Radio România Internațional

Tag: Navalny

  • February 28, 2024 UPDATE

    February 28, 2024 UPDATE

    CONGRESS The European People’s Party (EPP) congress will be held in Bucharest next week, on March 6th and 7th. Over 2,000 delegates from more than 40 countries will take part, including the president of the European Commission, the president of the European Parliament, heads of state as well as European Commissioners affiliated to the EPP. The agenda will focus on the party’s preparations and strategy for the European Parliament elections. The meeting is hosted by the National Liberal Party (a member of Romania’s ruling coalition), jointly with the EPP. Bucharest last hosted an EPP congress in October 2012.

     

    MOLDOVA The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu had a meeting in Bucharest on Wednesday with Moldova’s deputy PM for integration, Oleg Serebrian.  The two officials reviewed the regional security developments and Russia’s destabilising actions, with a focus on their impact on the Republic of Moldova. In this context, minister Luminiţa Odobescu praised Chişinău’s efforts to curb the effects of the hybrid war and reconfirmed the support Romania is prepared to extend in this process. She also reiterated Romania’s support for a comprehensive, peaceful and sustainable solution for the issue of Transnistria, in compliance with international law and in line with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, within its internationally recognised borders and without affecting its European future. Since 1992 Transnistria has been de facto independent from Moldova, following an armed conflict in which Russian troops backed the separatists.

     

    NAVALNY The European Parliament Wednesday condemned the killing of the Russian activist Alexei Navalny in prison, and called for an international independent investigation to establish the circumstances of his death. The EP honoured to the life and legacy of the Russian activist in Strasburg, in the presence of his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The meeting was opened by the EP president, Roberta Metsola, who spoke about Alexei Navalny’s courage of fighting against an authoritarian regime. She emphasised that Alexei Navalny had dedicated his life to the fight against corruption and for a democratic Russia.

     

    CONCERT The Children’s Choirs of Radio Romania and Radio Bulgaria will give a joint concert at the Radio Hall in Bucharest, on Thursday. It will be the first time when these choirs perform together, and the concert programme is spectacular, as both choirs can easily perform difficult works, adding set design elements that will impress the audience. The event is part of an international cooperation programme between the two public radio broadcasters. On the same day, the Bulgarian Children’s Choir will open a reception hosted by the Bulgarian Embassy in Bucharest, on the occasion of Bulgaria’s National Day, celebrated on March 3rd.

     

    HANDBALL Romania defeated Croatia, on Wednesday, 26 – 24 at home, in Group I of the European Women’s Handball Championship qualifiers. The away leg will be held on Sunday, in Koprivnica. The two teams are competing for the top spot in the group, currently having the same number of points, 4, but being separated by goal difference (43 vs. 24). They are followed by Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina, without any points. Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, CS Dinamo Bucharest beat CSM Constanţa 33-25, in main group IV of the men’s EHF European League. The Romanian champions thus secured a spot in the playoffs, with the group winner going straight into the quarter-finals. (AMP)

  • February 23, 2024 UPDATE

    February 23, 2024 UPDATE

    Ukraine – Approximately 7 million Ukrainians have left their country since the beginning of the war, 2 years ago, and 77,000 are currently in Romania. Of these refugees, over 80% are women and children. On Friday, at the North Railway Station in Bucharest, a symbolic place where hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians entered our country, the Romanian authorities, non-governmental organizations and refugees marked these two years of war. President Klaus Iohannis appreciated, on this occasion, that “it is important for Europe to remain united, despite the difficulties it faces, and to continue providing the help that Ukraine needs”. He also said that “it is necessary for the authorities, together with the international partners, to continue efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees and especially for the integration of those who are on the territory of the Romanian state”. Iohannis will go to Paris on Monday to participate in a working meeting on the war in Ukraine and on the intensification of efforts to continue the support given to this country. The meeting is organized by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and it will be attended by a series of NATO leaders.

     

    Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, and her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, adopted, in New Delhi, the Joint Declaration on the 10th anniversary of the Romania-India Extended Partnership. The meeting between the two officials took place on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue International Conference. The declaration aims at strengthening Romanian-Indian bilateral relations, as well as cooperation in a multilateral context. It also emphasizes the sectoral priority approach in three areas, namely energy, IT&C and manufacturing, according to a Foreign Ministry press release. Both ministers appreciated the progress made in the development of Romanian-Indian relations and confirmed the common commitment to strengthening collaboration in priority areas, with an emphasis on economic relations and sectoral cooperation.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea was defeated by the Italian Jasmine Paolini, 6-2, 7-6, on Friday, in the semifinals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), which has total prizes up for grabs worth over 3.2 million dollars. The Romanian was coming after two exhausting matches, with the Croatian Donna Vekic (2 h 15 min) and the Czech Marketa Vondrousova (2 h 41 min), while Paolini benefited, on Thursday, from the absence of her opponent in the quarterfinals, the Kazakh Elena Rîbakina. Cîrstea, who will equal her best ranking in her career, on Monday, when the new WTA ranking is published (21st place), got a check of almost 160 thousand dollars and 390 points.

     

    Government – The Romanian Agriculture Minister, Florin Barbu, is called, next week, to the Senate, at the Ministerial Question Time. From the opposition, Save Romania Union – USR asked him to publicly present to what extent the demands of the farmers who protested in January were resolved, and also to provide explanations regarding, among others, the transit of grains from Ukraine and the increase in food prices.

     

    Moscow – The mother of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has accused the Russian authorities of wanting to bury her son in secret, without a funeral, given that they have so far refused to hand over the body to the family, Reuters reports. Liudmila Navalnaya said that she was blackmailed and threatened to accept a secret burial. Alexei Navalny died last week, at the age of 47, in an Arctic penal colony where he was imprisoned. Just the day before, he had appeared at a trial and seemed healthy and in good spirits. Navalny’s lawyers say that on the death certificate drawn up by the authorities it is written that he died of natural causes. International leaders, family members and Russian supporters of Navalny say that the Russian authorities are responsible for his death, and some have even claimed that he was murdered. In the past, Navalny had survived a poisoning with a neurotoxic agent, which had been previously used by the Russian secret services. (LS)

  • February 17, 2024 UPDATE

    February 17, 2024 UPDATE

    Navalny – On Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered in Europe and the USA, in front of the Russian embassies, to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny, the number one opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow announced, on the same day, the death of Navalny, at the age of 47, in a penitentiary colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence. In Russia, a human rights organization said that more than 100 people were detained at rallies in memory of the Russian dissident. Most of those arrested are from St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown. At political level, dignitaries from all over the world, including Romania, expressed their sadness and concern over the death of Alexei Navalny. The international community has lost a brave fighter for freedom and rights, said the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, who asked Russia for a transparent and comprehensive investigation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry condemned the repeated violations of international law by the Russian regime and reiterated the importance of observing fundamental human rights and freedoms without delay.

     

    Elections – The leaders of the governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL resume, on Sunday, the negotiations regarding the possible merging of the elections that are scheduled this year in Romania. If an agreement is not reached, the elections will be organized on time, said the social-democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu. The liberals insist on holding the elections for the European Parliament together with the ones for the local public administration, on June 9. The arguments put forward are the reduction of expenses and a greater voter turnout. The social democrats demand a clear calendar for the entire electoral year and propose, in addition, to merge the parliamentary elections with the second round of the presidential election. The opposition claims that the discussions on the issue of merging the elections do nothing but distract the attention of Romanians from the real problems of the coalition government.

     

    Polo – Romania’s national men’s polo team is going to the Olympic Games in Paris, the international specialized federation, World Aquatics, announced on Saturday. Romania ended this month’s World Championships in Doha, Qatar, on 10th position, and only the presence among the top eight would have ensured its qualification to the Olympic Games. South Africa, which was qualified as the best team on its continent, has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics. Thus, Romania, the best-ranked team among the unqualified teams, climbed the Olympic table. Polo is the only team sport with Romanian participation in the Olympics. At the World Cup, the Romanian national team was defeated in the group by Hungary, score 15-8, by Italy score 16-10 and won against Kazakhstan score 25-3. It then lost in the quarter-final playoff 9-12 to Montenegro, and in the qualifying matches it defeated China 9-7 and lost to the USA 13-9. Last month, Romania finished 8th in the European Championships in Croatia.

     

    BUCHAREST – Romania’s national rugby team was defeated by the Portuguese team, 49-24, on Saturday, in Bucharest, in their last match in Group B of the Rugby Europe Championship, the second continental competition, after the famous Six Nations Tournament. In the first two matches, Romania defeated Poland 20-8 (away from home) and Belgium 33-18 (at home). In the semifinals (March 2-3), Romania will play away from home against Georgia, the winner of Group A, while Portugal will play Spain on home ground.

     

    Munich – The G7 countries’ foreign ministers discussed on Saturday, under the Italian presidency, the international crises: the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the situation in the Red Sea and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the continuation of the support given by the G7 countries to Kyiv. The meeting is organized as part of the Munich Security Conference (February 16-18). The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, is also attending the conference in southern Germany. Romania and Estonia share common values ​​and similar concerns regarding regional security, said Minister Tîlvăr, who met, on the sidelines of the Conference, with his Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur. He also had a meeting with James Mattis, former American Secretary of Defense, an opportunity for the two to reiterate the need to continue bilateral efforts in order to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and deepen the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. In Munich, on Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Ms. Luminiţa Odobescu, pleaded, in turn, for maintaining the multidimensional international support granted to Ukraine.

     

    Paris – The Ukrainian and French presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron signed, on Friday evening, a security agreement between their countries, which also provides for the supply of ammunition. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, France will support Ukraine not only to defend itself, but also in the fight against external interference, in the protection of civil infrastructures, in counterintelligence and espionage, in cyber security and in the fight against organized crime. In the press conference held after the signing of the agreement, President Macron stated that the future accession of Ukraine to the European Union and NATO will mean a useful contribution to the peace and security of the continent. For his part, President Zelensky expressed hope that the security agreements signed with France and, earlier on the same day, with Germany, after the one with Great Britain last month, will also give an impetus to the United States to continue providing aid to Ukraine. (LS)

  • February 17, 2024

    February 17, 2024

    Navalny – On Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered in Europe and the USA, in front of the Russian embassies, to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny, the number one opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow announced, on the same day, the death of Navalny, at the age of 47, in a penitentiary colony in the Arctic, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence. In Russia, a human rights organization said that more than 100 people were detained at rallies in memory of the Russian dissident. Most of those arrested are from St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown. At political level, dignitaries from all over the world, including Romania, expressed their sadness and concern over the death of Alexei Navalny. The international community has lost a brave fighter for freedom and rights, said the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, who asked Russia for a transparent and comprehensive investigation. The Romanian Foreign Ministry condemned the repeated violations of international law by the Russian regime and reiterated the importance of observing fundamental human rights and freedoms without delay.

     

    Munich – The G7 countries’ foreign ministers are discussing today, under the Italian presidency, the international crises: the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the situation in the Red Sea and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the continuation of the support given by the G7 countries to Kyiv. The meeting is organized as part of the Munich Security Conference (February 16-18). The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, is also attending the conference in southern Germany. Romania and Estonia share common values ​​and similar concerns regarding regional security, said Minister Tîlvăr, who met, on the sidelines of the Conference, with his Estonian counterpart, Hanno Pevkur. He also had a meeting with James Mattis, former American Secretary of Defense, an opportunity for the two to reiterate the need to continue bilateral efforts in order to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and deepen the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. In Munich, on Friday, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Ms. Luminiţa Odobescu, pleaded, in turn, for maintaining the multidimensional international support granted to Ukraine.

     

    Paris – The Ukrainian and French presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron signed, on Friday evening, a security agreement between their countries, which also provides for the supply of ammunition. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, France will support Ukraine not only to defend itself, but also in the fight against external interference, in the protection of civil infrastructures, in counterintelligence and espionage, in cyber security and in the fight against organized crime. In the press conference held after the signing of the agreement, President Macron stated that the future accession of Ukraine to the European Union and NATO will mean a useful contribution to the peace and security of the continent. For his part, President Zelensky expressed hope that the security agreements signed with France and, earlier on the same day, with Germany, after the one with Great Britain last month, will also give an impetus to the United States to continue providing aid to Ukraine.

     

    Rugby – Romania’s national rugby team meets, today, in Bucharest, the team of Portugal, in Group B of the Rugby Europe Championship 2024. In its first games, Romania defeated Poland 20-8 (away from home) and Belgium 33-18 (at home). With two victories from as many matches played, the Romanians are on first place in the group, having the chance, depending on the results of the last round, to play the semi-final on home ground. After the group matches, the semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of March 2-3, and the finals will take place on March 17, in Paris.

     

    Customs – Special lanes dedicated to trucks registered in the European Union were opened at the Nădlac II and Borş II customs offices, in western Romania, after a similar lane had become functional in the Calafat customs office, in the south. Thus, Romanian trucks will have priority over those from Ukraine or Turkey, said the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, on Friday, at the Government meeting. He pointed out that the lane for trucks from the EU will also exist in the Giurgiu customs office (south). The Prime Minister mentioned that this is one of the measures by which the Government responds to the requests of transporters, who have recently protested throughout the country.(LS)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The only way to
    curb the Covid-19 epidemic is vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus
    Iohannis said on Wednesday night, at the end of a meeting with those involved
    in managing the healthcare crisis. Until a significant proportion of the
    country’s population gets vaccinated, the authorities decided, among other
    things, that face masks will be compulsory as of Monday in both outdoor and
    indoor public areas. Night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated, while
    during the day access to an important number of activities will be conditional
    on the digital COVID certificate. Iohannis also announced that as of Monday all
    school children will have a 2-week holiday. Previously, the head of state had said
    that preparations for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania had been
    flawed, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. On Wednesday
    the Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158 new Covid-19 cases
    in 24 hours, and 423 related deaths, of which 9 from before the reference
    timeframe.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The only way to
    curb the Covid-19 epidemic is vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus
    Iohannis said on Wednesday night, at the end of a meeting with those involved
    in managing the healthcare crisis. Until a significant proportion of the
    country’s population gets vaccinated, the authorities decided, among other
    things, that face masks will be compulsory as of Monday in both outdoor and
    indoor public areas. Night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated, while
    during the day access to an important number of activities will be conditional
    on the digital COVID certificate. Iohannis also announced that as of Monday all
    school children will have a 2-week holiday. Previously, the head of state had said
    that preparations for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania had been
    flawed, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. On Wednesday
    the Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158 new Covid-19 cases
    in 24 hours, and 423 related deaths, of which 9 from before the reference
    timeframe.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    October 20, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158
    new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours. Also, 423 related deaths were
    reported, of which 9 from before the reference timeframe. The Romanian President
    Klaus Iohannis has convened a meeting with all those involved in managing the
    pandemic to decide the introduction of more restrictive measures, as the only
    way to curb the spread of the disease. On Tuesday, the head of state said that
    the preparation for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania was flawed, and
    the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. Vaccination is the only
    solution to stop the pandemic, the head of state said, adding that it is also
    necessary for parliament to adopt provisions on the digital certificate or
    other measures to reduce mobility and human interaction in the short run.


    GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
    talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
    Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
    designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
    MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
    184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
    ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
    minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
    minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
    minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
    ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
    Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
    a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
    the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
    this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
    president Klaus Iohannis.


    VISIT President
    Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
    Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
    remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
    importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
    in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
    sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
    strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
    and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
    deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
    Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
    developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
    a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
    hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.


    AWARD Kremlin
    critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
    Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
    Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
    the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
    across Russia. In
    August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
    Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
    behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
    Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
    European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.


    EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
    Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
    values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
    Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
    Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
    law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
    controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
    and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)