Radio România Internațional

Tag: NGOs

  • The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The Pact on Migration and Asylum – a criticized deal

    The 9th edition of the European Migration Forum took place in Brussels in November. High on the agenda was the role of civil society in the implementation of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. Launched in April 2024, the document replaced the former Dublin III Regulation and seeks to support the European Union’s efforts to untangle the current migration gridlock by strengthening border security, facilitating asylum and repatriation procedures and strengthening solidarity with Member States located at the Union’s external borders. Far from being unanimously welcomed, the Pact was met with criticism from NGOs, publications and specialists across the European continent – ​​both from anti-migration and far-right parties (for whom the new regulation does not propose sufficient measures to stop migration) and from leftists and activists (for whom the document poses a threat to human rights). At the end of 2023, for instance, 50 NGOs signed an open letter to the European Commission voicing fears about a future system with possible flaws. This system would favor the normalization of arbitrary detention of migrants, racial profiling, and would use “crisis” procedures as a reason to reject entry at the border and redirect people to so-called safe third countries, thus exposing them to risks of violence, torture and imprisonment.

     

    Professor Cristian Pîrvulescu, the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences at SNSPA and President of the Integration and Immigration Group of the European Economic and Social Committee, tried to account for part of the hesitancy towards the new regulation:

     

    “We had our misgivings towards the Pact, primarily regarding the definition of third countries, because the list of third countries where people who are denied asylum in the European Union are expelled is not at all certain. There are, from our point of view, many shortcomings in the way the Commission has compiled this list, and there are states that are apparently safe, but which the geopolitical situation can turn into completely unsafe states. Moreover, one of our problems concerns the right to apply to enter the territory of the European Union and to go through asylum procedures, which is essential for all those who arrive at the EU borders, whether we are talking about Schengen or non-Schengen borders. In addition, the asylum procedures, as explained by the new Pact, are greatly shortened”.

     

    In 2023, over 117 million people were forcibly displaced, and the UNHCR estimated that by the end of 2024, this figure would increase to 130 million. However, the majority remain in their regions of origin, and only a small share seek protection in Europe.

     

    On the sidelines of the European Migration Forum, RRI spoke to Flavius ​​Ilioni Loga, executive director of the LOGS Association, a grassroots organization operating in Timișoara since 2019, which promotes the integration of vulnerable migrant groups through education and combating human trafficking. Flavius Ilioni was designated “Urban Hero” in Timișoara in 2021, and his team is made up of social workers, psychologists and cultural mediators. I asked him about the vulnerabilities of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum:

     

    “We could not say that we ideally suited to make a legal analysis of the Pact. But there is criticism at the level of organizations regarding policies related to pushbacks, what is happening at the external borders, including on the Romanian border with Serbia, the presence of FRONTEX — how many FRONTEX employees are inspected to actually protect the rights of those who are refugees and who have the right to seek asylum. There is also criticism regarding the implementation of the Pact exclusively with support of the authorities versus that of civil society. We are talking about this exclusive responsibility of national governments to determine who will be involved in the resettlement or integration of people arriving from abroad. The processing of asylum applications, obviously, is the remit of national authorities, but when it comes to legal assistance, counseling, how will this be done? This can be seen as a barrier in the way of organizations like ours, to have direct access to the authorities in Bucharest, for example, which are 600 kilometers away from Timișoara, and that might raise issues when it comes to helping and supporting the solidarity effort at the local and community level”.

     

    According to data provided by the General Inspectorate for Immigration submitted for publication and analysis to the European Council for Refugees and Exiles, in 2023 Romania received a total of 10,346 applications for international protection, of which, by the end of 2023, only 5,561 had been processed. Of these, only 491 had received refugee status, and 438 subsidiary protection. (VP)

  • Scandal in nursing homes prompts minister to resign

    Scandal in nursing homes prompts minister to resign

    As a consequence of the scandal regarding the ill-treatment of the elderly and the vulnerable people in nursing homes, the Romanian Labor Minister, the Social Democrat Marius Budai, resigned on Thursday, although, a few days ago, he said that this gesture didnt matter. The Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacşu will replace him and political sources say that the future Labor Minister will be appointed by the Social Democratic Party – PSD (in the governing coalition), next week, when a meeting of the leadership of this political party will be organized.



    The resignation decision was announced by the Social-Democratic prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, who believes this is a normal gesture in a democracy: I had a discussion with the Labour Minister, Marius Budai, who informed me about his decision to submit his resignation at the end of this meeting. From my point of view, it is a gesture of honor for which I thank him and I am convinced that this is the natural reaction of a political decision-maker in such a crisis. It is a natural reaction in any consolidated European democracy.



    The huge scandal of the ‘homes of horror as they are called in the Romanian media broke out a week and a half ago, but the first accusations were first made several months ago. The revelations showed, back then, that more than 100 so-called beneficiaries of these homes were isolated, starved, tortured, exploited and deprived of minimal hygiene conditions.



    In the meantime, the authorities continue the nationwide verification action of residential social centers. In recent days, several such homes have been checked. Of these, over 20 have been closed, most of them in Bucharest. Also, the activity of almost 30 centers has been suspended and fines have been given worth almost 10 million lei (about 2 million Euros). Several criminal files were opened, some of which concern crimes against the person and economic crimes. At the same time, two inspectors of the Ilfov County Agency for Payments and Social Inspection were detained, because they allegedly did not properly evaluate the situation in a care center for people with disabilities.



    The Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu asked the civil society to propose new names for the future leadership of the National Authority for Persons with Disabilities, because he believes that the NGOs have more expertise in presenting competent people for this domain. In turn, the opposition Save Romania Union party demands the organization of an extraordinary parliamentary session, to look into the situation in the social centers. (LS)


  • Romania increases refugee assistance

    Romania increases refugee assistance

    Over 3 million people have so far fled Ukraine because
    of the war. The figure only includes those who left the country after the
    invasion of Russian forces on February 24, but not the ones displaced within
    Ukrainian borders.


    Almost half of the nearly 3 million refugees are
    children. Poland has received the largest number of Ukrainian nationals-some 1.8
    million, while other destinations for those who run away from the war are the
    Republic of Moldova and Romania.


    About half a million Ukrainian citizens chose to come
    to Romania, but most of these only transited the country on their way to
    Western Europe. But as the Russian invasion continues, Bucharest is preparing
    to handle an ever-growing number of refugees.


    The government announced plans to set up another 2
    hubs for collecting and transporting humanitarian aid for Ukraine, apart from
    the one already operating in Suceava (north-east). One of them will be located
    in the north-west of the country, in Sighetu Marmaţiei, and the other one in
    the south-east, at Isaccea, on the river Danube. Both localities are checkpoints
    on Romania’s border with Ukraine.


    PM Nicolae Ciucă Tuesday travelled to Isaccea, and
    announced that 2 more ferries may be brought in, to help the refugees cross
    into Romania more efficiently:


    Nicolae Ciucă: On the other side of the border there are many
    Ukrainian citizens waiting to leave the country, so we discussed options for
    transport and processing in case their number goes up. It is clear that with
    only one ferry we cannot ensure smoother crossing, so we talked to the transport
    ministry and found out that there are back-up ferries in Galaţi that may be
    used in order for us to ensure a higher crossing rate.


    While in Romania, Ukrainian refugees have access to
    all the healthcare services and programmes available to Romanian citizens. A total
    of 3,300 places are available nation-wide for the injured and for the refugees
    who need surgery.


    In the capital Bucharest, the North Train Station has
    become one of the most important aid centres for the refugees. For almost 2
    weeks now, many Ukrainians have been coming here by train, with no idea where
    to go next. They are helped by City Hall staff and volunteers, who provide them
    with food and temporary accommodation options.


    In fact, a survey indicates that over half of Romania’s
    population has already got involved in assistance and relief programmes for the
    Ukrainian refugees, and more than 8 in 10 Romanians believe Romania has been
    pro-active in this respect.


    Special mention must also be made of the
    non-governmental sector, which initiated new campaigns or adjusted ongoing programmes
    in order to help those in need. The promptness with which Romanians and Romanian
    associations and organisations have mobilised since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, to provide transport, accommodation and translation services, is
    admirable, reads the survey, which also says, on the other hand, that 55% of
    the Romanians voice pessimism regarding the future and safety of neighbouring
    Ukraine. (A.M.P.)

  • Romanian support for the Ukrainian refugees

    Romanian support for the Ukrainian refugees

    Almost 400,000 Ukrainian citizens have taken refuge in Romania since the onset of Russias attacks on Ukraine. Refugees started to appear at several cross-border points along the common border spanning almost 650 kilometers on the very first day of the invasion, February 24, especially in the north, as they were trying to enter Romania through the Maramureș and Moldavia regions. Fewer refugees were reported at the eastern border, at the mouths of the Danube River. In these border areas, the refugees were immediately received by the locals who, mobilizing instantly and instinctively, hurried to help them and offer them food and shelter. Then, the civil society representatives came in, alongside the official institutions. They set up tents, collected first necessity items, and provided information and transport to those who only wanted to transit Romania.



    The Romanian National Council for Refugees has been there since February 24, to offer their expertise, says Ana Cojocaru, the representative of this organization: “My colleagues are currently on the ground, we are present at numerous cross-border points. We are an NGO specializing in legal expertise. Therefore, all we can do is provide information and counseling, and, if necessary, counseling on the asylum procedure in the case of those people who want the protection of the Romanian state. We also have two operational telephone lines on which we can be contacted at any time, during the day or at night. We receive tens or hundreds of calls per day on these lines. We are also present in all the refugee centers in the country that are subordinated to the Interior Ministry, more precisely to the General Inspectorate for Immigration.”



    Many of the questions regarding the stationing on and crossing of the Romanian territory were centralized, in several foreign languages, on the dopomoha.ro website, a project supported by public institutions in collaboration with non-governmental associations. In addition, due to the seriousness of the situation, many of the formalities for entering Romania have been simplified.



    But it wasnt like that from the beginning, Ana Cojocaru explains: “The questions we receive are mainly related to how to enter and transit Romania. Indeed, Romania has not had to deal with such large inflows of people in recent history. It was somehow natural to have to make little adjustments in the process, but I think we are now on the right track and there is more and more clarity and coordination between the state and civil society and between state institutions in general.”



    However, what was most impressive was the quick response and empathy of ordinary Romanians towards refugees. Ana Cojocaru from the Romanian National Council for Refugees has more: “No one could have anticipated this extraordinary response from the civil society, from individuals, in general, and from border communities. There are many initiatives of NGOs and the state that are meant to support people displaced from Ukraine. And the response capacity is extraordinary. Let me give you an example: on Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. I was looking for a solution for a group of 14 people, some of whom were children, and I found an accommodation solution for them in 10 minutes from another trustworthy person. Of course, we have encountered difficulties, especially at the beginning, because the number of people who wanted to help was so great that a little chaos was created at the main border-crossing points. Meanwhile, information started being gathered, at central level, on all these initiatives. Cells have been set up in those counties with cross-border points to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. And I think we are currently better adjusting the coordination process.”



    Ștefan Mandachi, a local entrepreneur from the Suceava area, is one of the Romanians who, since the first day of war, has helped the refugees. Impressed by the crowd of people who “out of all that they had gathered in a lifetime, grabbed hastily what they could in a bag and ran away with their children and pets, not knowing if they would ever return”, Ștefan Mandachi offered these people free accommodation and meals in his hotels and restaurants.



    Ștefan Mandachi does not know how many people he has helped so far: “I cant give you an exact number right now. I know there are over 200 people every day. For example, one day we had to open another dining room. I think there was a record number of people then, about 300 or so. Every day, more than 200 people come for accommodation. We have eventually set up a call center, we made a team and through this formula we have managed to identify what people need: apartments, transport, short-, medium- and long-term stays. At present, one of our priorities is to be able to take these people to their places of accommodation, or transport them to Europe, wherever they might want to go.”



    As expected, refugees are sad and desperate. Stefan Mandachi explains: ”I guess everyone realizes that people coming from Ukraine are in a very bad state. They get a better mood only when their children start playing. We tried to organize some games, to divert their attention from the war. When the parents, in fact the mothers, because the fathers remained in Ukraine, see their children smiling, they can loosen up a bit. But obviously, there is a lot of tension among the entire Ukrainian community and not only, because there are refugees of other nationalities, such as Nigerians, Indians and Moroccans who were studying in Kyiv.”



    Neither Ștefan Mandachi, nor the other NGOs would be able to cope without the contribution of volunteers, ordinary Romanians who have come to the rescue of the refugees as best as they could.



    Stefan Mandachi has details: “Weve put together a great team of volunteers. Many of them are Moldovan and Ukrainian students studying at a university in Suceava. They came in large numbers. They are doing their job very diligently and with great passion. They are very passionate, which is an inspiration for us too. I didnt know about 90% of them, I had never seen them before. They had come from nearby communes such as Salcia and Bihoreni. I didnt know them, but they were very happy and behaved as if we had known each other for a lifetime. They all came here to volunteer.”



    Unfortunately, as the war in Ukraine seems to continue, the number of refugees is going to increase, and the process of providing help should be more and more efficient. (LS)

  • FOCUS, a project for children

    FOCUS, a project for children

    Many Romanian rural communities have been in the attention of NGOs lately, that tried to ease the access of children to education. Thus, teachers have been sent to areas where they were needed the most. This gave the PATRUPETREI team the idea to hold a number of short film workshops for the children in Calarasi county, as part of a project dubbed FOCUS.



    Andrei Dudea, the leader of the PATRUPETREI team, has given us details: ”The FOCUS project consists in fact in several documentary film workshops, for children aged 10 to 14. We hold theory workshops, because we want to develop their critical spirit. This means that we get together, watch films or other media products children usually like, such as music videos. Children particularly like vlogging and mainstream music. When we watch documentaries, we try to analyse them, discuss the lead roles, the topic approached and the way the film was made. We discuss general staff and not get into technical details given that most children participating in these workshops are aged 11 or 12. We try to show them that editing, and music can influence a lot a media product. We are trying to make them understand this, because an important part of this project is to develop their critical spirit. ”




    After the theoretical approach, the practical part follows. Andrei Dudea: “We hold some practical workshops, which means that we go to them with the camera and teach them to film, to pick a theme for their project. As an example, the most frequent themes are about football. All boys wanted to make films about football in the communities we visited. After we help them pick a theme, we teach them how to work with a camera and let them take cameras home and work independently. So, they work with the mentor first to learn the basics and then do it by themselves or in small teams. This is important, because this also helps them become more responsible.”



    Andrei Dudea has said the idea is mostly to develop children’s self-confidence: ”Our main interest is to make them learn about responsibility. In this case, participants in the workshop learn about building a project and how it can be carried out. I believe it is important for the project to be completed, no matter how interesting or uninteresting it may be. We also work on building their confidence. We have held three workshops so far and the fourth one follows. We have found two very talented children among the ones we worked with. ”



    The second edition of the FOCUS — film workshop for adolescents was held during the pandemic, which prompted some changes in how the project unfolded, part of it being held online. A mini-documentary was made on this topic, about how the young people delt with the changes around them and the challenges they faced when schools were closed and they started online classes. Children learned how to tell their own story by means of cinema, with the support of their mentors, Andrei Dudea and Ruxandra Gubernat.



    According to Andrei Dudea, children know more than we would expect about films: “Children are today much more exposed to the media, they have mobile phones, they make videos, go on TikTok, Instagram and they know how to express their ideas. ”



    The short films made by children were turned into a documentary that also shows glimpses of rural life during the pandemic and the reaction of villagers to lockdown.The project will continue this year in a Rroma community in Calarasi.

  • A large-scale afforestation campaign kicks off in Romania

    A large-scale afforestation campaign kicks off in Romania

    Romania’s first large-scale afforestation
    campaign in the past decade kicked off last week. The authorities here believe
    the project will allow them to plant over 50 million saplings and rebuild
    roughly 2 thousand forests.








    The campaign, which unfolds under a
    suggestive title, ‘A Forest As Big As A Country’, involves the opening of
    roughly 13 thousand afforestation sites all over the country. The project
    started in Dambovita county, southern Romania, in the presence of the country’s
    president Klaus Iohannis, who emphasized the importance of these forests for a
    clean environment and the fact that Romania needs to protect its virgin
    forests. According to the president, ‘illegal logging is unacceptable in the 21st
    century’.








    Klaus Iohannis: I am asking
    the Prime Minister and the government members to find new instruments to
    protect Romania’s forests. The instruments created and employed by the previous
    governments proved to be useless and improperly applied.








    The campaign starts off against the
    background of massive illegal logging conducted in the past years, when Romania
    has lost millions of cubic meters of wood. Scores of illegal logging operations
    have been reported almost on a daily basis in recent years. Forest rangers have
    been killed in the line of duty, two of them last year alone; 650 of these
    forest rangers have become victims of aggression while monitoring illegal
    logging operations.






    As the authorities failed to stop
    the phenomenon, several conservationist NGOs filed complaints with the European
    Commission and an infringement procedure was launched against Romania in
    February. The measure was taken due to the flawed legislation, which prevents
    the proper monitoring of illegal logging activities carried out in Romania’s
    forests.




    (translated by bill)

  • July 13, 2019 UPDATE

    July 13, 2019 UPDATE

    TENNIS In a first for the Romanian tennis, Simona
    Halep on Saturday won the Wimbledon tournament, the third Grand Slam
    competition this year after securing a two-set victory 6-2, 6-2, against Serena
    Williams of the USA, one of the world’s strongest tennis players who boasts 7
    Wimbledon trophies. Halep is the first Romanian to have ever made it to the
    women’s finals of this prestigious tennis competition. Another Romanian, Ilie
    Nastase, played in Wimbledon men’s finals twice, in 1972 when he conceded
    defeat to Stan Smith of the USA and in 1976, when he was defeated by Bjorn Borg
    of Sweden. Simona Halep has secured a clear semifinals win against Elina
    Svitolina of Ukraine, while Serena Williams has outperformed Barbora Strycova
    of the Czech Republic. Halep, a former WTA number one, reaped the Roland Garros
    trophy last year. She also became a finalist in Paris twice as well as in
    Australian Open in 2018.








    CANDIDATE A congress of the Save Romania Union, an opposition
    Parliamentary group, on Saturday validated Dan Barna as its candidate for the
    presidential election this autumn. The National Council of PLUS, an
    extra-parliamentary political group founded by Romania’s former technocratic
    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos also convened on Saturday. Ciolos announced the
    PLUS candidate would be elected through electronic voting by all the party
    members over July 22nd and 27th. The two political groups
    are going to hold talks for the designation of a candidate to represent the USR
    PLUS Alliance. We recall that the USR PLUS election alliance came third in
    the European Parliament election in May, after the National Liberal Party, the
    main right-wing opposition party and PSD, number one in the leftist government
    coalition.








    WEATHER In the following 24 hours the weather
    is going to be cool in Romania and will become unsettled in most of its
    territory. Heavy rainfalls, thunderstorms and strong winds are expected in most
    of the regions but for the country’s south-east. The highs of the day are
    ranging between 20 and 27 degrees Celsius.






    ENVIRONMENT Romania’s
    capital city Bucharest on Saturday saw the second edition of the march of
    environmentally-friendly cars, hybrid and electric, which this year was joined by participants in the We Bike Romania project. These
    two marches are part of a larger event entitled SMARTICITY, which is campaigning
    for improving air quality in towns and cities across Romania through the
    promotion of green transportation. The event was attended by leading figures of
    Romania’s political, sporting and artistic life as well representatives of
    various NGOs, corporations and diplomats.






    (translated by bill)





  • Projects run by the Association ‘Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2021’

    Projects run by the Association ‘Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2021’

    A transformation
    that requires years of careful planning, a strong team, dialogue and the
    support of the main donors, as well as lots of patience. The association
    started the year 2019 ready for assessing an open call, launched in December 2018
    and titled SEARCHLIGHT, a participatory cultural initiative targeting the
    larger audience. Simona Neumann explains:






    Simona Neumann:
    Actually, by means of the Searchlight
    initiative – an open call for project proposals – we want to involve the
    public, NGOs and cultural institutions that have not yet had the chance to take
    part in the creation of the Timisoara 2021 cultural project. To open a gate of
    opportunities for such participation, to promote ideas other than those
    included in the application file. We were anxious to receive innovative and
    sustainable projects, which can be continued after 2021. And of course,
    projects that cover the European dimension needed for their inclusion into such
    a program. We had three thematic areas: places, people and connections. We
    received 72 proposals, out of which the jury selected 23, which meet all the
    selection criteria and have a realistic budget, based on co-funding.






    Those interested
    in taking a look at the 23 winning projects can see a concentration of ideas
    and names that are ‘different’, in all the three thematic areas. Most of them
    are quite playful with letters and concepts, and the results are surprising,
    even for a cynical viewer. Mention should be made of the fact that the
    Association does not finance projects; its role is actually that of a magnet
    that attracts people and ideas that are to be integrated into a single entity
    for the year 2021. Simona Neumann, the executive director of the Association
    told us what happens to the selected projects.








    Simona Neumann:
    The Board of the Association is
    scheduled to conduct a review. This will include, of course, the 3 providers of
    public funding, namely the Timisoara City Hall, the Timis County Council and
    the Ministry of Culture, alongside private operators. We will be looking at the
    realistic financing options for this year and, depending on this, we will see
    whether we can launch a second call for proposals. This is very important for a
    programme of this scope, because Timisoara 2021 has not only local and national
    coverage, but a European dimension as well. The fact that for 2 consecutive
    years we have only received 30% of the funding planned for this programme made
    it impossible for us to hire more people in the executive team. They would have
    been in charge, among other things, of a much closer relation with the mass
    media. And I mean both classical, mainstream media, and online influencers and
    opinion leaders.






    In the nearly 7
    years since she joined the Association, Mrs Neumann says, the relationship with
    the media has grown and changed. Whereas in the beginning there was a lot of
    suspicion, and many voices claimed Timisoara stood no chance of becoming a
    European Capital of Culture, in time the attitude of journalists, particularly
    local ones, has transformed dramatically.








    Both mainstream
    and online journalists have come to understand how this programme works.
    Moreover, they felt compelled to take a stand against those who crossed the
    boundaries of civilized criticism, as Simona Neumann puts it, and to defend
    the Timisoara 2021 programme using viable arguments. Beyond just being
    channels of communication, in the best possible sense of the word, people in
    the media are becoming ambassadors of Timisoara 2021.








    As soon as the
    announcement was made about Timisoara winning the nomination, the Association
    members were warned about something that usually happens in the cities named
    European capitals of culture: controversies emerge, accusations are made.








    Simona Neumann:
    The expectations are high and some
    people don’t have the patience or the willingness to understand that such a
    programme is very closely monitored by Brussels. There are clearly defined
    stages which cannot be skipped. They want it all and they want it now, they
    want balloons and fireworks today, metaphorically speaking.








    If 2021 is just
    the beginning, then the skies of the beautiful and cosmopolitan Timisoara city
    will be filled with many balloons and fireworks. And they will bring about
    others, in the years to come. European Capital of Culture is not just a
    designation, but, more importantly, it is an opportunity for change offered to
    local communities.









  • December 26, 2017

    December 26, 2017

    CHRISTMAS — In Romania, Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians celebrate today, on the second day of Christmas, the Synaxis of the Theotokos, which is a celebration of Mary, the Mother of God. This is one of the oldest feast days devoted to Virgin Mary, dating back to the 5th Century. The Synaxis of the Theotokos is the assembly of believers to honour the one through whom the incarnation of God was possible. Also today, Roman Catholic Christians celebrate St Stephen, the first martyr.





    HOLIDAYS — Thousands of Romanians are spending their winter holidays in the mountain resorts in Valea Prahovei region in the south, in Maramures in the north-west of the country and in Bucovina, in the north-east. Sinaia and Buşteni, on Prahova Valley, are among the most popular resorts in the country at this time of the year. In Bâlea Lac, in Făgăraş Mountains, at over 2,000 m altitude, the new Ice Hotel, the only one of its kind in Romania, was opened on Sunday. Most of the tourists having booked a room here come from abroad.




    ROYAL HOUSE — The Royal House of Romania attended on Tuesday the Christmas service held at the Orthodox church in Săvârşin, the west of Romania. The royals are on 40-day mourning after the death of Romania’s last king, Michael I. He passed away on December 5, aged 96, and was buried on December 16, in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, where the other 3 monarchs of Romania are also interred. Tens of thousands of people took part in the national funerals of the one they regard as a model of dignity, honour, devotion and love for the country.




    CONSULTATIONS — The PM of Romania, Mihai Tudose, has agreed to hold talks tomorrow with representatives of over 40 NGOs involved in the street protests against the controversial changes in the justice laws. The organisations had sent the PM an open letter expressing their willingness to contribute to dialogue, consultation and solutions, in full compliance with the rule of law, democratic principles and fundamental human rights. They say there have been major deficiencies in the dialogue and consultations between lawmakers and society with respect to the justice laws and the changes of the criminal codes. On Friday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, sent a letter to President Klaus Iohannis, urging him to request an official opinion from the Venice Commission with respect to the legislative reform endorsed by Parliament. Previously, the embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden to Bucharest issued a joint letter calling on all stakeholders in the judiciary reform process to avoid measures that would weaken the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. In response, the Foreign Ministry said strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption are among the priorities of the Government of Romania. In turn, the leaders of ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, respectively, promised that the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu would inform embassies properly with respect to the legislative changes in this field.




    EU — The German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if the EU managed to get a smart deal with Britain that governs relations with Europe after Brexit, it could be a model for other countries. The German diplomat added that Turkey and Ukraine are not likely to get full EU membership very soon, which is why the EU should consider alternative forms of closer cooperation. Gabriel also suggested that such an approach could take the form of a closer customs union with Turkey. Although the current situation proves that that country is still rather far from joining the EU, recent moves by Ankara indicate willingness to improve relations with Brussels, the German official also said. Shortly before Christmas, Turkey decided to free a German pilgrim after nearly 9 months of detention, and a German journalist who had spent 7 months in custody over alleged ties with a terrorist organisation.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)