Tag: News

Holidays. Roads to tourist destinations are busy as Romanians begin an extended break for Labour Day and Orthodox Easter on Sunday. To ease traffic and prevent accidents, 1,600 traffic police forces have been deployed to oversee busy roads. A total of 25,000 police troops, gendarmes and fire fighters will be on stand-by these days to ensure citizens’ safety. Some 4,000 border police troops are carrying out surveillance and control activities on the state border. Resorts on the Black Sea coast, where the summer season has started, are hosting various events, with thousands of people expected to arrive each day.

Workers’ Day. In 2023, 7.1% of the number of employed people in the European Union worked at least 49 hours a week in their main job, according to data published by Eurostat on International Workers’ Day. The biggest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week  was reported in Greece (11.6%), followed by Cyprus (10.4%) and France (10.1%), while the lowest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week was recorded in Bulgaria (0.4%), Lithuania and Latvia (each with 1.1%) and Romania (1.8%). More likely to work at least 49 hours are week are workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as managers. In a statement on International Workers’ Day, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit said teleworking and the right to disconnect are the next pieces of the puzzle as far as employment in the European Union is concerned.

Fugitives. Almost 300 fugitives convicted in a Romanian court were repatriated since the start of the year, said justice minister Alina Gorghiu. She welcomed the favourable report issued by the Senate on a bill known as “the fugitive pays” and said she was expecting a similar vote from the Chamber of Deputies, as this is a bill that benefits the Romanian state, providing that convicted fugitives will cover the costs of repatriation.

Business. Almost 25,000 companies were dissolved in Romania in the first three months of the year, 40% more compared with the same time in 2023, according to the National Trade Register Office. The largest number of dissolutions were recorded in the city of Bucharest and the counties of Dâmboviţa (south), Timiş (west) and Constanţa (south-east) and in sectors like retail and wholesale trade, car and motorcycle repair, agriculture, forestry and fishing.

People trafficking. The Romanian authorities found two other foreign citizens involved in migrant trafficking after an incident on Tuesday night when two Romanian border police officers were stabbed in a car park on the A1 Timişoara-Arad motorway, in western Romania. The Timişoara border police inspectorate says the two foreign citizens are a man from Afghanistan and a woman from Guinea who were involved in the assault. On Tuesday night, eight foreign citizens from Nepal, Syria and Congo were detained as they were trying to cross the border illegally as well as their guide, a man from Nepal. They were caught by the Romanian police and one of the traffickers wounded the two police officers, who have in the meantime been released from hospital. Searches are still ongoing to find the other persons involved in the incident.

Olympiad. Romanian pupils won one gold medal, four silver and one bronze at the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad held in Varna, in Bulgaria. 22 teams took part in the competition, from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia as member states, as well as from the guest countries Algeria, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, France, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Great Britain.

Handball. The Romanian men’s handball champions CS Dinamo Bucharest reached the semifinals of the EHF European League after beating the Danish side Skjern Handbold 38-34 on Tuesday evening in an away match in the quarterfinals. Dinamo also won the first leg, held in Bucharest, 28-27. Three German sides also made it to the Final Four, Flensburg-Handewitt, Fuchse Berlin and Rhein Neckar. The EHF European League Final Four tournament will take place on the 25^th and 26^th May in Hamburg, Germany.

Holidays. Roads to tourist destinations are busy as Romanians begin an extended break for Labour Day and Orthodox Easter on Sunday. To ease traffic and prevent accidents, 1,600 traffic police forces have been deployed to oversee busy roads. A total of 25,000 police troops, gendarmes and fire fighters will be on stand-by these days to ensure citizens’ safety. Some 4,000 border police troops are carrying out surveillance and control activities on the state border. Resorts on the Black Sea coast, where the summer season has started, are hosting various events are held, with thousands of people expected to arrive each day.

Workers’ Day. In 2023, 7.1% of the number of employed people in the European Union worked at least 49 hours a week in their main job, according to data published by Eurostat on International Workers’ Day. The biggest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week  was reported in Greece (11.6%), followed by Cyprus (10.4%) and France (10.1%), while the lowest share of employed people working at least 49 hours a week was recorded in Bulgaria (0.4%), Lithuania and Latvia (each with 1.1%) and Romania (1.8%). More likely to work at least 49 hours are week are workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing, as well as managers. In a statement on International Workers’ Day, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit said teleworking and the right to disconnect are the next pieces of the puzzle as far as employment in the European Union is concerned.

Fugitives. Almost 300 fugitives convicted in a Romanian court were repatriated since the start of the year, said justice minister Alina Gorghiu. She welcomed the favourable report issued by the Senate on a bill known as “the fugitive pays” and said she was expecting a similar vote from the Chamber of Deputies, as this is a bill that benefits the Romanian state, providing that convicted fugitives will cover the costs of repatriation.

Olympiad. Romanian pupils won one gold medal, four silver and one bronze at the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad held in Varna, in Bulgaria. 22 teams took part in the competition, from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Serbia as member states, as well as from the guest countries Algeria, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, France, Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Great Britain.

Handball. The Romanian men’s handball champions CS Dinamo Bucharest reached the semifinals of the EHF European League after beating the Danish side Skjern Handbold 38-34 on Tuesday evening in an away match in the quarterfinals. Dinamo also won the first leg, held in Bucharest, 28-27. Three German sides also made it to the Final Four, Flensburg-Handewitt, Fuchse Berlin and Rhein Neckar. The EHF European League Final Four tournament will take place on the 25^th and 26^th May in Hamburg, Germany.

Elections. Political parties wishing to enter the race for the local elections of 9^th June only have today to file their applications with the electoral bureaus. This includes the candidates for the positions of mayor, local, city and county councillors and county council president. The candidatures for the local public administration will be finalised by 8^th May and the election campaign will start on 10^th May. European Parliamentary elections will also be held on the same day as the local elections on 9^th June. Foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu said her ministry will set up over 900 voting stations for the European elections, almost double compared to 2019 and the biggest number of voting stations ever set up abroad by Romania.

Holiday. The interior ministry has taken additional measures to ensure public order and safety for Labour Day, when the summer season starts officially, and Orthodox Easter, celebrated on 5^th May. Public order forces will be primarily dispatched to the main roads, accompanied by air support, and near churches. Measures were also taken together with the Bulgarian police to reduce waiting time on crossing the border. More than 80,000 people are expected to spend their holidays at the seaside, where concerts and an electronic music festival are scheduled.

Airline. The European Commission on Monday approved Romania’s plans to provide restructuring aid for the Romanian state-owned airline TAROM to the amount of 95 million euros, in keeping with state aid EU norms, the Commission said in a statement. The measure is expected to help the company restore its feasibility in the long term. After the announcement, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said TAROM can become in the next two years an airline that can support its development on its own and that as the country’s prime minister, he has the duty to support “a Romanian national company with tradition”.

Cinema. Freedom by Tudor Giurgiu won the Gopo Trophy for best Romanian feature film at the Gopo Awards ceremony held on Monday in Bucharest. The film is inspired by true events that took place in Sibiu, in the centre, during the anti-communist revolution of December 1989. The film also won the award for best director, best actor, which went to Alex Calangiu, best supporting role, which went to Iulian Postelnicu, and best script, which went to Cecilia Ştefănescu and Tudor Giurgiu, the latter to be shared with Radu Jude for Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, which he also directed. Ilinca Manolache won the best actor award for her role in Jude’s film. Vlad Petri won the best documentary award for Between Revolutions, while the film for best European production went to Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall.

Handball. The Romanian men’s handball champions CS Dinamo Bucharest are today facing the Danish side Skjern Handbold in the second round of the EHF European League quarterfinals. In the first round, Dinamo won 28-27 at home. The winner will qualify for the European League Final Four in Hamburg, in Germany. In women’s handball, the champions CSM Bucharest lost on Sunday at home to the French side Metz Handball 27-24, in the first round of the Champions League quarterfinals. The second round will be played in Metz on 4^th May.

Miners raids. Romania’s former president Ion Iliescu was today briefed by prosecutors that he was declared a formal suspect in the case known as the Miner raids of 1990. Yesterday, the former prime minister Petre Roman, the former first deputy prime minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu, the former director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Virgil Măgureanu and other officials at the time were also officially named suspects in the case. They are accused of crimes against humanity in June 1990, when anti-government protests were stifled through violence by the security forces with the aid of the miners summoned from the Jiu Valley, in the south-west.

Holiday. Romanian pupils are going on their Easter holiday this weekend, to come back to school on Wednesday, 8th May. The school will then break up for the summer holiday on 21st June. Romania will also celebrate Labour Day next week and the Orthodox Easter, on 5th May. Traditionally, 1st of May is the start of the summer season, with 80,000 people expected to travel to the seaside next week.

Cooperation. Bucharest is today hosting the third Joint Cooperation Committee between the Government of Romania and the Government of the United Arab Emirates. The meeting is attended by Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu and foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu. A memorandum of understanding is to be signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the United Arab Emirates. The first session of this committee was held in April 2018 in Bucharest and the second was hosted by the United Arab Emirates in June 2022.

Corruption. Liviu Cătălin Stăncu, the director of the energy department of the state-run Oltenia energy complex was detained by anti-corruption prosecutors for peddling in influence. He is accused of receiving a bribe of 13,000 euros from a business man to speed up the payment of overdue bills to his company. In the same case, the manager of a company was also detained, accused of bribe giving. Investigations are carried out in connection with two other persons for false statement under private signature. Prosecutors have requested the Bucharest Tribunal to green light the temporary arrest of Liviu Cătălin Stănculescu.

Tennis. Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian is today facing the Czech player Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the WTA tennis tournament in Madrid, worth some 7.7 million euros in prize money. A 2021 Roland Garros champion, Krejcikova won their only previous match. Another Romanian player in competition in Madrid is Sorana Cîrstea, who beat Alexandra Eala of the Philippines on Thursday in three sets. In the third round, Cirstea will be facing Poland’s Iga Swiatek, current world no. 1 and first seed in Madrid.

EU. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is attending the Special European Council in Brussels held on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the president’s office, high on the agenda of the meeting are the prospects for a new European competitiveness pact and the EU’s relationship with Turkey. European leaders are also expected to tackle the latest developments in the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU’s future strategic agenda.

Romania-Qatar. Qatar is a respected security broker in the Middle East, just as Romania is a recognised stability factor in Eastern Europe, and the two states have the ability to advance their partnership to acquire a strategic component, said Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday in Doha. He gave a press briefing together with Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Prime minister Ciolacu said he was in Doha to send the powerful message that Romania will stand by Qatar, together with the United States and the partners in the European Union, in supporting efforts to bring peace and restore security in the Middle East. We must encourage both the State of Israel and Iran to show immediate restraint to prevent dangerous incidents, Ciolacu pointed out. He added that at a bilateral level, the partnership between Romania and Qatar must be pragmatic and centred around concrete economic projects and investments. He also announced that projects worth some 15 billion euros are being analysed. Ciolacu also had talks with representatives of the Qatari Businessmen Association and the Qatar Investment Authority. He pointed out that Romania has a competitive edge in areas like real estate, tourism, IT and cyber security, the defence industry and mineral waters, all of which provide an opportunity for Qatari direct investments in the Romanian economy leading to the development of a deeper partnership.

 Defence. Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr had talks with his Dutch counterpart Kajsa Ollongren at the 86^th Airbase in Borcea, in southern Romania, as three more F-16 fighter jets from the Royal Dutch Air Force arrived in Romania. The aircraft is delivered to the European F-16 Training Centre located at this Romanian airbase since November last year and will be used to train pilots, including from Ukraine, to operate this type of fighter jet. In another development, minister Tîlvăr received assurances from the  US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien that the United States is working with Romania regarding the security risks emerging in the context of the war in Ukraine. The US official also described the cooperation between Romania and Ukraine as essential for the Ukrainian people.

Inflation. March was the third month in a row in which Romania had the highest inflation rate in the European Union, at 6.7%. According to Eurostat, the inflation rate dropped to 2.6% in the bloc. The member states with the lowest inflation rates were Lithuania, 0.4%, Finland 0.6% and Denmark, 0.8%. In another development, the International Monetary Fund has revised Romania’s economic growth forecast for this year down to 2.8% from 3.8%. The Fund has also forecast an average inflation rate of 6% and 4% next year and is expecting Romania’s current account deficit to remain at 7.1% of GDP in 2024, similar to last year.

Olympic Games. The Romanian delegation to the summer Olympic Games hosted by Paris between 26^th July and 11^th August is tipped to win ten medals, two gold, three silver and five bronze, according to a forecast by Nielsen’s Gracenote and quoted by Reuters. Romania is ranked 25^th in a virtual hierarchy simulated based on the number of medals, which would make it its best in the last five editions of the summer Olympic Games. According to Gracenote’s predictions, the United States delegation is favourite to dominate the Paris Games, being forecast to win 123 medals, followed by China with 89 and Great Britain with 66. Host country France is predicted to win 55 medals. 80 Romanian athletes have so far qualified to the Olympic Games, in the following sports: athletics, swimming, boxing, kayaking, rowing, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, water polo, tennis table, wrestling and weight lifting.

Elections. Candidates running for the 9^th June local elections can start registering from today. Political parties, alliances, ethnic minority citizens’ organisations and independent candidates will all be able to submit their applications to run for local public administration with the electoral bureaus by 30^th April at midnight. Electoral alliances for the local elections can also start registering today. The European Parliamentary elections will also be held on 9^th June.

Visit. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu and members of his cabinet are today travelling to Doha, the capital of Qatar. They are due to meet a number of high-ranking Qatari officials to discuss the consolidation of bilateral cooperation in key areas such as agriculture, transport infrastructure, new technologies and energy. An important role will be played by the dialogue between the business communities from the two states and the talks on the organisation of a future business forum. Prime minister Ciolacu is accompanied on his trip by the ministers of foreign affairs, transport, economy, energy, agriculture and digitalisation. After Qatar, the government delegation will travel to the United Arab Emirates.

Israel-Iran. Israel has decided to retaliate to Iran’s unprecedented attack two days ago, despite growing international pressure to avoid escalating the conflict in the Middle East. The US, France and Great Britain, who helped Israel intercept the Iranian drones and missiles, now call for restraint and Washington made it clear it will not participate in an Israeli counteroffensive. Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi said yesterday during a visit to the airbase in Nevatim, in the south of the country, which saw minor damage from the Iranian strikes, that Iran wanted to harm Israel’s strategic capabilities, which had not happened before and that this should be taken into account when considering a response and not that Tehran failed to achieve its goal. Earlier, the Washington Post said the Israeli prime minister asked the army to provide him with a list of possible Iranian targets in response to the attack, with the proposals made so far including a site in Tehran or a cyber attack. Israeli sources said the American secretary of state Antony Blinken will travel to Jerusalem in the coming days. Visits by the British and German foreign ministers have also been announced.

The US House of Representatives is this week expected to vote on separate aid bills for Ukraine and Israel, after months of political disputes between the Biden administration and his Republican opposition, according to the speaker of the House. A financial package of 60 billion dollars for Kyiv proposed by Biden has been blocked for months in Congress, as well as a package for Israel. By far the main provider of military support for both Ukraine and Israel, the United States last sent any significant aid to Kyiv in December 2022, due to opposition from the Republicans. The latter refuse to examine the bill because of another disagreement, relating to migration. A few months before the presidential elections of 5^th November, the matter has become a political bone of contention between Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump.

Israel. Romania has strongly condemned Iran’s attack against Israel. “We stand in full solidarity with the Israeli people in these difficult moments. We call for avoiding further regional escalation”, the country’s president Klaus Iohannis posted on Sunday, a sentiment shared by prime minister Marcel Ciolacu: “We firmly condemn this attack and support Israel’s right to ensure the security of its citizens”. The country’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu said the ministry is in contact with the Romanian embassies in the region. “We are deeply concerned about the security situation in the Middle East”, she also said. NATO has also condemned Iran’s attack as “escalation” and called for restraint. Many European countries as well as Canada, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar voiced concern about the situation in the region and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, urging restraint as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Elections. The candidates lists for the upcoming local elections can be submitted from 16^th April, with 30^th April the deadline. A few days ago was the deadline for the submission of candidates lists for the European Parliamentary elections, which are taking place on the same day as the local elections, on 9^th June. The Central Electoral Bureau is analysing the documents filed by the 15 political parties and election alliances and seven independent candidates and will announce the final list of candidates on 29^th April. According to a eurobarometer published by the European Commission, 53% of Romanian voters say they intend to cast their ballot in the European elections, while 10% say they are unlikely and another 10% that they are very unlikely to vote. According to the survey, the highest voter turnout is expected in Bucharest and Ilfov county, and in the north-east and south-east of the country, while the lowest is expected in the south-west and west of the country.

Congress. Representatives of Ukrainians from some 70 different states have met these days at the Ukrainian World Congress hosted by Bucharest, to discuss ways to consolidate Ukrainian culture, identity, tradition and language among communities around the world. They also discussed the problems faced by Ukrainian refugees in the countries where they found asylum and possible mechanisms to provide them with support and integration. Talks also focused on issues relating to the support for Ukraine on its European and Euro-Atlantic path. Nicolae Miroslav Petreţchi, a member of the Romanian Parliament representing the ethnic Ukrainian community in Romania, said Bucharest is a reliable partner for Ukraine and that bilateral relations are very close and at a strategic level. After the pandemic and a wide-scale war, Romania has time and again demonstrated that it is a reliable partner and friend for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, he said. The Ukrainian diaspora is one of the most numerous in the world, with over 26 million members, not including the around 6 million Ukrainians displaced as a result of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Tennis. Romania qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time after beating Ukraine 3-2 on Saturday in the US. In the doubles match that secured Romania’s qualification, Jaqueline Cristian and Ana Bogdan defeated Lyudmyla Kichenok  and Nadiia Kichenok in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6. Earlier, Jaqueline Cristian beat Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan beat Elina Svitolina. The teams that will compete in  the Billie Jean King Cup Finals are Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the US.

Israel. Romania has strongly condemned Iran’s attack against Israel. “We stand in full solidarity with the Israeli people in these difficult moments. We call for avoiding further regional escalation”, the country’s president Klaus Iohannis posted on Sunday, a sentiment shared by prime minister Marcel Ciolacu: “We firmly condemn this attack and support Israel’s right to ensure the security of its citizens”. The country’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu said the ministry is in contact with the Romanian embassies in the region. “We are deeply concerned about the security situation in the Middle East”, she also said. NATO has also condemned Iran’s attack as “escalation” and called for restraint. Many European countries as well as Canada, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar voiced concern about the situation in the region and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, urging restraint as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Middle East. The United States is to convene G7 leaders to discuss a coordinated diplomatic response in the wake of Iran’s launching over 300 drones and rockets against Israel. US president Joe Biden reaffirmed his country’s “ironclad” support for Israel. The UN Security Council is also meeting on Sunday at Israel’s request. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire, saying he is deeply alarmed about the danger of a devastating region-wide escalation. Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his war cabinet. According to France Presse, the spokesman for the Israeli army said Israel and its allies thwarted Iran’s attack against its territory and intercepted 99% of the projectiles fired by Iran. Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi vowed stronger response in the event of “reckless” retaliation from Israel. Iran said Saturday night’s attack was in response to the “numerous crimes” committed by the regime in Israel, including the 1^st April strike that destroyed the Iranian consulate in Syria.

Elections. The candidates lists for the upcoming local elections can be submitted from 16^th April, with 30^th April the deadline. A few days ago was the deadline for the submission of candidates lists for the European Parliamentary elections, which are taking place on the same day as the local elections, on 9^th June. The Central Electoral Bureau is analysing the documents filed by the 15 political parties and election alliances and seven independent candidates and will announce the final list of candidates on 29^th April. According to a eurobarometer published by the European Commission, 53% of Romanian voters say they intend to cast their ballot in the European elections, while 10% say they are unlikely and another 10% that they are very unlikely to vote. According to the survey, the highest voter turnout is expected in Bucharest and Ilfov county, and in the north-east and south-east of the country, while the lowest is expected in the south-west and west of the country.

Congress. Representatives of Ukrainians from some 70 different states are meeting at the Ukrainian World Congress hosted by Bucharest, to discuss ways to consolidate Ukrainian culture, identity, tradition and language among communities around the world. Nicolae Miroslav Petreţchi, a member of the Romanian Parliament representing the ethnic Ukrainian community in Romania, said Bucharest is a reliable partner for Ukraine and that bilateral relations are very close and at a strategic level. The Ukrainian diaspora is one of the most numerous in the world, with over 26 million members, not including the around 6 million Ukrainians displaced as a result of Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Reactors. Ukraine has begun to build two new US-designed reactors at Khmelnytskyi  nuclear power station, in the west of the country, as its energy infrastructure has come under massive attack by Russia, the France Presse news agency reports. The project aims to improve Ukraine’s energy security and reduce its dependency on Russian nuclear technology. Ukraine announced as early as January plans to build two new reactors to compensate for the loss of the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the biggest in Europe, which was occupied by the Russian troops in March 2022. With six reactors in operation, the Khmelnytskyi plant will become, according to Kyiv, the largest in Europe, even larger than  Zaporizhzhia.

Tennis. Romania qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time after beating Ukraine 3-2 on Saturday in the US. In the doubles match that secured Romania’s qualification, Jaqueline Cristian and Ana Bogdan defeated Lyudmyla Kichenok  and Nadiia Kichenok in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6. Earlier, Jaqueline Cristian beat Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan beat Elina Svitolina. The teams that will compete in  the Billie Jean King Cup Finals are Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and the US.

Exercise. More than 2,200 troops from NATO and NATO partner states will be training in Romania in the Black Sea coastal area, on the river Danube and in the Danube Delta between 8^th and 21^st April as part of the Sea Shield 24 exercise for missions to combat illegal activities, maritime control, search and rescue at sea, providing assistance to vessels in danger and ensuring security at the level of critical infrastructure. The exercise is organised by the Romanian Naval Forces and brings together 12 countries, alongside Romania: Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United States. The military will make use of 27 sea and river vessels, 17 aircraft and 91 vehicles and boats. The first edition of the Sea Shield multinational exercise took place in 2015, with the exercise being constantly adapted to respond, swiftly and efficiently, to the entire range of threats to regional security and stability, the Romanian defence ministry said in a statement.

NATO Day. Romania fully relates to NATO’s democratic values and acts responsibly and decisively at allied level, as a genuine pillar or security and stability in the Black Sea region and on the Eastern Flank, said president Klaus Iohannis in a statement issued on the celebration of NATO Day in Romania and the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance. Together with our partners in Europe and Asia-Pacific, we will continue to strengthen NATO so that it remains the most solid political and military alliance in history, Iohannis also said. In its 20 years of NATO membership, Romania has consolidated its profile as a “responsible” ally, taking an active part in promoting democratic values and principles and security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu also said. He added that with the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine, Romania enjoys, as a NATO member state, “the most comprehensive security guarantee it has ever had”. Established in 1949 as a security alliance between the United States, Canada and ten west-European countries, NATO has grown to 32 members today, with Sweden the most recent country to join, this year.

Population. The phenomenon of population aging deepened last year in Romania, according to data published by the National Institute for Statistics. The country’s population aged 65 and over exceeded by 27.5% that of people under 14. The 45-49 age group was the most numerous on 1^st January, accounting for 8.6%. Children under 4 account for 4.4% of all inhabitants and those aged between 5 and 9 for 4.9%. Romania has more women than men.

Demographics. Romania’s population by domicile reached 21,830,000 on 1^st January 2024, down 0.5% compared with a year earlier, according to the latest data published by the National Institute for Statistics. Its urban population numbered nearly 12,190,000 people, down 1% from the previous year, and the rural population was 9,650,000 people, up by 0.2%. The average age of the country’s population was 42.5. According to the Administrative Code, the number of local council members is established by prefect order depending on the number of residents, as reported by the National Institute for Statistics on 1^st January of the year when elections are held. Romania will see local elections on 9^th June, at the same time with the ballot for the European Parliament.

Salary law. The government in Bucharest has finalised talks with its social partners on the new unified salary law and now the labour ministry is working with the World Bank on a final version of the bill, said labour minister Simona Bucura Oprescu. She said the law will eliminate the inequalities in the salary system and explained that no salary will be higher than the president’s and the jobs hierarchy will depend on the complexity or importance of the work performed. The minister said the law also contains an element relating strictly to performance level. The unified salary law is a commitment made under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and has been much delayed, as it was initially due to be finalised last year.

Middle East. Israel is “one step from victory” in its Gaza war against the Hamas Palestinian Islamist movement, said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, quoted by press agencies. As the conflict entered its seventh month, he admitted the price his country has to pay is “painful and heartbreaking”. Netanyahu said Israel destroyed 19 of the 24 Hamas battalions and was determined to eradicate the movement across the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, a city in the south of the strip, on the border with Egypt, and currently home to some 1.5 million Palestinians, mostly displaced by war.

NATO Day. Romania fully relates to NATO’s democratic values and acts responsibly and decisively at allied level, as a genuine pillar or security and stability in the Black Sea region and on the Eastern Flank, said president Klaus Iohannis in a statement issued on the celebration of NATO Day in Romania and the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance. Together with our partners in Europe and Asia-Pacific, we will continue to strengthen NATO so that it remains the most solid political and military alliance in history, Iohannis also said. In its 20 years of NATO membership, Romania has consolidated its profile as a “responsible” ally, taking an active part in promoting democratic values and principles and security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area and beyond, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu also said. He added that with the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine, Romania enjoys, as a NATO member state, “the most comprehensive security guarantee it has ever had”. Established in 1949 as a security alliance between the United States, Canada and ten west-European countries, NATO has grown to 32 members today, with Sweden the most recent country to join, this year.

Exercise. More than 2,200 troops from NATO and NATO partner states will be training in Romania in the Black Sea coastal area, on the river Danube and in the Danube Delta between 8^th and 21^st April as part of the Sea Shield 24 exercise for missions to combat illegal activities, maritime control, search and rescue at sea, providing assistance to vessels in danger and ensuring security at the level of critical infrastructure. The exercise is organised by the Romanian Naval Forces and brings together 12 countries, alongside Romania: Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United States. The military will make use of 27 sea and river vessels, 17 aircraft and 91 vehicles and boats. The first edition of the Sea Shield multinational exercise took place in 2015, with the exercise being constantly adapted to respond, swiftly and efficiently, to the entire range of threats to regional security and stability, the Romanian defence ministry said in a statement.

PES Congress. The European Socialists, who met on Saturday in Bucharest to establish their strategy for the upcoming European elections, reiterated the need for Romania to fully join the Schengen area. The congress was also attended by the German chancellor Olaf Scholz. Romania is counting on Germany’s support for full Schengen entry, said prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. He also said that the entire Social-Democratic family in Europe will continue to support Romania in achieving this goal. The German chancellor congratulated Romania on the lifting of air and maritime checks on the Schengen borders and hailed its contribution to Europe’s security. The president of the Party of European Socialists Stefan Löfven criticised Austria’s opposition to Romania’s full entry into Schengen. The Socialists’ nominee for president of the European Commission and acting EU commissioner for jobs and social rights Nicolas Schmit said there was no reason for Romania to be denied freedom of movement for its citizens across land borders, as well. Last month, Bucharest also hosted the congress of the centre-right European People’s Party, who nominated the German politician Ursula von der Leyen for a new term as president of the European Commission.

Salary law. The government in Bucharest has finalised talks with its social partners on the new unified salary law and now the labour ministry is working with the World Bank on a final version of the bill, said labour minister Simona Bucura Oprescu. She said the law will eliminate the inequalities in the salary system and explained that no salary will be higher than the president’s and the jobs hierarchy will depend on the complexity or importance of the work performed. The minister said the law also contains an element relating strictly to performance level. The unified salary law is a commitment made under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan was has been much delayed, as it was initially due to be finalised last year.

Middle East. A Hamas delegation is today travelling to Cairo for indirect ceasefire talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. The talks between Hamas and Israel reached a deadlock, while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is worsening. Six months ago today, Hamas carried out a terrorist attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 kidnapped. In response, Israel launched an air and land offensive that has so far led to the killing of some 33,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians. The campaign has caused massive destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the United Nations and humanitarian organisations are warning that starvation is imminent in the Gaza Strip. Israel says 129 hostages are still held in Gaza, with some believed to have died.

Handball. The Romanian women’s handball side are today facing Greece at home in Buzau in their final Group 1 match as part of the EHF Euro 2024 qualifiers. In another group match, Croatia are playing Bosnia and Hertegovina. Romania top the group with 10 points, having won all of their matches, followed by Croatia with 6 points, Greece with 4 and Bosnia and Hertegovina with zero points. The two best-ranked sides in each group will qualify for the final tournament, alongside four of the best third-ranked sides. The 2024 European Women’s Handball Championship will be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland between 28^th November and 15^th December.

NATO. For Romania, NATO accession was the fulfilment of a historical aspiration and a security imperative, and now the Alliance is an essential pillar of our foreign and security policy. The statement was made on Thursday in Brussels by Romania’s foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu in an address at a ceremony to mark NATO’s 75^th anniversary. According to Odobescu, the Alliance passed the test of time and demonstrated a strategic vision, determination, resilience and capacity for adjustment. NATO became stronger in terms of size and influence, the minister also said. Romania is firmly committed to the adjustment process of NATO, so that the alliance becomes stronger and better prepared for the future, president Klaus Iohannis posted on social media. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said current security developments at regional and global level show the need for a joint defence concept in the face of threats generated by “Russian expansionist ambitions” and the aggression against Ukraine.

Investigation. The European Commission has opened two in-depth investigations in Romania in connection to possible problems with the implementation of a big EU-funded project. According to a statement from Brussels, the target is a tender launched by a company from Rovinari for the design, construction and exploitation of a photovoltaic park. The project is partially funded by the EU’s Modernisation Fund and the Commission believes there are sufficient indications that two of the bidders received foreign subsidies that distort the internal market. One of the consortiums that made a bid is listed on the Hong Kong exchange and the other is subordinated to the China Central People’s Government. Under the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, companies are obliged to notify their public procurement tenders in the EU when the estimated value of the contract exceeds €250 million, and when the company was granted at least €4 million in foreign financial contributions from at least one third country in the three years prior to notification.

PES. German chancellor Olaf Scholz is travelling to Bucharest on Saturday to attend the meeting of the Party of European Socialists. He will be joined by the European commissioner for jobs and social rights Nicolas Schmit, from Luxembourg, the Socialists’ candidate to lead the European Commission, and the president of the Party of European Socialists, the former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven. Scholz will be received in Bucharest by Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu. The talks will focus, among others, on bilateral, security and economic policy issues, according to Berlin. Scholz will then attend a round table with representatives of the business environment. Ciolacu and Scholz, whose parties belong to the same European political group, had an informal meeting in November last year in Malaga, in Spain, at the congress of European Socialists. The visit to Romania comes ahead of June’s European elections.

Handball. The Romanian women’s handball side are today facing Bosnia-Hertegovina away in Cazin, in their last-but final match as part of the qualifying matches for the European Championship, the EHF EURO 2024. The final match will take place in Buzău on 7^th April against Greece. Romania have already qualified for the championship and are tipped to win their last two group matches.

Tennis. Romania’s Simona Halep said she accepted a wild card for the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid held between 23^rd April and 5^th May. The former world no. one previously won two consecutive titles in Madrid, in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up in 2014 and 2019. In March, she lost to Spain’s Paula Badosa in the opening round of the Miami tournament in her first match since returning to professional tennis after her 4-year ban for doping was reduced to nine months.

Energy drinks ban. The sale of energy drinks to minors is banned in Romania from Friday. Vendors are no longer allowed to sell these products to young people in Romania and offenders can get up to 6 thousand Euros in fines for selling these products in hospitals, schools or other places frequented by minors. The new amendments refer to drinks containing carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, caffeine and other compounds that stimulate the nervous system.

Food waste. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Friday signed into law a bill on the reduction of food waste. Products that are about to expire will therefore be cheaper and the procedure allowing NGOs to receive food that is not very perishable will be simplified. The law also provides for measures to channel animal products that cannot be consumed by humans to animal shelters and turning food waste into compost or biofuel. Businesses in the hospitality sector are obliged to clearly and visibly inform their customers that they can take their leftovers in a doggy bag with no additional charges and in proper packaging conditions.

Russia elections. Presidential elections have already kicked off in the Russian Far East and are due to end in the Kaliningrad enclave at the Baltic Sea on Sunday. Polling stations have been set up including in the occupied territories in Ukraine, as well as in the breakaway region of Transdniester, in spite of the rules imposed by the authorities in Chisinau who said Russian citizens can only vote at the embassy headquarters. Under the latest Constitutional amendments and in the absence of a real opponent, the incumbent president, Vladimir Putin, is set to win his fifth term in office, which would make him the longest-serving Russian leader, more than the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Putin’s three rivals in the presidential race are opposing neither the invasion of Ukraine nor the anti-opposition reprisals. The authorities in Moscow have cautioned they will not tolerate any protest rally. The United States, NATO and the European Union have said the Russian elections cannot be considered free and fair and a spokesperson in Brussels said that recognising their outcome is up to on each member state.

Ukraine. The United States will continue to support Ukraine with military equipment, while at the same time working with Romania, the European Union and the Republic of Moldova to improve the infrastructure allowing the transit of Ukrainian products, US ambassador to Bucharest Kathleen Kavalec said on Friday. She said the US announced an additional package of weapons and equipment for Ukraine and promised to support the administration in Kyiv against Russian invaders. Kavalec visited the Siret border crossing point, on Romania’s northern border with Ukraine, together with the president of the Suceava county council Gheorghe Flutur and the governor of the Cernăuţi region in Ukraine, Ruslan Zaparaniuk. (CM)

Elections. The United Right Alliance in opposition says it will challenge in court the move by the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democrats and the Liberals to merge local and European elections. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians, also in opposition, has described the decision to merge elections as illegal and unconstitutional. The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party, Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă, respectively, on Wednesday evening announced local and European elections would be held on the same date in June. The two parties are to form an election alliance and run on joint lists in the European elections, but on separate lists in the local elections. The presidential elections are to be held in September and the parliamentary elections in December.

Healthcare. The government is to approve today new hirings in the healthcare and social assistance sectors to occupy over 2,200 vacant jobs, including 700 for doctors, as requested by trade unions, and the rest for nurses and social workers, pharmacists, psychologists and kinesiotherapists. This is the second time this year that the government is unblocking jobs in these sectors. In its meeting today, the government is also expected to maintain state support for low-income groups to help with heating and electricity bills.

Protests. Solidaritatea Sanitară healthcare trade union federation is to continue protests unhappy that the government only plans to raise the basic salaries of healthcare workers by 15% and that it refuses to hold further talks on the subject. In a statement, the federation says that although the government is presenting the measure as a salary increase, this does not in fact lead to greater purchasing power for healthcare employees, but only partly covers the high inflation rate. Protesters are today picketing the health and labour ministries and trade unions say they are planning countrywide protests on 11th March, on Medical Worker Day, followed by a general strike.

Defence. The Country’s Supreme Defence Council met on Wednesday in Bucharest to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea region and its implications for Romania, a statement from the president’s office says. The Council approved measures to strengthen the armed forces to protect the country’s territorial integrity and its population. Diplomatic efforts are also to continue to get Russia to halt its military aggression in Ukraine. The Council also looked at what’s been done in the field of cyber security and assessed its activity last year, with a report to be submitted to Parliament for approval.

Beach restoration. The Romanian Black Sea coastline gained 23 hectares of beach this year in the resorts of Eforie and Agigea, following works to reduce coastal erosion and expand the beachfront. According to the environment minister Mircea Fechet, this not only benefits the environment, but also the economic and tourist activities in the area. He says legal solutions are being looked for to allow businesses to rent sections of the beach for at least 10 years, from 2 years at present. The minister believes this will make business activity more stable and predictable and drive prices of tourist services down.

Table tennis. Romania’s women’s table tennis squad are today facing Japan in the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championship under way in Busan, in South Korea. Romania yesterday defeated Egypt 3-nil and thus qualified for the Paris Olympic Games this summer.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea is today facing the defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Dubai. Cîrstea leads their head-to-head record 2-1, having won in 2022 in Saint Petersburg and last year in Miami, while Vondrousova won the first time they met, at the Australian Open back in 2021. (CM)