Radio România Internațional

Tag: Independence Day

  • Allied naval missions and training sessions at the Black Sea

    Allied naval missions and training sessions at the Black Sea

     

    On November 4th through 9th, Romania’s Naval Forces took part in the POSEIDON 24 multinational exercise, organised by Bulgaria in its territorial waters. The “Grigore Antipa” diving support vessel participated in the training sessions, providing hyperbaric care, maritime research and search and rescue services. The exercise was aimed at improving the inter-operability of the participating structures, and focused on strengthening operational capabilities by practising NATO procedures and combat tactics.

     

    “POSEIDON is an annual exercise, organised alternatively by Romania and Bulgaria, and its main goal is to enhance the inter-operability of participating structures,” said the vessel commander, Cristian Mitu. Also taking part in the exercise were the minesweeper “Lt. Dimitrie Nicolescu”, alongside the other vessels in the Romanian-Bulgarian-Turkish task force for countering naval mines in the Black Sea, which has convened for the 3rd time this year. The partner vessels in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are conducting operations to ensure safe navigation and to remove prospective threats to sea shipping, such as naval mines.

     

    Early this year, in an official ceremony in Istanbul, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey signed a Memorandum of Understanding on setting up a mine clearing vessel group in the Black Sea for a period of 3 years.

     

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    Polish troops in the Multinational Brigade South-East, hosted by Romania, celebrated Poland’s Independence Day on November 11. Poland has contributed 225 troops to 26th Infantry Battalion in Craiova (south). On November 11, Poland celebrates regaining its independence in 1918, after 123 years it had been divided between Austro-Hungary, Prussia and Russia.

    “Even if we are far from Poland, we marked this day in a significant manner. We’ve had a military ceremony attended by our own troops as well as guests from other countries: Romania, North Macedonia, Portugal and France. The Ambassador of Poland and the military attache in Romania were also present, as were Polish officers from other international Allied structures. The ceremony included promotions, decoration of troops and speeches on the importance of Independence Day. Then we had a festive lunch where we told stories and enjoyed each other’s company. There are customs that connect us to our country even when we are far away. On Independence Day we put on our uniforms, raise Poland’s flag and acknowledge the merits of our soldiers. We also take a moment to honour those who fought for our independence. All these help us feel closer to our heritage and remind ourselves of our duty as soldiers. It is a way to connect to Poland’s values, wherever we are,” the head of the Polish unit major Michal Miedzielski told us.

  • August 24, 2024 UPDATE

    August 24, 2024 UPDATE

     

    CONVENTION Romania’s PM Marcel Ciolacu was reconfirmed as leader of the Social Democratic Party on Saturday, and officially nominated as the party’s candidate in the presidential election. In his address on this occasion, he presented the platform for which he hopes to win the president seat: a 10-year plan with 3 strategic directions: industry, agriculture and services. He argued that with its unity, the Social Democratic Party has managed to regain the confidence of Romanians, and that he offered Romanians “a president for all.” The party last won a presidential race in 2000. In their speeches, the Social Democrats teased their partners in the ruling coalition, the Liberals, and mocked the incumbent president, Klaus Iohannis. The first round of the election is scheduled on November 24, and the second on December 8th.

     

    UKRAINE The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a letter to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Ukraine’s Independence Day. According to the Romanian presidency, Iohannis voiced his appreciation for the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and civilians in defending their country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to provide constant, predictable and multidimensional support to Ukraine until its victory and further on in its reconstruction and European integration process. Iohannis emphasized that the security cooperation agreement signed by the 2 countries in July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, proves that Romania’s support is not circumstantial, but long-standing, predictable and transparent.

     

    CROPS The European Union’s maize output will be smaller because of the drought and extreme heat in Romania, whose crops will be 30% lower. Estimates for the EU’s maize output were cut from 63 million tonnes, as reported last year, to 60-61 million tonnes, which is still above the level in 2022, when the drought affected the entire continent. Romania’s output is expected to drop from around 11 million tonnes last year to less than 8 million this autumn. In France, favourable humidity levels kept maize crops in a generally good condition, and the increase of the areas under crops should ensure higher output, namely over 14 million tonnes. In Poland, smaller areas under maize crops may lead to a 13% drop in output, while in Germany the crops are estimated to be 2% lower.

     

    PENSIONS The National Liberal Party, a junior member of the ruling coalition in Romania, proposes new amendments to the Pensions Law, so as to address the situation of pensioners whose benefits have been cut down in the latest revision. The Liberal leader and Senate speaker Nicolae Ciucă said the law should not have retrospective effect, and confirmed that the pensioners whose benefits have been cut down on paper will not benefit from cost-of-living adjustments for several years, although they will not be paid smaller amounts. According to official data, over 700,000 pensioners have received decisions by which their benefits have been cut down. These include workers in hazardous conditions, such as coal miners, engine drivers and nuclear industry personnel, who were able to stop working before the standard retirement age. Also at a disadvantage are people with disabilities, where the revised benefits are smaller by as much as 60%, for instance for the visually impaired. Hundreds of people are already asking for explanations from the authorities. They have until September 1 to appeal the decisions, and may even take the matter to court.

     

    MUSEUM The Bucharest Children’s Museum has reopened and is waiting for visitors with new guided interactive tours. The most recent of them shows kids the secrets of physics and chemistry. Entitled “The School of Magic – Wizard’s Castle,” it helps children understand physical and chemical reactions in a setting that reminds them of the Harry Potter universe. Apart from the School of Magic, children can enjoy 3 other tours – one devoted to the great ocean explorers, one to the human brain and one to classical fairytales.

     

    TENNIS Monica Niculescu (Romania) / Hanyu Guo (China) have qualified into the doubles finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Monterrey, Mexico. They defeated Tereza Mihalikova (Slovakia) / Olivia Nicholls (UK) 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 10-4. Niculescu and Guo won the match in 2 hours and 10 minutes and received USD 28,720 and WTA 325 points. In the final on August 25, Niculescu and Guo take on top seeded Giuliana Olmos of Mexico and Alexandra Panova of Russia. (AMP)

  • August 24, 2024

    August 24, 2024

     

    CONVENTION Romanian Social Democrats convene today to elect their new leadership and to appoint their candidate in the forthcoming presidential election. The party leader, PM Marcel Ciolacu, seeks a new term in office, backed by a team of 21 candidates. Ciolacu has also announced he will be running for president of Romania, and is to be validated by the party congress today. Another topic on today’s agenda is the election campaign, and the Social Democratic spokesman, Lucian Romaşcanu, said the party is able to mobilise so that in December Romania may have a Social Democratic president. The party last won a presidential race in 2000. The first round of the election is scheduled on November 24, and the second on December 8th.

     

    UKRAINE The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a letter to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Ukraine’s Independence Day. According to the Romanian presidency, Iohannis voiced his appreciation for the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian armed forces and civilians in defending their country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to provide constant, predictable and multidimensional support to Ukraine until its victory and further on in its reconstruction and European integration process. Iohannis emphasized that the security cooperation agreement signed by the 2 countries in July, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, proves that Romania’s support is not circumstantial, but long-standing, predictable and transparent. On Ukraine’s Independence Day, the Cotroceni Palace in Bucureşti, the headquarters of the Romanian presidency, will be lit tonight in Ukraine’s national colours.

     

    CROPS The European Union’s maize output will be smaller because of the drought and extreme heat in Romania, whose crops will be 30% lower. Estimates for the EU’s maize output were cut from 63 million tonnes, as reported last year, to 60-61 million tonnes, which is still above the level in 2022, when the drought affected the entire continent. Romania’s output is expected to drop from around 11 million tonnes last year to less than 8 million this autumn. In France, favourable humidity levels kept maize crops in a generally good condition, and the increase of the areas under crops should ensure higher output, namely over 14 million tonnes. In Poland, smaller areas under maize crops may lead to a 13% drop in output, while in Germany the crops are estimated to be 2% lower.

     

    PENSIONS The National Liberal Party, a junior member of the ruling coalition in Romania, proposes new amendments to the Pensions Law, so as to address the situation of pensioners whose benefits have been cut down in the latest revision. The Liberal leader and Senate speaker Nicolae Ciucă said the law should not have retrospective effect, and confirmed that the pensioners whose benefits have been cut down on paper will not benefit from cost-of-living adjustments for several years, although they will not be paid smaller amounts. According to official data, over 700,000 pensioners have received decisions by which their benefits have been cut down. These include workers in hazardous conditions, such as coal miners, engine drivers and nuclear industry personnel, who were able to stop working before the standard retirement age. Also at a disadvantage are people with disabilities, where the revised benefits are smaller by as much as 60%, for instance for the visually impaired. Hundreds of people are already asking for explanations from the authorities. They have until September 1 to appeal the decisions, and may even take the matter to court.

     

    SCHOOLS Students in secondary schools and high schools in Romania with final grades above 9.50 will receive merits scholarships, under the new School Regulations recently published in the Official Journal. Merit and resilience scholarships will be granted to at least 30% of the students in each class, including in professional and dual education units. Merit scholarships for 5th graders will be granted based on the average grades in the first two modules of the current school year. For 9th-graders, scholarships will be granted based on the high school admission results, which should be above 9.50. Scholarships in public secondary schools and high schools are financed by the education ministry, except for those in military high schools, which will be funded by the defence ministry. For the new academic year, the merit scholarship minimum amount is nearly EUR 90. This amount may be increased by school boards, depending on the budget earmarked by the local authorities. (AMP)

  • July 4, 2024

    July 4, 2024

    ELECTIONS – The PSD-PNL ruling coalition has today reached consensus on the exact dates of the presidential and parliamentary elections following the talks Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had earlier this week with political parties. Thus, the first round of the presidential election will be held on November 24, with the second round slated for December 8. The parliamentary election has been scheduled for December 1. Originally, the Social-Democrats and the Liberals agreed to organize the presidential election in September, but the latter changed their mind. We recall local and European Parliament elections were held on June 9.

     

     

    FOURTH OF JULY – Romanian-American friendship is stronger than ever, evidence of which is the Strategic Partnership between the two states, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said in a message marking the national day of the United States. “Happy Independence Day to the United States of America and the American people”, the president wrote on X. On Wednesday, the head of state attended a reception organized by the American Embassy in Bucharest. In her opening remarks, US Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec referred to the long-lasting friendship between the two countries and the nearly 30 years of strategic partnership, built on shared democratic values, trade relations, strong interpersonal relations and security and defense cooperation. “As NATO allies and partners, our commitment to Romania is unwavering and essential to protecting our shared values and way of life”, Ambassador Kavalec added. The theme for this year’s reception was the world of film and cooperation between the two states’ film industries.

     

     

    SURVEY – Europeans continue to stand with Ukraine and its efforts to fight off the Russian invasion, are overall in favor of supplying weapons but oppose the deployment of troops to the former, a European Foreign Affairs Council survey reads. 20,000 Europeans were interviewed as part of the survey, the majority arguing the war in Ukraine will end through a negotiated truce, and Ukraine will not prevail on the battlefield. Ukrainians and Estonians interviewed believe, however, that the Ukrainian army will be victorious. Most Ukrainians oppose the idea of Ukraine conceding Russian-held territories in exchange for NATO accession. Additionally, nearly half of Ukrainians fear the United States could negotiate directly with Russia without Kyiv’s consent should Donald Trump get re-elected at the White House this autumn.

     

     

    WHITE HOUSE – US president Joe Biden has no intention of withdrawing his candidacy for a second term at the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has told journalists. Meanwhile, Americans continue to ponder Joe Biden’s mental health after his disastrous performance in last week’s debate against Republican Donald Trump. The Democrat president stays in the race, Jean-Pierre told a briefing. Aged 81, president Biden on Friday will give an exclusive interview to ABC News, and the White House promised the president will hold a press conference next week to show he’s able to speak freely with no teleprompter. According to a survey published on Tuesday by the CNN, 75% of Americans believe the Democratic Party would have bigger chances of winning the November election were they to replace Biden as their candidate.

     

     

    QUALIFIERS – Romanian football champions and Cup winners FCSB and Corvinul Hunedoara are tonight playing in the Romanian Supercup. Both teams are this month competing in European interclub competitions. In the first preliminary round of Champions League, FCSB will play AC Virtus 1964 of San Marino. In the first preliminary round of Europa League, Corvinul Hunedoara will take on Hungarian vice-champions Paksi FC. In the second preliminary round of UEFA Conference League, CFR Cluj will play FC Neman Grodno of Belarus, while Universitatea Craiova will play the winner of the match pitting PFC Botev Plovdiv of Bulgaria against Maribor of Slovenia. (VP)

  • June 29, 2023

    June 29, 2023

    BLACK HAWK A maintenance centre for the
    Black Hawk helicopters is about to open in Bacau, eastern Romania; the result
    of a partnership between the US aerospace, arms, defence, information security
    and technology corporation Lockheed Martin, and Romanian company Aerostar. The
    centre is to be completely accredited and operational before the arrival of
    seven S-70 Black Hawk helicopters later this year. According to the company’s
    vice president Ray Piselli, the centre in Bacau will contribute to the creation
    and maintenance of highly qualified jobs in Romania, will curb operational
    costs for the Black Hawk helicopters and will have a strong growing potential
    in the future.






    RIGHTS Trade union leaders in Romania’s
    medical system have announced higher salaries for the employees in this sector
    starting August 1. On Wednesday, trade union leaders met the country’s
    Social-Democratic Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, and deputy Prime Minister
    Marian Neacsu for talks over the new emergency ordinance regulating the
    upcoming pay rise. Employment in the field is to be resumed and 4 thousand new
    jobs will be created shortly. Another 10 thousand jobs are to be created in the
    country’s medical sector in the following period. All normative acts regulating
    the aforementioned rights are to be endorsed in a government sitting this week.
    If their claims had not been met, employees in the medical field would have
    gone on an all-out strike.






    UKRAINE The
    United States and Romania have taken actions in support of Ukraine and all the
    vulnerable partners in the Black Sea region – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
    said on Wednesday night at the reception offered by the US embassy in Bucharest
    on Independence Day. The US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec says that
    both countries are sharing ‘common values, which are the reason why we remain
    united against Russia’s unprovoked and terrible attack on Ukraine.’






    SUMMIT The EU’s two-days summit, which
    kicks off in Brussels today, has high on the agenda a series of issues as well
    as a review of the ending Swedish presidency of the European Union. Spain is
    the country to take over the bloc’s half-yearly presidency. Among the issues to
    be tackled during the summit, which is also being attended by the Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis, is the situation in Ukraine and the support granted
    to Kyiv in the war against Russia, economic security and migration. According
    to Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, the talks will be kicked off by
    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who will be assessing the situation in
    Ukraine, and speak about the arms delivery and the Alliance’s summit in
    Vilnius. The talks will also be attended by the president of Ukraine. Other
    issues on the agenda are competitiveness, digitization and security.




    (bill)

  • May 10, 2023 UPDATE

    May 10, 2023 UPDATE

    Education laws — The package of laws reforming the education system in Romania was voted on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies, as the first body notified. During the general debates, the Education Minister, Ligia Deca, recalled that the measures are aimed at reducing the phenomenon of functional illiteracy and at preventing school dropout. The opposition parties criticized the draft laws and voted against them. The two bills go to the Senate for debate and a decisive vote. Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Education trade unions organized a protest rally aimed at drawing attention to the problems facing the Romanian education system. The trade unionists are asking the Government to increase the salaries of the education staff, to pay the extra hours worked by the auxiliary teaching and non-teaching staff, and also to increase the annual investments, and to improve the infrastructure. The union leaders remind that a referendum is under way on the triggering of an all-out strike in education, starting on May 22. Recently, the education minister stated that she is confident that there will be no all-out strike in education, and that the school year will end well.



    Visit – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Han Duck-soo, in the context of the latter’s official visit to Bucharest. The President spoke in favor of capitalizing on the potential of bilateral cooperation, showing that the relations between the two countries can register a new qualitative leap, by updating the Strategic Partnership. The Korean official hailed the intensive bilateral dialogue and the intensification of economic cooperation, by increasing mutual investments. At the same time, Han Duck-soo shared the same vision with that of Klaus Iohannis regarding regional and global challenges, against the backdrop of the consequences of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine. With the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, the Seoul official agreed to strengthen relations in areas such as investments and industry, including the defense and cyber security industries. The Korean side expressed readiness to contribute to the construction of the new reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, as well as to the development of small modular reactors. On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between the administrations of the ports of Constanta and Busan in South Korea, the fifth busiest port in the world by tonnage and the largest in Northeast Asia in terms of transshipment capacity.



    Defense – The Chief of the Defense Staff of Romania, General Daniel Petrescu, is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in the meetings of the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee, respectively. Defense chiefs from the 31 Allied states, with the Swedish chief of defense as a guest, will look at the dynamics of the war in Ukraine. Talks will focus on analyzing the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening NATOs defense and deterrence posture, ahead of the decisions to be made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The participants will also look at ways to continue supporting Ukraine. Another major topic of the meeting is the analysis of member and partner states participation in EU missions and operations.



    Independence – Romania celebrated its National Independence Day on Wednesday. On May 10, 1877, Prince Carol I, who would subsequently become the first king of Romania, signed the countrys Proclamation of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The document had been read in Parliament the day before by the foreign minister Mihail Kogălniceanu, and endorsed by Parliaments two chambers. The occasion was celebrated in Bucharest with a ceremony at the Heroes Monument in front of the National Defense University, while military and religious ceremonies were also held in cities across the country.



    Gaudeamus – The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair opened its doors on Wednesday in Oradea (north-west). On an area of ​​over 660 square meters, until May 14, editorial events, contests with prizes in books and workshops for children will take place. At this edition, more than 50 brands are present in 45 stands, among which the most prestigious publishing houses and Romanian and foreign book distribution agencies. The editorial offer is completed by a selection of educational games and quality music, as well as by a new area called Bookoteca, for second-hand books. The honorary president of this edition is the historian PhD Constantin Demeter, an active personality in the cultural life of the city.



    Gas – The European Commission launched, on Wednesday, the first-ever international tender for joint purchasing of EU gas supplies in a move to help boost security of supply and tackle high energy prices. The EC representatives say that the joint purchasing of gas will help the European industry not only through prices, but also through the establishment of economic relations for contracting alternatives, given that the member states want to completely eliminate Russian gas from consumption. The first tender will take place until May 15 and targets gas to be delivery as of June 2023 until May 2024. (LS, AMP)



  • July 4, 2020 UPDATE

    July 4, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Ro — The Romanian government is working on a bill which should allow the authorities to continue to isolate or quarantine the people infected with the new coronavirus, after the publishing of a Constitutional Court decision in the Official Gazette according to which patients can no longer be kept in hospital without their consent. The government is going to discuss the new law next week. For the moment, isolation and quarantine are no longer an obligation but a recommendation, and more and more hospitalized people have applied for being discharged. Still valid though is an article from the Criminal Code on thwarting the fight against diseases, and those who transmit the virus will have to assume the consequences of their acts, the authorities said. Doctors warn that infected people with little or no symptoms at all risk infecting other people if they do not observe isolation measures. The latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group in Bucharest show 416 new confirmed cases of contamination in the past 24 hours, which takes the total number of cases to 28,500. Of the people infected, 20,861 have been discharged from hospital. 1,731 people have died from complications caused by COVID-19. The number of Romanian citizens from abroad who have died of COVID-19 has reached 122.



    COVID-19 world — The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world has exceeded 11.2 million, with the number of deaths nearing 530 thousand. As many as 6.4 million people have recovered from coronavius infection, shows the online platform Worldometers.info. The US continues to report an increased number of COVID-19 contaminations reaching a total number of 2.9 million cases. More than 132 thousand Americans have died from corona infection. At the same time, the EC on Friday gave its conditional approval for the use of antiviral Remdesivir in severe COVID-19 patients following an accelerated review process, making it the region’s first authorized therapy to treat the virus, AFP reports. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure efficient treatments or vaccine against the coronavirus,” said Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, in a statement. In Latin America, Anvisa, the authority regulating the Brazilian medical system, approved, also on Friday, the start of clinical studies for a possible vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the Chinese company Sinovac. The announcement was made in the context in which Brazil has exceeded the threshold of 1.5 million cases of Covid-19 infection, being the second hardest hit country, after the US. More than 63,000 Brazilians have died from coronavirus infection.



    Independence Day – The strategic partnership between Romania and the US is stronger than ever, said the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu in a message conveyed on Saturday on the occasion of the US Independence Day. He added that he was looking forward to further consolidating the two countries’ excellent cooperation to the benefit of their citizens. Bucharest remains firmly committed to supporting a strong trans-Atlantic relation, and Romania will always be a strategic and stalwart ally of the US, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had previously said. Other Romanian high-ranking officials also conveyed messages on the occasion of the US Independence Day. In turn, the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, underlined that Washington remained committed to helping improve the rule of law in Romania as well as to ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security.



    Theater — The International Theater Festival in Sibiu (in central Romania), held online for the first time due to the pandemic, started on Saturday the series of free rebroadcasting of the shows and events of this year’s edition, which unfolded between June 12 and 21. Rebroadcasting of the shows will take place over the period July-December, exclusively on the festival’s website (www.sibfest.ro/fits-online). The first shows rebroadcast on Saturday are ‘Magic tales’ and ‘The bull and the rabbit’ by Marian Ralea. Other shows that spectators can watch on Saturday are ‘After the battle’ by Pippo Delbono or the first part of the show ‘Brothers and Sisters’ directed by Lev Dodin.



    EU — Budget restrictions for the EU member states will be applied again after the recession caused by the pandemic comes to an end, said the vice-president of the EC, Valdis Dombrovskis, in an interview to the Italian publication Corriere della Sera. The European Pact for stability and growth requires a public deficit of maximum 3% of the GDP and a public debt that should not go beyond 60% of the GDP. The Pact remains active, Dombrovskis added, explaining that the suspension clause was activated. The governments that report higher deficits during the crisis should take into account the sustainability of such policies, the EC official has warned.



    Greece — The Romanian Foreign Ministry — MAE has urgently resumed diplomatic efforts to urge the Greek authorities to streamline traffic flow at the border-crossing point Kulata- Promachonas between Bulgaria and Greece. On Saturday the line of vehicles waiting to go through the border checkpoint exceeded 10 kms. MAE officials warn that the Greek competent authorities can change, without prior notice, the conditions for entering the Greek territory, depending on the number of new cases of COVID-19 infection reported. The situation at the aforementioned cross-border point was generated by the decision of the Greek authorities to test all the citizens of non-EU countries, in the context of the pandemic. (tr. L. Simion)

  • July 4, 2020

    July 4, 2020

    COVID-19 Ro — The Romanian government is working on a draft law which should allow the authorities to continue to isolate or quarantine the people infected with the new coronavirus, after the publishing of a Constitutional Court decision in the Official Gazette according to which patients can no longer be kept in hospital without their consent. The government is going to discuss the new law next week. For the moment, isolation and quarantine are no longer an obligation but a recommendation, and more and more hospitalized people have applied for being discharged. Still valid though is an article from the Criminal Code on thwarting the fight against diseases, and those who transmit the virus will have to assume the consequences of their acts, the authorities said. Doctors warn that infected people with little or no symptoms at all risk infecting other people if they do not observe isolation measures. The latest figures published by the Strategic Communication Group in Bucharest show more than 28 thousand cases of COVID-19 infection and 1,708 deaths. The number of Romanian citizens from abroad who have died of COVID-19 has reached 122.



    COVID-19 world — The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world has exceeded 11.2 million, with the number of deaths nearing 530 thousand. As many as 6.4 million people have recovered from coronavius infection, shows the online platform Worldometers.info. The US continues to report an increased number of COVID-19 contaminations reaching a total number of 2.9 million cases. More than 132 thousand Americans have died from corona infection. At the same time, the EC on Friday gave its conditional approval for the use of antiviral Remdesivir in severe COVID-19 patients following an accelerated review process, making it the region’s first authorized therapy to treat the virus, AFP reports. “We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure efficient treatments or vaccine against the coronavirus,” said Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, in a statement. In Latin America, Anvisa, the authority regulating the Brazilian medical system, approved, also on Friday, the start of clinical studies for a possible vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the Chinese company Sinovac. The announcement was made in the context in which Brazil has exceeded the threshold of 1.5 million cases of Covid-19 infection, being the second hardest hit country, after the US. More than 63,000 Brazilians have died from coronavirus infection.



    Theater — The International Theater Festival in Sibiu (in central Romania), held online for the first time due to the pandemic, starts Saturday the series of free rebroadcasting of the shows and events of this year’s edition which unfolded between June 12 and 21. Rebroadcasting of the shows will take place over the period July-December, exclusively on the festival’s website (www.sibfest.ro/fits-online). The first shows rebroadcast on Saturday are ‘Magic tales’ and ‘The bull and the rabbit’ by Marian Ralea. Other shows that spectators can watch on Saturday are ‘After the battle’ by Pippo Delbono or the first part of the show ‘Brothers and Sisters’ directed by Lev Dodin. A fado music concert will be rebroadcast on Saturday evening.



    US — Romania’s response to all the major challenges of this period is solidarity, said President Klaus Iohannis at the reception party held to mark the US Independence Day at the American Embassy in Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis also said that Romania remained firmly committed to supporting a strong trans-Atlantic relation and pointed out that Romania would always be a strategic and stalwart ally of the US. The PM Ludovic Orban said that Bucharest would continue to strengthen its relationship with Washington and would continue to be the US’ trustworthy partner. Democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the pillars of trust on which Romania and the US have built their strategic partnership along the years, said the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, in a message conveyed on the US Independence Day. Also the interim speaker of the Senate Robert Cazanciuc conveyed a message on the occasion, underlining the constant and privileged relationship between Romanian and the US, which is one of the main coordinates of Bucharest’s foreign policy in a period of accelerated changes. In turn, the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, underlined that Washington remained committed to helping improve the rule of law in Romania as well as to ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security. (tr. L. Simion)

  • May 5-11, 2018

    May 5-11, 2018

    May 9th a day with threefold significance for Romania



    May 9th has a threefold significance for the Romanians. On May 9th they celebrate the Independence Day, proclaimed in 1877, the victory of the United Nations coalition in World War Two and also Europe Day. At a reception offered by the Romanian Presidency on this occasion, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis deplored the fact that there are politicians in Bucharest who question the Union’s role and relevance, at the same time neglecting the benefits of belonging in this project, arguing that Romania would be better off outside the European family.



    The country’s Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said in a communiqué that Romania believes in the European project and that it is taking action for its support and development. The Romanians’ standard of living has constantly grown after the country’s EU accession 11 years ago, Angela Cristea, the head of European Commission Representation also said. According to Mrs. Cristea, Romania has to continue its efforts to have the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism lifted, which is an instrument through which Brussels is monitoring the situation in Romania’s legal system.



    The government has reached an agreement with trade unions from Romania’s healthcare system



    After spontaneous protests in hospitals around the country, several rounds of talks between the government and trade unions and a two-hour token strike, employees of Romania’s healthcare system decided to give up their all-out strike scheduled for May 11th. The agreement between the government and trade unions also provides that all employees who lost money as a result of the new salary law will be reimbursed. The healthcare minister Sorina Pintea now says the government will again amend the law on public sector salaries.



    The changes will only cover the way in which benefits are granted, the labor minister Lia Olguţa Vasilescu has pointed out. She says on-duty time performed by physicians and nurses will no longer be subject to the provision that stipulated a 30% cap on benefits. Commentators say, however, that this does not heal the most acute problems in the system: old hospitals with precarious equipment and full of bacteria, shortages of sometimes essential medicine, insufficient and still unmotivated medical staff, or staff hostile to patients despite the generous pay rise.



    Financial disputes between the President and the government



    The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday again called for the resignation of the Social Democratic Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă. The president this time invoked a series of low economic performances by the present government. After the publication of the budget execution report for the first quarter of the year, the president argued the national budget is under a tremendous pressure against the backdrop of increasing total expenses and that the evolution of public finances is completely unsatisfactory. The president has lashed out at the PSD-ALDE government, which he accuses of having neglected major investments and of having failed to turn Romania’s economic growth rate of 7% into a rise in revenues.



    Klaus Iohannis: “After almost one year and a half of Social Democratic governing, including this debatable situation of the so-called pay rises, we see no roads, no motorways, no schools, no hospitals. The Social Democratic Party is in fact mortgaging the future of the country. It raises salaries and pensions and neglects major investments in infrastructure or investments that are needed for the country’s development in general.”



    The Government, on the other hand, says that Romania’s economic parameters for the first quarter of the year grew as compared to the same period of 2017. Deputy Prime Minister Viorel Stefan has stated that budget revenues grew by 12%, and investments doubled as compared to 2017.



    UNITER Gala



    Directors Mihai Măniuţiu and Yuri Kordonski and actors Mariana Mihuţ and Victor Rebengiuc are the big winners of this year’s UNITER Awards Gala. The Theater Union of Romania — UNITER — has this year celebrated the best actors and directors of the year 2017 in the Transylvanian city of Alba Iulia, in central Romania, the symbol of the Great Union of the Romanian historical provinces, which took place 100 years ago.



    The award for best performance in 2017 went to ‘Rambuku’ by the Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, adapted by Anca Măniuţiu and directed by Mihai Măniuţiu. Best director was designated the Russian Yuri Kordonsky, for the show ‘The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her Heartless Grandmother’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The Great actors Mariana Mihut and Victor Rebengiuc won the best actress and best actor awards respectively, for their parts in ‘Exit the King’ by Eugene Ionescu, directed by Andrei and Andreea Grosu.



    The best TV drama performance was designated ‘Midwinter Night’s Dream’ by Tudor Muşatescu, and the best radio drama award was won by ‘Ovid, the Pontus Euxinus Exile’, based on a script by Emil Boroghină and produced by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. The award for the best Romanian play in 2017 went to Daniel Oltean, for the play ’50 seconds’. Also, UNITER handed the lifetime achievement award to actor Horaţiu Mălăiele.



    The Romanian Foreign Minister heard in Parliament in relation to the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel



    The Memorandum on the relocation of the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was discussed in Government last week and was submitted to the President only after being approved by the Executive, the Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu stated. On Wednesday, he was heard by the Foreign Policy Committee of the Chamber of Deputies in relation to the memorandum, which created a conflict between the President and the Government. According to the law, the head of state is the only one that can move an embassy from one city to another, and Klaus Iohannis has voiced discontentment with the fact that statements on the topic have been carried in the public space as if a decision had already been made. Meleşcanu also stated that the document was not classified as top secret, but that it includes information that is not public, and is therefore confidential.



    Teodor Melescanu: “Our concern is to conduct a serious analysis of the legal, political and economic implications of the decision to relocate the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and to provide the arguments that political decision-makers — Parliament, President and Prime-Minister- need in order to take a common stand on the matter.”



    Minister Meleşcanu has also admitted that the talks on the relocation of the embassy might affect Romania’s candidacy for a position of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

  • July 4th in Romania

    July 4th in Romania

    This year, one day ahead of the already-traditional party, the US Embassy in Bucharest invited the Romanian public to the screening of the biopic “42: The Story of Jackie Robinson. The film tells the story of the great player who erased colour barriers in baseball, and the choice was not made randomly, as Ron Hawkins the Counsellor for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest has said baseball is a metaphor for democracy (…) anybody can play and everybody has to play by the same rules. The film screening in Bucharest enjoyed the participation of Sharon Robinson, the daughter of the legend-making Jackie Robinson, of three professional baseball players and of many high-school students, among others.



    Ron Hawkins: “Its the day that we celebrate the independence of the United States of America. And this year we are incredibly pleased to also celebrate the 70th anniversary of when Jackie Robinson broke the colour barrier in baseball. Now, think about that. I said 70 years ago, that is 1947, 8 years before the US got rid of segregation, 8 years before Rosa Parks. So, we are talking about the decade before Martin Luther King came on the scene. This is a major milestone in the civil rights movement, really ahead of the modern civil rights movement. And it was when America was starting to embrace its diversity. And thats what we are celebrating. We are celebrating diversity. We are also celebrating the fact that baseball is a great metaphor for democracy. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the United States and Romania, its a great opportunity to use this metaphor: anybody can play and everybody has to play by the same rules. Baseball is democracy



    In his already traditional 4th of July message, the US ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm has also dwelt on the importance of the Strategic Partnership and the US-Romanian relations:



    Hans Klemm: “We are celebrating the 241st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by the United States of America. This year we are also marking the 20th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States. This partnership was recently strongly reaffirmed by President Trump and President Iohannis at the White House in Washington. Looking forward, the United States Embassy and I, well now work with our Romanian friends to strengthen the Strategic Partnership across every dimension. Our priorities remain to promote security, to promote democracy and the rule of law and to promote prosperity. Please join us in celebrating Americas Independence Day.



    As the US Ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, has said, earlier this month, on June 9th, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The main topics of discussion were the Romanian – US Strategic Partnership, the fight against corruption and terrorism, and the budget earmarked for defence.



    The two presidents said the Partnership must grow stronger and define bilateral relations, because it is important to both nations. According to Klaus Iohannis, the Partnership with the US has helped Romania become what it is today: a solid democracy, with a solid an sustainable economic growth, a country who’s been standing together with the US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Iohannis also underlined the fact that the Romanian – American relations and the trans-Atlantic ties are vital.



    Klaus Iohannis: Romania is a member of the European Union. And I think it’s the best interest of you, Mr. President, to have a strong European Union as a partner. This is vital for all of us. Our relationship, the transatlantic link is vital. The transatlantic link is not about diplomacy, about policy, its at the basis of our Western civilization. And together, we will make it stronger. Together, we will make it better, the Romanian President told Donald Trump. NATO and the European Union do not have to compete against each other. They have to work together. They have to work in such a manner as to produce synergetic effects. Make NATO stronger. Make Europe stronger. Make the United States of America stronger, the Romanian president also said.


    In turn, the US President Donald Trump hailed the relationship with Romania and stated that the Strategic Partnership covers many dimensions, including economic, military and cultural ties. The White House leader thanked the Romanian people for their support in combating terrorism.



    The conclusion of the meeting between the two heads of state was drawn by President Trump himself, who wrote on Facebook: Great honour to welcome President Klaus Iohannis to the White House. The future of Romania and Romania’s relationship with the United States is very, very bright.



    Happy 4th of July to all our American friends, wherever you may be!

  • 150 years since monarchy was established in Romania

    150 years since monarchy was established in Romania

    May 10th is the King’s Day, marked as national holiday in Romania starting this year. The day has a multiple significance in the country’s history. This year marks 150 years since Carol of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen was proclaimed Ruling Prince of the United Principalities. On May 10, 1866 he was sworn in as ruler of Romania. His crowning in Bucharest was the outcome of an agreement among the Romanian politicians of the time.



    They realized that only a foreign prince could keep away from the fierce rivalry between various political camps in the country and bring along the much needed objectiveness and neutrality. With the approval of the French emperor Napoleon III and of the King of Prussia, Wilhelm I, prince Carol left for Romania in late April 1866. He left Sigmaringen Castle near Dusseldorf and crossed Switzerland and Austria. He reached Turnu Severin by ship and entered Bucharest on May 10, 1866. A 48 year-long reign thus started, the longest in Romania’s history.



    May 10 came to be recognized as the National Day and the King’s Day. The years of the Carol I’s reign were some of the best in our country’s history. Those were times of stability and prosperity in Romania, which was consolidated from an economic and political point of view. May 10 has another important significance as Romania’s state independence was proclaimed on that day in 1877. In Parliament, the opposition waited for the government’s response to a request related to the army. In his speech, the then foreign minister, Mihail Kogalniceanu uttered the famous words: “We are independent, we are a self-reliant nation”.



    Then, Parliament unanimously voted a resolution proclaiming the country’s independence. On May 10, 1877, all the MPs went to the Royal Palace and ruler Carol agreed to the proclamation of Romania’s independence. Four years later, also on May 10, Romania became Kingdom, thus joining the European family of monarchies. The proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania meant a lot, because the country thus got an equal status among the other European states.



    Carol I was the first monarch of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, which starting with King Ferdinand I became the Royal House of Romania, a dynasty that would rule the country through Carol II and his son, Mihai I. The celebration of May 10 was for the first time banned by the German occupation in 1917 and the second time by the communist regime, after the forced abdication of King Mihai I in 1947. The communists hijacked this great holiday, deliberately erasing it from the collective memory through propaganda specific to the totalitarian regime. Nowadays, King’s Day has been restored to its due place in history, being marked by various events taking place all across Romania these days.


    (Translated by A.M. Palcu)