Radio România Internațional

Tag: ministers

A new government for Romania

Designated by president
Klaus Iohannis for the second time in recent weeks to form a new government,
the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă managed this time around to persuade a majority of
MPs to endorse his team. This is thanks to the alliance of his party with the
Social Democrats, who hold the largest number of seats in Parliament, and with
the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), a junior partner
of the Liberals in the ruling coalition ever since the 2020 election.

The USR had also been
partners in the same coalition, but following disagreements with the Liberal PM
Florin Cîțu they decided to pull out nearly 3 months ago, and to back a
no-confidence motion tabled by the Social Democrats.

For the UDMR, things are
relatively simple: in the new government team, they get to keep the 3 ministries
they headed before (regional development, environment and sports) and receive a
deputy PM post as well.

The negotiations between
the Liberals and the Social Democrats, on the other hand, were rather
complicated. The 2 parties eventually agreed on a rotation of prime ministers between
them and managed to have the governing programme include vital measures which,
they claim, are eagerly awaited by their voters.

Such measures include
earmarking 7% of GDP for investments, implementing the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan and using the Anghel Saligny Investment Plan to
reduce development gaps between the country’s regions. Nicolae Ciucă also promises
to raise child allowances, minimum wages, and public pensions.

Virgil Popescu, who will
stay on as energy minister, announced that as of early next year the mechanism
protecting consumers from growing energy prices will be revised and measures
will be taken to ensure households and companies are not affected.

Sorin Cîmpeanu, who also
carries on his term in office at the education ministry, says his first
priority is to set up a committee to work on a new education law.

As much as 70 billion euro
will be invested in the next 10 years in transport infrastructure, says the Social
Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, who also promises full transparency in terms of
public spending at the transport ministry.

Another
Social Democrat, and the only woman in the new cabinet, Gabriela Firea, will be in charge
of a newly established ministry of youth and family.

In the context of the ongoing
pandemic, testing and encouraging citizens to go to the doctor as soon as
possible, alongside with providing proper healthcare services, are the
short-term measures planned by Alexandru Rafila, chosen by the Social
Democratic Party to head the healthcare ministry. Dr. Rafila also spoke about
the polarisation in the Romanian society and the rift between the vaccinated
and the unvaccinated.

The Liberal Cătălin
Predoiu, who was a justice minister in the past as well, says meeting the terms
of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism is a goal for the new coalition,
along with dismantling the special section investigating offences in the
judiciary and the amendment of the laws regulating the justice system.

NATO, the EU and the strategic partnership with the USA are the pillars
of Romania’s defence and security policy, says the new defence minister Vasile
Dîncu, also backed by the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, whose priority
remains the consolidation of Romania’s role and standing in the EU and NATO. (tr.
A.M. Popescu)

25 November 2021
A new government for Romania

Designated by president
Klaus Iohannis for the second time in recent weeks to form a new government,
the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă managed this time around to persuade a majority of
MPs to endorse his team. This is thanks to the alliance of his party with the
Social Democrats, who hold the largest number of seats in Parliament, and with
the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), a junior partner
of the Liberals in the ruling coalition ever since the 2020 election.

The USR had also been
partners in the same coalition, but following disagreements with the Liberal PM
Florin Cîțu they decided to pull out nearly 3 months ago, and to back a
no-confidence motion tabled by the Social Democrats.

For the UDMR, things are
relatively simple: in the new government team, they get to keep the 3 ministries
they headed before (regional development, environment and sports) and receive a
deputy PM post as well.

The negotiations between
the Liberals and the Social Democrats, on the other hand, were rather
complicated. The 2 parties eventually agreed on a rotation of prime ministers between
them and managed to have the governing programme include vital measures which,
they claim, are eagerly awaited by their voters.

Such measures include
earmarking 7% of GDP for investments, implementing the National Recovery and
Resilience Plan and using the Anghel Saligny Investment Plan to
reduce development gaps between the country’s regions. Nicolae Ciucă also promises
to raise child allowances, minimum wages, and public pensions.

Virgil Popescu, who will
stay on as energy minister, announced that as of early next year the mechanism
protecting consumers from growing energy prices will be revised and measures
will be taken to ensure households and companies are not affected.

Sorin Cîmpeanu, who also
carries on his term in office at the education ministry, says his first
priority is to set up a committee to work on a new education law.

As much as 70 billion euro
will be invested in the next 10 years in transport infrastructure, says the Social
Democrat Sorin Grindeanu, who also promises full transparency in terms of
public spending at the transport ministry.

Another
Social Democrat, and the only woman in the new cabinet, Gabriela Firea, will be in charge
of a newly established ministry of youth and family.

In the context of the ongoing
pandemic, testing and encouraging citizens to go to the doctor as soon as
possible, alongside with providing proper healthcare services, are the
short-term measures planned by Alexandru Rafila, chosen by the Social
Democratic Party to head the healthcare ministry. Dr. Rafila also spoke about
the polarisation in the Romanian society and the rift between the vaccinated
and the unvaccinated.

The Liberal Cătălin
Predoiu, who was a justice minister in the past as well, says meeting the terms
of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism is a goal for the new coalition,
along with dismantling the special section investigating offences in the
judiciary and the amendment of the laws regulating the justice system.

NATO, the EU and the strategic partnership with the USA are the pillars
of Romania’s defence and security policy, says the new defence minister Vasile
Dîncu, also backed by the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, whose priority
remains the consolidation of Romania’s role and standing in the EU and NATO. (tr.
A.M. Popescu)

25 November 2021
April 23, 2021

COVID-19 The way out of the COVID-19 pandemic is mass vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said today. He added that containment measures will be eased out as the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections, of patients in ICUs and of COVID-related deaths decreases. Yesterday, at the end of the first meeting of an inter-ministry committee working to ensure Romanias return to normal as of June 1, PM Florin Cîțu said in his turn that the return to normal life is conditional on vaccination. The number of people who have received at least one vaccine dose in Romania is now over 2.8 million. Meanwhile, the authorities announced on Friday over 2,500 new infections in 24 hours, and 170 COVID-related deaths. Another 1,391 patients are in intensive care. Three counties in Romania, Bucharest, Ilfov in the south-east and Cluj in the centre, are still in the red zone, with little over 4 COVID cases per thousand inhabitants, while the other counties report rates below 3 per thousand.

MEETING The Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral meeting works very well, and its relevance and effectiveness have grown significantly, contributing in its 9 years of existence, to strengthening the North-Atlantic Alliance and to ensuring security in the eastern flank, including the Black Sea region, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said. The Romanian official took part on Friday in the plenary session of the meeting, alongside his counterparts from Poland, Zbigniew Rau and Turkey, Mevlut Cavuşoglu. At the end of the meeting, the 3 foreign ministers signed a joint declaration, for the first time since the trilateral meeting has been held. Today the participants tackled security-related topics, with a focus on the regional situation, on the outcomes of the latest NATO minister-level meetings and on the prospects for this years summit of the Alliance. The 3 countries officials emphasised on Friday that they would like NATO to be a stronger political and military actor, with global reach. The participants also discussed the progress in implementing the projects selected in the 2020 trilateral meeting and the ways to strengthen trilateral dialogue, including by developing new projects.

ECONOMY All EU member countries ended the year 2020 with budget deficit. According to Eurostat, Romania was among the states with the highest deficit figures, 9.2% of GDP, double the level reported the previous year. Eurostat preliminary data point to a skyrocketing budget deficit EU-wide, from 0.5% of GDP in 2019 to 6.9% last year. The highest levels, ranging between 11% and 9.5%, were reported in Spain, Malta, Greece, Italy, Belgium and France. Denmark is the only country that reported budget deficit below 3%.

PANDEMIC Greece, one of Romanians summer holiday destinations of choice, was included by the Romanian authorities in the list of countries with high epidemic risk, due to the large number of coronavirus infections. The list now comprises 60 countries and regions. Alongside Greece, it also includes Turkey, Bulgaria, the Maldives, France, Italy, Austria, Germany and the US. Travellers returning from these countries must produce a negative COVID test before boarding the plane or coach. People having tested negative will still isolate for 10 days upon arrival. The measure does not apply for travellers having received both vaccine doses, or having recovered from the disease in the past 90 days. The total number of coronavirus infections is now over 145 million worldwide, with more than 123 million patients recovered and some 3 million deaths reported by worldometers.info. In Germany, a controversial law takes effect today, which grants more powers to the federal government. Italy has in turn extended the state of emergency until the end of July. France is lifting part of the restrictions as of 3 May, with children returning to schools, but with night curfews still in place.

TENNIS Romanian player Simona Halep, seed no 2 in the WTA tournament in Stuttgart (Germany), plays today against Russias Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarter-finals of the competition. On Thursday in the round of 16, Alexandrova defeated the Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-1, 7-5, whereas Halep beat the Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-1, 6-3. Simona Halep and Ekaterina Alexandrova have played against each other 3 times so far, with the Russian winning 2 of the matches. Two other Romanian players, Sorana Cirstea and Ana Bogdan, take on Russias Veronika Kudermetova and Belgiums Fiona Ferro, respectively, in the quarter-finals of the Istanbul tournament. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 April 2021
June 15, 2020

COVID-19 In Romania, the latest data released by the Strategic Communication Group point to a total of nearly 22,100 COVID 19 cases. The largest numbers of infections have so far been reported in Suceava County (north-east) and in Bucharest. A total of over 15,800 patients have so far recovered, and 175 are currently in intensive care. So far 1,427 people died because of the novel coronavirus. Around 3,400 Romanian nationals living abroad have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, most of them in Italy, Germany and Spain, and 114 of them died. Bucharest is further lifting some of the COVID-19 containment measures today.

PANDEMIC The worldwide death toll of the COVID-19 pandemic so far is over 435,000, out of almost 8 million cases. More than half of the patients have recovered. The US remains the worst hit country, with over 2.1 million cases and nearly 118,000 deaths, followed by Brazil, Russia, India, the UK, Spain and Italy. Europe, which was the second region hit by the pandemic, takes advantage of the more stable situation and continues to ease restrictions and to open internal borders. Italy, once the worst hit country in Europe and in the world, is today moving to a 3rd stange in lifting restrictions. Also today, Slovenia, Germany and Austria open their borders with Italy, with the first flights to Italian airports. Bulgaria is also lifting some of the COVID-19 related restrictions, although it faces an increase in the number of new cases, which raises fears of a second wave of the pandemic.

EXAMS Over 172,000 Romanian students graduating secondary schools this year are taking their National Assessment exams as of today, as a prerequisite for high school enrolment. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year the exam is held in special circumstances. Healthcare personnel are taking childrens temperature and every school is equipped with decontamination mats, protective face masks and biocide substances to use on floors, doorknobs, desks and chairs. Children are not allowed to bring any bags or backpacks into the examination rooms and are seated 2m from each other during the exam. The students who are self-isolating, quarantined, hospitalized, and those who had a temperature above 37.3 degrees Celsius on the exam day and those suffering from conditions that may be worsened by the novel coronavirus will take the exams in a special session between June 22 and July 4.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part today in an informal conference call with the EU diplomacy chiefs. The agenda focuses on transatlantic relations. The participants will discuss with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the importance of the partnership between the EU and the US, with an emphasis on the international consequences of the Coronavirus crisis. Another topic discussed with the American official is the relationship with China, with a view to strengthen the American-European dialogue and coordination in this respect. The Romanian foreign minister will emphasise the importance of unity and pragmatism, and the need to strengthen transatlantic ties. He will also highlight the need to maintain a strong American presence in areas affected by protracted conflicts, particularly in the Eastern neighbourhood.

MEASURES The Romanian airline TAROM announced resuming flights to and from several EU countries. As of today, flights to Athens are resumed in normal conditions, while flights to Vienna, Frankfurt and Munich are also scheduled this week. Quarantine or self-isolation is also no longer required for the Romanian citizens arriving from 17 European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary).

BREXIT The British PM Boris Johnson and the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are holding post-Brexit trade negotiations today, after no major progress has been made towards a deal after four rounds of talks this year. London wants to end the transition period this year, whether or not a deal is reached. Experts say a failure of trade talks between Britain, which left the EU on January 31, and the 27 EU member states, may have devastating economic consequences, further deepened by the coronavirus pandemic.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

15 June 2020
October 30, 2019 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT In Bucharest, the hearings of the candidates for minister posts in the Liberal PM designate Ludovic Orbans new cabinet have concluded. On Wednesday, the specialised parliamentary committees interviewed the candidates for minister of labour, justice, youth and sports, education and research, economy, energy and the business environment, development, administration, and public works, and foreign affairs. All candidates, except for the ones nominated for labour minister and minister for public works, development and administration, were greenlighted by MPs. On Tuesday, all candidates except for the one nominated for finance minister were also approved by the relevant parliamentary committees. However, the parliamentary committees only have consultative powers, and the decisive vote is scheduled for Monday, November 4. In order to replace the Social Democrat Viorica Dancilas Cabinet, dismissed on October 10 following a no-confidence vote in Parliament, Ludovic Orbans team needs at least 233 votes. To this end, the PM designate and president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, has signed political agreements with Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, the Peoples Movement Party, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and MPs representing ethnic minorities. PRO Romania, a splinter from the Social Democratic Party, said they would decide on whether to vote on the new cabinet after the hearings, whereas the Social Democratic Party announced they would not take part in the vote.

MISSION ‘Regele Ferdinand’ Frigate of the Romanian Navy, together with a Puma Naval helicopter and a Navy Special Operations unit are taking part until November 7th in a new NATO mission in the Mediterranean. The goal of Operation ‘Sea Guardian 19’ is to discourage illegal activities in the southern flank of NATO and the EU, by means of sea and air traffic monitoring. During the mission, the Romanian frigate will have stopovers in Haifa, Israel, and Limassol, Cyprus. The first stop was in the port of Aksaz, in the south of Turkey, followed by another one in Alexandria, Egypt, where a first meeting was held aboard, with members of the Romanian community in Egypt.

MILITARY A military delegation from Bulgaria, headed by Gen. Major Mihail Dimitrov Popov, chief of staff of the Bulgarian Land Forces, is on an official visit to Romania between October 29 and 31. The host of the event is the chief of the Romanian Land Forces, gen. major Dorin Blaiu. The visit is intended on the one hand to assess the cooperation between the Romanian and Bulgarian land forces, and on the other hand to identify new fields and opportunities for future training. The agenda of the Bulgarian delegation also includes visits to the Romanian military units in Bucharest, Cincu and Sibiu (centre).

ANTI-CORRUPTION The interim chief of the National Anti-Corruption Agency, Călin Nistor, has reported that over the past 4 years anti-corruption prosecutors sent to court over 900 individuals suspected of crimes against the financial interests of the European Union, in cases having caused combined losses of over 100 million euros. The chief prosecutor also said the acquittal rate in cases involving EU fund frauds is rather low, and added that Romanian courts have already sentenced more than 450 defendants and forced them to pay compensations of around 30 million euros.

TENNIS In the Purple Group of the WTA Finals in Shenzhen (China), the Romanian Simona Halep (5 WTA) Wednesday lost 7-5, 6-3, to the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who moved up into the semi-finals. Simona Halep played the final of the tournament at her first participation in 2014, when she lost to the American Serena Williams (9 WTA). Also on Wednesday, the Romanian-born Canadian Bianca Andreescu (4 WTA) forfeited the match against Karolina Pliskova (2 WTA), after the Czech player had won the first set, 6-3. Andreescu stands no chances to qualify into the semis, even if she was fit to play the last group match on Friday, against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

30 October 2019
September 18, 2019

DEADLOCK The Constitutional Court in Bucharest is to discuss today the notification filed by PM Viorica Dancila with respect to a possible conflict of powers, triggered by the Presidents refusing to appoint interim ministers. Last week President Klaus Iohannis announced he would not accept the reshuffling proposed by the Prime Minister, which he dismissed as “void and unsuitable. Last Wednesday Viorica Dancila sent the head of state a document nominating members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for the vacant positions in Cabinet after that party left the ruling coalition last month. Also today, the Social Democratic Partys National Executive Committee convenes to discuss the situation of the Cabinet, which has many minister positions still unfilled.

VISIT The prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dăncila received in Bucharest today her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki, for a second round of inter-governmental consultations between the 2 countries. This is the second inter-government meeting after the one in Warsaw last May, and it takes place in the context of the celebration of a decade-long strategic partnership, of 3-decades long democratic regime and of a century of diplomatic relations. The members of the 2 governments will sign a memorandum of agreement in major sectors, including infrastructure, energy, transport, communications, digitisation, entrepreneurship and the management of European funds.

FESTIVAL In Bucharest, classical music lovers are invited today to concerts with highly appreciated artists, as part of the George Enescu International Festival. Todays programme includes a concert of the Lille National Orchestra, conducted by Vlad Vizireanu, at the Romanian Athenaeum. The soloists, Sergey Khachatryan, on violin, and Timothy Ridout, on the viola, will perform George Enescus Chamber Symphony for 12 instruments, Johannes Brahmss Violin Concerto in D major and ‘Harold in Italy’ by Hector Berlioz. The George Enescu International Festival, with Radio Romania as a co-producer, will continue until September 22, bringing together 2,500 of the worlds most celebrated musicians in 84 concerts and recitals. Bucharest and other cities in Romania and in Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Republic of Moldova are hosting performances as part of this years Festival.

BILL A bill on the taxation of special pension benefits, introduced by the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, has been passed by the Senate today after being approved by the budget committee on Tuesday. The document concerns a 30% tax rate on special pensions ranging between approx. 1,480 euro and 2,115 euro, and a 50% tax rate on pensions above this threshold. Senators also decided that country presidents emoluments in excess of roughly 1,480 euro should be subject to taxation. The bill will be sent to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision making body in this respect.

EMPLOYMENT Most EU citizens working part time last year (26% of the total) said they could not find full-time jobs, while another 24% chose part-time work because they were looking after children or incapacitated adults, according to data released today by the European Statistics Office, Eurostat. The highest percentage of people who were working part-time in 2018 because they did not find full-time employment was reported in Greece (70%), Italy (66%), Cyprus (65%), Bulgaria (59%), Spain (56.5%) and Romania (54.9%). The lowest rates were reported in Estonia (6%), Belgium, the Czech Republic and Slovenia (7% each) and Netherlands (8%). Around one-fifth of the total number of employed EU citizens had part-time jobs last year, accounting for 31.2 million women and 9.5 million men.

ISRAEL The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger Benni Gantz are shoulder to shoulder, with 32 seats each in the new Parliament, according to Tuesdays election results after counting over 92% of the votes. Israeli mass media note however that none of them has enough allies for a governmental majority. Israel Our Home party, whose 9 seats in Knesset make it indispensible for a ruling coalition, proposed a national unity government, but its leader Avigdor Lieberman is one of Netanyahus opponents. According to Radio Romanias correspondent, Israeli citizens would not agree to a new election campaign, and the countrys president vowed to avoid a third early election.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

18 September 2019
May 15, 2019 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT Romanias right-of-centre president, Klaus Iohannis, announced that on Wednesday he communicated to the Social Democratic Party in writing why he had turned down the partys nominations for the new ministers of justice, European funds and the diaspora. The letter sent to the main partner in the ruling coalition reads that the 3 nominees have no experience in the field they are supposed to manage. In a press conference, the head of state also criticized the leftist Government, which in his opinion has had no notable achievements so far and is not interested in the problems facing the citizens. In April, the PM Viorica Dancilă nominated Deputy Eugen Nicolicea to replace Tudorel Toader as justice minister, Deputy Oana Florea for the Ministry of European Funds replacing Rovana Plumb, and Senator Tit Liviu Brăiloiu for the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad, replacing Natalia Intotero. Rovana Plumb and Natalia Intotero resigned in order to run in the European Parliament elections, whereas Tudorel Toader lost the political support of the Social Democratic Party. The 3 ministries are currently run by interim ministers.

EDUCATION Cooperation between Europe and Asia in the field of education has grown and a wide range of opportunities have been created through the EU financing instruments, like ERASMUS+ and Horizon 2020, the EU Commissioner for Education Tibor Navracsics said in Bucharest on Wednesday, at the 7th meeting of European and Asian education ministers—ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting). The conference is part of the calendar of events organized in the context of the Romanian presidency of the EU Council. The meeting, which will continue on Thursday, focuses on “Connecting education: inclusion, mobility and excellence in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. ASEM is a platform of cooperation between Europe and Asia, launched in 1996 in view of strengthening dialogue between the 2 regions. ASEM currently has 53 partners: 28 EU member states, Switzerland, Norway, 21 Asian countries and 2 international organisations, the EU and the ASEAN Secretariat.

TARIFFS Calls and text messages within the EU are cheaper as of May 15. Consumers calling from their home country to another member state will pay a maximum 19 eurocents per minute (plus VAT) and 6 eurocents per text message sent (plus VAT). According to the European Commission, the new tariffs are applicable in all member states, and they will soon be valid in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein as well. Business clients will not be subject to price regulation, given that many providers have special offers already in place for such consumers. The new ceilings, alongside the scrapping of roaming tariffs operated 2 years ago, are part of a review of regulations in the EU telecoms sector.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

15 May 2019
April 16, 2019

NOTRE DAME The danger of the Notre Dame fire in Paris has been contained, but the French authorities say that whether or not the structure of the building has resisted the fire is yet to be established. The spire of the famous Paris masterpiece has collapsed. The cause of the disaster is yet unknown, and investigations carry on. The flames affected the cathedral, destroyed the roof and the spire, but the outer walls and the 2 belfries are still standing. The 12th-century UNESCO world heritage site attracted millions of tourists every year. The billionaire families Arnault and Pinault have donated 300 million euros for the rebuilding works. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and PM Viorica Dancila have sent solidarity messages.

CULTURE The European ministers of culture convene in Bucharest today, under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Attending the event is also the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics. Also taking part in the meeting chaired by the Romanian Culture Minister, Valer Daniel Breaz, are officials from the Council of the European Unions secretariat general and from the Government of Romania. The 2 sessions will be devoted to funding and innovation for the cultural and creative industries, and to the European cultural heritage. The participants will also present the conclusions of a conference on heritage held in Sighisoara, central Romania, last week.

ENERGY A simple motion on the topic of energy is subject to a vote in the Chamber of Deputies today. The National Liberal Party in opposition, which initiated the motion, voices concern with the large number of procedures that come against the EU legislation, with the delays in the endorsement of a national strategy for the energy sector and with the rising prices of electricity and natural gas. Other members of the Opposition, including Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party, also support the motion, adding that the current Power has brought the energy sector under political control and that all measures are against free market principles. On the other side, the line minister, Anton Anton, says progress has been made in drafting the energy strategy, and that Government Emergency Order no. 114 introduces a 3-year cap on energy prices. The Energy Minister also denied the Liberals claims that 15,000 miners will be made redundant.

CORRUPTION The High Court of Cassation and Justice has today postponed to June 11 the appeal in a case involving the prime ministers adviser Darius Vâlcov, a former mayor of the town of Slatina in the south and former minister for finances. Valcov was sentenced to 8 years in prison by a court of first instance, for money laundering and influence peddling. The sentence was passed in February 2018, but the 3 judges were one year late in making public the reasoning for the ruling. In the same case, another former mayor of Slatina, Minel Prina, received a 4-and-a-half-year prison sentence, while Darius Valcovs former driver, Lucian Petruţ Şuşală, was given a 2-year suspended sentence.

JUDICIARY Romania must immediately return to the path of reform and carry on the fight against corruption, the European Commissioner for Justice Věra Jourová said at a debate in the European Parliament regarding the rule of law. According to the European official, the current situation in Romania poses serious risks of regress in terms of the rule of law, particularly with respect to the independence of courts and the fight against corruption. The Commission will resort to all means available to it, should the situation fail to improve, the EU official added. Last November, the European Parliament voiced concern with the changes in the Romanian judicial sector, and warned that they may jeopardise the separation of powers and the fight against corruption.

DEVELOPMENT The European Union has always been at the forefront of global sustainability, and sustainable development weighs significantly in all EU treaties, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu said in Bucharest today. Speaking at an international conference on “The 2030 Agenda: Partnerships for Sustainable Development, he also said that the EU has played a key role in defining the UN global targets for the year 2030 in this respect. Taking part in the conference were government officials in charge of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda from EU member countries, the Eastern Partnership, Western Balkans, Central Asia, alongside civil society representatives.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 April 2019
March 24, 2019 UPDATE

VISIT The PM of Romania Viorica Dăncilă reiterated on Sunday in Washington her Cabinets intention to relocate the Romanian Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. She said a decision would be made “after thorough analysis by all constitutional decision-makers and if full consensus is reached. The PM made these statements during the conference of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which invited her to the US. In October 2018, the Foreign Ministry presented the Government with a report on the effects of relocating the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The report included both the pros and cons to this decision, Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu said, but he would not disclose the ministrys recommendation on the topic. The idea of moving the embassy was first mentioned by the head of the ruling coalition in Romania, the Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea, in a private TV show in late 2017. The plan prompted strong criticism from the right-wing Opposition and President Klaus Iohannis, who, under the Constitution, coordinates the countrys foreign policy. The Palestinian Authority also temporarily recalled its ambassador to Bucharest.

MEETING EU transport ministers and state secretaries are taking part on March 26th and 27th in the informal meeting of EU transport ministers held in Bucharest under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. They will discuss, among other things, the future of mobility in the Union and means to strengthen connectivity and cohesion by means of the TEN-T network. According to the organisers, an enlarged and consolidated trans-European transport network will help improve territorial cohesion, the accessibility and connectivity of all regions in the EU, thus stimulating investments and narrowing development gaps.

TRANSPORT The Romanian Transport Operator Federation (FORT) announces in a news release that on Wednesday, March 27th they will protest in Strasbourg against the EU Mobility Package 1, alongside other employer associations from Romania and Eastern European countries. The Federation is against the obligation for drivers to return home at least every 4 weeks or, if a driver chooses the reduced weekly rest option, every 3 weeks on the road. FORT also demands a review of regular weekly rest rules and is also against applying the rules of posting to road transport.

PROTESTS The weekly “yellow vest protest in France took place on Saturday under strict police control, following the incidents of March 16th in Paris, which had prompted President Emmanuel Macrons criticism of the police force. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, protesters access to certain parts of the city was prohibited, and the police checked thousands of people to identify individuals intent on resorting to violence. Across the country, many individuals were detained while trying to reach Paris equipped with baseball bats, projectiles, gas masks. Significant clashes between the protesters and the police were also reported in Lyon, Lille and Montpellier, but order has been restored. The so-called “yellow vest movement emerged in November as a protest against a rise in fuel prices.

FOOTBALL Romanias Under-21 football team are scheduled to play a friendly against Denmark on Monday, after on Thursday they lost a match against Spain, during a training session in that country. In the 2019 European Youth Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino, Romania plays in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia. Meanwhile, Romanias national football team was defeated on Saturday night, 2-1, in Sweden, in a EURO 2020 qualifier match held at the Friends Arena in Solna. On Tuesday, Romania is playing at home against Faroe Islands. The group also includes Spain, Norway and Malta, and the top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament games, 3 in the group stage and an 8th-final.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

24 March 2019
March 24, 2019

VISIT The PM of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă, is in the USA until Tuesday, to take part in the conference of the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), at the invitation of the AIPAC president Morton Fridman, and executive director Howard Kohr. On Saturday, the PM met in Washington with representatives of American companies having invested in Romania. According to a government press release, Dancila presented the measures taken by her Cabinet to enhance the attractiveness of the Romanian business environment. The American investors appreciated the opportunities offered by Bucharest for the development of the strategic defence industry and for investments in healthcare, energy, research and innovation, IT and communications. The participants also discussed the recent changes in the public private partnership legislation, emphasising that it includes broader contractual terms and allows for more flexible financing, enabling parties to share the risks and benefits.

MEETING EU transport ministers and state secretaries are taking part on March 26th and 27th in the informal meeting of EU transport ministers held in Bucharest under the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. They will discuss, among other things, the future of mobility in the Union and means to strengthen connectivity and cohesion by means of the TEN-T network. According to the organisers, an enlarged and consolidated trans-European transport network will help improve territorial cohesion, the accessibility and connectivity of all regions in the EU, thus stimulating investments and narrowing development gaps.

TRANSPORT The Romanian Transport Operator Federation (FORT) announces in a news release that on Wednesday, March 27th they will protest in Strasbourg against the EU Mobility Package 1, alongside other employer associations from Romania and Eastern European countries. The Federation is against the obligation for drivers to return home at least every 4 weeks or, if a driver chooses the reduced weekly rest option, every 3 weeks on the road. FORT also demands a review of regular weekly rest rules and is also against applying the rules of posting to road transport.

PROTESTS The weekly “yellow vest protest in France took place on Saturday under strict police control, following the incidents of March 16th in Paris, which had prompted President Emmanuel Macrons criticism of the police force. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Paris, protesters access to certain parts of the city was prohibited, and the police checked thousands of people to identify individuals intent on resorting to violence. Across the country, many individuals were detained while trying to reach Paris equipped with baseball bats, projectiles, gas masks. Significant clashes between the protesters and the police were also reported in Lyon, Lille and Montpellier, but order has been restored. The so-called “yellow vest movement emerged in November as a protest against a rise in fuel prices.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 3 in the world, is playing today against Slovenian Polona Hercog, in the 3rd round of the Miami tournament, which has over 9 million US dollars in total prize money. In the doubles, Simona Halep and Julia Goerges (Germany) qualified on Saturday in the 8th-finals. Another Romanian, Raluca Olaru, playing together with Croatian Darija Jurak, is also playing in the 8th-finals of the doubles tournament, against Lara Arruabarrena of Spain / Heather Watson (UK). Also today, Monica Niculescu of Romania and Abigail Spears of the USA, defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) / Lucie Hradecka (the Czeck Republic), 2-0, 6-3, 7-5. On Saturday, Monica Niculescu (138 WTA) lost to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark (13 WTA) 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the 3rd round of the Miami tournament.

FOOTBALL Romanias national football team was defeated on Saturday night, 2-1, in Sweden, in a EURO 2020 qualifier match held at the Friends Arena in Solna. On Tuesday, Romania is playing at home against Faroe. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for the Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament games, 3 in the group stage and an 8th-final. Meanwhile, Romanias Under-21 team Thursday lost a friendly against Spain, and are scheduled to play on Monday against Denmark. In the 2019 European Youth Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino, Romania plays in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

24 March 2019
The Week in Review: February 18 -22

The president to refer the state budget bill to the Constitutional Court

President Klaus Iohannis has decided to refer the budget bill for 2019 to the Constitutional Court before signing it into law. He says the bill drawn up by the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats is a threat to the Romanian economy and that it appears that some of its provisions are unconstitutional, preventing Romania from fulfilling its commitments before the European Union. He also says the budget is unrealistic, overvalued and delayed considering it should have reached Parliament by 15th November last year. According to the president, it is ridiculous to characterise the 2019 budget as investment-orientated in the words of prime minister Viorica Dancila, when the figures in the bill itself point to what can more accurately be described as an austerity budget with subsistence financing, zero investments in some areas, the need for reorganisation and even redundancies owing to the lack of funds for current expenses. The president has accused the government of not having money for investments but allocating large sums for political parties, mainly the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition. In response, the speaker of the Senate and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats has said the presidents gesture is inopportune.

New changes in the judiciary and reactions from Brussels

The Government in Bucharest this week issued an emergency decree to bring new changes to the justice laws referring, among other things, to the appointment of top level prosecutors and even the responsibilities of the head of the investigation department. Toader explained that these positions can also be occupied by prosecutors who have not worked as judges, and the people currently delegated to occupy them can only do so for a period of 45 days. The National Anticorruption Directorate says there is no extraordinary situation to justify issuing an emergency order to adopt provisions referring to the dismissal of magistrates or changing the organisation of the prosecutors offices. The DIICOT anti-mafia prosecutors have also criticised the decree saying the changes run counter to the constitutional architecture and place the public ministry in a position in which it will be impossible for it to carry out its specific responsibilities. The Superior Council of Magistrates through its department for prosecutors has warned that the changes made by the government to the justice laws will seriously affect the activity of the prosecutors offices. The European Commission has also reacted. Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said the community executive is monitoring with great concern the latest developments concerning the rule of law in Romania, both with respect to the content and the procedure of the latest changes, through the use of emergency decrees and without any prior consultations with the representatives of the judiciary and stakeholders. These changes, the Commission official went on to say, seem to run counter to the recommendations made under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, backed by all member states. The main opposition parties, the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union, have tabled a simple motion in the field of justice, in the Chamber of Deputies. The changes have been criticised by the Romanian President. The magistrates took to the street in large numbers, to protest against the changes which, they say, deeply affect the independence of the judiciary.

New ministers in Romania

President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday signed the decrees appointing Vasile-Daniel Suciu as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration and Alexandru-Răzvan Cuc as Transport Minister. Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă has said she made those nominations to put an end to a deadlock, which hindered the proper activity of the government, the more so as the interim period at the two ministries has expired. “Regional Development and Transports are two key domains, for which we have provided the necessary sums of money in the state budget law, to be able to make the investments Romania needs. The ministers with full responsibilities in carrying out their prerogatives should coordinate themselves for a better implementation of investment projects, the Prime Minister has also added. Olguta Vasilescu and Mircea Drăghici had earlier been nominated at the two ministries. They have been however rejected several times by President Klaus Iohannis and in the end they decided to withdraw their candidacies.

Meeting of the EU trade ministers in Bucharest

The EU Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmström and the director general of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevędo, attended the informal meeting of the EU Trade Ministers, held in Bucharest earlier this week, under the auspices of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union. Talks focused on the modernisation process of the World Trade Organisation and on trade relations between the EU and the US. Also this week, the EU member states validated, during the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee, the political agreement secured by Romania and the European Parliament on the Copyright Directive in the Digital Single Market. The directive offers correct payment to copyright holders and takes into account private users interests. The directive will have a positive impact on a large category of actors, such as press publishers, cultural institutions, education institutions, artists, performers and professionals in the field of culture.

(translated by: Diana Vijeu, Cristina Mateescu)

23 February 2019
July 5, 2016 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos announced on Tuesday that he decided to replace four ministers of his Cabinet. The ones to be replaced are Transport Minister Dan Costescu, Education Minister Adrian Curaj, Minister-Delegate for the Relation with the Romanians Abroad, Dan Stoenescu, and the Communications Minister Marius Bostan. Taking their place will be Sorin Buse as Transport Minister, Marius Dumitru as Education Minister, Maria Ligor as Minister-Delegate for the Relation with the Romanians Abroad and Dragos Tudorache as interim Communications Minister. PM Ciolos also said he informed President Klaus Iohannis on the changes within the Government.

VISIT Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc met on Tuesday in Rome with his Italian counterpart Roberta Pinotti. The two officials emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, under the Consolidated Strategic Partnership between Romania and Italy. Earlier on Tuesday, Minister Motoc met in Brussels with General Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, to discuss the recent regional and international security developments.

GROWTH STRATEGY The economic strategy dubbed “A Competitive Romania: a Project for Sustainable Economic Growth” was launched for public debate on Tuesday. According to the Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, the government will place at the disposal of civil society, the academic environment and political parties the documents it has developed so far. The launch will be followed by a string of public consultations aimed at improving the initial document and reaching the goal of sustainable economic growth. The launch event was attended by President Klaus Iohannis, who called on the Government to make sure the strategy targets not only the economic component, but also Romanias priorities in the current European climate. The president also said that Romania managed to successfully overcome transition and the economic crisis.

NATO SUMMIT At the Warsaw summit, due late this week, NATO leaders will decide upon turning a Romanian brigade into a multi-national force, said the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference. The brigade, in which other member countries will take part too, will be under the command of the Multinational Division South-East based in Romania. Other multi-national battalions will also be deployed in the three Baltic countries and Poland. This is the biggest collective defense strategy since the end of the Cold War, Stoltenberg also said. Strengthening the Eastern flank of the Alliance, starting 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula, will be endorsed at the 8-9 July Summit.

MIGRATION The British Labour MP Keith Vaz has conveyed a message to Romanians, saying they are still welcome to Britain, even if the country leaves the EU. The British official has stated that the result of the referendum brought to light the gaps in the British society. Also, he believes that the issue of migration was used abusively and in an exaggerated manner in speeches and it is not as big a threat as some would like to make it appear. Keith Vaz has stated that Romanians bring a significant contribution to Britain and believes that the campaign “Romanians adopt Remainians” is a fabulous way of showing the world that the British are not willing to leave their European neighbours, despite the result of the June 23rd referendum.

REFERENDUM On October 2nd, Hungary will organize a referendum on the European refugee allocation plan, opposed by the Hungarian PM Victor Orban. The Hungarian citizens will be invited to give an answer to the question: “Would you like the EU to impose a mandatory allocation quota for non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary, without the approval of the Hungarian Parliament?” PM Orban, known for his anti-migration stand, had announced a few months ago that he would hold a referendum against the plan to relocate some 160 thousand asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy. Budapest believes that these mandatory quotas, decided upon in September last year, violate the countrys sovereignty.

NATO EXERCISE The town of Targu-Mures, in central Romania, is these days playing host to a NATO exercise, enjoying the participation of 17 teams from countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, the US, Switzerland and Turkey. The exercise was organized by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and Romania, and is a computer simulation of an large-scale disaster situation, resulting in multiple victims and the evacuation of thousands of people.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 5 in the world, failed to qualify to the semi-finals in Wimbledon, after losing to German Angelique Kerber (4th WTA) on Tuesday, 5-7/ 6-7. On Monday, Halep qualified for the quarters, after defeating the American Madison Keys 6-7, 6-4, 6-3. Aged 24, Halep is the youngest player still in the competition. The Wimbledon tournament has over 33.5 million Euros in prize money.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

5 July 2016