the communist authorities implemented the so-called Operation “Rose, with bodies taken from the Timişoara morgue to be incinerated in Bucharest. Every year since then, members of the Timişoara victims families come to Bucharest on a symbolic pilgrimage. The protests in Timișoara, which left around 100 dead and some 350 wounded, were the spark that led to the collapse of the Ceausescu dictatorship a few days later, in one of the most violent revolutions in south-eastern Europe.




    DIGITISATION The Romanian Education and Research Ministry posted for consultation until February 15 the SMART-Edu Romanian Education Digitisation Strategy. Over 1,200 experts, NGOs and digital industry stakeholders contributed to the strategy. The document aims to ensure that by 2027, 90% of Romanias population will be digitally literate, and over 80% of the youth up to 34 years will be trained for emerging professions. Another goal is to have all education units in Romania equipped with technological resources and infrastructure to adapt to the latest changes.




    PANDEMIC India has reported today over 10 million coronavirus cases, the 2nd-largest number in the world. The US, the worst hit country, as of this weekend has a second vaccine ready for delivery, the one produced by Moderna, which is easier to ship and store than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The European Medicines Agency announced a decision on the Moderna vaccine is scheduled on January 6, while the Pfizer one will be approved next week. Meanwhile, tough restrictions are announced in Italy during the winter holidays. Restaurants and bars will be closed between December 24 and January 6, and so will most shops, except for 4 days. People will be allowed to receive only 2 guests at home, and as of Monday all citizens entering the country have to be quarantined for 14 days. Britain also introduced strict anti-COVID measures after a surge in infections, possibly caused by a coronavirus mutation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • December 26, 2017 UPDATE

    December 26, 2017 UPDATE

    CHRISTMAS – In Romania, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians celebrated, on the second day of Christmas, the Synaxis of the Theotokos, which is a celebration of Mary, the Mother of God. This is one of the oldest feast days devoted to Virgin Mary, dating back to the 5th Century. The Synaxis of the Theotokos is the assembly of believers to honour the one through whom the incarnation of God was possible. Also on Tuesday, Roman Catholic Christians celebrate St Stephen, the first martyr.




    HOLIDAYS – Thousands of Romanians are spending their winter holidays in the mountain resorts in Valea Prahovei region in the south, in Maramures in the north-west of the country and in Bucovina, in the north-east. Sinaia and Buşteni, on Prahova Valley, are among the most popular resorts in the country at this time of the year. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, at over 2,000 m altitude, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, was opened on Sunday. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad.




    ROYAL HOUSE – The Royal House of Romania attended on Tuesday the Christmas service held at the Orthodox church in Săvârşin, the west of Romania. The royals are on 40-day mourning after the death of Romanias last king, Michael I. He passed away on December 5, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where the other 3 monarchs of Romania are also interred. Tens of thousands of people took part in the national funerals of the one they regard as a model of dignity, honour, devotion and love for the country.




    CONSULTATIONS – The PM of Romania, Mihai Tudose, has agreed to hold talks on Wednesday with representatives of over 40 NGOs involved in the street protests against the controversial changes in the justice laws. The organisations had sent the PM an open letter expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, democratic principles and fundamental human rights. They say there have been major deficiencies in the dialogue and consultations between lawmakers and society with respect to the justice laws and the changes of the criminal codes. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, sent a letter to President Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an official opinion from the Venice Commission with respect to the legislative reform endorsed by Parliament. Previously, the embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden to Bucharest issued a joint letter calling on all stakeholders in the judiciary reform process to avoid measures that would weaken the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. In response, the Foreign Ministry said strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption are among the priorities of the Government of Romania. In turn, the leaders of the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, respectively, promised that the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu would inform embassies properly with respect to the legislative changes in this field.




    EU – The German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if the EU managed to get a smart deal with Britain that governs relations with Europe after Brexit, it could be a model for other countries. The German diplomat added that Tukey and Ukraine are not likely to get full EU membership very soon, which is why the EU should consider alternative forms of closer cooperation. Gabriel also suggested that such an approach could take the form of a closer customs union with Turkey. Although the current situation proves that that country is still rather far from joining the EU, recent moves by Ankara indicate willingness to improve relations with Brussels, the German official also said. Shortly before Christmas, Turkey decided to free a German pilgrim after nearly 9 months of detention, and a German journalist who had spent 7 months in custody over alleged ties with a terrorist organisation.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 26, 2017

    December 26, 2017

    CHRISTMAS — In Romania, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians celebrate today, on the second day of Christmas, the Synaxis of the Theotokos, which is a celebration of Mary, the Mother of God. This is one of the oldest feast days devoted to Virgin Mary, dating back to the 5th Century. The Synaxis of the Theotokos is the assembly of believers to honour the one through whom the incarnation of God was possible. Also today, Roman Catholic Christians celebrate St Stephen, the first martyr.





    HOLIDAYS — Thousands of Romanians are spending their winter holidays in the mountain resorts in Valea Prahovei region in the south, in Maramures in the north-west of the country and in Bucovina, in the north-east. Sinaia and Buşteni, on Prahova Valley, are among the most popular resorts in the country at this time of the year. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, at over 2,000 m altitude, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, was opened on Sunday. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad.




    ROYAL HOUSE — The Royal House of Romania attended on Tuesday the Christmas service held at the Orthodox church in Săvârşin, the west of Romania. The royals are on 40-day mourning after the death of Romania’s last king, Michael I. He passed away on December 5, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where the other 3 monarchs of Romania are also interred. Tens of thousands of people took part in the national funerals of the one they regard as a model of dignity, honour, devotion and love for the country.




    CONSULTATIONS — The PM of Romania, Mihai Tudose, has agreed to hold talks tomorrow with representatives of over 40 NGOs involved in the street protests against the controversial changes in the justice laws. The organisations had sent the PM an open letter expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, democratic principles and fundamental human rights. They say there have been major deficiencies in the dialogue and consultations between lawmakers and society with respect to the justice laws and the changes of the criminal codes. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, sent a letter to President Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an official opinion from the Venice Commission with respect to the legislative reform endorsed by Parliament. Previously, the embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden to Bucharest issued a joint letter calling on all stakeholders in the judiciary reform process to avoid measures that would weaken the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. In response, the Foreign Ministry said strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption are among the priorities of the Government of Romania. In turn, the leaders of ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, respectively, promised that the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu would inform embassies properly with respect to the legislative changes in this field.




    EU — The German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if the EU managed to get a smart deal with Britain that governs relations with Europe after Brexit, it could be a model for other countries. The German diplomat added that Turkey and Ukraine are not likely to get full EU membership very soon, which is why the EU should consider alternative forms of closer cooperation. Gabriel also suggested that such an approach could take the form of a closer customs union with Turkey. Although the current situation proves that that country is still rather far from joining the EU, recent moves by Ankara indicate willingness to improve relations with Brussels, the German official also said. Shortly before Christmas, Turkey decided to free a German pilgrim after nearly 9 months of detention, and a German journalist who had spent 7 months in custody over alleged ties with a terrorist organisation.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 24, 2017 UPDATE

    December 24, 2017 UPDATE

    TALKS — The Prime Minister of Romania, Mihai Tudose, accepted to meet the representatives of 43 NGOs active in the street protests initiated against the planned changes in the justice laws and the criminal codes. In a Facebook post, Tudose voiced his openness to dialogue and suggested that the meeting took place on December 27. The 43 organisations sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, fundamental human rights and the democratic principles. New street protests were held on Saturday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, against the bills designed to amend the justice laws. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland sent a letter to the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an opinion from the Venice Commission on the legislative reform already endorsed by Parliament.




    CHRISTMAS — Orthodox believers celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th, one of the greatest feast days of the Christian world. “The celebration of Nativity is a call for compassion and solidarity with those who need our support. I wish you a happy Christmas, wherever you are,” reads a message from the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.




    ROYAL HOUSE — This is the first Christmas without King Michael, but the Royal House is celebrating the Nativity and pays tribute to the life and achievements of the 4th monarch of the Romanian state, the Custodian of the Crown, H.M. Margareta wrote in a message to the nation, as Romania’s former sovereign used to send every Christmas Eve. She noted the solidarity of the Romanian people during the King’s funeral 2 weeks ago, and recalled the care and attention with which every year King Michael would write his Christmas address, which during the exile years was his only form of communication with the Romanians. Michael I died on December 5, in Switzerland, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania.




    HOLIDAYS — Thousands of Romanians will be spending their holidays in mountain resorts. At the top of the travel destinations these days are the resorts in the Prahova Valley region in the south of Romania, such as Predeal, Sinaia and Buşteni, where occupancy rates are around 80%. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, has opened today. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad. Music is the chosen theme of this 13th ice hotel built at over 2,000 metres in Făgăraş Mountains. Each of the 15 rooms has been decorated with snow and ice sculptures representing Romanian and international music stars.




    POLICE — In Romania, nearly 23,000 police, gendarmes and fire fighters are working every day throughout the Christmas holiday. Special attention will be paid to preventing public order incidents, fighting anti-social conduct, streamlining road traffic and check point transit, as well as to the management of emergency situations. Police workers and gendarmes will be present especially in crowded places like fairs, train stations, tourist resorts, as well as over 16,400 churches, where special religious services will be held. Bulgarian-speaking Romanian policemen will also be part of joint patrols with their counterparts from the neighbouring Bulgaria, in the mountain resort of Bansko, until next March, providing support and assistance to the Bulgarian police. This is the 8th winter season when such joint missions are organised in Bulgaria.




    TENNIS — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, plays today against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, no 4 WTA, in the Intercontinental World Tennis Championship finals in Thailand. On Saturday in the quarter-final, Halep defeated Britain’s Johanna Konta, 2-0, while Pliskova outplayed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, no 7 WTA. Ostapenko and Konta are playing on Sunday for the 3rd place in the competition.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Homemade sausages

    Homemade sausages

    Todays show continues our holiday series, bringing you traditional recipes left down from generation to generation in the countryside. Most of them involve pork, because pigs are the main source of animal protein in the peasant household in most of Romania. The defining pork product is sausage, which is on every table for the holidays. That is the reason for which so many Romanians make their own sausages at home, and this is one of the versions of sausage making used in homes all over the country.



    The typical Romanian sausage is made with one and a half kilo of fatty pork, two meters of natural pork casing, two heads of garlic, a couple of tablespoons of salt, black pepper to taste, a tablespoon of paprika, a cup of bone stock, and one tablespoon of thyme. The best meat is the fatty kind, such as belly, butt or neck. If you feel the mix is too lean, you can add some smoked fatback. First, clean the casings thoroughly, removing any extra fat with the back of a knife. Blow into the casing to make sure it is free of ruptures. Mince the meat, but make sure it is not too finely minced. Crush the garlic to a paste, and then mix with a bit less than half a cup of the stock and leave the mixture to rest for 10 minutes, then strain through a piece of cheesecloth.



    Mix the liquid with the meat and the spices. Knead well, adding gradually the liquid, until you have a soft mix. Place the special sausage fixture on your meat grinder, and roll the casing onto it. Put the meat mixture through the grinder, filling the casing gently. Once every half foot or so, twist the casing to separate individual sausages. After the entire casing is filled, cut any excess, then hang in a cellar or kitchen closet overnight to complete the process.



    If you want to have them throughout the rest of the year, the best option is to smoke them. The best thing about them is that you can cook them in a wide variety of ways, from frying in a pan to grilling them on an open range. They can be served with an equally varied choice of side dishes, from cabbage and beans to mashed potatoes.


    Enjoy!

  • December 24, 2017

    December 24, 2017

    TALKS – The Prime Minister of Romania, Mihai Tudose, accepted to meet the representatives of 43 NGOs active in the street protests initiated against the planned changes in the justice laws and the criminal codes. In a Facebook post, Tudose voiced his openness to dialogue and suggested that the meeting took place on December 27. The 43 organisations sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, fundamental human rights and the democratic principles. New street protests were held on Saturday night in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, against the bills designed to amend the justice laws. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland sent a letter to the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an opinion from the Venice Commission on the legislative reform already endorsed by Parliament.




    CHRISTMAS – For Christian believers, today is Christmas Eve, with the last preparations for the Nativity, one of the greatest feasts of the Christian world. A widespread Christmas Eve custom in Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, is carolling, a ritual involving ceremonial texts, dances and gestures. The carollers symbolise the angels and shepherds who were the first heralds of the birth of Jesus. The Christmas Eve dinner differs from one part of the country to another, but in all regions it comprises fasting dishes and must be blessed by a priest first.




    HOLIDAYS – Thousands of Romanians will be spending their holidays in mountain resorts. At the top of the travel destinations these days are the resorts in the Prahova Valley region in the south of Romania, such as Predeal, Sinaia and Buşteni, where occupancy rates are around 80%. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, has opened today. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad. Music is the chosen theme of this 13th ice hotel built at over 2,000 metres in Făgăraş Mountains. Each of the 15 rooms has been decorated with snow and ice sculptures representing Romanian and international music stars.




    POLICE – In Romania, nearly 23,000 police, gendarmes and fire fighters are working every day throughout the Christmas holiday. Special attention will be paid to preventing public order incidents, fighting anti-social conduct, streamlining road traffic and check point transit, as well as to the management of emergency situations. Police workers and gendarmes will be present especially in crowded places like fairs, train stations, tourist resorts, as well as around over 16,400 churches, where special religious services will be held. Bulgarian-speaking Romanian policemen will also be part of joint patrols with their counterparts from the neighbouring Bulgaria, in the mountain resort of Bansko, until next March, providing support and assistance to the Bulgarian police. This is the 8th winter season when such joint missions are organised in Bulgaria.





    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 1 in the world, plays today against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, no 4 WTA, in the Intercontinental World Tennis Championship finals in Thailand. On Saturday in the quarter-final, Halep defeated Britains Johanna Konta, 2-0, while Pliskova outplayed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, no 7 WTA. Ostapenko and Konta are playing on Sunday for the 3rd place in the competition.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)