Radio România Internațional

Tag: Marcel Ciolacu

  • March 5, 2025

    March 5, 2025

    PROPOSAL – Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has hailed the proposals announced by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the exemption of defense spending from the EU limitations on government borrowing. Marcel Ciolacu claims that Romania has constantly advocated for this solution. Von der Leyen proposed the creation of a new fund, which could mobilize almost €800 billion for defense investments at EU level, as well as for military aid for Ukraine.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The Florida Attorney General’s Office is officially investigating the British-American influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, after the two arrived in Florida last week, dpa reports. The Tate brothers are also being investigated in Romania for human trafficking and exploitation of young women. They were arrested in Romania in December 2022 and were initially subject to a ban on leaving the country. However, Romanian authorities eventually allowed them to leave, and the two went to Florida. According to the German news agency, their release is rumored to have been brokered by the Trump administration, but the White House leader has denied any involvement. Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer, has become a symbol of online misogyny in recent years, along with his brother Tristan. Romanian prosecutors accuse the two of coercing women to produce commercial videos with sexually explicit content. Investigations have revealed at least 34 alleged victims, including a 15-year-old girl. Both brothers deny any wrongdoing.

     

    PROTEST – Union members at the Damen Shipyard in Mangalia (southeast), an insolvent company, will protest on Friday in front of the Dutch embassy and the headquarters of the judicial administrator in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the local trade union, which stated that the action seeks to draw attention to the major crisis facing the shipyard, so that the conflict between the company’s shareholders is settled. The Romanian state owns the majority 51% package of the shipyard in Mangalia. The shipyard went insolvent in June 2024, and its activity has been suspended for over nine months, with most employees being put on furlough.

     

    APPEAL – The appeal filed by the former presidential candidate, pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu, against the prosecutors’ decision to place him under judicial control as part of an investigation where he faces six separate charges, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order, was heard today in Bucharest. The Prosecutor General’s office last Wednesday placed Georgescu under judicial control for 60 days, during which time several interdictions apply.

     

    TRAVEL FAIR – Romania’s tourist offers are promoted over March 4-6 at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade fair. Germany, Romania’s number one trade partner, is also the largest market for Romanian tourism, Economy Minister Bogdan Ivan says. Last year, Romania reported a 10% increase in the number of German tourists, totaling some 240 thousand. At ITB Berlin, Romania is promoted by means of cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, holidays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, rural tourism and city breaks. One of the top attractions this year is also the “George Enescu” International Festival. The 27th edition will be held over August 24 – September 21 in Bucharest, bringing together 4,000 musicians, reputed orchestras, conductors and soloists which are bound to turn Bucharest into the capital of classical music.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday will take on Olympique Lyon of France at home in the round of 16 of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled for March 13 in France. The Bucharest club advanced to the round of 16 of Europa League after a two-leg win over PAOK Thessaloniki of Greece coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu. (VP)

  • February 21, 2025

    February 21, 2025

    VISIT Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is meeting the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels today. Talks over the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, a.k.a PNRR, as well as the global and regional security are high on the talks agenda. Bucharest’s objective is to renegotiate with the EU officials some targets in the country’s National Plan of Recovery and Resilience so that Romania may entirely absorb the funds allotted through the European mechanism. In Ciolacu’s opinion, there are a series of issues within the PNRR, which need adjustment to present-day realities. The head of the Executive believes that 2025 and 2026 are decisive years when Romania can entirely benefit from funding in the aforementioned plan.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Thursday night qualified for the Europa League’s round of 16 after a 4-1 win on aggregate against, PAOK Thessaloniki, a Greek eleven coached by Romanian Razvan Luceascu. FCSB won the first game in Greece 2-1 and also clinched a 2-0 win in Bucharest last night in front of over 50 thousand football fans. FCSB will be playing their first match at home on March 6 and return one a week later either against Olympique Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt. Lots are being drawn today in Nyon, Switzerland.

     

    THEFT The Dutch police have announced they apprehended a 26 year-old man, who has become the fourth suspect in the theft of the Romanian ancient artefacts from the Drents Museum in Assen. According to police sources, the artefacts haven’t been recovered yet. We recall that on January 25, four extremely valuable golden artefacts part of Romania’s treasure, on display at the Drents Museum, were stolen. The museum was hosting the exhibition entitled “Dacia, the Kingdom of gold and silver”, which was supposed to close a day before the robbery.

     

    JOBS Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Thursday announced that 18 hundred jobs of public and contract servants from the institutions subordinated and coordinated by the government would be axed. The premier referred to a massive drop in the number of the aforementioned jobs of 13.5%, which translates into the biggest cost-cutting initiative in the history of the Romanian government.

     

    BUDGET The Romanian government has approved a budget of roughly 240 million Euros for the preparation and staging of the presidential election on May 4 and 18. The money comes from the Budget Reserve Funds made available to the government and stipulated in the state budget 2025 – says a communiqué of the Executive. We recall the presidential election will take place in May after a first round held in December was annulled through a Constitutional Court ruling, which invoked interferences in the election process.

     

    RABLA Representatives of the Carmakers Association in Romania have proposed to the authorities a new form of the RABLA programme, which no longer includes the Classical and Plus variants. According to the aforementioned association, ecobonuses of higher value might encourage the population to purchase more electric cars and if ecobonuses are funded from green certificates, their value may become more important than the state budget funds. A lower ecobonus value for electric vehicles, which last year was halved at 5 thousand Euros, has caused a major market slump of roughly 32%.

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  • February 20, 2025 UPDATE

    February 20, 2025 UPDATE

    FAIR The 2025 springtime edition of Romania’s Travel Fair got underway on Thursday in Bucharest in the presence of the Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Bogdan Ivan. According to him, authorities are preparing a series of visa facilities for tourists who want to travel to Romania. Currently at its 51st edition, the event is taking place until Sunday on a surface of 12 thousand square meters and brings together 190 exhibitors from Romania and abroad, thus strengthening its status as a reference platform in the tourism industry, the organizers say. This edition brings together a significant number of international participants who account for 52% of the total companies attending. Travel agencies and operators have prepared significant discounts for a wide range of travel packages. Romania’s most beautiful regions are being promoted during the fair offering the visitors the opportunity of discovering these marvelous regions for themselves. The present edition comes with a series of exclusive offers and special discounts for the holidays of 2025 and also includes inter-active presentations and conferences given by experts in the industry as well as virtual tours of the top destinations.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s male tennis team will be up against El Salvador in the Davis Cup’s World Group Two in September this year, the Romanian Tennis Federation announced on its Facebook page on Thursday. The matches are to take place over September 12 – 13 or 13 – 14. Romania conceded a 3-1 defeat to Bulgaria in Craiova, southern Romania, in the World Group One’s play-offs held in late January early February. In Group Two, El Salvador outperformed the Republic of Moldova 3-2 on their own turf in Santa Tecla. Romania hasn’t played Salvador yet whose best known player is Marcelo Arevalo, world leader in doubles contests. Worth mentioning is that the singles ranking doesn’t include any Salvadorian player.

     

    UKRAINE Ilie Bolojan, the interim president of Romania, stated after Wednesday’s informal meeting in Paris that Ukraine’s security is directly linked to the security of Europe and of Romania, reaffirming the importance of the collaboration between the European states and the United States to achieve a just and lasting peace. “A fair peace cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations,” Ilie Bolojan also stated. Before the meeting, which was also attended by leaders from Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Belgium, the interim president of Romania had talks with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. “We have ensured once again that, just as France has been by Romania’s side in the very important moments of our country’s history, it stands by our side today. We have reconfirmed the strategic partnership with France,” said President Bolojan. He also added, “we have reconfirmed the stability of the French military presence in Romania. At the request of our country, this presence will be strengthened in the coming period.” Bucharest and Paris will also continue their economic cooperation, including in the defense industry, with the development of production capacities in Romania being taken into account for the coming years.

     

    TALKS Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said, regarding the peace negotiations in Ukraine, that the momentary harsh statements made by the world leaders are not important, what is important is a just and lasting peace in that country, which can only be achieved with the help of the US. He stressed that peace will bring lower energy and gas prices and an economic recovery throughout Europe. It is then vital to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine, it is a project of over 500 billion euros, from which Romanian companies must gain as much as possible, Ciolacu added. He announced, on the other hand, that during the working visit he will make to Brussels on Friday, he will meet with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The discussions will focus, among other things, on aspects related to the renegotiation of the NRRP as well as the security situation in the current international context. The Head of the Executive specified that he will be accompanied to Brussels by the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş, and the Minister of Finance, Tanczos Barna.

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  • February 7, 2025 UPDATE 3

    February 7, 2025 UPDATE 3

    INVESTIGATION – The Romanian Prime Minister’s inquiry corps has uncovered irregularities and evidence of negligence in the organization of the exhibition at the Drents Museum in Assen, where Dacian treasure items were stolen. The report, which was submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office, shows that the National Museum of History of Romania and the Ministry of Culture accepted less rigorous security measures than those established for the exhibitions in Madrid and Rome, such as the lack of permanent security. Another irregularity refers to the fact that the exhibition did not have the approval of the Museum’s Board of Directors, as required by the regulations in force, and the loan contract was not concluded in authentic format. In addition, the insurance value of the goods exhibited in the Netherlands was the last to be established, and for certain items the assessment was based on a revaluation carried out 14 years ago. According to Dutch Police, hundreds of tips have been received in connection to the heist, mostly information about the locations where the suspects were seen after the robbery and the people they met with. Dutch law enforcement has arrested three suspects last week, two men and a woman, who refused to say where the stolen objects were. All three suspects are still in custody. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand believes there is a 50% chance that the thieves have already melted down the artifacts (a helmet and three bracelets, all heritage items), for their corresponding gold value.

     

    GDP – Romania’s GDP per capita at purchasing power parity has exceeded Poland’s, according to a research conducted by experts from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. According to the source, Romania fares better than other economies in the region, such as Hungary, Croatia or Greece, and the nominal GDP per capita, which has grown by an average of 11% per year in the last five years, has exceeded 80% compared to the EU average.

     

    IMF – Maintaining macroeconomic stability and investments, in addition to continuing reforms are among the priorities of the Romanian government for this year, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during Friday’s meeting with the IMF delegation in Bucharest. During the talks, the Romanian Prime Minister underlined the government’s commitment to observing the 7% budget deficit target and continuing the trend of reducing the deficit over the coming years, in line with the fiscal plan agreed jointly with representatives of the European Commission. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu highlighted measures designed to cut personnel spending in the public sector, restructure the state budget and operate a territorial-administrative reorganization as the government’s top priorities for the coming period. IMF experts also discussed with officials of the National Bank of Romania, including Governor Mugur Isărescu. The IMF delegation did not call on Romania to take drastic financial measures, introduce tax increases or other austerity measures, Finance Minister Tánczos Barna in turn gave assurances after meeting on Thursday with the new IMF head of mission to Romania, Joong Shik Kang. At present, Romania has no standing agreement with the IMF, although the international lender conducts annual assessments of Romanian economy based on consultations, which is a mandatory oversight requirement applied to all IMF members.

     

    G7 – The Foreign Ministers of Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania and Sweden have submitted a joint letter calling on G7 states to take additional measures to reduce the revenues obtained by Moscow from the sale of its energy carriers. “With these revenues, Russia finances its ongoing aggression in Ukraine, considering a third of Russia’s revenues and two thirds of its exports are linked to energy carriers”, reads a statement of the Romanian Foreign Ministry published on Friday. According to the quoted source, the 12 states “have consistently supported the adoption of the toughest possible restrictive measures against Russia”. G7 states are thus encouraged to use the oil price cap to ensure that it continues to serve as a significant tool in limiting Russia’s revenue flows, to impose additional sanctions on Moscow’s “shadow fleet” and the actors involved, and to consider additional measures targeting the maritime transport of Russian exports, the Romanian MFA also states.

     

    ICC – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday strongly condemned the sanctions imposed on its staff by U.S. President Donald Trump, which have sparked protests in the UN and some European states. Dozens of countries have warned the sanctions could “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to undermine the international principles of the rule of law”. “The sanctions will seriously undermine all pending investigations, as the Court may be forced to close its field offices”, representatives of 79 countries, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the ICC’s members, have pointed out in a joint statement. The U.S. president signed an executive order on Thursday banning entry into the USA of IIC staff and freezing all their assets in the United States. According to the White House, the ICC has engaged in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”, referring to investigations into alleged war crimes by American soldiers in Afghanistan and Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. According to experts, the U.S. sanctions could have a crippling effect on the ICC’s activity. (VP)

  • February 7, 2025 UPDATE 1

    February 7, 2025 UPDATE 1

    INVESTIGATION – The Romanian Prime Minister’s inquiry corps has uncovered irregularities and evidence of negligence in the organization of the exhibition at the Drents Museum in Assen, where Dacian treasure items were stolen. The report, which was submitted to the Prosecutor General’s Office, shows that the National Museum of History of Romania and the Ministry of Culture accepted less rigorous security measures than those established for the exhibitions in Madrid and Rome, such as the lack of permanent security. Another irregularity refers to the fact that the exhibition did not have the approval of the Museum’s Board of Directors, as required by the regulations in force, and the loan contract was not concluded in authentic format. In addition, the insurance value of the goods exhibited in the Netherlands was the last to be established, and for certain items the assessment was based on a revaluation carried out 14 years ago. According to Dutch Police, hundreds of tips have been received in connection to the heist, mostly information about the locations where the suspects were seen after the robbery and the people they met with. Dutch law enforcement has arrested three suspects last week, two men and a woman, who refused to say where the stolen objects were. All three suspects are still in custody. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand believes there is a 50% chance that the thieves have already melted down the artifacts (a helmet and three bracelets, all heritage items), for their corresponding gold value.

     

    IMF – Maintaining macroeconomic stability and investments, in addition to continuing reforms are among the priorities of the Romanian government for this year, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during Friday’s meeting with the IMF delegation in Bucharest. During the talks, the Romanian Prime Minister underlined the government’s commitment to observing the 7% budget deficit target and continuing the trend of reducing the deficit over the coming years, in line with the fiscal plan agreed jointly with representatives of the European Commission. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu highlighted measures designed to cut personnel spending in the public sector, restructure the state budget and operate a territorial-administrative reorganization as the government’s top priorities for the coming period. IMF experts also discussed with officials of the National Bank of Romania, including Governor Mugur Isărescu. The IMF delegation did not call on Romania to take drastic financial measures, introduce tax increases or other austerity measures, Finance Minister Tánczos Barna in turn gave assurances after meeting on Thursday with the new IMF head of mission to Romania, Joong Shik Kang. At present, Romania has no standing agreement with the IMF, although the international lender conducts annual assessments of Romanian economy based on consultations, which is a mandatory oversight requirement applied to all IMF members. (VP)

  • February 5, 2025

    February 5, 2025

    BUDGET – The state budget for 2025 is being debated in a joint plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, after it was approved, on February 1, by the ruling coalition government. The budget focuses on development, Finance Minister Tánczos Barna said, with record funds allotted to investments and with provisions for reducing public spending. The Romanian official gave details regarding the figures underlying this year’s budget: an economic growth rate of 2.5% and an average inflation rate of 4.4 percent. The main target of the government is to reduce the budget deficit to 7% of GDP, without taking into account, however, increases in taxes and duties.

     

    MEETING – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Tuesday, met in Bucharest with the European Commission Vice-President, Romanian Roxana Mînzatu. The two discussed the role of education in combating disinformation and manipulation, as well as strengthening the democratic resilience of European societies. Commissioner Mînzatu, who takes charge of Social Rights and Employment, highlighted the need for investments in basic skills, technical and vocational education.

     

    AMBASSADORS – Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is today meeting the ambassadors of the EU member states accredited in Bucharest. The meeting is hosted by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU. Poland took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Hungary on January 1, 2025, for a period of six months, in a difficult geopolitical context, with European security, support for Ukraine and the consolidation of the economy as its top priorities.

     

    INVESTIGATION – The Bucharest Court of Appeal is today ruling on the proposals for the preemptive arrest of 11 people detained in the Nordis investigation. The list includes the former PSD head of the Chamber of Deputies’ Legal Committee, Laura Vicol, and her husband, Vladimir Ciorbă, the main shareholders of Nordis. According to prosecutors, the two allegedly spent huge amounts of money on goods and services exclusively for their personal benefit, after tricking clients into buying apartments in buildings that were no longer built. Ioana Băsescu, the eldest daughter of former president Traian Băsescu, and former PSD deputy Andreea Cosma, were also deposed in the investigation for their involvement in the Nordis affair as public notaries. The total amount embezzled reportedly exceeds 70 million EUR.

     

    PROPOSAL – Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have categorically dismissed the proposal of US President Donald Trump, made in a press conference at the White House alongside the Israeli Prime Minister, regarding the takeover of the Gaza Strip by the United States and the relocation of Palestinians to other areas in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has stated that it will not establish relations with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. Also, the leadership of the Islamist group Hamas has said that the plan to relocate the population of Gaza would be a recipe for chaos and tensions in the region.

     

    HALEP – The tennis world has reacted following Romanian player Simona Halep’s announcement that she was retiring. Halep made the announcement on Tuesday evening in Cluj-Napoca (northwest), after losing in the first round of the Transylvania Open. The organizers of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament, which Halep won in 2018, conveyed a message on X: “Our 2018 champion, Simona Halep, has announced her retirement. We wish you all the best for the next chapter in your life, Simona”. The organizers of the Wimbledon tournament also commented on the Romanian’s announcement: “Our 2019 singles champion, @Simona_Halep, has ended her professional tennis career – we wish her all the best after her retirement”. (VP)

  • Crin Antonescu endorsed by the ruling coalition

    Crin Antonescu endorsed by the ruling coalition

    The former Liberal leader, Crin Antonescu, has been endorsed by the parties that form the ruling coalition in Bucharest to run in the upcoming presidential election as their candidate.

    After first getting the support of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, on Sunday, Antonescu, was endorsed by the representatives of the Social Democrats. His validation was expressed during a special congress held in Bucharest on Sunday, which was attended by thousands of delegates. Parties that are part of the incumbent ruling coalition in Romania must provide the correct alternative: Crin Antonescu, a person with a presidential profile, a man competent and experienced, the PSD president, Marcel Ciolacu says. According to him, at the previous election round in December last year, a round that was invalidated by the Constitutional Court due to interferences, Romania suffered a real social trauma, and the accumulated social frustration in time turned into an anti-system fury that eventually erupted. And for this reason, this moment is of major importance.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “Here at the PSD, we never gave up when the going was tough and we must assume this moment as well, with the same amount of courage. To leave the country now prey to the mystic nationalism would be an act of cowardice towards the people and an unpardonable betrayal to Romania’s future. To repeat the same mistakes in the presidential election in May, would mean to set Romania’s clock 35 years back.”    

    Crin Antonescu says that against the tense international background, Romania has to defend and observe its condition of an EU member country, a member of NATO and the strategic partnership with the United States of America.

    The former Liberal leader pledged to be a strong president through commitment, attitude, dedication and partnership

    Crin Antonescu: “I will be a strong president, not through the violation of the Constitution, not through its abusive interpretation, or by betraying its spirit, nor through machinations involving the secret services, or by interfering with or influencing the justice, which has been one of the biggest misfortunes of the past two decades in Romania.”

    Referring to the statement of the extremist-sovereignist candidate, Călin Georgescu, who ended up on the first position in the previous round of voting and who said that he would dismantle the political parties, if elected, Antonescu argued that the disappearance of the political parties is tantamount to the disappearance of democracy, pluralism and freedom.

    Before granting their support, the PSD, PNL and UDMR had ordered sociological surveys according to which, Crin Antonescu ranks among the firsts and stands good chances of making it to the second round. The first round has been slated for May 4 and the second for May 18.

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  • January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    PNL The former PNL president, Crin Antonescu, has been unanimously confirmed as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition for the upcoming presidential election. ‘The presidential election campaign is the most important political battle for Romania after the fall of communism’, says the PNL interim president, Ilie Bolojan. He pointed out that firm actions, good ruling practices and transparency are needed to regain the trust of the Romanians. Antonescu says he is not running in the presidential race for himself or for the National Liberal Party, but for the country’s citizens and for Romania. The Liberals are the first to have officially validated Antonescu’s candidacy. UDMR is to announce its preference next week, while on February 2, the Social-Democrats are going to convene for a special congress. The first and second round of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18. We recall that in December last year, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the presidential election on grounds of foreign interferences in the election process. That cancelled first round had been won by the pro-Russia extremist candidate, Calin Georgescu.

     

    REACTION Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Sunday announced the setting up at the government level of a crisis cell for the effective coordination of the activities of recovering the four Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The aforementioned cell includes representatives of the Romanian police as well as from the Foreign, Interior and Culture Ministries. The Prime Minister says he held talks with Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, on the urgent dispatching of a forensic team, who will work together with the Dutch authorities on the case. The General Prosecutor’s Office says that a criminal file has been made ex officio on the burglary in Assen. All the stolen artefacts have been insured under the Romanian and international legislation according to exhibition staging procedures. In a news conference at the National History Museum in Bucharest, director Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu says the artefacts stolen from the Dutch museum are being covered by a-35 million Euros insurance with a Dutch insurance company.

     

    VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, will be attending the proceedings of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which is getting underway in Brussels on Monday. The meeting’s agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU-US relations. The energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova and the latest developments in Georgia are also high on the agenda. On Tuesday, Minister Hurezeanu is expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, with the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, and with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.

     

    WIN The Romanian women’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, on Sunday won their away game against Danish side Nykobing, 29-27 and advanced to the third place in the Champions League’s Group A. The Hungarian side Ferencvaros ranks first in the group followed by the French from Metz. Another Romanian side, Gloria Bistrita, is ranking 7th in the group, while the third Romanian team in the competition, Rapid Bucharest, lost to Danish side Esbjerg in group B 26-28 on Sunday. Rapid is presently ranking 7th in the group.

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  • January 26, Newsflash Update

    January 26, Newsflash Update

    REACTION Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Sunday announced the setting up at the government level of a crisis cell for the effective coordination of the activities of recovering the four Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The aforementioned cell includes representatives of the Romanian police as well as from the Foreign, Interior and Culture Ministries. The Prime Minister says he held talks with Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, on the urgent dispatching of a forensic team, who will work together with the Dutch authorities on the case. The General Prosecutor’s Office says that a criminal file has been made ex officio on the burglary in Assen. All the stolen artefacts have been insured under the Romanian and international legislation according to exhibition staging procedures. In a news conference at the National History Museum in Bucharest, director Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu says the artefacts stolen from the Dutch museum are being covered by a-35 million Euros insurance with a Dutch insurance company.

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  • January 14, 2025

    January 14, 2025

    MEETING – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today meeting James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. On Monday, the US official visited Moldova, where he said that the development of transport infrastructure of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine will create development opportunities for the three states. On the sidelines of the QUINT ministerial meeting, Secretary O’Brien said that Russia’s attacks on Ukraine were designed to “devastate the economy of the region”. Attending the event in Chișinău were also the deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development in Moldova, Vladimir Bolea, Romania’s Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, deputy Minister for the Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, Serhiy Derkach, as well as the head of the EU Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, Magda Kopczynska.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate went up to 5.14% in December 2024 from 5.11% the previous month, amidst a 5.09% increase in the price of foodstuffs, 4.38% in the price for non-food products and 7.10% in the cost of services, according to National Statistics Institute data made public today. Compared to 2023, the annual inflation rate in December last year stood at 5.5%. The National Bank of Romania upgraded its inflation forecast for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%, and estimates the inflation rate will go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025.

     

    SPENDING – Household spending went up in the third quarter of 2024. From the average income of roughly 1,650 EUR of a household, over three quarters are spent on taxes, food and utilities.  Conversely, spending for education and investments remains really low.

     

    CONVICTION – US president elect Donald Trump would have been convicted for his attempt to influence the result of the 2020 presidential election had he not won the 2024 ballot, a report drawn by Special Counsel Jack Smith made public by the Justice Department shows. According to the report, Trump was involved in an “unprecedented criminal effort” “to overturn the legitimate results of the election in order to retain power” in 2020. Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, was the target of a criminal investigation into the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, when a crowd of supporters of Trump protested in Washington against Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith left the Justice Department last week, a few days after submitting his final report. Trump and another two individuals were suspected of having tried to prevent the report from being published, but the court ruled against their request.

     

    NATO – Europe cannot afford to suspend its defense cooperation with the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said. He explained that, without the United States, the EU would have to increase its defense spending four times, while military security would only be achieved some 15 years later. The NATO official urged EU lawmakers to stop considering the autonomy of the community bloc and instead come up with ways of cooperating more closely with the US on military spending and avoid a media war regarding the introduction of new taxes. To increase the share of national arms industries on global markets, Mark Rutte wants to increase defense spending, considering that the current reference level, 2% of the GDP, seems insufficient in the context of the war in Ukraine.

     

    CULTURE DAY – Employees of cultural institutions in Romania are expected to stay protests tomorrow on National Culture Day, demanding the payment of extra hours and a bonus for working weekends, equal pay for all employees in the sector as well as lifting the hiring freeze. National Culture Day will be celebrated in Romania, the Republic of Moldova as well as in Romanian communities abroad, this year marking 175 years since the birth of Romania’s greatest poet, Mihai Eminescu.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse ousted another Romanian player, Irina Begu, 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round at the Australian Open on Tuesday. In the next round, Ruse will take on Madison Keys of the United States, who knocked out Ann Li of the USA in the first round. This is the second time Gabriela Ruse reaches the main draw in Melbourne after 2022. Another Romanian player, Jaqueline Cristian, is playing Lucia Bronzetti of Italy in the second round. (VP)

  • January 10, 2025

    January 10, 2025

    BUDGET The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has today said the government must endorse the 2025 budget by January 27 at the latest and has called on ministers to make all the calculations needed, which must also include job-slashing, in both the central administration and subordinated state-owned institutions. Finance Minister, Tanczos Barna, had earlier given assurances the budget draft this year would observe a deficit limit of 7% of the GDP, under the agreement with the European Commission. For 2025 Barna forecast an economic growth of 2.5% and an inflation rate of 5%.

     

    PROTEST About 2000 people protested on Friday in front of the Parliament building in Bucharest a December 6th ruling by the Constitutional Court (CCR) on canceling the presidential elections in Romania. The protesters say the ruling infringes upon the will of the electorate and have called for the resumption of the election process. People took to the streets at the proposal of the former independent candidate, Calin Georgescu, a pro-Russia extremist, who had won the first round of the presidential election in Romania. Authorities say the protest is illegal. We recall the CCR cancelled the election after the country’s Higher Security Council had revealed foreign hybrid interferences in the election process and evidence on the undeclared funding of Georgescu’s campaign. Calin Georgescu has challenged the CCR ruling in court and at ECHR. The new ruling coalition PSD-PNL-UDMR has decided the presidential election take place on May 4 and 18.

     

    VISAS The elimination of the US visas for the Romanian citizens will be officially recorded today at the US Department for Homeland Security in Washington. Technical details as well as the date of the effective activation of the Visa Waiver programme will be made public during the event today. According to Romania’s ambassador in Washington, Andrei Muraru, the Romanians travelling to the USA as tourists and for business will no longer have to give interviews at the US Consulate in Bucharest and pay for getting a visa. The only thing they are going to need is an electronic permit. People can also apply for US visas as these are valid for 10 years allowing them to stay for a maximum period of 6 months. The Romanians who want to study and work in the USA must apply for visas though.

     

    STRIKE The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has cautioned the Romanian citizens traveling to Italy that the country’s transport network has been affected by nation-wide strikes. Railway transportation has been disrupted until midnight and only a couple of routes are still operational, such as those linking airports to the big cities and those crossing the peninsula. Workers in three airports in northern Italy have gone on strike and local transportation in all Italian cities has been interrupted four hours today. Teachers in Italy’s pre-university education are on strike, also calling for better working conditions and a revised payment politics. In another development, Belgium will also see this weekend a series of demonstrations involving the workers in public transportation and education; all these actions are expected to affect public transportation in Brussels and around the country.

    (bill)

  • December 23, 2024

    December 23, 2024

    COALITION – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has designated Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu for the position of Prime Minister. The new pro-European coalition stands good chances of continuing Romania’s good track record, following the undeniably good economic results obtained and the Schengen accession, the president said. “I believe they will successfully deal with current issues such as budget construction and the calendar for the 2025 presidential election”, the president went on to say. Also today, the new ministers will appear before Parliament’s special committees, which will be followed by the debate and the confidence vote in a joint plenary sitting. Previously, the leaders of PSD, PNL, UDMR and the leader of the group of national minorities signed a political agreement to form a Parliament majority and a government. Social-Democrat president Marcel Ciolacu stated that the duty of the parties is to defend democratic values, Romania’s trajectory in the EU and NATO, as well as national values ​​and identity. PNL interim leader Ilie Bolojan said that his party signed the agreement to form a stable government, which will carry out reforms during a difficult period. He announced that former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu is the coalition’s joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. UDMR president Kelemen Hunor stated that the current coalition seeks to gain people’s trust in order to overcome the political deadlock, and the first challenges are adopting the 2025 budget and organizing the presidential election as soon as possible next year. The representative of national minorities (other than the Hungarian one), MP Varujan Pambuccian, said that this coalition seeks to maintain political, economic and social stability.

     

    PARLIAMENT – PSD MP Ciprian Șerban was earlier today elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in the new Parliament. The interim leader of PNL, Ilie Bolojan, was elected Senate Speaker. We recall that four pro-European parties entered Parliament – ​​PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR – and three self-proclaimed sovereigntist parties, AUR, SOS Romania and POT.

     

    FORECAST – The National Strategy and Forecast Commission has significantly downgraded its economic growth forecast for 2024 from 2.8% previously to 1%, amid an accelerated decline in activity, especially in industry and agriculture. The only sector with a positive estimated impact was services. In its autumn forecast, published in November, the European Commission estimates that the Romanian economy will report an economic slowdown this year, up to 1.4%, but the gradual recovery of external demand, the easing of financial conditions, resilient private consumption and an acceleration of investments will support economic growth up to 2.5% in 2025 and 2.9% in 2026.

     

    COMMEMORATION – In a message conveyed on Revolution Victory Day, President Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is “at a turning point” and must firmly reject attempts to revise history, which aim to “defame the memory of the heroes of democratic Romania and mystify the truth about the dictatorial regime”. The head of state pointed out that the freedom for which the heroes of the Revolution sacrificed themselves is “more alive and present than ever” today, 35 years on. A number of events were held throughout the country to mark the anti-communist revolution of 1989, with participants recalling protesters’ aspirations back then for democracy and a European path for Romania.

     

    BORDER POLICE – The border police in Romania expects a significant increase in traffic flows ​​at the border checkpoints, especially on the Hungarian border, given that many Romanian citizens are coming home from the holidays from European countries. Over 3,500 border police officers carry out nationwide surveillance and control activities on a daily basis, also with a view to preventing and combating cross-border crime. According to a press release published by the Border Police, if the situation requires it, additional lanes will be opened up to the maximum working capacity in crossing points that get crowded. (VP)

  • November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    November 18, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Monday visited the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation in Berlin on the sidelines on his visit to Germany. “The visit highlights people’s suffering from war, a time when man’s fundamental rights are ignored”, the president said. On Sunday, Klaus Iohannis addressed the Bundestag as part of a ceremony devoted to the Victims of War and Dictatorship Remembrance Day. “The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago encouraged Romanians to fight for freedom, while the fall of the Iron Curtain allowed Romania to return to the family of European democracies”, the president said. Klaus Iohannis met with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and discussed security topics and the support the two countries provide to Ukraine. His meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz tackled Romania’s full Schengen accession.

     

    ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday met the European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, on the sidelines of his visit to Brussels, marking the start of a new Parliament session and the adoption of the 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. Joint projects highlighted by Prime Minister Ciolacu for the upcoming period include supporting a promising EU budget post-2025 that should foster competitiveness and internal convergence. The Prime Minister also met with the European Council president-elect, Antonio Costa. Also on Monday, Marcel Ciolacu met with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, on whom he called to deploy additional Allied troops to Romania, a decision he has called “vital” for a robust deterrence in the face of Russian challenges, also with a view to consolidating NATO’s presence on the Eastern Flank, in the extended Black Sea region. Romania has already allotted 2.5% of the GDP to defense spending this year and will continue to prioritize investments in defense over the coming period as well, the Prime Minister told the NATO Secretary General. Romania will continue to provide multidimensional support to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova, Marcel Ciolacu also said.

     

    SCHENGEN – Romania’s Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, held talks in Vienna with his Austrian counterpart, Gerhard Karner, ahead of the informal meeting that will take place in Budapest at the end of this week, where Romania’s Schengen extension will be discussed. Romania will continue to take action to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime, through a preemptive approach, the Bucharest official said. According to Brussels sources, the Ministers of Internal Affairs from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria will hold preliminary talks in the Hungarian capital regarding the date when Romania and Bulgaria would join Schengen with their land borders as well.

     

    EU-FAC – Romania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Monday attended the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels. On the sidelines of the event, she took part in a working meeting of EU Foreign Ministers with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popșoi. The meeting occasioned in-depth discussions regarding the results of the presidential election and the referendum for European integration in the Republic of Moldova, with an emphasis on Russia’s hybrid attacks in this context, by means of which it tried to undermine the democratic electoral process and hijack the European course of this country. Minister Odobescu congratulated the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the very good organization of the presidential election and the constitutional referendum, expressing satisfaction for the new mandate obtained by president Maia Sandu. Minister Odobescu emphasized Romania’s determination to continue the active and consistent support for the Republic of Moldova at all levels of cooperation. (VP)

  • November 12, 2024

    November 12, 2024

    VISIT – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying an official visit to the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he is expected to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King. According to a Government press release, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will also attend the Romania-UK Economic Forum, and will meet with representatives of the Romanian community. “The government is interested in consolidating the Strategic Partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in all fields of bilateral interest, responding to the changing challenges and opportunities. The Romanian community in the UK is big, and fostering the rights of our compatriots is a key pillar of bilateral cooperation”, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. This is the first visit of a Romanian Prime Minister to the UK in 17 years.

     

    ELECTION – Some 200 postal votes for the parliamentary and presidential election in Romania have already arrived from Romanians living abroad and will be counted together with the other votes, the chairman of the Permanent Election Authority (AEP), Toni Greblă, has said. 6,650 citizens have demanded to vote by post and must send their options no later than two days before the start of the voting process proper. The first round of the presidential election is slated for November 24, the second round for December 8, while the parliamentary election will take place on December 1.

     

    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate climbed in October to 4.67% from 4.62% in September, the National Statistics Institute reports. Foods prices went up by 4.75%, while prices for non-food products also increased by 3.45%. Services also went up 7.66%. The National Bank of Romania has upgraded its inflation estimate for the end of 2024, from 4% previously to 4.9%. The Bank expects the inflation rate to go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report made public by Governor Mugur Isărescu this Monday. On the other hand, Romania’s trade deficit went up 15% in the first nine months of 2024, reaching some 23.5 bln EUR, the National Statistics Institute reports. Exports have exceeded 69 bln EUR, a 1.4% drop. Imports totaled nearly 93 bln EUR, accounting for a 2.3% increase.

     

    GOTECH WORLD – Officials and representatives of the business sector are attending the opening of GoTech World 2024, an event hosted by Bucharest over November 12-13. This year’s edition of B2B Expo brings together over 120 experts from the sector and nearly 100 exhibitors. Organizers expect a turnover of some 15,000 guests. GoTech World (previously known as Internet & Mobile World) is the biggest conference and expo in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a regional hub for digital economy, providing professionals from the region with access B2B tech solutions, insight into various digital fields and networking opportunities.

     

    ENESCU – For the first time in the history of Romania, all four violins owned by composer George Enescu will be on the same stage in November 2024, as part of a national tour. The violins are currently in the collection of the “George Enescu” Museum in Bucharest and are classified as “national treasures”. The tour kicks off on November 12 at the Culture Palace in Iași (northeast).  Gabriel Croitoru will be performing on the 1731 “Cathedral” Guarnieri del Gesù violin, Simina Croitoru on the 1931 Paul Klaul violin, Paul Răducanu on the 1930 Paul Klaul and Mircea Dumitrescu on the 1835 Frères Pierre and Hippolyte Silvestre. The tour will then  travel to other cities across the country, before moving to Bologna (Italy). The four violins were donated to the Romanian state by George Enescu’s wife, Maria Cantacuzino-Enescu, upon the foundation of the Museum in 1956.

     

    HEARING – The remaining six European Commissioners, designated for the positions of European Commission executive vice-presidents, including Romania’s nomination, Roxana Mînzatu, are today taking part in hearings before the European Parliament’s special committees. Designated European Commission Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness, will appear before the Committee for Labor and Social Affairs, and before the Committee on Culture and Education. According to Agerpres, Romanian MPs from various political groups say EU Commissioners will pass today’s hearings with little effort.  (VP)

  • November 10, 2024 UPDATE

    November 10, 2024 UPDATE

    FLOODS – According to the Spanish authorities, another three Romanian citizens are reported dead following last week’s devastating floods in Valencia, after previously been reported missing. So far, seven Romanians died and three are still missing, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reports. The Spanish authorities remain in permanent contact with representatives of Romania’s diplomatic missions. We recall that on Saturday, thousands marched on the streets of Valencia to protest the local authorities’ chaotic and slow response to the floods in southeastern Spain, which have so far killed 220 people.

     

    DRUGS – Tons of drugs have been seized by Romanian law enforcement in the first nine months of 2024 – nearly 170 kilos of high-risk drugs and 800 kilos of drugs, four tons of cannabis, seven tons of illegal substances seized from an illegal factory, and 16 tons of cocaine, concealed in fruit pulp, seized at the Port of Constanța. 33 crime groups comprising 240 people have been dismantled, and a total of 3,000 individuals were prosecuted. Over 21 million tons of cigarettes and 6 tons of contraband tobacco were also seized during the interval. 119 individuals were subject to pre-trial measures, and 29 were arrested. Some 1.4 million EUR was handed out in fines.

     

    VISIT – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to the United Kingdom starting Tuesday, where he will meet his counterpart, Keir Starmer, and attend the Romania-Great Britain Economic Forum. Ahead of the visit, the Romanian government earlier this week adopted a memorandum, updating the convention signed by the two countries in the field of taxation and tax evasion.  “The updated document factors in the legislative modifications operated in Romania over the course of 2023, as well as other measures linked to Romania’s OECD accession”, the government reports.

     

    GAZA – Qatar has suspended all efforts to mediate the conflict between Israel and Hamas until both parties will show willingness to negotiate in good faith, the Qatari Foreign Ministry reports. Along with the USA and Egypt, Qatar has for months been trying to end the war in Gaza and get all Israeli hostages released. Hamas and Israel accuse each other of blocking any peace settlement, refusing terms for a ceasefire. The conflict erupted on a large scale on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack on Israel. On the other hand, in a report published on Saturday, the UN warns that famine threatens to sweep northern Gaza amidst a resurge in Israeli military operations and the near total blocking of humanitarian aid. The IDF responded, saying the report relies on “partial and biased data”.

     

    REPORT – National Bank Governor, Mugur Isărescu, is expected to present a quarterly inflation report on Monday. The inflation rate will go up slightly at the end of 2024, and the National Bank expects price hikes over the coming period. Starting the first half of 2025, the inflation rate will fluctuate and will remain above Central Bank estimates. Bank officials expect the annual inflation rate to stabilize in 2026 and start going down to the 3.5% set target, a National Bank board of directors report reads. The National Bank also decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate to 6.5% per year, as also agreed in October’s meeting.

     

    FOOTBALL – National football squad members have called on fans to display civilized behaviors for the Nations League match against Kosovo in Bucharest, scheduled for November 15. Romania, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia are yet to recognize the independence of the former Serbian province with a majority Albanian population. At the September 6 match in Pristina, won 3-0 by Romania, Romanian footballers were treated with hostility by fans in the stands. “Leave geopolitics out of it. I am certain nothing can make us happier than winning this match in the field, without incidents and without penalties from UEFA’s disciplinary committees. Victory is the sweetest revenge”, footballers have told fans. Romania tops the C2 group in Nations League with 4 wins in 4 matches and 12 points, followed by Kosovo with 9 points, Cyprus with 3 points and Lithuania with 0 points. The best four winners of Nations League groups will qualify to the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. (VP)