Radio România Internațional

Tag: markets

  • The new restrictions are necessary

    The new restrictions are necessary

    The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Tuesday night spoke publicly in favour of the new SarsCov2 containment measures imposed by the government. After an assessment meeting held with the PM, cabinet members and healthcare experts, the head of state gave a press conference presenting arguments and explanations for the new restrictions.



    These include compulsory face covering in all outdoor and indoor areas across the country, the switch to online classes, shops closing at 9pm at the latest, and a night curfew—with some exceptions.



    Europe as a whole is facing a dramatic moment, Klaus Iohannis emphasised:



    Klaus Iohannis: “The virus is obviously spreading at a fast rate, a lot more quickly than this spring. European countries which over the summer had low infection rates are now on the verge of a major healthcare crisis. Until we have an efficient vaccine, there is no other solution but to introduce strict containment measures. This is the only effective strategy and it is used by all the countries where the infection rate is surging. In its turn, Romania is in a very complicated situation, and the restrictions that came into force have one purpose only: to protect the people and reduce the huge pressure on the healthcare system. It is imperative that we avoid having hospitals overwhelmed, and that we give a chance to medical care to all patients, both COVID-19 patients or people suffering from other diseases.



    Iohannis also touched on the controversial topic of the closing of indoor food markets, which he said is an adequate and temporary measure. He accused the Social Democrats in opposition of politicizing the issue, after they endorsed in Parliament, where they have a majority, a bill allowing these forms of trade to continue.



    The Liberals in power described the Social Democrats bill as populist, but several MPs in opposition argued that food markets should have the same status as other indoor shopping facilities. In order to take effect, the bill must be signed into law by president Iohannis.



    At the same press conference, Iohannis reiterated that Romania, as an EU member state, will benefit from a fair number of anti-COVID vaccine doses, when these become available, and that an immunisation strategy is already in place. He also explained that storage and distribution options for various types of vaccine have been analysed, and the institutions in charge with this have been identified.



    In a first stage, the vaccine will be given to healthcare personnel and the citizens at the highest risk of developing severe forms of the disease. The fight against this pandemic is also a solidarity test, which we must pass, Klaus Iohannis concluded. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • November 10, 2020

    November 10, 2020

    Coronavirus Romania. Romania’s
    president Klaus Iohannis is holding a fresh meeting to assess the measures
    taken by the authorities to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the
    president’s office, the meeting will be attended by prime minister Ludovic
    Orban, the healthcare and defence ministers, the head of the department for
    emergency situations, the managers of several hospitals and representatives of
    family doctors. Romania saw 7,304 new infections and 177 new deaths on Tuesday, so a total of 314,295 people have been infected
    since the start of the pandemic. A record 1,093 people
    are receiving hospital treatment in intensive care. Epidemiologist and researcher Octavian Jurma
    believes the new restrictions in place as of Monday are not enough to lead to a
    significant drop in the number of new cases and that harsher measures are
    needed.




    Coronavirus world. Global
    coronavirus infections pass 51.2 million, while the death toll is nearing 1.3
    million. The United States is the worst hit country in the world. In Europe,
    which is nearing 13 million cases, national governments are struggling to
    contain the pandemic. Hungary has announced a partial lockdown for the next 30
    days. In France, the police are conducting checks on the streets to verify
    compliance with the restrictions. Many French high school teachers are on strike today to call for more
    efficient measures. In Italy, doctors are saying the situation is getting out
    of control and are asking the government to impose a full lockdown. Meanwhile
    the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced that an experimental
    vaccine it is currently developing offers 90% protection against Covid-19.






    Protest. Members of Sanitas federation of trade unions in the field of healthcare is picketing the government building in Bucharest to protest against
    the authorities’ lack of reaction to the requests for financial, staff and
    logistical assistance. A week ago, dozens of trade union members in the
    healthcare and social assistance areas held a first protest against what they
    described as the authorities’ incoherent crisis strategies for handling the
    pandemic. Sanitas decided to hold such protests outside the government building
    every Tuesday until the right measures are taken.






    Markets. The Chamber of Deputies has passed
    an amendment stipulating that during the state of alert produce markets held in
    enclosed spaces and other market-type places are to remain open, while
    complying with hygiene and social distancing measures in place. The document
    will next be submitted to the president to be signed. Romanian market traders
    are unhappy with the government’s decision to close indoor produce markets as
    part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Local authorities
    around the country have had to come up with alternative solutions to keep the
    markets open. To this end, windows have been removed and stalls moved outdoors,
    onto pavements, in open tents or the wooden stalls used for Christmas and
    Easter markets. Another proposed solution is mobile markets which only operate
    on given days. However, market traders are saying that their goods are
    perishable and difficult to store.




    NATO. The Romanian foreign
    ministry and NATO are today hosting in online format NATO’s annual conference
    on weapons of arms destruction arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.
    The event marks 50years since the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
    of Nuclear Weapons entered into force and provides a framework of discussion in
    the run-up to the review conference of this treaty due in August next year.
    Today’s event is attended, among others, by the Romanian foreign minister
    Bogdan Aurescu, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and the UN under-secretary-general of
    disarmament affairs Izumi Nakamitsu.




    Black Sea. The department for
    sustainable development in the Romanian government is today hosting a top level
    online conference of member states of the Organisation of the Black Sea
    Economic Cooperation. Talks focus on transport in the context of the
    coronavirus pandemic, the environment and green energy, sustainable economic
    development and competition. This year, Romania is holding the rotating
    presidency of this Organisation for the 6th time. (CM)

  • March 17, 2020

    March 17, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania President Klaus Iohannis is today chairing a meeting held by conference call with PM Ludovic Orban and the ministers involved in the management of the COVID-19 outbreak. Also today, Klaus Iohannis is taking part in a European Council conference call focusing on measures to manage the crisis. The head of the Romanian state Monday signed an order introducing a 30-day state of emergency in Romania. The document is to be voted on in Parliament on Thursday. According to official data, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania has reached 184, with 16 people already recovered. Around 3,300 people are in quarantine facilities and nearly 16,600 are self-isolating at home under medical supervision. Scores of criminal investigations have been initiated with respect to thwarting efforts to combat diseases. All asymptomatic persons entering Romania from countries with more than 500 infections, such as Spain, France, or Germany, will enter mandatory self-isolation at home for a period of 14 days. The measure applies to people entering by air and road. Safety measures have been strengthened, with all indoor cultural, scientific, artistic, religious, sports and entertainment activities involving more than 50 people now banned. Parliament has amended its regulations to the effect that in exceptional situations meetings and votes may be held by electronic means.



    COVID-19 World The number of deaths caused around the world by the new coronavirus has exceeded 7000, after Italy Monday announced 349 deaths in 24 hours. A total of over 175,000 cases have been reported so far in 145 countries. Italy, with 2,158 deaths out of 28,000 cases, is the second-worst hit country in the world, after China, which reported 3,213 deaths. France ordered a 15-day lockdown as of today. With over 9,000 cases, Spain has closed borders for non-residents and foreign workers. Hungary, too, has closed borders for foreigners. The European Commission may decide today to close the EU external borders and is considering a ban on non-essential travel. Several European countries have made the unilateral decision to close their borders, fully or partially. In many European countries, schools are closed down, public gatherings have been cancelled and business operations suspended. In the US, president Donald Trump announced strict quarantine measures and believes the epidemic may be followed by a recession. The World Health Organisation director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said governments must do more to fight the coronavirus pandemic. He also emphasised the importance of large-scale testing and screening.



    STOCK MARKET The Bucharest Stock Exchange opened on the rise for all trading indices on Tuesday. Both the BET, which covers the 16 most traded companies, and the BET-Plus, which reflects the stocks of the 37 most traded companies in the Bucharest Stock Exchange, had gone up nearly 1.8%. European stock markets also recovered slightly on Tuesday, after plummeting to a 2012 low on Monday over coronavirus concerns and fears of global recession. Also on Monday, the Wall Street saw the worst decline since the 1987 Black Monday, after president Donald Trump said the coronavirus pandemic may last for months and the American economy might head towards recession. Investors are worried that the authorities will not be able to take efficient measures to address the economic damage caused by the outbreak. Meanwhile, the Philippines stock market Tuesday shut down indefinitely, the first move of this kind in the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.



    RAILWAY The Romanian Railway Corporation suspended, as of today, some international passenger services, including to and from neighbouring Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Hungary, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger trains to Ruse, in Bulgaria, to Chisinau, in Moldova, and local cross-border railway transport on the Hungarian border have been suspended. Passengers may request fill refunds.



    2020 OLYMPICS The president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach is today reviewing the situation of this summers scheduled Olympic Games, due to take place in Tokyo, Japan. In a conference call meeting with the chiefs of international federations, he may announce the postponement of the Games, over the coronavirus pandemic. Also today UEFA is to decide whether to postpone the 2020 European Championship, scheduled to take place in Romania and another 11 countries between June 12 and July 12. Bucharest is supposed to host 4 matches in the final tournament. Romania failed to qualify into the Euro 2020 preliminaries, but may still gain access to the competition if they win the Nations League playoffs scheduled this month. According to the initial calendar, on March 26 Romania should play against Iceland away from home, and if it wins it should play against the winner of the match pitting Hungary against Bulgaria, on March 31.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The sounds of a market

    The sounds of a market

    The “Matache Măcelaru” and “Alexandru Moghioroş” Markets in Bucharest



    The “Matache Măcelaru” Market is located within walking distance from North Station, the main train station in Bucharest, at the crossroads of Calea Griviței and Calea Buzești, the favourite place of merchants and tradesmen in the late 19th Century. One of them was butcher Loloescu Matache. He started doing business in the wake of the Romanian War of Independence, around 1879, when he started building the famous Matache hall, which has recently been demolished. Back then, the market was located on the outskirts of Bucharest. In 1948, it became the “Ilie Pintilie” state-owned market, named after a former Romanian communist leader.



    In the “Drumul Taberei” district in Bucharest, the main market has borne the name of another communist politician, Alexandru Moghioroş, for a long time. Soon after the fall of communism, it was renamed after the famous Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache. Going beyond its name, it is still the market of choice for the district dwellers.





    The Jean Talon Market, Montreal



    The Jean Talon Market, founded in Montreal in 1933 and named in honour of the first governor of New France, is one of the largest markets in North America. It is open during the four seasons. Its visitors – more than 2.5 million in 2018, including tourists – purchase fruits, vegetables, produce, herbs and flowers from local farmers whose farms are generally within 50 km from the market.



    Located in the district of Little Italy, this multicultural market is famous for the wealth of organic produce and regional products of the province of Quebec it offers to its visitors.



    These “scenes of life” were captured between the end of summer and Christmas 2018.





    Weekly Market in Bern



    For over 130 years, a weekly market has been held on the Bundesplatz near the historic old town of the Swiss capital Bern. Local farmers offer their specialities directly in front of the parliament building. Not only many people from the population visit the market. It also attracts tourists – and sometimes you even see a minister shopping.





    Farmers markets in the Czech Republic



    A short distance from the city centre, the embankment Rašínovo nábřeží in Prague is filled with lovers of fresh, local products on Saturdays. The atmosphere of farmers’ markets, with their tastings, seating and often music, attracts locals and tourists. In recent years the number of markets has risen steadily and there are now more than 20 each week in the Czech capital alone. This signifies a revival of sales of fresh foods from regional producers, which was forcibly interrupted during the Communist period.





    Hala Mirowska in Warsaw



    Hala Mirowska is one of the largest markets in Warsaw. It was constructed in the beginning of the 20th century. The building was bombed during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Rebuilt in the 1950s, it was restored to its original function as a market and is now a place where different generations meet.



    It is also a popular spot for tourists, who come here to look for traditional and regional polish products, like sauerkraut, beetroot, sour cream, mushrooms, honey, fresh herbs, smoked cheese and sausage. The market consists also of a modern and very chic hall, but the real charm can be found only in the old area of the market.