Radio România Internațional

Tag: John Malkovich

  • June 29, 2024

    June 29, 2024

    OSCE Until July 3rd Bucharest is hosting the 31st annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE. High on the agenda is the Parliamentary prospects regarding the OSCE role in the present security architecture. The participants – MPs from over 50 member states of the organization – are expected to endorse the statement in Bucharest, a document to comprise the resolutions of the general commissions and the additional ones initiated by the members. These will include a resolution on the worsening situation of the human rights in the breakaway region of Transdniester, in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova. Russia and Belarus have been excluded from the Bucharest meeting.

     

    DAY Christians in Romania are today celebrating the holy apostles Peter and Paul, the most important apostles of Jesus Christ. St. Peter disseminated Christianity in Palestine and Rome, while St. Paul founded many churches in the territories presently owned by Turkey and Greece. The two died as martyrs in Rome during the anti-Christian persecutions initiated by the mad emperor Nero in the year 67 a.d. Over 450 thousand Romanians are bearing the names of the two great apostles.

     

    VOTE The opposition Save Romania Union is today electing its leading structures and nominating its candidate in the presidential election. Earlier this week, a new leader was elected online, Elena Lasconi, after the former leader Catalin Drula had stepped down amid the poor results obtained by his group in the election of June 9th for the local administration and the European Parliament. Lasconi is one of the three vying for the nomination of the group’s candidate in the presidential election. In another development, the Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu on Friday announced he would invite the leaders of all political parties for talks on the election timetable. The announcement comes after the ruling PSD and PNL, which are forming the ruling coalition in Bucharest, had failed to agree over the election date for the highest position in the state.

     

    SIBIU Seven artistic personalities are today being awarded a star on the Star Alley in Sibiu, central Romania during the International Theatre Festival underway there. Some of these celebrities are the US actor John Malkovich, French actress, Isabelle Adjani, and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature last year. The festival’s schedule includes numerous indoor and outdoor shows. Tonight on the stage of the Museum of Traditional Civilisation, one of the largest in Romania, the Madrigal choir will be presenting a preview of an extraordinary performance known as ‘Rituals’. The 31st edition of the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu kicked off on June 21st and is due to end on Sunday night.

     

    WEATHER The weather is hot in most parts of Romania, especially in its south, which has seen a lot of hot days this month, quite unusual for this time of the year. The comfort index is expected to clear the 80 unit threshold. The highs of the day are ranging between 28 and 30 degrees centigrade in most of the regions expect for the south where they will rise up to 35 degrees. The sky is overcast and showers and even thunderstorms are expected in the north, west and in central Romania. Hail is expected on isolated areas and the noon reading in Bucharest stands at 32 degrees Celsius.

    (bill)

  • July 22, 2023 UPDATE

    July 22, 2023 UPDATE

    Weather. 16 hydrographic basins in the western half of Romania are subject to hydrological warnings until Sunday noon. Yellow warnings for flooding have been issued for the Someşul Mic, Crişuri, Mureş, Miraj, Aries, Târnava Mică and Târnava Mare basins. Exceeding flows and rising levels may occur, possibly above the attention quotas, also on the rivers Bega, Timiş, Bârzava, Caraş, Nera, Cerna, Jiu, Motru, Râul Negru, Olt, but also on Ialomiţa, Prahova, Buzău, Putna and Râmnicu Sărat. The western half of the country is under a yellow code of atmospheric instability, for gales and hail. Water quantities exceed 30-40 liters per square meter and, in some areas, over 50 liters per square meter.



    Travel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest informs Romanian citizens who are transiting or want to travel to Portugal that the local authorities are re-introducing random border controls until August 7, during the World Youth Day activities. The measure concerns the check points at the land border with Spain, as well as airport check points. During the event, for Lisbon and the metropolitan area, the Portuguese authorities established a package of measures, which includes, among other things, traffic restrictions. Also, between August 1 and 6, public transport in Lisbon and the metropolitan area will operate according to a modified route and schedule.



    Insurance House. The IT system of the National Health Insurance House in Romania (CNAS), on which consultations and the issuing of prescriptions are based, is to be modernized with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The project, worth 70 million euros, would become fully functional only in 2025. Until then, it is expected that the current system will operate more in emergency mode, as it is happening now and as it happened in the last weeks. The spokesperson for the institution, Larisa Mezinu Bălan, has stated that one of the reasons is that the system has already been operating for two decades, and the IT specialists needed to ensure its maintenance are not interested in the job because the salaries offered are not so attractive. She specified that by April 30, 2025, CNAS is considering expanding the storage space of the current system, so as to improve operational times. At the same time, the institution calls on the health service providers and doctors not to postpone the necessary treatments to the insured due to the problems of the IT system, since the medical services can also be provided offline and will be reimbursed.



    Ukraine. The spokeswoman for the Defense Forces of southern Ukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, has stated that, most likely, the Russian invasion army has taken a break in terms of bombing Ukrainian territory. However, she stressed, the enemy has intensified its reconnaissance operations. Humeniuk added that the activation of Russian reconnaissance drones indicates that the occupiers are trying to gather information, in particular, about Ukraines port infrastructure. According to her, the activity of enemy drones is registered in the coastal area of ​​the Black Sea.



    Summer University. The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, once again used the context of his presence at the Summer University of Băile Tuşnad, in central Romania, to launch provocative statements. The leader from Budapest commented ironically on the recommendations he said hed received from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the topics he could address in his speech. He stated that he was told what he could and could not talk about. The head of the Hungarian government suggested in this context that he could influence Romanias accession to the Schengen area, referring to the fact that, in the middle of next year, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. He wished success to the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, at the beginning of his mandate, but commented ironically that since he had been in charge of the executive in Budapest, Romania had 20 prime ministers. Before participating in the event in Băile Tuşnad, Viktor Orbán met with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.



    Eurobarometer. Romania ranks last in the European Union in terms of financial knowledge, according to the results of a Eurobarometer. The survey, carried out at the request of the European Commission, shows that more than half of Romanians belive that they know a lot about money, but only 13% can prove, through correct answers, that they understand what inflation is, what interest rates are and how investments are made. The Netherlands, Denmark, Finland or Estonia are the best in this regard. The survey also has a section dedicated to the so-called digital financial literacy, where Romania is in the middle of the European ranking. 80% of Romanians, a percentage above the EU average, say that they feel comfortable with digitized banking services, with online payments or with the help of the phone. However, Romanians are positioned at the bottom of the ranking regarding the ability to support themselves financially in case they suddenly lose their main source of income: a quarter of Romanians say that they have no money set aside for such extreme situations and only 23% estimate that they could support themselves from savings for at least half a year.



    Elections. 35 million Spaniards are expected, on Sunday, at the polls for the parliamentary elections. The Radio Romania correspondent in Madrid notes that the head of the government and the leader of the Socialist Party, Pedro Sanchez, is counting on what he calls the well-being of the Spaniards during his mandate. The leader of the Peoples Party (right, in opposition), Alberto Feijóo, promises reparations for the things Sanchez did wrong. Yolanda Díaz, the creator of the extreme left platform Sumar announces the coming to power of the people and the oppressed classes, and Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far- right party VOX, promises almost the same thing, only with the nuance that the people coming to power must be exclusively Spanish. Opinion polls have varied in the last month and have led to changes in strategy. If 30 days ago the Peoples Party looked like it would win easily without needing an alliance with VOX to govern, in the last week the figures show that everything has reversed, and the Socialists will lead, together with Sumar, for another four years.



    Timisoara. The famous American actor John Malkovich played, on Friday evening, the last of the two performances of the “Infernal Comedy” show, part of the “Timişoara – European Capital of Culture” Program. The performances were sold-out. The actor plays in “Infernal Comedy” the role of a serial killer, in an original directorial concept, based on a script written especially for John Malkovich.



    Tennis. Romanians Ana Bogdan and Irina Begu will play in the finals of the BCR Iasi Open tournament in Romania, with 100,000 euros in prize money. Bogdan, number 49 WTA, the reigning champion and the second favorite of the tournament in Iasi (north-east), qualified for the last round after defeating Raluka Şerban, a Romanian player representing Cyprus, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. For her part, Begu, ranked 31st in the world ranking and the competitions first seed, has defeated the Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. The Begu-Bogdan final will take place on Sunday in the central arena of the Iasi complex. (MI)


  • Nachrichten 22.07.2023

    Nachrichten 22.07.2023

    Bukarest: Im Süden und Südosten Rumäniens haben die Meteorologen fürs Wochenende eine Warnung der Stufe Gelb für extreme Hitze ausgegeben. Die Höchsttemperaturen können 38-39 Grad Celsius erreichen. Für die westliche Hälfte des Landes warnt der Wetterdienst vor Stürmen und Hagel. Die Wassermengen können vereinzelt 30-40 Liter pro Quadratmeter und in einigen Landesteilen mehr als 50 Liter pro Quadratmeter betragen.



    Bukarest: Das Au‎ßenministerium in Bukarest informiert rumänische Staatsbürger, die nach Portugal reisen oder reisen wollen, dass die örtlichen Behörden ab heute und bis zum 7. August, während der Aktivitäten zum Weltjugendtag, wieder stichprobenartige Grenzkontrollen einführen werden. Die Ma‎ßnahme betrifft die Kontrollpunkte an der Landgrenze zu Spanien sowie die Kontrollpunkte am Flughafen. Für Lissabon und das Stadtgebiet haben die portugiesischen Behörden für die Dauer der Veranstaltung ein Ma‎ßnahmenpaket geschnürt, das unter anderem Verkehrsbeschränkungen vorsieht. Zudem werden die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel in Lissabon zwischen dem 1. und 6. August nach einem geänderten Strecken- und Fahrplan verkehren.



    Kiew: Die Sprecherin der Verteidigungskräfte der Südukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, hat erklärt, dass die russische Invasionsarmee höchstwahrscheinlich eine Pause bei der Bombardierung ukrainischen Territoriums eingelegt hat. Sie betonte jedoch, dass Moskau seine Aufklärungsoperationen intensiviert habe. Die verstärkte Präsenz russischer Aufklärungsdrohnen deute darauf hin, dass Russland versuche, Informationen insbesondere über die Hafeninfrastruktur der Ukraine zu sammeln, so Humeniuk.



    Madrid: 35 Millionen Spanier werden am Sonntag an den Urnen zu den Parlamentswahlen erwartet. Der Korrespondent von Radio Romania in Madrid stellt fest, dass der Regierungschef und Vorsitzende der Sozialistischen Partei, Pedro Sanchez, auf das Wohl der Spanier während seiner Amtszeit setzt. Der Vorsitzende der Volkspartei (rechts, in der Opposition), Alberto Feijóo, verspricht Wiedergutmachung für die Dinge, die Sanchez falsch gemacht hat. Yolanda Díaz, die Gründerin der linksextremen Plattform Sumar, kündigt die Machtübernahme des Volkes und Santiago Abascal, der Vorsitzende der rechtsextremen Partei VOX, verspricht fast dasselbe, nur mit der Nuance, dass die Leute, die an die Macht kommen, ausschlie‎ßlich Spanier sein müssen.



    Temeswar: Hollywood-Star John Malkovich hat am Freitagabend die letzte der beiden Vorstellungen der Show “Die infernale Komödie” in Temeswar, Kulturhauptstadt Europas gespielt. Die Aufführungen waren ausverkauft. Der Darsteller spielt in “Die infernale Komödie” die Rolle eines Serienmörders in einem originellen Regiekonzept, das auf einem speziell für John Malkovich geschriebenen Drehbuch basiert.

  • July 22, 2023

    July 22, 2023

    Weather.
    The thermal discomfort will be extremely
    high, today, in the south and southeast of Romania, for which the meteorologists
    have issued amber warnings for extreme heat. Maximum temperatures can reach 38-39 degrees
    Celsius. For the western half of the country, a yellow code of atmospheric
    instability is in place, warning of gales and hail. The amounts of water that
    will accumulate in short time intervals, from one to three hours, will be 30-40
    liters per square meter and, in some parts, more than 50 liters per square
    meter.




    Travel.
    The
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest informs Romanian citizens who are transiting
    or want to travel to Portugal that the local authorities are re-introducing
    random border controls starting today and until August 7, during the World
    Youth Day activities. The measure concerns the check points at the land border
    with Spain, as well as airport check points. During the event, for Lisbon and the
    metropolitan area, the Portuguese authorities established a package of
    measures, which includes, among other things, traffic restrictions. Also, between August 1 and 6, public transport
    in Lisbon and the metropolitan area will operate according to a modified route
    and schedule.








    Ukraine.
    The spokeswoman for the Defense Forces of
    southern Ukraine, Natalia Humeniuk, has stated that, most likely, the Russian
    invasion army has taken a break in terms of bombing Ukrainian territory.
    However, she stressed, the enemy has intensified its reconnaissance operations.
    Humeniuk added that the activation of Russian reconnaissance drones indicates
    that the occupiers are trying to gather information, in particular, about
    Ukraine’s port infrastructure. According to her, the activity of enemy drones
    is registered in the coastal area of ​​the Black Sea.




    Elections.
    35 million Spaniards are expected, on
    Sunday, at the polls for the parliamentary elections. The Radio Romania correspondent
    in Madrid notes that the head of the government and the leader of the Socialist
    Party, Pedro Sanchez, is counting on what he calls the well-being of the
    Spaniards during his mandate. The leader of the People’s Party (right, in
    opposition), Alberto Feijóo, promises reparations for the things Sanchez did
    wrong. Yolanda Díaz, the creator of the extreme left platform Sumar announces
    the coming to power of the people and the oppressed classes, and Santiago
    Abascal, the leader of the far- right party VOX, promises almost the same
    thing, only with the nuance that the people coming to power must be exclusively
    Spanish. Opinion polls have varied in the last month and have led to changes in
    strategy. If 30 days ago the People’s Party looked like it would win easily without
    needing an alliance with VOX to govern, in the last week the figures show that
    everything has reversed, and the Socialists will lead, together with Sumar, for
    another four years.






    Timisoara.
    The famous American actor John Malkovich
    played, on Friday evening, the last of the two performances of the
    Infernal Comedy show, part of the Timişoara – European
    Capital of Culture Program. The performances were sold-out. The actor
    plays in Infernal Comedy the role of a serial killer, in an
    original directorial concept, based on a script written especially for John
    Malkovich.




    Sports.
    The president of the Romanian Olympics and
    Sports Committee Mihai Covaliu has stated that Romania’s goal at the European
    Youth Olympics Festival, the summer edition, scheduled for July 23-29 in
    Maribor (Slovenia), is to win 20 medals. The Romanian delegation is composed of
    92 athletes, who will compete in 9 disciplines: athletics, 3×3 basketball, road
    cycling, MTB cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo and tennis.
    At the last edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival, held last year in
    Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), Romania came in 8th in the final ranking, with 19 medals, of which
    5 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze. (MI)

  • Retrospectiva săptămânii 16.07 – 22.07.2023

    Retrospectiva săptămânii 16.07 – 22.07.2023

    Val de caniculă


    Canicula s-a abătut şi asupra României si a persistat toată săptămâna, fără a avea, totuşi, intensitatea valului de căldură care a afectat sudul continentului. Temperaturile au atins 40 de grade, în special în sud şi vest, disconfortul termic a fost ridicat, iar indicele temperatură-umezeală a depăşit pragul critic de 80 de unitaţi. În multe oraşe, primăriile au amenajat în zonele aglomerate spaţii în care oamenii s-au putut răcori şi au luat măsuri pentru ca fântânile arteziene şi sistemele de aer condiţionat din transportul public să fie funcţionale. Transportul rutier a fost restricţionat pentru autovehiculele de mare tonaj pe anumite sectoare de drum. A fost afectat şi transportul feroviar. Temperaturile extrem de ridicate şi neglijenţa umană au favorizat apariţia incendiilor de vegetaţie, însă de dimensiuni care le-au făcut controlabile. În destule zone din ţară, căldura excesivă a alternat cu furtuni şi vijelii.



    Înlocuitori pentru doi miniştri ai cabinetului Ciolacu


    Temperatura politică a mai scăzut după ce PSD, parte a coaliţiei de guvernare, a nominalizat înlocuitorii celor doi miniştri care demisionaseră pe fondul scandalului legat de centrele sociale unde tratamentele degradante şi lipsa de empatie pentru pacienţi reprezentau regula. Deputata Natalia Intotero a înlocuit-o pe Gabriela Firea la ministerul Familiei, Tineretului şi Egalitaţii de şanse, iar o altă deputată social-democrată, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, a preluat ministerul Muncii de la Marius Budăi. Premierul Marcel Ciolacu, care avertizase că vor fi destituiri peste tot unde s-au descoperit nereguli în privinţa centrelor rezidenţiale pentru persoanele vârstnice, i-a cerut noului titular de la Muncă să-i suspende din funcţii pe şefii direcţiilor de asistenţă socială din 7 judeţe şi capitala Bucureşti. El a recunoscut că, deşi sunt necesare, demiterile şi demisiile nu rezolvă decât o parte a problemei, de aceea urmează cealaltă parte esenţială, modificarea legislaţiei privind acreditarea, licenţierea, monitorizarea şi controlul acestor centre. Pe de altă parte, nemulţumit că partidul său achită, singur, costurile politice ale scandalului, purtătorul de cuvânt al PSD, Lucian Romaşcanu, a declarat că s-ar impune şi demisia actualui ministru al Culturii, liberala Raluca Turcan, pentru că a avizat aşa-numitele azile ale groazei pe când conducea ministerul Muncii. Dna Turcan a replicat că, în momentul avizării, toate lucrurile erau în regulă, iar semnarea acreditării este o cerinţă administrativă şi o obligaţie, dacă sunt întrunite condiţiile prevăzute de lege.



    Ziua Aviaţiei Române şi instructaj pentru piloţii ucraineni


    Antrenamentele piloţilor ucraineni pe aeronave F-16 ar putea începe, în România, la sfârşitul lunii august. Anunţul, în fapt o confirmare a unei informaţii apărute recent, a fost făcut de preşedintele Klaus Iohannis. Şeful statului a precizat că este un proiect important şi de durată, care trebuie bine pregătit pentru a se dovedi un succes. În săptămâna anunţului, a fost marcată Ziua Aviaţiei şi a Forţelor Aeriene Române. Acestea reprezintă o componentă modernă şi importantă a Armatei României, ca mijloc de răspuns la provocările militare de securitate din regiunea Mării Negre şi de pe întregul Flanc Estic, iar acţiunile desfăşurate de aviatorii militari, alături de ceilalţi militari, contribuie semnificativ la consolidarea profilului ţării la nivel regional şi euroatlantic, a subliniat preşedintele Iohannis. Potrivit şefului statului, alocarea, începând cu acest an, a 2,5% din PIB pentru Apărare va permite derularea de proiecte majore de înzestrare a Forţelor Aeriene şi de îmbunătăţire semnificativă a condiţiilor de executare a misiunilor de luptă, precum suplimentarea aeronavelor F-16, care fac tranziţia către platformele F-35.



    John Malkovich, pe scena la Timişoara


    Celebrul actor american John Malkovich a urcat joi şi vineri pe scena Teatrului Naţional din Timişoara, în reprezentaţii cu piesa ”Comedie infernală”, o premieră absolută pentru oraş şi un moment de vârf al Capitalei Europene a Culturii. ‘Comedie infernală’ este un spectacol pe care autorul său, austriacul Michael Sturminger, care semnează şi regia artistică, l-a scris special pentru Malkovich, construind un dialog între limbajul vorbit şi cel cântat. Universul sonor este punctat de muzica lui Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Weber, Gluck şi Boccherini. Comedie infernală s-a jucat în peste 150 de săli de spectacol din întreaga lume, în ţări de pe trei continente. Dublu nominalizat la Oscar, la Globul de Aur şi pentru premiile BAFTA, John Malkovich a jucat în numeroase filme cu impact la nivel mondial. Personajul său din Con Air / Avionul condamnaţilor, Cyrus ‘The Virus’, este cunoscut ca fiind unul dintre cele mai impresionante personaje negative ale cinematografiei celei de-a doua jumătăţi a secolului al XX-lea.



    Fotbalul românesc, în derivă


    Deţinătoarea titlului în România, Farul Constanţa a fost eliminată din preliminariile Ligii Campionilor la fotbal de Sheriff Tiraspol, campioana Republicii Moldova. Aceasta s-a impus, pe teren propriu, cu 3-0, în manşa secundă a primului tur preliminar, după ce pierduse prima manşă cu 1-0. Cu Sheriff am fost cea mai proastă versiune a noastră, a declarat antrenorul Farului, Gheorghe Hagi. Anul trecut, campioana CFR Cluj, era eliminată în aceeaşi fază de o cvasianonimă echipă din Armenia. Incapabil să mai propună formaţii care să facă faţă unor confruntări cu echipe fără nume din estul continentului, fotbalul românesc este, în prezent, cea mai slabă versiune a sa din istorie. Farul Constanţa, alături de CFR Cluj, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe si FCSB, vor încerca, acum, să prindă un loc în grupele ultimei competiţii continentale ca importanţă, Conference League.






  • July 20, 2023

    July 20, 2023

    Welfare.
    The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu,
    has asked the new Minister of Labor, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, to replace the
    leadership of the welfare departments in seven counties and Bucharest, as well
    as the suspension of the head of the Labor Inspectorate. The head of the government
    stated that following the controls carried out at national level, serious
    problems were identified in the activity of some welfare centers in the
    respective counties. We remind you that the new Romanian Ministers of Labor and
    Family, Simona Bucura-Oprescu and Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday. They replaced Marius Budai and
    Gabriela Firea, who resigned amid the scandal related to the irregularities
    found in the nursing homes for the elderly.






    Army. The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said today,
    on the occasion of the Romanian Aviation
    and Air Force Day, that Ukraine’s dramatic experience shows that defense starts
    at home, that’s why the Romanian Army is carrying out the most ambitious
    modernization program in its history. Angel Tîlvăr also said that the
    Romanian Air Force is going through one of the most magnificent periods in its history.
    Fighter and transport planes, military helicopters and civilian aircraft have
    flown over the capital today. Romanian
    Aviation and Air Force Day is celebrated every year on July 20, when the Holy
    Prophet Elijah, the spiritual protector of pilots, is celebrated. Currently,
    the Romanian detachment ‘Carpathian Vipers’, consisting of four F-16 aircraft,
    is deployed in Lithuania carrying out an Enhanced Air Policing mission in the
    Baltic States.




    JHA. The Romanian Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin
    Predoiu, had a meeting with Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for
    Internal Affairs, in the context of the informal meeting of the JHA Council in
    Logrono, Spain, organized by the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council. The
    projects carried out jointly by the Romainan Interior Ministry and the European
    Commission regarding border protection were analyzed, as well as the ministry’s
    actions regarding border protection and combating illegal migration. According
    to a ministry press release, Minister Predoiu has stressed that the efficient
    management of migration, the fight against illegal migration and the control at
    the external borders of the EU are priorities of his mandate. The European
    Commissioner mentioned the very good results obtained following the
    implementation of the pilot project, managed by Romania together with the
    European Commission and expressed again the Commission’s support for the
    accession to the Schengen area and obtaining a favorable decision this year.




    Government. The Bucharest government has gathered today to discuss,
    among other things, a draft ordinance aimed at creating the appropriate legal
    framework for the marketing of all tobacco products. At the same time, a bill
    will be analyzed to complete the ordinance regarding some measures necessary
    for the implementation of the European Aid Fund intended for the most
    disadvantaged people, the settlement of some expenses related to the support of
    refugees from Ukraine, as well as the granting of grants from non-refundable
    external funds for investments in SME engineering. Also, some measures will be discussed to provide
    support to the categories of vulnerable people for compensating the energy
    price, partially supported by non-reimbursable external funds. The Executive’s
    agenda also includes a draft decision for the payment of Romania’s annual
    financial contribution to the budget of the Organization for Economic
    Cooperation and Development, following the acquisition of the status of an
    associated member state within the anti-bribery working group.




    Diplomacy. Romanian Foreign Minister Luminiţa Odobescu, is
    participating today in the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels. The
    participants’ talks focus on the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the EU’s
    approach to Turkey. They will also discuss issues regarding the relationship
    with China and the results of the EU-CELAC Summit that took place the other day
    in Brussels. The discussion on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus
    on diplomatic efforts at the global level in support of Ukraine, including in
    the context of Russia’s refusal to extend the validity of the Black Sea Grain
    Initiative. European ministers will also
    have a discussion on the external dimension of European economic security. As
    regards Turkey, the talks are aimed to identify the best ways to advance
    EU-Turkey relations.




    Culture. Today and tomorrow, the famous American actor John
    Malkovich will take the stage of the National Theater in Timisoara (western
    Romania), the European Capital of Culture in 2023. He will perform a role in
    the play Infernal Comedy, which was performed in countries on three
    continents. It is a show that its author, Michael Sturminger, who also signs
    the artistic direction, wrote especially for the famous actor, building a
    dialogue between spoken and sung language. A double Oscar, Golden Globe and
    BAFTA nominee, John Malkovich has starred in numerous films with worldwide
    impact. Also today, the famous Electric Castle music festival
    begins, at the Banffy Castle in Bonţida, in Cluj county (north-west). This
    year’s edition will be bigger than last year, the organizers said. Among
    others, The Chemical Brothers, Iggy Pop, Macklemore, Sigur Ros, Tash Sultana,
    Peggy Gou, REZZ, George Ezra, or Jamie xx will take the stage. In 2019,
    Electric Castle was named Best Medium-Sized European
    Festival and is the only one that offers the complete experience with
    camping, and the music plays non-stop. (MI)









  • May 16, 2023 UPDATE

    May 16, 2023 UPDATE

    Government. The leaders of the National Liberal (PNL) and Social Democratic (PSD) parties, members of the ruling coalition in Romania, met, on Tuesday, in separate meetings, to establish the mandates that their representatives will have during the negotiations for the formation of the future Government, which will be led by the Social Democrats, after the rotation of premiers. The Social-Democratic leader, Marcel Ciolacu, would take over the position of head of Government from the current Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, based on a protocol concluded between the two parties in November 2021. Nicolae Ciucă said that he would resign on May 26. PSD wants the future Executive to have fewer portfolios, fewer state secretaries and fewer government agencies. The Social Democrats priorities include the drop in inflation, an increase in the purchasing power and more investments. The Liberals also want to reduce the number of secretaries of state and undersecretaries of state, while preserving the protocol that is in force and on which the governing coalition is based. If the protocol is not observed, the PNL wants the renegotiation of the distribution of the ministries, but also the reduction of the number of portfolios.



    Visit. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is participating in the Council of Europe Summit hosted by Reykjavik, Iceland. Held under the motto United around our values ​​/ United for Europe, the fourth edition of the high-level meeting emphasizes the role of the Council of Europe in the current geopolitical context marked by Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. The organization responsible for democracy, human rights and the rule of law was among the first international institutions to react with a concrete action, namely by excluding the Russian Federation from among the member states. On Wednesday, on the second day of the summit in Reykjavik, President Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Romanias commitment to the system of the European Convention on Human Rights and highlight the role that the Council of Europe has played in the 30 years of the countrys membership of the organization in Strasbourg, to the consolidation of a stable and mature democracy. At the end of the summit, a Declaration will be adopted reconfirming the particular role of the Council of Europe in the multilateral architecture at the European and international level.



    Strike. Education employees will go on a two-hour warning strike on Wednesday, and on Monday, May 22, they could start an all-out strike. According to trade unionists in the field, 70% of the teaching staff and other categories of workers in the system support this form of protest. They say that the Government must invest more in education. The claims mainly concern salary increases, an annual indexation in keeping with the inflation rate and the payment of additional hours performed by auxiliary teaching and non-teaching staff. In recent months, employees in education have participated in several protests and marches. Signatures are also being collected for a general strike the health-care and welfare system, starting June 15. Last but not least, in Bucharest, several hundreds metro trade unionists picketed the Ministry of Transport on Tuesday, dissatisfied with the companys underfunding, the lack of staff and the ban on the right to negotiate.



    Timisoara. The famous American actor John Malkovich will be in Timisoara, western Romania, on July 20 and 21 with a show entitled “The Infernal Comedy”, held at the National Theatre in the city. This is an absolute first for Timisoara, a European Capital of Culture this year. An Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee, John Malcovich has performed in many successful movies, among which Dangerous Liaisons or Being John Malkovich, where he played his own character. The Infernal Comedy is a show written and directed by Michael Sturminger, created especially for John Malkovich, which has been performed in over 150 theatre halls all over the world.



    Bulgaria. The European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Maria Gabriel, nominated for the post of Prime Minister of Bulgaria by the GERB-SDS coalition, submitted her resignation and it was accepted by the President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen has expressed her confidence that Ms. Gabriels experience in this European Commission and the previous one will benefit Bulgaria. Maria Gabriels portfolio has been taken over by the Executive Vice President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, and by the EC Vice President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas. We recall that, following the elections on April 2, the center-right party GERB, of which Maria Gabriel is also a member, ranked first, with 69 mandates out of the total of 240 in the Parliament of Bulgaria, faced with a political deadlock for more than two years.



    Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian qualified, on Tuesday, for the round of 16 of the ITF tournament in Madrid, with 100,000 dollars in prize money, after defeating the Argentinian Nadia Podoroska in two sets, 6- 1, 6-4. The next opponent of the Romanian in Madrid will be the Japanese Mai Hontama (183 WTA). (MI)

  • 16.05.2023 (mise à jour)

    16.05.2023 (mise à jour)

    Sommet – Le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe mardi et
    mercredi au quatrième Sommet du Conseil de l’Europe qui se tient à Reykjavik,
    en Islande. Sous le slogan « Unis autour de nos valeurs/ Unis pour
    l’Europe », cette 4e édition de cette réunion de haut niveau se
    propose de mettre en lumière le rôle du Conseil dans l’actuel contexte
    géopolitique marqué par l’agression russe en Ukraine. Responsable de la
    démocratie, des droits de l’Homme et de l’Etat de droit, l’organisation figure
    parmi les premières structures internationales ayant réagi d’une manière
    concrète à l’invasion militaire en Ukraine, en décidant d’exclure la Russie de
    ses structures. Mercredi, le chef de l’Etat roumain doit réitérer l’engagement
    de Bucarest face au système de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme
    et mettre en lumière le rôle que le Conseil de l’Europe a joué dans la
    consolidation d’une démocratie stable et mature, ces 30 dernières années,
    depuis que la Roumanie en est devenue membre. Le Sommet s’achèvera par
    l’adoption de la Déclaration de Reykjavik, qui reconfirmera le rôle particulier
    du Conseil de l’Europe dans l’architecture multilatérale au niveau européen et
    mondial.






















    Gouvernement – Les directions du PNL et du PSD, les principaux membres de
    la coalition au pouvoir en Roumanie, se sont réunies mardi dans des séances
    séparées, avant le changement des premiers ministres prévu pour la fin du mois.
    Ils ont décidé des mandats que leurs représentants se verront attribuer aux
    négociations pour la formation du futur cabinet. Le leader social-démocrate,
    Marcel Ciolacu, devrait remplacer Nicolae Ciuca à la tête du gouvernement, au
    terme d’un protocole que les deux partis ont signé en 2021. M. Ciuca a annoncé
    démissionner le 26 mai. Le PSD voudrait que le futur cabinet ait moins de
    portefeuilles ministériels, moins de secrétaires d’Etat et moins d’agences
    gouvernementales. Comme priorités, les socio- démocrates ont annoncé la baisse
    de l’inflation, la hausse du pouvoir d’achat et le renforcement des
    investissements. Pour sa part, le PNL a affirmé accepter la diminution du
    nombre de postes de secrétaires et sous-secrétaires d’Etat, à condition que le
    protocole en vigueur soit respecté. Si cela n’est pas possible, il souhaite
    renégocier la distribution des portefeuilles.


























    Grève – En Roumanie, les professionnels de l’Education nationale feront
    mercredi une grève de deux heures avant de déclencher la grève générale à
    compter du 22 mai prochain, si leurs revendications ne trouvent pas de réponse.
    Plus de 70% des salariés de l’Education soutiennent cette forme de
    protestation, précisent les syndicalistes. A leurs dires, le gouvernement
    devrait investir davantage dans l’Education. Parmi leurs revendications
    mentionnons la majoration des salaires des enseignants, dans le respect de
    l’importance sociale de leur travail, l’alignement annuel des salaires sur le
    taux d’inflation et le paiement des heures supplémentaires déjà travaillées
    pour toutes les catégories de personnels de l’éducation. Ces derniers mois, les
    syndicats du domaine ont organisé plusieurs manifestations de protestation et
    des marches. Par ailleurs, la Fédération syndicale SANITAS
    est en train de collecter des signatures pour déclencher la grève générale dans
    le système sanitaire et celui de l’assistance sociale, à compter du 15 juin
    prochain. Enfin, plusieurs centaines de salariés du métro bucarestois ont
    dénoncé mardi, devant le siège du Ministère des Transports, le sous financement
    de la société, le personnel insuffisant et l’interdiction du droit de la
    négociation.
















    Moldova – Le
    premier ministre moldave, Dorin Recean, visitera la Roumanie les 17 et 18 mai,
    pour participer au Forum pour la sécurité dans la région de la Mer Noire et des
    Balkans, qui en est à sa 7ème édition. M Recean participera à
    l’événement de Bucarest avec son homologue roumain, Nicolae Ciuca.


    Malkovich – Le célèbre acteur américain John Malkovich se rendra à
    Timisoara les 20 et 21 juillet prochain pour jouer dans le spectacle « The
    Infernal Comedy » (La comédie infernale) au Théâtre National de la ville. C’est
    une première absolue pour Timisoara et un moment essentiel de son programme en
    tant que Capitale européenne de la Culture 2023. Nommé par deux fois aux Oscars
    et aux Golden Globes, ainsi qu’aux prix Bafta, John Malkovich est un acteur
    mondialement connu dont les films ont eu un impact international
    incontestable. « The Infernal
    Comedy » est un spectacle mise en scène par Michael Sturminger, qui l’a aussi
    écrit spécialement pour John Malkovich, en imaginant un dialogue entre le
    langage parlé et celui chanté. « The Infernal Comedy » a déjà été joué
    dans plus de 150 salles de spectacles sur 3 continents.




    Tennis – La joueuse roumaine de tennis,
    Jacqueline Cristian, s’est qualifiée mardi dans les huitièmes de finale du
    tournoi ITF de Madrid, après une victoire contre Nadia Podoroska, d’Argentine.
    Le prochain match, la Roumaine le disputera contre la Nippone, Mai Hontama.






    Météo – Dans les 24 prochaines
    heures, le temps, en Roumanie, sera plutôt instable, notamment dans le
    sud-ouest du pays où des phénomènes orageux pourraient faire leur apparition.
    Les quantités d’eau suite aux précipitations risquent de dépasser les 25 litres
    par mètre carré. Le vent soufflera à une vitesse de 40 à 50 km/heure sur le
    sud, l’est et le centre du pays et plus fort, en altitude où sa vitesse
    pourrait atteindre les 80 km/heure. Mercredi, les températures seront entre 1-
    et 26 degrés.



  • Höhepunkte des Programms „Timișoara – Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2023“

    Höhepunkte des Programms „Timișoara – Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2023“

    Der Countdown für die offizielle Eröffnung des Programms “Timișoara – Kulturhauptstadt Europas 2023”, die vom 17. bis 19. Februar stattfinden wird, hat begonnen. Es ist bekannt, dass dieses Jahr viele internationale kulturelle Persönlichkeiten in die wunderschöne Stadt im Westen Rumäniens kommen werden. Dazu gehören der amerikanische Schauspieler John Malkovich und die italienische Schauspielerin Isabella Rossellini. Die beiden Schauspieler werden im Nationaltheater Mihai Eminescu auftreten. Ada Hausvater, die Leiterin der Einrichtung, sagte: “Natürlich sprechen wir über zwei gro‎ße Schauspieler, die dem Publikum in jeder Sekunde etwas Einzigartiges bieten, ihre ganz eigene Art zu spielen. Und ich bin überzeugt, dass das Publikum und die Kunstliebhaber diese Momente der Ewigkeit, der Universalität, ihre Art zu spielen, genie‎ßen werden.” John Malkovich, der im Juni in Timișoara zu Gast sein wird, wird “The Infernal Comedy” vorstellen. Isabella Rossellini wird Ende November mit “Darwins Smile”, einer One-Woman-Show, erwartet.



    Andererseits wurde Künstlern aus ganz Rumänien die Gelegenheit gegeben, Projekte zur Vervollständigung des Programms “Timișoara – Kulturhauptstadt Europas” vorzulegen, das eine Vielzahl von Veranstaltungen umfasst, von Aufführungen, Konzerten und Filmpremieren bis hin zu Installationen und einem riesigen vertikalen Garten im Stadtzentrum am Fluss Bega. Die Westuniversität Timișoara hat drei bedeutende Persönlichkeiten aus Kunst und Wissenschaft, Nobelpreisträger in den Bereichen Literatur und Chemie, zu Gast: den türkischen Schriftsteller Orhan Pamuk und die französischen Forscher Jean-Marie Lehn und Jean-Pierre Sauvage.



    Der Bürgermeister Timisoaras, Dominic Fritz, zählt weitere Teilnehmer auf: Es ist ein gro‎ßer Stolz, Partner aus der ganzen Welt zu haben, vom Brüsseler Kinderchor bis zur Tanzgruppe Chameleon aus Manchester, der berühmten Theatergruppe Rimini Protokoll, Orchestern aus Gera, Köln und anderen europäischen Städten. Die gro‎ßen rumänischen Künstler werden nach Timișoara kommen. Es finden 12 Musikfestivals vom Barock bis zum Rock sowie 15 Themenfestivals statt.“



    Es wird auch eine Ausstellung zu Ehren von Victor Brauner (1803-1966), einer emblematischen Figur der Avantgarde und des Surrealismus, stattfinden. Der Höhepunkt wird jedoch die Ausstellung “Brâncuși: “Rumänische Quellen und universelle Perspektiven” im Herbst sein, die Erste ihrer Art in den letzten 50 Jahren in Rumänien. Die rumänische Stadt Timișoara wird im Jahr 2023 zusammen mit der ungarischen Stadt Veszprém und der griechischen Stadt Elefsina den Titel Kulturhauptstadt Europas tragen.