Radio România Internațional

Tag: New Europe

  • 2017, the year of all crossroads for the EU

    2017, the year of all crossroads for the EU

    The European Commissioner for Regional Development, Corina Cretu, has said in an article carried by the leading EU affairs newspaper “New Europe, that the year 2017 will be the year of all crossroads for the European Union. In her opinion, climate change and populism have two things in common – namely, if left unaddressed they both create havoc in the long-term and to tackle them requires working on their root causes and then acting fast. In the case of populism, “though history shows that no country has ever made any sort of progress by retreating in its shell, the perception is there. Therefore we must address it. In 2017. We cannot give more time to time…, the Romanian Commissioner has said, citing the former French President Francois Mitterand.



    Corina Cretu believes that communication can have an important role in solving these problems, especially in the age of social networks. In her opinion, Europe is good news, however it is not always perceived as such. The conclusion is therefore, Corina Cretu also says, that we are failing to share the good news with Europeans. 2017 is also a milestone year for communication, says Corina Cretu, who believes that its time for the EU officials to focus less on communiqués and press conferences and more on direct communication with the citizens, via social networks. She has warned that the message also needs to be changed, in the sense that the EU officials must convey relevant messages. According to the European Commissioner, in 2017 the famous aphorism Not only must justice be done; it must also be seen to be done should be reworded in “Not only must the European Union work for 500 million Europeans, it must also be seen to work.



    Thus, Corina Cretu says, 2017 must be the year to empower all those who benefit from regional policy to make their voice heard, from cities and regions to small and medium enterprises, universities, NGOs, young people, hospitals. The EU Commissioner explained that at a time when the private sector doesnt trust national budgets, the EU budget and regional policies more specifically are seen as a guarantee for safe investments for all.



    “A stronger regional policy means a stronger Europe. And a stronger Europe means less populism, fewer short-sighted nationalist reflexes. If we succeed on this, we will have successfully negotiated 2017, the year of all crossroads, Corina Cretu concluded. (Translated by E. Enache)

  • June 21, 2016 UPDATE

    June 21, 2016 UPDATE

    VISIT The German President, Joachim Gauck, stated that Europe is at present facing a confidence crisis and congratulated Romania for not having a populist party eager to capitalize on that sentiment. On a visit to Romania, the German President on Tuesday delivered a speech at the invitation of the “New Europe” College and of the German Embassy in Bucharest. Also on Tuesday President Gauck and his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis met in the central Romanian city of Sibiu with the representatives of the Germans’ Democratic Forum and visited the fortified church in Cisnădie. The German President praised the Romanian model of inter-ethnic living together and thanked the Romanian authorities for the way they manage the cultural and identity issues of the German minority in Romania. In turn, president Iohannis said the policies on minorities are essential for ensuring a climate of regional peace and stability.



    DEFENCE Romanian Minister of Defence, Mihnea Motoc received Ray Mabus, the United States Secretary of the Navy, in Bucharest on Tuesday. According to a communiqué issued by the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, Mabus has reiterated the USA’s commitment to strengthening cooperation between the naval forces of the two countries including by beefing up the US presence in the Black Sea region. The talks agenda also included the defence dimension of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, the communiqué also reads.



    PENSIONS The Romanian Senate on Tuesday passed by a landslide majority a draft on special pensions for high-ranking officials in local administration. The beneficiaries – mayors, deputy mayors, presidents and vice-presidents of local councils — are to get special pensions if they have completed a mandate. The law will not apply to those convicted for corruption during their term in office. The law will come in force in January 2017, and the money is taken from the local budgets. The Senate is a decision-making forum in Romania.



    WEATHER The Romanian PM Dacian Cioloş on Tuesday called on the local authorities to assess the damage caused by the recent floods in Romania and to make forecasts for the upcoming months so as to avoid similar situations. According to a recent toll, two people are reported dead and several hundreds have been evacuated. Hundreds of houses have been flooded or destroyed by hailstorms and tens of localities have been left without electricity. While the north and west of the country were hit by violent storms and floods, the center, south and east of Romania is affected by a wave of heat with the discomfort index going above 80 until Wednesday.



    FOOTBALL Romania has the most modest football team from the 1970s to this day, the Gazeta Sporturilor daily writes after Romania on Sunday was eliminated from the European Football Championship in France. Losing nil-1 to Albania, Romania was bottom of the table in Group A, with only 1 point in three games. In the opening match Romania lost 1-2 to France and drew in the second group fixture 1-all against Switzerland. Both goals for Romania were scored by Bogdan Stancu from penalty kicks. Voices in the football press are calling for the resignation of head coach Anghel Iordanescu, whom they see as primarily responsible for the team’s failure to qualify for the round of 16.