Radio România Internațional

Tag: parliament

February 1, 2022

Covid-19 update. With over 40,000
new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, Romania today set a new daily record
since the start of the pandemic. 97 related fatalities were also reported,
including two from an earlier date. The fortnightly incidence rate in Bucharest
is nearing 22 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest level to be recorded in
the capital city so far. Health minister Alexandru
Rafila says the infection rate may slow down between 10th and 15th February. In
other news, travellers to Romania will only have to isolate for five days irrespective
of their country of origin unless they can produce a Covid vaccine pass, proof
that they have recovered from the infection or a negative Covid test result
from the previous 72 hours. Also, the National Committee for Emergency
Situations has established that contacts of people infected with Covid will
have to isolate for five days, irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or
not.

Parliament. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies are today holding the
first ordinary parliamentary session this year. The priorities of the current
session include legislation in areas such as energy, justice, healthcare and
the economy. The number one priority right now is establishing the caps and
compensations for electricity and natural gas bills, with Parliament to pass an
emergency order recently issued by the government on a new support scheme for
the population. During the new session, Parliament may also discuss the
amendment of the offshore law, which would unblock projects to extract
hydrocarbons from the Black Sea. Another priority on Parliament’s agenda is the
dismantling of a special department investigating crimes in the judiciary, as
also requested from Brussels.

Census. The first stage of a new
population and housing census is getting under way today in Romania. Lasting
until 13th of March, this stage involves collecting data from
administrative sources and creating the needed data bases. The second stage, to
take place between 14th March and 15th May, will consist
in a self-census, while in the third stage, between 16th May and 17th
July, data will be collected through face-to-face interviews. As a first,
citizens will have the possibility to conduct a self-census from their mobile
phones, tablets and computers. Because of the pandemic, the new census, which
was due to take place last year, was postponed for this year, but a simulation
did take place last March. A population and housing census is conducted in
every EU member state.

Ukraine crisis. The United States
has ordered the family members of its government employees in Belarus to leave
this country which has close ties with Russia and warned against travel to the
region amid tensions between Washington and Moscow on the Ukraine crisis,
Reuters said today. According to the US State Department, the decision was
prompted by unusual and worrying intensification of Russian military activity
near the border with Ukraine. The US had already instructed families of US
diplomats in Kiev to leave Ukraine, on 23rd January. The West
accuses Russia of massing over 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine in
preparation for a possible invasion. The Kremlin says it has no intention to
attack Ukraine, but is requesting official security guarantees, including
assurances that Ukraine will never join NATO and a return to NATO’s positions
of 1997. The US and NATO rejected Russia’s demands. (CM)

1 February 2022
The priorities of the new parliamentary session

According to the Romanian Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate meet in two ordinary sessions a year. The first begins in February and cannot go beyond the end of June. The second session begins in September and cannot go beyond the end of December. If urgent situations occur, the two Chambers of Romanias Parliament can be convened in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the President of Romania, of the permanent bureau of each Chamber or of at least one third of the number of deputies or senators.

This week the MPs return to work at the Parliament Palace after the winter holidays. They will focus on draft laws in such areas as justice, health, and the economy. Their priority of the moment is to offset electricity and natural gas bills. Therefore, the MPs will approve a new emergency ordinance recently issued by the Government on a new capping and compensation scheme, given that, in the last few winter months, the bills received by some citizens have been extremely high.

The Senate will debate the document as the first chamber notified, and then it will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. Also in the field of Energy, the agenda of Parliament could include, in this session, the modification of the Offshore Law, which would unblock the hydrocarbons extraction projects in the Black Sea. In the field of Justice, the Parliaments agenda will include the dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Offences committed within the Judiciary (SIIJ). Criticized by some, applauded by others, the dismantling of this Section was also requested by Brussels. The current justice minister, Cătălin Predoiu, believes that, by the end of March, the Section will no longer exist.

A challenge for the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, partners in the ruling coalition, is also the drafting of a new salary law, which should equally solve the issue of benefits, so as to avoid cases in which the benefits are equal to the basic income. Finally, the parliamentarians are to also decide on the fate of the Covid certificate. More precisely, a bill that has remained in the debate of the Chamber of Deputies since the past session establishes the obligation to present this certificate at the workplace. If, initially, the bill provided for this obligation only in the case of the medical staff, following changes proposed by senators, the certificate could apply to all categories of employees, with certain exceptions. After many discussions in the Senate, the document was rejected, and the deputies are expected to give the final vote.

Whether in power or in opposition, all political parties represented in the Romanian Parliament have their own projects which they want to include on the agenda, to be debated and voted on. Among them: amending the law on protected areas, increasing salaries in the education system and allowances for children, modifying the law on doctoral theses or the ban on wood export. (LS)

31 January 2022
January 31, 2022

Covid-19 update. In Romania, children are driving the
transmission of the novel coronavirus, with new cases rising exponentially from
one day to the next. In the last seven days, infections among children rose by
almost a half compared with the previous week. This situation is also reflected
in the number of new hospital admissions, with almost 800 minors now in
hospital. A total of over 20,000 new cases and 41 deaths were reported on
Monday. Health minister Alexandru Rafila warns
of a further rise in cases, with daily infections to pass 40,000. He expects
the already dominant Omicron variant to fully replace Delta in Romania in about
two weeks, with a drop in hospital admissions being expected as a result.

Parliament. Romania’s two-chamber Parliament this week begins a new
session with an emergency discussion of the reduction in energy bills. Senators
and deputies are expected to pass an emergency order issued recently by the
government on a new compensation and capping scheme. Another priority for
Parliament is the dismantling of the special department to investigate
magistrates. Another bill, which was already rejected by the Senate but is still
under debate in the Chamber of Deputies, is about making the use of the Covid green
certificate mandatory in the workplace.

Protest. Police
and prisons trade unions are planning a large-scale protest on Wednesday, with
5,000 participants, outside the government and Parliament headquarters. They
are demanding a rise in pay. The media say the situation may become tense,
after trade union leaders said the Senate speaker and the Liberal leader Florin Cîţu promised them that government will discuss their
demands in its regular Tuesday meeting and adopt a decision in that respect.

Census. The government is meeting today to establish the conditions for
a new population and housing census postponed last year because of the
pandemic. The government is expected to approve three bills regulating the
organisation of the census, including from a financial point of view. The new
census is to take place in February and March. As a first, citizens will be
able to take part directly in the process by mid-May, through self-census.
Employees using this procedure will be granted one day of paid leave.

Tennis. Romanian
no. one Simona Halep drops to no. 23 in the tennis world ranking. Sorana Cîrstea,
who had a great run at the Australian Open, went up to no. 32, Irina Begu
climbs 8 places to no. 56, while Jaqueline Cristian and Gabriela Ruse climb 11
places to 58 and 61, respectively. Ana Bogdan, who won an ITF title in France
on Sunday, is close to returning to top 100, currently being at 101. In the
doubles ranking, Raluca Olaru went up to no. 30, the highest position in her
career. Monica Niculescu climbs to 31, with four other Romanian players in the doubles
top 100: Irina Begu (55), Irina Bara (81), Gabriela Ruse (98) and Andreea Mitu
(99). (CM)

31 January 2022
The priorities of the new parliamentary session

According to the Romanian Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate meet in two ordinary sessions a year. The first begins in February and cannot go beyond the end of June. The second session begins in September and cannot go beyond the end of December. If urgent situations occur, the two Chambers of Romanias Parliament can be convened in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the President of Romania, of the permanent bureau of each Chamber or of at least one third of the number of deputies or senators.

This week the MPs return to work at the Parliament Palace after the winter holidays. They will focus on draft laws in such areas as justice, health, and the economy. Their priority of the moment is to offset electricity and natural gas bills. Therefore, the MPs will approve a new emergency ordinance recently issued by the Government on a new capping and compensation scheme, given that, in the last few winter months, the bills received by some citizens have been extremely high.

The Senate will debate the document as the first chamber notified, and then it will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. Also in the field of Energy, the agenda of Parliament could include, in this session, the modification of the Offshore Law, which would unblock the hydrocarbons extraction projects in the Black Sea. In the field of Justice, the Parliaments agenda will include the dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Offences committed within the Judiciary (SIIJ). Criticized by some, applauded by others, the dismantling of this Section was also requested by Brussels. The current justice minister, Cătălin Predoiu, believes that, by the end of March, the Section will no longer exist.

A challenge for the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, partners in the ruling coalition, is also the drafting of a new salary law, which should equally solve the issue of benefits, so as to avoid cases in which the benefits are equal to the basic income. Finally, the parliamentarians are to also decide on the fate of the Covid certificate. More precisely, a bill that has remained in the debate of the Chamber of Deputies since the past session establishes the obligation to present this certificate at the workplace. If, initially, the bill provided for this obligation only in the case of the medical staff, following changes proposed by senators, the certificate could apply to all categories of employees, with certain exceptions. After many discussions in the Senate, the document was rejected, and the deputies are expected to give the final vote.

Whether in power or in opposition, all political parties represented in the Romanian Parliament have their own projects which they want to include on the agenda, to be debated and voted on. Among them: amending the law on protected areas, increasing salaries in the education system and allowances for children, modifying the law on doctoral theses or the ban on wood export. (LS)

31 January 2022
January 11, 2022

COVID-19 Over 8,800 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported for the last 24 hours in Romania, double the previous days rate. The Strategic Communication Group also reported 43 related fatalities. 415 patients are in intensive care. The case frequency in the capital city Bucharest is also on the rise, nearing 3 per thousand. Since the start of the vaccine roll-out in late December 2020, nearly 8 million people have got the COVID-19 vaccine. Almost 7.9 million are now fully vaccinated, and more than 2.1 million have also got the booster dose. Facilities are being identified around the country to host the outpatient evaluation centres scheduled to become operational this week. Experts argue that it is important for people to respond to the first signs of infection and to take immediate measures at home.

SASSOLI President Klaus Iohannis Tuesday sent a condolence message for the death of the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli, stating that he was a good friend of Romania and a leader who fought for European values and principles. The Italian Social-Democrat David Sassoli passed away last night in the Italian town of Aviano, where he was hospitalised on December 26 following severe complications related to his immune system. Sassoli, a former journalist, was appointed president of the European Parliament in July 2019. He was at the end of his term, and next Tuesday the EP is due to vote for his successor. It is for the first time in the history of the EP that a president died while in office. First Vice-President Roberta Metsola, a conservative from Malta who was already set to be elected as Sassolis successor next week, will be acting as interim.

TALKS The United States and Russia have agreed to continue the dialogue, which, European media argue, is the only gain of the 8-hour long talks held in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday. The head of the US delegation, deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman, pushed back on Russias request for guarantees that NATO would not expand further east. “We will not allow anyone to slam closed NATOs “Open Door” policy, which has always been central to the NATO Alliance. And we will not make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine, about Europe without Europe, or about NATO without NATO,” Sherman said. The US diplomat reiterated at the meeting with her Russian counterpart that invading Ukraine would entail huge costs for Moscow. In turn, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov once again promised that Russia had no intention to invade Ukraine, but emphasised that the risk of a conflict cannot be understated. The talks in Geneva will be followed this week by Russia-NATO talks in Brussels, and by an OSCE meeting also focusing on Ukraine, in Vienna.

PANDEMIC Italy introduced new restrictions for unvaccinated citizens. Under the new rules, negative COVID tests no longer allow access to public transportation, bars and restaurants. Italy is facing a significant spread of the Omicron variant, and reported over 100,000 new infection cases in 24 hours. According to Radio Romanias correspondent in Rome, PM Mario Draghi said most problems were owing to the unvaccinated. In Israel, new instructions were issued regarding the access to shops and food stores in shopping centres, where all staff and clients must wear face masks. The number of new COVID cases goes up every day, Radio Romanias correspondent in that country reports. The US also announced on Monday 1.35 million new coronavirus infections, Reuters said. India on the other hand had a drop in the number of cases on Tuesday compared to the previous day.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse Tuesday qualified in the round of 16 of the WTA 500 tournament in Sydney, with over 700,000 USD in prize money, after defeating Polands Magdalena Frech in 3 sets. Ruse will play against 4th seed Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) in the 8th-finals. Another Romanian player, Jaqueline Cristian, is also playing in the same round. Cristian will take on 3rd seed Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic), the defending Roland Garros champion. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

11 January 2022
The 2022 budget, endorsed by Parliament

The 2022 state budget and social security budget were passed by the Bucharest Parliament with by a large majority and a few amendments. Politicians want the budget law to take effect at the start of the New Year, after debates in the plenary sitting were held at a fast pace so that, in four days alone, the two laws were green lighted by the expert committees and the plenary sitting. The budget was built on a 4.6% economic growth rate, a GDP of around 260 billion euros, an average inflation rate of 6.5% and a gross minimum average salary of about 1,200 euros per month. 7.7% of the GDP is for the social security budget.

A number of ministries will receive additional funds as of next year, such as the Transport Ministry, for infrastructure development and for the European projects and investment, for conducting of the programmes included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Social-Democrat senator Radu Oprea has said that investment will be covered both at the Transport Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry, and the business environment will receive 12.2 billion euros.

The Labour Ministry will also receive additional funds, to cover the increase in pensions, child allowances and subsidies for the people with disabilities starting the beginning of next year. Liberal deputy Gabriela Horga says that the pension is a right and not a social measure. ˮWe have a duty to pensioners, because they were productive citizens who, in their turn, contributed with a lifetime of work and have paid their pensions throughout their lives,ˮ Gabriela Horga said. Deputy with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Éva Csép, said that unemployment must be reduced and the new jobs must be stabile and predictable.

From the opposition, the leader of the ultranationalist party AUR, George Simion, says that pensions should be increased by a set amount, in order to eliminate major differences. In spite of the fact that the national budget and social security laws were passed by a large majority, Dan Barna, the vice president of the Save Romania Union (USR), in the opposition, has said that the Constitutional Court will be notified. According to Barna, the 2022 budget is a budget that passed the amendments of extremists and not a single amendment of USR, a discriminatory budget that only supports the majority that passed it, PSD and PNL. The main dissatisfaction of the Save Romania Union is that the 2022 state budget does not cover the funds needed by the local administrations headed by mayors from USR. (EE)

24 December 2021
December 23, 2021

REVOLUTION Romania’s Parliament convened this morning in a solemn
meeting devoted to the 32 years since the anti-communist revolution of December
1989. Originating in Timișoara (west), on 16th December, the uprising spread
across the country, culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the
capital city on 22nd December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of
Romanians. Captured by the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a
summary trial and executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the
only country behind the Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied
by bloodshed. Over 1,000 people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.

BUDGET Romanian MPs are due to vote today on the draft state budget and
social security budget laws for 2022. The government
passed the bills on Monday and promised the budget ensures stability and
predictability. The Liberal leader and ex-PM Florin Cîţu criticised the fact
that 6.7% of GDP was earmarked for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within
the ruling coalition. The Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued
however that the budget execution is more important than the exact breakdown of
expenditure. The leader of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the
draft budget relies on over-estimated revenues and said although public
education is a priority for President Iohannis, not enough funding has been
earmarked for the sector.

COVID-19 775 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported in the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 81 related
fatalities, 44 of them from a previous date. Since the start of the pandemic
Romania has had around 1.8 million COVID-19 cases,
and more than 58,000 patients died. Amid
anti-vaccine sentiments fuelled by some media, politicians and opinion leaders,
the country has the 2nd lowest immunisation rate in the EU, after Bulgaria.

EU
FUNDING The government
of Romania passed an emergency order allowing for the accessing of a roughly
15-billion euro loan granted by the European Commission under the Recovery and
Resilience Mechanism. The loan agreement between the European Commission and
Romania was signed in Bucharest on 26th November and in Brussels on 15th
December. Under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Romania benefits
from some 29 billion euro, of which approx. 14 billion in non-reimbursable
funds and some 15 billion in loans. The loan will be available until the end of
2026.

BASKETBALL The national men’s basketball champions, Universitatea-Banca
Transilvania Cluj-Napoca, qualified into the second stage of the Champions
League group matches, after defeating the Turkish side Daruşşafaka in a suspensefull
match away from home, 103-101. The Romanian team is thus the leader of Group G,
with 5 wins and one defeat. Group leaders go straight into the second stage of
the competition, scheduled for January-March 2022. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 December 2021
December 22, 2021 UPDATE

REVOLUTION The heroes who died in the December 1989 anti-communist
uprising were commemorated on Wednesday in Bucharest. Religious services and
military ceremonies were held at the cemeteries and monuments across the
country devoted to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Thirty-two years ago, Bucharest became the heart of the
protests that culminated with the ousting of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The
president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message on the Day of
the Victory of the Romanian Revolution and of Freedom. December 1989 opened
Romania’s path to democracy, allowed for our NATO and EU accession, for signing
the Strategic Partnership with the USA and turned Romania into a regional
security provider. None of this would have been possible without our
anti-communist revolution, Iohannis pointed out. He said it is a shame that no one has paid for the victims of the terrible
crackdown and called on the judiciary to bring the ones responsible to justice.

BUDGET The draft state budget and
social security budget laws for 2022 are being discussed by the Parliament of
Romania. At the start of the session, PM Nicolae Ciucă said the proposed state
budget is balanced, responsible and realistic, and able to consolidate the
economy in the long run. He also said it is the budget that earmarked the
largest amounts for investments in the last 32 years. Cuica promised that taxes
will not go up and there will be no pressure on the business community.
Previously, Parliament’s specialised committees had green-lighted the bills. The budget is based on an
estimated economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a
predicted inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per
month. USR party in opposition is considering
taking the draft budget law to the Constitutional Court, claiming that mayors
from that party have not received budget appropriations, which is an instance
of discrimination.

PROTESTS The
Romanian police arrested 2 people and fined around 200 organisers and
participants in Wednesday’s protest of the supporters of AUR party, an ultra-nationalist
and anti-vaccine party in Romania’s parliament. The protest was sparked by the
authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID certificate a requirement at the
workplace. The rally spiralled into vandalism, with one of the arrested
participants pushing through the Parliament’s gates and the other suspected of
having vandalised 4 vehicles. The investigation continues.

COVID-19 Nearly 200,000 people have generated digital
forms to enter Romanian territory since the launch of the application, most of
them at the ‘Henri Coandă’ International Airport in Bucharest. As of December
20, all passengers arriving in Romania are to fill in the Passenger Locator
Form (PLF), a document used by 18 EU member countries. Meanwhile, 851 new Covid-19
infections were reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 62 related fatalities, 18 of them from a
previous date. As many as 2,830 SARS-CoV-2 patients are hospitalised, including
62 children. More than 7.7 million people in Romania are fully vaccinated. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 December 2021
December 21, 2021 UPDATE

TALKS Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca met NATO’s Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels on Tuesday. Ciuca gave assurances that
Romania’s commitment to earmarking 2% of its GDP to defence would continue.
Bucharest will also get actively and significantly involved in the debates over
NATO’s strategic concept and its future missions. The present Russian military
buildup is significant, unprovoked and unjustified and we cannot understand how
NATO’s and Ukraine’s actions can be considered provocations, the Romanian
official went on to say. He reiterated Romania’s support for Ukraine’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized
borders. Also in Brussels on Tuesday, Ciuca met the European Commission
president Ursula von der Leyen with whom he discussed ways of handling the
pandemic. The Romanian Prime Minister presented the efforts of economic
recovery included in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, highlighting
the concern for ensuring fiscal-budgetary stability. Ciuca also reiterated the appeal
that a quicker decision be made over Romania’s joining the border-free zone,
Schengen.

PROTEST The protesters who forced their way into the Parliament’s
building courtyard in Bucharest on Tuesday resorted to cars that had unlimited
access to the institution, says a communiqué issued by the Interior Ministry.
About two thousand people, supporters of the ultranationalist political party
AUR protested in front of Parliament on Tuesday the authorities’ intention to prevent
access to the workplace without the green certificate. The unauthorized protest
was promoted on AUR social networks and the authorities are presently trying to
identify and sanction the protesters. Part of them became violent and attempted
to storm the premises. According to the Interior Ministry sources, the police
made an appeal to calm and the observation of legal rules without resorting to
violence. About 100 protesters later gathered in front of the government.
Romania has the second lowest vaccination rate in the EU, almost 40% of the
total population, data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention
and Control shows.

COMMEMORATION The
heroes of the anti-communist uprising of December 1989 were commemorated in
Bucharest on Tuesday. Religious services and military ceremonies were held at
the Revolution Heroes Cemetery and at the dedicated monuments downtown. Similar
events are scheduled on Wednesday at the Romanian Revolution Heroes Monument,
at the Radio Hall and the Romanian Television Corporation. Originating in Timișoara
(west), on 16th December, the uprising spread across the country,
culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the capital city on 22nd
December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of Romanians. Captured by
the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a summary trial and
executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the only country behind the
Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied by bloodshed. Over 1,000
people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.

BUDGET The draft 2022 state budget and social security budget laws will
be discussed and voted on in Parliament on Thursday. The budgets of the main
public institutions were being discussed in Parliament’s specialised committees
on Tuesday. The government passed the bills on Monday and promised they are
based on predictability and stability. The budget is based on an estimated
economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a predicted
inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per month,
with the budget deficit expected to stay within the limits agreed on with the
European Commission under the excessive deficit procedure, namely 5.84% of GDP.
The public pension fund will receive 7.32% of GDP. The Liberal
president Florin Cîţu criticised the fact that only 6.7% of GDP was earmarked
for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within the ruling coalition. The
Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued however that the budget
execution is more important than the exact breakdown of expenditure. The leader
of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the draft budget relies on
over-estimated revenues and said although public education is a priority for
President Iohannis, not enough funding has been earmarked for the sector.

(bill)

21 December 2021
State budget without new taxes

Romania’s ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic
Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania (UDMR), is to submit the draft budget law for 2022 to Parliament by December
20, for discussion and endorsement. The 3 parties intend to have the
fiscal-budgetary strategy passed by Christmas.

The law
must provide funding for investments, the increase of public pensions and
allowances, while at the same time keeping the budget deficit under control.

The idea of
introducing new taxes has triggered debates in the new ruling coalition. The Liberals
once again emphasised that next year’s budget will not be based on new taxes. However,
the Social Democrats and UDMR sought to levy an additional 1% of turnover tax
on companies with turnover in excess of 100 million euro. According to UDMR,
the money would cover healthcare and education investment needs, but the
business community voiced discontent with the measure.

The Liberal
president Florin Cîţu mentioned that these companies paid taxes in advance last
April, when the economy was shut down, and argued that it is not fair for the
same businesses to be penalised.

In turn, PM
Nicolae Ciucă promised there will be no such taxes. This is precisely what we
pledged in the governing platform, namely that no such tax will be levied this
year. The governing plan was endorsed by Parliament and it will be applied as
such,ˮ Nicolae Ciucă pointed out.

The finance
minister Adrian Câciu said in turn that the budget will not include new taxes,
and that any change in the tax system will be predictable and operated after talks
with private businesses. He said Romania needs solidarity now, to protect
low-income citizens from price rises, especially in the energy sector. We will
achieve this by stimulating the economy and encouraging the companies that
produce in Romania, regardless of their ownership, because all that is produced
in Romania is produced by Romanian employees. A product made in Romania means
jobs for Romanians. By supporting Romanian producers, we provide guarantees that
hundreds of thousands of people will have stable, safe jobs, the finance
minister Adrian Câciu explained.

In turn,
the Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu said that should the coalition
decide to introduce a new tax, this will not take effect sooner than in 6
months’ time. On the other hand, he said the country has major problems in
terms of tax evasion and VAT collection. Romania is estimated to have tax
evasion accounting for 10% of GDP at the moment. Moreover, 34% of the VAT owed
is not collected,ˮ Marcel Ciolacu warned. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

13 December 2021
A government beyond egos

After a nearly 3-month long political crisis, Romania has
a new government with full executive powers as of Thursday. But its political
complexion is one that even the most skilled political analysts could not have
predicted a while ago.

In the autumn of 2019, after the Social-Democratic government
headed by Viorica Dăncilă was dismissed through a no-confidence vote, the
National Liberal Party, encouraged by president Klaus Iohannis himself, vowed
to send its political opponent, the Social Democratic Party, in opposition for
the next two parliamentary terms at least.

They managed to do so a year later, in December 2020, not
by winning the election but by building a governmental coalition of the parties
placed second, third and fifth in the vote-namely the Liberal Party, Save
Romania Union (USR) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR).
The Social Democrats, who had actually won the largest number of seats in
Parliament, were forced into the opposition.

They saw an opportunity this September, when USR left
the ruling coalition over disagreements with ex-PM Florin Cîțu. The Social
Democrats leapt at the chance and tabled a no-confidence motion against the
remaining minority government.

Two failed attempts at forming a minority government followed,
one by USR and the second by the Liberals jointly with UDMR. The Liberals and
the Social Democrats, archenemies until recently, eventually sat down to
discuss a coalition government, together with UDMR and the ethnic minorities
group in Parliament.

On Thursday, the new government, headed by the Liberal
Nicolae Ciucă, easily secured Parliament’s vote of confidence and were sworn in
before the president. Putting one’s ego aside seems to have been one of the
themes of the day. President Klaus Iohannis pointed out:

Klaus Iohannis: People are sick and tired of crises, of promises. People
want action and results. I invite you to deliver.

In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă, a retired general, promised:

Nicolae Ciucă: We undertake to do everything in our power to
improve Romania’s economic, social and healthcare situation. We have come to
understand that Romanians’ interests are above all egos and political enmity.

And the Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu also
talked about leaving egos aside and taking urgent action to ensure Romania’s
stability:

Marcel Ciolacu: We will increase child allowances, pensions,
minimum wages and allowances for people with disabilities. Pensioners with the
smallest benefits will also receive aid to cover their bills this winter. We will
bring more money to the state budget, but also to the people.

The new ministers have already rolled up their
sleeves. We’ll see how it goes. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

26 November 2021
Nicolae Ciucă, PM designate once again

At the end of a third round of talks with the parliamentary
parties in the almost three months since USR left the ruling coalition, the
head of state once again designated the interim defence minister Nicolae Ciucă to
form a new government.

Klaus
Iohannis: I am satisfied that there is a robust majority in the Parliament
of Romania, a majority consisting of the National Liberal Party, the Social
Democratic Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the ethnic
minorities group. They nominated a PM and I accepted this nomination. I will therefore
designate Mr. Nicolae Ciucă to form a government team and to come before
Parliament for a confidence vote.

Nicolae
Ciucă was previously designated for the post on October 21, but he stepped down
after a minority coalition made up of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians failed to secure enough votes in Parliament for
endorsement.

This time
around, extensive negotiations led to an agreement on the governing programme, a
new Cabinet structure (with two new ministries) and the concept of a rotation
of prime ministers between the Liberals and the Social Democrats.

Nicolae
Ciucă said Romanians expect the new government to provide stability and
solutions for the difficulties entailed by the pandemic and the energy crunch,
and voiced hopes that the new team will get to work thoroughly as of Thursday.

The Liberals
will have eight ministries in the new government. They are keeping the foreign
and interior ministries, the education ministry and the energy ministry, and
will head four more, including justice, and the ministry for European funds and
investments.

Not all
Liberals are happy with this scenario, however, and senior party members are criticizing
their leader’s handling of the negotiations. Florin Cîţu argues however that
the coalition with the Social Democrats is not unconditional, and promises that
citizens’ interests and financial stability will not be compromised.

After a
stint in the opposition, the Social Democrats will head nine ministries plus
the Government secretariat general. Important fields are included, such as the public
finances, defence, transports and economy.

The PM
rotation order was one of the most passionately debated issues. The Social
Democrats eventually agreed to take their turn at the helm of the cabinet in 18
months’ time. The party president Marcel Ciolacu explained that the Social
Democrats agreed to back the Liberal’s PM nominee in return for the inclusion
of important social support measures in the governing programme.

In turn, UDMR
will have a deputy PM post in the Ciucă Cabinet, alongside with the three
ministries they are already heading-regional development, environment and
sports.

The USR would
not attend the consultations with the president, and leader Dacian Cioloş argued
that president Klaus Iohannis renounced his role as a mediator. Also in
opposition, AUR mentioned they would not endorse the new government in
Parliament. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 November 2021
October 23, 2021

COVID-19 New restrictions take effect on Monday in Romania, as the country is
struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. For 30 days, the
digital COVID certificate will be compulsory in most public places, except for
food shops and drugstores, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and
outdoor public areas, and a ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on
private events, including weddings, conferences and workshops, will be in place.
Also on Monday, public and private kindergartens,
primary, secondary schools and high schools will take a 2-week break.
After-schools will also be closed, although nurseries will stay open. Companies
with more than 50 employees will organise shifts or remote work, sports
competitions will be held without public in attendance, and a night curfew will also be introduced, between 10 pm and 5 am, for
the unvaccinated. On Saturday the authorities reported 15,261
new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 446 COVID-related deaths.

VACCINE Following repeated appeals from physicians, for fear of getting
infected or simply because they no longer have access to various activities
without the digital COVID certificate, many Romanians previously reluctant to
the vaccine seem to have changed their minds. According to the latest official
figures, over 128,000 people got the vaccine in the last 24 hours, most of them
(over 86,000) with the first vaccine dose. This weekend the capital Bucharest
is hosting a vaccination marathon. The National Defence Minister will also
organize on Monday and Tuesday, a vaccination marathon in 6 military hospitals
in the country. President Klaus Iohannis Saturday once again called on people
to get the vaccine, saying this is the only way to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. Since
the start of the vaccination programme in late December, more than 6.2 million
Romanians have received COVID-19 vaccines, and more than 5.8 million of them
are fully vaccinated.

GOVERNMENT In Romania, prime
minister designate Nicolae Ciucă, a retired general, carries on negotiations
over parliamentary support for his new cabinet. The Liberal leader Florin Cîţu
also took part in Friday’s talks with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania, the Liberals’ partners in the ruling coalition. Cîţu said that
early next week the governing programme and distribution of cabinet seats would
be submitted to Parliament. He added that in order to secure parliamentary support,
the Liberals would discuss with Save Romania Union as well, although the latter
originally announced they would not back a minority government. On the other
hand, the Social Democrats, the main party in opposition, were not contacted
for talks. Unhappy with a possible cooperation with the Social Democrats, many
Liberals will leave the party and will start a new one jointly with the former
party leader Ludovic Orban, said an ex-government spokesman, Ionel Dancă. Orban’s supporters have already called on president
Klaus Iohannis and on Florin Cîţu not to accept the support of the Social
Democratic Party. Romania has been faced with a governmental crisis since
September, when Save Romania Union left the ruling coalition over disagreements
with PM Florin Cîţu. Cîţu’s
cabinet was dismissed following a no-confidence motion initiated by the Social
Democrats and backed by Save Romania Union. The first politician designated by
president Klaus Iohannis to form a new government, Save Romania Union leader
Dacian Cioloş, failed to get endorsed by Parliament.

MOLDOVA The PM of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavriliţă, announced the
rationalisation of natural gas and other resources during the one-month state
of emergency declared by Parliament on Friday. She said the government was
looking for alternative gas sources, due to the lack of a new contract with
Russia, which has cut supplies by one-third and raised prices to an unacceptable
level. Russian-Moldovan talks in Moscow ended after 2 days without an
agreement, and Moldova might see Russian gas supply completely suspended as of
November.

TENNIS Raluca Olaru (Romania) / Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine) are
today playing the final of the tennis tournament in Moscow (WTA 500), against 2nd
seeded Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) / Katerina Siniakova (the Czech Republic). On
Friday, Raluca Olaru and Nadia Kicenok defeated the Russians Natela Dzalamidze /
Kamila Rahimova 7-5, 7-5. This is the 24th WTA doubles final for
Raluca Olaru, who has won 11 titles so far. Olaru and Kicenok this year won the
tournaments in Sankt Petersburg and Chicago, and lost the final in Bad Homburg. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

23 October 2021
October 22, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The interim cabinet Friday introduced new restrictions in Romania, as
the country is struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. The
measures will take effect on Monday, 25th October, and will be valid
for 30 days. Face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor public
areas. Access to all central and local public institutions and to the offices
of private businesses will be conditional on the digital COVID certificate. A
ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on private events, including
weddings, conferences and workshops, will also be in place. Shops will only be
open between 5 am and 9 pm, restaurants will be open until 9 pm but will only
admit COVID certificate holders. A night curfew will also be introduced,
between 10 pm and 5 am, for the unvaccinated. Also on Monday, public
and private kindergartens, primary, secondary schools and high schools will
take a 2-week break. On Friday the Strategic Communication Group reported 15,410
new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 357 COVID-related deaths. 1,848 patients are in intensive care.
Over 128,000 people got vaccinated in the last 24 hours.

AID Romania is receiving aid from several European countries, including
Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Hungary and Poland, as well as from the
World Health Organisation. The aid consists in medicines, equipment, tests, and
the transfer of some COVID patients, the head of the Department for Emergency
Situations Raed Arafat announced on Friday.Five Romanian COVID patients, in a critical condition, were taken on
Friday to Austria and Poland, by 2 military aircraft. Other patients have been
transferred to Hungary.

GOVERNMENT In Romania, the interim
defence minister Nicolae Ciucă, designated by president Klaus Iohannis to form a
new government, initiated negotiations over parliamentary support. A first
meeting was held on Friday, with the head of the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania, Kelemen Hunor. The latter said his party would stay in
power together with the National Liberal Party, and mentioned that in the
coming days the governing programme and distribution of cabinet seats would be
discussed. Save Romania Union is waiting for an invitation to talks, and will try to persuade the Liberals to go for a
coalition government with majority support in parliament. PSD says it will talk
with Nicolae Ciuca about a parliamentary majority to support the minority
government, and AUR has stated it will not support such a government. The Prime
Minister Designate has called on all political actors to support the new cabinet,
so that Romania can quickly overcome the medical and economic crisis it is
going through.

AUTOMOTIVE Registrations of new hybrid vehicles in the EU accounted for nearly
21% of the Union’s automotive market in the 3rd quarter of the year,
outperforming Diesel vehicle registrations for the first time. According to the
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, in July-September sales
of petrol-based cars dropped by 35%, while registrations of new diesel cars
more than halved across the EU region. Alternatively-powered vehicles saw a 69%
increase in sales in Central Europe in the same period. In Romania, sales rose
by over 153% compared to 2020.

MOLDOVA The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova Friday
declared a 30-day state of emergency in the country over a natural gas
shortage. The government requested the measure in order to be able to procure
natural gas from alternative sources, given that the Russian supplier Gazprom is
no longer providing sufficient quantities to meet the demand, Radio Chişinău
announced. According to the resolution, until 20th November, a
special procedure will be in place, to speed up the procurement of natural gas.
If necessary, energy consumption will be rationalised, and instruments to
quickly collect payments from consumers will be introduced. According to Radio
Chişinău, negotiations with the Russian energy giant carry on, but in the
meantime the government is discussing with other states as well, including
Ukraine, Romania, and Poland, to purchase natural gas from alternative sources.
Natural gas prices has risen steeply in recent months in international markets,
and some officials accuse Russia of energy blackmail.

EUROPEAN
COUNCIL The European Council president Charles Michel and the head
of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, announced on Friday at the end
of a meeting in Brussels, that the energy topic will be once again on the
agenda of the December meeting of the European Council. In the meantime, the
Commission will conduct an analysis of the EU electricity and natural gas
market and on the carbon transaction market, after several member states blamed
the recent energy price rises on problems in these areas. An emergency meeting of
EU energy ministers was also scheduled for next week. Romania was represented
by president Klaus Iohannis, who emphasised ahead of the meeting the
need to quickly identify
efficient short-term solutions, as the current energy crisis will have serious
effects in all EU countries, with a profound socio-economic impact.

(tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 October 2021
October 20, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 The only way to
curb the Covid-19 epidemic is vaccination, the president of Romania Klaus
Iohannis said on Wednesday night, at the end of a meeting with those involved
in managing the healthcare crisis. Until a significant proportion of the
country’s population gets vaccinated, the authorities decided, among other
things, that face masks will be compulsory as of Monday in both outdoor and
indoor public areas. Night curfews will be in place for the unvaccinated, while
during the day access to an important number of activities will be conditional
on the digital COVID certificate. Iohannis also announced that as of Monday all
school children will have a 2-week holiday. Previously, the head of state had said
that preparations for the fourth wave of the epidemic in Romania had been
flawed, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 too slow. On Wednesday
the Strategic Communication Group Wednesday announced 17,158 new Covid-19 cases
in 24 hours, and 423 related deaths, of which 9 from before the reference
timeframe.

GOVERNMENT President Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to
talks on Thursday morning, to designate a new PM. The talks come after on
Wednesday the cabinet put together by the head of Save Romania Union, PM
designate Dacian Cioloş, failed to get a confidence vote from Parliament. Only 88
MPs voted in favour of the executive team presented by Cioloş, as compared to
184 votes against. The nominees in Cioloş’s team included former ministers in
ex-PM Florin Cîţu’s coalition government, such as Stelian Ion as justice
minister, Ioana Mihăilă as health minister, and Cătălin Drulă as transport
minister. Save Romania Union decided to come up with a proposed one-party,
minority cabinet list after negotiations with their former partners in the
ruling coalition failed. The National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians say they are no longer willing to work with USR, which backed
a no-confidence motion against the Cîţu government. The Social Democrats and
the nationalist party AUR, in opposition, request early elections. In order for
this to happen, Parliament should reject a second prime minister designated by
president Klaus Iohannis.

VISIT President
Klaus Iohannis Wednesday received the US Secretary of Defence
Lloyd J. Austin III on an official visit to Romania. Iohannis appreciated the
remarkable bilateral cooperation between the two countries and reiterated the
importance given by Bucharest to strengthening the Strategic Partnership both
in terms of political dialogue, and in the defence, economic and energy
sectors. The Romanian president also emphasised that Romania will remain a
strategic partner and a reliable Ally, strongly committed to NATO’s political
and military consolidation, and to strengthening the Alliance’s defence and
deterrence posture in the Eastern Flank and at the Black Sea. In turn, the US
Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin highlighted the US’ interest in further
developing and diversifying cooperation with Romania. The US official also had
a meeting on Wednesday with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae Ciucă. Romania
hosts US military bases and elements of NATO’s missile defence system.

AWARD Kremlin
critic and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was awarded the 2021 Sakharov
Prize for Freedom of Thought. The announcement was made in Strasbourg, where the head of the European
Parliament, David Sassoli, mentioned that Aleksei Navalny fought consistently against
the Putin regime’s corruption, helped unveil abuse and mobilised millions
across Russia. In
August 2020, Navalny was poisoned and spent several months recovering in Berlin.
Upon his return to Moscow in January 2021, he was imprisoned and he is still
behind bars at present. The Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thoughtis granted every year by the
European Parliament as a tribute to human rights defenders.

EU The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in
Strasbourg on Tuesday that the EU executive would act to defend the ‘common
values’ of the European Union, following the decision of the Polish
Constitutional Court challenging the primacy of European law. In reply, the Polish
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has stated that Poland rejects the European
Union’s blackmail’, and that to his country, the Constitution remains the ‘supreme
law’. Warsaw has been in open conflict with Brussels for several years now over
controversial judicial reforms implemented by the right-wing populist party Law
and Justice. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

20 October 2021