Radio România Internațional

Tag: medal

  • 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)

  • February 23, 2019 UPDATE

    February 23, 2019 UPDATE

    CONSULTATIONS The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, had talks on Saturday with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, on the sidelines of the EU – Leage of Arab States held in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis said the relationship between the 2 countries is very good and solid, and Egypt is one of Romanias traditional friends in the region and a key factor in ensuring regional stability and security. The 2 heads of state expressed their determination and interest in strengthening bilateral relations, with a focus on economic aspects. In this context, President Iohannis mentioned the increase in bilateral trade, which exceeded 918 million US dollars in 2018, making Egypt Romanias main trade partner in the region.




    PES The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă had a meeting on Saturday with the PM of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, on the sidelines of the congress of the Party of European Socialists in Madrid. The 2 officials appreciated the decision to organise a Romania-Spain business and investment forum and the opening of a Romanian economic mission in Madrid, on March 13th. They also talked about the Romanian community in Spain, as well as means to diversify economic relations. PM Dancila reaffirmed interest in attracting Spanish investments in Romania, in infrastructure as well as in the automotive field, agri-food, pharmaceuticals, and IT.





    PROTESTS Magistrates in Bucharest and several other Romanian cities decided to suspend work for a week, as of Monday, after on Friday they protested in front of court buildings against new changes in the justice laws. Prosecutors and judges say that Government Emergency Decree 7, passed by the Government early this week, may lead to institutional deadlock and affect their independence. One of the provisions that angered the magistrates says that judges having previously worked as prosecutors may be appointed as chief prosecutors, and waives the seniority criterion. The emergency decree has been criticised both in Brussels, by the European Commission, and in Romania, by magistrate associations, the prosecutors division in the Higher Council of Magistracy and by the right-of-centre Opposition.




    MEDAL The Aurelia Dacorum Romanian gendarme unit in Afghanistan was awarded the Non-Article 5 medal in recognition of its six-month participation in the Resolute Support Mission in that country. According to a Facebook post of the Romanian Gendarme Corps, the medal was granted by brigadier general Markus Kurczyk (Germany) and the director of Police Institutional Advisory Team, colonel Warren Brainard (US).




    HUNGARIAN The incumbent leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Hunor Kelemen, was re-elected party president at the congress held in Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania. The only candidate for this position, Hunor Kelemen won a 3rd term in office as president of the main political party representing the 1.5-million strong Hungarian community in Romania. The party supports the leftist ruling coalition in Romania, and has been represented in Parliament without interruptions since 1990.




    MOLDOVA In the Republic of Moldova, parliamentary elections are held on Sunday. The recently modified election legislation scrapped the so-called reflection day, so candidates may campaign on the very day of the election as well. For the first time, a mixed voting system will be used, with 50 MPs elected on party lists and another 51 in a single-choice system, in one voting round. Polls indicate President Igor Dodons pro-Russian Socialist party is ahead, with nearly 40% of voter intentions, followed by a pro-European right-of-centre election cartel called ACUM, with 25%, and the pro-Western Democratic Party with 15%. A referendum is also held at the same time, concerning the reduction of the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and the possibility to have them removed from office by citizens.




    HANDBALL The Romanian womens handball team CSM Bucharest was defeated on Saturday by the Hungarian side Gyor, 27-25, in a home game in Group 2 of the Champions League. In the first leg, title holder Gyor had won 36-27. With this victory, Gyor secured the top place in the group and remains undefeated in the Champions League in 19 games. CSM Bucharest is to play next on March 2, in Ljubljana, against RK Krim Mercator.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 30, 2018 UPDATE

    December 30, 2018 UPDATE

    EU Romania takes over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, for the first time since its accession in 2007. The priorities of the Romanian presidency focus on 4 areas: Europe of convergence, A Safer Europe, Europe, a stronger global actor, and Europe of common values. During its term, Romania will have to manage several complex issues like Brexit, the 2021-2027 budget, a coherent strategy on migration and increasing the Unions global role. The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. The page, available at românia2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts. The calendar of the Romanian presidency will be posted on this website after January 15th.




    POLICE Over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Some 9,000 police with more than 3,000 vehicles are in charge of preventing and handling events that might jeopardise public safety and security. A helicopter of the Aviation Inspectorate General, with a policeman also on board, will monitor the most crowded areas. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. Meanwhile, the Police continue searches for the Brasov robbery perpetrators, who on Friday night blew up an ATM containing over 30,000 euros. The door and front window of the respective bank unit were shattered and pieces were scattered on the sidewalk and in the street.




    MONARCHY Romania Sunday commemorated 71 years since monarchy was abolished and the country was declared a “peoples republic. On December 30th, 1947, with the country under Soviet military occupation and headed by a communist puppet government, King Mihai I was forced to relinquish power and to leave the country. Previously, on August 23rd, 1944, during WW2, the King had ordered the arrest of the countrys de facto leader, Marshall Ion Antonescu, Romanias withdrawal from its alliance with Hitlers Germany and joining its traditional allies, the USA and Britain. Historians say this decision shortened the war by at least 6 months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. King Mihai I was only allowed to return to Romania after the 1989 Revolution, when he regained his Romanian citizenship and some of his properties. The King lobbied for Romanias accession to NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007. He passed away on December 5th, 2017, at 96 years of age. His first born, Princess Margareta, is custodian of the Crown and the Kings successor as head of the Royal House of Romania.




    TOURISM Over 2 million foreigners checked in during the first 9 months of this year in Romanian hotels and boarding houses. According to the National Statistics Institute, they spent more than 1 billion euros. Foreign tourists came to Romania for business, congresses, conferences, courses, trade fairs and exhibitions. Close to half of them used travel agencies to arrange their trips to Romania, and most of them travelled by plane.




    MEDAL A Romanian woman born in Timişoara (west) and currently the owner of a bar in Rome was decorated by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, for her courage of informing against 2 members of a mafia family. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Italy, Roxana Roman, 34, was granted the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, for her contribution to upholding the law. Roxana Roman owns a bar in Romanina neighbourhood in Rome, where on Easter day 2 members of the Casamonica mafia family attacked her husband, Marian Roman, and a client with disabilities. Although the mobsters ravaged the bar and warned them not to report the matter to the police, the Romanians were not intimidated and informed against them. It was the natural thing to do, said Roxana Roman. “The neighbourhood has been living in fear for a long time. There are lots of people willing to change things, but we need a new attitude, and this begins with ourselves, she told Italian mass media.




    MIGRANTS Romanian border police in Nadlac (west) found 41 foreigners attempting to cross the Hungarian border on foot, illegally. The Border Police Inspectorate announced on Sunday that during an operation to combat illegal migration they arrested 22 people who were trying to cross illegally into Hungary. They notified the Hungarian authorities, who searched the area and found another 19 illegal migrants. Of the individuals found on the Romanian side of the border, 21 are Iraqis and 1 Afghan, 15 adults of 19 to 40 years of age and 7 children, most of them seeking asylum in Romania. They said they were trying to get into Western European countries to find jobs.




    TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) Sunday qualified into the eighth-finals of the WTA tournament in Shenzhen (China), after beating Magda Linette of Poland, cu 6-3, 6-3. Cîrstea is to play next against Pauline Parmentier (France). Also on Sunday the Romanian Irina Maria Bara and the Georgian Oksana Kalashinkova moved up into the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen doubles.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • December 30, 2018

    December 30, 2018

    EU The official web page of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council has been launched. Romania is to take over the helm of the Council on January 1, 2019, for 6 months. The page, available at românia2019.eu, in Romanian, English and French, provides useful information for journalists, the general public and European affairs experts. The calendar of the Romanian presidency will be posted on this website after January 15th.




    MONARCHY Romania today commemorates 71 years since monarchy was abolished and the country was declared a “peoples republic. On December 30th, 1947, with the country under Soviet military occupation and headed by a communist puppet government, King Mihai I was forced to relinquish power and to leave the country. Previously, on August 23rd, 1944, during WW2, the King had ordered the arrest of the countrys de facto leader, Marshall Ion Antonescu, Romanias withdrawal from its alliance with Hitlers Germany and joining its traditional allies, the USA and Britain. Historians say this decision shortened the war by at least 6 months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. King Mihai I was only allowed to return to Romania after the 1989 Revolution, when he regained his Romanian citizenship and some of his properties. The King lobbied for Romanias accession to NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007. He passed away on December 5th, 2017, at 96 years of age. His first born, Princess Margareta, is custodian of the Crown and the Kings successor as head of the Royal House of Romania.




    MEDAL A Romanian woman born in Timişoara (west) and currently the owner of a bar in Rome was decorated by the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, for her courage of informing against 2 members of a mafia family. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Italy, Roxana Roman, 34, was granted the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, for her contribution to upholding the law. Roxana Roman owns a bar in Romanina neighbourhood in Rome, where on Easter day 2 members of the Casamonica mafia family attacked her husband, Marian Roman, and a client with disabilities. Although the mobsters ravaged the bar and warned them not to report the matter to the police, the Romanians were not intimidated and informed against them. It was the natural thing to do, says Roxana Roman. “The neighbourhood has been living in fear for a long time. There are lots of people willing to change things, but we need a new attitude, and this begins with ourselves, she told Italian mass media.




    POLICE Over 25,000 Interior Ministry personnel are on duty during the New Years holiday. Some 9,000 police with more than 3,000 vehicles are in charge of preventing and handling events that might jeopardise public safety and security. A helicopter of the Aviation Inspectorate General, with a policeman also on board, will monitor the most crowded areas. Special attention will be paid to the protection of the participants in the 125 large-scale public events expected to bring together a total of 300,000 people. The largest shows will be organised in Bucharest, Brasov, Sibiu and Cluj Napoca. Meanwhile, the Police continue searches for the Brasov robbery perpetrators, who on Friday night blew up an ATM containing over 30,000 euros. The door and front window of the respective bank unit were shattered and pieces were scattered on the sidewalk and in the street.




    TOURISM Over 2 million foreigners checked in during the first 9 months of this year in Romanian hotels and boarding houses. According to the National Statistics Institute, they spent more than 1 billion euros. Foreign tourists came to Romania for business, congresses, conferences, courses, trade fairs and exhibitions. Close to half of them used travel agencies to arrange their trips to Romania, and most of them travelled by plane.




    HANDBALL Romanias mens handball team Saturday night lost the final of the “4 Nations Cup, held in the Polish city of Opole, against the host country Poland. The score was 6-5 after penalty shootouts. In the semis Romania beat the Czech Republic 27-26. The national team, coached by Spains Manuel Montoya and the Romanian Eliodor Voica, is next to have a training session in Slovakia, followed by a tournament in which the host country and Netherlands are also taking part. The mens handball team failed to qualify into the World Championship due next month in Germany and Denmark. On the other hand, Romanias womens handball team has already booked its ticket to next years World Championship in Japan, after finishing 4th in the European Championship in France this month.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • September 21, 2018

    September 21, 2018

    POLITICS – The leaders of the Social Democratic Party in power in Romania convene today, after a few top-level members signed an open letter requesting the resignation of Liviu Dragnea as president of the party and as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies. The authors of the letter claim Dragneas legal problems have turned into a major weakness for the party, particularly considering the forthcoming European Parliament and presidential elections due in 2019 and local and legislative elections scheduled for 2020. The signatories also request that PM Viorica Dǎncilă, the executive president of the Social Democratic Party, should act as interim president until the party holds a special congress. The president of the Social Democratic Party may only be elected and dismissed by the party members, in congress.




    INDICTMENT – The chief of the Romanian Gendarme Forces, col. Ionuţ Cătălin Sindile, and senior deputy chief col. Gheorghe Sebastian Cucoş, have been indicted today in relation to the anti-governmental protest of August 10th in Bucharest. They are investigated for complicity to abuse of office. The General Prosecutors Office has also summoned as suspects in this case major Laurenţiu Cazan, the chief of the Bucharest Gendarme Directorate, and chief commissioner Mihai Dan Chirică, secretary of state with the Interior Ministry. We remind you that during the August 10th protests violent clashes took place between the participants and the gendarmes, and the latter used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. Military prosecutors started a criminal investigation into the gendarme intervention. As many as 770 people filed criminal complaints. The interior minister Carmen Dan has recently stated that the protest was approached as an event posing risks to public order, and that the gendarme intervention was lawful.




    PENSIONS – The Government of Romania has discussed a new pension bill with representatives of trade unions and employer associations. This was the first 3-party meeting on the topic, organised in line with a special calendar agreed on for the endorsement of this law. PM Viorica Dăncilă says the new pension law will first and foremost address inequities in the public system. While the deputy president of the Romanian Employers Association Dan Matei Aghaton announced the organisation supports the new bill, the trade union leader Bogdan Hossu pointed out that some aspects, such as special working conditions, unfair employee penalties, and minimum wage increases, will have to be regulated by means of further pieces of legislation.




    ADOPTIONS – The Government of Romania has earmarked additional funds for child protection and has taken measures to encourage adoption. The goal is to step up the procedure for and extend the period in which a child is regarded as adoptable, and to reduce red tape in the field. New financial incentives have also been introduced. The adoption process in Romania is rather complex, and the country ranks among the last in Europe with only 800 adoptions per year, although the number of abandoned children is around 55,000.




    MEDAL – Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, is to award today the “Nihil Sine Deo royal decoration to the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. Just like the King Michael I Loyalty Medal and the Cross of the Royal House of Romania, ‘Nihil Sine Deo’ is granted by decision of the chief of the Royal House. It was introduced in 2009 and it may be granted to leading social, scientific, educational, cultural, spiritual, economic, political and military personalities. The medal can also be awarded to Romanian or foreign current and former ambassadors having made a noteworthy contribution to Romanias international relations.




    BUCHAREST – This weekend, the Days of the City of Bucharest will be marking 559 years since the Romanian capital was first mentioned in official records, as well as 100 years since the Union of December 1, 1918, when Romanian provinces were united into a nation state. Major international musicians were invited to perform in the city, including pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir on Friday and pop-rock star Rod Stewart on Sunday. On Saturday, the worlds best multimedia artists will display spectacular light and laser shows on the walls of the Parliament Palace. A symphonic concert and multimedia show opened the Bucharest Days series on Thursday night, when the fountains in the Union Square were reopened, after extensive revamping works. Built in the late ‘80s under the communist regime, the fountain system downtown Bucharest is one of the longest in the world, 1.4 km, with 16,200 m² water surface area.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 20, 2017 UPDATE

    June 20, 2017 UPDATE

    POLITICAL CRISIS – The Parliament of Romania is to vote on Wednesday on the no-confidence motion that the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania tabled against their own Government. Although the Cabinet has lost the political support of the coalition, and most ministers have resigned, PM Sorin Grindeanu will not step down. The Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea, and the president of ALDE Călin Popescu Tăriceanu said the replacement of the governing team was necessary, considering the delays in the implementation of the governing programme. The accusation is denied by the PM, who claims the report drawn up by the Social Democrats to assess his work is biased. The Grindeanu Cabinet was sworn in after the legislative election of December 2016. Should the motion pass, it will be for the first time in post-communist Romania that a ruling party brings down its own government.




    VISIT – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, was awarded on Tuesday the Dresden Medal of St. George of the Semper Opera Ball, at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. He dedicated the medal to the Romanian-German friendship. In his address on the occasion, the President reiterated Romanias commitment to the future of the European project. Also on Tuesday, he took part in Berlin in a commemoration of refuge and expulsion victims at the German History Museum. The World Refugee Day, marked on June 20, is a time to reflect on the challenges that humanitarian organisations must handle, in order to identify sustainable solutions to the refugee problems, Iohannis said. He added that Europeans must not forget what brought them together, namely cultural diversity, tolerance and inclusive societies. On the first day of his official visit to Germany, President Iohannis had talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of Germany Frank Walter Steinmeier.




    REFUGEE DAY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the celebration, on June 20, of the World Refugee Day, and mentions in a news release that Romania granted over 1.5 million euros in 2015-2016, for refugee programmes. Since 1991, around 27,000 people have applied for a form of protection in Romania. Of them, nearly 5,000 have received protection as refugees. Since the beginning of this year, 1,700 people applied for asylum, most of the applicants coming from Syria, Iraq and Pakistan. The number of refugees at world level last year reached a new record, of 65.6 million. The top country of origin remains Syria, with 5.5 million people fleeing that country since the start of the conflict.




    DANUBE SWIM – A Romanian librarian, Avram Iancu, has set out to swim the 2,860 km long River Danube, from its spring to the Black Sea. He started on Tuesday in Germany, and is going to swim 50 km per day, to arrive in Sulina port in south-eastern Romania on August 20, crossing 10 countries and 4 European capital cities. Only two people have so far managed to swim the entire length of the River Danube: the Slovenian Martin Strel, in 2000, and the Canadian Mimi Hughes 6 years later. The Romanian librarian is known for having managed to swim across the English Channel, last August, reaching France from England in nearly 18 hours.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • June 8, 2016 UPDATE

    June 8, 2016 UPDATE

    Official visit – The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Ciolos, will be on an official visit to France on Thursday and Friday. According to a Government news release, on Thursday the Romanian PM will address the Council of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. On Friday Ciolos is to meet his French counterpart, Manuel Valls, and sign an updated roadmap for the Romanian-French strategic partnership, and he will also be received by the President of France François Hollande. Ciolos and Hollande will attend together on Friday night in Paris the football match between France and Romania, which opens the 2016 European Championship.




    Parliament – The Chamber of Deputies Wednesday endorsed a simple motion against the Agriculture Minister Achim Irimescu tabled by the leftist Social Democratic Party and the right-of-centre Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The Deputies made this decision with 189 votes in favour and 11 against, while 89 MPs abstained from voting. According to the authors, the document penalises, among other things, the failure to pay farmers subsidies and to use EU funds and the flawed management of the Ministry and the subordinated units. The motion was discussed in the Chamber of Deputies 3 weeks ago, in the presence of Minister Irimescu, who said he had nothing to feel guilty about.





    Salaries – The Government of Romania Wednesday passed a draft bill on salaries in the public sector for 2016. The bill is designed to address dysfunctions and inequities in the system, by introducing a bonus system based on performance criteria and working on the principle of equal pay for equal jobs and seniority. The Labour Minister, Dragoş Pîslaru, said that 50% of the benefits in the new system will be available as of August, and the entire system will be applicable starting the end of 2017. The draft bill will be submitted to Parliament for discussion and approval, and the law is to take effect in September.





    Medal – The Romanian National Anti-Corruption Directorates Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi has been awarded the French highest civilian decoration, that of Knight of the Legion of Honour. It was awarded by the French Ambassador to Bucharest, François Saint Paul. At the award ceremony, the French Ambassador highlighted the fact that the Romanian anti-corruption agencys results were outstanding. In confirmation of that came a European Union report, ranking the National Anti-Corruption Directorate among Europes top five such institutions. The French Ambassador went on to say the head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate was an epitome of professionalism, integrity and probity. In turn, Laura Codruta Kovesi stated that the fight against corruption was central to safeguarding the rule of law in Romania.

  • November 5, 2015

    November 5, 2015

    Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has today announced it appointed Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu as interim prime minister to replace Victor Ponta who resigned on Wednesday after mass street protests. President Iohannis will hold talks with political parties later today and will nominate a new prime minister later this week, tasked with forming a new government, which needs parliamentary approval. The head of state is today meeting with representatives of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), part of the ruling coalition, of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) – both in opposition -and of the group of national minorities. Consultations will continue on Friday with the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), both part of the ruling coalition. President Iohannis has also announced that he will bring “a new actor” to the table, that is a group which represents civil society and the street, to listen to their wishes and opinions.




    133 people, of whom 80 in serious condition, are still in hospital following the fire in the “Colectiv” nightclub, which caused the death of 32 people, authorities have announced. The death toll could rise significantly, doctors have warned, given that the club décor that burnt in the fire gave off extremely noxious gases and the injuries caused are atypical, including burns involving large areas of the skin, lung necrosis and extensive respiratory damage.




    Wednesday evening’s protests in Bucharest and several other Romanian cities, attended by tens of thousands of people, made headlines throughout the world. In spite of prime minister Victor Ponta’s resignation, France Press reports, protesters are asking for a government made up of technocrats, against the background of their lack of confidence in political parties. Reuters reports that protesters believe that the government’s resignation should be the start of a reform of the political class and the public administration, generally seen as corrupt. In its turn, the BBC says that concerns that safety has been compromised by corruption, fuelled people’s anger at the political elite. People are unsatisfied with politicians getting richer and richer while ordinary Romanians are becoming poor and poor, the Liberation writes.




    Romanian gymnast Larisa Iordache won the all-around title at the 32nd edition of the annual “Arthur Gander Memorial” competition on Wednesday in Morges, Switzerland. Iordache, the all-around bronze medallist in Glasgow, competed on vault, balance beam and floor exercise to easily win the title. The Romanian gymnast sailed to victory amassing a 2-point margin over second place Pauline Schäfer of Germany. Another Romanian, Diana Bulimar, came out 3rd. First held in 1984, the annual competition honors the legendary Arthur Gander, the former president of the International Gymnastics Federation.