Radio România Internațional

Tag: MAY

  • New rules for the election campaign

    New rules for the election campaign

    It is now official: the Romanian government has established, by emergency ordinance, that the presidential election will take place on May 4th and 18th respectively. The presidential vote was supposed to put an end to last year’s electoral marathon, but the Constitutional Court cancelled it, shortly before the second round on December 8, on the grounds that the entire electoral process would have been flawed and hijacked, with the involvement of an external state actor, in the favor of the winner of the first round, Călin Georgescu, considered a pro-Russian extremist. The executive came up with new rules, related to voting in the diaspora and the unfolding of the campaign. Romanians outside the country’s borders will be able to vote for three days, as before, but in modified time intervals.

     

    Thus, on Friday and Saturday, voting in the diaspora will last from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time, but on Sunday, May 4, when voting is also held in the country, the vote will end at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time. This measure was adopted at the proposal of the Permanent Electoral Authority, to avoid leaving a time gap in which the vote can be influenced, after voting ended in Romania, but continued abroad, in the polling stations located west of Romania, on the related time zones. If there are still people abroad who want to vote, the extension of voting in the countries located west of Romania can be done until midnight, Romania’s time. The ordinance also establishes several obligations for posting and distributing election campaign materials online. They must have clear identification elements such as political advertising, including who is paying them or if targeting techniques are used.

     

    Failure to comply with the new rules is sanctioned with a fine of up to 50,000 lei, the equivalent of 10 thousand Euros, and in the case of the large online platforms the fine can reach 5% of the turnover, if the advertising material in question is not removed within five hours from the notification of the Permanent Electoral Authority. According to the government, a monitoring mechanism is underway for the materials that will be published on social networks, and notifications and complaints regarding possible violations of the regulations must be submitted to the Central Electoral Bureau. The new rules aim to prevent what happened before the first round, when the candidate Georgescu, who declared himself independent, was massively promoted, disproportionately compared to the others, on TikTok.

     

    Several important non-governmental organizations have criticized, however, these new provisions which they say were introduced without a prior public debate and could affect the fundamental rights of citizens, being a threat to the freedom of expression. According to the NGOs, the ordinance risks restricting political opinions and legitimate debates. The Save Romania Union (USR) leader, Elena Lasconi, who had qualified in the decisive round alongside Georgescu, criticized the modification of the voting program in the diaspora, saying that it represents an act of discrimination and a serious violation of the right to vote of Romanians abroad. (LS)

  • October 25, 2024

    October 25, 2024

    DAY The Romanian Army Day is being celebrated today through a series of religious services and military ceremonies at the main army barracks across the country and in the operation theatres where the Romanian servicemen have been deployed. The series of ceremonies kicked off at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Carol Park in Bucharest in the presence of the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the Senate President Nicolae Ciuca. The Romanian army is the main pillar of the national defence system, president Iohannis said highlighting that it must continue to benefit ‘a solid financial ground’ significantly over 2% of the GDP. The Day of 25 October has been celebrated since 1959. We recall that on 25 October 1944 the Romanian Army liberated the north-western part of the country occupied by Hungary upon the Vienna Dictate in August 1940. In WWII, Romania’s war effort consisted of the deployment of 540 thousand troops, out of which 90 thousand lost their lives, roughly 60 thousand were reported MIA and over 330 thousand got wounded. After liberating the national territory, the Romanian army continued to fight on the territories of Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Austria alongside the Allies contributing to the Great Victory on 9 May, which marked the end of WWII in Europe.

     

    ELECTIONS The campaign for the first round of the presidential election in Romania has kicked off and is due to end on November 23. The presidential elections are scheduled this year on November 24 (the first round) and on December 8 (the second round). In between, on December 1, the parliamentary election will be held. Competing in the presidential race are 14 candidates, 10 of them backed by political parties and 4 running independently. Local and EU parliamentary elections were also held in Romania this year, on June 9.

     

    CONGRESS Speaking at the European Farmers Congress underway in Bucharest, Romania’s Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, has called for a referendum on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) at European level. The Minister wants the farmers to decide in the aforementioned referendum that the CAP remain structured on two major pillars being separated from other European funds after 2027. Barbu says that the European Commission wants to integrate the CAP into the total funds allotted to every member state. Over 500 farmers from Europe are participating in the European Farmers Congress due in Bucharest over October 23-25.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, FCSB, came a cropper in Glasgow on Thursday, four-nil to local side, Rangers. The Romanians managed to win the games against Latvian side RFS and the Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki, a side coached by the Romanian Razvan Lucescu. Rangers, whose lineup includes the Romanian Ianis Hagi, is presently ranking 11th, while FCSB, with six points out of three matches, ranks 13th.

    (bill)

  • Romania in mini-holiday

    Romania in mini-holiday

    The Orthodox Easter, celebrated on May 5th, this year happens to be very close to Labour Day and that has offered the Romanians a spring mini-holiday, which ends on Monday, May 6th. Almost two thirds of the Romanians choose to spend this holiday at home, mainly people over 60 years of age and those with small incomes – says a recent survey.

    13.5% of the respondents say they don’t celebrate at all this day, while those who chose to take a trip on this day account for 12.5 %. As Labour Day is considered the beginning of the summer holiday very few of the respondents, 3.4%, say they go to the seaside for this holiday.

    However, over 50 thousand tourists are going to be in the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast. In the sunny resorts of the south, like Vama Veche and Costinesti, parties have already kicked off. Thousands of young people from Romania and abroad have arrived at Mamaia North for the electronic music festival Sunwaves.

    According to organizers, 100 Romanian and foreign artists are to attend the aforementioned festival, which is to last for seven nights on the beach. Anti-drug enforcers have also arrived in the area in an attempt to convince the participants to stay away from banned substances. The participants are encouraged to be able to identify first-aid centers, refrain from drinking to excess and be cautious regarding strangers who may offer them drugs concealed as food, drinks, medicine or cigarettes. In case of special situations they are encouraged to directly contact anti-drug experts or call the emergency number 112 in case of health-related issues. A spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry, Monica Dajbog, has told Radio Romania that measures have been taken to ensure public order and for intervention in emergency situations. Around 25 thousand policemen, gendarmes, border police, firefighters and troops from other structures of the Interior Ministry have been deployed to enforce law and order during this mini-holiday in Romania, with emphasis on travel resorts, churches and other crowded places, such as rail stations and airports.

    Over 200 public events are to be staged in this period, which are expected to bring together roughly 167 thousand people. 2.6 million believers are expected to attend religious services at 12,200 churches on the Holy Night of Easter.

    According to surveys, though, the number of those willing to travel on Easter holidays is around 16%, five percentages higher than last year. However, most of the Romanians, roughly 80%, intend to spend Easter with their families at home, while three quarters of them want to attend religious services on the Holy Night of Easter.

    (bill)

  • Messages on Europe Day

    Messages on Europe Day

    Europe must grow stronger, more vocal, more capable
    and better prepared, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said in a message
    on Europe Day, celebrated every year on the 9th of May. According to
    the Romanian head of state, after the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, these
    days we are experiencing the tragedy of the war on the borders of the EU, which
    triggered the most severe humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. In his
    message, Klaus Iohannis points out that this ongoing war goes against all the
    principles and values on which the European Union was built and which keep it
    united-democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights.


    These are unprecedented times in the history of the
    Union, which test our very capacity to safeguard our fundamental values, based
    on the concept on which the European project was built: peace, Mr. Iohannis
    says in his message. According to him, preserving peace has been a constant
    endeavour for Europe for the past decades, a guarantee of stability which has
    enabled us to reach unprecedented levels of prosperity. Klaus Iohannis also
    mentions that this year Romania celebrates 15 years since joining the European
    Union, a choice made and supported by the entire Romanian society.


    The head of state also believes that the benefits of
    this choice are evident today for the long-term progress of our nation, with the
    EU membership providing the framework for an irreversible democratic progress,
    for economic and social development, for solidarity and active engagement in
    the European project.


    The Romanian president also emphasizes that, one and a
    half decades since its accession, Romania is a member state able to contribute
    solutions and to put its strengths at the service of Europe.


    In turn, the PM Nicoale Ciucă, in his message on
    Europe Day, voiced his hope that reason and peace return to the European
    continent as soon as possible. The lessons of World War II must keep us from
    tolerating a war of conquest against another independent state, as Russia does
    today in Ukraine, the PM argues. According to him, WWII, whose end in Europe we
    celebrate on the 9th of May, must remind all of us about the fate of
    tyrants and of those who dream about occupying other countries and controlling
    the world.


    The president of the European Commission, Ursula von
    der Leyen, describes the 9th of May as the day when our peaceful,
    prosperous and united Europe was born. Seventy-two years later, Europe is
    stronger and more united than ever.We stand united in supporting our Ukrainian friends. A
    people desperately struggling to determine its own future, the European Commission
    president pointed out. (A.M.P.)

  • The Beginning of the Summer Season in Romania

    The Beginning of the Summer Season in Romania

    This weekend, which also marks the International
    Workers’ Day with barbeques and parties the summer season officially kicks off
    in Romania. Many Romanians are these days travelling to the seaside resorts on
    the Black Sea coast, where over 100 hotels are expected to be open. According
    to travel operators, after two years of pandemic, people are now appreciating
    holidays more than ever as over 80% of the rooms have already been booked and
    resorts are expected to be crowded this summer season.




    Hotel owners believe that roughly 30 thousand
    tourists are going to spend May Day at the seaside, most of them in the resorts
    of Mamaia and Costinesti. Night clubs and the Sunwaves electronic music
    festival in Mamaia resort are expected to be the main attractions for young
    people these days, as well as the festivals of hip-hop&trap and rock music
    in the resort of Costinesti.




    Prices for a holiday in a seaside resort have risen
    at least 15% and when demand is higher, in the month of August, for instance,
    prices can get even higher, because as the tour operators have explained, like
    in any market economy it is the supply and demand, which is setting the
    price.




    According to Romania’s Tourism Minister, Daniel
    Cadariu, beaches in the seaside resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast have
    been prepared to welcome tourists. They have been cleaned by the National
    Administration ‘Romanian Waters’ and submitted to operators. According to
    Minister Cadariu holiday vouchers, aimed at giving an impetus to local tourism,
    are to soon make it to the employees of the state and some private companies.
    Every institution decides whether to offer these vouchers or not, but they have
    been urged to do it as soon as possible. Here is Tourism Minister Daniel
    Cadariu with more on the issue.




    Daniel Cadariu: In December
    we passed an emergency ordinance, on which every institution based its budget,
    so that they may get the right amount of money. Now it’s true that part of this
    money has so far been spent on public procurement but according to figures
    released last week, nearly 97 million lei have already been deposited into the accounts
    of the beneficiaries.




    The Minister has also announced that private
    companies can also give holiday vouchers up to six minimum wages and aren’t
    limited to the 1450 lei ceiling as the state companies. This could be a real
    stimulus for their employees at a time of severe labour force crisis Minister Cadariu
    went on to say.


    (bill)

  • April 29, 2022

    April 29, 2022

    VISIT The PM of Bulgaria Kiril
    Petkov is on a working visit to Romania today. He will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and will also have talks
    with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. The agenda of the visit also includes a meeting with the European
    Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, and
    the signing of an agreement between the Romanian and Bulgarian governments
    concerning the opening of the Giurgiu – Ruse ferryboat checkpoint. During the visit of the Bulgarian delegation,
    the Romanian defence minister Vasile Dîncu will have talks with his Bulgarian
    counterpart Dragomir Zakov.


    PARLIAMENT The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel
    Ciolacu, announced meetings in the forthcoming period between the leaders of
    the parliaments of Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. A meeting
    may take place in Iaşi (eastern Romania), near the Moldovan border, he added.


    ECONOMY The National Strategy and Forecast Commission revised its economic
    growth estimate for this year from 4.3% predicted in winter down to 2.9% in its
    latest report. According to the Commission, the reassessment was triggered by
    the effects of the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia, while
    the new pandemic wave in China is also expected to deepen trade logjams,
    especially in the automotive industry. The
    Romanian central bank’s deputy governor Leonardo Badea also said, in a
    specialised conference, that the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have
    generated significant economic and fiscal problems.The IMF expects
    Romania’s GDP to go up 2.2% this year, while the World Bank’s estimate is 2.9%.


    CYBER ATTACKS Today’s cyber-attack on websites of Romanian public and
    private institutions was claimed by a cyber-crime group called Killnet, the
    National Cyber Security Directorate announced. A number of Distributed Denial
    of Service (DDoS) attacks targeted websites belonging to the government,
    defence ministry, border police, the passenger railway corporation CFR and OTP
    Bank, and was claimed to be in response to Romania’s support of Ukraine in the
    military conflict with Russia. Prague
    also accused a pro-Russian hacker group of committing cyber-attacks against websites
    run by the Czech public administration, hospitals and private entities on April 21.


    VETERANS Several military ceremonies are held today
    to mark the War Veterans Day in Romania. The defence minister Vasile Dîncu and
    the chief of staff gen. Daniel Petrescu will attend the events at the Monument
    of Heroes in Bucharest, while similar events will take place across the country
    and abroad. Also today, defence ministry officials will have an informal
    meeting in Bucharest with war veterans, children, students, and troops from
    theatres of operations.


    UKRAINE NATO warns that the West must be prepared
    for a long-term conflict. Its deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană said that the
    coming days and weeks may prove decisive, but that the war in Ukraine is likely
    to last longer-perhaps months or even years, depending on many factors. Russia
    carries on its offensive to get full control over the regions of Donetsk and
    Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and to create a land corridor to Crimea, the
    Ukrainian Army announced. Moscow also increased the number of drones flying
    over Odessa region on aerial reconnaissance missions, while local officials say Russia disseminates fake news and
    disinformation in an attempt to induce panic among the civilians in the region.


    FESTIVAL The French Institute in Bucharest, jointly with Europavox,
    organises a series of round tables, panel discussions and workshops entitled What’s
    Next for European Music on May 4 and 5. The participants will look at the
    music sector after the pandemic, opportunities in a new European framework,
    current financing opportunities in the EU, the European culture in solidarity
    with Ukraine, and digital communication in the context of the Covid-19
    pandemic. The debates will be held in English. During the same period, artists
    from 6 European countries will perform in Bucharest as part of the first
    Europavox Festival edition held in Romania.


    MAY
    DAY     The summer
    season officially begins this weekend in Romania. Hotel owners expect nearly
    30,000 tourists to spend May Day on the Black Sea coast. Data centralised by a
    tour operator indicate that over 100 hospitality units are ready to receive
    their guests, with the resorts of Mamaia and Costineşti in the highest demand. (AMP)

  • May Day dishes in Romania

    May Day dishes in Romania

    Because of the ongoing pandemic, on May Day this year Romanians could not go out for barbecues, as they usually do. The custom relates to one of the most complex holidays in the Romanian folk calendar.



    On May Day or Arminden, the tradition was to decorate the gates and windows of village houses with green branches to protect harvests, animals, vineyards and orchards. The holiday was accompanied by an outdoor party where people would eat lamb and fresh cheese and drink wormwood-infused red wine. For this reason, the Arminden Day is also known as Wormwood Day. The wine was believed to make one strong and red-cheeked, which traditionally was a sign of health. But with some men overdoing this part of the custom, the Arminden Day or May Day also came to be called Drunkards Day.



    In România, wormwood wine has been known for hundreds of years, and it used to be prepared for very practical reasons. As wine barrels were gradually emptied, air would go into the barrel, which affected the quality of the wine as weather would become warmer and warmer. In order to prevent the wine from going sour, people would put a sachet with dried wormwood flowers and crushed wormwood seeds into the barrel.



    Another option was maceration. Wormwood plants and seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and quince peel, totalling just a few grams, were soaked in a mixture and wine and alcohol. A week later, the extract was poured into 10 litres of white wine.



    In May Day festivals, pork, chicken or skewered meats are grilled. The mixture of meat varieties, onion, mushrooms and bell pepper next to each other on a grill is common in many other countries. But nothing compares to the grilled ground meat rolls known as “mititei or “mici. Made from a mixture of pork, beef and lamb with a variety of spices, these are similar to the Turkish kebab, but also with a Serbian dish called “cevapi, with the addition of pork, which is traditionally forbidden in Muslim countries.



    Legend has it, according to the famous 19th Century journalist Constantin Bacalbaşa, that the mititei were invented in a pub in downtown Bucharest, when the cook ran out of casing for sausages and so he put just the sausage filling on a grill. The popularity of this dish has grown ever since, and now it is a May Day staple in Romania.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • 23.07.2019

    23.07.2019

    Viorica Dancila, die Vorsitzende der sozialdemokratischen Partei PSD, der wichtigsten Regierungspartei in Rumänien, ist am Dienstag in Bukarest zur Kandidatin für die Präsidentschaftswahlen im Herbst bestimmt worden. Auf dem Kongress der PSD, am 3. August soll diese Kandidatur bestätigt werden. Zuvor hat die Vorsitzende der Sozialdemokraten Gespräche mit Calin Popescu Tariceanu, dem Vorsitzenden ihres Koalitionspartners ALDE und mit Victor Ponta, dem Vorsitzenden der Partei Pro Rumänien, über die Unterstützung eines gemeinsamen Kandidaten der Linken im Präsidentschaftswahlkampf geführt. Diese Gespräche endeten in einer Sackgasse. Politische Beobachter schätzten, Dancila liegt in der Wählergunst auf dem 3. Platz, nach dem Amtsinhaber, Klaus Iohannis, der von den Liberalen unterstützt wird und dem Vorsitzenden der bürgerlichen Allianz USR-PLUS, Dan Barna.






    In Bukarest haben heute der Ungarnverband UDMR und die parlamentarische Gruppe der nationalen Minderheiten die vom rumänischen Präsidenten Klaus Iohannis vorgeschlagene nationale politische Vereinbarung zur Konsolidierung des europäischen Weges Rumäniens unterzeichnen. Am 13. Juni unterzeichneten das Staatsoberhaupt Rumäniens und die Vorsitzenden der liberalen Partei PNL, der bürgerlichen Allianz USR-PLUS, der PMP und der Pro Romania das Dokument. Die regierende PSD und ALDE haben sich geweigert, das Abkommen unter Begründung zu unterzeichnen: einige Vorschläge der beiden Parteien seien vom Präsidenten nicht akzeptiert worden.






    Der frühere britische Au‎ßenminister Boris Johnson wurde am Dienstag zum Vorsitzenden der regierenden konservativen Partei gewählt und wird anstelle von Theresa May Premierminister. Ihm unterlag den derzeitigen Chef der Londoner Diplomatie, Jeremy Hunt, nachdem Johnson 92.153 der rund 159.000 Stimmen der Parteimitglieder erhalten hat. Am Mittwoch wird Johnson nach einem Besuch bei Königin Elizabeth II. die Leitung der Regierung übernehmen. Sie ist es, die ihn offiziell zum Premierminister ernennt. Kurz nach der Bekanntgabe des Sieges versprach Johnson, den Brexit am 31. Oktober umzusetzen. Die Befürworter des Brexits befürchten eine neue Verschiebung.






    Rumänische Studenten haben zwei Silber- und drei Bronzemedaillen bei der 60. Internationalen Mathematik-Olympiade in Bath, Gro‎ßbritannien, vom 10. bis 22. Juli erhalten. Das teilte das rumänische Bildungsministerium mit. Dies ist der renommierteste Wettbewerb dieser Art und wurde 1959 auf Initiative der Rumänischen Gesellschaft für Mathematikwissenschaften ins Leben gerufen, wobei die erste Ausgabe im rumänischen Brasov stattfand. Damals nahmen sieben Ländern daran teil. In Rumänien wurde dieser Wettbewerb bisher sechsmal ausgetragen, zuletzt im vergangenen Jahr in der zentral rumänischen Gro‎ßstadt Cluj.






    Der rumänische Titelverteidiger CFR Cluj tritt am Mittwoch gegen Maccabi Tel Aviv in einem Spiel an, das für die zweite Vorrunde der Champions League zählt. Am Donnerstag spielen drei weitere rumänische Mannschaften in der Vorrunde der Europa League. Der rumänische Pokalsieger Viitorul Constanta trifft auf KAA Gent aus Belgien, der Vize-Meister FCSB auf den armenischen Alashkert FC und die CSU Craiova auf den ungarischen Honved Budapest. Die Rückspiele sind für nächste Woche geplant.




    In Rumänien wird das Wetter in den nächsten Tagen heiter und warm. Vereinzelt wird es noch im Gebirge, in der Landesmitte, im Süden und Osten des Landes regnen. Die THT leigen zwischen 24 und 30 Grad.

  • May 24, 2019

    May 24, 2019

    ELECTIONS Eligible voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic are expected in polling stations today to elect their representatives in the European Parliament. The European elections started on Thursday in the UK and Netherlands, with Latvia, Slovakia and Malta holding the ballot on Saturday and the rest of the EU member states, including Romania, on Sunday. In Romania 13 political parties and 3 independent candidates are running for 33 seats. On the same day, a referendum on the judiciary is scheduled in Romania.




    COUNCIL The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will take part on Tuesday, May 28th, in an informal meeting of the European Council held in Brussels, Bucharest announced on Friday. The participants will look at the results of the elections for the European Parliament, held between May 23rd and 26th. The EU leaders will also have a preliminary discussion regarding the candidates for the top posts in the EU institutions.




    POPE The National Bank of Romania will release on Thursday, May 30th, gold and brass collector coins devoted to Pope Francis visit to Romania, while another brass coin devoted to the same event will be in circulation beginning the same date. The gold coin obverse features images of churches and the localities to be visited by the Pope, along with “Romania, “year of minting 2019 and the monetary value of “500 lei. The reverse, which is common to all the coins, features the portrait and emblem of Pope Francis and inscriptions reading “His Sanctity Pope Francis visit to Romania, “May 31st – June 2nd, and the motto of the visit, “Lets walk together!. The Pope comes to Romania on an invitation from President Klaus Iohannis and of the Romanian Catholic Church. He will visit the capital city Bucharest, the largest city in the east of the country, Iasi, the spiritual capital of Romanian Greek-Catholics, Blaj, where he will beatify 7 bishops killed in communist prisons, and the Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc. In 1999, Romania was the first country with a mostly Orthodox population to have been visited by a Pope, John Paul II.




    MEDAL The Government of Japan awarded Constantin Chiriac, director of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival, the Order of the Rising Sun with neck ribbon, the highest awarded by this country to foreign citizens. The medal was handed to Constantin Chiriac in Bucharest by the Ambassador of Japan, Hitoshi Noda, in a press conference that preceded the start of the 26th edition of the Festival, scheduled between June 14th and 23rd. The founder of a cultural event famous around the world, director of the Radu Stanca Theatre in Sibiu and a professor at the Lucian Blaga University, Constantin Chiriac was rewarded by Japan for his contribution to promoting the Japanese culture in Romania and cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.




    BLACKMAIL In Bucharest, the deputy rector of the ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy, Mihail Marcoci, announced on Friday that he resigned from office, after being placed under court supervision by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The rector and deputy rector of the Police Academy, Adrian Iacob and Mihail Marcoci, are probed into by the Anti-Corruption Directorate, while under court supervision, for suspicions of having prompted an officer, in April 2019, to send a death threat to journalist Emilia Şercan, in order to force her to halt a journalist investigation concerning the Police Academy rector. According to the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, between March and April this year Emilia Şercan published a series of articles covering the award of Ph.D. titles by the ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Police Academy.




    UK The British PM Theresa May announced on Friday that she will step down on June 7th, in response to calls from the Tories to allow a new leader to try and overcome the Brexit standoff, Reuters reports. The procedures for appointing a new prime minister will most likely begin on June 10th. Depending on the number of candidates, the process might take until autumn, but the Conservative Party is hoping to step up the procedure and to be in a position to announce a new leader by the end of July.




    TENNIS The Romanian Sorana Cîrstea (93 WTA) is playing today against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, no 39 in the world and seed no 1, in the semi-finals of the WTA tournament in Nurnberg (Germany). Cîrstea is one of the 4 Romanians taking part in the Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Sunday. She begins with a very difficult match, against the Czech Petra Kvitova (6 WTA). Simona Halep, who won the tournament last year and is currently ranked 3 in the world, plays against the Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (47 WTA), Mihaela Buzărnescu (30 WTA) against Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (60 WTA), and Irina Begu (118 WTA) against Lin Zhu of China (108 WTA). In the mens competition, the only Romanian in the singles tournament is Marius Copil (81 ATP), playing against Benoit Paire of France (51 ATP).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • May 21, 2019 UPDATE

    May 21, 2019 UPDATE

    Meeting — During Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU, Bucharest hosted on May 20th and 21st the informal meeting of the environment ministers from the EU member states. The debates focused on the measures to be taken at European and international level to create the necessary framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Priorities target mainly the reduction of energy consumption. The European Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries Karmenu Vella announced that soon the EC would adopt new guidelines for integrating ecosystem services in the decision-making and green infrastructure process, as regenerative and circular economy should be boosted and a durable agricultural policy promoted. The European official said the EU would make effective progress in the environmental field through the line ministers’ cooperation. The debates also approached biodiversity, the discussions highlighting the importance of integrating biodiversity targets within the relevant sectoral policies and strategies.



    Brexit – The British government approved PM Theresa May’s plan on Brexit, including the compromise measures that are to be included in the law that is to be voted on early next month. The draft law includes the idea of a temporary customs union until future general elections are held as well as measures to guarantee EU workers’ rights and to protect the environment. The passing of the Brexit law by the House of Commons is an almost impossible mission for the government, even though the measures proposed might persuade some of the Labour MPs to vote for it, newspapers write. Jeremy Corbyn pointed out he was opposed to the government’s proposal, considering it is not different from the previous one that has been already rejected 3 times so far. Also the euro skeptic Conservatives announced they would vote against it. The government also discussed preparations for a no-deal Brexit, which, at least for the moment, is still the version provided by the British legislation, unless a deal is reached by October 31.



    Kiev — Romania’s deputy Prime Minister Ana BIrchall on Monday participated in Kiev in the swearing-in ceremony of Ukraine’s president elect, Volodimir Zelenski. According to a government communiqué, Ana Birchall had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian official during which she reiterated Romania’s firm support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally-recognized borders. Strengthening security in the Black Sea region is a common objective, the Romanian official added. She approached the issue of the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine, highlighting the role of minorities as bridges between the two countries. Almost 500 thousand ethnic Romanians live in Ukraine, mostly on the Romanian territories annexed in 1940 by the former USSR and taken over in 1991 by Ukraine as a successor state. (translation by L. Simion)

  • April 30, 2019 UPDATE

    April 30, 2019 UPDATE

    MAY DAY This year, Romanians are celebrating May Day – the International Workers Day, immediately after the Orthodox Easter. The Black Sea coast resorts are the destination of choice for many Romanian tourists, alongside the Danube Delta and the rural regions of Maramures in the north-west. Other Romanians have chosen foreign destinations as well. Interior Ministry staff have been mobilised in particular in the places where major public events are organised.




    VISIT The PM of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă, will be on a visit to Poland on May 1 and 2. On Wednesday, she will take part in Warsaw in a conference of the heads of state and government of the Central and East European countries having joined the EU since 2004: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. On Thursday, the Romanian official will take part in the International March of the Living, an annual educational event in which participants walk the distance between the Nazi death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Viorica Dăcilă will also attend a commemoration ceremony in Birkenau, alongside government officials, religious leaders, student and children organisations.




    JUDICIARY The Deputy Prime Minister and interim Minister of Justice Ana Birchall suspended on Monday the procedures to select a new Prosecutor General in Romania, as well as that for selecting the deputy prosecutor with Eurojust, the agency dealing with criminal cooperation between EU member states. She said that the procedures will resume soon. On April 10, the Justice Ministry announced new procedures for selecting the Prosecutor General, after Minister Toader turned down all 4 candidates. Interviews under the new procedure were scheduled for May 7. Under the law, the Justice Ministers proposal for prosecutor general has to be approved by the Higher Council of Magistracy, and by President Iohannis. Augustin Lazars term in office ended on April 27, with Bogdan Licu appointed as interim prosecutor general.




    EP ELECTIONS The campaign for the European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 26, continues in Romania. 13 political groups are running: from the ruling coalition, the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, as well as the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, which has a collaboration protocol with the coalition. From the opposition, taking part are the National Liberal Party, the USR-PLUS Alliance, the Peoples Movement Party, and ProRomania, a Social Democratic splinter. From outside Parliament, in the running are the UNPR, the National Unity Bloc, United Romania, PRODEMO, the Romanian Socialist Party, and the Independent Social Democratic Party. Three independents have also announced their candidacy. Romania will have 33 members in the new European Parliament. The 33rd MEP can only take office after Brexit comes into effect. Romanians abroad can go to 441 polling stations, most of them in Italy, Spain, and neighbouring Moldova. On that same day, Romanians will also vote in a referendum on the judiciary, called by President Klaus Iohannis.




    ABDICATION Emperor Akihito of Japan, aged 85, Tuesday ended his 30-year reign, being the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in over 2 centuries. As of May 1, Japan enters a new imperial era, called Reiwa, corresponding to the rule of Akihitos son, Naruhito (59). “I sincerely wish that the Reiwa era will be a stable and fruitful one, and I pray, with all my heart, for peace and happiness for all the people in Japan and around the world, Emperor Akihito said in his abdication address. Akihito took over the throne on January 8, 1989, at the age of 55, after the death of Hirohito, under whose rule Japan fought in WW II. Japan has the oldest monarchy in the world, and the Japanese imperial family is the longest hereditary dynasty, going back 2,600 years.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Brexit delayed

    Brexit delayed

    The UK leaving
    the EU was scheduled for March 29, but British Prime Minister Theresa May has
    called for postponement for June 30. After nearly seven hours of talks, the
    heads of state and government from EU member states decided to give the UK not
    one, but two deadlines for Brexit, neither of which is slated for the end of
    June.






    According to the
    first scenario, if the withdrawal agreement negotiated with the EU is approved
    next week, despite being rejected twice already, the European Council has
    agreed to postponing Brexit for May 22.






    In the second
    scenario, if the agreement falls through, the Council proposes a postponement
    for April 12, by which date Great Britain must make a decision. In other words,
    all options are on the table by April 12: the British Government can organize
    elections for the European Parliament and then ask for a new delay of Brexit,
    Britain can withdraw without an agreement or option number three, it can move
    to revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit altogether. From Romania’s perspective,
    a no-deal Brexit is a lose-lose scenario.






    President Klaus Iohannis: The agreement is good, we all contributed to
    its elaboration, it was negotiated by our team and it’s the best possible
    version. A so-called ‘hard Brexit’ poses many problems, first to Great Britain
    and then to us, because we want to build for the future and it’s best we start
    on the right foot.






    In the event
    Parliament rejects the agreement a third time, Brussels has contingency
    measures set in place to protect its citizens and the interests of the EU, says
    European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.






    A number of 19
    legislative proposals have been adopted aimed at dealing with the effects of a
    no-deal Brexit, concerning citizens’ rights, air and road transport and fishing
    sector.




    As regards Prime
    Minister Theresa May, she claims delaying Brexit is an opportunity for the
    British Parliament to finally accept the withdrawal agreement and thus put an
    end to uncertainty once and for all. A source of political turmoil at home,
    Brexit has also had a powerful emotional impact on the British population.






    Four in ten
    British adults said they have been left angry, powerless or worried by Brexit
    in the past year, according to a recent poll. Only 9% of respondents said
    Brexit made them feel hopeful. As for European citizens, they never cease to
    wonder if the effort is worth the hassle.



  • Brexit, eine endlose Saga?

    Brexit, eine endlose Saga?

    Ein einzigartiger Fall in der Geschichte der Europäischen Union, die im Laufe der Jahrzehnte von 6 auf 28 Mitglieder angewachsen ist, erweist sich der Brexit als schwieriger zu handhaben als die aufeinanderfolgenden EU-Erweiterungen. Seit drei Jahren hat der Austritt Gro‎ßbritanniens aus der Union London gelähmt, die EU-Einrichtungen in Brüssel in Schwierigkeiten gebracht und überall Angst und Verwirrung ausgelöst. Am 23. Juni 2016 stimmten rund 17,4 Millionen Briten von insgesamt 66 Millionen Einwohnern des Vereinigten Königreichs für den Austritt aus der Europäischenn Union. Sie machten weniger als 52 Prozent der Befragten aus.



    Die Landkarte des Vereinigten Königreichs weist Diskrepanzen auf. Schottland, Nordirland und die Londoner Metropole wollen in der EU bleiben; wichtige englische Industriestädte, ländliche Siedlungen und Wales wollen die Europäische Union verlassen. Der konservative Premierminister David Cameron, ein Anhänger der Europäischen Union, und der Mann, der das Brexit-Referendum organisiert hat, ist kurz danach zurückgetreten. Ersetzt wurde er von der euroskeptischen Theresa May, die aber gegen den Brexit abgestimmt hatte. Seitdem führt Premierministerin Theresa May einen schweren Kampf in diesem mühsamen Unterfangen und versucht, zwischen den Forderungen von Brüssel und den Erwartungen ihrer eigenen Bürger (Pro und Anti-Brexit) zu vermitteln.



    Vor zwei Jahren hatte Premierministerin May bekanntgegeben, dass das Vereinigte Königreich nicht mehr Teil des Binnenmarktes sein könne, weil der Binnenmarkt mit Londons Wunsch, die Abwanderung vom Kontinent zu stoppen, inkompatibel sei. Bald darauf kündigten die britische Premierministerin Theresa May und der Präsident der Europäischen Kommission, Jean-Claude Juncker, eine erste Vereinbarung über die drei Hauptkapitel der sog. Gütertrennung nach der Scheidung” an. Es handelte sich und die Finanzregelung, die Rechte der europäischen Bürger im Vereinigten Königreich und der britischen Staatsbürger in der EU, und um den Status der Grenze zwischen Ulster und die Republik Irland. Dies entsprach jedoch nicht den Forderungen des Parlaments in London, wo der Brexit durch aufeinanderfolgende Nein-Abstimmungen weit über die ursprüngliche Frist vom 29. März hinauszugehen scheint.



    Am Donnerstag sagte der Beauftragte der EU-Kommission für die Verhandlungen zu dem Brexit, Michel Barnier, in Bukarest, niemand hätte ihn von den Vorteilen des Brexits überzeugen können, und die zweite Ablehnung der Vereinbarung, die er mit Premierministerin May verhandelt habe, hätte die Dinge noch erschwert. Dies sei eine Situation, in der beide Seiten verlieren würden, betonte Michel Barnier.



    Wir bedauern, aber gleichzeitig respektieren wir die Entscheidung der Mehrheit der britischen Bevölkerung, so der EU-Unterhändler. Seine Gesprächspartner in Bukarest – Staatspräsident Klaus Iohannis, Ministerpräsidentin Viorica Dăncilă und der Minister für europäische Angelegenheiten George Ciamba – betonten einstimmig, dass es wichtig sei, die Rechte von über 400.000 rumänischen Staatsbürgern im Vereinigten Königreich im Fall eines Brexits ohne Vereinbarung zu sichern. Die Bukarester Regierung bemüht sich auch darum, dass die Rechte der britischen Bürger in Rumänien respektiert werden, hie‎ß es vom Au‎ßenministerium.



    Die Kommentatoren weisen darauf hin, dass, unabhängig von den bürokratischen Konvulsionen im Zusammenhang mit dem Brexit, die bilateralen Beziehungen zwischen Rumänien und Gro‎ßbritannien hervorragend seien. Auch wenn sie keine Partner mehr in der EU werden, bleiben die beiden Länder jedoch als NATO-Mitglieder verbündet.

  • Brexit, a never-ending story?

    Brexit, a never-ending story?

    An
    unprecedented occurrence in the history
    of the EU, Brexit now seems much harder to manage than any number of EU
    expansions. For three years now, Brexit has paralyzed London, encumbered
    Brussels and caused unrest and confusion everywhere. On June 23, 2016, some
    17.5 million Brits, out of a population of over 66 million, voted in favor of
    their country leaving the community bloc. They accounted for less than 52% of
    the total voter turnout. At the time, voting intentions were contrasting:
    Scotland, Northern Ireland and London voted to stay, while big industrial
    cities in England, rural areas and Wales voted to leave.

    The then Conservative
    Prime Minister David Cameron, an advocate of his country staying in the Union
    and the man who organized the referendum, resigned shortly after the result of
    the referendum became clear. Next to replace him was Theresa May, a Eurosceptic
    by continental standards, yet one who voted against Brexit. She has since been
    managing this hot topic, trying to strike a balance between the EU’s demands
    and the expectations of her fellow citizens, be they pro- or anti-Brexit.

    Two
    years ago, Theresa May announced the UK could no longer be part of the EU
    single market, as that no longer fitted London’s clampdown on immigration.
    Subsequently, the British Prime Minister and the European Commission President
    Jean-Claude Juncker reached a preliminary agreement on three essential aspects
    of Brexit: financial regulation, the rights of EU citizens in the UK and of
    British citizens in Europe and the Irish border. That did not satisfy the
    British Parliament though, which has repeatedly voted against an agreement with
    the EU, which might postpone the deadline for Brexit, originally slated for
    March 29.

    On a visit to Bucharest on Thursday, the EU Chief Negotiator for
    Brexit Michel Barnier said no one has yet succeeded to prove to him the
    benefits of Brexit, and Parliament’s second negative vote on Prime Minister
    May’s negotiated agreement is complicating things even more. This is a
    lose-lose situation, the EU official said, saying however that the Union
    respects the decision of the majority of British people.

    On the other hand, Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and Minister Delegate
    for European Affairs, George Ciamba all seemed to agree on the importance of
    guaranteeing the rights of the over 400,000 Romanian citizens living in the UK
    in case of a no-deal Brexit. The Government in Bucharest will make sure the
    rights of the British citizens in Romania are observed, the Foreign Ministry has
    stated. Political pundits say that, irrespective of the bureaucratic confusion
    created by Brexit, Romanian-British relations remain strong. Also, the two
    countries will remain allies as part of NATO after the UK leaves the European
    Union.

  • Nachrichten 04.11.2018

    Nachrichten 04.11.2018

    Journalisten von der investigativen Rise Project-Gruppe sind in den Besitz tausender hausinterner Dokumente des umstrittenen Bau-Unternehmens TelDrum gekommen. Es handele sich dabei um einen Aktenkoffer mit wesentlichen Informationen, zu denen die Antikorruptions-Staatsanwälte der DNA bei der Hausdurchsuchung vom letzten Jahr keinen Zugang hatten. Der Aktenkoffer sei von einem Gemeinden-Bewohner aus dem Landkreis Teleorman auf seinem Grundstück entdeckt worden, hieß es. Der Betreffende habe anschließend den Kontakt zu den Journalisten vom RISE Projekt aufgenommen. Vertrauliche Papiere eines rumänischen Geheimdienstes hatten letztes Jahr belegt, dass Tel Drum von dem Chef der regierenden Sozialdemokraten, Liviu Dragnea, kontrolliert worden sei. Über das lokale Bauunternehmen hätten sich Privatpersonen aus dem Umfeld Dragneas aus öffentlichen Gelder bereichert. Die Ermittlungen laufen derzeit. Journalisten von Rise Project kündigten an, die jetzt erhaltenen Dokumente nach Auswertung der Informationen schrittweise veröffentlichen zu wollen.


    Die rumänische Ministerpräsidentin Viorica Dăncilă hat sich am Sonntag mit seiner Königlichen Hoheit Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud al-Said, dem stellvertretenden Premierminister des Ministerrates des Sultanats Oman, getroffen. Die beiden Amtsträger bewerteten den Status der bilateralen Beziehungen und schätzten den positiven Trend der letzten Jahre. Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă zeigte sich überzeugt, dass die Eröffnung der rumänischen Botschaft in Maskat und die Unterzeichnung des Abkommens zwischen den Regierungen der beiden Länder über die Aufhebung der Visumpflicht für Inhaber von Diplomaten-, Sonder- und Dienstpässen wichtige Schritte zur Vertiefung des bilateralen politischen Dialogs seien. Der Vize-Premier des Oman al Said betonte die Existenz zahlreicher Investitionsmöglichkeiten, die Bedeutung der Zusammenarbeit auf Ebene der beiden Industrie- und Handelskammern sowie den Erfahrungsaustausch zwischen Unternehmen. Es war das erste Treffen auf Führungsebene der beiden Regierungen seit der Aufnahme der diplomatischen Beziehungen am 1. Mai 1974. Dăncilă wird ihre Tour auf der Arabischen Halbinsel mit einem Besuch im Katar fortsetzen.



    Eine Mission des Internationalen Währungsfonds unter der Leitung des Missionsleiters Jaewoo Lee wird vom 6. bis 12. November zu Besuch nach Bukarest kommen. Laut dem in Rumänien und Bulgarien ansässigen Vertreter des IWF, Alejandro Hajdenberg, werden die Experten des Fonds die jüngsten wirtschaftlichen und finanziellen Entwicklungen in Rumänien untersuchen, die makroökonomischen Aussichten aktualisieren und die Haushaltsvorlage für 2019 diskutieren. Derzeit hat Rumänien kein Finanzierungsabkommen mit dem IWF, aber das Finanzinstitut bewertet jährlich die Entwicklung der rumänischen Wirtschaft.



    Der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis wird sich am 14. November in London mit der britischen Premierministerin Theresa May treffen, verlautete es aus offiziellen Quellen, die von Nachrichtenagenturen bestätigt wurden. An demselben Tag wird der rumänische Staatschef auf Einladung von Königin Elizabeth II. an einem Empfang im Buckingham Palace anlässlich des 70. Geburtstags des britischen Kronprinzen Charles teilnehmen.