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Tag: no-confidence motion

Government survives no-confidence vote

The left-of-center Government in
Bucharest on Tuesday survived the no-confidence motion submitted by the
right-wing opposition, despite facing obvious difficulties. The
Social-Democratic Party, the main ruling-coalition party, grabbed only 22% in
the European Parliament election of May 26, with 0.5% less than the main opposition
party, the National Liberal Party, and very close to another opposition party,
the Save Romania Union-PLUS Alliance. The Social-Democrats’ junior coalition
partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, failed to meet the 5%
election threshold. Adding to the poor result was the imprisonment of the
Social-Democrat strongman Liviu Dragnea, who got a three year and a half prison
sentence for corruption.

All this time Social-Democrat MPs continued to leave
the party and join the newly-founded Pro Romania Party, led by their former
Social-Democrat leader, Victor Ponta. Still, the Government led by
Social-Democrat interim leader Viorica Dancila remains in power, after
Parliament voted against the no-confidence motion on Tuesday. The document
grabbed only 200 votes of the 233 necessary in order to pass. While the
initiators of the motion, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union,
the People’s Movement Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania, have accused the Government of mounting a relentless attack on the
judiciary and destabilizing the economy, Government officials expressed doubt
with the opposition’s willingness to take over the Government at this time.
Liberal leader in the Chamber of Deputies, Raluca Turcan, says the opposition
has the capacity of taking over and that the no-confidence vote reflects the
result of the May 26 ballot.

We can organize a
Government that should conduct feasibility studies legally and start motorway
construction works. We could also introduce postal voting for Romanians in the
Diaspora and correct the legislation in the justice system.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila in
turn reiterated her determination to see through her mandate, arguing economic
indicators are evidence in favor of the Government’s effective policies.

It is obvious you have
no alternative to the Government. Do you really want to change this Government
before the upcoming election? I know you don’t. You have provided no concrete
solution for the functioning of the economy in the interest of citizens.

Political pundits in turn say
chances are the opposition won’t take over the power at this time, for various
reasons. For once, the left-wing’s excessively generous social policies will produce
effects soon, which will need correction. On the other hand, the public system
is now filled with associates of the ruling coalition, who threaten to sabotage
any non-affiliated Government. Pundits agree, however, that political parties
will resume their confrontation in autumn, ahead of the presidential election.

19 June 2019
March 6, 2019 UPDATE

BUDGET – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Wednesday that he would send the 2019 budget bill back to Parliament. Previously, the President had challenged the bill in the Constitutional Court which ruled that the legislation in question is constitutional. Iohannis has refused to comment on the Court’s decision and has said that the 2019 budget is one of ‘national shame’, based on fake figures. Iohannis has pointed out that the budget presented by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the main party of the government coalition, is designed to serve mostly the political interests of a small group. His opinion is shared by the right of center opposition, who agree to the bill being resent to Parliament and who say that only a realistic budget can save economy and help regain investors’ trust. In turn, the Social Democrats have announced they will send for promulgation the same version of the bill adopted initially by Parliament, as it ensures the necessary resources for all important economic sectors. PSD accuses President Iohannis of telling lies when he criticizes the budget bill, which they say gives the healthcare system the biggest amounts this sector has ever got.

MOTION – The vote on the simple motion filed by the right of center opposition, made up of the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, will be rescheduled after Wednesday’s plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies was suspended due to a lack of quorum. Social Democratic MPs have decided not to participate because, they say, the no-confidence motion includes untrue things, while the party leader Liviu Dragnea has explained that Toader’s situation will be discussed in the ruling coalition given that there is a state of discontent as far as he is concerned, which needs to be addressed with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), the junior partner in the ruling coalition. An independent supported by ALDE, Toader has also come under criticism from the Social Democrats, the main force in government, as well as from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who support the government in Parliament. The Liberals, however, say that through the lack of quorum the ruling coalition puts pressure on Minister Toader to promote the legislative changes that the power wants. Even if the motion passes, only Prime Minister Viorica Dancila can decide if minister Toader is dismissed.

EUROSTAT – In 2017, around 825,000 persons acquired citizenship of a Member State of the European Union (EU), down from 995,000 in 2016 and 841,000 in 2015, Eurostat has announced. Of the total number of persons obtaining the citizenship of one of the EU Member States in 2017, 17% were former citizens of another EU Member State, while the majority were non-EU citizens or stateless. Romanians (25,000 persons), Poles (22,000) and Britons (15,000) were the three largest groups of EU citizens acquiring citizenship of another EU Member State. Half of the Member States granted citizenship to more people in 2017 than they did in 2016. The largest relative increases were recorded in Romania (from 4,527 persons in 2016 to 6,804 persons in 2017. The naturalization rate is the ratio of the number of persons who acquired the citizenship of a country during a year over the stock of foreign residents in the same country at the beginning of the year. In 2017, the highest naturalisation rates were registered in Sweden (8.2 citizenships granted per 100 resident foreigners), Romania (5.9) and Finland (5.0), followed by Portugal (4.5), Greece (4.2) and Cyprus (3.9).

EXERCISE – Two Romanian war ships are taking part this week in manoeuvres at sea together with two Turkish military vessels as part of the Mavi Vatan exercise conducted by the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, the chief of staff of the Romanian Navy has said. The two ships will carry out exercises in the Romanian territorial and international waters aimed at deterring asymmetric threats. The activity forms part of the provisions of the strategic partnership signed by Turkey and Romania in 2011. The bilateral training activities in which Romanian Navy military are also involved are included in a set of measures to discourage threats and risks to the security of NATO states, measures adopted at the NATO summit held in Brussels last year.

TALKS – The Romanian prime minister Viorica Dancila is in Brussels for talks with representatives of EU institutions. On Wednesday she met the first vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans to discuss the recent changes to the justice legislation in Romania. She will also have talks with the Commissions chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier ahead of the UKs scheduled date for leaving the European Union, March 29th. Talks will focus on the protection of the rights of EU citizens. Dancila is also expected to attend two events on equality of chances and the promotion of womens rights. This years edition of the Womens European Council is held in partnership with Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Parliament and looks at ways to improve womens representation in politics and in leadership positions.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

6 March 2019
December 16-21, 2018

The Romanian Revolution – 29 years on

29 years have passed since the 1989 anti-Communist revolution in Romania that put an end to a nightmare of many decades. On December 17, 1989 fire was opened in the western city of Timisoara on those who dared to protest against dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The anti-communist revolution also saw its first victims in Timisoara: 58 people were shot dead and several hundreds were injured. Monday was a day of mourning in Timisoara, which commemorated the victims of the 1989 revolution. Flags with black ribbons attached to them were flown at half-staff and a commemoration service was held at the Metropolitan Cathedral for the martyrs of the revolution. Also wreathe-laying ceremonies were held that were attended by revolutionaries, local officials and guests.

“It is the duty of all the people of Timisoara to remember the young souls of the victims who craved for freedom, after a troubled night when more than 600 people were arrested. The discontented people of Timisoaras took to the streets but unfortunately the army did not understand the message of the people of Timisoara and opened fire on them in the Freedom Square.”

On Thursday Timisoara marked Victory Day. 29 years ago, after the repression by the Communist authorities that left behind dead and wounded, workers went on strike and the people of Timisoara took to the streets in great numbers. The army withdrew to the barracks and from the balcony of the Opera House in Timisoara the people declared Timisoara the first city of Romania free of Communism. To mark this moment, siren calls were heard in downtown Timisoara at noon. The revolt extended on December 21 to Bucharest and other cities of Romania. Commemoration services were held at cemeteries and memorial crosses erected in memory of the victims. Over one thousand people died and around 3 thousand were injured in the Romanian uprising, the only country in the Eastern bloc where the change of regime was violent and the Communist leaders were executed.

The no-confidence motion against the government failed

The Parliament of Romania Thursday dismissed a no-confidence motion against the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and headed by Viorica Dancila. Entitled “Enough is enough! Dragnea-Dancila Cabinet, the embarrassment of Romania!”, the no-confidence vote was initiated by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, and the Peoples Movement Party. The Opposition only managed to get 161 votes out of the 233 it needed in order to dismiss the Cabinet. The initiators argued that the current Cabinet is a threat to Romanias national interests, to its economic and political stability. They also criticized the justice laws, and said the prime minister failed to comply with the governing programme undertaken at the start of her term in office.

In turn, PM Dancila dismissed the accusations in the text of the motion, which she described as unfounded and unserious:

“You continue to prove that you are incapable of respect for anybody, that your actions are only driven by hatred. I am strong enough to keep going.”

In the Opposition, the leader of the Liberal Deputies Raluca Turcan argued:

“Instead of an incompetent and obedient Prime Minister, we could have a responsible and loyal one, able to persuade the young in particular that it is worth studying in this country if you want to be part of societys elite.”

Pension Act, endorsed by Chamber of Deputies

The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, the decision-making body in this case, Wednesday endorsed the new Pension Law, after on Tuesday the Deputies had approved an amendment filed by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. Initially dismissed by the Labour Committee, the amendment stipulates that people with severe disabilities may retire after one-third of the pension contribution period. The bill also says that a person may receive pension benefits and social security benefits on condition that they have contributed to the pension fund and social security fund for at least 15 years. Eliminating discrimination between people with the same contribution periods, granting the more advantageous benefit to a surviving spouse and the 6-year early retirement option for mothers of 3 children are other novelties introduced by the act, according to the Social Democratic Deputy Olguta Vasilescu, who initiated the bill when she was a labour minister. She explained that further to successive increases, the pension point level will reach approx. 400 euros in 2020.

Austrias Chancellor Sebastian Kurz pays official visit to Bucharest

The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday received the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz whose country is currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council. The Austrian official has symbolically handed over to Romania the presidency of the Council which effectively starts on January 1, 2019. The two officials tackled priority topics on the European agenda such as the future of the EU, the post-2020 budget of the EU, Brexit, the elections for the European Parliament. On Wednesday at a meeting with the ambassadors of the EU states accredited to Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis stated that Romanias objective as president of the EU Council was to start as soon as possible negotiations related to the future relations between the EU and Great Britain if the Brexit deal is ratified by the British Parliament and approved by the European Parliament. President Iohannis also said that Romania supports a strong Union closer to the European citizens and able to ensure their security and prosperity.

22 December 2018
Opposition tables no-confidence motion against Dancila Government

The National
Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the People’s Movement
Party (PMP) are again trying to oust the left-of-center government headed by Viorica
Dancila. The no-confidence motion initiated by the rightist parties, enjoying
the support of MPs who were previously PSD members, was signed by 163 MPs. Nevertheless,
given that it takes 233 votes to dismiss the Cabinet, pundits have serious
doubts that the motion will pass. Dubbed Enough! The Dancila-Dragnea Government
is the shame of Romania, the motion was read before Parliament’s plenary
sitting by the Liberal MP Pavel Popescu, who criticized the absence from the
meeting of the Government members and of the Social Democrat leader Liviu
Dragnea. The puppet government of the criminally convicted Liviu Dragnea must
leave today! This is not a request of the Opposition, but a national
emergency!, the text of the motion says. The organized crime group headed by
Liviu Dragnea, who took over power in Romania, has weakened the state in order
to subordinate it, at a time when we need to be strong, more than ever before.
We firmly and responsibly state that national interest is at risk if the
country is further ruled by this crime group that destroys the rule of law and
dynamites Romania’s political and economic stability, the motion also reads.

The document’s
signatories are warning the MPs of the parties in power and of the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), who has a collaboration protocol
with the ruling coalition, that, if they again try to save Liviu Dragnea they will
bear a historical responsibility on their shoulders, for choosing the PSD
leader to Romania’s detriment. Predictable enough, the motion’s main target is
Liviu Dragnea, the mastermind behind PSD, who has received a final sentence and
is under investigation in several other criminal cases, who is regarded as the
coordinator of efforts to subordinate justice and of deviations from the rule
of law. The Opposition, however, is harshly criticizing PM Viorica Dancila and
her Cabinet members as well, who they blame of being incompetent and of
postponing until after 2021 all commitments taken under their governing
programme.

To vote Yes -
the Opposition says in the text of the motion – is to vote for Romania, for
rescuing the country from the claws of the thieves and the incompetent, who
drain its resources and make its people poor. Prove that you want liars and
impostors out of Romanian politics. Prove that you want Romania to be
represented next year, at the EU Council, by a government of ministers that we
are not ashamed of, that you want to see the country safe from a predictable
economic disaster.

No Government
representative was present in Parliament to react to the statements of the
Opposition. The MPs representing the ruling coalition have not yet decided if
they should come in Parliament and not cast their vote or if they should come
and vote against the motion. Last week PM Dancila said she trusts the ruling
parties so she is not worried about the outcome of the vote. UDMR, the party
that could tip the balance of power, seems not to support the motion in the
absence of a clearly defined political alternative and of a proposal for prime
minister.

(Translated by E. Enache)

18 December 2018
14 December, 2018

No-confidence vote. The opposition in Bucharest has filed a
no-confidence motion against the government formed by the Social Democratic
Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. 163 senators and deputies
from the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s
Movement Party have signed the motion, as well as unaffiliated MPs, but 233
votes are necessary to bring down the government led by Viorica Dancila.
Describing it as an organised crime group, the signatories say the government
is a threat to the rule of law and to Romania’s political and economic
stability at a time of international instability. The initiators of the no-confidence
vote say the motion is a national emergency and those who vote against it will
carry the burden of a historical responsibility. The move to call for a
no-confidence vote in the government ahead of Romania’s taking over the
presidency of the Council of the European Union is not sending a good signal
for the country, has said prime minister Viorica Dancila, adding that she
doesn’t fear for her cabinet. The motion will be debated and voted on next
week.

EU. The European
winter summit, which is also attended by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis,
continues in Brussels. Decisions are expected on the reform of the economic and
monetary union. On Thursday, on the first day of the summit, the EU leaders
discussed Brexit with the British prime minister Theresa May and rejected any
renegotiation of the agreement reached, even if it may not be passed by the
Parliament in London. Talks have also focused on the EU’s multi-annual budget,
and Romania, which takes over the EU rotating presidency from Austria, has been
urged to continue efforts to reach an agreement by next autumn.

Anniversary. Events are held today
in Timisoara, in the west, to mark the 29th anniversary of the
Romanian anti-communist revolution. The headquarters of the local philharmonic
orchestra is hosting a fine arts exhibition, a book presentation and the launch
of a competition to designate the most representative work of fine art of the
Romanian revolution. A so-called Freedom March is scheduled for Saturday, as
well as a talk on the first protest movements that led to the outbreak of the
anti-communist uprising. A traditional festive meeting of the local council
will take place on Sunday to commemorate the city’s martyrs. This will be
followed by educational activities for young people under the heading Remember
’89 and an anniversary concert. Monday will be a day of mourning in memory of
the dead. The events will culminate on the 20th of December with a
celebration of the day when Timisoara became the first city free of communism
in Romania. The anti-communist revolution broke out in Timisoara on the 16th
of December 1989 and spread to Bucharest on the 21st and other
cities across the country. More than 1,000 people were killed and some 3,000
wounded in the clashes that erupted in Romania, the only country in the former eastern
bloc where the change of regime was achieved through bloodshed and where the
ousted communist leaders were executed.

Investments. Direct foreign
investments grew by 9.74% in the first ten months of the year compared with the
similar period last year, according to a report by the National Bank of Romania
published today. Direct investments from non-residents amount to 4.56 billion
euros, compared with 4.15 billion in the 2017 period. On the other hand, the
number of companies with foreign capital decreased in the first ten months of
the year by 3.6% compared with the similar period last year to 4,718, according
to the National Trade Register Office.

Extradition. The Bucharest Court of
Appeal rejected on Friday a request from the Turkish authorities to extradite
the journalist Kamil Demirkaya from the Zaman
România publication on grounds that not all conditions were met for his
extradition. Following an extradition warrant issued by the Turkish
authorities, the Romanian prosecutors heard Demirkaya and decided not to detain
him and send the request to court. On 6th December, Demirkaya told
the Court of Appeal that he did not wish to be extradited to Turkey, because
its justice system is not working. He explained that officially, the Turkish
authorities accuse him of having an app on his phone that is also used by the
supporters of the preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey’s president Recep
Tayyip Erdogan blames for a coup against him. The Turkish journalist lives in
Bucharest with his wife and son.

Handball. Romania today face Olympic champions Russia in
Paris in the semifinals of the European Women’s Handball Championship. In the
other semifinal, the host country France are playing against the Netherlands.
Romania have also ensured their ticket to the World Championship in Japan next
year. The team’s star player and leader Cristina Neagu, who is the highest
scoring player in the history of the European championships, will not be
playing today, however, because of an injury in a match against Hungary on
Wednesday, which Romania lost. Romania are managed by the Spanish coach Ambros
Martin and Russia by the legendary Yevgeni Trefilov. Both have excellent records as
managers in women’s handball. Romania will be playing on the Paris Bercy
stadium, the same location of another tournament semifinal between the two
sides at the World Championship in 2007. Trefilov was also a manager then and
Russia defeated Romania 30-20.

14 December 2018
December 13, 2018 UPDATE

BRUSSELS – Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis is attending in Brussels
the European Council meeting and the Euro Summit. The Council’s agenda includes
negotiations on the future EU budget after 2020, the Union’s Single Market,
migration, climate change and the fight against racism and xenophobia. As
regards the future budget of the EU, Romania’s president pleads for its rapid
adoption, specifying that Romania, while holding the presidency of the Council
of the EU, will act towards ensuring significant progress in the negotiations. Also,
he supports the efforts made by the members states with regard to the external dimension
of migration and an active involvement in the dialogue with the external
partners, the countries of origin and transit. On the sidelines of the summit,
president Iohannis has had a meeting with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
They have discussed the informal summit on the future of Europe to be hosted by
the Romanian city of Sibiu on May 9th, 2019, which will play a major
role in outlining the strategic agenda of the EU for 2020-2024.

COOPERATION – Romania benefits from
the US’s unequivocal support for a quick accession to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the conclusions drawn
at the meeting in Washington between the Romanian Minister for the Business Environment,
Stefan-Radu Oprea, and the US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The two
officials discussed Romania’s priorities during its term at the helm of the Council
of the EU and boosting investment under the strategic partnership between the
two countries. According to statistics, bilateral trade exchanges stood at a
total 2 billion dollars in the first nine months of the year, 6.8% more than in the same period last year.
Romanian exports to the US grew by 29%, up to 1.15 billion dollars, and imports
from that country dropped by 15%, to 800 million dollars.

NO-CONFIDENCE -
A no-confidence motion against the Government formed by the Social Democratic
Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and headed by the Social
Democrat Viorica Dancila will be filed in the Romanian Parliament on Friday.
The document has been signed by 163 Senators and Deputies members of the opposition National Liberal Party,
Save Romania Union and People’s Movement Party, as well as by non-affiliated
MPs. The initiators of the motion say that this is not a just request from the
opposition, it’s a national emergency, and those who will try and reject it
will carry a historic responsibility on their shoulders. The motion will be
debated and voted on next week.

MOLDOVA – The local and parliamentary elections that are
due in the Republic of Moldova next year pose risks to the economic development
of the former Soviet state, with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population,
according to analysts with the Expert-Grup Center in Chisinau, quoted by Radio
Romania correspondents. In their opinion, a drop in foreign assistance and
budget revenues could increase the internal debt and also fees and taxes. For
2019, experts forecast an economic growth within the 3.5 – 5.2% range. However,
they also warn that decreasing taxes only a few months before the elections
will diminish budget revenues and therefore, after the election, the future
Government might increase other taxes and resort to loans from the internal
market, especially given that foreign financing has been dropping. Business
people are reluctant to investing, waiting for the result of the elections.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for February, and the local ones are due
in June. Opinion polls indicate the pro-Russia Socialists as the favourites,
followed by the pro-European opposition and the ruling Democratic Party.

HANDBALL – On Friday night in Paris, Romania’s national women’s handball
team will face the Russian team, in the semi-finals of the European
Championship hosted by France. In the same stage of the competition, the host
country plays against the Netherlands. The Romanian handballers have also
secured their participation in the World Championship in Japan, next year. The
star and leader of the Romanian team, Cristina Neagu, dubbed the best scorer in
the history of European competitions, has unfortunately sustained an injury and
she will not be able to play.

13 December 2018
November 28, 2018 UPDATE

SOLEMN SESSION – The Romanian Parliament on Wednesday held a solemn session to celebrate one hundred years since the Great Union, of December 1. Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said that 100 years on, politicians, irrespective of party and doctrine, should answer the question whether or not they want to keep on promising much and delivering little or if they take the courage and responsability to lay the foundations of Romanias development in the second Centenary. Klaus Iohannis also underlined that the Romanians have big hopes for the countrys future as well as justified expectations from those who lead the country. In turn, PM Viorica Dancila urged the Romanian political class to show unity. The guests who have been invited to attend a solemn session in the Romanian Parliament include the former presidents of the country Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, members of the Government, the heads of the diplomatic missions in Bucharest, the president of the Romanian Academy, the Governor of the National Bank, the president of the War Veterans’ National Association, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and representatives of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic churches.

GREAT UNION – November 28 marks 100 years since the completion of the historic process of Bukovina’s union with Romania. After a century and a half of foreign occupation, Bukovina became an integrated part of the country it had been severed from by the Hapsburg Empire. After the dismantling of the empire into national states, the National Council of Bukovina decided, with a majority of votes, the union with Romania. Previously, in March 1918, Bessarabia, another Romanian province, had united with the mother-country, followed by Transylvania, Banat, Maramures and Crisana. This is how the Romanian National Unitary State came to life. These days, the last preparations are being made for the military ceremonies which will mark the National Day on December 1, and 100 years since the creation of Greater Romania. Bucharest will host the largest national parade since 1990. Some 4,000 military and military experts, with over 200 military vehicles will march under the Triumphal Arch. Some 500 military from 22 allied and partner countries will join the parade, alongside the Romanian troops. 50 military aircraft will fly over the Triumphal Arch Square in Bucharest. A military parade will also be held in Alba Iulia, central Romania, the town where the Great Union of December 1 was achieved. Attending the event will be 1,600 military, equipped with 150 military vehicles and 23 aircraft. The local authorities say some 400 journalists, Romanian nationals and foreigners, have been accredited to attend the events held in Alba Iulia on Romanias National Day.

VISIT – Bucharest’s general mayor Gabriela Firea is on a five day formal visit to Ireland. She will meet with the mayor of Dublin, Lord Nial Ring, for talks on urban mobility, health and social care. Ms. Firea will also participate in the draw ceremony for the 2020 UEFA European qualifying tournament. The event will enjoy the participation of the mayors of the 12 host cities, Bucharest included, of the UEFA Euro 2020 final tournament, as well as representatives of football federations from the 55 countries that are affiliated to UEFA.

BUDGET – Next year’s state budget is to be approved by the Government and submitted to Parliament for debates, most likely in the second week of December, the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has announced. The new budget provides for a 15% increase in the pension point as of September 2019 and a 1% drop in the VAT. The finance minister has also said that the budget deficit in the first 10 months of the year stood at 2.22% of the GDP, so Romania will manage to observe the 3% target established for this year.

MOTION – The opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union on Wednesday filed at the Senate a simple no-confidence motion against the tourism minister Bogdan Trif. The document titled ‘Romanian tourism: an incompetent minister and a country with no brand’, is to be debated and voted on in early December. The signatories claim the activity carried out by Bogdan Trif as minister is marked by ‘a total lack of transparency’ and call for his resignation. Despite the fact that Romania boasts tourist attractions that are unique in Europe and even in the world, Romanian tourism accounts for very little as share of the GDP (1.3%), the signatories also say. The Liberals blame minister Trif for worsening the economic climate in tourism. Romania has tourism-generated revenues of 2.24 billion Euros, while the Romanian citizens spend 3.12 billion for similar services abroad.

MARTIAL LAW – Martial law was enforced on Wednesday in ten regions in Ukraine, most of them along the border with Russia, but also in two regions in the south-west: Odessa and Vinnytsia, which neighbor Transdniester, and also in the internal waters in the Azov Sea – Kerch Strait area. In order not to affect the presidential elections due in March next year, the measure will be enforced for only 30 days. Martial law entails lesser civil rights and traffic. Also, public gatherings are forbidden, and radio and TV broadcasts censored. The decree signed by president Petro Porosenko was enforced after on Sunday, three Ukrainian ships were seized by the Russian coast guards in the Black Sea, near the Kerch Strait. The incident ended in six Ukrainians being injured, two of them quite seriously, according to Kiev.

28 November 2018
November 28, 2018

SOLEMN SESSION – The Romanian Parliament holds a solemn session today to celebrate one hundred years since the Great Union. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis and the speakers of the two chambers, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Princess Margareta will give speeches on the occasion. Also speaking will be members of the parties represented in parliament. The guests to the event include the former presidents of the country Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, members of the Government, the heads of the diplomatic missions in Bucharest, the president of the Romanian Academy, the Governor of the National Bank, the president of the War Veterans National Association, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church and representatives of the Greek and Roman Catholic churches.

GREAT UNION – November 28th marks 100 years since the completion of the historic process of Bukovinas union with Romania. After a century and a half of foreign occupation, Bukovina became an integrated part of the country it had been severed from by the Habsburg Empire. After the dismantling of the empire into national states, the National Council of Bukovina decided, with a majority of votes, the union with Romania. Previously, in March 1918, Bessarabia, another Romanian province, had united with the mother-country, followed by Transylvania, Banat, Maramures and Crisana. This is how the Romanian National Unitary State came to life.

VISIT – Bucharests general mayor Gabriela Firea is on a formal 5-day visit to Ireland. She will meet with the mayor of Dublin, Lord Nial Ring, for talks on urban mobility, health and social care. Ms. Firea will also participate in the draw ceremony for the 2020 UEFA European qualifying tournament. The event will enjoy the participation of the mayors of the 12 host cities, Bucharest included, of the UEFA Euro 2020 final tournament, as well as representatives of football federations from the 55 countries that are affiliated to UEFA.

BUDGET – Next years state budget is to be approved by the Government and submitted to Parliament for debates, most likely in the second week of December, the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has announced. The new budget provides for a 15% increase in the pension point as of September 2019 and a 1% drop in the VAT. The finance minister has also said that the budget deficit in the first 10 months of the year stood at 2.22% of the GDP, so Romania will manage to observe the 3% target established for this year.

MOTION – The opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union have today filed at the Senate a simple no-confidence motion against the tourism minister Bogdan Trif. The document titled Romanian tourism: an incompetent minister and a country with no brand, is to be debated and voted on in early December. The signatories claim the activity carried out by Bogdan Trif as minister is marked by a total lack of transparency and call for his resignation. Despite the fact that Romania boasts tourist attractions that are unique in Europe and even in the world, Romanian tourism accounts for very little as share of the GDP (1.3%), the signatories also say. The Liberals blame minister Trif for worsening the economic climate in tourism. Romania has tourism-generated revenues of 2.24 billion Euros, while the Romanian citizens spend 3.12 billion for similar services abroad.

MARTIAL LAW – Martial law has been enforced today in ten regions in Ukraine, most of them along the border with Russia, but also in two regions in the south-west: Odessa and Vinnytsia, which neighbor Transdniester, and also in the internal waters in the Azov Sea – Kerch Strait area. In order not to affect the presidential elections due in March next year, the measure will be enforced for only 30 days. Martial law entails lesser civil rights and traffic curfews. Also, public gatherings are forbidden, and radio and TV broadcasts censored. The decree signed by president Petro Porosenko was enforced after on Sunday, three Ukrainian ships were seized by the Russian coast guards in the Black Sea, near the Kerch Strait. The incident ended in six Ukrainians being injured, two of them quite seriously, according to Kiev.

28 November 2018
The no-confidence motion rejected

The no-confidence motion initiated by the National Liberal Party and supported by the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party blamed the government in particular for the severe deterioration of the country’s macro-economic climate. The increase in the Romanian Interbank Offer Rate (ROBOR), the index on the basis of which banks establish their interest rates, the accelerated inflation, the chaos created by the changes brought to the Fiscal Code, the lack of investment in infrastructure and the attempts to nationalize private pensions were the main accusations leveled by the Opposition.

The signatories also claim that, just like with the previous two cabinets, headed by Sorin Grindeanu and Mihai Tudose, respectively, the Prime Minister is just a name, as the real leader and decision-maker is the president of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea.

The Save Romania Union Senator Radu Mihail: “We are in a situation in which we have to debate a no-confidence motion against the third government, endorsed by Mr. Dragnea, because the Dancila cabinet is now a threat, through its ministers, to the private property of 7 million contributors to the second pillar of the pension fund. There is no guarantee that the Dancila cabinet will not lead the country into a situation in which there will be no money for pensions for the current employees. Since the beginning of the year, when you took over the office of prime-minister, all you have done was to sink the country’s economy into ruin, to generate panic and distrust, to chase away foreign investors and to accelerate the negative developments affecting Romanian economy.”

In response, the Prime Minister said that the no-confidence motion was full of false statements, devoid of any rational arguments and therefore just a political game played by the right-wing opposition.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila: “I did not expect the motion to be just a long list of false statements, a presentation of an untrue reality, made in bad faith. All that the power is doing is bad, and everything you are doing is right. You refuse to admit even the most obvious things, good things that have happened during this governing period. The first misinformation, and the most serious of all, is that there is no money left for pensions, not to mention the so-called nationalization of the second pillar.”

For the motion to pass, it should have been endorsed by 233 MPs. Only 166 voted “for”, and four “against”. During the vote, the MPs members of the majority stayed in, while the members of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, which is not part of the Government, but is connected with the ruling majority by means of a parliamentary cooperation agreement, left the room.

The Social Democrats have congratulated themselves for the results and have stressed the fact that the Government remaining in power will ensure Romania’s stability. The Liberals, on the other hand, have stated that the result of the vote is one that shows lack of responsibility to the future of the country. Voices in the extra-parliamentary opposition say that early legislative elections are needed, because, under the leadership of Liviu Dragnea, whose criminal record is getting thicker by the day, the current majority has lost its legitimacy.

28 June 2018
No confidence motion in the Bucharest Parliament

Installed in January, harshly criticized by the media and the
right-of-center opposition and constantly contested in the street by the civil
society, the Government made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats and headed by the Social Democrat
Viorica Dancila, Wednesday took its first major test in Parliament. The
no-confidence motion needed 233 votes in order to pass, but it failed with a
vote of 166 to 4, while the Power MPs did not vote at all.

Under the title Toppling
the Dragnea-Dancila Cabinet, a national emergency!, the no-confidence motion signed by 152 deputies and senators with the National Liberal
Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party accused the
Cabinet for the country’s worsening economic situation. The increase in the
ROBOR index, based on which interest rates are calculated, the rapid rise in
the inflation rate, the depreciation of the domestic currency against the euro,
the chaos created by the changes to the Fiscal Code and the lack of investment
in infrastructure were the main reasons put forward by the opposition. The
rightist parties also argued that PM Viorica Dancila is only a marionette of
the facto leader, Liviu Dragnea. The latter, they claimed, is trying to
subordinate the judiciary and the state institutions.

The Power has seen arithmetic work in its favour. The National Liberal
Party, the Save Romania Union and the People’s Movement Party, in Opposition,
have together only 154 votes as compared to the ruling coalition’s 249. The
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, numbering 30 MPs, is not part
of the Government, but has in place a collaboration protocol with the ruling
coalition. Parliament also has 17 MPs of the national minorities, who
traditionally vote in favor of the Power, and also 15 non-affiliated MPs, most
of whom are against Dragnea.

All these figures made Dragnea voice confidence,
last week, that the motion would not pass. Pundits said he was right and
emphasised, not without irony, that Dragnea is in fact the only one able to
topple a Social Democratic government. That was the case a year ago, when,
having become undesirable for Liviu Dragnea, the then Social Democrat PM Sorin
Grindeanu was dismissed through no-confidence vote, initiated and endorsed by
the very party that put him in office, a premiere in almost three decades of
Romanian post-communist democracy.

Moreover, early this year, Grindeanu’s
successor, Mihai Tudose, was convinced during a party meeting that took only
several hours, to tender his resignation as PM. The media predicted that the Dancila
Cabinet would survive the no-confidence motion.

Nevertheless, journalists say,
that won’t change the lack of credibility and the negative image of the ruling
coalition controlled by Dragnea, particularly after last week the High Court of
Cassation and Justice handed him a 42-month prison sentence for corruption. The
sentence can be appealed. Let’s not forget that in 2016 Dragnea received a
2-year suspended prison sentence for attempting to rig the elections.

(Translated by E. Enache)

27 June 2018
June 25, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – Thousands of Romanians have again taken to the street, calling for the resignation of the Government led by Viorica Dancila. They are worried that the current executive, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, might adopt, under an emergency decree, the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, which have been adopted recently. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has said the changes will not be adopted by an emergency decree, but he stated his wish that parliamentary procedures be stepped up. These changes are also the object of a no-confidence motion filed by the National Liberal Party. The document was read out in a plenary session of Parliament on Monday and will be voted upon on Wednesday. The right wing opposition blames the Government for having destroyed the economy and the justice system. Also on Monday, the Romanian MPs debated a simple motion filed by the Save Romania Union, which calls for the resignation of the Transport Minister Lucian Sova. He is accused of incompetence and of having blocked funding for the building of motorways in Romania.

CVM – The European Commission is currently conducting a fresh evaluation under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. For three days, a Commission delegation will analyse the impact of the changes brought to the justice laws and the criminal codes on the Romanian justice system. The Justice Minister Tudorel Toader has stated that a document was drawn up, highlighting the progress made by Romania.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Romania was
represented on Monday at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, in
the common format of EU defense and foreign ministers, by the state secretary
for the defense policy, planning and international relations, Mircea Duşa. The meeting started with the signing of
the Declaration of Intention on the PESCO project devoted to cyber defense, and in
the first working session the participants assessed the progress made in the
effort to implement the EU Global Strategy in the field of security and defense. They have also approved the basic document on military requirements in
the field of military mobility. Mircea Duşa has
underlined the importance of the military mobility initiative in the current
strategic context, in which the response to any security threat resides in fast dispatching forces to the needed location at the right moment. The
second working session unfolded in the presence of NATO Secretary General,
Jens Stoltenberg, and focused on the stage and prospects of the EU-NATO
process of cooperation. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian state
secretary has held talks with Frederick Richard Penn Curzon, 7th Earl Howe,
front bench member of the House of Lords with the British Parliament and Minister of State for Defense. The two
officials discussed concrete ways to strengthen the Strategic Partnership
between Romania and the UK, in the field of security and defense.

MIGRATION – The European mini-summit on migration ended on Sunday in Brussels without any concrete measures being adopted. The leaders of the 16 participant countries agreed over the need to curb illegal migration and protect the European frontiers, but there was no consensus as to how that would be achieved. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that, unless solutions were found at the level of the EU, bilateral agreements will be proposed, while the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed the creation of international protection centers in the transit countries and sanctions against the EU countries that do not accept refuges. The Visegrad Group (made up of Hungary, Poland, the Check Republic and Slovakia) boycotted the meeting. New talks will be held at the European Council this week.

NUCLEAR PHOTONICS – Researchers from across the world are these days in Brasov, in central Romania, attending the International Nuclear Photonics Conference. Romania was chosen to host the second edition of this event, given that it is home to the most powerful laser in the world, which will be rendered operational next year. On Sunday, the participants discussed the applications of this technology, after they had visited the Magurele facility, near Bucharest. The first edition of the Conference was held in California in 2016.

BACCALAUREATE – The high-school graduation examinations – the Baccalaureate – have started in Romania on Monday. Some 137,000 students are participating, in 440 examination centers across the country. Monday was the day for Romanian language and literature examination. On Tuesday, students belonging to the national ethnic minorities will sit for the examination in their mother tongues, Wednesday is the compulsory specialty examination, and on Thursday students will be tested into a matter of their own choice. For the first time, the oral examinations were taken during the school year. The first results are to be posted on July 4th, and the final ones on July 9th.

NATIONAL DEFENSE – The meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense will be held on Wednesday, headed by the President Klaus Iohannis. The meetings agenda includes Romanias objectives for the NATO summit in Brussels next week and the Romanian Armed Forces that can be deployed for missions and operations abroad in 2019. A fresh NATO training mission in Iraq will be officially announced at the summit of the Alliance scheduled for July. Also, NATO wants to set up ground forces command units. Romania has already announced its intention to host such a command unit. Bucharests stand on the relation between the EU and NATO, a topic that will be approached at the summit, must also be established at the meeting of Romanias Supreme Council of National Defense.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep remains no.1 in the world, according to the WTA rankings published on Monday. To Halep, its the 34th week as world leader. Next on the podium there come Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. The top 100 includes another five Romanian tennis players: Mihaela Buzarnescu (28), Irina Begu (33), Sorana Cirstea (47), Monica Niculescu (59) and Ana Bogdan (63).(Translated by M. Ignatescu and D. Vijeu)

25 June 2018
February 18, 2018 UPDATE

Visit– Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and strengthening economic relations with the partner states.

Motion – On Monday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies will debate the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu. The Liberals criticize the drop in salaries for several categories of employees, following the application of the unitary salary law and shifting the obligation to pay social security contributions from employers to employees. In response, the Labour Minister has stated that the simple no-confidence motion is an opportunity to present an activity report. The vote was scheduled for Wednesday.

Canada– As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Canadian Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, related to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.

Eco farming – Romania and Poland have registered a decrease in terms of bio farming, although the two countries are among the 10 countries in the region with the largest organic farming areas. The conclusion was presented in a study drawn up by the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, on 23 countries in Eastern Europe. The report also highlights the fact that, in the region, the ecological sector has been developing at a lower pace than in other parts of the world, and it focuses more on exporting raw materials rather than on processing own-brand products.

Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.

18 February 2018
The Week in Review 19-25 November 2017

The Romanian Government is faced with the first no-confidence motion

The Romanian Government, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania and headed by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose has this week been faced with its first no-confidence motion, filed by the right-wing opposition. 223 votes were needed for the motion to pass, but only 159 MPs supported it. The signatories to the motion, deputies and senators members of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, the Peoples Movement Party and other non-affiliated politicians, called for the resignation of the Cabinet, blaming it for disturbing the economic environment and the legal system and for damaging peoples living standards.

They believe that the changes brought to the Fiscal Code in particular, according to which the obligation to pay social security contributions has been shifted from employers to employees, and the drop in the income tax from 16% to 10% as of January 1, 2018, will have devastating effects on the economy. In response, the Prime Minister claims that, thanks to this fiscal reform, more money will enter the state budget and the pension fund next year, and businesses will benefit from simplified procedures. Also, the Prime Minister has given assurances that the 2018 draft budget will be finalized soon, and local governments will have their shares secured, so as to have no reason to raise taxes and fees.

The National Anticorruption Directorate forfeits the Social Democrat leaders assets and accounts

This week, the National Anticorruption Directorate has forfeited the accounts and assets owned by Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania. The decision was made in order to recover the 27 million Euro damage caused by his involvement in a case in which he is accused of setting up an organized crime group and abuse of office. This case, the third involving Liviu Dragnea, is related to the rehabilitation of roads using European money, back when Dragnea was president of the Teleorman County Council. Liviu Dragnea believes he is just the victim of a political campaign and has contested the decision. Liviu Dragnea:

“I have been a target every time the Social Democratic Party wanted to do something for Romania. Now I am being used as a means to block the justice laws”.

The bill amending the justice laws has been contested by civil society, opposition and magistrates, and also by the president of the country Klaus Iohannis. They have all stated there are no serious grounds for such haste in changing the laws and blame the government for lack of transparency in drafting the bill. Here is the head of the Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi:

“There is no magistrate in Romania who would deny that there are problems the three bills try to address, such as the magistrates career, promotion and other issues. However, what the magistrates have contested is the total lack of transparency, as there have been no consultations on the matter. Its an attempt to increase the authority of the Justice Minister over prosecutors, which would seriously affect the independence of the latter and also, indirectly, the judges independence.”

Romania purchases Patriot missile defense systems

Romania will purchase 7 Patriot systems, for a combined 3.9 billion USD plus VAT. The Defence Minister Mihai Fifor says the purchase will strengthen national and regional security and will help consolidate the Romanian-American strategic partnership. Mihai Fifor:

“The Romania-USA strategic partnership launched on July 11, 1997, has been a major landmark in Romanias foreign policy, and an efficient instrument to support the domestic defence efforts. This purchase will also entail a stronger military cooperation between Romania and the US, transfers of technologies and sensitive information, and enhanced confidence between the two allies.”

Patriot systems are regarded as the worlds most advanced technology in the field, with state-of-the-art interceptor missiles and complex radar systems able to detect and respond to threats within seconds.

The Gaudeamus Book Fair opens its gates in Bucharest

The Gaudeamus Book Fair has just opened its gates in Bucharest. Organized by Radio Romania, the only radio station in the world that takes part in such an undertaking, the fair has turned into a landmark, for both specialists and the larger audience. Hundreds of exhibitors are taking part in this years edition of the fair, which will host no less than 800 events, including book and audio-book launches, book signing sessions, meetings with writers, historians, editors, translators, literary critics, political experts, photographers and journalists.

The guest of honour this year is not a country, as it used to be before, but the very European Commission. The fair thus celebrates several major events: 60 years since the signing of the Rome Treaty, 30 years since the launch of the Erasmus programme and ten years since Romania joined the European Union. The honorary president of the fair is this year the famous Romanian born playwright and journalist Matei Visniec. The record of the Gaudeamus fair, which has been held for two decades now, includes more than 1.7 million visitors and some 6,200 exhibitors, making Radio Romania national leader in the field.

You have been listening to The Week in Review.

25 November 2017
Censure motion rejected

Sworn in in late June, the coalition government led by the Social Democrat Mihai Tudose, on Thursday survived, without the slightest shred of emotion, the first censure motion filed by the right-wing opposition. Initiated by the National Liberal Party(PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR) and backed by the Peoples Movement Party(PMP) and independent MPs, the text of the motion blames the Government for implementing measures that have led to a decrease in the Romanians living standard and disturbed the business environment.

Far from the generous electoral program thanks to which, less than a year ago, the Social Democratic Party(PSD) led by Liviu Dragnea won the parliamentary elections, the policies pursued by the government have led to a decrease in salaries and in contributions to the second pillar of the pension fund, price hikes for food, fuels and electricity, chaos in the healthcare system, education, finances and infrastructure, the signatories say.

Here is the USR senator Ramona Dinu: “The benefits of a substantial economic growth have been annulled by the populist and chaotic economic measures taken by the Dragnea -Tudose pair against the business environment and the honest tax payers in this country. Early next year, Romanians will see higher salaries only on paper, and will get to hold just a timetable of promises made by PSD in the campaign, thus realizing that Dragnea and his cronies cheated on them. They upset everyone relative to the amendments to the Fiscal Code, which were brought without clear explanations, without an impact study, no dialogue and no support from employers associations and trade unions. You have imposed this fiscal mess against all.”

During plenary parliament sessions, the opposition has also accused the ruling coalition of systematically attacking the independence of the judiciary. In response, the PM claims that Romania is in a stable situation, has registered a 7% economic growth rate, pay rises in the budget sector and the business environment, and progress in healthcare and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Mihai Tudose: “Dear colleagues, you have been struggling for a long time to instill fear in the population that salaries will decrease as of January 1st, and that the Apocalypse will come. Meanwhile, all people of good faith have seen that the news you and your associates have launched is actually fake. Salaries will by all means increase! The truth is simple: there are real benefits that this measure will bring for all employees in Romania, both on short term, that is higher incomes, and on long term in particular, by ensuring higher pensions”.

Only 159 MPs voted for the motion, three against it and 23 MPs abstained from voting. In order to be adopted, the document should have been endorsed by a qualified majority, that is a minimum of 233 votes cast by senators and deputies. The Social-Democrat MPs left the voting room, and the representatives of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians abstained from voting, saying the initiative of the National Liberal Party was not convincing. Pundits say the Power got a clear victory in Parliament, but they warn that as of Sunday, new anti-government protests will be staged across the country. They are initiated by civil society and trade unions, forecasting a winter full of economic uncertainty as well as of social and political unrest. (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

24 November 2017
November 21, 2017

PATRIOT – The bill on the purchase of Patriot missile defense systems from the US has been fully endorsed today by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision making forum in this matter. Previously, the bill was endorsed by the Senate. Romania wants to purchase seven Patriot systems, whose total value stands at some 3.9 billion dollars. The first system, costing 765 million dollars is to be purchased by the end of the year.

MOTION – The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania has decided to abstain from voting on the no-confidence motion filed by the right-wing opposition against the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania. The leader of the union Kelemen Hunor has stated that he agrees with some of the statements included in the motion, but has blamed the initiators for not providing alternatives to the current prime-minister and his governing programme. Signed by senators and deputies members of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party, the motion accuses the Executive that, through its policies, has deeply disturbed Romanian economy. In response, the Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has stated that, thanks to the latest fiscal reform, more money will get to the state budget and to the pension fund and companies will benefit from simplified procedures.

EMA/EBA – Gathered in Brussels on Monday, the EU foreign ministers decided that the European Banking Authority (EBA) would have its headquarters in Paris. Also, Amsterdam will host the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EU officials have chosen the Dutch capital through a competition in which Bucharest ran too. The two institutions, currently based in London, will be relocated after Brexit, in March 2019. EMA has 900 employees and supervises the safety of medicines sold on a market of more than 500 million consumers. As regards EBA, the French president Emmanuel Macron has stated that choosing Paris is a recognition of Frances attractiveness and commitment. EBA regulates and supervises the banking system across the EU.

GERMANY – Consultations have started today in Germany on ways to exit the political crisis triggered by the Conservatists, the Liberals and the Greens failing to reach consensus on the formation of the new Government. The president of the country Frank Walter Steinmeier, who, according to the Constitution, must manage the crisis, has announced his intention to hold talks with all the political parties that could be part of the Government headed by Angela Merkel. We recall that her party won the legislative elections of September 24th. Steinmeier has excluded the participation of the far-right Alternative for Germany and the far-left Die Linke parties, as Angela Merkel refuses to engage in a dialogue with them. Also, the president has rejected the idea of early elections. According to the outcome of the September elections, Angela Merkel can only head a coalition government, as she excludes the alternative of a minority executive.

GAUDEAMUS – For the first time in its history, the GAUDEAMUS International Book Fair, organised this year by Radio Romania between the 22nd and the 26th of November, will have as the guest of honour not a country, but a Union, namely the European Union, through the Representation of the European Commission in Romania. This years edition is special, as it marks 60 years since the signing of the Roma Treaty, 30 years since the launch of the Erasmus programme and also 10 years since Romania joined the European Union. Under the motto “unity in diversity”, the European Union encourages people to discover and explore the rich cultural heritage of the old continent. This years edition will enjoy the participation of 300 exhibitors and will host more than 800 events.

TOURISM – According to official data, Romanian tourism has grown by 10% in 2017 and the total number of tourists choosing Romania as one of their holiday destinations is likely to exceed 12 million this year, a value that has not been reached since 1990. The announcement was made by the first-vice president of the National Association of Travel Agencies Adrian Voican. He has stated that, in the first nine months of the year, the number of Romanians who chose Romania as a tourist destination increased by one million, reaching 9.5 million. Also, the number of foreign tourists is expected to exceed 2.6 million this year. Spa tourism has become a particular attraction, and the sales on this segment have doubled. (Translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

21 November 2017