Radio România Internațional

Tag: Pentecost

June 23, 2024 UPDATE

PENTECOST Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians in Romania Sunday celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus, a feast day also known as the Pentecost and in Romanian as “Rusalii”. The Pentecost is a symbol of the establishment of the Christian Church, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ and 10 days after Ascension Day. Believers evoke the moment when the Holy Spirit gave the 12 Apostles the gift of speaking many languages to preach to the crowds, and when the first 3,000 people were baptised, thus establishing the first Christian community.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes part on Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, focusing on the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the developments in Georgia. The EU foreign ministers will also have an informal exchange of opinions with their counterparts in the Western Balkans, as part of a working luncheon. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, talks on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus on the recent developments on site and the support the EU must provide to Ukraine, particularly in the military area. The participants will also discuss new restrictions against Russia and Belarus, the EU-Ukraine security commitments and will assess the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

MOLDOVA The Republic of Moldova’s Sovereignty Day was marked in Romania’s neighbouring country on Sunday. Since it adopted its Sovereignty Declaration on June 23, 1990, Moldova has struggled with difficulties, but it has remained a peaceful and democratic state, in which the Moldovan nation has been sovereign and has decided the fate of the state, the country’s president Maia Sandu pointed out. She added that the citizens will decide whether to join the EU in a referendum scheduled for this autumn. In her address, Sandu also said that the years of independence have taught Moldova democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted and must be defended every day.

TIFF The winner of this year’s Transylvania International Film Festival is the Indian film “Girls Will Be Girls”, directed by Shuchi Talati, a drama on the condition of women in a repressive system. Another Indian film, “The Adamant Girl,” by Vinothraj Palani, received the jury’s special award. The Indian director was also awarded at TIFF in 2021, for his debut work, “Pebbles”. Also at the TIFF Gala, the director Sebastián Quebrada won the best director award for “El Otro Hijo.” The best actor award went to the Iranian Hasan Pourshirazi, for his performance in “The Old Bachelor”, while “Dismissed” by Horia Cucută and George ve Ganćaard was voted the best feature in the Romanian Film Days.

EU Next week the European Union starts its accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The EU Council’s Belgian presidency announced the official opening will take place on June 25, and that the 2 countries’ accession roadmaps will be assessed separately. The EU Council brings together the 27 Member States, which have already approved the accession and negotiation frameworks for the 2 candidate states. Chişinău and Kyiv submitted their candidacies shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

FOOTBALL Romania lost 2-0 to Belgium, on Saturday night in Cologne, but remains top placed in the most evenly balanced group at the European Football Championship. Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine all have 3 points each ahead of the last round in Group E, with better goal differences for Romania and Belgium. Romania’s decisive match for qualification in the eighth-finals is scheduled on Wednesday against Slovakia, in Frankfurt. Moving up into the next stages of the competition are the top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 third-ranking teams in each group. (AMP)

23 June 2024
June 23, 2024

PENTECOST Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians in Romania celebrate today the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus, a feast day also known as the Pentecost and in Romanian as “Rusalii”. The Pentecost is a symbol of the establishment of the Christian Church, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ and 10 days after Ascension Day. Believers evoke the moment when the Holy Spirit gave the 12 Apostles the gift of speaking many languages to preach to the crowds, and when the first 3,000 people were baptised, thus establishing the first Christian community.

DIPLOMACY Romania has made progress towards inclusion in the US “Visa Waiver” programme, the Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu told Radio Romania, at the end of a visit to Washington. According to her, “there has been substantial progress in the legislative area, with the relevant legislation already adopted by the Romanian side. There has also been progress in terms of visa renewal, so as to get the visa refusal rate below 3%. I am taking this opportunity to further request support for visa renewal, because we need as many approved visas as possible, a lot is still to be done and we hope we will be able to reach this goal as soon as possible.” In Washington, the Romanian diplomacy chief had a number of meetings with senior US officials, including the secretary of state Antony Blinken.

MIGRANTS Eleven migrants from Bangladesh, Syria, Ethiopia and Egypt have been caught trying to cross the Romanian border into Hungary illegally. They were hiding in metal rolls carried on a lorry driven by a Turkish national. The illegal migrants, aged 15 to 40, were trying to get into the Schengen area. They are now probed into for attempted illegal border crossing, while the driver may be charged with migrant smuggling.

FITS The 31^st Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), offers the public on its 3^rd day a wealth of theatre performances, music, circus and exhibitions. Today’s highlights include an organ concert by Stefan Donner, a circus performance titled “YouGur”, and the play “Scandal behind the scenes”. According to the organisers, the 10-day festival comprises 830 events: theatre performances, music, dance, circus, exhibitions and public reading sessions will bring together over 5,000 artists from 82 countries.

EU Next week the European Union starts its accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The EU Council’s Belgian presidency announced the official opening will take place on June 25, and that the 2 countries’ accession roadmaps will be assessed separately. The EU Council brings together the 27 Member States, which have already approved the accession and negotiation frameworks for the 2 candidate states. Chişinău and Kyiv submitted their candidacies shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

FOOTBALL Romania lost 2-0 to Belgium, on Saturday night in Cologne, but remains top placed in the most evenly balanced group at the European Football Championship. Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine all have 3 points each ahead of the last round in Group E, with better goal differences for Romania and Belgium. Romania’s decisive match for qualification in the eighth-finals is scheduled on Wednesday against Slovakia, in Frankfurt. Moving up into the next stages of the competition are the top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 third-ranking teams in each group. (AMP)

23 June 2024
June 4, 2023 UPDATE

Pentecost — The majority Orthodox Christians in Romania and the Greek Catholics will celebrate on Monday, the second day of Pentecost, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. On the second day of Pentecost in some areas of the country pots are offered to people, which should be decorated with flowers and be accompanied by a bread ring with a candle on top for those who have passed away. Beautifully decorated plates are also given away for the living. Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles marks the foundation of the Christian Church and is celebrated 50 days after Easter. According to the New Testament, the 12 Apostles, gathered in a house, received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the power to preach in languages they had never spoken before. Following the sermon of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 people were baptized and formed the first Christian community. In churches, on Pentecost day, the faithful receive blessed walnut leaves, symbols of the flames that appeared above the heads of the Apostles, at the time of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Prize – Human rights and human dignity are key elements for the construction of societies characterized by freedom, democracy and solidarity, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday, upon receiving the Franz Werfel Prize for Human Rights for the year 2023, during a ceremony held in Frankfurt on Main. The head of the Romanian state showed that for Romania, the people belonging to national minorities represent not only a rich cultural and human heritage, but also a real added value for the whole society. During the ceremony, the Laudatio speech was delivered by Jean-Claude Juncker, former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, who highlighted the merits of President Klaus Iohannis in the fight against corruption, in the observance of the rule of law and the protection of minorities. On Saturday, also in Germany, the Romanian president received the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf. In his acceptance speech, Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state.

Visit — King Charles III of Great Britain continues his private visit to Romania. On Saturday and Sunday, the British sovereign walked the streets of Valea Zălanului village in Covasna county (center), where he owns three houses. Dressed casually, the king was welcomed by the locals with flowers. He talked with the villagers and tourists who came especially to see him, and he also visited some picturesque places in the area. I love to come to Romania, said the monarch. Charles III was received, on Friday, at the Cotroceni Palace, by President Klaus Iohannis. It is the first visit that a British monarch pays to Romania, and also the first foreign trip of the sovereign since his coronation, which took place last month. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and he declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine lost, on Sunday, in three sets, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, the match in the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, against Jessica Pegula and CoCo Gauff, both from the USA. Ruse and Kostyuk were seeded 13th at Roland Garros, one of the most important international tennis tournaments.

Turkey – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on behalf of Romania, for his reconfirmation as President of Turkey and wished him success in fulfilling his new mandate, during the investiture ceremony that took place on Saturday. The event was attended by heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ankara, among whom the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. He is in Turkey also for discussions aimed at solving the objections of the Ankara administration regarding the ratification of Swedens request for NATO membership. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian officials participation in the ceremony reflects Romanias desire to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, based on consistent political dialogue and close cooperation in a wide range of sectoral fields. For Romania, Turkey is the second commercial partner outside the EU and the first destination of Romanian exports outside the Union, last year the volume of exchanges registering almost 9.6 billion dollars. Recep Tayyip Erdogan took oath as president for the third time. On May 28, in the second round of voting, he defeated the candidate of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The Turkish leader dominated the countrys politics for 20 years, first as prime minister, then as president, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy. (LS)

4 June 2023
June 4, 2023

Visit — King Charles III of Great Britain continues his private visit to Romania. On Saturday, the British sovereign walked the streets of Valea Zălanului village in Covasna county (center), where he owns three houses. Dressed casually, the king was welcomed by the locals with flowers. He talked with the villagers and tourists who came especially to see him, and he also visited some picturesque places in the area. I love to come to Romania, said the monarch. Charles III was received, on Friday, at the Cotroceni Palace, by President Klaus Iohannis. It is the first visit that a British monarch pays to Romania, and also the first foreign trip of the sovereign since his coronation, which took place last month. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and he declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Prize — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis receives Sunday in Frankfurt am Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, granted by the Center against Expulsions. Romania’s Presidential Administration specifies that the decision to grant this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career. On Saturday, Romania’s president received the German Civic Award, offered by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf (Germany). In the thank-you speech delivered in German, the Romanian head of state recalled the efforts made by Romania to contribute to securing the EU borders. Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration into the Schengen Area, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state, emphasizing the support for the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the restoration and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support for the anti-corruption fight and attachment to the idea of a united Europe.

Pentecost — The majority Romanian Orthodox Christians and the Greek Catholics celebrate, Sunday, the Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, an event that marks the foundation of the Christian Church. According to the New Testament, the 12 Apostles, gathered in a house, received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the power to preach in languages they had never spoken before. Following the sermon of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 people were baptized and formed the first Christian community. In churches, believers receive blessed walnut leaves, symbols of the flames that appeared above the heads of the Apostles, at the time of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, during the Pentecost mini-holiday, tens of thousands of tourists are in the resorts on the Prahova Valley (south) or on the Black Sea Coast (southeast). Many Romanians chose to spend their free time outside the country, especially in Bulgaria and Greece.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk from Ukraine are playing, today, in the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, against Jessica Pegula and CoCo Gauff, both from the USA. Ruse and Kostiuk qualified, on Saturday, after, in the second round of the Parisian competition on clay court, they defeated the pair made up of the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens and the American Shelby Rogers, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Ruse and Kostyuk are seeded 13th at Roland Garros, one of the most important international tennis tournaments.

Turkey – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on behalf of Romania, for his reconfirmation as President of Turkey and wished him success in fulfilling his new mandate, during the investiture ceremony that took place on Saturday. The event was attended by heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ankara, among whom the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. He is in Turkey also for discussions aimed at solving the objections of the Ankara administration regarding the ratification of Swedens request for NATO membership. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian officials participation in the ceremony reflects Romanias desire to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, based on consistent political dialogue and close cooperation in a wide range of sectoral fields. For Romania, Turkey is the second commercial partner outside the EU and the first destination of Romanian exports outside the Union, last year the volume of exchanges registering almost 9.6 billion dollars. Recep Tayyip Erdogan took oath as president for the third time. On May 28, in the second round of voting, he defeated the candidate of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The Turkish leader dominated the countrys politics for 20 years, first as prime minister, then as president, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy. (LS)

4 June 2023
May 28, 2023 UPDATE

MEDALS Romanian rowers walked away with six medals, five gold and
one silver, from the European Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia. So our
eight, double scull, pair-oared boat and lightweight single skiff won gold in
the women’s competition on Sunday. A day before the Romanian women’s four came
first in the race while our men’s eight became silver medalist. Romania lined
up 11 crews at the aforementioned competition and came second in the medal
ranking after Britain. We recall that rowers from Romania had walked away with
five gold and three silver medals from the previous edition of this prestigious
European contest held in Munich.

STRIKE Teachers in Romania are likely to carry on
their all-out strike into this week as well and they blame the government for its
failure to come up with a viable solution to the crisis. Trade unions have
called on the government to bring a new amendment to the pay law, allowing
beginner teachers to get the average gross salary in the economy. They are also
asking for a 25% pay rise until the salary law comes into effect. The spokesman
for the government, Dan Carbunaru, has announced the government’s offer remains
the same, a bonus of 25 hundred lei in two installments, in the months of June
and October to benefit around 220 thousand teachers.

DAY The Day of the Romanians all over the
world is a special moment and it has a major emotional, spiritual and cultural
dimension, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis says in the message conveyed on
this occasion on Sunday. According to him, Romania has a large Diaspora, which
could represent the force capable of promoting the Romanian values and
spirituality in a continuously changing Europe. The Day of the Romanians all
over the world is celebrated in the last Sunday of the month of May in order to
acknowledge the importance the state attaches to the communities of Romanians
living outside the country’s borders. In Italy this day has been marked through
a series of theatre shows. A team of professors and students from the
University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest has kicked off a project entitled,
‘A Caravan for the Romanians all over the world’, which has already had its
first shows in Rome and is going to give more performances in Lazio, Turin,
Padua and Venice. In Bucharest, over 300 Romanians from the historical
communities and from abroad have attended a three-day event entitled
‘Here-There’ unfolding under the auspices of the Romanian president.
‘Here-There’ comprised a series of events staged by the Department for the
Romanians All Over the World jointly with the Fine Artists Union in Romania and
has brought together artists from Romania and abroad from various fields, like
art, design, music and literature.

HOLIDAY Catholic believers in Romania on Sunday celebrated
Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the other
followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. This holiday, which completes the Easter
cycle – the Resurrection, the Ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit – is
a major Christian event always celebrated on Sundays, fifty days after Easter.
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands believers, including the president of
Hungary Novak Katalin, participated in the great pilgrimage on Catholic
Pentecost in Sumuleu Ciuc, central Romania. The event there brought together
Catholics from all over the world, most of them Hungarian-speaking believers,
including from countries like Australia and the United States. The pilgrimage
in Sumuleu Ciuc boasts a history of 450 years and has at its center the
miracle-working statue of Virgin Mary in the Franciscan Church there. Legend
has it that around the year 1567, the Transylvanian Prince John Sigismund would
have tried to impose Unitarianism to the Roman-Catholic believers who managed
to keep their faith with the help of the aforementioned statue. Hundreds of
gendarmes, policemen and firefighters have been deployed for the good
functioning of the pilgrimage, while the local authorities have imposed traffic
restrictions.

(bill)

28 May 2023
June 5, 2022

Pentecost — Sunday is the second day of the Catholic Pentecost pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania. It is the first time in the last two years that this event, considered to be the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, has taken place without the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. On Saturday, a large number of Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary, located in the Franciscan church. In 1567, the prince of Transylvania, Ioan Sigismund, tried to impose the Unitarian religion on the Roman Catholic believers in the Szekler regions of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Caşin and people say that only with the help of the miracle-working statue did they manage to oppose and keep their ancestral faith. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God.

Environment — World Environment Day is marked on Sunday. The day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions are taking place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society are involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.

Bookfest — The Bookfest International Book Fair organized in Bucharest, the largest event of its kind in Romania, closes its doors on Sunday. The guest of honor at the 15th edition of the fair was Japan. During the five days of the book fair, over 500 events were scheduled, 50 of which were dedicated to children and adolescents. A series of debates on the Russian-Ukrainian war, education and childrens health were also scheduled for this year.

Ukraine –Explosions were heard this morning in Kyiv, but no data are yet available. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, but has recently been spared any attacks. The most intense fighting is taking place in the east of the country and, especially, in the city of Severodonetsk, where the Ukrainian forces have managed to regain some of the lost ground. A few days ago, the Russians were already in control of 70% of the city, and there were discussions about a withdrawal of the Ukrainian forces, but in the meantime they have launched a counter-offensive. The Severodonetsk counter-offensive is not the first success of the Ukrainian forces, which in the past managed to force the Russians to withdraw from the area of Kyiv and Kharkiv, the second most important Ukrainian city. The Ukrainian defense minister was optimistic about the outcome of the war and said he hoped the war would end this year. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba criticized the French President Emmanuel Macron for saying that a solution must be found so that Russia should not be humiliated in this war.

Football – The Romanian national football team had a bad start in the new edition of the League of Nations, being defeated by the national team of Montenegro with the score of 2-0, on Saturday evening, on Gradski Stadium in Podgorica, in Group 3 of League B. In the other match of the group, Finland drew 1 all in Helsinki with Bosnia. Romania will play the next match on June 7, in Zenica, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, also in the League of Nations. (LS)

5 June 2022
June 21, 2021 UPDATE

Covid-19. Authorities in
Bucharest announced, on Monday, 26 new cases of coronavirus infection in more
than 9,400 tests performed. Also, 4 Covid-19 related deaths were reported.
Currently, there are 158 patients in intensive care. During the peak of
the last wave of infections in spring, there were almost 40,000 new cases per
week. The vaccination campaign continues, though at a much slower pace. On
Monday, authorities announced that 20 thousand doses had been administered in
the past 24 hours. Some 7 thousand people got the first dose, and 13 thousand
the second. Since December 27, 2020, when the campaign started, more than 4.6
million people have been vaccinated in Romania. Of them, 4.3 million have
received both doses.

EC. The European
Commission approved, on Monday, an aid scheme worth 610,000 Euros launched by
the Romanian authorities to support companies active in the independent
cultural sector, in the context of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a
EC press release reads. The measure was approved under the State Aid Temporary
Framework. The aid will take the form of direct grants. The purpose of the
scheme is to make up for the lack of liquidity faced by the beneficiaries due
to the restrictive measures that the Romanian Government had to implement in
order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Schengen. As of next
month, Romania and Bulgaria will have limited access to the Schengen
information system. The Visa Information System will be available for
consultation, but no changes will be allowed. The decision was made after both
countries successfully completed a series of technical tests. Full access to
the Schengen information system will become possible after Bulgaria and Romania
are fully integrated into the free movement area, the European Commission says.
Earlier this month, the Commission said it supported the rapid entry of
Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia into the Schengen area. At present, 22 Member
States of the Union, together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and
Switzerland, are part of this border control-free area.

Holy Trinity. Orthodox
Christians and Greek Catholics in Romania celebrated, on the second day of
Pentecost on Monday, the Feast of the Holy Trinity, a day dedicated to
Christian monotheism, according to which the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit are three persons in one God. The Christian tradition attributes to the
three divine persons specific works. The Father created the world out of
nothing. Jesus Christ saved it from sin. The Holy Spirit blesses people who
want to have a relationship of faith with God. Faith in the Holy Trinity is a
dogma established at the first ecumenical synods in the fourth century, when
the wrong theories called heresies, which introduced hierarchy into the Holy
Trinity, were fought against. Since then, the Christian faith admits that the
three persons of the Trinity are equal and in a relationship of absolute love.
Almost 25,000 police, firefighters, gendarmes and border guards were mobilized
in Romania to ensure the safe running of the public events held during
Pentecost.

Election. The first round
of France’s regional and departmental elections, postponed by three months due
to the pandemic and held on Sunday, was marked by an unprecedented absenteeism
and mixed results. The right-wing Republican party seems to be ranking first after
the first round. The next positions would be left and far right. The
presidential party La République en Marche suffered a severe defeat compared to
its expectations, as it hoped to get around 15%, but managed to get only
10-11%. The daily Le Figaro talks about a real disaster in terms of turnout.
Between 66 and 68% of the electorate did not go to the polls. Commentators talk
about several reasons, including a warning to President Macron, ahead of next
May’s presidential election. (MI)

21 June 2021
June 21, 2021

Covid-19. Authorities in Bucharest have announced today 26 new cases of coronavirus infection in more than 9,400 tests performed. Also, 4 Covid-19 related deaths were reported. Currently, there are 158 patients in intensive care. The week that has just ended marked the best evolution of the pandemic in Romania since March 2020. During the peak of the last wave of infections in spring, there were almost 40,000 new cases per week. In contrast, the pace of the immunization campaign remains low, with only 6,125 people taking the first dose or the single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in 24 hours. It is the lowest level since mid-February. The number of those immunized with the complete scheme exceeds 4,355,000.

Holy Trinity. Orthodox Christians and Greek Catholics in Romania celebrate, on the second day of Pentecost, the Feast of the Holy Trinity, a day dedicated to Christian monotheism, according to which the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three persons in one Godhead. The Christian tradition attributes to the three divine persons specific works. The Father created the world out of nothing. He alone saved it from sin. The Holy Spirit blesses people who want to have a relationship of faith with God. Faith in the Holy Trinity is a dogma established at the first ecumenical synods in the fourth century, when the wrong theories called heresies, which introduced hierarchy into the Holy Trinity, were fought against. Since then, the Christian faith admits that the three persons of the Trinity are equal and in a relationship of absolute love. Almost 25,000 police, firefighters, gendarmes and border guards were mobilized in Romania to ensure the safe running of public events that take place during Pentecost. The Traffic Police supplemented their staff, especially on the main roads leading to the Black Sea coast or mountain resorts, where most Romanians spend their Pentecost mini-holidays.

EU meeting. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu attends today, in Luxembourg, the meeting of the EU foreign ministers. The participants will analyze, among other things, the latest developments in the Unions relations with Russia, the peace process in the Middle East, as well as the situation in Belarus, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest. On the sidelines of the meeting, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell hosted an informal working brunch with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaia. As for Russia, the head of Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu, will reiterate the need for a unitary and strategic approach in relation to Moscow. On the other hand, he will emphasize the importance of increased EU support for the democratization and stability of Iraq and will express Romanias support for organizing an EU mission to monitor elections.

Belarus. The EU foreign ministers are to discuss today additional sanctions for Belarus, after the Minsk authorities hijacked a passenger plane to arrest an opposition journalist who was on board the plane. The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu says in a message on Twitter that extensive economic sanctions are needed, as well as the promotion of an adequate plan for a democratic Belarus. The European ministers will also talk to Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tihanovskaia about supporting civil society.

EURO 2020. Bucharest hosts today the match between Ukraine and Austria, a decisive match for the fate of Euro 2020s Group C. The two teams are fighting for the second straight qualification, the first being already secured by the Netherlands, which plays today against North Macedonia. In the same group, Romanias National Arena hosted the matches Ukraine vs. North Macedonia, score 2 – 1, and Austria vs. Northern Macedonia, score 3 – 1, respectively. Bucharest will also host a a round of 16 game, in which the winner of Group F will play, a group that includes Germany, France, Portugal and Hungary. The last matches of Group B are also scheduled for today. Belgium has already ensured its presence in the round of sixteen, but it could still lose the first place if it is defeated by Finland. In the other match, Russia takes on Denmark. (MI)

21 June 2021
June 20, 2021

COVID-19
IN ROMANIA – The number of COVID-19 infections continues to drop in Romania. 53
new infections were reported on Sunday. 161 patients are still in intensive
care. Meanwhile, medical units are gradually returning to their normal activity.
Some hospital managers say their institutions are now better prepared to cope
with a possible fourth wave of the pandemic. Health Minister Ioana Mihăilă said the Indian strain of the
coronavirus can become dominant in Romania as well, which is why the percentage
of vaccinated people must increase. According to Romania’s representative at
the WHO, Alexandru Rafila, unless the vaccination campaign picks up, only 7
million people are expected to get vaccinated in Romania by the end of the
year, below the official target of the authorities. In the last 24 hours, some
25,000 people have taken the anti-COVID jab. Since the start of the campaign
last year, over 8.7 million doses of vaccine have been administered, 4.3
million people having completed the full COVID vaccination scheme.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Russia has reported new
record-high numbers of COVID-19 infection. For this reason, the authorities
have introduced new restrictive measures. On Saturday, the number of COVID
cases was close to 18,000, the highest figure since January 31 this year, of
which over 9,000 in Moscow, an all-time negative high. Nearly 90% of COVID
cases in Moscow are represented by the Indian strain of the coronavirus.
According to the authorities, the main reasons behind the soaring infection
rate include the slow progress of the vaccination campaign, people failing to
observe restrictions and the rise in the infectiousness of the virus. In the
Russian capital city, restrictions this week were extended until June 29, with
other measures due to be imposed starting Monday also in Saint Petersburg, a
city hosting EURO 2020 matches. On the other hand, over half a million
Brazilians have died to the COVID-19 virus, while the local authorities are
making great efforts to cope with the third wave of the pandemic. Thousands of
people protested in several cities against president Jair Bolsonaro’s
government, calling for accelerating the vaccination campaign. At present, only
11% of the country’s population have completed the COVID-19 vaccination scheme.
Worldwide, nearly 179 million people got infected and 3.8 million people died
since the start of the pandemic, the latest worldometers.info update reveals.

PENTECOST -Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic
Christians around the world, including Romania, on Sunday celebrated the
descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus Christ, a celebration
also known as the Pentecost. The feast day also marks the foundation of the
Christian Church 50 days after the Lord’s Resurrection. According to the New
Testament, the 12 apostles were gathered in a house, when they received the
Holy Spirit, which enabled them to preach the gospel in languages they never before
spoke. According to the Bible, Saint Peter’s sermon made 3,000 souls take the
Christian baptism, making up the first Christian community. Orthodox believers
receive sanctified walnut leaves, symbolizing the flames of the Holy Spirit
resting on the heads of the Apostles. The Traffic Police has deployed
additional units on the main roads to the seacoast or mountain resorts, where
most Romanians are spending their Pentecost mini-holiday.

EURO 2020 – EURO 2020 continues on Sunday
with matches in Group A, Italy versus Wales and Switzerland versus Turkey. On
Saturday, in Group F, Hungary held France to a 1-all draw, while in Munich,
Germany defeated Portugal 4-2. Also on Saturday, in Group E, Spain and Poland
were tied 1-all. Patrik Schick of the Czech Republic and Cristiano Ronaldo of
Portugal are the competition’s top scorers so far, each with three goals. For
the first time in its history, Bucharest is playing host to European
Championship matches, 3 in the group phase and 1 in the round of 16. Romania is
represented by two delegations of referees.

WRESTLING – Romanian wrestler Iosif
Alexandru Ionescu won bronze in the 65-kg category in the Greek-Roman event at
the Under-21 European Wrestling Championships held on Saturday in Samokov,
Bulgaria. Ionescu defeated Zakhar Yanevich of Belarus in the bronze final. Romania
has so far won 4 medals at the Wrestling Championships. Apart from Ionescu’s
bronze, Georgiana Carla Lircă won gold in the 57-kg category, Alexandra
Voiculescu scooped silver in the 40-kg category, while Daniel Marian Sandu
grabbed silver in the 60-kg freestyle event.

WEATHER – Code orange and yellow alerts against heavy rain and
thunderstorms are in place across Romania until Monday. During the interval,
meteorologists expect heavy rain, strong wind and severe thunderstorms,
particularly in the east and the south. The weather will remain unstable
halfway through next week, particularly in mountainous areas. Hydrologists have
also issued code orange and yellow alerts against flash floods for the major
rivers, in place until Monday. The heavy rainfall in recent days has killed
people and affected thousands of homes. In Bucharest a few hundred home were
flooded and trees were uprooted. Road traffic has also been disrupted on
several national roads. (VP)

20 June 2021
June 8, 2020 UPDATE

PENTECOST Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from
all over the world, Romania included, on Monday celebrated the second day of
Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 apostles enabling them to
convey the Lord’s message in languages they had never spoken before. Upon
Apostle Peter’s speech, over 3000 people embraced Christianity making up the
nucleus of the first Christian Church in Jerusalem. Thousands of Romanians chose
to spend this mini-holiday in various resorts in the Prahova Valley, the Black
Sea coast and the Danube Delta.

PARTICIPATION Romania participates in ‘Team Europe’, one of the most ambitious
international assistance programmes being also part of ‘The Coronavirus Global
Response’, a fund-raising initiative aimed at developing and producing
treatment schemes, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest on Monday announced. During
the informal proceedings of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, ministers
and state secretaries in charge of cooperation for development in the EU member
countries were assessing a programme aimed at providing assistance to
developing countries, which are facing difficulties in their attempt to contain
the Covid-19 pandemic. Romania’s funding priorities within Team Europe include:
boosting the institutional capabilities of healthcare systems, ensuring food safety,
a sustainable management of water resources and fighting fake news during the
pandemic. Education is another assistance means, and Romania has doubled the
scholarships granted to the young people from African countries since the
previous university year.

ALERT The state of alert could be extended in
Romania after June 15th, as there is still the risk of community
contagion and new outbreaks might appear, Health Minister Nelu Tataru told a TV
channel. A decision in this respect is expected from the National Committee for
Emergency Situations based on how the pandemic will develop after some of the restrictions
have been lifted. The latest toll stood at 1,339 fatalities out of more than 20,600
infections confirmed. 3,304 Romanian nationals have been infected abroad. Most
of the cases have been reported in Italy, nearly 1900, but the largest number
of fatalities among the Romanian nationals has been reported by Britain, over
40. Britain has also reported the lowest number of infections among the
Romanian nationals, below 100. The authorities in Bucharest have specified they
get data from Romania’s diplomatic missions in these countries from the local
authorities and even directly from the Romanian citizens abroad. In another
development, Health Minister Nelu Tataru has estimated that a possible second
wave of the pandemic will not have the same intensity as the first. The
Romanian official expects the situation to normalize by late July or early
August, provided the population complies with the prevention measures.

PANDEMIC The number of Coronavirus
infections around the world has exceeded 7.1 million and more than 406 thousand
people have died. 3.5 million patients have been declared cured. The United
States has registered over 1,900,000 Covid infections and 110,000 fatalities.
The most affected countries in Europe remain France, Italy and Spain. Brazil
comes second after the USA in a world ranking with over 690 thousand infections
and more than 37 thousand fatalities.

REQUEST Employers Associations in Romania’s
tourism have called on the government to lift all restrictions allowing the
functioning of the terraces and resuming partial activity inside restaurants,
starting June 15th. Representatives of these associations have
explained in an open letter that going beyond this date would be tantamount to
increasing the losses this economy sector has so far incurred, which account
for 30% of the turnover in the previous years. The signatories have called
among other things for a tax cancellation in the second half of the year, the
possibility of paying taxes and duties in installments, for non-reimbursable
European loans and the proper legislation to half local taxes this year. The
government is presently considering several alternatives for jump-starting
Romania’s tourist sector, relying on both local and EU funds, the country’s
Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan has written on a social network.

TAROM As of Monday, Romania’s air carrier TAROM resumed its flights to
London. According to an announcement posted on the company’s Facebook page,
from Britain, TAROM planes will accept only the citizens who have applied for
repatriation and only British citizens will be allowed to board in Bucharest.
Ticket prices start from 267 Euros. Also on Monday, Britain introduces a
mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the country.

TRAVEL According to a report published by Forbes magazine Romania ranks
57th among the safest countries to visit in this period. The ranking
has been made after processing data gleaned from 200 countries. The safest
country to visit is Switzerland and second comes Germany. At this moment, the
most dangerous places to visit are Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, some
Middle East and Asian countries.

(translated by bill)

8 June 2020
June 7, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – Over 20.500 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in Romania, over 14.600
people have officially recovered and the latest death toll has climbed to
1.326. According to the Group for Strategic Communication, some 3.304 Romanians
living abroad have tested positive for the virus and 114 have died. Most of
these cases are reported in Italy, while most deaths were reported in the UK,
over 40, considering the total number of infections in the UK is below 100. In
another move, Health Minister Nelu Tataru said a potential second wave of the
pandemic will be less deadly than the first. It is the Romanian Health
Minister’s belief that life will return to quasi-normal parameters by late July
– early August, should the population continue observing precautionary
regulations.

REPATRIATIONS – The Foreign Ministry says some 365
Romanian citizens have been repatriated from Great Britain, the Netherlands and
Jordan, via three special flights operated by the national passenger airliner
TAROM. Most of them are students, navigation crew, medical staff and people who
couldn’t extend their stay abroad for various reasons. Previously, 346 Romanian
nationals were returned to Romania from France, Italy and Belgium on June 5.
The action was part of a wider series of efforts to repatriate Romanians who
have been affected abroad by COVID-19 measures and flight restrictions.

COVID-19 IN THE
WORLD – Some 7 million people all over the world have been infected with SARS
CoV2 while over 400 thousand people have died to the virus, Reuters reports.
Some 3.5 million people have recovered. Brazil, one of the countries gravely
affected by the virus, decided to eliminate all data regarding the evolution of
COVID-19 in this country from the official website that has been monitoring the
outbreak. President Jair Bolsonaro explained the figures do not reflect
reality. Brazil has the second-largest number of infections, some 667 thousand,
and has reported over 36 thousand deaths.

TAROM – The national
airline company TAROM will reintroduce return flights to London starting
Monday. In a Facebook post, the company writes that only Romanian nationals
will be able to board in flights to Bucharest, while flights headed to London
will receive British citizens only. Also starting Monday travellers arriving in
the UK will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

TOURISM – Employers in
the hospitality industry are calling on the Government to lift all restrictions
and reopen restaurants and cafes to interior service. In an open letter, employers
say the absence of this measure would make them incur 30% losses, tantamount to
some €6 billion. The second phase of easing lockdown restrictions would boost
partner sector, such as produce providers, soft drinks distributors, meat and
milk processors, bakeries and other types of providers, which together account
for 5% of Romania’s GDP.

REPO LINE – The European Central Bank and
the National Bank of Romania have agreed to set up a new repo line to address
possible euro liquidity needs in the presence of market dysfunctions due to the
COVID-19 shock. Under the new repo line, the National Bank will be able to borrow up to
€4.5 billion from the ECB in exchange for high-quality euro-denominated
collateral.

PENTECOST – Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including
Romania, on Sunday celebrated the Pentecost, marking the descent of the Holy
Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus Christ, 50 days after Easter, as well as the
foundation of the early Christian Church. According to the New Testament, the
12 apostles received the Holy Spirit, which allowed them to speak languages
never before spoken. Peter’s sermon led to the baptism of three thousand souls.
Orthodox believers received sanctified walnut leaves, symbolizing the flames of
the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of the Apostles. Thousands of tourists
enjoyed the Pentecost miniholiday in mountain or seacoast resorts or in the
Danube Delta, which according to travel agencies was 80% booked.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)

7 June 2020
June 7, 2020

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – Over 20.500 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in Romania, 14.600
people have officially recovered and the latest death toll has climbed to
1.326. According to the Group for Strategic Communication, some 3.100 Romanians
living abroad have tested positive for the virus and 114 have died. In another
move, Health Minister Nelu Tataru said a potential second wave of the pandemic
will be less deadly than the first. It is the Romanian Health Minister’s belief
that life will return to quasi-normal parameters by late July – early August,
should the population continue observing precautionary regulations.

REPATRIATIONS – The Foreign Ministry says some 346
Romanian nationals were returned to Romania from France, Italy and Belgium on
June 5. The action was part of a wider series of efforts to repatriate
Romanians who have been affected abroad by COVID-19 measures and flight
restrictions. This action also helped 27 foreign citizens return to their home
countries, 22 French, 2 Canadian, 2 British and 1 from Cameroon, the Foreign
Ministry notes.

COVID-19 IN THE
WORLD – Some 7 million people all over the world have been infected with SARS
CoV2 while over 400 thousand people have died to the virus, Reuters reports.
Some 3.5 million people have recovered. Brazil, one of the countries gravely
affected by the virus, decided to eliminate all data regarding the evolution of
COVID-19 in this country from the official website that has been monitoring the
outbreak. President Jair Bolsonaro explained the figures do not reflect
reality. Brazil has the second-largest number of infections, some 667 thousand,
and has reported over 36 thousand deaths.

WORLD BANK – World Bank
President David Malpass said the current economic crisis spells catastrophe. In
an interview to the BBC, the World Bank official called on governments to start
implementing new systems that should restart economic growth. In a press
release, the World Bank estimates that over 60 million people risk earning no
more than 2$ a day as a result of the COVID-19 economic fallout. Restoring
prosperity, Malpass added, will involve building a favorable environment
allowing the creation of new jobs for people who’ve found themselves unemployed.
The World Bank official admitted the economic impact of this crisis could last
more than a decade.

PENTECOST – Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including
Romania, on Sunday celebrated the Pentecost, marking the descent of the Holy
Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus Christ, 50 days after Easter, as well as the
foundation of the early Christian Church. According to the New Testament, the
12 apostles received the Holy Spirit, which allowed them to speak languages
never before spoken. Peter’s sermon led to the baptism of three thousand souls.
Orthodox believers receive sanctified walnut leaves, symbolizing the flames of
the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of the Apostles. Thousands of tourists
enjoyed the Pentecost miniholiday in mountain or seacoast resorts or in the
Danube Delta, which according to travel agencies was 80% booked.

PROTESTS – A new round of violent protests swept the capital Washington and
other cities across the United States. People are disgruntled with police
brutality and racial injustice and want a far-reaching reform of the law-enforcement
system. The protests are in response to African-American George Floyd being
killed last month in a police action in Minnesota. According to our
correspondent on the ground, this was the 12th consecutive day of
protests. Protests were also staged in London, where over a thousand protesters
marched towards the US Embassy and a small number of protesters near
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street residence threw bottles at
police, and mounted officers charged to push them back. Thousands of protesters
gathered in Paris as well, despite a COVID-19 gathering ban. Similar actions
were staged in Berlin, Warsaw, Brisbane and Sydney. Thousands of activists,
some wearing black masks with the words I can’t breathe, also took to the
streets in South Korea, Japan and Thailand.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)

7 June 2020
June 15, 2019 UPDATE

MOLDOVA – President
Klaus Iohannis has hailed the latest developments in neighboring Moldova that
should contribute to overcoming the deadlock and help a peaceful power
transition. On Friday Presidential advisor on matters of foreign policy, Bogdan
Aurescu, talked to Moldovan Parliament Speaker Zinaida Greceanii and to leaders
of the ACUM parliamentary bloc, Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase. Foreign Minister
Teodor Melescanu in turn met his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin and
discussed the peaceful transition of power in Moldova. On Friday, the
Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova announced that Prime Minister Pavel
Filip resigned. Filip stated that the Democratic Party will keep on working for
the Republic of Moldova, but from a different position. A power duality was set
up in Moldova last week. Last Saturday, the pro-Russia Socialist Party forged
an alliance with the ACUM block and set up a new government, headed by Maia
Sandu. The second day, at the request of the Democratic Party, which until then
had been negotiating with the Socialists the formation of a majority alliance,
the Constitutional Court decided to temporarily suspend Igor Dodon from the
office of president, and the acting PM Pavel Filip was appointed interim
president.

EXERCISE – The Saber
Guardian 2019 military exercise continues in Romania until June 24. Its main
goal is to enhance the cohesion, unity and solidarity of the partner and allied
countries, with a view to ensuring defense against any type of aggression,
especially by means of rapid mobilization and response, anywhere in Europe. In
order to render international military training more effective, Saber Guardian
is correlated with a number of other national and multinational exercises, so
the total number of participants stands at some 13,500. Attending are 14 allied
and partner countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany,
Great Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and the US. 7,600 of the participants are
Romanian. Saber Guardian was held every year between 2013 – 2017, and was
hosted, in rotation, by Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. The exercise is included
in the United States Army Europe and designed to improve the integration of
multinational allied and partner combat forces.

ECOFIN – During
its presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania has completed 11 out of the 13
files on the capital markets union, said on Friday the Romanian Finance Minister
Eugen Teodorovici. He chaired in Luxembourg the last meeting of the Economic
and Financial Affairs Council held during the Romanian presidency. During
Romania’s term, six ECOFIN meetings were held, as well as 66 trialogue meetings
with the European Parliament, during which 15 legislative files were closed,
and also 174 working group meetings. The Romanian Presidency has been a
test for the public administration, which has proven it can face any challenge,
at the highest level, said Eugen Teodorovici at the end of the meeting in
Luxembourg.

PENTECOST – Sunday,
50 days after Easter, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the
world, including in Romania, will be celebrating the Pentecost, the descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the first Christian
community. The holiday is also known as White Sunday. On this day the 12 apostles
were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in languages they had not
known before. On Pentecost, following Apostle Peter’s address, 3,000 people
were baptized, coming together into the first Christian community, which was
the core of the future Christian Church. Some 23,000 police officers,
firefighters, gendarmes and border police officers are deployed all across the
country to ensure all related public events unfold safely.

THEATER – The 26th
Sibiu International Theater Festival continued on Saturday and will be
unfolding until June 23. One of this year’s special guests, French Ambassador
to Bucharest Michele Ramis, attended a conference on the Romania-France culture
season and the inauguration of a digital platform. This year’s theme is ‘The
Art of Giving’. The festival includes 540 events in 75 locations, with 3,300
artists and guests from 73 countries invited. According to the organizers, the
festival is a celebration of beauty, with events in theater, dance, music,
film, book launches, circus, and art exhibitions. The Sibiu International
Theater Festival is the most complex event of its kind in Romania and even
Europe, and Radio Romania is one of the co-producers.

FOOTBALL – 12
teams, including Romania, are as of Sunday taking part in the European Under-21
Football Championship hosted by Italy and San Marino. Romania is part of Group
C, alongside England, France and Croatia. On Sunday, Poland will play Belgium
while Italy will take on Spain. Romania’s first match will be on Tuesday
against Croatia. This is the second time Romania takes part in the European
Championship, after the 1998 edition. The teams in top position in each group
will advance to the semi-finals, together with the team with the best stats in
second position from all groups. The final will take place on June 30.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

15 June 2019
June 15, 2019

MOLDOVA – President
Klaus Iohannis has hailed the latest developments in neighboring Moldova that
should contribute to overcoming the deadlock and help a peaceful power
transition. On Friday Presidential advisor on matters of foreign policy, Bogdan
Aurescu, talked to Moldovan Parliament Speaker Zinaida Greceanii and to leaders
of the ACUM parliamentary bloc, Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase. Foreign Minister
Teodor Melescanu in turn met his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Klimkin and
discussed the peaceful transition of power in Moldova. On Friday, the
Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova announced that Prime Minister Pavel
Filip resigned. Filip stated that the Democratic Party will keep on working for
the Republic of Moldova, but from a different position. A power duality was set
up in Moldova last week. Last Saturday, the pro-Russia Socialist Party forged
an alliance with the ACUM block and set up a new government, headed by Maia
Sandu. The second day, at the request of the Democratic Party, which until then
had been negotiating with the Socialists the formation of a majority alliance,
the Constitutional Court decided to temporarily suspend Igor Dodon from the
office of president, and the acting PM Pavel Filip was appointed interim president.

EXERCISE – The Saber
Guardian 2019 military exercise continues in Romania until June 24. Its main
goal is to enhance the cohesion, unity and solidarity of the partner and allied
countries, with a view to ensuring defense against any type of aggression, especially
by means of rapid mobilization and response, anywhere in Europe. In order to
render international military training more effective, Saber Guardian is
correlated with a number of other national and multinational exercises, so the
total number of participants stands at some 13,500. Attending are 14 allied and
partner countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Great
Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and the US. 7,600 of the participants are Romanian.
Saber Guardian was held every year between 2013 – 2017, and was hosted, in
rotation, by Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine. The exercise is included in the
United States Army Europe and designed to improve the integration of multinational
allied and partner combat forces.

ECOFIN – During
its presidency of the Council of the EU, Romania has completed 11 out of the 13
files on the capital markets union, said on Friday the Romanian Finance
Minister Eugen Teodorovici. He chaired in Luxembourg the last meeting of the
Economic and Financial Affairs Council held during the Romanian presidency.
During Romania’s term, six ECOFIN meetings were held, as well as 66 trialogue
meetings with the European Parliament, during which 15 legislative files were closed,
and also 174 working group meetings. The Romanian Presidency has been a
test for the public administration, which has proven it can face any challenge,
at the highest level, said Eugen Teodorovici at the end of the meeting in
Luxembourg.

PENTECOST – Sunday,
50 days after Easter, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the
world, including in Romania, will be celebrating the Pentecost, the descent of
the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the birth of the first Christian
community. The holiday is also known as White Sunday. On this day the 12 apostles
were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in languages they had not
known before. On Pentecost, following Apostle Peter’s address, 3,000 people
were baptized, coming together into the first Christian community, which was
the core of the future Christian Church. Some 23,000 police officers,
firefighters, gendarmes and border police officers are deployed all across the
country to ensure all related public events unfold safely.

THEATER – The 26th
Sibiu International Theater Festival continued on Saturday and will be
unfolding until June 23. One of this year’s special guests, French Ambassador
to Bucharest Michele Ramis, attended a conference on the Romania-France culture
season and the inauguration of a digital platform. This year’s theme is ‘The
Art of Giving’. The festival includes 540 events in 75 locations, with 3,300
artists and guests from 73 countries invited. According to the organizers, the
festival is a celebration of beauty, with events in theater, dance, music,
film, book launches, circus, and art exhibitions. The Sibiu International
Theater Festival is the most complex event of its kind in Romania and even
Europe, and Radio Romania is one of the co-producers.

TOURISM – Foreign
tourists to Romania spent some 275 million euros in the first quarter of this
year, by 35 million euros more than the same period of last year, the National
Statistics Institute reports. Data shows that a foreign tourist spent on
average 630 euros during his stay in Romania, compared to 500 euros last year.
Statistics also reveal that over January-March, some 443,000 tourists visited
Romania, with conferences, classes, fairs and exhibitions being the main reason
of visit for 60% of them, whose spending account for 64% of the aforementioned
sum.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)

15 June 2019
June 8, 2019 UPDATE

UN Romania remains “deeply committed to supporting the UN, and the campaign for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council “has strengthened the countrys international profile, reads a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry. The statement comes after on Friday Romania, supported by only 58 countries, failed to win a seat in the 2020-2021 Security Council, being outrun by Estonia, which got 132 votes. President Klaus Iohannis blamed the failure on “irresponsible statements by some top officials, which generated reluctance with respect to Romanias candidacy. On the other hand, voices in the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats say the President, as coordinator of Romanian diplomacy, has most of the responsibility. The Security Council includes 5 permanent members with veto rights: the USA, Russia, China, France and the UK. Another 10 members have 2-year terms, after which they are replaced by countries from the same region. Next year 5 seats will be vacant, 2 for Africa, one for Asia-Pacific, one for Latin America and the Caribbean and one for Eastern Europe. To be elected in the UN Security Council, a country needs the support of two-thirds of the General Assembly members, which means at least 129 votes out of the 193 voting member states.

G20 The Romanian finance minister Eugen Teodorovici is heading the EU Council delegation at the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting held this weekend in Fukuoka, Japan. According to a news release issued by the Finance Ministry, the agenda of talks includes topics like financing for development, global economy, international taxation, global imbalances, population ageing, investments in infrastructure and financial sector issues. The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will adopt an official declaration comprising the outcomes of the meeting, the news release also says.

TENSIONS The Government suggests that the National Defence Ministry should take over the administration of the Heroes Cemetery in Valea Uzului and make it an international cemetery. A decision will be made after consultations with all stakeholders, PM Viorica Dăncilă says in a news release. She also calls for respect for Romanias state symbols and for public order, and urges responsibility in all political statements and actions concerning the situation in Valea Uzului, Harghita County. Soldiers of various nationalities, killed in the 2 world wars, are buried here. The Romanian Police opened a criminal investigation concerning the destruction of the access gate to the Valea Uzului graveyard, after on Thursday members of several Romanian organisations forced their way in, to attend a Heroes Day commemoration. According to the gendarmes, tensions were reported, but there were no violent clashes between the Romanian and the Hungarian ethnics in the area or with the police forces, as some Hungarian politicians had claimed.

WHITSUNDAY Roman-Catholic Christians celebrate the Pentecost, which in mostly Orthodox Romania is marked, among other things, through a pilgrimage to Şumuleu Ciuc, attended every year by tens of thousands of Hungarian ethnics. The Marian shrine in Şumuleu Ciuc has become the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the region. A week ago, it was also visited by Pope Francis, who was on a pastoral visit to Romania.

MOLDOVA The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova Saturday ruled that the appointment of the pro-Russian Socialist Zinaida Greceanyi as Parliament Speaker is unconstitutional. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. The Socialists and the pro-European right wing voted to appoint Greceanyi after the Court decided that the mandate of the current Parliament ended. The countrys pro-Russian president Igor Dodon postponed signing a decree to dissolve Parliament, and said the republic is on the verge of being destabilised. These developments come after 3-and-a-half months of failed attempts at forming a parliamentary majority. In the February 24 legislative elections, Dodons Socialists won 35 of the 101 seats in Parliament. The ruling Democratic Party, headed by the controversial oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, has 30 MPs, while ACUM bloc, a pro-European right-wing cartel, has another 26. Seven seats were won by the populist party headed by the Mayor of Orhei town, Ilan Shor, a politician sentenced by a court of first instance to 7 and a half years in prison for his involvement in Moldovas billion dollar banking fraud. 3 other MPs are non-affiliated.

FOOTBALL Romanias football team is in Malta, scheduled to play against the host national team on Monday in the Group F qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships. On Friday Romania drew against Norway, 2-all away from home. In the first 2 matches in the group, played in March, the Romanians were defeated by Sweden in Stockholm, and won at home against Faroe Islands. Spain tops the Group F standings with 9 points, followed by Sweden with 7, with Romania coming in 3rd with 4 points. The top 2 teams in each group qualify into the final tournament. The drawing for Euro 2020 takes place in Bucharest on November 30. The Romanian capital city will also host 4 final tournament matches, 3 in the group stage and one in the 8th-finals. In related news, Romanias team will play this month in the European Under-21 Football Championships in Italy and San Marino, in Group C, alongside England, France and Croatia.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

8 June 2019