Radio România Internațional

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  • Tourism and holidays in Romania

    Tourism and holidays in Romania

    For two years, the Romanian tourism industry has been operating with interruptions, and the efforts for recovery have been thwarted by the anti-Covid measures. Restrictions on leaving or entering the country, the obligatory quarantine upon reaching the destination or returning home, the introduction of “green certificates” and the facilities granted only to vaccinated people or the constant change of the traffic light system have generated a wave of travel cancellations, refunds and litigation.



    Due to restrictions, Romanians chose the tourist destinations of Romania. But in 2021, holiday vouchers were canceled, although they largely ensure the survival and development of the sector, which has lost more than 30% of its workforce in 18 months. Even so, last year, revenues increased compared to the first year of the pandemic, although they did not reach the level of 2019. On Easter and May 1, the number of tourists in Romania’s hotels and guesthouses was double compared to a normal year.



    Tourist destinations from all over the country were chosen, especially rural guesthouses, mountain and spa resorts, as well as the Danube Delta. The star of the summer season was, by far, the Black Sea Coast. On the New Years Eve, Romanians spent 45 million Euros on foreign destinations and 30 million Euros on domestic ones — show data from the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania. “2022 New Years Eve celebrations do not compare with the last normal New Years Eve celebrations, in 2020, but considerable growth was reported as compared to the ones in 2021” – said Traian Bădulescu, the spokesman of the National Association of Travel Agencies in Romania.



    According to him, with the announced relaxation of restrictions on December 7, reservations for the New Year’s Eve across Romania increased by 30%. Among the Romanians’ favorite destinations abroad we can mention Egypt, Dubai, Zanzibar, the Dominican Republic, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Mexico and Costa Rica. It was obvious that people wanted to travel where there were less restrictions, especially to green destinations. Consequently, the Western European countries were less popular this time.



    For 2022, the new Liberal- Social Democratic coalition, which has been governing the country since the end of last year, decided to grant holiday vouchers again, as the employer’s associations forming the Alliance for Tourism even recommended a law on granting holiday vouchers for a period of at least 5 years.



    These days, the Romanian Association of Spas and Spa Resorts has proposed to the Executive to grant health vouchers for medical recovery in the 34 existing spa resorts nationwide. According to the president of the Association, Gheorghe Paciu, it would be very important that the medical recovery, so necessary in the current context of the pandemic, should be done in spas, and Romanians should use the national resources of recovery, the therapeutic, thermal waters and mud, which are famous internationally. (LS)

  • January 2, 2022 UPDATE

    January 2, 2022 UPDATE

    Covid — 958 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, alongside 17 deaths – the Strategic Communication Group announced on Sunday. Health experts say that the 5th pandemic wave will reach Romania in the first weeks of 2022 and estimate that a threshold of 25,000 infections per day could be reached. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that the law on the introduction of the so-called COVID green certificate could be adopted either in a special session of parliament or by government decree. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have been vaccinated with the so-called booster dose.



    Finance — For January 2022 the Romanian Finance Ministry planned loans from commercial banks worth 4.4 billion lei, of which 300 million lei through the issuance of discounted treasury bonds and 4.1 billion lei through ten government bond issues. Adding to these could be the amount of 615 million lei, through additional sessions of non-competitive offers, related to bond auctions. The total amount of 5.015 billion lei (the equivalent of over one billion Euros) will be used to refinance the public debt and to finance the state budget deficit.



    Handball — Romanias national mens handball team starts training for the preliminary qualifying tournament for the World Championship, to be held in Cluj-Napoca (northwest). Between January 7-9, 2022, the Romanian handballers will meet the national teams of Israel, Cyprus and the Republic of Moldova, opponents considered accessible by the specialized press. Last week, Romania played, also in Cluj, two training matches with the Turkish national team, which it won 26-24 and 35-25, respectively. The friendly matches replaced, in the schedule of the two teams, a new edition of the traditional Carpathian Trophy, which was canceled, after numerous players contaminated with COVID-19 were identified in the groups of the other two participants, Switzerland and Iran. Romanias coach is the famous Spanish coach Xavi Pasqual, who won the Champions League with Barcelona three times.



    Pay rise — Since January 1, the minimum gross salary in Romania has increased to 2,550 lei (the equivalent of about 510 Euros), the pension point to 1,586 lei (320 Euros), and the minimum social allowance increased to 1,000 lei (200 Euros). Allowances for children aged 2 to 18 also increased to 243 lei (about 49 Euros), and to 600 lei (about 120 Euros) for children up to two years or up to three years in the case of disabled children. However, the level of excise duties for almost all product categories – petrol, diesel oil, beer, wine and spirits – is also increasing, the only exception being for cigarettes. For the approximately 3.7 million consumers who have not yet concluded a free-market contract, electricity tariffs increase by 50 up to 90%, depending on the supplier, but people will not pay increased bills now, because they have been capped and will be compensated from the state budget until March 31, 2022. Analysts warn that increases in pensions and salaries will not be felt by the population, tough, as these increases come in the context of price rises, which will continue in the next period.



    Energy – Romanian energy experts expect the Romgaz National Natural Gas Company to sign, this spring, the contract to take over the shares of the American operator ExxonMobil in the Neptune Deep perimeter of the Black Sea, which would ensure Romanias energy independence for many years. The Neptune Deep perimeter in the Black Sea has the largest gas reserve discovered so far off the Romanian coast, which is estimated at over 80 billion cubic meters and having an uncertain potential of up to 200 billion. Given that today Romanias consumption is up to 12 billion cubic meters per year, this perimeter is the equivalent of the national consumption for at least eight years. According to initial plans, with the start of operations, Neptun Deep could provide two billion cubic meters of gas in the first year, just enough for Romania to become independent of imports. Production is going to increase annually to six billion, after which it will decrease with the gradual depletion of the gas amount in the depths. The shareholders of Romgaz, a company owned by the Romanian state, have already approved this takeover and thus the company will become an equal partner, within the Neptun Deep project, with another company partly owned by the Romanian state, Petrom. Following the expected change in the offshore law, gas exploration in the Neptune Deep perimeter could begin in 2026-2027.



    Borders – The Border Police supplemented the personnel and the checkpoints at Romania’s western border where the traffic has intensified. Many Romanians who work abroad leave Romania after the holidays, consequently, traffic has intensified at the Romanian-Hungarian border. At the Nadlac II Border Point, one of the busiest border-crossing points at the border with Hungary, eight control lanes have been opened for cars leaving Romania, to which two mobile stations are added.



    Schools — Secondary and high school pupils resume classes on Monday after the winter break alongside the students of the vocational and post-compulsory education system. According to the timetable approved by the Education Ministry pupils in the preschool and primary education system will end the winter holidays on January 9. The first semester will end on January 14, and the second semester will begin on January 17. The next holiday, namely the spring (Easter) holiday will be between April 15 and May 1. (LS)

  • January 2, 2022

    January 2, 2022

    Covid — 958 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, alongside 17 deaths – the Strategic Communication Group announced on Sunday. Health experts say that the 5th pandemic wave will reach Romania in the first weeks of 2022 and estimate that a threshold of 25,000 infections per day could be reached. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that the law on the introduction of the so-called COVID green certificate could be adopted either in a special session of parliament or by government decree. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have been vaccinated with the so-called booster dose.



    Finance — For January 2022 the Romanian Finance Ministry planned loans from commercial banks worth 4.4 billion lei, of which 300 million lei through the issuance of discounted treasury bonds and 4.1 billion lei through ten government bond issues. Adding to these could be the amount of 615 million lei, through additional sessions of non-competitive offers, related to bond auctions. The total amount of 5.015 billion lei (the equivalent of over one billion Euros) will be used to refinance the public debt and to finance the state budget deficit.



    Handball — Romanias national mens handball team starts training for the preliminary qualifying tournament for the World Championship, to be held in Cluj-Napoca (northwest). Between January 7-9, 2022, the Romanian handballers will meet the national teams of Israel, Cyprus and the Republic of Moldova, opponents considered accessible by the specialized press. Last week, Romania played, also in Cluj, two training matches with the Turkish national team, which it won 26-24 and 35-25, respectively. The friendly matches replaced, in the schedule of the two teams, a new edition of the traditional Carpathian Trophy, which was canceled, after numerous players contaminated with COVID-19 were identified in the groups of the other two participants, Switzerland and Iran. Romanias coach is the famous Spanish coach Xavi Pasqual, who won the Champions League with Barcelona three times.



    Pay rise — Since January 1, the minimum gross salary in Romania has increased to 2,550 lei (the equivalent of about 510 Euros), the pension point to 1,586 lei (320 Euros), and the minimum social allowance increased to 1,000 lei (200 Euros). Allowances for children aged 2 to 18 also increased to 243 lei (about 49 Euros), and to 600 lei (about 120 Euros) for children up to two years or up to three years in the case of disabled children. However, the level of excise duties for almost all product categories – petrol, diesel oil, beer, wine and spirits – is also increasing, the only exception being for cigarettes. For the approximately 3.7 million consumers who have not yet concluded a free-market contract, electricity tariffs increase by 50 up to 90%, depending on the supplier, but people will not pay increased bills now, because they have been capped and will be compensated from the state budget until March 31, 2022. Analysts warn that increases in pensions and salaries will not be felt by the population, tough, as these increases come in the context of price rises, which will continue in the next period.



    Energy – Romanian energy experts expect the Romgaz National Natural Gas Company to sign, this spring, the contract to take over the shares of the American operator ExxonMobil in the Neptune Deep perimeter of the Black Sea, which would ensure Romanias energy independence for many years. The Neptune Deep perimeter in the Black Sea has the largest gas reserve discovered so far off the Romanian coast, which is estimated at over 80 billion cubic meters and having an uncertain potential of up to 200 billion. Given that today Romanias consumption is up to 12 billion cubic meters per year, this perimeter is the equivalent of the national consumption for at least eight years. According to initial plans, with the start of operations, Neptun Deep could provide two billion cubic meters of gas in the first year, just enough for Romania to become independent of imports. Production is going to increase annually to six billion, after which it will decrease with the gradual depletion of the gas amount in the depths. The shareholders of Romgaz, a company owned by the Romanian state, have already approved this takeover and thus the company will become an equal partner, within the Neptun Deep project, with another company partly owned by the Romanian state, Petrom. Following the expected change in the offshore law, gas exploration in the Neptune Deep perimeter could begin in 2026-2027. (LS)

  • December 31, 2021

    December 31, 2021

    Covid — On Friday, Romania reported a growing number of COVID-19 cases for the 4th consecutive day. The latest reporting shows 1,668 new cases of infection, most of them reported since December 3. 38 deaths were reported in the same period. Health experts say that the 5th pandemic wave will reach Romania in the first weeks of 2022 and estimate that a threshold of 25,000 infections per day might be reached. The PM Nicolae Ciuca said that the law on the introduction of the so-called COVID green certificate could be adopted either in a special session of Parliament or by a government decree. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered in Romania, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest immunization rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have had the so-called booster dose.



    PNNR — Romania has fulfilled 18 of the 21 milestones that it had to reach by the end of the year, according to the targets set by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – says the Minister of European Investments and Projects, Dan Vîlceanu. He explained that the last seven milestones that depended on the government have been completed, and three more are under discussion between the European Investment Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Among the laws approved on Thursday by the Bucharest government for fulfilling the commitments assumed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan we can mention: a national dropout reduction program, an action plan aimed at increasing railway traffic by at least 25% in the next four years, a plan aimed at connecting several localities to water supply and sewerage, building two sections of highway and several plans on a number of energy renovation projects.



    New Year celebrations — Over 25,000 Romanian policemen, gendarmes, firefighters and border policemen will ensure the protection and safety of citizens during the New Years celebrations. 280 speed cameras will be located on the roads, and road traffic will be monitored by the General Aviation Inspectorate aircraft. The Interior Ministry announces that 60 public events will be held on the New Years Eve, with more than 120,000 people expected to attend. Authorities are urging all those attending the events not to drink alcohol in the public space, to pay special attention to children, to refrain from any conflict situation or violence, and to ask for the support of the gendarmes, if they notice violations of the law. Part of the restrictions will be suspended on the New Year’s Eve. However, those in home quarantine or isolation must remain in their homes, and the protective mask should continue to be worn in crowded public spaces. The police and gendarmes will also be present in the mountain resorts, to ensure the safety of tourists.



    Nomination — The Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca (PNL) has announced that a nomination for the post of Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitization, which has become vacant following the resignation of his party colleague, Florin Roman, will be made within two weeks at the most. Roman resigned on December 15, after the Bucharest press published information that he had falsified his CV. He is said to have completed short-term university studies at a university college and took the graduation exam at the prestigious Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (northwest). Thus, Roman obtained a graduation diploma, not a bachelors degree from Babeş-Bolyai University, as it was written in his CV. Prior to his resignation, the PM Ciuca asked Roman to also clarify the accusations of plagiarism brought against him. On December 17, President Klaus Iohannis signed the decree by which the Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, was appointed as interim minister at the helm of the Research, Innovation and Digitization Ministry. Romans resignation is the first in the coalition government installed on November 25, which is made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR. (LS)

  • December 30, 2021 UPDATE

    December 30, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid-19 – Romania could enter the 5th wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in January, with the dominant Omicron variant. As this strain is much more contagious than the Delta variant, Romania needs to increase the testing capacity, including in the family physicians’ offices, as well as to improve the response capacity of hospitals – said the health minister, Alexandru Rafila. He has given assurances that innovative medicines used to treat Covid will soon arrive in Romania. Minister Rafila has also called for the re-boosting of the vaccination campaign, which has slowed down at present. In turn, the head of the National Center for the Monitoring and Control of Communicable Diseases, Adriana Pistol, said that the worst scenario indicates, in the 5th wave of the pandemic, 25,000 cases per day and over 1,500 people in ICUs. 1,497 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in the last 24 hours alongside 37 deaths, one being from the previous day – the Strategic Communication Group reported on Thursday. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been registered in Romania, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have had the booster dose.



    Recovery and Resilience — The Romanian government has completed all the milestones that Romania still had to reach by December 2021 in the application of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dan Vîlceanu announced. He said that the government adopted, in this respect, in Thursdays meeting, among others, the Emergency Ordinance regarding the Law on water supply and sewerage and the Railway Infrastructure Development Strategy 2021-2025. Vîlceanu also said that the talks related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan renegotiations have been completed and that there are still three milestones to be fulfilled, but which do not depend on the Government, but on the agreement between the EBRD and the European Investment Fund. Also on Thursday the government adopted the National Dropout Reduction Program that will benefit from 543 million Euros worth of funds. We remind you that through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, approved in autumn, in Brussels, Romania is to receive from the European Union, until 2026, about 29 billion Euros in the form of subsidies and loans for investments and reforms. The European Commission has already transferred 1.8 billion Euros to Romania in the form of pre-financing, the equivalent of 13% of the total number of grants allocated.



    Home ownership — Over 96% of Romanias population lived in a privately-owned home in 2020, the highest percentage among EU member states – according to data released on Thursday by Eurostat. While across the EU, the home-ownership rate is slightly decreasing compared to 2019, in Romania the trend is reversed, the home-ownership rate increasing from 95.8 to 96.1%. Other countries with a high home-ownership rate are Slovakia (92%), Hungary and Croatia (both with 91%). At the other end, the countries with a low home-ownership rate are Denmark – 59%, Austria – 55% and Germany – just over 50%. Eurostat data also show that, at EU level, 53% of the population lives in a house, 46% in an apartment, and 1% in floating homes or trailers. Almost 66% of Romanians live in a house and 34% in an apartment. But Romania ranks last in the EU in terms of house size, measured by the average number of rooms per person. While in the EU the average is 1.6 rooms for one person, in Romania it is 1.1 rooms for one person.



    Ghiseul.ro – The Romanian Digitalization Authority announces that the online platform Ghişeul.ro has collected over 1 billion lei (about 200 million Euros) this year. Payments made by users in just 12 months exceed, both in terms of the number of transactions and of the amounts collected, the total figures recorded in the previous 9 years of the platform operation. “It is obvious that Romanians have changed their behavior in relation to the state. We are already working on the Ghişeul.ro mobile application and on version 2.0 of the www.ghiseul.ro web platform”, said the president of the Romanian Digitalization Authority, Octavian Oprea. Launched in 2011, Ghişeul.ro is the official online payment platform of the Romanian state. It is used by citizens and companies to pay for over 350 public services provided by 1,000 institutions and authorities, as well as fines.



    Extradition – The Romanian Justice Ministry has again called for the extradition of the former PSD deputy Cristian Rizea who fled to Chisinau, after having been sentenced in Romania to 4 years and 8 months in prison, for influence peddling, money laundering and influencing declarations. Rizea, who is also accused of illegally obtaining the Moldovan citizenship in 2017, which was withdrawn three years later by former President Igor Dodon, lost the dispute at the Chisinau Court of Appeal and, according to lawyers, he can be extradited easier. Rizea was accused of claiming directly from a businessman the amount of 300 thousand Euros, disguised in the form of two fictitious loan agreements, in exchange for the promise, which was later fulfilled, that he would intervene to solve the problems the respective businessman had with the National Company for the State Protocol Heritage Administration (RAAPPS) and the Chiajna mayor’s office, in Ilfov County (south). The Romanian side sent the extradition request to the Moldovan Justice Ministry on November 5, 2020. The next deadline set by the Moldovan authorities in Rizeas extradition file is January 28, 2022. (LS)

  • December 29, 2021

    December 29, 2021

    COVID Ro — The Romanian health minister, Alexandru Rafila, announced on Wednesday that the duration of quarantine and isolation for people suffering from Covid-19 will be reduced from 14 to 10 days, as in most European Union countries. In turn, Adriana Pistol, head of the National Center for the Monitoring and Control of Communicable Diseases, urged people to get vaccinated in the context of a future pandemic wave caused by the Omicron strain. 1,271 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in 24 hours in Romania, out of over 42 thousand tests, and 35 deaths, two of which were from the previous day, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Wednesday. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Romania, over 1.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been registered, and almost 60,000 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus have died. The country has the second lowest vaccination rate among the 27 EU members, after Bulgaria. Less than 7.9 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, that is a little over 40% of the eligible population. About two million of them have also had the booster dose.



    Budget — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has promulgated the State Budget Law and the Social Welfare Law for 2022. The next year’s budget prepared by the governing coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR is based on a 4.6% economic growth rate, an average annual inflation rate of 6.5% and an average gross salary of 6,095 lei (the equivalent of about 1,200 Euros) per month. Also, the government debt ceiling, was set, according to the European Union methodology, at 49.8% of the Gross Domestic Product, being estimated at 260 billion Euros. Funds of over 96.3 billion lei are allocated for the payment of public system pensions, which means 7.32% of GDP. The document was challenged at the Constitutional Court by the opposition USR, but their notification was rejected by the Court judges. The magistrates explained in their motivation, issued, for the first time, on the same day with their decision, that none of the challenged issues represents a violation of the Constitution. USR accuses that the government has not allocated, through the state budget, the necessary funds for the local administrations led by the mayors of this party. The PNL leader, the former prime minister Florin Cîţu, also criticized the fact that the draft budget for 2022 does not provide for a 7% of the GDP allocation for investments, as agreed in the governing coalition, but for only 6.7 %.



    Handball — Romanias national mens handball team will play, tonight, at home, in Cluj-Napoca (in the northwest), a new training match with the Turkish national team. The two teams also met on Monday, when the Romanians won 26-24. The friendly matches replace, in the schedule of the two teams, a new edition of the traditional Carpathian Trophy, which was to be played in Cluj too, but which was canceled, after many players contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 were found in the groups of the other two participants, Switzerland and Iran. After the training matches, the Romanian handballers will play, also in Cluj, between January 7-9, 2022, in the preliminary qualifying tournament for the World Championship, where they will play against the national teams of Israel, Cyprus and the Republic of Moldova. The coach of Romanias handballers is the famous Spanish Xavi Pasqual, who won the Champions League with Barcelona three times.



    Covid world – The Omicron strain of the novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly in many countries, but the number of hospitalized patients remains low for the time being. The UK on Tuesday recorded nearly 130,000 new cases of COVID-19, which is a new record, and 18 Covid-related deaths. An absolute record since the beginning of the pandemic has also been registered in Portugal – 17,000 new infections in the last 24 hours, in a country with the highest vaccination rate in the world, after the United Arab Emirates. Of Portugal’s population 10 million, almost a quarter has received booster doses, and the restrictions imposed are getting tougher and tougher. Switzerland has reported 13,000 new cases today, and 40 people vaccinated with three doses are hospitalized. The solution put forward by the Swiss authorities is to simply avoid meetings with other people. In the Netherlands, too, the omicron variant is now dominant, but the infection rate remains on a downward trend for the time being due to a tough lockdown. Italy has recorded an absolute record of over 78,000 new cases of COVID-19 in one day, the highest since the onset of the pandemic. In Turkey, too, the number of new infections has risen to more than 30,000, the highest since mid-October. The Turkish authorities insist on the need for vaccination. On Wednesday, Poland reported 794 COVID- 19 related deaths, the highest daily number in the 4th pandemic wave. (LS)

  • December 28, 2021 UPDATE

    December 28, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid – 1,144 new Covid cases were registered in Romania in 24 hours alongside 67 deaths, the Strategic Communication Group informed on Tuesday. The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is also spreading in Romania, 38 cases being confirmed, so far, by lab tests. The authorities and public health experts estimate that a new pandemic wave will begin in January, in the context of the spread around the world of the Omicron variant, of the people who work abroad returning home for the holidays, and of the people coming home from holidays. Under these conditions, the medical units are preparing for another difficult period, with a peak of the pandemic being expected in February and March. One year after the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, 2020, only 7.8 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, i.e. about 40% of the eligible population. About two million also had the booster dose.



    Protests — The Romanian Sanitary Solidarity Federation organized new protests on Tuesday in front of the Government, Presidency and Parliament headquarters. Their main demand is to receive the income promised almost two years ago, which was not granted in 2021. They are also asking that the bonuses and the payment of on-call services be related to the basic salary. Simultaneously with the three protest actions in Bucharest, the health workers protested in the courtyards of the hospitals in Bucharest and other cities of Romania. The Sanitary Solidarity Federation is a representative trade union organization in the healthcare system, having as members over 25,000 employees.



    Government — The Romanian government adopted several emergency ordinances on Tuesday. One introduces new obligations for online stores related to product warranty, and is needed to avoid European sanctions. By December 30, 2021 Romania was supposed to introduce in its legislation a series of European directives that make online commerce a safer activity for both sellers and buyers. The law does not apply to contracts regarding the supply of digital content or digital services. On the other hand, the government has decided to provide new aid for low-income pensioners who need medicines. Therefore, people with incomes from pensions and social allowances of up to 1,429 lei per month (the equivalent of less than 300 Euros), regardless of whether or not they earn other income too, will benefit from a 90% compensation of the reference price of medicines. Also on Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the State Budget Bill and the Social Welfare Bill for 2022.



    Court of Human Rights – The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the refusal of the Romanian judiciary to register a political party that did not dissociate itself from the former Romanian Communist Party (PCR) was justified. The ruling cannot be appealed. National courts considered that the program and statute of the Communist Party included vague, general terms, ignored democratic values and the social and political evolution of the country after the 1989 anti-communist revolution, and allowed for totalitarian and extremist actions that could undermine national security and posed a threat to democratic values. The Court also notes that national courts wanted to prevent any political party that seriously abused its position of power over a long period of time by instating a totalitarian regime from making the same abuse in the future. The communist regime in Romania came to power in 1945 with the help of the Soviet occupation troops and was ousted in 1989. During this totalitarian regime, thousands were imprisoned and killed. The regime was declared illegitimate in 2006 by the then president, Traian Băsescu. (LS)

  • December 27, 2021

    December 27, 2021

    Covid – One year since the administration of the first Covid vaccine dose in Romania, the country is on the last but one place in the EU in terms of the vaccination rate, with almost 7.8 million Romanians being fully vaccinated, i.e. just over 40 % of the total population. The data also show that almost 2 million Romanians have so far had the third dose. The situation reveals a rather low interest in vaccination, except for short periods of enthusiasm or fears caused by successive waves of the pandemic. A total of 566 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the last 24 hours and 24 deaths, the Strategic Communication Group reported on Sunday. About 450 patients are in ICUs, over 90% of them being unvaccinated.



    NATO — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has decided to convene on January 12 a NATO-Russia Council – a co-operation body set up in 2002, now suspended due to the conflict in Ukraine – and he is in contact with Moscow on the matter, an Alliance official in Brussels announced. On Thursday, Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed his support for Ukraine and his determination to protect all NATO allies against Russias actions, adding that he was always open to dialogue with Moscow. Russia and the West accuse each other of challenging actions by strengthening military capabilities at common borders. Russia wants a firm guarantee that NATO will not accept Ukraine as a member, a request that NATO rejected in the past, as well as to limit Western military cooperation in Eastern Europe and the former USSR member states. President Vladimir Putin did not say how Russia would react if its demands were not met, stressing that the answer depended on the proposals the military experts present him with. The EU, the US and NATO have warned Moscow that there will be serious consequences in case of a military escalation.



    St.Stephen — Today, the majority Orthodox Christians in Romania, and the Greek Catholics celebrate St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was a contemporary of the apostles of Jesus Christ and was one of seven deacons chosen to serve in the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Stephen was accused of blasphemy by Jewish clerics and was stoned to death. The New Testament recorded his last words, when he was asking God to forgive his murderers. Over 500,000 Romanians, most of them men, celebrate their name day on December 27, Saint Stephen Day. According to the Directorate for Persons Record and Databases Management, the most common is the first name Ştefan, along with the forms Fane, Fănel, Istvan, Ştefănel or Ştefănuţ, while most women who have Saint Stephen as their spiritual patron have the first name Ştefania.



    Statistics – Romanian households remained on first place in the EU in 2020 in terms of the share of food and non-alcoholic beverage spending out of the total consumption expenses, show data released by Eurostat on Monday. While in the EU the average is 14.8%, Romanian households last year allocated 26.4% of total consumption expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, Romania is better than most member states when it comes to the share of expenses on housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels out of the total household consumption expenditure. At EU level, these expenditures accounted for more than a quarter (25.7%) of the total consumption expenditure in 2020, while in Romania the percentage was 18.8%. According to Eurostat, these increases are a consequence of the quarantines and mobility restrictions that have been imposed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. (LS)

  • December 19, 2021 UPDATE

    December 19, 2021 UPDATE

    Visit. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă is travelling to Brussels on Monday and Tuesday for talks with top EU and NATO officials. He will have a working dinner on Monday with the president of the European Council Charles Michael and on Tuesday he will meet the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and other Commission members. Prime minister Ciucă is also expected to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters.

    Travel. Border checkpoints for entering Romania by road are becoming even busier as the winter holidays are nearing, especially on the western border. The authorities say the infrastructure is used to the maximum and the number of staff has been beefed up. The country’s biggest airport near Bucharest is also getting busier, with new measures to manage passenger flow in place from Saturday. Passengers can only disembark in groups of 50, at an interval of 15 minutes. EU citizens holding Covid green certificates are in a special fast track lane, while the others have to undergo public health checks. To simplify procedures, a new document becomes mandatory from Monday, the so-called PLF, passenger locator form, which everyone entering the country must fill in. The form, which is also used in other European countries, helps to quickly identify persons who came into contact with someone infected with Covid.

    Covid-19. Romania reported almost 500 new daily Covid cases on Sunday, as well as 53 new deaths, while the pace of vaccination is again slowing down. According to the coordinator of the mass vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, a 15-20% drop in the number of those who receive the first jab is seen from one week to the next. Over 7.7 million Romanians are fully vaccinated to date, but Romania has the second lowest vaccination rate in the European Union.

    Restrictions. As the Omicron variant is spreading fast, governments around Europe are tightening measures, with borders closing, the introduction of tough curbs on public events and speeding up of vaccination rates. Producing a negative Covid test result is now mandatory for everyone entering Italy, Portugal, Greece and Ireland, while France and some German lands only allow essential travel to and from the UK, where record infection numbers have been reported over the last few days. Spain is also expecting Omicron to become dominant by Christmas and access to bars and restaurants is only permitted to those holding the Covid green certificate. The Netherlands and Denmark are in full lockdown. World Health Organisation experts say Omicron infection cases double within three days in areas with community transmission.

    Budget. The 2022 budget and social security bills will be submitted to Parliament on Monday, to be debated and approved by Christmas, said the finance minister Adrian Câciu. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said earlier that his government is seeking to maintain the budget balance and to comply with the commitment made before the European Commission to keep the budget deficit level at 5.84% of GDP.

    Enescu. A Paris square not far from the Paris Opera will be named after the great Romanian composer George Enescu, the city’s deputy mayor Laurence Patrice announced on Twitter. Romania’s ambassador to Paris Luca Niculescu welcome to the move, which forms part of the 140th anniversary this year of the composer’s birth. Enescu’s life and work is closely linked to Paris, where he lived for many years and where he also died. (CM)

  • December 12, 2021 UPDATE

    December 12, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 — On Sunday Romania reported 716 cases of COVID- infection, a lower number as against the previous day, and 60 deaths, of which 15 registered in the previous day. The number of hospitalized Covid patients has dropped to around 4,000, of whom 722 are in ICUs. The COVID incidence rate calculated for a period of 14 days for Bucharest has dropped below one case per thousand inhabitants, according to the Public Health Directorate. The highest infection rate in Bucharest, over 16.5, was recorded on October 22. At national level, the incidence rate has also fallen below the threshold of one case per thousand inhabitants. In another development, four athletes returning from South Africa were confirmed, on Saturday, with the new variant of the coronavirus, so that Romania now has a total of 7 cases of Omicron infection. On the other hand, Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom and Bulgaria remain on the red list of countries with a high epidemiological risk. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has published a new list which includes Spain, Italy, the Maldives and the Dominican Republic in the yellow zone.



    Brussels — The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will attend, on Monday, the meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states, meeting within the Foreign Affairs Council (EAC), which will take place in Brussels. They will exchange opinions on a number of current issues such as the developments in Ukraine, the situation in Belarus, the Cypriot case (Varosha) and Ethiopia. The European foreign ministers will address the situation regarding Ukraine from the perspective of the developments on Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia, which raises a high degree of concern at European and Euro-Atlantic levels. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate his concern about the security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea and will emphasize the need to prepare an appropriate response from the EU, which must remain united and firm. The discussion on Belarus is taking place in the context of the continued deterioration of the internal situation there and the instrumentalisation of migration by the Minsk regime on the EUs eastern border. High on the agenda of the meeting are also the relations EU-Africa, EU-Central Asia and EU-Venezuela.



    Film – The co-production Quo Vadis, Aida? with Romanian participation won the 2021 best European film award at the European Film Academy (EFA) Awards Gala, held on Saturday evening in Berlin. The film, which had seven nominations, won another two major European awards for Best Director – Jasmila Zbanic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for Best Actress – Jasna Duricic. Quo Vadis, Aida? is a co-production of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania and Turkey which tells the story of a UN translator in Srebrenica (Bosnia) when the Serbian army took control of the city in 1995. Another co-production, Nanu Tudor, directed by Belgian-based Moldovan filmmaker Olga Lucovnicova, was nominated Best European Short Film. In the film, the director travels, after 20 years of silence, back to the house of her ancestors, where she experienced unfortunate events that marked her memory forever. Anthony Hopkins received the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of a dementia patient in The Father. This film also brought the Best Screenplay Award to its authors, the Frenchman Florian Zeller and the Portuguese Christopher Hampton.



    G7 – Russia will face major consequences in case of invading Ukraine, warned on Sunday, the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the end of the G7 meeting, the group of the most industrialized countries of the world, held in Liverpool, a city in northern England. This meeting showed, according to Truss, “the very united voice of the G7 countries, which account for 50% of the world GDP, and which are very clear (on the fact) that there will be major consequences for Russia in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.” At the same time, Truss said the United Kingdom was considering all options for how to respond if Russia invaded Ukraine, reminding that London had in the past resorted to economic sanctions to send diplomatic messages to Moscow. In the meantime, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs with the US Department of State, Karen Donfried, will travel to Ukraine and Russia next week, where she will have talks about the strengthening of Moscows military presence on the border with Ukraine. The US Department of State has stressed that, in Russia, Ms. Donfried will reiterate Washingtons commitment to defending Ukraines sovereignty.



    Agriculture – The Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adrian Chesnoiu, participates, in Brussels, in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. His agenda includes meetings with Janusz Wojciechowski, the line European Commissioner, and various meetings with his counterparts from France and Belgium. Among the issues on the Councils agenda are: fishing opportunities for 2022, unfair trade practices in the food supply chain and the emergency plan for food security in times of crisis.

  • December 12, 2021

    December 12, 2021

    COVID-19 — On Sunday Romania reported 716 cases of COVID- infection, a lower number as against the previous day, and 60 deaths, of which 15 registered in the previous day. The number of hospitalized Covid patients has dropped to around 4,000, of whom 722 are in ICUs. The COVID incidence rate calculated for a period of 14 days for Bucharest has dropped below one case per thousand inhabitants, according to the Public Health Directorate. The highest infection rate in Bucharest, over 16.5, was recorded on October 22. At national level, the incidence rate has also fallen below the threshold of one case per thousand inhabitants. In another development, four athletes returning from South Africa were confirmed, on Saturday, with the new variant of the coronavirus, so that Romania now has a total of 7 cases of Omicron infection. On the other hand, Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom and Bulgaria remain on the red list of countries with a high epidemiological risk. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has published a new list which includes Spain, Italy, the Maldives and the Dominican Republic in the yellow zone.



    Brussels — The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will attend, on Monday, the meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states, meeting within the Foreign Affairs Council (EAC), which will take place in Brussels. They will exchange opinions on a number of current issues such as the developments in Ukraine, the situation in Belarus, the Cypriot case (Varosha) and Ethiopia. The European foreign ministers will address the situation regarding Ukraine from the perspective of the developments on Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia, which raises a high degree of concern at European and Euro-Atlantic levels. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate his concern about the security situation in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea and will emphasize the need to prepare an appropriate response from the EU, which must remain united and firm. The discussion on Belarus is taking place in the context of the continued deterioration of the internal situation there and the instrumentalisation of migration by the Minsk regime on the EUs eastern border. High on the agenda of the meeting are also the relations EU-Africa, EU-Central Asia and EU-Venezuela.



    Film – The co-production Quo Vadis, Aida? with Romanian participation won the 2021 best European film award at the European Film Academy (EFA) Awards Gala, held on Saturday evening in Berlin. The film, which had seven nominations, won another two major European awards for Best Director – Jasmila Zbanic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for Best Actress – Jasna Duricic. Quo Vadis, Aida? is a co-production of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Norway, Germany, Romania and Turkey which tells the story of a UN translator in Srebrenica (Bosnia) when the Serbian army took control of the city in 1995. Another co-production, Nanu Tudor, directed by Belgian-based Moldovan filmmaker Olga Lucovnicova, was nominated Best European Short Film. In the film, the director travels, after 20 years of silence, back to the house of her ancestors, where she experienced unfortunate events that marked her memory forever. Anthony Hopkins received the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of a dementia patient in The Father. This film also brought the Best Screenplay Award to its authors, the Frenchman Florian Zeller and the Portuguese Christopher Hampton.



    G7 – Russia will face major consequences in case of invading Ukraine, warned on Sunday, the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the end of the G7 meeting, the group of the most industrialized countries of the world, held in Liverpool, a city in northern England. This meeting showed, according to Truss, “the very united voice of the G7 countries, which account for 50% of the world GDP, and which are very clear (on the fact) that there will be major consequences for Russia in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.” At the same time, Truss said the United Kingdom was considering all options for how to respond if Russia invaded Ukraine, reminding that London had in the past resorted to economic sanctions to send diplomatic messages to Moscow. In the meantime, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs with the US Department of State, Karen Donfried, will travel to Ukraine and Russia next week, where she will have talks about the strengthening of Moscows military presence on the border with Ukraine. The US Department of State has stressed that, in Russia, Ms. Donfried will reiterate Washingtons commitment to defending Ukraines sovereignty.



    Agriculture – The Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adrian Chesnoiu, participates, Sunday and Monday, in Brussels, in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. He will have a meeting with Janusz Wojciechowski, the line European Commissioner, and various meetings with his counterparts from France and Belgium. High on the Councils agenda are other issues such as fishing opportunities for 2022, unfair trade practices in the food supply chain and the emergency plan for food security in times of crisis. At the same time, the Commission will present the main objectives of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and encourage Member States to develop a long-term investment strategy to ensure the efficient use of funds. (LS)

  • December 9, 2021

    December 9, 2021

    Covid — In Romania, the state of alert established in the context of the coronavirus epidemic has been extended, today, by another 30 days but, amid the drop in the infection rate, the government has removed a number of restrictions. Therefore, people will no longer have to wear masks in uncrowded, open spaces, and access into enclosed premises will also be allowed to unvaccinated people who provide a negative Covid test result. Also, the ban on people’s movement at night after 11 p.m. has been eliminated. At Christmas and New Years Eve, restaurants will be open at half capacity, but only for the vaccinated people, those who had the disease or who provide a negative test result. For the citizens coming to Romania from outside the EU, it has been established that they must present a negative PCR test, not older than 48 hours. Unvaccinated people or people who have had the disease will be quarantined for 10 days, and if they do not have a PCR test, they will be quarantined for 14 days. Over 1,000 new cases of COVID infection were reported by Romanian authorities on Thursday. 74 deaths were also reported, of which 2 from previous days.



    Visit — The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, with a majority Romanian-speaking population) Natalia Gavriliţa, had a meeting in Bucharest with her Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. He said that he supported the consolidation of Romanian investments in the Republic of Moldova, consequently the business environment in this country needs to be improved for that purpose. Nicolae Ciuca also said that the parties wanted to conclude as soon as possible a new agreement on granting non-reimbursable financial assistance for the benefit of the Republic of Moldova, after the old agreement expired this year. According to the Romanian PM, the priority bilateral issues are energy interconnection and the implementation of infrastructure projects with a central role in connecting the Republic of Moldova to the European space through Romania. The Moldovan PM said the two states had a historic chance to turn the language community into one of the big projects for the benefit of the people on both sides of the Prut River. A better economic, commercial and infrastructure integration of Romania and the Republic of Moldova is the guarantee for an accelerated integration of the latter in the EU, Natalia Gavrilita underlined. She will also be received by President Klaus Iohannis.



    Anti-corruption – The pandemic context fuels corruption and there is a major risk that money might not go where it should go, namely for hospitals, protective equipment, specialized equipment, products and medicines, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate DNA said on the occasion of the International Anticorruption Day, marked on Thursday. The embezzlement of public money slows down the development of society, encourages clientelism and promotes nepotism, perpetuates poverty and, therefore, fighting corruption must remain a major goal not only of criminal justice, but also of society as a whole, through its representatives. In a message sent on this occasion, President Klaus Iohannis stated that, despite the health, economic or political challenges it has faced, Romania remained a landmark in Eastern Europe due to the progress made in the field of the rule of law. ‘I remain firmly committed to developing the countrys democratic path and I am convinced that we can build a better future as long as we build on the solid foundation of European values, integrity, justice and zero tolerance for corruption’, Klaus Iohannis added.



    Handball – Today, Romania’s national womens handball team meets the Dutch team in the Main Group II of the World Championship in Spain (Castello). The group also includes Norway, Kazakhstan, Sweden and Puerto Rico. The teams ranked on the first two places in the 4 Main Groups will qualify to the quarterfinals, which will take place on December 14-15. Romania is the only team present in all 25 editions of the World Championship (including this one). Romania has won four medals at the World Championship: one gold (1962), two silver (1973 and 2005) and one bronze (2015).



    Journalists – The number of journalists around the world who are behind bars has reached an all-time record in 2021, according to a report by the non-profit organization Committee to Protect Journalists. 293 reporters have been put behind bars until December 1 this year. At least 24 journalists have been killed because of their reports, and another 18 have died in circumstances that make it too difficult to determine whether they were targeted because of their work, the annual document on press freedom and attacks on the press also shows. While the reasons for the imprisonment of reporters vary from country to country, the record number of imprisoned journalists reflects the political unrest around the world and a growing intolerance towards independent reporting, shows the US-based nonprofit organization. (LS)

  • Less restrictions during the holidays

    Less restrictions during the holidays

    With a vaccination rate below the EU average and with more permissive restrictions than in other EU countries, Romania will ease sanitary measures during the winter holidays. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has approved the relaxation of restrictions, and the extension of the state of alert by another 30 days, from December 9th. The decision comes, according to the authorities, following the decrease in the national infection rate below 1.2 per thousand inhabitants, and the further reduction of the number of COVID patients in ICUs. The approved measures include wearing a protective mask outdoors only in crowded areas, such as markets, fairs or bus stops, and indoors. Access to restaurants and shops will be allowed until 10.00 p.m. instead of 9.00 p.m. Sports competitions and cultural activities can unfold until 10.00 p.m.



    The level of attendance of up to 30% valid for certain activities has been upped to up to 50%, as in cinemas, theaters and gyms. Nevertheless, access will be allowed only to the vaccinated people, those who have had the disease or who have been tested. Night traffic bans on unvaccinated people will be lifted, and their access to shopping malls will be allowed based on a negative test result. Until now, only those vaccinated or who had the disease had been allowed to enter malls. The new rules also state that accommodation units, which so far could only receive vaccinated people or people who had the disease, will be allowed to also receive people presenting a negative test result.



    As for the Christmas and New Years Eve parties, restaurants will be able to stay open, according to Secretary of State with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat: “For the Christmas and New Years Eve nights, there will be no time restrictions for restaurants. Restaurants can stay open all night long, but the occupancy rate will be of only 50% and the people will have to present the required documents.”



    At the same time, the New Years Eve outdoor events will not be restricted in terms of the number of participants, but organizers are required to allow access only to those who are vaccinated, had the disease, or have a negative test result.



    We remind you that to slow down the spread of the new African variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has established new measures for people arriving in Romania during the winter holidays. Those coming from European Union countries will present the green certificate attesting that they were vaccinated, had the disease in the last 180 days or have a negative PCR test result. Those coming from outside the EU, including those who have been vaccinated, must provide a negative PCR test result, and those who were not vaccinated or did not have the disease in the last six months will be quarantined. (LS)

  • Talks on the modification of the Constitution

    Talks on the modification of the Constitution

    The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Monday, marked, in a solemn session, 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution, the act that established the reinstatement of a constitutional democracy in Romania and consolidated the pluralist political regime. The governing coalition made up of PNL-PSD-UDMR (the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) has asked for a constitutional reform that should reflect changes that have occurred in the Romanian society.



    According to the coalition leaders, a new constitution should clarify the prerogatives of the president, among other things, and should ensure a balance of power in the state. The Speaker of the Senate, Florin Cîţu, the leader of the PNL, said that the liberals have on their agenda measures to revise the fundamental law, which take into account the options expressed by the citizens. He referred to the implementation of the results of the 2019 referendum on justice or the reduction of the voting age to 16.



    Florin Cîțu: “In time, with professionalism, without political passion and hidden interests, we will have to modernize the state structures, the way they work and how they serve the citizen. The constitutional norms will have to be adjusted to the reality we live in.”



    In his turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, the PSD leader, said that the constitutional reform should clarify the prerogatives of the countrys president and ensure mutual control between the state powers. At the same time, he considers it necessary to limit the use of emergency ordinances, but also to redefine the role of the motion of no confidence.



    Marcel Ciolacu: “The motion of no confidence must automatically lead to the appointment of another prime minister. We would not have been in this situation of having no government for two months if we had had this instrument in the Constitution.”



    UDMR, a partner in the governing coalition, wants the relationship of trust between the Romanian state and the national minorities to be strengthened and pleads for the transition to a parliamentary republic. This idea has been criticized by the USR representatives, while the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR parliamentarians do not agree with the modification of the current Constitution. Attending the solemn session, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that it was necessary to continue reforming the state and the public administration in order to focus on the citizens and to increase the responsibility of those who hold public office.



    In turn, the President of the Constitutional Court, Valer Dorneanu, said that the revision of the fundamental law must be done wisely, not for electoral interests. The Romanian Constitution, the first after 1989, when the communist dictatorship was removed from power, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly (the then Parliament) on November 21, 1991, after a year and a half of debates. On December 8 of the same year, the Fundamental Law was approved through National Referendum. (LS)

  • November 28, 2021 UPDATE

    November 28, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid Ro — A plane of the national airlines Tarom will be sent to Pretoria to bring to Romania the Romanian citizens who remained stranded in South Africa, after the cancellation of flights to the EU. According to the Romanian FM Bogdan Aurescu, 39 Romanian citizens from South Africa need to be repatriated. The aircraft will have another 50 – 55 free seats, which Romania offers to the citizens of the European states who want to leave the area. The Romanian government met on Sunday, in an extraordinary session, against the backdrop of international concern over the spread of the new variant of the coronavirus from South Africa, Omicron, which is believed to be more contagious. The list 7 South African countries on the red list was extended to 8, to include Malawi. Those who arrive in Romania from this area must be quarantined for 14 days. They may be released from quarantine on the 10th day if the result of their COVID-test is negative. In another development, the number of new Covid 19 cases in Romania continues to decrease. The authorities reported, on Sunday, 1,400 cases and a little over 100 deaths. 1,200 patients are in ICUs. Only four counties are still in the red scenario. A little over 10 thousand people have been vaccinated in the past 24 hours with the first dose. Since the start of the vaccination campaign in December 2020, 7.4 million people have been fully vaccinated.



    UfM — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, participates, as of Sunday, for two days, in Barcelona, ​​in the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum and in the EU – Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry – MAE, in his speech at the forum, Bogdan Aurescu will emphasize the strategic relevance of the European Neighborhood and will highlight the need to develop synergies between the two dimensions, Eastern and Southern, of the Neighborhood Policy. At the same time, FM Bogdan Aurescu will refer to the need for a close cooperation between the member states of the Union for the Mediterranean in areas such as climate change, digital transition and civil protection and will underline the importance of joint reconstruction of the link between security and development in the region. At the EU- Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting, Bogdan Aurescu will address, in his speech, the major regional challenges, such as illegal migration, the impact of climate change and terrorism. The Foreign Ministers of the Union for the Mediterranean states meet once a year at the Regional Forum to define priorities and areas of strategic cooperation. The EU-Southern Neighborhood Ministerial Meeting is a dialogue format attended by representatives of the European institutions, of EU states and of the Unions 10 partners in the Southern Neighborhood (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Palestine and Tunisia).



    Tennis – Romania also won the third singles match of the competition with Peru, in the qualifying playoffs for the Davis Cup final, which took place on Saturday and Sunday in Cluj-Napoca (northwest). The decisive match was the doubles, won, on Sunday, by the Romanian pair Marius Copil / Horia Tecău against the pair Sergio Galdos / Arklon Huertas del Pino. On Saturday, Marius Copil defeated Conner Huertas del Pino, and Nicolae Frunză had the upper hand over Nicolas Alvarez. Romania will play next year in the Davis Cup qualifiers for a place in the final tournament, among the best 16 national teams in the world.



    Statistics – Almost a quarter of Romanias inhabitants lived last year in a household whose income was lower than the so-called poverty threshold – the National Institute of Statistics informs. The relative poverty rate was, in 2020, 23.4%, i.e. the phenomenon affected over 4.5 million people. The highest poverty rates were recorded in the regions in the northeast, southwest (Oltenia) and southeast of the country, and the lowest poverty rate was reported in Bucharest-Ilfov, only 2.4%.



    Covid world — The Netherlands joins the EU states where cases of infection with the latest variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, have been confirmed. The cases were detected among the passengers of two flights that came from South Africa on Friday, Reuters reports. The Omicron variant, reported by South Africa to the World Health Organization on November 24, is a cause for concern worldwide as it has multiple mutations and appears to be even more contagious than the Delta variant. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has estimated that the overall level of risk for the EU and the European Economic Area associated with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is considered high to very high. On the other hand, Switzerland approved by referendum the law on combating COVID-19, which allowed it to instate the health passport. The referendum had been launched by the opponents to this passport. In Greece, the authorities have introduced new restrictions requiring believers to present a negative COVID-19 test to attend church services, following an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks. (LS)