Radio România Internațional

Tag: inauguration

  • January 21, 2025 UPDATE

    January 21, 2025 UPDATE

     

    ELECTIONS The Permanent Electoral Authority in Bucharest said political parties may begin to collect signatures for the candidates they will support in the presidential elections in May. The signatures can be collected only in physical format and a voter can support more than one candidate. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, is yet to kick-start the election period and to officially endorse the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as their joint candidate in their respective leadership bodies. The Social Democratic leaders met on Tuesday and in principle endorsed Crin Antonescu as their presidential candidate in May, and decided to hold a party congress on 2nd February to give the final vote on his candidacy.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s fiscal structural plan has been approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), along with the plans of 20 other member states, the Romanian minister of investments and European projects Marcel Boloș announced on Tuesday. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Marcel Boloș explained that for the business environment, the fiscal plan protects the flat tax rate, with the European Commission agreeing that governments should not overtax economic success. He also said that thanks to the plan, European funding is protected, because failure to comply with the fiscal treaty would have led to its suspension. On the other hand, the Romanian official also points out, this plan preserves the country’s international credibility, as non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the country’s rating, which would have made loans more expensive and more difficult to access. The plan also secures support for investments, including for SMEs in Romania through state aid schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises operating especially in the manufacturing sector, which will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth.

     

    EUFOR The Romanian defence ministry announced on Tuesday that Romania has taken over the command of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR). With the command of EUFOR, the largest multinational operation in the Western Balkans conducted under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), Romania currently exercises command of 2 of the 9 military operations and missions under the flag of the European Union, to which it contributes troops and military equipment, the same source mentions. After Brigadier General Ovidiu Lungu successfully completed his term as Chief of Staff of EUFOR ALTHEA between May 2023 and May 2024, the Romanian Army increased its representation within the operation by taking over the leadership of the most important multinational force in the Western Balkans. The stability of the region is a priority for Romania, and it has strategic importance for European and Euro-Atlantic security, the defence ministry points out.

     

    CONGRATULATIONS Romania’s acting president Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the new White House leader Donald Trump on his investiture. “Romania, a close strategic partner of the US, wishes you the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint EU-US security and prosperity”, president Iohannis posted on social media. The leaders of Romania’s biggest parties also congratulated Donald Trump on the inauguration of his second term in office on Monday.

     

    DONALD TRUMP A few hours after taking office, Donald Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris Agreement on climate. He also signed an executive order on an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development global tax arrangement and asked the Department of Energy to resume processing export applications for liquefied natural gas. He declared an energy emergency in the US and revoked a number of orders introduced by the Biden administration, including one on the risks of artificial intelligence. Trump also lifted the sanctions imposed by Biden on the Jewish settlers who committed violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank. He instructed the Justice Department to dismiss the cases connected to the attack on the Capitol, pardoned 1,500 of his supporters who took the building by storm in 2021, and reduced and commuted the sentences of others. Trump declared the illegal immigration on the border with Mexico as a national emergency and the drug cartels as terrorist organisations, and signed a document affecting the granting of birth-right citizenship. Donald Trump also suspended refugee programmes for 4 months, which led to the cancellation of flights to the US for over 1,600 Afghans, including relatives of US soldiers.

     

    FESTIVAL The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival will place special emphasis on cultural events and concerts all across Romania and for all Romanians to enjoy, the festival’s artistic director, the Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru told a press conference on Monday in Bucharest. He said this year’s edition will see a number of special events, including the commemoration of 70 years since the death of George Enescu. The festival will take place between 24th August and 21st September and will feature 80 symphonic, chamber, choir and instrumental ensemble performances from 28 different countries.

  • January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    Protest – Thousands of members and supporters of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the main opposition party in Romania’s Parliament, protested on Saturday in Bucharest and across Romania, demanding, among other things, the resumption of the second round of the presidential election. They criticized the court’s decision by which the action opened by the independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the case of the cancellation of the presidential election was definitively rejected and said that it defies millions of Romanians who demand the resumption of the second round of voting and that it ignores the lack of clear evidence. Organized on time, on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), invoked the interference of a so-called state actor. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by Georgescu, accused of connections with Russia, and the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) leader Elena Lasconi. In the diaspora, where the polling stations for the decisive round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted when the CCR decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of the invalidated election allegedly stand at almost 1.4 billion lei (the equivalent of about 280 billion Euros). On December 21, the acting president’s second and last five-year presidential mandate was to expire, according to the Constitution, but his mandate was extended until the election of a new president to be validated by the CCR.

     

    NATO – Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania, loaded on ferries, to take part in a major NATO exercise, the British government announced. 2,400 British soldiers, with 730 military vehicles, will form the main battle group, supported by representatives of five other NATO countries, and the United Kingdom will ensure the command of the land component. The new allied reaction force replaced the NATO response force last year and aims to quickly and effectively respond to any threat in peacetime, crisis or conflict.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the round of 16 of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating the pair Elise Mertens (Belgium)/Ellen Perez (Australia) 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday in Melbourne. In another second round match, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello were defeated by the pair Leylah Fernandez (Canada)-Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Jaqueline Cristian was also defeated in the singles by the German Eva Lys 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the third round.

     

    Intelligence Service – The Romanian Intelligence Service presented new details about the strategic objectives in Romania that a Colombian citizen intended to blow up, at the instigation of a person from Russia. The target was a recyclable waste deposit, two oil extraction wells and a Natural Gas Regulating Metering Station. Luis Alfonso Murillo Diosa was sent to court last November for crimes against national security. According to the investigators, the Colombian was affiliated with an extensive network of saboteurs, controlled through intermediaries by the Russian secret services, which targeted several European states. A former military, trained in intelligence gathering activities, Diosa arrived on Romanian territory in July 2024.

     

    Fair – Romania will participate in the largest organic products fair in the world, BioFach 2025, which will take place in Nuremberg (Germany) between February 11-14, announced the Bio-Romania Association, supported by the Romanian Government through the Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade. According to the Association, Romania has been present for 20 years at this event dedicated to agriculture and ecological products. Since 1990, BioFach has become the essential meeting point for organic food producers worldwide, offering networking opportunities and a place where ideas can be exchanged between all actors in the value chain of the organic sector.

     

    US – The inauguration ceremony of the US President-Elect, Donald Trump, will be moved indoors, as the weather forecast for Monday in Washington indicates very low temperatures, the American press announces. Therefore, the swearing-in ceremony, which was supposed to take place on the steps of the Capitol, will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as it was done at the ceremony for the second term of the former president Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump has told his supporters that they will be able to see the inauguration ceremony on screens located inside the Capital One Arena, a sports arena in Washington with a capacity of 20,000 people. The transition team announced that, on Monday, Donald Trump would again use his own Bible, and also the “Lincoln Bible”, a copy known by this name because it was the holy book used by the 16th president of the USA , Abraham Lincoln. The Republican leader also used these two copies when taking the oath for his first mandate, in 2017, the EFE agency reports. (LS)

  • The Week in Review 17-23 January, 2021

    The Week in Review 17-23 January, 2021


    National anti-Covid vaccination programme continues


    Romanias coronavirus vaccination programme reached its second phase last week. After a first stage, targeting healthcare personnel, last Friday a second phase was initiated, focusing on the elderly and chronic patients regardless of age. Workers in key sectors will also receive vaccines at this point. The Government subsequently added to these categories sea and river navigation personnel, diplomatic mission staff, athletes taking part in international competitions as well as the homeless and the disabled.



    Under a new rule, 75% of the appointments available will be earmarked for chronic patients and the elderly, and only 25% for staff in key sectors.



    Across the country, there are about 300 immunisation centres, giving some 30,000 vaccine doses a day, but the number is set to increase as the country receives more doses from Pfizer or Moderna. According to PM Florin Cîțu, Romania has 2.4 million vaccine doses set aside until the end of March.



    But not everything is running smoothly, hence the discontent among people and opposition MPs. Since its launch, the governmental platform designed for online appointments has run into technical problems, which is why those who tried to book a place were unable to enrol individually, and had to resort to their family physicians or their employers. Similar solutions were used by people who do not own a computer, who lack basic computer skills and have no one to help them. Moreover, some chronic patients are not included in the records of the National Health Insurance Agency, and have had difficulties proving their status.



    There are also counties having already run out of vaccine doses. Romanias representative at the WHO, dr. Alexandru Rafila, a Social-Democratic Deputy, believes the flawed booking app and the inclusion in the second stage of categories that have not been properly prioritised may prevent the adequate vaccination of citizens.



    Meanwhile, EU leaders decided in an online meeting this Thursday not to close the Unions internal borders, but to introduce new travel restrictions in order to contain the spread of the virus and of its newer variants.




    Trade unions, disgruntled


    A number of social or professional categories once again took to the streets this week, to protest the current right-of-centre governments handling of the pandemic that has severely impacted Romanias economy. Picketing the offices of the presidency, the government, various ministries, prefecture offices or even political parties, Romanians voiced their discontent.



    Cartel Alfa—one of the countrys largest trade unions—initiated protests on January 14, which are scheduled to last until February 28. Their main demands include decent wages, fair pension benefits, high-quality public services, fair taxation, compliance with the law and a restart to collective bargaining.



    According to deputy PM Dan Barna, some of the demands can be solved in the forthcoming period. He explained that there are also demands that must be seen in the context of an economy hit by a crisis and of a budget that must meet the 7% of GDP deficit target.



    The Social Democrats in opposition side with the unionists unhappy with salary decisions, and argue that it is quite feasible to increase wages and pensions, while at the same time staying within the deficit ceiling targeted by the Cîţu Cabinet. On January 27, the Social Democrats are to present an alternative budget bill.



    Meanwhile, the draft state budget has been analysed by PM Florin Cîţu, deputy PM Dan Barna, finance minister Alexandru Nazare and the Minister for European Funds Cristian Ghinea, who were once again invited to talks with president Klaus Iohannis. The budget bill may reach Parliament early next month.




    Romania congratulates the new US president


    President Klaus Iohannis congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who were sworn in as the new president and vice-president of the US on Wednesday. ‘I am confident that together we will continue to develop and strengthen our Strategic Partnership, to the benefit of our peoples, and to work in the true spirit of trans-Atlantic values,’ Klaus Iohannis posted on Twitter.



    At the inauguration of the 46th president of the US, Romania was represented by Ambassador George Cristian Maior. In a news release, the Romanian Embassy in Washington expresses confidence that during the new presidents term in office, both parties will reaffirm their commitment to strengthening and developing the Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between Romania and the US, signed a decade ago. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 21, 2021 UPDATE

    January 21, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 — The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu announced that Romania has a stock of 2.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to be used by the end of March. The government introduced in the second vaccination stage, which began on January 15, new categories of population, such as the people with disabilities and those who take care of them, the diplomatic staff, seafarers and athletes who participate in international competitions. The elderly and the vulnerable people will have priority, according to the governments decision that changes the vaccination strategy. Thus, the registration platform will be modified to give priority to the elderly and the vulnerable persons, so that, during one day, 25% of the appointments should be for people in key areas and 75% for vulnerable people, the Vaccination Coordination Committee announced on Thursday. Another 2,878 cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania in the last 24 hours, following more than 30,000 tests, the authorities announced on Thursday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total number of 704,000 contaminations has been reported. 641,288 patients have recovered. 69 people have died from COVID-19, which takes the death toll to more than 17,550. More than 1,000 patients are in ICUs. Most new cases in the last 24 hours have been registered in Bucharest, in Timis and Cluj counties.



    Talks – The Romanian Justice Minister, Stelian Ion, on Thursday held talks in videoconference format with Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice. The Romanian official talked about the Governments decision to urgently adopt, by the end of February, the draft law for abolishing the controversial Section for the Investigation of Crimes in the Judiciary. Other topics under discussion were related to the Rule of Law Mechanism and its relation to the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, to how to make operational the European Prosecutors Office, how to transpose and implement EU directives, how to digitalize the justice system in Romania. Commissioner Reynders expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Romanian authorities in order to ensure the predictability and sustainability of the justice reform process. The stability, predictability and coherence of the justice laws are a priority for the Justice Ministry, and the correct and complete transposition of all EU directives is a priority of the Government Program, said justice minister Stelian Ion.



    US — The Democrat Joe Biden is, as of Wednesday, the new US president. He took the oath of office during an atypical inauguration ceremony. Against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of US flags were installed in Washington DC, where visitors from around the country would have normally stood to watch the presidential inauguration. Romanian political leaders have conveyed their congratulations to Joe Biden. President Klaus Iohannis voiced confidence that Bucharest and Washington will continue to develop their Strategic Partnership, to the benefit of the two nations, and work together in the spirit of genuine trans-Atlantic ties. “We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again,” President Biden said in his speech.



    Commemoration – Anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism are current dangers that must be firmly countered by society, the Romanian Senate Speaker Anca Dragu said on Thursday, on the occasion of the commemoration of 80 years since the Bucharest Pogrom of January 1941. The victims of the legionnaire pogrom in Bucharest (the interwar far right), of January 21-23, 1941, were commemorated, on Thursday, by wreath laying ceremonies and online transmissions on the Facebook page of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania. The historical moment was also marked as part of the debate “The Jewish Quarter under the terror of the Legionnaires pogrom in January 1941.” The pogrom in Bucharest, during which at least 120 Jews were killed, was the continuation of the violent actions initiated by members of the legionnaire movement, which included murders, arrests, robberies, ill-treatment, and the desecration of cemeteries and places of worship.



    Migrants — The Romanian border police in Nădlac and Vărşand (west) caught 42 citizens from Afghanistan and Pakistan, who were planning to illegally cross the border in Hungary heading for European countries. They were hidden in eight goods trucks driven by Romanian, Turkish and Czech drivers. The migrants, aged between 17 and 28, had asked for asylum in Romania. The border police are making investigations to establish whether drivers are involved in migrant trafficking.



    NATO – A detachment of the Spanish Air Forces, consisting of about 130 soldiers – pilots and technical personnel – and six Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, will carry out enhanced Air Policing missions under NATO command in February and March, together with the Romanian Air Forces aircraft such as F-16 Fighting Falcon, MiG-21 LanceR and Romanian soldiers, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Defense Ministry. The deployment of the Spanish detachment at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (southeastern Romania) is part of the implementation of the Action Plan for ensuring NATOs operational capacity on the Alliances eastern flank and it demonstrates NATO’s unity and determination in response to security challenges. The Defense Ministry points out that the Air Policing missions and the joint trainings contribute to the development of the reaction and deterrence capacity, as well as to the strengthening of interoperability between the Romanian and Spanish Air Forces, proving involvement and determination in the context of COVID-19 pandemic challenges. (tr. L. Simion)

  • January 20, 2021 UPDATE

    January 20, 2021 UPDATE

    CORONAVIRUS – The Bucharest government on Wednesday passed a normative act under which new groups of people are included in the second stage of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign, currently under way. Thus, the homeless, people with disabilities and the persons assisting them, sailors and workers on maritime platforms, members of the diplomatic missions and athletes taking part in international competitions are included in stage 2 of the vaccination campaign, alongside people aged over 65, chronic patients and employees working in key-sectors. Stage 3A of the immunization campaign has also been introduced, to include essential staff, especially from the private sector, PM Florin Citu announced. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 700,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed across the country and 635,000 patients have recovered. The total death toll has reached 17,485. About 1,000 patients are in ICUs. The capital Bucharest is in the yellow scenario again, with an infection rate smaller than 3 per thousand inhabitants, for the first time since last October.



    INAUGURATION DAY — The Democrat Joe Biden took the oath of office in Washington DC and became the 46th US president. “Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause: the cause of democracy…At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” Biden said in his speech. He made an appeal for unity and for the rejection of a culture in which facts are manipulated and even invented. He also observed a minutes silence in memory of the people who died from Covid-19. The Republican Donald Trump, who ended his controversial mandate, had left the White House hours before, without first welcoming his successors. 25 thousand military had been dispatched for the inauguration on the empty streets of Washington DC, a city highly affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and following the violence at the Capitol two weeks ago. Commentators say that no other president in the modern history of the US had to deal with so many crises upon taking over his mandate as Biden: the coronavirus pandemic, economic emergencies, racial disputes and the challenge of reuniting a nation that had been unable to agree on the candidate who won the elections.



    PROTESTS— The protests organized by Cartel Alfa – one of the main trade unions in Romania — continued on Wednesday, with the picketing of the Finance Ministry in Bucharest. On Tuesday, the trade unionists expressed their discontent at the headquarters of the ruling coalition parties, where their representatives met with the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban the leader of the USR-PLUS Alliance, Dan Barna. Their main demands are: a decent minimum wage, fair pensions, quality public services, unblocking collective bargaining, correct taxation and the correct application of legislation. According to Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna, part of the demands could be resolved in the coming period, others must be considered in the context of an economy in crisis, which was generated by the Covid-19 pandemic and of a budget that should fall into the deficit of 7% of GDP.



    SIBIU – The city of Sibiu, in central Romania, was included, for the second consecutive year, on the list of 20 best European tourist destinations by the European Best Destinations Association. The competition for establishing the top will take place between January 20 and February 10. The historical center, ways of spending time in the open, the region’s gastronomy and the trekking possibilities in the area are seen as the city’s strong points. In 2020, Sibiu was ranked 6th in the classification, ahead of Paris, Rome and Cork.



    MOLDOVA – The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, paid a two-day visit to Brussels, where she had meetings with the heads of the main European institutions, as well as with members of the Unions executive and parliament. During the meetings, she highlighted the priorities of her mandate — especially fighting corruption, speeding up of access to the COVID-19 vaccine for doctors and front-line healthcare workers, stepping up economic cooperation, gaining support for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises. (Translated by E.E.)


  • January 20, 2021

    January 20, 2021

    COVID-19 Ro – The Romanian government is meeting today to analyze a bill which includes the disabled and homeless people in the second stage of the ongoing national vaccination campaign. The draft law proposes, among other things, the extension of the population groups for vaccination against COVID-19 by including new priority categories that are part of the critical infrastructure or of the staff undertaking missions outside the national territory. The second stage of the national vaccination campaign against Covid-19 is under way in Romania, targeting people over 65, people with chronic diseases and employees in key domains. About 6 million Romanians have the right to be vaccinated in this stage. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 700,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed across the country and 635,000 patients have recovered. The total death toll has reached 17,485. About 1,000 patients are in ICUs.



    Protests — The protests organized by Cartel Alfa – one of the main trade unions in Romania – continue, today, with the picketing of the Finance Ministry in Bucharest. On Tuesday, the trade unionists expressed their discontent at the headquarters of the ruling coalition parties, where their representatives met with the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban the leader of the USR-PLUS Alliance, Dan Barna. Their main demands are: a decent minimum wage, fair pensions, quality public services, unblocking collective bargaining, correct taxation and the correct application of legislation. According to Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna, part of the demands could be resolved in the coming period, others must be considered in the context of an economy in crisis, which was generated by the Covid-19 pandemic and of a budget that should fall into the deficit of 7% of GDP.



    Washington – Washington has been closed down, today, ahead of the Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th President of the United States. 25,000 troops will be on the deserted streets this time, in a city marked by the new coronavirus pandemic and by the violent events that took place two weeks ago, when the Capitol was stormed by radical supporters of the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. Attending the inauguration ceremony will be the former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George Walker Bush. Donald Trump will be the first incumbent president in 152 years that will not participate in the inauguration ceremony of his successor to the White House. After taking the presidential oath, Joe Biden will address a message of unity and healing to a deeply divided nation. Commentators say that no president in the modern history of the US has faced so many huge crises before taking office – the new coronavirus pandemic, economic emergencies, racial disputes and the challenge to try to unity a deeply divided nation, that could not agree on the candidate that won the presidential election. According to analysts, Joe Biden will try to mend his countrys international alliance system.



    Sibiu – The city of Sibiu, in central Romania, was nominated, for the second consecutive year, to the list of the best 20 European tourist destinations by the European Best Destinations Association. The competition for establishing the top will take place between January 20 and February 10. The city presentation highlighted the historical center, ways of spending time in the open, the region’s gastronomy and the trekking possibilities in the area. In 2020, Sibiu was ranked 6th, ahead of such destinations as Paris, Rome and Cork.



    Moldova – The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, was on a two-day visit to Brussels, where she had meetings with the heads of the main European institutions, as well as with members of the Unions executive and parliament. During the meetings, she highlighted the priorities of her mandate — especially fighting corruption, speeding up of access to the COVID-19 vaccine for doctors and front-line healthcare workers, stepping up economic cooperation, gaining support for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Maia Sandu, the interest of the Republic of Moldova is to expand and deepen cooperation with the EU in several areas, including the foreign policy dimension, as well as in relation to the continuous integration in the economy, energy, environmental protection and services domains.



    ECHR – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has condemned Romania for violating the right to private life, after the countrys authorities refused to recognize the change of sexual identity of two people because they had not undergone gender reassignment surgery – GRS. The two persons, of Romanian citizenship, aged 44 and 38, who are recorded in the civil status register as females, complained that the court rejected their requests to change their status because they did not provide evidence for GRS. According to the ECHR, the national courts placed the applicants, who did not want GRS, in a dead-end dilemma: either to undertake such surgery, against their own will, and giving up the full exercise of their right to have their physical integrity respected, or to give up their sexual identity, which is also related to the right to have one’s privacy respected. The ECHR also considered that the applicants had been placed in a situation of vulnerability, humiliation and anxiety.



    Handball – The Romanian womens handball champions, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea (south), are taking on, today, at home, Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro) in a remaining match from group B of the Champions League. In the first match, played two months ago, the Romanians lost to the Montenegrins, 28-29. On Sunday, they defeated, away from home, 27-25, the Croatian team Podravka, thus obtaining the first victory after six consecutive defeats. With two points, SCM is on the 6th place in the group. On top position is Györi Audi from Hungary. Also in the Champions League, CSM Bucharest, another Romanian womens handball team, is on 3rd position in Group A, dominated by Rostov Don from Russia. (tr. L. Simion)

  • January 19, 2021

    January 19, 2021

    CORONAVIRUS — The second stage of the national vaccination campaign against Covid-19 is under way in Romania. The second stage, covering a total of 6 million people, includes those aged over 65, chronic patients and people working in key-sectors. Over 697 thousand people have been infected with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, and over 630 thousand have been declared healed. The death toll stands at 17,369. Patients in intensive care number 1,050.



    MEASURES – People who got the second shot of the anti-Covid vaccine at least 10 days before entering Romania will no longer have to quarantine. The same measure applies to people who were in direct contact with an infected person more than 10 days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. Also, people confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 can end their quarantine on the 10th day, provided they have a test whose result is negative. The list of countries with epidemiological risk has been updated, and no country is in the red zone anymore. 48 countries, such as Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France and Germany are in the yellow zone.



    WEATHER – The Bucharest authorities have given assurances there are no problems with electricity supply or natural gas stocks. The clarifications were made on a TV station by Energy Minister Virgil Popescu, in the context of extremely low temperatures reported in Romania in the past few days. The minister said, however, that record figures have been registered in terms of electricity consumption, at the same time with a drop in green energy, triggered by the lack of wind. A weather alert for very low temperatures is in place in Romania until Wednesday morning. Minimum temperatures range from minus 18 to minus 8 degrees C. The noon reading in Bucharest was minus 4 degrees celsius.



    TRAFFIC — Bucharesters spent 165 hours in road congestion last year, which is almost 7 days, according to data supplied by a navigation systems producer, that also made a classification of cities with most road congestions. Bucharest ranks 18th in the world in this respect, and 9th in Europe. According to the study, a 30-minute drive through Bucharest will take an additional 19 minutes in the morning and 24 additional minutes in the afternoon.



    INAUGURATION – Americans get ready for the inauguration ceremony of the president-elect Joe Biden, to be held on Wednesday in Washington DC. Some 25 thousand National Guard military have been dispatched in the city to support the police, an unprecedented level of security in the context of the violence at the Capitol on January 6. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Washington, the number of military dispatched around the Congress building is bigger than the number of American troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria put together. After the FBI received information according to which extremists might infiltrate within the National Guard, authorities are now checking the military in the security perimeter. The President-elect Joe Biden has asked the public to stay home on Inauguration Day due to the coronavirus pandemic and for fear of new potential violence.



    WHO — World Health Organisation chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has said the world is “on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure”, in terms of access to the Covid-19 vaccine. He explained that some countries and companies continue to prioritize bilateral deals and that, while 39 million doses have been administered in nearly 50 richer countries, only 25 doses have been given in one lowest income nation. The European Commission wants to reach a 70% vaccination target in the EU by summer. According to data centralized by worldometers.info, 96 million infections with the novel coronavirus have been reported worldwide, and the death toll is over 2 million.(Translated by E. Enache)


  • January 15, 2021

    January 15, 2021

    VACCINATION The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis received
    the Covid 19 vaccine on Friday, at the Central Military Hospital in Bucharest. He
    subsequently said the vaccine is safe and efficient, and immunisation and
    compliance with the protection rules will help us overcome the pandemic. The 2nd
    phase of the vaccination programme started today in Romania. It targets the
    high-risk population and workers in key sectors. Since
    the start of the pandemic, Romania has reported more than 688,000 coronavirus
    infections. Over 619,000 patients have recovered and more than 17,000 died. Over
    3,300 new cases and 63 deaths were reported on Friday, and 1,091 patients are
    in intensive care.



    CORRUPTION Liviu Dragnea, former president of the Social Democratic Party and former Chamber of Deputies speaker, has been charged with influenced peddling in another corruption-related case, concerning his presence at the US president Donald Trumps inauguration in Washington in early 2017. Prosecutors claim the former Social Democratic chief received undue benefits for himself and his party, in the amount of 380,000 US dollars, consisting in the travel package, political consultancy and various lobby services. In the same case, his former adviser and Romanias consul general in Bonn, Gheorghe Dimitrescu is also accused of influence peddling. Liviu Dragnea is currently serving a prison sentence for inciting abuse of office. In 2019 he was sentenced to 3 and a half years in a case involving fictitious employment contracts in Teleorman County.



    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is holding an online meeting today. On Thursday the finance minister Alexandru Nazare said the Cabinet was preparing a reform of state-owned companies, and that on Friday loss and debt reduction targets will be presented, as well as means to monitor their activity. The state budget bill for this year is to be finalized at the end of this month.



    CULTURE Romania celebrates today 171 years since the birth of poet Mihai Eminescu, with online events or events without a live audience. As a tribute to Romanias greatest poet, January 15 was declared the National Culture Day, aimed at promoting culture, arts and academic effort. This day has been celebrated since 2010 in Romania, the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, and in the Romanian communities abroad. Diplomatic and consular missions as well as Romanian cultural institutes abroad are hosting special events devoted to this day. In turn, Radio Romania will celebrate Mihai Eminescus role in the national and world culture, with special shows, interviews, documentaries and festive events.



    INNOVATION Only 14.6% of the companies with at least 10 employees in Romania reported any innovation activity in 2016-2018, which places the country last in the EU, according to a survey made public by the Eurostat today. At EU level, 50.3% of companies had innovation activities in the respective period, with the highest number of innovative enterprises reported in Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium and Germany. Bottom of the list are Romania, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. In Romania, the share of companies conducting innovative activities rose from 10% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2018.



    INAUGURATION In the US, president elect Joe Bidens team has cancelled a train trip and a rehearsal for the inauguration ceremony due on January 20, over concerns for Bidens security. Washington mobilised police forces and the National Guard, amid information pointing to attempts to organise armed protests to prevent the Biden administration from taking office. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, the FBI is looking into large-scale and disquieting online activity related to possible violence at the inauguration ceremony. Over 200 suspects tied to the US Capitol riots of January 6 have been identified so far, and more than 100 have been arrested. Trumps impeachment procedure has been moved to the Senate, but debates are set to begin after the inauguration of the new president. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The new coronavirus strain discovered in the UK, and which spreads more easily, has been confirmed in Romania, in a 27-year old woman, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. The patient, who has a mild form of the disease and is isolating at home, has not travelled abroad recently. Nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, many of them in the capital Bucharest. The total number of cases since the onset of the pandemic is over 660,000. 1,100 patients are in intensive care, and the death toll exceeds 16,500. The Romanian Health Minister plans to streamline procedures for the set-up and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccination centres. Minister Vlad Voiculescu announced the relevant legislation is being amended to this end. PM Florin Cîţu said in a post that Romanias vaccination capacity is growing from one day to the next, and explains the number of centres is soon expected to reach 1,000, with a combined capacity of 150,000 vaccine doses per day. So far over 92,000 people have received the vaccine in Romania.




    VACCINE The EU has signed a new deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for the purchase of another 300 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine, in addition to the 300 million already bought, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen quoted by DPA. According to the EU official, 75 million doses would be delivered in the second quarter of the year. The EU started rolling out the vaccine produced by the German-US consortium Pfizer-BioNTec in December. The EU has also approved the Moderna vaccine and is waiting for the delivery of the first 160 million doses. The European Commission has been criticised for the slow pace of the immunization campaign addressing its 450 million citizens.




    BUDGET The European Commission has again cautioned the centre-right government in Bucharest that it has to keep budget deficit in check, after expenditures soared in 2020 whereas incomes went down against the background of the health crisis. We are expecting a robust 2021 budget from Romania, the vice-president of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said in a phone talk with the Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. The Romanian official pledged that investments and EU fund absorption remain top priorities. Minister Nazare said Bucharest plans a gradual narrowing of the deficit starting this year, so that it may reach 3% of the GDP in 2024.




    TEEN PREGNANCIES Romania ranks 2nd in the EU by number of teenage births, which has serious consequences on teenage mothers as well as social and economic costs, according to a report released by UNICEF and SAMAS Association in Romania. Adolescent childbearing is recurring within families from one generation to the other, and is linked with poverty and with poor health services and social-economic status. According to the report, in 2019 Romania had nearly 17,000 teenage pregnancies. Recommendations include legislative and administrative reforms to remove barriers to underage access to reproductive health and information and the introduction of mandatory reproductive health classes in schools.




    SPORTS The womens handball side CSM Bucharest is playing on Saturday against the Hungarian team Ferencvaros, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. In the first leg of the round, the Romanians won 25-19. CSM Bucharest ranks 2nd in Group A with 11 points, with Ferencvaros coming 4th with 8 points. On Sunday, Romanian womens handball champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea, take on several times European champions Györ, in the competitions Group B. The Romanian team is 8th in the group, with no points after 5 games.




    US The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will not take part in the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Trump will be the second US president to decline attending his successors inauguration, after Andrew Johnson in 1869. The announcement came hours after Trump had promised a smooth transition for president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, in a video posted on Twitter where he said he was ‘outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem’ caused by his supporters who stormed the US Capitol. In Congress, the Democrats called on Vice-president Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove Trump in the wake of the violent events on January 6th, in which 5 people were killed. The US Capitols security chief and other members of his administration resigned following the riot, in order to protest the violence. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Inauguration officielle de la Saison Croisée Roumanie-France

    Inauguration officielle de la Saison Croisée Roumanie-France

    Née d’une volonté politique commune, au plus haut niveau des deux États, la Saison Roumanie – France 2019 a été lancée jeudi à Bucarest. Cette saison ne se limite pourtant pas au domaine de l’art. Ce sera l’occasion de renforcer les liens dans de nombreux domaines, tels l’éducation, les sciences, le tourisme ou bien l’économie.

  • March 22, 2019

    March 22, 2019

    BREXIT – There is a real chance for Britain’s orderly exit from the EU, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who takes part in the spring European Council in Brussels said on Friday. He also said that, for the Bucharest authorities, the main concern is the Romanian community living in the UK. On Thursday, EU leaders agreed to Brexit being postponed and offered Britain two exit scenarios.




    REPORT – Romania’s constant economic growth in the past years is not being felt by large categories of Romanians, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, said Friday in Bucharest. Corina Cretu, who attended the presentation of the country report as part of the European semester, and the conference titled “Investment priorities for Romania 2021-2027”, talked about the need for big investment in healthcare services, transport infrastructure, energy and environment. The report points out to the fact that the economic growth model based on consumption is affecting the country’s capacity to catch up with the developed countries. The document also signals the fact that Romania’s medium and long-term foreign debt risks exceeding 60% of the GDP and that economy is affected by the salary increases which are not correlated with productivity.




    VISIT – Romanian PM Viorica Dancila is paying a visit to the US between March 23 and 26, to attend the Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The visit takes place at the invitation of the AIPAC President, Morton Fridman, and of the AIPAC executive director Howard Kohr. According to a release of the Bucharest Government, the visit mirrors the intensified bilateral dialogue and is part of Bucharest’s efforts to consolidate the partnerships Romania has with the US and Israel.




    INAUGURATION — Pope Francis inaugurated from the Vatican, through a videocinference, the new centre of the Scholas Occurrentes Foundation, at the National School of Political Science and Public Administration in Bucharest. Scholas Occurrentes is an international organization present in 190 countries that integrates, through its network, almost 450 thousand schools and education networks. It seeks to generate a paradigm shift in education through the integration of communities, education with focus on those with fewer resources through the commitment of all.




    MIGRATION – 4.4 million migrants entered the EU countries in 2017, a figure, which includes migration inside the EU, data released by Eurostat show. The statistical office of the European Union registered 2.8 million migrants in the 28 member states from outside the union as well as 1.9 million people who already were in a member state and migrated to another. At the same time, 3.1 million migrants have left a state in the EU. More immigrants than migrants have been registered in 22 EU countries. The number of emigrants exceeded immigrants in six countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The largest number of immigrants was reported by Malta (46 per 1,000 inhabitants. Luxembourg reported the largest number of emigrants in 2017 (23 per 1,000 inhabitants).




    rescEU – The consolidate civil protection mechanism, rescEU, aimed at strengthening collective response to natural disaster across the EU, has come into force on Thursday, the European Commission reports. To ensure a better protection of citizens, the European Parliament, the EU Council and the Commission reached an agreement in December last year to consolidate the current civil protection mechanism. Under the new mechanism member states will be able to access an additional response capacity in case of disasters, medical emergencies, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents. Europe has been affected by scores of disasters in recent years, which left hundreds dead and produced damages in the billions of euros. (Translated by Elena Enache)



  • La semaine du 25 au 30 août 2014

    La semaine du 25 au 30 août 2014

    Inauguration du gazoduc Iaşi — Ungheni



    Le premier ministre roumain, Victor Ponta, et son homologue moldave, Iurie Leancà, ont inauguré mercredi le gazoduc reliant les villes de Iasi (en Roumanie) et d’Ungheni (en République de Moldova), projet censé réduire la dépendance de la République de Moldova du gaz russe. La visite du premier ministre roumain a coïncidé avec la Fête de l’indépendance de la République de Moldova, et le message transmis par la Roumanie est de soutien total pour voir atteindre les aspirations européennes de Chisinàu, a précisé le premier ministre roumain pour Radio Roumanie: « Ce gazoduc assure, pour la première fois dans l’histoire de la République de Moldova, la possibilité d’avoir du gaz non seulement de l’Est, non seulement d’une source unique, mais aussi de Roumanie. Nous devenons, ensemble, de plus en plus, une partie de l’Europe. A Chisinau et à Ungheni, nous avons souhaité faire passer ce message, à savoir que nous sommes ensemble et qu’ensemble, nous pouvons résister à tout ».


    Le premier ministre Iurie Leancà s’est rapporté tant aux bénéfices économiques que le gazoduc apportera à son pays qu’au renforcement du statut européen de la République de Moldova. « Ces projets ne sont pas orientés contre autrui, ils sont dans l’intérêt de la République de Moldova, qu’il s’agisse des ménages ou des écoles, des hôpitaux ou des opérateurs économiques. Cela veut dire, une fois de plus, que nous serons beaucoup plus sûrs que personne ne pourra nous faire de problèmes ». Le service SMUR a été inauguré le même jour en République de Moldova, suite au don fait par la Roumanie de plusieurs véhicules équipés.




    La position de la Roumanie face à la situation en Ukraine




    La Roumanie condamne les actions de la Russie qui aide les séparatistes de lest de lUkraine et réaffirme son soutien à la souveraineté et lintégrité territoriale du pays voisin. Cest ce qua déclaré le président roumain, Traian Băsescu, suite à la détérioration rapide de la situation de sécurité dans le pays voisin. Selon le chef de lEtat roumain, Bucarest nestime pas quil sagisse dune invasion de lUkraine, mais plutôt une dune escalade considérable du soutien que la Russie accorde aux séparatistes par le transfert massif de technique militaire de dernière génération et par linfiltration de militaires spécialistes. Aux côtés de Catherine Ashton, Haute Représentante de l’UE pour les affaires étrangères et la politique de sécurité, Traian Basescu a conclu que la situation de la sécurité dans lest de lUkraine est “extrêmement inquiétante”, selon un communiqué de lAdministration Présidentielle. Les pourparlers avec la vice-présidente de la Commission européenne ont eu lieu à loccasion de la Réunion annuelle de la diplomatie roumaine, déroulée du 27 au 29 août à Bucarest, un événement ciblé sur la situation en Ukraine.




    Réunion annuelle de la diplomatie roumaine




    Lors de la réunion annuelle de la diplomatie roumaine récemment tenue dans la capitale roumaine, le ministre des Affaires étrangères de Bucarest, Titus Corlatean, a expliqué que, malgré les évolutions inquiétantes en Ukraine, la sécurité de la Roumanie n’était pas directement menacée.


    Titus Corlatean : « Nous avons toutes les raisons de maintenir notre position très ferme — et que nous souhaitons unitaire au niveau de l’UE et de l’OTAN en ce qui concerne le régime des sanctions. Ce ne sont pas des choses négociables. Nous ne pouvons accepter que le droit international soit réécrit, que les fondements de la légalité internationale soient réécrits, ni la violation de certains principes qui assurent le bon fonctionnement de l’ordre international ».


    Les évolutions d’Ukraine ont également suscité de l’inquiétude en République de Moldova. Présente à la réunion de la diplomatie roumaine, Natalia Gherman, ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République de Moldova, a estimé, comme son homologue de Géorgie, que toute escalade en Ukraine a des effets négatifs sur la région. Présent à la réunion, le premier ministre Victor Ponta a déclaré qu’au sommet de l’OTAN du Pays de Galles, la Roumanie souhaite la consolidation du flanc est de l’Alliance, le renforcement du partenariat stratégique avec la Turquie et avec la Pologne, ainsi qu’une présence militaire aussi fournie que possible de l’OTAN sur le territoire de la Roumanie. Le premier ministre a demandé aux représentants diplomatiques de présenter très clairement la position de la Roumanie à l’égard des thèmes les plus importants et en même temps de promouvoir les intérêts légitimes du pays, de l’Union européenne et de ses partenaires stratégiques.




    Décisions visant la migration politique




    Le cabinet de Bucarest a approuvé jeudi le projet d’un très controversé décret d’urgence permettant aux élus locaux de changer de parti politique sans perdre leur mandat. Par conséquent, les maires, les présidents de conseils départementaux, les conseillers locaux et départementaux, ainsi que les membres suppléants disposeront de 45 jours pour sinscrire dans le parti politique auquel ils souhaitent adhérer. De lavis du Premier ministre Victor Ponta, cette mesure débloquera lactivité des autorités locales. Toutefois, l’opposition, la société civile et le président Traian Basescu ont critiqué le document et affirmé que celui-ci encourageait la migration politique, constituant également une attaque à la démocratie. A leur avis, cette décision a été prise afin de gagner du capital électoral.




    Deux équipes roumaines de football présentes dans les groupes de la Ligue Europa




    La détentrice de la Coupe de Roumanie de football, Astra Giurgiu, a réussi à se qualifier dans les groupes de la Ligue Europa, bien que vaincue, jeudi, sur son propre terrain, par Olympique Lyonnais, dans le second tour du match de barrage de la compétition. La deuxième représentante de la Roumanie dans cette compétition, Petrolul Ploieşti, a été éliminée de la Ligue Europa, après avoir perdu, en déplacement, 2-1, devant la championne de Croatie, Dinamo Zagreb. Dans le match aller, les Croates avaient gagné 3-1. La championne de Roumanie, Steaua Bucarest, jouera dans les groupes de la même compétition, après que, mercredi, à Sofia, elle eut été éliminée du barrage de la Ligue des Champions par Ludogorets Razgrad. (trad. : Ligia Mihaiescu, Valentina Beleavski)

  • 29.10.2013 (mise à jour)

    29.10.2013 (mise à jour)

    Radio – Poursuite ce mardi de la série d’événements consacrés au 85e anniversaire de radiophonie roumaine. Le 1er novembre, on célébrera les 85 ans d’existence de la Radio publique roumaine, mais aussi des Orchestres et des Chœurs de la Radio. En effet, l’Orchestre national de la Radio a été créé toujours en 1928, à l’initiative et sous la houlette du compositeur Mihail Jora. Précisons que la Radio publique figure parmi les quelques compagnies roumaines dont l’existence s’étale sur plusieurs décennies. Les premières émissions pour l’étranger remontent aux années ’30.



    Code — La Cour Constitutionnelle de Roumanie a décidé mardi que l’ordonnance gouvernementale d’urgence portant sur le code de l’insolvabilité est inconstitutionnelle. Les juges ont constaté la violation de certaines dispositions de la loi fondamentale, précisant que l’adoption en urgence dudit texte n’est pas justifiée et que le gouvernement ne peut pas adopter de textes qui touchent au régime des institutions fondamentales de l’Etat. L’opposition estime que le nouveau code est une attaque sans précédent contre la liberté de la presse et du milieu des affaires. De son côté, l’Exécutif soutient que l’acte normatif en question est censé combattre de manière plus efficace l’évasion fiscale et le non-paiement des contributions au budget de l’Etat.



    Motion – Les députés de Bucarest ont rejeté mardi la motion simple déposée par les principaux partis de l’opposition, le Parti démocrate-libéral de centre droit et le Parti du peuple Dan Diaconescu, populiste, au sujet de la privatisation de la compagnie de fret ferroviaire CFR Marfa. Les initiateurs de la motion demandaient au cabinet de Bucarest de démarrer une enquête censée identifier les causes et les responsables de l’échec de cette privatisation. Cet objectif stratégique du gouvernement compte aussi parmi les engagements assumés par la Roumanie, conformément aux accords conclus avec le FMI et l’UE en 2011 et 2013. Le gouvernement et la délégation du FMI à Bucarest ont décidé de ré-examiner toutes les étapes de la procédure de privatisation de CFR Marfa, afin d’identifier les raisons de son échec.



    Justice – Plusieurs personnes ont été retenues dans un dossier de corruption et d’évasion fiscale dont le préjudice est estimé à plus de 50 de millions d’euros. Aux dires des procureurs, les suspects dirigeaient un réseau qui se proposait d’exercer le monopole sur la production et la commercialisation des produits de viande à travers des sociétés fantômes. Parmi les personnes impliquées figure aussi le sénateur social-démocrate Nicolae Badalau (PSD, majorité) inculpé de « trafic dinfluence ». Une procureure de haut rang, Angela Nicolae, chef du bureau des relations internationales au parquet général, est également visée par cette enquête.



    Grève – Les syndicalistes roumains de l’éducation nationale ont poursuivi mardi leur grève japonaise déclenchée la veille. Parmi leurs demandes : l’allocation d’un budget d’au moins 6% du PIB à l’Enseignement à partir de 2014, la modification de la loi de l’éducation et l’adoption d’une nouvelle loi des salaires dans le domaine, permettant la majoration de 50% des traitements des enseignants débutants et de 15% dans le cas des autres catégories. Le 6 novembre, les syndicalistes ont prévu un meeting de grande ampleur, suivi d’une marche de protestation.



    Stratégie – La Stratégie de l’UE pour la région du Danube a besoin de ressources, aussi bien pendant l’actuel exercice budgétaire communautaire, que dans le cadre financier pluriannuel 2014 — 2020. C’est ce qu’a déclaré ce mardi à Bucarest le commissaire européen à l’Agriculture et au Développement rural, le Roumain Dacian Ciolos, lors du Forum annuel de ladite stratégie. L’officiel européen a également souligné que les 14 pays riverains du Danube partagent les mêmes préoccupations et ont la capacité de trouver des solutions communes. La Stratégie de l’UE pour la région du Danube, un projet lancé par la Roumanie et l’Autriche, a été adoptée par le Conseil européen en avril 2011.



    Inauguration – La Roumanie et la Turquie ont accompli un geste de réconciliation avec l’histoire et assumé leur passé commun, a déclaré mardi, à Istanbul, le premier ministre roumain, Victor Ponta. Il a dévoilé, au Musée Yedikule, une plaque commémorative en hommage à Constantin Brancovan, prince régnant de la Principauté roumaine de Valachie (actuel territoire du sud de la Roumanie), ainsi qu’à ses quatre fils. Tous les cinq ont été exécutés en 1714, à Istanbul, à l’époque de l’empire Ottoman. Le chef du gouvernement roumain a rappelé à cette occasion que le règne de Constantin Brancovan est lié entre autres à l’apparition d’un nouveau style culturel et architectural, qui porte d’ailleurs son nom, ainsi qu’à des réformes remarquables de l’économie. Lors de la visite en Turquie, effectuée à l’invitation de son homologue turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan, le premier ministre roumain a assisté à la cérémonie d’inauguration du premier tunnel ferroviaire sous le Bosphore.



    Distinction – L’Université Alexandru Ioan Cuza de Iaşi (dans l’est de la Roumanie) a accordé mardi le titre de Docteur Honoris Causa au professeur américain Kenneth Arrow, Nobel d’économie. La direction de l’Université a motivé sa décision par la brillante activité du professeur Arrow (92 ans), créateur de modèles économiques. Kenneth Arrow, dont la mère a été d’origine roumaine, a reçu le Prix Nobel en 1972, à l’âge de 51 ans. Il est jusqu’à présent le plus jeune lauréat du Nobel d’économie.