Radio România Internațional

Tag: Mark Rutte

  • Romania and NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania and NATO’s Eastern Flank

    Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, spoke by phone with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, on Monday, when he said that the North Atlantic Alliance remains the main guarantor of Romania’s security. Article 5, which provides that an armed attack against one of the allies is considered an attack against all the members, is the one, which most effectively discourages threats and attacks against NATO members, president Bolojan explained.

    The leader in Bucharest also insisted over the importance of the transatlantic relation and the US presence in Europe, which are crucial in his opinion for the security of the continent. Romania continues to contribute to the stability and security of NATO’s Eastern Flank together with its partners and is supporting the consolidation of security in the Black Sea region, Bolojan underlined.

    The president explained that Bucharest, which is presently allotting 2.5% of its GDP for defence, is ready to further increase investment in this area.

    Referring to the situation in Ukraine, President Bolojan highlighted the need for a fair and durable peace as well as the importance of carrying on support for this country. The NATO Secretary General thanked Romania for its contribution in the alliance, as well as for being a member which acts responsibly as a major factor of security and stability in the Black Sea area and the Eastern Flank. Mark Rutte said these efforts are all the more so relevant in the present security context and voiced NATO’s support for strengthening the allied presence in the region.

    NATO Secretary General reiterated the commitment of NATO and the United States to collective defence and Article 5, underlining the United States’ efforts for a durable peace in Ukraine. Mark Rutte also hailed Romania’s decision to raise its defence budget and underlined the need for other European allies to have similar approaches.

    The two leaders agreed to maintain a constant dialogue on these issues. The Romanian president and the NATO Secretary General had attended an informal meeting on European security in London on Sunday. The participants in the aforementioned meeting, hosted by British Prime Minister, Kier Starmer, pledged to carry on financial and military support for Ukraine.

    After the meeting, president Bolojan said the security guarantees to Ukraine would in fact be for the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. However, the Romanian official said these guarantees cannot be assured without support from the United States. The informal meeting in London was one of coordination in the run up to the European Council proceedings on March 6 and a meeting that is to bring together, on March 7, leaders of the non-EU countries who want an approach to settling the conflict in Ukraine that might lead to the implementation of sustainable peace in the region.

    (bill)

  • EU – higher defence expenses

    EU – higher defence expenses

    With a war, which seems to be dragging on at its borders and with a White House leader, whom some have described unpredictable, some transactional, and others both, the EU cannot afford the luxury of putting common defence and security at the bottom of its agenda.

    EU leaders have recently convened in Brussels for an informal meeting devoted exactly to this issue. And they have insisted not only on raising the member states’ defence budgets but also on funding some joint projects out of community funds. Funding and cooperation at EU level might offset budgetary constraints, which are presently preventing some of the countries from earmarking more money for defence. Differences in the defence output could thus be eliminated and what is being produced in the EU, namely gear and ammunition, could be used in all member countries.

    Also attending the talks, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, has underlined that the discussions should not miss out on the NATO membership of many EU members. Romania, he insisted, does not accept the idea of a European defence, which is being separate or done in parallel with what we are presently doing in NATO, because such a defence might not work out well. Community cooperation must not overlap the role of NATO, seen as the main player in the trans-Atlantic security, most of the EU leaders also believe.

    Invited to the talks, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, says that irrespective of the solutions found, Europe’s defence industry must grow and the main solution here is to raise the defence budgets.

    “We are now assessing the gaps for each of the allies between where we are and where we should be. And based on that, the capability targets will be decided upon. And based on that, we will decide on the new defence spending plans. But it will be considerably higher than 2 percent of the GDP, I can assure you” the Alliance leader said.

    In terms of procurement, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, was the only one to speak about “preferential purchase” from the European Union. This position, which would exclude a large part of US suppliers in the future, has triggered reluctance among member countries who want to avoid tense relations with United States against the present global insecurity background, as our correspondent in Brussels has noticed.

    The USA is a NATO ally, which has so far covered most of the Alliance’s procurement burden. And NATO Secretary General suggests the EU countries gradually take over more and more of this burden, not only in terms of covering NATO expenses, but also in terms of the support granted to Ukraine.

    President Klaus Iohannis reminded the Romanian journalists that in spite of the big deficit last year, Romania registered significant economic growths, which also allowed for bringing the defence budget up to 2.5% of the GDP, an example for the EU countries.

    (bill)

  • October 1, 2024 UPDATE

    October 1, 2024 UPDATE

    VISAS Romania formally meets all the technical conditions to be part of the Visa Waiver programme, the country’s ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru has announced on a social network. Our assessment, based on the number of visa applications this year as well as the significantly downward trend in recent years, is that Romania went under the 3% ceiling of the rejection rate’, the ambassador also said.  According to him, the first Romanians will be able to travel without visas in the USA most likely in the first part of the next year. If all conditions and preparations are done successfully, the programme could come into effect in 2025’, the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Kavalec said on Tuesday. However, according to the US official, there are still major steps to be taken in the next months in order to see whether Romania is eligible for the Visa Waiver programme. In turn, Prime Minister Ciolacu said during his meeting with the US official in Bucharest that the government would remain involved in everything that means the accomplishment of all procedures needed to have Romania included in the Visa Waiver programme.

     

    NATO The former Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, on Tuesday became the new NATO Secretary General during a ceremony held at the North-Atlantic Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. Rutte, who took over from the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, thanked the allies for trusting him with the role. Rutte detailed the three priorities of his four-year mandate: support for Ukraine, consolidating the collective allied defence and developing the international partnerships NATO already concluded with third countries. From Bucharest, Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has conveyed a congratulation message to the newly-appointed NATO Secretary General, in which he has also expressed his gratitude for the activity of the former NATO Chief, Jens Stoltenberg.

     

    ME Israeli raids in southern Lebanon on Tuesday triggered a new wave of international concern. Also on Tuesday, the Israeli army announced it had hit several Hezbollah targets in capital Beirut, although it had earlier announced that its troops would limit their operations only to regions close to the common border. Numerous airline companies have cancelled their flights to the area and Western countries have started to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon. Bucharest has announced that over 11 hundred Romanian citizens and family members have registered at Romania’s embassy in Beirut. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a level 8-9 warning for this country in October last year, which translates as ”Avoid any trip to Lebanon”. The warning is still in place due to the major security risks in the area. The Romanian diplomacy has firmly recommended the Romanian citizens on the Lebanese territory to leave the country by means of the flights still available.

     

    PARLIAMENT Convened in a joint session on Tuesday, the Romanian deputies and senators appointed the members of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania. According to political sources, the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has been holding this position since 1990, is supported for a new mandate at the helm of BNR. Also on Tuesday, the Parliament submitted for approval two requests from President Klaus Iohannis – the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine and the establishment, on the Romania territory, of a maritime training facility for the Ukrainian personnel. The two Parliament chambers will be informed, on the other hand, about the approval of the transit, through Romania, of equipment and material goods donated by Sweden to Ukraine, but also about the presence on the Romanian territory, for a period of two years, of an American contingent of naval forces for special operations.

    (bill)

  • October 1, 2024

    October 1, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

     

    NATO – A ceremony marking the transition to the new NATO Secretary General is being held in Brussels, in which Jens Soltenberg hands over the mandate to the new chief of the Alliance, Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands. With 10 years at the helm of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg is the second longest-serving Secretary-General of the Alliance, since its establishment 75 years ago. His mandate began in the context of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, then went through the withdrawal of allies from Afghanistan, the COVID crisis, and now through the war started by Russia. NATO  expanded to 32 members, after the accession of Montenegro, North Macedonia, Finland and Sweden.

     

    VISA WAIVER – Romania formally meets all technical criteria in order to be included in the Visa Waiver program, the Romanian ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru, announced on a social network. The fiscal year in the United States ended on Monday, and the last condition that Romania had to fulfill was satisfied. We are waiting for a confirmation from the American partners in the upcoming period, but our assessment, based on the number of visa applications this year, as well as the strong downward trend in recent years, is that Romania has dropped below the 3% rejection rate, Muraru explained. According to the ambassador, the first Romanians will most likely be able to travel without visas to the United States, in the first part of next year.

     

    LAW – The head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Romanian Laura Codruţa Kövesi, has called on the European Parliament to change the institution’s regulations, to allocate a bigger budget and for a better collaboration with the member states. She says that the number of cases of cross-border financial fraud has doubled year on year, and the information collected about organized crime exceeds the analytical power of the Prosecutor’s Office and even Europol. Last year, following the investigations of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, court sentences were given for the recovery of 1.7 billion euros, and 600 million euros have already been returned to the member states, Kövesi explained. At the moment, over 2,000 cases are under investigation, with damages estimated at 23 billion euros. Romania was involved in 260 cases, with a damage of almost 2 billion euros.

     

    INVESTMENT – The net flow of direct foreign investments in Romania in 2023 was almost 6.75 billion euros, down by 36.3% compared to the record value recorded in the previous year, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) has announced. BNR experts say that this development is part of the current international context, marked by economic risks and geopolitical tensions. The main sectors that attracted foreign money in Romania were industry, financial intermediation, insurance and trade.

     

    PARLIAMENT – Convened in joint session, the Romanian deputies and senators are appointing, today, the members of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania. According to political sources, the current governor Mugur Isărescu, who has been holding this position since 1990, is supported for a new mandate at the helm of BNR. Also today, the Parliament submits for approval two requests from President Klaus Iohannis – the participation of the Romanian Army in the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine and the establishment, on the Romania territory, of a maritime training facility for the Ukrainian personnel. The two Parliament chambers will be informed, on the other hand, about the approval of the transit, through Romania, of equipment and material goods donated by Sweden to Ukraine, but also about the presence on the Romanian territory, for a period of two years, of an American contingent of naval forces for special operations.

     

    ISRAEL – The Israeli military launched a ground operation in a number of villages in southern Lebanon, saying it focused on clearing out militant infrastructure prepared by the elite force of the Hezbollah for the invasion of Israeli territory. The invasion was being supported by the Israeli air force, which targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area considered the stronghold of the Shiite movement. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had previously indicated that the army was ready for a ground operation, telling troops near the border with Lebanon that Israel was ready to use air, sea and land forces against Hezbollah targets. In turn, the deputy leader of the Hezbollah said that his militants are prepared for any Israeli operation in Lebanon.

     

     

     

  • June 27, 2024 UPDATE

    June 27, 2024 UPDATE

    LAW – In Romania, the sentence for slavery and human trafficking can no longer be suspended prison, in keeping with a law promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis. The document also provides for harsher penalties for these crimes, which can reach up to 15 years in prison and the prohibition of certain rights. If the crimes in which minors are involved are committed by a public official, a family member or a person in charge of the child’s upbringing, the penalties reach up to 20 years in prison. The law punishes with deprivation of liberty from 3 to 10 years the production, storage, exposure, promotion and distribution of pornographic materials with minors. Moreover, watching such images will be punished with 5 years in prison and from 1 to 3 years the unauthorized access to pornographic materials with minors through computer systems or other means of electronic communication. According to the document, attempts to commit the crimes of slavery and human trafficking are also punished.

     

     

    NATO – The Dutch Premier Mark Rutte is officially the future NATO Secretary General. The 57 year-old politician has benefitted from support from all 32 representatives of the North Atlantic Council, the alliance’s main decision-making body and his mandate is to kick off on October 1st. Rutte will replace the Norwegian chief Jens Stoltenberg and is known for his critical position against Russia and for supporting Ukraine in terms of its NATO and EU accession. The Netherlands is supporting Ukraine also militarily, including with F-16 jet fighters, which have been given the permission to strike Russian targets. Besides the war in Ukraine and the tense international political background, Rutte will have the task of negotiating with a possible US administration led by Donald Trump, if the latter wins the upcoming election where he runs against the incumbent president Joe Biden.

     

     

    BRUSSELS – EU leaders started a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday, focused on the appointments at the top of European key institutions and the approval of its strategic agenda for the mandate resulting from the European parliamentary elections. The 27 leaders, writes the EFE agency, arrived at the European Council with the nominations for the top positions already agreed between the three pro-European political groups, favorable to the deepening of European integration and the consolidation of the prerogatives of Brussels, respectively the European People’s Party (EPP), the Social Democrats (S&D) and the Liberals (Renew). According to the agreement between the respective three groups, Ursula von der Leyen, from the EPP, will keep her position as president of the European Commission, that of European Council president will go to the former Portuguese social-democratic prime minister Antonio Costa, and the head of the Estonian government, the liberal Kaja Kallas, will be High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy. The summit also marks the end of the Belgian presidency of the Union, which will be taken over by Hungary for the next six months. Romania is represented at the summit by President Klaus Iohannis.

     

     

    DECLARATION – The United States applauds Romania’s leadership in consolidating the Ukrainian air defense, particularly Romania’s recent decision to provide one Patriot system to Ukraine and it deeply appreciates Romania’s crucial role in promoting Euro-Atlantic security and its leadership on NATO’s eastern flank, according to a statement released by the Governments of the United States of America and Romania on the occasion of the U.S. – Romania Strategic Dialogue.  The meeting was held on June 21 and was opened by consultations between the Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. The United States commends Romania on its successful opening of Europe’s first F-16 regional training center this year, the statement also says. The United States and Romania underlined that Russia’s continued aggression has made the Black Sea region host to a number of serious threats. The two sides remain strongly committed to strengthening their efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and prosperous Black Sea region, with the implementation of the United States Black Sea Strategy being an integral part of this effort.

     

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s national football side qualified for the round of 16 of the European Football Championship after a one-all draw against Slovakia in Frankfurt on Wednesday night. Razvan Marin scored the equalizer from a penalty shot and his performance pushed the side coached by Edward Iordanescu on top of the group. Our footballers will be up against the Netherlands on the famous Allianz Arena in Munich. Thousands of fans took to the streets of Romania to express their joy for the performance. (EE)

  • June 26, 2024

    June 26, 2024

    NATO – The 32 NATO member states have today confirmed the nomination of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as Secretary General of the Alliance. France Presse wrote that the withdrawal of the Romanian president’s candidacy and the objections of Hungary and Slovakia, secured Rutte a free path to obtaining the position of NATO Secretary General. He will take over his duties on October 1st, when the last extension of the mandate of the incumbent Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, appointed in 2014, expires. Stoltenberg’s mandate was extended four times, in the context of the war in Ukraine.

     

    SUMMIT – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Support for the neighbouring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as the new structure of the European Parliament, are on the meeting’s agenda, according to a press release from the Presidential Administration in Bucharest. Also, the leaders of the European Union will continue discussions on the appointments at the top of the EU institutions, following the recent European elections.

     

    FOOTBALL – The Romanian national football side today play against Slovakia in Frankfurt at 7 pm, Bucharest time, their last match in Group E of the European Championship in Germany. The Belgium-Ukraine match is also played in the same group. In the first two matches, the Romanians beat Ukraine 3-0 and lost, 0-2, to Belgium. All four teams in the group have accumulated three points each, and Romania remains the leader due to the goal difference. An equal result would be enough for both Romania and Slovakia to qualify for the round of 16, which fuels media speculation about a fixed match. The coaches and players of the two teams categorically rejected such a hypothesis.

     

    ELECTION – The Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) in Romania cancelled the elections for the position of mayor in the Black Sea resort of Costineşti, Constanța county, and ordered that the poll should be held again on July 7th. BEC approved the request to cancel the elections, made by the Constanta branch of the Social Democratic Party. In Costineşti, the Romanian press writes, the counting of the votes cast in the local elections on June 9 was repeated six times. In the end, the Liberal candidate was named the winner for the position of mayor, with a difference of one vote from the Social Democratic candidate. A number of irregularities were mentioned, based on supporting documents, including the fact that two people, including a Ukrainian citizen, voted without having this right.

     

    FLAG DAY- President Klaus Iohannis delivered, on Wednesday, a message on National Flag Day, in which context he emphasized Romania’s NATO, EU and UN membership and evoked the need for unity. The head of state said that the National Flag “represents a unifying element for Romanians, wherever they are. “It is present in moments of hardship or joy, at national and international events, in institutions, at parades or on the occasion of sports competitions”, the president pointed out. Klaus Iohannis recalled the history of this holiday and paid tribute to the Romanian soldiers who died in the theatres of operations. On his part, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu recalled that “under the colors of the National Flag, generations of Romanians fought for independence, sovereignty, unity and democracy, values ​​in which we strongly believe.”

     

    ACCESSION – The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine have officially started EU accession negotiations, two years after they received the candidate status. The first talks took place in Luxembourg, were of technical nature and concerned the structure and timing of the negotiations. The two countries will negotiate and be evaluated separately, and the duration of the negotiation process depends on their ability to adopt the necessary reforms to meet the accession criteria. Throughout the entire process, Chisinau and Kyiv must align their national legislation with the EU provisions. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, since obtaining the candidate status until now, the two states have made general adjustments in key areas, through which they have demonstrated their will to get closer to the EU legislation.

     

    BUCHAREST – The leaders of the ruling PSD-PNL coalition in Romania did not manage to reach an agreement, on Tuesday evening either, on the date of the presidential elections, as each of the two parties insists on a different calendar. The Social Democrats want the election to take place in September, while the Liberals want presidential elections in November. Discussions within the coalition on this subject will resume on Friday. (EE)

  • Instruire pentru piloţii ucraineni

    Instruire pentru piloţii ucraineni

    Primele avioane de luptă F16 fabricate în SUA pe care Țările de Jos le donează Ucrainei vor ajunge în centrul de antrenament din România în termen de două săptămâni – a declarat, la începutul acestei săptămâni, premierul olandez în exercițiu Mark Rutte. Mă aștept ca rachetele Patriot să fie livrate în curând, pentru a ajuta Ucraina în iarna care urmează. Și aceeași viteză este valabilă pentru F16, a spus Mark Rutte, în timpul unei videoconferințe cu președintele Ucrainei, Volodimir Zelenski, postată pe X, fostul Twitter, și citată de The Guardian.


    Deocamdată, nu este cunoscut numărul avioanelor dislocate de Olanda pentru centrul din România. Forțele aeriene olandeze operează 42 de avioane de luptă F16, iar la mijlocul lunii august premierul Rutte s-a angajat să doneze o parte din ele Ucrainei. Danemarca, Norvegia și Belgia au anunțat, de asemenea, că vor oferi Kievului avioane F16.

    Anterior, pe 29 august, România, Olanda și compania Lockheed Martin semnaseră o scrisoare de intenție pentru înființarea unui centru de pregătire pentru F16. A fost gândit ca un centru regional pentru țările NATO, cu sediul la Baza 86 aeriană de lângă Fetești, dar de care să beneficieze și piloții ucraineni. Documentul a fost semnat la Toledo, în Spania, unde a avut loc reuniunea informală a miniștrilor apărării din Uniunea Europeană, de către România în calitate de țară-gazdă, de Olanda ca țară furnizoare de avioane pentru instruire și de compania producătoare a aeronavelor Lockheed Martin.


    Înființarea centrului la Baza 86 Aeriană Locotenent aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță este menită să sprijine dezvoltarea competențelor piloților români în operarea aeronavelor F16 și în derularea unui spectru variat de misiuni strategice, spunea ministrul român al Apărării, Angel Tîlvăr. Dar, prin intermediul acestui centru, România se angajează să ofere un mediu de instruire de înaltă calitate, cu acces la resurse tehnice și know-how de ultimă generație nu doar pentru piloții români, ci și pentru cei din statele aliate și partenere, inclusiv Ucraina, completa ministrul, conform unui comunicat al MApN.


    Altfel spus, România se alătură altor naţiuni aliate, cum ar fi Belgia, Canada, Danemarca, Luxemburg, Norvegia, Olanda, Polonia, Portugalia, Suedia şi Marea Britanie, în susţinerea pregătirii piloţilor ucraineni pentru utilizarea, în viitor, a aeronavelor F16.


  • October 31, 2023

    October 31, 2023

    VOTE The Chamber of
    Deputies in Bucharest is today voting on the simple motion tabled by the
    opposition against Finance Minister Marcel Bolos. The opposition USR has been criticizing
    the fiscal measures endorsed by the government of late and has accused Minister
    Bolos of having promoted legislative initiatives at the expenses of the Romanian
    employees. In response Minister Bolos says the decisions made by the PSD-PNL
    coalition government are needed against an accentuated budget imbalance with a
    deficit of over 11 billion euros and a public debt reaching 160 billion euros.






    COMMISSIONER
    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Monday held talks with the European
    Commission Vice-president for Values and Transparency, Vera Jourova. According
    to a Facebook post of the presidential administration, high on the agenda were Romania’s
    accession to Schengen, the rule of law and reforms in the country’s legal system,
    as well as the support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
    Commissioner Jourova has also met Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and other
    ministers for talks over the digitization programmes part of the National Plan
    of Recovery and Resilience, AI and fighting misinformation.






    SALARIES In a special session today, the government in Bucharest has
    endorsed the minimum salaries in the fields of construction, agriculture and
    food industry. As of November 1, the minimum gross salary in the field of
    construction will see a rise of 14.6%, reaching the equivalent of 9 hundred
    euros. The rise will be of 14.53% up to 7 hundred Euros, in the country’s food
    and farm industries. According to official data, 590 thousand employees from
    agriculture and the food industry have been paid the minimum salary. And the
    latest government move is meant to allow the aforementioned categories of employees
    to remain unaffected by the elimination of the exemption from paying the health
    insurance, which is to come into effect as of November 1. We recall that, a new
    series of fiscal-budgetary amendments are to come into effect in Romania, on
    November 1.


    PLANES A first batch of the
    F-16 fighters the Netherlands donates to Ukraine will arrive at the training
    center set up in Romania in a fortnight – the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
    has announced. In a videoconference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr
    Zelensky, the Dutch official said the present situation in the Middle East must
    not and cannot distract the Netherlands from Ukraine’s fight against the
    Russian aggression. Reuters recalls that Denmark, Norway and Belgium have pledged
    F-16 jet fighters to Ukraine. Romania, the Netherlands and the US giant
    Lockheed Martin on August 29 signed a letter of intention for setting up a center
    for the training of the F-16 personnel. The aforementioned facility has been
    designed as a regional center for NATO countries at the air base in Fetesti,
    southern Romania, which will also benefit the Ukrainian pilots.

    ISRAEL
    Clashes continued in the Gaza Strip last night where explosions and machine gun
    fire was heard. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes in the past days
    and its tanks have entered deep into the Palestinian territory, where for a
    short period of time they interrupted an evacuation route to the south.
    According to international publications, 600 thousand people could still be in
    the northern part of the Strip, and the UNO believes that most of them have
    taken refuge in the 10 hospitals in the area, which have received evacuation
    orders. According to Phillipe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee
    Agency, the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip were being subjected to
    forced displacement and collective punishment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
    Netanyahu has rejected the humanitarian agencies’ appeals for a ceasefire,
    arguing this would be tantamount to capitulation to Hamas and terrorism. During
    a military operation in Gaza, a young IDF woman held captive by Hamas has been
    liberated in what Prime Minister Netanyahu has described an emotional success adding
    that all efforts must be made to free all the hostages taken by Hamas.

    (bill)

  • Tunisia şi UE semnează un acord pentru limitarea fluxului de migranţi

    Tunisia şi UE semnează un acord pentru limitarea fluxului de migranţi

    Preşedintele tunisian Kais Saied şi preşedinta Comisiei Europene Ursula von der Leyen au semnat un acord de parteneriat strategic care ar urma să ajute la combaterea traficului de fiinţe umane şi la dezvoltarea economică a ţării africane. Alături de şefa Executivului de la Bruxelles, prim-miniştrii olandez Mark Rutte şi italian Giorgia Meloni au făcut parte din delegaţia Uniunii Europene care s-a deplasat în Tunisia, în contextul în care numărul migranţilor proveniţi din această ţară a crescut dramatic în ultimele luni.

    Textul conţine acorduri pentru combaterea modelului de afaceri al contrabandiştilor şi traficanţilor de fiinţe umane, întărind controlul la frontieră şi ameliorând înregistrarea şi returnarea – a precizat, într-o postare pe Twitter, premierul olandez Mark Rutte. Potrivit acestuia, toate sunt măsuri esenţiale pentru stimularea eforturilor de a opri migraţia ilegală. Preşedinta Comisiei Europene Ursula von der Leyen a salutat documentul menit să ducă la investiţii pentru o prosperitate împărtăşită. Prim-ministrul italian Giorgia Meloni a apreciat că este vorba despre o nouă etapă importantă pentru a trata criza migraţiei într-un mod integrat.

    În plus, Giorgia Meloni l-a invitat pe preşedintele tunisian Kais Saied să participe duminică, la Roma, la un summit privind migraţia. Conform Giorgiei Meloni, parteneriatul între Tunisia şi Uniunea Europeană poate fi considerat ca un model pentru stabilirea de noi relaţii cu Africa de Nord.

    Documentul prevede un ajutor de 105 milioane de euro pentru a lupta împotriva imigraţiei ilegale şi un ajutor bugetar de 150 de milioane de euro, în condiţiile în care Tunisia este sufocată de o datorie de 80% din PIB-ul său şi duce lipsă de lichidităţi. Cu prilejul primei sale vizite, luna trecută, troica europeană a anunţat o asistenţă macrofinanciară de 900 de milioane de euro, care ar putea fi furnizată Tunisiei sub forma unui împrumut în anii care urmează. Ursula von der Leyen a dat asigurări că Bruxelles-ul este gata să ofere această asistenţă imediat ce condiţiile vor fi îndeplinite. Acest ajutor al Uniunii Europene este condiţionat de un acord între Tunisia şi Fondul Monetar Internaţional pentru un nou credit – un dosar care este în impas de luni de zile.


  • Wochenspiegel

    Wochenspiegel


    Tagung des EU-Energierats


    Auf der Tagung des Europäischen Rates in Brüssel forderte der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis langfristige Lösungen zur Gewährleistung ausreichender und erschwinglicher Energie. Er sprach sich für den Vorschlag der Europäischen Kommission, den hohen Energiepreisen entgegenzuarbeiten, aus. Ferner wies der Staatschef auf die Diversifizierung der Energieressourcen, die grüne Energie oder die Gasförderung aus dem Schwarzen Meer hin. Die Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, hat sich für den gemeinsamen Einkauf von Erdgas, die Einführung einer Deckelung der Gaspreise, die Bildung von Konsortien von Gasunternehmen und den Abschluss von Energiesolidaritätsvereinbarungen zwischen Nachbarländern ausgesprochen. Auf der Tagung wurden auch die Entwicklungen des russischen Angriffskriegs gegen die Ukraine und die Zusage der EU, ihre politische, finanzielle, humanitäre und militärische Unterstützung für die Ukraine fortzusetzen, besprochen.




    Europäische Gelder zur Unterstützung Rumäniens bei der Bewältigung der steigenden Energiepreise


    Rumänien wird 2,2 Milliarden Euro an europäischen Geldern erhalten, um bedürftigen Menschen und Unternehmen bei der Bewältigung der steigenden Energierechnungen zu helfen. Die Europäische Kommission hat entschieden, dass bis zu 10 % der nicht verwendeten Mittel aus dem Planungszeitraum 2014-2020 für neue Formen der Unterstützung verwendet werden können. Die Gelder sollen nicht nur für die Begleichung der Rechnungen bedürftiger Familien, sondern auch für die Gewährung von Gutscheinen und die Unterstützung kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen sowie die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen verwendet werden.




    Gewerkschafter protestieren im ganzen Land


    In Rumänien gingen Gewerkschafter auf die Stra‎ße, um gegen niedrige Löhne und hohe Preise zu protestieren. Die Gewerkschaften, die dem Alfa-Kartell angehören, zogen am Montag in Karawanen nach Bukarest. Proteste wurden in Städten entlang der Route organisiert. Die Karawanen trafen am Donnerstag in der Hauptstadt ein, wo eine Gro‎ßkundgebung stattfand. Die Gewerkschafter fordern Preiskontrollen und die Besteuerung von Zusatzgewinnen, höhere Löhne und Renten, neue Tarifverhandlungen und die vollständige und diskriminierungsfreie Anwendung des Gesetzes über die Gehälter des aus öffentlichen Mitteln bezahlten Personals und des Gesetzes über den Status des Eisenbahnpersonals.




    Parlament verabschiedet Justizgesetze


    Die drei Gesetzesvorlagen, die das Justizministerium aus Bukarest initiiert hat und die den Obersten Richterrat, die Organisation der Justiz und den Status von Richtern und Staatsanwälten betreffen, wurden von der Senatskammer beschlossen. Der Senat hatte in diesem Fall die Entscheidungsbefugnis. Die Opposition, angeführt von der öko-liberalen USR, kritisiert sowohl den Inhalt der Dokumente als auch die Art und Weise, wie die Debatten geführt wurden und die Tatsache, dass die Regierung die beratende Stellungnahme der Venedig-Kommission nicht abgewartet hat. Die Mehrheitskoalition aus PSD, PNL und UDMR erwiderte, dass die Texte in Übereinstimmung mit den Empfehlungen der zuständigen europäischen Institutionen verfasst wurden. Die Abgeordneten der USR, der AUR und der Partei “Rechte Kraft” zogen mit den drei Justizgesetze vor das Verfassungsgericht.




    Einfacher Antrag in der Abgeordnetenkammer debattiert


    Die Abgeordnetenkammer in Bukarest hat am Mittwoch den einfachen Antrag gegen Innenminister Lucian Bode abgelehnt, der von Abgeordneten der öko-liberalen USR und der Partei “Rechte Kraft” eingereicht worden war. Die Unterzeichner forderten den Rückritt des Innenministers, weil er es versäumt hat, die Institution zu reformieren. Die Autoren machen auch auf die undurchsichtige Art und Weise aufmerksam, mit der die Ausschreibung zum Kauf von BMWs für die rumänische Polizei abgelaufen ist. Lucian Bode wird gleichzeitig der Verheimlichung seiner Dissertation bezichtigt. Der Innenminister wies die Anschuldigungen zurück.




    Beschlüsse über den Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengener Abkommen


    Die zuständigen Behörden in Bukarest begrü‎ßten am Dienstag die nicht bindende Entscheidung des Europäischen Parlaments, der sich mit gro‎ßer Mehrheit für den Beitritt Rumäniens und Bulgariens zum Schengen-Raum ausspricht. Die niederländische Regierung wurde jedoch durch das Parlament aufgefordert, bei dem Beitritt Rumäniens und Bulgariens in den Schengen-Raum vorsichtig zu sein. Die von Mark Rutte geführte Exekutive wird aufgefordert, keine unumkehrbaren Schritte in Richtung Erweiterung zu unternehmen, bevor sie nicht weitere Untersuchungen zur Überwachung der Grenzen durch die beiden Länder durchgeführt hat. Derzeit gehören alle EU-Länder au‎ßer Bulgarien, Kroatien, Zypern, Irland und Rumänien zum Schengen-Raum. Die zuständigen Behörden in Bukarest bestätigen, dass Rumänien die technischen Kriterien erfüllt und sich demnach bereiterklärt, dem Raum der Freizügigkeit beizutreten. Auf der für den 8. Dezember anberaumten Tagung des EU-Rates ist Einstimmigkeit für die Schengen-Erweiterung erforderlich.




    Gro‎ßangelegte Militärübung an der Donaumündung


    Während der Übung Danube Protector 22 nahmen mehr als 300 rumänische Soldaten an einer Übung am östlichen Arm der Donau nahe der ukrainischen Schlangeninsel teil. Die Donauflottille ist die erste Reaktionskraft im Falle einer Bedrohung im Donauraum. In den nächsten Tagen werden die ersten Transporte mit militärischer Ausrüstung, die Frankreich nach Rumänien geschickt hat, in Cincu eintreffen. Kürzlich hat Frankreich entschieden, die NATO-Kampfgruppe in Rumänien zu verstärken und schwere Leclerc-Panzer und gepanzerte Mannschaftstransporter zu schicken. Die französische Republik ist derzeit für die Führung der NATO-Kampfgruppe in Rumänien verantwortlich und hat eine gro‎ße Anzahl von Soldaten in Cincu stationiert. Aufgrund des russischen Angriffskriegs in der Ukraine wurden die Streitkräfte des Verteidigungsbündnisses in den osteuropäischen Ländern Slowakei, Ungarn, Bulgarien und Rumänien verstärkt.


  • Parlamentul European susţine intrarea României în Schengen

    Parlamentul European susţine intrarea României în Schengen

    Autorităţile
    de la Bucureşti au salutat rezoluţia de marți, din Parlamentul European, care
    susţine, cu largă majoritate, aderarea României şi Bulgariei la spaţiul
    Schengen. Este a patra în acest sens adoptată de forul comunitar. Toţi
    eurodeputaţii români s-au pronunțat în favoarea documentului. În schimb, toţi
    europarlamentarii din partidul premierului olandez Mark Rutte s-au abţinut, iar
    un eurodeputat olandez din coaliţia guvernamentală a votat chiar împotrivă.
    Cumva previzibil!

    Rezoluția de marți nu are putere legislativă. Pentru
    aderarea României şi Bulgariei la Schengen este nevoie de unanimitate în
    Consiliul Uniunii Europene. Or, Olanda a fost constant unul dintre statele care
    s-au opus aderării lor la spaţiul de liberă circulaţie a persoanelor şi
    mărfurilor și a rămas, la ora actuală, singurul încă rezervat. Spune că
    procesul aderării României trebuie să fie strâns legat de reformarea Justiției
    și de respectarea statului de drept.

    Cum trebuie interpretat, totuși, votul din
    Parlamentul European? Conferenţiarul universitar Silviu Nate, de la
    Universitatea Lucian Blaga din Sibiu, directorul Centrului
    de Studii Globale, a decriptat pentru Radio România:

    ʺObservăm o susţinere
    destul de mare în cadrul Parlamentului European, ceea ce ar trebui să ne bucure
    şi ar trebui să şi plecăm de la această idee. Olanda invocă temeri cu privire
    la capacitatea noastră posibilă de a gestiona fluxurile de migraţie ilegală sau
    alte riscuri transnaţionale, dar România a demonstrat şi în cazul valurilor de
    refugiaţi din Orientul Mijlociu, şi în urma războiului din Ucraina că are
    capacitatea de a se descurca mult mai bine decât alte state europene care au
    fost admise în Schengen cu ani în urmă. Apoi, se mai invocă anumite aspecte
    legate de respectarea statului de drept care, iarăşi, nu prea stau în picioare
    când vorbim de România.ʺ


    De ce s-ar opune, atunci, Olanda intrării
    României în Schengen? Din nou, Silviu Nate: ʺIntrarea în Schengen
    aduce noi mize geo-economice şi este cunoscut faptul că România are capacitate
    semnificativă de producţie agricolă şi poate deveni un intermediar al
    exportului de cereale, inclusiv dinspre Ucraina. Şi aici
    există anumite presupuneri care s-au format de-a lungul timpului că Olanda se
    teme de competiţia care ar putea apărea în raport cu dimensiunea economică a
    portului Rotterdam. Evident că noi nu putem certifica faptul că veto-ul olandez
    este legat de o miză individuală, dar totuşi asistăm la o ambiguitate a
    declaraţiilor olandezilor în ultima perioadă, care contrastează puternic cu susţinerea
    solidară a celorlalte state din cadrul Uniunii Europene.ʺ


    România este pregătită tehnic să intre în Schengen
    încă din 2011, fapt recunoscut inclusiv de țări precum Franța sau Finlanda,
    care inițial au avut reticențe. Va trebui să aștepte până pe 8 decembrie, dată
    la care va avea loc Consiliul Uniunii Europene, pentru a ști ce are de făcut în
    continuare.


  • Rückblick auf die Ereignisse vom 10.10. bis zum 14.10.2022

    Rückblick auf die Ereignisse vom 10.10. bis zum 14.10.2022

    Rumänien strebt in den Schengen-Raum



    Die Einreise der Rumäninnen und Rumänen in den Schengen-Raum wurde während des Besuchs des niederländischen Ministerpräsidenten Mark Rutte am Mittwoch in Rumänien intensiv diskutiert. Obwohl Rumänien seit 2011 die technischen Voraussetzungen für den Beitritt zum Freizügigkeitsraum erfüllte, sprachen sich mehrere EU-Länder gegen den Beitritt des Landes aus. Die Niederlande verweigerten bisher ihre Zustimmung und sind das einzige Land, das noch Bedenken hat. Ministerpräsident Mark Rutte erklärte während seines Besuchs am Mittwoch, dass sich sein Land grundsätzlich nicht dem Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens widersetzt, erneuerte jedoch seine Forderung, dass dieser eng mit einer Justizreform und der Rechtsstaatlichkeit verbunden sein müsse. Ein Nichtbeitritt ist für Rumänien keine Option, bekräftigte Präsident Klaus Iohannis. Währenddessen werden Experten der Europäischen Kommission Rumänien einen Besuch abstatten und prüfen, ob das Land auf den Schengen-Beitritt vorbereitet ist. Die EU-Inspektoren bewerten die Grenzkontrollen, die Asyl- und Rückführungspolitik für Migranten und das Ausma‎ß, in dem das Personal nach den europäischen Freizügigkeitsregeln geschult ist. Die Vertragsstaaten des Schengener Abkommens haben sich zu einer gemeinsamen Au‎ßengrenze verpflichtet und die Binnengrenzen durch Kontrollen aufgehoben.





    Bukarest verurteilt Eskalation der Gewalt in der Ukraine



    In dieser Woche hat Russland den Konflikt in der Ukraine weiter angeheizt, indem es Gebäude und öffentliche Plätze mit Raketen beschoss und in Städten in nahezu allen Provinzen Terror und Zerstörung anrichtete. Damit reagierte es auf den früheren Angriff auf die Brücke in der Stra‎ße von Kertsch, die Russland mit der von ihr im Jahre 2014 annektierten Halbinsel Krim verbindet. Der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis verurteilte die russischen Angriffe auf Twitter scharf. Die Verbrechen an unschuldigen Menschen müssen enden — so der Staatschef, der die Unterstützung Rumäniens für die Ukraine im Kampf gegen die Aggression Moskaus bekräftigte. Der rumänische Au‎ßenminister Bogdan Aurescu berichtete, dass die Mitarbeiter der rumänischen Botschaft in Kiew sicher seien, obwohl am Montag eine russische Rakete nur 850 Meter von der Botschaft entfernt eingeschlagen ist.




    Frankreich stärkt seine militärische Präsenz in Rumänien



    Gepanzerte Mannschaftstransportwagen und Leclerc-Panzer der französischen Armee werden Ende Oktober in Rumänien eintreffen, um die technischen Mittel der NATO-Kampfgruppe Forward Presence zu ergänzen, die in Cincu, in der Landesmitte, stationiert ist. Dies teilte das Verteidigungsministerium in Bukarest mit. Die NATO Kampftruppe Forward Presence wurde im Mai durch die Umwandlung der verbündeten multinationalen Elemente der in unserem Land stationierten NATO Response Force geschaffen. Frankreich übernahm die Führung der Kampfgruppe in Rumänien. Das französische Bataillon wird im Rotationsverfahren auch belgische und niederländische Truppen integrieren. Die NATO-Kampfgruppe ist eine Reaktion auf die Rückkehr des Krieges in Europa und die Krise am Schwarzen Meer und stellt eine direkte Antwort dar.




    Präsidentin Georgiens wurde in Bukarest empfangen



    Diese Woche traf die georgische Präsidentin Salome Surabitschwili in Bukarest mit dem rumänischen Staatspräsidenten Klaus Iohannis zusammen. Der Besuch fand im Rahmen des 30. Jahrestages der Wiederaufnahme der bilateralen diplomatischen Beziehungen statt. Bei dieser Gelegenheit betonte das rumänische Staatsoberhaupt die Priorität des Baus eines Stromkabels zwischen Rumänien, Georgien und Aserbaidschan, das das Kaspische Meer mit dem Schwarzen Meer und der Europäischen Union verbindet. Au‎ßerdem benötigt man eine Unterwasser-Glasfaserverbindung für die digitale Verknüpfung. Rumänien und Georgien arbeiten zusammen, um den Güterverkehrskorridor zwischen dem Schwarzen Meer und dem Kaspischen Meer in Betrieb zu nehmen und eine regelmä‎ßige Fährverbindung zwischen den beiden Ländern einzurichten. Rumänien wird weiterhin ein starker Unterstützer der europäischen und euroatlantischen Integrationsbestrebungen Georgiens sein. Das versicherte der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis auch der georgischen Staatsschefin, Salome Surabitschwili. Die beiden Länder unterzeichneten eine Erklärung über den Aufbau einer strategischen Partnerschaft.




    Inflation in Rumänien erhöhte sich weiter



    Die jährliche Inflationsrate in Rumänien stieg weiter und erreichte im September einen Wert von fast 15,9 %, gegenüber knapp über 15,3 % im August. Die Preise für Erdgas haben sich in den letzten 12 Monaten weiterhin am stärksten erhöht und liegen rund 70 % über dem Durchschnitt. Zucker und Speiseöl liegen ungefähr 50 % über dem Durchschnitt, während Kartoffeln rund 43 % über dem Durchschnitt liegen. Laut der rumänischen Nationalbank wird die Inflation bis Ende des Jahres weiter ansteigen, allerdings in einem langsameren Tempo. Die Prognosen für die zukünftige Entwicklung sind aufgrund des unvorhersehbaren globalen Kontextes unsicher. Die Zentralbank ist überzeugt, dass ein ausgewogener Mix aus makroökonomischen Policy-Ma‎ßnahmen und Strukturreformen für die makroökonomische Stabilität und die Stärkung der Fähigkeit der rumänischen Wirtschaft zur Bewältigung ungünstiger Entwicklungen von wesentlicher Bedeutung ist.

  • Retrospectiva săptămânii 09.10 – 15.10.2022

    Retrospectiva săptămânii 09.10 – 15.10.2022

    România și spațiul Schengen


    Intrarea românilor în Schengen a fost intens analizată în contextul vizitei, miercuri, în România, a premierului olandez, Mark Rutte. Obţinerea din partea Olandei a sprijinului pentru aderare a constituit, de altfel, o temă majoră de discuţie la nivel înalt. Aceasta, pentru că, din 2011, de când românii îndeplinesc toate condițiile tehnice pentru a face parte din spațiul de liberă circulație, aderării lor li s-au opus mai multe state din Uniunea Europeană. Olanda a fost constant unul dintre ele și a rămas, la ora actuală, singurul încă reticent. În cadrul vizitei de miercuri, premierul Mark Rutte a precizat că țara sa nu este contra aderării României la Schengen, dar a reiterat că acest proces trebuie să se afle în strânsă legătură cu reformarea Justiției și respectarea statului de drept. Eşecul aderării nu este o variantă luată în calcul în România, a punctat, la rândul său, preşedintele Klaus Iohannis.


    Între timp, experţi ai Comisiei Europene și-au programat, săptămâna aceasta, o vizită în România, pentru a verifica modul în care țara este pregătită să intre în Schengen. Inspectorii europeni au urmărit cum se fac controalele la graniţe, politica de azil şi de returnare a migranţilor, precum şi măsura în care personalul este instruit conform normelor spaţiului european de liberă circulaţie. Aderarea la spaţiul Schengen de liberă circulaţie a persoanelor şi mărfurilor va permite cetățenilor să traverseze graniţele interne ale Uniunii Europene fără să fie controlați, va facilita comerţul sau turismul şi va putea deschide și mai mult oportunităţile de afaceri.



    Bucureștiul condamnă escaladarea violențelor din Ucraina


    Rusia a escaladat, săptămâna aceasta, la un nou nivel războiul din Ucraina, ţintind cu rachete clădiri şi spaţii publice şi producând teroare şi distrugeri în oraşe din aproape toate provinciile, ca răspuns la atacarea, anterior, a podului din strâmtoarea Kerci, care leagă Rusia direct de peninsula Crimeea, anexată de ruși în 2014. Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis a condamnat ferm, pe Twitter, atacurile rusești. Crimele comise împotriva oamenilor nevinovaţi trebuie să înceteze – a scris şeful statului, care a reafirmat sprijinul României pentru Ucraina în lupta împotriva agresiunii Moscovei. Ministrul român de Externe, Bogdan Aurescu, a anunţat că personalul ambasadei române la Kiev s-a aflat în siguranță, deşi, luni, o rachetă rusească a căzut la doar 850 de metri de sediul ambasadei.



    Franța își consolidează prezența militară din România


    Transportoare blindate şi tancuri Leclerc ale Armatei Franţei vor sosi, în România, la sfârşitul lunii octombrie, pentru a completa mijloacele tehnice ale Grupului de luptă al NATO (Battle Group Forward Presence) dislocat la Cincu, în centrul țării. Anunțul a fost făcut de ministerul Apărării de la București. Grupul de luptă s-a constituit, începând cu luna mai, prin transformarea elementelor multinaţionale aliate din cadrul Forţei de Răspuns a NATO. Franţa a preluat rolul de naţiune-cadru, batalionul francez dislocat în România integrând, prin rotaţie, și efective ale Belgiei şi Olandei. Grupul de luptă al NATO contribuie la creşterea cooperării militare dintre România și Franţa, şi, implicit, la consolidarea securităţii spaţiului euro-atlantic pe Flancul Estic, mai ales în actualul context al războiului din Ucraina şi al crizei din regiunea Mării Negre.



    Preşedinta Georgiei, primită la București


    Preşedintele Klaus Iohannis a primit-o la București, în cursul săptămânii, pe preşedinta Georgiei, Salome Zourabichvili. Vizita a avut loc cu ocazia împlinirii a 30 de ani de la restabilirea relaţiilor diplomatice bilaterale. Cu acest prilej, şefului statului român a declarat că este prioritară construirea unui cablu electric între România, Georgia şi Azerbaidjan, care să conecteze Marea Caspică, cu Marea Neagră și cu spaţiul Uniunii Europene. Acesta ar urma să fie dublat de un cablu submarin de fibră optică pentru dezvoltarea conectivităţii digitale.


    România lucrează, totodată, cu Georgia pentru operaţionalizarea coridorului de transport de mărfuri Marea Neagră-Marea Caspică și pentru crearea unei linii regulate de feribot care să lege cele două ţări. România va rămâne unul dintre cei mai fermi susţinători ai aspiraţiilor Georgiei de integrare europeană şi euroatlantică – a mai asigurat-o preşedintele Klaus Iohannis pe lidera de la Tbilisi, Salome Zourabichvili. Cei doi au semnat o declaraţie comună privind stabilirea unui Parteneriat Strategic între România şi Georgia.



    Românii și inflația


    Inflaţia anuală a continuat să crească în România şi, în septembrie, a ajuns la aproape 15,9%, de la uşor peste 15,3% în august. În topul scumpirilor din ultimele 12 luni continuă să conducă gazele naturale, cu peste 70%, urmate de zahăr şi ulei comestibil, cu aproape 50 de procente, şi de cartofi, cu aproximativ 43%. Potrivit Băncii Naționale a României, inflaţia va continua să crească până spre finalul acestui an, dar într-un ritm mai lent. Prognozele privind evoluţiile viitoare stau, însă, sub semnul incertitudinii, dat fiind contextul global impredictibil. BNR apreciază că o combinaţie echilibrată de politici macroeconomice şi implementarea de reforme structurale, inclusiv prin utilizarea fondurilor europene sunt esenţiale pentru stabilitatea macroeconomică şi întărirea capacităţii economiei româneşti de a face faţă unor evoluţii nefavorabile.






  • Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens: einen Schritt weiter

    Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens: einen Schritt weiter

    Die Entscheidung über die Aufnahme eines Landes in den Schengen-Raum wird im Europäischen Rat nur einstimmig getroffen. Seit mehr als 10 Jahren wird der Beitritt Rumäniens von einigen EU-Ländern abgelehnt. Die Niederlande gehören seit jeher dazu und sind immer noch das einzige Land, das sich gegen den Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens ausspricht. Am Mittwoch reiste der niederländische Premier nach Rumänien, um die niederländischen Militärs zu besuchen, die Teil der NATO-Kampfgruppe unter Frankreichs Führung auf rumänischem Territorium sind. Bei Gesprächen zwischen Mark Rutte, Schatschef Klaus Iohannis und Premier Nicolae Ciucă war der Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum ein wichtiges Gesprächsthema. Premierminister Rutte sagte, er sei nicht gegen einen Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum, aber – weil es ein “aber” gibt – dieser Prozess müsse eng mit der Reform der Justiz und der Einhaltung der Rechtsstaatlichkeit verbunden sein.



    Präsident Klaus Iohannis begrü‎ßte das Gespräch mit dem niederländischen Regierungschef als positiv: ʺScheitern ist keine Option. Ein Scheitern dieses nationalen Ziels würde wahrscheinlich zu einer Zunahme des Euroskeptizismus in Rumänien führen, aber das ist eine hypothetische Variante, die nicht eintreten wird, denn wir rechnen nicht mit einem Misserfolg.ʺ Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă sprach über die Vorteile, die die Aufhebung der Kontrollen an den Binnengrenzen für das wirtschaftliche Umfeld mit sich bringt: ʺDiese lebhafte Zusammenarbeit im Wirtschaftssektor lässt mich auf die direkten Vorteile hinweisen, die der Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens für die niederländische Wirtschaft haben kann. Die Aufhebung der Kontrollen an den Binnengrenzen wird die Kosten für die Spediteure und auch die negativen Auswirkungen von Verzögerungen auf die Märkte und Wertschöpfungsketten erheblich verringern.ʺ



    Unterdessen verurteilte die Präsidentin des Europäischen Parlaments, Roberta Metsola, exklusiv für Radio Rumänien, die beleidigenden Äu‎ßerungen eines deutschen Europaabgeordneten, der Rumänien in der vergangenen Woche im Plenum des EU-Parlaments als den “Wilden Westen der Europäischen Union” bezeichnet hatte. Gegen den Abgeordneten wurde eine Untersuchung eingeleitet. Roberta Metsola betonte, dass Rumänien es verdient, in den Schengen-Raum aufgenommen zu werden, da das Land alle technischen und rechtlichen Voraussetzungen erfüllt.



    Die Entscheidung über die Aufnahme eines Landes in den Schengen-Raum wird im Europäischen Rat nur einstimmig getroffen. Seit mehr als 10 Jahren wird der Beitritt Rumäniens von einigen EU-Ländern abgelehnt. Die Niederlande gehören seit jeher dazu und sind immer noch das einzige Land, das sich gegen den Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens ausspricht. Am Mittwoch reiste der niederländische Premier nach Rumänien, um die niederländischen Militärs zu besuchen, die Teil der NATO-Kampfgruppe unter Frankreichs Führung auf rumänischem Territorium sind. Bei Gesprächen zwischen Mark Rutte, Schatschef Klaus Iohannis und Premier Nicolae Ciucă war der Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum ein wichtiges Gesprächsthema. Premierminister Rutte sagte, er sei nicht gegen einen Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum, aber – weil es ein “aber” gibt – dieser Prozess müsse eng mit der Reform der Justiz und der Einhaltung der Rechtsstaatlichkeit verbunden sein.



    Präsident Klaus Iohannis begrü‎ßte das Gespräch mit dem niederländischen Regierungschef als positiv: ʺScheitern ist keine Option. Ein Scheitern dieses nationalen Ziels würde wahrscheinlich zu einer Zunahme des Euroskeptizismus in Rumänien führen, aber das ist eine hypothetische Variante, die nicht eintreten wird, denn wir rechnen nicht mit einem Misserfolg.ʺ



    Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă sprach über die Vorteile, die die Aufhebung der Kontrollen an den Binnengrenzen für das wirtschaftliche Umfeld mit sich bringt:



    ʺDiese lebhafte Zusammenarbeit im Wirtschaftssektor lässt mich auf die direkten Vorteile hinweisen, die der Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens für die niederländische Wirtschaft haben kann. Die Aufhebung der Kontrollen an den Binnengrenzen wird die Kosten für die Spediteure und auch die negativen Auswirkungen von Verzögerungen auf die Märkte und Wertschöpfungsketten erheblich verringern.ʺ



    Unterdessen verurteilte die Präsidentin des Europäischen Parlaments, Roberta Metsola, exklusiv für Radio Rumänien, die beleidigenden Äu‎ßerungen eines deutschen Europaabgeordneten, der Rumänien in der vergangenen Woche im Plenum des EU-Parlaments als den “Wilden Westen der Europäischen Union” bezeichnet hatte. Gegen den Abgeordneten wurde eine Untersuchung eingeleitet. Roberta Metsola betonte, dass Rumänien es verdient, in den Schengen-Raum aufgenommen zu werden, da das Land alle technischen und rechtlichen Voraussetzungen erfüllt. Nächste Woche soll das EU-Parlament über eine Resolution abstimmen, die den Antrag enthält, Rumänien und sein Nachbarland Bulgarien bis Ende dieses Jahres in den Schengen-Raum aufzunehmen.








  • Schengen, un sujet brûlant

    Schengen, un sujet brûlant

    L’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace de libre circulation
    Schengen est un sujet brûlant depuis 11 années. Depuis 2011, le pays réunit
    toutes les conditions techniques pour faire partie du club des États dont les
    citoyens ne sont pas contrôlés à la douane, lorsqu’ils veulent se déplacer d’un
    État membre à un autre. La décision d’admission à Schengen est prise au sein du
    Conseil Européen uniquement à l’unanimité. Cependant, pendant toute cette
    période, certains États de l’Union se sont opposés à l’adhésion de la Roumanie.
    Les Pays-Bas ont toujours été l’un d’entre eux et restent, à l’heure actuelle,
    le seul pays réticent.


    Mercredi, le Premier Ministre néerlandais est venu en
    Roumanie pour rendre visite aux soldats néerlandais qui font partie du
    groupement tactique de l’OTAN sous le commandement français. Mark Rutte a
    rencontré le Président Klaus Iohannis et le Premier Ministre Nicolae Ciucă. L’obtention
    du soutien à l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace Schengen (qui est devenu, à
    Bucarest, un véritable objectif national) a été un sujet de discussion majeur. Le Premier Ministre Rutte a déclaré qu’il n’était pas
    opposé à l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace de libre circulation, cependant -
    parce qu’il y avait aussi un « cependant » ! – ce processus devait
    être étroitement lié à la réforme de la justice et au respect de l’Etat de
    droit. Le président Klaus Iohannis a qualifié de positive la
    discussion avec le chef du gouvernement néerlandais :


    « L’échec n’est pas une option. Un échec à cet
    objectif national conduirait probablement à une augmentation de l’euroscepticisme
    en Roumanie, mais c’est une option hypothétique qui ne se produira pas, car on
    ne calcule pas pour l’option échec, on calcule pour l’option réussie. »



    Pour sa part, le Premier Ministre Nicolae Ciucă a parlé
    des avantages pour l’environnement économique de la levée des contrôles aux
    frontières intérieures :


    « Cette coopération vibrante au niveau du secteur
    des entreprises m’amène à souligner le bénéfice direct que l’adhésion de la
    Roumanie à Schengen peut apporter à l’économie néerlandaise. En levant les
    contrôles aux frontières intérieures, les coûts des transporteurs seront
    considérablement réduits et, de même, les effets négatifs des retards sur les
    marchés et les chaînes de valeur sont réduits aussi.     »


    Entre-temps, en exclusivité pour Radio Roumanie, la
    présidente du Parlement Européen, Roberta Metsola, a condamné les déclarations
    offensantes faites, la semaine dernière, en session plénière de la législature
    communautaire, par un député européen allemand, qui a qualifié la Roumanie de « Far
    West de l’Union Européenne ». Une enquête a été ouverte contre le député. Quant à la Roumanie, Roberta Metsola a souligné qu’elle
    méritait d’être acceptée dans l’espace Schengen, car elle remplit toutes les
    conditions techniques et juridiques. La semaine prochaine, le Parlement européen votera une
    résolution incluant la demande de recevoir la Roumanie et son voisin, la
    Bulgarie, à Schengen jusqu’à la fin de cette année. (trad. Andra Juganaru)