Radio România Internațional

Tag: mission

  • February 10, 2025

    February 10, 2025

    PRESIDENT A third request to impeach president Klaus Iohannis may be analysed today by the leaders of the Romanian parliament in a joint meeting of the two chambers’ standing bureaus. The request is signed by 178 MPs, most of them from the self-proclaimed sovereigntist opposition (the Young People’s Party, AUR and SOS Romania) but there are also 26 signatories from the pro-EU Save Romania Union. Under the Constitution, the president can be removed from office only with a majority of the votes of senators and deputies, and only if the president breaches the Constitution. A total of 234 votes are needed, which the opposition does not have. On the other hand, the presidential candidate of the ruling coalition, the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu, admitted that the coalition leaders could have a meeting with president Iohannis today, concerning the opposition’s impeachment attempt. In an interview on the public television station, Antonescu said that the meeting was not announced publicly and that the president may decide to step down. Mr. Iohannis has announced twice so far that he did not intend to resign. On December 21, his second and last five-year presidential term under the Constitution came to an end, but his term was extended until a new head of state has been elected and validated by the Constitutional Court.

     

    BUDGET President Klaus Iohannis Monday signed into law the 2025 state budget and social security budget bills. These were endorsed last week by the joint chambers of Parliament. The budget is based on a 2.5% economic growth rate and a budget deficit of 7% of GDP. The finance minister Tanczos Barna stated in the joint parliament meeting that the 2025 state budget is ‘modest’ and is based on a prudent increase in revenues, ‘without exaggeration’. He also pointed out that the social security budget law provides ‘primarily for pension payments’.

     

    SUPERMARKETS PM Marcel Ciolacu said legislation should be introduced so that all products in major stores should have the same mark-ups. One day ahead of a boycott on supermarkets announced for today by the supporters of the former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, PM Ciolacu presented in an online post the Romanian products he had bought. Roughly 800,000 Romanians work in the over 4,500 large stores in the country, and the taxes paid by such chains account for 13% of the revenues to the state budget. Moreover, according to data from the agriculture ministry, 70% of the products in retail stores in Romania are made in Romania. Early this month, customers in several Balkan countries joined a large-scale boycott on supermarkets, amid rising food prices. The protests that started in Croatia have spread to Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia.

     

    ECONOMY An International Monetary Fund delegation concluded its discussions in Bucharest with the main institutions in charge of Romania’s monetary and fiscal policies. It was not an assessment mission, but only fact-finding one, and PM Marcel Ciolacu assured the IMF experts of the government’s determination to comply with the budget deficit target of 7% of the GDP and to implement the reforms undertaken in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The IMF made public its latest forecasts regarding the Romanian economy last autumn, when it estimated a 7% deficit for the end of 2025, the same as predicted by the Government. However, the Fund’s estimates are more optimistic both as regards the economic growth rate and the inflation. In turn, World Bank officials welcomed the government’s reform plan and the attention paid to investments, noting that Romania is a strong and resilient partner.

     

    POLICE Romanian police are still searching for the attackers involved in Saturday’s violent incident in Urziceni (not far from Bucharest), in which 2 people were killed and 5 others wounded. On Sunday, police found several weapons buried in a courtyard in the town, including a hunting rifle, a pistol with non-lethal ammunition and a belt with 5 cartridges. According to initial reports, the conflict broke out between members of two clans, and the reason is said to be related to the relationship between two youngsters. Over 25 people were involved in the clash.

     

    KOSOVO Kosovo’s left-wing nationalist PM Albin Kurti claimed victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, saying he was optimistic about forming a new government. Unlike in the previous term, however, his party will not be able to form a parliamentary majority on its own. Kurti and other Kosovo party leaders have made it clear that they have no intention of working together, making it unclear how a ruling coalition could be formed in Pristina. (AMP)

  • Romania. The Eastern Flank

    Romania. The Eastern Flank

    Beginning January 2025, Romania has expanded its presence, in terms of number of military and capabilities, to two more NATO battle groups that have been operational in the allied countries as part of NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian army has sent an anti-tank detachment in Slovakia and a reconnaissance unit in Bulgaria. Concurrently, Romania has continued its participation to the battle group in Poland, with an anti-aircraft detachment.

    As part of NATO’s Summit held in Madrid in 2022, the decision was taken, of establishing multinational battle groups in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, as part of the strengthening of the joint defense measures along the North-Atlantic Alliance’s Eastern Flank. Those battle groups have been founded after the pattern of those in the Baltic States and Poland which were established after the allied Summit held in Warsaw in 2016.

    The battle group in Slovakia is coordinated by Spain and includes military of the Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia. In Bulgaria, the battle group is coordinated by Italy, with contributions from Albania, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Turkey and the USA.

    The expansion of Romania’s contribution to the implementation of the allied measures of deterrence and defense has completed the presence of Romanian military to the battle group in Poland, where the Romanian Army has been participating since 2017. Romania’s presence to the North-Atlantic Alliance’s Battle Groups stands proof of Romania’s unwavering commitment for the strengthening of the collective defense along the Eastern Flank.

    NATO Battle Group in Romania has France as its framework-nation. The contributor states are Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain. Romania’s battle group, alongside the battle group in Bulgaria are under the coordination of the Commander of the Headquarters of the Multinational Division South-East in Bucharest.
    The 360-degree approach in the field of defense and deterrence, implemented by NATO, has as its eventual aim the provision of collective security, It defines the Alliance’s three main tasks: deterrence and defense, the prevention and the management of crises and security through cooperation.
    At present, Romania contributes to maintaining the regional and global security with more than 1,000 military.

    Romania also takes part in some of the European Union’s missions and operations. To that effect, Romania holds the command of the Training mission of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic. Also, these days Romania will take over the command of the EUFOR ALTHEA mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Romania is the major contributor.

    Accordingly, of the nine military operations and missions carried under the aegis of the European Union’s Common Security and Defense Policy, to which it contributes military forces and capabilities, Romanian will simultaneously have the command of two of those operations.

    Security in the Black Sea region, the strengthening of the defense dimension as part of the strategic partnership between Romania and Great Britain, as well as the enhancement of cooperation within the allied structures: those were the topics on the agenda of the talks the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tâlvăr, had with the British Ambassador to Romania, His Excellency Giles Matthew Portman.

    High on the talks’ agenda was the strengthening of the defense stance and deterrence along NATO’s eastern flank, with special emphasis laid on the Black Sea region, given the ongoing security challenges.

    The Romanian Defense Minister emphasized Romania’s intention to continue the development of its strategic partnership with the United Kingdom through its active involvement in joint security and defense initiatives. To that effect, Angel Talvar also mentioned the support of Ukraine against Russia’s aggression and the consolidation of the support offered to republic of Moldova, with a view to strengthening stability and security in the region.

  • July 22, 2024 UPDATE

    July 22, 2024 UPDATE

    DROUGHT –  In almost 450 localities in Romania, accounting for 15% of the total, water is supplied with restrictions, against the background of the heat wave that has worsen the drought. In another 250 localities with no running water the wells are dry, the Romanian Waters National Administration has announced. There are no water supply problems for the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. The Romanian Water representatives call on the population to use water rationally, mainly for drinking.

     

    TALKS – The Romanian Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, had, on Sunday, a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, in the context of the Informal Meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council hosted by Budapest. The talks focused on the Schengen issue, organized crime and border-related issues. Sandor Pinter reiterated the Hungarian presidency’s goal to obtain the decision for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area also by land, by the end of 2024. Regarding bilateral cooperation, the two ministers stated that boosting cooperation to combat organized crime, with an emphasis on migrant trafficking, have proven their effectiveness, and the results have been very good. On the other hand, the two agreed on a set of measures to avoid the increase in waiting times at common border crossing points.

     

    MISSION –  Two B-52H Stratofortress planes of the US Air Force landed Monday at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, in southeastern Romania, to take part in the Bomber Task Force Europe 24-4 mission. According to a press release from the Office of Public Relations of the American Air Forces in Europe, cited by the United States Embassy in Bucharest, it is the first time that American strategic bombers operate from Romania. The squadron will be integrated with NATO allies and other international partners to pool capabilities and ensure security commitments within the US European Command’s area of responsibility.

     

     DRUG TRAFFICKING – The Romanian Government has supplemented the funds for combating drug trafficking, given that the age of consumption gets younger by the day. The anti-drug expert Cătălin Ţone told Radio Romania that for the first time in the history of the country, a drug-related Roadmap was created, one billion lei (over 200 million euros) were allocated, and the Romanian authorities are making efforts to recruit 200 more police officers and agents into the anti-drug structures. Some 500 actions were carried out by the Romanian Police and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism to prevent and combat drug trafficking, in the first 6 months of this year. In this interval, 700 kilograms of high-risk drugs, almost 4 tons of marijuana and the same amount of doping substances were seized. Also, over 800 people were arrested and over 150 others were placed under judicial control for trafficking in prohibited substances.

     

    COACH – The Romanian Football Federation announced the end of the collaboration with the national team coach, Edward Iordănescu. According to an official statement, the contract between the two parties expires at the end of the month, and the coach decided not to continue on the national team. Appointed at the beginning of 2022, Edward Iordănescu led the Romanian football team in 28 matches, of which 10 ended in victories and 10 in draws. At the European Football Championship, held this year in Germany, under the leadership of Edward Iordănescu, Romania won Group E, beating Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine. In the first match of EURO 2024, the Romanians achieved a decisive victory against Ukraine, 3-0.

     

    WASHINGTON –  The Democratic President of the United States, Joe Biden, has announced that he will no longer run against the Republican Donald Trump in the presidential elections due in November. The announcement was made in a written statement, issued while Biden was in isolation due to COVID-19. The leader of the White House expressed his support for the Democratic Party’s nomination of its vice president, Kamala Harris, as a presidential candidate. Democratic leaders were quick to welcome Joe Biden’s decision to retire, while also praising his political career. Republican candidate Trump has stated that he considers Harris easier to defeat in the election than Biden.

     

    OLYMPICS – Most of Romania’s Olympic team – 82 of the 107 athletes – arrived in Paris on Sunday, for the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games, which will begin on July 26. Rowers Ionela and Marius Cosmiuc, husband and wife, will be the bearers of the country’s flag at the opening ceremony. The competition will end on August 11.

     

  • The IMF reviews Romania’s economic growth

    The IMF reviews Romania’s economic growth

    The International Monetary Fund revised downwards the estimates regarding the growth of the Romanian economy this year, from 3.8%, as it estimated in October, to 2.8% – shows the latest report of the international financial institution, made public on Tuesday, in Washington. As regards the world economy, the International Monetary Fund announced that it would grow a little more than expected, by 3.2 percent, but warned the central banks against reducing the reference interest rates too quickly. According to the international financial institution, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East risks leading to an increase in energy and food prices. Returning to Romania, the country will register this year, the IMF estimates, an average annual inflation rate of 6% and 4% in 2025. In October, the IMF estimated for Romania an average annual inflation increase of 5.8% in 2024. Recently, the National Bank decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at the level of 7%, the highest in Europe. The annual inflation rate will continue to drop in the coming months, the Central Bank claims, at a slower pace as compared to last year and on a slightly higher trajectory than anticipated.

     

    According to the National Bank, the risks arising from the future conduct of the fiscal and revenue policy are amplified in the short term by the result of the budget execution in the first two months of the year, as well as by the wage dynamics in the public sector and the consequences of the new pension law. As for the current account deficit, the IMF expects it to remain at 7.1% of the GDP this year, similar to the level forecast in October and the level reported last year. For 2025, the international financial institution predicts a slight reduction of the indicator in Romania. Regarding the unemployment rate, the IMF estimates a level of 5.6% this year, similar to that of last year.

     

    An IMF mission was in Bucharest in January to analyze the country’s economic and financial developments and to review macroeconomic forecasts. The Fund’s mission’s then consultations included numerous meetings with the Romanian authorities, and the discussions also approached the recalculation of pensions. At the end of the visit, Jan Kees Martijn, who led the mission, concluded that economic growth slowed in 2023, primarily due to weaker consumption. Core and headline inflation dipped into single digits in the second half of 2023, while the monetary policy interest rate was kept cautiously on hold. Although the current account deficit remains high, it has dropped to around 7% of the GDP due to slower domestic demand and low prices for imported goods. Currently, Bucharest does not have a financing agreement running with the IMF, but the international financial institution’s representatives periodically carry out missions in all member states. (LS)

  • March 28, 2024 UPDATE

    March 28, 2024 UPDATE

    Francophonie – Romania is hosting an economic mission of the International Organization of La Francophonie, as well as a dedicated economic forum on its sidelines, a high-profile platform addressing businesses from French-speaking countries. Attending will be entrepreneurs and government officials from 88 member states. In an opening statement delivered on Wednesday, the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, highlighted opportunities to further develop trade and investment between Central Europe, including Romania, and other French-speaking countries. On the sidelines of the event, Romanian companies can talk to potential business partners from Africa, Asia, North America, the Caribbean or Europe. Agri-food, IT, green energy and medical industry are but some of the sectors featured in the economic forum.

     

    Schengen – On March 31, Romania will join the Schengen area with its air and maritime borders. Starting this day, Romanians travelling to EU space and Schengen member states will no longer go through customs and passport control, but will go straight to boarding gates. Romania’s partial accession to Schengen will be marked on Friday through the inauguration of a new international departures terminal at the “Traian Vuia” Airport in Timișoara. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis are expected to attend the opening event.

     

    Press freedom – The European Council and the European Parliament have given the green light to the final draft of the Media Freedom Act, which compels members states to guarantee editorial independence of public service media by ensuring sustainable and predictable funding. The law protects online content and ensures enhanced transparency of media ownership. Authorities will be prohibited from pressing journalists and editors to disclose their sources, an underlying principle of investigative journalism in addition to access to information. The Media Freedom Act will also introduce an independent committee for media services comprising media authorities from member states, which will advise the European Commission regarding member states’ degree of compliance with the law.

     

    Energy – The Romanian government has approved the extension until March 31, 2025 of the electricity and natural gas price cap scheme for consumers. At the end of Thursday’s meeting, the Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja explained that measures are also included so that after the expiry of the mentioned deadline there should not be any sudden price increases. The executive also approved the extension by three months of the period of application of the civil liability car insurance rates practiced by insurers on February 28, 2023, when an adjustment of a maximum of 6.8% is allowed. The capping was valid until the end of this month, but now it will apply until June 30, 2024. According to the Finance Ministry, the measure is necessary to combat the excessive price increase and the gradual stabilization of the profile market, so as to avoid negative effects in other sectors of the economy.

     

    NATO – The Romanian Foreign Ministry launched, on Thursday, the “Born in NATO” campaign, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Romania’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance and of the 75th anniversary of NATO’s creation. The campaign is dedicated to young people born after Romania joined NATO in 2004 and aims to promote the role and values ​​of the North Atlantic Alliance. Co-initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, the campaign will include a series of events, between March and December 2024, with the aim of familiarizing young people with the values ​​and objectives of the Alliance. At the launch of the campaign, the Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu spoke about Romania’s involvement within the Alliance and about the country’s contribution to strengthening security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. She also encouraged young people to get actively involved in society to promote the values ​​on which NATO is based, such as individual freedoms, human rights, democracy and the rule of law. For her part, the US ambassador to Romania, Kathleen Ann Kavalec, highlighted the close collaboration between the two countries, emphasizing the role and values ​​of the Alliance in ensuring regional and global security and stability. He also pointed out that the Strategic Partnership Romania – US reflects the common commitment to promoting peace, security and democracy.

     

    Council – NATO countries have strongly condemned Russia’s latest airstrikes against Ukraine and pledged to continue strengthening its defense, according to a statement issued at the end of Thursday’s meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, convened at ambassadorial level, at Kyiv’s request. “Russia’s continuous attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure in Ukraine demonstrate the urgent need for continued support from our side”, said the Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mircea Geoană, who chaired the Council meeting, which was joined via video conference by the Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. NATO mentions in the press release that the allies are providing Ukraine with unprecedented military, financial and humanitarian assistance.

     

    Presidency – The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has ratified the law banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. The law seeks to reduce the exposure of children and teenagers to tobacco products and stipulates fines up to 20,000 EUR, depending on the severity of the offense. The head of state also ratified the law on developing social services to prevent disenfranchised children from getting separated from their families. Under the new law, local authorities must organize daycare centers in local communities, with half of the expenses getting covered by the state. (VP, LS)

  • February 20, 2024

    February 20, 2024

    VISIT The Romanian Senate Speaker, Nicolae Ciucă, who is on an official visit to Madrid, has talks scheduled today with the head of the People’s Party in Spain, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and the secretary general for defence policy, Juan Francisco Martinez Nunez. Mr. Ciucǎ will also have a meeting with the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal, Timotei. On Monday, after the meeting with his counterpart, Pedro Rollan Ojeda, Nicolae Ciuca announced that the Romanians living in Spain may hold dual citizenship as of this year.

     

    ELECTIONS The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party in Romania’s ruling coalition are meeting again on Wednesday to decide on whether to merge this year’s elections, after the talks so far have failed. The Liberals want the local elections to take place this summer concurrently with the elections for the European Parliament, while the Social Democrats want the parliamentary elections due this autumn to be held jointly with the second round of the presidential election. Save Romania Union, in opposition, threatened to take any legislation merging the elections to the Constitutional Court. This year all 4 types of elections are scheduled in Romania (local, parliamentary, and presidential ballots, and elections for the EP).

     

    HEALTH Some 3.3 million sick leaves were given in Romania last year, which is significantly below the over 4 million reported in 2022. Most sick leaves were taken by cancer patients and pregnant women. The head of the National Health Insurance Agency, Valeria Herdea, says this is not about the number of sick leave days taken by people, but about the fact that many citizens have health problems. Recently, the government has issued an order introducing a 10% tax on sick leave allowances. The authorities argued this was to discourage the practice of taking sick leaves for minor health problems. But the order triggered discontent especially among cancer patients. The Senate withdrew the provision, and the order is to be discussed next in the Chamber of Deputies.

     

    AUTOMOTIVE The Romanian automotive market will likely see a moderate 5% growth this year, the Romanian Automobile Producers and Importers Association (APIA) announced. The Association expects EV sales to continue to increase, and sales of diesel vehicles to drop in 2024.

     

    MISSION The European Union has launched its own naval mission to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Romania may also take part in the mission. Greece will provide a commander for its operational headquarters, while Italy will provide the force commander. According to the Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani, since November Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial vessels on this route, allegedly in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza.

     

    TABLE TENNIS Romania’s men’s team have qualified in the round of 32 of the world table tennis championships in Busan, South Korea, after defeating Iran, 3-1 on Tuesday. On Monday, Romania’s women’s team went straight into the eighth-finals. Taking part in the men’s and women’s competition in South Korea are 40 teams. The top 8 teams at the World Championships are qualified in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. (AMP)

  • January 29, 2024

    January 29, 2024

    PARLIAMENT This week sees the start of this
    year’s first parliamentary session in Romania, marked by a special election
    context in which Romanian citizens are expected to take part in 4 types of
    elections-for the European Parliament, for the national parliament, as well as
    presidential and local elections. The Senate’s agenda includes, among others,
    emergency orders concerning the farmers and carriers who have been protesting
    across the country. The Chamber of Deputies has a number of bills pending
    endorsement, including legislation concerning drug trafficking and gambling. This
    weekend the justice minister Alina Gorghiu said 3 bills have been submitted to
    Parliament, which are aimed at curbing drug trafficking. They concern the
    set-up of a national drug trafficking register and of regional rehab centres, while
    the so-called 2 Mai Bill eliminates suspended sentences for drug trafficking
    and increases penalties to up to 10 years in prison. Other bills pending
    approval introduce 10-year driving bans for DUI, and healthcare and
    psychological assistance for people found in possession of illegal drugs.


    ECONOMY An International
    Monetary Fund mission headed by Jan Kees Martijn arrives
    in Bucharest today to review the latest economic and financial developments.
    This is a regular consultation based on Romania’s relation with the IMF, and it
    comes 4 months after the previous visit. The IMF expects a budget deficit of 6%
    of GDP and an economic growth rate of 2.3% this year. IMF experts also
    recommend a number of additional reforms, and in the previous assessment visit
    they mentioned the scrapping of the remaining exemptions, privileges and
    loopholes, a more efficient VAT implementation, a reformed property tax system,
    and the use of fiscal policies in order to promote efficient energy and the
    clean energy transition. Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at
    present.


    BRANCUSI Some 100 works were included in the largest
    exhibition in 50 years in Romania devoted to the sculptor Constantin Brâncuși.
    Opened in late September in western Romania as part the Timişoara – European
    Capital of Culture, the exhibition came to an end on Sunday night. Sculptures,
    photographs, arhive documents and footage were on display in Timişoara’s National
    Art Museum. To mark the end of the exhibition, the National Bank of Romania
    launched a commemorative silver coin honouring the sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi.


    PROTESTS The French farmers’ protests have
    reached a new stage today, with major roadways into Paris and other large
    cities to be blocked indefinitely as of today. The main trade union in the sector threatened
    large-scale operations, including a complete obstruction of food supply flows
    to the capital city’s supermarkets, so that the locals may feel the effects of
    the protests. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the plan
    includes the use of tractors to shut down motorways and slow down traffic. Similar
    steps are also planned for France’s second-largest city, Lyon. Farmers protest the
    inadequate payments for their produce, the red tape and the competition coming
    from cheap imports. In a move to address the situation, PM Gabriel Attal admitted
    that a first set of measures, announced on Friday, was insufficient and
    promised new decisions to increase farmer revenues would be made this week.


    MIDDLE EAST Iran denies involvement in
    Sunday’s drone attack on a US military base in north-eastern Jordan, near the
    Syrian and Iraqi borders, in which 3 US troops were killed. The Islamic
    resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack, and the US president
    Joe Biden said these are groups known to be supported by Iran. Biden warned
    that the US would respond to the attack. These are the first US troops killed
    in the Middle East since the start of the war in Gaza, prompting fears of an
    extended conflict in the region. Meanwhile, Paris hosted a meeting of officials
    from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Israel, aimed at brokering a new ceasefire in Gaza
    and the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. Negotiations will continue this
    week. Violence continues in Gaza, and locals say Israeli air raids and shelling
    have increased in recent days in the region’s north and centre. According to
    the Israeli Army, its troops are involved in heavy fighting in the south, in Khan
    Younis, where they have taken out a number of terrorists. The humanitarian
    crisis is worsening, and UN calls on nations to resume their donations. (AMP)

  • January 28, 2024 UPDATE

    January 28, 2024 UPDATE

    IMF An International Monetary Fund mission
    headed by Jan Kees Martijn will be in Bucharest
    between January 29 and February 1, to review the latest economic and financial
    developments. The previous IMF visit to Romania was last autumn, when IMF
    experts conducted their annual analysis of the Romanian economy. At that time, Jan
    Kees Martijn said estimates were pointing to a budget deficit of 6% of GDP for
    the end of 2023, and of 5% in 2024, as well as to an economic growth rate of 2.3%.
    Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at present, but the Fund
    conducts regular visits to review financial and economic indicators. The PM Marcel Ciolacu voiced optimism with
    respect to the IMF’s assessment. He explained that Romania still has problems
    meeting a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Programme, as the
    EC believes Romania has too low SME taxation levels.


    DRUGS The Romanian justice minister Alina Gorghiu requested the
    emergency endorsement of the bills against drug trafficking and drug use. A
    first bill concerns the set-up of the Drug Trafficking Register and of regional
    rehab centres for drug addicts. A second bill eliminates suspended sentences
    for drug trafficking. On Friday, after the Justice and Home Affairs Council,
    the interior minister Catalin Predoiu announced that Romania set up a task
    force integrating several institutions involved in the fight against drug
    trafficking. He said Romania is on the front line of the crackdown on
    international drug trafficking networks, and welcomed the Council’s decision to
    include Romania’s and Bulgaria’s air and maritime borders in the Schengen area.
    According to the Romanian official, EU member countries should focus on curbing
    drug trafficking in ports, through an integrated international platform.


    PRICES In Romania, the mark-up for basic foodstuff prices may be capped
    for another 3 months. The announcement was made by Marcel Ciolacu recently, as
    the capping scheme is due to come to an end soon. According to the PM, a
    decision will be made following talks with all stakeholders. The agriculture
    minister told Radio Romania that a discussion in this respect will be held on
    Monday. He explained that according to data made public by the National
    Statistics Institute and the Competition Council, the measure has been
    effective. The agriculture minister added that the introduction of further
    products in the list is being considered. The emergency order passed by the
    government last summer in order to contain the effects of inflation saw the
    temporary capping of mark-ups for several basic foodstuffs, including bread,
    milk, yogurt, flour, eggs, chicken and pork. The measure was subsequently
    extended and further products were included.


    UN The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, Sunday called on the
    countries that have suspended funding for the UN agency for Palestinian
    refugees (UNRWA) to ‘at least guarantee’ the continuity of UNRWA operations,
    which are vital for 2 million people, AFP reports. The UN body, which is the
    main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, Friday announced firing a number of
    employees accused of involvement in the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7,
    2023. In turn, the director of the UN body, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that the
    vital assistance granted by UNRWA is about to end because of funding issues. Israel
    demands the resignation of Philippe Lazzarini and the termination of the
    agency’s work in Gaza after the war. A number of countries, including the US, Canada,
    UK, Italy and Germany, have suspended all future funding to the UNRWA.


    GAC The state secretary for European affairs with the
    Romanian foreign ministry, Daniela Gîtman, takes part in the General Affairs
    Council (GAC) meeting in Brussels on Monday. The agenda includes a policy
    debate on the legislation devoted to safeguarding European democracy, and the
    presentation of the priorities of the Belgian presidency of the EU Council,
    followed by an exchange of opinions between the participating ministers and
    state secretaries for European affairs. The GAC meeting will also include a new
    round of talks on country reports, under the annual rule of law dialogue.


    UKRAINE Six months after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian
    defence officials and corporate executives tried to embezzle USD 40 mln
    intended for arms procurement, according to SBU, Ukraine’s main security and
    intelligence agency, quoted by international
    news agencies. The attempted embezzlement took place in August 2022, with the
    money originally earmarked for the procurement of 100,000 mortar rounds, which
    were never delivered. One of the suspects was apprehended while trying to leave
    the country, SBU announced. Ukraine has seen several corruption scandals since
    the start of the war in February 2022. In August 2023, president Volodymyr
    Zelenskyy dismissed all the regional officials in charge with army enrollments, on
    grounds that they were providing recruitment exemptions for money. Curbing
    corruption is one of the main conditions that Ukraine must meet in order to
    join the European Union.


    RUGBY The new manager of Romania’s rugby team, David Gerard
    (FR), announced the 32 players selected for the national team’s debut match in
    the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship. According to the website of the Romanian
    Rugby Federation, only 26 of them will travel to Poland. In Rugby Europe
    Championship, Romania plays in Group B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland.
    The first match, in Poland on February 4, will be followed by 2 home games,
    against Belgium (February 10) and Portugal (February 17). (AMP)

  • January 28, 2024

    January 28, 2024

    IMF An International Monetary Fund mission
    headed by Jan Kees Martijn will be in Bucharest
    between January 29 and February 1, to review the latest economic and financial
    developments. The previous IMF visit to Romania was last autumn, when IMF
    experts conducted their annual analysis of the Romanian economy. At that time, Jan
    Kees Martijn said estimates were pointing to a budget deficit of 6% of GDP for
    the end of 2023, and of 5% in 2024, as well as to an economic growth rate of 2.3%.
    Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at present, but the Fund
    conducts regular visits to review financial and economic indicators. The PM Marcel Ciolacu voiced optimism with
    respect to the IMF’s assessment. He explained that Romania still has problems
    meeting a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Programme, as the
    EC believes Romania has too low SME taxation levels.


    DRUGS The Romanian justice minister Alina Gorghiu requested the
    emergency endorsement of the bills against drug trafficking and drug use. A
    first bill concerns the set-up of the Drug Trafficking Register and of regional
    rehab centres for drug addicts. A second bill eliminates suspended sentences
    for drug trafficking. On Friday, after the Justice and Home Affairs Council,
    the interior minister Catalin Predoiu announced that Romania set up a task
    force integrating several institutions involved in the fight against drug
    trafficking. He said Romania is on the front line of the crackdown on
    international drug trafficking networks, and welcomed the Council’s decision to
    include Romania’s and Bulgaria’s air and maritime borders in the Schengen area.
    According to the Romanian official, EU member countries should focus on curbing
    drug trafficking in ports, through an integrated international platform.


    PRICES In Romania, the mark-up for basic foodstuff prices may be capped
    for another 3 months. The announcement was made by Marcel Ciolacu recently, as
    the capping scheme is due to come to an end soon. According to the PM, a
    decision will be made following talks with all stakeholders. The agriculture
    minister told Radio Romania that a discussion in this respect will be held on
    Monday. He explained that according to data made public by the National
    Statistics Institute and the Competition Council, the measure has been
    effective. The agriculture minister added that the introduction of further
    products in the list is being considered. The emergency order passed by the
    government last summer in order to contain the effects of inflation saw the
    temporary capping of mark-ups for several basic foodstuffs, including bread,
    milk, yogurt, flour, eggs, chicken and pork. The measure was subsequently
    extended and further products were included.


    UN The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, Sunday called on the
    countries that have suspended funding for the UN agency for Palestinian
    refugees (UNRWA) to ‘ at least guarantee’ the continuity of UNRWA operations,
    which are vital for 2 million people, AFP reports. The UN body, which is the
    main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, Friday announced firing a number of
    employees accused of involvement in the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7,
    2023. In turn, the director of the UN body, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that the
    vital assistance granted by UNRWA is about to end because of funding issues. Israel
    demands the resignation of Philippe Lazzarini and the termination of the
    agency’s work in Gaza after the war. A number of countries, including the US, Canada,
    UK, Italy and Germany, have suspended all future funding the UNRWA. (AMP)

  • May 14, 2023 UPDATE

    May 14, 2023 UPDATE

    Commemoration — The wounds caused by communism will never be fully healed, and our duty is to cultivate, every day, the respect for democratic values, as well as for the historical truth, and to educate the younger generations in this sense. This message was conveyed on Sunday by the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă on the occasion of the National Remembrance Day of Martyrs of Communist Prisons. “75 years ago, on the night of May 14/15, 1948, the communist authorities launched a vast repressive operation, marking the beginning of a long series of horrors. For almost half a century, Romania was in the darkness of totalitarianism, all the strongholds of democracy being destroyed, one by one” the prime minister said in his message. According to him, all this ordeal ended in December 1989, through blood sacrifice, when Romanians won the fight for freedom and democracy.



    Jobs – The number of jobs held in public institutions and authorities in Romania was, in March 2023, 1,277,054, 470 more compared to the previous month, 63.88% of which were in the central public administration, according to data published on the Finance Ministrys website. Out of the total of 815,788 employees in the central public administration, 600,805 worked in institutions fully financed from the state budget (plus 76 employees compared to February 2023). The largest number of occupied positions was recorded in the Education Ministry, respectively 295,367, the Interior Ministry – 125,184, the Defense Ministry – 71,989, the Finance Ministry – 24,695 and the Health Ministry – 18,202. In March, 461,266 people worked in the local public administration (plus 136), of whom 281,482 in institutions fully financed from local budgets (plus 434) and 179,784 in institutions fully or partially financed from own revenues (minus 166). The coalition government adopted, on Friday, the Emergency Ordinance on the reduction of public expenses, which, among other measures, stipulates, this year, the suspension of contests or exams for filling vacant or temporarily vacant positions, with the exception of unique jobs.



    Mission – A maritime vessel and two port surveillance and control sloops of the Romanian Coast Guard will participate, for two months, in the Mediterranean Sea, in an international Frontex mission to save human lives in danger. According to a Border Police General Inspectorate’s press release, submitted to the media on Sunday, they will carry out individual patrol, surveillance, search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, at the external maritime border of the European Union. The main objective of the joint operation, called THEMIS, is to support the Italian authorities in the surveillance and control of the Union’s maritime borders, as well as in the search and rescue of persons in distress at sea.



    Football – The national football team of Belarus will play in Hungary, behind closed doors, the June matches against Israel and Kosovo, from Group I of the EURO 2024 preliminaries, a group which also includes Romania – the Hungarian football federation announced, after UEFA ordered Belarus to play on neutral ground. Unlike Russia, excluded from UEFA competitions after the invasion of Ukraine, its ally Belarus was not suspended by the European football forum. Belarus started the EURO 2024 preliminaries with two defeats, against Switzerland (0-5, a match that took place in Serbia) and against Romania (1-2 in Bucharest). Winner of the match in Andora too, score 2-0, Romania is ranked 2nd in the group, after Switzerland, which has a better goal difference. The two top-ranking teams in each group qualify for the final tournament in Germany. Romania has participated in five editions of the European Championship, with the best performance being the quarter-final at EURO 2000.



    Berlin – The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said on Sunday in Berlin that Ukraine and its Western supporters could make Russias defeat in the war in Ukraine “irreversible” as early as this year. He was received by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his first visit to Germany since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Berlin for its help and solidarity following Germanys announcement that it will supply Kiev with weaponry worth nearly three billion dollars. In turn, Olaf Scholz said that the new package is a strong indication of support for the fight against the Russian invasion, support that will continue as long as necessary. The Defense Ministry in Berlin specified that the aid will include anti-aircraft defense systems, battle tanks, infantry vehicles, artillery ammunition and hundreds of reconnaissance aerial vehicles. This is the largest package of weapons provided by Germany to strengthen the Ukrainian armed forces, since the start of the war by Russia. (LS)

  • La mission Artémis

    La mission Artémis


    Profitant d’une fenêtre d’opportunité, la NASA avait
    lancé cet automne la mission Artémis 1, censée marquer le retour des êtres
    humains sur la Lune. Artémis 1 constitue surtout un vol d’essai, non habitable.
    Le 19 novembre passé, après plusieurs tentatives infructueuses, la nouvelle
    fusée géante de la NASA, intitulée SLS (Space Launch System, le Système de
    lancement spatial), avait finalement lancé vers la lune la capsule Orion. Ce n’est que le 21 novembre dernier, après avoir
    franchi 400.000 kilomètres, qu’Orion approche l’orbite lunaire, se stabilisant à
    128 kilomètres du sol lunaire. Revenue depuis sur Terre, atterrissant au large
    de la Guadalupe, la mission a été couronnée de succès, démontrant la
    capacité de la capsule d’opérer dans l’espace profond, à des températures extrêmement
    basses, démontrant encore les capacités de la navette et de la capsule de
    revenir sans encombre sur terre. Invité
    sur les ondes de Radio Roumanie, Alexandru Mironov,
    journaliste et écrivain de science-fiction et spécialiste des problématiques de
    l’espace, détaille l’importance de la mission Artémis :


    « Cela
    faisait un demi-siècle depuis que l’homme n’a plus mis le pied sur la Lune. Et
    là, on y revient. Artémis, c’est surtout pour être sûrs que l’on dispose d’une
    fusée suffisamment puissante pour franchir cette distance. La capsule a été
    lancée, elle a fait deux ou trois fois le tour de la terre pour accélérer, avant
    de s’envoler vers la Lune. Là, elle a tourné autour de notre satellite naturel,
    avec des mannequins à son bord, qui imitaient la présence des humains, avant de
    rentrer, 26 jours après son décollage, sur terre. Une mission rondement menée.     »


    Sans
    astronautes à son bord pour l’instant. Pour ne prendre aucun risque. Alexandru Mironov :


    « Une
    nouvelle mission, Artémis 2, sera lancée l’année prochaine. Elle reprendra à l’identique
    le plan de vol de la première mission, mais en embarquant cette fois 4
    astronautes à son bord, dont une femme. La capsule va tourner autour de la Lune,
    ils seront à deux pas du sol lunaire, et ce sera frustrant de ne pas pouvoir le
    franchir. Ils verront certes la terre apparaître derrière la lune, mais ils ne
    pourront pas descendre sur la Lune. Ce sera l’objectif d’une mission ultérieure,
    peut-être dans deux ans, mais je crois que ce sera plutôt dans trois ans. Maintenant,
    il ne s’agira plus simplement de prouver qu’on peut faire cela, fouler le sol
    lunaire de nos pieds, comme c’était le cas lors du programme Apollo. Là, nous
    iront carrément à la conquête de la Lune. Trouver les minerais enfouis dans son
    sol, identifier les meilleurs moyens pour la coloniser peut-être, utiliser l’eau
    de ses glaciers, enfin essayer de nous approprier la Lune. Il y a d’ailleurs
    aussi le plan de construire une sorte de chantier gigantesque, sous la forme d’un
    satellite qui gravite autour de la Lune, et à partir duquel les navettes
    spatiales pourront décoller plus loin, avec très peu d’effort, vers Mars par
    exemple. Il y a eu déjà un précédent : la sonde Orion, qui a suivi ce
    trajet, et qui a été lancée par une fusée géante. Cette fusée, c’est l’affaire
    de la NASA pour l’instant. Mais à l’avenir, il s’agira d’un partenariat public/privé
    sans doute. Elon Musk sera certainement de la partie.     »


    La
    sonde spatiale Orion avait été
    lancée en 2014, propulsée par la fusée Delta IV, et a fait deux fois le tour de
    la Terre pour tester notamment les qualités de son scout thermique au moment où
    elle allait franchir l’atmosphère. Cette fois en revanche la vitesse avec
    laquelle elle est rentrée dans l’atmosphère terrestre fut encore plus grande, à
    près de 40.000 km/h. Son scout thermique a dû faire face à des températures qui
    se sont élevées à 2.800°, soit la moitié de la température mesurée à la surface
    du Soleil. A nouveau, Alexandru Mironov :


    « Le
    frottement de la navette avec l’air qui est présent dans l’atmosphère terrestre
    fait monter énormément la température, ce qui est un véritable défi. Le scout
    thermique est construit à partir de céramiques aux propriétés tout à fait
    particulières. Deux accidents terribles se sont produits dans le passé à cause
    des manquements constatés dans les propriétés des scouts thermiques utilisés.
    Mais je suis optimiste. Je crois qu’aujourd’hui les chercheurs sont parvenus à
    bien maîtriser cette technologie. Et cela nous ouvre des opportunités immenses.
    Revenir sur la Lune et puis, aller bien au-delà.     »


    Des
    caméras performantes ont pu surprendre la rentrée d’Orion dans l’atmosphère
    terrestre, immortalisant le moment spectaculaire de l’ouverture de ses 11 parachutes.
    D’ailleurs, Orion marque un record, dépassant, le 28 novembre 2022, le
    précédent record de distance franchie, record détenu par la navette Apollo 13, depuis
    1970. Orion parcourut au total 430.000 kilomètres, soit le plus long trajet
    jamais franchi par une navette capable d’embarquer des humains à son bord.
    (Trad. Ionut Jugureanu)



  • Orbiting the Moon

    Orbiting the Moon


    Taking advantage of a window of opportunity, this
    autumn NASA launched Artemis 1-the first in a series of missions of the
    American Space Agency to return humans to the Moon. The uncrewed flight took
    place on November 16, when NASA’s giant rocket SLS (Space Launch System)
    launched the Orion capsule, after a number of failed attempts. On November 21, after traveling nearly 400,000 km, the
    capsule reached 128 km from the Moon surface. Orion returned to Earth, landing
    off the Mexican island of Guadalupe.


    Artemis targeted several goals: to test Orion’s
    capacity to return safely from the Moon and to operate in deep space, where
    temperatures are considerably lower than on Earth’s orbit, and to successfully retrieve
    the rocket. The writer and science journalist Alexandru
    Mironov spoke to Radio Romania about the importance of this mission:


    Alexandru Mironov: Half a century after the last step taken there, mankind once again
    attempts to conquer the Moon. The Artemis programme is this attempt of
    reassuring ourselves that we are able to launch a spacecraft strong enough to complete
    the Earth-Moon route. The spacecraft left the Earth, orbited it twice to build
    speed and then left, reached the Moon orbit and went around it with high-tech
    mannequins on board outfitted with all kinds of sensors. Twenty-six days later,
    it returned from this journey.


    The second stage of the Artemis
    programme, already in preparation with NASA, will also have a human crew:


    Alexandru Mironov: Artemis 2 will take place next year. It will
    cover the exact route of Artemis 1 and will have 4 people on board, including a
    woman. They will orbit the Moon-and when I speak about that I always imagine
    the frustration they will feel when going around the Moon, two steps from it,
    seeing the Earth rising behind it but not being allowed to set foot on the Moon
    itself. This is the second stage of the planetary project to return to the
    Moon. The 3rd stage should take place in two years’ time, I believe
    it will only be three years from now, when we will finally touch the Moon. The verb
    to Moon will then become part of humans’ vocabulary. Why will this happen? Because
    we are no longer going there for an experiment, as it happened with the Apollo programme.
    Instead, we are going to conquer the Moon, in the sense of using the countless
    minerals that we need, maybe build houses in the Moon grottos, maybe use the
    water in the glaciers under the Moon’s surface. So a lot of elements encourage
    us to say that mankind will gain a lot from this. In fact, there will be a
    gateway, a satellite that I see as some sort of planetary building site, because
    this is where spaceships will be built that will require very little energy to
    launch to Mars, our next step. Orion, which completed this route, launched from
    a giant rocket. The SLS belongs to NASA, and the next stage will also use NASA
    spacecraft, but then the government will work with private operators, like Elon
    Musk, and we will very likely see a regular commute to and from the Moon.


    Orion had been in space before, in 2014, launched from
    a Delta IV rocket. At that time, it orbited the Earth twice, most importantly
    in order to test the heat shield’s performance at re-entry. This time around,
    the temperature was a lot higher, with the capsule reaching a speed several
    times the speed of sound and re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere at 40,000 km per hour. Special attention was again paid
    to Orion’s heat shield, which had to withstand temperatures of 2,800 degrees
    Celsius, nearly half of the temperature on the Sun’s surface.


    Alexandru Mironov: Because of air friction, the temperature
    reaches extremely high levels. There are special materials designed for this. Experts
    are trying to solve problems that previous spacecraft failed to solve, hence
    the two major accidents. But I believe that gradually, the NASA personnel,
    astrophysicists and engineers will get on top of this. We are on the right
    path, to the Moon and beyond.


    Upon re-entry, high-performance
    cameras managed to catch Orion, and the spectacular image of its 11
    parachutes opening gradually proved that it all had gone according to plan. The
    mission also marked a record: on November 28, Orion moved beyond the distance
    travelled in 1970 by Apollo 13, and reached 430,000 km, the most distant point
    ever reached by a spacecraft able to carry humans on board. (AMP)

  • La longue histoire des missions militaires françaises en Roumanie

    La longue histoire des missions militaires françaises en Roumanie


    La puissance
    modernisatrice offerte par la France au monde a été incontestable, et l’espace
    roumain n’est pas demeuré indifférent à l’appel de la France. L’influence de l’Hexagone
    dans cet espace fut en effet aussi étendue qu’omniprésente, s’exerçant sous les
    formes les plus variées, depuis l’influence culinaire et jusqu’à la langue de
    tous les jours, en passant par la mode ou par ce qu’on appelait à l’époque le
    code des bonnes manières. Mais les grands moments de l’histoire appellent à des
    arguments d’un autre genre que les seuls emprunts de mode. Et les arguments que
    la France avait avancé pour épauler la Roumanie s’étaient matérialisés par sa
    présence militaire, à travers des missions envoyées en renfort à la Roumanie. Aussi,
    c’est dans ce contexte que le musée national d’Histoire de la Roumanie a
    récemment rendu hommage aux missions militaires françaises venues prêter main
    forte aux troupes roumaines à travers les âges. Le directeur du musée, Ernest
    Oberländer-Târnoveanu,
    a tenu d’expliciter le rôle endossé par cette suite de missions militaires françaises
    pour l’histoire roumaine des deux derniers siècles :


    « Vous savez, l’on a coutume de
    dire qu’une image vaut mille mots. Quant à moi, je dirais plutôt qu’un seul acte
    concret que l’on pose vaut mille promesses. Et cela est encore plus vrai lorsque
    l’on regarde l’action de la France, ancien et fidèle ami de la Roumanie. Pratiquement,
    depuis le milieu du 19e siècle, la France a été constamment aux côtés
    de la Roumanie. Et ces liens de cœur et de raison doivent être célébrés comme
    il se doit. Il faut remémorer cela, rappeler cela, à nos concitoyens, à nos
    amis et à nos partenaires, français et européens. Et c’est bien ce que notre exposition
    entend faire : rappeler les faits d’armes, rappeler la présence militaire
    française en Roumanie, dès 1855, voilà bientôt 150 ans depuis. Rappeler aussi
    1916, puis 1918, lorsque la mission militaire française a joué un rôle
    essentiel dans la réorganisation des troupes roumaines et qu’elle s’est battue
    pour la sauvegarde de l’Etat roumain, indépendant et souverain. Mais nos
    rapports se sont poursuivis au-delà de la Grande Guerre, durant les années 20
    et 30, lorsque la Roumanie était un allié de poids de la France dans l’Europe de
    l’Est et les Balkans. Avec la Pologne, la Roumanie faisait barrage aux visées
    révisionnistes et totalitaires qui nous ont malgré tout emporté dans la
    Deuxième guerre mondiale ».


    Car c’est en 1855, pendant
    la guerre de Crimée, que la France envoyait une première mission sur le sol de
    ce qu’allait devenir la Roumanie de demain, une mission qui prenait ses
    quartiers dans le Dobroudja, avant de construire la route qui relie la ville de
    Constanța au village de Rasova. Dirigée par l’ingénieur Léon Lallan, la mission française
    comptait encore sur les compétences de l’ingénieur Jules Michel, des géologues
    Blondeau et Gaudin, du médecin Camille Allard, du topographe roumain Aninoșeanu,
    s’appuyant sur la vigilance d’une garde composée de seulement 8 militaires.
    Puis, dès 1857, l’on retrouve des officiers français commencer à former les
    premiers détachements roumains, en Moldavie.


    Mais la première mission
    militaire française officielle n’est envoyée qu’en 1860 par l’empereur Napoleon
    III à la demande du prince régnant Alexandru Ioan Cuza, celui qui venait d’unifier
    les provinces historiques de Moldavie et de Valachie dans un même Etat. La
    mission, dirigée par le sous-intendant Guy Le Clerc, comprenait des officiers
    et des sous-officiers chargés de préparer l’arrivée des troupes françaises. L’année
    d’après, en 1861, c’est le colonel de cavalerie Zenon Eugène Lamy qui prendra les rênes de la
    mission, épaulé par des officiers d’état-majeur, mais aussi par des officiers
    et des sous-officiers d’artillerie, de cavalerie, de génie, chargés de former
    les forces armées du nouvel Etat roumain, des forces qui avaient été dotées d’armement
    de provenance française. Et bien que cette première mission militaire française
    plie bagage en 1869, la loi d’organisation de l’armée roumaine, adoptée en 1867,
    est et restera d’inspiration française.


    Sans doute, d’une célébrité
    autrement plus durable jouira la mission militaire envoyée par la France à l’automne
    1916, à un moment charnière de la guerre qui opposait la Roumanie, dont les 2/3
    de son territoire étaient occupées, aux Empires centraux. Dirigée par le
    général Henri Mathias Berthelot, la mission militaire française, adoubée d’une
    mission sanitaire, a fait d’un coup remonter le moral des Roumains, qui voyaient
    alors la France comme unique bouée de secours. Mais son rôle s’est avéré particulièrement
    décisif dans l’instruction des troupes roumaines, qui avaient été dotées d’armes
    d’origine franco-britannique. Et la compétence stratégique du général Berthelot
    fut ensuite mise en évidence lors de la brillante campagne de l’été 1917, dans
    les batailles héroïques de Mărăști, Mărășești și Oituz.


    Aujourd’hui, la Roumanie
    accueille, pour la 3e fois dans son histoire, une nouvelle mission militaire
    française. Intitulée AIGLE, démarrée à l’été 2022 dans la base de Cincu, près
    de Brașov, les objectifs de cette mission nous sont détaillés par Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu :


    « Nous nous trouvons dans un
    moment critique, à la suite de l’invasion russe de l’Ukraine. Et dans ce
    contexte délétère, la France s’est à nouveau montrée prête à s’investir, en
    vrai partenaire et allié de confiance, qu’elle a depuis toujours été pour la
    Roumanie. La France a envoyé des troupes et des ressources militaires
    conséquentes dans cette mission censée protéger non seulement notre pays, mais
    encore la région de la mer Noire, l’Europe de l’Est, et le monde démocratique
    dans son ensemble des possibles conséquences néfastes d’un acte agressif orchestré
    par la Russie dans la région. La mission française défend ainsi la Roumanie,
    mais elle défend plus largement tout le continent européen, et l’ordre mondial,
    fondé sur le respect du droit international et sur la démocratie ».


    Quoi qu’il en soit, une
    chose est sûre : les missions militaires françaises ont depuis toujours
    marqué les grands moments de l’histoire de la Roumanie moderne. Et la présence
    de la mission Aigle sur les terres roumaines ne fait que confirmer, encore une
    fois, une amitié franco-roumaine aussi solide que le roc.


    (Trad Ionut Jugureanu)



  • 05/12/2021

    05/12/2021

    Coronavirus en Roumanie — Les autorités de Bucarest ont défini dimanche toute une série de nouvelles mesures contre l’épidémie, après la confirmation des deux premiers cas d’infection au variant Omicron du virus SARS-CoV-2 en Roumanie. Ils concernant des personnes rapatriées d’Afrique du Sud. Le ministre de la Santé, Alexandru Rafila, a déclaré que les Roumains et d’autres ressortissants européens qui viennent de pays hors Union devront présenter un test PCR obtenu tout au plus 48 h avant le voyage. Ceux qui ne sont pas vaccinés sont tenus d’observer la quarantaine pendant 10 jours. Ceux en provenance d’autres pays de l’UE continueront à présenter, comme jusqu’ici, le certificat vert ou le résultat négatif d’un test PCR, obtenu 72 h tout au plus avant le voyage. Les personnes non vaccinées ou qui n’ont pas fait la maladie les six derniers mois qui voyagent en provenance d’autres pays communautaires sis en zone rouge seront tenues d’observer la quarantaine pendant 10 jours. Si les personnes non vaccinées et qui n’ont pas eu la maladie ne présentent pas de test PCR, réalisé 72 h avant le voyage, elles entreront en quarantaine pendant 14 jours, a ajouté le ministre. A partir du 20 décembre prochain, la Roumanie introduit aussi l’obligation de remplir le formulaire de localisation des passagers, censé établir l’historique du voyage. Ce document est déjà requis par plusieurs Etats d’Europe. L’épidémie de coronavirus poursuit sa tendance à la baisse en Roumanie. Cette semaine, il y a eu 35 % de nouveaux cas et de décès en moins par rapport à la semaine précédente. En plus, le nombre des personnes hospitalisées et des patients en soins intensifs a connu une diminution d’un quart. Dimanche, 910 nouveaux cas de Covid-19 et 78 décès ont été rapportés, dont 5 antérieurs à la période de référence. 916 patients sont en réanimation. Le taux d’incidence de la maladie continue de baisser dans la capitale aussi — ce dimanche, 1,38 cas par mille habitants. L’incidence des cas de Covid-19 cumulée sur 14 jours ne dépasse pas les 5 par mille habitants sur l’ensemble du pays, a informé le Groupe de communication stratégique.



    Frégate — La frégate roumaine Regina Maria regagne lundi le port militaire de Constanţa, à la mer Noire, en venant de la Méditerranée, où elle a participé, du 27 octobre au 30 novembre, à des missions de suivi du trafic naval, dans le cadre d’un groupement naval permanent de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique Nord. Pendant les six semaines de mission, le bâtiment roumain a également pris part aux exercices multinationaux Dogu Akdeniz 21 organisés par les Forces navales de la Turquie, et NIRIIS 21, organisés par les Forces navales de la Grèce, aux côtés de plus de 50 bâtiments, 8 sous-marins et des dizaines d’aéronefs militaires alliés et partenaires.



    Tennis — La Roumanie rencontrera l’Espagne dans le barrage pour la qualification au tournoi final de la Coupe Davis 2022, selon le tirage au sort qui a eu lieu dimanche à Madrid. Les matchs auront lieu en Espagne les 4 et 5 mars. L’étape finale de la Coupe Davis de l’année prochaine réunira 16 équipes, dont quatre sont déjà connues : Russie, Croatie, Royaume-Uni et Serbie, les deux dernières étant bénéficiaires de wild cards. L’Espagne a déjà gagné six fois le trophée et a été finaliste quatre fois. Les Espagnols ont 10 joueurs dans le Top 100 ATP, avec Rafael Nadal (5e) pour leader incontestable. La Roumanie s’est qualifiée dans le barrage pour la Coupe Davis 2022 après avoir vaincu le Pérou 4-0. Le joueur roumain le meilleur classé est Marius Copil (276e ATP). L’unique victoire des tricolores contre l’Espagne a eu lieu en 1969, à Valence, par 4-1, dans les demi-finales de la zone Europe, par les points apportés alors par Ion Ţiriac (2), Ilie Năstase et leur duo.

  • Georgeta Dumont, présidente de l’Association ORIUNDE de Lyon

    Georgeta Dumont, présidente de l’Association ORIUNDE de Lyon

    Depuis déjà quatre ans, cette communauté dispose aussi d’une association, appelée ORIUNDE (partout, en roumain), basée à Lyon. Quelle est sa mission? Quelles sont ses activités, outre le Salon de produits roumains de Lyon, dont nous avons récemment eu l’occasion de parler ? Découvrez les réponses de Mme Georgeta Dumont, présidente de l’association, au micro de Ligia.