Radio România Internațional

Tag: Klaus

  • May 30, 2023 UPDATE

    May 30, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
    will be receiving King Charles III of the United Kingdom at the Cotroceni
    Palace in Bucharest on Friday. After the welcome ceremony, His Majesty will be
    having face-to-face talks with the Romanian president, and is expected to meet
    local authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the
    diplomatic corps. The British Ambassador in Bucharest, Andrew Noble, has told the
    AGERPRES news agency that His Majesty’s visit is private and that he will meet
    the Romanian president as a courtesy gesture. This will be the first visit of a
    British Monarch to Romania. King Charles III owns property in Romania, which he
    used to visit regularly when he was Prince of Wales.










    STRIKE After a new round of talks with the government in
    Bucharest, trade unions in Romania’s education sector have threatened to carry
    on their all-out strike as their request for a pay rise has been turned down by
    the authorities. According to them, the government offered only the equivalent
    of 800 euros in bonuses for teachers and 300 euros for the auxiliary personnel.
    Over 15 thousand teachers protested in front of the government building and the
    presidential palace on Tuesday calling on the Romanian president, who used to
    be a teacher before becoming the country’s president, to get involved in the
    process of finding a solution to their claims. President Iohannis has voiced
    readiness to act a mediator in the talks aimed at finding a solution to the
    crisis in Romania’s education system. He described the teachers’ claims as
    natural and legitimate but underlined that overcoming the deadlock in education
    and ending the strike are crucial for the good functioning of the school year
    and for maintaining a stability climate in the educational system. Students in
    schools across Romania have voiced their support for their teachers’ protests
    and for their claims.








    AID The National Committee for Emergency Situations, convened on
    Monday by the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, approved the granting,
    free of charge, of humanitarian aid to Syria. It is intended for the population
    affected by the major earthquake produced on the territory of Turkey on
    February 6, which caused casualties and big material damage in Syria as well.
    The support is granted based on the humanitarian assistance request initiated
    by Damascus through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The Romanian
    state, through the National Administration of State Reserves and the Romanian
    Patriarchate, will send basic goods, food, medical devices and shelter items.
    The transport will be carried out by air, with the support of the Ministry of
    Defense.










    UNITER The UNITER Gala, which awards the best Romanian theatrical
    productions, will take place on June 12, in Timișoara, with a new concept,
    specially created for the city in the west of the country, which holds the
    title of Cultural Capital of Europe, the organizers announce in a press
    conference on Monday. In the preamble, between June 7-10, three of the best
    shows of 2022, nominated for the UNITER awards, will be presented: Oedipus King of the Marin
    Sorescu National Theater in Craiova (south), Antonin Artaud. The
    Cenci Family of the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater in Iasi
    (east) and Seaside Stories of the Constanta State Theater
    (south-east). The performances will be followed by interactive
    question-and-answer sessions with the audience.






    (bill&MI)

  • February 28, 2023 UPDATE

    February 28, 2023 UPDATE

    HUMAN RIGHTS In his speech before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on
    Tuesday, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, reiterated Romania’s firm
    and unflinching support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial
    integrity of Ukraine. The Romanian official underlined the fact that ‘tireless
    efforts must be made to hold the Russian Federation accountable for the war
    crimes in Ukraine and offer compensations to the large number of victims.’ Aurescu
    also spoke about the latest earthquakes that severely affected Turkey and Syria
    and recalled that Romania was among the first countries to offer humanitarian
    assistance.






    DECORATIONS On the Civil Protection Day on Tuesday, Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis awarded decorations to the servicemen, firefighters, paramedics and
    volunteers who participated in the international humanitarian mission in Turkey.
    According to Iohannis, Civil Protection represents a major component of the
    national security and in the past decade the Romanian state has made
    significant efforts to buy state-of-the-art equipment and provide professional
    training to those who work in this field. The results obtained were also
    superior and the professionalism of the Romanian rescuers was also acknowledged
    and appreciated at international level whenever they got involved in rescue
    operations abroad, president Iohannis went on to say.






    WAR
    Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has admitted that the situation in
    Bakhmut, a city besieged by Russian invasion forces, is getting more difficult
    by the day. The enemy is systematically destroying anything that can be
    used to reinforce our defenses, Zelensky said, who labeled Ukrainian
    servicemen involved in this battle true heroes. As early as last
    summer, Moscow’s troops have been trying to take Bakhmut, a key strategic
    settlement that has become a symbol of the battle for the entire Donbas region.
    In a statement to the Russian television, the head of pro-Russian separatists
    in Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, claims that all access routes to the Ukrainian
    fortress in Bakhmut are in firing range. Previously, the owner of
    the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced his mercenaries had captured the
    village of Yahidne, just north of the city.


    (bill)

  • The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President

    The New Year’s Message of the Romanian President


    The time between the two years has
    always been a moment filled with significance and emotions because we are
    celebrating the end of a stage and the beginning of a new one, Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis says in his New Year’s message to the Romanians.
    According to him, even if 2022 was a difficult year for all of us, fraught with
    deep crises and a terrible war close to the country’s borders, the Romanians
    are looking towards the year 2023 with hope and confidence. The historical
    challenges we had to deal with have emphasized our force of
    character, our ability
    to stay in solidarity, united and committed to successfully overcoming any
    obstacle, the president says in his message. Let’s us learn how to turn any
    crisis into an opportunity to become a better and stronger nation. Romania,
    Iohannis says, is developing day by day and making visible progress in every
    domain. The president concluded by urging the Romanians to work together for a prosperous
    future in peace and harmony and wished them a Happy New Year!

  • June 13, 2022 UPDATE

    June 13, 2022 UPDATE

    COMMEMORATION On Monday, when Romania commemorated 32
    years since the miners’ raid on Bucharest, over June 13th and 15th,
    the country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca conveyed a message saying that the
    civil society’s marathon-demonstration against neo-communism was stifled by
    instigating Romanians against Romanians. The Romanian society must never become
    victim to diversions and false propaganda, the head of the Romanian government
    says. 32 years ago responding to a call from the then authorities, miners from
    the Jiu Valley in central-western Romania brutally intervened against the
    peaceful anti-government protesters in downtown Bucharest. Four people were
    shot dead and over 1,000 wounded along with a series of abusive arrests. The
    file on the miners’ raid, under which the country’s then President Ion Iliescu,
    former Prime Minister Petre Roman and Virgil Magureanu, the former head of the
    country’s intelligence service, had been sent to court must be resumed from
    scratch after the indictment was considered null and void.






    MEETING Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be attending a
    low-scale meeting aimed at preparing the upcoming NATO summit. The meeting is
    being staged by the Dutch and Danish Prime Ministers and will be attended by
    the Prime Ministers of Belgium, Latvia, Poland and Portugal as well as by NATO
    Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Participants will be focusing on
    coordinating the positions and joint messages of the allied countries ahead of
    the NATO summit in Madrid late this month. Talks are expected to focus on the
    situation in Ukraine, the consolidation of the deterrence & defence posture
    on NATO’s eastern flank, the alliance’s new strategic concept and the accession
    prospects of Sweden and Finland.








    MONKEYPOX Romania announced its first case of monkeypox on Monday, a
    26 year old man in Bucharest. Monkeypox cannot be spread easily among humans and
    needs close body contact. The rash, bodily fluids (such as fluid, pus or
    blood from skin lesions) and scabs are particularly infectious. The main way in
    which one can get the disease is through long physical contact with an infected
    person.








    WAR Amnesty
    International has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, claiming that
    hundreds of civilians have been killed in merciless frag bomb attacks against
    the city of Kharkiv, AFP reports. After thorough investigations, this human
    rights NGO claims it found evidence that the Russian forces had used widely-banned cluster ammunition. People
    have been killed in their homes and in the streets, in playgrounds and in
    cemeteries, while queueing for humanitarian aid, or shopping for food and
    medicine, says an Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Advisor.
    While Russia is not a party to either the Convention on Cluster Munitions or the Convention
    on Anti-Personnel Mines    , international
    humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, and the use of weapons that
    are indiscriminate by nature.








    REFUGEES Roughly
    7,000 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania through its border checkpoints on
    Sunday, June 12th, 26% less than in the previous day, the Border Police General
    Inspectorate has announced. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, roughly
    1.2 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.






    COVID-19 Romania is no longer providing COVID-19 infection reports
    on a daily basis, but weekly. According to Health Minister Alexandru Rafila,
    the reports will be just like in the case of season flu, as the spreading
    degree of the virus is very low at present and on a downward trend. The number
    of people in need of hospital treatment is also going down. The health minister
    said that authorities won’t go back to daily monitoring unless the situation
    worsens. Last week, Romania reported 2,112 new infections with 51 patients in
    ICUs. 21 related fatalities have also been reported for the period between June
    6 and 12.






    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Simona
    Halep on Monday secured a 6-1, 6-4 win against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the
    first round of the WTA 250 Birmingham tournament. Another Romanian in the
    competition, sixth-seeded Sorana Cirstea will be playing US challenger Shelby
    Rogers on Tuesday.






    (bill)

  • The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, talked on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel



    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, on Thursday spoke on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, before the special proceedings of the aforementioned council in Brussels at the end of the month, which has high on the agenda the humanitarian and financial aid for Ukraine. Food safety, energy, security and defence were the main topics of the discussion between the head of the Romanian state and president of the European Council. In the meantime, the Russian troops are continuing their onslaught on the neighbouring Ukraine where the situation is difficult. According to the General Border Police Inspectorate, since the beginning of the conflict on February 24th, over one million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.



    An offshore law regulating Black Sea gas exploitation has come into effect



    The offshore law regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea was enacted on Wednesday by Romanias president Klaus Iohannis. In its new form, the law is more investor-friendly and is supposed to benefit both the state and companies, government representatives say. After the endorsement of the draft law in the Chamber of Deputies, Energy Minister, the Liberal Virgil Popescu, has said the new regulations ensure stability, predictability as well as lower gas prices for household consumers. The law stipulates a series of measures on the stability of the fiscal regime and oil royalties as well as the elimination of additional income taxation for selling prices at which investors do not make surplus profits. During the duration of the agreements concerning the deep-sea offshore and onshore perimeters, the holders of the agreements have the right to freely trade the hydrocarbons produced from the respective oil perimeters at the prices and in the quantities determined by them under the provisions of the national and European legislation in force. Under the document, Romania will have priority in exploiting the gas deposits and the profit will be divided between the Romanian state, which is to receive 60% and investors who are to get 40%. The first gas extraction has been scheduled for June, part of a project carried out by the company Black Sea Oil&Gas. According to estimates, over one billion cubic meters would be delivered annually throughout this exploitation thus covering 10% of Romanias needs.



    Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, is back in Romania



    Currently on a visit to Romania, after a break caused by the pandemic, Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, on Wednesday met in Bucharest the countrys president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the custodian of the Romanian crown, Princess Margareta. Talks focused on the Ukrainian refugee crisis and the support granted by Romania to its neighboring country in the context of the Russian invasion. President Iohannis informed Prince Charles on the humanitarian hub in Suceava, north-eastern Romania, and on the coordination of support efforts by a number of states, to Ukraines benefit. Also discussed were the Romanian-British strategic partnership, solutions to limit the impact of climate change and to preserve biodiversity and the need for educational projects on climate change. During the meeting he had with Romanias Prime Minister, Prince Charles was interested in Romanias policies in the field of green and renewable energies. Prime Minister Ciuca voiced support for investment in green energy, the offshore wind power in particular, in which British companies are invited to invest in the upcoming period.



    Together with Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, prince Charles visited a refugee centre in Bucharest, and talked to the refugees and volunteers there. The centre has more than 1 thousand Ukrainian visitors per day, who receive food, hygiene products and clothing, and also benefit social services and counseling during their stay in Romania.



    Prince Charles first visited Romania in 1998 and has returned to the country almost every year ever since. He has been supporting foundations and programs focused on the protection of Transylvanias heritage and biodiversity and, through Prince Charles of Wales Romania Foundation, he supported small farmers and ran a special program for the Romanian military injured in Afghanistan.



    The executive in Bucharest has approved a new package of social and economic measures



    The Bucharest Government on Monday announced a new package of social and economic measures agreed on by the ruling coalition, against the background of unprecedented price hikes affecting the population. The package, worth 1.1 billion euros, takes effect starting July 1st. Among these measures are the postponement, by nine months, of interest rates on loans for citizens and companies facing difficulties triggered by the multiple crises that have emerged lately. Also decided was the granting of a quarter of the salary difference, in keeping with the unitary payment law for public sector employees, and of a single financial aid of 140 euros to all pensioners with pensions smaller than 400 euros.



    At the same time, the Government will take measures for fiscal consolidation and for observing its commitments as regards the public deficit. This means cutting public expenditure by at least 10%, except for expenses with salaries, pensions and social assistance, freezing jobs in the public sector as of July 1st and increasing the collection of revenues to the consolidated general budget by 2 billion euro.



    Also on Monday, the Minister of Investment and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, announced that most vouchers for vulnerable persons will be distributed to the beneficiaries starting in June and the rest of them in the first half of July. He mentioned that the vouchers to be distributed by June 10 will be funded in 2 or 3 days, in keeping with the public payment mechanism.



    We recall that on May 9 the Government adopted the measure regarding social vouchers to be granted to a number of categories of people who are at risk of material deprivation and extreme poverty. Thus, more than 3 million Romanians will receive every two months, social vouchers worth 50 euros each.


    (bill)

  • February 20, 2022

    February 20, 2022


    COVID-19 Most of the indicators used to assess the Covid-19 pandemic in Romania have lately been on a downward trend. Authorities announced over 76 hundred new cases on Sunday as well as 68 related fatalities. The largest number of infected persons since the onset of the pandemic in Romania was registered on February 1st, 40,018. Doctors in this country have pointed out that the pandemic isnt over yet and it is important that safety measures be respected and the vaccine rollout carried on. According to them, the other countries have resorted to lifting some restrictions thanks to the higher vaccination rates, unmatched in Romania. Authorities are presently considering a series of relaxation measures to be gradually applied, but have announced that a decision is to be made depending on the situation in hospitals across the country. According to Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, it is important that people protect themselves against SARS-CoV-2 and recommended that face covering be maintained. Experts have sounded the alarm against a fresh Omicron variant, which is more transmissible than the one dominant at present being also immune to some anti-viral treatment.



    TALKS US president Joe Biden is today meeting the National Security Council for talks on the situation in Ukraine. For the first time since the beginning of the crisis, Biden is convinced that Russian president Vladimir Putin has made a decision to invade Ukraine and a possible attack is only a matter of time. On Saturday at the security conference in Munich, the USA had again cautioned that an invasion in Ukraine would entail unprecedented sanctions for Moscow. Vice president of the United States Kamala Harris says that besides economic measures, the USA will continue to strengthen NATOs eastern flank. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told the Munich conference that Ukraine would not respond to provocations but defend itself against a Russian aggression. Ukraine is Europes shield against Russia, Zelensky also said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the Munich conference that there is no sign on the pullout of Russian troops from the border with Ukraine. Also attending the conference in Munich, the head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romanias stand that the present security crises in the Black Sea is not a regional crisis but affects the entire Euro Atlantic security. Aurescu has underlined the importance for the countries in the region to be pro-active and cooperate in order to overcome the challenges.



    DAY 166 years were celebrated on Sunday since Romania abolished slavery among its Roma minority after more than five centuries. Under a law promulgated in 2011, this day has been celebrated in Romania ever since so that it may shed light on a history page not enough known in this country. The abolition process kicked off by political leader Mihail Kogalniceanu in 1837 was completed on February 20th 1856 through a decree issued by ruler Barbu Stirbei. Setting the Roma free has laid the foundation for the process of recovering the identity and memory of a community heavily tried by history, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message conveyed on Sunday.



    INVICTUS An invictus team made up of Romanian servicemen wounded in various operation theatres around the world is going to represent Romania at the Invictus Games due to kick off in the Hague in April, says a communique issued by the countrys Defence Ministry. This would be the third participation of this army team in the aforementioned international competition, after the editions in Toronto 2017 and Sydney 2018. 20 wounded servicemen are to compete in 7 sporting disciplines in the Invictus competition.



    SPORT The Romanian womens water polo selection conceded defeat to Germany 11-4 in Bucharest on Sunday in their last game in the European Championship qualifiers. Both sides had already been qualified for the prestigious competition. In the other game of the qualifiers, Slovakia secured a 22-9 win against Ireland. Germany ranks first in the group with 12 points, followed by Romania with 9, Slovakia with 6, Ukraine and Ireland each with one point. This qualification has been a first for our womens side.


    (bill)


  • September 6, 2021 UPDATE

    September 6, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The number of Covid-19
    infections is on the rise in Romania. 1035 fresh cases were reported on Monday
    out of roughly 18 thousand tests. 25 new fatalities have been announced in the
    past 24 hours while 33 hundred patients are being treated in hospitals. 405
    patients are reportedly in IC units. 5.1 million people have been fully vaccinated
    since Romania’s vaccine rollout kicked off in late December last year, which
    means under a third of the eligible population.










    RESIGNATIONS The
    co-president of Romanian political group USR PLUS, deputy Prime Minister Dan
    Barna, on Monday announced that ministers of this political group would
    withdraw from the cabinet headed by Liberal Prime Minister Florin Citu. The
    ministers who will be tendering their resignations on Tuesday morning are
    Cristian Ghinea from the Ministry of Investment and European Projects,
    Transport Minister Catalin Drula, the Minister of Economy Claudiu Nasui, the
    Minister of Research Ciprian Teleman and Ioana Mihaila from the Health
    Ministry. The lack of quorum on Monday prevented the Parliament’s Permanent
    Bureaus from making a decision on the timetable of debating and voting on the
    censure motion tabled by the USR PLUS and the nationalist opposition AUR. The
    USR PLUS wants to maintain the coalition with the National Liberal Party and
    the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania but without Prime Minister
    Catu after the latter sacked the USR Justice Minister Stelian Ion. Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday called on the USR PLUS to stage talks in
    the coalition and find a viable and rational solution to the present political deadlock.










    VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be paying a formal visit
    to Switzerland on Thursday, at the invitation of his Swiss counterpart Guy
    Parmelin. According to the presidential administration in Bucharest, the visit
    comes as part of the consistent high-level bilateral dialogue in the past years
    as well as in the context of celebrating this year 110 years of diplomatic
    relations between the two countries. The two heads of state will be having
    political talks on strengthening the bilateral relations, including the economic
    cooperation with emphasis on investment. Switzerland comes 10th in
    an investor ranking in Romania. Also high on the agenda are topical issues on
    the international arena, such as the latest political and security developments
    in the EU’s eastern vicinity, in the West Balkans as well as the Romanian-Swiss
    cooperation inside international organizations.








    DIPLOMACY The
    foreign ministers of the Republic of Moldova, Greece, Italy and India are the
    special guests of this year’s edition of the Annual Meeting of the Romanian
    Diplomacy which is getting under way in Bucharest on Tuesday. Participants will
    discuss the role of diplomacy to consolidate Romania’s resilience. The event,
    which is traditionally held by the foreign ministry around the date of Romanian
    Diplomacy Day, is held this time online. It brings together the heads of
    Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad and its special
    guests will include the vice-president of the European Commission for Democracy
    and Demography Dubravka Šuica and the Secretary General of the Organisation for
    Security and Co-operation in Europe Helga Schmid.


    (bill)

  • June 1, 2021 UPDATE

    June 1, 2021 UPDATE

    NATO The head of the Romanian diplomacy
    Bogdan Aurescu on Tuesday attended the online special meeting of the foreign
    ministers in the NATO member countries. High on the meeting’s agenda were
    preparations for the upcoming NATO summit on June 14th. Minister Aurescu
    referred to the NATO 2030 reflection process and the decision on a new
    strategic concept that might be taken at the upcoming summit, adding that these
    processes would offer the Alliance the strategic vision it needs for an
    increased role as a political-military alliance. The Romanian official has
    underlined the need for boosting the political dimension of the alliance and
    its consolidation from a military viewpoint. He pleaded for strengthening
    NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, pointing out to the need for an increased
    NATO presence in the Black Sea area, the Eastern flank and for stepped up
    support for its partners. In another development the Romanian Defence Minister
    Nicolae Ciuca on Tuesday attended the online meeting of his NATO counterparts
    coordinated from the NATO headquarters in Brussels by the alliance’s Secretary
    General Jens Stoltenberg. The meeting’s agenda focused on the coordinated of
    NATO 2030 process with emphasis on deterrence, defence, resilience, innovation
    for NATO partners.








    TENNIS
    Romanian-German pair Horia Tecau/Kevin Krawietzon Tuesday qualified for the
    second round of the men’s doubles contest of the Roland Garros tournament after
    a victory against Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador. In the
    singles contest, Romanian Ana Bogdan has qualified for the third round after
    the world’s number two player Naomi Osaka withdrew from the competition. The
    other Romanians in the competition are Mihaela Buzarnescu who will be up
    against Serena Williams on Wednesday and Sorana Cirstea who will be playing
    Italian Martina Trevisan. Injuries have prevented the world’s number three
    tennis player Simona Halep, who reaped the trophy in 2018, to participate in
    this year’s edition of the famous French tournament.






    COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 infections remains
    very low in Romania with an infection rate below one per thousand in all its
    counties. 241 new cases were reported on Tuesday out of 28 thousand tests
    conducted. The vaccination rollout is carried on in Romania with a new stage
    due to begin on Wednesday targeting children with ages between 12 and 15 after
    the European Medicines Agency has authorized the vaccine for this age bracket.
    Since the vaccine rollout kicked off in late December, more than 3 million
    Romanians have been fully vaccinated.








    MEASURES New relaxation measures against
    the background of a contained Covid-19 pandemic came into effect in Romania on
    June 1st. Private parties can be attended by a limited number of
    individuals and fans are allowed to attend indoor sporting events. Clubs and
    discos have opened as well as indoor swimming pools and playgrounds. The number
    of people attending these events is limited but could be higher if all are
    vaccinated. Outdoor cultural events can be attended by 1000 people at the most.
    All these events are allowed if the infection rate in their area stays under
    three per thousand. Indoor mask mandates have been lifted for those vaccinated
    in offices with five workers at the most.








    DAY Theatre performances, concerts,
    creative workshops and guided tours were staged on the International Children’s
    Day Romania celebrates on June 1st. Several public institutions in Bucharest hosted
    a series of events for the little ones. At the Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis inaugurated an exhibition entitled ‘Fantastic
    Childhood’, created by several artists around the country to celebrate the
    purity and sincerity of childhood and art. Children were able to visit the palace,
    the halls where Parliament stages its sessions, the presidential office, the
    press room and the hall of fame. Theatre performances, concerts and various work
    shops were also being staged for the children of asylum seekers in Romania,
    most of them coming from countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, Syria and Iraq.








    EPPO The EU Public Prosecutor’s Office EPPO
    headed by Laura Codruta Kovesi the former chief of Romania’s Anticorruption
    Directorate, started its activity on Tuesday. The new body is to deal with community
    fund frauds and recover money from fraudsters. EPPO prosecutors are expected to
    investigate roughly three thousand files a year. According to estimates by the
    European Chief Prosecutor, corruption, embezzlement and various types of fraud
    are causing annual losses to the EU budget of 500 million euros. The new
    European institution has an annual budget of 45 million euros. Five EU members
    aren’t participating in the EPPO.




    (bill)



  • May 11, 2021 UPDATE

    May 11, 2021 UPDATE

    ATTACK At least 9 people have been killed and over 20 wounded by a man
    who opened fire in a school in the Russian city of Kazan, 820 kilometers east
    of Moscow. The city is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, which has a
    Muslim majority. The 19 year old assailant is a former student of the aforementioned
    school and he is the legal owner of the weapon used in the massacre. On Tuesday
    President Putin ordered the laws regulating gun possession in Russia be
    revised. Such attacks are rare in the Russian Federation though. A similar
    attack took place in annexed Crimea in 2018, when a student killed 18
    colleagues before turning the gun on himself. In September 2004, about 325
    people, mostly children were killed after the special forces stormed a school
    in Beslan, the North Osettia, which had been occupied by pro-Chechen
    mercenaries, who took over 1000 hostages.






    REPORTS Parliament in Bucharest on Tuesday rejected
    the activity reports submitted by the public radio and television for the years
    2017, 2018 and 2019. According to Anca Dragu, president of the Senate, the
    rejection of the aforementioned reports entails the sacking of the two institutions’
    board of directors. Parliament is to nominate interim directors for the two
    aforementioned institutions with 6-month tenures.






    VIRUS 1156 new SARS-CoV-2 infections have been
    reported in Romania in the past 24 hours out of 36 thousand tests carried out,
    the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) announced on Tuesday. According to the
    same sources, 101 of those infected died bringing the death toll to 29,135.
    Since the onset of the pandemic, 190 Romanian citizens who live abroad have
    been killed by the virus. 6181 patients are being treated in hospitals around
    the country, out of which 919 in intensive care. Since the onset of the
    pandemic, over one million Romanians have been infected with the novel coronavirus
    and over 90% have been cured. Also on Tuesday, GCS announced that Bucharest and
    Cluj in the country’s northwest are presently out of the so-called yellow zone
    in terms of the number of infections like all the other counties with a rate of
    1.5 cases per thousand. The vaccine rollout carries on at a higher pace with
    more than 100 thousand people vaccinated per day. Authorities have stepped up the
    rollout through a series of measures, such as vaccination marathons and drive
    throughs. Family physicians have actively got involved in the vaccination campaign.
    Coordinator Valeriu Gheorghita said
    on the other hand that there is not enough scientific data to confirm the need
    for a third vaccine dose to cover possible viral mutations.






    ALERT The state of alert was extended by another
    month as of Thursday, the government of Romania decided. Certain restrictions
    have been lifted, such as the ones concerning participation in religious processions
    or pilgrimages, while others, including in the hospitality sector, remain in
    place. Pilot cultural and sports events will be organised, attended by people
    who have got the vaccine or recovered from COVID in the past 3 months, as well
    as those who test negative for the disease.

    DRILL The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his
    Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Tuesday attended a multinational military
    exercise in Galaţi County in the east. The exercise takes place at the Smârdan
    base, and Poland takes part with the military forces it has deployed to Romania
    as part of the Allied matched forward presence in the eastern flank through the
    NATO multinational brigade stationed in Craiova. Justice Sword 21
    is a tactical exercise aimed at testing the capacity of participating structures
    to implement planned actions and measures, as well as Romania’s ability to
    provide support to the military forces and equipment that transit its
    territory. Such exercises are extremely important to check and increase the
    interoperability degree. We are training for defence in the Eastern Flank,
    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said on this occasion. In turn, his Polish
    counterpart Andrzej Duda has underlined the importance of cooperation between
    the Romanian and Polish troops. In another development, the Romanian president
    sent a letter to Parliament in Bucharest briefing it on the Romanian forces
    participation in the NATO extended mission in Iraq starting with the second
    half of 2021.

    (bill)



  • April 2, 2021

    April 2, 2021

    PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation
    has criticized the sluggish pace of Europe’s vaccine rollout, also mentioning
    the latest surge in coronavirus infections. The statement was made by the WHO
    European branch several days ahead of the Catholic Easter. Immunization and
    restrictions remain the main solutions to contain the spread of the more
    contagious variants, which have become dominant in countries like France, Spain
    or Germany. On Thursday, authorities in Berlin reported over 24 thousand new
    cases and over 200 Covid-related fatalities. In Spain, which has a major
    community of Romanians, the infection rate exceeded 150 cases per one hundred
    thousand people and in some regions indoor bars and restaurants have been
    closed. Travel restrictions have been imposed in these days when Spain is celebrating
    the Holy Week without street events for the second time in a row. In Greece,
    where the number of active cases and infections isn’t going down, authorities
    have decided to open shops under very strict medical protocols after six weeks
    of lockdown. According to worldometers
    over 130 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus and 2.8
    million have died since the beginning of the pandemic.






    EASTER Roman-Catholic and protestant
    believers the world over, including from Romania are celebrating the most
    important Christian holiday, the Lord’s Resurrection, on April 4th, a month
    before the Orthodox believers. This is for the second year when Pope Francis,
    leader of the Catholic believers from all over the world, will deliver a mass
    in front of a lower number of participants because of the pandemic. On the Good
    Friday, Pope Francis is expected to commemorate Christ’s passions and crucifixion.
    The Way of the Cross will not be observed according to tradition at the
    Colosseum, but in front of the St. Peter Basilica just like a year ago. In
    spite of the lockdown imposed in Italy, churches are open and citizens can
    attend religious services close to their homes.






    VACCINE Romania’s vaccine rollout is in
    full swing with over 2 million people vaccinated. Half of these have also got
    the booster dose. 432 thousand dozes of Astra Zeneca vaccine are expected to
    arrive in Bucharest today. The country’s president Klaus Iohannis has announced
    that in the following period Romania will receive a significant quantity of
    vaccine and the rollout can be stepped up. The head of the Romanian state has
    urged the Romanians to trust the benefits of immunization. In turn, National
    Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced that 15 new vaccination centers are to
    become available as of April 5th. On Friday Romania registered a new all-time
    high in the number of patients in intensive care 1,454. Over 5800 new
    infections have been reported at national level and 146 related fatalities.
    Roughly one million Romanians have been infected since the onset of the
    pandemic and the death toll stands at 24 thousand. The Ilfov county close to
    the capital Bucharest has reported the largest aggregated number of infections
    9.45 cases per thousand in the past 14 days. Capital Bucharest has an infection
    rate slightly above 7 per thousand while another 12 counties have been included
    in the so-called red zone with over 3 cases per thousand. In Cluj Napoca,
    north-western Romania, tougher restrictions are being applied as of today as
    the 7.5 rate has been exceeded. A curfew between 20 pm and 5 am will be applied
    over the weekend in the regions with an infection rate above four cases. In
    these regions shops are to be closed at 18 hours. At a rate above 7.5 cases,
    these measures are applied throughout the week, not only at weekends.






    PROTESTS Restrictions imposed by the authorities in Romania to contain the
    pandemic sparked off new protests on Thursday for the fifth day in a row. They
    were not as big as the previous ones but during them the protesters have again voiced
    their discontent towards limited shopping hours, the curfew and the compulsory
    face covering in open spaces. According to the authorities the aforementioned measures
    are needed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.








    (bill)



  • December 14, 2020 UPDATE

    December 14, 2020 UPDATE

    TALKS After a first round of talks on Monday with
    the political groups, which made it to Parliament following the election on
    December 6th, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said the proper conditions for
    the designation of a Prime Minister to form a new government have not been met.
    The Romanian president said that a new round of talks is needed and announced
    he would summon the new Legislature on December 21st. The Social Democrats who
    obtained the largest number of votes in the election, proposed doctor Alexandru
    Rafila for the position of Prime Minister to head a national unity government.
    The National Liberal Party has proposed the incumbent Finance Minister Florin
    Citu, while the USR-PLUS alliance, who came in third, proposed the former
    technocratic Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The fourth largest group in
    Parliament AUR, proposed Calin Georgescu, who has been described as an
    international expert in sustainable development.










    THANKS Maia
    Sandu, the pro-Western president elect of the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking
    Republic of Moldova held talks with Romania’s ambassador to Chisinau Daniel
    Ionita whom she thanked for the consistent support Romania offered to the
    Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan official stressed out the need for
    re-establishing bilateral cooperation between Romania and the Republic of
    Moldova for the benefit of their citizens. Sandu said the visit to be paid by
    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis late this year is very important and voiced
    hope that this is the first step in a long term productive cooperation.










    UN Romania has been and will continue to be an active
    member involved in the proper functioning of the United Nations, the Minister
    of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said at the celebration of 75 years of the
    organization’s existence and 65 years of Romania’s UN membership. The head of
    diplomacy considers that Romania has demonstrated a genuine and lasting
    commitment at all levels: maintaining international peace and security,
    sustainable development and promoting human rights, democracy and the rule of
    law. The official added that the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the
    importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this
    context, Bogdan Aurescu stressed that there is a need for an efficient
    Organization, able to respond adequately to pre-existing challenges to peace,
    security and human rights, as well as emerging challenges and trends in the
    context of the current pandemic crisis.








    INVESTMENTS In Romania, the Agency
    for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) has so far made payments of 7 billion
    Euros through the National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020, the degree of
    absorption on this program exceeding 70%, AFIR announced on Monday.
    Beneficiaries were farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and local public
    authorities. The National Rural Development Program 2014 – 2020 provides
    non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the government for the
    economic and social development of the rural area.






    (bill)

  • December 12, 2020 UPDATE

    December 12, 2020 UPDATE

    TALKS The National
    Liberal Party, the USR PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) on Saturday kicked off a new round of talks in an
    attempt to forge the future centre-to-right government and share portfolios in
    the new legislature. The teams set up the structure of the ruling programme and
    pledged to carry on talks on Sunday. This round of talks proves to be difficult
    because the Liberals, who are currently ruling the country and came second in
    the legislative election on December 6th, aren’t willing to give up several
    ministries, such as finances, justice, transports, development and EU funds,
    whereas the USR PLUS Alliance is claiming some of these portfolios. UDMR would
    like to take over the healthcare, culture and the environment, as it
    coordinated these ministries before and would also like to take over other
    portfolios as well. The talks should be completed before the consultations with
    president Klaus Iohannis on Monday for the designation of a Prime Minister.
    These consultations will begin with the Social Democratic Party, which mustered
    the largest number of votes in the latest election. The Alliance for the Union
    of Romanians AUR, a party founded a year ago, got half million votes and ranks
    fourth in Parliament. The Legislature will be completed by the representatives
    of national minorities, other than the Hungarian one. The PSD proposed
    Alexandru Rafila, Romania’s WHO representative for the position of Prime
    Minister, whereas the Liberals have designated the incumbent Finance Minister
    Florin Citu.








    ALERT Authorities in Romania have
    decided to extend the state of alert because of the Covid-19 pandemic for
    another month, starting December 14th. The present restrictions will
    remain in place including the nighttime curfew. Only one restriction has been
    added; in order to avoid overcrowding ski-slopes, access to cable cars has been
    restricted to only 10 people. Authorities have made a new appeal asking the
    Romanians to limit visits, avoid going caroling and to New Year’s parties. Over
    13,100 Covid-related fatalities have been registered in Romania since the
    beginning of the pandemic. 6460 new infection cases have been reported in the
    past 24 hours, mostly in Bucharest, where the rate of infections has exceeded 7
    per one thousand people. 13 hundred people are in intensive care.








    CLIMATE Romanian president
    Klaus Iohannis has called into attention the fact that the climate change
    effects are being felt in Romania more and more. Its summers have become hotter
    and hotter while desertification and drought keep affecting crops and limiting people
    access to food supplies. In a message conveyed on celebrating 5 years since the
    Paris Agreement on climate change, the head of the Romanian state said it’s
    imperative that we make sure these effects will not deepen and multiply to
    dramatically impact the citizens’ life and health. In this respect at the
    European Council summit this week, we have agreed with EU leaders, to bring
    down greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 as against the year 1990.
    President Iohannis said the authorities would implement in the following years
    a series of projects allowing for the reduction of greenhouse gases at the same
    time sustaining economic growth. The main goal of the Paris Agreement is to
    limit global warming under 2°C and make efforts to keep it at 1.5°C by the end
    of the century.








    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Sorana
    Cirstea on Saturday clinched a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win against Katerina Siniakova of
    the Czech Republic in the finals of the ITF tournament in Dubai. Sorana has
    also won the other three matches she played against Siniakova, in Eastbourne in
    2017, in Madrid two years later and in the first round of US Open. The victory against
    Siniakova has prompted Cirstea to the 71st position in the WTA
    ranking.






    (bill)

  • December 12, 2020

    December 12, 2020

    TALKS The National
    Liberal Party, the USR PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) are today having talks in an attempt to forge a
    future centre-to-right government and share portfolios in the new legislature. This
    round of talks proves to be difficult because the Liberals, who are currently
    ruling the country and came second in the legislative election on December 6th,
    aren’t willing to give up several ministries, such as finances, justice,
    transports, development and EU funds, whereas the USR PLUS Alliance is claiming
    some of these portfolios. UDMR would like to take over the healthcare, culture
    and the environment, as it coordinated these ministries before and would also
    like to take over other portfolios as well. The talks should be completed before
    the consultations with president Klaus Iohannis on Monday for the designation
    of a Prime Minister. These consultations will begin with the Social Democratic
    Party, which mustered the largest number of votes in the latest election. The
    Alliance for the Union of Romanians AUR, a party founded a year ago, got half
    million votes and ranks fourth in Parliament. The Legislature will be completed
    by the representatives of national minorities, other than the Hungarian one.
    The PSD proposed Alexandru Rafila, Romania’s WHO representative for the
    position of Prime Minister, whereas the Liberals have designated the incumbent
    Finance Minister Florin Citu.










    ALERT Authorities in Romania have
    decided to extend the state of alert because of the Covid-19 pandemic for
    another month, starting December 14th. The present restrictions will
    remain in place including the nighttime curfew. Only one restriction has been
    added; in order to avoid overcrowding ski-slopes, access to cable cars has been
    restricted to only 10 people. Authorities have made a new appeal asking the
    Romanians to limit visits, avoid going caroling and to New Year’s parties. Over
    13,100 Covid-related fatalities have been registered in Romania since the
    beginning of the pandemic. 6460 new infection cases have been reported in the
    past 24 hours, mostly in Bucharest, where the rate of infections has exceeded 7
    per one thousand people. 13 hundred people are in intensive care.


    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Sorana
    Cirstea is today up against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the
    finals of the ITF tournament in Dubai. Cirstea has so far won all the three
    matches she played against Siniakova and if she wins today, the Romanian will
    climb up to the 71st WTA position.










    CLIMATE Romanian
    president Klaus Iohannis has called into attention the fact that the climate
    change effects are being felt in Romania more and more. Its summers have become
    hotter and hotter while desertification and drought keep affecting crops and
    limiting people access to food supplies. In a message conveyed on celebrating 5
    years since the Paris Agreement on climate change, the head of the Romanian
    state said it’s imperative that we make sure these effects will not deepen and
    multiply to dramatically impact the citizens’ life and health. In this respect
    at the European Council summit this week, we have agreed with EU leaders, to
    bring down greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 as against the year
    1990. President Iohannis said the authorities would implement in the following
    years a series of projects allowing for the reduction of greenhouse gases at
    the same time sustaining economic growth. The main goal of the Paris Agreement
    is to limit global warming under 2°C and make efforts to keep it at 1.5°C by
    the end of the century.




    (bill)

  • October 21, 2020 UPDATE

    October 21, 2020 UPDATE

    ELECTION Romanian president Klaus
    Iohannis on Wednesday said that the Parliamentary election must take place in
    time, on December 6th as scheduled. Iohannis said that it is very
    important to have a solid Parliament majority and a government backed by it for
    the implementation of all the reforms needed for the country’s development.
    According to Iohannis, the present worrying epidemiological situation is not
    going to end until March next year, and the election could be postponed until
    that time, at least in theory. The president has also added that against the
    present medical background, Romania must not be left without a fully-fledged
    Legislature. The Romanian official has also recalled that the latest local
    election were being held in conditions of increased medical safety and the
    authorities managed to stage them properly taking all the right measures for a
    minimal infection risk.








    COVID 19 Romania on
    Wednesday confirmed a new all-time high of 4,848 coronavirus infections, out of more than 37,000
    tests conducted. Over 10,250 people are being treated in hospitals, of whom
    766 in intensive care units. 69 new fatalities have also been
    reported, bringing the death toll in Romania to almost 6,065. Last week’s
    Public Health Institute report confirmed the upward tendency in terms of new
    infections, but at a slower pace. One in 32 cases is a healthcare worker, while
    over 95% of the people who died had comorbidities. Health Minister Nelu Tataru
    has announced that the number of ICU beds and medical staff in the front line
    will be supplemented. The capital Bucharest has been added to the red zone with
    over 3 coronavirus cases per 1 thousand people in the last 14 days.










    CAP EU
    agriculture ministers on Wednesday reached an agreement in Luxembourg on
    reforming the Common Agricultural Policy, intended to take better account of
    environmental and climatic challenges. Talks focused particularly
    on eco-schemes, a system of bonuses paid to farmers to support
    participation in more demanding environmental programs. Romanian Agriculture
    Minister Adrian Oros said Romania does not agree to a compulsory quota for
    eco-schemes, especially for the member states whose direct payments are below
    90% of the European average payment. While France and other member states would
    like to make eco-schemes compulsory for all members states, many states in
    Eastern Europe are fearing to lose European funds if an insufficient number of
    farmers participate in environmental programs. The guidelines adopted by
    the member states must now be the subject of negotiations with the European
    Parliament, for entry into force from January 2023.




    POLLUTION Bucharest comes second in Europe in terms of social costs caused by pollution,
    according to a report made public on Wednesday, that examined the costs of
    premature death, medical treatment, and lost working days in 432 European
    cities. The report shows that air pollution costs Europe 166 billion Euros per
    year. In Bucharest, the annual cost of air pollution is 6.3 billion Euros – the
    second-highest after London with 11.4 billion Euros. Berlin with 5.2 billion Euros
    and Warsaw with 4.2 billions are 3rd come 4th in the classification.
    The report compares the three main air pollutants – particulate matter, ozone,
    and nitrogen dioxide – and their social costs. Air pollution in urban areas is
    generated mostly by transport, heating and industrial and farming
    activities. Air pollution is responsible for 480,000 premature deaths per
    year in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA), a figure
    that could be underestimated.








    (bill)

  • August 19, 2020

    August 19, 2020

    PROTEST Restaurants and beer gardens all over Romania will today close for one
    hour to protest the authorities’ lack of support for the Horeca industry in
    Romania. Restaurant and pub owners are disgruntled with the authorities’
    decision to keep them closed, a measure, which could cause the loss of 400
    thousand jobs in the cold season as this industry has been incurring
    significant losses. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban says that as soon as the
    epidemiological situation has improved in Romania, the government will allow
    restaurants to open. According to the Romanian official, the measure was aimed
    at protecting citizens and not at dealing a heavy blow to the industry, which
    accounts for 5% of the country’s GDP.












    COVID-19 Romania has confirmed over 72 thousand infections since the beginning
    of the pandemic and a Covid-related death toll over 3,074. According to a
    report by the National Public Health Institute, the number of infections and
    fatalities last week slightly decreased as compared to the previous week.
    Almost a third of the new cases have been reported in the counties of Prahova,
    Arges, Bihor and Timis. Bucharest, Suceava in the north-east, and Arges in the
    country’s south have reported the highest number of infections since the
    beginning of the pandemic. Almost 95% of the deceased had at least one comorbidity
    while almost 80% of the victims were over 60 years old.








    SUMMIT EU
    leaders, including Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis are today attending a
    high-level video-conference on the latest developments in Belarus. The opposition
    candidate in the latest presidential election in this country, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya,
    who fled to Lithuania, has made an appeal to the European Council not to recognize
    the rigged election in Belarus on august 9th. Yesterday almost 200
    people protested in front of the detention centre in Minsk calling for the
    release of Tikhanovskaya’s husband Sergei Tikhanovsky currently detained for
    offences against public order. A well-known blogger, Sergei Tikhanovsky had
    announced his candidacy for the presidential seat and was campaigning against
    incumbent president Alexandr Lukashenko. Protests were sparked off 10 days ago
    after the Central Election Commission announced that Lukashenko had won 80.1 %
    of the votes in the election. At least two people have been killed and over 67
    hundred wounded in the latest anti-presidential protests in Belarus.












    FOOTBALL There are no odds-on favourites in the match pitching CFR Cluj against
    Floriana FC, Romanian headcoach Dan Petrescu says, adding that each side stands
    equal chances to win and qualify for the competition’s next stage. Romanian
    football side CFR Cluj will tonight be up against Floriana FC of Malta in the
    Champions League’s first preliminary round. The two sides are to play only one round
    and the winner will be facing the Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, in the
    competition’s second preliminary round.












    US ELECTION Barack Obama’s
    vice-president Joe Biden has become the Democratic Party nominee to challenge incumbent
    president Donald Trump in the US presidential election on November 3rd.
    Most of the Democrats endorsed the former vice-president to run for the
    presidential seat during the party’s virtual convention in Milwaukee on Monday
    in keeping with the measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. Joe Biden, 77, is
    expected to deliver his acceptance speech on Thursday. In turn, president Trump
    has visited the states of Iowa, Arizona, Minnesota and Wisconsin and has
    renewed his attacks against the one he called ‘Sleepy Joe’ whom he described as
    ‘a helpless puppet of the radical left’.






    (translated by bill)