Radio România Internațional

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  • July 25, 2020 UPDATE

    July 25, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 In Romania the Strategic Communication Group reported on Saturday a new record-high number of COVID-19 cases—1,284 out of over 22,500 tests. This is the 4th consecutive day with over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases per day. The total number of cases so far is 43,678, with over 25,300 patients having recovered and the death toll standing at 2,165. So far 1,087,783 tests have been processed in Romania. Abroad, 5,329 Romanian nationals have tested positive for coronavirus, and the number of deaths has reached 123. Passengers landing in Greece on flights from Romania and Bulgaria as of July 28 must present a negative COVID-19 test taken no earlier than 72 hours before the date of arrival, the Greek authorities decided. Romanias PM Ludovic Orban promised the authorities will use all lawful means available to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, but warned that this goal requires the contribution of all citizens, who are once again urged to observe protection measures. The health minister Nelu Tătaru announced Romania is to receive 600 doses of Remdesivir, used in treating COVID-19 patients. He explained this is only used as part of a clinical trial and will only be sent to the clinics included in the programme.



    PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 infections worldwide is quickly nearing 16 million, with 10 million patients recovered and more than 640,000 dead, according to Worldometers.info. A growing number of governments are now considering reintroducing restrictions, as the easing of containment measures in the past month has led to a worsening of the situation. On Friday the US reported over 70,000 new cases for the second day in a row as well as 1,000 deaths, Johns Hopkins University announced. The number of new cases rose in Europe as well. on Friday Italy announced 14-day quarantine requirements for people coming from Romania and Bugaria. France introduced compulsory testing for citizens coming from 16 non-EU countries with high COVID-19 infection rates, including the US and Algeria. As of Saturday, Czechs will have to wear face masks when attending indoor events with more than 100 participants.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a telephone discussion on Friday with his Spanish counterpart Arancha Gonzalez Laya, regarding the excellent bilateral cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2 officials reviewed the measures taken by both states to mitigate the effects of the crisis at healthcare, economic and social level. Minister Aurescu thanked Spain for its support during the pandemic in terms of the mobility of Romanian citizens to and from Spain. In turn, the Spanish official emphasised the excellent consular cooperation during this complicated period, and voiced hopes that this will carry on. Aurescu also spoke about the essential role of the Romanian community in key areas of the Spanish economy and thanked Spanish authorities for their support in integrating the Romanian citizens who work and live in Spain.



    NAVY The French command and support vessel “Var Saturday conducted joint drills with the Romanian Navy, as part of its stopover in the Black Sea port of Constanţa. According to the French Embassy in Romania, this mission, alongside other French Navy missions at the Black Sea, was designed to ensure maritime protection, to facilitate cooperation between partners and interoperability. The main mission of the 169-strong crew of the French offshore support vessel is to provide logistical support and materials for vessels during missions, including refuelling and water, food, ammunition, medicine and spare part restocking.



    WORKERS 11 Romanian nationals working on a farm in Borken, Germany, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. According to the employer, around 120 Romanian citizens are currently working there. The patients are asymptomatic and have been isolated from the rest of the employees, with food and other necessary items provided to them. So far Romanias consular office in Bonn has not received any requests for consular assistance from the employees of the farm in question, but it stays in contact with local authorities and is ready to provide assistance if necessary.



    WEATHER Several bad weather alerts are in place this weekend in Romania. A code orange alert concerning the western half of the country is valid until Sunday morning, a code yellow alert is already in place in the west, south-west, north and in the mountains, while a second one will be effective as of Sunday morning. Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms, strong wind and hail storms are expected. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 25, 2020

    July 25, 2020

    COVID-19 In Romania the Strategic Communication Group reported on Saturday
    a new record-high number of COVID-19 cases-1,284 out of over 22,500 tests. This
    is the 4th consecutive day with over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases per day. The
    total number of cases so far is 43,678,with over 25,300 patients
    having recovered and the death toll standing at 2,165. So far 1,087,783 tests have been
    processed in Romania. Abroad, 5,329 Romanian nationals have tested positive for
    coronavirus, and the number of deaths has reached 123. Romania’s PM Ludovic Orban
    promised the authorities will use all lawful means available to contain the
    spread of the novel coronavirus, but warned that this goal requires the
    contribution of all citizens, who are once again urged to observe protection
    measures. The health minister Nelu Tătaru announced
    Romania is to receive 600 doses of Remdesivir, used in treating COVID-19
    patients. He explained this is only used as part of a clinical trial and will
    only be used in the clinics included in the programme.



    PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 infections worldwide is quickly nearing 16 million, with 10 million patients recovered and more than 640,000 dead, according to Worldometers.info. A growing number of governments are now considering reintroducing restrictions, as the easing of containment measures in the past month has led to a worsening of the situation. On Friday the US reported over 70,000 new cases for the second day in a row as well as 1,000 deaths, Johns Hopkins University announced. The number of new cases rose in Europe as well. on Friday Italy announced 14-day quarantine requirements for people coming from Romania and Bugaria. France introduced compulsory testing for citizens coming from 16 non-EU countries with high COVID-19 infection rates, including the US and Algeria. As of Saturday, Czechs will have to wear face masks when attending indoor events with more than 100 participants.



    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a telephone discussion on Friday with his Spanish counterpart Arancha Gonzalez Laya, regarding the excellent bilateral cooperation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2 officials reviewed the measures taken by both states to mitigate the effects of the crisis at healthcare, economic and social level. Minister Aurescu thanked Spain for its support during the pandemic in terms of the mobility of Romanian citizens to and from Spain. In turn, the Spanish official emphasised the excellent consular cooperation during this complicated period, and voiced hopes that this will carry on. Aurescu also spoke about the essential role of the Romanian community in key areas of the Spanish economy and thanked Spanish authorities for their support in integrating the Romanian citizens who work and live in Spain.



    NAVY The French command and support vessel “Var is today conducting joint drills with the Romanian Navy, as part of its stopover in the Black Sea port of Constanţa. According to the French Embassy in Romania, this mission, alongside other French Navy missions at the Black Sea, is designed to ensure maritime protection, to facilitate cooperation between partners and interoperability. The main mission of the 169-strong crew of the French offshore support vessel is to provide logistical support and materials for vessels during missions, including refuelling and water, food, ammunition, medicine and spare part restocking.



    WORKERS 11 Romanian nationals working on a farm in Borken, Germany, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. According to the employer, around 120 Romanian citizens are currently working there. The patients are asymptomatic and have been isolated from the rest of the employees, with food and other necessary items provided to them. So far Romanias consular office in Bonn has not received any requests for consular assistance from the employees of the farm in question, but it stays in contact with local authorities and is ready to provide assistance if necessary.



    WEATHER Several bad weather alerts are in place this weekend in Romania. A code orange alert concerning the western half of the country is valid until Sunday morning, a code yellow alert is already in place in the west, south-west, north and in the mountains, while a second one will be effective as of Sunday morning. Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms, strong wind and hail storms are expected. (translated by: Ana Maria Popescu)

  • November 18, 2019

    November 18, 2019

    ELECTION Romania sees the last week of the campaign for the presidential runoff. Competing are the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis, backed by the National Liberal Party in power, and Viorica Dăncilă, the leader of the Social Democratic Party. In the first round, Iohannis got nearly 38% of the votes, and his challenger little over 22%. In the country, the vote will be held on Sunday, November 24, whereas the Romanians living abroad have 3 days to vote, namely Friday, Saturday and Sunday.




    AGRICULTURE The Romanian agriculture minister, Adrian Oros, is taking part on Monday in Brussels in the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The main topic on the agenda is the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy as of 2020. According to the line minister, the participants will discuss the Regulation on the funding, management and monitoring of the CAP, as well as a Regulation on the common organisation of agricultural markets. Last month, the agriculture minister told the Romanian Parliament that his top priority was to prepare the national strategic programme, because in the coming 7 years the main financing source for the Romanian agriculture is the annual 20 billion euros granted under the CAP.




    COMMISSIONERS The European Parliament is to make a decision by Thursday regarding the latest commissioner nominations made by Romania, France and Hungary. The UK, which declined appointing a commissioner, will have to provide an official answer by Friday, Radio Romanias correspondent in Brussels reports. The president of the European Parliament and the floor group leaders will make a final assessment of the 3 candidates and will decide the closure of the hearings on November 21. The commissioners nominated by Romania and France, Adina Vălean for transport commissioner and Thierry Breton for the internal market commissioner, respectively, have already been given the green light by the specialist committees. Hungarys nominee for enlargement and neighbourhood policy commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, had to answer additional questions from MEPs. A second rejection of Hungarys candidate will force a new postponement of the validation of the Commission as a whole. Further questions have to do with the UK, whose unwillingness to nominate a candidate is against the EU Treaty. However, the president elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, may go forth with an executive team of 27 members, as long as the legal affairs experts decide that the absence of a British commissioner does not prevent the activity of the new Commission.




    POLITICS The members of Save Romania Union, the third-largest party in Parliament, are voting online until Wednesday on Dan Barnas prospective resignation as party president. Barna said he was ready to step down, following the discontent triggered by his performance in the presidential election, in which he failed to qualify into the runoff. He got 15% of the votes, although half a year ago in the elections for the European Parliament the USR-PLUS alliance had carried 22% of the votes.




    NAVY The King Ferdinand frigate is taking part in an international anti-submarine warfare exercise organised by the Turkish Navy in the Mediterranean Sea and which is under way until November 20, the Navy Chief of Staff has announced. The Romanian crew will be carrying out specific training activities in Turkey’s territorial waters and neighbouring international waters alongside colleagues from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Jordan, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the United States and Turkey. According to the Romanian Navy Forces, the participation of King Ferdinand frigate in this exercise contributes to enhancing the interoperability of the Romanian and partner forces, and to promoting the professionalism of the Romanian Army.




    TOURISM Romanias largest travel fair came to a close on Sunday in Bucharest. The event brought together travel agencies, tour operators and tourist regions represented by trade associations or by county councils. 230 companies from 16 countries came up with offers for all seasons and all tastes, with discounts going up to and even over 50%. The offers include Christmas and New Years holidays in the country and abroad, summer packages in Romanian and Bulgarian Black Sea resorts, in the Danube Delta, in spa resorts, or in traditional regions.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • November 13, 2019 UPDATE

    November 13, 2019 UPDATE

    COMMISSIONER The Liberal MEP Adina Vălean, Romania’s pick for the position of EU transport commissioner, will be interviewed on Thursday by the European Parliament’s specialist committees alongside the French and Hungarian nominees. On Tuesday, she was given the green light by the Committee on Legal Affairs, which looked at possible conflicts of interest. Also on Tuesday, Vălean was heard by the joint European affairs committees of the Romanian Parliament, whose opinion is advisory. When the formal hearings are over, the president elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will present the full commission and its programme to the European Parliament on the 27th of November. Adina Vălean has said that if she becomes EU commissioner, she will support the continuation of the European Interconnection Mechanism, under which 1.24 billion euros worth of investment reached Romania for transport infrastructure and 500 million euros more for energy. The mechanism aims to connect the transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructures in the European Union.




    GOVERNMENT The new Liberal government Wednesday passed an emergency order to provide social protection for the miners about to lose their jobs in the Jiu Valley, in the centre-west. The order comes in response to the demands of the employees of the coal mines in Paroşeni and Uricani, who recently barricaded themselves underground for 11 days. An estimated 360 people are to be laid off this year, with another 700 due to lose their jobs by 2024. Also on Wednesday, the Government passed an emergency order on the status of British citizens in Romania in the event of a no-deal Brexit. According to the Prime Ministers chief of staff Ionel Danca, this order is necessary and requested by the British side, and is aimed at ensuring mutual terms for the status of the Romanian citizens living in Britain post-Brexit. In late October, the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states agreed to extend the Brexit deadline to January 31.




    FINANCE In the first 9 months of the year, the current account on the balance of payments saw a deficit of over 8.1 billion euros, as against 6.8 billion in the corresponding period of last year, the National Bank of Romania announced. Foreign direct investments in Romania totaled over 4.2 billion euros in the first 3 quarters, which is approx. 280 million euro less than in the first 9 months of 2018. The central bank also announced that the total foreign debt rose by nearly 8.4 billion euros in the first 9 months, exceeding 108 billion euros.




    MOLDOVA Igor Dodon, the pro-Russian president of the Republic of Moldova, Wednesday nominated the presidential adviser Ion Chicu as prime minister. The decision comes after the Socialist MPs agreed to the presidents proposal to form a government of technocrats, and after the negotiations with the pro-European bloc ACUM failed. Dodon invited parliamentary parties to talks on Wednesday on a new majority, following the dismissal of Maia Sandu’s pro-European cabinet through a no-confidence vote on Tuesday. The parties have three months to form a new government and avoid early elections. Sandu accused her former Socialist partners, de facto led by Dodon, of bringing down the government because they are afraid of the law. Romania and the European Union have warned the Republic of Moldova that their support, including of a financial nature, is conditional on the continuation of reforms and respect for the rule of law and for democratic standards.




    NAVY The King Ferdinand frigate is taking part in an international anti-submarine warfare exercise organised by the Turkish Navy in the Mediterranean Sea and which is under way until the 20th of November, the Navy Chief of Staff has announced. The Romanian crew will be carrying out specific training activities in Turkey’s territorial waters and neighbouring international waters alongside colleagues from Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Jordan, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, the United States and Turkey.




    TENNIS The Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecău and Jean-Julien Rojer Wednesday defeated the world no. 1 and Wimbledon and US Open winners Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah of Colombia in the ATP Finals in London. This is the first victory for the pair in this years edition of the ATP Finals. In the first match of Group Max Mirnyi on Monday, Tecău and Rojer lost to the Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies in 3 sets. The Romanian-Dutch pair won the ATP Finals in 2015 and also qualified for this tournament in 2014 and 2017. This year, they won the titles in Madrid and Basel.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Cristina Mateescu)

  • September 3, 2019

    September 3, 2019

    REPATRIATION The remains of Queen Helen, mother to King Michael I of Romania, will be repatriated this autumn and taken to the new Archdiocesan and Royal Cathedral in Curtea de Argeş, following a decision of the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Princess Margareta, made public on Tuesday. Seventy-one years after Queen Helens exile and 37 years after her death, Princess Margareta decided to bring back to Romania the remains of her grand-mother. Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark was the daughter of King Constantine I of Greece and Queen Sophia of Prussia. In 1921 she married crown prince Carol in Athens, whom she divorced in 1928. In 1940 she became Queen Mother of Romania. She died in November 1982, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Unlike King Michael I, Queen Helen never saw her country again after her forced exile.




    EXERCISE The Romanian Navy organises as of today the Romanian-Ukrainian exercise “Riverine 2019, on the River Danube, the segment between Tulcea (Romania) and Izmail (Ukraine), with approx. 300 marines from the 2 countries taking part. The exercise is designed to improve cross-border cooperation between Romania and Ukraine in the naval field on the River Danube. Until September 7, inspection and towing exercises as well as emergency intervention drills will be organised.




    FESTIVAL In Bucharest the George Enescu International Festival continues with a concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra together with the Academic Choir of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. Two other performances take place in Cluj-Napoca and Sibiu. The central theme of this years edition of the festival is “The World in Harmony, and the artistic director is Vladimir Jurowski. Until September 22, Bucharest and 10 other cities in Romania and 5 other countries (Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Rep. of Moldova) will host performances associated to the Festival. In Bucharest, over 2,500 of the most valuable musicians of the world will hold 84 concerts and recitals.




    PROGRAMME The EU programme designed to encourage children to eat fruit, vegetables and dairy at school continues in 2019. Of the total budget of 250 million euro, Romania will receive this academic year over 17 million euro. Last year, more than 20 million children in the EU benefited from this programme implemented in schools, whose goal is to promote healthy eating habits.




    EARTH Romanian students won one gold and 3 silver medals in this years edition of the International Earth Science Olympiad held in Daegu, South Korea between August 26 and September 3. The International Earth Science Olympiad encourages cooperation between students from various countries, by setting up international teams that receive research topics on environment issues in a specific geographic area and must come up with a project with proposed solutions to the respective issues. Taking part in this 13th International Earth Science Olympiad were 163 students from 41 countries.




    SPENDING EU citizens spent an average 377 euro for a holiday, and Romanians rank at the bottom of the list with around 135 euro earmarked for a vacation, according to data released by Eurostat on Tuesday. The biggest holiday spenders in the EU are the citizens of Luxembourg, with an average 769 euro for a holiday in 2017.




    TENNIS The young Canadian tennis player Bianca Andreescu, of Romanian descent, qualified into the quarter-finals of the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the American Taylor Townsend in 3 sets. It is the first time that Andreescu (aged 19, number 15 in the world) takes part in the US Open, and also her first Grand Slam quarter-final. Taylor Townsend (116 WTA), had previously outplayed 2 Romanians, Simona Halep and Sorana Cîrstea. In the quarter-final Andreescu will take on Belgiums Elise Mertens (26 WTA).


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Week in Review, August 11-18

    The Week in Review, August 11-18

    The first budget revision of 2019


    The Government in Bucharest on Monday made the first budget revision this year. The Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has said the budget revision is a positive one and it secures the payment of salaries and pensions by the end of the year. The Finance Ministry, the Development Ministry, Labour Ministry, the Environment Ministry as well as the Romanian Intelligence Service will receive more money from the state budget. On the other hand, the Transport Ministry, the Ministry for the Business Environment and the Education Ministry will have their budgets slashed. The Finance Minister has said that in the first quarter of the year the economic growth stood at 5% and that the 2.76% budget deficit target is not being exceeded.



    Eugen Teodorovici: “The budget revision secures the payment of salaries and pensions and the amounts needed for investment projects under way and for new projects set to begin by the end of the year. Funds will not be slashed, but certain overestimations, made when the 2019 budget was drawn up, will be corrected.



    Teodorovici has also said the budget revision will make available over one billion Euros for local communities, for social welfare expenses and for investment.



    The Liberals, in the parliamentary opposition, say the rectification is based on false figures. The President of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, says:



    Ludovic Orban: “This budget shows in fact that the PSD-ALDE ruling coalition squandered the money collected from taxes and duties, spent public money in an unjustified manner, on things that have nothing to do with the interests of the Romanian citizens. Consequently, we have reached the point where the funds needed for vital expenses, for ensuring the activity of public services for the Romanian citizens, are threatened.



    The Social Democrats have also been criticized for the budget revision by their junior partners in the ruling coalition, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE). ALDE has asked for a new governing programme and a restructured and competent Cabinet.




    15 August- Romanian Navy Day


    August 15 is US Navy Day, celebrated in all the country’s marine and river ports. The most important events are held in Constanta, the biggest port city on the Black Sea. Over 15,000 people attended the show put on by the navy, with dozens of ships and aircraft. Over 3,000 military seamen took part in the biggest naval exercise of the year. They were joined by ships and aircraft from Italy, Ukraine, and the US. American destroyer the USS Porter was there next to Italian ships, while Italian Eurofighter jets ran mock dogfights.



    The star of the events was the training sail ship Mircea, which was decorated by President Klaus Iohannis, celebrating 80 years since it was baptized into the military navy. Attending the manifestations, the president recalled the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for both NATO and the EU. Defense Minister Gabriel Les warned that the security situation in the Black Sea forced NATO to adopt a defense and deterrence measure. Navy Day festivities were also held in the Danube ports of Tulcea, Braila, and Galati, as well as in the capital Bucharest.




    The 2019 Izvoru Muresului Summer University


    This week, the town of Izvoru Muresului in Harghita County hosted the 17th edition of the Summer University. The theme this year was Romania and Romanians Across the World One Year from the Centennial of the Great Union. Topics included the preservation of identity among Romanians in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in view of geopolitical evolution, as well as Romanian policy related to Romanians living abroad.



    The events were attended by people from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and many other countries, with lectures by academics from the country and abroad, representatives of civil society, as well as the media. Presidential adviser Sandra Pralong said in the keynote speech that the Romanian state has to pay more attention to the needs of Romanians living outside the country. Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and National Identity Alexandru Pugna recalled that a 2019 executive order allocated 4 million Euro for churches abroad, in order to support Romanian communities, helping their parishioners preserve their Romanian identity. Representatives of Romanians from the counties of Covasna, Harghita, and Mures called for the creation of a government structure to protect the cultural identity of Romanian communities in those counties.




    Two Romanian football teams have qualified for the next stages of European competitions


    Romanian football champions CFR Cluj have qualified for the Champions League play-offs, where they will play against Czech champions Slavia Prague. Their presence has been secured in the Europa League group games. Vice-champions FCSB have won their away game on Thursday against FK Mlada Boleslav, 1-0, qualifying for the Europa League play-offs. In the first leg in Bucharest the score was blank. In order to make it to the groups of the European competition, FCSB has to get past the Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes. Universitatea Craiova was halted in the third preliminary round by getting routed by AEK Athens.

  • August 9, 2019 UPDATE

    August 9, 2019 UPDATE

    RALLY – A rally is scheduled to take place on Saturday in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest, exactly one year since the large-scale protest rally against the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, when the gendarmes intervened brutally and people were wounded on both sides. Some 25,000 people are expected to participate in Saturdays protest, including the German pianist Davide Martello, known for his performances held in conflict areas around the world. Protests have been announced in other cities across the country but also abroad. This week, the interim Interior Minister Mihai Fifor has twice called on the participants to protest peacefully and to observe the law. He has also said that Romania is a European state and its citizens have the right to freely express their views. The Bucharest Gendarmerie has announced that, for safety reasons, the participants are asked to not carry luggage and to move away from individuals or groups that intend to endanger the smooth running of the event. Road police will temporarily restrict traffic on the roads around the square where the protest will take place, and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations will deploy firefighting equipment in the area and provide emergency medical assistance.



    CARACAL INVESTIGATION – Searches continue at the Caracal home of Gheorghe Dinca, the 66-year old man who confessed, after being apprehended more than 2 weeks ago, to having killed and incinerated 2 teenage girls. New evidence is searched with respect to 18-year old Luiza Melencu, who went missing in April, after hitching a ride in Dincas car. On Thursday, genetic tests on the bone fragments found in a bag in a forest near Caracal were completed, and results indicate that the bones belong to 15-year old Alexandra Măceşanu, whom Dincă said he had killed in late July. Also on Thursday, the search on the suspects laptop, camera, mobile phones and memory stick was completed, with the data to be processed by forensic IT experts. The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, has called for more efficient measures to prevent murder and other violence against women, in a Twitter response to the Caracal case.



    TRADE – In the first half of this year, Romanian exports totalled nearly 35 billion euros, while imports stood at over 42.5 billion, taking the trade balance deficit to around 7.7 billion euros, the National Statistics Institute announced on Friday. The largest share in traded commodities was accounted for by vehicles and transport equipment and other manufactured products. According to the Statistics Institute, the trade deficit in the first half of this year is over 1.3 billion euro deeper than in the corresponding period of 2018.



    NAVY – Events devoted to the Romanian Navy Day, traditionally celebrated on August 15, have started in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa. On Saturday, the Constanta Military Port organises an Open Door Day, with thousands of people expected to visit 14 Navy vessels, 2 Coast Guard ships, a Puma Naval helicopter, a submarine and mobile missile launchers. The event begins with a performance by the Navy Band, and participants will also be able to take part in workshops, presentations and exhibitions and interact with officials for navy education institutions, marines, military divers and hydrography experts. Until August 15, other Danube and Black Sea ports in Romania will also host concerts, book launches and interactive workshops.



    NATO – NATO announced on Friday that the upgrade of the Aegis Ashore missile defense system at the military base in Deveselu, in southern Romania, has been completed. The operation was carried out as part of a step-by-step approach to US missile defense in Europe, announced in September 2009. According to a NATO press release, the upgrade did not render the Aegis Ashore system offensive. The system targets only potential threats outside the Euro-Atlantic region and is exclusively defensive. In another move, the USS Porter destroyer was sent on a mission to the Black Sea on Friday, to help maintain maritime stability and prove the USs support for its NATO allies and regional partners. Its the sixth military vessel to enter the Black Sea this year. USS Porter was preceded by USS Carney, which last month took part in an American – Ukrainian exercise, alongside military ships from 19 countries, including Romania.



    ANONIMUL – The 16th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival comes to a close on Saturday in Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta, south-eastern Romania. Six Romanian and foreign feature films took part in the official competition. The Ukrainian director Sergey Loznitsa, the winner of the 2018 Cannes “Un Certain Regard” award, is the guest of honour in this years festival. He received the “ANONIMUL” Trophy for his contribution to world cinema.



    UNIVERSITY – The 17th edition of the Izvoru Mureşului Summer University is taking place between August 12 and 17 in Harghita County, central Romania. This years theme is Romania and the Romanians abroad, one year after the Great Union Centennial. The topics approached will include preserving the identity of the Romanians in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova in the context of regional geopolitical development and the Romanian national interest, the policies of parliamentary parties and public institutions with respect to the Romanians abroad and the Romanians in the multi-ethnic regions in Romania. Attending the works will be participants from Romania and from the diaspora, as well as from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria, mass media and civil society representatives, and members of the academic community in Romania and abroad.

  • August 9, 2019

    August 9, 2019

    CARACAL INVESTIGATION Searches continue at the Caracal home of Gheorghe Dincă, the 66-year old man who confessed, after being apprehended more than 2 weeks ago, to having killed and incinerated 2 teenage girls. New evidence is searched with respect to 18-year old Luiza Melencu, who went missing in April, after hitching a ride in Dincǎ’s car. On Thursday, genetic tests on the bone fragments found in a bag in a forest near Caracal were completed, and results indicate that the bones belong to 15-year old Alexandra Măceşanu, whom Dincă said he had killed in late July. Also on Thursday, the search on the suspect’s laptop, camera, mobile phones and memory stick was completed, with the data to be processed by forensic IT experts. The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, has called for more efficient measures to prevent murder and other violence against women, in a Twitter response to the Caracal case.



    TRADE In the first half of this year, Romanian exports totalled nearly 35 billion euros, while imports stood at over 42.5 billion, taking the trade balance deficit to around 7.7 billion euros, the National Statistics Institute announced on Friday. The largest share in traded commodities was accounted for by vehicles and transport equipment and other manufactured products. According to the Statistics Institute, the trade deficit in the first half of this year is over 1.3 billion euro deeper than in the corresponding period of 2018.



    PROTEST A rally is scheduled for Saturday in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest, with participants, both from Romania and from the diaspora, disgruntled with the performance of the current Government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The protesters will march from the Revolution Square, where the Interior Ministry is headquartered, to the head office of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism and then to Victoriei Square. The organisers said the march is a response to the events of August 10, 2018, and to recent developments in the political and social arena. The interim Interior Minister Mihai Fifor called for a peaceful and lawful protest. The rally of August 10, 2018 was marred by violence and a disproportionate response by the police, and resulted in injuries on both sides. Several criminal investigations are underway.




    NAVY Events devoted to the Romanian Navy Day, traditionally celebrated on August 15, have started in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa. On Saturday, the Constanta Military Port organises an Open Door Day, with thousands of people expected to visit 14 Navy vessels, 2 Coast Guard ships, a Puma Naval helicopter, a submarine and mobile missile launchers. The event begins with a performance by the Navy Band, and participants will also be able to take part in workshops, presentations and exhibitions and interact with officials for navy education institutions, marines, military divers and hydrography experts. Until August 15, other Danube and Black Sea ports in Romania will also host concerts, book launches and interactive workshops.




    ANONIMUL The 16th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival comes to a close on Saturday in Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta, south-eastern Romania. Six Romanian and foreign feature films took part in the official competition. The Ukrainian director Sergey Loznitsa, the winner of the 2018 Cannes “Un Certain Regard” award, is the guest of honour in this year’s festival. He received the “ANONIMUL” Trophy for his contribution to world cinema.




    UNIVERSITY The 17th edition of the Izvoru Mureşului Summer University is taking place between August 12 and 17 in Harghita County, central Romania. this year’s theme is Romania and the Romanians abroad, one year after the Great Union Centennial. The topics approached will include preserving the identity of the Romanians in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova in the context of regional geopolitical development and the Romanian national interest, the policies of parliamentary parties and public institutions with respect to the Romanians abroad and the Romanians in the multi-ethnic regions in Romania. Attending the works will be participants from Romania and from the diaspora, as well as from the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria, mass media and civil society representatives, and members of the academic community in Romania and abroad.



    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no 4 in the world, is facing today Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic, no 91 WTA) in the quarter-finals of the Toronto tournament, which has over 2.8 million US dollars in prize money. Halep, the defending Wimbledon champion, qualified into the quarter-finals after on Thursday she defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetzova (198 WTA), 6-2, 6-1. The Romanian player has won the Rogers Cup twice, in 2016 and 2018.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 7, 2019 UPDATE

    August 7, 2019 UPDATE

    VISIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will be received at the White House on August 20 by the US President Donald Trump. The announcement was made last night in Bucharest and Washington. The White House news release reads that President Donald Trump looks forward to celebrating together with his Romanian counterpart 30 years since the fall of communism in Romania and the 15th year of Romanias membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The White House also announced that the 2 leaders will discuss how best to meet the many shared security challenges facing the United States and Romania and ways to advance fair and reciprocal trade and energy partnerships. According to the Romanian Presidency, Klaus Iohannis will emphasise that Romania will continue to be a reliable strategic partner and a responsible and trustworthy ally of the US.




    CARACAL INVESTIGATION Romanian investigators Wednesday resumed searches at the Caracal home of Gheorghe Dincă, who alleged, after being apprehended more than a week ago, that he had killed and then incinerated 2 teenagers. On Tuesday, the investigators found in a forest near Caracal new bone and tooth fragments, which forensic experts found to be human. So far, only traces of 15-year old Alexandra Macesanus DNA were found in the ashes at Gheorghe Dincăs residence. A number of people were questioned and storage devices were searched. An outrageous series of mistakes made by the authorities in relation to the case has already led to high-level dismissals and resignations. The prosecutor division of the Higher Council of Magistrates requested the Judicial Inspection unit to check the activity of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism and the prosecutors offices attached to courts, focusing on the way of handling criminal cases involving human trafficking and child trafficking, as well as offences like kidnapping and manslaughter in cases of missing persons. On Wednesday, State Secretary with the Interior Ministry Raed Arafat presented PM Viorica Dăncilă with a report on ways to improve the emergency call tracking system. Arafat coordinates an inter-ministerial committee set up in late July in the wake of the Caracal case.




    NAVY The Romanian Black Sea port of Constanţa launched a series of events devoted to Navy Day, traditionally celebrated on August 15. On Wednesday, the Day of sea resources and navy education, military divers held diving workshops for the 80 winners of a Facebook competition. Also, the military port hosted a ceremony welcoming the Mircea Training Ship from a sail devoted to the celebration of the vessels 80 years in the service of the Romanian Navy. Mircea sailed more that 8,500 miles in 93 days and stopped in 12 European ports, welcoming over 12,000 visitors on board. Until August 15, other Danube and Black Sea ports will also host concerts, book launches and interactive workshops devoted to the Romanian Navy Day.




    REPATRIATION A group of 15 people, Romanian citizens and their Syrian families, were repatriated on Tuesday via Turkey, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced. The operation was completed with support from the Romanian embassies in Damascus and Ankara, of the Romanian Consulate in Istanbul and of Romanias Honorary Consul in Iskenderun. The Foreign Ministry also mentioned that since the start of evacuation operations in Syria, in 2011, 784 Romanian citizens and their families have been repatriated. At present, the Romanian Embassy in Damascus provides assistance and consular protection to citizens from various states, including Australia, Canada, France, the Republic of Moldova, Portugal, and others, based on individual requests.




    DIASPORA Nearly 9,000 Romanian citizens who intend to vote in this autumns presidential election, whether by post or in polling stations abroad, had enrolled on the dedicated online platform until Wednesday. The Romanian citizens who wish to vote by mail must fill in an online form posted on www.votstrainatate.ro, enclosing a scan or photo of their ID and a copy of the document proving their right to stay in a foreign country. The registration forms will be active until September 11. Approximately 9.7 million Romanians live abroad, according to data communicated by 70 diplomatic missions and centralised by the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 28, 2018

    July 28, 2018

    AIR SHOW – Baneasa International Airport is hosting today the 10th edition of the most impressive aviation event in Romania, Bucharest International Air Show & General Aviation Exhibition (BIAS). This years edition is devoted to the centennial of the Romanian nation state. Attending BIAS are 150 military and civilian aircraft, over 100 pilots and parachute jumpers from 13 countries – Romania, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Britain, Germany, USA, Greece, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Lithuania. Visitors are invited to watch elite demonstrations and air stunts, and to see the aircraft on display as part of the exhibition. The special guests are the aerobatics demonstration team of the Turkish Air Forces, the Turkish Stars, the only such team in the world using 8 supersonic fighter jets.




    NAVY – Three NATO military vessels are docked between July 28th and 31st at the Constanta military port at the Black Sea. After having stopped at the Burgas port in Bulgaria and Odessa in Ukraine, the Romanian dredger ‘Lt. Lupu Dinescu’, the Turkish mine sweeper ‘TCG Anamur’ and the German tender ‘FGS Rhein’ are in the third port these days, taking part in the multinational exercise BREEZE 18 in Bulgarian waters and in international Black Sea waters, as well as in joint naval exercises with Ukrainian vessels. Tomorrow, the Romanian, German and Turkish ships will be open to the general public.




    JUDICIARY – Serbia denied Romanias request for the extradition of its former MP Sebastian Ghiţă. The High Court of Justice in Belgrade also ruled that Ghita was eligible for asylum. Subject to several criminal cases pending in Romania, Sebastian Ghiţă left the country in December 2016. He was apprehended in April 2017 in Belgrade, while trying to use a forged Slovenian passport, and was subsequently released on bail.




    GREECE – The PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, has taken full political responsibility for the tragedy caused by the devastating wildfires east of Athens, which killed at least 87 people this week. Amid accusations of utter failure to protect the citizens, Alexis Tsipras promised a national plan to fight decade-long building code violations. Locals and tourists in Mati, a village 40 km from the capital city, mostly comprising holiday homes, died either in cars stuck on the narrow streets of the village, or trying to reach the sea shore and escape the fire. Many houses are no longer inhabitable. On Wednesday Romania sent two airplanes to support the Greek authorities.




    MOLDOVA – The Parliament of Moldova yesterday set February 24, 2019 as the date of the next parliamentary elections. The current term in office ends on November 30, and according to the national legislation elections must be held in the following 3 months, that is by the end of February 2019. The vote will be organized in the mixed electoral system, contrary to the recommendations of the Venice Commission. Under the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, parliamentary elections are held every 4 years.




    ECLIPSE – Astronomy lovers and professionals on 4 continents last night watched the longest blood moon eclipse of the 21st Century. Across the world, millions looked up to see the Earth cast its shadow on the moon. The total eclipse lasted for 103 minutes. The spectacular event was visible in Romania as well. In Bucharest, hundreds of people, particularly youngsters and parents with young kids crowded to see the phenomenon at the Astronomical Observatory.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 31, 2017 UPDATE

    July 31, 2017 UPDATE

    DRILL The Romanian navy announced on Monday that troops from its Marine Corps infantry battalion 307 are taking part in the multinational exercise Platinum Lion 17.2, underway in Novo Selo, Bulgaria between July 31st and August 10th. The Romanian soldiers will be carrying out various shooting and patrol missions in the operation range together with troops from Bulgaria, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Slovenia, the USA and Ukraine. According to a Navy communiqué the presence of the Romanian troops in the exercise contributes to strengthening bilateral cooperation with the USA as well as other NATO or non-NATO partners in the region. Also the professionalism the Romanian soldiers have shown in various multinational activities is strengthening Romania’s profile as a state promoting stability in the Black Sea region, the communiqué also says.



    EMA The Romanian government has submitted to the European Commission its candidacy for the relocation to Bucharest of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) following Britain’s leaving the union. Romania proposed a location in northern Bucharest where the agency’s new premises will be stretching over 27 thousand square meters and will include a conference hall able to accommodate 720 participants. After assessing all the projects submitted, the European Commission is expected to make a decision during the General Affairs Council in November 2017.



    PENSIONS Romanian Minister for Labor, Olguta Vasilescu, has said the government will this week issue an emergency order regarding special pensions. Right now, special pensions adjust in line with standing salaries, while the order changes the rules for pensions to adjust to inflation. She said the order is expected to come into effect by mid-September, with the new regulations applying only past that date. Minister Vasilescu also said that child rearing benefits would be set a ceiling of 1,800 Euro, the maximum practiced in Europe at present. PSD and ALDE leaders Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu respectively have announced following the coalition’s talks on Monday, that the special pensions law will be amended but there will be no pension-cuts. The two officials have explained the corrections are needed, because special pensions higher than the salaries will have a huge budget impact.



    DEFENCE Romania’s Higher Defence Council (CSAT) will convene in Bucharest on Tuesday. High on the agenda of its proceedings headed by the country’s president Klaus Iohannis is the plan for equipping the Romanian armed forces in the period 2017-2026. The plan was withdrawn at the previous CSAT session on July 4th as it failed to include the commitment all the political parties assumed in 2015 namely that 2% of the country’s GDP be earmarked to defence beginning this year. Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu last week briefed the president on a revised plan, which also includes the eight major programmes aimed at providing the armed forces with the necessary equipment.



    MEASURES Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has established jointly with representatives of Spain’s embassy in Bucharest a series of measures on boosting bilateral cooperation with a view to preventing and fighting the exploitation of the Romanians working in Spain. Also attending the meeting the Romanian Minister for the Romanians all over the World Andrea Pastarnac has underlined the need for a pro-active approach to these issues and for making the Romanians associations in Spain join the efforts of the Romanian and Spanish authorities. At the Ministry level there will be a special direction specialized in providing information and prevention hints to the organisations in the Diaspora. The representatives of the Spanish embassy in Bucharest have voiced their regret for the situations in which the Romanian workers were exploited adding those were only isolated cases. They have also referred to how well the other Romanians in the country have integrated. The meeting in Bucharest takes place after the authorities in Spain and Italy have found dozens of Romanians exploited by their employers in these countries.


  • 23 May, 2017

    23 May, 2017

    ATTACK — 22 people have been killed and around 60 more injured in an explosion in Manchester on Monday, at the end of a concert on the Manchester Arena. British authorities have confirmed that a suicide bomber carried out the attack. Security measures have been bolstered, and the British government met today in emergency session. Prime Minister Theresa May and Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn have suspended their campaigns for the snap elections on 8 June. This is the worst attack in Britain since the July 7, 2005 attack in London, which left 52 dead and almost 700 injured. Two months ago, an Islamist rammed pedestrians with an automobile on Westminster Bridge, killing five, including one Romanian. Bucharest joined the international community in condemning Mondays attack, expressing solidarity with the British people. The Romanian authorities have said that no Romanians were among the victims.



    SALARIES — The Romanian Senate passed the Unified Pay Scale bill today, which is supposed to raise salaries gradually for state employees until 2022. Labor Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu told senators that the bill was correlated with the new Fiscal Code, and that it would provide a 56% average salary increase. The minister explained that the law was necessary in order to fix a dysfunctional public wage system. The bill goes next to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber. Public administration trade unions expressed their dissatisfaction at the bill, and announced widespread protests next week all across the country, including the capital. Union leaders said they expect 120,000 to attend the protests.



    INVESTIGATION — Former Social Democratic Party chairman Mircea Geoana, defeated in the presidential elections in 2009, and his campaign manager, former Social Democratic MP Viorel Hrebenciuc, are being heard today by the Parliament committee investigating the elections of 2009. On Monday, the committee heard the vice-president of the Permanent Election Authority, Marian Muhulet, and controversial journalist Dan Andronic, whose allegations led to the creation of the committee. The latter specified that he has no further information beyond what he published, and no evidence that the 2009 elections were tampered with. Andronic used to be a political adviser to former president Traian Basescu, who in 2009 won as an incumbent. Andronic claimed that, on the night of the second round of elections in 2009, he met in an informal setting General Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, former director of intelligence George Maior and his first deputy, Florian Coldea, and that the meeting looked like the gathering of a crisis committee. He further claimed that all the people mentioned risked being fired in case Geoana won the elections.



    TRUMP — US President Donald Trump was today in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, and said that he would do everything in his power to help Israelis and Palestinians reach a peace agreement. Trump met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on the last day of his tour of the Middle East. The Palestinian president pleaded for the two state solution, along the 1967 borders. Israelis and Palestinians have not held direct talks in over 3 years. On Monday in Jerusalem, Trump emphasized the close ties between the US and Israel. He insisted on the threat posed by Iran against world peace, which he also emphasized during his visit to Saudi Arabia. This is Donald Trumps first international tour as president. He continues his tour visiting the Vatican, then attending the NATO summit in Brussels, and the G7 meeting in Sicily.



    BUCHAREST — The Romanian economic model within the EU is a topic for debate at a conference held at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest by the Association for Economic and Social Studies and Forecasts. Representatives of the government, business people, academics, and civil society activists are presenting their perspective for the next 10 years with regard to standards of living, education and workforce. According to the latest statistics, Romania has the highest economic growth in the Union. At the same time, the EC has warned Bucharest on its risk of overstepping the stated budget on medium term.



    NAVAL — Romanian training ship The Mircea goes today, until 22nd September, on an international training expedition lasting 122 days. It will stop over in 11 ports in 9 countries at the Mediterranean, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 163 members of the crew, of them 70 Romanian students will be joined by 8 cadets from naval academies in Bulgaria, China, Greece and Poland. The crew will go on official visits to the naval academies in Holland, Germany, Portugal and Spain. It will also take part in two prestigious naval events. This year, the Romanian and German military naval forces have signed an agreement on training future officers, unfolding for the duration of this international expedition. 110 cadets and 13 German trainers will be on board the Mircea.

  • January 31, 2017

    January 31, 2017

    BUDGET — Romanias Higher Defense Council was called into session by President Klaus Iohannis to analyze the draft budget for national security institutions for 2017. The head of state pointed out that the new governments plan to slash national security funding is a grievous error, affecting the safety of citizens. The PM said that the executive has supporting arguments for the budget as it stands. Right after the councils meeting, the government is set to meet in order to pass the budget, while the leadership of the two chambers of Parliament will schedule a meeting to set the calendar for debate. This is the first Higher Defense Council meeting under the Grindeanu cabinet.



    CORRUPTION — The highest court in Bucharest could issue today a sentence in the prosecution of former Liberal MP Ludovic Orban, who is accused of demanding money from a businessman to finance his campaign, run last summer. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate is seeking a jail sentence, claiming Orban used his political position to obtain campaign funding. The politician said he was innocent, and filed for a dismissal. Magistrates with the High Court of Cassation and Justice have delayed the first court hearing in the case of Social Democratic Party chairman Liviu Dragnea, who stands accused of conspiracy to commit abuse of office. Prosecutors claim that Dragnea ordered two members of his party to be hired in state jobs with the office of social protection in his home county of Teleorman. Last year, Dragnea was given a suspended sentence, two years in prison, for attempting to rig the 2012 referendum to depose then president Traian Basescu.



    NAVY — Romanian frigate the King Ferdinand heads maneuvers in the east of the Black Sea, attended on Wednesday by over 2,800 seamen from NATO member countries. The exercise Sea Shield is the first of 50 large scale navy exercises planned by NATO this year. Attending the exercise are 16 ships, one submarine, and 10 Romanian and allied aircraft. Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, head of the Allied Maritime Command, will be attending the maneuvers in Constanta, the largest Romanian port on the Black Sea. At the same time, it was announced in London that one of the most important Royal Navy ships will have its first operating mission in the Black Sea since the Cold War. Allied maneuvers in the Black Sea take place almost three years since Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula.



    ECONOMY — In January, confidence in the Eurozone reached its highest level in the last six years, as announced by the European Commission, according to Bloomberg. The index indicating consumer and business confidence went up from 107.8 to 108.2 in December, more than anticipated by Bloomberg expert estimates. The report states that confidence in industry and services went up in January, while confidence in retail and construction went down. This increase in economic confidence is added to further data suggesting that the Eurozone economy has accelerated in the last months of 2016. Many economists estimate that the Eurozone economy had in the fourth quarter a growth 0.5% higher than the same quarter the previous year, with a 0.3% higher growth in the third quarter.



    TAXES — The newest provisions introduced into the Fiscal Code come into effect on February 1st in Romania. They were put into law by emergency executive order. They eliminate 102 charges and fees, the most well known being the radio and television fee and the tax on registering automobiles. Also in February, Romanians earning the minimum wage, almost 1.6 million citizens, will get increased salaries. Local public authority employees will get a 20% raise. A number of further measures come into effect on 1 February, such as eliminating the ceiling for social and health contributions and taxation for real estate deals worth under 100,000 Euro.


    (Translated by Calin Cotoiu)