Radio România Internațional

Tag: Klaus

  • April 14, 2019 UPDATE

    April 14, 2019 UPDATE

    COUNCIL Romania’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Petre
    Daea, on Monday will be chairing the proceedings of the EU Agriculture and
    Fisheries Council in Luxembourg. This is the third suchlike council headed by
    Romania since the country took over the EU rotating presidency. High on the
    agenda there are the post-2020 CAP reform package, regulations regarding
    strategic plans within the CAP – opinion exchanges on green farming, as well as
    research and agriculture.








    TENNIS A pair made up of Romanian tennis players
    Sorana Cirstea and Andreea Mitu on Sunday won the doubles finals of the WTA
    tournament in Lugano, Switzerland. In the finals, the Romanians clinched a 1-6,
    6-2, 10-8 win against Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan.
    This has been the first finals this year for the two Romanian players. Cirstea
    has four WTA titles won in doubles matches and five finals played, while Mitu
    has three titles and a finals.








    MARATHON Several thousands athletes participated on Sunday in the 9th
    edition of the Cluj Napoca International Marathon, in north-western Romania.
    The competition brought together athletes from 37 countries, such as the USA,
    India, Japan or Kenya. The competition had a section for children, which
    included the 400 and 800 meter races. According to organizers, several DJs
    played music during the event encouraging the athletes all along the race
    track.












    POLL
    Romania’s main opposition party, the National Liberal Party (PNL) estimates the
    turnout in the EU parliamentary elections on May 26th and the
    referendum on justice around 50%. Liberal leader Ludovic Orban believes the
    Foreign Ministry will open only few polling stations for the Romanians abroad voicing
    his concern about this situation. According to Orban, most of the Romanians who
    left the country did it because of the lack of prospects and the way in which
    the Social-Democrats ruled the country, and that means the Romanians abroad
    would vote for the opposition. The fact they aren’t allowed to cast their vote
    would affect the outcome of the elections. In another development, Calin
    Popescu Tariceanu, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania,
    (ALDE) currently ruling the country together with the Social Democrats, has said
    that president Klaus Iohannis is using this referendum for a better start in
    the presidential race. Iohannis has recently announced the issues to be voted
    on during the referendum – a ban on amnesty and pardon for corruption offenses
    as well as a ban on emergency ordinances for crimes, penalties and judicial
    organization, correlated with the right of authorities to directly notify the
    Constitutional Court over these ordinances.










    SOLDIERS The four Romanian servicemen wounded in a bomb attack in
    Afghanistan on Saturday are now out of danger. An improvised explosive device
    went off close to the military vehicles of the Romanian Battalion 300 Saint
    Andrew on a patrol mission on that day. The explosion was followed by an attack
    with light infantry weapons by insurgents, which was repelled with support from
    the US ground and air troops. The four wounded soldiers were stabilized and
    transferred to the Kandahar Air base. In 2019, the Romanian army will dispatch
    780 servicemen to Afghanistan, the Romanian defense ministry announced last
    year. Romanian Battalion 300 participates in a NATO- coordinated mission, which
    has brought together 16 thousand servicemen from 40 countries. The most
    numerous contingents have been deployed by the USA, 85 hundred soldiers,
    Germany 13 hundred and Italy with 9 hundred.



    (translated by bill)

  • April 14, 2019

    April 14, 2019

    SOLDIERS The four Romanian servicemen wounded in a bomb attack in
    Afghanistan on Saturday are now out of danger. An improvised explosive device went
    off close to the military vehicles of the Romanian Battalion 300 Saint Andrew
    on a patrol mission on that day. The explosion was followed by an attack with
    light infantry weapons by insurgents, which was repelled with support from
    the US ground and air troops. The four wounded soldiers were stabilized and
    transferred to the Kandahar Air base. In 2019, the Romanian army will dispatch
    780 servicemen to Afghanistan, the Romanian defense ministry announced last
    year. Romanian Battalion 300 participates in a NATO- coordinated mission, which
    has brought together 16 thousand servicemen from 40 countries. The most
    numerous contingents have been deployed by the USA, 85 hundred soldiers,
    Germany 13 hundred and Italy with 9
    hundred.










    POLL
    Romania’s main opposition party, the National Liberal Party (PNL) estimates the
    turnout in the EU parliamentary elections on May 26th and the
    referendum on justice around 50%. Liberal leader Ludovic Orban believes
    the Foreign Ministry will open only few polling stations for the Romanians
    abroad and voiced his concern about this situation. According to Orban, most of
    the Romanians who left the country did it because of the lack of prospects and
    the way in which the Social-Democrats ruled the country, and that means the
    Romanians abroad would vote for the opposition. The fact they aren’t allowed to
    cast their vote would affect the outcome of the elections. In another
    development, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and
    Democrats in Romania, (ALDE) currently ruling the country together with the
    Social Democrats has said that president Klaus Iohannis is using this referendum for
    a better start in the presidential race. Iohannis has recently announced the issues
    to be voted on during the referendum – a ban on amnesty and pardon for
    corruption offenses as well as a ban on emergency ordinances for crimes,
    penalties and judicial organization, correlated with the right of authorities
    to directly notify the Constitutional Court over these ordinances.


    GROWTH The spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the
    World Bank ended in Washington in an optimistic tone as the United States hinted
    that its trade disputes with China might come to an end, and that could
    translate into a genuine kick-start for the world economy. Trade disputes and
    restrictive financial conditions are among the biggest threats to a world economy
    that is currently slowing down. A strengthened global growth is expected for the
    next year, while according to experts, 2019 has seen the slowest growth in the
    past three years. Central Banks and fiscal authorities have limited options to
    foster recovery next year though, an IMF communiqué also reads. Besides
    expectations for global economic growth next year, the challenges the world
    economy will be facing are: trade tensions, geopolitical risks and political
    instability. Finance officials, including Romanian line minister Eugen
    Teodorovici, have agreed to take action in order to protect economic growth.












    TENNIS A pair made up Romanian tennis players
    Sorana Carstea and Andreea Mitu is today taking on Veronica Kudermetova of
    Russia and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan in the doubles finals of the WTA
    tournament in Lugano, Switzerland. For the two Romanians this is the first
    finals in 2019. Cirstea has four WTA titles won in doubles matches and five
    finals played, while Mitu has three titles and a finals.









    (translated by bill)

  • Brexit: a new extension

    Brexit: a new extension

    The European
    leaders and the British PM Theresa May agreed in Brussels on a new Brexit
    postponement, to the end of October, with a progress review due at the European
    Council meeting of June 20-21. PM May had requested a deferral to June 30, to allow
    the British Parliament to reach a consensus.






    It is a flexible
    extension, an additional 6 months for Britain to find the best possible
    solution, said the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, who added
    that, at least for the time being, the threat of a brutal no-deal exit has been
    removed.






    As Donald Tusk
    put it, During this time, the course of action will be entirely in the UK’s
    hands. It can still ratify the Withdrawal Agreement, in which case the
    extension will be terminated. It can also reconsider the whole Brexit strategy.
    That might lead to changes in the Political Declaration, but not in the Withdrawal
    Agreement. Until the end of this period, the UK will also have the possibility
    to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit altogether.






    The conclusions
    of the Brussels summit in which this decision was made also say that the UK
    will have to act in a constructive and responsible manner during this time.
    London should also refrain from any measure which could jeopardize the
    attainment of the Union’s objectives. The forthcoming months will not be easy,
    Theresa May said, and added that she will do everything she can to ensure
    Britain leaves the European bloc as soon as possible.






    At the special
    European Council on Brexit, Romania was represented by President Klaus
    Iohannis, who supported the additional extension of the deadline to enable the
    ratification of the withdrawal agreement by the British Parliament. The
    postponement allows for an orderly withdrawal, ensuring certainty for the
    European citizens living in the UK and for the British citizens in the EU, as
    well as for companies and the business environment, reads a news release
    issued by the Presidency.






    The head of
    state also called for a comprehensive and ambitious future partnership
    between the European Union and Britain, one which should cover both economic
    and trade aspects, and security, defence and foreign relations.






    Unless it
    ratifies the withdrawal agreement by May 22, Britain will have to organize
    elections for the European Parliament. If the UK fails to hold the elections,
    it will leave the EU on June 1, 2019.



  • Decisions on high-level prosecutors

    Decisions on high-level prosecutors

    A recurrent topic
    in the past 2 years, the developments in the judiciary remain in the focus of
    Romanian public life. In the last few days, it was not about changes in the
    criminal legislation or corruption cases involving high-profile politicians,
    but about the candidates for top-level prosecutor positions.






    On Wednesday all
    the 4 candidates for prosecutor general of Romania were rejected, with the
    selection procedure set to be resumed between April 12 and May 8, the Justice
    Ministry has announced. The decision was made by the line minister, Tudorel
    Toader, who interviewed the candidates and was unimpressed with all of them.






    The 4 were the
    former chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism
    Offences (DIICOT) Daniel Horodniceanu, the anti-mafia prosecutor Marian Drilea,
    a prosecutor working for the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Brasov Court
    of Appeals, Gabriela Scutea, and the incumbent prosecutor general, Augustin
    Lazar, whose term in office comes to an end this month and who is seeking a new
    term.






    Lazar is at the
    heart of a major scandal with political tinges, after the has been accused of
    having denied parole to several anti-communist dissidents in the ’80s, when he
    was a member of the release committee at the Aiud Penitentiary, one of the
    harshest prisons in the communist repressive system.






    Seen as close to
    President Klaus Iohannis and detested by the leftist power made up of the
    Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, who also
    accuse him of abuse in the post-communist years, Lazar says these attacks
    against him are prompted by his candidacy for a new term as prosecutor general.
    He also says he has never prosecuted offences against the communist regime, and
    that he is not a collaborator or agent of any intelligence service. But his
    enemies in politics and mass media continue to demand his withdrawal from
    public life.






    Also on
    Wednesday, the Justice Ministry announced that it had not selected any
    candidate on behalf of Romania for the position of chief prosecutor of the EU,
    and this procedure would be resumed as well. The conclusion of the process is
    postponed both in Bucharest, and in Brussels. The future head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office will be appointed by the new European Parliament, to
    be elected in May.






    In its current
    configuration, the European Parliament backs the former head of the Romanian
    Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi, praised as the spearhead of
    the fight against corruption by her supporters at home, but challenged by opponents
    as part of a repressive mechanism. The Council of the EU favours the Frenchman
    Jean Francois Bohnert.






    A few round of
    negotiations between the 2 European bodies on the topic failed. So after the
    elections, the new Parliament will have to decide whether to resume talks from
    scratch, or to continue the negotiations conducted so far.



  • New reactions to Viorica Dancila’s statements the relocation of Romania’s embassy in Israel

    New reactions to Viorica Dancila’s statements the relocation of Romania’s embassy in Israel

    Lack of
    diplomatic skills, dilettantism in such a complicated field as foreign policy
    or a faulty assessment of the effects of such a move were some of the comments
    on the announcement that Romanian’s PM Viorica Dancila made in Washington DC as
    regards the relocation of the country’s embassy in Israel, from Tel Aviv to
    Jerusalem.






    In reaction to
    the PM’s announcement, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said the move demonstrates once more
    Viorica Dancila’s complete ignorance with regard to foreign policy and to how
    important decisions for the Romanian state are made, and pointed out the final
    decision on this matter is the President’s prerogative.






    Iohannis also talked about
    the serious effects of the PM’s announcement, such as the cancelling, by King
    Abdullah of Jordan, of the visit he should have paid to Bucharest early this
    week. Also, the Palestine Liberation Organization has harshly criticised PM
    Dancila.






    Klaus Iohannis: The King
    of Jordan was personally offended by the PM’s approach at the congress in the
    US and decided to cancel his visit to Romania. This is a real problem for
    Romania. Romania has built a relationship with the Arab world that is based on
    trust. This is one of the few constants or was one of the few constants of
    Romania’s foreign policy.






    On the other hand, the
    Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the party that put PM Dancila at
    the helm of the Government, says that moving the Romanian embassy from Tel Aviv
    to Jerusalem has only advantages. Dragnea has called on President Iohannis to
    take a decision on this matter as soon as possible, in the Supreme Council of National
    Defence (CSAT) and has reproached him for not having appointed an ambassador in
    Israel yet.






    Liviu Dragnea: Talks on
    this matter need to be initiated within the Supreme Council of National Defence
    and a decision must be made. Reacting to each other’s statements does not help.
    At the same time, a big problem that we have with the state of Israel is that
    President Iohannis has refused, in the past two years, to appoint a Romanian
    ambassador to this country, in spite of having received a number of nominations
    from the Government.






    The Liberals, in the
    opposition, have asked for the PM’s resignation, for having damaged the image
    of the country. Liberal leader Ludovic Orban.






    Ludovic Orban: Romania’s
    image will surely be highly damaged, at EU level. I remind Mrs. Dancila that
    she doesn’t speak from a personal viewpoint, but as the PM of a country that
    holds the presidency of the Council of the EU and that all her statements are
    made from this official position.








    The media in the EU has
    made negative comments on this matter. The Romanian PM’s announcement broke the joint EU and UN line that
    Israeli-occupied Jerusalem ought to be shared by Israel and Palestine in a
    future two-state solution, EUObserver has reported, also saying that it did
    extra damage to EU policy because Romania currently holds the six-month EU
    chairmanship.




    However, not all reactions to the
    announcement are negative, as the PM’s announcement was hailed by the American
    Vice President Mike Pence and the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.













  • March 21, 2019

    March 21, 2019

    CONFERENCE As a strategic partner of the USA, Romania considers its mandate
    at the rotating EU presidency as an opportunity to promote a positive agenda of
    cooperation between the EU and the USA, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said
    on Thursday at the annual Transatlantic Conference staged by AmCham in
    Brussels. Iohannis went on to say that annual trade exchanges between the two
    entities exceed one trillion dollars creating 7 million jobs in the USA and 5
    million in the EU. On Thursday and Friday the Romanian official is attending the
    European Spring Council where he is expected to urge the EU members to carry on
    efforts towards the consolidation and streamlining of the single market in all
    its dimensions. Several other issues are also high on the summit’s agenda, such
    as the consolidation of Europe’s economic base, climate change, the future
    summit with China as well as ways of fighting disinformation. The European
    leaders are also to discuss a request by Prime Minister Theresa May for postponing
    Britain’s leaving the bloc until June 30th.












    PROTESTS Trade unionists from Bucharest’s
    underground are picketing the building of the Transport Ministry in Bucharest
    today and tomorrow. They are denouncing the authorities’ indifference towards
    the safety issues present in some of the trains. Transporters have again
    rallied today in downtown Bucharest for their second day of protest. After the
    protest rally staged by FORT Federation on Wednesday, the Confederation of
    Authorized Operators and Transporters COTAR has mounted its own protests during
    which taxi drivers in Bucharest are calling on the authorities to amend the
    present legislation to be able to regulate alternative city transportation,
    which they consider disloyal competition.










    TENNIS During the tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, Romanian challenger Irina Begu is today playing the Romanian-born
    Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who has recently won the Indian Wells tournament.
    Another Romanian, Monica Niculescu will be up against Tamara Zidansek of
    Slovenia, while the best Romanian player Simona Halep will be meeting either Taylor
    Townsend of the USA or Johanna Larson of Sweden. In the men’s competition, Marius
    Copil will be up against Albert Ramos Vinolas of Spain while in the women’s
    doubles, a Romanian-German pair made up of Simona Halep and Julia Goerges will
    be up against Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France. Monica
    Niculescu of Romania and Abigail Spears of the USA will be playing Anna-Lena
    Groenefeld of Germany and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. Romanians Irina
    Begu and Mihaela Buzarnescu are meeting the Taiwanese pair made up of Hao-Ching
    and Latisha Chan, while Raluca
    Olaru of Romania and Darija Jurak of Croatia will be meeting US players Desirae
    Krawczyk and Sabrina Santamaria. In the men’s doubles the
    Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau – Jean-Julien Rojer will be taking on Oliver
    Marach of Austria and Mate Pavic of Croatia.












    MIGRATION 4.4 million migrants entered the EU countries in 2017, a figure,
    which includes migration inside the EU, data released by Eurostat today show.
    The statistical office of the European Union registered 2.8 million migrants in
    the 28 member states from outside the union as well as 1.9 million people who
    already were in a member state and migrated to another. At the same time, 3.1
    million migrants have left a state in the EU. More immigrants than migrants
    have been registered in 22 EU countries. The number of emigrants exceeded immigrants
    in six countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The
    largest number of immigrants was reported by Malta (46 per 1,000 inhabitants.
    Luxembourg reported the largest number of emigrants in 2017 (23 per 1,000 inhabitants).




    FOOTBALL Romania’s under-21 football side will today play
    Spain in a friendly game in Granada. The Romanians will next take on Denmark in
    Marabella on Monday. All the three sides are qualified for EURO U21 due in
    Italy in June. Romania’s national football side is making its debut on Saturday
    in the preliminaries of the European championship 2020 with a match against
    Sweden in Stockholm. In order to qualify for the final tournament Romania has
    to end on the first two position in group F. Romania’s next game is against the
    Feroe Islands on Tuesday. Group F also includes Malta Spain and Norway.










    (translated by bill)

  • March 21, 2019

    March 21, 2019

    CONFERENCE As a strategic partner of the USA, Romania considers its mandate
    at the rotating EU presidency as an opportunity to promote a positive agenda of
    cooperation between the EU and the USA, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said
    on Thursday at the annual Transatlantic Conference staged by AmCham in
    Brussels. Iohannis went on to say that annual trade exchanges between the two
    entities exceed one trillion dollars creating 7 million jobs in the USA and 5
    million in the EU. On Thursday and Friday the Romanian official is attending the
    European Spring Council where he is expected to urge the EU members to carry on
    efforts towards the consolidation and streamlining of the single market in all
    its dimensions. Several other issues are also high on the summit’s agenda, such
    as the consolidation of Europe’s economic base, climate change, the future
    summit with China as well as ways of fighting disinformation. The European
    leaders are also to discuss a request by Prime Minister Theresa May for postponing
    Britain’s leaving the bloc until June 30th.












    PROTESTS Trade unionists from Bucharest’s
    underground are picketing the building of the Transport Ministry in Bucharest
    today and tomorrow. They are denouncing the authorities’ indifference towards
    the safety issues present in some of the trains. Transporters have again
    rallied today in downtown Bucharest for their second day of protest. After the
    protest rally staged by FORT Federation on Wednesday, the Confederation of
    Authorized Operators and Transporters COTAR has mounted its own protests during
    which taxi drivers in Bucharest are calling on the authorities to amend the
    present legislation to be able to regulate alternative city transportation,
    which they consider disloyal competition.










    TENNIS During the tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, Romanian challenger Irina Begu is today playing the Romanian-born
    Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who has recently won the Indian Wells tournament.
    Another Romanian, Monica Niculescu will be up against Tamara Zidansek of
    Slovenia, while the best Romanian player Simona Halep will be meeting either Taylor
    Townsend of the USA or Johanna Larson of Sweden. In the men’s competition, Marius
    Copil will be up against Albert Ramos Vinolas of Spain while in the women’s
    doubles, a Romanian-German pair made up of Simona Halep and Julia Goerges will
    be up against Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France. Monica
    Niculescu of Romania and Abigail Spears of the USA will be playing Anna-Lena
    Groenefeld of Germany and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. Romanians Irina
    Begu and Mihaela Buzarnescu are meeting the Taiwanese pair made up of Hao-Ching
    and Latisha Chan, while Raluca
    Olaru of Romania and Darija Jurak of Croatia will be meeting US players Desirae
    Krawczyk and Sabrina Santamaria. In the men’s doubles the
    Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau – Jean-Julien Rojer will be taking on Oliver
    Marach of Austria and Mate Pavic of Croatia.












    MIGRATION 4.4 million migrants entered the EU countries in 2017, a figure,
    which includes migration inside the EU, data released by Eurostat today show.
    The statistical office of the European Union registered 2.8 million migrants in
    the 28 member states from outside the union as well as 1.9 million people who
    already were in a member state and migrated to another. At the same time, 3.1
    million migrants have left a state in the EU. More immigrants than migrants
    have been registered in 22 EU countries. The number of emigrants exceeded immigrants
    in six countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The
    largest number of immigrants was reported by Malta (46 per 1,000 inhabitants.
    Luxembourg reported the largest number of emigrants in 2017 (23 per 1,000 inhabitants).




    FOOTBALL Romania’s under-21 football side will today play
    Spain in a friendly game in Granada. The Romanians will next take on Denmark in
    Marabella on Monday. All the three sides are qualified for EURO U21 due in
    Italy in June. Romania’s national football side is making its debut on Saturday
    in the preliminaries of the European championship 2020 with a match against
    Sweden in Stockholm. In order to qualify for the final tournament Romania has
    to end on the first two position in group F. Romania’s next game is against the
    Feroe Islands on Tuesday. Group F also includes Malta Spain and Norway.










    (translated by bill)

  • Romanian Parliament is going to re-discuss the 2019 state budget bill

    Romanian Parliament is going to re-discuss the 2019 state budget bill


    Romania’s 2010
    state budget bill is back in parliament because,
    according to president Klaus Iohannis, the macroeconomic framework on which it
    was based is devoid of the realism needed for a credible budgeting.






    Romania’s 2019
    state budget should have been passed and promulgated four months ago. However,
    it is still circulating and at the core of major disputes between the Government
    formed by the Social Democratic Party – Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
    coalition on the one hand and the country’s president on the other.








    The bill reached
    parliament quite late, in February, and it was then sent by the president to
    the Constitutional Court. Despite the latter’s ruling, according to which the
    bill was constitutional, the president decided to send it back to Parliament,
    describing it as a ‘budget of national shame’. The budget was built on a
    fantasy scenario, with no guarantees for a proper implementation, a fact which
    has been confirmed by European and international institutions, says Klaus
    Iohannis, supported by the right wing opposition.








    Presidential
    advisor Cosmin Marinescu, which has presented the presidency’s arguments, has
    stated that many other economies, partner to Romania’s, are already facing
    slow-downs, and recent assessments conducted by agencies in the field show that
    forecasts showing negative prospects are expected to follow. He has stressed
    the fact that revenues are overestimated in the bill by some 2.1 billion Euros,
    accounting for 1% of the GDP, which is quite a lot as to the estimated budget
    deficit.








    Also, budget
    analyses have revealed underestimations of expenditures and even deliberate
    negative adjustments, as it happens in the case of pensions. According to the presidential administration,
    this is a budget that questions the observance of the international treaties
    that Romania is a party to, as well as the legislation in the field, a budget
    that was devised to cater to the political interests of a group.








    According to the
    Social Democratic Party, however, the 2019 budget was built carefully and
    rigorously, and the head of state’s attitude is affecting the functioning of
    all institutions. The Social – Democrats
    say that the budget ensures all the necessary resources for all the major
    sectors of the economy that the bill is a revolutionary one, aimed at
    supporting health-care and education, and the president’s trying to delay it is
    a matter of political bias.








    Through the
    Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies Florin Iordache, the Social Democrats
    have already announced that they will submit the budget bill to Parliament for promulgation
    in the same form as it was initially adopted by Parliament, namely based on an
    economic growth rate of 5.5% and a GDP of some 200 billion Euros.



  • The Week in Review, March 4 -10

    The Week in Review, March 4 -10

    Former chief prosecutor of the National
    Anti-Corruption Directorate face to face with prosecutors.


    The former chief
    prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi,
    was informed on Thursday, after many hours of hearings at the special section
    for the investigation of magistrates that she was charged in a second file, in
    relation to the coordination of a crime group made up of prosecutors from the
    same Directorate. Mrs. Kovesi rejected the accusations as mere confabulation
    and claimed she is innocent. She says that she has been publicly harassed for
    two years, and the Judicial Inspection representatives have verified her on 50 occasions
    already. She claims that her summoning to the Prosecutor’s Office on the very
    day when discussions for the election of the chief prosecutor of the future
    European Public Prosecutor’s Office were being held in the European Parliament,
    was not a coincidence.






    Laura Codruta
    Kovesi: I don’t think it’s a
    coincidence, I think I was summoned on purpose for this particular day, I think
    it was on purpose that I was hindered today to give statements and clear things
    and I also think it was on purpose that I was summoned in relation to one case only
    to find out that I was being heard in a different case, without being summoned
    for it in a procedural and correct manner.






    In a first file
    opened by the special section for the investigation of magistrates Mrs. Kovesi
    has been accused of abuse of office, false testimony and bribe-taking. We
    recall that Mrs. Kovesi was dismissed last summer from the position of chief
    prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the justice minister
    Tudorel Toader criticized her for having defied Parliament and for having
    contested the decisions of the Constitutional Court.






    Minister Tudorel Toader is being contested


    This week the
    justice minister Tudorel Toader has been faced with a simple motion but he has
    been rescued by the lack of quorum, as the vote on the simple motion filed by
    the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Party was rescheduled. On
    Wednesday the plenum of Parliament did not have the required quorum as the
    Social Democratic MPs decided not to participate in the vote, because they claim
    the motion includes many fabrications. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic leader
    Liviu Dragnea explained that the situation of Tudorel Toader will be discussed
    in the coalition, underlining the state of discontentment with this minister
    which needs to be clarified with their junior partners in the coalition, the
    Alliance of Liberals and Democrats – ALDE. An independent supported by ALDE,
    Tudorel Toader has been criticized both by the Social Democrats and the
    Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which is backing the
    government in Parliament. According to the Liberal Party representatives, by not
    ensuring the quorum at the vote on the simple motion on justice, the ruling
    coalition is putting pressure on minister Toader to promote the legislative
    changes they badly require. Minister Toader is also being contested by part of
    the civil society. Teachers and students on Thursday protested to show
    solidarity with the magistrates’ protest, and condemned what they consider the
    political subordination of the judiciary. Previously, actors from several
    theaters in Bucharest and from across Romania had protested against the
    subordination of justice. They are all discontented with the recent government
    decree no. 7 which changes the justice laws.




    The 2019 state budget bill returns to
    Parliament


    The 2019 state
    budget bill is constitutional, the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday,
    following the notification made by President Klaus Iohannis. Refusing to
    comment on the Constitutional Court’s decision, Klaus Iohannis announced he
    would return the bill back to Parliament, claiming this is a budget of national
    shame.






    Klaus Iohannis:
    The 2019 budget is based on a fantasy and there are no guarantees as to its
    implementation, as also pointed out by the European institutions and other
    international institutions. This budget bill places in doubt the compliance
    with the international treaties Romania is part of, and, unfortunately, also
    the legislation in the field. This year’s budget is designed to serve, first and
    foremost, the political interests of a small group.






    The
    parliamentary opposition, represented mainly by the National Liberal Party and
    the Save Romania Union, shares the president’s views. In exchange, the
    governing coalition labeled the return of the budget bill to Parliament as
    deceptive, political and irresponsible. It is obvious that president Iohannis
    is only interested in winning another term and does things that endanger
    Romania’s image and macroeconomic indicators.






    To say that the
    country is facing an economic disaster while official figures say the opposite,
    shows lack of responsibility and respect for truth. Blocking the government has
    become his main concern, prime minister Viorica Dancila has said. The deputy speaker
    of the Chamber of Deputies Florin Iordache, speaking on behalf of the Social
    Democrats, says they will send the bill to the president to sign as it was
    initially passed by Parliament, without making any further changes. According
    to the Social Democratic Party, the 2019 budget bill ensures the necessary
    resources for all important economic sectors.






    Romania at the helm of the Council of the
    EU for 2 months



    Romania’s
    Prime Minister on Friday presented the balance of Romania’s first two months at
    the helm of the Presidency of the Council of the EU. During the first two
    months of its term in office, Romanian Presidency completed 67 files, half of
    which have been already approved by ambassadors of EU member states. The
    Romanian Presidency and the European Parliament also reached a preliminary
    agreement on a set of temporary and limited measures to ensure basic road
    freight and road passenger connectivity in order to mitigate the most severe
    disruption in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a negotiated
    agreement. During talks held in Brussels with EU chief negotiator for Brexit,
    Michel Barnier, Prime Minister Dancila said this week that the Romanian
    authorities have prepared for any scenario, including a no

  • Die Neujahrsansprache des rumänischen Staatspräsidenten Klaus Iohannis

    Die Neujahrsansprache des rumänischen Staatspräsidenten Klaus Iohannis

    Präsident Klaus Iohannis wünscht sich, dass 2015 den Anfangspunkt für ein normales Rumänien darstellt. Das eben verstrichene Jahr sei eines der Herausforderungen und des Wandels gewesen, so der Präsident.



    In der traditionellen Neujahrsansprache an die Rumänen im In- und Ausland. In diesem Jahr, forderte Iohannis, müssen wir alle zusammen gründlich anpacken, damit die Hoffnungen wahr werden. Anlässlich der Feste zum Jahresende seien Menschen auch besser zueinander:



    Wir haben mehr Zeit für die Menschen in Not. Und wir haben mehr Vertrauen und Hoffnung in die Zukunft. Wir lassen beiseite was uns trennt und behalten das, was uns eint !



    Klaus Iohannis denke an diesem Tag an alle Rumänen:



    Ich denke heute an alle von Euch, an meine Mitbürger von überall. An die jungen, die sich eine bessere Zukunft in unserem Land wünschen. An diejenigen, die durch ihre Arbeit und ihre Initiative Rumänien ein Stück weiterbringen. An unsere Eltern und Gro‎ßeltern, die uns Wegbereiter waren. Ich denke an diejenigen, die unter der Flagge Rumäniens und unserer Allierten dienen und uns Ehre bereiten. Und an diejenigen, die Rumänien ihr Zuhause nennen, wo immer sie jetzt auch sind.



    Zum Abschluss der Neujahrsbotschaft drückte der Präsident seinen Wunsch aus, dass es von nun an keinen speziellen Tag für Vertrauen und Hoffnung mehr geben müsse:



    Ich wünschte, dass 2015 der Anfang ist von einem normalen Rumänien, das wir uns alle wünschen! Fröhliche Feste und Prosit Neujahr!