Radio România Internațional

Tag: international

  • Preparations for the 2025 George Enescu Festival

    Preparations for the 2025 George Enescu Festival

    The International Classical Music Festival George Enescu is this year expected to be a genuine reference point for the classical music. The 2025 edition to be held between August 24 and September 21 will be a special one as it is going to commemorate 70 years since the great composer’s passing into eternity.

    “Every edition and the creation of the festival per se has been meant to render Enescu’s work more visual and globally emphasize his music and genius and we are carrying on in this direction. We are going to have more of Enescu’s compositions this year. A series of novel things are going to be presented during the festival regarding Enescu’s compositions, of course”, conductor Cristian Macelaru, the Festival’s artistic director says.

    According to him the festival’s 17th edition focuses on cultural events and concerts, to be staged in great numbers all over the country. This edition will also focus on anniversaries and commemorations: 50 years since the death of Dmitri Shostacovich, 150 years since the birth of Maurice Ravel, 100 years since the birth of Romanian conductor Marin Constantin, founder of the Madrigal choir, 100 years of activity for the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, 45 years since the foundation of the Bremen Philharmonics and 70 years since the foundation of the Transylvania Philharmonics Orchestra in Cluj Napoca, western Romania.

    The George Enescu Festival is an international landmark in artistic excellence, says the Culture Minister Natalia Intotero. She believes the festival is much more than a mere artistic event, being also a symbol of Romanian cultural value, an opportunity of celebrating the legacy of a classical music genius.

    The Culture Minister has voiced satisfaction for the educational activities devoted to students and young artists this edition includes such as internships programmes, sessions of training and masterclass.

    The mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, says it is with great joy that Bucharest hosts the aforementioned event. “It is one of our concerns to stimulate cultural, academic, sporting events so that Bucharest may become a brand for this type of activities. Romania’s cultural landscape needs the Enescu Festival as it imposes a certain standard and makes the other cultural operators comply with this standard,” the mayor went on to say.

    The 17th edition of the Enescu festival seems to be one of the most challenging from the organizational point of view: 80 symphonic and chamber concerts, choirs, music groups, ranging from two to ten musicians from 28 countries, are going to come to Romania and to Bucharest; out of these 18 are local, 9 from Germany, 6 from various European projects, others will come from France, Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia. 50 concerts and recitals are expected to take place during the festival in Romania alone.

    (bill)

  • The 2024 George Enescu International Competition

    The 2024 George Enescu International Competition

     

     

    The last day of meteorological summer brings the opening of the George Enescu International Competition, hosted by the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.

     

    Currently in its 19th year, the event is one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. For about a month, until September 27, some of the world’s best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest.

     

    The event will comprise several competitions for emerging artists, concerts and master classes given by celebrated classical musicians. On Saturday, August 31, the first day of the event, the agenda includes the opening concert and the award gala for the composition section.

     

    As of Sunday, September 1, successive competition rounds are scheduled, with some of the most promising young music talents taking part. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano.

     

    The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra.

     

    The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. The public broadcaster thus carries on a 66-year long tradition of cooperation with the George Enescu festival and competition. Moreover, the opening and closing concerts can also be heard live on Radio Romania Culture.

     

    At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competition’s opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. Also part of the EBU Summer Season is the recital given by Liviu Prunaru and Valentin Şerban on September 13 at the Romanian Athenaeum.

     

    Also, during the 2024 George Enescu International Competition Casa Radio Publishers will release an album by the violinist Valentin Şerban and the pianist Daria Tudor, as part of the “Heirs of Musical Romania” collection produced by Radio Romania Music.

     

    The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)

  • The International Week of New Music

    The International Week of New Music

     

    Dan Dediu, artistic director of SIMN: “We have a duty to bring the young generations to the forefront, to motivate them to keep writing music.”

     

  • Awards for outstanding performances in education

    Awards for outstanding performances in education

    Proficiency in the
    education system is vital for the development of Romania, the PM Marcel Ciolacu
    said at the annual award gala for international Olympiad winners. In his
    opinion, a truly educated Romania cannot be achieved instantly, particularly
    since every education minister in the past 30 years tried to introduce their
    own outlook and sought to restructure the system fundamentally.


    The PM said that many of
    the changes made in the past were not preceded by thorough assessments, which
    contributed to declines in the quality of education. He told the participants
    in the event that next year, public education will have a 61% higher budget
    than at present.


    On the other hand, the PM
    also believes the performance of the teaching staff must be encouraged:


    Marcel Ciolacu: Apart from school
    buildings and equipment, more attention needs to be paid to evaluating and
    incentivising the teaching staff. Reality shows that we need performance
    criteria in the education system. an involved, responsible teacher must be paid
    more for their work. I have already spoken to Minister Ligia Deca about having
    talks with the professionals in the ministry and identifying solutions in this
    respect.


    I hope the unprecedented
    50% average pay raise in the public education sector within a year will attract
    growing numbers of young professionals towards a teaching career, the education
    minister Ligia
    Deca said in her turn.


    At the annual gala, as
    many as 138 students were awarded, who won 164 prizes, medals and honourable
    mentions at international and regional competitions in various academic
    subjects. Also awarded were their teachers and their schools. Romanian students won the
    maximum achievable score in 6 such competitions, as well as 51 gold medals, 55 silver medals, 30 bronze
    medals, and 22 honourable mentions in international academic events.


    The total award funds earmarked this year
    by the education ministry was around EUR 785,000. The awards amounted
    to EUR 4,000 for a maximum achievable score, EUR 3,000 for a gold medal, some EUR
    2,500 for a silver medal and around EUR 2,000 for a bronze medal. Honourable
    mentions were also awarded around EUR 700.


    A
    teacher received an incentive amounting to the highest award paid to any of
    their students, while the school attended by the student in question received an amount equal to the
    one granted to each winning student. In this case, the money must be spent primarily
    on school equipment relevant for the subjects in which the prizes have been
    received. (AMP)

  • FITS 2023

    FITS 2023

    The city of Sibiu in central Romania is once again the capital city of European theatre, to use an already conventional phrase.



    The Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS) hosted by the city every year is widely acknowledged as the largest performing arts event in Romania, designed as a multifunctional body and a creative platform for presenting new drama expression techniques.



    Every year, the programme is exceptionally rich: the most representative productions by major Romanian companies, critically praised international plays, daily street performances in the citys squares and in the fortified churches and medieval citadels around Sibiu.



    According to critics, FITS was the event that secured Sibiu the title of European Capital of Culture in 2007, the year when Romania was admitted into the EU. Thanks to the festivals performance exchange section, the citys “Radu Stanca” Theatre took part in some of the most important drama festivals in the world, including Edinburgh, Avignon, Naples, Brussels, Seoul, Tokyo, Porto and Frankfurt.



    Talking about the founder and president of the festival, the actor Constantin Chiriac, the culture minister Raluca Turcan said he was “a true ambassador of Romanian culture; the Sibiu International Theatre Festival is at present one of the most relevant theatre festivals in the world, and Sibiu, thanks to the festival, is one of the most attractive European cities that manage to grow through culture.” Constantin Chiriac is in fact the first Romanian to receive an excellence award from the Culture Ministry, at the initiative of the former minister Lucian Romaşcanu.



    This edition of FITS, which started on Friday, is the 30th in Romanias 33-year post-communist history. Until 2 July, over 800 events will take place in around 80 venues, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries. This year, the theme chosen for the festival is “Miracle”.



    According to the media, one of the most spectacular performances was called “The Miracle of the Street,” with hundreds of viewers of all ages in attendance. In spite of the 31 degrees Celsius reported on Friday after noon in Sibiu, the Italian artists managed to transport the public into an entirely different place.



    One of the most touching moments in Sundays programme, the media also report, was the one devoted to the actor Mihai Mălaimare, the author and coordinator of a project called “Heritage”, devoted to the art of living statues. Taking part in the project are students with arts universities in Chişinău, Moldova, Constanţa, Craiova, Iaşi, Sibiu, Târgu Mureş and Timişoara. (AMP)


  • On gender equality

    On gender equality

    The rise in intimidation,
    harassment and hate speech against women and girls, including online, requires
    immediate and firm action, reads a joint statement signed by over 20 embassies
    and the representative office of the European Commission in Romania on March 8, the International
    Women’s Day.




    We celebrate the
    achievements regarding substantive gender equality and the progress
    accomplished so far in securing the rights of women and girls all over the
    globe. At the same time, we must acknowledge that much remains to be done until
    women and girls can fully exercise their human rights, the statement reads.
    According to the document, Ensuring
    women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation in all spheres of
    public and private life, including their political representation and
    leadership in decision-making processes, is essential to achieving gender
    equality.




    The signatories also
    emphasise that women and girls have the right to live free from violence and discrimination.
    However, violence against women and girls is the most common human rights
    violation as almost 1 in 3 women has experienced, at least once in her life, physical
    and/or sexual violence – a fact unchanged for over a decade. (…) Access to
    comprehensive support services and to justice for victims and survivors of
    sexual and gender-based violence has to be ensured, they argue.




    The fact that women are
    not adequately represented in national parliaments and governments, including in
    Romania, is not good for democracy, the European Commissioner for Equality Helena
    Dalli said in her turn. Early this week, she was on an official visit to
    Bucharest, to attend a conference on empowering women in Romania. As the EU
    official put it, all women must have financial and economic independence; we must
    recognise and appreciate the work and contribution of women, and we must give
    them the tools to achieve balance between their personal and professional
    lives, she added.




    Helena Dalli also pointed
    out that in Romania 46% of women, as against only 25% of men, are the primary
    care givers to children, elders or disabled members of their families. A fair
    sharing of responsibilities would help men and women to have equal
    opportunities to work without sacrificing their family life, the EU
    Commissioner explained, while also saying that women currently earn an average
    30% less per hour than men.




    She also discussed the high teenage
    pregnancy rate in Romania, which propagates
    poverty, and the discrimination against Roma people, both in terms of gender
    and ethnicity. The EU official described the situation in which Roma live in
    many communities in the European Union as ‘scandalous’ and ‘unacceptable’.




    And she also mentioned
    that the violation of the rights of people in the LGBTIQ community is contrary
    to the spirit of the European Union and warned that EU funding
    should not reach the local authorities in areas where these people are
    excluded. (AMP)

  • March 8, 2023

    March 8, 2023

    VISIT President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday had meetings with the local
    authorities of Kyoto. In this context, he said Romania and Japan are closer
    than ever, and voiced his hope that Kyoto and a city in Romania will soon become
    twin towns. It is important that we rely on each other to safeguard the
    fundamental values that define us-the will for peace and security, freedom,
    democracy and human rights, and a rule-based international order, the Romanian
    president said. In turn, the Japanese officials praised Romania as an important
    partner for Japan, sharing fundamental values like freedom, democracy and the
    rule of law. The talks were the last stage in the Romanian president’s visit to
    Japan. The main goal of the Asian tour was to elevate the bilateral relation to
    a strategic partnership level. A document in this respect, the outcome of 5
    years of negotiations and consultations, was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, during
    a meeting with the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida. The head of the Romanian state
    was also received by Emperor Naruhito. On Thursday and Friday Klaus Iohannis will
    be on a state visit to Singapore, where he is scheduled to have talks with
    president Halimah Yacob and PM Lee Hsien Loong.


    GOVERNMENT The
    reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be completed, the finance
    minister Adrian Câciu promised the Senate. Speaking at the Government Hour today,
    he also said economic performance is good and the budget deficit will be narrowed.
    According to minister Câciu, Romania has a structural deficiency and permanent
    expenses that require higher financing. As for interest rates, they are becoming
    more stable as the inflation rate is also coming under control. The minister’s
    presence in Parliament was requested by Save Romania Union in opposition, which
    asked minister Câciu to explain why Romania’s budget deficit has reached
    record-high levels, and financing costs are among the highest in the EU. The
    USR Senator Anca Dragu warned that Romania has borrowed huge amounts, at very
    high interest rates, which Romanians will have to repay for the next 30 years.
    The AUR Senator Claudiu Târziu said in his turn that in his opinion the finance
    ministry’s forecasts are empty words, and citizens are still overburdened with
    taxes.


    WOMEN Women in public life, including journalists,
    human rights activists and women in politics, are particularly targeted by
    intimidation, hate speech and sexual harassment, reads a joint statement signed
    by over 20 embassies in Bucharest and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania. In their message on International Women’s Day on March
    8, the signatories say these practices require firm and immediate response, and
    the perpetrators must be held accountable. The text also reiterates commitment
    to ensuring gender equality and to fully respecting and safeguarding the rights
    of women as human rights. We call on all states to do the same: gender equality
    and equity benefit not only girls and women, but society as a whole, men and
    boys included, the embassies and the representative office of the European
    Commission in Romania point out. The signatories include the embassies of Austria,
    Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Korea and the
    US.


    FAIR A Spring Fair has been opened in Bucharest today,
    as part of a larger campaign to promote Romanian produce and to improve
    Romanians’ access to locally-sourced, high-quality foodstuff. Taking part in
    the Fair are over 30 local producers from north-western and central Romania,
    selling meat and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, preserves and drinks. Traditional
    music and dance performances will also be organised during the 5-day long event.


    DANUBE Ukraine will cease all dredging on the Danube’s
    Chilia branch and Bystroe Canal, the Romanian transport ministry announced
    after the trilateral meeting in Ismail, Ukraine, attended by representatives of
    Romania, Ukraine and the European Commission. Also, on March 15, measurements
    will begin on Chilia and Bystroe. The EU officials agreed with Romania’s
    requests and emphasised that the top priority is to improve the capacity of the
    other Danube branch, Sulina, given that over half of the cargo transport from
    Ukraine via so-called solidarity corridors takes place on the Danube. Ukraine
    has recently conducted dredging described as legal, maintenance operations, but
    Romania argues that dredging went significantly over the allowed depth of 3.5m,
    which would have a major impact on the Danube Delta ecosystem, currently a UNESCO
    world heritage site.


    TALKS The Romanian Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken Monday
    discussed over the phone about priority topics for the bilateral Strategic
    Partnership, in the context of the war in Ukraine. The 2 officials
    appreciated the frequency of Romanian-American meetings over the past year as a
    indication of the level and depth of the strategic partnership between the 2
    countries. The agenda of the talks also included the strengthening of NATO’s
    eastern flank, the new US strategy for the Black Sea and the situation in the Republic
    of Moldova. Bogdan Aurescu also reiterated the importance of including Romania
    in the Visa Waiver programme. (AMP)

  • December 16, 2022

    December 16, 2022

    SCHENGEN
    The losses incurred by Romania for the rejection of its Schengen accession bid
    are over EUR 25 bln, says the Romanian interior minister Lucian Bode. For 11 years
    we have been securing Schengen’s border, investing in human resources,
    capabilities and modern technologies. The losses incurred by Romania during all
    this time, since it has fulfilled the criteria but has not benefited from the
    related rights, are immeasurable, Mr. Bode said at a meeting of EU gendarme
    chiefs. The topic of Romania’s Schengen accession and of the negative vote
    given by Austria in the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting last week was
    also raised by president Klaus Iohannis at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
    Senior European officials conveyed a message of support for Romania’s and
    Bulgaria’s Schengen accession. The EC president Ursula von der Leyen and the
    Council president Charles Michel said further discussions would be held on this
    topic and progress was expected in the following months.


    FUNDING The
    Romanian ministry for EU funding and investments has submitted to the EC the
    second payment request, amounting to EUR 3.228 bln, under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The 3rd payment request, amounting to EUR 3.1 bln, is to be submitted
    to the Commission next spring. Romania benefits from over EUR 29 bln for the
    implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, including grants
    of up to EUR 14.24 bln and loans of nearly EUR 15 bln. The country has already
    cashed in 2 pre-financing instalments totaling EUR 3.79 bln.


    EU The president of
    the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will attend in Bucharest on
    Saturday the signing of an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan,
    Georgia, Romania and Hungary concerning the Strategic Partnership in the
    development and transport of green energy. The agreement will be signed by the
    president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the PM of Georgia
    Irakli Garibashvili, the PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă, and the PM of Hungary
    Viktor Orban. According to the Romanian Presidency, the document is based on
    the interests of the 4 states concerning a strengthened national and regional
    energy security. The agreement will provide a financial and technical framework
    for the construction of an underwater renewable energy transport cable between
    Romania and Azerbaijan, via Georgia and the Black Sea, and further on for the
    transport of this energy to Hungary and the rest of Europe.

    INFLATION The EU
    annual inflation rate dropped from 11.5% in October to 11.1% in November, but in
    8 member countries the rate rose from one month to the other, including in
    Romania, where it went from 13.5% to 14.6%, Eurostat announced on Friday. In November,
    the EU member states with the highest inflation rates were Hungary, Latvia, Estonia
    and Lithuania. At the opposite pole, the lowest inflation rates were reported
    in Spain, France and Malta.


    PROTEST Hundreds
    of employees in the Romanian public education system are today picketing
    prefect offices in several counties, primarily demanding the full
    implementation of a law concerning their incomes. Education unions say the net
    salaries for this category are up to EUR 440 and warn that 2023 will bring a
    new series of union actions unless the government solves the problems in this
    sector. The trade unions also criticise the government’s failure to pay for
    overtime and travel expenses and to adjust revenues to the inflation rate.


    TIMISOARA Romania
    commemorates today 33 years since the start of the anti-communist uprising in Timişoara,
    western Romania. The anniversary is marked by a traditional solemn meeting of
    the Local Council. The participants, including members of revolutionary
    associations, discuss the events of December ’89 and observe a moment of
    silence to honour those who died during those days. Exhibitions, film
    screenings, round tables, a concert entitled Folk for the Revolution as well
    marches are also organised on this occasion. 33 years ago, in Timişoara, a
    solidarity rally for the Reformed pastor Laszlo Tokes grew into an uprising
    that spread across the country and led to the fall of the communist regime.


    RESCUERS Romanian
    mountain rescuers were awarded in Paris at the International Rescuers Congress,
    attended by relevant institutions, associations and research institutes from
    over 60 countries in the world. Salvamont Romania was acknowledged as one of
    the best drone-assisted search and rescue services, and the distinction was
    received for the Data Analysis Centre in Târgu Jiu. The centre uses special software
    and drones for victim identification. (AMP)

  • June 25, 2022

    June 25, 2022

    SUMMIT Romanian president
    Klaus Iohannis has attended the European Council in Brussels during which the
    Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have been granted the status of EU-candidate
    countries. The European leaders have also tackled the ways in which the EU
    members can avoid a major energy crisis in winter. High on the summit agenda
    was the situation in Ukraine, the bloc’s relation with the Western Balkans as well
    as a series of economic issues. Iohannis has reiterated Romania’s consistent
    support for Kiev and presented the efforts to facilitate the exports of
    Ukrainian cereals adding that Romania’s ports and transport corridors are
    functioning at full capacity. During the Euro summit in Brussels, president
    Iohannis has reiterated his conviction for the European future of the countries
    in the Western Balkans and the support for the opening as soon as possible of
    the talks with North Macedonia and Albania and the identification of solutions
    for the process of bringing Bosnia-Herzegovina closer to the union.






    ATTACK The alleged
    assailant on Friday night in Oslo is a Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin who
    is known to the intelligence services, a police official said on Saturday. He
    didn’t reveal the identity of the suspect, but mentioned the assailant’s previous
    brushes with the law for carrying weapons and drug possession. The attack in
    downtown Oslo left two dead and 21 wounded, out of whom 10 severely. According
    to police sources, the suspect was being held on suspicion of murder, attempted
    murder and terrorism, based on the number of people targeted at multiple
    locations.








    NATO At the NATO summit in
    Madrid next week, the Black Sea region will be acknowledged as having a
    strategic importance in the collective defence and battle groups in Romania and
    other eastern countries could be given the status of brigades. The alliance’s
    deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoana said the summit would bring good news
    for Romania, but also for Ukraine for the transatlantic relation and the
    alliance per se. ‘From the military and security viewpoints’, Geoana says ‘and
    because Russia is an unpredictable and aggressive player, Romania will have the
    same quality in terms of national security as Germany and Belgium. There will
    be no difference in what NATO has on the eastern flank and in Western Europe.
    Next week we are going to attend the NATO summit in Madrid and we are expecting
    historic news for Romania’. The talks in Madrid will also be focusing on the
    requests from Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, although no decision is
    expected in this respect because of Turkey’s opposition.










    FESTIVAL Until July 3rd, the city of Sibiu in central Romania is
    seeing the International Theatre Festival currently at its 29th
    edition. The festival, which is unfolding under a theme simply entitled
    Beauty, includes productions of theatre, dance, circus, film, musical and
    opera. Street performances, concerts, book launches and exhibitions have also
    been included in the festival’s agenda. For ten days artists of the world stage
    are offering the public the possibility of enjoying live performances that have
    been acknowledged at international level being also recipients of prestigious
    awards.








    (bill)

  • June 13, 2022

    June 13, 2022

    COMMEMORATION This
    Monday, when Romania commemorates 32 years since the miners’ raid on Bucharest,
    over June 13th and 15th, the country’s Prime Minister
    Nicolae Ciuca has conveyed a message saying that the civil society’s marathon-demonstration
    against neo-communism was stifled by instigating Romanians against Romanians.
    The Romanian society must never become victim to diversions and false
    propaganda, the head of the Romanian government says. 32 years ago this day,
    responding to a call from the then authorities, miners from the Jiu Valley in
    central-western Romania brutally intervened against the peaceful anti-government
    protesters in downtown Bucharest. Four people were shot dead and over 1,000
    wounded along with a series of abusive arrests. The file on the miners’ raid,
    under which the country’s then President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister
    Petre Roman and Virgil Magureanu, the former head of the country’s intelligence
    service, had been sent to court must be resumed from scratch after the
    indictment was considered null and void.






    TENNIS Romanian
    Simona Halep, second-seeded in the WTA 250
    Birmingham tournament is today playing Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the
    competition’s first round. Also today,
    Gabriela Ruse of Romania is up against Qiang Wang of China, while the third
    Romanian in the competition, Sorana Cirstea will be playing Shelby Rogers of
    the USA on Tuesday.








    WAR Amnesty
    International has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, claiming that
    hundreds of civilians have been killed in merciless frag bomb attacks against the
    city of Kharkiv, AFP reports. After thorough investigations, this human rights
    NGO claims it found evidence that the Russian forces had used widely-banned
    cluster munitions

    People have been killed in their homes and in the streets, in playgrounds and
    in cemeteries, while queueing for humanitarian aid, or shopping for food and
    medicine, says an Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Advisor.
    While Russia is not a party to either the Convention on Cluster Munitions or
    the Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines, international humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate
    attacks, and the use of weapons that are indiscriminate by nature.






    REFUGEES Roughly
    7,000 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania through its border checkpoints on
    Sunday, June 12th, 26% less than in the previous day, the Border Police General
    Inspectorate has announced. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, roughly
    1.2 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.






    WEATHER The weather is hot in Romania
    and a code yellow alert for unstable weather has been issued for the country’s
    south-western, local and central regions. Heavy downpours, thunderstorms and gale-force
    winds are expected in the aforementioned regions, while the highs of the day
    range between 26 and 32 degrees centigrade. Hot weather in Bucharest as well
    with a noon reading of 31 degrees.




    (bill)

  • Ukraine – dernières évolutions

    Ukraine – dernières évolutions

    L’organisation pour les droits de l’homme Human Rights Watch annonce avoir documenté de nombreux cas où les forces militaires russes ont commis des violations des lois de la guerre contre les civils dans les zones occupées des régions de Tchernihiv, de Kharkiv et de Kiev, en Ukraine. Du 27 février au 14 mars, les militaires russes sont accusés d’un viol à répétition, de deux exécutions sommaires, de violences et de menaces à l’adresse des civils. Les soldats se sont également livrés au pillage de différentes propriétés privées, où ils ont volé des aliments, des vêtements et du bois de chauffage. Après le retrait des troupes russes, une fosse commune a été trouvée dans la ville de Boutcha, dans le nord de l’Ukraine. Près de 300 personnes y auraient été enterrées. Des dizaines de cadavres jonchaient les rues, et certains avaient les mains liées. « La Russie a l’obligation légale internationale d’enquêter de manière impartiale les crimes de guerre potentiels commis par ses soldats », a dit Hugh Williamson, directeur pour l’Europe et l’Asie centrale de Human Rights Watch. Il souligne que toutes les parties du conflit armé d’Ukraine sont tenues de respecter le droit international humanitaire et les lois de la guerre.

  • “Romania in 60 minutes” on Spotify




    Dear friends, Radio Romania International in
    English can now be heard on Spotify as well, at https://open.spotify.com/show/75h90ZE1ffkuZnvbBbsZX6.




    Romania in 60 minutes brings you the
    main broadcast of the day.


    Thanks for being with us!

  • July 23, 2021 UPDATE

    July 23, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid-19 In Romania, 104 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were reported on Friday, out of over 26,000 tests performed. Authorities have also announced 2 Covid-19 related deaths and 38 people admitted to intensive care. The number of cases started to increase on July 12 and, according to an analysis by the National Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases, last week almost half of the cases were reported in Bucharest, Cluj (center-west), Iasi (northeast), Ilfov and Constanta (southeast). According to data from the European Covid-19 Forecast Hub, it is estimated that by the end of the month, in Romania, up to 200 new cases will be registered per day. Experts say vaccination is the way out of this pandemic. Regarding immunisation, the authorities announced that almost 16,000 people have been vaccinated in the last 24 hours. Currently, over 4.7 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated.



    Report Accessing EU funds must be a priority for authorities, in order to support investments and to modernize the economy, the National Bank of Romania recommends in a report on financial stability. The NBR mentions that Romania can access funds of over 52 billion euros from the multiannual budget of the Union, adding to which will be another 32 billion euro, after the National Recovery and Resilience Plan is approved. The report also shows that in order to maintain easy access to and low costs of borrowing from foreign financial markets, Romania must engage in fiscal reforms that improve the sustainability of public finances and ensure better predictability of the legal framework. The document also shows that the net wealth of the population reached an all-time high after increasing this year by 6% compared to 2019. Real estate assets still account for most of the wealth of Romanians (75%), while financial assets account for approximately 24% of the total.



    Visit Not only will Romania continue to support the Republic of Moldova, but it will accelerate the provision of support in all fields, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said at a joint press conference with Moldovas President Maia Sandu. He talked about the implementation of several long-term projects especially in the fields of energy and infrastructure. In turn, Maia Sandu said she appreciated a lot the Romanian authorities’ availability and support. Bogdan Aurescu’s visit takes place just days before the first meeting of the new Parliament and the formation of a new government in Chisinau. He is the first official from an EU member state to visit Moldova after the parliamentary elections of July 11th, won by pro-Europeans. Also in Chisinau, Mr. Aurescu attended the ceremony granting new humanitarian aid to the Republic of Moldova, consisting in 100,000 doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine.



    Pandemic The European Medicines Agency (EMA) Friday approved the use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for the 12-17 age bracket. Moderna becomes the second vaccine authorised for EU teenagers, after Pfizer/BioNtech. Two hundred million Europeans have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which is more than half of the adult population, the European Commission announced on Thursday. The Commission had set the goal of 70% of adults to be vaccinated by the end of this summer. At a meeting of health ministers and officials in Athens, the WHO warned that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a long-term impact on people’s mental health. In another development, following the increase in the number of infections in Europe, countries are taking additional measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Greece announced on Thursday that all unvaccinated workers in tourism and hospitality would have to undergo regular coronavirus tests. In turn, Italy has announced that it will introduce a compulsory health permit as of 6 August for access to enclosed spaces such as clubs and restaurants. Worldwide, over 193 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus so far. According to worldometers.info, nearly 176 million have recovered and more than 4.1 million have lost their lives to this disease.



    Olympics The Summer Olympics, the world’s largest sports competition, kicked off in Tokyo on Friday. Japans tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, no 2 in the world, was the one to light the Olympic flame. Due to COVID-related restrictions, the opening ceremony was simple and restrained, with no public on the National Olympic Stadium, except for 950 people, including Emperor Naruhito of Japan, the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, the president of France Emmanuel Macron, and First lady Jill Biden. The public will not have access to any of the Olympic events, as Tokyo is in a state of emergency. Nearly 2,000 new infections were reported on Thursday, the biggest figure in six months. Despite the restrictions, the number of cases has also increased in the Olympic Village by the day. Romania is represented by 101 athletes at this 32nd edition of the games, who will compete in 17 events. Canoeist Simona Radiş and swimmer Robert Glinţ were the bearers of the national flag. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • The pandemic and human rights

    The pandemic and human rights

    The world was shattered by the COVID-19 last year, and the pandemic and the containment measures taken by authorities around the world had an impact on everyone, sometimes deepening existing abuse and inequalities.



    This is the conclusion reached by Amnesty International in its latest report on human rights around the world. As regards Romania, the measures taken by the government to contain the spread of the disease raised human rights concerns including in relation to policing, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to education, the report reads.



    In March 2020, Amnesty says, the government declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It derogated temporarily from a number of rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to education and to freedoms of movement, expression and association.



    In terms of discrimination, a legislative proposal which would expand existing anti-discrimination legislation remained before the Senate at years end, Amnesty International found.



    A European Commission report in February quoted by Amnesty International found that Roma continued to face discrimination and segregation including in education, employment, access to housing and forced evictions. During the state of emergency, NGOs and the media reported several cases of unlawful use of force and allegations of ill-treatment of Roma by the police. Human rights groups and NGOs raised concerns about Roma being scapegoated during the pandemic and denounced “the rise of hate speech and racism targeting Roma in mass media and social media, especially by opinion leaders and public figures.



    As for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, in June, Parliament passed a law which, among other things, prohibited teaching and training about gender identity. The law, adopted without public debate, prohibited “activities aimed at propagating the gender identity theory or opinion, understood as the theory or opinion that gender is a different concept from that of biological sex and that the two are not always identical, Amnesty International says.



    The organisation also quotes a study by the NGO Caritas Romania, which highlighted the challenges faced by children from vulnerable groups while accessing remote learning during the March-June lockdown, with Roma among the worst affected. According to the study, an average of only 15% of children from marginalized groups participated habitually in online activities during the lockdown, the main obstacles including a lack of technical equipment, overcrowded homes with a lack of adequate study spaces, and the absence of support from parents to complete online tasks. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 30, 2021

    March 30, 2021

    VACCINE Over 6,200 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Tuesday in Romania, out of 30,000 tests. A record 1,405 patients are in intensive care, and 175 people died. The total number of infections since the start of the pandemic in Romania is over 946,000, and the death toll is 23,400. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout continues in Romania, with some 2 million people having received at least one dose so far and nearly half of them having also got the booster. The vaccination rate is expected to reach 100,000 people per day in April, PM Florin Cîţu said. New measures are in place to contain the epidemic. In areas with infection rates above 4 per thousand, a weekend curfew is in place between 8 pm and 5 am, and shops must close at 6 pm. Where the infection rate is over 7.5 per thousand, these measures are applied throughout the week.



    PROTESTS The capital Bucharest and other cities in Romania saw large-scale protests against the Governments COVID-19 containment measures for the second consecutive day on Monday. The participants chanted anti-government protests, burnt face masks and protested what they called a “medical dictatorship. PM Florin Cîţu said that after a year of restrictions, citizens have the right to protest, but they must do so in compliance with the law. Some rallies spiraled into clashes towards midnight, with 12 gendarmes injured slightly in Bucharest. A total of 188 people were escorted to police stations. The Bucharest Prefect Alin Stoica emphasized the restrictions will not be dropped because of the protests.



    PANDEMIC Leaders of more than 20 countries, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the WHO director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, call for a new international treaty for the handling of future pandemics. In an opinion article run around the world, Covid-19 is described as the biggest challenge facing the global community since WW2. The authors commit to providing universal and fair access to vaccines, diagnostic and treatment, until the whole world is safe. However, leaders of major G20 members, including the US, Russia, China, Japan, India and Brazil, have not joined the initiative. Over 128 million people have caught the novel coronavirus around the world, of whom nearly 103 million have recovered and at least 2.8 million died.



    ECONOMY Romanias consolidated budget deficit reached some 2.6 billion euros, accounting for 1.14% of the GDP in the first 2 months of this year, as against 0.33% in January and 0.73% in the corresponding period of 2020. The finance ministry blamed the record figure on the exceptional expenditure entailed by the coronavirus pandemic. This years budget deficit target is 7.16% GDP.



    SUEZ After nearly a week of efforts, the Egyptian authorities managed on Monday afternoon to free the container ship stranded in the Suez Canal, with traffic to be fully restored in the next few days. About 450 ships had been stuck because of the incident. In Bucharest, the National Sanitary-Veterinary Authority announced steps were taken to give priority to the 11 Romanian vessels carrying livestock. The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and is the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia. Around 12% of the worlds trade takes place through this waterway.



    FOOTBALL Romanias Under-21 football team plays tonight against Germany in Budapest, in a decisive match in the 2021 European Youth Championships Group A. On Saturday Romania beat Hungary 2-1, after a previous draw against the Netherlands, 1-1. The European Championships group stage ends on March 31, with the top 2 teams in each group moving up into the Final 8 tournament, scheduled between May 31 and June 6. Meanwhile, Romanias senior national team takes on Armenia in Yerevan on Wednesday, in Group J of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. So far Romania lost to Germany but defeated North Macedonia. The group also includes Iceland and Liechtenstein. The top team in each group qualifies into the 2022 World Cup, with the runners-up facing each other in playoffs. Romania last took part in a World Cup in 1998, in France. (tr. A.M. Popescu)