Tag: Orban

  • New restrictions looming in Romania

    New restrictions looming in Romania

    The Romanian authorities will impose new restrictions as of Monday, November 9, in an attempt to limit the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic, given the alarming surge in the number of new cases in Romania, just like in other European states. Therefore, the protective mask will be compulsory across Romania for everyone over the age of 5, in all open or enclosed public spaces. Public institutions as well as state-owned and private companies have to organize their activity in the teleworking or work-from-home system with a view to avoiding crowding in the means of transport.



    Where possible, the working schedule will be adapted so as to maintain a distance of at least 2 hours between employees. Also, in all localities, teaching activities that involve the physical presence of pre-school and school pupils in the classroom will move online. People will be forbidden to leave their houses between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for those who go to work or have medical emergencies, who take care of children or assist old people or people with disabilities, or who need to organize funerals in their family. Also banned are the meetings usually held for various holidays or anniversaries and the parties in open and enclosed areas.



    Activity of markets or fairs in enclosed spaces is also suspended. Still operating will be the open-air public agrifood markets, with the obligation to observe the norms of health protection. Traders are allowed to operate between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. except for pharmacies, gas stations and catering companies.



    The PM Ludovic Orban has called on the authorities to strictly apply the announced measures: “I’m calling on all ministers and institution leaders to act firmly and commit to implementing these measures, because it is critical for institutions to get mobilized and set an example.”



    The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has in turn explained to the population why these measures have been taken: “We are certainly willing to control the spread of the pandemic while trying to give doctors the chance to treat serious cases in hospitals. We also want economic activities to continue, that is why we are taking measures for the people to be protected and for the economy to function. We also want the Romanian citizens to carry on with their normal lives, but we are not currently experiencing normal conditions, we are in the middle of a pandemic and need to be very aware of that.”



    The opposition Social Democratic Party has called for the application of the European model in education, that is safe and open schools. (tr. L. Simion)

  • November 4, 2020 UPDATE

    November 4, 2020 UPDATE

    VISIT Romania’s Prime Minister Ludovic
    Orban on Wednesday met in Ramallah Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammer
    Shtayyeh. According to the Romanian official the visit marks a major stage in
    the development of the bilateral relations and can be an opportunity for
    strengthening cooperation between Romania and Palestine in fields such as
    education, domestic affairs and agriculture. During the talks, the Romanian
    official underlined the importance of the Romanian community in the Middle East
    and thanked his counterpart for the support offered by the Palestinian
    authorities. The two officials also tackled the future of the Middle East peace
    process. In this context, Orban said that Romania offers its support for any
    action, which might lead to a sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
    conflict. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Prime Minister met Palestinian
    president Mahmoud Abbas. Earlier the Romanian official met Benjamin Gantz, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense
    Minister of the State of Israel and on Tuesday he held talks with high Israeli
    officials. Orban and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu reconfirmed the
    privileged relations between the two states and hailed the recent launch of the
    Romania-Israel working group in the economic field.








    COVID-19 On Wednesday, Romania reported a new all-time
    high in terms of Covid-19 infections, 8,651. Since the onset of the pandemic
    267 thousand people have been infected in Romania and authorities have
    announced 146 new fatalities. 1001 patients are being treated in IC units, the
    highest number so far. Romania has a death toll of 7419 and authorities are
    permanently assessing the measures aimed at containing the Covid pandemic.
    According to the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis, the first batch of
    vaccine could arrive in Romania in the first quarter of the next year and the first
    to benefit from it are the employees of Romania’s medical system and those in
    the high risk categories. The Romanian president says that there is no need to
    impose the state of emergency in Romania, but restrictions are still needed to
    contain the pandemic.




    MOURNING The
    Austrian government has declared three days of national mourning for the
    victims of Monday’s terrorist attack in Vienna, which left four dead and 22
    wounded. The country’s Foreign Minister Karl Nehammer admitted during a news
    conference on Wednesday, that the Austrian Department for Combating Terrorism
    (BVT) was briefed by the Slovak police on the assailant, an Austrian of
    north-Macedonian extraction who was trying to buy ammunition in Slovakia. Authorities
    are continuing the investigation. 14 arrests were made after searches of 18
    homes. Authorities believe he was a lone attacker, who ran the streets and
    opened fire on passers-by and customers in bars and restaurants, just before
    the national quarantine came into force. Chancellor has Sebastian Kurz sent a
    message of unity to the people, promising that Austria will defend its
    democracy, fundamental rights and its liberal lifestyle.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj will
    be up against Italian side AS Rome in their third game in Europa League group
    A. CFR tops the group after a 2-0 win against CSKA Sofia from Bulgaria and a
    one-all draw at home against Swiss side Young Boys Bern. Eliminated from the
    preliminaries of the Champions League, CFR is Romania’s only representative in
    this year’s edition of the European football cups.








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  • 04.11.2020

    04.11.2020

    Coronavirus – En Roumanie, le nombre de cas d’infection par le nouveau coronavirus a augmenté, mercredi, de 8.651, ce qui représente un nouveau record négatif. Plus de 267.000 cas d’infection ont été confirmés jusquici. 146 décès ont également été rapportés mercredi et le bilan des décès des suites de la Covid-19 est monté à 7.419. Par ailleurs, 1.001 patients sont admis en soins intensifs, soit le nombre le plus élevé jamais enregistré jusquà présent. Les autorités évaluent en permanence les mesures de gestion de l’épidémie de coronavirus et les adaptent aux évolutions. Le président Klaus Iohannis a annoncé que la première tranche du vaccin anti – Covid-19 pourrait arriver en Roumanie au premier trimestre de l’année prochaine. Le chef de l’Etat a précisé que la priorité serait donnée à limmunisation des soignants et des personnes des groupes à risque. D’autre part, Klaus Iohannis a déclaré que, pour le moment, il n’y avait aucune raison d’imposer un état d’urgence, mais que certaines restrictions étaient nécessaires pour ralentir la propagation de lépidémie.



    Visite – Le premier ministre roumain, Ludovic, Orban, se trouve aujourd’hui à Ramallah, en Cisjordanie, où il discutera avec son homologue palestinien, Mohammad Shtayyeh, du renforcement de la collaboration bilatérale. Le chef du cabinet de Bucarest sest entretenu, mardi, à Jérusalem, avec les plus hauts responsables israéliens. Ludovic Orban et son homologue israélien, Benjamin Netanyhu, ont reconfirmé les relations privilégiées entre les deux pays et se sont félicités du récent lancement du Groupe de travail Roumanie-Israël dans le domaine économique.



    Nomination – A Bucarest, la Cour constitutionnelle examine les saisines formulées par le PNL (au pouvoir) et par l’Union Sauvez la Roumanie concernant la nomination du député social-démocrate (d’opposition), Florin Iordache au poste de président du Conseil législatif. Les signataires du document affirment que le nombre de voix requis pour que Florin Iordache soit nommé président n’a pas été atteint. Ils soutiennent également que Florin Iordache ne remplit pas la condition de bonne réputation professionnelle et morale prévue par la loi. Cest lui qui avait promu, en tant que ministre de la Justice, le décret d’urgence n°13 et le projet d’amnistie et de grâce. A l’hiver 2017, le décret en question avait suscité de nombreuses protestations à Bucarest, dans d’autres villes à travers le pays et au sein de la diaspora. Le gouvernement de l’époque, formé du Parti social-démocrate et de lAlliance des démocrates et des libéraux, était accusé d’avoir adopté un décret modifiant les codes pénaux en faveur des hommes politiques ayant des démêlés avec la justice. Sous la pression de la rue, l’Exécutif avait fait savoir alors qu’il renonçait à la modification du Code pénal et du Code de procédure pénale.



    Justice – Cristian Rizea, ancien député social-démocrate de Roumanie, qui avait fui en République de Moldova après avoir été condamné, a été interpellé à Chisinau. Les autorités moldaves ont entamé une procédure d’extradition, conformément aux accords bilatéraux. Depuis mars 2019, Rizea faisait lobjet dun mandat de recherche international. Il doit purger en Roumanie sa peine de 4 ans et 8 mois de prison ferme, pour trafic d’influence et blanchiment d’argent, sentence définitive prononcée par la Haute Cour de Cassation et de Jutice. Mardi, le président sortant de la République de Moldova, le socialiste Igor Dodon, a annoncé qu’il retirait à l’ancien député roumain la citoyenneté obtenue frauduleusement il y a deux ans.



    Vienne- Le gouvernement autrichien a institué trois jours de deuil national pour les victimes de l’attaque terroriste perpétrée lundi à Vienne, qui a fait quatre morts et 22 blessés. Les autorités poursuivent l’enquête après que l’assaillant autrichien d’origine nord-macédonienne a été abattu par la police. 14 arrestations ont été effectuées après la perquisition de 18 maisons. Le chancelier Sebastian Kurz a transmis à la population un message d’unité, promettant que l’Autriche défendrait sa démocratie, ses droits fondamentaux et son style de vie libéral .



    Football – Le club champion de Roumanie de football, CFR Cluj (nord-ouest), affrontera jeudi soir, en déplacement, l’équipe italienne AS Rome, pour son troisième match dans le groupe A de la Ligue Europa. Le CFR est leader du groupe, après avoir remporté, 2-0, en déplacement, le match contre les Bulgares de TSKA Sofia et fait match nul, à domicile, 1 partout, avec Young Boys Berne de Suisse. Eliminée des préliminaires de la Ligue des champions et arrivée en Ligue Europa, l’équipe de Cluj est la dernière représentante de la Roumanie à l’édition de cette année des coupes européennes de football.



    Handball – L’équipe masculine de Roumanie de handball disputera jeudi son premier match, en déplacement, contre la Suède, dans le groupe 8 des préliminaires du Championnat d’Europe 2022, accueilli par la Hongrie et la Slovaquie. Dimanche est prévue la rencontre à domicile avec les sportifs monténégrins. L’équipe masculine de Roumanie, quadruple championne du monde des années ‘60 -‘70, ne s’est plus qualifiée depuis 1996 pour un tournoi final continental. Par ailleurs, les handballeuses roumaines sont qualifiées pour l’Euro 2020, qui se disputera le mois prochain, dans le groupe dont font partie aussi la Norvège, l’Allemagne et la Pologne.



    Météo – Le ciel est plutôt couvert et des pluies faibles sont signalés localement dans le sud-ouest du pays. Sur le reste du pays, le ciel est variable. Les températures maximales de la journée seront comprises entre 11° et 18°. 13° à midi dans la capitale, Bucarest.

  • November 3, 2020

    November 3, 2020

    COVID-19 A new all-time high in Covid-19 infections, 7733
    out of 30,336 tests conducted, has been reported in Romania today. Another
    all-time high, 120 fatalities, has been reported by Strategic Communication
    Group in the past 24 hours. 258,437 infections have been confirmed on Romania’s
    territory since the onset of the pandemic. 181,175 people have been declared
    cured. 11,897 patients are being treated in hospitals across the country out of
    which 974 in IC units, the largest number so far. Romania’s president Klaus
    Iohannis has today summoned a session to assess and present the measures taken
    to contain the Covid-19 epidemic. The event is also attended by the country’s
    Health Minister Nelu Tataru, the head of the Emergency Situations Department,
    Raed Arafat, Romania’s Representative to the World Health Organisation,
    Alexandru Rafila, and other experts from the country’s medical field.








    VISIT Romania’s Prime Minister Ludovic
    Orban is today paying a formal visit to Israel and Palestine. According to a
    communiqué issued by the government in Bucharest, the Romanian official is expected
    to sign with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu several documents on
    avoiding double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion on income duties in
    the two countries. The head of the Romanian executive is to assess together
    with Israeli officials the stage of the bilateral relations in the fields of
    politics, economy and security. Also high on the agenda are the latest
    developments in the Middle East and North Africa. In Ramallah, the Romanian
    official will be having talks with his Palestinian counterpart Mohammad
    Shtayyeh.










    PROTEST Scores of employees from
    Romania’s medical system protested in front of the government’s building in
    Bucharest calling for coherent strategies and better working conditions to be
    able to deal with the crisis caused by the pandemic. Union leaders are
    denouncing the shortage of qualified personnel, funds and equipment. According
    to them, medical workers are exhausted after months of working in extremely
    difficult conditions.






    ATTACKS The attacks in Vienna, in which
    armed men killed and wounded several people have been committed by at least one
    an ‘Islamist terrorist’, Austria’s interior Minister Karl Nehammer has been
    quoted by Reuters as saying during a news conference today. The Austrian
    official has repeatedly called on people to stay off the streets, adding that
    the terrorist shot dead by the police in the street seems to have been a
    supporter of the Islamic State. The police have been searching several houses
    and apprehended a few people in connection with the attacks. Road blocks have
    been set up and border control tightened in an attempt to catch the attacker
    that got away. After the attack in Vienna last night, Germany and the Czech
    Republic have tightened controls at their border with Austria. US president
    Donald Trump and several European leaders, including Romania’s president, Klaus
    Iohannis, have sharply condemned the attacks in the Austrian capital. In a
    Twitter message, the Romanian official has conveyed condolences to the families
    of the victims, expressing Romania’s solidarity with Austria. The EU has also
    sharply condemned the cowardly attack on Monday night, which the president of
    the European Council described as a violation of human rights and values.
    German chancellor Angela Merkel says that ‘Islamist terror is our number one
    enemy and the fight against it is ‘our common struggle’.

    ELECTION Millions are expected to the polls in the USA to cast
    their ballot for the future US president. Against the present pandemic
    background, the turnout of those who voted beforehand reached an all-time high,
    over 96 million. The incumbent president Donald Trump and his Democratic
    contender, Joe Biden, on Monday gave a last impetus in the key-states. Biden
    has a constant advance of roughly 8 percent in national polls, but differences
    are low in the so-called swing states, which could decide the winner. Trump is
    anticipating a wave of Republican wins, whereas Biden says that the US is done
    with the chaos of the Trump administration. We recall that the US voting
    system, which is unique in the world, was created 200 years ago. Americans aren’t
    voting directly for a president or another, they are actually voting for a list
    of electors supporting a certain candidate. Once in four years, in the first
    Tuesday in November, the electors are designating the president, who must have
    got a least 270 out of a total 538 votes.

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  • November 1, 2020 UPDATE

    November 1, 2020 UPDATE

    VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban announced that he would pay
    a formal visit to Israel next week for talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin
    Netanyahu and the country’s president Reuven Rivlin. High on the talks agenda
    will be ways to strengthen the bilateral and trade relations between the two
    states. The Romanian official has this week been to Paris where together with
    his French counterpart Jean Castex has signed an updated roadmap of the
    strategic partnership between the two countries.








    QUAKE According
    to the National Institute for Earth Physics, an earthquake of 3.5 Richter took
    place in south-eastern Romania at a depth of 144 kilometers. In October Romania
    saw 43 earthquakes measuring between 2 and 4.2 degrees on the Richter scale. In
    1977, Romania was hit by the strongest earthquake in its history, a 7.2 Richter,
    which killed 1,570 people mostly in capital Bucharest and caused 2 billion
    dollars in damage. Roughly 230 thousand household were either razed to the
    ground or damaged and hundreds of economic facilities rendered non-operational.
    The earthquake marked the onset of an economic and social crisis, which,
    according to historians, the communist dictatorship was unable to overcome
    since its demise in 1989. Experts believe that a similar earthquake would raze
    to the ground hundreds of buildings in Bucharest at present.








    RADIO November 1st was the
    day of Romania’s National Radio, as in 1928, the country inaugurated its first
    radio station with a broadcast announced by professor Dragomir Hurmuzescu as ‘Hello,
    Hello, this is Radio Bucharest, Romania. During its existence spanning 92
    years, the public radio has covered all the major events in Romania’s history. In
    WWll, the station announced the country’s decision to join the Allies and
    covered the anti-communist revolution of 1989. For 92 years, in times of peace
    or war, in prosperity or crisis, the national radio managed to remain a
    reference point in terms of accuracy and credibility. Romania’s Parliament has
    endorsed the day of November 1st as the National Radio Day in
    recognition of the role it played in the country’s history. According to the
    latest audience measurements, Radio Romania is a market leader with a 30%
    national share and over 3.6 million daily listeners.










    COVID-19 Over 5,324 new infections with the novel coronavirus were reported in
    Romania on Sunday by the Strategic Communication Group. The total number of
    infections since the onset of the pandemic exceeded 246 thousand. 910,
    are being treated in IC units. 99 new
    fatalities have been registered and the death toll has exceeded 7 thousand.
    Bucharest has reported the highest number of infections and authorities are presently
    looking for solutions to the overcrowded ER units. Romania’s Health Minister
    Nelu Tataru has recalled that 43 thousand rapid tests will become available
    next week and pledged that the number of these test are to reach one million
    soon.










    NATO
    Romania’s Frigate Queen Marie is in the Turkish port of Aksaz until Monday to
    restore its battle capabilities. The ship has on board a Puma Naval helicopter
    and a Special Operation unit and is carrying out missions of monitoring
    maritime traffic and deterring illegal activities on NATO’s southern flank,
    being part of the permanent Standing NATO Maritime Group -2 (SNMG-2) until
    November 23rd. The group, which is also made up of the Spanish
    Frigate ‘Alvaro de Bazan’, the Spanish transport ship ‘Patino’ and Turkish
    frigate Gaziantep is operational in southern Mediterranean being one of the Alliance’s
    collective security efforts. The Queen
    Marie frigate is part of the military forces Romania has made available for
    NATO and has been participating in the SNMG-2 missions for the third time.
















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  • La semaine du 25 au 31 octobre 2020

    La semaine du 25 au 31 octobre 2020

    Pandémie, deuxième vague

    L’Europe est secouée par une deuxième vague de la pandémie de coronavirus et les leaders de l’UE promettent de mieux coordonner les efforts de l’endiguer. A l’issue d’un Conseil européen en visioconférence, la cheffe de la Commission européenne, Ursula van der Leyen a annoncé que l’exécutif communautaire financerait le transfert des malades de Covid 19 entre les Etats membres, afin d’alléger la pression sur les hôpitaux. Le président de la Roumanie, Klaus Iohannis, a demandé davantage d’argent pour avoir accès à des sources d’approvisionnement en vaccins. Il a aussi plaidé en faveur d’une approche unitaire de tous les pays de l’UE, pour permettre entre autres la reconnaissance réciproque des résultats des tests. Entre temps, les États européens réimposent le confinement total ou partiel. Les autorités de Bucarest reconnaissent que la situation devient de plus en plus grave, mais affirment que pour l’instant la remise en place des restrictions sévères de ce printemps n’est pas envisagée. Des milliers de nouveaux cas sont rapportés chaque jour et une centaine de malades perdent chaque jour le combat contre le virus. Des centaines de localités, dont notamment la Capitale, sont désormais en zone rouge, ce qui implique le port obligatoire du masque de protection tant à l’intérieur qu’à l’extérieur des espaces publics, le déroulement des cours exclusivement en ligne, la fermeture des restaurants, des bars, des boites de nuit et des salles de spectacle. Les unités de soins intensifs se confrontent déjà à une pression immense, ce qui a obligé les autorités à élargir les capacités existantes et à en créer de nouvelles. Dans le même but, le gouvernement a introduit de nouvelles réglementations concernant les malades qui ont des symptômes légers de Covid et ceux qui sont asymptomatiques. Ceux-ci seront désormais soignés à domicile. Ce qui plus est, le gouvernement embauchera sans concours 200 médecins ayant fini l’internat en soins intensifs, urgences, pneumologie, maladies infectieuses, épidémiologie et radiologie.

    Cinq ans depuis l’incendie meurtrier du club Colectiv

    Cinq ans se sont écoulés depuis le tragique incendie qui a ravagé la discothèque bucarestoise Colectiv, tuant 65 des jeunes qui s’y s’étaient rendus pour assister à un concert rock. 150 victimes ont toujours besoin de soins médicaux. La tragédie du club Colectiv est le résultat d’un enchaînement d’actions criminelles et l’attitude ultérieure de certains inculpés montre du cynisme, de la mauvaise foi et un manque de respect envers les souffrances des victimes, a motivé la première juridiction, qui a prononcé des sentences totalisant 115 années de prison dans cette affaire. Les personnes condamnées sont les patrons du club et de la société ayant organisé le spectacle pyrotechnique à l’origine de l’incendie, les pompiers qui vérifié les locaux et non en dernier lieu le maire du 4-e arrondissement de l’époque, où s’est produit le désastre, condamné, lui, pour abus de fonction. Aucun empêchement, ni de nature morale, ni même de nature législative ne s’est affiché devant ce dernier lorsqu’il s’est porté candidat à la mairie de l’arrondissement voisin, le 5e, lors du scrutin local du 27 septembre dernier. Ce qui plus est, il a même remporté les élections. Rappelons-le, en 2015, ce personnage avait démissionné de ses fonctions et promis de ne plus jamais faire de la politique. L’incompétence et la corruption administrative ont créé un cocktail létal dans le cas du club Colectiv. Les Roumains avaient bien compris cette réalité lorsqu’ils sont descendus par dizaines de milliers dans la rue, provoquant la démission du gouvernement social-démocrate de l’époque. Il faut toutefois remarquer les paroles prononcées par Monseigneur Ioan Robu, à l’époque chef de l’Eglise catholique de Roumanie et premier leader religieux à se rendre sur les lieux du désastre : « On devrait avoir tous honte, gouvernants, institutions de l’Etat, églises, pour n’avoir rien changé ces 25 dernières années. » « Je crois, disait-il que nous n’avons pas suffisamment œuvré, nous les églises, dans notre manière de penser, d’agir, parce que nous acceptons facilement la corruption, la mensonge, la roublardise comme si elles n’y étaient pour rien, mais vous voyez que ces circonstances peuvent s’avérer criminelles. »

    Corruption au sommet

    Ancien président libéral de la Chambre des députés de Bucarest, Bogdan Olteanu, a été condamné jeudi à cinq années de prison ferme pour trafic d’influence, dans une affaire où il est accusé d’avoir touché un million d’euros de la part d’un homme d’affaires controversé. La décision est définitive. Olteanu avait dirigé la Chambre basse du Législatif entre 2006 et 2008, et il a été nommé vice-gouverneur de la Banque nationale en 2009. C’est le troisième chef des députés roumains, après Adrian Nastase et Liviu Dragnea, à se voir mis derrière les barreaux pour corruption. Par ailleurs, les députés ont approuvé à une large majorité la demande du Parquet anticorruption d’approuver les déclenchement de poursuites pénales contre leur collègue, Nicolae Banicioiu, membre du parti Pro Romania, de gauche, pour trafic d’influence et corruption passive continue.

    Le premier ministre roumain en visite à Paris

    Les premiers ministres roumain et français, Ludovic Orban et Jean Castex, ont signé lundi, à Paris, à une nouvelle Feuille de route actualisée du Partenariat stratégique bilatéral entre les deux pays. Aux termex de ce document, la coopération roumano- française sera encore plus structurée, plus ambitieuse et plus en mesure de répondre aux défis associés à la crise provoquée par le coronavirus, ont fait savoir les deux chefs de gouvernement. La nouvelle Feuille de route trace les directions de la collaboration bilatérale pour les quatre années à venir dans des domaines clé tels l’énergie nucléaire, la défense, les télécommunications, l’agriculture ou la santé. La France se dit prête à s’impliquer dans le processus de renforcement des capacités roumaines de production de l’énergie nucléaire, après la signature par Bucarest et Washington d’un accord de construction de deux nouveaux réacteurs. Au cours de sa visite à Paris, le chef du Cabinet roumain a eu des discussions avec les présidents de l’Assemblée Nationale et du Sénat et a participé au Conseil de l’OCDE – l’Organisation pour la coopération et le développement économique. La Roumanie, ont précisé les représentants de l’OCDE, a atteint le niveau de performance requis pour démarrer les négociations d’adhésion à cette structure. Devenir membre de cette organisation constitue une étape stratégique pour notre pays, a affirmé le premier ministre roumain.

  • October 30, 2020

    October 30, 2020

    COLECTIV Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has
    today laid a wreath of flowers to the memory of the victims of the fire, which
    five years ago destroyed the Colectiv night club in Bucharest. Also today the
    president is expected to promulgate a law on the lifetime treatment for the
    victims and a human chain is to be formed to their memory. 65 people lost their
    lives in the blaze that ripped through the aforementioned nightclub during a
    rock concert in Bucharest. Another 150 young people are still in need of treatment
    five years on. Several people were apprehended by the police back then including
    the club owners and representatives of the company that provided the fireworks
    for the concert. The club owners were sent to court, but investigation procedures
    dragged on for years. The file is now on at the Appeal Court in Bucharest with
    a deadline set by December this year. Thousands took to the streets after the
    tragedy five years ago disgruntled by the authorities’ lack of involvement. The
    mass protests forced the Social-Democratic government of that time to step
    down.








    INS Unemployment stood at 5.2% in Romania in
    September, slightly lower than a month before, the country’s institute for
    statistics INS has today announced. The number of unemployed men was 1.1%
    higher than women. Against the gradual resumption of activities, following the
    restrictions aimed at containing the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of
    unemployed in September stood at 471 thousand as compared to 479 thousand in
    August. However, according to the same sources, the number of unemployed is
    still high above the value registered in the same period last year, of 368
    thousand.










    FUNDS The EU is to earmark 220 million euros for
    the transfer of Covid-infected patients from one country to another, the head
    of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday following a
    videoconference of EU leaders to discuss the present health crisis. A platform
    will be created allowing experts to provide counselling to national
    governments, share the best methods and scientific recommendations and also to
    avoid contradictory messages. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has made an
    appeal for the coordination of all efforts to deal with the health crisis and
    has called for additional funds to be able to rely on more procurement sources of
    the future vaccines.












    COVID-19 Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru has
    cautioned that there are 3-4 difficult weeks ahead for Romania, during which
    the authorities are trying to curb the number of Covid -19 infections so that
    they may reach a ceiling. According to him, authorities rely on 15 hundred IC
    units where those infected are benefitting from the same treatments like those
    abroad. Over 6,540 new infections were confirmed on Thursday and another 103 new
    fatalities were reported. Out of more than 11 thousand patients hospitalized, 917
    are in a severe condition and the situation is worrying in capital Bucharest,
    where 900 new cases have been reported. Since the onset of the pandemic, the novel
    coronavirus has killed 6,867 people in Romania.
    According to Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, the authorities are trying to
    identify the local causes favouring the spread of the coronavirus. Orban says
    the government isn’t yet considering additional measures to impose in Romania.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions CFR Cluj on
    Thursday ended in a one-all draw their match against Swiss side Young Boys
    Bern. The match counted towards the Europa League’s Group A. In the same group,
    the match pitching AS Rome against CSKA Sofia of Bulgaria ended in a goaless
    draw. In the first matches last week, CFR clinched a 2-0 win in Sofia and Rome
    a 2-1 victory in Bern. CFR, which was eliminated from the Champions League, is
    Romania’s only representative in this year’s edition of Europa League.




    (bill)

  • October 28, 2020

    October 28, 2020

    COVID-19 According to the Strategic Communication Group, in the
    past 24 hours Romania has seen an all-time high of Covid-19 infections, 5343,
    out of the 36,815 tests conducted nationwide. The number of fatalities is also at
    an all time high, 107, bringing the death toll to 6,681. Since the onset of the
    pandemic Romania has confirmed 222,559 infections, whereas 159,855 people have
    been declared cured. 861 patients are being treated in IC units, 41 more than
    in the previous day. The highest rate of infection has been reported in Cluj,
    western Romania, the capital city, Bucharest, and in Alba county, also in the
    west. 6,851 Romanian nationals have been confirmed infected abroad, most of
    them in countries like Germany, Italy and Spain. The death toll of the
    Romanians abroad stays at 126.










    ELECTION Over 70 million Americans have
    already cast ballots in the US presidential election, more than half the total
    turnout of the 2016 election with one week to go until Election Day, says a
    Tuesday tally from the U.S. Elections Project also cited by Reuters. This
    massive turnout is indicative of the growing interest in the contest between
    Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden as well
    as the voters’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19. According
    to the US Elections Project, the final turnout might reach a record turnout of
    about 150 million, representing 65% of those eligible to vote, the highest rate
    since 1908. We recall that the US election system which is unique in the world
    and was created more than 200 years ago has been adjusted to the needs of a
    present population of 300 million being a combination of direct and indirect
    voting. Voters in the USA can vote in three different ways. They can opt for
    postal voting or go to the polls earlier or right on the election day. They don’t
    vote directly for the president but for a representative of that candidate’s party known as an
    elector. There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of
    the people in their state and a majority of 270 of these votes is needed to win
    the presidency. This year the US election is due on November 3rd.




    AMBASADORS Six people are being heard
    today by the specialized commissions in the Romanian Senate and the Chamber of
    Deputies to be appointed Romania’s ambassadors abroad in Morocco, Mauritania,
    North Macedonia, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uzbekistan and Albania. On October
    the 7th and 19th, the parliament commissions heard and
    endorsed another 16 candidates proposed to become Romania’s ambassadors abroad.










    VISIT Romanian Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban last night ended his formal visit to Paris with a
    meeting of the Romanian community in France. In another development, during a
    meeting with representatives of the MEDEF, France’s largest employers’
    association, the Romanian officials urged the business people in France to
    invest in Romania, in key fields such as healthcare, transport and energy
    infrastructure, research and telecommunication. Orban and his French
    counterpart Jean Castex had earlier signed an upgraded roadmap for the
    bilateral strategic partnership for the following four years. The Romanian
    official also met Richard Ferrand, the head of the National Assembley and
    Gerard Larcher, president of the French Senate.








    FOOTBALL Romania’s
    football champions CFR Cluj on Thursday will be playing on their own turf Swiss
    side Young Boys in their second match counting for Europa League group A. In
    their first game the Romanians secured a 2-0 win against Bulgarian side CSKA
    Sofia in a group which also includes AS Rome who defeated Young Boys 2-1 in an
    away game.






    (bill)

  • October 27, 2020

    October 27, 2020

    Covid-19 Ro — Another 4,724 new cases of COVID-19 were announced on Tuesday in Romania and a record number of deaths was also reported, 104 in one single day, with the total death toll nearing 6,500. More than 820 people are in ICUs. On Tuesday President Iohannis will meet with the health minister Nelu Tataru, the president of the Romanian Society of, Prof. Dorel Sandel and the chief of Section I- Anesthesia and Intensive Care of the Military Hospital in Bucharest, colonel doctor Dan Corneci to assess and review the measures meant to manage the Covid-19 crisis. The government had a first reading of a draft emergency decree meant to increase the number of medical staff by immediately hiring all graduates who have passed the final medical residency exam in specializations such as intensive care, emergency medicine, pulmonology, infectious diseases, epidemiology and radiology. After a period of 6 months of work in a hospital subordinated to the Interior Ministry, these graduates will be distributed, without examination, to the medical units with vacancies, the state secretary Raed Arafat explained.



    COVID-19 world — The total number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 43.7 million around the world, with more than 1.16 million deaths being reported. The number of recovered patients stands at almost 32.18 million, according to Worldometer.info. The most affected countries are the US, Brazil and India. Against the backdrop of a growing number of contaminations, many European states are introducing further restrictions to combat the spread of the news virus. A WHO high official said that Europe needed to seriously accelerate the fight against the new coronavirus and that the lack of capacity for contact-tracing might push the disease into a grey area. The WHO warns that new travel restrictions and home isolation measures might be needed to be able to control the virus. Europe provides 46% of the total number of contaminations worldwide and almost one third of the deaths.



    Visit — The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban continues today his visit to Paris where he will meet separately with the speakers of the French Parliament’s two chambers. He will also participate in several meetings organized by the French Employers’ Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. On Monday, following talks with his French counterpart Jean Castex important agreements were signed for strengthening political, economic and military ties between Romania and France. France, as a strategic partner, will get involved in developing Romania’s capacity to produce nuclear energy and a declaration in this sense was signed, after early this month, Romania and the US signed an agreement for the building of two new nuclear reactors. The Romanian PM’s visit to Paris will end with a meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in France.



    US elections – One week ahead of the U.S. presidential election the Democrat candidate Joe Biden maintains his advance in several key states as against his challenger, the acting president, Republican Donald Trump. A latest survey published by the Center for election research of the Wisconsin-Madison University shows that Joe Biden is 10 points ahead of Trump in Michigan. Pennsylvania is the state where the two candidates have a tight score, 52% for Biden and 44% for Trump. President Trump on Monday had 3 meetings in Pennsylvania, where he accused Joe Biden of wanting to dismantle the oil industry of the US. While Donald Trump spoke to thousands of supporters, most of the time not wearing a protective mask, Joe Biden had a more prudent approach in his effort to show that he is taking the new coronavirus pandemic seriously.



    Prosecution – In Bucharest MPs approved the request of the National Anticorruption Directorate — DNA to start in prosecution of MP Nicolae Banicioiu who is accused of influence peddling and bribe taking. The DNA claims that when he was a minister of youth and sports he asked almost 1 million Euros worth of bribe from two businessmen to do them various favors. Nicolae Banicioiu rejected all accusations and called on his colleagues to vote for the DNA’s request. A former minister of youth and health, he obtained a 4th mandate as MP, being elected each time on the lists of the Social Democratic Party. In 2018 he changed parties, going to Pro Romania party, headed by the former Social Democratic PM Victor Ponta. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Le partenariat stratégique franco-roumain reconfirmé

    Le partenariat stratégique franco-roumain reconfirmé

    Signé en 2008 à Bucarest, le Partenariat stratégique entre la France et la Roumanie, le premier que Paris conclut avec un pays de l’Europe de l’Est, est resté lettre morte depuis pas moins de cinq ans. Il a fallu rassembler une volonté politique des deux côtés pour encourager une coopération ternie parfois par l’image négative souvent fabriquée par la presse et utilisée à des fins politiciennes par certains Roumains de l’Hexagone.

    Le Partenariat, notamment économique, mais aussi politique et culturel, existe toujours et il doit fonctionner pleinement, quels que soient les problèmes qui peuvent survenir et qui devraient trouver une solution par le dialogue, affirmaient en 2013 les autorités de Paris et de Bucarest. Dès lors, tous les présidents et les premiers ministres, Roumains ou Français, ont fait des visites à Paris et respectivement à Bucarest pour conclure de nouveaux accords en vertu de ce Partenariat stratégique.

    En début de semaine, ce fut le tour du premier ministre roumain Ludovic Orban de se rendre en France. A l’issue d’une réunion avec son homologue Jean Castex, les deux hommes politiques ont signé une nouvelle variante mise à jour de la feuille de route afférente au Partenariat. Aux termes de ce document, la coopération entre les deux pays devient plus structurée, plus ambitieuse, mais aussi plus adaptée à répondre aux défis qui résultent de la crise provoquée par la Covid-19. Cette feuille de route établit aussi les principales coordonnées de la coopération bilatérale durant les quatre années à venir dans des domaines tels l’énergie nucléaire, la défense, les télécoms, l’agriculture et la santé.

    Concrètement, la France s’impliquera, entre autres, dans le développement de la capacité de la Roumanie de produire de l’énergie nucléaire, après la signature début octobre d’un accord entre la Roumanie et les Etats-Unis visant justement la construction de deux nouveaux réacteurs à la centrale nucléaire roumaine de Cernavodă, dans le sud-est. Écoutons le premier ministre Ludovic Orban :« J’ai signé avec le premier ministre français un document sur la coopération dans le domaine nucléaire qui vise la coopération avec nos partenaires stratégiques dans la construction des réacteurs numéro 3 et 4 de Cernavodă et la rénovation du réacteur numéro 1 », a déclaré Ludovic Orban. Il a également évoqué les possibles projets franco-roumains dans le domaine militaire, la Roumanie cherchant par exemple à doter ses Forces navales de quatre corvettes modernes.

    N’oublions pas non plus qu’après la Saison croisée France-Roumanie, événement culturel de grande envergure organisé entre décembre 2018 et juillet 2019, l’année prochaine les deux pays se proposent à célébrer les 140 ans écoulés depuis la naissance du grand compositeur roumain George Enescu, alors que le Festival international de musique de Bucarest qui porte son nom arrivera à sa 25e édition.

  • October 26, 2020 UPDATE

    October 26, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19 — Over 2,800 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours, with the number of Covid-19-related deaths nearing 6,500. The number of patients in ICUs remains high, more than 800. Several big cities of Romania, such as Timisoara (west), Sibiu (center), and Baia Mare (north), Bucharest included, operate in the red scenario, reporting more than 3 cases of COVID-19 per one thousand inhabitants. Besides online courses for at least 14 days, the red scenario instates the obligation to wear a face mask in the street, in open-air spaces as well as inside buildings and a ban on indoor activities in restaurants and cafes. The National Committee for Emergency Situations on Monday updated the list of COVID-19 high-risk countries. As of October 26, travelers coming into Romania from these countries must isolate for 14 days. The list comprises 30 countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, France, the UK, Ireland and Portugal. The US and the R. of Moldova are no longer on the list.



    COVID-19 world — The total number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 43.4 million around the world, with more than 1.16 million deaths being reported. The number of recovered patients stands at almost 32 million, according to Worldometer.info. The most affected countries are the US, Brazil and India. The situation is equally serious in Europe which continues to report a big number of infections. Spain reintroduced the state of emergency and Italy has taken further restrictive measures. On Friday France reported over one million cases of COVID-19. In the Czech Republic, which has reported the highest rate of contaminations and deaths in Europe in the past two weeks, partial lockdown has been imposed until November 3.



    Visit — The Romanian PM Ludovic Orban is on an official visit to France on Monday and Tuesday. Ludovic Orban met with his French counterpart Jean Castex, with whom he shared Romania’s wish for more solidarity among Europeans in this difficult period. The two officials signed several official documents including a cooperation agreement between the two countries. The main objective of the Romanian PM’s visit to France is the signing of the roadmap for the next 4 years regarding cooperation between Romania and France. Another document refers to a memorandum of intent among the two countries’ governments for cooperation in the nuclear energy field. The Romanian PM invited the French companies already operating in Romania to continue to develop their activity.



    Partnership — NATO will have a homogeneous defense and deterrence posture, announced NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana in a press briefing. This is a concept for defense and deterrence for the euro-Atlantic area, which is currently debated by the Alliance. Asked by a Radio Romania reporter about the defense fragmentation on the eastern flank, Mircea Geoana showed that the Black Sea is included in the first large-scale comprehensive assessment of NATO’s security of the past 40-50 years. The NATO official also talked about the NATO-EU cooperation on the issue of military mobility within such forums as the Three Seas Initiative, of which Romania is a member. He said the Alliance encourages everything related to infrastructure, be it economic, military or strategic. Also Mr. Geoana said that the Romanian — American strategic partnership is becoming more robust with every year passing by. (update by L.Simion)

  • New measures to contain the pandemic

    New measures to contain the pandemic

    The
    Romanian executive on Thursday endorsed several measures aimed at assisting population
    during the pandemic. The measures are about increasing the hospitals capability
    to treat Covid-19 infections in their IC units, which the country’s Prime
    Minister Ludovic Orban describes as the government’s key objective.






    An emergency
    ordinance has been endorsed allowing for the patients with mild forms of
    infection to be treated at home under the surveillance of family physicians.
    Health Minister Nelu Tataru had earlier made an announcement about the
    aforementioned ordinance against the shortage of beds in hospitals to treat the
    infection. The present shortage of medical personnel has promoted the government
    to discuss the idea of hiring 200 young physicians who have completed their
    residency and are going to specialize in Intensive Care, ER, Pulmonology,
    Infectious Diseases, Epidemiology and Radiology.






    These physicians will be able
    to get jobs in hospitals with job vacancy after a period of 6 months in an ER
    unit in Bucharest. During the same session the government endorsed an emergency
    ordinance on paid days off for parents who are staying at home with their
    children after their schools have been closed down because of the pandemic.




    The Labour Ministry is already
    paying parents whose children are at home because their schools are struggling
    to contain an outbreak. Under the
    endorsed ordinance, these payments have been extended to also comprise schools
    in the yellow or green zones in terms of gravity. Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru
    has given assurances that all the situations schools might get in will be
    covered.








    As for
    the economic environment, the government endorsed an emergency ordinance
    proposed by the Finance Ministry on rescheduling debts accumulated by companies
    since the onset of the state of emergency until October 25th.
    December 15th is the deadline for enterprises to apply for a rescheduling
    in the next year. Finance Minister Florin Citu has presented fresh elements
    comprised by the emergency ordinance endorsed.






    Florin
    Cîțu: Conditions have been improved a little bit. No
    more forced executions until December 25th, and between October 26th
    and December 25th no interest or penalties for these tax
    liabilities, since the beginning of the state of emergency until December 25th.
    After another round of talks with companies, we have added an extended period
    for VAT payment until January 25th.






    Florin
    Cîțu had earlier announced these economic measures aimed at boosting the
    business environment and Romania’s economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.




    (translated by bill)

  • October 15, 2020

    October 15, 2020

    Covid-19 Romania — The Romanian government has decided to extend the state of alert by another 30 days, a measure enforced as of today. Another 4,013 new cases of contamination have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania, the total number thus reaching 168,490, show data published by the Strategic Communication Group. This is the 2nd consecutive day when Romania reports more than 4 thousand cases per day. Also 73 new deaths have been announced, which takes the total death toll to 5,674. 721 patients are currently in ICUs. In another development, Romania has launched the first test allowing for the simultaneous detection of viruses that cause Covid-19 and seasonal flu. The test helps physicians to rapidly establish a correct diagnosis when the symptoms of the two diseases do not provide enough information about the virus type.



    Covid-19 world — The number of new coronavirus cases around the world exceeded 38.7 million. 1.1 million people have died from Covid-19 and around 29 million have recovered. In the context of the second wave of the pandemic, more and more European states resume quarantine measures. France decided to reinstate the state of emergency in the coming weeks in the Paris region and in other 8 big cities and the surroundings. President Emmanuel Macron announced new restrictive measures and insisted on the need to improve the testing system. Italy reported Wednesday more than 7,300 cases of contamination, the highest level since March, while Germany reported over 6,600 new cases in 24 hours, a record for this country since the onset of the pandemic.



    Brussels — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is participating on Thursday and Friday in the European Council meeting in Brussels. High on the agenda of talks are issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the future relations between the EU and the UK as well as the fight against climate change. President Iohannis will plead for increased coordination among the EU states in the context of a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. As regards the EU-UK relations, the Romanian President will underline that the full implementation of the Brexit agreement by the UK authorities is a fundamental premise for building a future relation with the EU. In terms of climate change, Klaus Iohannis will highlight the importance of maintaining a flexible framework that should allow EU member states to identify the most adequate solutions for ensuring the green transition.



    Renault – The French group Renault, that in 1999 took over the biggest Romanian car manufacturer, Dacia, presents in Paris today the Dacia Spring electric car model to be produced serially. The launch is part of the event devoted to electric mobility ‘Renault eWays’ which takes places 7 months after the presentation of the first car concept images. Dacia Spring is going to be the cheapest 100% electric car on the European car market, with a difference of 3 up to 4 thousand Euros from the competitors’ price. The starting price for Dacia Spring is 14- 16 thousand Euros, likely to drop under 10 thousand Euros after applying subsidies.



    Romanian Post — The Romania Post Office announced the introduction of direct transport lines to Paris, operated by their own cars. The new route was inaugurated on October 13, when the first transport was made to Paris. The postal delivery vehicle, carrying more than one tonne of postal parcels, reached its destination on October 14 and started the return trip on the same day. There will be two postal transports per month between Bucharest and Paris. Thus, Paris is added to the list of destinations which the Romanian Post Office reaches by road. Other countries on the list are Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Germany and Italy.



    Economy — The Romanian government will support the EC in its effort to adopt as soon as possible the regulations related to the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework and the details regarding the economic recovery program adopted by the European Council, said Thursday the Romanian PM Ludovic Orban. The PM met Thursday with Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration who is paying a visit to Bucharest. The European Commissioner will also meet with the deputy prime minister Raluca Turcan, the finance minister Florin Citu and the minister for European funds Ioan Marcel Bolos. (tr. L. Simion)

  • 05.10.2020

    05.10.2020

    Ludovic Orban – Le premier ministre roumain, Ludovic Orban a demandé d’être testé au coronavirus ce lundi vu qu’une personne aux côtés de laquelle il a participé à une émission télévisée a été dépistée positive au coronavirus, selon le gouvernement. Le premier ministre n’avait aucun symptôme de Covid 19 et pour l’instant il a suspendu toute rencontre physique avec d’autres personnes.

    Coronavirus en Roumanie – Depuis le début de la pandémie, le nombre total des personnes infectées au coronavirus touche les 136 mille alors que le bilan mortel a dépassé les 5 mille décès au niveau national. Les autorités ont annoncé ce lundi 1.591 nouveaux cas d’infection dépistés au cours des dernières 24 heures et 45 décès. Le nombre des tests effectués est également réduit, soit 6.537. Le nombre de malades en soins intensifs est pourtant à la hausse. Actuellement, 592 malades sont en soins intensifs, alors que les hôpitaux roumains disposent de quelque 2.600 places. L’évolution négative de l’épidémie de Covid 19 ces derniers temps n’impose pourtant pas le retour à l’état d’urgence, affirment les autorités qui soulignent l’importance de la prévention et des gestes barrière : le port du masque, la distance physique, la désinfection fréquente des mains et des surfaces. Le chef du département des situations d’urgence Raed Arafat a souligné que là où la situation l’impose, des restrictions peuvent entrer en vigueur ponctuellement parce que le taux d’infection a considérablement augmenté dans certaines régions.

    Fraude électorale – L’enquête des fraudes électorales présumées, réclamées durant les élections municipales et l’élimination des impôts pour trois ans dans l’hôtellerie et la restauration figurent à l’ordre du jour des élus nationaux cette semaine. Un autre sujet est la proposition législative d’ajourner les élections législatives jusqu’au 14 mars 2021. Les élections législatives sont prévues pour le 6 décembre. Le député indépendant Adrian Dohotaru, celui qui a déposé au Sénat ce projet de loi, affirme que le scrutin pour l’élection des deux chambres du Parlement devrait être ajourné à cause de la progression inquiétante du nombre de cas de SARS COV 2 et de la pression exercée sur le système sanitaire.

    Tennis – Aucun sportif roumain ne participe plus au tournoi de tennis de Roland Garros, après l’élimination de l’épreuve de double messieurs de Horia Tecau et de son partenaire néerlandais Jean Julien Rojer. Les deux se sont inclinés dimanche contre le double Mate Pavic (Croatia)/Bruno Soares (Brésil), dans les huitièmes de finale. Dimanche, également en huitièmes, Simona Halep, principale favorite du tableau principal de simple, a été éliminée suite à la défaite contre la jeune joueuse de tennis polonaise, Iga Swiatek.

    Météo – Il fait généralement beau en Roumanie où les températures sont très élevées pour cette période de l’année, mais l’instabilité devrait apparaître à commencer par cet après-midi. Les météorologues ont émis une alerte code jaune aux pluies abondantes et au vent fort, valable jusqu’à mardi dans la soirée sur l’ouest, le nord, le centre et sur certaines régions du sud. Des pluies à verse et des orages sont attendus. Les quantités d’eau dépasseront les 25 à 35 litres par mètre carré pour arriver même jusqu’à 50, voire 60 litres par mètre carré. La vitesse du vent sera plus élevée en montagne. Les maxima iront toujours de 21 à 33 degrés. 23 degrés et du soleil en ce moment à Bucarest. La qualité de l’air est généralement bonne en Roumanie, à l’exception des villes de Calarasi, dans le sud-est et de Targu Jiu, dans le sud-ouest, selon le site calitateaer.ro.

  • October 3, 2020

    October 3, 2020

    SUMMIT Prevention measures and the making of a vaccine against the novel
    coronavirus were the main issues of the European Council proceedings, which
    ended in Brussels on Friday. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von
    der Leyen announced that the Union was holding talks with several companies for
    the purchase of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. She said the situation is
    worrying and that the European states and institutions can overcome this
    situation only if they cooperate. Attending the summit, the Romanian president,
    Klaus Iohannis, appreciated the EU’s diplomatic efforts for defusing the
    situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and reiterated Romania’s solidarity with
    Greece and Cyprus, whose sovereignty must be respected. The head of the
    Romanian state highlighted the need for a balanced and constructive approach of
    the EU-Turkey relations.








    PANDEMIC 34.5 million people have been confirmed infected with the novel
    coronavirus the world over with a death toll standing at over one million, data
    released by the US-based Johns Hopkins University shows. US president Donald
    Trump has been admitted to a military hospital after having been infected with
    the novel coronavirus, but he has given assurances that he is feeling all right.
    The pandemic has a fast advancement in India, which has reported 100 thousand
    new cases daily and a total number of infections of 6.4 million people. 100
    thousand Indians have so far been killed by the virus. The highest mortality
    rate has been reported in Mexico though, where 753 thousand people have been
    reported infected and the death toll is around 78 thousand. In Europe, where
    several countries are currently facing a second wave of the pandemic,
    authorities are increasing the number of restrictions to contain the spreading.
    This is the case of Spain, whose capital, Madrid and another eight cities in
    the region are in quarantine for another two weeks. New infections have been
    reported in Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and Northern Macedonia.








    COVID-19 2,064 new COVID-19
    infections and 32 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania.
    583 people are in intensive care units. The death toll since the beginning of the
    pandemic stands at 4,947 and a total number of over 134.000 cases has been
    confirmed. The high number of infections has prompted the country’s
    Prime Minister Ludovic Orban to request daily checking on the observance of
    protection measures. Orban says that where the rate of infection exceeds 1.5
    cases per thousand, any activity in restaurants, bars and other indoor
    facilities will cease. In another development over 338 education units in
    Romania are offering online courses as over 770 students have been confirmed
    positive for the novel coronavirus in the past week, according to data released
    by the country’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru. He made an appeal for complying
    with the hygiene rules to limit the spreading of the virus particularly in schools.
    According to Tataru, Romania does not need to impose the state of emergency.






    TENNIS Two tennis players from Romania are today vying for a place in the round
    of 16 of the Roland Garros tennis tournament. One of them is Irina Bara who is
    taking on Sofia Kenin of the US. Kenin is a champion in the Australian Open and
    has eliminated another Romanian in the previous round, WTA’s 93rd Ana Bogdan.
    Romania’s second representative, Patricia Tig will be up against Fiona Ferro of
    France. The odds-on favourite Simona Halep, also from Romania, secured a clear
    win against US challenger Amanda Anisimova and will be up against Iga Swiatek
    of Poland in the competition’s next round.




    (bill)