Radio România Internațional

Tag: Hungary

  • March 12, 2025

    March 12, 2025

    CCR – The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a sovereigntist opposition party in Romania’s Parliament, has described as abusive the Constitutional Court’s decision to invalidate the candidacy of the extremist Călin Georgescu in the presidential election. At the same time, the party announced that it would go on a parliamentary strike starting on Wednesday, along with the other sovereigntist parties. The Constitutional Court (CCR) confirmed on Tuesday the decision by which the Central Electoral Bureau rejected Călin Georgescu’s candidacy in the May presidential election. In December, the CCR had annulled the presidential election on the grounds that the electoral process had been flawed in his favor. The Social-Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the unanimous decision of the Constitutional Court judges regarding Călin Georgescu’s candidacy closes an extremely tense and dangerous episode that Romania has experienced in recent months.

     

    MAE – The Romanian Foreign Ministry considers that the latest statement by the spokesman for the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, regarding the presidential election in Romania is unacceptable. Dmitri Peskov stated that the May election without the candidacy of Călin Georgescu would have no legitimacy and that Romania chose the path of defying democracy. The Romanian Foreign Ministry responded that Russia had not had free elections for almost 20 years and that an aggressor state could not give lessons of democracy. Romania does not accept foreign interference, the MAE also writes in a statement.

     

    Foot-and-mouth-disease – The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) in Bucharest has banned the transport of livestock, fodder, straw, compost and manure from Hungary to Romania, due to a confirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on a farm in Hungary, near the border with Slovakia. The ANSVSA has also imposed restrictions on animal products such as meat, milk and dairy products from the two countries. On Tuesday, the National Sanitary Veterinary Authority organized an emergency meeting with dairy farmers to discuss the necessary measures to protect Romanian farms. A few days ago, Germany also announced its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 36 years, on a farm near Berlin. Foot-and-mouth disease, which is highly contagious, is one of the most serious viral infections that can affect the livestock industry.

     

    Award – Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday decorated former international footballer Gheorghe Hagi with the National Order ‘The Star of Romania’. According to the Presidential Administration, the highest distinction of the Romanian state, the National Order ‘The Star of Romania in the rank of Knight’ is awarded to him in sign of recognition and appreciation for his entire sporting career, as well as for his active involvement in the popularization of football. Gheorghe Hagi is a role model and a source of inspiration for all generations, the cited source also states. Born in 1965, Hagi played for the Romanian national team at three world championships in 1990, 1994 (where he was appointed to the World Cup All-Star Team) and 1998, and at three European Championships, in 1984, 1996 and 2000. He was selected 125 times for Romania, second only to Dorinel Munteanu, and is the top scorer (along with Adrian Mutu), with 35 goals. As a player at Steaua Bucharest, he has three championship titles, three Romanian cups, and the European Super Cup in 1987, when, in Monte Carlo, he scored the goal from a free kick that gave the Romanians a 1-0 victory over the Soviets at the time, Dinamo Kiev. With Galatasaray Istanbul, he won 4 championship titles, 2 cups and two Turkish Super Cups, and in 2000 he led the team to win the UEFA Cup and, with Romanian Mircea Lucescu on the bench, the European Super Cup, performances unmatched in the history of Turkish football. After retiring from the pitch, he became a coach and founded the Viitorul (today Farul) Constanța club, with which he won the Romanian championship twice.

     

    Commission – The plenum of Romania’s Parliament has unanimously decided to establish a special joint commission of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate to combat human trafficking. The aim of the initiative is to raise society’s awareness about the existence of human trafficking, and especially to adopt urgent measures to combat this scourge. The objectives of the Commission include analyzing the causes that favor human trafficking, including labor exploitation, sexual exploitation or trafficking of minors, as well as analyzing the activity of central and local public administration institutions and authorities in preventing, identifying, investigating and solving human trafficking. The commission will operate until the end of the current legislature, in 2028. According to the authorities, last year 610 victims of human trafficking were registered, and 152 people were convicted for involvement in this type of criminal act. (LS)

  • The benefits of Romania’s belonging in the EU

    The benefits of Romania’s belonging in the EU

    In January Romania marked 17 years of EU membership. In the same month an INSCOP poll showed that 9 out of 10 Romanians are against the idea that their country should get out of the community bloc, as compared to 72% in January 2022. Entitled “Romania between national and European in the misinformation era. Economic Patriotism, values and conspiracy”, the survey, ordered by Funky Citizens organization, has revealed a 67% trust rate in the European Union as compared to 56% in January 2022. The aforementioned survey was the first conducted after the shock caused by the cancellation of the presidential election in December last year.

    As if to respond to those who denigrate community institutions, who aren’t few nowadays, the Romanian Minister of Investment and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, writes on Facebook: “In a time when extremist voices are trying to downplay the benefits of Romania’s belonging in the European Union, let’s not forget that development is not an issue of naïve pride, but of pragmatism. Romania didn’t grow out of nothing; it didn’t change overnight and certainly didn’t develop by denying opportunities.”

    Since its accession, Bolos says, Romania has got over 100 billion Euros in European funds, gross value. And this is the engine that has fundamentally changed the structure of our economy, the minister says. According to him, Romania no longer relies on a peripheral economy, being a country that is rapidly bridging gaps and which has overcome Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of the GDP per capita, which is an essential indicator for the standard of living.

    “Figures are extremely relevant; the value of the investment made is nearly equal to the GDP at the time of accession. If we are unaware of this we tend to blame the European bloc, but the fact that we are presently at the highest level of our development, is something that we owe to our EU and NATO membership”, Minister Bolos also says.

    According to him, the European funds Romania received are reflected in the country’s infrastructure, with nearly 900 kilometers of motorways and roads built in the past two decades. Over two million Romanians have been connected to the water & sewerage networks and according to Minister Bolos, over 100 thousand companies have benefitted from development grants, thousands of schools and hospitals have been refurbished, fitted with proper equipment and enlarged. Stable jobs have been created and fresh investment made.

    All these have given an impetus to the economy and the annual pace of the private investment in the economy tripled in 2024 as compared to the time of accession from 20 billion Euros to 70 billion, Bolos says.

    He believes that without European money, Romania would have remained stuck into an endless cycle of underdevelopment, being dependent on a national budget, which is insufficient for strategic development. “There is one reality only: the EU has been our partner in development. And by belonging in the European bloc, Romania has opted for progress”, Minister Boloş’ post says.

    (bill)

  • December 20, 2024 UPDATE

    December 20, 2024 UPDATE

     

    PARLIAMENT The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament resulting from the elections on December 1 Friday convened in separate sessions for the first time. The new legislature comprises as many as 465 MPs, 331 Deputies and 134 Senators. Seven political parties have members in the 2 Chambers, of which 4 are pro-European (the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) and 3 are sovereigntist parties (the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians—AUR, SOS Romania and the Party of Young People—POT). The 19 national minorities are also represented in Parliament. Until a new Senate speaker is elected, the most senior Deputy, the Social Democrat Ioan Stan, an MP since 2000, serves as acting speaker. He said Parliament’s top priorities are citizen safety, economic development and strengthening social balance. In turn, the most senior Deputy, Seres Dénes of the UDMR, who has been an MP since 1992, serves as acting speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. “It is time we worked together to protect the fundamental values of democracy, overcoming any political differences,” Seres Dénes said.

     

    VISIT Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban was received in Bucharest on Friday by his Romanian counterpart, PM Marcel Ciolacu. On this occasion, the Romanian Prime Minister highlighted the “decisive” role that Hungary played in Romania’s full Schengen accession. “It is an excellent result that would not have been possible without the decisive involvement during the Hungarian presidency of the EU”, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised. He added that Hungary is one of Romania’s most important trade partners. In turn, Viktor Orban said he believes that “a new era of cooperation” between Romania and Hungary is beginning. “Hungary wants to continue and deepen its collaboration with Romania,” the Hungarian PM stated. On November 22, the Romanian PM met his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest, for talks, among others, on Romania’s full Schengen accession. The visit to Budapest took place in the context in which Hungary is holding the rotating EU presidency until the end of December.

     

    DEFENCE Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, accompanied by senior defence officials, made a working visit to Romania on Friday, in the Caracal Garrison, where Portuguese troops are currently deployed. According to a news release issued by the Romanian defence ministry, the defence chief of staff, General Gheorghiţă Vlad, met with the Portuguese officials to discuss the security situation, bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and joint training opportunities. General Vlad highlighted the strengthening of the relations between Romania and Portugal this year, emphasising the valuable contribution of the Portuguese troops to consolidating NATO’s response capacity in Romania.

     

    FORESTRY The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Friday signed into law the Forestry Code, endorsed on December 17 by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The Code defines the legal framework for the digitised fight against illegal logging. Video surveillance of forest roads with monitoring/recording systems is introduced, which will help detect theft and illegal logging. New forestry offences are also defined, such as falsifying digital forestry data or declarations, which will be punished by imprisonment for up to 5 years. The new Forestry Code provides, among other things, for the establishment of a National Forestry Registry, which will include all forest owners in Romania.

     

    EU SUMMIT The war in Ukraine, the EU’s trade relations with the United States, the situation in the Middle East and Russia’s interference in the elections were some of the topics discussed at the EU winter summit in Brussels. Attending the summit was also Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for unity between the European Union and the United States to obtain peace and save Ukraine. The EU heads of state and government also discussed the supply of military equipment and ways to consolidate Ukraine’s energy sector and other civilian infrastructure that has come under deliberate and increasingly intense attacks by Russia. Talks also looked at the effects of Donald Trump’s return to office on transatlantic trade relations. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU and the United States should do everything to avoid a trade war, because both economies would be affected and China would be only one standing to gain. Also, European leaders recognised Russia’s meddling in the election process in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and called for more efficient coordination across the Union to counter Moscow’s hybrid attacks. (AMP)

  • May 16, 2024 UPDATE

    May 16, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu received the Hungarian minister for European affairs, János Bóka, who is visiting Romania, in the run up to Hungary taking over the six-month presidency of the EU Council, on July 1. The European and international context marked by multiple challenges and the transition period between two European electoral cycles were tackled. The Romanian official emphasised the interest in advancing the decisions regarding the EU enlargement policy in relation to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as those regarding Romania’s accession to Schengen with its land borders too. The Hungarian side reconfirmed its support for the achievement of this goal. As regards the current state of bilateral relations, the importance of the strategic partnership between Romania and Hungary and the opportunities for sectoral cooperation were mentioned.

     

    SHOOTING The Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in intensive care, and his health condition is stable. He underwent several hours of surgery after having been shot in the chest and abdomen on Wednesday, while in a city in the centre of the country, where he had chaired a government meeting. The suspected attacker was detained by the police. According to local media, he is a 71-year-old man, a poet and civic activist. The politicians in power say the attack was politically motivated. Robert Fico is a controversial left-wing politician, accused of pro-Russian sympathies. Returning to power last year, he cancelled military support for Ukraine and announced plans to reform public radio and television, opposed by citizens in street protests. World leaders condemned the attack on the Slovak prime minister, unprecedented in recent European history. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said that such extremist acts threaten fundamental European values.

     

    FESTIVAL The city of Craiova (south), is hosting until May 26 the 14th edition of the International Shakespeare Festival. More than 300 world-class theatre performances, concerts, parades, workshops, book launches, installations, VR trips will cover the entire city of Craiova and its surroundings, in conventional spaces, and also in the most original and unexpected places. Shakespeare Village – a British village from the 1600, rebuilt from scratch on the Craiova Hippodrome, will be the venue for dozens of concerts and shows. Famous names in international theatre and performance creators can be found in the festival program, including Robert Wilson, Peter Brook, Declan Donnellan, Robert Lepage, Philip Pârr, Jesus Herrera, and Christian Friedel.

     

    FOOD WASTE The Romanian agriculture ministry Wednesday released for public review a draft resolution aimed at reducing food waste, given that Romania disposes of over 2.5 million tons of food per year. All food operators, prior to destroying foodstuffs past their expiration date, will have to enter annual plans to reduce food waste and annual reports on the amounts of food given away in a dedicated National Platform. According to the European Commission, food loss and food waste increase food insecurity risks and affect the environment, and account for some 16% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the Union’s food system.

     

    GOVERNMENT In Thursday’s Cabinet meeting the government passed a number of road and railway infrastructure investment projects. Over EUR 2.2 bln will be spent on revamping the approx. 150 km Focşani – Roman railway route in the east of the country in the next 3 years, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu said. According to him, a rough EUR 200 mln has been earmarked for the revamping of a 42-km long segment of the A1 Bucharest-Piteşti motorway. A similar amount will be used by the agriculture ministry to support farmers in the poultry and the pig farming sector. Next week the government is to come up with a decision concerning the salary issues notified by the culture ministry with respect to museum personnel around the country, as well as other professional categories, the PM added.

  • March 16, 2024 UPDATE

    March 16, 2024 UPDATE

    NATO – The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has welcomed the recent entry of the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, into the competition for the NATO leadership and considered as gratifying the fact that Central Europe finally has a candidate for the position of Secretary General of the Alliance. The Hungarian official declared, on Friday, that the government in Budapest will not support the Dutch Mark Rutte for this post, stating that in a union such as NATO, mutual trust is essential, and supporting a candidate who declared that Hungary must kneel is not possible. We remind you that President Klaus Iohannis announced, this week, his candidacy for the NATO leadership, in the context in which Romania and other Eastern partners requested greater representation in the allied structures at a time when regional security is threatened by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

     

    Romarm – Romania will receive 47 million Euros for a project carried out by the Romarm Company together with Germany. The budget allocated by the European Commission to the Romanian project is the largest of the 31 winning projects. The Commission released, on Friday, more than 500 million Euros for companies from member states, in order to increase the ammunition production capacity. It is a first installment from a total of about 2 billion Euros. According to the European Commission, at the end of 2024, European arms production will reach an annual capacity of 1,000,000 bombshells (155-caliber) and at the end of 2025 the amount will double. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, in parallel, the Commission recommends the member states to make joint purchases of larger sizes, in order to give a signal of predictability in the medium and long term to the arms industry.

     

    Russia – In Russia, Sunday is the third and last day of the presidential election, in which 112 million Russians have the right to vote. The Central Electoral Commission in Moscow announced, on Saturday afternoon, that more than 50% of the Russian voters have already cast their votes. President Vladimir Putin voted from his office, in an attempt to promote electronic voting, considered fraudulent by the opposition. Several people were arrested for spraying ink, paint and antiseptic on the ballot boxes or throwing Molotov cocktails in the direction of the polling stations. Furthermore, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt his re-election through attacks and incursions on the border. At least 2 Russian civilians were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on the city of Belgorod, while Russia, in turn, attacked a residential area of ​​the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Friday, killing at least 20 people. According to official polls, Vladimir Putin enjoys a voting intention of over 80%, so he could achieve his biggest electoral victory since he came to power in 2000. The opposition has asked the West not to recognize the election results.

     

    Railway – The European Commission has approved 204 million Euros worth of non-reimbursable funds from the Modernization Fund, for the replacement of old locomotives with new rolling stock on the Romanian railways. The Railway Reform Authority specifies that it will use this money to buy nine long-distance interregional trains and 23 electric locomotives by 2027. The financing adds to the 470 million Euros attracted from European funds by the Transport Ministry, from which the purchase of 62 electric trains was financed.

     

    Book Fair – Romania will be present, next week, at the Leipzig Book Fair, in Germany, the most important event in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to authors, translators and literary debates. Nine invited authors, 12 events, over 150 exhibited titles and a mini-bookstore are waiting for the public, between March 21 and 24, at the Romanian stand organized by the Ministry of Culture in Bucharest. Two of the authors who will be present at the Romanian stand have books translated, for the first time, into German, which confirms a growing interest of the German-speaking literary space in cutting-edge Romanian literature.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ready to play again after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced her 4-year suspension to 9 months, was called up to the Romanian team for the match against Ukraine in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. The match will take place on April 12 and 13, in Florida (USA). Romania and Ukraine have met four times so far, with the Romanians leading with the score 3-1. In November, Romania defeated Serbia 4-0 in the play-off to stay in the World Group of the competition, while Ukraine defeated Lithuania 3-1. On the other hand, also in tennis, the Romanian-Russian pair Monica Niculescu/Irina Hromaceva was defeated by the pair Sara Errani (Italy)/Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia), 6-4, 6-3, on Friday, in the doubles semifinals at the American WTA 125 tournament in Charleston. (LS)

  • November 9, 2023 UPDATE

    November 9, 2023 UPDATE

    Gaza – Romania will continue the dialogue with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities for the evacuation of the other Romanian citizens and their family members in the Gaza Strip, depending on the developments on the ground and the agreement of the parties involved, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. A consular team will remain available in the area of ​​the Rafah border-crossing to Egypt to provide further assistance. The border was reopened on Thursday, when the evacuation procedures continued for foreign citizens who received permission from the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to transit this point, to Egypt, including 51 Romanian citizens and their family members. In the past few days, several groups of Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip and transported to Romania by a TAROM aircraft from Cairo. In another development, the White House shows that Israel on Thursday announced a four-hour daily break in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip to allow civilians to withdraw – a first since the beginning of the war. Previously, the NATO allies said they support the humanitarian pauses in the war between Israel and Hamas, to allow the access of aid to the Gaza Strip. According to the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, international law must be respected and civilians must be protected in this conflict.



    NATO — Germany will deploy four Eurofighter planes to Romania to support NATOs air policing mission starting at the end of November. The decision comes a few weeks after the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube. The attacks, carried out right next to the Romanian border, as well as the remains of drones found in Romania, have increased the security risks for the military alliance whose members have a mutual defense commitment. In September, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the Russian strikes near the border as “destabilizing,” even though there were no indications that Russia intended to strike a NATO member. The German air forces have previously supported NATO’s air policing mission in Romania, in the context in which the alliance strengthened its military presence along the eastern flank, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022.



    Schengen — One of the major objectives of Hungary’s EU presidency in the second half of 2024 will be to promote Romania’s integration into Schengen, unless progress is made on the matter before, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said. According to a press release issued by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, he emphasized that the Hungarian government attaches strategic importance to the cooperation between the two countries. “The most important base and resource of this strategic cooperation is the Hungarian community that lives in Romania, said Szijjarto. He added that Romania becoming a member of the Schengen area is a clear national interest of Hungary. Romania, the Hungarian foreign minister said, “is Hungary’s second-largest export market and its Schengen membership will obviously make our economic and trade relations much stronger.” Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2024.



    EU – The European Commission recommended the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Commissions favorable opinion must be approved by the 27 members at the December 14-15 EU summit. Until then, the states in question will have to carry out some key measures. From Bucharest, the NATO deputy general secretary, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, welcomed the EC announcement. The official expressed certainty that Ukraine will become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and showed that there is no fatigue regarding the efforts of the allied countries to support Kyiv in facing the Russian aggression.



    Tourism –Bucharest will see, between November 9 and 12, the autumn edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair, considered the most important tourism event in the country that takes place in a physical format. Besides discounts for early booking, some agencies also promote Black Friday discounts. Those interested can find offers both in the country and abroad, complex tour on all continents, including to new or exotic destinations. This year there are two new destinations for the Romanian market: Gran Canaria, in the Spanish Canary Islands, and Faro, in Portugal.



    Pensions — The Romanian government adopted, during Thursdays meeting, the new pension law, which provides for two increases in the coming year. The document also establishes the recalculation of all pensions according to new criteria, so that inequities in the system are eliminated. The executive wants the pension law to be adopted by the Parliament by November 20. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the new pension law will remove the threshold of 9.4% of the GDP, representing pension expenses. At the same time, the prime minister announced that next year there will be no tax increases, but requested a plan of measures to increase revenue collection to the state budget.



    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse will play against the Serbian Mia Ristic, on Friday, in Kraljevo, in the first singles match of the play-off of the Billie Jean King Cup competition between Romania and Serbia. In the second singles match, which will also take place on Friday, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian will play against Aleksandra Krunic. On Saturday, Cristian will be up against Ristic, and then Ruse will play against Krunic. The doubles match will pit Katarina Kozarov/Natalija Stevanovic from Serbia against Irina Bara/Monica Niculescu from Romania. The winning team will qualify for the final tournament of the competition, and the losing team will play in Group I. Serbia leads Romania 2-1 in direct matches, after winning with the score 2-1 in 2007, in the first round of Group I, Europe/Africa zone, and with the score 2-1 in 2008, in the same phase. In 2014, in Bucharest, Romania won 4-1 and advanced to the Fed Cup World Group, the current Billie Jean King Cup. (LS)

  • Romania – Minifootball World Champion

    Romania – Minifootball World Champion

    Today only a shadow of what it used to be in the past, the Romanian sport has been mediocre for decades. And this fact amplifies the fans nostalgia for a past that has often been described as brilliant. Among the best Romanian performances and athletes along the years we recall the first number one in mens tennis between 1972-1973, Ilie Nastase. In 1976, at the Olympics in Montreal, the multiple world champion Nadia Comaneci was awarded the first 10 in the history of gymnastics. In 1986, Romanian football side, Steaua Bucharest, made up only of Romanian footballers, became the first eleven from behind the Iron Curtain to have won the Champions Cup.



    Between the 60s and 70s, Romanias national handball side became world champions four times, while in 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympics, boycotted by the other USSR satellites, Romania came second in the medal ranking after the American hosts. Romania has produced only a few champions in recent years such as tennis player Simona Halep, handballer Cristina Neagu or swimmer David Popovici. Against this drought, the title of world champion has been enthusiastically hailed by both sports fans and the specialized press. The joy was all the more so intense as the World Cup finals, staged in the United Arab Emirates kept everybody breathless as the Kazakh opponents got a 2-0 upper-hand several minutes from time.



    When the points seemed to be sealed, Marius Balogh scored twice and brought the game into extra-time. At a two-all draw the fate of the game was decided in the penalty shootout, won by Romania 12-11.Bogdan Covaci scored the victory goal after the Romanian goalie had deflected the opponents last shot.Before the finals, the Romanians had an impeccable progress. 10-1 against Sudan, 3-2 against Spain and a goaless draw with the United States. They also secured a 7-0 win against Thailand in the round of 16, 2-0 against the United Emirates in the quarters and 3-0 against Hungary in the semifinals.



    The world champion trophy was the only one that Romania lacked after being six times European champions and vice-champions. Romania also got two bronze medals in the World Cup out of three participations. November had a good start for the Romanian football fans, but the main performance is expected from the national football side, which takes on Israel in Hungary, on November 18 and Switzerland in Bucharest three days later. These are their last games in the Group One of the EURO 2024 preliminaries.



    Undefeated in their first eight games, Romania tops the groups ranking with 16 points, followed by Switzerland with 15 out of seven games and Israel with 11 out of six. Due to the war at home, the Israelis had to postpone their games last month and play their home matches abroad. The first two sides in the group will book tickets for the final tournament. Romania hasnt qualified for a European tournament since 2016 and for a World cup since 1998.


    (bill)

  • New measures aimed at cutting public expenses

    New measures aimed at cutting public expenses


    The PSD-PNL coalition government in Bucharest has announced it will continue to promote discipline in spending public money, with a declared purpose of curbing the budget deficit. In this respect, the Executive has come up with a fresh emergency ordinance aimed at diminishing expenses at the end of the year.


    The Finance Ministry put the project up for public debates on Tuesday. Under the new provisions, public institutions and city halls are facing a new series of restrictions related to the organization of festivals and competitions. Credit accountants are no longer allowed to sign legal contracts for the purchase of office furniture, or other goods as well as maintenance and repair services.


    Also, under the new law, the implementation of the pay rises legally obtained by state employees has been postponed for the year 2024. Romanias Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu says that no one has to worry about the new law though as there are enough budget funds for salaries and the other expenses the government pledged to cover. Pensions will be indexed as of January 1st according to the inflation rate of 13.5%.


    “We have enough money for pensions, wages, to ensure the state functioning and other investment” – the head of the government has said. Mass-media points to the fact that the new government measures are coming shortly after the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, has revealed that Romania, with 6.3%, and Hungary with 6.6% are the countries with the highest government deficit out of all the 27 EU members.


    According to the same sources, Romania has registered a 5.9% GDP deficit in the first three months of 2023 and of 6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022.


    In the meantime, the opposition USR and the Liberal splinter, Force of the Right have tabled a simple motion against the Liberal Minister of Finance, Marcel Boloş, whom they blame for skyrocketing expenses during his mandate.


    According to the motion initiators, in order to gather money for the government, Boloş and Ciolacu have decided to cut the tax payers incomes with another round of tax raises, which have seriously affected the small enterprises. The two would have opted for a short-term financial gain at the expense of long-term stability and prosperity.


    From the ruling coalition, PSD MP, Gabriel Zetea has defended his team underlying the government must resort to measures aimed at curbing public spending. Public institutions must prove their readiness to save public money at the end of the year.


    Next year, Zetea pledges, fiscal adjustment measures are to come into effect for private entrepreneurs. Political analysts are also expecting a happier 2024 for the public and private sector alike as the entire political class will be focusing on winning the electorate and muster votes in the upcoming elections, for the European Parliament, as well as in the local, legislative and presidential elections.


    (bill)


  • Romanian-Hungarian relations assessed in Budapest

    Romanian-Hungarian relations assessed in Budapest


    Hungary supports Romanias Schengen accession, and if the process is not completed by next summer, Budapest will bring up the issue once it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The statement was made by Hungarys president, Katalin Novák, who invited president Klaus Iohannis to Budapest for the first visit by a Romanian head of state to Hungary in 14 years.



    The talks covered the most important topics on the EU agenda, an occasion for Klaus Iohannis to reiterate Romanias commitment to a united, stronger and more resilient Union:



    Klaus Iohannis: “Our talks highlighted the support of both states to furthering the EU enlargement process. I have reiterated Romanias firm support for the adoption, by the end of this year, of the decision to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.”



    On the other hand, the two presidents also discussed opportunities to develop bilateral economic and infrastructure cooperation. The president of Hungary,Katalin Novák, pointed out that natural gas development projects like ʹNeptun Deepʹ,in the Black Sea, should be supported financially by the European Union. “I signal Hungarys intention to buy even more gas, because in this way we could further diversify current energy resources and we would reduce our dependence on Russia. We are in discussions on this issue,” Katalin Novak said.



    Romania may become a relevant partner and supplier for the neighbouring state, came the answer from president Klaus Iohannis, who also seized the opportunity to voice the Romanian authorities willingness to act so as to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation, and the need to avoid unilateral or controversial moves.



    Moreover, according to the Romanian party, economic cooperation should be structured into projects of mutual interest, without ethnic discrimination, not limited to certain regions of Romania and financed in compliance with Romanian and EU legislation as well as having the consent of the Romanian side. “We are open to supporting Hungarian investments across our country and will encourage Romanian companies to further invest in Hungary,” Klaus Iohannis said.



    The Romanian official also mentioned that national minorities contribute to creating and consolidating bridges between their current home country, the only one responsible for protecting their rights, and their country of origin. In short, Romania is fully determined to act to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with Hungary and to provide even more substance to the Strategic Partnership that ties the 2 countries. (AMP)


  • October 11, 2023

    October 11, 2023

    Visit — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis is visiting Hungary today at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novák. It is the first official visit to Budapest by a Romanian president in the last 14 years. Romania’s Presidential Administration explained that the visit takes place in the context of increased dynamics of high-level contacts, after the official visit made by Katalin Novák to Bucharest, in September 2022, and the participation in the 8th Summit of the Three Seas Initiative, hosted by the President of Romania in September 2023. The Strategic Partnership and its development prospects, as well as the concrete ways to deepen the bilateral dialogue, are on the agenda of talks. At the same time, the two presidents will analyze the current situation at the regional, European and global levels, through the lens of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine, with an emphasis on the consequences for security, energy, food and distribution chain. As regards the European agenda, they will discuss the priorities of the Presidency of the EU Council, which Hungary will hold in the second part of 2024.



    Israel – The US has promised Israel all the support it needs to respond to Hamas actions. A first plane loaded with American ammunition has already landed in Israel, and the Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going today to meet with Israeli leaders to find out how they can be better supported, including in the perspective of a ground offensive in Gaza. Last night, the US President Joe Biden strongly condemned the attacks and reiterated that Israel has every right to defend itself against what he called “the absolute evil unleashed by Palestinian terrorists”. The death toll after Saturdays massive attack launched by the Palestinian group Hamas is increasing, the number of Israeli dead reaching 1,200. The Israeli army revealed to the international media the horrors perpetrated by the terrorists in a small Jewish settlement near the border, where entire families, including dozens of children, were killed, and their homes were looted and set on fire.



    Parliament – The two chambers of Romania’s Parliament, gathered in a joint session, adopted today a Declaration regarding the terrorist attacks against Israel and the civilian population. According to the document, the parliamentarians express their full solidarity with the State of Israel, strongly condemn the attacks of the terrorist organization Hamas, the crimes and violence unleashed on the civilian population and express their deep regret for the victims of these attacks. On the other hand, the Romanian ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid, stated that the situation of the Romanians in Israel is under control. He pointed out that there are hundreds of repatriation requests per day, and the flights that transport them are operated by the national company TAROM, as well as by other private companies. Radu Ioanid also recalled that Romanian Foreign Ministry teams went to the airport in Tel Aviv to provide assistance to those who have problems.



    Pilgrimage — As of Sunday more than 72,000 people have already passed in front of the shrine with the relics of Saint Parascheva, which was taken out in the yard of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iaşi, the saint being considered the protector of the eastern region of Romania and of the needy. The Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Parascheva on October 14, which is why, every year, around this day, Iasi becomes the largest pilgrimage center in the country and equally in Central and Eastern Europe. Many people from the country and abroad come to pray at the relics of Saint Parascheva and of other relics of saints specially brought for the pilgrimage. This year, it was decided to bring to Iasi the relics of Saint Andrew of Crete.



    Declaration – The presidents of Romania and Ukraine, Klaus Iohannis and Volodimir Zelenski, signed, on Tuesday, in Bucharest, a political declaration according to which they want to raise bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership. The Ukrainian leader, who paid his first visit to Romania since the beginning of the war, thanked for the help given to his country. Klaus Iohannis has assured him that Romania will continue to support Ukraine at all levels, including military.



    IMF – In the latest report published on Tuesday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates for Romania an economic growth rate of 2.2% this year, compared to 2.4% as previously estimated. Regarding the next year, the IMF anticipates a growth rate of 3.8%. The average annual inflation rate expected by the international financial institution for Romania is 10.7% in 2023 and 5.8% in 2024. An IMF mission in Bucharest recently announced that the deficit is to be 6% this year and 5% next year.



    Pensions – On Wednesday, the Romanian Senate gave a favorable vote for the modification of the law on special pensions, by putting it in agreement with the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania. The bill will also be re-examined by the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has recently stated that the amendments made to this law end the anomalies regarding the payment of pensions higher than the earnings during the period of activity, enjoyed by some professional categories. At the same time, the Speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, stated that the law on special pensions had to be finalized in Parliament within two weeks, pointing that it will be a solution that must be assumed politically so that Romania can benefit from the money from payment request number 3 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In August, the Constitutional Court decided to send back to Parliament the law amending the special pensions, after declaring some articles unconstitutional. (LS)

  • Happening in Romania

    Happening in Romania

    This week in Happening in Romania:



    A Romanian librarian, the first man to swim across the Danube River, has crossed the Rhine in a gesture meant to support Romanias Schengen accession;


    Romania participates in the Invictus 2023 Games in Dusseldorf;


    Romania won three silver medals and one bronze at the International Informatics Olympiad in Szeged, Hungary;


    A poetry anthology including 28 poets from Bihor and Bessarabia was offered by the Pro Lirica Oradea cultural association on the occasion of the Romanian Language Day.


  • September 1, 2023 UPDATE

    September 1, 2023 UPDATE

    Visit – Romania is a credible and responsible partner, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday fresh from the meetings with the heads of the European institutions. In his first official visit to Brussels as head of government, he was received by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The Romanian Prime Minister discussed with the European officials about the budget deficit, saying that he does not agree with an increase in the VAT rate which would also lead to an increase in inflation. Romania, without any exception, will apply the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the PM said. The head of the Romanian government went to Brussels to negotiate with the representatives of the European Commission the increase in the budget deficit, without losing European money. Romania had assumed a deficit target of 4.4%, but now wants to increase it to over 5%. Also, the prime minister wanted the expenses for supporting Ukraine and the defense investments to be deducted from the deficit. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu received thanks from the European officials for the strong support offered to Ukraine and the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, they reconfirmed their support for Bucharests accession to the Schengen free travel area.




    Schengen — ‘Hungarys national interest is for Romania to accede to Schengen as soon as possible’ says the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who firmly asked Austria not to block Romanias accession to the free travel area this autumn. According to the Hungarian MTI news agency, the Hungarian official pointed out that the accession decision must be made based on facts. Romania is Hungarys third export market and a popular investment place for Hungarian capital, said Peter Szijjarto, recalling, at the same time, that a Romanian minority lives on the territory of Hungary, and a minority of Hungarians lives on the territory of Romania. Last December, Austria blocked the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area, claiming that it could not support the expansion of the free travel area as long as it is not functional.



    Cereals – A European Commission team is visiting Romania on Friday and Saturday to discuss about facilitating the export of Ukrainian grains on the Danube, after Russia left the Initiative on grain shipment through the Black Sea and threatens civil maritime transport. The team of experts will visit the Danube port of Galati (south-east) and will meet with representatives of the Lower Danube River Administration, of the port authorities and of ship pilots. The team of experts will also go to the Black Sea port of Constanta to meet with representatives of the Romanian Government, the port authority and the customs authority. Also, the delegation will meet with representatives of the operators, transporters and grain traders from the port of Constanţa, the European Commission announced.



    Diplomacy — The Romanian diplomacy will continue to support and promote solid partnerships and relations, based on democratic values, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, international law and the rules-based international order, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, said on Friday. In her message conveyed on the occasion of the Romanian Diplomacy Day, Mrs. Odobescu recalls that the day is celebrated in a difficult and complex regional context, which, together with accelerated global developments, requires, more than ever, a predictable, coherent, adapted, dynamic and anticipatory foreign policy. Referring to the priorities of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminiţa Odobescu mentioned the growth of Romanias role and influence in the European Union and NATO, as well as the development and deepening of the Strategic Partnership with the USA. The development of consular services for Romanian citizens outside the countrys borders will not be neglected either, the head of the Romanian diplomacy added.



    Volleyball — Romania’s national team won its first victory at the European Mens Volleyball Championship – CEV EuroVolley 2023, 3-2 against Turkey, on Friday, in Tel Avi-Yafo, in Group D of the competition. In the first two stages, the Romanian national team lost to Portugal, 0-3, and to Israel, 2-3. They will next play against Greece (on September 3) and France (on September 4). The first four teams qualify for the round of 16. The European Championship takes place in Israel, Italy, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, from August 28 to September 16. Romania ranked 21st in the previous edition of the European Championship in which it participated, in 2019. The record of the Romanian players includes a European title in 1963, two silver medals (1955, 1958) and two bronze medals (1971, 1977). (LS)

  • September 1, 2023

    September 1, 2023

    SCHENGEN ‘It is in the national
    interest of Hungary that Romania join Schengen as soon as possible’ the
    country’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto’ said firmly asking Austria not to
    block the accession of Romania to Europe’s border-free area this autumn.
    According to the Hungarian news agency MTI, the official in Budapest said the
    decision on accession must be based on facts. According to him, Romania is
    Hungary’s third export market and an investment place very popular with the Hungarian
    investors. The Hungarian Foreign Minister has also mentioned that a minority of
    Romanians is living on the Hungarian territory while a Hungarian minority is
    living in Romania. In December last year, Austria blocked Romania and
    Bulgaria’s access to Schengen invoking that it could not support its enlargement
    as long as this area is not functional.


    VISIT The first formal
    visit, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has paid to Brussels since he
    took office, kicks off today with a meeting with the European Council president
    Charles Michel. Ciolacu will also have talks with the head of the European
    Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, and with the president of the European
    Parliament Roberta Metsola. ‘Romania is stable politically and economically and
    has seen the second biggest economic growth among the EU members, strongly
    supported by the direct foreign investment. We are going to preserve the
    dynamics of the Romanian economy and the investors’ trust through the reform we
    have been making in the essential fields’, the Romanian Prime Minister went on
    to say. Romania would like to be allowed a budget deficit over 5% and in order
    to convince Brussels, the Prime Minister is expected to propose a series of
    fiscal measures. These include bringing the number of VAT quotas down to only two
    and cancelling a number of facilities. Ciolacu is expected to explain that Romania
    needs a budget deficit of 5% because the country has supported the neighboring
    Ukraine affected by the war.






    DIPLOMACY The
    Romanian diplomacy will continue to support and promote solid partnerships and
    relationships based on democratic values, respect for fundamental freedoms and
    rights, international law and order based on rules – the Romanian Foreign
    Minister Luminita Odobescu said on Friday. In her message on the Romanian
    Diplomacy Day, Mrs. Odobescu recalls that this day is being celebrated ‘in a
    difficult and complex regional context, which jointly with the accelerated
    global developments calls more than ever for a predictable foreign policy,
    coherent, adjusted, dynamic and anticipating.’ Referring to the priorities of
    the Romanian diplomacy, Mrs. Odobescu enumerated the increasing role and
    influence of Romania’s inside the EU and NATO as well as the development and
    deepening of the country’s Strategic Partnership with the USA. And neither will
    the development of the consular services for the Romanian nationals outside the
    country be neglected – the Romanian official went on to say.






    TEAM A team of the European Commission is to visit Romania on
    Friday and Saturday for talks on ways to streamline the local capabilities
    handling the Ukrainian grain exports, after Russia has left the initiative
    regarding these exports through the Black Sea and is presently threatening
    maritime civil transportation. The expert team will be visiting the ports of
    Galati, on the Danube and meet representatives of the Lower Danube
    Administration, port authorities and pilots. The team will also travel to the
    Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta for talks with the representatives of the
    operators, transporters and grain traders here, the European Commission has
    announced.






    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea
    will be up against fourth seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the third
    round of the US Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. Cirstea has
    never made it through the third round of this famous competition, which she attended
    in 2009, 2019 and 2020. Last year Cirstea was eliminated in the second round.
    Another Romanian player, Patricia Tig has been eliminated today by the US
    challenger Jessica Pagula 6-3, 6-1.


    (bill)

  • August 21, 2023

    August 21, 2023

    Meeting – The Romanian Prime Minister,
    Marcel Ciolacu, is today participating, in Athens, in a working meeting of the
    heads of state and government from South-Eastern Europe and the Western
    Balkans, organized by the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. According
    to a Government communiqué, the talks will focus on the development of regional
    cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, as well as on the challenges posed by the
    developments of the conflict in Ukraine on the states participating in the
    Athens dialogue. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen,
    and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, are attending the
    meeting, along with heads of state and government from the region.

    Ukraine-The Ukrainian President Volodymyr
    Zelensky says he hopes other countries will join Denmark and the Netherlands, countries
    which have decided to supply Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets. The Ukrainian leader
    made the statements at a military air base in Denmark, where he met with the
    Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen. Denmark and the Netherlands will send
    Ukraine 61 F-16s. It was agreed that the planes would be transferred to the
    Ukrainian Air Force in close cooperation with the US and other partners, when
    the conditions for such a transfer are met. Conditions include, but are not
    limited to, successfully selected, tested and trained Ukrainian F-16 personnel
    as well as the necessary authorizations, infrastructure and logistics.
    Ukrainian pilot training will take place in several NATO countries, including
    Romania.




    Athletics-The Romanian athlete Alina
    Rotaru-Kottmann won the bronze medal in the long jump event at the World
    Athletics Championships in Budapest, with 6.88 meters, in the final held on
    Sunday. This is the best performance in her sports career so far. Alina
    Rotaru-Kottmann had already met the entry standards for athletics events at next
    year’s Paris Olympics. Also on Sunday, Andrea Miklos qualified for the
    semi-finals of the 400 m event. The semi-finals take place today. Romania is
    participating with 16 athletes, nine women and seven men, in the World
    Athletics Championships in Budapest. For
    this competition the Romanian Athletics Federation has set the goal of
    qualifying in three finals.




    Baccalaureate – In Romania, the baccalaureate exam
    continues, today, with the written exam in the mother tongue language and
    literature for the national minorities. The first results will be announced on
    August 25, and appeals can be submitted on the same day. The results will be
    published on August 29. 34,000 candidates registered for the autumn session, of
    whom 22,600 finished high school this summer.




    ARC – The ARC Camps Program,
    initiated by the Department for Romanians Everywhere and intended for Romanian
    students and young people everywhere, continues until August 28, in 6 leisure
    centers in Romania. Students and young people from Romania and another 24
    countries of the world participate, including Albania, Austria, the United Arab
    Emirates, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova,
    Serbia, Spain, Ukraine. ‘We build bridges, build connections and embrace our
    cultural diversity’ this is the message that the Department sends to the
    children and teachers on summer vacation this year in the ARC camps. The camps
    are meant to show Romanian children outside the borders what authentic Romania
    is like. The project aims at facilitating interaction and dialogue between
    young people from historical communities and young people from the Diaspora,
    including through workshops to deepen knowledge of culture, history, geography
    and arts.




    Festival – The George Enescu Festival, the largest classical music
    festival in Romania and one of the most important of its kind in Europe, is
    coming to Timișoara, the European capital of culture in 2023. Great ensembles
    of the world such as Ensemble Intercontemporain, Fine Arts Quartet, Camerata
    Bern, Manchester Camerata and the Romanian Chamber Orchestra will give
    exceptional concerts between September 3 and 20. The first edition of the
    festival was held in 1958. (LS)



  • The EU and the Ukrainian grain exports

    The EU and the Ukrainian grain exports

    Romania has decided to continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain but introduced additional control measures to protect its farmers such as the establishment of customs controls for all agrifood products coming from Ukraine, as well as the sealing and strict monitoring of grain trucks while they are transiting the Romanian territory. The measures have been announced after the talks on Wednesday attended by the Agriculture Ministers of the two countries. How was this situation possible? In order to support Ukraine after the war Russia commenced against this country last February, the EU has suspended customs duties and the other means of trade protection applied to imports of grain and other food products coming from that country.


    However, the decision has caused turmoil on East-European markets and five countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – have notified the European Commission against the backdrop of the protests mounted by their disgruntled farmers.


    In a common letter, the five countries have proposed a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the market imbalances caused by the massive imports of Ukrainian cereals. They have also applied for European support for the development of the transport infrastructures in their countries but also for additional vehicles needed by their market operators.


    Through a well-developed transport network the products coming from Ukraine could reach faster their destination in other world regions while Brussels, in cooperation with the world food programme, must work out a solution so that the Ukrainian grain may not remain in the EU, the Prime Ministers of the five countries said in their letter to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Later, Poland and Hungary were the first to take unilateral measures, banning the imports of cereals and other food products from Ukraine to protect the local farming sector. Slovakia and Bulgaria followed suit against the background of the plummeting prices in the region.


    Furthermore, the harvest season, which is due in two months is going to take farmers aback and they are expected to face a series of issued related to storing capabilities, presently occupied by the Ukrainian grain. The European Commission has called on all the four countries to give up all the restrictive measures they have individually imposed and which Brussels has deemed as illegal and running against the accession treaty as well as the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU. In the meantime, president von der Leyen on Wednesday sent a letter to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary pledging 100 million Euros in support for the farmers in those countries affected by the fiscal and transit facilities granted to Ukraine. This new financial aid joins another of its kind, worth 56.3 million Euros, already in force.


    (bill)