Radio România Internațional

Tag: Hungary

  • January 22, 2017

    January 22, 2017

    FIRE INVESTIGATION – The Romanian authorities have initiated criminal investigations, involving charges of wanton destruction of property, in relation to the fire that Friday night destroyed one of the best known nightclubs in Bucharest, Bamboo. According to the Healthcare Ministry, 44 people received assistance for smoke inhalation injuries, hypothermia, and fractures, but none of the patients reported burns. Only one person is currently in a serious condition. The victims include foreign citizens, most of them from Israel. The causes of the fire that destroyed the building are yet unknown. The owners of the nightclub had not yet obtained the premises license and the fire safety permit for the nightclub. Several witnesses have been heard and fresh inspections have been initiated in all buildings that host activities involving large attendance. We remind you that in October 2015, a fire taking place during a rock concert at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest killed 64 people. The tragedy sparked large-scale protests to denounce corruption in the public administration.



    PROTESTS – Fresh protests against the Romanian Governments plans to table a pardons and amnesty law are announced for later today in the capital city Bucharest and other cities in Romania. Rallies are also planned abroad, such as in front of the Romanian Embassy in Paris, the Romanian Embassy in Copenhagen and in Haugesund Square in Norway. On Wednesday night, thousands took to the streets in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, to protest the Governments intention to pass an emergency order granting collective pardon and amending the provisions of the Criminal Code. The protesters fear that the amendments are designed to help influential politicians or public administration officers get away with corruption. Similar accusations were made by the Opposition parties, civil society organisations and magistrate associations. In turn, the Government claims the changes are necessary in order to solve the problem of penitentiary overcrowding and to bring the relevant legislation in line with rulings passed by the Constitutional Court.



    MOURNING – Hungary has announced a day of national mourning on Monday, to commemorate the victims of the crash that took place in Italy on Friday night and which killed 16 people and injured another 26. The coach was taking students and teachers from a Budapest high school back home from a ski holiday in France, and near Verona it crashed into a bridge pillar and burst into flames. The causes of the accident are still to be determined.



    TRUMP ADMINISTRATION – The US President, Donald Trump, is to receive the British Prime Minister Theresa May at the White House on Friday, the presidential spokesman Sean Spicer announced on Saturday. This is the first foreign leader to visit Trump after he has taken office. Sean Spicer also announced that the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, will be received by the new President of the USA on January 31. Meanwhile, millions took part on Saturday in anti-Trump protests organised by women organisations around the world. Trump is criticised, among other things, for his anti-immigration rhetoric and sexist statements. In Los Angeles, organisers estimate 750,000 people took part, including dozens of Hollywood stars. 400,000 people took to the streets in New York, 200,000 in Boston, 150,000 in Chicago, and rallies were also held in New Zealand, Japan, Australia and major European cities. The largest protest took place in Washington, where nearly a million people attended the anti-Trump rally, including, among others, the former Secretary of State John Kerry.



    AUSTRALIAN OPEN – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (78 WTA) has been outperformed today by Spains Garbine Muguruza Blanco (7 WTA), in two sets, in the eighth-finals of the Australian Open. Also today, the Romanians Horia Tecău and Florin Mergea, playing with separate partners, were eliminated from the eighth-finals of the mens doubles competition in Melbourne. Tecău and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer, seeded 11, were defeated in 2 sets by the Australians Marc Polmans/Andrew Whittington. In turn, Florin Mergea and Britains Dominic Inglot, seeded 16, lost in 3 sets to the top seeds of the doubles event, the French Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 2, 2016

    December 2, 2016

    CYBER CRIME The Romanian police have joined authorities from 29 other countries to dismantle the world’s largest computer network responsible for launching cyber attacks the world over, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police has announced. Code-named Avalanche, the operation was launched last week at the end of investigations that lasted five years. Five people have been detained, 37 buildings searched and 39 servers seized. According to Romanian Police sources, over 500 thousand computers were being affected on a daily basis from this infrastructure, which became operational in 2009. The perpetrators used viruses to hack into computers and withdraw money from the victims’ accounts. Avalanche was the largest police operation of this kind with 800 thousand web domains blocked or closed down in order to be taken out of the hackers’ control. Among the countries involved in the Avalanche operation were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Britain and the United States.



    HANDBALL Romania’s national handball side leaves for Sweden on Saturday to participate in the European Championship due over December 4th and 18th. In the final tournament’s group D Romania will be playing Norway on December 5th, take on Russia two days later and on Croatia on December 9th. The first three sides in each group will qualify for the second stage, which has two series of six groups each. Romania’s team is being lead by Spanish coach Ambros Martin, who last week replaced Swedish Thomas Ryde, under whose guidance our handballers won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark in 2015. In 2013 and 2014, Ambros Martin was designated the world’s best coach after having won two Champions League’s trophies with Hungarian side Gyor.



    UN The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has expressed appreciation for the significant progress Romania has made in terms of implementing democratic values as well as for Bucharest’s contribution to the efforts of promoting peace, sustainable development and human rights the world over. The UN official has highlighted the activity of Romania’s public servants, including officers in charge of the UN high officials’ protection. Ban Ki-moon and the president of the UN general assembly, Peter Thomson, on Thursday attended the reception offered by Bucharest’s permanent mission at the United Nations on the occasion of Romania’s National Day. In turn Peter Thomson has said he appreciates Romania’s activism and the wide range of commitments assumed at all levels in over 60 years of UN membership.



    EUROPOL In a report published in the Hague, the European police, EUROPOL, have warned that the Islamic State has been planning new attacks in Europe in the near future. There is the risk for the refugees from Syria to be recruited and radicalized, while IS fighters can get infiltrated among the refugees, the report says. Experts believe that car bomb attacks can be carried out in France, but also in Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and Germany. The US Department of State also last week announced there is credible information about the Al Qaeda and the Islamic State and their branches, which are planning terror attacks in Europe around the winter holidays. Jihadists have this year carried out bloody attacks in Belgium, France, Germany and Turkey.



    DIPLOMACY Romanian diplomats have announced their surprise and amazement over a decision by the Foreign Ministry in neighboring Hungary to forbid the Hungarian diplomats to participate in receptions and festivities staged on Thursday on the occasion of Romania’s National Day. The Ministry said, upon request from Radio Romania, that such a decision is hard to understand all the more so as the respect for a country’s national symbols and values are an undisputable part of the set of values the European Union and the Transatlantic community are based upon. The Foreign Ministry adds that Romania has been a country deeply attached to such values. We recall that Romania celebrates its National Day on December 1st, to mark the union in 1918 of the province of Transylvania with the Romanian kingdom. The union completed the process of forming the Romanian unitary state after the First World War, when all the Romanian provinces belonging to various multinational empires, united.


  • 3 October, 2016

    3 October, 2016

    UNIVERSITY — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis today attends the opening ceremony for the new university year at the Western University of Timisoara. The president emphasized meritocracy, without which he said a better Romania would not be possible. He said that the country needed political projects looking to the future, as well as political visions and politicians who want to build a better Romania.



    DEFENSE — Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc announced today that Germany would allocate general staff officers to the NATO multinational brigade forming in Romania. At the same time, Bulgaria confirmed once again it would contribute 400 soldiers to the brigade, while Poland would set aside a company for the combat unit, which is set to work alongside an American unit. The Rovine 2nd Infantry Brigade, headquartered in Craiova, southern Romania, will turn into the NATO Multinational Brigade, as part of the plan laid out at the NATO summit in Warsaw that took place this summer.



    NOBEL — The Nobel Prize for Medicine went this year to Japanese researcher Yoshinori Ohsumi for research on autophagy, the metabolic activity in which organisms consume their own tissues when starving. His research is considered crucial for understanding cell renewal and the bodys response to hunger and infections, especially in its genetic aspects, relevant to research into cancer and neurological conditions.



    HUNGARY — Nine out of ten Hungarians voted in Sundays referendum to turn down mandatory European quotas of refugees, but the low poll attendance, below 50%, invalidated the referendum. Radio Romanias correspondent in Budapest informs that, in spite of its campaign against migration, the Conservative government led by Viktor Orban did not manage to bring people to the polls. The PM wants to validate the vote, and announced amendments to the Constitution.



    BUCHAREST — European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, said she hoped the Romanian Parliament elected on December 11th would align Romanian legislation with that of Europe. The commissioner attended in Bucharest a conference on todays challenges in sustainable urban development and the role European funds play in it. She made reference to the EUs urban agenda and its role in Romania. The commissioner visited several sites financed by European funds, attending conferences and meetings with Romanian officials.



    FOOTBALL — Romanias national football team is preparing its away games against Armenia, scheduled for the 8th of October, and against Kazakhstan, on the 11th , part of the preliminaries to the 2018 World Cup to be held in Russia. Last month, the national team tied 1-all against Montenegro at home, in the first game under the guidance of German coach Cristoph Daum, the first foreign coach of a Romanian national side. In the same E group, Denmark bested Armenia 1-0, while Poland tied away from home in Kazakhstan, 2-all. On November 11, Romania is scheduled to play against Poland on home turf.

  • October 2, 2016

    October 2, 2016

    COMMISSIONER – Romania risks being sanctioned by the EU because of its poor waste management at national level, EU commissioner for regional policies, Corina Cretu has said. She explained that 90% of the waste in Romania is not collected properly and unless this problem is solved in a short time, the fines will be significant. During a trip to Iasi, in eastern Romania, Corina Cretu told a citizens debate that the north-eastern part of the country, despite being the poorest, had the highest absorption rate of European funds between 2007 and 2013. The European Commission also highlighted the importance of cohesion policies across the Union and the need to fight populism and euro-scepticism.




    BREXIT – British Prime minister Theresa May has today told the BBC that the country will formally begin the Brexit process by the end of March 2017.The prime minister confirmed the deadline for triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets in place a two-year process of withdrawal. Theresa May also said she hoped there would now be “preparatory work” with the remaining EU members for a smoother process of negotiation.




    UN – The permanent members of the UN Security Council have discussed a UN draft resolution on imposing a ceasefire in Syrias battleground city of Aleppo, France Presse reports. The draft text calls for a cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, in keeping with the American-Russian agreement of September 9th. A ceasefire monitoring mechanism would be set up with experts from the 20-nation International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) taking part. Following the meeting with the permanent council members diplomats were to hold negotiations on the text over the weekend, with a draft resolution to be circulated to the full Security Council on Monday.




    PNL – Alina Gorghiu, the representative of the older liberals, will be the only president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the second largest parliamentary party in Romania. The decision has been taken at the proposal of the former Liberal Democrats, now PNL members, who decided not make a nomination to replace the partys former co-president, Vasile Blaga, who resigned over corruption charges. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, Blaga was being investigated in a corruption case. The former Liberal leader is suspected of having awarded preferential procurement contracts between 2009 and 2012, while an interior minister and Senate speaker.




    REFERENDUM – Hungarians are heading to the polls today for a referendum on whether parliament should allow the EU to set a quota for refugee resettlement in the country. In the case of Hungary, the quota is 1,294 asylum seekers. During the migration crisis Hungary became a transit country for the refugees heading towards Germany and other EU states. In August, Hungary’s prime minister announced that the country was planning to build a second fence to prevent refugees from crossing the border. It will stand next to its current 500km razor wire fence that runs alongside its border with Croatia and Serbia. About 8 million people have the right to vote in today’s referendum, and the presence of half of them is needed for it to be validated.




    RadiRo FESTIVAL – For nine days, the RadiRo Festival, the only festival of this scope dedicated exclusively to radio orchestras, brought before the Bucharest public 6 symphony orchestras from Europe and Asia and 19 of the worlds top conductors and musicians: the Shenzen Symphony Orchestra, the radio orchestras from Norway, Leipzig and Vienna, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Radio Romania National Orchestra. This years concerts were broadcast live on the European Union Radio Broadcasting network and the Asia-Pacific platform of public and private broadcasters. All nine concerts were sold-out.



    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • Europe and the Immigration Issue

    Europe and the Immigration Issue

    After around 300,000 migrants transited Hungary in mid-2015 en route to Western Europe, Hungarian authorities halted this flow by sealing its Serbian border in September and its Croatian border a month later. The decision to put up barbed wire fences was heavily criticised by Brussels and Western capitals, but it nonetheless enabled Budapest to redirect migrants to Slovenia.



    Recently, Hungary has announced that the number of people entering the country illegally is once again on the rise. This comes after neighbouring Austria announced it would tighten border checks and restrict the number of people who may get on its territory. Among the immigrants there are a growing number of people coming from North Africa, Kosovo, Pakistan, but also from Sri Lanka or Haiti, whose chances to get asylum in the EU are very low, unlike those of Syrian refugees.



    As pressure mounts at his countrys borders, PM Viktor Orban ordered the preparation of defence lines along the frontier with Romania. This is not a new idea. Back in November 2015, Hungarian officials had announced plans to build a metal fence at the border with Romania, if necessary. As the Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in January, Budapest is ready to build the fence on its Romanian border “the next day. The same official argued that the measures are in full compliance with international and national regulations, and warned all those who criticised his country that, by protecting the Schengen border, Hungary was fulfilling its obligations, as defined by the EU legislation.



    In his annual address this past weekend, PM Viktor Orban announced having sent new military units to the border regions, having activated an emergency response service in two border counties and having instructed his defence and interior ministers to make preparations for the defence line on the Hungarian-Romanian border. Orban added that, if necessary, the Hungarian authorities would tighten security along all its frontiers, from Slovenia to Ukraine.



    At the EU summit held last week in Brussels, the EU leaders agreed that Europes borders need to be protected and illegal migration must be stopped, while the rules of the visa-free Schengen area must be respected by everybody.

  • Measures and Opinions on Migration

    Measures and Opinions on Migration

    The Hungarian authorities steps to stop the inflow of migrants on its Serbian border do not seem to work. On the contrary, they generate growing tensions, as international criticism mounts. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon views the conduct of Hungarian forces as unacceptable, and calls on the authorities to show compassion for the refugees. This statement comes after hundreds of immigrants protested on Wednesday against the closing of the Hungarian-Serbian border, and Budapest responded with tear gas and water cannons. Serbias PM Aleksandar Vucic accused neighbouring Hungary of being “brutal and non-European and urged the EU to step in.



    In Romania, politicians have also condemned Budapests approach to the refugee crisis, as well as its plans to build a fence on the common border, similar to the one on the Serbian border. Over the past few days the Romanian PM Victor Ponta has criticized harshly the Hungarian response to the migration issue, which has angered the officials in Brussels. Ponta argued that what Hungary does comes against the European principles and fail to solve the problem.



    Victor Ponta: “Unfortunately, the conduct of the Hungarian officials has nothing to do with the concept of Europe. Fences, dogs, guns, it looks like 1930s Europe. This is something that most European leaders believe as well, and if it upsets the Hungarian officials is of little consequence to me.



    According to the Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, building a fence on the Hungarian-Romanian border is an unacceptable approach of the relations between two EU countries.



    Bogdan Aurescu: “It is an attempt by the Hungarian party to drag us into an artificial dispute, probably in order to reduce Hungarys perceived self-isolation within the EU, generated by its own actions.



    The co-president of the National Liberal Party, in opposition, Alina Gorghiu, says a razor-wire fence is no way to strengthen border security, and criticized the measure taken by Budapest. The head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor, argues however that the fence will not affect the free movement of European citizens.



    Kelemen Hunor: “This solution is not meant to divide Romania and Hungary, it is not taken against Romanians or against European citizens. This fence is designed to stop the immigrants who enter a European state illegally.



    Meanwhile, Hungary announced plans to build fences along the border with Croatia as well, after a growing number of migrants switched to this route in order to get to Germany.

  • Europe’s new walls

    Europe’s new walls

    Faced with a
    massive influx of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa, Hungary plans
    to extend its fence along the Serbian border eastwards towards neighbouring
    Romania. This is how the Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto explained
    his country’s decision:




    We have made the decision to start
    preparatory works for the construction of a fence starting from the
    Hungarian-Serbian-Romanian border at a reasonable length should migration
    pressure shift in the direction of Romania. Given our good relations and in
    keeping with diplomatic norms, we have informed the Romanian side, more
    precisely the state secretary for European integration, of our intentions.




    The foreign ministry in Bucharest, however,
    has described as politically incorrect Hungary’s plans to build a fence on the
    common border between two European Union member states and strategic partners.
    The ministry says these plans run counter to the European spirit, while prime
    minister Victor Ponta says Budapest’s decision to build a fence along its
    borders will not solve the problem and takes Hungary out of Europe. He also
    said Hungary treats the refugees using clubs and serial numbers.




    The Hungarian foreign minister harshly
    criticised Ponta’s comments, describing them as extremist and false. For his
    part, Ponta said he would not respond to the provocations made by some of the
    representatives of the Hungarian government, but said, however, that the
    behaviour of some of them is not in line with European Union values and is no
    better than that of decision makers in Syria, Libya and other countries that
    refugees are fleeing. The Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto
    accused Victor Ponta of losing control
    and offending Hungary with his irrational statements.




    In the meantime, the refugee crisis deepens.
    EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday failed to reach an agreement
    over the fair distribution of the 120,000 refugees and will meet again next
    Tuesday in a new attempt to find consensus. Romania said it was ready to
    receive more than the 1,705 people it initially agreed to take in, plus another
    80 people from outside the European Union. Alongside nine other EU states,
    Romania is opposed to the introduction of obligatory refugee quotas.

  • September 15, 2015 UPDATE

    September 15, 2015 UPDATE

    The Romanian Foreign Ministry Tuesday said the Hungarian governments plans to build a fence along the common border, between two EU member countries and strategic partners, was politically incorrect and came against the spirit of the EU. Romanias response comes after Hungary decided to extend its wire fence on its southern border with Serbia, alongside the Romanian border as well, in order to stop the Middle East and northern African immigrant inflow. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, said the measure was prompted by the fact that the people traffickers operating on the Serbian border are changing their routes towards Hungarys border with Romania. Bucharest will be a part of the relocation mechanism by accepting more than 1,700 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece and another 80 people from outside the EU. However, Romania joins 9 other EU states in refusing the compulsory refugee quotas suggested by Brussels.



    The Prefect of Bucharest, Paul Nicolae Petrovan, Tuesday signed an order suspending the Mayor General Sorin Oprescu, after the Court of Appeals ruled that the latter should be taken in detention pending trial for bribe taking. A former member of the Social Democratic Party and later an independent politician, Oprescu was elected Mayor of Bucharest in 2008 and again in 2012. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, he received 25,000 euros in bribes. Between 2013 and 2015, Oprescu was part of an organised group that introduced a system through which those who wanted public contracts had to transfer a quota of the profits to local decision makers. Marin Stefanel Dan, a member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania, was appointed as interim mayor. Also on Tuesday the Social Democratic PM Victor Ponta appeared once again before the anti-corruption prosecutors who have charged him with corruption offences. On June 5, the Anti-Corruption Directorate ordered the prosecution of Victor Ponta, for forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, allegedly committed when he worked as a lawyer, as well as for conflict of interests with respect to his position as Prime Minister. In July, an asset freeze measure against Ponta was also announced. Romanias first PM to be prosecuted while in office, Ponta denies the accusations and dismisses the calls for his resignation, coming from both the Liberals in Opposition and from President Klaus Iohannis.



    The Social Democratic Party, in the ruling coalition in Romania, Tuesday decided to hold a special congress on October 11, to elect its new leaders. Having stepped down as party president after he was prosecuted by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the PM Victor Ponta announced he would not run for any position at this congress.



    The Romanian Education Minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu, Tuesday said in parliament that reforms in the public education sector were absolutely necessary. He added a comprehensive approach must be taken, allowing for the implementation of coherent and consistent measures for periods of time that exceed one ministerial term in office. Cimpeanu addressed the Chamber of Deputies at the request of the National Liberal Party in opposition. On Monday, he had stated that the new school year started on the right foot, although many problems were yet to be solved, particularly in terms of infrastructure, textbooks and curricula.



    Romanias rugby team is leaving for England on Wednesday, to take part in the World Cup due to kick off on September 18. Romania is playing in Group D, alongside France, Ireland, Canada and Italy. The national rugby team has never missed a World Cup final tournament, although they never went past the group stage.

  • May 19, 2015

    May 19, 2015

    The European Union has launched a naval operation against people traffickers in the Mediterranean, one month after hundreds of people died in a shipwreck. The unprecedented mission off the Libyan coast, which is a major refugee trafficking route, will involve the deployment of war ships and surveillance aircraft belonging to European armed forces.



    Seven Romanians were in a bus where an improvised explosive device was found on Saturday in Hungary, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced, after having instructed the Romanian Embassy in Budapest to get more information on the incident. The Romanians continued their journey on the same bus, after Hungarian experts removed the device. The vehicle was registered in Bulgaria and was traveling from Prague (the Czech Republic) – Varna (Bulgaria), via Romania, and the homemade bomb was found in the luggage compartment, in a bag, tied to a petrol can. An investigation has been started. An individual who took the bus in Prague and unexpectedly got out in Budapest is a suspect in the case, and investigators do not rule out a terrorist plot.



    Bucharest is hosting, as of today, the 43rd Interpol European Regional Conference. Delegates from 50 countries are attending, alongside representatives of international organisations. For three days, representatives of law enforcement agencies from Europe and beyond will discuss the current problems facing modern society, including cyber security issues, and topics related to border security, terrorism, corruption and police cooperation.



    A Foreign Ministry task force in Bucharest is checking the information regarding the kidnapping of a Romanian citizen last month in Burkina Faso and the audio message sent by the jihadist group “Al Murabitun”, which claimed the kidnapping. In a recording sent to a news agency in Mauritania, and whose authenticity is yet to be confirmed, the group’s new leader demands that the Romanian government “took the hostage release negotiations seriously.” The terrorist announced, 5 days ago, the affiliation of “Al Murabitun” to the IS. The Romanian citizen was a member of a patrol team securing the perimeter of a mine. According to the Foreign Ministry, the task force is in permanent contact with the authorities in Burkina Faso, who deployed a substantial military contingent in the area in view of identifying the kidnappers. Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has immediately returned from Brussels, where he was taking part in a meeting with his European counterparts.



    IMF and European Commission representatives are in Bucharest, as of today, for a technical mission. For a week, they will discuss with the Romanian authorities the measures included in the new Fiscal Code, which is currently under review in Parliament, and the status of structural reform implementation. According to economic analysts, the parties will try to successfully finalise the current stand-by agreement between Bucharest and the international financing institutions. Talks will likely be difficult, given that the Romanian government has recently adopted fiscal relaxation measures on which the IMF had expressed doubts. Signed in September 2013 for a two-year period and amounting to around 2 billion euros, this is the third loan Romania has requested from the IMF since the start of the economic crisis.



    Three Romanian tennis players are today playing in the qualifying matches for the men’s singles main draw in the French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Victor Hanescu, 187 ATP, will be facing the Italian Potito Starace, 198 ATP, Adrian Ungur, world no 189, will also play against an Italian, Luca Vanni, no. 103, while Marius Copil (207) seems to have an easy job in the match against the Portuguese Pedro Sousa, no 838. In the women’s competition, Romania will be represented by several players, including world no. 3 Simona Halep, who last year lost the French Open final to Russia’s Maria Sharapova.

  • Elections in Europe

    Elections in Europe

    This fall several EU Member States are holding elections that may bring about important political changes in Eastern and Central Europe.



    In the EU’s poorest state Bulgaria, the center-right GERB party has become the country’s leading political faction after last weekend’s legislative elections. Boiko Borisov’s party grabbed nearly one third of the total number of votes and will take over from the left-wing Government. Marred by accusations of ineffectiveness and corruption, Plamen Oresharsky’s term has come to an untimely end after only one year. In the current elections the alliance of Socialists and Ethnic Turks in Bulgaria grabbed even fewer votes than the Conservatives. Far from relishing his win, Borisov admitted that setting up the new Cabinet will be a difficult task, given the fragmentation of the new Parliament.



    Latvia too saw legislative elections this Saturday. Four pro-Western parties will hold the majority in Parliament, although the opposition’s Armonia party, linked to Vladimir Putin’s United Russia group, claimed first place in the elections. For most pundits this is a surprising win, against the backdrop of regional tensions and Russia’s unquenched appetite for power.



    Hungarians too will hit voting polls next Sunday to elect their new local officials. The vote is bound to produce no surprises this time, with the FIDESZ Conservative faction expected to win at ease. This spring FIDESZ won the local and European legislative elections by a landslide majority. Voters seem not to be bothered by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s authoritarian tendencies, nor by his ambiguous policy towards Russia. And this is not the worst news for the Liberal and Socialist opposition, which is no longer the country’s second party after the ultra-nationalist Jobbik party is now the opposition’s newest favourite in polls.



    In Romania, presidential elections will take place on November 2, with a total of 14 candidates enrolled so far in the race for Cotroceni. A second ballot is most likely to be held on November 16, between the polls’ two main contenders, the Social-Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta and Christian-Liberal Sibiu Mayor Klaus Iohannis.



    Whereas this fall’s elections will bring about little to no change in the NATO and EU member countries, the Republic of Moldova is undergoing a severe political crisis. With only 2 months ahead of the vote, the pro-Russian communist party is viewed as the most likely to win the upcoming legislative elections of November 30. A win for the communists would spell disaster for the pro-Western coalition in Chisinau and an end to the five years of reforms and efforts to bring the country closer to the EU, which culminated this summer with the signing of the Association and Free Trade Agreements with the EU.