Radio România Internațional

Tag: judiciary

  • February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    February 18, 2025 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, said on Tuesday at the annual meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest that Romania is a democratic state, which continues to take action to strengthen its institutions and people’s confidence in them. He promised a free, fair and transparent election process in the upcoming presidential election. “Romania has a ruling coalition, which ensures the country’s stability”, the president said, and added that Romania’s foreign policy will stay on its normal course as an EU and NATO member with a strategic partnership with the USA, while also being open to cooperation with all the partners that share the same values and principles. According to Bolojan, Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine must stop, and a ceasefire followed by just and sustainable peace is a goal that must be pursued not only by the parties involved, but also by the entire international community.  Bolojan went on to say that support for the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova is a duty and this state’s resilience must be strengthened ahead of the parliamentary election due in 2025.

     

    RIYADH The first high-level US-Russia meeting in recent years took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Moscow’s officials said the talks were “serious” and “positive,” while the American side announced that two teams would be set up to initiate negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine, Reuters and AFP report. While the delegations led by Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov were discussing in Riyadh, the Russian foreign ministry announced that it wanted NATO to revoke the decision taken at the 2008 summit in Bucharest regarding Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would not recognise the outcome of Russian-American negotiations held in the absence of Kyiv, and European leaders convening in an emergency meeting in Paris on Monday promised to carry on their military support for Ukraine, while stepping up the strengthening of their own defence. Only a few European leaders were invited to the informal EU summit organised by president Emmanuel Macron, namely the German Chancellor, the Polish, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish and British prime ministers, as well as the president of the European Council, the head of the European Commission and the NATO Secretary General. France plans to host a second meeting on Ukraine and European security on Wednesday, Reuters reports. According to diplomatic sources, Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Romania, Sweden and Belgium are invited to take part.

     

    JUDICIARY The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu Tuesday had a meeting with the Japanese ambassador to Bucharest, Takashi Katae. The two officials discussed, among other things, ways to find better solutions for judicial cooperation regarding Romanian nationals imprisoned in Japan. According to a news release issued by the justice ministry, Radu Marinescu appreciates the excellent judicial cooperation between the two states, while at the same time reaffirming Romania’s strong commitment to develop close institutional collaboration in the future. Bilateral relations between Romania and Japan were elevated to a strategic partnership on March 7, 2023. Last year, a Declaration of Cooperation between the justice ministries of the two countries was also signed, making Romania the first European Union member state to sign such a declaration with Japan, the news release also states.

     

    FOOTBALL The former Romanian international player Cristian Chivu was appointed coach of the Italian football team Parma on Tuesday, the club announced on its home page. For Chivu, this will be the first coaching experience at a senior level, after having trained several junior teams at Internazionale Milano, where he played between 2007 and 2014 and where he concluded his career as a footballer at the age of 34 due to recurring injuries. In the 2009-2010 season, under the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, he won the Italian championship and Cup with Inter, as well as the Champions League. At Parma, Chivu will coach the Romanian international players Dennis Man and Valentin Mihăilă. The team is in 18th place out of 20 (relegation-threatened) and Chivu’s debut as a coach in Serie A will take place on February 22, on home turf, against Bologna. Another Italian team in Serie A, Genoa, is owned by the Romanian businessman Dan Şucu, who is also the major shareholder in Rapid Bucharest. (AMP)

  • March 12, 2024 UPDATE

    March 12, 2024 UPDATE

    CANDIDACY The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Tuesday announced he would run for the NATO secretary general post. He says Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution to the Alliance, and believes NATO needs to renew its outlook on its mission, with strong representation in this region. Iohannis concludes his second presidential term in December. This February, Romania notified NATO of its intention to nominate Klaus Iohannis for the position for whichthe US, Britain and France announced they would back the Dutch PM Mark Rutte. As a rule, Romania’s nominations for top international posts are decided by the presidency, government and the foreign ministry. The term of NATO’s current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has been extended by one year, until October. He has been leading the Alliance since 2014. NATO’s deputy secretary general, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, appointed in 2019, also completes his term in October. Romania joined NATO in 2004.

     

    OECD The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Tuesday released its 2024 Economic Survey of Romania in Bucharest, in the presence of PM Marcel Ciolacu and of the OECD secretary general, Mathias Cormann. PM Ciolacu said the OECD membership remains Romania’s most important strategic goal after the NATO and EU accession, and the government is fully committed to further the required reforms. The survey examines Romania’s recent economic performance and assesses policy options to strengthen recovery and sustain the green transition. The OECD Council decided to launch accession negotiations with Romania on 25 January 2022.

     

    LANGUAGE The Constitutional Court in Chișinău ruled that the phrase “Romanian language” is maintained in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including in the Constitution. The Court thus rejected a move submitted last year by a group of socialist and communist MPs following Parliament’s implementation of a 2013 court ruling on the name of the country’s official language.

     

    COUNCIL The Romanian Finance Minister Marcel Bolos Tuesday took part in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda included the recovery and resilience mechanism, and the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Presidency and the Commission informed the participants of the main results of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors held on 26-29 February 2024. The ministers of economic and financial affairs also discussed investments and social reforms for resilient economies with the ministers of employment and of social affairs.

     

    PROTESTS Hundreds of local police are picketing the headquarters of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration for the second day in a row on Wednesday, the National Trade Union Bloc announced. The main demands are full compliance with the law regulating weekly rest days and public holidays and the provision of mandatory food allowances. The unionists also want Parliament to review the draft POCA (Administrative Capacity Operational Program) drawn up by the Ministry of Development, as well as the status of the local police. According to the National Trade Union Bloc, in December 2023, the National Federation of United Local Police Unions started a public campaign to raise awareness on the importance of local police officers in society.

     

    TRIAL The Bucharest Court of Appeals Tuesday postponed the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate to the UK, until the case in Romania has been tried. The British-American citizens were detained on Monday night, under European arrest warrants issued by the British authorities for sexual exploitation offences in UK. Last June, the two brothers and two Romanian nationals were charged with forming an organised crime group and continuous human trafficking and rape offences, in a case that made the headlines in Romania. In early 2021, the defendants formed an organised crime group trafficking people in Romania, the US and UK. (AMP)

  • January 17, 2024 UPDATE

    January 17, 2024 UPDATE

    PROTESTS Family
    doctors in many cities in Romania Wednesday protested against the amounts
    proposed by the authorities for the reimbursement of services. They say that
    the cuts in the budgets of family medicine practices will have negative
    effects, both for patients, and for the healthcare system as a whole. A bill
    posted for public review on the website of the National Health Insurance
    Agency, provides, among other things, that the funding granted to family
    doctors will be over 30% smaller in 2024, and the bonuses granted to practices
    in rural areas will be discarded. Meanwhile, the Sanitas trade union demands a
    20% raise of all salaries in public healthcare and the scrapping of all salary inconsistencies
    between various categories in the healthcare sector. On Thursday union leaders
    are to present their requests to the Finance Ministry, and threaten to go on strike
    unless their demands are met. The staff of some of the 9 government agencies
    for small and medium-sized enterprises in the country also went on a
    spontaneous 2-hour strike, demanding pay raises up to the average salary in the
    Economy Ministry. The protests of farmers and transporters also continue across
    the country, although employers in the field claim that they reached an
    agreement with minister Sorin Grindeanu and a protocol with clear deadlines was
    signed, benefiting passenger and freight carriers. The agriculture minister
    Florin Barbu has also held talks with trade associations, and says that at this
    moment all claims presented by farmers are solved.




    PRICES On
    Wednesday the Romanian agriculture minister Florin Barbu had a meeting with
    retailer representatives, with the talks mainly focusing on extending the
    cap on the basic food markup for another three months. Major retail chains
    suggested a mechanism targeting specific products for which significant price
    variations are still reported, instead of extending the overall markup cap.
    Minister Florin Barbu said the topic will also be discussed with PM Marcel
    Ciolacu, as retailers had requested. An emergency order introducing a temporary
    measure to curb excessive price increases for some agricultural and food
    products came into force on August 1st, 2023, and targeted 14 groups of food
    products, including bread, cow milk, cottage cheese, eggs, sunflower oil, fresh
    chicken and pork.




    AUTOMOTIVE Over the past 12 years Romania has
    doubled the number of cars and lorries, to become the EU member country with
    the highest increase of the vehicle per capita ratio, according to a report
    made public by the EU statistics office, Eurostat. Romania is still among the
    countries with the smallest number of automobiles per capita in the EU. The
    highest ratio is reported by Italy (684 cars per capita), followed by Luxembourg,
    Finland and Cyprus, with Latvia, Romania and Hungary at the opposite pole (417 cars
    per capita in Romania).




    JUDICIARY People
    who leave the country in order to avoid criminal prosecution, trial or
    execution of punishment may have to pay the expenses incurred by the State for their
    repatriation. The minister of justice, Alina Gorghiu, has announced that a
    draft law in this respect has been posted on the website of the ministry for
    public review. She says repatriating a fugitive criminal can cost the state up
    to EUR 25,000. Last year alone, Romania spent around EUR 2 mln of taxpayer
    money for the repatriation of some 600 fugitives.




    SCHENGEN The Schengen
    accession of Romania and Bulgaria, although partial, is a good sign, said the
    Belgian PM, Alexander De Croo, whose country has taken over the rotating
    presidency of the Council of the European Union. He applauded the efforts made
    by both countries to address Schengen concerns and stressed that, if things
    continued to go according to plan, the next steps would be taken. On March 31,
    Romania and Bulgaria will lift controls at air and maritime borders with EU
    member states.




    CITIZENSHIP The
    number of applications for Moldovan citizenship has increased significantly as
    of late, which is why Chisinau is asking for the review period to be extended
    to up to 6 months. According to official data, 70% of the applicants are
    Russian citizens, and 20% are Ukrainian. The increase in the number of
    citizenship applications made by Russians indicates attempts to avoid enlisting
    in the army – says the analyst Anatol Ţaranu, a former ambassador of the
    Republic of Moldova to the Russian Federation, quoted by Radio Chisinau.
    According to experts, Russia could begin a full mobilisation after the
    presidential elections due in March 2024. Kyiv claims that Moscow loses about
    1,000 soldiers every day on the front in invaded Ukraine. (AMP)

  • December 31, 2022 UPDATE

    December 31, 2022 UPDATE


    NEW YEAR PM Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians proved their solidarity, handled challenges “hard to imagine” and managed to do more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised that the government would continue to protect citizens interests, to support the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of Romania wished “A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts” to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and abroad.



    MEASURES In Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel prices rise beyond citizens spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will remain in place.



    JUDICIARY The year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institutions Facebook page. According to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says that the Ministrys top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.



    POPE European leaders paid tribute to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday, aged 95. The president of France Emmanuel Macron praised him for his work towards a “more brotherly world”. Former Pope Benedict XVI was a “giant of faith and reason” and “a great figure in history, that history will never forget”, Italys PM Giorgia Meloni said in turn. The British PM Rishi Sunak voiced his sadness with the former Popes death, and praised him as a “great theologian.” Germanys chancellor Olaf Scholz also said that with the death of Benedict XVI, the world lost “a formative figure” of the Catholic Church. “He had set a strong signal through his resignation. He saw himself first as a servant for God and his Church,” the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen posted. The former Pope spent his last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state. Elected on April 19, 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health. Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down voluntarily.



    ECONOMY Romania has the most stable economy in the region and ends the year 2022 with an over 5% economic growth rate, the finance minister Adrian Câciu posted on social media. He warned however that 2023 will be a difficult year, still marked by inflation and requiring the best use of public policy instruments for investments, reforms and supporting vulnerable categories. Adrian Câciu also emphasised the political stability and the sound partnership between the government and social and economic stakeholders. (AMP)


  • December 31, 2022

    December 31, 2022

    NEW YEAR PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said in his New Year address on Saturday that in 2022 Romanians
    proved their solidarity, handled challenges hard to imagine and managed to do
    more than just endure. He mentioned the crisis facing Romania, with a war at
    its borders, high energy prices and skyrocketing inflation. The PM emphasised
    that the government would continue to protect citizens’ interests, to support
    the economy and take care of the vulnerable. In turn, the Royal House of
    Romania wished A happy new year, with health, hope and peace in their hearts
    to all Romanians in the country, in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and
    abroad.


    MEASURES In
    Romania, the pension point value will be raised by 12.5% as of January 1, to
    reach nearly EUR 360, and minimum wages will be increased to EUR 600. On the
    other hand, the 10-eurocent governmental discount on fuel prices will be
    discontinued. The government says it is ready to reintroduce it, should fuel
    prices rise beyond citizens’ spending power. As of January 1, fuel excises will
    be cut down, while electricity and natural gas price caps and discounts will
    remain in place.


    JUDICIARY The
    year 2023 must see a crackdown on organised crime and criminal groups, Justice
    Ministry officials posted on Saturday on the institution’s Facebook page. According
    to them, Romania has the legislation, institutions and modern strategies to
    achieve this goal. What it needs is more investment in logistics and leaders
    able to encourage all prosecutors to undertake and accomplish their critical
    social mission of safeguarding the law and protecting citizens and the state
    from all forms of crime, the Justice Ministry emphasised. The message also says
    that the Ministry’s top accomplishment in 2022 was its contribution to Romania
    being issued a last positive report under the Cooperation and Verification
    Mechanism in the judiciary and the lifting of this mechanism.


    POPE Pope emeritus
    Benedict XVI died this morning, aged 95, the Vatican announced. Over the past
    few days his health had deteriorated, AFP reports. The former Pope spent his
    last 9 years of life in the monastery within the small papal state, after
    resigning in 2013, for reasons that are still unclear. Elected on April 19,
    2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, he was the first German leader
    of the Catholic Church in 482 years. On February 11, 2013 Benedict XVI
    announced his resignation from the papacy, on account of his age and ill health.
    Joseph Ratzinger was the first Pope since the Middle Ages to step down
    voluntarily.


    FUNDING
    Romania this year received the green light for the partnership agreement and
    all the 16 programmes under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy, thus avoiding the
    risk of losing EUR 5.2 bln, the ministry for investments and European projects
    announced. According to the institution, these 16 programmes will bring into
    the country EUR 46 bln in strategic investments in safer hospitals, transport
    networks, the water and sewage infrastructure and support for the business
    community. Eight of the 16 programmes are regional. In the previous EU financial
    period, 2014-2020, Romania received EU funds totaling EUR 25.4 bln. (AMP)

  • November 23, 2022 – UPDATE

    November 23, 2022 – UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis has hailed the conclusions of a European Commission report saying that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in Romania’s judicial
    sector would be lifted. A stage has
    ended, but further efforts must be made as reforms are vital, Iohannis said. In
    turn, PM Nicolae Ciuca said the European Commission’s report encourages the government
    to stay on the path of supporting the independence of the judiciary and the
    fight against corruption to the benefit of the Romanian society.


    VISIT The joint
    effort to support Ukraine and the strength of the Romanian-Latvian cooperation
    were highlighted in Riga by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, in a joint
    press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Egils Levits. The Romanian
    official’s visit to Riga takes place in the context of the celebration of 100
    years of diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. The two presidents also
    discussed Romania’s Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis emphasised that Romania
    has never been and will never be a country that allows uncontrolled migration
    through illegal border crossing. The president of Latvia highlighted the common
    approach of the two countries with respect to the future of the EU and welcomed
    Romania’s participation in the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic states
    in 2023. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Lithuania,
    in Vilnius, while on Friday he will take part, jointly with his counterparts
    from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, in a summit devoted to strengthening NATO’s
    eastern flank and to supporting Ukraine and the R. of Moldova.


    COOPERATION Romania and Spain are pleading for a more capable and
    responsible European Union, one which is able to provide support and play a
    relevant role in implementing the Strategic Compass, fully complementary to
    NATO and avoiding redundancies, including in the current security context,
    marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, reads a joint statement
    signed on Wednesday in Castellón de
    la Plana, Spain, by the heads of the Romanian and Spanish governments. Bucharest and
    Madrid have also reiterated their commitment to a strong NATO, focusing on the
    full implementation of the Strategic Concept adopted in Madrid, with special
    emphasis on consolidating defence and deterrence on the eastern flank. The PM
    of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, was received with military honours in Castellon de
    la Plana by the head of Spain’s government, Pedro Sanchez. According to Ciucă, bilateral relations are even stronger
    thanks to the nearly one-million strong, highly integrated and active Romanian
    community contributing to the development of Spain’s economy and society.


    NATO – A meeting of NATO
    foreign ministers will be held in Bucharest on November 29-30, 2022. The
    meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.
    Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and
    Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden.


    DRILL NATO troops
    Wednesday conducted a military exercise to test the air and missile defence in
    Romania, one week after a stray missile crashed in Poland and revealed
    weaknesses in the Alliance’s air shield, Reuters reports. The French air defence
    system deployed to Romania repelled a simulated attack by Allied fighter jets,
    NATO’s Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany said. Taking part in the
    exercise were Turkish F-16 fighter jets, Spanish Eurofighters, US growler
    aircraft designed for electronic warfare and French Rafale jets.


    FOOTBALL Japan produced the second big surprise of the Qatar football World
    Cup, after defeating 4-times Cup winners Germany 2-1, on Wednesday in Group
    E. Also on Wednesday, world vice-champions Croatia drew against Morocco,
    0-0, in Group F. Another former world champion, Spain, takes on Costa Rica, and
    Belgium plays against Canada. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia stunned football fans
    with one of the biggest upsets in the history of the World Cup, defeating
    2-times champions Argentina 2-1. Also on Tuesday, the defending champions, France,
    defeated Australia 4-1, while Denmark and Poland drew against Tunisia and
    Mexico, respectively, 0 – 0. (AMP)

  • October 4, 2022 UPDATE

    October 4, 2022 UPDATE

    ESPIONAGE Prosecutors with the Directorate Investigating Organised
    Crime and Terrorism Offences (DIICOT) have indicted 4 Romanian and foreign
    nationals as part of an espionage inquiry targeting the Serbian company NIS
    Petrol, a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Gazprom. Prosecutors have
    ordered searches in Bucharest and Timișoara, both at the company headquarters, and
    at the homes of a number of employees, confiscating documents and data storage devices.
    The four are accused of having traded classified information and of
    facilitating the unauthorised transfer of data concerning Romania’s mineral reserves,
    prosecutors say. In 2009, Gazprom bought the majority stake in NIS under an
    agreement signed by Belgrade and Moscow.


    ECONOMY Romania’s economy
    is expected to grow by 4.6% this year, the World Bank announced on Tuesday. The
    estimate is better than the one made public in June, when the figure only
    stood at 2.9%. The improvement is based on robust private consumption and early
    signs that investments would pick up, but the outlook depends on the
    developments in Ukraine and their impact on the European economy on the whole,
    the institution says.


    MOTION USR Deputies, in opposition, together with MPs from the Force
    of the Right, have tabled a simple motion in the Chamber of Deputies against
    the interior minister Lucian Bode, whom they accuse of incompetence and
    protecting party interests. The USR leader Cătălin Drulă says Bode must answer,
    among other things, to allegations that the Romanian Police purchased new cars
    through public procurement procedures that favoured companies linked to the Liberal
    Party. Bode is also criticised for failing to reach a number of targets,
    including the electronic monitoring of offenders and the interior
    ministry reform. The motion will be discussed and voted on next Tuesday.


    LEGISLATION A draft law regulating the judge and prosecutor
    professions was endorsed on Tuesday in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill had
    passed all the required stages of the legislative process, including the approval
    of the Higher Council of Magistrates, the justice minister Cătălin Predoiu said.
    The act was criticised however by the USR and AUR parties, in opposition. The
    decision-making body in this case is the Senate. The bill is the 3rd
    normative act in a law package regulating the judiciary, next to one on the
    Higher Council of Magistrates and the organisation of courts, which have
    already been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies.


    FUNDING Romania may get about EUR 1.5 billion for energy
    independence projects and for fighting energy poverty, following the
    endorsement of the REpowerEU plan by the Economic and Financial Council in
    Luxembourg. Romania is the 6th EU member state to benefit from the
    new funding, said the finance minister Adrian Câciu. He explained that during
    negotiations the funding earmarked for Romania practically doubled compared to
    the original proposal made by the European Commission this May.



    NOBEL The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to
    Alain Aspect (France), John F. Clauser (USA) and Anton Zeillinger (Austria) for
    their revolutionary experiments with entangled photons, establishing the
    violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science.
    Their findings have laid the foundation for a new era of quantum technology. (AMP)

  • September 28, 2022

    September 28, 2022

    ECONOMY The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has
    upgraded its estimates on Romania’s economic performance in 2022 and 2023, but warns that a significant slow-down is expected next year,
    according to a report made public on Wednesday. According to the new forecasts,
    Romania’s economy is expected to grow by 5.4% this year and 1.9% next year, a
    significant improvement from the 2.9% for 2022 and negative 1.1% for 2023,
    estimated in May. EBRD is a major institutional investor in Romania, running
    nearly 500 projects with a combined budget of close to EUR 10 billion.


    TRADE Trade
    exchanges between Romania and the US reached USD 5.4 billion last year, as
    against USD 2.4 billion in 2011, according to a report released by the American
    Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Romania, AmCham, as part of the U.S. -
    Romania Economic Forum on Wednesday. Direct and indirect US investment in
    Romania went up from USD 6.5 billion in 2019, to USD 7.5 billion in 2020. The
    US is Romania’s 5th-largest trade partner, accounting for 6.8% of the country’s
    international trade, and the largest outside the EU. The biggest US investments
    in Romania by turnover are in manufacturing, agriculture and healthcare. As
    many as 900 companies in Romania are running on US capital, ranking 3rd after
    Hungary and the Czech Republic.


    PLAGIARISM The University of
    Bucharest says the plagiarism accusations against the education minister Sorin
    Cîmpeanu must be analysed thoroughly, outside any type of pressure, by the
    relevant bodies in the university in question and other public institutions. The
    University condemns any measure that breaches academic ethics and integrity. In
    turn, the National School of Political and Administrative Studies condemns all
    forms of plagiarism and highlights that the education minister’s decision to
    dismantle the National Council Attesting
    University Titles, Diplomas and Certificates is not constructive and does not
    contribute to a true reform of the education sector. On the other hand, USR and Force of the Right MPs, in
    opposition in Romania, have tabled a simple motion entitled Romania
    educated to steal. Sorin Cîmpeanu is a disgrace for education. Plagiarism
    allegations against the education minister have been circulated in the media. Cîmpeanu
    denied the allegations and argued that they are a move to undermine the
    education laws.


    JUDICIARY A special parliamentary committee on the justice laws today
    carries on talks on the draft statute regulating the judge and prosecutor
    professions. On Tuesday, the committee accepted some amendments brought by the
    National Liberal Party (in power) and the Higher Council of Magistrates, but
    dismissed all the amendments tabled by the opposition. USR and AUR parties
    requested changes in judge and prosecutor secondment and delegation procedures,
    and in the procedures for dismissing magistrates. The bill is next to be
    reviewed by the Chamber of Deputies. This is the 3rd act in the
    justice law package to be discussed by the committee, after the ones concerning
    the Higher Council of Magistrates and the organisation of courts, which have
    already been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate is the
    decision-making parliamentary body in this respect.


    UKRAINE Ukraine’s foreign ministry Wednesday called for a substantial
    increase of Western military support, one day after the so-called referendums
    regarding the annexation of 4 Ukrainian regions by Russia. The ballots have
    been criticised by a large part of the international community, France Presse
    reports. Kyiv also urged all countries and international organisations to
    condemn Kremlin’s illegal actions in the territories occupied in Ukraine. The
    pro-Russian authorities in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk,
    Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Tuesday announced the votes were in favour of the
    annexation by Russia. In the next stage, Russia’s parliament is to vote on a
    document making the integration of the 4 regions in the Russian Federation
    official. The EU announced it would
    never recognise the results of the referendums. (A.M.P.)

  • Government approves changes to justice legislation

    Government approves changes to justice legislation


    Two years after being put to public debate, the legislation referring to the judiciary has been approved by the government and submitted to Parliament for debate and adoption. The three bills in question refer to the status of judges and prosecutors, judicial organisation and the status of the Superior Council of Magistracy. The justice minister Cătălin Predoiu, who initiated the bills, says he hopes the new legislation, once passed by Parliament, will address an important aspect of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. A profound reform of the judicial system has been one of the requirements of the European Commission ever since the Mechanism was first put in place, back in 2007, when Romania joined the European Union. The Romanian authorities are hoping that this mechanism will be lifted. Cătălin Predoiu:



    “It means addressing the main point of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and I believe we are in a position where this can actually be envisaged, once the legislation is adopted, surely in a way that maintains the qualitative level of regulation and our objectives.”



    The bills have received a positive opinion from the Superior Council of Magistracy. However, ever since they were first made public, they have been met with criticism from magistrates associations and civil society. The ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania said it will endorse the bills.



    The Save Romania Union in opposition says its not likely for the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism to be lifted on merit. In their current format, the justice bills take Romania even further away from the path of reform and subordinates the judiciary to the anti-reform group existing within the magistracy itself, said the Save Romania Union. In a statement, it adds that the new justice laws clearly show that the special department keeping an eye of magistrates is not eliminated but transformed, and the political influence on the appointment of new prosecutors remains, despite the recommendations of Romanias European partners. Similar criticism was levied by the REPER party led by the former technocratic prime minister Dacian Cioloş, who is accusing minister Predoiu of slyly evading the recommendations of the European Union and other international bodies monitoring the Romanian judicial system.



    Predoiu rejected the criticism brought in the public space of certain aspects of the bills and said all the legislative initiatives of his ministry and the other documents that are being worked on, such as the amendment to the criminal codes, will address the main point of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Law experts have already identified several major problems in the new bills. One such aspect is the elimination of provisions connected to the appointment and dismissal of police forces taking part in judicial investigations by order from the Prosecutor General. They say the elimination of such provisions paves the way for a political control of judicial police forces. (CM)


  • July 13, 2022 UPDATE

    July 13, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO The
    government of Romania approved Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO accession protocols,
    signed in Brussels on July 5. The accession of the 2 countries, which are firm
    supporters of the values of the Euro-Atlantic community and have substantial capacity
    to strengthen the Alliance, will be a valuable strategic benefit for NATO and
    implicitly for Romania, thanks to the security guarantees that it provides, reads
    a news release. The Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marcel Ciolacu announced a week
    ago that Parliament will complete the ratification process speedily, with a
    special Parliament sitting to be organised to this end. Ciolacu added that the illegal
    and unjustified war started by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has fundamentally
    altered security parameters.


    REPORT The European Commission recommends that Romania take measures
    to address the remaining concerns regarding the investigation and prosecution
    of offences in the judiciary and to make sure that the amendments to the
    justice laws consolidate the guarantees of judicial independence, including by
    means of reforms in the disciplinary rules for magistrates. These are some of
    the conclusions of a report on Romania’s compliance with the rule of law, made
    public on Wednesday. Brussels also calls on Bucharest to regulate lobby
    activities in Parliament and to address the operational challenges faced by the
    National Anti-Corruption Directorate, including in terms of recruiting new
    prosecutors. Another recommendation has to do with efficient public
    consultation before endorsing bills, enhanced transparency with respect to the
    funding of political parties, and the improvement of the norms and mechanisms
    to consolidate the editorial independence of public media. As far as the mass
    media are concerned, the European Commission warns that there is not enough
    transparency with respect to the broadcasting of content paid by political
    parties, with the exception of election campaigns, and journalists’ access to
    information remains difficult.


    COVID-19 Over 3,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported over
    the past 24 hours in Romania, 267 fewer than in the previous day, the health
    ministry announced on Wednesday. Overall, since the start of the pandemic,
    nearly 3 million coronavirus infections have been reported in Romania.


    REFUGEES According to the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate, 9,808 Ukrainian nationals
    crossed into Romania on Tuesday, a 10% drop compared to the previous day.
    Starting February 10, 2022, some 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
    Romania.


    WHISTLEBLOWERS The Constitutional Court of Romania Wednesday ruled against a notification
    submitted by USR party in opposition regarding the law on the protection of
    whistleblowers. USR claims the bill passed by the government considerably reduces
    the protection offered to people who report irregularities in public
    institutions and raises major obstacles in securing Recovery and Resilience
    (PNRR) funds. The notification mentions elements that come against the
    Constitution of Romania, including the violation of certain commitments Romania
    pledged to observe upon joining the EU and the lack of clarity and
    predictability of some provisions.


    JUDICIARY A cooperation agreement between the European Public
    Prosecutor’s Office and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the R. of Moldova
    was signed in Chişinăuon
    Wednesday by the heads of the 2 institutions, Laura Codruţa Kövesi and Dumitru Robu.
    The document is designed to facilitate the exchange of information and judicial
    cooperation in criminal matters. Dumitru Robu pointed out that a priority is to
    carry on investigations in corruption cases and financial offences against state
    assets. In turn, Laura Codruţa Kövesi said that the European Public Prosecutor’s
    Office would support the work of Moldova’s General
    Prosecutor’s Office as much as its powers would allow it. (AMP

  • Deputies approve dismantling of special department for magistrates

    Deputies approve dismantling of special department for magistrates

    A bill on the dismantling of a controversial special department to
    investigate magistrates was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The
    Save Romania Union in opposition says the bill reverses tens of years of progress
    in the justice system, while the majority formed by the Social Democratic
    Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
    in Romania says it brings things back to normal. The bill was passed with 205 yes
    votes and 90 votes against, from the Save Romania Union, the Alliance for the
    Union of Romanians and the Force of the Right Party led by the former Liberal
    prime minister Ludovic Orban. The bill will next be submitted to the
    Senate for a final vote.




    During the debates,
    the former justice minister and Save Romania Union MP Stelian Ion said a much
    more noxious structure is created instead of the special department, that restricts
    the remit of the National Anticorruption Directorate. He said his party would
    challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court. Stelian Ion:




    This is an attempt
    from people with something to hide, with skeletons in their closets, to elude
    the National Anticorruption Directorate. It’s a manoeuvre that will have a heavy
    cost on the fight against corruption in the coming period.




    The National
    Liberal Party MP Cristina Trăilă said the bill will bring things back to normal
    in the judicial system, in keeping with the recommendations of international
    bodies in the field:




    I don’t think
    anyone can say that a prosecutor with at least 15 years of experience is not
    able to investigate magistrates. Moreover, this is the first bill to have the
    positive opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the sole body
    guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary.




    Under the bill,
    which attracted much criticism, cases of possible acts of corruption by
    magistrates will be prosecuted by the Prosecutor General’s Office and the
    prosecutor’s offices of the courts of appeal. The centre of operations will be
    the criminal and forensic department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, where
    12 prosecutors will investigate accusations of corruption among magistrates. The
    National Anticorruption Directorate, the only department in the Prosecutor’s
    Office specialising in acts of corruption, is thus completely excluded, as
    insistently requested by the Social Democrats and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians. Apart from the 12 aforementioned prosecutors, another 30
    prosecutors, two for each prosecutor’s office of the courts of appeal around the
    country, will have the remit to investigate such acts. The 42 will be proposed
    by the Prosecutor General and the heads of the prosecutor’s offices and appointed
    by the Superior Council of Magistracy.




    The special
    department to investigate magistrates was created in 2018 and has been seen as a
    possible instrument to intimidate magistrates. It employs seven prosecutors who
    are paid some 3,000 euros a month, but who so far have not prosecuted a single
    case of corruption among magistrates. (CM)

  • Talks on dismantling the special section investigating magistrates

    Talks on dismantling the special section investigating magistrates

    The dismantling of the special section investigating criminal offences within the judiciary is back in the public spotlight after the Venice Commission said this was a good thing and reaffirmed that super-immunity for magistrates should be eliminated and that the Higher Council of Magistrates should not be in a position to filter out criminal charges against judges and prosecutors.



    The Justice Minister Stelian Ion explained the position of the Venice Commission, namely that the so-called guarantees for magistrates actually provide them with special immunity, which would merely “cast a shadow on the judicial process. According to the minister, there are no arguments to keep this special section in place, and a decision in this respect may be taken next week in the Senate.



    Previously, the Chamber of Deputies had upheld the position of the Higher Council of Magistrates concerning the trying of judges and prosecutors for any criminal offences, including corruption.



    Stelian Ion: “With this confirmation from an independent body of the Council of Europe, a body comprising mainly constitutional law experts, whom I would like to thank especially for answering our requests with such swiftness, and leaving aside this local turmoil, these disputes and clashes over the topic, so with all this in mind, I can see no further impediments.



    The opinion of the Venice Commission confirms that my efforts as chair of the Legal Committee and the efforts of my fellow Liberal Senators towards scrapping super-immunity for magistrates, were justified, the Liberal Senator Iulia Scântei said in her turn. According to her, by dismantling the special section, a shameful chapter of recent history will be ended, a period when the independence of magistrates was under siege.



    USR PLUS, the Liberals partners in the ruling coalition, believes the position of the Venice Commission comes as no surprise, given that the creation of this special division had been criticised by all European institutions. Investigating corruption must be brought back into the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, and the relevant amendments to the law must be scrapped, USR PLUS says.



    Conversely, the Social Democrats in opposition remain adamant that no changes should be operated on the laws regulating the judiciary without a broad consensus of magistrates over the protection of judges from any type of pressure and abuse.



    Several magistrate associations in Romania believe the head of the Higher Council of Magistrates should resign following the opinion communicated by the Venice Commission. Making the prosecution of magistrates for corruption conditional on the approval of the Higher Council of Magistrates is an unconstitutional filter and decreases public confidence in the judicial process, professional associations argue. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • The conclusions of the latest CVM report

    The conclusions of the latest CVM report

    The European Commission notes a positive trend in the reform of the judiciary and in the fight against corruption in Romania, but announces that it will continue to closely monitor the evolution of the situation until all objectives are met. The Commission published on Tuesday the report on the progress made by the Bucharest authorities under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism established since Romania’s accession to the EU in 2007, and whose purpose is precisely to signal possible failures and to propose remedies for the justice system.

    However, the Commission welcomes the fact that, this year, a new impetus was given in terms of reforming and correcting the transgressions that marked the period 2017-2019. As a result, the Community Executive says, progress has been made on all the CVM recommendations that have not yet been implemented, and many of them are close to being met if progress remains constant. In the vision of the European Commission, Romania must work on seven recommendations from 2018 and ten recommendations from 2017. The appointment early last year of the country’s attorney general and head of DIICOT, despite the negative opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, is criticized by the Commission.

    The SCM gets a black ball too, among other things, for its ambiguous position on the shutting down of the Special department for investigating offences committed by the judiciary, the existence and functioning of which are considered to be of concern in Brussels. On the very day when the new MCV report of the European Commission was published, in Bucharest, the Constitutional Court upheld, however, its decision according to which this special department for magistrates is constitutional and can only be abolished by Parliament, through a new law. The Minister of Justice, Stelian Ion, promised to find solutions:

    We cannot expect the Court of Justice of the European Union to resolve our internal problems. We have been given all the freedom to do it. Also, we cannot expect the judiciary to solve these problems alone. Therefore, it is very important, as politicians, to find the solution for the rapid abolition of this Special department for investigating offences committed by the judiciary and I still consider that the Government project is the correct one, so I will try to convince my parliamentary colleagues to go for this solution. It is very important that we succeed in shutting down this department, which has been often criticized, including in this report.

    With regard to the fight against corruption, the European Commission stresses that the appointment of a new head of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) has led to institutional stability. The situation has improved compared to 2019, but the Directorate faces a number of challenges, one of which is the staff shortage, the Commission also says. (MI)

  • April 8, 2021

    April 8, 2021


    State of alert. The government meets today to
    approve the extension of the state of alert in Romania and to decide on a
    possible easing of restrictions for the upcoming Orthodox Easter. Prime
    minister Florin Cîţu said on Facebook that
    he will submit a number of proposals to the National Committee for Emergency
    Situations relating to the Easter celebrations, such as easing the night-time
    curfew to allow movement outside the home until 5 am for people who wish to
    attend the Easter service. He also wants to extend opening times for shops by
    two hours on Good Friday and to allow seaside resorts to open at a capacity of
    70%, just like mountain resorts. Almost 5,000 new coronavirus cases were recorded
    today in Romania, as well as 172 new deaths, while ICU cases hit a new high, at
    1,495. Almost 2.2 million people have been given at least one shot of the Covid
    vaccine in this country.




    AstraZeneca. A link between
    AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine and rare blood clots is considered plausible but is
    not confirmed, said the World Health Organisation after the European Medicines
    Agency on Wednesday said it found a potential link between the Covid
    vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and rare blood clots in adults who received
    this jab. The Agency emphasised, however, that the benefits outweigh the risks.
    A number of states such as the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy
    decided to limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine depending on age. Romania
    has not yet made any changes in this respect, with the exception that people
    who developed blood clots after the first dose will be given a different
    vaccine for their second dose.




    Human rights. Amnesty International writes in its annual report that human
    rights were violated all over the world during the Covid pandemic. The Covid
    crisis aggravated inequality, discrimination and oppression, the human rights
    watchdog also writes, warning that the worst affected were vulnerable groups
    such as chronic patients, refugees, healthcare workers and the minorities. In Romania’s
    case, Amnesty International notes that the government’s response raised human
    rights concerns, especially with regard to policing, the right to freedom of peaceful
    assembly and the right to education.




    Romani Day. International Romani Day
    is celebrated every year on 8th April to recognise the culture,
    history and rights of the millions of Roma around the world and to warn on the
    discrimination still faced by Roma communities in Europe and elsewhere. Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis said in a statement that a tolerant and open society
    must reject all forms of racist and xenophobic attitudes. He said that in these
    extremely complicated times marked by the grave consequences of the Covid
    pandemic, cherishing the contribution of each and every one of us to the common
    good and social solidarity can help us overcome the difficulties were are facing.
    Prime minister Florin Cîţu emphasised that Romanian society proved in its
    history that multicultural harmony is a source of fulfilment and inspiration
    and the traditions of each ethnic group add to the national cultural heritage.








    Judiciary. The judicial committee of the Romanian Senate today began
    debates on a bill proposed by the government to dismantle a special department
    investigating crimes in the judiciary. On 24th March senators passed
    the bill with a few amendments, such as one providing that magistrates can only
    be indicted with the approval of the Superior Council of Magistrates. On Wednesday,
    the Social Democrats in opposition opposed the use of an emergency procedure to
    debate the bill and requested a detailed analysis following an opinion from the
    Venice Commission. The head of the Senate’s judicial committee Iulia Scântei
    says dismantling the department for the investigation of crimes in the
    judiciary is an emergency and will help Romania’s case in the elimination of
    the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Created during the former Social
    Democrat government, the department was criticised as a means of exerting
    pressure on judges and prosecutors.




    Tennis. The Romanian-German pair
    Mihaela Buzărnescu and Anna-Lena Friedsam reached the doubles semifinals at a WTA
    tennis tournament in Bogota worth 235,000 dollars in prize money. They defeated
    the Russian-Chinese pair Iana Sizikova and Yafan Wang in straight sets and will
    next be facing either Arina Rodionova and Rosalie van der Hoek or Lara
    Arruabarrena and Katarzyna Piter. (CM)







  • Lifting the CVM: an increasingly distant hope for Romania

    Lifting the CVM: an increasingly distant hope for Romania

    In a matter of weeks, the triumphalism of the current right-of-centre coalition government in Romania has been replaced by moderate pessimism at best.



    Just a month ago, the Liberal PM Florin Cîțu was boasting that, many years after it had been created, the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism monitoring the Romanian judiciary could become history. The European Commission, Cîțu said at the time, supports its lifting towards the end of the year.



    Accusing his political opponents, the Social Democrats, of sideslips that had required keeping this safeguard measure in place, the new Cabinet felt their coming to power was a guarantee that things were moving in the right direction.



    “After 13 years in which Romania was subject to exceptional monitoring by the European Commission, with major steps back in 2018 and 2019, I trust our stepped up efforts in the coming period will lead to a normal and predictable functioning of the rule of law in Romania, deputy PM Dan Barna was saying in his turn, adding that the removal of the CVM was one of the key goals of the new government.



    A major blow came on the first day of this week from France: a report by the Committee on European Affairs of the French Senate regarding the rule of law in the EU indicates that lifting the CVM is premature as long as the objectives set by it have not been met.



    In Romanias case, these objectives include guaranteeing a more transparent and efficient judicial process, especially by strengthening and empowering the Higher Council of Magistrates; setting up an Integrity Agency able to make binding decisions leading to penalties; carrying on professional and impartial investigations into high-level corruption accusations, and additional measures to fight corruption, particularly in local administration.



    The French Senates committee also mentions that in its latest CVM report, the European Commission was warning that the reforms in Romania ground to a halt in 2017 and that the first months of 2019 were worrying in this respect. Subsequently, the Commission welcomed Bucharests willingness to revise its approach, but, the report also reads, progress cannot be achieved through political commitments alone.



    Finally, Paris believes the EU should be a role model in promoting and observing the rule of law, which it would like included among the priorities of the French presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)