Radio România Internațional

Tag: Israel

October 29, 2023 UPDATE

PARLIAMENT The Chamber of Deputies will discuss on
Monday the simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union and the Force of the
Right, in opposition in Romania, against the finance minister Marcel Boloş. The
Opposition argues that the enforcement of the new fiscal measures for which the
Government has taken responsibility before Parliament, will lead to tax
increases. The USR MP Claudiu Năsui says the Liberal finance minister chose to
triple taxes instead of cutting special pensions and to levy taxes on turnover,
which he believes will have countless negative effects on companies and
ultimately on consumers. The Chamber will vote on the motion on Tuesday. Also
early this week, the Senate will vote on a government emergency order
regulating the gambling sector. The document, which introduces an additional
tax for companies in the sector, has been passed by specialist committees. The
Senate is also to discuss a bill tabled by the Social Democratic MP Alfred
Simonis and banning the sale of electronic cigarettes and similar tobacco
products to minors.

SCHENGEN The Romanian MEP Eugen Tomac, the leader of the People’s
Movement Party, announced plans to appeal the EU Tribunal ruling dismissing his
claims regarding Austria’s alleged abuse of power with respect to Romania’s
Schengen accession. He said he would take the matter to the Court of Justice of
the European Union, and voiced hopes that the judges would approach the issue in
a more complex and more detailed manner, in line with the EU treaties and the
Schengen agreements. Moreover, Tomac said, Bucharest can only overcome the situation
by means of this appeal, in which the Romanian government would be a privileged
applicant. Austria opposes the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria,
arguing that the 2 countries are on the EU illegal migration route, an
allegation disputed by the Romanian authorities and European institutions.
Vienna also believes the Schengen area as it is at present is ineffective and
said it would oppose any enlargement project.

VISIT
The European Commission vice-president for Values and Transparency, Věra
Jourová, will be on an official visit to Romania on Monday, when she will have
meetings with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Marcel Ciolacu and other Cabinet
members. According to the European Commission, the EU official will discuss the
rule of law and reforms in the judiciary, Romania’s goals in the digital
decade, the digitisation projects included in the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan, as well as AI and fighting disinformation.

ISRAEL
The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the British
PM Rishi Sunak emphasised, in a phone discussion on Sunday, the need for urgent
humanitarian support in Gaza Strip, after Israel announced stepping up its
military response to the Hamas attack of October 7. In turn, the US security
adviser called on the troops entering Gaza to make a distinction between
civilians and the Hamas terrorists, who are legitimate targets. Israel
announced that in the coming days it would allow a significant increase in aid
for the civilians in Gaza. The Israeli defence ministry asked Palestinian
civilians to move towards the south, to an area designated as humanitarian, where
aid will be delivered under a joint mechanism created by the US, Egypt and the
UN. Two aid convoys with foodstuffs, water and medicines entered the Rafah
terminal on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The UN secretary general,
Antonio Guterres, voiced his surprise at the escalation of Israel’s military
attack on the Gaza Strip after the UN General Assembly issued a resolution
calling for immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian
rallies were organised on Sunday as well in many cities in the world.

PEACE
The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending a meeting in Malta,
called for a global model based on his 10-point plan for peace with Russia, Reuters
reports. An official list of the participants in the meeting is not yet
available, but attending were officials for European, South-American, Arab,
African and Asian countries. The plan includes clauses concerning the
restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the pull-out of Russian troops,
protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear security and the release of all
prisoners. The co-chairs of the meeting, Ukraine and Malta, issued a joint
declaration that mentions the participants’ commitment to just and sustainable
peace, based on the UN Charter. The parties will take steps to arrange for a
possible peace summit at a later date.

GOVERNMENT PM Marcel Ciolacu announced that preparations have
started for drafting the 2024 public budget. The government will analyse the projects
and programmes that went well, as well as the investment applications for next
year. On the other hand, the PM dismissed the idea of other fiscal changes in
addition to the ones for which his Cabinet has taken responsibility before
Parliament. The law on measures to ensure Romania’s long-term financial
sustainability, promulgated by presidentKlaus Iohannis on Thursday, introduces new taxes and tax raises and cuts off tax facilities. Some
of the measures take effect on November 1, while the others will be enforced as
of January 1. Marcel Ciolacu also estimated that the new pensions law will be
endorsed in Parliament by the end of next month and will take effect on January
1, 2024. (AMP)

29 October 2023
Nachrichten 29.10.2023

Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu gibt bekannt, dass die Berechnungen für die Erstellung des Haushalts 2024 begonnen haben. Derzeit werden die Projekte und Programme analysiert, die sich in Rumänien bewährt haben, sowie die Investitionsanforderungen für das kommende Jahr. Andererseits lehnte der Premierminister die Möglichkeit ab, nach Inkrafttreten des Gesetzes, für das die Regierung die Verantwortung übernommen hat, weitere Steueränderungen zu beschließen. Das Gesetz zur Sicherung der langfristigen finanziellen Tragfähigkeit Rumäniens, das am Donnerstag von Präsident Klaus Iohannis verkündet wurde, bringt Steuererhöhungen, neue Steuern und die Abschaffung von Steuervergünstigungen. Einige der Maßnahmen gelten ab dem 1. November, die übrigen ab dem 1. Januar. Marcel Ciolacu schätzte, dass das neue Rentengesetz vom Parlament bis Ende nächsten Monats gebilligt wird und hält am 1. Januar 2024 als Datum für sein Inkrafttreten fest.

Israel hat die zweite Phase seines Krieges gegen die Hamas, eine Bodenoperation im Gazastreifen, eingeleitet, wie der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu mitteilte. In einer im Fernsehen übertragenen Rede warnte der israelische Ministerpräsident, dass es sich um einen langen und schwierigen Krieg handeln werde, der darauf abziele, die Geiseln der palästinensischen Terrororganisation zu befreien und die militärischen und führungsmäßigen Kapazitäten der Hamas-Gruppe zu zerstören. Ein Experte für israelische Kampftaktiken bezeichnete die derzeitige Operation des israelischen Militärs als modular, bestehend aus abwechselnden Angriffen aus vier Umgebungen – Wasser, Luft, Boden und virtuell, wobei letztere entweder defensiv oder offensiv auf Cyberangriffe abzielt. Bislang hat das israelische Militär nach den Hamas-Anschlägen vom 7. Oktober, bei denen über 1400 Menschen in Israel getötet wurden, palästinensische Gebiete mit israelischen Luftangriffen bombardiert. Nach Angaben der Hamas-Behörden im Gazastreifen hat die Zahl der Todesopfer der israelischen Vergeltungsmaßnahmen die Zahl von 8.000 überschritten. Einem israelischen Armeesprecher zufolge wurde die Zahl der von der Hamas festgehaltenen Geiseln auf 130 erhöht. UN-Generalsekretär Antonio Guterres zeigte sich überrascht von der Eskalation der israelischen Militärangriffe auf den Gazastreifen, nachdem die UN-Generalversammlung in einer Resolution einen sofortigen humanitären Waffenstillstand gefordert hatte. Guterres sagte, dass trotz dieses internationalen Konsenses die Bombardierung eskaladierte. Am Samstag fanden in vielen Hauptstädten der Welt pro-palästinensische Demonstrationen statt.

Der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Zelenskyj hat bei einem Treffen in Malta ein globales Modell seiner Zehn-Punkte-Formel für den Frieden mit Russland gefordert, berichtet Reuters. Eine offizielle Liste der an den Gesprächen teilnehmenden Delegierten wurde nicht veröffentlicht, aber offiziellen Angaben zufolge waren Vertreter aus europäischen, südamerikanischen, arabischen, afrikanischen und asiatischen Ländern dabei. Der Plan enthält Forderungen nach der Wiederherstellung der territorialen Integrität der Ukraine, dem Abzug der russischen Truppen, dem Schutz der Lebensmittel- und Energieversorgung, der nuklearen Sicherheit und der Freilassung aller Gefangenen. Die Ko-Vorsitzenden des Treffens, die Ukraine und Malta, gaben eine gemeinsame Erklärung ab, in der sie auf das Engagement der Teilnehmer für einen gerechten und dauerhaften Frieden auf der Grundlage der UN-Charta hinwiesen und an die wichtige Arbeit der Arbeitsgruppen erinnerten, die sich mit nuklearer Sicherheit, humanitären Fragen sowie Energie- und Ernährungssicherheit befassen. Die Parteien werden die notwendigen Vorbereitungen für einen möglichen künftigen Friedensgipfel zu einem noch zu bestimmenden Zeitpunkt treffen.

Die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission für die Themenbereiche Werte und Transparenz, Věra Jourová, wird Rumänien am Montag einen offiziellen Besuch abstatten, bei dem sie mit Präsident Klaus Iohannis, Premierminister Marcel Ciolacu und mehreren Ministern zusammentreffen wird. Nach Angaben von Vertretern der Europäischen Kommission wird die Vizepräsidentin der Europäischen Kommission die Rechtsstaatlichkeit und die Justizreformen, die Ziele Rumäniens in der Digitalen Dekade, die Digitalisierungsprojekte im Rahmen des Nationalen Konjunkturprogramms sowie die künstliche Intelligenz und den Kampf gegen Desinformation erörtern.

In der Nacht von Samstag auf Sonntag ist in Rumänien die Winterzeit eingeführt worden. Folglich wurde aus 4 Uhr morgens 3 Uhr morgens und der Samstag wurde mit 25 Stunden der längste Tag in diesem Jahr. Das System der unterschiedlichen Sommer- und Winterzeit zielt darauf ab, die offizielle Zeit um eine Stunde anzupassen, um mehr natürliches Licht zu nutzen.

In Rumänien herrscht heute überwiegend schönes Wetter, wobei die Temperaturen in der Nordhälfte des Landes etwas höher sind als am Vortag. Damit bleibt das Wetter vor allem im Süden deutlich wärmer als normal. Der Himmel ist meist klar, nur im hohen Norden sind vorübergehende Bewölkung und einzelne kurze Schauer möglich. Die Höchsttemperaturen werden zwischen 16 und 26 Grad Celsius liegen. In Bukarest schönes Wetter und viel wärmer als üblich für Ende Oktober. Meist klarer Himmel, leichter bis mäßiger Wind und Höchsttemperaturen von 24 bis 25 Grad Celsius.

29 October 2023
October 29, 2023

GOVERNMENT PM Marcel Ciolacu announced that
preparations have started for drafting the 2024 public budget. The government
will analyse the projects and programmes that went well, as well as the
investment applications for next year. On the other hand, the PM dismissed the
idea of other fiscal changes in addition to the ones for which his Cabinet has
taken responsibility before Parliament. The law on measures to ensure Romania’s
long-term financial sustainability, promulgated by president Klaus
Iohannis on Thursday, introduces
new taxes and tax raises and cuts off tax facilities.Some of the measures take effect
on November 1, while the others will be enforced as of January 1. Marcel
Ciolacu also estimated that the new pensions law will be endorsed in Parliament
by the end of next month and will take effect on January 1, 2024.

VISIT
The European Commission vice-president for Values and Transparency, Věra
Jourová, will be on an official visit to Romania on Monday, when she will have
meetings with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Marcel Ciolacu and other Cabinet
members. According to the European Commission, the EU official will discuss the
rule of law and reforms in the judiciary, Romania’s goals in the digital
decade, the digitisation projects included in the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan, as well as AI and fighting disinformation.

ISRAEL
Israel has moved to the second stage of the war against Hamas, namely the land
operation in Gaza Strip, the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced. In a
televised address, he warned that this was going to be a long and difficult
war, aimed at freeing the hostages taken by the Palestinian terrorist group and
at destroying the military and leadership capabilities of Hamas. An Israeli
tactics expert described Israel’s current operation as modular, with
alternating attacks from 4 directions (water, air, land, and virtual). So far
the Israeli Army resorted to air strikes to hit Palestinian territory, after
the Hamas attacks of October 7 killed over 1,400 people in Israel. In turn, Hamas
says the Israeli retaliatory strikes killed over 8,000 people. According to an
Israeli army spokesman, the number of hostages held by Hamas was updated at 130.
The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, voiced his surprise at the escalation
of Israel’s military attack on the Gaza Strip after the UN General Assembly issued
a resolution calling for immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Guterres said that
in spite of this international consensus, the bombing has reached unprecedented
levels. Pro-Palestinian rallies were organised on Saturday in many cities in
the world.

PEACE
The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending a meeting in Malta,
called for a global model based on his 10-point plan for peace with Russia, Reuters
reports. An official list of the participants in the meeting is not yet
available, but attending were officials for European, South-American, Arab,
African and Asian countries. The plan includes clauses concerning the
restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the pull-out of Russian troops,
protection of food and energy supplies, nuclear security and the release of all
prisoners. The co-chairs of the meeting, Ukraine and Malta, issued a joint
declaration that mentions the participants’ commitment to just and sustainable
peace, based on the UN Charter. The parties will take steps to arrange for a
possible peace summit at a later date.

DST On Saturday night, Romania switched to winter time, setting
clocks back one hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday is thus 25-hour long. Daylight
saving time, first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is
currently used in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent
years, with the EU asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and
choose either winter time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet
to be made. (AMP)

29 October 2023
October 28, 2023 UPDATE

ISRAEL
Romania and other countries are
making joint efforts to help the over 3,000 people in Gaza with dual
citizenship, including Romanian nationals, to leave that region, PM Marcel
Ciolacu said. He explained that the situation was not easy to handle, and added
that 260 applications have been received from Romanian nationals who want to
leave Gaza, but many Palestinians are trying to do the same. What matters is
for the situation not to spiral out of control, he also said. The
Israeli army Saturday announced it entered the north of
Gaza Strip and expanded military operations in the Palestinian enclave, while
stepping up attacks against Hamas. The
army once again asked the locals still in the north of Gaza Strip to move
immediately to the south, explaining that the north is currently a battlefield.
According to Israeli army estimates, some 700,000 people have already left the
area, and the UN says out of the almost 2.2 million people in Gaza Strip, around
1.4 million have been relocated since the conflict began. In fresh talks with the Israeli defence minister, the Pentagon chief
Lloyd Austin called
for the protection of civilians during the operation. On Friday night, the UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The
resolution is not compulsory, but it has political weight. Israel and the US
voted against, while Romania abstained.

DIPLOMACY
The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday had a telephone
conversation with the British foreign secretary James Cleverly, to discuss the
security situation in Israel and Gaza Strip, focusing on the need to ensure
close coordination in order to avoid regional spill-over. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, the 2 officials emphasised the importance of
continued humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza and of the immediate and
unconditional release of all hostages.The
Romanian diplomacy chief also discussed with her Qatari counterpart, Sheikh
Mohammed Al Thani, given that Qatar is a mediator in the Hamas hostage crisis.
Odobescu appreciated Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mitigate the humanitarian
crisis, and spoke about the aid Romania has decided to send there.

AMBASSADOR The Black Sea region plays an important
role for NATO, and Romania is a very close partner for the USA, the US
Ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec reiterated. In an interview to Radio
Romania, the US official said that Romania, which is located next to the
conflict in Ukraine, has faced problems like the Ukrainian refugee crisis and
the transport of grains via Romanian sea ports, and in this context the
security and defence relations between the 2 countries have become even closer.
We have tripled the number of US troops in Romania, so now we have over 3,000 American
troops here and we are working with our Romanian partners with respect to
defence and deterrence, to safeguard every piece of NATO territory, Kathleen
Kavalec pointed out.

POPULATION The population of Romania on July 1 was
approx. 21.9 million, down 0.3% since the corresponding month of last year. Almost
3 million of them are currently living abroad. Romania is also facing
population ageing, with 125 elderly citizens for each 100 youth. The average
age is 42.4 years, 0.3 years more than on July 1, 2022. The number of citizens
in urban communities is nearly 3 million higher than the number of rural
inhabitants, however urban population dropped by 0.8% over the past year while
the rural population grew by 0.3%.

UKRAINE Ukraine is seeking international support for its peace plan,
in a 2-day meeting held as of today in Malta. As many as 50 countries are
taking part, but Russia is not among them. According to AFP, this is the 3rd
meeting of this kind, and organisers hope it would result in a joint
declaration. The 10-point plan proposed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
Zelenskyy includes, among other things, the pull out of Russian troops from the
occupied Ukrainian territories, including Donbas, part of which is under
separatist control since 2014, and Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
Last year, Moscow annexed 4 Ukrainian regions, partly occupied by its troops
after the large-scale invasion of February 24.

DST
On Saturday night, Romania switches to winter time, setting clocks back one
hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday will thus be 25-hour long. Daylight saving time,
first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is currently used
in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent years, with the EU
asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and choose either winter
time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet to be made. (AMP)

28 October 2023
October 28, 2023

ISRAEL
The Israeli Army has today announced it entered the
north of Gaza Strip and expanded military operations in the Palestinian
enclave, while stepping up attacks against Hamas. For the 3rd
consecutive night, tanks entered the area, supported by 100 aircraft. According
to the latest information available, clashes are on-going and Israeli troops
are still on site. The Army has avoided official announcements regarding the
land attacks, so as not to jeopardise the lives of the over 220 hostages taken
by Hamas, Israeli media report. Israel
had only made brief raids in Gaza during the 3 weeks of strikes designed to
eliminate the Hamas fighters, who killed over 1,400 Israelis on October 7. Telephone
and internet connections with Gaza have been cut in what the media describe as
the largest strikes so far. An Israeli military spokesman said that today
Israel will allow access to Gaza for trucks carrying food, water and medicines.
In fresh talks with the Israeli defence minister, the Pentagon chief called for
the protection of civilians during the operation. On Friday night, the UN
General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. The
resolution is not compulsory, but it has political weight. Israel and the US
voted against, while Romania abstained.

DIPLOMACY
The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Friday had a telephone
conversation with the British foreign secretary James Cleverly, to discuss the
security situation in Israel and Gaza Strip, focusing on the need to ensure
close coordination in order to avoid regional spill-over. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, the 2 officials emphasised the importance of
continued humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza and of the immediate and
unconditional release of all hostages.

POPULATION The population of Romania on July 1 was
approx. 21.9 million, down 0.3% since the corresponding month of last year. Almost
3 million of them are currently living abroad. Romania is also facing
population ageing, with 125 elderly citizens for each 100 youth. The average
age is 42.4 years, 0.3 years more than on July 1, 2022. The number of citizens
in urban communities is nearly 3 million higher than the number of rural
inhabitants, however urban population dropped by 0.8% over the past year while
the rural population grew by 0.3%.

UKRAINE Ukraine is seeking international support for its peace plan,
in a 2-day meeting held as of today in Malta. As many as 50 countries are
taking part, but Russia is not among them. According to AFP, this is the 3rd
meeting of this kind, and organisers hope it would result in a joint
declaration. The 10-point plan proposed by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
Zelenskyy includes, among other things, the pull out of Russian troops from the
occupied Ukrainian territories, including Donbas, part of which is under
separatist control since 2014, and Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia in 2014.
Last year, Moscow annexed 4 Ukrainian regions, partly occupied by its troops
after the large-scale invasion of February 24.

DST
On Saturday night, Romania switches to winter time, setting clocks back one
hour from 4 AM to 3 AM. Sunday will thus be 25-hour long. Daylight saving time,
first suggested by the scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1784, is currently used
in 70 countries. The concept has come under debate in recent years, with the EU
asking member states to end seasonal clock changes and choose either winter
time or summer time, but a decision in this respect is yet to be made. (AMP)

28 October 2023
Nachrichten 27.10.2023

Die Regierung in Bukarest hat auf ihrer Sitzung am Freitag eine Dringlichkeitsverordnung verabschiedet, mit der die Begrenzung des Handelsüberschusses für Grundnahrungsmittel um drei Monate verlängert und die Liste der Grundnahrungsmittel erweitert wird. Die Exekutive genehmigte außerdem ein Projekt zur Reduzierung der Ausgaben der lokalen und zentralen öffentlichen Behörden. Finanzminister Marcel Bolos gab bekannt, dass das Haushaltsdefizit jetzt bei 3,55 Prozent des BIP liege und dass das Ziel weiterhin 4,4 Prozent am Ende des Jahres beträge. Er erklärte, dass in früheren Jahren die Haushaltsausgaben für Waren und Dienstleistungen in den letzten beiden Monaten des Jahres drei-, vier- oder fünfmal so hoch waren wie in den übrigen Monaten. Deshalb wurde beschlossen, dass diese Ausgaben in diesem Jahr nicht höher sein dürfen als der Durchschnitt der übrigen Monate. Außerdem werden die Haushaltsausgaben hauptsächlich zur Finanzierung europäischer Projekte getätigt. Die am Freitag verabschiedete Dringlichkeitsverordnung regelt auch, wie der der Regierung zur Verfügung stehende Reservefonds dotiert werden soll.

Bei ihrem Treffen im Rahmen des Europäischen Rates in Brüssel haben sich die Staats- und Regierungschefs der EU für humanitäre Waffenruhen in den Kämpfen zwischen Israel und der Terrorgruppe Hamas ausgesprochen, um die Verteilung von Hilfsgütern an palästinensische Zivilisten im Gazastreifen zu ermöglichen. In den letzten Tagen waren nur geringe Mengen an Lebensmitteln und Medikamenten in der Enklave angekommen, die nach dem Angriff der Hamas am 7. Oktober auf Israel von der israelischen Armee belagert wird. Gleichzeitig beschloss der Europäische Rat, alle notwendigen Anstrengungen zu unternehmen, um eine internationale Konferenz zu organisieren, um kurz- und langfristige Lösungen zu finden. Konkret bestehe das langfristige Ziel darin, zwei Staaten – Israel und Palästina – zu haben. Ebenso muss der Hamas ein Ende gesetzt werden, da sie eine Gruppierung ist, die als terroristisch eingestuft wird. Aus diesem Grund werden ihre Vertreter nicht zu der internationalen Konferenz eingeladen. Unterdessen hat sich vor dem Hintergrund der Spannungen im Nahen Osten der Druck der Migration nach Europa erhöht. Aus diesem Grund stand auch der Migrationspakt auf der Tagesordnung der Brüsseler Gespräche, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Notwendigkeit lag, das EU-Budget zu erhöhen, um das Problem der Migranten auf der Seite der Herkunftsländer besser bewältigen zu können. Es wurde ein Haushaltskollektiv vorgeschlagen, um vier Prioritäten zu erreichen: Migration, Hilfe für die Ukraine, Hilfe bei Naturkatastrophen in Europa und wirtschaftliche Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Union. Rumänien wird beim Europäischen Rat in Brüssel durch Präsident Klaus Iohannis vertreten.

Der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis hat seinem amerikanischen Amtskollegen Joe Biden nach dem bewaffneten Anschlag in Lewiston im nordöstlichen US-Bundesstaat Maine eine Beileidsbekundung übermittelt: Rumänien steht in Solidarität mit den amerikanischen Bürgern und den Familien der Opfer, denen wir unser Mitgefühl aussprechen. Wir wünschen auch den Verletzten eine schnelle Genesung, heißt es in der Botschaft. Achtzehn Menschen wurden erschossen und 13 verwundet. Der Hauptverdächtige – ein Militärreservist – wird immer noch von der Polizei gesucht.

Die Regierung in Chisinau hat am Freitag den nationalen Aktionsplan bis 2027 für den Beitritt der Republik Moldau zur Europäischen Union angenommen. Das Dokument ist von strategischer Bedeutung und zielt darauf ab, die Gesetzgebung an die EU-Vorschriften anzugleichen. Der Minister für auswärtige Angelegenheiten und europäische Integration, Nicu Popescu, sagte, das Ziel sei, das Land auf den Beitritt zur Union bis 2030 vorzubereiten.

Die israelische Armee hat einen weiteren Bodeneinfall in den Gazastreifen gegen Kämpfer der Hamas-Gruppe unternommen. Die Einheiten aus Infanterie und gepanzerten Fahrzeugen wurden von Hubschraubern unterstützt. Laut dem Korrespondenten von Radio Rumänien in Israel erklärte Premierminister Benjamin Netanjahu, dass sich das Heer noch immer auf eine vollständige Bodeninvasion vorbereite, die unter anderem auf ausdrücklichen Wunsch des Pentagons verschoben worden war. Die USA hatten um Zeit gebeten , um Patriot-Raketenbatterien auf mehreren US-Stützpunkten im Nahen Osten zu stationieren. Der Sprecher des Pentagons gab bekannt, dass rund 900 US-Soldaten in den Nahen Osten verlegt worden waren oder derzeit verlegt werden, um die Schutztruppe der USA in der Region zu verstärken.

Die orthodoxen Christen, die in Rumänien die Mehrheit bilden, feiern den Heiligen Demetrius den Neuen, der als Schutzpatron der Hauptstadt Bukarest gilt. Die Pilgerfahrt zu seinen Reliquien ist auf dem Patriarchenhügel der Hauptstadt noch immer im Gange. Der Heilige Demetrius war ein Mönch, der im 13. Jahrhundert südlich der Donau auf dem Gebiet des heutigen Bulgariens lebte. Seine sterblichen Überreste wurden durch ein Wunder gefunden, als sich der Heilige einem kranken Mädchen im Traum offenbarte und ihr den genauen Ort nannte, an dem er gefunden werden konnte. Er sagte ihr auch, dass sie geheilt werden würde, wenn sie seinen Körper berühren würde. Daraufhin gruben die Dorfbewohner den angegebenen Ort aus und fanden den Körper des Heiligen unversehrt. Während des russisch-türkischen Krieges im Jahr 1774 wurden die Reliquien des Heiligen nach Bukarest gebracht. Von diesem Zeitpunkt an wurde der Heilige zum Beschützer der Hauptstadt Bukarest sowie der historischen Provinz Walachei.

In der Nacht von Samstag auf Sonntag wird in Rumänien die Winterzeit eingeführt. Folglich wird aus 4 Uhr morgens 3 Uhr morgens und der Samstag wird mit 25 Stunden der längste Tag in diesem Jahr sein. Das System der unterschiedlichen Sommer- und Winterzeit zielt darauf ab, die offizielle Zeit um eine Stunde anzupassen, um mehr natürliches Licht zu nutze

27 October 2023
October 25, 2023 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT The government of
Romania is ready to pass an emergency order on new minimum wages in
constructions, agriculture and the food industry, PM Marcel Ciolacu announced.
He made the statement after a meeting with trade unions and employer
associations. Both in terms of the new minimum salary in constructions (around
EUR 920) and of the ones in agriculture and the food industry (roughly EUR
690), not a penny of the net wages is being cut, Marcel Ciolacu explained. On the other hand, the government drafted an order on
reducing public sector expenditure at the end of this year.

EU The president of
Romania, Klaus Iohannis, takes part on Thursday and Friday in the meeting of
the European Council and the inclusive Euro Summit meeting in Brussels, the
Romanian presidency announced. The agenda of the European Council meeting
includes topics like the situation in Ukraine, updating the Multi-Annual
Financial Framework, economic issues, migration management and the EU foreign
relations, with a focus on the situation in the Middle East, Kosovo and Serbia,
and the developments in the Sahel region. As far as Ukraine is concerned, the
EU leaders will also discuss the Union’s multidimensional support. President Iohannis
will emphasise that Romania will remain a firm supporter of Ukraine and will
plead for further support from the European bloc to that country for as long as
necessary. Mr. Iohannis will also support opening accession negotiations with Ukraine
and the R. of Moldova by the end of this year. At the Euro Summit, the
participants will discuss the economic situation in the EU.

REVOLUTION The case
file concerning the December 1989 anti-communist uprising will be tried on its
substance, the Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled after the magistrates dismissed
all the objections made by the defendants. The decision is not final and may be
challenged. The defendants in the so-called Revolution case include the
former president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and the
retired general Iosif Rus, indicted by military prosecutors for crimes against
humanity committed between December 22 and 30, 1989, when over 1,000 people died and some 3,000
were wounded. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist
regime ended in violence and the communist leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu
were executed.

ARMY DAY In all military units in
Romania and theatres of operations where Romanian troops are deployed, ceremonies
were held on Wednesday to mark the Romanian Army Day. In Bucharest, president
Klaus Iohannis said this is a very complicated period, with global peace and
security threatened by regional conflicts. Europe is facing the worst crisis
since WWII because of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, while the
October 7 terrorist attack on Israel might destabilise the Middle East in the
long run, Iohannis added. In turn, PM Marcel Ciolacu said Romania’s NATO
membership is a guarantee that the security of Romanian citizens will never
come under threat. The defence minister Angel Tîlvăr pointed out that the
Romanian Army has risen to NATO standards in many respects, and added that
earmarking 2% of GDP since 2017 and 2.5% of GDP this year to the defence sector
enabled the implementation of ambitious procurement programmes. Meanwhile, the
Romanian troops’ participation in UN, EU and NATO missions over the past
decades has strengthened Romania’s security profile, Angel Tîlvăr added.

ISRAEL Israel has demanded the resignation of the UN Secretary General, Antonio
Guterres, over accusations of justifying terrorism and the crimes committed by
Hamas. Guterres said in a Security Council meeting that the attacks of Hamas on
Israel did not happen without reason. He made it clear, however, that the
suffering of the Palestinians in what he called 56 years of suffocating
occupation cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas, just as these
attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. On
Wednesday, Israel accepted a request from the US to delay its invasion of Gaza
for the time being, so that the US may bring missile defence in the region, US
and Israeli officials announced, quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The United
States says it will work with China to de-escalate the situation in the Middle
East. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said he would work with
the Chinese foreign minister, who is travelling to Washington at the end of this
week, to prevent the conflict from expanding. The president of France, Emmanuel
Macron, Wednesday concluded his two-day tour to the Middle East, which included
Egypt, Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. His message was unambiguous, calling
for preventing a spill-over of the conflict, for freeing the hostages taken by
the terrorist group Hamas and for aid for the Palestinians in Gaza. (AMP)

25 October 2023
Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis va participa la reuniunea Consiliului European şi la Summitul EURO

Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis participă, joi şi vineri, la reuniunea Consiliului European şi la Summitul Euro în format extins, care se vor desfăşura la Bruxelles, informează Administraţia Prezidenţială.

Situaţia din Ucraina, revizuirea Cadrului Financiar Multianual, aspecte economice, gestionarea migraţiei şi relaţiile externe ale UE, cu accent pe situaţia din Orientul Mijlociu, situaţia din Caucazul de Sud, din Kosovo şi Serbia şi situaţia din Sahel, sunt subiecte aflate pe agenda reuniunii Consiliului European.

Liderii europeni vor aborda sprijinul multidimensional al UE, cu referire la implicarea în susţinerea angajamentelor de securitate pentru Ucraina, sprijinul pentru eforturile de reformă în parcursul său european, necesitatea continuării asistenţei umanitare, precum şi extinderea protecţiei temporare pentru refugiaţii ucraineni.

Preşedintele Iohannis va sublinia că România rămâne un susţinător ferm al Ucrainei şi va pleda pentru continuarea sprijinului acordat de UE, atât timp cât este nevoie. Totodată, el va susţine deschiderea negocierilor de aderare la UE cu Ucraina şi Republica Moldova până la sfârşitul acestui an.

Liderii europeni vor continua coordonarea pe tema situaţiei din Israel şi Gaza pe baza Declaraţiei membrilor Consiliului European din 15 octombrie 2023. Şeful statului va reitera necesitatea unei viziuni clare şi unitare la nivel european, conflictul având consecinţe inclusiv pentru UE şi cetăţenii europeni, a respectării dreptului internaţional umanitar, a evitării escaladării conflictului, identificării de soluţii pentru obţinerea unei păci durabile, în baza soluţiei celor două state, precum şi evitării exacerbării extremismului la nivelul societăţilor europene în acest context.

Un subiect important pe agenda discuţiilor se referă la procesul de revizuire a Cadrului Financiar Multianual, pe baza propunerii Comisiei Europene din luna iunie a acestui an, care urmăreşte să răspundă nevoilor urgente la nivelul Uniunii şi să ofere un sprijin financiar suplimentar pentru Ucraina. Iohannis va sublinia necesitatea obţinerii unui acord asupra acestui dosar până la finalul acestui an, care să permită atingerea obiectivelor multianuale şi să răspundă provocărilor imediate ale UE.

Liderii europeni vor discuta şi despre priorităţile UE în domeniul economic, urmând să fie abordate acţiunile avute în vedere pentru consolidarea competitivităţii economiei europene pe termen lung, asigurarea deplinei funcţionalităţi a Pieţei Unice, întărirea bazei industriale şi economice europene, precum şi a rezilienţei Uniunii. Preşedintele Iohannis va evidenţia importanţa consolidării Pieţei Unice şi va susţine o abordare echilibrată în definirea măsurilor în acest domeniu şi va insista pentru eliminarea tuturor barierelor rămase în calea liberei circulaţii şi asigurarea unei concurenţe echitabile între statele membre.

În cadrul Summitului Euro în format extins, membrii Consiliului European vor discuta despre situaţia economică la nivel european, cu accent pe măsurile de reducere a inflaţiei şi de creştere a rezilienţei economiei europene. De asemenea, vor avea un schimb de opinii cu privire la guvernanţa economică, precum şi la coordonarea politicilor în domeniu, cu obiectivul de a stabili o creştere economică durabilă şi mai favorabilă incluziunii.

25 October 2023
Les diplomaties se mobilisent pour libérer les otages du Hamas

La ministre
roumaine des affaires étrangères, Luminiţa Odobescu a déclaré que les responsables
de la diplomatie de l’Union européenne collaboraient étroitement afin de
trouver des solutions pour que toutes les personnes retenues en otage par le
groupe terroriste Hamas suite à son opération commando du 7 octobre soient
libérées. Luminiţa Odobescu a participé lundi, à Luxembourg, au Conseil des
affaires externes de l’UE. A cette occasion, elle a déclaré à la presse
roumaine que, dans le dossier des otages, « les informations sont
extrêmement sensibles et doivent être gérer avec la plus grande attention. Ce
sont des vies humaines qui sont en jeu, c’est pourquoi nous sommes très
prudents, notamment en ce qui concerne les communications publiques, mais nous
sommes en discussion avec les autorités de tous les pays de la région et
d’autres encore, et nous sommes dans une coordination étroite afin de
solliciter de de trouver des solutions pour la libération de tous les otages,
dont celle de l’otage qui a la nationalité roumaine ». Cette
personne fait partie des nombreux israéliens d’origine roumaine ou dont la
famille était roumaine.

Le Hamas a enlevé
au total près de 220 personnes, israéliennes, étrangères ou porteuses une
double nationalité. Ces otages ont été emmenés dans la bande de Gaza et risquent
de servir de boucliers humains face aux bombardements continus de l’armée
israélienne. Dans les premiers jours de guerre, le Hamas a également déclaré
que des otages seraient exécutés si des civils continuaient à mourir sous les
bombes israéliennes. Alors que les diplomates européens se rencontraient à
Luxembourg, le président des Etats-Unis, Joe Biden, a demandé depuis
Washington au Hamas de libérer tous les otages. Il a déclaré « Les otages doivent être libérés, après nous pourrons discuter ». De son côté, la ministre roumaine des affaire étrangères a
rappelé que « la Roumanie a condamné avec la plus grande fermeté
l’attaque atroce subie par Israël et a souligné son droit légitime à se
défendre ».

Les autorités roumaines restent cependant
également préoccupées par le sort des roumains présents à Gaza, où la guerre
est d’ores et déjà doublée d’une grave crise humanitaire. Environ 260 personnes
de nationalité roumaine et les membres de leurs familles ont sollicité leur
évacuation de la bande de Gaza, selon Luminiţa Odobescu. Celle-ci a
rappelé que récemment le point de passage entre la bande de Gaza et l’Egypte
avait été ouvert afin de permettre à l’aide humanitaire de rentrer dans Gaza,
et qu’il était très important que cette aide humanitaire puisse continuer à
arriver. Elle a ajouté qu’il était aussi important pour le gouvernement roumain
que les personnes qui souhaitent quitter la bande de Gaza puissent le faire en
toute sécurité. Elle assure que des démarches sont effectuées dans ce sens,
tant au niveau européen qu’avec les autorités israéliennes et égyptiennes.

24 October 2023
23.10.2023 (mise à jour)

Aliments – Les autorités de Bucarest ont décidé de prolonger de 90 jours, la mesure du plafonnement de la marge commerciale pour les aliments de base lit-on sur le site du ministère de l’Agriculture. Neuf autres produits ont été ajoutés à la liste, dont le coulis de tomates, les brioches du type « cozonac », ou encore la crème fraîche. Pour rappel, le 1er août dernier, un décret gouvernemental est entré en vigueur portant sur le plafonnement des prix de 14 aliments de base, une décision convenue, préalablement avec les acteurs du domaine. Le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu affirme que la limitation des prix des aliments a déjà contribué à la baisse de l’inflation, en dessous des 9 % le mois dernier.

OTAN – La Roumanie continuera à contribuer à l’amélioration de la sécurité régionale et euro-atlantique, y compris par son rôle de pilier de stabilité dans la mer Noire. C’est ce qu’a déclaré, lundi, le président roumain Klaus Iohannis devant les participants à la cérémonie organisée à l’occasion de la mise en opération complète du Commandement du Corps multinational du sud-est, à Sibiu, au centre de la Roumanie. L’occasion pour le chef de l’État roumain de rappeler qu’en 2018, au sommet de l’OTAN de Bruxelles, la Roumanie avait fait part de son intention de compléter l’architecture alliée de commande et de contrôle sur son territoire par une unité terrestre censée consolider la planification et la manière d’opérer des forces et des structures de l’OTAN en Roumanie, à savoir le groupement tactique de l’OTAN pour l’intégration des forces, le Commandement de la division multinationale du sud-est et la Brigade multinationale du sud-est. Le chef de l’État romain a mis en évidence que parmi les objectifs de la Roumanie figuraient toujours la consolidation sur le long terme, de la posture de dissuasion et de défense de l’OTAN en mer Noire. Il a également transmis aux militaires de l’OTAN que l’Alliance était l’organisation politique et militaire la plus forte de l’histoire. Le Corps multinational du sud-est de Sibiu fait partie de la structure des forces de l’OTAN et aura pour mission d’assurer la commande et le contrôle des opérations terrestres de l’Alliance en toute situation, par temps de crise ou de guerre dans le but de renforcer la posture de dissuasion et de défense en Roumanie et en Bulgarie.

Bruxelles – Les chefs des diplomaties
de l’Union européenne coordonnent étroitement leurs efforts afin d’identifier
des solutions pour libérer tous les otages détenus par le groupement terroriste
Hamas, a déclaré lundi la ministre roumaine des Affaires Etrangères, Luminita
Odobescu. Dans le cadre du Conseil Affaires Etrangères, la responsable roumaine
a souligné que les informations étaient extrêmement sensibles et devraient être
gérées avec un maximum d’attention, parce qu’il s’agit de vies humaines. « C’est pourquoi nous sommes très prudents,
y compris pour ce qui est de la communication publique, mais nous continuons le
dialogue avec toutes les autorités des Etats de la région et non seulement de
la région », a également dit Mme Odobescu. Elle a rappelé que la
Roumanie avait condamné fermement l’attaque atroce contre Israël et a souligné
le droit légitime d’Israël de se défendre. « J’ai
fermement demandé, aux côtés d’autres collègues, la libération immédiate de
tous les otages, y compris du ressortissant israélien qui a aussi la nationalité
roumaine » a déclaré la ministre roumaine. « Tous les ministres des Affaires Etrangères ont fait part de
leur profonde inquiétude sur la situation humanitaire dans la bande de Gaza,
qui touche la vie de personne innocentes et c’est pourquoi il est très
important de continuer à fournir de l’aide humanitaire aux civils » a
affirmé aussi la responsable roumaine. L’exécutif roumain a déjà décidé
d’envoyer de l’aide humanitaire dans la région. Lorsqu’ici, quelque 260
personnes de nationalité roumaine et membres de leurs familles ont sollicité d’être
évacuées de la Bande de Gaza.

Enseignants – Les salariés du système de l’éducation nationale de Roumanie recevront ces jours-ci leurs bonus annuels obtenus suite à la grève générale, déclenchée à la fin de l’année scolaire précédente. L’argent sera distribué sur des cartes bancaires et la distribution en a déjà démarré, a fait savoir l’exécutif de Bucarest. Plus de 326 000 salariés de l’enseignement bénéficient de ce bonus annuel dont la valeur nette est de 1500 lei, soit l’équivalent de 300 € pour le personnel enseignant et de 500 lei soit, l’équivalent de 100 € pour le personnel administratif. Un autre bonus est accordé pour la carrière professionnelle à compter de cette année scolaire, sur une période de quatre ans. Le gouvernement a encore décidé de prolonger la période durant laquelle les demandes pour des vouchers éducationnels peuvent être déposées. Il s’agit de 500 lei accordés une fois par an aux enfants provenant des familles défavorisées pour que ceux-ci puissent se procurer des fournitures scolaires et des vêtements. Le nombre de bénéficiaires en a été estimé à 410 000.

Théâtre – La 33e édition du Festival National de Théâtre bat son plein à Bucarest. Le thème choisi pour cette édition, dont l’ouverture officielle a eu lieu vendredi dernier et qui se déroulera jusqu’au 30 octobre, est « Les laboratoires du sensible ». Les productions présentées cette année ont été sélectionnées parmi plus de 150 spectacles présentés en première au cours de la saison 2022-2023, produits par des théâtres d’Etat et des théâtres indépendants de Roumanie.

23 October 2023
O altă presoană cu cetățnie româno-isrealină a decedat

Încă o persoană cu dublă cetăţenie israeliană şi română, cu domiciliul în Statul Israel, a murit, a transmis, luni, Ministerul Afacerilor Externe.

Până la acest moment, potrivit informaţiilor transmise de către autorităţile israeliene, cinci persoane cu dublă cetăţenie israeliano-română, cu domiciliul în Statul Israel, au decedat, iar o persoană este notificată ca fiind ostatic în Fâşia Gaza.

Ambasada României la Tel Aviv şi Consulatul General al României la Haifa nu au recepţionat până în prezent solicitări de sprijin consular privind dispariţia sau decesul altor cetăţeni români în Statul Israel şi menţin în permanenţă contactul cu autorităţile din această ţară, arată MAE.

23 October 2023
L. Odobescu: 260 de români și familiile acestora vor să părăsească Gaza

Ministrul Afacerilor Externe, Luminiţa Odobescu, a declarat că aproximativ 260 de persoane cu cetățenie română și familiile acestora au solicitat evacuarea din Fâşia Gaza. Șefa diplomației române spune că așteaptă ca granița dintre Gaza și Egipt să fie deschisă și pentru cei care vor să părăsească zona.

Punctul de trecere a frontierei dintre Fâșia Gaza şi Egipt a fost deschis pentru accesul camioanelor care transportă ajutoare umanitare.(…) La fel de important pentru noi este să permită celor care doresc să părăsească Fâșia Gaza s-o facă în siguranță. Noi avem aproximativ 260 de persoane, inclusiv cu cetățenie română şi membri de familie ai acestora care au cerut evacuarea și am solicitat, pe lângă coordonarea eforturilor noastre, să găsim soluții imediate care să permită evacuarea lor în siguranță”, a spus Luminița Odobescu pentru Agerpres.

Totodată, ministrul român a precizat că se fac demersuri în acest sens, în coordonare la nivelul EU, dar și cu autoritățile israeliene şi cu cele egiptene. Luminița Odobescu a discutat și situația cetățenaului român care este ostatic în Gaza; Am cerut ferm, împreună cu ceilalţi colegi ai mei, eliberarea imediată a tuturor ostaticilor, inclusiv a cetăţeanului israelian care are şi cetăţenie română”.

Ministrul român se află la ale reuniunea miniştrilor de Externe de la Luxemburg. Situația de securitate din Israel şi din regiune, alături de agresiunea Rusiei asupra Ucrainei și relațiile Armenia-Azerbaidjan sunt principalele subiecte ale întâlnirii.

23 October 2023
October 23, 2023

FOODSTUFFS The cap on mark-ups for
basic foodstuffs will be extended by another 90 days, under a draft emergency order posted on the
home page of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry. Nine other products
will be added to the list, including tomato broth, margarine, yeast, sour cream.
On August 1 a government order took effect, under which prices for 14 basic
foodstuffs were capped, following discussions with processors, distributors and
retailers. PM Marcel Ciolacu said the cap on basic foodstuffs contributed to
reducing the inflation rate below 9% last month.

NATO
Romania will continue to contribute to improving regional and Euro-Atlantic security,
including, among others, as a stability pillar at the Black Sea, president
Klaus Iohannis Monday told the participants to the opening ceremony of the
fully operational NATO Multinational Corps South-East command centre in Sibiu,
central Romania. The president mentioned that in 2018, at the NATO Summit in Brussels, he
communicated Romania’s intention to add a land corps to the Allied command and
control structure in Romania, in order to strengthen the planning and operation
of NATO’s forces and structures in Romania-the NATO Force Integration Unit, the
Multinational Division South-East Command and the Multinational Brigade
South-East. Mr. Iohannis also said that strengthening NATO’s deterrence and
defence posture at the Black Sea remains a top long-term objective. The
Multinational Corps South-East in Sibiu is part
of the NATO force structure and ensures the command
and control of Allied land operations in any situation, including crises and
war, to bolster the NATO deterrence and defence posture in Romania and
Bulgaria.

FAC The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes
part today in the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Luxembourg. According
to the Romanian foreign ministry, the agenda includes talks on the situation in
Israel and the region following the terrorist attacks of Hamas, Russia’s
aggression against Ukraine and the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, will also discuss his visit to China, on October 12 to 14, the Belgrade – Pristina Dialogue, and the Sahel region.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Luminiţa Odobescu will take part in the
EU-Central Asia ministerial meeting.

EDUCATION Public education staff in Romania are to receive
these days the annual bonus obtained following the strike at the end of the
previous academic year. Over 326,000 employees in the sector will benefit from
this annual bonus, amounting to EUR 300 for teaching staff and EUR 100 for
administrative staff. The government has also decided to extend the deadline
for the submission of educational voucher applications, through which EUR 100
vouchers are given once a year to an estimated 410,000 underprivileged children
for the purchase of clothes and school supplies.

RALLIES Protesters took to the streets on Sunday as well
across Europe, to support either the Palestinian or the Israeli cause and the approx.
200 hostages taken by Hamas. In London, 20,000 people demanded the release of
the people kidnapped by the Islamists, after the previous day nearly 100,000
demanded an end to the slaughter in Gaza. In Paris, nearly 15,000 protested
against Israel’s shelling civilian areas, with similar rallies in Sarajevo and Istanbul,
while in Geneva the families of the hostages contacted the headquarters of the
Red Cross and the High UN Commissioner for Human Rights. In Germany, president
Frank-Walter Steinmaier and PM Olaf Scholz pleaded for the eradication of antisemitism.

THEATRE Bucharest is hosting the National Theatre
Festival until October 30th. The theme chosen for this year’s edition is Laboratories
of the Sensitive. The plays chosen for the festival were selected out of over
150 performances that premiered in the 2022-2023 season in state and
independent theatres in Romania. (AMP)

23 October 2023
October 22, 2023 UPDATE

Markup. The capping of the trade markup of basic foods will be extended by 90 days in Romania, starting November 1, according to a draft ordinance posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, and other products will be added to the list. The list of foods with markups capped at no more than 20% will also include: minced meat, garlic, round grain rice, tomato broth, cake, margarine, yeast and cream. The draft shows that the Governments decision had a positive impact, and the extension of the application period is necessary because the winter period is coming, when households expenses with utilities increase, as well as the need for consumption during the winter holidays. The initial list included 14 basic products, including: white bread, eggs, cows milk, white wheat flour, sunflower oil, fresh chicken and pork.

Alliance. In Bucharest, the National College of the Peoples Movement Party voted for the creation of a political alliance with the Save Romania Union (USR) and Forza Dreptei (the Force of the Rigth). The decision was taken unanimously, a party press release reads. The president of the party, Eugen Tomac, who was mandated to represent PMP in the relationship with the two parties, claims that a right-wing alliance is the only solution for Romania. Two days ago, the USR leader, Cătălin Drula, had stated that the negotiations for the formation of a right-wing pole with PMP and Forța Dreptei were at an advanced stage, and the objective was a joint list for next years European parliamentary elections.

Hostage. A person having dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, initially reported in the list of missing persons, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has announced. According to the quoted source, until this moment, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other Romanian citizens in Israel and they maintain contact with the Israeli authorities. More than 200 foreign and dual-national Israeli hostages were kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas fighters in the unprecedented attack on October 7 that sparked a war. The first release of hostages, confirmed by both sides, took place on Saturday. It is about two American women – mother and daughter, kidnapped while they were visiting the Nahal Oz kibbutz. Qatar, which negotiated the release of the two Israelis with dual citizenship, said it would continue negotiations with the Hamas organization until the release of the kidnapped civilians, regardless of nationality. For its part, Israel states that it will continue to pressure Hamas diplomatically and militarily to obtain the release of all hostages.

Gaza. A second convoy with humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday, through the Rafah crossing point, on the border with Egypt. It is aid for the Palestinian civilians there, affected by the Israeli blockade imposed after the Hamas attack on October 7. The United States announced late Saturday that it was increasing its military presence in the Middle East because of “recent escalations by Iran and its allied forces” in the region. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), as well as several batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles, will be deployed “across the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced. The United States has also sent several ships, including aircraft carriers, to the Middle East in recent weeks. In another move, the Israeli army accused the Lebanese Hezbollah of trying to achieve a military escalation in the border area with the risk of drawing Lebanon into war, after new exchanges of fire between Israel and the Shiite group. The Gaza Peace Summit organized by Egypt ended on Saturday without a joint final statement from the 34 countries and international organizations that participated in the meeting. Instead, Israel criticized the meeting for not coming up with a direct condemnation of the Islamist group Hamas. All this time, the Israeli army has continued its preparations for a ground attack on the Gaza Strip, which it is now bombarding. About 4,400 Palestinians have lost their lives in the bombing of Gaza, after Hamas, which controls it, attacked Israel two weeks ago, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the UN, the number of people who have fled their homes in Gaza due to Israeli attacks has now risen to 1.4 million, which is almost two-thirds of the 2.2 million people who live in the Palestinian enclave.

Festival. The Astra Film Festival, the biggest international documentary film event in Romania, announced its winners last night. In the “Romania” section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “Earths Sweet Kiss”, made by the French filmmaker Gautier Gumpper. It is a film that tells the story of a Romanian who chose to live under a bridge in Strasbourg, a place he transformed into a beautiful and useful garden, while protesting in a unique way at the European Court of Human Rights for injustice against him in Romania. In the Central and Eastern Europe section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “The Northeast Winds” (Georgia), by Nikoloz Bezhanishvili, made in Stalins hometown in Georgia. The winner of the Emerging Voices of Documentary Film section is the film (France/Belgium) “Adieu Sauvage”, by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento, a foray into the life of an Amerindian community in Colombia. And the best student documentary was designated a Romanian film – “Dancing at my parents wedding”, by Andreea Chiper. In this film, a young filmmaker watches a VHS tape from her parents wedding that took place 25 years ago, in an attempt to get to know her family better and also find herself.

Theater. The 23rdNational Theater Festival continues in Bucharest. The event takes place until October 30 and offers the public 30 productions from Romania and three foreign shows. The selection was made from over 150 shows staged in the 2022-2023 season, produced by state and independent theaters. The program also includes debates, conferences, exhibitions, evocations, reading performances, creative workshops, presentations of cultural institutions and projects, meetings and dialogues with guest artists, online events, radio shows. During the festival there is also a book fair, a true marathon of releases and presentations of new publishing products in the field of performing arts, signed by important authors and published by various publishing houses in Romania and abroad. (MI)

22 October 2023
October 22, 2023

Markup. In Romania, the capping of the trade markup of basic foods will be extended by 90 days, after November 1, according to a draft ordinance posted on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, and other products will be added to the list. The list of foods with markups capped at no more than 20% will also include: minced meat, garlic, round grain rice, tomato broth, cake, margarine, yeast and cream. The draft shows that the Governments decision had a positive impact, and the extension of the application period is necessary because the winter period is coming, when households expenses with utilities increase, as well as the need for consumption during the winter holidays. The initial list included 14 basic products, including: white bread, eggs, cows milk, white wheat flour, sunflower oil, fresh chicken and pork.

Hostage. A person having dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, residing in Israel, initially reported in the list of missing persons, is being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has announced. According to the quoted source, until this moment, the Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Consulate General of Romania in Haifa have not received requests for consular support regarding the disappearance or death of other Romanian citizens in Israel and they maintain contact with the Israeli authorities. More than 200 foreign and dual-national Israeli hostages were kidnapped and taken to Gaza by Hamas fighters in the unprecedented attack on October 7 that sparked a war. The first release of hostages, confirmed by both sides, took place on Saturday. It is about two American women – mother and daughter, kidnapped while they were visiting the Nahal Oz kibbutz. Qatar, which negotiated the release of the two Israelis with dual citizenship, said it would continue negotiations with the Hamas organization until the release of the kidnapped civilians, regardless of nationality. For its part, Israel states that it will continue to pressure Hamas diplomatically and militarily to obtain the release of all hostages.

Protests. On Saturday, protests related to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip took place in the major capitals of the world. The largest demonstration in Europe took place in London, where approximately 100,000 people participated in a solidarity march with the Palestinians. In Germany, pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bielefeld and other cities. In Ireland, people took to the streets in Dublin in solidarity with those in the Gaza Strip and against Israels actions. In Romania, in Bucharest, a rally was held in support of the civilians stuck in Gaza. It took place under special security conditions and no incidents were recorded. In the United States there were also demonstrations demanding the stop of Israeli bombing.

Military. The United States has announced that it is increasing its military presence in the Middle East because of “recent escalations by Iran and its allied forces” in the region. A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), as well as several batteries of Patriot surface-to-air missiles, will be deployed “across the region,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has announced. The United States has also sent several ships, including aircraft carriers, to the Middle East in recent weeks. In another move, the Israeli army accused the Lebanese Hezbollah of trying to achieve a military escalation in the border area with the risk of drawing Lebanon into war, after new exchanges of fire between Israel and the Shiite group. The Gaza Peace Summit organized by Egypt ended on Saturday without a joint final statement from the 34 countries and international organizations that participated in the meeting. Instead, Israel criticized the meeting for not coming up with a direct condemnation of the Islamist group Hamas. All this time, the Israeli army has continued its preparations for the entry of troops into the Gaza Strip, which it is bombarding. About 4,400 Palestinians have lost their lives in the bombing of Gaza, after Hamas, which controls it, attacked Israel two weeks ago, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians. According to the UN, the number of people who have fled their homes in Gaza due to Israeli attacks has now risen to 1.4 million, which is almost two-thirds of the 2.2 million people who live in the Palestinian enclave.

Festival. The Astra Film Festival, the biggest international documentary film event in Romania, announced its winners last night. In the “Romania” section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “Earths Sweet Kiss”, made by the French filmmaker Gautier Gumpper. It is a film that tells the story of a Romanian who chose to live under a bridge in Strasbourg, a place he transformed into a beautiful and useful garden, while protesting in a unique way at the European Court of Human Rights for injustice against him in Romania. In the Central and Eastern Europe section, the award for the best documentary went to the film “The Northeast Winds” (Georgia), by Nikoloz Bezhanishvili, made in Stalins hometown in Georgia. The winner of the Emerging Voices of Documentary Film section is the film (France/Belgium) “Adieu Sauvage”, by Sergio Guataquira Sarmiento, a foray into the life of an Amerindian community in Colombia. And the best student documentary was designated a Romanian film – “Dancing at my parents wedding”, by Andreea Chiper. In this film, a young filmmaker watches a VHS tape from her parents wedding that took place 25 years ago, in an attempt to get to know her family better and also find herself.

Theater. The 23rd National Theater Festival continues in Bucharest. The event takes place until October 30 and offers the public 30 productions from Romania and three foreign. The selection was made from over 150 shows staged in the 2022-2023 season, produced by state and independent theaters. The program also includes debates, conferences, exhibitions, reading performances, creative workshops, presentations of cultural institutions and projects, meetings and dialogues with guest artists, online events, radio shows. The festival also hosts a book fair, a true marathon of releases and presentations of new publishing products in the field of performing arts, signed by important authors and published by various publishing houses in Romania and abroad. (MI)

22 October 2023