Radio România Internațional

Tag: inflation

October 6, 2023

Madrid. Dozens of European heads of state and government are participating in the 3rd European Political Community Summit, which continues today in the Spanish city of Granada. Among those present are representatives of EU member states, including the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, but also leaders of countries with European aspirations, including the presidents of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Energy, cyber security, military security, migration and climate change are among the topics addressed. Regarding a new enlargement of the EU, the participants agree that a formula must be found to bring the countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe into the European family, but only after a reform of the functioning of the Union. In this context, according to President Iohannis, setting deadlines for enlargement is unrealistic.

Visit. After representing Romania at the high-level meetings in Spain, President Klaus Iohannis will pay a state visit to Portugal until Monday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. According to the Presidential Administration, the visit will begin with the participation of President Iohannis, as a special guest, in the anniversary meeting of the Arraiolos Group, hosted by the President of the Portuguese Republic, which will take place on Friday in Porto. The Group meeting marks 20 years since the initiation of this informal platform for consultation at presidential level between 16 states of the European Union. The head of state will deliver, as the main speaker, a presentation focused on the challenges faced by the European Union in the context of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the necessary measures to continue the multidimensional support for Ukraine and ensuring the unity of European and Euro-Atlantic positions in addressing the security effects of the war. On Saturday, President Iohannis will be received by his Portuguese counterpart in Lisbon. The field of defense is one of the key components of bilateral cooperation, with the aim of strengthening allied defense on NATOs Eastern Flank, a result of this cooperation being the participation of Portugal with a contingent of ground forces in the multinational NATO brigade in Romania, the presidential administration has stressed. On the sidelines of the state visit, bilateral documents will be signed in the field of energy, investment and trade. In another move, Klaus Iohannis will pay an official visit to Hungary on Wednesday, where he will talk with his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novak.

Mechanism. The mechanism that will allow the import of limited quantities of grain from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova only on the basis of a license was discussed by the Bucharest Government in Thursdays meeting. The measure aims to protect Romanian farmers after the European Commission lifted the restrictions imposed on Ukrainian grain imports, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. He stated that this mechanism, agreed with all parties involved, will allow imports only on the basis of an authorization for limited quantities of grain and will apply only to Romanian farmers and processors who demonstrate that they need additional quantities to replenish stocks. “This is how we ensure that products that comply with quality standards will arrive on the Romanian market”, Ciolacu pointed out. He also said that Romania continues to support Ukraine “with all its strengh”, but that it is mandatory for the Bucharest administration to protect the work of Romanian farmers. Recently, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, has said that the agricultural products that are subject to import and will fall under the scope of this mechanism are wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

Inflation. The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 7% per year, a value that has remained unchanged since January. The board of directors of the NBR also kept unchanged the interest at which commercial banks can borrow from the NBR and the interest they receive when they keep money in deposits established at the central bank. According to the new assessments of the BNR, the annual inflation rate will continue to decrease until the end of the current year. Starting next year, however, inflation will be influenced by the existence of major risks, arising from the new fiscal-budgetary measures adopted by the government and the degree of absorption of European funds, as well as the war in neighboring Ukraine and economic developments below expectations from Europe.

Attack. At least 51 people lost their lives yesterday in a Russian missile attack on a village in northeastern Ukraine, not far from the front line. A cafe and a grocery store were hit where the victims had met for the reburial ceremony of a soldier from that village, who had been killed in battle. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the Russian military of deliberately targeting civilians. The bombardment took place in the context in which Moscows forces intensified their attacks in the Kupiansk – Lîman front sector, where they are said to have mobilized one hundred and ten thousand soldiers. The last assaults of the Russians in the area were supported by aviation. On the other hand, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army announced that the troops under its command have made progress both in the east, in the area of the city of Bahmut, and on the southern front, where they are engaged in an offensive in the direction of the Sea of Azov. This went, however, much slower than initially expected, so that it is unlikely that the objective will be reached before the onset of bad weather.

Protest. Representatives of several associations of patients with chronic and autoimmune diseases in Romania have protested in front of the Ministry of Health, dissatisfied with problems in the system that directly affect them. They signaled the delay in payments to pharmacies for compensated drugs and are waiting for the emergency budget rectification or the increase in the GDP allocation for the medical system. The relevant minister, Alexandru Rafila, has discussed with the patients representatives and assured them that at the beginning of next month the budgetary adjustment regarding health will take place and that the payments of the compensated medicines for the pharmacies have been made for May. However, the president of the Association of Patients with Autoimmune Diseases, Rozalina Lăpădatu, has said that the payments are still delayed, and the pharmacies are at risk of collapse. She has stated that the Government Decision on updating the list of free and compensated medicines is blocked at the Ministry of Finance, which is supposed to approve it, and announced that patient organizations will decide whether to organize a protest in front of this ministry as well, to ensure that “the budget adjustment it will actually be done at the beginning of November”. (MI)

6 October 2023
Seeking employment abroad, the perks and the pitfalls

According to statistical data provided by the Romanian
Foreign Affairs Ministry, over 5.7 million Romanians are abroad, according to
the most recent census. All of them have the required legal papers for their
stay outside the country. Unofficially, however, there also is a great number of
Romanians who works in Western Europe, among whom a great number of them is undeclared. So with no legal documents! With a demographic situation in a
continuous crisis, Romania adds up to the number of countries hit by economic difficulties.
The pandemic brought many of Romanians back to their country of origin, yet the dire
economic situation sent those people back to the countries they came from. With or without
legal documents in order, a growing number of Romanians yet again embarked upon
the path of self-exile, because here, the salaries do not align with the
inflation rate, which is visible in the quality of life here and in the lack
of perspective, longer-term.

So what can a Romanian do abroad? Most of the countries
on the lookout for workforce from us are somehow, traditional: Germany, The
Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, but also Norway, Sweden and Finland. The
e-jobs portal has pointed to a downward trend in Romanians’ intention to leave,
as compared to the number of applications.

With details on that, here is the
e-jobs Head of Communications, Ana Calugaru:

Since
early January and until now, the number of application for a job abroad has diminished.
For this period of time, we had almost 34,000 applications for jobs abroad. That means 1. 4% of the total number of
applications. The countries that received the greatest number of applications
have been Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, The Republic of Ireland, Cyprus
or Great Britain. Spain and Italy have fallen out of favor pretty much as
compared to 6,7,8 years ago, when they used to be very popular.

Most of the candidates look for jobs for which no qualification is
required, which shortens the time for the job search, at once widening the
range of job opportunities.

Here is the e-jobs Head of Communications, Ana Calugaru, once
again:

Speaking about the
areas where most of the vacancies have been posted. To that end, since the beginning
of the year and until now, employers from abroad have posted 55,000 job
vacancies for candidates from Romania. Most of the vacancies come from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, England,
Spain, Belgium and Denmark. The domains for which the Romanians are extremely sought-after
are transports, logistics, navy, aeronautics, production, constructions,
tourism, services, food industry, retail and healthcare.

Regarding the wages, the Romanians could go and
work abroad even for a thousand euros. In agriculture, the net wages per hour
range from 8.50 to 10 euros, meaning that, at the end of the month, the net
income amounts to as much as 1,000 euros or thereabouts.

For example, in Spain, for a job in administration,
the gross income per month accounts for 1,900 euros, while in agriculture and administration,
it stands at almost 1,700 euros. Also in Spain, in arts and culture, the
monthly income is 1,900 euros, in the constructions sector, 2,400 Euros, in
mining and metallurgy, 2,300 Euros, while in the healthcare system, the monthly
gross income accounts for 2,000 euros. A fruit picker gets 1,100 euros, the
lowest salary.

In the Low Countries, a monthly salary in
agriculture stands at 2,850 euros. For a job in arts and culture, the salary
per month stands at roughly 3,170 euros. For a truck driver, the salary per month
ranges from 2,070 to 4,450 euros. For a physician, the salary ranges from 3, 000
to 7, 100 euro.

In Germany, extremely sought-after is the care home
staff. The demand is high for this job, given the demographic decline. Germany lures
the Romanians with experience in the field with an annual income ranging from 32,
500 to 39, 000 Euros, plus perks, such as rent subsidies for the first month,
free-of-charge language courses, furnished apartments and 30-day vacations per
year.

In Italy, a Romanian with no qualification can earn
roughly 1,250 euros per month, in the constructions sector, for instance.

In Denmark, no qualification is
needed for a job on a farm. The salary accounts for 1,600 euros. For a job in
constructions sector or in a slaughter house, the monthly wages range from 2, 100
de euro to 2, 500 euro.

Here is the e-jobs Head of
Communications, Ana Calugaru, once again, this time speaking about the other
perks Western Europe employers offer to the Romanians who intend to work in
their companies:

What
other perks do they offer? Healthcare insurance, one or two-month accommodation
subsidies offered until employees can find their own accommodation. For some
positions, companies can also offer a relocation premium.

Statistically speaking, the happiest are the Romanians working in
Spain. Spain offers a fine job-daily life balance which is very attractive for them.
For this very reason, a growing number of Romanians opt for leaving Germany to work in Spain. At any rate, according to the specialists’ advice, those who may wish to
do that should sleep on it, in case they intend to work abroad.

4 October 2023
25.09.2023 (mise à jour)

Fiscalité
– Le gouvernement de Bucarest a adopté le projet de loi visant les nouvelles
mesures fiscales censées majorer les recettes gouvernementales et réduire les
dépenses budgétaires. Le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu a précisé que la
Roumanie ne se permettait plus des facilités et des privilèges de 75 milliards
de lei et une évasion fiscale de 150 milliards de lei par an. Parmi les
nouvelles mesures, notons celle qui oblige tous les salariés à contribuer à la
Sécurité sociale, y compris ceux travaillant dans le BTT et l’Agriculture. Par
ailleurs, les informaticiens qui gagnent plus de 10.000 lei par mois seront
censés de payer un impôt et les fonctionnaires publiques dont les salaires
dépassent les 8000 lei ne se verront plus accorder des chèques-vacances. La loi
ne prévoit pas des changements majeurs de la TVA. Elle sera envoyée au
Parlement pour que les groupes politiques puissent déposer des amendements. Par
la suite, elle retournera sur la table de l’Exécutif qui votera la forme
finale. Le Comité économique et social a donné un avis défavorable au projet
qu’il considère néfaste pour l’économie.

FMI
– Une équipe du Fond monétaire international (FMI) commence à
Bucarest, l’examen annuel de l’économie roumaine. D’ici le 4 octobre, les
experts internationaux doivent évaluer les politiques économiques et les
évolutions les plus récentes dans le domaine, dans la cadre de plusieurs
réunions avec les représentants du ministère des Finances, de la Banque
centrale et d’autres agences gouvernementales. L’équipe du FMI rencontrera
aussi des représentants du secteur privé et des organisations
non-gouvernementales. De telles consultations se déroulent périodiquement avec
tous les Etats membres, afin de présenter une série de recommandations visant à
assurer la stabilité et une évolution positive de l’économie, a fait savoir le
FMI.

Sondages
– La majorité des Roumains affirme que la Roumanie se dirige dans une mauvaise
direction, selon une enquête du Centre de sociologie urbaine et régionale -
CURS. 69% des personnes interviewées l’affirment, alors que seulement 22% sont
d’avis que l’Etat est inscrit plutôt sur la bonne voie. Ce qui plus est, 41%
des personnes questionnées affirment que leur situation empirera dans l’année à
venir, 38% s’attendent à ce que leur niveau de vie reste inchangé et 18%
croient qu’il sera meilleur. Conformément au sondage CURS, les principaux
problèmes auxquels se confrontent les Roumains sont l’inflation, la flambée des
prix, les salaires trop bas, le niveau de vie en berne et la corruption. Dans
un classement des institutions en fonction du degré de confiance, les pompiers
restent en première place avec 73% des voix, suivis par l’armée avec 68% et par
l’Eglise avec un taux de confiance de 63%. Si dimanche prochain des élections
parlementaires étaient organisées, 50% des personnes questionnées voteraient
pour les partis actuellement au pouvoir, le PSD et le PNL.

Géorgie
– Le président du Sénat de Roumanie, Nicolae Ciuca a rencontré lundi le président
du parlement géorgien, Shalva Papuashvili, en visite officielle à Bucarest. L’occasion
pour Nicolae Ciuca de réitérer le soutien accordé par la Roumanie à l’agenda
européen de la Géorgie et au renforcement des relations bilatérales. Le
président du Parlement géorgien a rencontré aussi le président par intérim de
la Chambre des députés, Alfred-Robert Simonis. En juin 2022, l’UE a refusé
d’accorder à la Géorgie le statut de candidat à l’intégration qu’il a accordé
en échange à l’Ukraine et à la République de Moldova. L’UE s’attend à ce que la
Géorgie mette en place une réforme de la Justice, du système électoral, de la
liberté de la presse et de la lutte contre les oligarques. Début mars, des
dizaines de milliers de personnes ont protesté dans la capitale géorgienne,
accusant le gouvernement de s’être éloigné des aspirations pro-occidentales.

Enescu
– Le rideau est tombé dimanche soir sur la 26ème édition du Festival
international de musique George Enescu. En clôture du festival le public réuni
à la Salle du Palais de Bucarest, a pu
applaudir l’orchestre royal Concertgebouw d’Amsterdam, tout comme les chœurs
académique et d’enfants de la Radio roumaine. Un mois durant, le Festival
George Enescu a proposé aux mélomanes une quarantaine d’orchestres de 16 pays
et plus de 3 500 musiciens renommés du monde entier. Ce festival, un des plus
importants au monde, sera suivi par le concours des jeunes talents Remember
Enescu qui débute lundi, à Timisoara.

Paris
– Dans la Coupe du monde de rugby qui se déroule en France, l’Ecosse a battu
les Tonga dans le cadre de la poule B. Avec 5 points obtenus en deux matchs,
l’Ecosse est en troisième position, derrière l’Irlande et l’Afrique du sud, les
deux grandes favorites. Les Tonga arrivent quatrième, juste avant la Roumanie
qui est 5e dans sa poule. La Roumanie s’est inclinée devant l’Irlande
et l’Afrique du sud, championne mondiale en titre. Son troisième match, la
Roumanie le jouera contre l’Ecosse, samedi à Lille.

25 September 2023
September 25, 2023

POLL According
to a poll conducted by the Center of Urban and Regional Sociology, (CURS) most
of the Romanians believe that things are rather going wrong in Romania. 69% of
the respondents share this opinion, whereas only 22% of them believe the
country goes in the right direction. 41% of those questioned believe their
situation will be more difficult next year, 38% that it will remain the same whereas
18% says that things will improve. According to the CURS poll, the main issues
the Romanians are presently facing are the inflation, the higher prices and their
low incomes, the dropping standard of living, corruption and theft. The most
trusted institutions remain the firefighters (73%) followed by the army (68%)
and the church (63%). If elections were to take place next Sunday, 50% of the
interviewees would be voting for the parties presently ruling Romania, the PSD
and PNL.

FESTIVAL The concert of the Concertgebouw Royal
Orchestra of Amsterdam on Sunday night ended the 26th edition of the
George Enescu International Music Festival. The Academic Radio Choir and the
Children Radio Choir have also participated in the aforementioned event, which
brought together over 40 orchestras from 16 countries and over 35 hundred of
the world’s most renowned musicians. This festival, one of the world’s most
important, will be followed by Remember Enescu, a contest devoted to the young
musicians. This year’s edition kicks of on Monday in Timisoara, western
Romania.

IMF A team of the International Monetary Fund comes to
Bucharest today for the annual round of talks over the Romanian economy. Until
October 4th, international experts will be holding talks on the
economic policies and the latest developments in the field with representatives
of the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank and various NGOs. The IMF team will
also be meeting representatives of the private sector for talks, which are
taking place periodically in all member states with a view to presenting
recommendations for ensuring stability and a positive development at the level
of the economy.

LAWS The completion of the measure package aimed
at balancing the state budget will be preceded today by a new round of talks in
Bucharest between Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Finance Minister Marcel
Bolos followed by another round of consultation with employers associations and
trade unions on the matter. Also today, the Executive is to endorse a draft law
for which it will assume responsibility in Parliament. The government’s
intention is to effectively combat tax evasion, ensure fiscal equity and curb
red tape. The VAT will remain low for a series of products and goods – 5% for
firewood, thermal energy, natural gas and other things related to household
consumption. The VAT will stay at 9% for food stuff and medicine, whereas
products destined for people with abilities will remain exempted from the VAT.
Holiday vouchers will be given only to state employees with incomes up to 16
hundred euros.

(bill)

25 September 2023
September 1, 2023 UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

1 September 2023
August 20, 2023 UPDATE

Working meeting – The heads of state and government from South-Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans, including the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, will participate tomorrow, in Athens, in a working meeting organized at the initiative of Greece. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, will participate in the discussions. The Romanian government says that the discussions will focus on the development of regional cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, as well as on the challenges raised by the developments of the conflict in Ukraine on the states participating in the dialogue in Athens.

Cooperation – One of Romanias objectives in the coming period is to re-conquer the traditional markets with Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam and Japan – says the Economy Minister, Radu Oprea. In a press conference, Radu Oprea emphasized that the Romanian economy must take advantage of the markets and trade agreements signed by the European Union with Asian countries. The Economy Minister added that in October a joint committee meeting with South Korea will be held, and in November – the one with Vietnam, two countries with very high collaboration potential, both by attracting technology through investments in Romania, and by exporting, in the case Romanian companies.

Inflation – Last month Romania registered one of the highest annual inflation rates in the European Union, 9.4%, show official data of the EU statistics. According to EUROSTAT, Romania ranked fifth, although the index was measured with a single digit. On first place is Hungary, with an inflation rate of 17.5%, followed by Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, all with over 10%. The lowest annual inflation rate was in Belgium, 1.7%. Compared to June, EUROSTAT also shows, the annual inflation rate decreased in 19 member countries of the European Union, including Romania.

Festival – The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, known throughout the world for its New Years concert, is coming to Bucharest, at the “George Enescu” Festival. The Viennese orchestra will perform two concerts at Sala Palatului – the Palace Hall in Bucharest, on September 10 and 11, according to the official program of the event. The festival will start in two weeks time, on August 27, with a recital by the “George Enescu” Philharmonic, with Cristian Măcelaru as conductor. The Royal Orchestra “Concertgebouw” from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the National Orchestra of France and the London Symphony Orchestra will also come to Bucharest.

Ukraine – The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said in an interview given to the Spanish newspaper “El Pais” that he does not believe that giving up military aid to Ukraine will lead to peace. Josep Borrell added that Europe was doing everything possible to achieve peace negotiations that should recognize that “there is an aggressor and a victim.” The European official noted, on the other hand, that were it not for the conflict in Ukraine, it would take years for Kyiv to join the EU and he emphasized that this conflict pushed Ukraine towards the EU, where Russia did not want to see it.

Ukraine – Ukraine will receive 42 F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday. The US, which produces the devices, has agreed to their transfer to the Ukrainian army. The Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said that one of the conditions for the delivery of the aircraft is the successful completion of the military training and the testing of the Ukrainian personnel who will operate them. He also said that training will begin soon and will last at least six months. On Sunday, Zelenski visited the Eindhoven military base in the Netherlands, in the south of the country, to discuss the delivery of F-16 aircraft with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Volleyball – Romania lost to Switzerland, 3-2, on Saturday evening, in Monza (Italy), in a Group B match of the European Womens Volleyball Championship – CEV EuroVolley 2023. The Romanian national team was coming after a 3 -1 victory against Croatia and a defeat by Italy, score 0-3. Romania will play against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday and against Bulgaria on Tuesday. The first four ranked teams in the group qualify for the round of 16 of the European Championship. CEV EuroVolley 2023 takes place between August 15 and September 3 in four countries, Belgium, Italy, Estonia and Germany. Romanias best result at a European Womens Championship was recorded in 1963, when the Romanian volleyball players won bronze on home ground.

Academician – PhD Professor Constantin Bălăceanu-Stolnici, honorary member of the Romanian Academy, has passed away. On July 6, he had turned 100 years old. A neurologist by profession, a pioneer in the field of neuro-cybernetics, Bălăceanu-Stolnici wrote over 25 books and published hundreds of scientific works. After 1989, he supported the development of private education in Romania, he was among the founders of the Ecological University of Bucharest, where he taught courses in neuropsychology and the anatomy of the nervous system. Constantin Bălăceanu-Stolnici was considered the last authentic member of the old aristocracy in Romania, the last descendant of the Bălăceni family. In 2007, the National Council for the Study of the Securitate (Political Police) Archives decided that Bălăceanu-Stolnici was a collaborator of the communist political police, and the academician admitted that he had signed informative notes for the Securitate.

Borders – The number of people who entered Romania through the Isaccea border crossing point, located on the eastern border with Ukraine, doubled, after Russia began the attack on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, on July 24. In the last month, about 41,000 people entered Romania through Isaccea cross-border point, compared to almost 26,000 in the same period last year. The Romanian Coast Guard reported that these figures are mainly caused by the doubling of ferry transport capacity across the Danube. According to it, if in 2022 ferry rides from one country to another took place every three hours, in this period the rides are at an interval of one and a half hours. At the same time, freight transport through Isaccea increased significantly compared to the same period last year. (LS)

20 August 2023
Nachrichten 20.08.2023

– Das Ziel Rumäniens in der kommenden Zeit ist es, die traditionellen Märkte mit asiatischen Ländern wie Singapur, Vietnam und Japan wiederzuerlangen. Im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz erklärte Wirtschaftsminister Radu Oprea, dass die rumänische Wirtschaft durch die Zusammenarbeit mit den internationalen Partnern sowie die zwischen Europa und Asien abgeschlossenen Abkommen profitiert. Im Oktober und November wird es eine gemeinsame Kommission mit Südkorea und im November mit Vietnam geben, in Bereichen mit gro‎ßem Potenzial für die Zusammenarbeit, sowohl durch Investitionen in Rumänien als auch durch den Export für rumänische Unternehmen.

– Laut offiziellen EU-Statistiken verzeichnete Rumänien im vergangenen Monat mit 9,4 % eine der höchsten jährlichen Inflationsraten in der Europäischen Union. Rumänien belegte den fünften Platz in der Eurostat-Statistik. Der Indexwert lag im einstelligen Bereich. Ungarn hat die höchste Inflation mit einer Rate von 17,5 %. Danach folgen die Slowakei, Polen und Tschechien. Alle haben eine Inflationsrate von über 10 %. Die niedrigste jährliche Inflationsrate verzeichnete Belgien mit 1,7 %. Die jährliche Inflationsrate hat sich im Juni in 19 europäischen Ländern verringert, darunter auch in Rumänien.

– Der Chef der EU-Diplomatie, Josep Borrell, sagte in einem Interview mit der spanischen Zeitung El País, er glaube nicht, dass die Einstellung der Militärhilfe für die Ukraine zum Frieden führen würde. Europa müsse sein Möglichstes tun, um Friedensverhandlungen zu erreichen, die anerkennen, dass es einen Aggressor und ein Opfer gibt. Der EU-Beamte bemerkte, dass es Jahre dauern werde, bis Kiew der EU beitreten kann, und wies darauf hin, dass der Konflikt die Ukraine auf die Seite der EU gedrängt hat, wo Russland sie nicht sehen wollte.

– Die Wiener Philharmoniker, die für ihr Neujahrskonzert weltbekannt sind, werden zum George-Enescu-Festival nach Bukarest reisen. Das Wiener Orchester wird am 10. und 11. September zwei Konzerte in Bukarest geben. In zwei Wochen wird das Festival mit einem Konzert der George Enescu-Orchesters unter Leitung von Cristian Măcelaru eröffnen. Das Königliche Concertgebouw-Orchester aus Amsterdam, das französische Nationalorchester und das Symphonische Orchester London kommen ebenfalls nach Bukarest.

– In Rumänien ist es sehr hei‎ß. Besonders im Süden, Osten und Westen des Landes. Die Temperaturen lagen am Sonntag zwischen 29 und 38 Grad Celsius, mit den höchsten Werten in der südlichen Tiefebene und im Südosten. Der Himmel ist wechselhaft, mit vorübergehender Bewölkung, Schauern und Gewittern am Nachmittag und Abend. In Bukarest ist es unangenehm hei‎ß. Die Mittagstemperatur lag bei 36 Grad C. Der Himmel ist überwiegend klar und der Wind weht leicht bis mä‎ßig.

20 August 2023
August 20, 2023

Cooperation – One
of Romania’s objectives in the coming period is to re-conquer the traditional
markets with Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam and Japan – says the Economy
Minister, Radu Oprea. In a press conference, Radu Oprea emphasized that the
Romanian economy must take advantage of the markets and trade agreements signed
by the European Union with Asian countries. The Economy Minister added that in
October a joint committee meeting with South Korea will be held, and in
November – the one with Vietnam, two countries with very high collaboration
potential, both by attracting technology through investments in Romania, and by
exporting, in the case Romanian companies.

Inflation – Last
month Romania registered one of the highest annual inflation rates in the
European Union, 9.4%, show official data of the EU statistics. According to
EUROSTAT, Romania ranked fifth, although the index was measured with a single
digit. On first place is Hungary, with an inflation rate of 17.5%, followed by
Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, all with over 10%. The lowest annual
inflation rate was in Belgium, 1.7%. Compared to June, EUROSTAT also shows, the
annual inflation rate decreased in 19 member countries of the European Union,
including Romania.

Festival – The
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, known throughout the world for its New Year’s
concert, is coming to Bucharest, at the George Enescu Festival. The
Viennese orchestra will perform two concerts at Sala Palatului – the Palace
Hall in Bucharest, on September 10 and 11, according to the official program of
the event. The festival will start in two weeks’ time, on August 27, with a
recital by the George Enescu Philharmonic, with Cristian Măcelaru
as conductor. The Royal Orchestra Concertgebouw from Amsterdam, the
Netherlands, the National Orchestra of France and the London Symphony Orchestra
will also come to Bucharest.

Ukraine – The
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, Josep Borrell, said in an interview given to the Spanish newspaper
El Pais that he does not believe that giving up military aid to
Ukraine will lead to peace. Josep Borrell added that Europe was doing
everything possible to achieve peace negotiations that should recognize that
there is an aggressor and a victim. The European official noted, on
the other hand, that were it not for the conflict in Ukraine, it would take
years for Kyiv to join the EU and he emphasized that this conflict pushed
Ukraine towards the EU, where Russia did not want to see it.

Volleyball
– Romania lost to Switzerland, 3-2, on Saturday evening, in Monza (Italy), in a
Group B match of the European Women’s Volleyball Championship – CEV EuroVolley
2023. The Romanian national team was coming after a 3 -1 victory against
Croatia and a defeat by Italy, score 0-3. Romania will play against
Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday and against Bulgaria on Tuesday. The first four
ranked teams in the group qualify for the round of 16 of the European
Championship. CEV EuroVolley 2023 takes place between August 15 and September 3
in four countries, Belgium, Italy, Estonia and Germany. Romania’s best result
at a European Women’s Championship was recorded in 1963, when the Romanian volleyball
players won bronze on home ground. (LS)

20 August 2023
12.08.2023 (mise à jour)

Céréales – La Roumanie adoptera plusieurs mesures pour doubler la capacité de transport des céréales ukrainiennes. Une de ces mesures vise l’augmentation du nombre de pilotes de navires censés assurer le pilotage des navires sur le Danube, vers la mer Noire. A l’issue d’une réunion déroulée vendredi à Galati, dans l’est, avec les représentants de l’Ukraine, de la République de Moldova, des Etats Unis et de la Commission européenne, le ministre roumain des transports, Sorin Grindeanu, a également évoqué la possibilité que les ukrainiens utilisent aussi d’autres ports danubiens, hormis Braila et Galati. Il a précisé que jusqu’à la fin du mois d’août le nombre des pilotes devrait augmenter à 60. Les Etats Unis ont promis de l’assistance financière aux voisins de l’Ukraine pour qu’ils puissent acheter des navires, telles des bateau pilotes et pour faciliter le transit transfrontalier des céréales d’Ukraine, afin de soutenir toujours les efforts régionaux en ce sens, a fait savoir l’ambassade des Etats Unis. Selon elle, les Etats Unis demeurent engagées dans un partenariat avec le gouvernement et le peuple ukrainien, y compris par l’octroi de l’appui financier et de provisions, par l’élargissement des routes alternatives de transport et par la modernisation des postes-frontières ukrainiens.

Finances – Aucun fonctionnaire du ministère des Finances ne sera licencié, a assuré le ministre de tutelle, Marcel Boloş, à l’issue d’un nouveau round de négociation avec les syndicats. Leurs représentants ont précisé qu’un acte normatif sera élaboré avant le 21 août visant à augmenter les salaires du personnel du système au niveau maximal de payement, en fonction des décisions de la Justice visant leurs revenus. Les négociations entre les syndicats et les ministères se sont déroulées sur le fond des protestations du personnel des finances, qui déplore une possible baisse des revenus dans le système suite aux mesures envisagées par le gouvernement pour réduire les dépenses budgétaires. En effet l’exécutif est en train d’élaborer un plan élargi de réduction des dépenses de l’Etat afin de respecter l’objectif du déficit budgétaire de 4,4% du PIB. Parmi ces mesures figurent la réduction de 20% des fonctions de direction dans les institutions publiques, le nombre des secrétaires d’Etat, de sous-secrétaires d’Etat et des fonctions similaires. S’y ajoutent le plafonnement du niveau maximum des salaires qui peuvent recevoir des tickets de vacances et des allocations pour la nourriture, la fusion d’institutions publiques ou la suppression des postes vacants dans le système budgétaire. Selon les informations qui ont refait surface, certaines mesures visent la majoration de taxes pour les PMEs et la modification de la TVA.

Inflation – En Roumanie, le taux annuel d’inflation a baissé au mois de 10,3% en juin à 9,4% en juillet, alors que le prix des denrées a augmenté de plus de 16%, celui des marchandises non-alimentaires a progressé de 4,25% et les services sont plus chers de près de 12%, selon les chiffres de l’institut national de la statistique. Le sucre, les transports aériens et les pommes de terre ont figuré au top des majorations des prix enregistrées depuis une année. L’huile est l’unique produit alimentaire dont le prix a baissé. Par ailleurs, selon le même Institut national de la statistique, le salaire moyen net a été de quelque 930 euros, au mois de juin de cette année, en hausse de 11 euros par rapport au mois de mai. Pour le premier ministre social-démocrate Marcel Ciolacu, la baisse du taux annuel d’inflation illustre le fait que les mesures du gouvernement ont eu du succès. Il affirme que l’exécutif coopèrera avec la Banque centrale roumaine dans la lutte contre la majoration des prix.

Jeunesse – Les Jeunes constituent l’avenir et l’énergie de leur âge et leur enthousiasme ont besoin de perspectives réelles censées mettre en valeur leur potentiel, affirme le premier ministre roumain, le social-démocrate Marcel Ciolacu, dans un message rendu public aujourd’hui, à l’occasion de la Journée Internationale de la Jeunesse. La Roumanie peut compter sur les nouvelles générations, sur leur esprit novateur et sur leur désir de faire des performances, a-t-il ajouté. Investir en une Roumanie moderne et développée signifie investir dans les jeunes et leur soutien aujourd’hui ne fait qu’assurer une nation plus forte et plus prospère demain, a précisé à son tour le président du Sénat, le libéral Nicolae Ciucă.

Mini-vacances – Coup d’envoi ce samedi d’une période de quatre jours de mini-vacances, puisque mardi jour c’est un jour férié à l’occasion de la fête de la Dormition de la Sainte Marie. Partout en Roumanie des événements sont organisés. A Bucarest c’est le festival de musique Summer Well alors que Braila célèbre les journées de la ville. Les destinations les plus convoitées sont les stations de montagne, notamment sur la Valée de la Prahova, dans le sud et la cote roumaine de la mer Noire, qui devra accueillir en cette période plus de 100 mille touristes. Le ministère roumain de l’Intérieur a mobilisé des effectifs importants – policiers, gendarmes et pompiers – afin d’assurer l’ordre et la sécurité durant cette période de mini-vacances. Plus de 8 000 policiers et 6 000 gendarmes seront déployés quotidiennement durant cette période. Des agents de la police aux frontières supplémentaires ont également été déployés aux postes-frontière, notamment aux frontières avec la Hongrie et avec la Bulgarie.

Gaudeamus – La Foire du livre Gaudeamus Radio Roumanie se poursuit ce samedi à Sibiu dans le centre par toute une série de lancements de livres. L’événement se déroule sur la Grand Place de la ville et l’offre des maisons d’éditions est très riche. Les organisateurs ont prépare aussi une série de surprises pour les lecteurs de tout âge. Vendredi, durant le premier jour de la foire, l’invité spécial a été le poète, l’essayiste et le prosateur Radu Vancu. La foire réunit une quarantaine de participants, dont la majorité des maisons d’éditions de Roumanie, des distributeurs de livre, de jeux, de musique et de matériaux éducationnels.

Marine – Les forces navales roumaines organisent ces jours-ci plusieurs activités consacrées à la Fête de la marine roumaine, qui culmineront le 15 août à l’occasion de la fête chrétienne de la Dormition. Des événements se déroulent dans la Capitale, dans les villes portuaires roumaines à la mer Noire, Constanta et Mangalia ainsi qu’au Danube à Brăila, Tulcea et Galaţi. Les événements culmineront mardi le 15 août à Constanta, lorsque la Marine militaire roumaine déroulera un exercice démonstratif devant le Commandement de la flotte roumaine. Après le salut d’ouverture de l’exercice réalisé par des hélicoptères et des embarcations rapides qui porteront les drapeaux de la Roumanie, de l’OTAN et de l’UE, le navire école « Mircea » devra participer à un défilé naval. Ce voilier est l’ambassadeur honoraire de la Roumanie sur les mers et les océans du monde.

Exercice – Environ 250 militaires français et luxembourgeois et 65 moyens techniques du groupement tactique de l’OTAN en Roumanie participeront, entre le 14 et le 18 août, à l’exercice DEPLOYEX à Babadag (sud-est), a fait savoir vendredi le ministère roumain de la Défense. L’exercice a pour objectif le déploiement rapide des troupes et des équipements du groupement tactique, a indiqué la source citée. De plus, cet exercice contribue à améliorer le niveau d’interopérabilité des forces au sein du groupement tactique de l’OTAN.

12 August 2023
August 11, 2023 UPDATE

Inflation – Romanias annual inflation rate dropped to 9.4% in July from 10.3% in June, while the price of foods went up by over 16%, of non-foods by 4.25% and of services by almost 12%, according to data published on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics. The National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of year up to 7.5% from 7.1% and to 4.4% for the end of 2024, the central bank governor Mugur Isărescu said on Wednesday. The projection is based on the legislation in force and does not take into account the impact of the fiscal consolidation measures recently proposed by the authorities.

Transit — The Romanian Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, announced that measures will be taken in the next period to increase the transit capacity of Ukrainian grains through Romania from 2 to 4 million tons per month. The statement was made following discussions with high officials from the US, the European Union and the Republic of Moldova about alternative transport routes, following Russias withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The meeting took place on Friday in Galati, a port on the Danube, in eastern Romania. The importance of Romanian land, rail, and naval transport routes for maintaining a continuous flow for exports and imports from Ukraine was emphasized. “Despite Russias merciless destruction of Ukrainian port infrastructure and grain warehouses, we remain committed to ensuring the uninterrupted continuity of Ukrainian grain exports to meet global demand,” the US Embassy in Bucharest announced. The US officials again accused the Kremlin of “turning food into a weapon and of endangering global food security.”

Football – Romanias football champions Farul Constanța defeated Flora Tallinn of Estonia 3-nil on Thursday evening at home in the first leg of the third preliminary round of the UEFA Conference League. In the same leg, the vice-champions FCSB drew nil-all against FC Nordsjaelland of Denmark in a match in Bucharest, while the winner of the Romanian Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, drew 1-all at home against FC Aktobe of Kazakhstan. The decisive matches will be held next week.

Exercise — Approximately 250 soldiers from France and Luxembourg and 65 pieces of technical equipment from the NATO Battle Group in Romania will participate, between August 14 and 18, in the DEPLOYEX exercise in the Babadag range (south-east), the Defense Ministry announced on Friday. The movement of troops and technical means will take place on Monday, and the purpose of the DEPLOYEX organization is to practice the rapid deployment of the troops and equipment of the Battle Group, according to the aforementioned source. Also, this exercise contributes to improving the level of interoperability of the forces within the NATO Battle Group. This group contributes to increasing Romanias military cooperation with the participating countries – France, the Netherlands and Belgium (by rotation), as well as with Luxembourg and, implicitly, contributes to consolidating the security of the Euro-Atlantic area on the Eastern Flank.

Deposit-refund – The deposit-refund scheme will become functional in Romania as of the end of November, announced the Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet. This means that, from that date, bottles, PETs and aluminum cans can be returned to stores. In exchange for them, citizens will receive money or vouchers, as happens in the other EU member states. The deposit-refund scheme is to help Romania reach the 55% recycling rate imposed by Brussels by 2025.

Navy – The Romanian Naval Forces are carrying out activities dedicated to the Romanian Navy Day in the run-up to 15th August, the Christian holiday of the Assumption, the Virgin Mary being considered the patron of sailors. Various events are scheduled in the capital city, in the Romanian Black Sea ports of Constanţa and Mangalia and the Danube ports of Brăila, Tulcea and Galaţi. On 15th August, Constanţa will play host to a demonstration exercise entitled The Romanian Naval Forces 2023 on the maritime stage in from the Fleet Command. The opening ceremony involving helicopters and speed boats flying the flags of Romania and NATO, will be followed by a parade by Romanias flagship vessel, Mircea. (LS, CM)

11 August 2023
August 11, 2023

Inflation.
Romania’s annual inflation rate dropped to 9.4% in July from 10.3% in June,
while the price of food products went up by over 16%, that of non-food products
by 4.25% and services by almost 12%, according to data published today by the
National Institute of Statistics. The National Bank of Romania revised its
inflation forecast for the end of year up to 7.5% from 7.1% and to 4.4% for the
end of 2024, the bank’s governor Mugur Isărescu said on Wednesday. The
projection is based on the legislation in force and does not take into account
the impact of the fiscal consolidation measures recently proposed by the
authorities.

Grain
exports. Representatives of the United States, the European Union, Ukraine, the
Republic of Moldova and Romania are today having talks in Galaţi, in
south-eastern Romania, about alternative routes for the transport of Ukrainian
grain, said the US embassy in Bucharest. In a crucial meeting,
which will take place in Galati, Romania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, the European Commission and
the United States will join forces, following Russia’s harsh exit from the
Black Sea Grain Initiative, said the US Embassy, denouncing Russia for turning
food into a weapon and endangering global food security. The
United States stands firmly by Ukraine, promising continued support and
assistance to help Ukraine overcome challenges and promote prosperity in the
region, the US Embassy added.

Navy. The Romanian Naval
Forces are carrying out activities dedicated to the Romanian Navy Day in the run-up
to 15th August, the Christian holiday of the Assumption, the Virgin
Mary being considered the patron of sailors. Various events are scheduled in
the capital city, in the Romanian Black Sea ports of Constanţa and Mangalia and
the Danube ports of Brăila, Tulcea and Galaţi. On 15th August, Constanţa
will play host to a demonstration exercise entitled The Romanian Naval Forces
2023 on the maritime stage in from the Fleet Command. The opening ceremony
involving helicopters and speed boats flying the flags of Romania and NATO, will
be followed by a parade by Romania’s flagship vessel, Mircea.

Football.
Romania’s football champions Farul Constanța defeated Flora Tallinn of Estonia
3-nil on Thursday evening at home in the first leg of the third preliminary
round of the UEFA Conference
League. In the same leg, the vice-champions FCSB drew nil-all against FC
Nordsjaelland of Denmark in a match in Bucharest, while the winner of the
Romanian Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu
Gheorghe, drew 1-all at home against FC Aktobe of Kazakhstan. The
decisive matches will be held next week.

Rugby.
The Romanian national rugby side will be playing Georgia on Saturday in a test
match in Tbilisi. Last week, Romania lost 31-17 to the United States in
Bucharest. In their final test match ahead of the Rugby World Cup hosted by
France, Romania will face Italy on 19th August in an away match. At
the World Cup, Romania are in Group B and will play Ireland in their opening
match on 9th September in Bordeaux, followed by world champions
South Africa on 17th September, again in Bordeaux, then Scotland on
30th September in Lille and Tonga on 8th October in
Lille. (CM)

11 August 2023
August 10, 2023 UPDATE

INDICTMENT The General Prosecutor’s Office in Romania on Thursday made
public the indictment prepared by the military prosecutors, under which 16
gendarme officers and non-commissioned officers had been indicted for their
intervention in the anti-government meeting on August 10th 2018 in
Bucharest. The Document shows the forceful intervention of the gendarmes
against the peaceful protesters was illegal and unjustified. At the same time,
the use by the gendarme troops of rubber sticks, pepper sprays, shields and
other non-lethal weapons like stunt grenades and tear gas could be considered inhuman
and degrading treatment. According to the document, there were clashes between
the gendarmes and protesters in which the former were wounded but the situation
on the ground did not justify a forceful intervention against the larger mass
of peaceful protesters, which included women, children and older people. We
recall that the General Prosecutor’s Office has brought to court high-ranking officers
of the Gendarme troops that time for forgery and abusive conduct.

ENERGY Energy prices in Romania will be
capped this winter as it happened last season, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel
Ciolacu said on Thursday. He called on the field ministries to prepare for the
winter to come and make sure they are able to provide energy to the population
at the capped prices, as they are now. During the government session on
Thursday a law was endorsed providing for subsidizing some payments to energy
suppliers so that the system may continue to be functional. Also on Thursday,
the Executive endorsed another law allowing the citizens who obtained driving
licences in other countries to get their Romanian equivalent following a
driving exam without taking driving lessons as it was under the previous
law.

INFLATION The National Bank of Romania expects a slightly higher
inflation towards the end of this year than it anticipated a few months ago.
According to the new forecast presented, on Wednesday, by the governor of the
Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, towards the end of the year, inflation could
reach 7.5%, up from the initial forecast of 7.1%, to then drop to 4.4% at the
end of next year. According to Mugur Isărescu, economic growth shows
signs of slowing down, as does consumption.

DAY The
Turkish corvette TCG ‘Kinaliada’ will make a stopover in the port of Constanţa,
between August 12-16, to participate in the Romanian Navy Day, alongside
Romanian military and civilian ships, informed the General Staff of the Naval
Forces. On Tuesday, August 15, the Turkish corvette will join Romanian military
ships at sea, participating in demonstration exercise ‘Romanian Naval Forces
23’. It will consist of elements of reconnaissance-diversion, repelling the
attack of enemy aviation, searching for and attacking an enemy submarine,
repelling a maritime landing, combating illegal migration at sea. The Guard of
Honor, set up on the seafront in front of the Fleet Command, will be made up of
military platoons from France, the USA, Turkey, the 30th Guards Brigade ‘Mihai
Viteazul’ and the Romanian Naval Forces. The evening of August 15 will end with
the torchlight retreat of the sailors and a fireworks and drone show, which
will mark the end of the 121st anniversary of the Romanian Navy.

(bill&MI)

10 August 2023
August 10, 2023

Bills.
The Romanian government has several bills on
the agenda of today’s meeting, including the amendment of the Criminal Code
article on incitement to hatred or discrimination. Currently, this article says
that inciting to hatred or discrimination against a category of people is
punishable by imprisonment from six months to three years or a fine. The
proposed amendment provides more details and says that incitement to violence
against a category of people or against a person based on race, nationality,
ethnicity, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, opinion or political
affiliation, wealth, social origin, age, disability, chronic non-contagious
disease or HIV/AIDS infection is punishable by imprisonment from six months to
three years or a fine. The government also has an emergency ordinance on its
agenda that will offer the possibility to citizens who do not have their
domicile in Romania to temporarily register cars and trailers that they later
want to take out of the country in order to permanently register them in
another state and one that will improve the way in which projects financed from
non-reimbursable external funds are implemented.

Protest.
Civic associations in Romania are
organizing, this evening, near the government headquarters, a protest to demand
the urgent trial of the gendarmes guilty of violence against participants in the anti-government rally on August 10, 2018.
On Tuesday, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had sent to trial
the chiefs of the Gendarmerie in office at the time of the rally, for abuse of
office, intellectual fraud and abusive behavior. According to the prosecutors,
the Gendarmerie leadership performed their duties improperly and ordered
subordinates, in violation of the legal provisions, to intervene by force in
order to disperse the entire mass of protesters attending. According to the
investigators, the actions of the defendants restricted the freedom of assembly
and the right to physical and mental integrity of the demonstrators, and caused
physical suffering or injuries, requiring medical care, to a number of more
than 400 people. The forceful intervention of the gendarmes was done in
violation of the principles of necessity, gradualness and proportionality,
principles enshrined in the legal regulations on the matter and reflected in
the ECHR jurisprudence, say the investigators. Thus, the gendarmes would have
acted not only against the people who demonstrated violently, but also against
the peaceful demonstrators, who constituted the vast majority of the
protesters.

Inflation.
The National Bank of Romania expects a slightly
higher inflation towards the end of this year than it anticipated a few months ago.
According to the new forcast presented, on Wednesday, by the governor of the
Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, towards the end of the year, inflation could reach
7.5%, up from the initial forecast of 7.1%, to then drop to 4.4% at the end of
next year. According to Mugur Isărescu,
economic growth shows signs of slowing down, as does consumption.

Navy
Day. The Turkish corvette TCG
‘Kinaliada’ will make a stopover in the port of Constanţa, between August
12-16, to participate in the Romanian Navy Day, alongside Romanian military and
civilian ships, informed the General Staff of the Naval Forces. On Tuesday,
August 15, the Turkish corvette will join Romanian military ships at sea,
participating in demonstration exercise ‘Romanian Naval Forces 23’. It will
consist of elements of reconnaissance-diversion, repelling the attack of enemy
aviation, searching for and attacking an enemy submarine, repelling a maritime
landing, combating illegal migration at sea. The Guard of Honor, set up on the
seafront in front of the Fleet Command, will be made up of military platoons
from France, the USA, Turkey, the 30th Guards Brigade ‘Mihai Viteazul’ and the
Romanian Naval Forces. The evening of August 15 will end with the torchlight
retreat of the sailors and a fireworks and drone show, which will mark the end
of the 121st anniversary of the Romanian Navy.

Football.
Three Romanian football teams will play,
this evening, on home turf, the first leg of the third preliminary round of the
UEFA Conference League. The champion Farul Constanța (southeast) faces Flora
Tallinn from Estonia, the vice-champion FCSB (Bucharest) takes on the Danish
team FC Nordsjaelland, and the winner of the Romanian Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu
Gheorghe (center), will play against the FC Aktobe team from Kazakhstan. The
decisive games will take place a week from now. (MI)

10 August 2023
August 9, 2023 UPDATE

Coalition. The Liberal leader Nicolae Ciucă has ruled
out the possibility of breaking up the governing coalition or triggering early
elections, saying that together with the Social Democrats, solutions will be
found so that the tax reform should not involve new taxes for companies. The
clarifications come after new discussions with Prime Minister and leader of the
Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu about the reforms envisaged by the
government through an emergency order relating to the administration and the
tax area. The Prime Minister says he is ready to resign if the Liberal Party
withdraws its support for this package of measures aimed at maintaining the
budget deficit within the limits agreed upon with the European experts. New
consultations between the coalition partners are announced for these days. The
draft emergency order on the elimination of a number of tax facilities and the
modification of a number of taxes is still under debate. The measures are aimed,
among others, at increasing taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises, changing
the VAT or taxing the salaries of programmers earning more than 2,000 euros.
The goal is to increase revenues to the state budget and comply with the
commitments assumed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
representatives of IT companies have criticised the proposed tax measures,
saying they would seriously affect this field and that some companies are
already considering moving their businesses to nearby countries.

Inflation. The National Bank of Romania has revised
upward its inflation forecast for the end of this year to 7.5% and to 4.4% for
the end of 2024, according to the data presented on Wednesday by the bank’s
governor, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank estimated, in May 2023, an inflation
rate of 7.1% for the end of 2023. Mugur Isărescu pointed out that only some tax
increases are leading to a higher inflation rate, namely direct taxes on
consumption, excise taxes and VAT taxes. The report mentions uncertainties regarding the projected
trajectory in the context of the likely adoption of some tax correction
measures to boost budget revenues, which are likely to have a direct impact on
inflation, such as increases in indirect taxes – the VAT and excises.

Kidnapping. The Romanian citizen
kidnapped eight years ago in Burkina Fasso has been released and has safely
reached Romania. The foreign ministry, which made this announcement, thanked
all its international partners, especially the Moroccan authorities, for their
support in solving this case, which it described as extremely complicated.
Iulian Gherguţ, who was working for a security firm at a mine in Burkina Fasso,
was kidnapped in 2015 by armed Islamist groups who later sold him to other
groups in Mali.

Museums.
The Long Night of Museums in the Village, a new Romanian nationwide cultural
event, will take place, for the first time, this year, on September 2, with
Radio Romania’s regional stations partnering with the event. The number of
institutions participating in this first edition has so far reached 79, from 27
different counties. The registration session is open until August 15, and the
goal of the organisers is to get 100 institutions to sign up. On the occasion
of this first edition of the Long Night of Museums in the Village, the National
Network of Museums in Romania will launch a national support campaign for the
development of educational programmes for children and young people from rural
communities.

9 August 2023
09.08.2023 (mise à jour)

Libération – Un ressortissant roumain enlevé au Burkina Faso il y a près de 8 ans a été libéré et se trouve aujourd’hui en toute sécurité sur le territoire de la Roumanie, a fait savoir ce mercredi le ministère des Affaires Etrangères de Bucarest, qui a salué dans un communiqué tous les partenaires étrangers, notamment le Maroc pour le soutien important. « Je salue la libération du citoyen roumain enlevé au Burkina Faso ! Je félicite toutes les institutions roumaines impliquées pour les efforts permanents et je remercie à tous les partenaires étrangers qui nous ont soutenus dans cette démarche difficile » s’est également exprimé sur le réseau X (ex-twitter) le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis.Ancien agent de sécurité dans une mine de manganèse à Tambao, dans le nord de l’Etat africain de Burkina Faso, Iulian Ghergut a été enlevé le 4 avril 2015, suite à une embuscade contre le véhicule tout-terrain qu’il conduisait dans le cadre d’une patrouille. Il était jusqu’ici le plus ancien otage occidental en captivité au Sahel. Son enlèvement avait été revendiqué par le groupe jihadiste Al-Mourabitoune, qui s’est peu après rallié a Al-Qaida au Maghreb islamique (AQMI). Au moins trois Italiens et un Allemand sont encore détenus au Sahel, ainsi qu’un Sud-Africain enlevé en 2017, selon l’AFP.

Gouvernement – Le président du PNL, Nicolae Ciucă, exclut la possibilité de briser la coalition gouvernementale ou le déclenchement d’élections anticipées. Il affirme qu’avec les sociaux-démocrates, des solutions seront trouvées pour que la réforme fiscale n’implique pas de nouveaux impôts pour les entreprises. Ces éclaircissements interviennent après une nouvelle rencontre avec le Premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu autour des réformes préparées par l’exécutif à travers une ordonnance d’urgence dans le domaine administratif et fiscal. Le Premier ministre, chef de file du PSD, a déclaré que ces discussions se déroulaient avec le mandat sur la table, et il n’hésitera pas à démissionner si le PNL retire son soutien à ce train de mesures visant à maintenir le déficit budgétaire dans les quotas d’accord avec les experts européens. De nouvelles concertations entre partenaires de la coalition sont annoncées dans les jours qui viennent. Le projet d’ordonnance d’urgence concernant la suppression de certains avantages fiscaux et la modification de certains impôts est toujours en discussion. Les mesures visent, entre autres, à augmenter les impôts des petites et moyennes entreprises, à modifier la TVA ou à taxer les salaires des programmeurs qui dépassent un revenu mensuel de 10 000 lei (environ 2 000 euros). L’objectif est d’augmenter les recettes de l’État et de respecter certains engagements pris dans le cadre du PNRR. Les représentants des entreprises informatiques critiquent les mesures fiscales proposées et affirment qu’elles affecteraient sérieusement ce secteur. Ils précisent que certaines entreprises analysent déjà la possibilité de délocaliser leurs activités dans les pays voisins.

Retraite
– Les sénateurs et
députés roumains devraient reprendre le travail cette semaine pour amender, une
nouvelle fois, le projet de loi sur les régimes spéciaux de retraite. Le
Premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu a annoncé la convocation d’une session
extraordinaire du Parlement, après que certains articles de l’acte normatif
aient été déclarés inconstitutionnels. Les parlementaires
doivent trouver des solutions pour que l’un des objectifs du PNRR soit rempli
et que la troisième demande de paiement puisse être soumise à la Commission
européenne. La réforme des retraites spéciales a été adoptée au Parlement fin
juin et prévoit que les magistrats peuvent prendre leur retraite jusqu’en 2028
dans les mêmes conditions qu’actuellement, s’ils justifient de 25 ans de
service. Ils bénéficieraient d’une pension à hauteur de 80% de l’allocation
brute et des majorations du dernier mois d’activité. Selon la Maison nationale
des pensions de retraite, en juillet, on dénombrait 10 310 bénéficiaires, soit
29 personnes de plus que le mois précédent, et la pension de service moyenne la
plus élevée était d’environ 21 500 lei (environ 4 350 euros).

Inflation – La Banque centrale de Roumanie a révisé à la hausse, à 7,5% ses prévisions sur le taux d’inflation pour la fin de cette année et à 4,4% pour la fin 2024, selon les chiffres présentés mercredi par le gouverneur de la Banque centrale, Mugur Isărescu. L’institution estimait en mai 2023 que le taux d’inflation allait se chiffrer à 7,1% pour la fin 2023. Mugur Isarescu a précisé que la majoration des taxes et impôts, tels les impôts directs sur la consommation, les accises et la TVA ne font qu’augmenter l’inflation. Les experts de la Banque centrale évoquent d’amples incertitudes au sujet de la trajectoire projetée dans le contexte de l’adoption probable de mesures de correction fiscale visant les recettes budgétaires, avec un impact direct sur l’inflation, telles la majoration des impôts directs, de la TVA et des accises.

Météo – Le thermomètre de nouveau eu hausse en Roumanie même si les températures restent encore en dessous des normales saisonnières sur une large partie du territoire. Les maxima frôleront les 30 degrés jeudi à Bucarest.

9 August 2023