Radio România Internațional

Tag: January 24

  • January 24, 2024

    January 24, 2024

    Union – Romanians mark on Wednesday, January 24, the Union of the Romanian Principalities of 1859. Achieved under the leadership of the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the act of political will of 165 years ago by the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia to unite represented the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian unitary state. This year as well, the Union of the Principalities, is marked by military and religious ceremonies, shows and exhibitions held in the countrys major cities. In Iasi (east), thousands of people came from the early hours of the morning to witness the events – a Te Deum, a ceremony at the statue of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the parade of over 300 soldiers and a traditional music concert. Alongside the residents of Iasi and the neighboring counties, high-ranking state dignitaries and politicians announced their presence at the ceremonies. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis gave a speech in which he stated that the anniversary of the Union of Principalities is not only a retrospective moment, but also an opportunity to project a better future for the nation. The PM Marcel Ciolacu stated that, 165 years after the Romanians united their efforts and laid the foundations of Romania as a nation, unitary and democratic state, Romania has entered a new stage of its modernization process, which will allow it to develop and grow to reach its real potential.



    Chisinau – The Foreign Minister of the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, announced his resignation on Wednesday. He stated that he had fulfilled the objective set when he was appointed, and now he needed a break. Among the main achievements during the 2 and a half years of holding the FM position, Nicu Popescu obtained a certain visibility on the international level and gave a boost to relations with external partners, obtaining for Moldova the status of EU accession candidate country in June 2022 and the opening of negotiations in December 2023. These, despite the Russian aggression in neighboring Ukraine, which affected Moldova from an economic and energy point of view, and Moscows destabilization attempts. The Moldovan official announced that he would continue to support the Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, and the current government in their efforts to bring the Republic of Moldova into the European family.



    US – The favorite of the American right, the former US president, Donald Trump, won, on Tuesday evening, the New Hampshire primary against his rival Nikki Haley, opening the way to his nomination by the Republican Party for the November presidential election against the Democrat Joe Biden. Since his November 2020 defeat by President Biden, which he has never acknowledged, and despite facing four criminal trials, Trump is determined to get revenge. To face Joe Biden on November 5, Trump must be nominated by his party at the end of all primaries in the American states. Last week, Donald Trump also won the Iowa primary.



    Ambassadors – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, presented, on Tuesday, at the meeting of US ambassadors from the Black Sea region, held in Bucharest, Romanias approach to this area, focusing on its importance for the security of the Euro-Atlantic space and the prosperity of Europe. The head of Romanian diplomacy spoke about the deterioration of the security situation due to Russias war against Ukraine and the need to consolidate the allied presence on the entire Eastern Flank, as shown by a Foreign Ministry press release issued on Wednesday. At the same time, Ms. Odobescu mentioned Romanias constant involvement in supporting Ukraine, including the contribution to facilitating the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products to third markets. The event, hosted by the US Embassy in Bucharest and the US European Command (EUCOM), brought together senior American officials accredited in the states of the region.



    NATO – The Turkish Parliament ratified, on Tuesday evening, Swedens accession to NATO, marking the end of 20 months of negotiations that tested the patience of Ankaras Western allies, eager to make a united front against Moscow. To meet Turkeys demands, Sweden has gone to great lengths to reform its constitution and pass a new anti-terrorism law, with Ankara accusing the northern country of leniency towards Kurdish militants who have taken refuge on its territory. The Swedish candidacy now requires the green light from Hungary. Budapest supported, in principle, Sweden’s entry but demands Stockholm to stop its policy of “denigration” of the Hungarian government, accused of authoritarianism. Sweden, one step away from becoming the 32nd member country of the North Atlantic Alliance, announced its candidacy in May 2022, at the same time as Finland, admitted last April. (LS)


  • Romanians celebrated the Union of the Principalities Day

    Romanians celebrated the Union of the Principalities Day

    The official copy of the Paris Convention of 1858, granted to the Romanian Principalities by the Ottoman Empire, was publicly exhibited, on Tuesday, for the first time in Romania. The document represents one of the first Constitutions of Romanians that underlay the Union of the Principalities in the following year, 1859, on January 24. 164 years ago, Moldavia and Wallachia united under the leadership of one single ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza. From a historical point of view the exceptional political event was considered the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian unitary state, later completed in 1918. In a message, the Royal Family of Romania completes the chronology, recalling that, 7 years later, in 1866, the first Constitution of the state called Romania was proclaimed; 18 years after the Union of the Principalities, in 1877, Romania became an independent state, and 22 years later, in 1881 it became a kingdom. In 2023 as well January 24th was an occasion for celebration throughout Romania.



    There were numerous military ceremonies in all the garrisons where monuments dedicated to the Union of the Romanian Principalities have been built. In the Orthodox churches, the 164th anniversary of the Union of the Principalities was marked by Te Deum services, at the end of which, for one minute, the bells rang. In Bucharest, flower wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an event attended by President Klaus Iohannis who declared that the gains of 1859 are a lesson of responsibility for all those who continue to build a European, modern and democratic Romania. The epicenter of the manifestations occasioned by the Union Day was the city of Iasi, once the capital of Moldavia, then, for a short period, one of the two newly United capitals of the Principalities – Moldavia and Wallachia. The events that marked the day in Iasi on Tuesday included a traditional music concert, a military parade with over 300 soldiers, a memorial service at the tomb of the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, at the Trei Ierarhi Monastery, aming others.



    Among the thousands of people who chose to celebrate the Union Day in Iasi were the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu. An opportunity for the PM to state that the roots of European Romania can be found in the Union that occurred 164 years ago, an authentic example of the unity of the will of Romanians, which opened the path for the emancipation and modernization of the state. Since 1859, until today, the unmistakable leitmotif of January 24th has remained, however, “Hora Unirii” — The Union Round Dance, a poem by Vasile Alecsandri on the musical setting of Alexandru Flechtenmacher, which is sung and danced on by everybody throughout Romania. (LS)

  • January 24, 2019

    January 24, 2019

    Union of principalities — Romania is hosting today religious and military ceremonies as well as cultural events to mark 160 years since the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1859. The union is considered the foundation of modern Romania. A service was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, which remembered the makers of the 1859 Union and wreathes of flowers were laid at the statue of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The Patriarchal Palace also hosted a science communication session during which President Klaus Iohannis underlined that in 1859 the Romanian Principalities embraced the European values and started a large-scale process for the state’s modernization and consolidation. The Romanian President also added that in 2019 Romania’s destiny could not be separated from the EU as a project for peace, prosperity, safety, fairness and cohesion for its citizens. He went on to say that for 160 years Romanians have been coming closer to the fundamental humanist values of Europe, by building a state of democracy, of human dignity and of the rule of law, of freedom and equality. In her message, the PM Viorica Dancila said that the celebration of the United Principalities Day both in Romania and Brussels, during Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU, is a confirmation of the fact that the Romanian people has always had the power and wisdom to choose the right path. Festivities are also held in Iasi, the largest city of eastern Romania, in other cities of Romania as well as in Moldova’s capital Chisinau.



    Brussels — The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila on Thursday presented in Brussels, at the plenary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee, the priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. According to PM Dancila, a strong and cohesive union is the answer given to the European citizens by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU whose motto is ‘Cohesion, a common European value’ in the political, economic, territorial and social fields. The PM said the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy should remain the main investment policies of the Union. PM Dancila said that Romania would promote the measures meant to increase competitiveness and to promote connectivity and digitization, to boost entrepreneurship and consolidate the industrial policy. According to the Romanian PM Romania is involved in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.



    Paris — The former French president Francois Hollande and other officials, heads of diplomatic missions from the EU and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, on Wednesday visited the studio of the late sculptor Constantin Brancusi and admired works by Romanian artists exhibited at the Pompidou Center in Paris, as part of the France — Romania Season, shows an embassy communiqué quoted by AGERPRES. The Season was inaugurated by presidents Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Iohannis on November 27, 2018. The Pompidou Center hosts works by Mihai Olos, Cornel Brudascu, Marcel Iancu, Eli Lotar, Tristan Tzara, Geta Bratescu and Mircea Cantor. The former president Francois Hollande is the one who initiated the France — Romania Season together with president Klaus Iohannis.



    Tennis – Young Romanian tennis player Filip Jianu (17 years old) on Thursday qualified to the singles semifinals of the Australian Open Junior Championships. He defeated the American Cannon Kingsley in 3 sets. In the last but one match Jianu will take on another American Emilio Nava, seeded 13th. Filip Jianu will also play today in the doubles semifinals together with Spanish Nicolas Alvarez Varona against the pair Cannon Kingsley/Emilio Nava. We recall that Simona Halep was eliminated in the eighth finals in Melbourne and will no longer hold the 1st place in the WTA ranking as of Monday. In the women’s final the Czech Petra Kvitova will take on Japanese Naomi Osaka.



    Statistics — Almost 85% of the EU inhabitants with ages between 16 and 74 used the Internet in 2018, show data published on Thursday by Eurostat. The highest percentage of people that used the Internet in 2018 in this age bracket was reported in Denmark (98%), followed by Luxemburg (97%) and the Netherlands (95%). The lowest percentage was registered in Bulgaria (65%), Romania (71%) and Greece (72%). (translation by L. Simion)

  • Romanians celebrated the Union of 1859

    Romanians celebrated the Union of 1859

    On January 24, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected a week earlier ruler of Moldavia, was elected by the Elective Assembly in Bucharest as sovereign of Wallachia and proclaimed ruler of the United Principalities.



    During his 7-year rule, Cuza promoted several radical reforms, which established the institutional foundation of modern Romania, further consolidated by Kings Carol I and Ferdinand. Dubbed the “Unifier”, Ferdinand would unite in 1918, at the end of WWI, all the Romanian territories that until then had been under the rule of the neighboring multi-national empires.



    The Little Union of 1859 was celebrated on Wednesday through religious and military ceremonies, floral tributes and open air shows. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis participated in the official mass held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest and also in the scientific session organized by the Romanian Academy.



    Iohannis reiterated his conviction that Romania’s progress is indissolubly linked with the existence of a coherent and stable legislation, which sanctions abuses and dishonesty. Klaus Iohannis: “People who rule the country have the duty to pay more attention to citizen’s needs, to be more concerned about the long-term consequences of the decisions they make and to be more open to dialogue. We need a state to serve the interests of society, because Romanians want a decent and efficient governing.”



    In a message posted on the Government’s site, the interim PM Mihai Fifor says that the union of the Romanian principalities 159 years ago was the effort of the entire Romanian nation, which managed to turn history into a direction that was different from the one the foreign powers had envisaged. The union message was carried from Bucharest to Iasi, the historical capital of the Principality of Moldavia, by a train symbolically named “the Union Train”, with a locomotive painted in Romania’s national colors: red, yellow and blue. The ceremonies in Iasi were attended by the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Princess Margaret, MPs, local authorities and guests from the Republic of Moldova.



    According to our correspondents, the Union Day was also celebrated in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, where floral tributes were paid at the statue of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza and many people of culture, historians and politicians talked about the importance of that historic moment.



    Also, for ten years now, a community in Rome, made up of Romanian Christians of different denominations — Orthodox, Greek and Roman- Catholic — have celebrated the Union together through a religious mass. The Te-Deum held on Wednesday was also attended by the Romanian ambassadors to Rome and the Vatican. (Translated by M. Ignatescu, edited by D. Vijeu)