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Tag: king Mihai

  • One year since the death of King Mihai

    One year since the death of King Mihai

    Romanians at home, in the Romanian historical communities around the present borders or in the Diaspora, are commemorating their last sovereign, King Mihai I. He died aged 96 at his residence in Switzerland on December 5, 2017. His biography overlaps Romania’s recent history, which was equally heroic and tragic. In 2017 King Mihai I was the last head of state who had experienced World War II. He was also the last of the four sovereigns of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen German dynasty that ascended the throne in Bucharest in 1866, building modern Romania.



    Born on October 25, 1921, Mihai reigned for the first time but only formally, over 1927-1930, when, after the death of his grandfather, King Ferdinand the Unifier, the country was ruled de facto by a regency council, as he was still a minor. Actually, he became a real king in 1940 after his father, the unpopular Carol II, had stepped down. The latter had instituted a corrupt and bloody royal dictatorship and had ceded a large part of the territories that had come under the authority of Romania at the end of World War I: Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, northern Transylvania and southern Dobrudja.



    Considered immature and not prepared to reign, Mihai remained in the shadow of the pro-German marshal Ion Antonescu for a long time. But, on August 23, 1944 when the Red Army had already entered Romania and was threatening to raze Bucharest to the ground, with an incredible courage, King Mihai decided to have the marshal arrested and declared the country’s alliance with the anti-Nazi Allies.



    Historians are almost unanimous in saying that his decision shortened the war in Europe by half a year and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Three years later, when the country was practically under Soviet military occupation, being ruled by a puppet communist government, the King was forced to step down and go into exile in the West. He backed the actions of the Romanian National Committee, presented as a government in exile, though the Western democracies never recognized its status.



    Until the anticommunist revolution of 1989, he was permanently supervised by the Securitate, the political police of the communist regime in Bucharest. The King could only come back home in 1997, when his Romanian citizenship was restored, citizenship that had been withdrawn by the communists. Several confiscated properties were returned to his family. As special ambassador, in Western countries, King Mihai I lobbied for Romania’s NATO and EU accession in 2004 and 2007 respectively.



    His eldest daughter, Margareta, is now the Custodian of the Crown of Romania thus claiming the headship of the Royal House of Romania. “I don’t regard Romania today as a legacy from our parents, but as a country we borrowed from our children” — the last king of Romania said in a statement considered his real will.

  • Romania has marked Royalty Day

    Romania has marked Royalty Day

    May 10th used to be Romania’s National Day before the coming to power of the communist regime. The communists banned the celebration of this day as it was tightly connected to the history of the Romanian monarchy. On May 10th 1866, prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen became the ruler of the United Romanian Principalities. A new Constitution was issued in which the name of Romania was used for the first time in official documents and the new ruler set out to reform and modernize the young Romanian state.



    11 years later, on May 10th 1877, Romania proclaimed its independence from the Ottoman Empire and after four more years, also on May 10th, in 1881, the country officially became a kingdom with Carol 1st crowned king of Romania. The king chose the same day for the crowning ceremony in order to celebrate four years since the country had obtained its independence and 15 years of his rule. May 10th used to be Romania’s national day until 1947 when the communists came to power and forced the abdication of King Mihai 1st, Romania’s fourth and last Sovereign.



    A national holiday nowadays thanks to its triple significance, May 10th is also celebrated by the Royal family and by Romanians through a series of events including a military ceremony, a marathon, an exhibition and a Royal Concert given by the National Radio Orchestra. The peak of these festivities was the traditional Garden Party at the Elisabeta Palace, the Bucharest residence of the royal family.



    According to tradition, three of king Mihai’s five daughters, including crown custodian Princess Margareta, have welcomed from the balcony several hundred of guests coming from all over Romania as well as from the neighboring Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova. The princesses addressed the people gathered in the garden where a huge portrait of their father had been posted.



    Tens of doves were released and over 1,000 balloons went up into the sky. A Romanian Army brass band performed on the occasion but the party was shadowed by the remembrance of King Mihai’s death at the age of 96 on December 5th. The king was buried on December 16th in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where the other Romanian sovereigns are also buried. “This is the first May 10th without King Mihai but we must go on. For his legacy, for our country. We are very fine and, as I’ve already told you, we are not alone” — Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown said.

  • Parliament pays homage to King Mihai I

    Parliament pays homage to King Mihai I

    History has seen few figures who have upheld democratic values, much to the aversion of both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. King Mihai I was one of these few illustrious figures. Born on October 25th, 1921, Mihai ascended to the throne in 1940, after his unpopular father, Carol II, stepped down.



    He spent his early years in the shadow of the de facto leader, the pro-German Marshal Ion Antonescu. On August 23rd, 1944, King Mihai had Antonescu arrested and broke Romania’s alliance with Hitler’s Germany and struck a deal with Romania’s traditional allies, the United States, Great Britain and France.



    Many historians agree this decision shortened the war by at least six months and helped save hundreds of thousands of lives. Three years later, at a time when Romania was under Soviet military occupation, steered by a puppet communist government, the King was forced to abdicate and live in exile in the West.



    He oversaw the activity of the Romanian National Committee, which many saw as a democratic Government in exile. After the anticommunist revolution of 1989 King Mihai I supported Romania’s NATO and EU accession with the other royal houses and governments in Europe. Commentators say it was normal for Parliament to pay one final tribute to his life of excellence in a solemn plenary session attended by high-ranking officials in Bucharest.



    King Mihai stood for the hope of a reborn and free Romania, and will be remembered as a great political figure, President Klaus Iohannis said, addressing Parliament. In turn, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has expressed confidence that the King will become an important part of Romania’s history, while his vibrant personality will continue to inspire Romanians for generations to come.



    I lost a father, as did the entire nation, said the King’s first-born daughter, the Custodian of the Royal Crown, Her Royal Highness Princess Margareta. The Royal House will continue to do everything in its power to help the country move forward, together with the state’s underlying institutions, Princess Margareta promised.



    The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church Daniel also honored the King’s memory, calling him “a staunch believer” who never refrained from overtly upholding his religious convictions. The King, the Patriarch went on to say, also showed a great deal of reverence towards the other religious denominations, as he “advocated “peace between ethnicities and religions”.



    The chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania, Aurel Vainer, also eulogized the former monarch, describing the King as “a man of the people”. Also on Monday the Choral Temple in Bucharest played host to a commemorative ceremony devoted to the King. During the Holocaust, King Mihai and the Queen Mother Elena took action to support and save Jews in Romania.


  • December 8, 2017

    December 8, 2017

    CONSTITUTION Promoting the rule of law, justice independence, the fight against corruption, assuring integrity in public jobs and positions are constitutional non-negotiable values that cannot be limited or eliminated, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has today said in a message conveyed on the Day of Constitution, passed through a referendum 26 years ago. As a head of state, whose duties include that overseeing the Constitution, Iohannis urges all state institutions to observe this law not only in letter but also in spirit. Under the Constitution the Romanians are more united around some fundamental principles for whose observance he actively campaigns. The president’s address comes against the background of street protests sparked off by some controversial amendments proposed by leftist ruling coalition currently under debates in Parliament.



    BREXIT The European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker has announced in Brussels on Friday that sufficient progress has been made and the Brexit talks with Britain can advance to the next stage, the BBC reports. Both sides have shown adaptability and readiness for compromise, Juncker has also said during a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May. The British official has said that London and Brussels have agreed upon the rights of citizens from the EU and Britain and over the Irish border so that talks can now move on to the next level. On December 15th, the European Council must decide whether sufficient progress has been made so that negotiations with London can advance.



    DRILL French frigate Guepratte, which has arrived in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta, is to join Romanian corvette Eugeniu Rosca and dreadnought Lupu Dinescu for an air-defence drill, which also involves the participation of warplanes from the Romanian and Canadian air forces stationed at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base. The drill’s main aim is to raise the training level of the participant crews as well as to develop relations between allied forces.



    UN An emergency session of the UN Security Council is taking place today upon the request of eight members including Britain and France, after the recognition by US president Donald Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The event has sparked off strong international reactions. US ally Saudi Arabia has described the move as irresponsible. The US traditional allies in Europe have also rejected Trump’s decision while Russia and China have voiced concern over escalating conflicts in the region. All Palestinian factions have condemned the decision calling for strikes and rallies. Large-scale protests have already taken place in the Gaza Strip while many Middle East countries have cautioned against any changes in Jerusalem status that might spark off religious tensions. The Arab League has announced its intention to convene in an emergency meeting on Saturday.



    HANDBALL Romania’s national women’s side has qualified on the first position for the round of 16 of the World Championships in Germany. On Thursday night our handballers clinched a win against Angola, while France drew their match against Spain allowing the Romanians to end up on the first position in group A. Romania will be further playing the winner of the game pitching Hungary against the Czech Republic. The Romanian handballers have so far managed only good shows with four wins in their fixtures against Paraguay, Slovenia, Spain and Angola. At the previous edition in 2015, Romania ended up on the third position walking away with bronze. Romania is the only side that has so far participated in all the 22 editions of the world championship.



    KING Romania’s deceased king Mihai 1st is being commemorated through special religious services around the country but also in Switzerland, where religious services are to be held until December 13th when his body is to be repatriated. In the meantime numerous people have been signing in the books of condolences at the royal Peles Castle in the mountain resort of Sinaia and also in Bucharest. The Romanian government has declared national mourning in the days of 14th, 15th and 16th of December. The king is to be buried on December 16th in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania.


  • December 7, 2017 UPDATE

    December 7, 2017 UPDATE

    MOURNING Every evening until December 10th religious services will be held at King Mihai’s residence in Switzerland, where he spent most of his life in exile and where he also died, the Royal House has announced. In the country, Romanians continue to bring flowers and candles in front of the former royal palace in Bucharest and at the Elisabeta Palace, the late King’s residence in the capital city. The king’s body will be flown to the country on Wednesday, December 13th, and placed at the Peles Castle in Sinaia, in the southern Carpathians. On the evening of the same day, the coffin will be brought to the Royal Palace in Bucharest. The funeral will take place on Saturday, December 16th, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where all Romania’s former kings are interred. The Government declared a national mourning on December 14th, 15th and 16th. On Monday, December 11th, the joint chambers of the Romanian Parliament will pay tribute to the former sovereign in a solemn session. The King of Romania between 1940 and 1947, Mihai I passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 96.



    EUROSTAT Romania saw the highest growth rate in the EU in the third quarter of this year, a revised estimate published on Thursday by EUROSTAT, the Statistical Office of the European Union, says. In the period between July and September, Romania’s GDP rose by 8.6% as compared to the same period last year. Romania is followed by Malta and Latvia in this ranking.



    FOOTBALL The National Arena in Bucharest will be hosting fixtures from EURO 2020 group C, UEFA announced after lots had been cast on Thursday. The other city designated to host group C fixtures is Amsterdam. The National Arena is also to host a round of 16 fixture and if Romania qualifies for the competition, it will play at least two games at home. The match to open the tournament is due to take place on the Olympic Stadium in Rome while the finals will be played on Wembley. EURO 2020, which marks 60 years since the first edition of the competition, will be hosted by 12 European cities.



    PARLIAMENT Draft laws, on the 2018 state budget and social insurances, are to be passed by Parliament in Bucharest on December 21st, according to a roadmap adopted by the two Legislative chambers on Thursday. After amendments are discussed by specialized committees over December 7th and 16th, another round of talks on the two draft laws is to be hosted by the two joint Parliament chambers, according to the newly approved roadmap. The state budget bill got government approval on Wednesday and is based on a forecast economic growth rate of 5.5% and a 3.1% annual inflation rate. According to the country’s Prime Minister, Mihai Tudose, it’s for the first time that Romania’s GDP has exceeded 200 billion euros, which allows for rises in wages and pensions.



    DECREE Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday signed a decree on the promulgation of a law that sets December 18th as the Day of the National Minorities in Romania. Under the law, every year on this occasion various cultural events are to be staged while the central and local authorities as well as the NGOs interested are to provide logistic and financial support. Public radio and TV stations are to broadcast shows and reports from the events taking place on this occasion.


  • June 27, 2017

    June 27, 2017

    PM designated in Romania — The Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, designated by President Klaus Iohannis to form the future government, will establish the government membership, which is to be validated on Wednesday by the Social Democratic Party’s executive committee. After nominating Tudose as PM, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis asked the parliamentary parties to urgently draft an agenda that should allow the finalization of parliamentary procedures during this week. He argued that the current political crisis seriously affects Romania’s economy and image. The Tudose cabinet will replace the Grindeanu government, which was removed following a no confidence motion filed by the majority coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.



    King Mihai — The health condition of the former King of Romania, Mihai I (who ruled between 1940- 1947) is fragile but stable, the Royal House of Romania has announced. Crown Princess Margareta of Romania and Prince Radu are on a family visit to Switzerland as of Monday. They will spend a few days with the king at his private residence. After undergoing cancer surgery, King Mihai I announced his withdrawal from public life on March 1, 2016. He also announced that his first born of his 5 daughters, Princess Margareta, who is the Crown Princess, would represent him and fulfill all his public duties.



    Tennis — Three Romanian women tennis players are today playing in the 2nd round of the tennis tournament on grass court of Eastbourne (Great Britain) which has prizes up for grabs worth 750 thousand dollars. World’s no. 2, Simona Halep, will take on the Chinese player Ying-Ying Duan, Monica Niculescu (51 WTA) will play against Ţvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria (149 WTA) while Sorana Cîrstea (62 WTA) will face British Johanna Konta (7 WTA). In the first round, Cîrstea on Monday defeated Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic (39 WTA) in two sets. The grass court tournament in Eastbourne is the last preparation stage ahead of the Wimbledon tournament, the year’s 3rd grand slam tournament.



    Strasbourg — The draft law on the modification of the election system in the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) will continue to be submitted to public debate, and the authorities will take into account the recommendations of the Venice Commission in order to pass the best possible law – the Moldovan PM Pavel Filip promised at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg. According to the Venice Commission, the modification of the election law and the adoption of the uninominal voting system for half of the Parliament members were inopportune. Analysts say that replacing the current, party-list voting system with the uninominal voting system, would be to the advantage of big parties, namely the pro-western Democrats of PM Filip and the Socialists of the pro-Moscow president Igor Dodon. Also in Strasbourg the Moldovan PM thanked neighboring Romania for the constant support it provided to the Republic of Moldova.



    Romanian- Bulgarian cooperation — The Bulgarian President, Rumen Radev, will pay an official visit to Romania on Wednesday and Thursday, when he will meet with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. The aim of his visit is to deepen political dialogue between Romania and Bulgaria on the main issues of common interest of the bilateral agenda, as well as of the regional, European and international agenda. The talks will focus on economic relations, as well as on sectoral cooperation in such domains as energy and transports, in the context in which Romania is Bulgaria’s 3rd trade partner in the EU. The two presidents will also look into concrete ways to coordinate the promotion of common interests and targets within the EU. Bulgaria and Romania will hold the presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2019 respectively. High on the agenda of talks are also cooperation within NATO and the security challenges in the Black Sea area, the Eastern Neighborhood and regional cooperation.



    File closure — Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office has closed the file regarding the adoption of the emergency government decree no. 13, which brought several amendments to the Criminal Codes. Prosecutors motivated their decision by saying that it was not their prerogative to establish the legality and appropriateness of passing that ordinance, as the issues that could not be part of a criminal trial, according to a decision by the Constitutional Court of Romania. The decree was considered an attempt to relax the anti-corruption legislation and was repealed by another emergency decree following massive street protests. (translation by Lacramioara Simion)

  • October 26, 2016 UPDATE

    October 26, 2016 UPDATE

    RADIO AND TV LICENSE FEE– Representatives of the Romanian Government and of the National Liberal Party (PNL) consider appealing to the Constitutional Court the bill on the elimination of over 100 non-fiscal taxes as of January 1, including the radio and TV licence fee. The bill, proposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was passed on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body in this case. The bill has been passed without an assessment of its impact on next years state budget and the MPs have not indicated the source of funding, the bills opponents have argued. They have also said that the elimination of the radio and TV licence fee by law infringes on the independence and impartiality of the public broadcasters. A number of media organisations call on President Klaus Iohannis not to promulgate the law and launch a public debate on the status of public media services.



    NATO MEETING– Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc on Wednesday attended a NATO meeting in Brussels. Motoc also met with several NATO defence ministers. The US Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, said in Brussels that NATO would consolidate its presence in Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria. Ambassador Lute said that, for the time being, plans on consolidating the presence of NATOs air and naval forces in the Black Sea region are still being discussed.



    MILITARY DRILL – A multinational military drill involving 1,300 military is unfolding until November 2 at the Land Forces training centre in Cincu, Brasov county. The three stage “SCORPIONS FURY – 16 exercise has been designed by the NATO Southeast Multinational Division Command. Romanias land forces participate in the military exercise with around one thousand troops, alongside colleagues from Canada, Germany and the Republic of Moldova.



    ANNIVERSARY – The series of events occasioned by the birthday anniversary of King Mihai I of Romania, who turned 95 on October 25, continues across the country. On this occasion, the kings eldest daughter, HRH Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, has attached special importance to this years birthday anniversary of king Mihai, concurrently with the celebration of 150 years of the Romanian Crown, serving Romanias history, the nations identity and continuity. On Thursday, Princess Margareta and Price Radu will attend the public presentation of a stamp collection entitled “Engines, a royal passion, issued by Romfilatelia. The event will be hosted by the Carol I Central University Library in Bucharest. On this occasion the Royal Choir will give a short recital. Mihai I is Romanias last king and the only surviving head of state from WWII. He ruled the country two times, between 1927 and 1930, and between 1940 and 1947, respectively. Forced by the communists to abdicate, on December 30, 1947, the former monarch lived in exile. After the Anti-communist Revolution of 1989, he returned to his native Romania.



    ECONOMY – Romania ranks 36th in the World Banks classification “Doing Business 2017, one place down as against the previous year. Romania advanced in terms of tax payment, but went down in terms of starting a business. Romania is rated ahead of countries like Hungary, Belgium, Italy and Turkey, but comes after countries like New Zealand, which ranks first, Poland, the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan. The World Bank report assesses 190 economies based on 11 criteria such as taking out loans, access to the electricity network and cross border transactions.



    REP OF MOLDOVA – The candidate for the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, the leader of the Democratic Party, Marian Lupu, has withdrawn from the race, three days ahead of the ballot scheduled for October 30, in favour of the common candidate of the right wing, Maia Sandu. He said that it is important to his political party for a pro-European candidate to win the elections. Opinion polls credited Lupu with 13% of the voting intentions and Maia Sandu with 16% and already enjoyed the support of three pro-European parties. Most likely than not she will face in the runoff pro-Russian Socialist, Igor Dodon, credited with some 35% of the intended votes.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (WTA no. 4) will take on Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia (WTA no. 8) on Thursday in the Red Group at the WTA finals in Singapore. On Tuesday, Halep lost to Angelique Kerber of Germany (WTA no.1), 4-6, 2-6. Simona is second seeded in her group, after Angelique Kerber. In the White Group, the Czech player Karolina Pliskova (WTA no.5) defeated the Roland Garros defending champion, Spanish Garbine Muguruza (WTA no.6), and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (WTA no.9) defeated last years winner of the title, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska (WTA no.3). Simona Halep is participating for the third time in the WTA Finals, after in 2014 she met Serena Williams in the finals, and last year failed to go past the group stage.(Translated by E. Enache and D. Vijeu)

  • May 10, 2016 UPDATE

    May 10, 2016 UPDATE

    ANTI-CORRUPTION SUMMIT Romania’s deputy Prime Minister Costin Borc and Justice Minister Raluca Pruna over Wednesday and Thursday will be participating in an anti-corruption Summit in London as well in the conference preceding it entitled ”Together in the fight against corruption”. According to the Justice Ministry in Bucharest, the summit hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron, will be attended by international leaders, representatives of the business environment and civil society. High on the agenda will be government transparency, the enforcement of anti-corruption laws at international levels, consolidating international institutions and information confidentiality at corporation level.



    PUBLIC PROCUREMENT A new law package on public procurement was passed on Tuesday by the decision-making Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, a month later than the date set by the European Commission, which has criticised Romania for the delay. The new law has taken over community directions introducing rules that should be enforced in all EU countries. The adoption of the new legislative framework will simplify the public procurement process and reduce the number of contests. Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has pledged the norms of applying the new laws will be adopted by the government as soon as possible.



    ATTACK The man who stabbed to death a person wounding three others in the station of Grafing, close to Munich, is believed to have a history of mental health problems and drug abuse, Joachim Herrmann, interior minister of Bavaria state said at the same time ruling out the hypothesis of an Islamist attack, the DPA reports. Investigators have been following such a lead after the two Jihadi attacks that occurred against policemen in the past two months in Germany. German fighters belonging to the terrorist group ISIS in August 2015 issued threats against Germany and against chancellor Angela Merkel, pledging revenge for Germany’s support of the anti-ISIS fight and the presence of the German army in Afghanistan.



    CELEBRATION In Romania May 10th is a national celebration, marking 150 years since the start of Carol 1st’s rule. Also on May 10th, 1877 the Romanian state proclaimed its independence and in 1881 Romania became a kingdom. On May 10th, 1866 prince Carol Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was proclaimed ruling prince of the united Romanian Principalities under the name of Carol I. Royalty Day is being marked these days through various events across Romania. The Romanian Royal Family on Tuesday, May 10th celebrated Monarchy Day at the Peles Castle in Sinaia, a castle built by King Carol I. The Royal Standard has been raised at Peles for the first time since king Mihai’s abdication in 1947.


  • March 26, 2016

    March 26, 2016

    BRUSSELS ATTACKS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that the security threat level in Belgium, in the wake of Tuesdays attacks in Brussels, was lowered to 3, indicating a “serious threat. The Brussels metro was reopened, but restrictions remain in place on several lines and security forces run random checks. The international airport remains closed at least until Monday. On Friday Belgian police arrested another three individuals suspected of having ties with the terrorist cell that staged Tuesdays attacks, which killed 31 people and wounded another 300. Six other suspects were arrested on Thursday, after French and German police also arrested presumed militants having ties with the perpetrators of the attacks in Brussels and those in Paris last November. In France, president François Hollande said the network responsible for those attacks was about to be annihilated, but that other networks remained a threat.



    ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS – In March, Romanian authorities decided to escort out of the country 23 foreigners who were staying in Romania illegally, the General Immigration Inspectorate announced on Saturday. According to a news release, nation-wide operations led to the identification of 163 illegal foreigners. The police also issued 475 warnings and fines against people who breached the Romanian immigration laws. During the same month, 78 asylum applications were filed in Romania, most of them by citizens of Syria, Yemen and Somalia seeking international protection.



    ROYAL CELEBRATIONS – The Romanian Royal Family celebrates today 135 years since the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania, as well as the birthday anniversary of Crown Princess Margareta. On behalf of King Mihai I, she will award medals to a number of personalities and institutions in Romania, Germany, France and the UK. An anniversary concert will also be organised. The former sovereign of Romania, aged 94, retired from public life early this month, and appointed Crown Princess Margareta to represent him in all public activities. Diagnosed with two types of cancer, King Mihai has recently undergone surgery at a clinic in Switzerland.



    POLITICS – The National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR), a small party in the former ruling coalition, is today electing its president in a special congress. The position has been vacant since the ex-Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea resigned, further to a corruption scandal in which he is accused of abuse of office in two cases. The partys interim president, the mayor of Bucharests District 2, Neculai Onţanu, was also arrested for bribe taking. The participants in the National Extraordinary Conference will also discuss the partys political platform, regulations and preparations for the local and parliamentary elections due this year.



    EASTER – Roman-Catholic and Protestants celebrate Easter this Sunday, five weeks ahead of the Orthodox and Eastern Catholics. Romania has a Catholic and Protestant community of nearly 1.5 million people. At midnight, they will take part in the special mass celebrating the Resurrection of Christ.



    DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME – Clocks change in Romania on Saturday night, when 3 am becomes 4 am. The practice, known as Daylight Saving Time, is meant to use sunlight as much as possible. In summer, clocks are turned forward by one hour. When Romania switches to summer time, there will be a 3-hour difference between Romanias time and UTC. More than 100 different countries worldwide use Daylight Saving Time. In Romania, it has been used since 1932.

  • March 9, 2016

    March 9, 2016

    VISIT– Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, who is currently on an official visit to Israel, is today going to the Wailing Wall. He is also due to meet representatives of the Israeli community of Romanian origin. On Tuesday, Klaus Iohannis met with the Knesset Speaker, Yuli Edelstein. The focal points of the talks included, among others, the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Romanian President has also said all institutions should get involved in the common efforts to fight terrorism and extremist ideologies. Also in Jerusalem, Klaus Iohannis said that, back home, he will have talks with the Romanian government on the setting up in Bucharest of a museum dedicated to Jews and the Holocaust. On Thursday, the Romanian President will go the Palestinian territories, for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas.



    DIPLOMACY — Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Ciolos, is currently on a visit to the Netherlands, a country which is holding the rotating presidency of the EU. The agenda of the talks held in the Hague with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Dutch MPs covers such issues as migration, Schengen accession, the European Commission’s report on Romania, issued under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, and bilateral cooperation. On Monday, the PM attended in Brussels, the EU-Turkey Summit devoted to the common plan on the refugee crisis. On Tuesday, the Romanian PM said, during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, that Romania is ready to contribute resources and to concretely commit itself to increasing NATO’s presence on the eastern flank.



    KING — The last sovereign of Romania, Mihai I (1940-1947), continues to be in a severe but stable condition, news agencies quote sources close to the Royal House as saying. They said no major changes have occurred since the previous medical report was released on March 4, when medical doctors said his evolution was relatively stable. King Mihai, 94, underwent cancer surgery and announced his withdrawal from public life, on March 1, saying that his first born of his five daughters, Princess Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, will represent him and will replace him in accomplishing his public duties. On August 23, 1944, during WWII, the King ordered the arrest of the de facto leader of the country, marshal Ion Antonescu, Romania’s withdrawal from the alliance with Nazi Germany and the country’s return to the side of its traditional allies, the United States and Great Britain. According to historians, his decision shortened the war by at least 6 months, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Three years later, when the country was practically under Soviet military occupation and was led by a communist government, the King was forced to abdicate and to go into exile in the West. He could return to the country only after the 1989 anti-communist Revolution.



    CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION— The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies is today deciding by vote whether or not it endorses the request by the national anti-corruption prosecutors regarding the detention and preventive arrest of Social Democrat MP Cristian Rizea. He is accused of influence peddling, money laundering and subornation of perjury. The prosecutors claim that Rizea reportedly received 300,000 Euro worth of bribe from an American citizen to intervene in a case of land property return. The MP is rejecting the accusations levelled against him, saying that, in the run up to the June 5 elections, pressure has been put on him to withdraw from the electoral race for the position of mayor in one of Bucharest’s districts.



    MULTIPLE STABBING ATTACK — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced there is a Romanian national among the persons who have been injured in the attack which occurred in Tel Aviv on March 8. The Romanian citizen is stable, undergoing treatment in a hospital in the Israeli capital city. We recall that a US citizen has been killed in the multiple stabbing attack by a Palestinian militant on the Jaffa suburb of Tel Aviv. 6 other people were injured in the same attack. The attacker was shot dead by the Israeli security services.



    TEHRAN — Iran has tested a series of ballistic missiles to prove “the nation’s capacity to face any threat”. According to the BBC, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says the missiles are designed to be able to hit Israel. In another move, although Iran’s nuclear agreement, ratified last year, eased tensions between Tehran and Washington, the Americans consider Iran’s developing missiles as a threat to security. Tehran responded, saying that the U.S. put into jeopardy security in the Middle East, by the massive selling of armament to the allies in the region.



    HANDBALL — Romania’s national women handball team is today meeting on home turf, in the central city of Cluj Napoca, the defending world champion, Norway, in a Group 1 match of the European Championship qualifiers. The return game is due in Stavanger on Sunday. Ahead of this match, Norway and Romania stood on the first two positions in the group, with 4 points each, whereas Belarus and Lithuania, ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, with zero points. The two teams met last year in the World Championship semi-finals, and the match was won by the Norwegian players after extra time. In the bronze final, Romania defeated Poland and grabbed the bronze medal.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • March 4, 2016

    March 4, 2016

    The former Romanian sovereign
    King Mihai I is in a hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he was taken five
    days ago, according to his press office. He is physically weak, but stable, and
    receives constant treatment. In a statement published on Wednesday, the
    94-year-old king said he received news of a serious medical diagnosis a few
    weeks ago, at a time when his family and Romania celebrate 150 years since the
    establishment of the dynasty and the formation of the Romanian modern
    state. Diagnosed with two types of
    cancer, Mihai I has also undergone surgery. He handed over his public
    responsibilities to his older daughter, princess Margareta. Born on the 25th
    of October 1921, Mihai I was king between 1927 and 1930 and then again from 1940 until
    1947, when he was forced by the communists to abdicate and go into
    exile. He returned to Romania after the collapse of the communist regime in
    1989.




    The Romanian prime minister
    Dacian Ciolos on Monday travels to Brussels to attend the meeting between the
    European Union and Turkey. The former plays a crucial role in stemming the flow
    of migrants to Europe. Ciolos will also attend an informal meeting of European
    Council members. On Tuesday, he will have talks with the European Council
    president Donald Tusk about internal EU affairs, including the economic
    situation, employment, the refugee crisis, Schengen, the EU’s relationship with
    Britain and the energy union. The two officials will also tackle external issues,
    such as the eastern neighbourhood, the Republic of Moldova and Syria. In
    another meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Dacian Ciolos will meet NATO Secretary
    General Jens Stoltenberg
    to discuss regional security issues, such as NATO’s presence in eastern Europe,
    the Black Sea area and the EU-NATO strategic relationship. On Wednesday,
    Romania’s prime minister travels to The Hague for talks with his Dutch
    counterpart Mark Rutte and other senior officials.




    The E.coli bacteria was not found
    in milk produced by farms in Arges and Dolj counties, said the Sanitary and
    Veterinary Agency. The tests have been carried out as part of a wide-scale
    investigation to find the source of the E.coli bacteria that infected tens of
    children in Arges. Agriculture minister Achim Irimescu does not rule out that
    the source may be the fresh cow cheese produced by a factory using milk from
    the farms in Arges and Dolj. The representatives of the Federation of Producers
    of Traditional Products do not agree with the minister and say his statement
    caused a lot of damage to the image and sales of these producers, whose sales
    allegedly dropped by 40%. Three infants have died since the beginning of
    February because of serious digestive complications caused by the E.coli
    bacteria.




    The former Romanian deputy prime minister and interior minister Gabriel
    Oprea has resigned from his position as leader of the National Union for the
    Progress of Romania party. He justified his decision saying he does not want
    the scandal in which he is involved to affect his party in an election year.
    Oprea is under investigation for abuse of office while serving as interior
    minister. Anticorruption prosecutors accuse him of authorising the purchase of
    a luxury car by the ministry and of abusively using official police escort to
    which he was not entitled.




    Romania’s Davis Cup team this
    weekend faces Slovenia in the first round of the Europe-Africa Group 1. Marius
    Copil, no. 202 in the ATP world ranking, today meets Blaz Rola, no. 106. In a
    second match today, Adrian Ungur, ranked 193, faces Grega Zemlja, ranked 181.
    In a doubles match on Saturday, Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea face the pair
    Tomislav Ternar and Aljaz Radinski. In the final two singles matches on Sunday,
    Adrian Ungur faces Blaz Rola, while Marius Copil faces Grega Zemlja.





  • The King of Romania

    The King of Romania

    Aged 94 and suffering from two types of cancer, king Mihai 1st has been recently operated on and is now undergoing a complex and difficult medical treatment. He has entrusted his daughter, princess Margareta, the Custodian of the crown, with the mission of carrying on his projects.



    The former sovereign has also written a good-bye message, which was read publicly by the Royal Council Spokesman Andrew Popper: “I have recently received a serious medical diagnosis. This situation coincides with the period in which the family and the country are celebrating 150 since the setting up of the dynasty and of the Romanian modern state. I am sure that my daughter Margareta, the Custodian of the Crown, will find the necessary wisdom and strength to represent me and to carry through all the public actions that I have initiated. I have requested the Royal Council to carry on its mission and to help the Custodian with advice. Signed: King Mihai, March 1st, 2016.”



    This situation brings to an end a chapter in the history of Romania that has been both heroic and tragic. Barely a grown-up, at the age of 19, Mihai 1st became King of Romania in 1940, after the abdication of his unpopular father, Carol the 2nd. Seen as immature and easy to manipulate by the iron man of the time, Marshal Ion Antonescu, which had placed Romania on the orbit of Nazi Germany, the king stayed in the shadows for a very long time. However, on August 23rd, 1944, when the outcome of WWII had already become easy to predict, the young sovereign was brave enough to arrest the marshal and pull out the country from the alliance with Hitler and place it on the side of its traditional allies, the British and the Americans. According to historians, that change of sides shortened the war by at least six months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives.



    However, both Romania and its King were refused the right to stand among the winners. On December 30th, 1947, when the country was practically under Soviet military occupation and was led by a shadow communist government, the King was forced to abdicate and go into exile. For decades, the only way in which he could relate to his people, which remained trapped behind the Iron Curtain, was through radio messages.



    Marked by the ideological prejudice imposed throughout decades of dictatorship, the leftist power instated after the Anti-Communist Revolution of 1989, forbade the King access to his own country. It was only in 1997 that the predominantly Christian — Democratic government facilitated his return and granted him Romanian citizenship again, also returning part of his properties. So, once again, the King unconditionally placed himself in the service of the country.



    He promoted Romania’s accession to NATO and the EU, stood for rendering state institutions democratic and free of communism, got involved in charity and patronage programs and thus became one of the most respected and loved public figures.



    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has voiced hope that the King will find the power to get over these difficult times and that the Royal Family will remain the same beacon of hope and solidarity.



    In turn, Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos has recalled that for decades, His Majesty, the former Sovereign of Romania, has been for this people a source of love, hope and support.

  • December 24, 2015

    December 24, 2015

    OUTLOOK OF 2016 – 2016 will not be an austerity year for Romania, marked by redundancies, and the budget deficit in 2016 will be close to estimates, Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos, said on a TV station. Ciolos has however mentioned the necessity of implementing reforms in several institutions subordinated to or within the government, such as administration, transports, healthcare and education. These reforms are needed in order not to destabilise the country and economy in the long run, considering the social and fiscal relaxation measures taken by the previous government and by Parliament, Dacian Ciolos has underlined. Referring to Romanias relation with the EU, the prime minister said he would like Bucharest to have a more pro-active role at government level. Dacian Ciolos is due to pay three official visits to the EU member states in the first months of 2016, the first one, on January 7th, to Germany, at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the following ones, to France and the Netherlands.



    CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS – Most Orthodox believers, Greek-Catholics and Catholics are today celebrating Christmas Eve, making preparations to mark Jesus Birth, known as the Nativity. Overnight, children in several regions of Romania, a country with a majority Orthodox population, went carolling from house to house, symbolizing the angels and shepherds who were the first to announce Jesus Birth. Also today, priests carrying Nativity Icons go from house to house, spreading the “Good News about the Birth of Jesus Christ.



    KING MIHAI-Romanias former sovereign, king Mihai the 1st, has sent a Christmas message to all Romanians. In his address, the former sovereign has referred to both the young generation, expressing his confidence in the future, and to the elderly, who are teaching a lesson of courage and dignity, according to king Mihai. The former sovereign has conveyed a message of encouragement to and appreciation for those working in hospitals, saving lives, as well as to the teaching staff. He has assured of his compassion all those who are in mourning and those who are worried about the health condition of their loved ones. King Mihai has also evoked the professionalism and commitment of Romanias soldiers, who are serving their country with honour, in all conditions, sometimes even with the cost of their lives.



    CHISHINAU-In the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, prime minister designate, Ion Sturza, has secured the support of only one political party, the Liberal Democratic Party, in the effort to form a ruling coalition. According to Radio Chishinau, following Wednesdays talks, both the Liberal Party and Moldovas European Peoples Party havent made a decision yet on whether or not they will support the government. The leaders of the two parties have said they have common standpoints on the situation in the country, but think of different political sollutions; Ion Sturza says the best idea is to form a technocratic government, whereas the representatives of the Liberal Party and of Moldovas European Peoples Party believe the Republic of Moldova needs a government which should enjoy political support. The Democratic Party and the Communist Party have announced they will not vote for the new government, and the Socialists further support the dissolution of Parliament. Ion Sturza has announced he will have talks with representatives of civil society and international organisations as well as with the ambassadors of the western countries accredited to Chishinau. Sturza was designated prime minister on December 21, at the end of a year during which three prime ministers have been replaced, and still has two weeks available to convince Parliament to grant it a vote of investiture.



    EU FINANCIAL SUPPORT- The European Union has adopted a package of measures worth 112 million Euros, meant to support social and economic reforms and to offer protection to vulnerable groups in Tunisia, Syria and Israel. Financed through the European Neighbourhood Instrument, this package has taken the EUs financial support for its southern vicinity to one billion 600 thousand Euros. 72 million Euros of this package are destined to boost cooperation with Tunisia and Israel, whereas the rest of 40 million Euros are earmarked for Syria, to support vulnerable groups. This financial assistance package supports the implementation of key reforms, will improve living conditions and enhance the local populations resistance, said the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn.



    SYRIAN FILE– Syria has expressed its readiness to take part in the peace talks held in Geneva and hopes dialogue will help the country form a national unity government, Syrian foreign minister, Walid al Muallem, says in Beijing. The UN intends to initiate peace negotiations on Syria, in Geneva, in late January. Last Friday, the UN Security Council issued a resolution which approves an international road-map for the Syrian peace process, in an approach of unique unity among the big powers in the world on the conflict in Syria, FP reports. Syria, the country ravaged by a five-year civil war, is divided between the government forces, Jihadist groups, Kurdish fighters and the rest of non-Jihadist rebels. The conflict in Syria has left over 250,000 victims, more than 4 million people fled the country, and according to UN sources, over 60% of the population is currently living below the poverty line.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)