Radio România Internațional

Tag: IMF

  • Warnings from the World Bank and the IMF

    Warnings from the World Bank and the IMF

    The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Food Programme and the World Trade Organisation have this week called on all countries to take urgent and coordinated measures to ensure food security. In a joint statement, the leaders of the four institutions have warned that the war in Ukraine adds to pre-existent pressure generated by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, endangering millions of people from all over the world.



    The much higher prices for basic food products and the disruptions in the supply chain have put a lot of pressure on consumers. Poor countries are the most vulnerable, but average-income countries are also exposed. The war in Ukraine made the IMF revise downwards global economy for 2022 and 2023, in the context of higher prices for food and energy that put high pressure on fragile economies, the IMF chief said Thursday.



    Kristalina Georgieva said the Russian invasion of Ukraine sends shock waves across the entire world and puts countries still struggling to recover from the pandemic in an even more difficult situation. ”To put it simply, we are facing a crisis on top of a crisis. This is a massive setback for the global recovery. In economic terms, growth is down and inflation is up. In human terms, people’s incomes are down and hardship is up,” she explained.



    The IMF, which on Tuesday will make public its new economic forecast, will revise downwards 143 economies, that together account for 86% of the world s GDP, but, for most countries, it counts on a positive economic growth. Although a clear figure regarding the advance of world economy has not been made public, Kristalina Georgieva said it will be smaller than the 4.4% forecast made by the IMF in January, a forecast already reduced by half percentage point due to disruptions in the supply chain. According to the IMF, for the first time in many years, inflation has become a clear and present danger for many countries around the world and will stay high for a longer period than expected. According to the IMF, there is another growing risk, namely, ”fragmentation of the world economy into geopolitical blocs—with different trade and technology standards, payment systems, and reserve currencies.”



    In Romania, authorities are trying to support the population seriously affected by an inflation rate of over 10%, the biggest level in 18 years. PM Nicolae Ciuca has presented the head of the World Bank, David Malpass, who paid a visit to Bucharest, the ”Support for Romania” programme, worth around 3.5 billion euro, of which more than 60% will go to investment. The Romanian Government also supports the transit of goods, to ease exports from Ukraine, and has plans to develop capacities for electricity production and to expand natural gas exploitation, including off-shore, and capitalise more on its agricultural potential. (EE)


  • July 28, 2021 UPDATE

    July 28, 2021 UPDATE

    HEAT WAVE Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert against extreme heat and thermal discomfort in seven counties in the south and the capital Bucharest, in place until Saturday. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Centigrade locally. A code yellow alert against extreme heat is in place until Saturday for all other regions, with highs ranging from 34 to 39 degrees. Passenger and freight trains will travel at reduced speeds during this period. Road traffic authorities have also warned some
    restrictions will be introduced due to the extreme heat, on Thursday, Friday
    and Saturday, between noon and 8 pm in most of the country.




    COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 infections in Romania remains low, although it has gone up in recent days. The authorities announced 159 new cases on Wednesday, one new COVID-related casualty and 47 patients in intensive care. According to the head of the vaccination campaign, medical doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, nearly 90% of the people currently diagnosed with COVID-19 are not vaccinated, while over 91% of related fatalities were people who hadn’t taken the anti-COVID jab. At present, some 30% of Romania’s total population is immunised. Starting August 2, young people aged 12-17 can also receive the Moderna vaccine, Valeriu Gheorghiţă said. The Romanian official went on to say that, by mid-September, Romania might start administering the third dose of the vaccine for at-risk categories, such as health workers, chronically ill and people over 65 years of age. So far, 4.8 million people have been fully vaccinated in Romania.




    GOVERNMENT The Government Wednesday approved plans to further ease COVID-related restrictions starting August 1. PM Florin Cîţu mentioned, among others, that outdoors cultural and entertainment events may be attended by a maximum of 75,000 people, in places where the COVID-19 infection rate is under 2 per thousand, on condition that participants are vaccinated, recovered from the disease or have tested negative for it. For indoor and outdoor sports events, crowd attendance is limited to 75% of the venue’s full capacity, provided a physical distance of at least 1 m between viewers is ensured. In areas with an infection rate below 2 per thousand, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and gambling venues will also be open between 5 am and 2 am.




    IMF The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its 6% economic growth estimate for the world economy this year and upgraded its outlook on the United States and other developed economies, while downgrading its forecast for a number of developing countries affected by the fallout of COVID-19. In the case of Romania, in October last year the IMF estimated a growth rate of 4.6% this year. The new outlook expects Romanias economic growth rate to reach 6% this year. Additionally, the IMF has upgraded its forecast for 2022, from 3.9% as originally estimated, to 4.8%. According to the new report, Romania’s economic growth rates for 2021 and 2022 will stand above the European average.




    INFRINGEMENT The European Commission decided to start infringement procedures against 12 Member States, including Romania, for failure to transpose EU rules banning unfair trade practices in the agricultural and food supply chain. The deadline for transposing the regulations into national law was May 1, 2021. The Commission sent letters of formal notice to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, requesting them to adopt and notify relevant measures. The Member States have now two months to reply.




    BEAR CENSUS A bear census worth 11 million euro was launched on Wednesday in Romania. The Minister for Investments and European Projects Cristian Ghinea explained the project is funded under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. There will be two lines of investment, one focusing on the bear census itself, while the other will help implement state-of-the-art technologies aimed at limiting the interaction of bears with humans. Last week the Government had passed an order regulating human intervention in situations involving bears, under which bears can be driven away in low-risk cases, and tranquilized and relocated or even shot if they attack people or livestock.




    OLYMPICS Romania won two medals in Wednesday’s rowing finals at the Tokyo Olympics: Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won gold in the women’s double scull event, while Romania’s four crew, made up of Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari scooped the silver. Adding to the two medals is Ana-Maria Popescu’s silver medal in the women’s epee event. Romanian fighter Maria Claudia Nechita Wednesday failed to qualify into the 57 kg boxing semi-finals, after losing to Japans Sena Irie, 3-2. A victory would have secured her an Olympic medal. Also on Wednesday, Romanias under-23 football team drew with New Zealand, in its last Group B match, and failed to move forward into the quarter-finals. The Romanians came out 3rd in the group, after South Korea and New Zealand and ahead of Honduras.



    FESTIVAL The 2021 edition of the largest cinema event in Romania, the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF) continues in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), until Sunday. Over 170 films are screened in this years festival. Concerts and meetings with film industry representatives are also organised as part of the event. TIFF aims to promote cinema by presenting some of the most important contemporary works which reflect the originality of their authors, less common forms of cinematic expression and new cultural trends. This years special guest in the festival is international star Sergei Polunin, regarded as the most talented ballet dancer of his generation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • May 28, 2021 UPDATE

    May 28, 2021 UPDATE

    Vaccination.
    The European Medicines
    Agency on Friday authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in 12-15
    year-olds. This becomes the first vaccine to be administered to adolescents in
    the 27 EU member states. In Romania, the number of new Covid cases continues to drop
    in Romania. 321 new cases and 43 new fatalities were recorded on Friday. Capital
    city Bucharest and all the other counties are now in the so-called green zone.
    Since the vaccine rollout began in Romania in late December, over 3.3 million people
    have been fully vaccinated. Over 1,000 physicians, nurses and auxiliary staff have
    volunteered for the second edition of a vaccination marathon held this weekend
    in Bucharest. Over 20,000 people were given the vaccine during the first edition
    held earlier in May. New relaxation measures are to come into effect from June
    1st. The government has established the conditions in which wearing face masks
    is no longer mandatory in workplaces, how many people can take part in various
    events and what entertainment facilities may open.






    Aid. The government in Bucharest approved the
    delivery of more humanitarian aid for the neighbouring Romanian-speaking
    Republic of Moldova to help the authorities there to contain the pandemic.
    According to the Health Ministry, the aid consists of 100 thousand doses of the
    AstraZeneca vaccine. In another development, state secretary with the Romanian
    Foreign Ministry Dan Neculaescu is on a working visit to Cernauti with a view
    to providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He will meet representatives of the ethnic
    Romanian community in Ukraine and have talks with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister
    Vasyl Bodnar and with officials from the Regional State Administration in
    Cernauti.




    Corruption. The National Anticorruption
    Directorate said in a statement that 48 people were convicted in April in corruption
    cases, including the president of a county council, a city deputy mayor, a
    Bucharest sector mayor, a president and two directors of the Bucharest Chamber
    of Trade and Industry, a county police chief, an army doctor, the president of
    the College of Physicians in Romania. The crimes committed include taking and
    giving bribe, trafficking in influence and embezzling European funds, while the
    sentences range from 6 years in prison to 10 months delayed sentence.




    IMF. The IMF experts believe the Romanian
    authorities should relaunch the fight against corruption and efforts to make
    public administration more efficient, as well as improve the governance of
    state companies, read the conclusions published after an assessment mission of
    the Romanian economy. Romania’s efforts to fight corruption during the EU
    accession period have been recognized internationally. However, both the fight
    against corruption and efforts to improve government effectiveness need to be
    re-energized. There cannot be convergence of living standards to those in
    richer EU economies without convergence in economic governance standards, the
    report says. IMF experts also believe
    that Romanian authorities should also focus on reversing
    the worsening financial performance of state enterprises, which will require
    enhanced monitoring and necessary reforms in the energy and transport sectors.
    Strengthening the governance of SOEs will be crucial for absorbing EU funds,
    bridging public infrastructure gaps with EU peers and meeting climate targets. Better
    corporate governance of SOEs would be an important first step, the IMF reports
    also says.




    NATO. NATO deputy secretary general and former
    Romanian politician Mircea Geoană travels to Romania on Monday to visit the Headquarters
    of the Multinational Division South-East which is taking part in the NATO Steadfast
    Defender exercise, the North Atlantic Alliance said in a statement on Friday.
    Together with the chairman of the NATO military committee, air chief marshal Stuart Peach, Geoană will
    meet Romanian defence minister Nicolae Ciucă and chief of defence staff,
    lieutenant general Daniel Petrescu. He will also attend talks as part of the
    Atlantic- Black Sea Security Forum hosted by Aspen Institute from Romania.
    During his visit Geoană will also attend the opening of the Euro-Atlantic
    Centre for Resilience together with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, foreign
    minister Bogdan Aurescu and the Vice-President
    of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations Maroš Šefčovič. A
    former Washington ambassador and Social Democrat politician, Mircea
    Geoană served as foreign minister between 2000 and 2004, when Romania joined
    NATO.




    Recovery. Building post-pandemic Romania is not
    just about returning to what was before, but significant progress towards a new
    stage, and this can only be achieved through the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, said president Klaus Iohannis on Friday. He called for
    mobilisation and solidarity to support and implement the plan, days before the
    document is submitted by the government to the European Commission. Investments
    cannot work without reforms, he explained, saying Romania has around 80 billion
    euros at its disposal. Now is the time for all responsible political forces to
    leave party interests behind, to show solidarity and responsibility and support
    this national effort, the president also said. The Social Democratic Party in
    opposition says the government committed to austerity measures in the plan and
    that it will file a no-confidence motion.
    Each member state must present an investment plan in Brussels, with 19
    countries having already done so.






    Tennis. Romanian tennis player Irina Bara
    reached the main draw at Roland Garros as she defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech in her final qualifying round on Friday. Bara’s
    best result in Paris was last year, when she reached as far as the last 16. She
    is the 6th Romanian player on the main draw in Paris this year,
    alongside Sorana Cîrstea, Patricia Ţig, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan and Mihaela
    Buzărnescu. World no. 3 Simona Halep will not compete at Roland Garros because
    of an injury. She won here in 2018 and lost in the final in 2014 and 2017. Also
    on Friday, Sorana Cîrstea reached the final of the Strasbourg tournament after
    defeating Poland’s Magda Linette in the semis in three sets. She will face the
    winner of the other semifinal between Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic
    and Jule Niemeier of Germany. (CM)



  • May 21, 2021 UPDATE

    May 21, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The number of new cases of
    coronavirus infection has been dropping in Romania. Only 484 cases were
    reported on Friday, out of 34,000 tests performed in 24 hours. The number of
    patients in intensive care has dropped too, down to 636. 49 Covid-related
    deaths were reported on Friday. The vaccination campaign continues. More than 4
    million people have been vaccinated, 3 million of whom with both doses. In
    Bucharest, 36% of the population got at least the first jab.




    DIGITAL GREEN CERTIFICATES -The European Parliament and
    the EU Member States have reached an agreement on the European digital Covid Certificate,
    which aims to facilitate travel in the EU. The so called ‘green certificate’
    would allow anyone in the bloc to obtain a digital proof of coronavirus
    vaccination status, COVID test results or recovery from an infection. With
    regard to the two divergent points regarding the cost of PCR tests and the
    waiver of quarantine, it was agreed that the tests would be affordable and that
    the European Commission would allocate 100 million Euro to purchase them; as
    for quarantine, Member States shall refrain from imposing it on those with a
    health certificate, unless such a measure is strictly necessary with regard to
    public health. People who have received a single dose of vaccine can also apply
    for the certificate, but only if they have been immunized with one of the
    anti-COVID vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency: Pfizer, Moderna,
    AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. European Union officials want the
    European Covid-19 certificate to become operational next month. It will be
    discussed at the EU summit on 24-25 May, and then an agreement will have to be
    approved in the European Parliament’s plenary session on 7-10 June.




    EUROPEAN COUNCIL – Romania’s president, Klaus
    Iohannis, on Monday and Tuesday will attend the special meeting of the European
    Council, to be held in Brussels. According to a Presidency release, the head of
    state will call for the swift and unitary implementation of the European
    Digital Green certificate at EU level. Klaus Iohannis will reiterate the idea
    that the certificate should not affect free movement of citizens, which he sees
    as a fundamental right. Other topics on the meeting’s agenda concern concerted
    EU-wide action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, combating climate change, and
    the EU’s relations with Russia and the UK.




    COUNCIL
    – Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, on Friday attended the 131st
    meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, held in
    videoconference format, on which occasion he pointed out that solving prolonged
    conflicts is a priority for Romania. According to a Foreign Ministry release,
    talks focused on hot topics on the Council’s agenda, in an attempt to identify
    solutions to the main challenges facing the global community. Bogdan Aurescu
    reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to streamlining multilateralism and
    strengthening strategic resilience based on democratic values and the rule of
    law. In his address, the Romanian official underlined the need to build a
    common European judicial framework based on the principles of the rule of law,
    in order to ensure a sustainable future. Minister Aurescu also expressed
    support for any effort designed to deter propaganda favoring extremist ideology
    and hate speech, the Foreign Ministry reports.




    IMF -
    The International Monetary Fund on Friday made a €50-billion proposal to put an
    end to the COVID-19 pandemic by vaccinating at least 40% of the world
    population by the end of the year and at least 60% by the end of the first half
    of 2022, Reuters reports. IMF officials say the move will be tantamount to
    injecting $9,000 billion in global economy by 2025, due to the swift resumption
    of economic activity. The coronavirus has killed 3.5 million people around the
    world, and according to estimates this will generate growth gaps in 2022, the
    IMF also says. Also on Friday, the WHO announced that the number of
    COVID-related fatalities could be three times bigger than official estimates,
    for a number of complex reasons. In other news, France Press news agency writes
    that the COVID-19 pandemic is slowing down for the third week in a row, with
    the biggest reduction in the number of cases being reported across Europe.




    CEASEFIRE – The EU has hailed the cease
    of the fire between Israel and Hamas and has committed to supporting efforts to
    find a long-term political solution to the conflict. The truce, mediated by
    Egypt, came into force on Friday, putting an end to 11 days of heavy fighting.
    More than 230 Palestinians, of whom half women and children, have been killed
    in Gaza. Also, in Israel, 12 people, including 2 children, have been killed
    since the start of the conflict. The US President Joe Biden has stated that the
    ceasefire is an opportunity to move forward towards achieving peace (MI &
    VP)

  • May 8, 2021

    May 8, 2021

    Covid-19 Romania. Coronavirus cases continue to drop in Romania, where some
    1,300 new cases were recorded on Saturday. 104 new related fatalities were also
    reported, with the death toll nearing 29,000. To date, over 2 million Romanians
    are fully vaccinated. Activities aimed at boosting immunisation are held across
    the country. A drive-through vaccination centre where no previous appointment
    is required opened this weekend in Iaşi, in the north-east. Military hospitals
    also begin administering the Covid vaccine to the general population. Two
    vaccination marathons are under way in Bucharest at two different locations,
    involving some 1,200 volunteers, including doctors, nurses and medical students
    and which are staying open round the clock until Monday morning. Prime minister
    Florin Cîţu said such initiatives to speed up mass immunisation will take
    Romania one step closer to a return to normalcy from 1st June.




    Covid-19 world. German Parliament
    approves bill on lifting a number of daily restrictions for millions of fully
    vaccinated people or who have recovered from the coronavirus. The new
    regulations will apply from Sunday. The federal justice minister Christine Lambrecht said fully vaccinated people and those who have
    recovered from the virus will no longer have to present a negative Covid test
    when entering shops or hair dressers. In India, on the other hand, the daily death
    toll passed 4,000 for the first time. According to the BBC, experts say that
    the number of deaths is in fact much higher and that the second wave will not
    reach its peak by the end of May. They are warning about an explosion in the
    number of new infections given that the virus is spreading to the rural areas,
    where there is a shortage of public health facilities.




    Summit. Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis is attending the EU-India summit in videoconference format, with talks
    focusing on the consolidation of cooperation in efforts to combat the pandemic,
    the further development of commercial ties and encouraging cooperation in the
    area of connectivity. On Friday, the EU heads of state and government meeting
    for a social summit in Portugal discussed a ten-year action plan on social
    rights. The plan aims to eliminate the poverty risk for 15 million people,
    create jobs for at least 78% of the population and provide yearly professional
    training for most workers. The talks were attended by employers, trade unions
    and representatives of civil society. According to the president of the
    European Parliament David Sassoli, the summit is fundamental
    for shaping the social aspect of the Union’s recovery from the Covid-19
    pandemic based on citizens’ social rights. President Klaus Iohannis called for
    coordination at European level to allow people to study and work wherever they
    choose in the single market.




    IMF. An expert
    team of the International Monetary Fund headed by the chief of the IMF mission
    for Romania, Jan Kees Martijn, will hold online talks with the Romanian
    authorities starting on Monday. For three weeks, the IMF experts will discuss
    economic policies and developments with representatives of the Finance
    Ministry, the National Bank, of other governmental agencies, the business
    sector and NGOs. Romania does not have, at present, a financing agreement with
    the IMF, but the latter is annually assessing the evolution of the Romanian
    economy.




    Tennis. Two Romanian players are in
    action today at the Rome tennis tournament. Irina Begu is facing Germany’s Andrea
    Petkovic and Patricia Tig is playing China’s Yafan Wang. Simona Halep is also
    in competition in Rome, seeking to defend last year’s title.




    Volleyball. The Romanian men’s volleyball side are
    today playing Swizerland in a qualifying tournament in Nitra ahead of the 2021
    Men’s European Volleyball Champions. They lost to Slovakia on Friday and
    earlier defeated Albania. The second qualifying tournament is due next weekend
    in Ploieşti, in southern Romania. Qualifying
    matches were initially scheduled for last summer but because of the
    coronavirus pandemic, they were first postponed
    and then grouped into two tournaments. The winners of the seven preliminary
    groups and five of the best second-ranked sides will qualify for the
    championship, which will be hosted jointly by four countries, Poland, the Czech
    Republic, Estonia and Finland between 1st and 19th
    September. (CM)

  • Optimistic IMF forecast

    Optimistic IMF forecast

    The global economy is set to recover from the 2020 slump more quickly than originally forecast, encouraged at present by the soundness of the US economy, according to the latest forecasts made public on Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund.



    The contraction in 2020 was unprecedented, the IMF says, but in 2021 the global economy is projected to grow at 6%, moderating to 4.4% in 2022. “Even with high uncertainty about the path of the pandemic, a way out of this health and economic crisis is increasingly visible, Gita Gopinath, the chief economist of the Washington-based organisation said according to France Presse. The IMF nonetheless fears recovery will be uneven across countries.



    In the euro zone, the IMF forecasts are slightly increased: 4.4% this year. Germany is expected to see a 3.6% growth rate, France –5.8%, Italy – 4.2% and Spain – 6.4%.



    Worth noting however is that the rate is too slow to make up for last years 6.6% contraction, and Europe has to wait at least until the summer of 2022 to fully recover.



    The IMF has also improved estimates regarding the Romanian economy. Whereas in October the Fund expected Romaniato have a 4.6% growth rate this year, Tuesdays new projections point to a 6% increase. As for 2022, the IMF forecast is 4.8%.



    Inflation is also predicted to go up by an annual 2.8% in 2021 as against 2.5% according to the autumn forecast, and to slow down to 2.1% next year. The current account deficit in turn will likely go slightly down, to 5% of GDP in 2021 and 4.7% in 2022.



    The Liberal PM Florin Cîţu welcomes news as “fantastic, and sees them as a sign of the international monetary institutions confidence in the right-of-centre coalition government in Bucharest. In turn, the finance minister Alexandru Nazare says the IMF forecast confirms the Romanian authorities are on the right path.



    “The economic growth forecast by the IMF is only on paper and for the right-wing faction; for Romanian citizens, its poverty, the leader of the main opposition party in Romania, Social-Democrat Marcel Ciolacu argues on the other hand. He says utilities and food prices have skyrocketed, peoples spending power is dramatically low, the exchange rate for the Euro has reached 5 RON, and more than half of the countrys GDP relies on debt, which means that Romania does spectacularly in accounting terms, but fails to develop in economic and social terms. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 8, 2020 UPDATE

    August 8, 2020 UPDATE

    ASSISTANCE Romania has joined the international efforts to grant assistance to
    Lebanon in the wake of the devastating explosion at an ammonium nitrate
    storehouse on Tuesday. The government in Bucharest, civil society and
    representatives of the Lebanese Diaspora have quickly responded to the
    assistance appeal from the Lebanese government and through joint efforts
    roughly 8 tons of medical equipment and medicine have been donated and are
    being flown to Lebanon on board of two Romanian Air Force planes. ‘Lebanon is a
    country close to the Romanian society, a country, which is also home to many Romanians
    and our thoughts and our entire compassion go out to the people of Beirut
    affected by this tragedy,’ Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said before
    the aforementioned planes had taken off. Police in Lebanon have fired tear gas
    at the protesters who took to the streets to protest the country’s politicians
    whom they blame for the devastating explosion on Tuesday, which killed at least
    150 and wounded more than 5 thousand people. Hundreds have been made
    temporarily homeless while the collective loss is expected to reach billions of
    dollars. France has announced a video-conference of donors on Sunday aimed at
    raising humanitarian aid for Lebanon.










    ECONOMY Romania is
    going to avoid technical recession and see a contraction lower than the
    estimates of the rating agencies, the European Commission, the IMF and banks
    due to the prompt and effective response of the economic policy, Romanian Finance
    Minister Florin Citu says. In a Facebook post, the minister explains that
    Romania is going to see an economic recovery in the third trimester and this will
    translate into economic growth in 2021. According to the minister, although the
    country entered the crisis with a 3.7% budget deficit, at the first adjustment
    the government has risen the deficit by three percentage points and will continue
    to inject money into the economy during the second adjustment stage.














    MAE According
    to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, authorities in Germany have revised the
    conditions required for entering this country after 7 Romanian counties, Arges,
    Bihor, Buzau, Neamt, Ialomita, Mehedinti and Timis have been included on a list
    of risky regions. So all people coming from these regions, irrespective of
    their citizenship, must produce a negative Covid test carried out 48 hours
    before their arrival or take a free test 72 hours since their arrival on German
    soil. Those who refuse to comply can be denied entry or can be imposed
    self-isolation. If the test is carried out while on German soil, self-isolation
    is imposed until the result of the test is known.








    TOURISM Almost 150 thousand tourists are expected to arrive in the seaside
    resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast this weekend, which are running to full
    capacity thanks to the hot weather. Tourists are requested to pay attention to
    several aspects such as the extreme hot weather, the rough sea or the issues
    caused by the novel coronavirus. As the seaside resorts are the most crowded tourist
    areas in Romania, tourists are facing an increased risk of infection. Teams
    made up of police troops, gendarmes, firefighters as well as representatives of
    the public healthcare institutions and consumers’ protection have been deployed
    to assess the observance of safety regulations. 150 fines totaling 11 thousand
    Euros have been applied in the past 24 hours.








    (translated by bill)

  • The Week in Review 21-27 June, 2020

    The Week in Review 21-27 June, 2020

    The COVID-19 epidemic in Romania


    As containment measures are gradually eased, Romania is facing a worrying increase in the number of new coronavirus infections, and authorities once again call for responsibility. PM Ludovic Orban asked public institutions to run inspections and check whether protection rules are complied with.



    Whereas in previous weeks as many as 200-300 new cases were reported every day, this week a new peak has been reached, with over 450, the highest since the state of alert was introduced 2 months ago.



    The total number of cases in Romania so far is over 25,000, with the death toll standing at nearly 1,600. A growing number of hospitals are announcing they are unable to receive further patients. To free them, the authorities have decided that coronavirus patients with mild or no symptoms will only be hospitalized for 10 days, followed by a 14-day home isolation period under medical supervision.



    Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that the self-isolation, quarantine and hospitalization of COVID-19 patients cannot be imposed under a minister order. According to the judges, this would be an infringement of individual rights and freedoms, and restrictions of this kind must be regulated by law.



    This Constitutional Court ruling was prompted by an Ombudsman notification regarding the 2006 law on public healthcare reform and the Government emergency order introducing measures to prevent and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.



    Corruption


    Adrian Ionel, the general manager of Unifarm, the Romanian state-owned company that handles the procurement of medical equipment for hospitals, is under court supervision ordered by anti-corruption prosecutors. He is investigated for taking bribes in exchange for assigning a procurement contract for surgical masks and protective coveralls. Prosecutors have also found that Adrian Ionel has illegally held this position since 2016. The Unifarm director denies the accusations.



    COVID 19 infections among Romanians working in Germany


    Around 1,000 Romanian employees of the biggest meat processing plant in Germany have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to data released on Thursday by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. According to the ministry, all the quarantined individuals receive food and hygiene products, and have a dedicated telephone line with information available in Romanian as well.



    In an interview to Radio Romania, the Ambassador of Romania to Berlin, Emil Hurezeanu, explained that many issues were settled in recent months thanks to the close cooperation between German authorities and the Government of Romania, which helped improve the situation of the Romanian nationals who work in that country.



    According to the Romanian diplomat, Germany will amend its legislation on the meat processing industry, where the number of inspections will be increased, along with the fines against the employers who breach employment contracts. More importantly, subcontractors will no longer be permitted, after repeated instances of subcontractors setting abusive working and housing conditions for the workers they were recruiting in Romania.



    Floods and Climate Change


    Extreme weather wreaks havoc on Romania where the latest flooding has caused casualties and significant material damage. Meteorologists and hydrologists have issued yellow, orange and even red alerts for heavy downpours and flooding in various Romanian regions.



    Three quarters of the Romanian counties have been affected by flooding and have seen the intervention of special emergency units, who pumped out water from households and basements. Several hundred people have been evacuated and temporarily relocated by the authorities.



    According to Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, the month of June has been the rainiest in the past 60 years and that has caused severe flooding and numerous issues in a very short period of time. He has pointed out to the fact that Romania has often been affected by devastating flooding and authorities in this country must be better prepared to handle suchlike phenomena.



    President Iohannis believes that the Romanians outlook on flooding must change and that the conservation of forests and reforestation campaigns are effective solutions for fighting flooding with beneficial effects for both the environment and for the protection of river banks.



    The IMF forecast on the Romanian economy


    The International Monetary Fund has significantly reviewed down its worlds economic growth forecast this year as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have been stronger than anticipated, the institutions latest report has shown.



    Whereas the IMF April forecast stood at a 3% decline, now the institution expects a shrinking of 4.9% this year. The IMF believes Romanias economy will shrink by 5% this year and will recover in 2121 when a 3.9% growth is expected.



    The IMF has also forecast a 10.1% unemployment rate in 2020 from only 3.9% last year. In 2021 unemployment in Romania is expected to reach 6%.



    Romanias high school graduates have taken the baccalaureate exam in special conditions


    High school graduates in Romania have this week taken their graduation exam in special conditions. Students had their temperature taken by medical personnel before being admitted to classrooms.



    Because of the Covid pandemic, which led to the suspension of courses, the exam curricula this year didnt include the subjects on the second semester of the 12th grade. Oral exams have been eliminated and students in isolation or who have been confirmed infected will be allowed to take the exam in a different session due to commence on July 6th.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Daniel Bilt)

  • June 25, 2020

    June 25, 2020

    Coronavirus RO — Another 460 new cases of COVID-19 contamination have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours, a record figure for the past 2 months, which takes the total tally to 25,286 contaminations. Latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group show 1,565 deaths and 199 people in intensive care. 4,601 Romanian citizens from abroad have been confirmed with COVID-19, mostly in Italy, and Germany. The health minister Nelu Tataru has announced that the number of cases of contamination with the new coronavirus in Romania these days is higher than usual, but he hopes the number of contaminations will drop in the coming days. He has reiterated recommendations to the population to observe hygiene norms and social distancing rules, to wear face masks in enclosed areas and the means of transport and to avoid crowded places. Previously, he said that relaxation measures were needed but, if the community spread of the virus is intense and the people don’t respect the prevention rules, the authorities cannot take further relaxation measures.




    Workers — 996 Romanian citizens employed by a meat processing plant in the German state of Rheda-Wiedenbruck have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. They added that the quarantined people benefit from all the necessary conditions and a hot line has been set up for them with information available in Romanian. At a meeting of the crisis cell set up at state level, also attended by representatives of Romania’s General Consulate in Bonn, it was decided to increase the number of testing centers so that all the employees of the plant should be tested by July 3. According to official data provided by the local authorities, as many as 4 thousand Romanians are working in that meat-processing plant. The local authorities decided to quarantine the entire territory of the Gutersloh district by June 30.



    IMF — The IMF has revised significantly downwards its estimates regarding the evolution of the world economy this year, the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic having been more intense than anticipated. The IMF latest report shows that international experts estimate that the global economy will contract by 5% this year and that the American economic growth rate is going to drop by 8%. As regards Romania, the IMF estimates a 5% contraction of its economy. China is the only big economic power which is estimated to report economic growth this year.



    Weather — The weather in Romania is warm but unsettled. A code orange alert for torrential rainfalls is in place on Thursday for more than half of the country. Meteorologists have also issued a yellow code alert for unsettled weather valid until Friday morning. In another move, rivers from the east of Romania are under a code red alert for flooding, with orange and yellow code alerts for the rivers in the north, west, center and east of Romania. The PM Ludovic Orban said that committees were set up within the prefect’s offices meant to assess the damage caused by floods and the amount of damages to be paid to the people whose properties have been affected. The highs of the day range from 21 to 30 degrees C, with a 29-degree reading in Bucharest at noon.



    Coronavirus world — The total number of coronavirus infections at global level exceeded 9.5 million, with 485 thousand deaths reported. The US and Brazil are the countries reporting the highest virus spread rate. In the US the virus is spreading at a faster pace in the southern states, mainly in Texas and Florida, which prompted the governors of several states in the northeast, severely affected by the pandemic, to impose two weeks of quarantine for all the people coming from 8 southern states. Experts with the University of Washington quoted by Reuters estimate that the situation is going to worsen in Latin America with the number of deaths at the end of October expected to go beyond 388 thousand. They estimate that two thirds of the deaths are going to be reported in Mexico and Brazil. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)

  • April 24, 2020 UPDATE

    April 24, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania — Another 15 people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Romania, taking the death toll to 567 — the Strategic Communication Group informed on Friday evening. The victims are 10 men and 5 women aged between 36 and 97. The total number of infections exceeded 10,400. 2,800 patients have recovered. Abroad, as many as 1,500 Romanian citizens have been confirmed with Covid-19 infection, and 70 have died.



    IMF— The IMF and the World Trade Organization warned on Friday that the restrictions imposed on exports may be dangerously counterproductive when the world is in the grips of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In a joint statement, the two international bodies are calling for caution in imposing such restrictions, expressing their concern with the drop in the funds needed for ensuring imports of sanitary materials and foodstuffs to the countries that need them most. Export restrictions disturb supply chains, affect production and limit access to basic products, the IMF and WTO representatives claim. All over the world 2.7 million people have been infected with Covid-19 and the number of deaths is nearing 200 thousand. Europe reports most of the deaths, with Italy, Spain and France exceeding the threshold of 20 thousand deaths, and Great Britain is coming from behind. However, the situation is beginning to stabilize in many parts of Europe and more and more governments are talking about gradual relaxation of restrictions.



    Loans – As many as 260 thousand individuals and about 10 thousand companies from Romania that are bank customers have so far applied for suspension of loan payments. This means 17% of the loans granted to individuals and under 10% of the total loans granted to legal entities, shows data centralized by the Romanian Banks Association. So far 175 thousand applications have been solved, with the rest being currently processed. Applications may be applied by customers whose incomes have been affected directly or indirectly by the general situation created by the coronavirus pandemic.



    Economy — The Romanian economy minister, Virgil Popescu, said in an interview to the American channel Bloomberg that the coronavirus pandemic affected one third of Romania’s economy, especially tourism and the car industry. He said however that once activity is resumed, Romania will not have a higher budget deficit, as European experts expect. The Romanian economy minister said that industrial production should be re-structured, with the government focusing on those sectors that proved to have a potential ahead of the crisis: energy, petrochemical industry and defense. The Bloomberg journalists quote economic pundits as saying that Romania is going to be one of the hardest hit European countries by the economic crisis, with an expected deficit of 7.5% of the GDP this year.



    Handball – Romania’s women’s handball team was directly qualified to the 2020 European Championship scheduled in Norway and Denmark in December, after the other matches in the preliminary round were cancelled by the Executive Committee of the European Handball Federation. Gathered in a videoconference on Friday the European Federation announced the other teams that qualified to the final tournament namely France, Russia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Montenegro, Germany, Serbia, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Croatia along the host countries. Of the current qualification stage, 4 rounds remained un-played, with Romania having already won two matches in a group which also includes Poland, Ukraine and the Faeroe Islands. Also the European playoffs have been cancelled counting for the World Men’s Championship of 2021. (tr. L. Simion)

  • April 4, 2020

    April 4, 2020

    DECREE – The
    Bucharest Government has passed an emergency decree transferring all medical
    units into the authority of the Health Ministry, Health Minister Nelu Tataru
    announced on Friday. The Romanian official pointed out that Public Health
    Directorates and Ambulance Services will start recruiting over the coming days.
    Some 4.7 million euros have been allotted for real-time molecular tests. There
    are currently 35 testing centers in Romania, compared to only one on February
    26. Minister Tataru said there are currently three COVID-19 hotbeds in Romania:
    Suceava in the northeast and Arad and Deva in the west. The Romanian official
    said there aren’t sufficient reasons to instate total quarantine for Arad and
    Deva. Suceava and 8 neighboring villages have entered total quarantine early
    this week. The death toll in Romania has reached 133. The number of infections
    stands at 3,183, of whom 283 people have recovered. 83 patients are in
    intensive care. Of the total number of infected 474 are medical staff, mostly
    from Suceava. Some 13,000 people are quarantined at national level and over
    110,000 are in home isolation. 221 Romanian citizens abroad have tested
    positive for COVID-19 and 25 have died.




    CORONAVIRUS IN THE
    WORLD – The global death toll for the coronavirus has exceeded 59,000. The
    World Health Organization says over 200 countries and territories are currently
    being affected. The most serious situation is in the United States, which
    reports a quarter of the total number of infections, and in Europe, the
    continent with the largest number of deaths. The WHO warns that COVID-19 might
    seriously hit Japan next, unless this country takes swift prevention measures.
    In Europe, the number of infections in Spain has exceeded that of Italy,
    standing at some 11,000. Italy instead is reporting decreasing number of
    infections, and the death toll is closing in on 15,000. France reports the third-largest
    number of victims, over 6,500.




    RECESSION -The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global economy
    to a standstill and plunged the world into a recession that will be way worse
    than the global financial crisis a decade ago, the head of the International
    Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday. The IMF official called on
    advanced economies to step up their efforts to help emerging markets and
    developing countries survive the economic and health impact of the pandemic. A
    similar message was delivered by World Bank President, David Malpass. The
    European Commission and the European Investment Bank have green-lit the
    disbursement of 700 million euros to the agri-food sector as part of the
    Investment Plan for Europe. The program will help maintain and create new jobs
    in rural areas. The Commission has announced a temporary suspension of customs
    taxes and VAT for medical and protection imports from outside the EU, which
    will ease pressure on public spending for national governments.




    LEGISLATION – Parliament on Friday passed three bills regarding the
    suspension of the bank loan payments, technical unemployment and fiscal
    measures aimed at helping individuals and businesses. The plenary session was
    held online and MPs voted via telephone. Under the first bill, initiated by the
    Social Democrats, bank loan payments can be suspended on demand, without
    interest rates or penalties. The Social-Democrats say the document will correct
    errors in the emergency decree passed by the Liberal Government. The Liberals,
    in power, say they will refer the bill to the Constitutional Court, saying it
    is a populist measure that piles up pressure on the state budget. The Liberals
    will also challenge the bill that postpones the payment of social security
    contributions and utility bills for a period of three months, which addresses
    people who have filed for technical unemployment benefits. All parties in
    Parliament voted the bill that proposes the payment of an allowance tantamount
    to 75% of the base salary of employees affected by the reduction or suspension
    of activity.




    PALM SUNDAY – Catholic Christians worldwide are celebrating Palm
    Sunday, marking the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where the crowd welcomed
    him holding palm branches. Palm Sunday marks the start of the last week of
    Lent, also known as Holy Week, when Christians prepare to celebrate the
    Resurrection of Christ. This year, due to restrictions caused by the
    coronavirus pandemic, masses in Romania as well as in other countries will be
    celebrated in empty churches and broadcast on TV, radio or online. The Church
    urges everyone during this pandemic to discover the beauty and plenitude of
    prayer, praying with our loved ones in our churches at home, with our families,
    the spokesman of the Roman-Catholic Diocese in Bucharest, Father Francisc Dobos
    has said, adding that the situation is not ideal, but is the best possible one.
    By uniting in spirit via various means of communication, television, radio or
    the Internet, we stay together with Christ, Francisc Dobos added. This year
    Roman-Catholic Christians celebrate Easter on April 12, while Orthodox
    Christians on April 19.




    (Translated by V. Palcu)







  • February 5, 2020 UPDATE

    February 5, 2020 UPDATE

    MOTION Romanias Liberal government was dismissed on Wednesday under a no-confidence motion tabled by the Social Democrats in Opposition. The motion got 261 votes, which was more than the required 233-vote threshold. The document signed by the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, accuses the Orban Cabinet of breaching democratic principles, by changing the electoral legislation too close to the scheduled election date. As a result, the bill reintroducing the 2-round voting system in local elections is also rejected. President Klaus Iohannis invited political parties to consultations on Thursday, and said he may announce his proposal for a PM on the same day. Iohannis made it clear that he is in favour of early elections and that the best solution for Romania is to turn to voters. Iohannis also said that if parliamentary parties do not agree with early elections, he will insist for a government with a reform agenda, built by and around the Liberal Party.




    MOLDOVA International Monetary Fund experts Wednesday announced that the 3-year plan agreed with the Republic of Moldova has run according to expectations and has met all performance criteria. The reforms implemented by the authorities helped rehabilitate the banking sector and strengthen macroeconomic and financial stability. The progress is particularly commendable considering the unstable domestic political scene, with 3 governments succeeding each other during the implementation period, the IMF also says. According to the institution, in 2019 Moldovas GDP grew by 4.2%, and it is expected to stay around 4% in the medium run. The budget deficit in late 2019 was 1.5% of the GDP, below the cap set under the programme.



    WHO – The director general of the WHO said the world
    still has time to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading and causing a
    larger-scale global crisis. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that the
    epidemic is first of all an emergency for China, and managing the situation at
    the virus epicentre is the best way to stop its spreading. On Wednesday the WHO
    requested over 610 million euros in funds for fighting the epidemic in the next
    3 months. So far over 24,000 people have been contaminated with the new
    coronavirus and almost 500 have died from the virus. In Bucharest, the
    government approved the setting up of emergency care stocks for epidemic
    situations and the required quarantine measures, through an emergency order
    which also provides for the purchase of thermal scanners to equip the country’s
    16 airports.


    GERMANY For the first time in post-WW2 Germany, the prime minister of a state was elected thanks to the votes of a far-right party on Wednesday. The Liberal candidate Thomas Kemmerich was elected in Germanys eastern state of Thuringia with help from Angela Merkels Christian Democrats and the anti-immigration and anti-elite party Alternative for Germany. So far Germanys traditional parties had rejected any cooperation with the far-right, or even agreed to various alliances in order to isolate the far-right. Wednesdays result is seen by the German media as a “political earthquake.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 31, 2019

    August 31, 2019

    IMF The International Monetary Fund
    recommends the Romanian authorities to kick off a process of sustainable fiscal
    consolidation to reassess the new pension law, which is to come into effect on
    Sunday and to improve management in state-owned companies. According to an IMF
    report, the Romanian economic growth would stay around 4% in 2019 and slow down
    to 3% on medium term. According to the IMF, against the backdrop of raising
    vulnerabilities the Romanian authorities need to capitalize on the present
    economic progress to kick off a sustainable process of fiscal consolidation. According
    to estimates, Romania’s budget deficit will account for 3.7% of the GDP in 2019
    unless additional measures are taken. Furthermore the IMF experts believe the
    fresh pension law passed in June 2019 needs to be reassessed as it may
    jeopardize the fiscal sustainability.








    FESTIVAL Between August 31st and
    September 22nd Bucharest will be playing venue for the 24th edition of the
    George Enescu International Festival, the biggest edition of this event so far.
    This edition’s central theme is ‘The world in Harmony’ and the festival’s
    artistic director is Vladimir Jurowski. Bucharest and 10 other cities in
    Romania and abroad in countries like Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the
    Republic of Moldova are also to be hosting events associated with this
    prestigious international festival of classical music in honor of Romania’s
    greatest composer. The festival is expected to bring together 25 hundred of the
    world’s best musicians who will be performing in 84 concerts and recitals. 24
    concerts will be hosted by Romania’s major cities, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara,
    Iasi, Sibiu, Targu Mures, Bacau, Barlad, Targoviste, Satu Mare and Piatra
    Neamt. The 2019 edition of this festival is expected to include 34 premieres
    and 25 first performances by artists like Marion Cotillard, Kiril Petrenko,
    Mitsuko Uchida as well as nine of the world’s best orchestras. Concerts and
    recitals have been grouped in six big sections: ‘Greatest World Orchestras’,
    ‘Midnight Concertos’, ‘Chamber Music Recitals and Concertos’, ’21st Century
    Music’, ‘Mozart Week in Residence’ and ‘The Composers International Forum’. The
    festival will also include conferences, book and album launches as well as
    other events.












    LANGUAGE Cultural events staged
    concurrently in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian communities
    abroad are today marking the Romanian Language Day. The event, which was
    endorsed by the Romanian Parliament in 2013, is held concurrently with the
    national celebration in the neighboring Republic of Moldova to honour the
    national awakening movement in the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country. We
    recall that on August 31st 1989 during the Soviet Union, under the
    pressure of 750 thousand protesters, Parliament in Chisinau declared Romanian
    as the country’s official language choosing the Latin alphabet instead of the
    Cyrillic one imposed by the Soviet invaders after the country’s annexation in
    1940.












    VISIT Maia Sandu, the pro-Western
    Prime Minister of the neighboring Republic of Moldova (an ex-soviet
    Romanian-speaking country), is paying a four-day visit to the United States for
    talks on ways of deepening the strategic bilateral dialogue. According to Radio
    Romania correspondents in Chisinau, Sandu mentioned the visit’s most important
    moment is the meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo but didn’t refer to the
    talks agenda. The Moldovan official is expected to also have talks with
    officials from the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency and
    the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Sandu’s visit to Washington had been
    preceded by the visit the National Security Advisor John Bolton paid to
    Chisinau. Bolton said the USA supports the sovereignty and independence of the
    Republic of Moldova, which has to decide its future without influences from
    abroad. Bolton also said that Washington supports the government’s efforts for
    settling the conflict in the breakaway pro-Russia region of Transdniester,
    which had broken out of Chisinau’s control in 1992.







    (translated by bill)

  • August 3, 2019 UPDATE

    August 3, 2019 UPDATE

    Caracal – Investigators continue searches in the house of Gheorghe Dinca from Caracal, in the south of Romania, the 60-year old man who, after being arrested, confessed having abducted, raped and killed two teenagers, aged 15 and 18 respectively. The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism DIICOT announced that, following tests on the bones collected from Dinca’s house, they identified DNA from one single person, the 15-year old girl. In a Facebook post, the victim’s uncle, who is a public person, said he would ask for international counter expertise in relation to the human remains found in the suspect’s house, because he doesn’t believe the girl was burned there, as the suspect claims. Given the complexity of the investigation, the Carcal case was taken over by DIICOT Bucharest under the coordination of chief prosecutor Felix Banila. Meanwhile, the prosecutor who first handled the case at the onset of the investigation was suspended from Magistracy. One week ago he did not authorize policemen to enter the suspect’s house before 6 a.m. He is now under disciplinary hearings for serious neglect by the Judicial Inspection that announced a verification of the way in which all cases were handled by the Prosecutor’s Office with the Caracal Court starting in 2018. People have shown discontentment with the way the authorities acted in this case, and many officials have been dismissed or have resigned themselves. People put the blame on STS – the service that manages the 112 hot line, which the 15-year old girl managed to call, on the police and prosecutors.



    IMF — A former European Commissioner Kristalina Gheorghieva from Bulgaria is the EU’s candidate to succeed Christine Lagarde as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She defeated her challenger the Dutch Jeroen Dijsselbloem after the other 3 candidates had previously withdrawn from the race. Christine Lagarde will be head of the European Central Bank. During its 70 year long history, the IMF has been led by Europeans. The world’s great powers are going to present their candidates for the chairmanship of the IMF by September, with the new chairperson being announced on October 4. (update by L. Simion)