Radio România Internațional

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February 16, 2022 UPDATE

Covid-19 RO – 17,447 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the last 24 hours and 183 deaths, 12 of which from previous days – the Strategic Communication Group reported on Wednesday. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, two years ago, over 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 62 thousand people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria.

Kiev — The Romanian embassy in Kiev, in neighboring Ukraine, is fully operational, the FM Bogdan Aurescu said on Wednesday. During his hearing in the foreign policy committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on the security developments in the Black Sea basin, Bogdan Aurescu announced that the procedure was completed for the repatriation to Romania of the family members of the diplomatic staff at the Romanian embassy in Kiev (central Ukraine) and from the consulate general in Odessa (south, a port on the Black Sea). The other two consular missions, which are at Solotvino in Transcarpathia and Cernăuţi in northern Bukovina, both in western Ukraine, were not targeted by the measure, as they are located in regions with a higher degree of security – the minister added. Aurescu said that all the embassies of the EU member states in Kiev have the same logic of operation and it was important to send a unitary message.

Paris — The EU leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the massive build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, officials in Brussels have said. They pointed out that the meeting was not a reaction to certain special developments, but an opportunity to exchange views and keep up to date with the latest information. No conclusions will be issued after the meeting. The ad hoc meeting will take place ahead of the long-planned EU-Africa summit. The Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, will also be present in Brussels.

NATO – NATO has tasked its military commanders with setting the details for the deployment of battle groups on the Alliances southeastern flank in response to the build-up of Russian troops on Ukraines borders, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels on Wednesday. Speaking to the press after a meeting of the allied defense ministers, Stoltenberg explained that the ministers decided to develop options to further strengthen defense and deterrence, including considering the establishment of new NATO combat groups in central, eastern and south-eastern Europe. According to Jens Stoltenberg the NATO military commanders will set the details and report within weeks. New battle groups, if approved, will be carried out in Romania and in the Black Sea region, he went on to say. ‘We have increased our presence in the east in a defensive way and we are considering increasing it even more. Romania is ready to host a tactical group, France is ready to command it, and several allies want to participate in this multinational force, but no final decision has been made’, Jens Stoltenberg added.

Aid – The Romanian government on Wednesday approved an aid scheme for the hospitality industry, severely affected by the pandemic. An emergency ordinance has also been adopted that allows the running of a credit scheme for the SMEs with a subsidized interest. Also on Wednesday, a joint order was published in the Official Gazette, which establishes the way of settling the amounts granted by the state to the electricity and gas suppliers for the compensation of the bills. Approximately 90% of the Romanian population currently benefits from this scheme. Moreover, starting with February 1 until the end of March, all non-household consumers benefit from the compensation scheme, except for the big energy consumers, said the energy minister Virgil Popescu. On the other hand, farmers will have free access to irrigation water this year as well, and the Organizations of Irrigation Water Users will receive up to 50% compensation for their electricity costs. (LS)

16 February 2022
February 15, 2022

Covid Ro — Romania is considering lifting the anti-Covid restrictions according to certain criteria, such as the drop in the number of new cases of infection, and in the number of patients in intensive care, the health minister Alexandru Rafila announced. He said, however, that there was no timetable for relaxation. The Romanian authorities have reported today almost 22,000 new COVID-19 cases out of 91,500 tests in 24 hours, and 204 deaths, 9 of which from previous days. 1,155 patients are in ICUs.

Energy — The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca is today chairing a meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Energy, to later participate in a working meeting with officials in the field. Last Wednesday, the prime minister had a similar meeting with several ministers, in which they assessed the measures necessary to protect the population and the business environment from the effects of rising electricity and gas prices. On Monday, the Romanian government adopted a financial scheme that will help the local authorities to get through the winter months, when they received high energy bills.

Ukraine — The Russian troops deployed for several weeks near the border with Ukraine have started returning to their garrisons, the Russian Defense Ministry officials have announced today amid Western fears of an imminent military operation. According to AFP, the announcement is the first sign from Moscow in this crisis with the West, which has lasted since the end of 2021. Since December, Russia has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian border, raising fears in Kiev over an imminent invasion of that country. Moscow has always denied any intention to start a war, but has asked for guarantees for its security, such as the promise that Ukraine will never join NATO, which the West has refused to do. The announcement of the troops’ withdrawal comes ahead of talks scheduled for today in Moscow between the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as part of the efforts to deescalate the situation on the Ukrainian border. On Monday, in Kiev, the German chancellor had called on Russia to take advantage of the dialogue offers meant to defuse the crisis and at the same time gave assurances that Germany would resolutely continue its economic aid and support for Ukraine. In turn, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared February 16 as a day of “unity” against the backdrop of US warnings of a possible imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine at this time. The West has repeatedly warned Moscow of unprecedented sanctions if it attacks Ukraine, and the US and several other countries have deployed new forces in Eastern Europe.

Talks — Romania and Canada have similar views on the worrying security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region and on the need to continue action towards de-escalation, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Foreign Ministry, after Monday’s telephone conversation between the Romanian FM, Bogdan Aurescu, and his Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly. The two ministers welcomed the concrete measures taken within NATO and together with the allied states, which prove the solidity of the collective commitment towards the security of the allies on NATO’s eastern flank.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (54 WTA) was defeated by Ukrainian Daiana Iastremska in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, today, in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, which has total prizes up for grabs worth almost 770 thousand dollars. Begu, a semi-finalist in St. Petersburg last week, was defeated after two hours of play. Also today, another Romanian, Gabriela Ruse (59 WTA), coming from the qualification rounds, plays against Paula Badosa (Spain), 3rd seed and 5th in the world. The winner of this match will face in the eighth finals the best ranked Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep (23 WTA). A champion in Dubai in 2015 and 2020, Halep defeated, on Monday, in the first round, in two sets, the American Alison Riske. (LS)

15 February 2022
February 14, 2022 UPDATE

COVID-19 Ro — The Romanian authorities on Monday reported more than 12,000 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours. 75 deaths were also reported, of which 11 were from previous days. 1,155 patients are in ICUs. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, said on Monday that, in Romania, the number of COVID-19 infections is in a downward trend, adding that the decision to eliminate restrictions and even lift the state of alert at some point, will be made according to certain important indicators, one of them being the number of COVID patients admitted to intensive care. The decision to lift the state of alert will be made by the government with all the actors involved in the management of the pandemic, Alexandru Rafila explained. He has again called for vaccination, especially in the case of vulnerable groups, given that the vaccination pace is declining rapidly.

Special Section – The Romanian government on Monday approved the draft law on dismantling the controversial Section for the Investigation of Offences in the Judiciary. The law provides for the taking over of the files under investigation and of the future cases by other prosecutors offices. Thus, high-ranking judges and prosecutors will be investigated by the Prosecutors Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and the lower-rank judges and prosecutors will be judged by the prosecutors offices with other courts of lower rank. The bill will be sent to Parliament for debate and approval. Also on Monday, the Romanian government adopted a financial scheme that will help the local authorities to get through the winter months, when they received high energy bills.

Energy — The Romanian executive continues talks to finalize new support measures that will benefit the population to deal with the crisis caused by rising energy prices. The authorities are also considering the big consumers for whom they are preparing an additional assistance package, a package that needs the approval of the European Commission. In this regard, the Energy Ministry officials will discuss with the EC representatives about the authorization of the scheme that would allow them to maintain their competitiveness in relation to the other competitors in the European space and outside it, and also to keep about 200 thousand jobs. The ruling coalition is also considering measures to reduce the VAT and the employees social security contributions.

Inflation – In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 8.35% in January, from 8.19% in December, given that the prices of non-foods increased by more than 10%, of foods by 7%, and of services by almost 6%, show data released on Monday by the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter, of 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the Quarterly Inflation Report published at the end of last week. The forecast trajectory of the annual inflation rate is substantially influenced by the future evolution of the prices of energy products, burdened by major uncertainties, the central bank underlined.

Protest — Several trade unions in the Romanian metallurgical industry, mainly representing employees from ALRO Slatina (south) and Alum Tulcea (southeast), organized a protest rally in front of the Government building on Monday, their main demand being the regulation of the energy market . They are calling for the capping of natural gas and electricity prices at the value reported in December 2020, for at least one year, and the establishment of a different treatment between non-household consumers who have not benefited from state aid, as regulated by a government emergency ordinance in 2019, and those who benefited from the provisions of this law. Also, the trade unions are asking for the elimination of the exemption of the beneficiaries of this ordinance from the capping of the electricity price and the capping of its price at a maximum of 750 lei/Mwh. The ALRO trade union leader said that a total of 40,000 jobs in the horizontal industries are being endangered by diminishing the plant’s activity.

Visit — On a visit to Kiev, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Russia, on Monday, to take advantage of the dialogue offers aimed at defusing the crisis and gave assurances that Germany would ‘resolutely continue’ the economic aid and support for Ukraine. “Russias military activities on the Ukrainian border are incomprehensible. There is no reasonable reason for such a military deployment” Scholz said in a press conference with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The latter said his country considered the controversial Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 a geopolitical weapon. From Kiev, Olaf Scholz goes to Moscow for talks, on Tuesday, with President Vladimir Putin. The Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio will travel to Kiev on Tuesday, and to Moscow on Wednesday, in a move to deescalate the situation on the Ukrainian border, where Moscow has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers and military equipment.

Germany – On Monday, Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, congratulated the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the occasion of his re-election. Klaus Iohannis points out that the solidity of the excellent relations between Romania and Germany, which have a strategic character, has been strengthened in recent years. “These relations are enhanced by frequent and substantial bilateral political dialogue, strong economic relations and the strong bridge between our countries represented by the Romanian community in Germany and the German minority in Romania,” said President Iohannis. He went on to say that in 2022 it’s 30 years since the signing of the Treaty between Romania and Germany on friendly cooperation and partnership in Europe. On Sunday, the German President, Social Democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was re-elected for a second five-year term. (LS)

14 February 2022
February 12, 2022 UPDATE

Ukraine – The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs that the alert level for Ukraine has been raised, in the context of the latest security developments, and “strongly recommends” the Romanian citizens to avoid traveling to this country and to be very careful. The authorities also decided to withdraw non-essential diplomatic and consular staff from the diplomatic mission and some of the consular offices in Ukraine. All measures have been taken to “voluntarily” repatriate family members of diplomatic and consular staff, and the process is currently being completed in relation to the Kiev Embassy and Consulate General in Odessa. The Foreign Ministry strongly recommends avoiding travel to the Crimean Peninsula and eastern Ukraine, in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the Ukrainian border area with the Russian Federation and Belarus, recalling that the security situation remains tense and fluid. The Ministry also announces that it is ready to provide protection and consular assistance to Romanian citizens. They are advised to notify their contact details in Ukraine through the econsulat.ro platform or by contacting the nearest consular office by phone. A telephone line dedicated to Romanian citizens who are temporarily in Ukraine and requesting consular protection and assistance has been activated – telephone 0040 -751.084.537.

NATO — Romania is following with concern the evolution of the security situation in the region and is ready to take, alongside its allies, the most appropriate defensive measures required by the concrete situation — the Romanian defense minister Vasile Dîncu reiterated in a phone conversation, on Friday, with his American counterpart Lloyd Austin. The US official pointed to the US’s firm commitment to and solidarity with its European allies, stressing that Article 5 in the North Atlantic Treaty, which stipulates a coordinated reply in case of an attack on a NATO member, is and will remain a top priority. Also on Friday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the presence of NATO troops in Romania was proof of the Allied solidarity and of the fact that, although there is a real risk that Russia might invade Ukraine, Romania is not alone. On Friday, he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southeastern Romania, along with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis. The first Stryker armored personnel carriers have already arrived here, and 1,000 U.S. troops are expected to arrive from Germany to strengthen the Alliances Eastern Flank. With the arrival of the Task Force Cougar detachment, the number of American soldiers in Romania will increase to almost 2,000. Besides the US, France has also announced its willingness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers. A US Air Force detachment of about 150 soldiers and eight F-16 Fighting Falcon planes has been conducting joint training missions, for about two weeks, with the military and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within the Romanian Air Force since Friday. The American planes will also perform enhanced air-policing missions, together with Romanian and Italian aircraft, which have been in Romania since December last year. A senior Pentagon official said the United States had decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.

COVID-19 — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Romania. On Saturday, 18,750 new cases and 157 deaths were reported, 13 of which were from previous days. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated at 14 days for Bucharest is, on Saturday, 38.02 cases per thousand inhabitants. This is the highest contamination rate recorded so far in the Capital. The authorities are considering the possibility of relaxing the protection measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually, following the model of countries that have already overcome the peak of current wave, said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. In his opinion, the new cases are on a declining trend, and if the pace is maintained, we might get rid of restrictions before the Easter holidays. In turn, the coordinator of the National vaccination campaign, military doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, after the model of the flu vaccine, but the vaccine will be adapted to the strain specific for that period. He announced that, at present, the vaccination rate among the adult population is 50.5%.

COVID world — The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic will end this year if the target of 70% of the worlds population getting vaccinated is reached, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He estimates that this will happen by June or July. In another development, the Chinese drug regulatory agency on Saturday approved the conditional use of treatment with Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, being the first anti-COVID-19 tablet approved in this country for the treatment of coronavirus infection. Chinese officials say that studies on the drug are still needed and that the results will be submitted to the Beijing authorities. In Europe, Belgium has decided to relax anti-COVID-19 measures in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and cultural venues after the country overcame the peak of Omicron contamination. In turn, Austria continues to relax restrictions. As of Saturday, people will only have to wear FFP2 masks in shops or museums. Iceland also plans to lift all restrictions by the end of February, two weeks earlier than initially planned.

Moldova — Romania supports Moldovas efforts targeted at making reforms, getting closer to the European community, as well as increasing resilience in key sectors for citizens, the Romania PM Nicolae Ciucă said after a visit to Chisinau on Friday. He also said that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. A series of bilateral documents were signed at the end of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on the implementation of an assistance program based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million Euros from Romania. Nicolae Ciucă and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed the Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and investments. Cooperation agreements have also been concluded in the fields of defense, justice and home affairs. The Romanian PM was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, whom he ensured of his full support for the implementation of the reform measures, especially in the field of the rule of law. (LS)

12 February 2022
February 12, 2022

NATO — The presence of NATO troops in Romania is proof of the Allied solidarity and of the fact that, although there is a real risk that Russia might invade Ukraine, Romania is not alone, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. On Friday, he visited the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southeastern Romania, along with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană. The first Stryker armored personnel carriers have already arrived here, and 1,000 U.S. troops are expected to arrive from Germany to strengthen the Alliances Eastern Flank. With the arrival of the Task Force Cougar detachment, the number of American soldiers in Romania will increase to almost 2,000. Besides the US, France has also announced its willingness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian soldiers. A US Air Force detachment of about 150 soldiers and eight F-16 Fighting Falcon planes has been conducting joint training missions, for about two weeks, with the military and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft within the Romanian Air Force since Friday. The American planes will also perform enhanced air-policing missions, together with Romanian and Italian aircraft, which have been in Romania since December last year. A senior Pentagon official said the United States had decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.

COVID-19 — The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Romania. On Saturday, 18,750 new cases and 157 deaths were reported, 13 of which were from previous days. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated at 14 days for Bucharest is, on Saturday, 38.02 cases per thousand inhabitants. This is the highest contamination rate recorded so far in the Capital. The authorities are considering the possibility of relaxing the protection measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually, following the model of countries that have already overcome the peak of current wave, said the head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat. In his opinion, the new cases are on a declining trend, and if the pace is maintained, we might get rid of restrictions before the Easter holidays. In turn, the coordinator of the National vaccination campaign, military doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, said that in the future, vaccination against this virus will be seasonal, after the model of the flu vaccine, but the vaccine will be adapted to the strain specific for that period. He announced that, at present, the vaccination rate among the adult population is 50.5%.

COVID world — The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic will end this year if the target of 70% of the worlds population getting vaccinated is reached, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He estimates that this will happen by June or July. In another development, the Chinese drug regulatory agency on Saturday approved the conditional use of treatment with Paxlovid, produced by Pfizer, being the first anti-COVID-19 tablet approved in this country for the treatment of coronavirus infection. Chinese officials say that studies on the drug are still needed and that the results will be submitted to the Beijing authorities. In Europe, Belgium has decided to relax anti-COVID-19 measures in restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and cultural venues after the country overcame the peak of Omicron contamination. In turn, Austria continues to relax restrictions. As of Saturday, people will only have to wear FFP2 masks in shops or museums. Iceland also plans to lift all restrictions by the end of February, two weeks earlier than initially planned.

Moldova — Romania supports Moldovas efforts targeted at making reforms, getting closer to the European community, as well as increasing resilience in key sectors for citizens, the Romania PM Nicolae Ciucă said after a visit to Chisinau on Friday. He also said that Romania is the first trading partner of the Republic of Moldova and one of its main investors. A series of bilateral documents were signed at the end of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on the implementation of an assistance program based on a non-reimbursable financial aid of 100 million Euros from Romania. Nicolae Ciucă and his Moldovan counterpart Natalia Gavriliţa also signed the Joint Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy and investments. Cooperation agreements have also been concluded in the fields of defense, justice and home affairs. The Romanian PM was received by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, whom he ensured of his full support for the implementation of the reform measures, especially in the field of the rule of law.

Russia — The Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US President Joe Biden will have a telephone conversation today, the RIA news agency reported, quoting the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Also today, Vladimir Putin will discuss with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, according to the TASS agency. A Russian military invasion of Ukraine, marked by a massive air raid campaign and a “rapid attack” on Kiev, is a “very real possibility” in the coming days, the White House warned. Russia maintains more than 100,000 troops and fighting equipment near the border with the former Soviet republic. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis believes that ensuring a consolidated deterrence and defense posture in a unitary and coherent manner on the entire eastern flank from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea contributes to regional stability as well as to the security of the alliance as a whole. Present at the consultations that the US President, Joe Biden, had, on Friday, with leaders of NATO and the EU institutions on the topic of regional security, the Romanian president expressed his firm support for the continuation of the political-diplomatic dialogue with Russia solutions to de-escalate the situation without compromising NATO’s fundamental principles and the international law. (LS)

12 February 2022
February 10, 2022

Covid-19–Ro — 26,466 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been registered in Romania in 24 hours along with 139 deaths, the authorities informed on Thursday. The highest number of infected people since the beginning of the pandemic – 40,018 – was registered on February 1. On the other hand, the National Public Health Institute in Romania reports that, in the week January 31 – February 6, 51.4% of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were registered in unvaccinated persons. Of the vaccinated people, 43% got contaminated either immediately after immunization or more than six months after the last dose. More than three-quarters (78.2%) of the deaths reported were in unvaccinated people. Since the onset of the pandemic, 86% of all deaths have been in people over 60, and 54.6% of deaths in the male population. According to the National Public Health Institute 93.3% of the deceased had at least one associated comorbidity. All in all, since the outbreak of the pandemic, two years ago, over two million Romanians have been contaminated with the novel coronavirus and over 60,000 have died.

Covid–19-world — The state of New York on Thursday lifted the obligation of people wearing sanitary masks indoors, including in shops, restaurants and companies, given that the number of COVID-19 contaminations is declining sharply in the United States. In France, the so-called vaccination permit could be lifted in late March or early April, given the improved health situations, and the Czech Republic is largely relinquishing restrictions. Instead, many Britons have canceled their planned trips to Spain during the school holidays in the UK, because the authorities have asked for the full Covid-19 vaccination of children over 12 years of age. People fully vaccinated entering the UK no longer have to take a COVID test, but other countries maintain some of the restrictions, such as antigen or PCR testing or double vaccination, to avoid testing.

Troops — The first convoy with military equipment, belonging to the American detachment deployed in Romania as part of the US commitment to the allies on NATOs eastern flank, crossed the western border last night and is heading to Mihail Kogalniceanu base in the southeast of the country. In the coming days, part of the one thousand American soldiers who will be deployed in Romania will also enter the country. Earlier, the Romanian defense minister, Vasile Dîncu, had announced that about a hundred specialists had arrived, whose mission was to prepare the deployment of the contingent. Earlier this month, the US decided to send three thousand additional troops on the NATOs eastern flank, one thousand of whom come to Romania and 1,700 to Poland. France has also announced its readiness to send troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania already hosts 900 American, 140 Italian and 250 Polish soldiers.

Plagiarism –Romania General Prosecutors Office has opened a criminal case in which it is conducting investigations, in rem, following a complaint alleging that the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă plagiarized in his doctoral thesis. Last month, the Carol I National Defense University in Bucharest announced that the procedures for verifying compliance with quality standards and university ethics were initiated in the thesis defended by the current prime minister in 2003. The journalist Emilia Şercan, known as a hunter of plagiarists at the top of Romanian politics and administration, claims that at least 42 pages out of a total of 138 of Nicolae Ciucăs doctoral thesis are plagiarized, and the thesis as a whole is not a product of scientific research. Liberal Nicoale Ciucă is the third PM in Bucharest accused of plagiarizing in his doctoral thesis, after the Social Democrats Victor Ponta and Mihai Tudose.

Olympics – The Beijing Winter Olympics included eight finals in todays program, figure skating (mens singles), snowboarding (womens halfpipe and mens cross snowboarding), alpine skiing (mens combined), cross-country skiing (10 km womens – classic style), freestyle skiing (mixed team jumping), speed skating (womens 5,000m) and sledding (mixed relay). The only Romanian presence will be in the sledge relay event, in which Raluca Strămăturaru (womens singles), Valentin Creţu (mens singles) and Vasile Marian Gîtlan / Darius Lucian Şerban (doubles) are competing. Romania participates with 21 athletes in the 2022 Olympics, in seven sports: sledding, bobsled, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon and speed skating. (LS)

10 February 2022
January 30, 2022 UPDATE

Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.

Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.

Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.

Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents.

Abu Dhabi — The Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the first Israeli head of state to visit the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday met in Abu Dhabi with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto leader of the Arab state. According to news agencies, the discussion lasted over two hours and was warm and cordial. Herzog has said that “the Middle East has entered a new era because of the wise and courageous decision of the Crown Prince and other leaders to normalize ties” with Israel. On the way to the Emirates, the aircraft flew over Saudi Arabia, and the head of state commented that it was a very emotional moment. The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had already visited the United Arab Emirates last December. Economic issues are seen as the main engine behind rapprochement, but there is also the idea of forming an alliance against Iran, DPA reports. (LS)

30 January 2022
January 30, 2022

Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 lei in pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.

Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.

Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.

Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.

Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents. (LS)

30 January 2022
January 28, 2022 UPDATE

COVID — 19 — On Friday 31,724 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported in Romania in 24 hours alongside 60 deaths, two of which were from previous days. The highest number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic in Romania – 34,255 – was registered on Wednesday. The authorities expect the number of cases to rise to more than 40,000 a day next week. The number of hospitalized Covid patients has reached almost 8,000, and about 730 patients are in ICUs, of whom 85% are unvaccinated. On the other hand, a new drug intended for the treatment of those infected with SARS-CoV-2, who run the risk of developing serious forms of the disease, will reach the Public Health Directorates these days and then the hospitals and the assessment centers in Romania. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, expects this product, Molnupiravir, to have a favorable impact in the next ten days, by reducing the pressure on the intensive care units and the number of deaths.

OECD — The Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Mathias Cormann, said Friday that Romania had made progress in the last decade, but there are still areas where more work is needed. He came to Bucharest after the OECD decided to start accession negotiations with Romania and participated in the launch of a study on the countrys economic situation. According to this document, there are some short-term risks, such as the pandemic waves, which find Romania with a low vaccination rate, and, in the long run, the problems of better access to European funds, the aging population and the difficult access to education, especially of the disadvantaged categories. In his turn, the PM Nicolae Ciuca stated that Romanias accession to the OECD was as important as the admissions to NATO and the European Union and that it was a priority of the government. President Klaus Iohannis described the start of negotiations as an expected historic moment, which confirms Romanias commitment to democracy and a market economy. Made up of 32 countries, the OECD, through its member states, accounts for 70% of the world trade and production, and for 90% of the direct foreign investment.

AUR – The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the nationalist opposition in Romania, climbed on the second position in the Romanians’ voting intentions – shows a new survey conducted by INSCOP Research and taken over by the media in Bucharest. Credited with 20.6% of the voting intentions, AUR is behind the Social Democratic Party, in the governing coalition, which would get 34.3% of the votes. The National Liberal Party, the Social Democrats partner in the coalition government led by Liberal Nicolae Ciuca, fell to 16.6%. After going in opposition at the end of last year, after having ruled alongside the Liberals, the Save Romania Union is credited with 12.5% of the votes. 3rd placed in the governing coalition, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania would get 4.2%, below the 5% electoral threshold, which it passed, however, each time in over three decades of post-communist democracy. The rest of the parties have less than 3% of the votes. The conflicts between the ruling coalition parties, against the background of the energy bill crisis, directly affect their popularity — says the director of the INSCOP Research Institute, the sociologist Remus Ştefureac. He also believes that after the catastrophic political crisis at the end of last year, people no longer want to hear about political quarrels and will have no patience and no tolerance for the parties that will provoke them. Domestic social and political issues will continue to fuel electoral adherence to the ultra-populist discourse – Remus Ştefureac concludes.

Budget — In Romania, the consolidated general budget ended last year with a deficit of 6.72% of the Gross Domestic Product, below initial estimates indicating a negative balance of 7.13%, shows the Budget Execution submitted by the Public Finance Ministry. The budget deficit increased significantly in the last month of last year, after the Finance Ministry reported a negative balance of 4.7% of GDP in November. On the other hand, compared to 2020, when it was 9.61% of GDP, the budget deficit recorded a significant decrease. The evolution of the budget deficit in 2021 was determined by the increase of revenues, mainly influenced by the dynamics of VAT and profit tax revenues and the reduction of expenditures, mainly due to the decrease of the share in GDP of the expenses with salaries and social assistance. At the same time, between January and December 2021, investment expenditures were higher than in the same period of the previous year.

UN – The US has called on the UN Security Council to convene a meeting on Monday to discuss the threat to international peace posed by the buildup of Russian forces on the Ukrainian border. More than 100,000 Russian troops are deployed on the border with the former Soviet republic, and Russia is engaged in other acts of destabilization targeting Ukraine, which poses a clear threat to international peace and security and the United Nations Charter, the US ambassador to the UN said in a statement. In another development, the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that the Alliance is ready to increase its military presence in its eastern area in order to better defend its member states. He has explained that NATO is ready both for dialogue and to respond to Russian aggression. The French President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone conversation on Friday that they needed to deescalate tensions and continue dialogue.

NATO — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Thursday that he saw no problem with Russia’s or any other country’s visiting the military base in Deveselu (southern Romania) to see for themselves that there is no threat whatsoever to Moscow. However, he mentioned the principle of reciprocity, according to which the NATO members, including Romania, should be able to visit missile bases on the territory of the Russian Federation. Also on Thursday, Bogdan Aurescu had a conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart, Teodora Ghenciovska. The two expressed their firm support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and discussed the possibility of a joint visit to Kiev in sign of solidarity. On the other hand, the Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, had a phone conversation with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III. The topics on the agenda included developments in the security situation in the Black Sea region, NATOs posture on the eastern flank, as well as boosting the US presence in the region. Vasile Dîncu highlighted the need to strengthen the allied posture on NATO’s entire eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea region, as a defensive formula to ensure the security of allies and to discourage aggressive actions. At the same time, he reiterated Romanias determination to strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two states. (LS)

28 January 2022
January 27, 2022

COVID-19 — A total of 31,683 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania. It is the second day in a row with over 30,000 cases. 71 deaths were also reported. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, pointed out that the COVID-19 outbreaks in some hospitals are not a cause for concern, but solutions are being sought for the free testing of the medical staff. The vaccination of children aged between 5 and 11 started in Romania on Wednesday. Currently, more than 8 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose.

Visit — The Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, has said today, fresh from a meeting, in Bucharest, with his French counterpart, Mrs. Florence Parly, that Romania is in a special partnership with France. He has highlighted that Romania can count on France’s firm support which was confirmed by the recent statement of President Emmanuel Macron, in which he announced that his country was ready to contribute NATO troops to Romania. Romania is concerned about recent developments in the region and hopes that dialogue and understanding between the sides in conflict will prevail – said Minister Vasile Dîncu, who also welcomed the announcement of US President Joe Biden on boosting the US contribution to the deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea area, a proof of transatlantic solidarity. The French Defense Minister, Mrs. Florence Parly, who is on a visit to Romania, also has meetings with President Klaus Iohannis and the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.

Ukraine — On Wednesday the United States and NATO presented written answers to Russias request that NATO should withdraw its troops from Romania and Bulgaria and not accept Ukraine and Georgia among its allies. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that NATO is not abandoning its open door policy and has proposed Moscow a diplomatic way to avoid war. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also believes that a political solution to the crisis is still possible if Russia makes efforts to deescalate tensions. On the other hand, France and Germany, mediators in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, received a good signal from Russia, even though the meeting in Paris was difficult – the French presidency announced. A 9-hour meeting of political advisers from the four countries took place in Paris on Wednesday. Talks under Franco-German mediation will continue in two weeks’ time in Berlin.

Holocaust – On Thursday, January 27, on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, the Romanian Foreign Ministry officials paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, a tragic chapter in history and expressed solidarity with the survivors of the World War II atrocities. The Romanian Foreign Ministry officials have shown that Romania is one of the countries that has assumed its own past and is committed to keeping its memory alive for future generations, to protect the remaining survivors and to fight anti-Semitism and any manifestations of intolerance and discrimination. (…) This year it’s 77 years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than a million men, women and children lost their lives, 90% of whom were Jews mostly from Poland and Hungary. All in all, between 1941 and 1945, more than 6 million Jews were systematically killed in Europe by the Nazis and their collaborators. On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the presidents of the European Union’s three main institutions drew attention to the rise of anti-Semitic attitude and the proliferation of hate speech in recent years and asked for deterring such attitudes. (…) There are currently almost 166,000 Holocaust survivors living in Israel, with an average age of 85 years. About 60% are women, and around 64% come from Europe, most from the former USSR, and also from Romania (12%), Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary and Germany.

Traffic Code – Today, in the third session of this week, the Romanian Government is sanctions for aggressive drivers and those who endanger traffic safety. The driving license will be suspended for 4 months in the case of speeding drivers and very high fines will be given for harassment in traffic. Also today, the Executive will approve the financing contract signed by Romania with the European Investment Bank, worth 305 million Euros, for funding the Cluj Regional Hospital (northwest). Another law on the government’s agenda establishes a new state aid to reduce the excise duty on diesel fuel used in agriculture. (LS)

27 January 2022
January 26, 2022 UPDATE

Covid-19 — More than 34,000 new Covid-19 cases have been registered in Romania in the last 24 hours, along with 94 deaths – the Strategic Communication Group informed on Wednesday. This is an absolute record of infections since the beginning of the pandemic in Romania. Compared to the previous day, the number of Covid-19 cases nationwide almost doubled on Wednesday. About 700 patients are in ICUs. Vaccination for children between 5 and 11 started in Romania on Wednesday, but the interest is quite low, just as for the rest of the eligible population. The first amounts of Molnupiravir – an antiviral drug that is given to ‘high risk’ patients infected with the novel coronavirus, in assessment centers or hospitals – could reach the country by the end of the week, the health minister Alexandru Rafila said. He estimated that its use would have a favorable impact on reducing the pressure on intensive care units and reducing the number of deaths.

Ukraine — Romania has more than 600 km of common border with Ukraine and we must make sure that we are prepared for any possible scenario, said Wednesday Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis fresh from a Supreme Defense Council meeting convened in the context of the tense security situation in the region. He underlined that the current crisis created by Russia is not just about Ukraine, but about the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. That is why, Klaus Iohannis went on to say, at this moment it is important that at NATO and EU level we should show unity and solidarity. A complete analysis of the security situation in the area was made, including from the point of view of the military, economic and energy impact, and also from the perspective of uncontrolled migration. “Russia’s recent actions, through the proposals made in December, are trying to unacceptably change the parameters of the European security architecture,” the Romanian president pointed out. He also said that diplomatic dialogue must play a key role in deescalating the current situation and that it should continue.

Visit – The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, pays a visit to Bucharest to meet with President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and her Romanian counterpart Vasile Dîncu. The talks will focus on deepening defense relations between the two countries within the Strategic Partnership, including on arms cooperation. The French Minister will also discuss the Sahel missions, the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, and the regional situation in Eastern Europe. We remind you that France has expressed its readiness to consolidate its presence in Romania within the NATO missions.

OECD – The decision of the OECD Council to open accession negotiations with Romania is a chance for a new stage of reforms in favor of the citizen and for aligning the society with the consolidated democracies model, the PM Nicolae Ciuca said at the OECD Inter-ministerial Committee meeting on Wednesday. Its role is to coordinate the negotiations for Romanias admission into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Todays meeting is a signal that we are serious in relation with the preparation for Romania’s OECD accession, so that we can be together with the developed countries, which hold more than 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the worlds foreign direct investment, PM Ciuca underlined. The OECD has decided to launch accession negotiations with six candidate countries, including Romania. The OECD Council communiqué mentions the progress that Romania, alongside Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia and Peru, has made since launching the applications for membership. The organization will prepare individual roadmaps for all these countries, provided that the six states confirm their adherence to the values, vision and priorities of the organization.

Rome — Italian MPs have failed to designate a new president of the Republic even after a third round of voting on Wednesday. In the first three rounds a candidate must obtain two-thirds of the votes to be elected. Starting with the fourth round, which will be held on Thursday, a simple majority is enough. Many MPs submitted blank ballots on Wednesday. However, many have indicated the current head of state, Sergio Mattarella, although he had announced that he would not accept a second term, writes Reuters agency. The current prime minister, Mario Draghi, has great chances to be designated president. (LS)

26 January 2022
January 25, 2022

Covid – 19 Ro — 114,000 vaccine doses from Pfizer BioNTech Company for the vaccination of children between the ages of 5 and 11 arrive in Romania today. The vaccination of this age group will begin on January 26. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 incidence rate continues to rise in Romania. The most daily cases are confirmed in the Bucharest-Ilfov area, where the demand for testing is high. In order to respond to these requests as soon as possible, the Health Ministry decided to open 28 testing centers. A total of 19,685 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the last 24 hours along with 44 deaths. The pressure on hospitals is not as high as in the previous wave of the pandemic, but the number of hospitalized people is increasing by the day.

Transport — The employees of the Bucharest Transport Company have suspended the protest action and have resumed their activity, after five days in which the surface public transport in the Capital was blocked. We remind you that the strike was declared illegal by the court, but the trade unionists have so far ignored the courts decision. They are asking for salary increases and the resignation of the company’s manager, Adrian Crit. The latter told Agerpres news agency that, after five days of illegal protest that paralyzed the capital, the employees have eventually understood that they cannot ignore the law and the obligations they have towards the people of Bucharest. The general mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, has said that the talks will continue in order to improve the situation at the Bucharest Transport Company, depending on the available budgets. Previously Nicusor Dan had accused that the protest had been politicized.

Holocaust — Promoting the fundamental rights and freedoms, respecting the historical truth and understanding the causes of such atrocities give us assurances that such crimes against humanity will never happen again, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said today at the ceremony devoted to International Holocaust Remembrance Day. He underlined that the exacerbation of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, intolerance, racism and discrimination, the attempts to rehabilitate war criminals, as well as the relinquishing of the supreme values of humanity could bring back the tragic experiences of history. The Romanian president recalled that, in the streets of Bucharest, in January 1941, criminals vandalized and burned synagogues, shattered the destinies of thousands of innocent people through the most horrific tortures, all these horrors being part of a diabolical plan of mass extermination. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the virulence of anti-Semitic attacks and created a framework that led to the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation, president Iohannis said. (…) In turn, the PM Nicolae Ciuca, present at the ceremony, has said that the Holocaust is a dark chapter of history, pointing out that it must not be forgotten and minimized. He has paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and presented the contribution of the Jewish community to the development of Romania.

Ukraine – The leaders of the US and of several European countries expressed, on Monday, during a video conference, their full support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine and promised that Russia would face very serious consequences in case of an aggression against Ukraine. The participants agreed that it was up to Moscow to take visible steps to de-escalate the conflict, said the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who attended the meeting with leaders from the US, France, Britain, Italy and Poland, among others. The Western leaders accuse Moscow of being the source of current tensions and say security and stability in Europe can be solved through negotiations. On Monday, the situation caused by Russias aggressive actions in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region was included on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels. The Romania Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu proposed his counterparts to consider the possibility of holding a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Kiev, as an expression of the EUs solidarity with Ukraine. He reiterated the importance of supporting the strengthening of the resilience of Ukraine and other Eastern partners, as well as of increasing the EUs involvement in finding political solutions to the prolonged conflicts in the Black Sea region.

Corruption — The 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International shows that, despite official commitments, 131 of the 180 countries surveyed have made no significant progress in fighting corruption in the past 10 years. According to the report, Romania is no exception, and the perception of public sector corruption has been unchanged for a decade. With only 45 points out of 100, Romania remains among the most corrupt countries in the European Union, alongside Hungary (43 points) and Bulgaria (42 points). Transparency International’s analysis shows that the Covid-19 pandemic has given governments the opportunity to expand their executive power, hide public information and restrict citizens rights. In Romania, one of the most vulnerable areas was public procurement, with effects on the transparency of the public expenses during the pandemic. (LS)

25 January 2022
Debates on capping energy bill prices

In Romania, the price of gas and electricity bills has exploded in recent months, and in some cases has even increased 4 up to 5 times, despite the fact that, in October, a law was adopted according to which, between November 1, 2021 and April 1, 2022, the final price of electricity bills is capped at a maximum of 1 leu/kWh, and that of natural gas at a maximum of 0.37 lei/kWh. Furthermore, this law also compensates for the prices of electricity and natural gas bills for household consumers if they meet certain consumption limits.

The law on capping and compensating energy prices will be amended by the government, says the energy minister, Virgil Popescu, so that the suppliers who miscalculated the bills, ignoring the law, can re-issue the bills without paying penalties. An increase in gas bill compensation is also being considered and it will be forbidden to disconnect consumers.

Moreover, the government intends to also take measures in relation to the food industry and agriculture. Here is the energy minister, Virgil Popescu: “From February 1, we will discuss a package for the food and agriculture industries. We may also discuss an additional discount on natural gas, we either increase the discount from 33% to 50% or reduce the VAT for gas. We will find solutions for the continuation of this scheme as of February 1 and April 1, respectively.”

The energy bill crisis has caused reactions from the leaders of the governing parties, PSD and PNL. Mutual accusations have been made, the resignation of the leadership of the Energy Ministry and of the Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority — ANRE was asked, and proposals were made to balance the situation. The Social Democrats are dissatisfied with the law initiated by the Liberals regarding the compensation of bills and the capping of energy prices, and several PSD members asked for the dismissal of energy minister Virgil Popescu. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu believes that quick solutions are required, such as capping the VAT on energy and natural gas, but also organizing a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense – CSAT.

Marcel Ciolacu: “We are obviously in full crisis. I think that people expect solutions from this coalition, which has a comfortable majority in the Romanian Parliament, rapid solutions, found now, not as of April 1.”

The president of the PNL Florin Cîţu says that talks on the issue should be more pragmatic, without populist messages and solutions that have a big impact on the budget. Florin Cîţu: “I would prioritize. We cannot talk about measures that discriminate or promise that we will pay everyones bills, we cannot promise all kinds of tax eliminations. The balance we have reached in the economy in recent years can be easily disturbed”.

Trade unions and employers’ associations also demand the capping of energy and natural gas bill prices both for domestic consumers and companies, and point out that without systemic and unitary measures, many companies will go bankrupt. (LS)

17 January 2022
Again, about offsetting energy prices

The situation in the Romanian energy sector is serious and does not seem to improve in the absence of a firm political intervention. Overlapping the full liberalization of the energy market in 2021, the spikes in electricity and gas prices make victims. On the one hand, among household consumers, especially the vulnerable, who, from one month to the next, receive huge energy bills. On the other hand, companies are also facing problems which, for the same reason, find themselves in a situation to restrict their activity and, consequently, to make a lot of redundancies. One of the most resounding cases, these days, is that of the ALRO Aluminum Plant in Slatina (south), one of the largest in Europe, which has already started closing an electrolysis hall that has been operating for over half a century. The Energy Ministry says that the control over the actors on the energy market is held by the Authority for Energy Regulation (ANRE), an autonomous, independent body, and the National Authority for Consumer Protection.

The governing coalition made up of the PNL-PSD-UDMR, decided through an emergency decree, subsequently voted in Parliament, to cap energy prices between November 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022, and to provide compensations to the population.

However, not all market players have complied with the law, according to the energy minister, Virgil Popescu: “Indeed, there are suppliers who have not capped the prices and sent uncompensated bills. Only one large supplier was prepared, so that, by December 15, it issued correct invoices, as stipulated by the law.”

Consequently, those who have received non-compliant bills do not have to pay them, and the suppliers are obliged to resend correct bills, otherwise, they risk having their operating license lifted. Moreover, the PM Nicolae Ciucă announced further measures to support the population: “As of April 1, household consumers with a monthly consumption of up to 300 kWh will benefit from a new protection scheme, which will include a VAT reduced to 5%, as well as the compensation of the green certificate and of the cogeneration bonus for consumption. We will also draft a natural gas support scheme.”

According to the prime minister, support measures for SMEs are also being considered, provided that they don’t make redundancies. The Social Democrats welcomed the measures to protect the population against energy price hikes but say that more is needed. Thus, they suggest reducing the VAT not only for energy, but also for natural gas, and not from April 1, but from February 1.

Almost all products and services have become more expensive in Romania due to the increase in electricity and gas prices, inflation being a matter of concern both for the population and the central bank. For the first part of this year, the inflation level of 7-8% could be exceeded. (LS)

12 January 2022
State of alert in Romania extended

In the context of the rapid spread of the Omicron strain of the novel coronavirus, which is transmitted much more easily, wearing a protective mask becomes mandatory again, as of Saturday, in all enclosed and open spaces in Romania, as the state of alert has been extended by the Government. Furthermore, the use of textile or plastic masks is no longer permitted due to their very low efficiency. Doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă drew attention to the wrong way in which people often wear the protective mask, without adequately covering the nose and mouth.

Valeriu Gheorghiţă: “Besides this recommendation to use a medical mask, I would suggest that people should use the mask correctly, because good masks are useless if people do not use them correctly. The three-layer surgical masks should be replaced every four hours. FFP2 masks can be worn for a longer period because they have a much more rigorous filtration”.

Besides the obligation to wear a protective mask, there will be restrictions for the activity of restaurants, for shows and sporting events, depending on the Covid-19 incidence rate in each locality. Shops and restaurants will be open until 10 p.m. Meanwhile, in the run up to the 5th wave of the pandemic, the authorities are deciding where to set up Covid outpatient assessment and treatment centers, a measure aimed at reducing the risk of hospital overcrowding, as happened in autumn. According to Dr. Beatrice Mahler, the manager of the Marius Nasta Institute in Bucharest, these centers will be very helpful not only for hospitals, but also for patients who will be healed faster.

Beatrice Mahler: “At the moment, we are approaching the 5th wave from the perspective of a therapy that can be administered from the first days of illness. It is important that the patients who are at risk of developing a severe form, those over 65 or patients with a chronic disease in treatment, have a place to go to from the very first symptoms of the disease. Of course, we should not rule out the presence of patients who are symptomatic and have a suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection. They can also go to these centers to get a diagnosis.”

The authorities are strongly recommending vaccination, as it significantly reduces the risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 and the risk of death. According to experts, the vaccinated people who have also had the booster dose or those who have had the disease are the most protected categories in the run up to the new wave of the pandemic. However, Romanians are not eager to get vaccinated, even if the number of infections is more than four times higher than a week ago, the number of vaccines administered daily being quite small, about several thousand. However, those who have already been fully vaccinated find it easier to decide on having the booster dose. (LS)

7 January 2022