Radio România Internațional

Tag: Metsola

July 16, 2024 UPDATE

Weather – Romania is under a code red alert for extreme heat, extended in almost the entire country until Thursday, except for 11 counties in the northern half that are under a code orange alert for extreme heat. Highs of 42 degrees C are announced, and the lows will not drop below 22 degrees Celsius. Thermal discomfort will be particularly intensified, and the temperature-humidity index (ITU) will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. The sky will be variable. There will be periods of atmospheric instability, at first in the mountainous areas, then locally and in the northern half, and only in isolated areas possibly in the rest of the territory. There will be temporary, increased cloudiness, showers that will turn into torrential rains, frequent electrical discharges and wind gusts of 50…70 km/h.

EP – The new European Parliament started its activity on Tuesday. The first plenary session takes place in Strasbourg and, according to the agenda, MEPs have three days to choose their president, vice-presidents and the makeup of the specialized committees. On Thursday, the MEPs will vote on the renewal of Ursula von der Leyen’s mandate as president of the European Commission. To be re-elected, Ursula von der Leyen, who already has the support of the heads of state and government from the EU member countries, needs the votes of at least 361 MEPs. The European People’s Party, which she is a member of, is still the first political force in the European Parliament, having 188 elected members after the June elections. The Social Democrats obtained 136 seats, and the liberals from Renew, 77 seats. The grand coalition that traditionally brings together these three parties would thus provide enough votes to ensure Ursula von der Leyen’s re-election, but, as in the case of the 2019 vote, it is not certain that all the MPs of the majority coalition will vote for her, so she is also looking for support from the Greens. On Tuesday, Roberta Metsola secured, with broad support, a new mandate as president of the European Parliament, thus leading the EP for another two and a half years. Ms Metsola’s appointment was approved by a large majority of MEPs. The Romanian MEPs, Victor Negrescu, from the Social Democrats and Nicolae Ştefănuţă, supported by the Greens were elected vice-presidents of the EP. There is a total number of 14 vice-president posts.

Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the round of 16 of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo (Italy), with total prizes up for grabs worth 232,244 Euros, after defeating the Spanish Marina Bassols Ribera 6-0, 6-0. Begu won in just 58 minutes. In the second round, she will meet the Italian Martina Trevisan or the Dutch Arantxa Rus, seed no. 5. The Romanian Jaqueline Cristian is also on the singles table from Sicily, seed no. 7, and she will play in the first round against the Argentinean Julia Riera.

IMF – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has maintained its estimates that the world economy will register an advance of 3.2% this year, amid improved growth forecasts for China and India, according to the latest update of the “World Economic Outlook” report, published on Tuesday. At the same time, the IMF slightly improved its growth estimates for 2025, when the world economy is expected to register an advance of 3.3%, 0.1% more than the previous forecast. The forecasts for emerging Europe (a region where Romania is included) were also improved by 0.1%, up to an advance of 3.2% this year. The most recent forecasts of the IMF for Romania date back to April, when the international financial institution estimated that the Romanian economy would grow at 2.8% this year, accelerating to 3.6% in 2025.

Chişinău – The acting president of the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian speaking population), Maia Sandu, is the favorite in the presidential election due in October, shows a new opinion survey published in Chişinău. Maia Sandu – of pro-European orientation – would obtain 34% of the votes, while her political rival, the former president of the state, the socialist Igor Dodon, of pro-Russian orientation, would gather 18% of the votes, according to the survey. Regarding the EU accession referendum, which will take place on the same day as the presidential election, 53% of the respondents plan to vote “Yes”. (LS)

16 July 2024
October 13, 2023

ISRAEL In a special session
on Thursday night the Israeli Parliament endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s emergency unity government and a cabinet of war. According to
observers, an enlarged coalition is needed for the adoption of large-scale
military and political decisions in the following days after the unprecedented bloody
attacks of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas. The attacks resulted in a
war with Israel which has left thousands of dead, mostly civilians, on both
sides. Roughly 150 people have been taken hostage by Hamas and are being held
in captivity in Gaza. In another development, the presidents of the European
Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, are
today flying to Israel to express the EU’s solidarity after the bloody Hamas
attacks. In turn, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken is being expected in
Qatar for talks with the local leaders including with a view to finding a
solution to the hostages crisis. The head of the US diplomacy went to Tel Aviv
on Thursday, where he said that the United States would always support Israel
and that the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations aren’t being represented by
Hamas, which presently rules Gaza. The UN has made an emergency appeal for
donations for the vulnerable residents of the West Bank and Gaza. Over 400
thousand Palestinians have been relocated in the past days from the besieged
Strip, which has been constantly under the bombardment of the Israeli army. The
United Nations says the Israeli military informed it late on Thursday that 1.1
million Palestinians in Gaza should relocate to the enclave’s south within the
next 24 hours.

REPATRIATIONS
Another 127 Romanian citizens have been safely repatriated from Israel. They
have been flown to Romania by several airline companies since Thursday night,
the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. Over two thousand Romanians have
been flown home by means of an air bridge involving 22 flights. Out of the 350
Romanians in Gaza, who have been monitored by the authorities in Bucharest, 50
have requested assistance to come back to Romania. In the meantime, Romania’s
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says the government is considering the
possibility of covering the transport fees for the families with low incomes.
He has made an appeal to Romanians to avoid any pilgrimage to the region in
this period.

FOOTBALL
Romania’s national football side ended in a goaless draw their Thursday’s match
against Belarus in Budapest as part of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. Although
they managed a good show on Thursday the Romanians failed to defeat a rather
modest opponent. Belarus is playing their games on neutral ground, upon a UEFA
decision. In another Group one game, Kosovo defeated Andorra 3-0 while the
match pitching Israel against Switzerland has been postponed for November 15th.
After the draw on Thursday, Romania ranks second in the group with 13 points
after Switzerland with 14. Israel ranks third with 11 points, followed by
Kosovo with 7, Belarus with 5 and Andorra with 2. On Sunday, Romania will be
playing Andorra at home in a game, when only children under 14 are granted access
to the stadium.

(bill)

13 October 2023
Dossier Schengen : “Vous le méritez depuis 2011”

Invoquant un contrôle déficitaire des flux migratoires, l’Autriche et les Pays-Bas mettaient fin une fois de plus à tous les espoirs de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie durant la réunion du Conseil Justice et Affaires intérieures déroulé en décembre dernier. Dans le cas de la Roumanie, ce fut uniquement le véto de l’Autriche à barrer son accès à l’espace de libre circulation européenne. Et pourtant, une telle décision doit être adoptée à l’unanimité des voix des Etats membres. Ce qui plus est, la Roumanie se porte candidate à l’adhésion aux côtés de la Bulgarie et un découplage est impossible. Depuis décembre dernier, peu de choses ont changé, malgré les efforts des autorités tant de Bucarest que de Sofia. Les Pays-Bas ont pourtant laissé entendre qu’elles pourraient renoncer à leur véto visant l’adhésion de la Bulgarie. Dans une telle situation, l’Autriche reste l’unique Etat de l’Union à barrer l’accès à Schengen des deux pays.

Les autorités de Vienne ont même rejeté l’appel le plus récent de la cheffe de l’exécutif communautaire, Ursula von der Leyen qui a demandé à l’Autriche de permettre l’adhésion de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie à Schengen, « sans aucun autre délai », dans son discours annuel sur l’état de l’Union européenne.

« La Roumanie attend et mérite bien une décision positive durant la présidence espagnole du Conseil de l’UE », a déclaré à nouveau la présidente du législatif européen, Roberta Metsola, dans le cadre d’un point de presse au siège du Parlement européen à Bruxelles. Roberta Metsola a fait pourtant part d’optimisme au sujet de l’adhésion des deux Etats à l’espace Schengen. « Vous le méritez depuis 2011 (…) Je crois qu’une solution soit toujours possible. Nos attentes sont importantes au cours de cette présidence tournante qui devrait travailler avec les collègues d’Autriche et d’autres pays qui expriment toujours des signes d’interrogation et je crois que toutes ces questions trouveront une réponse » a déclaré Mme Metsola.

Dans une interview accordée à une télévision privée de Roumanie, la présidente du Parlement européen demande à l’Europe de ne plus donner l’impression qu’il existe des pays membres de deuxième rang. « Il faut adopter les mesures nécessaires pour garantir une Europe unie, dans le cadre de laquelle la Roumanie et la Bulgarie ne se retrouvent plus à la porte de l’espace Schengen, où l’extrémisme soit découragé et les valeurs démocratiques soient défendues contre l’agression russe. » a déclaré Roberta Metsola.

Même s’ils remplissent tous les critères d’adhésion depuis plus de 12 ans, les Roumains et les Bulgares sont toujours obligés à passer par des contrôles aux frontières, avec des conséquences économiques à ne pas ignorer. Selon le ministre roumain des Transports, Sorin Grindeanu, le maintien de la Roumanie à l’extérieur de l’Espace Schengen implique des coûts allant jusqu’à 2% de son PIB et c’est pourquoi le gouvernement de Bucarest envisage de demander des dédommagements à l’Autriche.

28 September 2023
September 27, 2023 UPDATE

EBRD The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development has revised down its forecast on the development of the
Romanian economy in 2023 and 2024, according to a report made public on
Wednesday by this international financial institution. Thus, Romania’s GDP is
likely to grow only by 1.8% this year, from the 2.5% May forecast. Also,
the country’s economy is expected to see a 3.2% growth next year, as
compared to 3.5% estimated in May, the report also says.

COVID The COVID-19 cases are on the rise in
Romania with over 14,800 infections confirmed in the past week. The number of
cases is four times higher than a month ago. 41.3% of the new infections have
been registered in Bucharest, Timis, in the west of the country, Iasi in the
north-east, Prahova and Ilfov in the south. The number of hospitalized patients
is also on the rise. Out of the 1150 patients reported, 74 are presently in ICU.
27 people died last week after being infected with SARS-COV2. Almost all were
suffering from other diseases.

DEFENCE Romania’s Chief of Staff
has staged an online meeting with the representatives of the local public
authorities in south-eastern Romania in the context of the latest Russian
attacks on the Ukrainian bank of the Danube. According to a communiqué by the Ministry
of Defence, the conference focused on the optimization of the
inter-institutional coordination. High on the agenda were also a presentation
of the security situation, the army’s public communication, issues related to preparing
the population, economy and territory for defence, the legal responsibilities
of various institutions in the national defence system.

SCHENGEN Romania expects and deserves a
positive decision during the Spanish presidency of the EU Council regarding the
Schengen enlargement, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta
Metsola, said in Brussels. She was optimistic about the entry of Romania and
Bulgaria into the free movement area. The accession of the two countries was
blocked by Austria and the Netherlands, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council
last December, for alleged insufficient control of migrant flows. In the case
of Romania, Austria was the only country against the accession.

(bill)

27 September 2023
Pro-European assembly in Chişinău

Faced with an unprecedented energy crisis, which it is coping with thanks to the help offered by Romania and the European Union, and subjected to hybrid threats from Russia, the Republic of Moldova understood, after three decades of swinging between the East and the West, who its true political friends are. And the European Union is among those that the small Eastern European state, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, can really rely on.

The confirmation came directly from the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who was invited, on Sunday, to the great pro-European assembly convened by President Maia Sandu in Chişinău. Moldova is not alone, Europe is Moldova, Moldova is Europe – said, in Romanian, the European official. She has given assurances to Moldova that the European Union will support it in the integration process. Roberta Metsola said that they gathered there at a special moment, to send a pro-European message to the international community, adding that she gave them, in the month of May, the answer of the European Parliament: go ahead, keep it up, Moldova is not alone!

Roberta Metsola praised the Moldovan citizens for the solidarity they showed toward the aggressed Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees, and on the other hand she condemned the Russian policies of threats and blackmail towards Moldova.

The best way to get rid of Russian blackmail is integration into the European Union, Maia Sandu told her fellow citizens: European Moldova means a Moldova with strong and reliable friends, who will not leave us alone in front of the aggressors who bring wars and kill people. We can only be safe together with the European family. This war clearly shows us that we no longer want to be blackmailed by Moscow.

The Republic of Moldova became an EU candidate country in June last year, a few months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Maia Sandu is now pleading for accession until the end of this decade.

Maia Sandu: Moldova’s place is in the European Union. Our country project and our goal is for Moldova to be, by 2030, a full member of the European family. This is not just my commitment. We have the support of the European Union on this path and that is what the people of the Republic of Moldova demand. They asked for it every time they went out in the street to defend their rights. They asked for it in the elections. They are asking for it now, when we have once again got together to decide the fate of Moldova. Europe is more than a political slogan. Europe is a way of life, a dream that must come true and it is the chance for our people to live in peace, tranquility and plenty.

More than 75,000 people participated in the demonstration in Chişinău, where a resolution was adopted confirming the citizens’ support for the country’s European path. (LS)

22 May 2023
February 14, 2023

AMBASSADOR The new US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Ann Kavalec is today
presenting her diplomatic credentials in Bucharest. The US diplomat is to be
received by Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and will be meeting the president
of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu. Kathleen Ann Kavalec arrived in
Romania last week, when she was welcomed by the head of the Romanian diplomacy,
Bogdan Aurescu. Also today, the ambassadors of Turkey, Ozgur Kivanc Altan, of
Slovakia, Peter Hatiar and of Mexico, Amparo Erendira Aguiano Rodriguez are
expected to present their diplomatic credentials to president Klaus Iohannis.

INS According to data released by the National Institute for Statistics, in
January, the annual inflation rate in Romania went down to 15.1% from a 16.5%
in December 2022. Prices in food products increased over 22% in December while
non-food products by 12%. Services also saw a 10% increase in their prices. Romania’s
Central Bank expects the inflation rate to go down faster than initially
predicted and reach single digits in the last quarter of the year thanks to the
latest schemes of capping and subsidizing energy prices. According to the same
sources, the Romanian economy saw a 4.8% growth last year. The European
Commission on Monday forecast a 4.5% economic growth for Romania in 2022 and
2.5% this year.

RESPONSE The European Parliament has voiced solidarity with the
victims of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria last week and has issued a
statement entitled The European Response to the Earthquakes in Turkey and
Syria’. The document has been presented by the European Parliament president
Roberta Metsola, who says that the European Civil Protection Mechanism has been
activated immediately and humanitarian aid dispatched. The EU Commissioner for
Crisis Management, Slovenian Janez Lenarčič has announced a donors’ conference
and the MEPs held a minute of silence in the memory of the victims of the disaster.
In the meantime, rescue teams are fighting to find survivors in spite of the
small chances 8 days after the earthquake. The death toll has exceeded 31
thousand in Turkey and 57 hundred in Syria.

PLANES Two cargo planes of the Romanian Air Forces carrying
goods for the victims of the earthquake of February 6th are taking
off today from Bucharest. One of this planes is to touch down in Gaziantep,
Turkey and the other in Beirut, Lebanon as Syria is still under sanctions due
to the authoritarian rule of President Bashar al-Asad, which asked for international
help only a couple of days ago. Romania has also dispatched humanitarian aid to
Turkey by means of its railway network. The first freight train loaded with
goods, which left Romania on February 11th, has already reached its
destination. In another development, a team from the dog training center in Craiova,
southern Romania, has also left for Turkey, a country Romania is presently helping
with rescue teams and necessity goods.

WEATHER Temperatures in Romania are higher than usual for this time of the year
and the sky is overcast mostly in the northern regions. Precipitations have
been reported on small areas in the north-east, east, north and the west of the
country. Moderate breeze has also been reported in some regions and the highs
of the day range between zero and 10 degrees centigrade. The noon reading in
Bucharest was 7 degrees.

(bill)

14 February 2023
The Week in Review 19-25.12.2022

The Romanian Revolution, 33 years ago

Ceremonies commemorating the heroes of the anti-communist Revolution of 1989 were organized, this week, in Romania. In the big cities, religious and wreath-laying ceremonies took place in the significant places for the historical moments that occurred 33 years ago. President Klaus Iohannis laid a wreath at the roadside monument in the University Square in the center of Bucharest, where he also observed a moment of silence. We remind you that the Romanian anti-communist Revolution started on December 16 in the city of Timisoara (west), to later extend to Bucharest and other cities. In the capital, the uprising that led to the fall of the communist regime broke out on December 21, with a large rally organized by Nicolae Ceauşescu, in the hope that he would be able to calm the population and remain at the helm of the country. After the failed rally, the revolt extended across Bucharest. Demonstrations against the regime took place, to which the law enforcement forces responded also by shooting at the demonstrators, killing around 50 people, injuring several dozen and arresting more than 1,000 people. Despite the reprisals, the demonstrations resumed on December 22, and the street pressure made the former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu flee in a helicopter from the roof of the former Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party. All in all, more than 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change included a bloodshed.

Visit of the President of the European Parliament to Bucharest

‘There is no justifiable reason not to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, because all the conditions for accession are met the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola said, on Monday, in Bucharest. In a press conference with President Klaus Iohannis, she also stated that efforts were being made for this situation to be solved as soon as possible, even next year. ‘The external border of the European Union is defended. We see that all countries, including Romania, apply all components of the Schengen acquis, which answers any concern that might exist from this point of view, the Brussels official added. In turn, the Romanian head of state stated that the Schengen topic would not be on the agenda of the extraordinary European Council due in February 2023, and the discussions were to take place only on the sidelines of the meeting. We remind you that, at the beginning of the month, Romania’s admission to Schengen was blocked by Austria in the Justice and Home Affairs Council, which invoked issues regarding illegal migration. Documents provided by Frontex – the European Border Police and Coast Guard Agency – contradict the Austrian Chancellor’s statements.

Romanian delegation in South Korea

A Romanian official delegation, which included several ministers, as well as the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, visited South Korea this week. Romania is interested in the development of major economic projects alongside the big Korean companies, in essential fields such as: transport, energy, defense, the IT industry, ITNs and semiconductors. Defense and energy industries dominated the talks with the South Korean officials, including the Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. They also approached such issues as how to manage the situation generated by the Russian aggression in Ukraine, security in the region and cooperation between NATO and South Korea. The Romanian delegation also had a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community, to whom the Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation for the way in which they managed to integrate into that society, keeping, at the same time, the identity, language, culture and values of their native country close to their hearts.

The Romanian FM Bogdan Aurescu pays visit to Chisinau

Romania will continue to support the neighboring Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) in order to successfully overcome the crises which it is facing, the Romanian FM Bogdan Aurescu reiterated, on Monday, in Chisinau. The Romanian official had meetings with the president Maia Sandu, the prime minister Natalia Gavrilița, with his counterpart Nicu Popescu and with the president of the Parliament, Igor Grosu. The two sides emphasized the importance of developing electricity interconnections between the two states, of streamlining cross-border traffic, including through the construction of bridges over the Prut River. They also discussed the implementation of the agreement regarding the non-refundable financial assistance worth 100 million Euros Bucharest offered to Chisinau, as well as about the operationalization of the support platform for the Republic of Moldova, initiated by Minister Aurescu with his German and French counterparts. The European path of the Republic of Moldova and Romania’s concrete support for achieving this goal, including through the opening of EU accession negotiations, were also on the agenda.

High-level Romanian-Portuguese talks

The presence of the Portuguese soldiers from the South-East Multinational Brigade in Caracal (south), together with soldiers from North Macedonia and other allies, has an important contribution to strengthening Romania’s defense and security, said President Klaus Iohannis on the occasion of his visit to the ‘Olt Training Battalion 1, in Caracal, on Tuesday, where he was accompanied by his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. The high-level discussions focused on the security situation in Ukraine, with an emphasis on the intensification of humanitarian assistance to the neighboring country, as well as on support in facilitating grain exports. The two presidents also discussed the intensification of Romanian-Portuguese cooperation in the fields of defense, economy, trade, the digital agenda, renewable energy sources, health and education. (LS)

24 December 2022
December 19, 2022 UPDATE

Schengen — There is no justifiable reason not to welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area, because all the conditions for accession are met, said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on Monday in Bucharest. In a press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, she also stated that efforts were being made to solve this situation as soon as possible, even next year. ‘The external border of the European Union is defended. We see that all countries, including Romania, apply all components of the Schengen acquis, which answers any kind of concerns that could exist from this point of view, the Brussels official added. For his part, Klaus Iohannis said that the Schengen topic will not be on the agenda of the extraordinary European Council due on February 2023, and discussions will take place only on the sidelines of the meeting. We remind you that, at the beginning of the month, Austria blocked the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria in the JHA Council, in contradiction with the position of the other member states, invoking issues regarding illegal migration.

Visit – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, had meetings in Chisinau with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu, the Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu, and the Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa, with whom he discussed the European course of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). Aurescu reiterated Romanias full support for managing the wide-ranging crises that Moldova is facing and for advancing at a determined pace the reforms necessary for joining the European Union. He mentioned the prompt steps that led to the supply, by Romania, in a critical period of energy crisis, of over 80% of the electricity needs of the Republic of Moldova. There was also an in-depth exchange of assessments regarding the security situation against the backdrop of Russias war of aggression against the neighboring state, Ukraine. Economically, at the end of the year, a record value of 3.5 billion dollars of trade between Romania and Moldova is expected, increasing by approximately 46% as compared to 2021.

Energy — The European energy ministers have reached an agreement on capping the price of natural gas, the Czech presidency announced on Monday in a Twitter post. The agreement comes after several weeks of talks on a package of emergency measures that have created divisions among member states in an attempt to respond to the energy crisis. According to documents consulted by Reuters, it was agreed that the gas price cap would be triggered when the quotes, at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas hub in Amsterdam, reach 180 Euros for a Megawatt-hour (MWh) for three days. The same document shows that the cap could be introduced starting on February 15, 2023 and, initially, it will not apply to over the counter type transactions (outside the market).

Revolution – In Timisoara, in western Romania, the demonstrations marking the 33rd anniversary of the anti-communist revolution of December 1989 continued. The demonstrations bring back to attention the courage and sacrifice of the martyr-heroes, as well as the need for the young generation to carry forward the spirit of freedom. These days have seen marches on the route of the Revolution, religious services, wreaths laying ceremonies, concerts, exhibitions, film screenings and debates and a pilgrimage to the monuments of the Revolution Memorial. The demonstrations will culminate on December 20, the day Timişoara was declared the first city free of communism in Romania. The uprising against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and, from December 21, extended to Bucharest and other cities of the country. All in all, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.

Statistics — In 2021, the adjusted average annual salary for full-time employees in the European Union was 33,500 Euros, according to data published for the first time on Monday by the European Statistics Office (Eurostat). Last year, among the EU member states, the highest average annual salary was in Luxembourg (72,200 Euros), Denmark (63,300 Euros) and Ireland (50,300 Euros), and the lowest in Bulgaria (10,300 Euros), Hungary (12,600 Euros) and Romania (13,000 Euros). On the other hand, according to Eurostat, the hourly labor cost increased by 3.4% in the EU in the third quarter of the year, compared to the same period in 2021. The most significant annual advance was reported in Hungary and Bulgaria, but increases of over 10% also occurred in Lithuania, Poland, Greece and Romania.

Museum — Romania will provide voluntary financial contribution to support the Museum of the Victims of Communism in Washington. The museum is worth 3 million dollars and is granted in a single installment. The contribution is intended for the construction of the museum, as well as the creation of the section presenting the victims of the communist regime in Romania. The Foreign Ministry, the Romanian Academy, the National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives and other institutions in Romania can provide information, for the purpose of a good representation of the victims of communism in Romania. (LS)

19 December 2022
December 19, 2022

SCHENGEN The president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola is
on a 2-day working visit to Bucharest as of today, with a support message for Romania’s
Schengen accession efforts. Today, Roberta Metsola is scheduled to have
meetings with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the speakers of
the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, Marcel Ciolacu and Alina Gorghiu, and will
address a joint Parliament meeting. On Tuesday, Roberta Metsola will have talks
with young Romanians as part of an event called ‘Together we are Europe,’
organised by the European Parliament Office in Romania in a partnership with
the Law School of the University of Bucharest. According to the institution, during
their dialogue with Metsola the young participants will be able to find out
about the benefits of the European parliamentary democracy, ways to influence
European policies, why it is important for them to get involved in protecting
European democracy and how the decisions and policies of the European
Parliament impact Europeans’ day-to-day lives.

VISIT The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is on a 2-day
official visit to Chişinău, at the invitation of Moldova’s deputy PM and
minister for foreign affairs and European integration, Nicu Popescu. For 2 days,
Bogdan Aurescu will have consultations with his counterpart, will be received
by the president of the R. of Moldova Maia Sandu, and will have talks with PM Natalia
Gavriliţa and with the parliament speaker Igor Grosu. They will discuss aspects
related to countering the war of aggression waged by the Russian Federation
against Ukraine, as well as topics related to cooperation in the field of
energy security, stepping up sectoral cooperation, economic cooperation and the
assistance measures taken by Romania to the benefit of the R. of Moldova. A
major topic for discussion will be Moldova’s progress in its EU accession
efforts, after the country was granted the accession candidate status in June
2022, and Romania’s concrete support in this respect.

ENERGY EU energy ministers convene today in Brussels in an attempt
to reach an agreement on a natural gas price cap, in the context of the rise in
energy prices triggered by the war in Ukraine. Last week, they failed to reach
consensus on this topic. The participants will also try to come up with a
general approach on a proposed reduction of methane emissions in the energy
sector. The draft regulation requires oil, natural gas and coal operators to
measure, report and check methane emissions. Moreover, the EU energy ministers
will try to reach an agreement with respect to the proposed REPowerEU directive,
which modifies the EU legislation on renewable energy, energy efficiency and
the energy performance of buildings. The proposal aims to step up the use of
renewable energy. On the other hand, the Czech presidency of the EU Council
will present a report on the progress made with respect to the natural gas
package, which includes a proposed directive and a proposed regulation on
single market norms for gas from renewable sources, natural gas and hydrogen.

COMMEMORATION In Timişoara, western
Romania, events carry on marking 33 years since the anti-communist revolution
of December 1989. The events highlight the courage and sacrifice of the
Revolution heroes, and the need for the younger generations to carry on the
spirit of freedom. After the marches, religious services, exhibitions, film
screenings and roundtables organised in the previous days, today a pilgrimage
will be held at the monuments making up the Revolution Memorial. Short reels made
by young artists will also be screened in schools, and the traditional Rockford
revolution festival is also scheduled for today. Also today, the members of
the bereaved families are leaving for Bucharest to retrace the route on which
the bodies of 43 revolution participants from Timisoara were sent for
incineration. The events devoted to the 33 years since the Revolution will
culminate on Tuesday, December 20, Victory Day, when Timişoara was declared the
first city free of communism in Romania. The uprising against the communist
regime in Romania began in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and spread to
Bucharest and other cities in the country. Over 1,000 people died and some
3,000 were wounded in the clashes that took place on that occasion.

FOOTBALL Argentina is the world’s new football champion. In the
final of the Qatar tournament on Sunday, Argentina defeated the previous
champions, France, after penalty shootouts. This is the 3rd world
championship won by the South Americans, after the title in 1978 and the one in
1986. The next world championship, held in 2026, will be hosted jointly by the
US, Canada and Mexico. (AMP)

19 December 2022
Romania gets support messages for its Schengen accession

A week after
Romania and Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen was rejected in the Justice and Home
Affairs Council (JHA), the accession issue has again been brought up for discussion in Brussels, this time during the
proceedings of the European Council upon the initiative of Romania’s president
Klaus Iohannis. The head of the Romanian state talked about the need for a
positive solution concerning accession, about the fact that Romania is ready
from all points of view to become part of Europe’s border-free area, but also
about unity and solidarity.

Romania is a frontline
country when it comes to the situation caused by the war in Ukraine. We are the
neighbours with the longest border with Ukraine. We have been striving and
coping with this situation, because that’s what we want and because we believe
this is the right thing to do. We are a frontline country when it comes to
migration and we control the migration inflow. We have obtained very good
results, acknowledged by objective foreign sources, Klaus Iohannis said
adding:

We Romanians are waiting
for clear signs of solidarity and unity from the EU. And that means that among
other things we have legitimate expectations to be admitted into Schengen.

The Romanian president
said that Austria’s veto and the mixed vote by the Netherlands are issues that
must be solved, but from all talks that he held he concluded that this time,
preparations would go deeper and a solution is wanted.

Klaus Iohannis: My conclusion is simple: all players have
understood that here we have an issue that must be solved. My impression is
that everybody understood and I am pretty optimistic the best alternative is
that the accession process be completed in 2023 with a positive result for
Romania and Bulgaria.

The highest
European officials have conveyed support messages for the accession of the two
countries which are together in this process and have been waiting for more
than a decade for this accession. The
head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the president of the
Council, Charles Michel, have said that opinion exchanges on this issue are
going to continue and headway is expected in the following months. Romania and
Bulgaria’s accession is fully supported, Ursula von der Leyen says while
Charles Michel has confirmed the EU leaders will participate in a special
summit on migration in February. Austria motivated its veto also on the issue
of migration. Charles Michel has mentioned the political debates on Bulgaria
and Romania’s accession to Europe’s passport-free area and voiced optimism that
a decision in this respect could be made in 2023. The EU official has also
mentioned the feeling he had of a political commitment to making headway and
his hopes that this is going to take place next year. Roberta Metsola,
president of the European Parliament has voiced disappointment for the
rejection of the two states and Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has thanked
for the strong vocal support in the European Parliament and the landslide
support of the member states.

(bill)

16 December 2022