Radio România Internațional

Tag: Navalny

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)

20 October 2021
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)

20 October 2021
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)

20 October 2021
22.02.2021 (mise à jour)

Protestations
– Les mineurs de la Vallée du Jiu recevront leurs salaires restants, en trois
tranches, dont la première sera versée le 25 février. L’annonce a été faite lundi
par la ministre du Travail Raluca Turcan, à l’issue des discutions qu’elle a eues
avec les leaders syndicaux des mineurs. L’exécutif allouera l’argent nécessaire
pour couvrir les droits salariaux, mais aussi une partie des bénéfices restants,
tels les tickets restaurant et l’indemnité de transport. Cela concerne en tout 4.000
salariés. En plus, a encore précisé la ministre, cette solution a le mérite de
donner un délai de trois mois à l’employeur, le Complexe énergétique Hunedoara,
pour réorganiser son activité et présenter un plan de gestion sur le long terme.
Les 70 mineurs de Lupeni qui refusaient de quitter la mine depuis le 17 février
ont décidé, lundi soir, d’arrêter leur protestation, à l’annonce du résultat
des négociations entre les syndicats et les ministres du Travail et de l’Energie.

UE -
Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine Bogdan Aurescu a participé lundi, à Bruxelles,
à une réunion avec ses homologues des Etats membres de l’UE, qui visait notamment
à analyser les rapports entre l’Union européenne et la Russie. Selon le
ministère roumain des Affaires étrangères, M. Aurescu a souligné que les
relations UE-Russie traversaient un point d’inflexion et que Moscou montrait
son assertivité grandissante en rapport avec les institutions et les pays européens.
Le diplomate roumain a plaidé pour que de nouvelles sanctions soit adoptées contre
la Russie, alors que le respect des droits de l’homme se dégradait dans le pays,
comme le montre également le cas Navalny. Bogdan Aurescu a souligné la
nécessité pour l’UE d’adopter une approche plus stratégique de ses relations
avec la Russie, mais aussi de prendre des engagements politiques plus solides
avec les états ex-soviétiques membres du Partenariat oriental, dont la
République de Moldova.

Avant
la réunion, une partie des ministres des affaires étrangères des pays membres
de l’UE, dont Bogdan Aurescu, ont participé à une réunion informelle avec des
représentants de l’équipe de l’opposant russe Alexeï Navalny. Samedi, Navalny, principal
opposant politique du Kremlin, s’est vu infliger deux peines : l’une de
deux ans et demi de prison ferme dans un dossier de fraude et une amende de
9.500 euros pour « diffamation » envers un supporter de Vladimir
Poutine, vétéran nonagénaire de la Deuxième guerre mondiale.

Moldavie – La République de Moldova recevra 15
millions d’euros de l’Union européenne pour l’aider dans la lute contre le
nouveau coronavirus. La présidente pro-européenne Maia Sandu a déclaré qu’elle insistera
que l’argent soit distribué aux secteurs les plus affectés par la pandémie :
la santé, l’agriculture et les PME, relate Radio Chişinău. Maia Sandu a promis qu’elle
demandera aux institutions responsables de bien vérifier où iront ces fonds,
pour s’assurer qu’ils profitent à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. Vendredi, la
Roumanie avait accordé une nouvelle aide humanitaire au pays voisin, constituée
d’équipements médicaux. Selon un communiqué de presse publié sur le site de l’administration
présidentielle moldave, le don, d’une valeur totale de 2,3 millions d’euros, consiste
en 1,5 millions de masques de protection à usage médical, 100.000 masques de
protection FFP3, 100.000 combinaisons jetables et 100.000 paires de gants
médicaux.

Immigration
– Des policiers roumains aux frontières du poste des Portes de fer, au
sud-ouest du pays, ont découvert 18 personnes ayant traversé le Danube à l’aide
d’une embarcation, dans le but d’entrer illégalement en Roumanie depuis la
Serbie. Il s’agit de huit adultes et dix enfants âgés de 3 à 15 ans, originaires
de Syrie, d’Afghanistan, d’Iraq et de Somalie. L’embarcation était dirigée par
deux ressortissants syriens qui sont retournés en Serbie après avoir effectué
la course et auxquels les migrants avaient payés des sommes allant de 1.200 à
1.500 euros par personne – détaille un communiqué de presse de la Police aux
frontières Timişoara.
L’enquête continue.

Météo
– Le temps est particulièrement clément pour cette période de l’année en
Roumanie, avec des températures qui grimpent et un ciel dégagé, notamment sur
le relief de haute et moyenne altitude. Les températures maximales iront, dans
les prochaines 24 heures, de 6 à 17 degrés.

22 February 2021
February 6, 2021 UPDATE

Covid-19 Ro. 2,611 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, following more than 27,000 tests run nationwide, the Strategic Communication Group informed on Saturday afternoon. During the same period, 61 people diagnosed with Covid-19 died. The vaccination campaign continues, and Prime Minister Florin Cîţu took the second dose on Saturday. He announced that Romania is discussing with the European Commission the possibility of producing one of the anti-Covid vaccines at the Cantacuzino Institute in Bucharest. Also on Saturday, the first tranche of over 80 thousand doses of the vaccine produced by AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University arrived in Romania. This vaccine will be administered only to people between 18 and 55 years old. By the end of February, more than 600,000 doses of this vaccine will have reached the country. Meanwhile, the immunization campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech serum continues and the administration of the Moderna vaccine started on Thursday. In total, so far, about 650 thousand Romanians have been vaccinated.

Fire. Two more patients who were in the fifth ward of the Matei Balş Institute in Bucharest during last weeks fire died, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday. These are two men, aged 73 and 91, respectively. Five people lost their lives on the day of the fire, and nine more deaths were reported later among patients transferred to other hospitals. The prosecutors office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal announced that it finished, on Friday, the on-site investigation. So far, 33 people, medical staff, administrative staff, police officers who participated in the initial intervention and relatives of the victims have been heard. Several wards burned and the whole building was affected by smoke. More than 100 patients were evacuated and transferred to other health facilities. A similar tragedy took place in November, at the emergency hospital in Piatra Neamţ (northeast), as a result of which 10 patients died.

Navalny. The leader of the Renew Liberal group in the European Parliament, the former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, has said that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the Union, Josep Borrell, must come with explanations before the MEPs, after he was humiliated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov. “Todays events are a slap in Europes face and should serve as a lesson that in negotiations with the Russians we can only impose ourselves if we are united in defending the values on which the European Union is founded: respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights “- Ciolos wrote in a post on Facebook, after Moscow announced on Friday the expulsion of three diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden, because they participated in the protests for the release of Aleksei Navalny. The head of European diplomacy had admitted, since the beginning of the week, that he would not obtain the release of the most fierce opponent of President Vladimir Putin. At a meeting with Lavrov, Borell reiterated his call for the release of Navalny and the start of an impartial investigation into his poisoning with Noviciok in August 2020. Already sentenced to prison on Tuesday in a case of embezzlement that he says it was politically fabricated, Navalny appeared in court again on Friday on charges of defaming a World War II Soviet army veteran.

Training. Soldiers from the Romanian Naval Forces and Air Force carried out, on Friday, in the Black Sea basin, a joint training mission with US Navy soldiers. According to the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest, the exercise was the first joint Romanian-American training activity this year and aimed at strengthening the NATO assurance measures in the South-East of Europe, as well as increasing the level of interoperability, demonstrating, once again, the US involvement in ensuring security in the Black Sea area. The strategic partnership with the USA is one of the pillars of Romanias defense and security. In an increasingly dynamic security environment, such as the Black Sea, cooperation between the Romanian Army and American forces deployed in Europe contributes to strengthening the ability to react, quickly and efficiently, to a wide range of social security threats on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, the Romanian Defense Ministry states.

Vandalism. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest expressed its deep concern over the act of vandalism directed against the Representation of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, which took place on Friday. In a statement issued on Saturday to Agerpres, the MFA strongly condemns any violent behavior aimed at destroying, desecrating or damaging official or religious insignia, as well as the motivations behind them. The Ministry welcomes the solidarity reaction of the Israeli authorities, which promptly and unequivocally condemned the act of barbarism on the most important Romanian church establishment in the Holy Land, where many Romanian pilgrims come annually. At the same time, the MFA expresses its confidence that the Israeli authorities will take measures to identify and sanction the perpetrator and counts on their support to ensure the security and protection of all Romanian church establishments so that such incidents do not occur in the future. The Romanian Patriarchate thanked, on Saturday, in a message, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Israeli authorities for condemning the act of barbarism

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number two and second seed, will meet Australian Lizette Cabrera in the first round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Monday in Melbourne. According to the draw, the first round also includes the duel between the Romanian Patricia Ţig and Sorana Cîrstea. Another Romanian, Irina Begu, will play against the Serbian Nina Stojanovic in the inaugural round, and Ana Bogdan will take on the American Danielle Collins. Mihaela Buzărnescu, who joined the main board from the position of “lucky loser”, will play in the first round against the Romanian-born Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

Handball. Romanias womens handball vice-champion, CSM Bucharest, on Saturday returned with a victory to the Champions League, after two matches in a row that were posponed due to cases of Covid-19 reported in their oponents teams. The Bucharest team defeated, on home turf, the Danish team Esbjerg, 28-26. After 11 matches, CSM holds the 4th place in the Group A ranking, with 13 points. On Sunday, the Romanian champion, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, plays away in Group B, against another Danish team, Odense. Vâlcea is on the 6th place in the group, with only 4 points. Only the first two teams qualify directly in the quarterfinals, while the other will have a play-off. (MI)

6 February 2021
February 6, 2021

Covid-19 Ro. The
Romanian Prime Minister, Florin Cîţu, has received the second dose of COVID 19
vaccine today. President Klaus Iohannis too got the second jab on Friday. He
said that the vaccine is safe and effective and recommended vaccination to all
Romanians, as the only way, together with the observance of anti-vaccine
protection measures, to get Romania out of the pandemic. The anti-Covid vaccine
produced by AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Oxford University, will be
administered in Romania only to people between 18 and 55 years old. By the end
of this month, 800,000 doses of this vaccine will have reached the country.
Meanwhile, the immunization campaign with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine continues.
The administration of the Moderna vaccine started on Thursday. In total, so
far, about 650 thousand Romanians have been vaccinated. On Friday, more than
2,500 new cases of Covid and 73 deaths were reported in Romania, after 31,000
tests run in 24 hours. About 950 people are hospitalized in intensive care
units. The total number of Sars – Cov – 2 infections has exceeded 740,000, and
the number of deaths has reached 18,740.

Fire. Two more
patients who were in the fifth ward of the Matei Balş Institute in Bucharest
during last week’s fire died, the
Ministry of Health announced today. These are two men, aged 73 and 91,
respectively. Five people lost their lives on the day of the fire, and nine
more deaths were reported later among patients transferred to other hospitals.
The prosecutor’s office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal announced that it finished,
on Friday, the on-site investigation. So far, 33 people, medical staff,
administrative staff, police officers who participated in the initial
intervention and relatives of the victims have been heard. Several wards burned
and the whole building was affected by smoke. More than 100 patients were
evacuated and transferred to other health facilities. A similar tragedy took
place in November, at the emergency hospital in Piatra Neamţ (northeast), as a
result of which 10 patients died.

Navalny. The leader of the Renew Liberal
group in the European Parliament, the former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian
Ciolos, has said that the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the Union,
Josep Borrell, must come with explanations before the MEPs, after he was
humiliated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Serghei Lavrov. Today’s
events are a slap in Europe’s face and should serve as a lesson that in
negotiations with the Russians we can only impose ourselves if we are united in
defending the values on which the European Union is founded: respect for
human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights
– Ciolos wrote in a post on Facebook, after Moscow announced on Friday
the expulsion of three diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden, because they
participated in the protests for the release of Aleksei Navalny. The head of
European diplomacy had admitted, since the beginning of the week, that he would
not obtain the release of the most fierce opponent of President Vladimir Putin.
At a meeting with Lavrov, Borell reiterated his call for the release of Navalny
and the start of an impartial investigation into his poisoning with Noviciok in
August 2020. Already sentenced to prison on Tuesday in a case of embezzlement
that he says it was politically fabricated, Navalny appeared in court again on
Friday on charges of defaming a World War II Soviet army veteran.

Training. Soldiers
from the Romanian Naval Forces and Air Force carried out, on Friday, in the
Black Sea basin, a joint training mission with US Navy soldiers. According to
the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest, the exercise was the first joint
Romanian-American training activity this year and aimed at strengthening the NATO
assurance measures in the South-East of Europe, as well as increasing the level
of interoperability, demonstrating, once again, the US involvement in ensuring
security in the Black Sea area. The strategic partnership with the USA is one
of the pillars of Romania’s defense and security. In an increasingly dynamic
security environment, such as the Black Sea, cooperation between the Romanian
Army and American forces deployed in Europe contributes to strengthening the
ability to react, quickly and efficiently, to a wide range of social security
threats on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance, the Romanian
Defense Ministry states.

Tennis. Romanian
tennis player Simona Halep, world number two and second seed, will meet
Australian Lizette Cabrera in the first round of the Australian Open, the first
Grand Slam of the year, which starts on Monday in Melbourne. According to the
draw, the first round also includes the duel between the Romanian Patricia Ţig
and Sorana Cîrstea. Another Romanian, Irina Begu, will play against the Serbian
Nina Stojanovic in the inaugural round, and Ana Bogdan will take on the
American Danielle Collins. Mihaela Buzărnescu, who joined the main board from the position of
lucky loser, will play in the first round against the Romanian-born
Canadian Bianca Andreescu.

Handball.
Romania’s women’s handball vice-champion, CSM Bucharest, returns
today to the Champtions League, after two matches in a row that were posponed
to to the cases of Covid-19 reported in their oponents’ teams. The Bucharest
team plays, on home turf, with the Danish team Esbjerg. After 10 matches, CSM
holds the 5th place in the Group A ranking, whiel the Danes are on 6th, with 8
points. On Sunday, the Romanian champion, SCM
Râmnicu Vâlcea, also plays away in Group B, in the company of another Danish
team, Odense. Vâlcea is on the 6th place in the group, with only 4 points. Only
the first two teams qualify directly in the quarterfinals, while the other will
have a play-off. (M. Ignatescu)

6 February 2021
February 5, 2021 UPDATE

Inquiry. Romanian prime
minister Florin Cîțu has asked the government’s control division to verify
the management by the economy ministry of the awarding of one-off Covid grants
to small and medium sized companies. The move comes after a discussion with
economy minister Claudiu Năsui who earlier posted on Facebook that the measure
did not achieve the goal for which it was intended. He said that while the
grant was supposed to help businesses cope with the pandemic, it ended up
financing property purchases. Năsui said more than half of the businesses
eligible for this grant applied for the purchase of real estate. Last summer,
the Liberal government led by Ludovic Orban adopted a funding scheme aimed at
helping small and medium sized businesses affected by the pandemic in the form
of investment grants worth between 50,000 and 200,000 euros.

Travel. Romania has
expanded the list of countries with a high epidemiological risk and, as of 12th
February, will require the presentation of a negative Covid test taken up to 72
hours before entering the country. Arrivals to Romania will be asked to
isolate for 14 days, with the exception of children under the age of 3, people
who have received the Covid vaccine, including the second dose, and persons who
tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 90 days.

Vaccination. Almost 2,600 new Covid
cases and 73 new deaths were recorded in Romania on Friday. The total number of
infections in this country now passes 740,000, while the death toll is nearing
18,750. Romania will only administer the Covid vaccine produced by AstraZeneca
together with Oxford University to adults between 18 and 55. At the end of last
month, the European Medicines Agency said there was insufficient data on the
efficacy of this vaccine in persons over 55 but that it expects it to protect
them, based on the information provided by the manufacturer. However, a number
of European states decided not to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to the
elderly. Romania is to receive 800,000 doses of this vaccine by the end of the
month. In the meantime, the roll-out of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine continues
in Romania, where the Moderna vaccine also began to be administered on
Thursday. Some 640,000 people have received the Covid jab in Romania so far.

Investigation.
The prosecutor’s office attached to the Bucharest Tribunal announced the
conclusion on Friday of the ground investigation into the fire at the Matei
Bals Institute in the capital. At the same time, the procedure for establishing
the identity of the charred patients was completed. Moreover, the prosecutors
have requested a technical expertise for establishing the causes of the fire at
Matei Balş. So far, 33 people, medical staff, administrative staff, police
officers who participated in the initial intervention and relatives of the
victims have been heard. We recall that
on January 29, at the main Romanian hospital for infectious diseases in
Bucharest, where patients with Covid-19 are treated, a fire broke out killing
12 patients. Several wards burned and the whole building was affected by smoke.
More than 100 patients were evacuated and transferred to other health
facilities. A similar tragedy took place in November, at the emergency hospital
in Piatra Neamţ (northeast), as a result of which 10 patients died.

EC. The
European Commission has opened an investigation to assess whether the support
measures granted by the Romanian authorities to the Oltenia Energy Complex
comply with the unitary rules on state aid offered to companies in difficulty -
the EU executive announced on Friday. In particular, the Commission will
examine whether the proposed plan can restore the long-term viability of the
company without further state support. Bucharest sent to Brussels last month a
plan to restructure the company, for a period of 5 years. For the implementation
of this plan, the company is to benefit from a grant from budgetary funds in
the amount of about 1,327 million euros, as well as another 711 million euros
from the EU Modernization Fund. Oltenia Energy Complex is the second player on
the local electricity market, with a market share of 22%.

Schools. The Romanian authorities
are making the final preparations for the reopening of schools next week. Three
scenarios are in place, depending on the local infection rate. With the
exception of two months, teaching has been conducted exclusively online in
Romania since last March, amid discontent from pupils, parents, teachers and
non-governmental organisations in the field.

Navalny. On Friday in
Moscow, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell voiced worries over the
situation of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and called for his
release. During the meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergehi Lavrov,
Josep Borrell stated that an investigation must be carried out into the
poisoning of Navalny. Navalny was arrested and then sentenced to prison on his
return from Germany, where he had received treatment for poisoning. He is now
due to serve 2 years and 8 months in jail. In another move, Russia on Friday
announced the expulsion of diplomats from Sweden, Germany and Poland, accusing
them of taking part in last month’s illegal protests against the imprisonment
of Alexei Navalny.

Tennis. World no. 2 Simona
Halep of Romania will be facing Australia’s Lizette Cabrera in her opening
match at the Australian Open which gets under way on Monday in Melbourne. Two
other Romanian players will face each other in the first round, Patricia Ţig
and Sorana Cîrstea, while Irina Begu will face Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic and Ana
Bogdan will be playing Danielle Collins of the US. Mihaela Buzărnescu, the
sixth Romanian player on the main draw at the Australian Open, will face the
Romanian-born Canadian player Bianca Andreescu.

5 February 2021
January 25, 2021 UPDATE

MEETING Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday attended the EU
Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Brussels. High on the agenda were strategies
for distributing vaccines to countries outside the EU, the case of the Russian
dissident Alexei Navalny and the latest protests in Russia, the transatlantic relations
and the latest developments in Turkey, the Gulf area, Hong Kong, Venezuela, and
the EU-Egypt elations. The ministers also tackled climate change and the EU’s
relations with the UK in the field of foreign policy and security. The Romanian
Foreign Minister presented the latest developments in the process of setting up
and hosting by Romania of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center. The Romanian
diplomat has reiterated the support for the creation of an assistance mechanism
to enable the neighbouring countries to get access to anti-Covid vaccines.
Aurescu condemned the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s detention and joined
the other ministers who had called for his immediate release. In another move
Aurescu voiced Romania’s strong support for the EU’s objective to deepen
coordination and dialogue with the USA.

ECONOMY Investment and healthcare will be key
priorities in the construction of the new yearly budget, Romania’s Prime
Minister Florin Citu said on Monday. Citu added that the government would focus
on amendments to the salary legislation for the personnel in state-owned
enterprises and the pension law. The head of the Romanian government said that
investment would be covered from European funds just like last year. Romania’s
budget is under tremendous pressure to fit within the 7% deficit ceiling agreed
upon by the European Union, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Barna said on Monday. The
Romanian official added that the Executive was working on the Reconstruction
and Resilience Plan, Romania is to propose to the European Commission. The
government is presently working on the budget, which it wants passed in the
first half of the next month. In another development a report of the Moody’s
rating agency shows that Romania allotted the weakest support package for the
economy in Central and Eastern Europe, only 4% of the GDP in the context of the
pandemic.

SUMMIT World leaders on Monday met online in the first summit devoted to
protecting the planet against climate change. The summit focuses on the effects
of climate change. The previous such summits were devoted to combating the
causes of climate change, carbon gas emissions in particular. The event is
aimed at reducing the vulnerability of state in the face of rising sea levels,
a surge in extreme weather phenomena and food shortages all over the world.

COVID-19 Restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres and gambling outlets reopened in
Bucharest on Monday. All these venues will work at reduced capacity and with
limited working hours. The ease in restrictions follows a drop in the infection
rate in the capital city, to under 3 per thousand inhabitants, thus taking
Bucharest out of the red zone. Meanwhile the vaccination campaign continues.
Over 860,000 people have made appointments so far, of whom over half have
already been immunized. The sixth delivery of over 92,000 Pfizer-BioNTech
vaccines arrived earlier on Monday in airports in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timişoara.
The vaccines will then be taken to regional centers for storing and administration.
On Monday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced another 1,500 new
confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 65 related deaths. 1,000 patients are in
intensive care.

(bill)

25 January 2021
January 24, 2021, UPDATE

Coronavirus – A number of restrictions in place in the capital Bucharest, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, will be lifted Monday, following a decision of the Committee for Emergencies. Thus, theaters and cinemas, restaurants, bars and cafes will be open between 6 am and 9 pm, with an allowed occupancy rate of maximum 30%. At the same time, licensed gambling operators will be allowed to resume their activity, with the observance of the 30% occupancy rate. According to Bucharest’s Prefect Traian Berbeceanu the decision to ease restrictions was taken following a contamination rate below 3 cases per thousand people, in the past few days. He called on Bucharesters to be prudent. In his turn, Romanian Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu said that the interest in reopening schools on February 8th is still present, but that the epidemiological situation will be analyzed, after the new variant of the Covid-19 was detected at a school in Bucharest. A final decision in this respect will be taken on February 2. We remind you that for almost a year, Romanian schools have been closed with the exception of two months. Since the onset of the pandemic, a total number of 711,000 contaminations has been reported. Over 90% have recovered but 17,800 have died. More than 1,000 patients are in ICUs. Over 433,000 people have been immunized and the sixth batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be delivered to Romania on Monday.

Union — The heritage passed on by the architects of the Union of 1859, both institutional and symbolic, is the solid ground on which we should further build Romania’s modernization, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday in a message occasioned by the anniversary of 162 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities. One of the main directions of modernization is the consolidation of Romanian education system that should offer accessible and competitive education, Iohannis went on to say. He criticized the politicization of institutions and pleaded for meritocracy. PM Florin Citu and Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu as well as other political leaders conveyed messages on this occasion. The anniversary of 162 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities is marked through small-scale events in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. On January 24, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was proclaimed ruler of the United Principalities. During his 7-year rule, Cuza promoted several radical reforms, which established the institutional foundation of modern Romania, further consolidated by Kings Carol I and Ferdinand.

Reactions — The US has condemned the use, by the Russian authorities, of brutal measures against tens of thousands of people who protested in Russia for the release of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. In his turn, the head of the European diplomacy, Joseph Borell, denounced the massive arrests and the disproportionate use of force, during Saturday’s protests. We remind you that tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday in Moscow and many other cities across Russia asking for Navalny’s release. Aleksei Navalny had been detained a week before, upon returning to Russia from Berlin, where he had been treated from poisoning with a nerve agent. The most prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Kremlin is behind the poisoning. Amnesty International has accused Russian authorities for the arrest and beatings of the protesters. There are some of the largest protests against President Vladimir Putin in the last years.

Protests – Trade unionists with various activity sectors, and civil and military pensioners protested on Sunday in front of the Bucharest Government’s headquarters, of embassy offices and central public administration institutions against what they see as the abusive measures taken by the authorities. Protesters ask for the annulment of the government orders in the fiscal and judicial fields, and the immediate enforcement of the laws on salaries, pensions and subsidies. Protestsrs also want a raise in the minimum gross salary to 490 euros per month starting January 2021 and an increase in the pension point by 40%, a genuine reform of the judiciary, the safe reopening of schools as well as investment in the healthcare and transportation systems and in education.

Foreign policy – Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu will attend on Monday in Brussels the EU foreign ministers’ meeting. The foreign ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Joseph Borell, will discuss, among other things, the EU strategy on vaccine distribution to third countries, the Navalny case, perspectives for strengthening trans-Atlantic ties and the recent evolutions in the relation with Turkey. Minister Aurescu will brief his colleagues on the evolutions regarding the setting up and hosting by Romania of the Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience. The European ministers will also tackle, during an informal working breakfast, the ties between the EU and the UK in terms of foreign policy and security perspectives. (Translated by EE)

24 January 2021
Nachrichten 18.01.2021

Fast 205 Tausend Rumänen sind bisher gegen das neue Coronavirus geimpft worden. Hunderte von Nebenwirkungen wurden berichtet, aber alle waren mild. Am Sonntag wurden 875 Mitarbeiter des Gesundheitswesens, die am 27. Dezember eine erste Dosis des Impfstoffs erhalten hatten, mit einer zweiten Dosis des Impfstoffs von Pfizer BioNTech geimpft. Unterdessen geht die zweite Phase der Impfkampagne in Rumänien weiter. Es richtet sich an Menschen über 65 Jahre, an Menschen mit chronischen Krankheiten und an Personal, das in Schlüsselbereichen des Unternehmens arbeitet. Eine fünfte Tranche des von Pfizer BioNTech hergestellten Impfstoffs Covid, die 8.7750 Dosen umfasst, wird am Montag in Rumänien erwartet. Am Sonntag wurden mehr als 2.100 neue Fälle von Covid 19 bestätigt, bei mehr als 15.000 durchgeführten Tests. Die Behörden gaben 57 neue Todesfälle als Folge des neuen Coronavirus bekannt. 1.076 Patienten befinden sich derzeit auf der Intensivstation. In Rumänien sind fast 700 Tausend Infektionsfälle und mehr als 17.200 Todesfälle registriert worden. Die Hauptstadt Bukarest und drei Bezirke : Ilfov (Süden), Timis (Westen) und Cluj (Nordwesten) sind die einzigen Regionen, die sich derzeit in der roten Zone befinden.

Die Regierung in Bukarest setzt ihre Arbeit an der Vorbereitung des Staatshaushalts für dieses Jahr fort, unter Berücksichtigung eines Leistungsbilanzdefizits von 7% des BIP. Die Exekutive erwägt auch, das Datum zu ändern, ab dem die Erhöhung des Mindestlohns in Kraft treten soll, so dass die Erhöhung von 70 Lei, also 14 Euro, ab dem 1. Januar gilt und nicht ab dem Tag der Veröffentlichung im Amtsblatt. Darüber hinaus setzt einer der größten Gewerkschaftsverbände Rumäniens Cartel Alfa, seine Proteste vor dem Sitz der Präsidentschaft fort, um die Höhe des Mindestlohns und die eckelung der Einkommen im öffentlichen Dienst auf dem Niveau des letzten Jahres anzuprangern.

Der deutsche Außenminister Heiko Maas hat Russland aufgefordert, Aleksei Navalny sofort freizulassen, der am Sonntag bei seiner Ankunft in Moskau aus Deutschland verhaftet wurde, wo er sich von seiner angeblichen Vergiftung im August erholte. Außerdem forderte der Chef der britischen Diplomatie, Dominic Raab, Russland auf, Nawalny freizulassen und Erklärungen anzubieten, wie er das Opfer eines Chemiewaffenangriffs wurde. Der Präsident des Europäischen Rates Charles Michel sowie das Team des designierten US-Präsidenten Joe Biden haben ihrerseits die dringende Freilassung von Navalny gefordert. Auch der Leiter der rumänischen Diplomatie, Bogdan Aurescu, hat die Verhaftung des russischen Oppositionsführers verurteilt. In einer Nachricht auf Twitter bezeichnete der rumänische Beamte den Schritt der Russischen Föderation als rein undemokratisch. Alexej Nawalny, 44, wird seit Ende Dezember vom russischen Gefängnisdienst gesucht, weil er gegen die Bedingungen einer Bewährungsstrafe verstoßen hat, die er 2014 erhielt.

Die moldawische Präsidentin Maia Sandu beginnt einen zweitägigen Besuch in Brüssel, um die Beziehungen der Republik Moldau zur EU zu erneuern, die durch die Politik ihres Vorgängers, des Russen Igor Dodon, geschwächt wurden. Auf der Agenda seines Besuchs stehen Gespräche mit der Chefin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, dem Vorsitzenden des Europäischen RatesCharles Michel, dem Chef der europäischen Diplomatie Josep Borrell, dem EU-Kommissar für Haushalt und Verwaltung Johannes Hahn, sowie mit dem Parlamentspräsidenten David-Maria Sassoli. Der erste Gipfelbesuch, den Maia Sandu einmal an der Spitze ihres Landes erhielt, war der ihres Bukarester Amtskollegen Klaus Iohannis. Bei dieser Gelegenheit verabschiedeten die Führer der beiden Nachbarländer eine gemeinsame Erklärung, die die bilaterale strategische Partnerschaft stärken soll.

Die Staatssekretärin für europäische Angelegenheiten im rumänischen Außenministerium Iulia Matei hat am Montag am informellen Treffen des EU-Rates für Allgemeine Angelegenheiten teilgenommen. Im Mittelpunkt des Treffens, das per Videokonferenz stattfand, standen die Überprüfung der Prioritäten der portugiesischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft und die Organisierung der Konferenz über die Zukunft Europas. Nach Angaben der rumänischen Diplomatie war ein weiteres Gesprächsthema die Coronavirus-Pandemie, mit Blick auf ein für den 21. Januar geplantes informelles Treffen der europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs.

18 January 2021
January 18, 2021

COVID-19 Romania – Almost 205,000 Romanians have been vaccinated against the new coronavirus so far, with minor and common side effects having been reported in several hundred patients. Sunday was also the first day when the second dose of vaccine was given to the medical staff from infectious disease hospitals who opened the national vaccination campaign on December 27th. The second stage of the campaign continues for people over the age of 65, those with chronic diseases, as well as for the staff working in key areas. On Monday, about 1,500 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Romania, bringing the total number of cases to 700,000. More than 17,000 Romanians have died from COVID-19 infection, and about 1,000 are in intensive care.

Protests – The Romanian government continues to draft the state budget for this year, with a budget deficit target of 7% of the GDP. The executive also intends to correct the date from which the increase in the minimum wage is applied, so that the increase of 70 lei to the gross salary (about 14 euros) should come into force from January 1 and not from the day when the increase was published in the Official Gazette. The protests of one of the largest trade union confederations, Cartel Alfa, continue. The trade unionists, who are picketing the presidential headquarters, are dissatisfied with the level set by the government for the gross minimum wage in Romania, as well as with the capping of revenues in the public sector at last years level.

Arrest – The German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday called on Russia to immediately release the opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, who was arrested on Sunday on his arrival to Moscow, France Press reports. Navalny returned from Berlin, where he had been hospitalized since August last year after being poisoned with the nerve agent Noviciok. Maas also called for a thorough investigation into Navalnys poisoning and for bringing the perpetrators to justice. In turn, the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab called on Russia to release Aleksei Navalny immediately and said that Moscow had to explain how he was attacked with a chemical weapon. European Council President Charles Michel and the team of the US President-elect Joe Biden have called for Navalnys immediate release. In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, condemned the arrest of the Russian opponent, and described the repression of the opposition as a purely undemocratic gesture. Navalny is accused by Russian authorities of violating the terms of a conviction by going to Germany.

Moldova – The President of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking), pro-Western Maia Sandu, is paying a two-day visit to Brussels to re-establish ties with the European Union, ties which were affected by the policy of his pro-Russian predecessor, Igor Dodon. She is to meet with EC President Ursula von der Leyen and the European Council President Charles Michel, with the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn, and with the president of the EP David-Maria Sassoli. On Sunday, before the official visit, Maia Sandu already had a discussion with the head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Laura Codruţa Kovesi, with whom she agreed on joint actions to combat smuggling and money laundering. The first high-level visit that Maia Sandu received after taking office was, on December 29, went her Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, went to Chsinau where they adopted a Joint Declaration, meant to strengthen the strategic partnership of the two neighboring countries.

Visit – The Secretary of State for European Affairs with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Iulia Matei, is today participating in the informal meeting of the EU General Affairs Council. The meeting, which takes place in videoconference format, has on its agenda the presentation of the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council and a briefing on the organization stage of the Conference on the Future of Europe. According to MAE, in the run up to the informal meeting of European leaders, on January 21, the meeting will address issues related to the coordination at EU level of the strategy for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. (tr. L. Simion)

18 January 2021
September 3, 2020

GOVERNMENT The Romanian government is today
expected to endorse an emergency ordinance bill on certain measures needed for
the National Plan for Re-launch and Resilience. Romania needs such a plan in
order to be able to access European money allotted through the Recovery and
Resilience Facility. The country has been earmarked 30 billion Euros out of a
total 80 billion. This mechanism is the first and most important pillar of the
750 billion euro Recovery Package the European Commission announced in May. The
government is tackling several bills on funding the installation of
photo-voltaic panels at SMEs and enterprises from the hospitality industry in
Romania. Also high on the agenda is another emergency ordinance bill allowing
employees who didn’t pay their social security contributions to pay them in six
years since the contract was signed. The government believes that such a
measure can bring more money to the budget.

NAVALNY Western leaders and
institutions have firmly condemned the poisoning of Russian opposition leader
Alexei Navalny and called on Moscow to provide explanations and assurances that
the culprits will be brought to justice. Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan
Aurescu says that Navalny’s poisoning is completely unacceptable and has called
for a thorough and impartial investigation. On Wednesday, Germany announced
that Navalny, presently in a hospital in Berlin, was poisoned with a novichok
nerve agent. The use of chemical weapons under any circumstances, is completely
unacceptable and a breach of international law, the head of the European
diplomacy Josep Borrell said. The White House has also voiced concern regarding
the incident pledging cooperation with its allies to bring the culprits to
justice. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian government, says the
authorities in Moscow are ready to cooperate with the German executive to
uncover the circumstances of Navalny’s poisoning. This fourth-generation nerve
agent has been used to eliminate numerous Kremlin critics, although Moscow has
always denied any allegation.

COVID-19 The number of Covid infections
in Romania stands at 90 thousand with a death toll over 37 hundred. The
country’s president Klaus Iohannis has again appealed for compliance with
prevention rules and regulations as worrying figures have been reported during
the pandemic. The president believes the school year can begin on September 14th
in Romania, but unless the situation improves, authorities are considering
alternative scenarios.

VISIT Romania’s
Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is today being received by Israeli president
Reuven Rivlin after which the Romanian official is going to Ramallah to meet
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and other Palestinian officials.
On Wednesday, the head of the Romanian diplomacy held talks with Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi. Aurescu and
Ashkenazi signed a cooperation programme between Romania and Israel in the
fields of culture, economy and trade. The two officials tackled the latest
developments in the Middle East. Aurescu pointed out that Romania had
constantly stood, including at the EU level, for a sustainable peace solution
and the resumption of direct talks with the Palestinians.

TENNIS Romanian tennis player Patricia
Tig today takes on Donna Vekic of Croatia in the second round of the US Open
underway in Flushing Meadows, New York. Another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea will
be taking on Johanna Conta of Britain in the same competition stage. Tig and
Cirstea are Romania’s only representatives in the singles contest. In the men’s
doubles, Romanian Horia Tecau and his Dutch team mate Jean-Julien Rojer are
today taking on Salvadorian Marcelo Arevalo and Jonny O’Mara of Britain.
Yesterday, the pair made up of Romanian Raluca Olaru and Sara Sorribes of Spain
was outperformed by the Czech-Slovakian pair Lucie Hradecka/Andreja Klepac.

(translated by bill)

3 September 2020
03.09.2020

Covid-19 – En
Roumanie, plus de 91 mille cas de contamination par le nouveau coronavirus ont
été confirmés depuis le début de l’épidémie, alors que le nombre des décès liés
au coronavirus a dépassé les 3.700. Le président Klaus Iohannis a fait mercredi un nouvel appel au respect de normes de protection sanitaire, dans le contexte où des chiffres « inquiétants » ont été rapportés en ce qui concerne l’épidémie mais aussi vu que de nouvelles restrictions ont été levées en Roumanie. A son avis, la nouvelle année scolaire peut commencer le 14 septembre, mais si la situation sanitaire empire, des scénarios alternatifs sont envisagés.

Gouvernement – Le gouvernement de Bucarest doit approuver ce jeudi un projet de décret d’urgence portant sur des mesures à inclure dans le Plan national de relance (économique) et de résilience. Par ce Plan la Roumanie pourra accéder les fonds européens qui seront accordés via le Mécanisme de redressement et de résilience. La Roumanie a droit à 30 milliards d’euros sur un total de 80 milliards. Le Mécanisme de redressement et de résilience est le premier et le principal pilier du Paquet de redressement de 750 milliards d’euros annoncé fin mai par la Commission européenne. Par ailleurs, plusieurs autres projets figurent ce jeudi à l’agenda du cabinet de Bucarest, dont un portant sur le financement de panneaux photovoltaïques à installer par les PME et les sociétés du domaine de l’hôtellerie et de la restauration. S’y ajoute un projet de décret d’urgence selon lequel les personnes qui ne sont pas à la retraite et qui n’ont pas payé leur contribution à la sécurité sociale, peuvent le faire dans un intervalle de 6 ans tout au plus depuis la signature du contrat d’assurance. Selon l’Exécutif, l’élargissement de la basse des assurés dans le système public des retraites, peut apporter davantage de recettes au budget.

Diplomatie – Jeudi, deuxième jour de sa visite en Israël,
le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bogdan Aurescu, a eu une entrevue avec le
président Reuven Rivlin. Lors d’une série de pourparlers, les deux responsables
politiques ont mis en évidence le rôle de la communauté roumaine au progrès de
la société israélienne et aux relations bilatérales, tout comme la nécessité de
préserver son identité culturelle, notamment dans les rangs des jeunes, peut-on
lire dans un communiqué du Ministère roumain des Affaires Etrangères. Les
discussions ont également porté sur les perspectives du Processus de Paix au Moyen
Orient. L’occasion pour Bogdan Aurescu de réitérer la position de la Roumanie
et la disponibilité de Bucarest de soutenir les évolutions positives dans ce
processus. Lors d’un entretien du responsable roumain avec le ministre
israélien chargé de la Coopération régionale, Ofir Akunis, les deux hommes
politiques ont évoqué l’intérêt que leurs pays prêtent au renforcement de la
coopération économique bilatérale, avec un accent particulier sur les projets
concrets censés stimuler les deux économies ou encore les domaines de la
science, de la recherche et de l’innovation. Mercredi, au premier
jour de sa visite officielle en Israël, le ministre roumain des AE s’est
entretenu avec le premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahu, les deux
responsables convenant de dynamiser le dialogue politique bilatéral. Mercredi
encore, le ministre roumain des AE et son homologue israélien, Gabriel
Ashkenazi, ont signé un programme de coopération
entre la Roumanie et Israël dans les domaines de la culture, de l’éducation et
du sport et ont convenu de la création d’un groupe commun de travail dont la
mission sera d’élargir la coopération bilatérale économique et commerciale.

Navalny – Leaders et institutions de l’Occident ont fermement condamné l’empoisonnement du leader de l’opposition russe, Alexeï Navalny, demandant à Moscou d’expliquer ce qui s’est passé et de s’assurer que les coupables seront sanctionnés. A son tour, le ministre roumain des AE, Bogdan Aurescu, affirme que l’empoisonnement de Navalny est complètement inacceptable et soutient qu’il est nécessaire d’avoir une enquête minutieuse et impartiale sur ce cas. Pour rappel, mercredi, l’Allemagne a annoncé avoir la « preuve sans équivoque » que l’opposant russe a été victime d’un empoisonnement « par un agent neurotoxique de type Novitchok ».

OTAN – La cérémonie de certification du 4e détachement des Forces aériennes royales canadiennes a eu lieu ce jeudi sur la base aérienne de Mihail Kogălniceanu, dans le sud-est de la Roumanie. Formé de 145 pilotes militaires et personnel technique et 6 aéronefs 188 Hornet, ce détachement exécutera des missions de police aérienne renforcée sous le commandement de l’OTAN, dans les 4 mois à venir, aux côtés des Forces aériennes roumaines, à bord d’aéronefs F-16 Fighting Falcon et MiG-21 Lancer. Ces missions communes aident à renforcer la capacité de réaction et de découragement ainsi que l’interopérabilité entre les militaires roumains et canadiens. Le déploiement en Roumanie des avions Hornet fait partie de la mise en œuvre du Plan d’action pour assurer la capacité opérationnelle de l’OTAN sur son flanc oriental, tant dans le nord, que dans le sud du flanc. Cela témoigne aussi de la solidarité et de la détermination de l’OTAN à répondre aux défis actuels en matière de sécurité.

Tennis – A l’US Open de New York, la Roumaine Patricia Ţig affronte ce jeudi la Croate Donna Vekic au 2e round de la compétition. A son tour, notre compatriote Sorana Cirstea joue contre la britannique Johanna Konta. Patricia Ţig et Sorana Cirstea sont les seules Roumaines qui restent dans la compétition à l’épreuve de simple-dames. A l’épreuve de double Messieurs, le duo Horia Tecau (Roumanie) / Jean-Julien Rojer (Pays-Bas) affronte aujourd’hui la paire formée de Marcelo Arevalo (San Salvador)/ Jonny O’Mara (Grande Bretagne). Enfin, mercredi, le duo formé de la Roumaine Raluca Olaru et l’Espagnole Sara Sorribes Tormo s’est incliné devant le duo Lucie Hradecka (République tchèque) / Andreja Klepac (Slovénie).

Météo – Temps instable ce jeudi en Roumanie. Une alerte jaune à l’instabilité atmosphérique accentuée concerne plusieurs départements du sud, du centre et du nord-est jusqu’à ce soir. On y signale des pluies à verse, des orages, du vent fort et de la grêle. A compter de ce soir une vigilance jaune similaire entrera en vigueur dans le centre, le sud et le sud-est du territoire. S’y ajoute une alerte orange aux pluies torrentielles valable vendredi dans plusieurs départements du sud et du sud-est. Ce jeudi, les températures maximales restent élevées et iront de 21 à 35 degrés. Un ciel plutôt couvert et 26 degrés en ce moment à Bucarest.

3 September 2020
September 2, 2020 UPDATE

SENATE – The Senate in Bucharest has
unanimously endorsed a declaration on the human rights violation in Belarus.
The Romanian Parliament has thus expressed its solidarity with the people of
Belarus calling for the cessation of violence against peaceful protesters. According
to the document, a more articulated reaction from the international community
is needed unless the situation improves. The document calls on the authorities
in Minsk to observe the citizens’ right to participate in public rallies and
refrain from the illegal using of force, to release those illegally detained
and initiate an authentic and substantial political dialogue with civil
society.

POISON – Germany has ‘unequivocal
proof’ that the opposition leader in Russia, Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a
novichok nerve agent, the spokesperson of the Berlin government was quoted by
Reuters and DPA as saying on Wednesday. Navalny fell ill on a flight back to
Moscow from Siberia on August 20th and was transferred to Berlin two
days later. His supporters believe he was poisoned while drinking a tea at the
airport. According to TASS news agency, investigations carried out in a Russian
hospital shows that no poisonous substances were found in Navalny’s body.

COOPERATION – Romanian Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu and his Israeli counterpart Gabriel Ashkenazi on Wednesday
signed a cooperation programme between Romania and Israel in the fields of
culture, education and sports. The two officials also decided the setting up of
a joint working group to extend economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.
The talks illustrate the excellent level of our bilateral relations, which
have a strategic character and the long-time friendship between Romania and the
state of Israel, Aurescu said in a press statement in Jerusalem. This visit
reflects the excellent relations between our countries as Romania is one of our
best friends in Europe. I appreciate the support for the state of Israel in the
EU and in other international forums, the Israeli Foreign Minister said. The
two ministers also tackled the latest developments in the Middle East, mainly
the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and
the introduction of direct flights between the two states. Aurescu went on to
say that the ‘Israeli citizens born in Romania represent a strong,
well-integrated community with an active role in the Israeli society and in easing
the economic development between the two countries. Aurescu is paying a two-day
formal visit to Israel and Palestine.

MEASURES – Measures
regulating the educational activity in the new school year have been made
public, aiming at reducing the risk of infection with Covid-19. There are three
scenarios each school will be able to put into practice depending on the
infection rate revised every 14 days. The ministerial order detailing the new
measures also stipulates that teachers and pupils have to wear facemasks in
school. If one coronavirus case is found in a class, the activity of the
respective class will be suspended for 14 days. If three separate cases are
confirmed in a school, then the whole school is to close for 14 days.

(translated by bill)

2 September 2020
January 28, 2018 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT – The ministers nominated to be part of the new Cabinet in Bucharest Sunday took part in a meeting with the MPs of the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, and the PM designate Viorica Dăncilă presented some of the measures included in the governing programme, including the pension law and the education law. The new government also intends to scrap several taxes. The meeting took place ahead of Mondays vote in Parliament on the validation of the new government. Before the vote, the ministers will also be heard by the specialised parliamentary committees. This is the 3rd cabinet backed by the ruling coalition in the past year. The new team, headed by the MEP Viorica Dăncilă, will include 27 ministers and 4 deputy PM, one more than the outgoing Mihai Tudose cabinet. Also on Sunday, the leaders of the National Liberal Party in opposition convened to define the partys strategy for the new parliamentary session and with respect to the validation of the Dăncilă government. The Liberals have announced they would vote against candidates proposed by the Social Democrats and ALDE. Also in opposition, Save Romania Union announced they would give no votes in favour of the Dancila Cabinet. The head of Save Romania Union, Dan Barna, said on Sunday that the governing team proposed by the ruling coalition was the weakest in the past few years.

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER – The European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, will be on an official visit to Romania on Monday and Tuesday. She is scheduled to have a meeting with the PM designate Viorica Dăncilă, to discuss European funding. Corina Creţu will take part in a conference, jointly with the Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, and will receive a diploma from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. The European official will also be the host of the award ceremony of 2017 European Reporter and Blogger competition.

DATA PROTECTION – The European Data Protection Day was celebrated on January 28. In May this year a new European regulation will take effect in this field, replacing national laws and introducing elements designed to consolidate the rights of individuals. The regulation lays emphasis on the obligations of data operators. Companies will be bound to nominate officers in charge of data protection, otherwise they risk fines of up to 10 million euros in the private sector. In the public sector, penalties will be set by national regulations. For misdeeds like data security breaches, fines may reach 20 million euros for the private sector. The new rule was adopted by the European Parliament and Council in April 2016.

TERRORISM – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has strongly criticised the terrorist attack that killed more than 100 people and wounded another 200 in Afganistans capital city Kabul on Saturday. Bucharest expressed solidarity with the Afghan people and authorities, and reiterated Romanias firm commitment to the fight against international terrorism. The attack, claimed by the Taliban, is one of the most violent Kabul has seen in recent years. Afghanistan declared a day of national mourning on Sunday for the victims of the attack.

RUSSIA – The leader of the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny, was arrested on Sunday after he joined the protests in Moscow against Russias presidential election due on March 18, which Vladimir Putin is the most likely to win. Russian police forces Sunday raided the campaign headquarters of Putins main critic, Aleksei Navalny, and questioned and arrested members of his team, according to sources close to Navalny. Russian election authorities ruled that Navalny cannot run in the March ballot because of a previous suspended sentence for embezzlement. A long-time and well-known opponent of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny denied any irregularities and said the accusations against him were political. He was also arrested several times for illegal organisation of protests.

HANDBALL – Romanias mens handball team will take on Macedonia in the playoffs for the 2018 World Championship, as decided in a drawing in Zagreb. The final tournament will be hosted by Germany and Denmark between January 10 and 27. The mens team last took part in a World Championship final tournament in 2011. In other news, 3 Romanian womens handball teams won matches in European competitions over the weekend. HC Zalău managed its 3rd running victory in the EHF Cup, at home on Saturday, 31-28, against the Czech team DHK Banik Most, in the competitions Group D. In Group A, SCM Craiova defeated the Russian side Kuban Krasnodar, 30-24, also on Saturday. On Friday, the champions CSM Bucharest outplayed 28-22 at home, the Hungarian team Gyor Audi ETO KC, in the first match in the Champions League main groups. CSM tops the standings with 8 points, followed by Gyor, 6 points. In 2016 CSM won the trophy, while Gyor are the defending European champions.

TENNIS – The Romanians Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu will take part in the WTA tournament in Sankt Petersburg, with 733,900 US dollars in total prize money. Simona Halep, who lost the Australian Open final on Saturday, has withdrawn from the competition. The Melbourne winner, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, the new World No. 1, will be the top seed in Sankt Petersburg. Sorana Cîrstea will play in the first round against Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia), and Irina Begu will face a player coming from the qualification round.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 January 2018