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Romania has a new Government

The new Government in Bucharest was voted in by the Parliament.

The new Government of Romania, led by the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, took the oath before President Klaus Iohannis on Monday evening. It was an intense political day, a first in the last 35 years when the designation of the Prime Minister by the head of state, the hearing of the ministers, the investiture vote, the oath taking and the first meeting of the Government took place. Earlier, on the same day, the leaders of the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, UDMR and of the deputies belonging to national minorities had signed a political agreement to form a majority and a government.

The new Government has a slimmer structure than the previous one. It is composed of 16 ministries, of which eight are led by PSD, six by PNL and two by UDMR. The government also has three deputy prime minister positions, one of which belongs to the PSD – deputy prime minister without portfolio, and the other two with portfolio – PNL and UDMR. The Ciolacu 2 Government, as it is called by the media, received Parliament’s vote of confidence with 240 votes in favor, by 7 more than the minimum number needed.

Cătălin Predoiu at the helm of the Interior Ministry, Angel Tîlvăr at the Defense Ministry, Sorin Grindeanu at the Transport Ministry, Alexandru Rafila at the Health Ministry or Sebastian Burduja at the Energy Ministry are the ones that kept their positions. New names of ministers have appeared, such as those of Daniel David at the Education Ministry or Emil Hurezeanu at the Foreign Ministry, who are not party members, but are supported by the Liberals. The new Ministry of Economy and Digitization is headed by the Social Democrat Bogdan Ivan, while the Social Democrat MP Radu Marinescu has joined the cabinet at the Ministry of Justice.

Two other portfolios, held by the UDMR, are the Development Minister portfolio, held by Cseke Attila, and that of Finance Minister, held by Tánczos Barna. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that the rapid organization of presidential elections and measures to boost the business environment are the main short-term objectives of the new cabinet. He also said that Romania has a functional government, which sends a signal of stability to the Romanian private sector and foreign investors. According to the PM, there are already positive signs, following the vote in Parliament, such as the fact that the interest rates at which the country takes out loans on the foreign markets have started to decrease. Ciolacu also warns that 2025 will not be an easy year and that public money need to be spent decently: “Is normal that this economic crisis in developed countries would also be felt in Romania in 2025. We will have a difficult economic year. Romania cannot provide public services like the West does, with budget revenues to which not everyone contributes”.

In turn, the Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, said that, in his second term, the priority is the fight against drug trafficking. He also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will continue to maintain a low migration rate, but also an elevated safety rate, which in Romania is high compared to other European states: “The challenges, in terms of drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal migration, cyber security, hate speech and emergency situations are unprecedented in terms of number, are complex and sometimes simultaneous. This new reality also dictates our priorities in the coming years”.

On the other hand, the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said that the Mihail Kogălniceanu Base (southeast) will be modernized upon an investment of 2.5 billion euros, which will turn this location into the most important NATO military base in Europe. Angel Tîlvăr: “I presented a series of measures taken by the Ministry of Defense and I believe that the figures that I also presented prove that the decisions we have taken are good and we will continue to apply them. At the same time, we will try to increase the number of activities and actions to lead to the transformation or preservation of the military sector as an attractive sector for those who want a career in this respect”.

For the first time in Romania, the Ministry of Public Finance will be headed by a representative of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Minorities in Romania (UDMR) – Tánczos Barna. He gave assurances that taxes will not increase in 2025 and also that the same taxation system will be maintained.

24 December 2024
B9 meeting in Bucharest

NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the member states’ airspace, in the context of the war in Ukraine. This is the conclusion of the B9 meeting in Bucharest.

NATO must give a robust and coordinated response to the repeated intrusion of Russian drones and missiles into the Alliance’s airspace, the Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, said. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest, bringing together the allied defense ministers on NATO’s Eastern Flank, Minister Tîlvăr said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying, due to the threats generated by Russia’s aggressive actions, including through disinformation and cyber attacks. Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of Russian Federation’s drones and missiles into NATO airspace in Poland, Romania and Latvia and about the escalation of tensions along the NATO borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at allied level is needed, as well as the implementation, as soon as possible, of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

Against this background, the Romanian minister also focused on the Republic of Moldova, which is facing challenges from the Russian Federation. He pointed out once more that the country needs support for its European integration, a safe investment, he says, in the security of the Black Sea region and Europe. In turn, the Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Zalewsky, said that at the upcoming meeting of the Defense Ministers from the allied states, it is important to establish concrete action measures to detect drones and destroy enemy targets. According to Zalewsky, when we say that no centimeter of NATO territory can be attacked by Russia and must be defended, we are also referring to airspace. He also said that essential initiatives were discussed in this context, namely The European Sky Shield Initiative and the Eastern Shield initiative, the first being aimed at strengthening cooperation and increasing funding, and the second at strengthening the borders with Russia and Belarus.

Present in Bucharest on Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Luminiţa Odobescu, he hailed the support granted by Romania, for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, following the country’s decision to donate a Patriot system. Minister Sybiha said this is a shield not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe, and that, especially around winter, it will allow them to strengthen their defense capabilities. Minister Odobescu reiterated, in turn, Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

19 September 2024
New ministers in Romania’s government

Nominated early this week by the main partner in the ruling coalition, the Social Democratic Party, to take over the ministries for family and labour, respectively, the Deputies Natalia Intotero and Simona Bucura-Oprescu were sworn in on Wednesday afternoon.

The seats had been vacant since last week, when Gabriela Firea and Marius Budăi resigned following a scandal concerning grave irregularities in several care homes for the elderly and the disabled.

More than 2,000 such centres were checked by the authorities in the aftermath of the scandal, and several of these, mostly in Bucharest, were closed down. In scores of other similar institutions, operations have been discontinued and fines totalling some EUR 2 mln have been issued. Criminal investigations have also been initiated, concerning economic offences or crimes against persons, and two inspectors with the Ilfov County Agency for Social Inspection and Payments have been detained for having failed to properly assess the situation in a care centre for people with disabilities.

And, after talks with PM Marcel Ciolacu, the two relevant ministers also resigned. Ciolacu said at the time that mayors, county council presidents, chiefs of local institutions and police chiefs having connections with the institutions subject to the investigation must also take political responsibility.

Similarly, the Social Democratic Partys spokesman Lucian Romaşcanu said other officials should step down following the inspections conducted in the care centres for the elderly. “It only makes sense, at present, to conclude that the responsibility here lies not only with the government, but also with the local authorities. Decisions will certainly be made at Cabinet level, but the culprits at political and administrative level should also take a step back. It is a matter of political dignity,” the Social Democratic official argued.

For the time being, the new ministers have taken over their posts. Simona Bucura-Oprescu, 43, currently at her 3rd term in office in the Chamber of Deputies with support from the Social Democrats, is the new minister of labour and social solidarity. In a social media post on Monday, she said the law on special pensions, the pensions law and the salary law are the priorities of her ministerial term, with a view to completing the reforms undertaken under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The new minister for family, youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, is 47 and is also at her 3rd term in office as an MP. (AMP)

20 July 2023
July 19, 2023 UPDATE

WEATHER Extreme temperatures are still forecast in most of Romania,
particularly in the south and east, where the temperature-humidity index will be above
the critical 80% ceiling. The highs are expected to range between 25 and 37
degrees Celsius. Most regions will also be facing atmospheric instability, with
heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and wind. Code yellow and code orange alerts are
in place in the west of the country, where strong wind, thunderstorms, hail and
heavy rainfalls are expected.

FIREFIGHTERS On Wednesday Romania sent another 40 firefighters and
several fire engines to Greece, where the authorities requested international
assistance under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The decision to send
additional intervention equipment and personnel was made by the Romanian
government. Romania has deployed a total of 13 fire engines and 80 fire
fighters, after the Greek authorities issued a code-red alert for extreme heat
across the country, with temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius expected to
contribute to the spreading of wildfires. The Romanian fire fighters are to
stay in Greece until August 1.

CLIMATE The UN says humanity must prepare for more intense heat
waves and recommends that citizens develop their own battle plan to
face these extreme day and night temperatures. In North America, Asia, North
Africa and the Mediterranean, temperatures will keep exceeding 40 degrees
Celsius in the coming days. According to experts, heat-trapping greenhouse gas
emissions are at the origin of climate change. Italy is subject to new alerts for
particularly hot weather, while several regions in Spain have been placed under
code red alerts due to the extreme danger induced by the heat wave.

GOVERNMENT The new minister for labour and
social solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, and the new minister for family,
youth and equal opportunities, Natalia Intotero, were sworn in on Wednesday in
a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest. Oprescu replaces Marius
Budăi, and Intotero takes over from Gabriela Firea, who resigned following a
scandal concerning abuse in care homes for the elderly. The appointment decrees
were signed by president Klaus Iohannis earlier on Wednesday.

MEETING The PM of Romania Marcel Ciolacu had an informal meeting
with the PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, during a private visit by Orban to Romania. According
to a news release issued by the government, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that the
Romanian party is seeking to maintain an open, positive, and constructive
approach in the relations between the 2 countries. He welcomed Budapest’s
support for Romania’s Schengen accession efforts, and voiced hopes that Hungary
would remain an ally in this respect for Romania. The 2 officials also
exchanged views on the topic of the EU’s current priorities, ahead of Hungary taking
over the presidency of the EU Council in January 2024.

GRAIN Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and
Slovakia would like the ban on Ukrainian grain imports to be extended at least
until the end of the year, the agriculture ministers of the 5 countries announced
on Wednesday after a meeting in Warsaw. They signed a
joint statement on the need to extend the EU preventive measures concerning the
imports of wheat, maze, rape
and sunflower seeds from Ukraine. In the same statement, the signatories also
suggest that the list of products subject to the preventive measures remain
open. According to a news release issued by the Romanian agriculture ministry,
the participants sought a joint approach to the problems facing the farmers in
these countries, which will be presented in the forthcoming AgriFish Council
meeting. Romania was represented by the agriculture minister Ionut Barbu. Meanwhile, Reuters reports, an official letter from
the Ukrainian government says Ukraine is currently working on defining a
temporary maritime transport route via Romanian territorial waters, to continue
to export grain via Black Sea ports. On Tuesday Russia pulled out of the
agreement allowing safe passage to Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. (AMP)

19 July 2023
July 17, 2023

SUMMIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis
takes part on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels in the 3rd summit of
the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. The main goal of the summit is to revive the partnership
between the EU and Latin American countries, in the context of current
geopolitical developments, including Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to
the Romanian presidency, Mr. Iohannis will highlight the importance of the
cooperation between the 2 regions for the management of new global challenges,
of the complex challenges facing both regions, and of the new development
opportunities that may be capitalised on through enhanced cooperation. The
Romanian president will also emphasise that Romania’s active commitment to a
closer cooperation between the 2 regions was reconfirmed in all his meetings
with his counterparts, during his official visits to Brazil, Chile and
Argentina this April.

GOVERNMENT The
Social Democratic MPs Natalia Intotero and Simona Bucura-Oprescu have been
appointed by their party leaders today as the new ministries for family and
labour, respectively. The 2 positions were vacant after the resignation of Gabrielei
Firea as minister for family and of Marius Budăi as labour minister, following
a scandal concerning care home abuses in Ilfov County, near the capital
Bucharest, where prosecutors are investigating organised crime groups exploiting
vulnerable people. Simona Bucura-Oprescu chairs the Committee on public
administration and country planning in the Chamber of Deputies. She was elected
as Deputy for Argeş County as a Social Democratic candidate, first in 2012, and
then in 2016 and 2020. Natalia Intotero was a minister for the Romanian
diaspora in 2018-2019 and a state secretary with the Foreign Ministry. She is
also at her 3rd term in office as an MP, and since December 2020 she
has been chairing the Chamber’s committee on education.

TAXATION The government of Romania is looking at a set of
tax increases to be applied as of September 1 in order to offset the budget
deficit. The planned changes include a new 1% tax on residential buildings
worth over EUR 500,000, and higher taxes on tobacco products and gambling. According
to governmental sources, 2 VAT rates will remain in force, with a 9% tax rate
for foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and prostheses, and a 19% rate for other
products and services. The government is also considering the introduction of
public health insurance contributions for employees in agriculture and
constructions, thus eliminating current exemptions in these sectors. Additional
taxes will be charged on transfers by companies that move their profits out of
the country. As many as 85.8% of the small and medium-sized enterprises are
against these proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code, the SME Council president
Florin Jianu says.

CULTURE This week’s agenda of the Timişoara – European Capital
of Culture programme includes theatre, performing arts, cinema, exhibitions and
gastronomy. The world-famous US actor John Malkovich stars in The Infernal
Comedy staged by the National Theatre in Timişoara, supported by the Vienna
Academy Orchestra, in 3 sold-out performances on Thursday and Friday. On
Tuesday, the Revolution Memorial Museum opens an exhibition on The Berlin
Wall, a border through Germany, and Wednesday sees the first screening of a travel
documentary by Florin Iepan, entitled My journey to Romania – Letter from
Timişoara, depicting the city as seen by a Norwegian traveller, Christoffer
Johansen.

SPORTS Romanian
football champions Farul Constanţa take on Sheriff Tiraspol, of the R. of
Moldova, on Tuesday night, in the Champions League’s first qualifying round. In the first leg, Farul won 1-0 on home
turf. The winning team is next to play against the winner of the round pitting Maccabi Haifa (Israel) against Hamrun Spartans (Malta), in
which the Israeli side won the first leg 4-0. Three
Romanian teams are playing in Conference League as well. In the 2nd
qualifying round, former champions CFR Cluj take on Adana Demirspor, of Turkey.
Cup winners Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe are pitting against CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), while
vice-champions FCSB (Bucharest) are facing CSKA 1948 Sofia. The first leg is
scheduled for July 27, with the return leg due a week later. (AMP)

17 July 2023
The EU and the Ukrainian grain exports

Romania has decided to continue to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain but introduced additional control measures to protect its farmers such as the establishment of customs controls for all agrifood products coming from Ukraine, as well as the sealing and strict monitoring of grain trucks while they are transiting the Romanian territory. The measures have been announced after the talks on Wednesday attended by the Agriculture Ministers of the two countries. How was this situation possible? In order to support Ukraine after the war Russia commenced against this country last February, the EU has suspended customs duties and the other means of trade protection applied to imports of grain and other food products coming from that country.

However, the decision has caused turmoil on East-European markets and five countries – Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – have notified the European Commission against the backdrop of the protests mounted by their disgruntled farmers.

In a common letter, the five countries have proposed a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the market imbalances caused by the massive imports of Ukrainian cereals. They have also applied for European support for the development of the transport infrastructures in their countries but also for additional vehicles needed by their market operators.

Through a well-developed transport network the products coming from Ukraine could reach faster their destination in other world regions while Brussels, in cooperation with the world food programme, must work out a solution so that the Ukrainian grain may not remain in the EU, the Prime Ministers of the five countries said in their letter to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Later, Poland and Hungary were the first to take unilateral measures, banning the imports of cereals and other food products from Ukraine to protect the local farming sector. Slovakia and Bulgaria followed suit against the background of the plummeting prices in the region.

Furthermore, the harvest season, which is due in two months is going to take farmers aback and they are expected to face a series of issued related to storing capabilities, presently occupied by the Ukrainian grain. The European Commission has called on all the four countries to give up all the restrictive measures they have individually imposed and which Brussels has deemed as illegal and running against the accession treaty as well as the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU. In the meantime, president von der Leyen on Wednesday sent a letter to the Prime Ministers of Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary pledging 100 million Euros in support for the farmers in those countries affected by the fiscal and transit facilities granted to Ukraine. This new financial aid joins another of its kind, worth 56.3 million Euros, already in force.

(bill)

20 April 2023
March 31, 2023

DEFENCE The strategic partnership between
the US and Romania has never been stronger, said the US secretary of defence,
Lloyd Austin, during the talks with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr in
Washington on Thursday. According to a news release from the Pentagon, the US
official praised the excellent relations between the two countries’ armed
forces and thanked Romania for hosting thousands of US and Allied troops to
bolster deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank, and for its role as a leader in the
Black Sea region. The two officials condemned Russia’s reckless war of choice
in Ukraine and reiterated their firm support for Ukraine. The Romanian defence
minister is on a visit to the US for several days, and has meetings scheduled
with senior US officials in the following days.

B9 The meeting of foreign
ministers in the Bucharest 9 format carries on today in Łódź (Poland),
co-chaired by the head of the Romanian diplomacy Bogdan Aurescu and his Polish counterpart, Zbigniew Rau. On
Thursday, the Romanian official announced that the first high-level conference
on security in the Black Sea region will take place in Bucharest on April 13.
During the talks in Lodz, B9 ministers focused on the consequences of Russia’s
war of aggression against Ukraine at regional and Euro-Atlantic level, with an
emphasis on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and to consolidate
trans-Atlantic ties, the Romanian foreign ministry said. In his address, Mr.
Aurescu called on B9 ministers to maintain increased Allied attention and
involvement in the Black Sea region, which has strategic importance for the
entire Euro-Atlantic space, as well as to strengthen trans-Atlantic
coordination. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania’s firm commitment to
further provide multidimensional support to Ukraine. He also encouraged the
Allies on the eastern flank to continue supporting Ukraine’s neighbours, which
are vulnerable to Russia’s aggressive moves, especially Georgia and the
Republic of Moldova, which is facing hybrid threats designed to destabilise the
country and to undermine its EU accession efforts.

VISIT The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă travels
to Sweden today, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the EU. His
agenda includes a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson. According
to Radio Romania’s correspondent, talks will focus on Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine and its impact on the countries in the region, on the
enlargement of the Schengen area, on the priorities of the Swedish presidency
of the EU Council and on bilateral cooperation, which PM Nicolae Ciucă has
recently described as very good. Nicolae Ciucă will also have a meeting with
the speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlén. Also today, the Romanian
head of government will attend a public conference on Threats and
opportunities in the Black Sea region, which will also mark the end of his
visit to Sweden.

GREEN ENERGY The European Commission
vice-president Frans Timmermans travels to Bucharest today, for talks on
the European Green Deal and the bloc’s strategy to switch to a zero-emission
economy. The agenda of the visit includes meetings with president Klaus
Iohannis, with the environment minister Tánczos Barna, and with other
government officials. Frans Timmermans will also have meetings with civil
society members, to discuss ways to fight climate change in Romania and the
role of the European Commission in this respect.

AGRICULTURE
The European Commission intends to revise the amount of compensations granted
to farmers from 5 countries affected by the imports of cheap grains from
Ukraine. The Commission is to disburse another EUR 75 mln, of which Romania
might get EUR 15mln, in addition to the EUR 10mln earmarked already. In an open
letter to the government, Romanian farmers argue however that Romania has lost
a lot more because of the priority and advantages received by Ukrainian
producers in the European market.

TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea
(74 WTA) today takes on Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (12 WTA), in the
semis of the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami (Florida). Twice a Wimbledon champion (2011,
2014), Kvitova qualified into the semifinals on Thursday, when she defeated
Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in 3 sets. On Wednesday Sorana Cîrstea had outplayed Arina Sabalenka of
Belarus, no 2 in the world. This will be the 11th direct
match between Sorana Cîrstea and Petra Kvitova, with
the Czech athlete winning 6 of them so far. The winner will take on Elena Rybakina
of Kazakhstan in the final. (AMP)

31 March 2023
January 27, 2023

ECONOMY
Romania reports a record-high GDP increase for last year, from EUR 240 bln in 2021 to nearly
EUR 290 bln, according to the National Strategy and
Forecast Commission. For this year, however, the institution estimates a
slow-down of the economic growth from 4.9% in 2022 to 2.8%. The inflation rate
is also expected to drop significantly by the end of this year, from 16.4% in
2022 to 8%, and consumption growth is also predicted to drop to 2.4%, compared
to 4.6% last year. The figures in the winter forecast, made public on Thursday,
are not different from the ones in the autumn report, released in October.

HEALTHCARE The number of respiratory infections in Romania dropped last
week by almost one-quarter compared to the previous week, to 103,000 cases, the
National Public Health Institute announced. The number is nonetheless 21%
higher than the average weekly rate in 2015-2020. According to statistics,
nearly 5,000 of them were flu cases. Since the start of the cold season, 36
people died from the flu, and nearly 1.5 million people got anti-flu vaccines.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian
foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a bilateral meeting in Sibiu today with his
Dutch counterpart, Wopke Bastiaan Hoekstra. The talks focused on Romania’s
Schengen accession and the ongoing efforts to further this important goal. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated that Romania’s accession will help strengthen
the security of the EU as a whole and will give credibility to the Union. In
turn, ministrer Hoekstra reiterated the Netherlands’ active support for this
process. Wopke Hoekstra also reconfirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to
consolidating NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on the
eastern flank, in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, by
contributing troops to the NATO Battle Group in Romania. The 2 officials also
discussed the Romanian-Dutch bilateral relations. The meeting took place in the
context of the Dutch official’s visit to Romania for trilateral political
consultations in Bucharest, together with the French diplomacy chief Catherine
Colonna. Ahead of the talks, the 3 ministers made a joint visit to the French
and Dutch troops stationed at the Cincu military base as part of the NATO Battle
Group in Romania. In
Bucharest, Catherine Colonna will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and
PM Nicolae Ciucă.

COMMEMORATION
The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory
of the Victims of the Holocaust, is marked every year on January 27, under a
resolution endorsed by the United Nations in 2005. In 1945, on January 27, Allied forces liberated
the largest Nazi extermination camp, in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland. According
to historians, the Holocaust resulted in the killing of 6 million Jewish people
in Europe and millions of other ethnics by Germany’s Nazi regime. Events and activities are organised on
this day every year at the UN headquarters in New York and UN offices around the world.
This year’s theme is Home and Belonging. In 2022, the UN General Assembly
adopted a resolution tabled by Israel, calling on all countries to condemn Holocaust
denial and anti-Semitism, especially on social networks.

TENNIS Gabriela Ruse (Romania) / Marta
Kostiuk (Ukraine) today lost to the defending champions, Barbora Krejcikova and
Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-2, in the doubles semi-finals of the
Australian Open. This is the best performance for Ruse and Kostiuk in a Grand Slam
event. Krejcikova and Siniakova hold a combined 6 Grand Slam doubles titles, 3
of them last year alone, when they only missed the Roland Garros. In the final,
the Czech players take on Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, of Japan, at their first
presence in a Grand Slam final after defeating Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula (US). (AMP)

27 January 2023
November 29, 2022

NATO The foreign ministers of NATO member countries, partner countries
and of the 2 candidate countries are in Bucharest for a 2-day meeting. It is
the first meeting of this kind hosted by Romania since it joined the Alliance and the
first event held in a NATO eastern flank country since the start of the war in
Ukraine, Romania’s foreign ministry highlighted. The meeting comprises 3
working sessions, 2 of which will be attended by the Allies together with
Sweden and Finland. Taking part in the third session will also be the foreign
ministers of Bosnia – Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The
first day of the meeting will conclude with a working dinner attended by the
foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, and the EU foreign policy chief,
Josep Borrell. The agenda of the meeting in Bucharest includes the
implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO summit in Madrid. The war in
Ukraine and the provision of long-term political and practical support from the
Allies will be the main topic of discussion. Other topics include energy security,
China, the strategic importance of the Black Sea region. NATO’s secretary
general Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Bucharest on Monday, and had meetings with
president Klaus Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign minister Bogdan
Aurescu.

MEETING Bucharest is the capital of European and Euro-Atlantic diplomacy
and even beyond these regions, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
said. Apart from the meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Romania is hosting
these days, for the first time ever, a Munich Leaders Meeting. 75 top-level
governmental officials and foreign policy and security experts are discussing
the consequences of the war in Ukraine as well as other security issues in the
region. The 11th Aspen Forum also begins in Bucharest today, with
participants including the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The 2022 edition
of the Forum takes place in the context of the war in Ukraine, which has
affected the entire world both in economic and security terms, and which is not
expected to come to an end soon, therefore it will only deepen multiple crisis,
the Aspen Institute says in a news release posted ahead of the meeting. Also in
Bucharest, a new energy coordination task force is scheduled to convene. The
group comprises officials of G7 and other Allied countries, and is working to
mobilise or plan the supply of equipment to Ukraine as soon as possible.

PARTNERSHIP Ahead of the US secretary of state Antony Blinken’s visit to
Bucharest to take part in the NATO Council, the US Department of State hailed
the celebration of 25 years since the Strategic Partnership with Romania was
signed. A US Department of State news release mentions Bucharest’s contribution
to NATO and multinational operations, the fact that the country hosts several
NATO and American military structures, including the missile defence system in Deveselu.
I am very happy and proud to say that our strategic partnership has reached the
highest level in its quarter-century history, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciucă
said in his turn, after the meeting with the US official in Bucharest. Twenty-five
years is a very important benchmark, which makes us aware that in 1997 a
generation was born which grew up and reached maturity concurrently with the
strategic partnership. I am confident that this generation will do everything
in their power to safeguard the freedom and rights we have secured and
democratic values, Mr. Ciuca also said. We have an unshakeable alliance, built
on shared values, and strong relations in the economic sector, including the
energy sector, Antony Blinken said, and also mentioned the academic and
cultural exchanges between the 2 countries.

NATIONAL DAY The Romanian Cultural Institute organises 50 events until December
10, to celebrate the National Day of Romania in 31 cities abroad. According to
the president of the Institute, Liviu Jicman, the events held in emblematic
locations in the respective countries place the works of Romanian artists among
the most important cultural landmarks of today and contribute to raising
awareness among foreign cultural and arts communities and the general public
with respect to the Romanian culture. On December 1, the National Day of Romania, a parade will be
organised in Bucharest and another one in Alba Iulia. On Monday the Parliament
celebrated 104 years since the Great Union in a special meeting. (AMP)

29 November 2022
November 27, 2022 UPDATE

NATO The president of
Romania Klaus Iohannis will receive the
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, in Bucharest on Monday. Stoltenberg
will chair the meeting of NATO foreign ministers hosted by the Romanian capital city as of Tuesday. Also on this
occasion, the US state secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Bucharest, and
will have meetings with president Iohannis, PM Nicolae Ciucă and the foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu. The NATO meeting, the
first of this kind organised in Romania, focuses on
supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, energy security and
implementing the Alliance’s new strategic concept.

MLM A Munich Leaders
Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian
foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich
Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over
25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and
opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international
security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans
regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing
the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy
crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping
the agenda of next year’s Munich Security Conference.

NATIONAL DAY Events
devoted to Romania’s National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November
30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops
will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup
deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence
ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special
Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and
40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a
defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North
Macedonia, R. Of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take
part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special
ceremonies.

ENVIRONMENT The
Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme
financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The
decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the country’s surface,
as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and
south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no
longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or
shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak
forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with
an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.

UKRAINE Heavy rainfall is expected in
Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv as of Sunday, with sub-zero temperatures both
during the day and at night. Millions of people in the city and the region
around it are still without electricity and heat, after Russian shelling
damaged the country’s energy infrastructure. The region of Dnipropetrovsk, in
central Ukraine, was once again hit by 5 Russian missile strikes and heavy
artillery attacks, the regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Homes and
other buildings were destroyed, but no victims were reported. However, in the
southern region of Kherson, where the Russian troops pulled out 2 weeks ago, at
least 32 people were killed in the bombings, the Ukrainian police reported.

ENESCU The George
Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International
Opera Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of the opera world, the festival organisers have
announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid,
Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside
other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as
the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera.

HANDBALL The men’s
handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia take part in this year’s
Carpaţi Trophy, on December 28th and 29th in Oradea,
north-western Romania, the Romanian Handball Federation announced. Egypt and
Algeria are qualified to the forthcoming World Championships scheduled for January
2023. Romania’s manager Xavi Pascual invited 24 players to convene for the
competition on December 26th. (AMP)

27 November 2022
November 27, 2022

NATO Bucharest will host on Tuesday and Wednesday a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ukraine and, for the first time, the Republic of Moldova. The war in Ukraine will be one of the main topics of the meeting. The conference will be co-chaired by the Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and NATOs secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. This is the first event of this kind organised in Romania since the country joined the Alliance in 2004 and the second NATO formal meeting in Romania since the 2008 summit. NATOs deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, says the event is a bridge between this summers summit in Madrid and the forthcoming summit in Vilnius, and a contribution made by Romania to the Alliances strategic thinking and response to the complex situation on the continent.

MLM A Munich Leaders Meeting (MLM) takes place in Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday. The Romanian foreign ministry is co-hosting this prestigious event, which is part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Attending will be over 75 senior officials from over 25 countries, including current and former officials, experts, analysts and opinion leaders. The agenda includes relevant topics for international security, with an emphasis on developments in the Black Sea and Western Balkans regions. Other topics will be the European security architecture, implementing the new NATO Strategic Concept, hybrid threats, food security, and the energy crisis. The conclusions of the meeting in Bucharest will contribute to shaping the agenda of next years Munich Security Conference.

NATIONAL DAY Events devoted to Romanias National Day on December 1 begin in Alba Iulia on November 30, with military and wreath laying ceremonies. On December 1, more than 850 troops will parade in Alba Iulia, including a French unit part of the NATO battlegroup deployed in Cincu, Braşov County. In Bucharest, over 1,500 troops and staff of the defence ministry, interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service and the Penitentiary Agency as well as vehicles and 40 aircraft will take part in a military parade on December 1. According to a defence ministry news release, around 150 troops from Belgium, France, North Macedonia, R. of Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal and the US, will also take part. Romanian military personnel on missions abroad will also organise special ceremonies.

ENVIRONMENT The Romanian environment ministry launched a national forestation programme financed from EU funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The decision was made because forests cover less than 30% of the countrys surface, as against the European average of 40%. In some counties in the south and south-east of the country, the ratio is even have less than 5%. Farmers who no longer want to keep their farmland under crops may turn it into forests or shelterbelts. The government provides up to EUR 20,000 for a hectare of oak forest in plains areas and up to EUR 17,000 per hectare of shelterbelts, with an additional EUR 456 per year for each hectare of forest for 20 years.

ENESCU The George Enescu International Music Festival was shortlisted for the prestigious International Opera Awards, the Oscars of the opera world, the festival organisers have announced. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday at Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain). The 2021 edition was shortlisted in the Festivals section, alongside other top-level events in the world of international classical music, such as the Donizetti Festival and Garsington Opera. (AMP)

27 November 2022
November 22, 2022

PENSIONS The
ruling coalition in Romania has decided to increase public pensions by 12.5%,
as of January 1. The increase applies for all pensions, regardless of level,
but low-income pensioners will also receive additional aid from the government,
provided in 2 instalments. Child allowances and the allowances for war veterans
and widows will be adjusted to inflation, while people with disabilities will
receive a 13th allowance, the ruling coalition also decided.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will make an official visit to Latvia
on Wednesday and to Lithuania on Thursday. On Friday, he will take part in a
summit with his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, and in an
international symposium. According to the Presidency, in Latvia Klaus Iohannis will
have talks with his counterpart Egils Levits, with PM Krisjanis Karins, and the
parliament speaker Edvards Smiltens. In Lithuania, the official agenda includes
consultations with president Gitanas Nauseda and the parliament speaker,
Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

NATO Romania will host for the first time, on November 29th
and 30th, a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers. The meeting will
have 4 sessions, focusing on the implementation of the Madrid Summit decisions,
on the war in Ukraine, on energy security and partners. Ukraine, the Republic
of Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Finland and Sweden, were
invited to attend. It is for the first time that the Republic of Moldova takes
part in a NATO ministerial meeting. In fact, in this summer’s summit in Madrid,
NATO leaders announced measures to support Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
in the current security context in Europe. The foreign ministers of the 3
countries are expected to discuss in Bucharest means to strengthen their
defence and resilience capabilities. The foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro
Kuleba, is also scheduled to attend the meeting in Bucharest.

AID Romania, France and Germany have agreed
on a new aid instalment to help the Republic of Moldova cope with the energy
crisis this winter. Officials of the 3 countries convened in Paris for the 3rd
ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform, initiated by Bucharest,
Berlin and Paris this spring. Moldova is to receive another EUR 100 mln in
international support to handle the consequences of the war in
Ukraine, including the energy crisis and the refugee inflow, and also to carry
on the reforms initiated in order to join the EU, the president of France,
Emmanuel Macron announced. The Romanian foreign minister said Romania intends
to pay a first instalment of EUR 25 mln by the end of this year, intended for
the implementation of projects in education, regional development, and public
utility services.

AUTOMOTIVE Romania is the EU’s six-largest car manufacturer, with an
average of over 40,000 vehicles per month. According to the latest report by
the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), nearly 50 million
cars were produced worldwide in the first 9 months of this year. China comes
first, with 16.3 million, followed by the US with 5.3 million. As many as 7.96 million
cars were produced in the EU during the same period, up 5.8% compared to 2021.
Germany tops the European ranking, with 2.4 million vehicles produced, which is
considerably less than the 3.4 million cars made in 2019. In Romania, the only
country where this year’s output was higher than in 2019, 376,000 cars were
made, of which some 60% were Dacia and 40% Ford. Recently, the Romanian
Carmakers Association announced that the national output went up 27.7% in the
first 10 months of the year, compared to 2021.

EARTHQUAKE Rescue teams in Indonesia
continue to search for survivors of Monday’s earthquake, in which hundreds of
people died or were injured. Many victims were school children. The 5.6 Richter
quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, and destroyed many buildings. According to Reuters,
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, an area with many active
volcanoes that frequently produce tremors. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 off the
Indonesian island of Sumatra caused a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 14 countries,
with almost half of the victims reported in Indonesia.

FOOTBALL Today at
the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the defending champions, France, will play against
Australia, while two-times world champions Argentina take on Saudi Arabia. The
other matches scheduled for today are Denmark vs. Tunisia and Mexico vs.
Poland. On Monday England defeated Iran, 6-2, and in the same group the US and
Wales drew 1-1. Also on Monday, the Netherlands, who have played 3 world cup
finals without winning, defeated Senegal 2-0. (AMP)

22 November 2022
November 18, 2022

ENERGY Romania will secure its energy independence in 2027 and will even become a provider of security in the region, including for
the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, said the president of the
National Energy Regulatory Authority, Dumitru Chiriţă.
He added that over the past few years Bucharest invested EUR 3 bln in natural
gas and electricity transport and distribution systems. On the other hand,
investments in production operations only amounted to EUR 30 mln, but this will
change as massive funding will be channelled in this sector. According to the Authority, new production
units will be operational in 3-4 years’ time, with a combined output of over 10,000
MW, and investors are quite interested in the projects, some of which are
funded from loans and others from private sources.

BUDGET The
government of Romania Thursday approved this year’s second public budget
adjustment, with approx. EUR 100 million in additional funding. According to
the government, the budget adjustment covers compulsory spending, operating
expenses and social assistance expenses. According to the finance minister
Adrian Câciu, the budget deficit is reduced from 5.84% to 5.74%. A majority of
funds will be earmarked for the finance, labour, agriculture and economy
ministries. Also, under the new budget, the energy, transport, public
healthcare and interior ministries are set to lose part of their funding.

DEFENCE The
Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr took part this week in a meeting of
South Eastern European defence ministers, held in Sofia under the Bulgarian
presidency of the initiative. The participants analysed the progress in the
projects organised by this initiative and approved a number of documents
concerning the planning of SEDM operations. Angel Tîlvăr reiterated Romania’s
commitment to contribute even more actively to the implementation of the
initiative’s projects. On the sidelines of the meeting in Sofia, the Romanian
official had bilateral meetings with his Moldovan, Bulgarian and Georgian
counterparts.

UKRAINE
Over 10 million Ukrainians were left without electricity, especially in the
Kyiv region, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. Several
Ukrainian cities, including the capital, were hit by Russian attacks on
Thursday, concurrently with the first snow in a country affected by blackouts,
where temperatures may drop to negative 10°C, AFP reports. The resumed shelling
targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure constantly deprives millions of
Ukrainians of electricity and water supplies.

MISSILE The
missile launched by North Korea on Friday had enough range to hit the US, and a
range capability of 15,000 km, said Japan’s defence minister Yasukazu Hamada,
quoted by Reuters. The intercontinental ballistic missile reached an altitude
of 6,000 km and landed roughly 200 km west of a Japanese island. Over the past
2 months North Korea has tested over 50 missiles, most of them in the
short-range class. Medium and long-range missiles are a direct threat to the US,
as they are designed to carry nuclear warheads to the US mainland, the BBC says.

FOOTBALL
Romania’s national football team lost 2-1 a friendly game played last night in
Cluj-Napoca against Slovenia. On Saturday, Romania is to play another friendly
against the Republic of Moldova, in Chişinău. Romania has failed to qualify to
the Qatar World Cup and is training for the Euro 2024. The national team will
play in Group I against Switzerland, Israel, Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra. Meanwhile,
Romania’s Under-20 football team was defeated by Italy, 2-1, in a friendly
match hosted by the Romanian city of Arad. (AMP)

18 November 2022
January 13, 2022

COVID-19 Nearly 10,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported for
the last 24 hours in Romania, along with 36 related deaths, the authorities
announced on Thursday. The incidence rate is on the rise around the country,
including in the capital Bucharest, where it passed 3 cases per 1,000
inhabitants, the city now being in the red tier. This means that restaurants,
cinemas, gyms and other venues can open at 30% capacity. Also, schools where
the vaccine uptake among staff is under 60% will switch to online teaching.
Some 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania since the
start of the pandemic, and around 60,000 COVID patients died. Amid anti-vaccine
feelings fuelled by certain media outlets, politicians and opinion leaders,
Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU.

PROTEST Public education staff are today picketing the headquarters of the
government and of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party in
power. Trade unions in the sector are unhappy
with the government’s failure to increase wages as stipulated by the 2017
Salary Law. The protest is organised by the 3 major trade union federations in
the sector, which argue that the teachers’ net pay raise of only 13 euro per
month as of January 1 triggered overwhelming discontent among employees. The 3
federations are currently holding a poll to decide whether to go on strike over
the matter.

MEETING Europe’s security architecture is being
discussed today by the EU foreign and defence ministers, convening in a meeting
in Brest organised by the French presidency of the EU Council. EU defence
ministers will focus on the situation in Ukraine and the threat posed by
Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border. Another topic on the agenda
is the Strategic Compass project, a roadmap for the Union’s security and
defence by 2030, which stipulates the deployment of 5,000 troops in crisis
situations by 2025. The talks in Brest will be followed by an
informal 2-day meeting of the EU foreign ministers, attended by the High Representative of the European Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borell. Romania
is represented by Bogdan Aurescu. The agenda includes the security developments
in the Eastern Neighbourhood, the EU-China relations and the developments in Mali.
Bogdan Aurescu will present Romania’s assessment of the current security
situation and will reiterate the importance of preserving the unity of the EU
and of maintaining firm and credible deterrence measures concerning Russia.

OSCE The Permanent Council of the OSCE convenes
in Vienna today to carry on the dialogue between Russia, the US and its
European allies. After tense discussions in Geneva between the US deputy
secretary of state Wendy Sherman and Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei
Ryabkov, on Wednesday in Brussels NATO and Moscow found that deep differences
remain between their views on security in Europe. The West sees Moscow’s about
100,000 troops deployed on the Ukrainian border as an indication of an
impending attack on that country, a plan that Russia denies.NATO’s
secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said there is a real risk for a new armed
conflict in Europe, and added that it is up to Russia to de-escalate and
end the crisis. In turn, the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell accused Russia of
attempting to rebuild the Soviet bloc in Europe and to divide the US and Europe. Moscow,
on the other hand, says the military build-up is a response to the perceived
growing and threatening presence of NATO in its area of influence.

TENNIS The Romanian players taking part in the Australian
Open, due to begin on Monday, have found out their opponents. In the first
round, Simona Halep (15 WTA and 2018 Australian Open finalist) takes on
Poland’s Magdalena Frech. Sorana Cîrstea (38 WTA) will have a difficult match
against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic (21 WTA). Irina Begu (58 WTA) plays
against the French Oceane Dodin (96 WTA), and Jaqueline Cristian (73 WTA) will
take on Greet Minnen of Belgium (84 WTA), in her first match at the Australian
Open. Gabriela Ruse (82 WTA), also for the first time in Melbourne, will play
against the Italian Jasmine Paolini (52 WTA). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

13 January 2022
Résumés and political responsibility

The Romanian minister for research and digitisation, Liberal Florin Roman, has resigned. He left
the Nicolae Ciucă cabinet less than a month since taking office, following a
journalist investigation into his education and qualifications.

According to journalists,
Florin Roman’s resume includes a B.A. degree he has not obtained, and a
plagiarised B.A. thesis. Moreover, he claims to have published a book, which is
not to be found.

Roman denies the accusations
and claims he stepped down to make sure the image of the Cabinet is not
affected. He argues he is the innocent victim of media and political lynching
tied to deals of tens of billion euros for the implementation of digital solutions
for the Government. His office is temporarily taken over by the energy minister
Virgil Popescu.

Some of the accusations
made by journalists are backed by the leaders of the Babeş-Bolyai University
in Cluj-Napoca, who said Florin Roman never received a degree at this
university, but only a diploma certifying that he attended a college in Alba
Iulia, near Cluj.

Florin Roman was also, for
a while, speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and is one of the most influential
members of the National Liberal Party. He believes the leader of USR party in
opposition, Dacian Cioloş, has coordinated the attacks against him, and
threatened to sue. In response, Dacian Cioloş, who was a prime minister in
2015-2017, said he was not impressed by the threat, and emphasised that Roman’s
resignation was a necessary step. Florin Roman is
no victim. Florin Roman is the representative of a political class
that destroyed the best Romania had, Dacian Cioloş also said.

Several high-ranking
Romanian politicians have been accused of plagiarism in recent years. Perhaps
the most tale-telling image of this phenomenon came in 2016 from the former
Social Democratic deputy and Bucharest sector 3 mayor Robert Negoiță, accused
of plagiarism in his Ph.D. thesis and prosecuted for it at the time, who said, Everybody
was doing it, so I did, too. Robert Negoiță graduated high-school at the age
of 31, in 2003, and one year after completing his second university programme
in 2009 he was already enrolled in a doctoral programme.

But
the most resounding plagiarism case in Romanian politics involved the former
Social Democratic leader, Victor Ponta, who eventually resigned as prime
minister in 2015, although for different reasons. He was probed into for
copyright infringements in his Ph.D. thesis, but the Prosecutor General’s
Office closed the case.

Other
politicians accused of plagiarism include ex-PM Mihai Tudose, former deputy PM and
defence minister Gabriel Oprea, the ex-interior minister Radu Stroe, and former
defence minister Mihai Stănișoară.

In
2020, Romania ranked 69th in the Transparency International’s
Corruption Perceptions Index. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

16 December 2021