Tag: Ludovic

  • Two candidates for the presidency of the National Liberal Party

    Two candidates for the presidency of the National Liberal Party

    Romanian Liberals convened in
    Bucharest on Sunday in a National Council with a view to electing their new
    president during the Congress they are going to stage on September 25th.
    Two candidates are vying for this position, the incumbent leader Ludovic Orban
    and the country’s present Prime Minister Florin Citu. Whether Orban’s intention
    to run for the PNL presidency had been known for quite some time, Citu made
    public his intention during the aforementioned Council.




    However, the two politicians’
    intentions were predictable as they had increased their public appearance of
    late. The incumbent president has paid a series of visits to the party branches
    in an attempt to gather support and had some media appearances in the company
    of several PNL mayors. In turn the Prime Minister has focused on the vaccine
    rollout and his latest efforts have been largely covered by the media.




    According to Prime Minister Citu, the
    PNL, the main political group of the centre-to-right government in Bucharest
    needs a fresh impetus. He has also mentioned his intention to keep the party in
    power for at least 8 years. Romania is changing. Europe is changing. The world
    is changing and there is a need for another kind of politicians, the Prime
    Minister went on to say.




    Ludovic Orban, who was Romania’s
    Prime Minister last year, has hailed Citu’s decision to run for the party’s
    presidency adding that this situation is not going to affect either the party’s
    activity or its ruling abilities. He has given assurances that there is going
    to be no rift between him and his opponent caused by intestine fights as they
    have a series of common objectives such as the ruling programme, the anti-Covid
    vaccine rollout and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.




    ‘Even if there is competition, which
    is only natural because every four years we stage elections in our party, we
    are making all decisions together and are all attending the party sessions’
    says Ludovic Orban, who is currently the president of the Chamber of Deputies.




    The Prime Minister has also mentioned
    the team work and common goals, but newspapers in Bucharest have pointed out
    the two leaders have not been seen together for quite some time now, not even
    at the 146th anniversary of their political party.




    The party is going to elect its local
    leaders over 1st June and 15th July, while elections for county
    leaders are due between 1st July and 10th August. After
    these first rounds, the two presidential candidates must submit a motion to the
    local branches, which must decide what candidate they are going to support.




    However, if a local branch makes a
    decision to support a certain candidate, it doesn’t mean that all its members must
    endorse that candidate. And in order to win the election a candidate must be
    supported by 10 county branches.


    (bill)

  • May 30, 2021 UPDATE

    May 30, 2021 UPDATE

    DAY
    We need the competence of all Romanians to build a prosperous country so that
    all those who emigrated may come back home with joy, the country’s president
    Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday in a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day
    of the Romanians from all over the World, the country celebrates on the last
    Sunday of May. The head of the Romanian state thanked all the Romanians abroad for
    the responsibility and solidarity they showed with those who stayed at home. He
    recalled the difficult moments we had been through during the pandemic, which
    proved tough for both the Romanians abroad and their relatives at home. According
    to the president, since Romania benefits from European funds, which are to ease
    massive investment in all areas, the country is going to enter an ample process
    of development and reforms. The Day of the Romanians from All Over the World
    represents a moment in which we are considering the importance of keeping
    identity and national values every Romanian keeps in their heart, Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu has underlined in his message. According to him,
    strengthening the dialogue and the ties with members of the Romanian communities
    is the Foreign Ministry’s key priority together with the promotion of the
    historical and cultural heritage.








    GYMNASTICS According to the Romanian Gymnastics
    Federation, our athletes have walked away with gold from the group finals of
    the 16th edition of the World Aerobic Gymnastics Championship held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The victor team
    includes Gabriel Bocser, Teodora Cucu, Daniel Tavoc, David Gavrilovici and
    Mihai Alin Popa. At the present edition of the aforementioned competition,
    athletes from Romania have also reaped silver in the teams contest and bronze
    in the trio event. The teams ranking is based on the best results won in trio,
    mixed, aerobic dance and the men’s and women’s individual events.








    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Ana
    Bogdan on Sunday qualified for the second round of the tournament in Roland
    Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam after a two-set win 6-1, 6-3 against
    Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. In the competition’s second round Bogdan will
    be up against Naomi Osaka of Japan who on Sunday eliminated Romanian Patricia
    Tig, 6-4, 7-6. The other Romanians on the main draw in Paris are Sorana
    Cirstea, Mihaela Buzarnescu, Irina Begu and Irina Bara. Injuries have prevented
    Simona Halep, the world’s third tennis player and Roland Garros champion in
    2018 from attending this year’s edition of the prestigious French competition.








    PNL The national council of the
    National Liberal Party (PNL), Romania’s main ruling political force on Sunday
    decided to stage the party’s congress on 25th September and voted on
    the committee to stage the event. The participants also established the election
    procedures inside the party. Before the proceedings kick-off, the country’s
    incumbent Prime Minister Florin Citu announced his intention to run for the
    party’s presidency, underlying the party’s need for a new impetus. The party’s
    vice-president, Florin Citu pledged that PNL would stay in power for at least 8
    years and that together they would be changing Romania into a liberal country
    where all citizens were going to live happily. According to the incumbent PNL
    president Ludovic Orban, we are going to witness a beautiful presidential race,
    proving to the Romanians the Liberals are actually relying on strong human
    resources and are able to rule the country properly.








    COVID-19 The number of Covid-19 infections continues
    to go down in Romania. The entire Romanian territory including capital city
    Bucharest are in the so-called green zone with an infection rate below 1 per
    thousand. 158 new infections were reported on Sunday as well as 29 fatalities.
    443 people are in intensive care. Vaccine rollout has been stepped up in
    Romania with more than 76 thousand vaccinations in the past 24 hours. Marathon
    vaccination campaigns and drive-through centers were staged across Romania
    during the weekend, while mobile units went to crowded places in an attempt to
    make the vaccine available to as many people as possible. Since the vaccine
    rollout kicked off in December last year, more than 3 million people have been
    fully vaccinated in Romania. According to the authorities, over one million
    Pfizer doses are to arrive in Romania, this being the biggest quantity of
    vaccine Romania has received so far. This type of vaccine can be administered
    to children with ages between 12 and 15, after the European Medicines Agency
    has recommended it for this age bracket.








    VISIT The EU
    Vice-president for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maros Sefcovic
    will be paying a visit to Romania on Monday, the European Commission
    Representation in Bucharest has announced. The EU high official is going to have
    talks with Romania’s Prime Minister Florin Citu, with Leonard Orban, the
    presidential adviser for European Affairs as well as with the presidents of the
    two Parliament Chambers, Anca Dragu and Ludovic Orban respectively. Sefcovic is
    expected to deliver a speech at the Atlantic-Black Sea Security Forum 2021
    hosted by the Aspen Romania Institute and will be attending the inauguration
    ceremony of the Euro-Atlantic Center for Resilience.




    (bill)



  • 04.11.2020

    04.11.2020

    Coronavirus – En Roumanie, le nombre de cas d’infection par le nouveau coronavirus a augmenté, mercredi, de 8.651, ce qui représente un nouveau record négatif. Plus de 267.000 cas d’infection ont été confirmés jusquici. 146 décès ont également été rapportés mercredi et le bilan des décès des suites de la Covid-19 est monté à 7.419. Par ailleurs, 1.001 patients sont admis en soins intensifs, soit le nombre le plus élevé jamais enregistré jusquà présent. Les autorités évaluent en permanence les mesures de gestion de l’épidémie de coronavirus et les adaptent aux évolutions. Le président Klaus Iohannis a annoncé que la première tranche du vaccin anti – Covid-19 pourrait arriver en Roumanie au premier trimestre de l’année prochaine. Le chef de l’Etat a précisé que la priorité serait donnée à limmunisation des soignants et des personnes des groupes à risque. D’autre part, Klaus Iohannis a déclaré que, pour le moment, il n’y avait aucune raison d’imposer un état d’urgence, mais que certaines restrictions étaient nécessaires pour ralentir la propagation de lépidémie.



    Visite – Le premier ministre roumain, Ludovic, Orban, se trouve aujourd’hui à Ramallah, en Cisjordanie, où il discutera avec son homologue palestinien, Mohammad Shtayyeh, du renforcement de la collaboration bilatérale. Le chef du cabinet de Bucarest sest entretenu, mardi, à Jérusalem, avec les plus hauts responsables israéliens. Ludovic Orban et son homologue israélien, Benjamin Netanyhu, ont reconfirmé les relations privilégiées entre les deux pays et se sont félicités du récent lancement du Groupe de travail Roumanie-Israël dans le domaine économique.



    Nomination – A Bucarest, la Cour constitutionnelle examine les saisines formulées par le PNL (au pouvoir) et par l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie concernant la nomination du député social-démocrate (d’opposition), Florin Iordache au poste de président du Conseil législatif. Les signataires du document affirment que le nombre de voix requis pour que Florin Iordache soit nommé président n’a pas été atteint. Ils soutiennent également que Florin Iordache ne remplit pas la condition de bonne réputation professionnelle et morale prévue par la loi. Cest lui qui avait promu, en tant que ministre de la Justice, le décret d’urgence n°13 et le projet d’amnistie et de grâce. A l’hiver 2017, le décret en question avait suscité de nombreuses protestations à Bucarest, dans d’autres villes à travers le pays et au sein de la diaspora. Le gouvernement de l’époque, formé du Parti social-démocrate et de lAlliance des démocrates et des libéraux, était accusé d’avoir adopté un décret modifiant les codes pénaux en faveur des hommes politiques ayant des démêlés avec la justice. Sous la pression de la rue, l’Exécutif avait fait savoir alors qu’il renonçait à la modification du Code pénal et du Code de procédure pénale.



    Justice – Cristian Rizea, ancien député social-démocrate de Roumanie, qui avait fui en République de Moldova après avoir été condamné, a été interpellé à Chisinau. Les autorités moldaves ont entamé une procédure d’extradition, conformément aux accords bilatéraux. Depuis mars 2019, Rizea faisait lobjet dun mandat de recherche international. Il doit purger en Roumanie sa peine de 4 ans et 8 mois de prison ferme, pour trafic d’influence et blanchiment d’argent, sentence définitive prononcée par la Haute Cour de Cassation et de Jutice. Mardi, le président sortant de la République de Moldova, le socialiste Igor Dodon, a annoncé qu’il retirait à l’ancien député roumain la citoyenneté obtenue frauduleusement il y a deux ans.



    Vienne- Le gouvernement autrichien a institué trois jours de deuil national pour les victimes de l’attaque terroriste perpétrée lundi à Vienne, qui a fait quatre morts et 22 blessés. Les autorités poursuivent l’enquête après que l’assaillant autrichien d’origine nord-macédonienne a été abattu par la police. 14 arrestations ont été effectuées après la perquisition de 18 maisons. Le chancelier Sebastian Kurz a transmis à la population un message d’unité, promettant que l’Autriche défendrait sa démocratie, ses droits fondamentaux et son style de vie libéral .



    Football – Le club champion de Roumanie de football, CFR Cluj (nord-ouest), affrontera jeudi soir, en déplacement, l’équipe italienne AS Rome, pour son troisième match dans le groupe A de la Ligue Europa. Le CFR est leader du groupe, après avoir remporté, 2-0, en déplacement, le match contre les Bulgares de TSKA Sofia et fait match nul, à domicile, 1 partout, avec Young Boys Berne de Suisse. Eliminée des préliminaires de la Ligue des champions et arrivée en Ligue Europa, l’équipe de Cluj est la dernière représentante de la Roumanie à l’édition de cette année des coupes européennes de football.



    Handball – L’équipe masculine de Roumanie de handball disputera jeudi son premier match, en déplacement, contre la Suède, dans le groupe 8 des préliminaires du Championnat d’Europe 2022, accueilli par la Hongrie et la Slovaquie. Dimanche est prévue la rencontre à domicile avec les sportifs monténégrins. L’équipe masculine de Roumanie, quadruple championne du monde des années ‘60 -‘70, ne s’est plus qualifiée depuis 1996 pour un tournoi final continental. Par ailleurs, les handballeuses roumaines sont qualifiées pour l’Euro 2020, qui se disputera le mois prochain, dans le groupe dont font partie aussi la Norvège, l’Allemagne et la Pologne.



    Météo – Le ciel est plutôt couvert et des pluies faibles sont signalés localement dans le sud-ouest du pays. Sur le reste du pays, le ciel est variable. Les températures maximales de la journée seront comprises entre 11° et 18°. 13° à midi dans la capitale, Bucarest.

  • October 3, 2020

    October 3, 2020

    SUMMIT Prevention measures and the making of a vaccine against the novel
    coronavirus were the main issues of the European Council proceedings, which
    ended in Brussels on Friday. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von
    der Leyen announced that the Union was holding talks with several companies for
    the purchase of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. She said the situation is
    worrying and that the European states and institutions can overcome this
    situation only if they cooperate. Attending the summit, the Romanian president,
    Klaus Iohannis, appreciated the EU’s diplomatic efforts for defusing the
    situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and reiterated Romania’s solidarity with
    Greece and Cyprus, whose sovereignty must be respected. The head of the
    Romanian state highlighted the need for a balanced and constructive approach of
    the EU-Turkey relations.








    PANDEMIC 34.5 million people have been confirmed infected with the novel
    coronavirus the world over with a death toll standing at over one million, data
    released by the US-based Johns Hopkins University shows. US president Donald
    Trump has been admitted to a military hospital after having been infected with
    the novel coronavirus, but he has given assurances that he is feeling all right.
    The pandemic has a fast advancement in India, which has reported 100 thousand
    new cases daily and a total number of infections of 6.4 million people. 100
    thousand Indians have so far been killed by the virus. The highest mortality
    rate has been reported in Mexico though, where 753 thousand people have been
    reported infected and the death toll is around 78 thousand. In Europe, where
    several countries are currently facing a second wave of the pandemic,
    authorities are increasing the number of restrictions to contain the spreading.
    This is the case of Spain, whose capital, Madrid and another eight cities in
    the region are in quarantine for another two weeks. New infections have been
    reported in Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and Northern Macedonia.








    COVID-19 2,064 new COVID-19
    infections and 32 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania.
    583 people are in intensive care units. The death toll since the beginning of the
    pandemic stands at 4,947 and a total number of over 134.000 cases has been
    confirmed. The high number of infections has prompted the country’s
    Prime Minister Ludovic Orban to request daily checking on the observance of
    protection measures. Orban says that where the rate of infection exceeds 1.5
    cases per thousand, any activity in restaurants, bars and other indoor
    facilities will cease. In another development over 338 education units in
    Romania are offering online courses as over 770 students have been confirmed
    positive for the novel coronavirus in the past week, according to data released
    by the country’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru. He made an appeal for complying
    with the hygiene rules to limit the spreading of the virus particularly in schools.
    According to Tataru, Romania does not need to impose the state of emergency.






    TENNIS Two tennis players from Romania are today vying for a place in the round
    of 16 of the Roland Garros tennis tournament. One of them is Irina Bara who is
    taking on Sofia Kenin of the US. Kenin is a champion in the Australian Open and
    has eliminated another Romanian in the previous round, WTA’s 93rd Ana Bogdan.
    Romania’s second representative, Patricia Tig will be up against Fiona Ferro of
    France. The odds-on favourite Simona Halep, also from Romania, secured a clear
    win against US challenger Amanda Anisimova and will be up against Iga Swiatek
    of Poland in the competition’s next round.




    (bill)



  • September 14,2020 UPDATE

    September 14,2020 UPDATE

    ALERT The government in Bucharest has for the fourth time extended the
    state of alert against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, upon a proposal
    by the National Committee for Emergency Situations. The Romanian government has
    also been considering fresh measures to safely hold the local election on
    September 27th. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has said that he has
    been considering the use of larger rooms and outdoor spaces allowing people to
    keep a physical distance. Voters will have to wear facemasks and demonstrations
    of up to 100 people are allowed with the observance of the rules also valid in
    case of election meetings. The first state of alert was instated on May 15th
    after Romania had been on the state of emergency for two months. The total
    number of infections with the novel coronavirus, almost seven months since the
    first case was reported in Romania has exceeded 104 thousand and the death toll
    stands at 4185.








    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Patricia Tig reaped her first WTA title in
    Istanbul on Sunday after a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 win against Eugenie Bouchard of
    Canada. This has been the third WTA finals for Tig after those in Baku (2015)
    and Bucharest (2019). Her prize closet also includes a WTA 125 K title, which
    she won in Karlsruhe. In Italy, another Romanian, Irina Begu, has qualified for
    the main draw after a 6-1, 6-1 win against Ana Lena Friedsam of Germany in the
    qualifiers. The Romanian will be taking on Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy who
    benefitted from a wild card. Top-seed Romanian challenger Simona Halep will be
    playing in the competition’s second round against Italian Jasmine Paolini.








    SCHOOLS An atypical school year began in
    Romania on Monday with special coronavirus protection measures in place.
    Education is a vital prerequisite for a civilised society, and children are
    returning to schools with one more lesson to learn-how to take care of one’s
    health and of the health of others, said PM Ludovic Orban in a message on this
    occasion. He warned that the danger posed by the disease is not over and that
    the new school year is a challenge for children, their families, teachers and
    authorities.






    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan
    Aurescu had telephone talks with his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi,
    following the political consultations held during his visit to Israel this
    month. According to the Foreign Ministry, the 2 officials reviewed the
    preparations for a new joint government meeting due next year. They also looked
    at the arrangements for the set up of a new expert group preparing the meeting,
    which will focus on mutually relevant topics like agriculture, water
    management, IT, cyber security and AI. The talk also occasioned an exchange of
    opinions on the Middle East peace process. Romania supports the resolution of
    this problem based on international law and on the 2-state solution, Israel and
    Palestine, living next to each other in peace and prosperity, the Romanian
    foreign minister said. On September 2-3, minister Aurescu discussed with
    high-level political officials both in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and in Ramallah.






    PANDEMIC Many countries are reintroducing
    lockdowns in the context of a so-called second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic.
    The World Health Organisation Sunday reported nearly 308,000 new infections for
    the last 24 hours, a new global record, Reuters reports. The most significant
    increases were in India, the USA and Brazil. The total number of cases
    worldwide is nearing 29.2 million, and the number of COVID-related deaths is
    928,000. Israel reintroduced a 3-week lockdown in a move to contain the new
    wave. Strict restrictions regarding groups larger than 6 people have come into
    force in the UK today. And also as of Monday, face masks, already compulsory in
    supermarkets and public transportation, must be worn in all public buildings
    and shops in Austria.


    (tr bill)



  • September 13, 2020

    September 13, 2020

    COVID-19 The government in Bucharest is expected to endorse on Monday a
    decision on extending the state of alert on Romania’s territory against the
    background of the latest developments in the pandemic. Romania presently
    registers a daily number of infections of 13 hundred and the total number of
    infections since the beginning of the pandemic has exceeded 102 thousand with a
    death toll of 41 hundred. 126 Romanians have been killed by the virus abroad.
    The number of infections worldwide has almost reached 29 million and 924
    thousand people have died, data released by the Johns Hopkins University has
    revealed. The US is the most affected country with more than 6.6 million cases
    and over 198 thousand fatalities. India has registered more than 4.7 million
    cases and 78 thousand dead. Brazil comes next with 4.3 million infections and
    more than 131 thousand deaths. The situation is worrying in many European countries,
    France has exceeded 10 thousand infections a day while in Spain, the first week
    of school has ended with thousands of infections, which led to the isolation of
    several classes. France and Spain were together with Italy and the UK the most
    affected countries in the first months of the pandemic.








    SCHOOL A new school year is due to begin in Romania on Monday under conditions
    adjusted to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Courses will be taking
    place according to the latest epidemiological developments. Most of the
    country’s schools, over 12 thousand, have been considered to be in the green
    zone where students are allowed to go to courses. Rotating schedules are in
    place at the nearly 5 thousand schools currently in the yellow zone, while
    online courses have been made available for students at those nearly 240 in the
    red zone. According to Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, local authorities and
    schools have at their disposal 175 million Euros to buy tablets for online
    courses. According to the Romanian official, money has been earmarked for
    buying masks and disinfectants in schools. Furthermore, Orban has given
    assurances the authorities are ready to intervene in any situation, which might
    appear in an epidemiological context after the beginning of the school year.


    MESSAGE Romania’s
    president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a message on the Firefighters Day
    celebrated on September 13th in Romania, saying that in these days, when the
    world is facing the Covid pandemic, firefighters have again shown
    professionalism and courage, determination and sacrifice in order to contribute
    together with other state institutions to the citizens’ safety and health. The
    president has mentioned the responsible way in which firefighters have continued
    to do their jobs and fight calamities and natural disasters, being an essential
    support institution, a guarantor of normality, the right to life, private
    property and health inside communities.










    TENNIS Romanian
    tennis player Patricia Tig has qualified for the finals of the WTA tournament
    in Istanbul after a 6-3, 6-3 win against Tereza Martincova of the Czech
    Republic. The Romanian player is due to take on Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in
    the finals. Bouchard comes after a 6-3, 6-2 win against Paula Badosa Gibert of
    Spain in the semis. This would be Tig’s third WTA finals after the ones in Baku
    in 2015 and Bucharest in 2019. Her prize closet includes a WTA 125K title in
    Karlsruhe last year.








    (translated by bill)







  • August 21, 2020 UPDATE

    August 21, 2020 UPDATE

    VOTE The Social Democrats (PSD), the party with the largest
    number of seats in the Romanian Parliament didn’t set a timetable, as was expected
    on Friday, for the voting session over a censure motion the PSD tabled against
    the Liberal cabinet led by Ludovic Orban. According to the PSD spokesman Lucian
    Romascanu, talks are being held with all the Parliament groups and a date for
    voting the document is to be set most likely on Tuesday. The PSD official said
    a decision in this respect would be made next week by the new Executive
    Committee endorsed during the PSD congress on Saturday. ‘We’d like the voting
    to start as soon as possible Romascanu went on to say. The motion was read
    before the Legislature on Thursday and it blames the executive for the way it
    handled the medical crisis caused by the novel coronavirus. In another
    development, the National Liberal Party PNL on Friday notified the
    Constitutional Court over an alleged legal conflict of a constitutional nature
    between the government and Parliament, as the PSD tabled their motion during
    the summer recess.












    FUNDING In a first for Romania, the
    European Commission has approved the total EU funding of investments in the
    country’s transport infrastructure and not only 85% as before. According to the
    Transport Ministry in Bucharest, the move, which is temporary, was justified by
    the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had over the state budget. The most important
    investments with European funds to benefit from this temporary exemption are
    two motorway sections and a railway. In another development, the European
    Commission has approved a five billion euro loan for supporting the business
    environment and jobs in Romania. The announcement has been made by the
    country’s Prime Minister Ludovic Orban who’s said the money is used to fund
    active measures such as flexible timetables, technical unemployment and cover other
    expenses aimed at supporting the employees and companies. Orban said the loan
    must be reimbursed in 15 years and has a very advantageous interest.








    MOSCOW A medically equipped plane landed in
    the Siberian city of Omsk to take the leading opposition figure Alexei Navalny,
    who supporters believe was poisoned, to a hospital in Berlin. According to the
    Russian doctors, Navalny is too ill to be moved to Germany for treatment. A
    prominent critic of president Putin, Navalny has consistently exposed official
    corruption in Russia and has served many prison terms. According to his
    spokeswoman, Navalny faced another poisoning attempt while in police custody
    last year. Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitri Peskov says that if the poisoning is
    confirmed the authorities are to start an investigation.






    TENNIS A pair made up of the Romanian Horia
    Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer are playing against the French pair
    Jeremy Chardy/Fabrice Martin in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 doubles
    tournament in Cincinnati which offers total prizes worth more than 4.2 million
    dollars. The tournament is hosted this year by Flushing Meadows Corona-Park in
    New York. Tecau and Rojer last year lost in the first round of the Cincinnati tournament
    to the pair Feliciano Lopez (Spain)/Andy Murray (Great Britain). The Romanian -
    Dutch pair won a final in Cincinnati in 2016 when they defeated the pair Ivan
    Dodig (Croatia)/Marcelo Melo (Brazil) 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 10-6. Tecau got a title
    in Cincinnati in 2012 alongside the Swedish player Robert Lindstedt.






    (translated by bill)



  • August 8, 2020

    August 8, 2020

    COVID-19 Authorities in Bucharest have announced 1,350 new Covid infections, bringing
    the total number of cases to over 60 thousand since the beginning of the
    pandemic five months ago. 43 fatalities have also been announced adding to a
    death toll of 2,659. 448 patients have been reported to be in intensive care
    units. The most affected regions in Romania are the capital Bucharest and the
    counties of Prahova, Arges and Dambovita all in the country’s south. A state
    secretary, who is also an army physician, has been appointed in charge of the
    Public Health Direction in Bucharest (DSP) in an attempt to deal with the
    shortcomings of this institution. DSP has attracted a lot of heat lately for
    failed or even non-existent epidemiological investigations. In another move the
    Ombudsman has challenged at the Constitutional Court several provisions of the
    newly-passed law on quarantine and isolation. The compulsory hospitalization of
    those infected and the provisions regulating the deployment of the medical
    personnel have been challenged. The Ombudsman believes that mandatory
    hospitalization is tantamount to an abuse and this measure should be imposed
    only after all the other less severe measures have failed. According to the
    Ombudsman, under the current provisions, the deployment of personnel looks more
    like mandatory deployment and is unconstitutional. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
    has criticized the Ombudsman’s latest moves saying it is challenging
    fundamental laws.










    MAE According
    to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, authorities in Germany have revised the
    conditions required for entering this country after 7 Romanian counties, Arges,
    Bihor, Buzau, Neamt, Ialomita, Mehedinti and Timis have been included on a list
    of risky regions. So all people coming from these regions, irrespective of
    their citizenship, must produce a negative Covid test carried out 48 hours
    before their arrival or take a free test 72 hours since their arrival on German
    soil. Those who refuse to comply can be denied entry or can be imposed self-isolation.
    If the test is carried out while on German soil, self-isolation is imposed
    until the result of the test is known.






    TOURISM Almost 150 thousand tourists are expected to arrive in the seaside
    resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast this weekend, which are running to full
    capacity thanks to the hot weather. Tourists are requested to pay attention to
    several aspects such as the extreme hot weather, the rough sea or the issues
    caused by the novel coronavirus. As the seaside resorts are the most crowded
    tourist areas in Romania, tourists are facing an increased risk of infection. Teams
    made up of police troops, gendarmes, firefighters as well as representatives of
    the public healthcare institutions and consumers’ protection have been deployed
    to assess the observance of safety regulations. 150 fines totaling 11 thousand Euros
    have been applied in the past 24 hours.










    ASSISTANCE Romania has joined the international assistance efforts to Lebanon in
    the wake of the devastating explosion at an ammonium nitrate storehouse on
    Tuesday. Approximately 8 tons of medical equipment and medicine are today being
    transported to Lebanon by two planes belonging to the Romanian Air Force. The
    government in Bucharest, civil society and representatives of the Lebanese diaspora
    have responded to the assistance appeal received from the Lebanese government. Two
    experts with the Romanian General Emergency Inspectorate are accompanying the
    transport. The explosion has killed at least 150 people while 5,000 others have
    been wounded. Hundreds of Beirut residents have been made temporarily homeless
    while the collective loss might reach billions of dollars.






    (translated by bill)

  • July 13, 2020

    July 13, 2020

    BILL A bill
    regulating the quarantine and self-isolation in situations of epidemiological
    risk is now being debated upon by the decision-making Senate in Bucharest. The
    aforementioned bill has been endorsed by the government after the
    Constitutional Court in Bucharest ruled that self-isolation, quarantine and
    hospitalisation could not be imposed under a ministerial decision but under a
    law clearly regulating the issue. On Thursday night the Chamber of Deputies
    endorsed the document, which contained a lot of amendments than the Executive’s
    version. However, debates upon the aforementioned law in the legal committee were
    stopped in their tracks a couple of days ago by a request from the Senate’s
    interim president, Social-Democrat Robert Cazanciuc, who called for a viewpoint
    from the Liberal government and the Ministry of Justice concerning the
    mandatory hospitalisation of the infected persons and the physicians’
    deployment. The country’s Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has described the
    document as indispensable adding that postponing the Senate debates on the
    aforementioned bill is tantamount to a dramatic increase in the number of
    infections. According to Orban, the government’s objective is no further
    restrictions, but he has also cautioned against the worrying number of
    infections. On Sunday night scores of people protested in front of the
    government’s building in Bucharest against the bill on quarantine and
    self-isolation.










    COVID – 19 Authorities in Romania have reported another 413 new Covid infections
    bringing the total number close to 33, 000 since the beginning of the
    pandemic. 21,692 out of
    those who confirmed positive have been cured and left hospitals. 235 patients are in intensive care units while the death
    toll stands at 1,901. The number of Romanians abroad confirmed infected
    stands at 5,105,and the number of fatalities at 122.












    FENCING The International Fencing Federation has designated Romanian Ana
    Maria Popescu winner of the Women’s Epee Cup this year as many competitions
    could not be staged because of the Covid pandemic. The Romanian has been
    followed by Brazilian Nathalie Moellhausen and Sun Yiwen of China. Ana Maria
    has won the competition three times in the seasons of 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and
    2012-2013.














    TALKS Brussels is today seeing the seventh round of talks for a
    post-Brexit trade agreement. Chief negotiators David Frost of Britain and
    Michel Barnier of the EU have agreed to step up negotiations but have also agreed
    that the two sides are facing major issues such as competition. According to
    Radio Romania correspondent in London, the EU negotiator has said that his team
    will be carrying on talks with their British counterparts with patience,
    respect and determination but has cautioned against the inevitable changes in
    the relations between the two sides as of January 1st.








    RESTRICTIONS Authorities in Lithuania have banned the Romanians’
    access to this country due to the raising number of Covid-19 infections
    reported in Romania. Authorities in Vilnius are assessing the decision on a
    weekly basis though. Lithuania isn’t the only European country imposing
    restrictions to Romanian citizens. Greece is also asking tourists to produce a
    negative Covid test taken in the past 72 hours at the border whereas Austria requires
    Covid tests not older than 4 days. Other European countries like Finland, Malta,
    Slovakia, Estonia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Hungary have resorted
    to other measures such as quarantine or self-isolation. Romanians have so far been
    imposed travel restrictions in 20 European countries






















    (translated by bill)

  • The latest epidemiological developments cast a question mark over the next relaxation measures

    The latest epidemiological developments cast a question mark over the next relaxation measures

    The
    Technical-Scientific Group consulted by the government in Bucharest has
    proposed the postponement of the fourth stage of relaxation measures, which was
    supposed to be implemented as of July 1st.






    The
    proposal came against the background of an alarming rise in the Covid
    infections in the past days as many Romanians fail to observe the prevention
    rules. The number of daily infections continue to be higher than the number of patients
    cured, which means that hospitals in Romania are overcrowded.






    The number
    of patients needing intensive care is also on the rise and so is the death
    toll. In an interview to a TV channel, Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru
    has referred to an unfavourable evolution in the past two weeks and for this
    reason the introduction of the new relaxation measures has been postponed at
    least at the level of the Technical-Scientific Group.




    Nelu Tătaru: We
    have seen an increase in the number of infections in the past two weeks. In
    these two weeks we have seen a higher number of patients needing intensive care
    and also an increase in the number of deaths. So the Technical Group experts
    have recommended that the new relaxation measures planned for July 1st
    be postponed. We are presently handling an increased number of infections and
    at the level of this group it has been decided to postpone this fourth
    relaxation stage. We are monitoring the situation daily, every week and every
    other week and if it improves we will start considering another series of
    relaxation measures. And in case of an intense community contagion, we are
    considering imposing restrictions in certain locations to isolate outbreaks and
    impose quarantine measures.






    A
    final decision on the issue is expected from the Executive in Bucharest on
    Wednesday. The government is also expected to convene on Wednesday for a new
    plan of measures against the spreading of the Covid pandemic. Prime Minister
    Ludovic Orban, who said the latest developments impose caution, has summoned
    the ministers and other high officials from the Interior, Health Ministers as
    well as from the police and other state institutions with control attributions.






    In
    another development, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has
    already decided that event organisers who do not comply with prevention regulations
    have their license suspended. In their turn epidemiologists have pointed out that
    unless prevention measures are observed the number of cases can continue to
    rise. Romania has so far confirmed over 26,500 Covid infections. Suceava in
    north-eastern Romania ranks first in terms of the number of cases followed by
    Bucharest and Brasov, in the center of the country. Roughly 19 thousand people
    have been declared cured and allowed to leave hospitals whereas over 16 hundred
    people have died.



  • Assistance for the Romanian companies

    Assistance for the Romanian companies


    The government in Bucharest has
    endorsed a law guaranteeing loans for the big companies after the IMM
    Invest model. The country’s Prime Minister Ludovic Orban on
    Wednesday said that this assistance scheme would become operational
    after getting the green light from the European Commission, most
    likely in two weeks’ time. The Prime Minister has recalled the
    principles of this programme.

    Ludovic Orban:
    This
    is a scheme through which we guarantee credits up to 90% subsidizing
    interests up to 50%. The initial ceiling of this state assistance
    programme is of 1.6 billion euros, which of course we are ready to
    increase in case there are more applications.

    We are waiting for the European
    Commission’s approval because any assistance scheme needs their
    approval. We have discussed the issue in principle and we are
    optimistic about the results. The scheme is going to become fully
    operational shortly after we get the approval we need.

    Last week, Finance Minister Florin
    Citu announced the ceiling of this assistance programme, which can
    benefit the big companies with over 250 employees, including their
    branches or partners, could be raised up to 5.8 billion euros.


    According to
    Florin Cîțu, this programme together with the one destined for
    small and medium-sized businesses allow all the Romanian companies to
    get access to such financing credits.

    As for the IMM
    Invest programme, which is addressing companies with over 4.1 million
    euros in turnover, the government announced that this programme was
    streamlined and declared ready to supplement the allotted budget so
    that the number of the enterprises attracting these funds may triple
    in a couple of weeks.

    The Finance Minister has added the
    programme can offer assistance to 40 thousand companies at the most
    and if need be the Executive can earmark more money at the next
    budget adjustment.

    On Wednesday, the country’s
    president Klaus Iohannis promulgated a law on approving an emergency
    ordinance over the programme of assisting the small and medium-sized
    enterprises, which this year provides for a total ceiling of 6.2
    billion euros in state guarantees, which can benefit the companies
    interested in getting these loans.

    (translated
    by bill)

  • New Talks on Romania’s intention to join the Schengen Area

    New Talks on Romania’s intention to join the Schengen Area

    Romania’s Prime Minister, Ludovic
    Orban, has underlined in Munich the legitimacy of Romania’s aspirations to join
    the Schengen Area as the country has long met all the technical accession
    criteria. The Romanian official attended the security conference in Munich
    where he underlined the fact that ‘remaking the full functionality of the
    Schengen Area is essential for ensuring the EU’s interior security.






    Pleading for a Europe open to
    enlargement, the Romanian official went on to say that the EU must defend its
    external borders, but not maintain interior borders. In an interview with Radio
    Romania, Prime Ministers Orban has voiced conviction that the attitude of the
    member countries, which are opposing Romania’s access to Europe’s border-free
    area, will change.






    Ludovic Orban: I have
    presented strong arguments in favour of accepting Romania’s presence in the
    Schengen Area. We have met all the conditions to join this area and I am
    convinced the attitude of some countries will change.






    The Prime Minister, who voiced
    opposition to the idea that Romania is not ready to join the border-free
    Schengen Area due to corruption, has argued that Bucharest has proposed the
    closing down of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism on Justice by
    curbing corruption and increasing the independence of its judiciary. According
    to the Romanian official, if the European funds are conditioned by the
    situation of the rule of law, legislation must have clear stipulations for all
    the member states in order to avoid unjust sanctions.






    Ludovic Orban: Being a domain, which can be subjected to
    various subjective interpretations, regulations must be very clear, very
    precise, with a specific list of infringements on the second article of the
    Union Treaty and which are the sanctions to be imposed. And in this way any
    subjective interpretation will be avoided.






    Prime Minister Orban has also
    referred to Romania’s accession to the euro area.






    Ludovic Orban: There are
    five mandatory conditions that must be met. And the objective of the government
    I lead is to meet these conditions and become part of the euro area. The
    country’s EU integration will be completed after its accession to the euro
    area.






    Although accession to euro zone has
    been on the agenda of the governments in Bucharest for quite some time now, its
    deadline has been constantly pushed farther into the future since the country’s
    EU entry in 2007. If the first deadline to join the area Romania set was 2012,
    it seems that Bucharest will now have to wait until 2024 or 2026 to join the
    euro-countries club.






    (translated by bill)

  • Orban Cabinet out: what comes next?

    Orban Cabinet out: what comes next?

    Criticised by his political opponents for trying to change the election laws without proper parliamentary debate just months ahead of the local elections, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban Wednesday failed the test of a no-confidence motion tabled against his team. The 4th government since the 2016 parliamentary election and the first Liberal government in the same period only lasted for 3 months in power.



    The Social Democrats, now in opposition following a no-confidence motion passed in October, joined forces with Pro Romania, the party headed by the former prime minister Victor Ponta, and, also backed by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, came up with more than enough votes to bring the Orban Government down.



    The stakes are high: the voting system for the forthcoming local election. The current format, with only one round of voting, favours the big parties, including the Social Democrats. And although its approval rates are declining, the Social Democratic Party continues to have the largest number of seats in Parliament and the largest number of mayors in the country. So the change in the voting system pushed forth by the Liberal Party would first and foremost affect the Social Democrats.



    In turn, the National Liberal Party, whose number of supporters has almost doubled since 2016 to around 47% according to opinion polls, also has a substantial number of mayors, but says a 2-round election system would ensure more legitimacy to local officials.



    The fall of the Orban Cabinet also paves the way to early elections, a scenario that both the Liberal Party and president Klaus Iohannis favour at present. According to president Iohannis, turning to voters is, at present, the most reasonable solution for the country. But the procedure for holding early elections is rather complicated, according to the Constitution. For the president to be able to dismantle Parliament, 2 prime minister nominations must be rejected within the coming 60 days.



    This outcome is desirable for both the Liberals and the Social Democrats, for different reasons, says political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu. As he put it, “the Social Democratic Party found itself in a position to choose the lesser evil, between the 2-round voting in local elections and early parliamentary elections.



    Another political analyst, Radu Magdin, agrees that the current result is good for the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians as well. “The Liberals target a 35% score in the parliamentary election, which is quite likely in the current circumstances, whereas the Social Democrats and the Ethnic Hungarian party focus on keeping the single-round voting for mayors. “Beyond going through the motions of political competition, Radu Magdin also says, this result also indicates heavy backstage negotiations. And the only party that stands to lose, according to opinion polls, is the 3rd placed actor, the USR-PLUS alliance.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)