Radio România Internațional

Tag: parliamentary elections

  • Parliamentary elections: mandates to be distributed

    Parliamentary elections: mandates to be distributed

    The new bicameral Legislature of Romania, resulted after the December 1 elections, is about to clarify its structure. 331 deputy and 136 senator mandates were at stake. Proportional to the number of votes received, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), number one in the current Government, is to have 86 deputies and 36 senators. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (nationalist opposition) will have 63 deputies and 28 senators, double the mandates won four years ago. The National Liberal Party (PNL), in the governing coalition with the Social Democrats has 49 deputies and 22 senators and the Save Romania Union (USR), in opposition, has 40 deputies and 19 senators. The Romanian Parliament will include, for the first time, deputies and senators from two populist parties, which crossed the electoral threshold of 5%. S.O.S. Romania will have 28 deputies and 12 senators, and the Young People’s Party (POT) will have 24 deputies and 9 senators. Uninterruptedly present, since 1990, in the post-communist Romanian Legislature, the Demcoratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) now has 22 deputies and 10 senators. Ethnic minorities, other than the Hungarian one, remain practically ex officio represented in the Chamber of Deputies by 19 politicians, one for each ethnic community.

     

    As an anecdotal detail, the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority, Toni Greblă, stated that, if at the redistribution of Sunday’s votes, the Young People’s Party got one more mandate, it would be drawn by lots from among all the other parties that entered Parliament, because the new party did not appoint enough candidates. All in all, the press writes, there are seven parliamentary parties, none holding a very large share and many incompatible with each other. It is a more fragmented Parliament than at any time in the last two decades, so it is going to be difficult to obtain a functional governmental majority. Without paying much attention to the nuances that differentiate them, the press gathers AUR, S.O.S. and POT under the general label of “sovereigntist pole” and predicts that it is highly unlikely that any of them will be co-opted into a government coalition.

     

    There remain, with a share of about 60% in Parliament, the avowed pro-European parties. Elementary arithmetic would argue for a broad PSD-PNL-USR-UDMR-minorities coalition. But their differences are harder to overcome. After governing together for three years, in the name of stability and curbing extremism, the social democrats and liberals fiercely attacked each other in the election campaign and now it seems that they can’t stand each other anymore. In almost a decade, USR and PSD have accumulated a lot of resentment and malice. And UDMR is very annoyed by a USR bill regarding the administrative reorganization of the country, which would diminish the Hungarians’ political influence in the territory. Now, everyone seems to be waiting for the decisive round of the presidential election, which, on Sunday, December 8, will pit the independent Călin Georgescu against the head of USR, Elena Lasconi. According to the Constitution, the head of state is the one who appoints the future prime minister. (LS)

  • December 1, 2024 UPDATE

    December 1, 2024 UPDATE

    Parliamentary elections update – More than 8.2 million Romanians, i.e. almost 46% of the 18 million with the right to vote, had gone to the polls, until 6 p.m. local time, in the parliamentary elections taking place on Sunday. The turnout is significantly higher than the one recorded, at the same hour, at the parliamentary elections 4 years ago. In the diaspora, where Romanians started voting on Saturday,  the number of voters exceeded 603 thousand. The number of urban voters exceeds that of rural voters by more than 1 million. 31 parties and alliances, as well as 19 organizations of national minorities, are registered in today’s elections. Voting is proportional, on lists. We remind you that on June 9, local and European Parliament elections took place in Romania simultaneously.

     

    National Day – Romania’s National Day was celebrated on Sunday, December 1, throughout the country, with parades, military and religious ceremonies and shows. Thousands of people attended the parade in the center of Bucharest, which enjoyed the participation of over 2,500 Romanian soldiers from the army and other law enforcement agencies. Along with the Romanian soldiers, 240 foreign soldiers participated in the parade, as part of detachments from allied countries: Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States and Turkey. President Klaus Iohannis hosted, on Saturday, the last reception dedicated to the National Day in his capacity as head of state. At the end of his 10-year mandate, Iohannis sent a message of unity and solidarity, in order to overcome crises and move forward with dignity. The Romanian Cultural Institute organized abroad events dedicated to the National Day. December 1, 1918 marks the establishment of the Romanian unitary nation state. At the end of the First World War, all the provinces inhabited mostly by Romanians that were, until then, under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian and Tsarist empires: Transylvania, Banat, Bucovina and Bessarabia became part of the Kingdom of Romania.

     

    Message – Representatives of foreign embassies in Bucharest wished Romania, which they consider a friend and reliable partner, ‘Happy National Day’, on December 1. The German ambassador, Peer Gebauer, wrote on the diplomatic mission’s Facebook page that his country and Romania are united by a wonderful friendship. Giles Portman, the British ambassador in Bucharest, described Romania as a close ally. And the ambassador of Israel, Lior Ben Dor, remembered that his parents and grandparents come from Romania. Romania has a rich history, beautiful landscapes and hospitable people. For Israel, Romania will always be a close friend with whom we have a special relationship. I am grateful that I have the chance to contribute to strengthening the relations between our countries’, said Lior Ben Dor. The US Embassy in Bucharest also sent a congratulatory message through the Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who showed that Romania’s commitment to security and democracy in Europe is a model for all nations to follow. The head of American diplomacy stated that his country is proud to collaborate with Romania, to address global challenges and secure the prosperity and wellbeing of our peoples.

     

    Handball – The Romanian women’s national handball team take on the team of Montenegro on Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, in the second match of group B of the European Championship to be hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. In the first match, the Romanian players defeated the Czech Republic, and the Montenegrin team defeated Serbia. The teams ranked on the first two places will qualify for the main groups. This is the first continental final tournament with 24 teams at the start.

     

    Ballot recount – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) has informed that all the ballots registered in the polling stations abroad in the first round of the presidential election on November 24 have been sent to the country. The diplomatic missions and consular offices of Romania used, for this purpose, the fastest and safest transport solutions identified, depending on the geographical areas and the time zone, MAE stated. They also said that, on Monday, more than 97% of the ballots cast in the Diaspora will be in Bucharest. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court of Romania asked the Central Electoral Bureau to recount all the validly cast votes and the invalid ones from the first round of the presidential election, following the notification by one of the candidates regarding possible fraud. On Monday, the constitutional judges will decide whether to validate or cancel the election. If they validate it, the second round will take place on Sunday, December 8. (LS)

  • Parliamentary elections timetable

    Parliamentary elections timetable

    The election marathon in Romania started on June 9, when the citizens decided who would represent them in the European Parliament and who would lead, in the next 4 years, the town halls and the local and county councils. After the European Parliament and local elections in mid-2024, the end of the year will bring the two main electoral competitions, the presidential and parliamentary elections. The parliamentary elections will take place on December 1, on the very National Day, and will be framed by the two rounds of the presidential election. On Wednesday, the executive, which is responsible for organizing the elections, set the timetable for the December 1 parliamentary elections.

     

    The election campaign will start a month earlier, on November 1, and will end on November 30, at 7:00 am. Romanians in the country will vote between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. For the Romanian citizens in the Diaspora, the voting will start on November 30, at 7:00 a.m. and will end on December 1, at 9:00 p.m., so they will have two days to express their options. The deadline for submitting to the Central Electoral Bureau the protocol for establishing an electoral alliance is September 10. September 16 is the deadline by which voters with their domicile in the country and with the residence abroad, as well as those with their domicile abroad, can register in the Electoral Register, with their address from abroad, for the option of voting in a polling station.

     

    By October 2, the lists of candidates and independent candidacies for the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be submitted to the electoral constituency for the Romanian citizens with their domicile or residence outside the country. By the same date the lists of candidates of the organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities will be submitted for all electoral constituencies. On the other hand, October 17 is the date by which voters with their domicile in the country and with the residence abroad, as well as those with their domicile abroad can register in the Electoral Register with the address from abroad with the option of postal voting and online on the website votStrainatate.ro.

     

    Also by October 17, political parties, political alliances, electoral alliances or organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities can submit their lists of candidates and independent candidacies to the country’s electoral constituencies. October 22 is the deadline for establishing and submitting electoral signs to the Central Electoral Bureau. Establishing the air time for the candidates to the parliamentary elections will be done by October 31. We remind you that, in June, the Social Democratic Party – PSD won the most town halls and county and local councils, and the social democrats and their governing partners, the liberals, obtained more than half of the MEP seats. (LS)

  • Pro-European majority in the Moldovan Parliament

    Pro-European majority in the Moldovan Parliament

    The pro-Western presidential Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has won the early parliamentary elections held on Sunday in the Republic of Moldova. After the counting of votes from almost all polling stations, the Party of Action and Solidarity PAS, founded by the Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, obtained more than half of the votes. The Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS), headed by former pro-Russian heads of state, communist Vladimir Voronin and socialist Igor Dodon, comes second, with about a quarter of the votes cast.



    A new entry in the Moldovan Parliament is the populist party of the fugitive oligarch Ilan Șor, the protagonist of several big corruption cases, who already received a 6-year prison sentence from a court of first instance. None of the other around 20 lists of candidates has crossed the electoral threshold. The two parties that are openly promoting Moldova’s reunification with Romania, the Party of National Unity (PUN) and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), a franchise of the nationalist party of the same name, in opposition, in the Romanian Parliament, have obtained very low scores, below 1%.



    Analysts say that, according to a latest poll, the rate of unionists in Moldova is still over 40%, but they have also voted for the presidential party. President Maia Sandu announced on April 28 that she had signed the decree for the dissolution of Parliament, dominated by the pro-Russian left and unable to appoint a government, and had called for snap legislative elections to be held on July 11.



    According to commentators, President Maia Sandu wanted to go through all the constitutional procedures in order to be able to more rapidly dissolve the former parliament, considered the most corrupt parliament in the independent Republic of Moldova’s 30-year history. Elected president in the autumn of 2020 with a pro-European Union program, Maia Sandu has repeatedly accused the former MPs of wanting to sabotage her authority and has called for early legislative elections, for Parliament to be able to help her in the fight against corruption and the coronavirus pandemic.



    After the unprecedented score obtained in the elections by her party, a self styled right-wing party, a partner of the National Liberal Party – PNL (in the government coalition in Romania) and of the European People’s Party, the Moldovan President Maia Sandu will finally have all the levers of power. She has excellent relations with the Romanian authorities from which the Republic of Moldova has received half a million anti-COVID-19 vaccines in addition to medical equipment, and she also has open doors in Brussels, Paris and Berlin. Still, Maia Sandu remains the president of one of the poorest states in Europe, riddled with corruption and undermined by the pro-Russian separatism in Transdniester (east), therefore Sundays victory is a big challenge for her, and her term in office is going to be difficult. (LS)

  • December 7, 2020 UPDATE

    December 7, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections – The Social Democratic Party – PSD has won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania with 30.16% of the votes for the Senate and 29.71% for the Chamber of Deputies, followed by the National Liberal Party – PNL with 25.62% votes for the Senate and 25.21% for the Chamber of Deputies, the Central Electoral Bureau announced on Monday, after centralizing results from 95.25% of the polling stations. 3rd placed is the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance – USR-PLUS with 15.21% of the votes for the Senate and 14.73% for the Chamber of Deputies. The Alliance for Romanians’ Union got 8.69% votes for the Senate and 8.6% for the Chamber of Deputies while the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania UDMR got 6.21% votes for the Senate and 6.05% for the Chamber of Deputies. There is no outright winner of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, and the centre-right parties total 50% of the votes cast, President Klaus Iohannis stated on Monday. He announced that in the coming days he would call the parliamentary parties for consultations. In another move, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has resigned. Romanians in the Diaspora voted over the course of two days, on Saturday and Sunday, the highest voter turnout being reported in Italy, Moldova, Spain, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany and France. The new Parliament will have 465 MPs – 136 Senators and 329 Deputies. Sundays voter turnout stood at 27% of the total number of voters registered on permanent electoral lists, the lowest in the last 30 years.



    COVID-19 Ro – Another 3,660 new infections with SARS-CoV-2 and 127 related deaths were reported in last 24 hours, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Monday. The total number of infections has thus climbed to 517 thousand, while the death toll stands at 12,447. 1,280 people are currently in intensive care. 80% of people infected with COVID-19 have recovered. Several towns and villages in Romania are still in quarantine. In Sibiu County, where the infection rate is 5 per thousand inhabitants, authorities have decided to extend the quarantine for another week in Sibiu and 6 villages.



    Moldova – Thousands protested on Sunday in the Moldovan capital-city Chişinău, calling for the dissolution of Parliament, at present controlled by a pro-Russian majority. The Moldovan Parliament recently voted for limiting the presidents prerogatives and strengthening the status of the Russian language. The rally was staged following a public appeal launched by the pro-European President elect, Maia Sandu. Sandus call was answered by the leaders of the opposition parties and also of the non-parliamentary political parties. Protesters accused Parliament and the Government of promoting corruption and of the misappropriation of public funds, also calling for snap elections. Maia Sandu said Sundays protest was not advocating any ideology or political party, but was simply aimed at voicing the will of the people, who grew tired of corruption and want a better life. The acting president, Igor Dodon, as well as members of the Socialist Party in Parliament, have refused to comment on the allegations.



    Brexit – Representatives of Great Britain and the European Union continue negotiations in Brussels with a view to reaching consensus on a post-Brexit agreement, the absence of which would have serious economic consequences for both sides. On Sunday evening, the chief negotiators conveyed diverging messages on how talks are progressing. EU officials said they are close to solving one the major obstacles, related to the fishing rights agreement, whereas the British side dismissed the information. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to make an assessment on Monday night on the progress reported so far in striking a trade agreement, which both the British and the European Parliament must ratify before taking effect on January 1, 2021. Londons future relation with Brussels is also expected to rank high on the agenda of the summit in Brussels, to be held on Thursday and Friday. The UK is still subject to EU legislation following its official withdrawal on January 31, 2020. (Tr. V. Palcu, L. Simion)

  • December 7, 2020 UPDATE

    December 7, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections – The Social Democratic Party – PSD has won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania with 30.16% of the votes for the Senate and 29.71% for the Chamber of Deputies, followed by the National Liberal Party – PNL with 25.62% votes for the Senate and 25.21% for the Chamber of Deputies, the Central Electoral Bureau announced on Monday, after centralizing results from 95.25% of the polling stations. 3rd placed is the Save Romania Union – PLUS Alliance – USR-PLUS with 15.21% of the votes for the Senate and 14.73% for the Chamber of Deputies. The Alliance for Romanians’ Union got 8.69% votes for the Senate and 8.6% for the Chamber of Deputies while the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania UDMR got 6.21% votes for the Senate and 6.05% for the Chamber of Deputies. There is no outright winner of Sunday’s parliamentary elections, and the centre-right parties total 50% of the votes cast, President Klaus Iohannis stated on Monday. He announced that in the coming days he would call the parliamentary parties for consultations. In another move, the Liberal PM Ludovic Orban has resigned. Romanians in the Diaspora voted over the course of two days, on Saturday and Sunday, the highest voter turnout being reported in Italy, Moldova, Spain, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Germany and France. The new Parliament will have 465 MPs – 136 Senators and 329 Deputies. Sundays voter turnout stood at 27% of the total number of voters registered on permanent electoral lists, the lowest in the last 30 years.



    COVID-19 Ro – Another 3,660 new infections with SARS-CoV-2 and 127 related deaths were reported in last 24 hours, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Monday. The total number of infections has thus climbed to 517 thousand, while the death toll stands at 12,447. 1,280 people are currently in intensive care. 80% of people infected with COVID-19 have recovered. Several towns and villages in Romania are still in quarantine. In Sibiu County, where the infection rate is 5 per thousand inhabitants, authorities have decided to extend the quarantine for another week in Sibiu and 6 villages.



    Moldova – Thousands protested on Sunday in the Moldovan capital-city Chişinău, calling for the dissolution of Parliament, at present controlled by a pro-Russian majority. The Moldovan Parliament recently voted for limiting the presidents prerogatives and strengthening the status of the Russian language. The rally was staged following a public appeal launched by the pro-European President elect, Maia Sandu. Sandus call was answered by the leaders of the opposition parties and also of the non-parliamentary political parties. Protesters accused Parliament and the Government of promoting corruption and of the misappropriation of public funds, also calling for snap elections. Maia Sandu said Sundays protest was not advocating any ideology or political party, but was simply aimed at voicing the will of the people, who grew tired of corruption and want a better life. The acting president, Igor Dodon, as well as members of the Socialist Party in Parliament, have refused to comment on the allegations.



    Brexit – Representatives of Great Britain and the European Union continue negotiations in Brussels with a view to reaching consensus on a post-Brexit agreement, the absence of which would have serious economic consequences for both sides. On Sunday evening, the chief negotiators conveyed diverging messages on how talks are progressing. EU officials said they are close to solving one the major obstacles, related to the fishing rights agreement, whereas the British side dismissed the information. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to make an assessment on Monday night on the progress reported so far in striking a trade agreement, which both the British and the European Parliament must ratify before taking effect on January 1, 2021. Londons future relation with Brussels is also expected to rank high on the agenda of the summit in Brussels, to be held on Thursday and Friday. The UK is still subject to EU legislation following its official withdrawal on January 31, 2020. (Tr. V. Palcu, L. Simion)

  • December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections update — The Social Democratic Party – PSD is likely to have won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania. According to an exit poll published at 9 p.m. local time, PSD obtained around 30.5% of the votes. The National Liberal Party got almost 29% followed by the Alliance Save Romania Union-PLUS (USR-PLUS) with almost 16%. Other parties that might enter Parliament are UDMR — the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Pro Romania and PMP People’s Movement Party, all credited with 5% of the votes. A surprise in these elections is the possible entry in Parliament of the Alliance for Romanians’ Union AUR. Voter turnout was almost 32%. The PSD president Marcel Ciolacu said that through Sunday’s vote Romanians showed that change was needed and sanctioned the way the governing Liberals managed the pandemic. In turn, the PM Ludovic Orban says that the Liberal Party is both the moral and real winner. His statement is based on the fact that exit polls do not include the votes cast in the last 90 minutes of the voting interval nor those cast in the Diaspora, let alone the error margin. The result of the parliamentary elections shows that ‘reform in Romania cannot be achieved without the alliance USR-PLUS’ said Sunday evening the alliance co-president Dan Barna. The other co-president Dacian Ciolos said USR-PLUS was ready to start negotiations for setting up the government, but ruled out any collaboration with PSD. 136 senator and 329 deputy seats were up for election, including 4 deputies and 2 senators representing the Romanian Diaspora. The members of the future Parliament were voted on party lists, based on the proportional representation system.

  • December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections update — The Social Democratic Party – PSD is likely to have won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania. According to an exit poll published at 9 p.m. local time, PSD obtained around 30.5% of the votes. The National Liberal Party got almost 29% followed by the Alliance Save Romania Union-PLUS (USR-PLUS) with almost 16%. Other parties that might enter Parliament are UDMR — the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Pro Romania and PMP People’s Movement Party, all credited with 5% of the votes. A surprise in these elections is the possible entry in Parliament of the Alliance for Romanians’ Union AUR. Voter turnout was almost 32%. The PSD president Marcel Ciolacu said that through Sunday’s vote Romanians showed that change was needed and sanctioned the way the governing Liberals managed the pandemic. In turn, the PM Ludovic Orban says that the Liberal Party is both the moral and real winner. His statement is based on the fact that exit polls do not include the votes cast in the last 90 minutes of the voting interval nor those cast in the Diaspora, let alone the error margin. The result of the parliamentary elections shows that ‘reform in Romania cannot be achieved without the alliance USR-PLUS’ said Sunday evening the alliance co-president Dan Barna. The other co-president Dacian Ciolos said USR-PLUS was ready to start negotiations for setting up the government, but ruled out any collaboration with PSD. 136 senator and 329 deputy seats were up for election, including 4 deputies and 2 senators representing the Romanian Diaspora. The members of the future Parliament were voted on party lists, based on the proportional representation system.

  • December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    December 6, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections update — The Social Democratic Party – PSD is likely to have won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania. According to an exit poll published at 9 p.m. local time, PSD obtained around 30.5% of the votes. The National Liberal Party got almost 29% followed by the Alliance Save Romania Union PLUS (USR-PLUS) with almost 16%. Other parties that might enter Parliament are UDMR — the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, Pro Romania and PMP People’s Movement Party, all credited with 5% of the votes. A surprise in these elections is the possible entry in Parliament of the Alliance for Romanians’ Union AUR. The voter turnout was almost 32%.

  • December 4, 2020 UPDATE

    December 4, 2020 UPDATE

    Elections – The campaign for Sundays parliamentary elections ended on Friday. All campaign events were subject to strict rules as part of the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of localities are in lockdown, but Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said voters can travel freely to the polling stations within these localities. 136 senator and 329 deputy seats are up for election, including 4 deputies and 2 senators representing the Romanian community abroad. The foreign ministry has set up 748 polling stations abroad with an interactive map of all of them and a hotline for Romanian voters living abroad being also available. Voting is held over the course of two days abroad, on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday evening, president Klaus Iohannis urged the citizens to go to the polls in great numbers and make their voice heard, underlining that the stakes of the December 6 parliamentary elections were overwhelming. “Vote with responsibility, with your thoughts focused on the present and on what Romania is going to look like tomorrow’ said President Iohannis.



    Covid-19 Romania – 8,062 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Romania in the past 24 hours following the testing of over 35 thousand people, according to the Strategic Communication Group. Since the onset of the pandemic, 500,273 cases of contamination have been reported across Romania, and more than 390 thousand people have recovered. 176 people have died in the past 24 hours from COVID-19, taking the death toll to 12,052. Romania’s anti-Covid-19 national vaccination strategy was made public on Friday in Bucharest after being approved on Thursday by the countrys Supreme Defense Council. The president of the National Committee for coordinating anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination activities Valeriu Gheorghita said that vaccination was voluntary not compulsory and people’s trust is essential for the success of the campaign. He added that more than 850 vaccination centers would be set up across Romania which will ensure the vaccination of an estimated number of almost 5 thousand people per center, per month.



    Rugby — The former Romanian international player Octavian Morariu has been reelected president of Rugby Europe. He said the priorities of the organization remained safeguarding and promoting the values of rugby, promoting the rugby game for all countries, for all players irrespective of genre and age and in all formats (XV, X, VII, beach rugby, snow rugby and non-contact). Morariu has been at the helm of Rugby Europe since 2013, being at his 3rd term in office.



    Protest — The President elect of the Republic of Moldova, pro-western Maia Sandu has urged the citizens to take to the streets for a new protest that will be organized in two days’ time. On Thursday she joined the several thousand people who protested in front of the Parliament building in Chisinau against the draft laws voted by the MPs, especially the one related to the subordination of the Intelligence and Security Service to the Parliament. The opposition considers the move an attempt to limit the powers of Mrs. Maia Sandu, who will be sworn in President later in December, thus replacing the pro-Russian former president Igor Dodon. Romania condemns the non-transparent move of the Moldovan Parliament which runs counter to democratic practices, the PSMR and the Platform for Moldova which also includes the Sor Party, blatantly ignoring the massive vote of the Moldovan citizens at the November 15 election, shows a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué. The document reiterates Romania’s support for the efforts of the Moldovan President elect to reinstate the legality of the governing process.



    Ordinance — The Romanian government passed an emergency decree on Friday, providing for the compensation of losses incurred by the hospitality industry. The sum totals 20% of the difference between the companies’ turnover in 2020 and in 2019. The measure regarding furlough has been extended and the working program called Kurzarbeit has been rendered flexible until June 30, 2021. Also on Friday, the government approved a decision regarding the re-opening of enclosed agri-food markets whose closure, almost one month ago, generated controversy. Measures were also taken in the run up to the parliamentary elections.



    Brussels — The Council of the EU and the European Parliament on Friday reached an agreement over the EU budget for 2021. Nevertheless, for the budget to become applicable, Poland and Hungary need to withdraw their veto on the EU multiannual budget for the period 2021-2027, which they blocked alongside the post-pandemic recovery fund as they rejected conditioning the granting of European funds on the observance of the rule of law. The German ambassador to the EU Michael Clauss explained that if the veto was not withdrawn, a provisional financing system would have to be implemented in 2021 which was last used in 1989. As to the ‘Next Generation’ plan, which involves a recovery fund of more than 750 billion Euros, more European officials have suggested launching the plan without involving Poland and Hungary. (translation by L. Simion)

  • Are parliamentary elections going to be postponed?

    Are parliamentary elections going to be postponed?

    In Bucharest, the issue of the date of the legislative elections continues to cause turmoil on the political scene. While the Social Democratic Party, which holds majority in Parliament following the results of the elections held four years ago, supports the idea that Parliament must choose the date, the Liberal Government and President Klaus Iohannis want the Executive to decide, as it has happened so far.

    At the end of July, Parliament adopted a Law on some measures for organizing the elections for the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, following the end of the mandate of the elected Parliament in 2016, which would allow the Legislature to decide the date.The CCR was notified in connection with the mentioned law, and in the meantime, the Government adopted a Decision by which it established that the parliamentary elections would take place on December 6.

    At the end of September, the Court rejected the complaint made by the head of state and the Executive, and on Wednesday, the Constitutional Court published the motivation of its ruling. Establishing the date of elections after the expiration of Parliament’s mandate can only be done by organic law, and before the expiration of the mandate, by ordinary law, the motivation reads.

    The document states that the Government Decision establishing the date of the parliamentary elections for December 6, although issued in compliance with the law in force on that date, automatically ceases its effects following the entry into force of the normative act subject to constitutional review, namely the law adopted by Parliament. The Court notes that both the concept of the law in question and the timing of its adoption are an expression of the principle of legal certainty, as it indicates in advance to the administrative body with delegated power to set the date of elections – namely the Government – that the date of elections will be set by organic law. It is not possible for both public authorities to concurrently establish the date of the elections, the administrative body thus knowing in advance that this competence has been withdrawn, the motivation also explains.

    The President of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the dominant party in Parliament, Marcel Ciolacu, announced on a television station that the legislative project regarding the postponement of the general elections of December 6 will enter the parliamentary procedure on Monday:

    The motivation came from the Constitutional Court. The decisions of the Court must be taken note of and implemented and on Monday, already, the law on the date of elections can be promoted in Parliament. The bill has already been submitted by an unaffiliated colleague and we will discuss it normally, in committees.

    Parliamentary elections will take place on December 6, only if President Klaus Iohannis sends for reconsideration, until October 24, the law adopted by Parliament and if the Legislature does not adopt a new normative act until the election date, former Constitutional Court President Augustin Zegrean explains. If the law comes into force before December 6, everything changes, everything resets. The head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery Ionel Dancă has stated that the whole calendar related to the organization of the parliamentary elections for December 6 is in force, and the Executive will decide the ways to follow. (M. Ignatescu)

  • The Republic of Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections

    The Republic of Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections

    Four years since the latest round of
    legislative elections held in late 2014, the Moldovan Parliament will have a
    new membership. The elections of February 24 will be based, for the first time,
    on the mixed voting system, with 50 MPs elected on party lists and 51 others
    elected in their constituencies, by means of uninominal voting, in only one
    round. Simultaneously with the elections, a referendum will be held on downsizing
    the number of MPs from 101 to 61 and introducing the possibility of citizens
    removing them.

    Just like before in Moldova (set up on part of the Romanian
    eastern territories annexed by the former Soviet Union in 1940, following an
    ultimatum) the ballot will express not only a political but also a
    geo-political choice. Opinion polls on voting intention show that only four
    political parties stand chances of being represented in the new Moldovan
    Parliament. The pro-Russian Socialists of president Dodon are the favourites,
    with some 40% of the voting intentions, followed by the ACUM bloc, an electoral
    cartel of the pro-European right wing, with some 25% and the West-leaning
    left-of-centre Democratic Party, the senior party in the ruling coalition, with
    15%.

    Consequently, the Republic of Moldova is again at a critical moment in its
    development, and internal and external forces are trying to destabilise and
    divide society, the US ambassador to Chisinau, Derek J. Hogan, has overtly
    warned. Just like Bucharest and Brussels, Washington deems the parliamentary
    elections as a crucial test. The American diplomat has also said the United
    States calls on the authorities at all levels, to ensure a free, fair and
    transparent electoral process, for all the candidates to have the chance to participate
    in this process on an equal footing, without fearing harassment or
    intimidation.

    The Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Andrian Candu (a member
    of the Democratic Party), has expressed confidence that the Republic of Moldova
    will have a pro-western government after the elections too, even if the ballot is
    to be won by the Socialists, because they will not have the necessary number of
    votes to form a majority. He has added that Chisinau’s European commitment is
    so strong that it is ready to relinquish the reintegration of the pro-Russian
    region of Transdniester (in the east), which actually took out from under the
    central authorities’ control as early as 1992, following an armed conflict
    which left hundreds of dead and which was ended by the intervention of Moscow’s
    troops, on the separatists’ side.

    On behalf of neighbouring Romania, the
    Romanian ambassador to Chisinau, Daniel Ioniţă, has also promised that in the
    current semester, when Romania is holding the rotating presidency of the
    Council of the European Union, the neighbouring republic will enjoy a special
    place on this presidency’s agenda.



  • The Year 2016 in Review

    The Year 2016 in Review

    A new Government in Romania



    The President of the Timis County Council and former Social-Democrat MP Sorin Grindeanu was nominated for the position of Prime Minister. President Klaus Iohannis accepted the proposal, after previously rejecting the nomination of former Development Minister Sevil Shhaideh. Shhaideh had been the first option of Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. If accepted, Shhaideh would have been the first female Prime Minister of Romania as well as the countrys first Muslim Prime Minister. Resting on a comfortable majority in Parliament, where the Social-Democrats and their coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, are holding the majority, Grindeanus Cabinet marks the return to power of the Social-Democratic Party, following a year of technocratic rule under the leadership of Dacian Ciolos. We recall that Dacian Cioloss Cabinet was sworn in in November 2015, in the wake of mass anti-corruption protests against the Government led by Victor Ponta.



    The Social-Democratic Party scores landslide win in parliamentary elections



    The Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats also won the leadership of the new Parliament after winning the December 11 elections by a wide margin. Liviu Dragnea was appointed Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies while the co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu-Tariceanu secured a new term as Senate Speaker, which is virtually the second-most powerful position in the state. The Social Democrats grabbed over 45% of the votes, while the Liberals grabbed only 25% of the votes, which prompted the resignation of Liberal leader Alina Gorghiu. Six months since its inception, the Save Romania Union, an NGO turned into a political party, became the third party to enter Parliament after securing 9% of the vote. Another three parties managed to get the minimum number of votes to enter Parliament: the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which announced its support for the Grindeanu Cabinet, without getting any ministry portfolios, and the Peoples Movement Party led by former President Traian Basescu. Less than 40% of Romanians cast their votes to elect the 465 MPs of the new Parliament. The December 11 elections also marked a return to the old party-list voting proportional representation, replacing the 2012 first-past-the-post voting system, which resulted in an overinflated Parliament with 586 MPs.



    First female Mayor of Bucharest



    On June 5, Bucharesters elected the citys first female Mayor, Social-Democrat Gabriela Vranceanu-Firea, who entered politics 4 years ago. A former controversial journalist, Firea grabbed 41% of the vote in a city traditionally controlled by right-wing parties. The voter turnout was very low in Bucharest, standing at 33%, way below the national average of 48%. The local elections were held in a single ballot, the winner being the candidate who grabbed the largest number of votes. The system was criticized by civil society and the media, who have called the mayors legitimacy into question against the backdrop of a low voter turnout.



    Romanian diplomacy in 2016



    Romanias foreign policy in 2016 observed the same guidelines, both in respect to NATO and the European Union, and Russia. Former Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu constantly underlined the importance of a “substantial trans-Atlantic relation and pleaded for strengthening NATOs eastern flank. On the other hand, pragmatism dominated relations with Russia. Romania supported the economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Union and NATO.



    A new president for Moldova



    With respect to the Republic of Moldova, in 2016 Romania continued to support the reform process in this country, with a view to consolidating Moldovas European track. The excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, also owing to the pro-Romanian sympathies of President Nicolae Timofti, as well as the setup of a pro-Western ruling coalition and Parliament majority, now risk crumbling with the election of pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon. After the election, president Klaus Iohannis merely said he had taken under advisement the Moldovan citizens vote. The presidencys press release makes no mention to Dodon, a critical opponent of Romania. Iohannis refers to him as “the new president of the Republic of Moldova, who must display wisdom and balance during his term in office.



    A disappointing year for Romanian sports



    2016 was a lackluster year for Romanian sports. In August, at the Rio Olympics in Brazil, Romania grabbed only five medals: one gold, two silver and three bronze. To make matters worse, weightlifter Gabriel Sincraian lost his bronze medal after failing a doping test. Romania ranked 47th in the medal standings, the lowest position since 1952. In June, at the European Football Championship in France, Romania was bottom-of-the-tables in Group A. Subsequently coach Anghel Iordanescu was replaced by German Cristoph Daum, the first foreign coach in the history of Romanias national squad. However the performance and results of our footballers did not improve much with the first matches in the preliminaries to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In handball, although seen as medal favorites, Romania ranked 5th at the European Championships in Sweden. In tennis, Romanias best-seeded player, Simona Halep, ranked 4th at the end of the competitive season.

  • The Year 2016 in Review

    The Year 2016 in Review

    A new Government in Romania



    The President of the Timis County Council and former Social-Democrat MP Sorin Grindeanu was nominated for the position of Prime Minister. President Klaus Iohannis accepted the proposal, after previously rejecting the nomination of former Development Minister Sevil Shhaideh. Shhaideh had been the first option of Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea. If accepted, Shhaideh would have been the first female Prime Minister of Romania as well as the countrys first Muslim Prime Minister. Resting on a comfortable majority in Parliament, where the Social-Democrats and their coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, are holding the majority, Grindeanus Cabinet marks the return to power of the Social-Democratic Party, following a year of technocratic rule under the leadership of Dacian Ciolos. We recall that Dacian Cioloss Cabinet was sworn in in November 2015, in the wake of mass anti-corruption protests against the Government led by Victor Ponta.



    The Social-Democratic Party scores landslide win in parliamentary elections



    The Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats also won the leadership of the new Parliament after winning the December 11 elections by a wide margin. Liviu Dragnea was appointed Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies while the co-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu-Tariceanu secured a new term as Senate Speaker, which is virtually the second-most powerful position in the state. The Social Democrats grabbed over 45% of the votes, while the Liberals grabbed only 25% of the votes, which prompted the resignation of Liberal leader Alina Gorghiu. Six months since its inception, the Save Romania Union, an NGO turned into a political party, became the third party to enter Parliament after securing 9% of the vote. Another three parties managed to get the minimum number of votes to enter Parliament: the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, which announced its support for the Grindeanu Cabinet, without getting any ministry portfolios, and the Peoples Movement Party led by former President Traian Basescu. Less than 40% of Romanians cast their votes to elect the 465 MPs of the new Parliament. The December 11 elections also marked a return to the old party-list voting proportional representation, replacing the 2012 first-past-the-post voting system, which resulted in an overinflated Parliament with 586 MPs.



    First female Mayor of Bucharest



    On June 5, Bucharesters elected the citys first female Mayor, Social-Democrat Gabriela Vranceanu-Firea, who entered politics 4 years ago. A former controversial journalist, Firea grabbed 41% of the vote in a city traditionally controlled by right-wing parties. The voter turnout was very low in Bucharest, standing at 33%, way below the national average of 48%. The local elections were held in a single ballot, the winner being the candidate who grabbed the largest number of votes. The system was criticized by civil society and the media, who have called the mayors legitimacy into question against the backdrop of a low voter turnout.



    Romanian diplomacy in 2016



    Romanias foreign policy in 2016 observed the same guidelines, both in respect to NATO and the European Union, and Russia. Former Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu constantly underlined the importance of a “substantial trans-Atlantic relation and pleaded for strengthening NATOs eastern flank. On the other hand, pragmatism dominated relations with Russia. Romania supported the economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Union and NATO.



    A new president for Moldova



    With respect to the Republic of Moldova, in 2016 Romania continued to support the reform process in this country, with a view to consolidating Moldovas European track. The excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, also owing to the pro-Romanian sympathies of President Nicolae Timofti, as well as the setup of a pro-Western ruling coalition and Parliament majority, now risk crumbling with the election of pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon. After the election, president Klaus Iohannis merely said he had taken under advisement the Moldovan citizens vote. The presidencys press release makes no mention to Dodon, a critical opponent of Romania. Iohannis refers to him as “the new president of the Republic of Moldova, who must display wisdom and balance during his term in office.



    A disappointing year for Romanian sports



    2016 was a lackluster year for Romanian sports. In August, at the Rio Olympics in Brazil, Romania grabbed only five medals: one gold, two silver and three bronze. To make matters worse, weightlifter Gabriel Sincraian lost his bronze medal after failing a doping test. Romania ranked 47th in the medal standings, the lowest position since 1952. In June, at the European Football Championship in France, Romania was bottom-of-the-tables in Group A. Subsequently coach Anghel Iordanescu was replaced by German Cristoph Daum, the first foreign coach in the history of Romanias national squad. However the performance and results of our footballers did not improve much with the first matches in the preliminaries to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. In handball, although seen as medal favorites, Romania ranked 5th at the European Championships in Sweden. In tennis, Romanias best-seeded player, Simona Halep, ranked 4th at the end of the competitive season.

  • December 11, 2016 UPDATE

    December 11, 2016 UPDATE

    PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS According to exit polls, the left-wing Social Democratic Party won Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania with 44-46% of the votes, followed by the National Liberal Party with 21-22%, the Save Romania Union with 9-10%, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians with over 6%. The People’s Movement Party, established by the former president Traian Basescu, is close to the 5% threshold. The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea, has stated that Romanians’ votes must be respected and has stressed that Romania is an island of stability in the region. Dragnea has also said that on Sunday Romanians voted for economic growth, more money in their pockets, lower taxes and fees, support for the business environment, better paid jobs for the youth. He has also stated that negotiations are to start with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for the formation of a majority. The President of the National Liberal Party Alina Gorghiu has voiced hope for a good final result for the liberals. The leader of the Save Romania Union, Nicusor Dan, believes that for a party which was born in February 2016 to become the third biggest political force in Romania is exceptional and a victory for democracy. He has also stated that if the Social Democratic Party forms a majority, the Save Romania Union will not be part of it. The president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania Kelemen Hunor has stated that result of this year’s parliamentary elections has resumed the Union’s rightful place on the Romanian political scene. The voter turnout in this year’s parliamentary elections was of approximately 40%, less than in 2012. More than 105,000 Romanians voted abroad.



    MOURNING Romanias President Klaus Iohannis and the Romanian Foreign Ministry have firmly condemned the double bomb attack that rocked Istanbul on Saturday night and sent messages of condolences to the families of the victims. Both the Romanian President and the Foreign Ministry reiterated Romanias commitment to the world efforts to fight terrorism. The US, Great Britain and NATO have also condemned the Istanbul attacks. Turkey has declared a day of national mourning after the two attacks, which claimed 38 lives, mostly police officers, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey will fight terrorism “to the end.” The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a radical group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), has claimed responsibility for the attacks carried out in Istanbul.



    Foreign Affairs Council On Monday, Romanias Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu will attend in Brussels, alongside his EU counterparts, the monthly meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics such as migration and the relation between the EU and Africa. Also, the participants will discuss the latest developments in Syria.



    CORRUPTION Pediatric surgeon Gheorghe Burnei, Head of the Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedic Clinic of the Marie Curie Hospital in Bucharest, was taken into custody on Saturday. A celebrity in his field of activity, doctor Burnei is suspected of acts of corruption, after several parents complained he had requested money from them to perform surgeries on their children and he reportedly made non-homologated experiments on children. Also on Saturday, the former manager of the Malaxa Hospital in Bucharest, doctor Florin Secureanu, was placed in preventive arrest for 30 days. In one of the most resounding corruption scandals on the Romanian medical scene, Secureanu is accused of bribe taking and aggravated embezzlement. The national anti-corruption prosecutors who investigate the case claim that, in the May 2009 – November 2016 period, the former manager designed and applied a scheme to illegally cash in sums of money from the hospitals pay office on a daily basis, accouting for some 500 thousand Euros.



    ROME The Italian President Sergio Mattarella received the acting foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni at the Quirinal Palace on Sunday and asked him to form a new government, after Matteo Renzi stepped down following the failure of the referendum on the constitutional reform, held on December 4, the Italian presidency has announced. Paolo Gentiloni, 62, a close of Renzis, will form the cabinet and then will face Parliament for a vote of confidence. The Prime Minister designate has mentioned the elimination of the effects of the recent quakes in central Italy and the adoption of a new electoral law among its top priorities.



    ACCIDENT Bulgaria has declared a day of national mourning for the victims of the accident in Hitrino, in the north-east of the country, where at least eight people died and dozens were wounded following a gas explosion on a derailed tanker train early Saturday. One of the two tank cars, carrying propane-butane and propylene, exploded and the deflagration destroyed 50 buildings. After the incident, the entire village was evacuated and the intervention teams started a complicated operation to gather the liquid gas in other tanks.



    HANDBALL On Sunday, Romanias national womens handball team defeated Hungary 29-21, in the first match of the so-called main groups of the European Championship hosted by Sweden. Next, Romania will face the Czech Republic, on December 13, and Denmark a day later. In the first stage of the competition, Romania lost 21-23 to the defending European and world champion Norway, defeated the Olympic champion Russia 22-17, and outperformed Croatia 31-26. Romanias national team is coached by a Spaniard, Ambros Martin, who last month replaced the Swedish Tomas Ryde, under whose guidance Romania won the bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in Denmark.