Radio România Internațional

Tag: Marcel Ciolacu

  • November 10, 2024

    November 10, 2024

    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.

     

    WEATHER ALERTS – A code yellow alert for strong wind and heavy rainfall is in place for several counties in the southeast, while heavy snowfall and blizzards are expected in the center and the east. Meteorologists have also warned against heavy rainfall in the south and the southeast, which will persist until Tuesday morning. All ports on the Romanian Black Sea remained closed on Saturday due to strong wind.

     

    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.

     

    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (102 WTA) has won the WTA125 tournament in Cali, Columbia, offering 115,000 USD in total prizes, after defeating Veronika Erjavec of Slovenia in the final on Saturday, score 6-3, 6-3. Seeded second, Begu ousted Tina Smith (322 WTA) in the semi-finals, 6-1, 6-3, Anca Todoni of Romania in the quarterfinals, Emiliana Arango of Clumbia in the round of 16 and Luciana Perez Alarcon of Peru in the opening round. This is the second WTA125 title for Begu after the one won in Montreux, Switzerland. (VP)

     

  • October 20, 2024 UPDATE

    October 20, 2024 UPDATE

    PROJECT Romania’s Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, who is running in the upcoming presidential election, on Sunday presented his ‘Project for Romania’. Raising the citizens’ purchasing power, protecting young people and the Romanians in the Diaspora and ensuring the country’s industrial development are among its main objectives. 14 people are presently running in the upcoming presidential elections – ten backed by political groups and four independents. Nicolae Ciuca, leader of the National Liberal Party, Elena Lasconi, from the Save Romania Union, George Simion from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the former deputy secretary general of NATO, the independent Mircea Geoana, are some of the main candidates. The first round of the presidential election is due on 24 November and the second round on 8 December. Between the two rounds, Romanians will go to the polls again to elect their MPs. We recall that this year Romania saw all kinds of elections. In June the Romanians cast their ballots for the local administration and the European Parliament.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian table tennis player Bernadette Szocs and Austrian Sofia Polcanova on Sunday became silver medalists in the European Table Tennis Championships in Linz, Austria. The two lost in the finals 3-2 to the Czechoslovakian pair Hana Matelova/Barbora Balazova. Also on Sunday Szocz got silver in the singles against her partner in doubles, Sofia Polcanova, who won the match 4-1. Romania’s delegation in Linz consisted of 11 players, six in the women’s competition and five in the men’s contest.

     

    WEATHER The duration and frequency of heat waves in Romania have significantly increased in the past years, and by 2040, hot temperatures will be affecting roughly 50% of the urban population – the latest national weather report says. According to the document, entitled Romania’s Weather State 2024, drought is another major challenge as the affected surfaces of farmland have also increased of late. The forecast also mentions the increased frequency of extreme weather phenomena, such as severe thunderstorms. And although climate change has been recognized as a serious issue, only 4% of the Romanians consider it a priority at national level. Most of the interviewees have attached higher importance to economic development, the report also says.

     

    FESTIVAL Bucharest is presently seeing the 34th edition of the National Theatre Festival, unfolding this year under a suggestive motto, “Dramaturgy of the Possible”. Until October 28th, theatre goers are offered the opportunity of watching a series of performances, a selection which, according to organizers, is aimed at expressing various possible scenarios. The edition’s official selection includes over 30 performances mounted by theatre troupes from all over the country. Among these there is the Anthology of Disappearance by Radu Afrim, William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Andrei Serban, and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. This year’s edition has also brought together theatre troupes from abroad, from Germany, Ireland, Poland and Belgium. The event has been produced by the Theaters Union in Romania, UNITER.

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  • October 17, 2024 UPDATE

    October 17, 2024 UPDATE

    COUNCIL – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, is attending the two-day European Council meeting in Brussels. The agenda includes such topics as the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, EU competitiveness, migration, foreign affairs, as well as developments in the Republic of Moldova. European leaders will discuss the latest developments in Russia’s war of aggression, as well as multidimensional support for Ukraine. Regarding the Middle East, participants will also address the ‘alarming’ situation and the ‘risks of escalation of violence in the region’. At Romania’s proposal, the agenda of the meeting will also include talks about the situation in the Republic of Moldova, as well as support for its accession to the European Union, especially for supporting internal reforms and for strengthening resilience and stability. Ahead of the upcoming election and the referendum on the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, the issue of Russian interference in the election process will also be discussed.

     

    WAGES – The minimum wage in Romania will be 810 EUR starting January 2025, the government announced after talks with civil society. Minimum wage in Romania is thus approach EU levels, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said, adding that Romania complies with the directive according to which the minimum level must be somewhere between 47% and 52% of the European minimum wage.

     

    ELECTION – Thursday is the deadline for submitting candidacies for the parliamentary election in Romania. 21 parties have enrolled in the race. PSD’s lists for the Senate opens with Adrian Streinu-Cercel and starts with Mihai Ghigiu for the Chamber of Deputies.  The Liberals field Sorin Cîmpeanu in top position for the Senate and Sebastian Burduja for the Chamber of Deputies. USR has picked Clotilde Armand at the top of its list for the Senate and Claudiu Năsui for the Chamber of Deputies. The Right Force has chosen Ludovic Orban in top position for the Chamber of Deputies and Eugen Tomac for the Senate. Eduard Novak is running for a position of deputy in Bucharest on behalf of UDMR. AUR has designated its president, George Simion, as its top candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, and Petrișor Peiu at the top of its list for the Senate. According to the Central Election Bureau, USR, the Right Force and UDMR will be the first to appear on the ballots.

     

    DEFENSE – The Romanian Minister of National Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, is participating, on October 17 and 18, in the meeting of the NATO defense ministers, taking place in Brussels. The meeting’s agenda includes topics of importance for the Alliance, in order to implement the decisions adopted by the heads of state and government at the NATO Summit of July in Washington DC.

     

    CAR INDUSTRY – The Association of Car Manufacturers and Importers today hosted a new edition of the Sustainable and Accessible Mobility Forum in Bucharest. Representatives of car manufacturers, political leaders, decision-makers and other stakeholders from 35 countries attended the event. The car industry must be supported more by the government and the European Commission, as the next couple of years will be difficult for this sector, which is shaping up as an engine of economic growth, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. Bucharest is preparing support programmes, considering the entire car industry is shrinking. Without state intervention, the industry could see massive layoffs in a few years. The Prime Minister also recalled that Romania’s reindustrialization plans includes facilities for the national car industry, designed to turn Romania into a hub of technology and innovation in Southeastern Europe in the next 10 years.

     

    MOLDOVA – 3.3 million voters are expected to hit the polls on October 20 in the Republic of Moldova for a historic ballot: a presidential election and a referendum on Moldova’s EU accession. According to the Central Election Commission, some 2,219 polls have been set up, and for the first time the ballots are printed in Romanian and 5 minority languages: Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Găgăuz, Russian and Romani. 231 stations are open in 37 countries, 60 in Italy, 26 in Germany, 20 in France and 17 in Great Britain. Moldovans can also vote in one of the 16 stations open in Romania, the same as in the United States. For security reasons, only two stations will be available in Russia, both in Moscow. 2 stations will be made available in Ukraine, in Kyiv and Odesa. The incumbent president, Maia Sandu, urged Moldovans to take part in the referendum, arguing the process will only take 3 minutes, compared to the decades Moldova had to wait to join the free and developed world.

     

    OECD – Romania’s accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will spell benefits in terms of investment, and the Republic of Moldova might also take advantage of this position, Moldova’s Central Bank governor Anca Dragu said. Investment are safer, clearer and more dynamic at OECD level, while the best practices Romania is currently learning will also transfer to the Republic of Moldova. 65% of Moldova’s external trade is EU-bound, while half of it goes through Romania. (VP)

  • A RePatriot Summit in Bucharest

    A RePatriot Summit in Bucharest

    During a summit dedicated to the Diaspora in Bucharest on Thursday, the authorities’ representatives underlined the importance of the Romanians living abroad urging them to come back to Romania.

    “Romania’s development depends on investment and initiative and our country needs people with a Western attitude towards work”, the country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said during the RePatriot Summit.

    The head of the Romanian Executive said that over 3 million Romanians emigrated between 2008 and 2022 adding that last year was the first time when 190 thousand Romanians returned. The Romanian official also voiced his hope that many others would be returning this year.

    In his opinion, they have a big chance as Romania is presently one of the safest countries Europe. In this context, the Prime Minister also recalled the projects aimed at Romania’s multilateral development, such as those in its road infrastructure, healthcare and education as well as the fiscal reform. According to him, the time for implementing these investments is a short one of up to 2 years, as envisaged by the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience.

    Also attending the aforementioned summit, the Senate president, Nicolae Ciucă, expressed his wish that the Romanians presently living abroad would come back home, adding that the state’s involvement in easing their return ‘is absolutely necessary and important’

    The state – he said – must ensure credibility and guarantee predictability. Ciuca pointed out that the Romanians living outside Romania must choose whether they want to come back. During the aforementioned event in Bucharest over 100 Romanians presently living abroad were symbolically awarded prizes, for having compelled recognition in various fields of activity such as entrepreneurships, management, healthcare, art, science or sport.

    Among the award-winners, Alexandra Chiribeş, a professional in European law said that the Romanians living in Germany are starting to come back home.

    Alexandra Chiribeş: “At least from Germany, from Nord Rhein-Westfalen state, only I saw 464 files of the families who are coming back to Romania.”

    In turn, Ştefan Grigore de Fay, Romania’s honorary consul in Nice, shared his life-guiding principles.

    Ştefan Grigore de Fay: “I grew up with two slogans, ‘don’t forget your language and culture’ as you have a duty towards the country that gave them to you. That’s the first one I got from my parents, and the second was said by a great writer of the English-speaking world: ‘They didn’t know it was impossible so they did it’“

    Also worth mentioning in this context is that a draft law for the Romanians willing to return is currently being debated upon in the Bucharest Senate. Under it, the Romanians, who want to come back and contribute to the development of the business environment here, may benefit from state-funded facilities.

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  • October 3, 2024 UPDATE

    October 3, 2024 UPDATE

    SUMMIT Romania’s development depends on investment and initiative and our country needs people with a western attitude towards work – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday during a summit for the Romanians the world over staged in Bucharest. The head of the Romanian Executive said that over 3 million Romanians migrated between the years 2008 and 2022. However, Ciolacu said that last year was for the first time when 190 thousand Romanians returned home. Also attending the event, the Senate president, Nicolae Ciuca, voiced his wish that the Romanians in the Diaspora come back home, adding the state’s involvement in easing their return is ‘absolutely necessary and important’.

     

    DRONES The construction of Europe’s first drone carrier kicked off at the Damen Shipyard in Galati, eastern Romania, on Thursday. This multi-role ship, which is being built for the Portuguese navy and will be used in rescue and research missions, has been designed to launch underwater, surface and aerial drones. Other three military vessels are being built for European states at the Damen Shipyard.

     

    DEFICIT The Romanian minister for investments and European projects, Adrian Câciu, said a 7-year plan to reduce the budget deficit would be presented by the October 15 deadline set by the EC. According to Câciu, the plan is accompanied by reforms included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The measures mainly consist in cutting unnecessary expenditure by public institutions and improved collection of government revenues.

     

    YOUTH European youth born in 2006, including in Romania, may enroll in the 2024 DiscoverEU programme, which provides free travel across the Union. A dedicated European Commission webpage is available for young people to enroll in order to win one of the 35,000 free travel permits and discount accommodation and meal cards. Each permit allows for one trip between March 2025 and May 2026. Winners may choose certain destinations in Europe, including ones on the DiscoverEU cultural route that connects EU capital cities, UNESCO sites and European heritage sites. Applications may be submitted until October 16. More than 300,000 youth have benefitted from this programme since its launch in 2018.

     

    WB The country partnership framework between the World Bank and Romania for 2025-2029 was launched in Bucharest. PM Marcel Ciolacu says that in the next 3 years the estimated funding for Romania from the WB group will be over USD 6 bln, in favourable financial terms. The money is intended to help bridge the gap between the more developed and integrated urban communities and the poorer and more isolated rural environment. A USD 500 mln loan agreement has also been signed, for the funding of disaster risk management policies.

     

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  • September 30, 2024 UPDATE

    September 30, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis received in Bucharest on Monday the Prime Minister of the German state Baden-Wurttemberg, Winfried Kretschmann. The head of the Romanian state described the visit as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Romanian-German cooperation and dialogue emphasizing the tight political, economic and cultural relations between Romania and Baden Wurttemberg. The social and human relations were high on the talks agenda with emphasis on the essential role played by the German minority in Romania and the Romanians who settled in Germany, in the consolidation of the relations and cooperation including at social and economic levels. The German official was also received on Monday by the country’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Two joint statements were signed on this occasion on strengthening cooperation between the Romanian government and the government of the Baden Wurttemberg state and on bilateral cooperation in the field of civil protection. The trade exchange volume reached 8.32 billion Euros last year.

     

    EDUCATION Most state universities in Romania kicked off courses on Monday, while private universities set their own date for the start of the academic year. 52 state universities offer over 2,200 different degrees and study programmes, and 34 private universities offer 338 degrees and specialisations.

     

    PARLIAMENT Romanian senators and deputies are meeting in a joint parliamentary session on Tuesday to appoint the members of the National Bank’s board of directors. Political sources say the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has held this post since 1990, has the backing to secure yet a new term. Also on Tuesday, Parliament will discuss two requests from president Klaus Iohannis, one regarding the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command and another referring to the creation on national territory of a maritime training facility for Ukrainian personnel. The two chambers of Parliament will also be briefed on Romania’s allowing the transition of equipment and material assets donated by Sweden to Ukraine and on its hosting a US naval forces special operations contingent for a period of two years.

     

    COAL The UK ends coal power as it shut down its last coal-fired power plant on Monday. Reuters news agency notes that the UK thus becomes the first G7 country to give up coal power. London announced in 2015 that it intended to phase out its coal-fired power plants, which at the time accounted for 30% of the country’s energy. Phasing out coal power has led to a drop in greenhouses gas emissions in the UK, which intends to completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector by 2030 and become greenhouse neutral by 2050. The other 6 most industrialised states in the world are also set to close their coal-fired power plants by 2035 at the latest, under an agreement signed in April.

     

    TENNIS Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian lost to Karolina Muchova in straight sets on Monday, 6-1, 6-3, in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, worth almost 9 million dollars in prize money. Last Saturday, Jaqueline Cristian defeated world no. 10 Barbora Krejcikova in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

     

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  • Assistance for people affected by flooding

    Assistance for people affected by flooding

    The state of alert has been instated in the counties of Galați and Vaslui, in eastern Romania, a region that bears the brunt of the latest flooding. The measure was aimed at enabling local authorities to access resources to rebuild the areas destroyed by the flooding waters.

    According to official data released, 26 towns and villages in the county of Galaţi and 20 in Vaslui, have been affected by heavy flooding, and the number of the households destroyed stands at 65 hundred. The urgent rebuilding of houses and buildings, as well as parts of the affected infrastructure such as roads and bridges, is a top priority, authorities say.

    In a special meeting on Monday, the Executive approved emergency aids of up to 2 thousand Euros for every affected family and another 2 thousand for the families who lost people, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “The total amount of this first assistance programme is around 100 million lei. And I can assure the people affected by flooding that we aren’t going to stop until we have repaired all the bridges and roads in the area and have rebuilt all the households destroyed so that their lives may come back to normal as soon as possible.”

    214 tons of food and over 200 thousand liters of water have been dispatched to the affected areas and the first supplies have already been distributed.

    Another priority, the Prime Minister went on to say, is to enable the children in the affected areas to resume school classes.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “For this reason we are providing four modular buildings that may serve as makeshift schools where children can attend classes until the situation comes back to normal. Local authorities jointly with the Ministry of Education are presently working in order to turn these temporary schools operational.”  

    Camps have also been made available for the flood victims and many institutions have launched appeals to solidarity and started collecting things. The Romanian Red Cross has launched an assistance campaign and has already sent trucks with water and food supplies.

    The Romanian Waters has deployed teams which are operating in the areas consolidating the defence lines against flooding. Through its Solidarity Fund and Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Union will be providing assistance to the Romanians and the Europeans in the other member countries, the chief-negotiator for the Union’s budget, Romanian MEP Siegfried Muresan says, adding that he will call for a more flexible multi-annual budget, so that the bloc may react faster in emergency situations.

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  • September 16, 2024 UPDATE

    September 16, 2024 UPDATE

    AID The government in Bucharest has earmarked a first installment in the direct financial support for the population affected by flooding in eastern Romania. During its special session on Monday, the Executive decided that every family affected would benefit from aids up to 2 thousand Euros and the families of those who lost their lives would get another 2 thousand. The government has allotted a total of 20 million Euros to support nearly 65 hundred households affected by the flood, landslides and other unusual weather phenomena that recently struck the country. According to Prime Minister Ciolacu, mending the houses and other buildings destroyed by the floods and also the other parts of local infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, is a top priority. Ciolacu has announced that the Interior Ministry has already kicked off the procedures of declaring the state of alert in the heavily-affected counties of Galati and Vaslui. According to the Inspectorate for Emergency situations, seven people lost their lives in the recent flooding.

     

    PARTNERSHIP Romania is the first country in Europe to benefit from a 10 million dollars financial assistance from the USA to improve its national system of preventing and combating child trafficking. The governments of Romania and the USA on Monday signed the five-year Child Protection Compact Partnership known as CPC. The Us ambassador in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec has said the United States will support Romania in its efforts to develop a victim-centered prevention strategy, to increase protection for child victims of trafficking and to improve investigations in order to prosecute and convict perpetrators of child trafficking. In turn, Romania’s Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, said the conclusion of this partnership is proof of the determination of the administration in Bucharest to combat abuse against children in any form, as this kind of abuse has alarmingly increased in recent years.

     

     BORDERS The Romanian Foreign Ministry warns the Romanians traveling to Germany to prepare for longer waiting times. The German government decided to extend, as of Monday, for a period of six months, temporary controls at all land borders, in order to reduce illegal migration. Besides those already existing at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Poland, there will also be controls at the borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Germany reports that every person who crosses the border can be stopped and controlled by the federal police, in any border region and at any time. Not only the identity, but also the vehicle may be subject to examination during border controls. The luggage, goods and valuables may also be subject to police checks. Romanians facing special situations can call the embassy’s hotlines in Berlin, as well as the Romanian consulates in Germany.

     

    HANDBALL Romania’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, defeated Storhamar Handball Elite at home on Sunday, score 32-28 (17-15), in the second match of group A of the Champions League for women’s handball. With the three goals scored in this game, Cristina Neagu collects 1,139 goals in total, in the race for the title of all-time top scorer of the competition, in the last season of her career, being only three goals away from obtaining this title. CSM Bucharest lost the debut match in group A, in Romania, against Gloria Bistriţa, score 26-30. In the third stage, CSM Bucharest will play Podravka (Croatia) away from home, on September 21, and Gloria Bistriţa will play Krim (Slovenia) at home on the same day. Romania’s vice-champion, Rapid Bucharest, also plays in group B of the competition. The first-ranking teams in the two groups qualify directly for the quarterfinals, and the teams on the 3rd to the 6th places will play in the play-off, for the other four places available in the quarterfinals, a phase in which they will fight for the Final Four Tournament in Budapest due between 31 May and 1 June.

     

    F35 The US State Department has approved plans to sell 32 F-35 fighter jets to Romania, in a contract worth nearly 7 billion dollars. The Romanian Defense Ministry has welcomed the decision. The sale must now be approved by Congress. The move will improve the stability of a NATO ally and strengthen stability in Europe. Romania occupies a strategic position in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea.

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  • September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    September 5, 2024 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania supports Israel’s right to self-defence – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said during the meeting he had on Thursday with the head of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Radio Romania correspondent, Ciolacu voiced concern regarding the security situation and the danger of regional escalation. The Romanian Prime Minister paid a working visit in Israel where he was accompanied by the Ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Economy. It was the second visit, Ciolacu paid to Israel since October 17th last year, ten days after Israel had been attacked by the Islamist group Hamas.

     

    DONATION The Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday promulgated a law on donating a US surface-to-air Patriot missile system to third parties. The law, which was earlier endorsed by Parliament, refers to the donation, agreed upon with the US partner, of such a system to the neighboring Ukraine, a country currently invaded by the Russian troops. The new law enables the Romanian government to commence the required moves aimed at rebuilding the country’s ground-based air-defence capabilities by submitting the contracts on the purchase of another Patriot missile system to the US government.

     

    TOURISM The total number of tourists who got accommodation in Romania’s travel structures in the first seven months of this year stood at 7.666 million, 3.8% higher than the same period in 2023, data released by the National Institute for Statistics shows. According to official statistics, between January 1 and July 31 2024, Romanian tourists accounted for 82.9 % out of the total number of arrivals, whereas the number of foreign tourists stood at 17.1%. The cities with the largest number of visitors were Bucharest, Constanta in the south-east and Brasov in central Romania. Most of the foreign tourists came from Germany (128,900), Italy (117,800) and Israel (83,100). 81.1 % of the foreign tourists came from EU countries.

     

    MOLDOVA Moldova’s EU accession process would make good progress next year during Poland’s term at the helm of the EU Council, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during his Wednesday’s visit to Chișinău. The Polish official met his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and held a speech in Parliament in Romanian, boycotted by the pro-Russian opposition. Donald Tusk then met the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who argued that Poland is a clear example of how EU integration can transform a country. The presidents of Romania and Baltic States also paid visits to Chișinău last week to express support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In October, the Republic of Moldova will host a referendum regarding the country’s EU accession, jointly with the presidential election.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team is playing its debut match in the 2024-2025 season of Nations League on Friday. In the first group fixture, Romania will play Kosovo away from home, while on September 9 it will take on Lithuania at home. Romania’s group, C2, also includes Cyprus. The top position ensures direct promotion to League 2 in the next season of Nations League, while teams in second place will play promotion playoffs. Teams in last place will be directly relegated to League D, while teams in third position will play in C2 the next season. Nations League standings also impact the European preliminary matches for the 2026 World Cup. Romania’s new headcoach is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to the national squad after 40 years. We recall Edward Iordănescu resigned at the end of EURO 2024, a tournament where Romania reached the round of 16.

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  • September 5, 2024

    September 5, 2024

    MEASURES – The Government yesterday passed an emergency decree designed to improve tax collection and boost investments made by central and local authorities. Taxpayers who pay their outstanding debts to the state budget by November 25 might see their interest rates, delay penalties and undeclared revenue penalties written off. According to official data, 330 thousand legal entities and over 840 thousand natural persons might be affected by the measures. The Government also seeks to reward taxpayers with no outstanding debts. The measures are estimated to reduce the budget deficit by nearly 1.8 bln EUR, considering Romania has one of the highest deficits at EU level.

     

    ARREST – Sociologist Alfred Bulai, a former professor at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) has been detained for 24 hours after previously being deposed in an investigation into abuse of office for obtaining sexual favors and for sexual abuse. Prosecutors Wednesday searched the home and vehicle of Alfred Bulai. The University dean Cristian Pîrvulescu and Bulai’s assistant were also called to give their deposition. Last month prosecutors also lifted a number of documents from the University premises. According to an investigation carried out by Snoop, Alfred Bulai reportedly submitted several of his students to various forms of sexual abuse.

     

    MOLDOVA – Moldova’s EU accession process will make good progress next year during Poland’s term at the helm of the EU Council, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during yesterday’s visit to Chișinău. The Polish official met his Moldovan counterpart, Dorin Recean, and held a speech in Parliament in Romanian, boycotted by the pro-Russian opposition. Donald Tusk then met the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, who argued that Poland is a clear example of how EU integration can transform a country. The presidents of Romania and Baltic States also paid visits to Chișinău last week to express support for Moldova’s EU accession efforts. In October, the Republic of Moldova will host a referendum regarding the country’s EU accession, jointly with the presidential election.

     

    VISIT – Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is today paying a visit to Israel, accompanied by a delegation including Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr, Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu, Minister for Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Radu Oprea, and MP Silviu Vexler, the president of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania. The Prime Minister’s agenda includes meetings with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanjahu and with the Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer. Marcel Ciolacu will also hold talks with Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, followed by a meeting in Parliament with Israeli officials. Ministers part of the Romanian delegation will in turn hold bilateral talks with their counterparts, namely Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz and Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s national football team is tomorrow playing its debut match in the 2024-2025 season of Nations League. In the first group fixture, Romania will play Kosovo away from home, while on September 9 it will take on Lithuania at home. Romania’s group, C2, also includes Cyprus. The top position ensures direct promotion to League 2 in the next season of Nations League, while teams in second place will play promotion playoffs. Teams in last place will be directly relegated to League D, while teams in third position will play in C2 the next season. Nations League standings also impact the European preliminary matches for the 2026 World Cup. Romania’s new headcoach is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to the national squad after 40 years. We recall Edward Iordnănescu resigned at the end of EURO 2024, a tournament where Romania reached the round of 16. (VP)

  • August 25, 2024

    August 25, 2024

    NOMINEE The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, leader of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), was officially nominated as the PSD candidate for the upcoming presidential election during a PSD congress held in Bucharest yesterday. He was also reconfirmed as president of the Political-Parliamentarian formation, which is presently co-ruling Romania. In a speech delivered at the event, Ciolacu presented the programme with which he wants to win the highest position in Romania. The country’s industry, agriculture and public services are the main axes of his strategy. According to him, the Social-Democrats have managed to win the trust of the Romanians through unity, and he proposes a new type of president, ‘a president for all’. Most of the PSD members who took the floor during the Congress lashed out at their partners in the coalition that is presently ruling Romania and made ironical statements against the country’s incumbent president Klaus Iohannis. The Social-Democrats haven’t won the presidential election since the year 2000. The first round of the presidential ballot is due on November 24 and the second on December 8.

     

    HEAT Romania is in for its 13th consecutive day of extremely high temperatures. Meteorologists have issued new code yellow and orange alerts for three thirds of the country. Counties in the country’s west and south are bracing up for temperatures of 36-38 degrees Celsius and higher thermal discomfort. A code yellow alert has also been issued for the regions in the north-west, center, north-east and the Black Sea coast where the highs of the day are expected to go up to 36 Celsius. The heat wave persists in the capital city Bucharest, whose citizens are bracing up for temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 33.

     

    MEDALS Students from Romania have walked away with four medals from the International Geography Olympiad hosted by the Irish capital Dublin over August 19th and 24th. David Mihai Dumitrescu, from the National College ‘Carol l’ in Craiova, south-western Romania, won gold in Dublin and Ian Mitocaru, from the National College in Iasi became silver medalist. Tudor Olariu from the Iasi-based ‘Costache Negruzzi College’ and Iustin Balan from the ‘Garabet Ibraileanu’ National College in Iasi stepped onto the podium third step. According to the Education Ministry in Bucharest, Romania’s team in Dublin has been coordinated by teachers Mihaela and Dorin Fiscutean of the National College in Iasi.

     

    COAL According to the National Institute for Statistics in Bucharest, Romania’s coal production dropped by 20% in the first six months of the year against the same period of 2023. The country’s coal imports have also dropped by 30%, the same report says. According to the estimates of the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, this downward trend is likely to continue in the following years as other energy-production facilities will become operational. The EU’s consumption and production of coal last year dropped by 23%, to its lowest level in recorded history, says the EU statistical Office, Eurostat. According to the same sources, the 100 million ton slump in the coal production in a single year is one of the sharpest ever registered in the EU for this type of fuel. With almost two thirds of the entire EU consumption, Germany and Poland were the biggest coal consumers.

     

    VOLLEYBALL The Romanian women’s volleyball side was outperformed 3-0 by Croatia, in its first match of Group G of the preliminaries of the European Championships EuroVolley 2026. The entire game was dominated by the Croatian side, which tops the ranking after having also defeated the selection of Kosovo. Romania will be taking on Kosovo at home on August 29th. Winners of the seven preliminaries groups as well as the best five teams ranking second are to qualify for the final tournament.

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  • Romania’s Prime Minister in Brussels

    Romania’s Prime Minister in Brussels

    The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, held talks with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Thursday. High on the agenda were the renegotiation of the country’s National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, known as PNRR, the future agreement on curbing the country’s budget deficit and the Romanian proposal for the future European Commissioner.

    Marcel Ciolacu mentioned Bucharest’s request to renegotiate the PNRR, to reduce by 10 percent the loan component and the payment request number 3. Out of the total 76 landmarks only four remained under discussion and one of them was about the ceiling at which a company could be considered a micro-enterprise.

    According to the Prime Minister, the ruling coalition in Bucharest must decide whether to lower the ceiling or leave it to the present level, but in this case they have to give up a sum of money from the payment request number 3.

    Marcel Ciolacu says that he forwarded during the talks a new agreement regarding Romania’s deficit that should expand over 7 years because, as the Prime Minister says, the biggest investment is expected to take place in the next two years.

    Prime Minister Ciolacu also briefed the EU official on investments in the country’s road and rail infrastructures.

    “The first Romanian proposal regarding the road infrastructure was to have a sum of 13.7 billion Euros earmarked. The sum eventually approved stood somewhere around 7 billion though. The difference is co-funded by Romanian state, Ciolacu explained.

    The Prime Minister reconfirmed in Brussels the proposal that Victor Negrescu, the incumbent vice-president of the European Parliament, become the new Romanian EU commissioner adding that he wishes a relevant economic portfolio for Romania.

    However, the formal proposal will be submitted to the Commission in the following days, the Prime Minister says. We recall that several EU countries, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Luxembourg and Portugal have not submitted their proposals for the EU commissioners yet.

    Every EU member has been designated a commissioner seat and once sworn in these candidates will be responsible for various portfolios within the Commission.

    Governments present their nominees, who are approved by the president of the EU Executive. The nominees are to be heard in mid-September and get European Parliament endorsement in October.

    Prime Minister Ciolacu and Ursula von der Leyen also tackled Romania’s accession to Schengen with its ground borders. Marcel Ciolacu described the European Commission president as the “biggest supporter of Romania’s fully-fledged Schengen accession” and voiced his conviction that this accession would happen in the next period.

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  • August 22, 2024 UPDATE

    August 22, 2024 UPDATE

    TALKS Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, held talks in Brussels on Thursday with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the future European Commissioner from Romania and their portfolio as well as the completion of the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. The talks agenda also included an accord on Romania’s deficit. Romania’s proposal was a seven year agreement because, according to the Prime Minister, the biggest investments are expected in 2025 and 2026. Ciolacu proposed Victor Negrescu, the incumbent vice-president of the European Parliament, for the position of EU Commissioner. The two officials tackled Romania’s Schengen accession also with its ground borders and Prime Minister Ciolacu underlined that Ursula von der Leyen is the ‘biggest supporter’ of this idea.

     

    SALE The United States have approved the sale to Romania of missiles compatible with the F-16 jet fighters in order to increase the Romanian Air Forces’ defence capabilities. The purchase, which is estimated at 180 million dollars, is part of Romania’s efforts to streamline its air forces as the aforementioned missiles are also compatible with other NATO and US war planes, including the F-35 fighters. The US ambassador in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, has congratulated Romania on this major purchase, which proves Bucharest’s firm commitment to security, defence and stability both at national and regional levels.

     

    FLOW The Danube’s level at its entry into Romania continues to go down, a report of the Romanian Waters Administration says. The river’s level now is way below its annual average. Although hydrologists have forecast a slight increase in this level after August 25th, this will not be enough to solve the navigation issues created by the waters’ low level. Representatives of the Port Authorities have issued a series of alerts and are recommending that ships be loaded under their maximum capacity in order to avoid any collision with the sand dunes, which appeared from under the water. The low water level has also caused disruption in the ferryboat lines operating between Romania and Bulgaria.

     

    ELECTIONS In its Wednesday meeting the government of Romania set the calendar for the parliamentary election scheduled for December 1. The Election campaign will begin on November 1 and end at 7 AM on November 30. The Romanians in the country will be able to vote between 7 AM and 9 PM. For the Romanian nationals in the Diaspora, the voting will begin on November 30 at 7 AM and end on December 1 at 9 PM. The legislative elections will take place between the 2 rounds of the presidential election. Romania organised local and European elections on June 9.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan has qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in Cleveland (Ohio), after defeating Greet Minnen of Belgium 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. In the quarter-finals she is to play against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova. Another Romanian player, Gabriela Ruse, managed to reach the last qualifying round of the US Open main draw in New York. In the second qualifying round, Ruse defeated China’s Ye-Xin Ma 6-3, 6-3. And in the WTA 500 tournament in Monterrey (Mexico), the Romanian-Chinese pair, Monica Niculescu / Hanyu Guo on Thursday qualified into the semi-finals of the doubles competition, after winning against Ulrikkec Eikeri of Norway) and Aldila Sutjiadi (Indonesia) 6-4, 5-7, 10-3.

     

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  • August 21, 2024

    August 21, 2024

    VISIT The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is paying a two-day visit to Brussels as of today. He will talk with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the portfolio that Romania will receive in the future configuration of the Commission, as well as about the name of the future Romanian commissioner. Marcel Ciolacu and Ursula von der Leyen will also discuss the implementation stage of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Romanian prime minister might also present the general principles that he wants to put into practice to reduce the budget deficit.

     

    RADAR NATO strengthens Romania’s defence capabilities with a new sophisticated radar called LANZA, which has been relocated from Italy, together with its operational team. Located in Tulcea County, south-eastern Romania, this state-of-the-art facility provides a unique tracking and surveillance capability to the NATO command and control center. The aforementioned radar has been designed to improve the operational capabilities of various platforms, including military vessels and submarines. Mobile active radars are extremely effective and offer additional protection as compared to their airborne or static counterparts and they also improve interoperability within alliances and partnerships strengthening NATO air and space power.

     

    MEASURES The Romanian government will adopt, today, a series of provisions that will support energy producers in the cold season. Thus, the government will allow the local public authorities to guarantee bank loans that the energy producers under their authority will take in order to be able to buy natural gas with which to produce thermal energy for the coming winter. Through another law, the government will adopt the budget for the program of distributing vegetables, milk and fruits in schools for the 2024-2025 school year. Also in the education field, the executive will supplement the budget of the relevant ministry with 40 million lei (approx. 8 million Euros) for the finalization of seven student dormitories, which are in various stages of execution.

     

    TAROM ‘Romania’s air carrier, ‘TAROM’ doesn’t plan to give up other routes in the following period, but the volatile situation on the market can prompt further changes’ – the company’s interim director Costin Iordache said. The statement comes after TAROM announced its intention to sell the slots it has on Heathrow airport in London to Qatar Airways. The strategic deal is to be completed on October 26th as TAROM is presently in full restructuring and streamlining process.

     

    ELECTION During their national convention on Tuesday night in Chicago the US Democrats officially confirmed Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee for the presidential election of November 5th. Democrat delegations from all over the USA again voiced their support for Harris in a ceremonial vote after President Biden dropped his bid for reelection. Harris is to deliver a major speech during the convention on Thursday marking the end of the four day event aimed at celebrating and giving an impetus to the Democrats nominees for the rest of the campaign. Vice President Harris, 60, has been the second woman nominee of the Democratic Party since its foundation in 1828 and could become, if elected, the first female president of the United States. Her opponent in the presidential election is the former US president the Republican billionaire Donald Trump.

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  • July 26, 2024 UPDATE

    July 26, 2024 UPDATE

     

    DEFICIT – The European Council adopted on Friday decisions establishing the existence of excessive deficits for Belgium, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia. In addition the Council established that Romania, which is under the excessive deficit procedure since 2020, has not taken effective action to correct its deficit and therefore the procedure should remain open, according to a communiqué of the European institution. As set in the EU treaties, member states’ deficit should not exceed 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP).

     

    LOAN – The World Bank will grant Romania a loan of 600 million euros for development policies. The money will allow the application of reforms to strengthen the fiscal framework, including for a fair pension system, the promotion of green economic growth and the stimulation of private sector investments. According to the World Bank’s regional director for the European Union, this financing reflects the institution’s confidence in Romania’s ability to integrate inclusive economic growth with environmental protection.

     

    AIR FORCE – The first class of Romanian Air Force pilots graduated from the European F-16 Training Center in Borcea, Romania, since its opening in November last year. “We look forward to Romania opening up training to other regional allies and partners, especially Ukraine,” the US Ambassador in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, said on this occasion. The center, the first of its kind in Europe, was established with the participation of Romania, the Netherlands and the United States. The Royal Dutch Air Force has so far supplied 14 F-16 fighter jets, and the American company Lockheed Martin, which produced these aircraft, was also involved in supporting the center in Borcea. Ukraine has received F-16 fighter jets from several Western partners, and its military pilots are preparing to fly this type of aircraft.

     

    SCHENGEN – Romania welcomes Hungary’s unequivocal support for our country’s Schengen accession with its land borders, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said at Friday’s meeting in Bucharest with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban. Ciolacu made this statement in the context of Hungary holding the 6-month presidency of the EU Council. In a post on a social network Ciolacu said that he discussed with Viktor Orban on topics of joint interest in the cooperation between the two states. The value of trade between Romania and Hungary stands at approximately 13 billion euros, so the two prime ministers agreed that there is unexploited potential in this sector. They also agreed to start the feasibility studies for an important project, the Budapest-Bucharest high-speed railway, a strategic project of regional interest, with an impact on the railway networks in the Central European region. Orban will next travel to Băile Tuşnad, in central Romania, an area with a majority Hungarian population, to deliver  his traditional speech at the Summer University there. (EE)