Radio România Internațional

Tag: political crisis

  • September 5, 2021 UPDATE

    September 5, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 – The daily number of COVID-19
    infections is on the rise. The pandemic is again putting additional strain on
    medical units across the country, as for several days the number of infections has
    exceeded the 1,500 mark. 1,242 new cases of COVID infection were reported on
    Sunday, in addition to 11 related fatalities. Over 3,000 people are being treated
    for COVID-19 in hospitals across the country, while 372 people are currently in
    intensive care. Health Minister Ioana Mihăilă announced additional ICU beds
    will be made available in Bucharest, where the largest number of new cases was
    reported. Over 6,600 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday, while
    5.1 million people have completed the vaccination scheme. On the other hand,
    Romania has sent 100 thousand rapid antigen COVID tests to neighboring Moldova.
    Romania’s ambassador to Chişinău, Daniel Ioniţă, said the donation reflects the
    special relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. So far Romania
    has donated 500,000 anti-COVID-19 vaccine shots to neighboring Moldova.


    LIST -
    The updated list of countries representing an epidemiological risk was
    published on Sunday by the National Committee for Emergency Situations. Serbia,
    Estonia and Albania have entered the red zone, while all arrivals from this
    country will enter quarantine, unless they provide proof of vaccination or that
    they had the disease. Norway, Austria and Bosnia Herzegovina have now entered
    the yellow zone, in addition to Spain and Lichtenstein, where infection rates
    have dropped. People coming from these areas will not enter quarantine if they
    provide proof of vaccination, of a PCR negative test or if they’ve had the
    disease.




    POLITICAL
    CRISIS – The Parliament leadership is meeting on Monday to discuss the
    timetable for the debate and vote of the no-confidence motion filed on Friday
    by AUR and USR-PLUS MPs against the Cabinet led by Liberal Florin Cîţu.
    Originally scheduled for Saturday, the Parliament session was suspended due to
    lack of quorum. Titled The demise of the Cîţu Cabinet, Romania’s only chance
    at survival!, the document claims the Government plunged the country into a
    deep economic and social crisis. Considered a protector of the Prime Minister,
    president Klaus Iohannis has called on the USR-PLUS alliance to resume dialogue
    within the ruling coalition and come up with a viable and reasonable solution
    to overcome the political deadlock. The president accused USR-PLUS they lost
    credibility with their own voters for associating themselves politically with
    AUR, a party that disregards Western values. In response, USR-PLUS continues to
    call for the resignation of Prime Minister Florin Cîţu. The motion filed by USR-PLUS and AUR was
    signed by 122 MPs. For the document to be adopted in Parliament, a minimum of
    234 votes are required, which means USR-PLUS and AUR will need the support of other
    parliamentary parties. From the opposition, PSD says it will vote the motion,
    but only if it leads to snap elections. The Social-Democrats want to file their
    own motion, claiming USR-PLUS ministers should also be dismissed.










    DIPLOMACY
    – The Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs over September 7-9 is organizing
    the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, the Ministry announced in a release
    published on Sunday. This year’s theme is titled Diplomatic action to
    consolidate Romania’s resilience. Traditionally organized around Romanian
    Diplomacy Day, this year the event will be held online and will involve the
    participation of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular
    offices abroad. Attending will also be the Foreign Minister of the Republic of
    Moldova, Nicolae Popescu, who will be paying an official visit to Bucharest,
    the Foreign Minister of Greece, Nikos Denidas, who will also be in Romania for
    an official visit. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Italy’s Minister for
    Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, the Indian
    Foreign Minister, Australia’s Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investments, as
    well as European Commission and OSCE officials. European Commission
    vice-president for democracy and demography, Dubravka Šuica, the Secretary
    General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Helga
    Schmid, who will give online presentations, as well as Thomas Garrett, the
    Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, who will attend the meeting
    physically.




    EVACUATIONS
    – Another 80 Afghan citizens were successfully evacuated on Sunday from
    Afghanistan via land transport, and are now safe in Pakistani territory, the
    Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has announced. The special task force
    coordinated by Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced it is looking for the most
    effective means of transporting the citizens safely to Romania. The group of
    people includes former collaborators of the Romanian Armed Forces, students
    with scholarships in Romania, a human rights university professor, a
    representative of the Afghan Police, members of their families and other
    vulnerable categories. The task force has so far evacuated 156 Afghan citizens
    who risked being persecuted by the Taliban regime in Kabul if they had stayed.




    PATZAICHIN
    – The several-time Olympic canoe champion Ivan Patzaichin passed away on Sunday,
    aged 71, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee writes on its Facebook page.
    Ivan Patzaichin won seven medals at the Olympic Games, four gold and three
    silver. He took part in five editions of the Games, from 1968 to 1984. He is
    also the holder of 22 world titles. He went on to become a great coach, his
    trainees winning 150 Olympic, world and European medals. He was the
    vice-president of the Romanian Federation of Kayak-Canoe and the vice-president
    of the Romanian Olympic Committee. Elected in 1990, Juan Antonia Samaranch, the
    chairman of the International Olympic Committee, bestowed on Patzaichin the
    Platinum Wreath, the highest Olympic distinction, becoming the only Romanian to
    hold this title. In 2000 he was given the Faithful Servant national order in
    rank of knight. In April, 2019, Ivan Patzaichin was also awarded the Golden
    Wreath, the highest distinction of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.
    In 2019, the presidency awarded Patzaichin The Romanian Star national order
    in rank of knight. (VP)





  • September 5, 2021

    September 5, 2021

    COVID-19 – The daily number of COVID-19
    infections is on the rise. The pandemic is again putting additional strain on
    medical units across the country, as for several days the number of infections has
    exceeded the 1,500 mark. 1,242 new cases of COVID infection were reported on
    Sunday, in addition to 11 related fatalities. Over 3,000 people are being
    treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across the country, while 372 people are currently
    in intensive care. Health Minister Ioana Mihăilă announced additional ICU beds
    will be made available in Bucharest, where the largest number of new cases was
    reported. Over 6,600 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday, while
    5.1 million people have completed the vaccination scheme. On the other hand,
    Romania has sent 100 thousand rapid antigen COVID tests to neighboring Moldova.
    Romania’s ambassador to Chişinău, Daniel Ioniţă, said the donation reflects the
    special relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. So far Romania
    has donated 500,000 anti-COVID-19 vaccine shots to neighboring Moldova.


    POLITICAL
    CRISIS – President Klaus Iohannis intervened in the political crisis in
    Romania, calling on the USR-PLUS alliance to resume dialogue within the ruling
    coalition and come up with a viable and reasonable solution to overcome the
    political deadlock. USR-PLUS didn’t back down and continued to call for the
    resignation of Liberal Prime Minister, Florin Cîţu. Their decision was
    motivated by the Prime Minister’s choice to dismiss the USR-PLUS Justice
    Minister, Stelian Ion, who opposed one of the government’s infrastructure
    projects. The president considers the Alliance’s decision to sign and file a
    no-confidence motion against their own government, alongside AUR, an
    ultra-nationalist party, is an insult against all Romanians. In turn, Prime
    Minister Florin Cîţu also called on his junior coalition partners to show
    responsibility, saying that making a new nomination for the position of Justice
    Minister would immediately solve the problem. The motion filed by USR-PLUS and
    AUR was signed by 122 MPs. For the document to be adopted in Parliament, a
    minimum of 234 votes are required, which means USR-PLUS and AUR will need the support
    of other parliamentary parties.




    LIST -
    The updated list of countries representing an epidemiological risk was
    published on Sunday by the National Committee for Emergency Situations. Serbia,
    Estonia and Albania have entered the red zone, while all arrivals from this
    country will enter quarantine, unless they provide proof of vaccination or that
    they had the disease. Norway, Austria and Bosnia Herzegovina have now entered
    the yellow zone, in addition to Spain and Lichtenstein, where infection rates
    have dropped. People coming from these areas will not enter quarantine if they
    provide proof of vaccination, of a PCR negative test or if they’ve had the
    disease.




    DIPLOMACY
    – The Romanian Ministry for Foreign Affairs over September 7-9 is organizing
    the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, the Ministry announced in a release
    published on Sunday. This year’s theme is titled Diplomatic action to
    consolidate Romania’s resilience. Traditionally organized around Romanian Diplomacy
    Day, this year the event will be held online and will involve the participation
    of the heads of Romania’s diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad.
    Attending will also be the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae
    Popescu, who will be paying an official visit to Bucharest, the Foreign
    Minister of Greece, Nikos Denidas, who will also be in Romania for an official
    visit. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Italy’s Minister for Foreign
    Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, the Indian Foreign
    Minister, Australia’s Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investments, as well as
    European Commission and OSCE officials. European Commission vice-president for
    democracy and demography, Dubravka Šuica, the Secretary General of the Organization
    for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Helga Schmid, who will give online
    presentations, as well as Thomas Garrett, the Secretary General of the
    Community of Democracies, who will attend the meeting physically.




    PATZAICHIN
    – The several-time Olympic canoe champion Ivan Patzaichin passed away on Sunday,
    aged 71, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee writes on its Facebook page.
    Ivan Patzaichin won seven medals at the Olympic Games, four gold and three
    silver. He took part in five editions of the Games, from 1968 to 1984. He is
    also the holder of 22 world titles. He went on to become a great coach, his
    trainees winning 150 Olympic, world and European medals. He was the
    vice-president of the Romanian Federation of Kayak-Canoe and the vice-president
    of the Romanian Olympic Committee. Elected in 1990, Juan Antonia Samaranch, the
    chairman of the International Olympic Committee, bestowed on Patzaichin the
    Platinum Wreath, the highest Olympic distinction, becoming the only Romanian to
    hold this title. In 2000 he was given the Faithful Servant national order in
    rank of knight. In April, 2019, Ivan Patzaichin was also awarded the Golden
    Wreath, the highest distinction of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.
    In 2019, the presidency awarded Patzaichin The Romanian Star national order
    in rank of knight.




    TENNIS -
    Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, is today playing Elina Svitolina of
    Ukraine in the round of 16 at the US Open. Halep has played Svitolina 10 times
    at WTA level, the head-to-head score being 5-5. Halep’s best performance at the
    US Open is the semi-final played in 2015. Also at the US Open, Horia Tecău and Kevin Krawietz of Germany have
    advanced to the round of 16 in the men’s doubles, after ousting Frederik
    Nielsen of Denmark and Vasek Pospisil of Canada, 7-6, 7-6. Their next opponents
    will be Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Andreio Molteni of Argentina.




    FOOTBALL
    – Romania’s national football team is today playing Lichtenstein in Bucharest
    in the 2022 World Cup preliminaries. On Thursday, Romania defeated Iceland and
    now ranks 4th in Group J with 4 points. Also today, Iceland is
    playing North Macedonia while Germany will take on Armenia. Ranking first is
    Armenia, followed by Germany. North Macedonia is in 3rd place.
    Romania will next play North Macedonia on September 8 in Skopje. (VP)



  • June 26, 2017 UPDATE

    June 26, 2017 UPDATE

    PRIME MINISTER – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Monday night designated the interim Economy Minister Mihai Tudose, 50, as the new Prime Minister. Further to consultations held throughout the day with the leaders of parliamentary parties, the head of state accepted the proposal made by the ruling coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The coalition feels entitled to make the nomination, after last week they voted to dismiss their own government, headed by Sorin Grindeanu. According to President Iohannis, the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats say they have a majority in Parliament, and the opposition parties did not come up with any proposals, nor did they hint that they have a political agreement on the topic. On the other hand, the President added, the current crisis severely damages Romania and it must end as soon as possible. This is why the President called on all parliamentary parties to put together an agenda enabling them to complete the parliamentary procedures this week, so that Romania may have a new Government.




    BACCALAUREATE – 135,000 high school graduates in Romania Monday took the Romanian language and literature test, the first test in the Baccalaureate exam. On Tuesday the students with native languages other than Romanian will be tested in their native language and literature, and on Wednesday the compulsory test corresponding to the chosen profile is scheduled, with the last written test of the current session scheduled on Friday. Statistics show that in the academic year that has just ended, the total number of students in the Romanian education system was nearly 3.6 million, down 45,000 since the previous year.




    FLAG DAY – On Monday, Romania celebrated the National Flag Day. On this occasion, the Foreign Ministry pointed out in a news release that the national flag was the ultimate symbol of Romanian identity and unity. Flown at all the events organised by the Romanian diplomatic missions, consular offices and cultural institutes, the national flag is also a symbol of cultural and spiritual identity for the Romanians living abroad. June 26 was declared the National Flag Day in 1998, to mark the day in 1848 when the three-colour flag was first adopted as a national symbol.




    TENNIS – The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea (62 WTA) Monday qualified into the second round of the Eastbourne tournament in the UK, with USD 750,000 in total prize money. She defeated the Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2, and is to play next against Britains Johanna Konta. Two other Romanians, Simona Halep, number 2 in the world and Monica Niculescu (51 WTA) will also play in the second round. Halep will take on the Chinese Ying-Ying Duan, while Niculescu is up against the Bulgarian Tvetana Pironkova, after Petra Kvitova (the Czech Republic) withdrew from the competition. Eastbourne is the last test before the third Grand Slam of the year, Wimbledon.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • No confidence motion against the government

    No confidence motion against the government

    Today’s vote in Parliament of a majority coalition against its own government was a first in Romania’s post-Communist history. Dissident Social Democrat PM Sorin Grindeanu and another two rebel ministers were blamed for their lack of political maturity and responsibility and for deciding to govern on their own behalf although the PSD had withdrawn their political support.



    The motion was the only constitutional solution to which the PSD and ALDE could resort, in the context in which PM Sorin Grindeanu refused to step down, in spite of losing the political support of the PSD and most of his ministers and of being excluded from the PSD.



    In his defense, PM Sorin Grindeanu told Parliament that he did not understand why the PSD wanted to remove its own government at a moment when the governing process was going well, as proved by economic statistics. He has warned that passing the no confidence motion means that the PSD is no longer the governing party, thus becoming dependant on President Klaus Iohannis.



    In retort, the PSD leader, Liviu Dragnea, said the government and the prime minister did not perform well and that Wednesday’s vote meant the continuation of the PSD-ALDE governance, as the Romanian citizens voted in the December 2016 legislative elections. The scandal in the governing coalition started from the assessment of the Grindeanu cabinet’s activity, 6 months after the government was installed. The assessment pointed to big delays in implementing the governing program.



    PM Grindeanu rejected the assessment as ungrounded and defied the assessor, a former finance minister investigated for serious corruption acts, considering him unreliable. Grindeanu’s opposition to Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the PSD, is the political surprise of the summer, according to commentators.



    Apparently submissive to the party leader, Grindeanu has proved unexpected courage. He denounced Dragnea’s authoritarian style conditioning his resignation on Dragnea’s own resignation. Some observers claim that the real reason behind the vote against Grindeanu is the government’s delay in promoting the justice law and the criminal codes in the relaxed forms that would help Dragnea in a criminal case in which he is accused of incitement to abuse of office.



    PM Sorin Grindeanu’s revolt and the PSD leadership’s reaction to it, a no confidence motion against its own government, will surely have consequences within the PSD. Their voters will wonder what happened with the party’s force and cohesion in only 6 months after taking power, in the context in which, in the absence of a strong parliamentary opposition, the president and the citizens were the only ones to sanction the government’s actions.



    For Romania, Wednesday’s vote should be a first step towards solving the political crisis. President Klaus Iohannis has given assurances that, despite the political crisis, Romania is a stable country, because it has a very good economic situation and is seen as a trustworthy partner.

  • June 20, 2017

    June 20, 2017

    VISIT – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has today received the Dresden Medal of St. George of the Semper Opera Ball, at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin. The President has said, upon receiving the medal, that he dedicates it to the Romanian-German friendship. Iohanis has also reiterated Romania’s commitment to the future European project. “Europe means democracy, pluralism, tolerance and diversity. The EU means freedom and responsibility”, the President has concluded. Later today Klaus Iohannis is attending in Berlin a ceremony commemorating the victims of refuge and expulsion hosted by the German History Museum. Iohannis will deliver a speech on this occasion. On Monday, Iohannis held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and his counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier.




    REFUGEES – A record 65.6 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced from their homes owing to conflict or persecution by the end of 2016, the United Nations announced. According to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the record number includes 22.5 million refugees, 40.3 million internally displaced people and 2.8 million asylum seekers. Syrias six-year conflict alone has sent more than 5.5 million people seeking safety in other countries, including 825,000 last year alone, accounting for the worlds largest group of refugees. The report was made public on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, marked today. In Romania, as of 1991 up to present about 27 thousand people applied for a form of protection. Of them almost 5 thousand were granted the status of refugee or subsidiary protection. Since the start of the year 1,700 asylum applications have been submitted. Most asylum seekers come from Syria, Iraq and Pakistan.




    POLITICAL CRISIS – The political crisis in Bucharest continues, a day before the no confidence vote in Parliament. The coalition in power in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats tabled a motion of no confidence in their own Government. The motion will be discussed and voted on this Wednesday, and at least 233 votes are required in order for it to pass. According to the ruling coalition leaders Liviu Dragnea and Calin Popescu Tariceanu, the replacement of the executive team was necessary, given the delays in implementing the governing programme. The criticism is dismissed by the Prime Minister, who says 6 months is not enough time to implement large-scale reforms.





    BREXIT – The European Union and the UK on Monday launched Brexit talks, which will last less than two years and which will allow a country to leave the community bloc, for the first time ever. Chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Davis have set up three working groups, established a meeting timetable, and identified the main priorities during the negotiation process. According to the EU treaties, the two sides have until March 29, 2019, to reach an accord on an array of deeply complex issues, including citizens’ rights, the UK’s financial obligations to the EU, and border and customs controls.




    COURT — The High Court in Bucharest is today setting new court appearance dates in the cases involving the Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea, former PM Victor Ponta and former deputy PM and interior Minister Gabriel Oprea. The Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea is accused of instigation to abuse of office. Gabriel Oprea is also accused of abuse of office for having used public funds illegally. Also, former PM Victor Ponta is accused of forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, in a case also involving the former minister of transport, the Social Democrat senator Dan Sova.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • January 15, 2016 UPDATE

    January 15, 2016 UPDATE

    Nicolae Timofti, president of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet country with a Romanian-speaking majority on Friday designated the new candidate of the Parliament majority, Pavel Filip for the position of Prime Minister, Radio Chisinau reports. Pavel Filip is to be starting negotiations with Parliament parties on Monday. The president said that he accepted the majority’s new candidate after the situation changed on Thursday night when many signatories of the majority’s statement endorsing a candidate had announced they would cease their support if the Democratic Party insisted on the candidacy of controversial businessman Vlad Plahotniuc. On Friday, the declared Parliament majority of 55 MPs out of the Legislature’s 101 presented president Timofti with the candidacy of incumbent IT&C Minister Pavel Filip for the position of Prime Minister. Earlier in the day, Ion Paduraru, designated on Thursday by president Timofti, had announced his withdrawal. Unless a new government gets the swearing in vote by January 29th, the Republic of Moldova will be seeing early election.



    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has sent the law on changing the status of local political leaders to Parliament for reassessing. The president said that in its present form the law could affect the fight against corruption and the effectiveness of legislation in terms of integrity. Under the present law, mayors, local and county councilors as well as county council chairmen can lose their mandates only after they have been given prison sentences. The president believes that it’s the condemnation itself that should make a dignitary loses his or her integrity and not the punishment given by the court. The law was rejected by the Chamber of Deputies but endorsed by the Senate as a decision-making body.



    A host of literary events, exhibitions and music shows have been held in Bucharest and other big cities across Romania and abroad, to mark National Culture Day. The Romanian Academy hosted a solemn session, and the Romanian Athenaeum played venue for a traditional music concert given by folk singer Grigore Lese and friends. Homage paying events have been held in Chisinau, the capital city of the Republic of Moldova, a country with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, where National Culture Day is also celebrated today, as well as in the Cernauti region in Ukraine, which is home to over 200,000 ethnic Romanians.



    Romania’s economy registered a 3.7% growth rate in the first nine months of 2015, as compared to the same period of 2014, data released by the National Institute for Statistics show. Also, in real terms, the GDP registered in the third quarter of 2015 was 1.4% higher than in the second quarter of the same year. The National Forecast Commission has revised upward, to 3.6%, the estimated increase in the GDP in 2015 and maintained to 4.1% the estimated economic growth rate in 2016, according to the autumn version of the Long-Term Forecast, made public in November.

  • January 12, 2016 UPDATE

    January 12, 2016 UPDATE

    ISTANBUL BLAST– The Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemns the terrorist attack carried out in Istanbuls historical district of Sultanahmet on Tuesday, which left dead and wounded. In a press release, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterates Romanias solidarity with the Turkish people and its support for the Turkish authorities in the effort to fight terrorism under all its forms. The perpetrator of the suicide bombing which killed over 10 people, among whom nine German nationals, is a Jihadist member of the Islamic State group, said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. An emergency government meeting was summoned shortly after the blast, which occurred not far away from the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque, two monuments that are very popular with tourists. According to “CNN Turk, tourists from Germany and Norway are among the injured. Some months ago, a double suicide bombing killed 103 people in front of the central railway station in Ankara. The attack, the severest on Turkish soil ever, was blamed on the Islamic State Jihadist group.



    DIPLOMACY – Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazar Comanescu, paid a visit to Berlin on Tuesday, at the invitation of his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The talks focused on bilateral relations as well as on issues of topical interest on the European, regional and international agenda. One of the focal points of the talks was the cooperation between Bucharest and Berlin in the context in which Germany is holding the presidency of the OSCE this year. Lazar Comanescu underlined Germanys importance as an economic engine at European level and as a partner of Romania. Over 20% of Romanias foreign trade is bound for Germany and the Romanian-German trade balance is reasonably balanced, the Romanian Foreign Minister said. Over 20,000 companies running on German capital operate in Romania at present, employing over 300,000 people.



    NEW IMF MISSION CHIEF FOR ROMANIA – The new head of the IMF mission to Romania, the Pakistani Reza Baqir, is currently on a four-day visit to Bucharest, as of today, to meet the Romanian authorities. He replaces Andrea Schaechter, who completed her two and a half year term in office. Reza Baqir has been working with the IMF for 15 years, and was previously employed by the World Bank. At present Romania does not have an on-going agreement with the IMF. The latest accord came to an end in September 2015, after several failed attempts to reconcile the divergent views of the Romanian authorities and the international financial institution with respect to the fiscal relaxation promoted by Bucharest. Meanwhile, on Monday Romania signed a new memorandum with the World Bank, concerning the improvement of public administration efficiency. Under the new deal, WB will continue to provide technical assistance to Romanian public institutions until 2023 and will support the Government in enforcing structural reforms and public administration modernisation programmes.



    MOLDOVA – The leader of the Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova, Marian Lupu, announced, after consultations with President Nicolae Timofti, the formation of a new parliamentary majority which could get a new cabinet endorsed. According to Lupu, the new coalition includes 56 out of the total 101 MPs: Democrats, Liberals, some members of the Liberal-Democrat floor group, which was part of the former pro-Western government coalition, as well as the 14 ex-Communist MPs who created a so-called Social Democratic Platform. Until Wednesday, Lupu said, this majority would also nominate a new candidate for the PM post. Moldovan media quoted by Radio Romania correspondents suggest this might be Vlad Plahotniuc, a controversial businessman and the one who finances the Democratic Party. Unless a new cabinet is sworn in by January 29, President Timofti will have to dissolve Parliament and call snap elections. The governmental crisis started in autumn, when the three-party government headed by the Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed under a no-confidence motion tabled by the pro-Moscow left wing and backed by the Democrats.



    COUNTER-TERRORISM – The global counter-terrorism forum and the international coalition against the IS group convened on Monday for the first time, in the Hague, to coordinate efforts to fight terrorism. Officials from 50 countries concluded at the Europol meeting, initiated and chaired by the Netherlands, that fighting terrorism does not require new structures, but rather the implementation of all agreements and improved cooperation. The issue of young people recruited by terrorist groups into Syria and Iraq was also discussed. Countries are urged to step up and strengthen intelligence sharing concerning such youth. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Bert Koenders, emphasised that the efforts to counter terrorism must stay within the limits of both legal and moral principles.


    (Translated and edited by Diana Vijeu)

  • January 12, 2016

    January 12, 2016

    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Lazăr Comănescu, is on a visit to Berlin today, at the invitation of his counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The talks will focus on the bilateral relation and major issues on the European, regional and international agenda. One topic will be the cooperation between Bucharest and Berlin, in the context of Germany holding the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe this year. Lazăr Comănescu stressed the importance of Germany as an economic engine of Europe and as a partner of Romania. More than 20% of Romanias foreign trade involves Germany, and the trade balance is reasonably balanced, the Romanian Foreign Minister explained. Over 20,000 companies running on German capital operate in Romania at present, employing more than 300,000 people.



    IMF ROMANIA – The new head of the IMF mission in Romania, the Pakistani Reza Baqir, will be on a four-day visit to Bucharest, as of today, to meet the Romanian authorities. He replaces Andrea Schaechter, who completed her two and a half year term in office. Reza Baqir has been working with the IMF for 15 years, and was previously employed by the World Bank. At present Romania does not have an on-going agreement with the IMF. The latest accord came to an end in September 2015, after several failed attempts to reconcile the divergent views of the Romanian authorities and the international financial institution with respect to the fiscal relaxation promoted by Bucharest. Meanwhile, Romania signed yesterday a new memorandum with the World Bank, concerning the improvement of public administration efficiency. Under the new deal, WB will continue to provide technical assistance to Romanian public institutions until 2023 and will support the Government in enforcing structural reforms and public administration modernisation programmes.



    MOLDOVA – The leader of the Democratic Party in the Republic of Moldova, Marian Lupu, announced, after consultations with President Nicolae Timofti, the formation of a new parliamentary majority which could get a new cabinet endorsed. According to Lupu, the new coalition includes 56 out of the total 101 MPs: Democrats, Liberals, some members of the Liberal-Democrat floor group, which was part of the former pro-Western governmental coalition, as well as the 14 ex-Communist MPs who created a so-called Social Democratic Platform. Until Wednesday, Lupu said, this majority would also nominate a new candidate for the PM post. Moldovan media quoted by Radio Romania correspondents suggest this might be Vlad Plahotniuc, a controversial businessman and the one who finances the Democratic Party. Unless a new cabinet is sworn in by January 29, President Timofti will have to dissolve the Parliament and announce snap elections. The governmental crisis started in autumn, when the three-party government headed by the Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed under a no-confidence motion tabled by the pro-Moscow left wing and backed by the Democrats.



    COUNTER-TERRORISM – The global counter-terrorism forum and the international coalition against the IS group convened yesterday for the first time, in The Hague, to coordinate efforts to fight terrorism. Officials for 50 countries concluded at the Europol meeting initiated and chaired by the Netherlands, that fighting terrorism does not require new structures, but rather the implementation of all agreements and improved cooperation. The issue of young people recruited by terrorist groups into Syria and Iraq was also discussed. Countries are urged to step up and strengthen the sharing of intelligence concerning such youth. The Dutch Foreign Minister, Bert Koenders, emphasised that the efforts to counter terrorism must stay within the limits of both legal and moral principles.



    ISTANBUL BLAST – A powerful blast, suspected by authorities of being a terrorist act, occurred this morning in the Sultanahmet area downtown Istanbul, not far from Topkapî Palace and the Blue Mosque, and killed at least 10 people, Turkish news agencies have reported. Several months ago, a double suicide attack killed 103 people in front of the central railway station in Ankara. That attack, the most serious ever on Turkish territory, was blamed on the IS group.



    SPORTS – Romanias mens water polo team defeated Georgia 12-6, on Monday night, in their first game in Group C of the European Championship in Belgrade. On Wednesday, in the second stage, the national team will take on Italy. Group C also includes Germany. The European Water Polo Championships are a trial for the 2016 Olympics, and the winners secure their tickets to Rio de Janeiro, in August. The top 10 teams in the Euro 2016 Championships will take part in an Olympic qualification tournament.

  • NATO Representatives in Chisinau

    NATO Representatives in Chisinau

    The North Atlantic Alliance has showed concern for the complicated situation the Republic of Moldova is currently in, and has urged Chisinau to step up efforts to overcome the political crisis and to form a new pro-European parliamentary majority. This is supposed to fill in the power vacuum created by the dismissal, through a no-confidence motion last month, of the 3-party government, made up of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. Tabled by the Socialists and Communists in opposition, the motion was also voted by the Democratic Party MPs, who, together with the pro-Moscow left, accused the Liberal Democrat Prime Minister, Valeriu Strelet, of involvement in corruption scandals.



    The vice-president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Paolo Alli, has pointed out that the Republic of Moldova can continue to rely on the Alliances support, but it will have to implement the required reforms in fields as the judiciary or the anti-corruption fight. A NATO delegation went to Chisinau last week to examine the program for the reconstruction of the republics defense capabilities. The program, in which important allies such as the US, Germany, Turkey and Romania contributed funds and expertise, was drafted at the NATO summit held last year in Wales, when NATO included the defense of partner countries, among which the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, in its own strategy.



    Threatened by Russias fresh territorial appetite and by its attempts to stifle any aspirations for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Moscows former colonies were also mentioned in the final declaration of the NATO eastern flank summit held in Bucharest, which brought together the Central and eastern European NATO members. An advisor to the former president of Romania, Traian Basescu, the director of the Center for Conflict Prevention, and an expert in the ex-Soviet area, Iulian Chifu, explains:



    Iulian Chifu: “This is the first step in a very robust action of the Alliance meant to defend its foreign partners in the east and to support them in developing an increased defense capability, in order to boost their security and defense capacity. The document says the Alliances defense strategy also includes the partner states. This does not mean that they will benefit from Article 5 provisions or that there is a joint defense plan. It is actually in the Alliances interest to include these states in a common strategy and support them in developing their own defense capabilities, so that they can ensure their own security, of course with the contribution and support of the Alliance in building such capabilities.



    The Liberal Anatol Selaru, the acting Defense Minister, who had been initially dismissed alongside the entire Strelet Cabinet, continues to plead for tighter relations with NATO. This anti-Soviet militant, who defines himself as a Romanian politician from the Republic of Moldova, says that, in the context of the prolonged military conflict in Ukraine and of the presence of Russian troops in the breakaway region of Transdniester,



    Anatol Selaru: “This is the best solution, considering that 25% of Moldovas territory is occupied by the Russian army. Major things cant be done in a week, but things may well happen, such the one experienced by the Ukrainians, and we tend to turn a blind eye to them. Im preparing the Moldovan army to join NATO at any moment.



    On the other hand, Minister Selaru has warned that the Republic of Moldova risks disappearing as a state because of two great threats. One of them is corruption, which comes from inside the state, and is discrediting the entire political class. The other threat comes from the outside, and is represented by Russia, which wants to rebuild its former empire.



    A member of the founding council of the NATO Information Center in Chisinau and a former defense minister, Viorel Cibotaru has warned, in his turn, that extended political instability and the divergences between parliamentary parties may take Moldova out of NATOs agenda of priorities. This would be another wasted opportunity, after the countrys EU accession was postponed, even though Brussels admitted last year that Moldova observed most of the terms of the Eastern Partnership and signed the association and free trade agreements, which should have preceded the countrys EU accession in 2020. Cibotaru told Radio Romania correspondents in Chisinau:



    Viorel Cibotaru: “The opportunities that this country had several months ago are slowly disappearing, just as the attention of the Alliance and the EU. So at least in this respect, we have difficult times ahead of us. Strengthening national security and counteracting risks are also among the challenges facing our country.



    Almost a quarter of a century ago, when, the Soviet Union collapsed after the failed neo-Bolshevik coup in Moscow, and on August 27, 1991 Chisinau proclaimed its independence from the Soviet empire, Western sociologists said the Republic of Moldova was in a situation as favorable as that of the Baltic States. Today the same experts are surprised to see that, whereas Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are EU and NATO members, Chisinau seems unable to move forward because of its own decision makers, and thus faces the risk of being drawn into Russias orbit once again.

    (Translation by: Elena Enache, Lacramioara Simion)

  • Romania supports Moldova’s European accession

    Romania supports Moldova’s European accession

    Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Monday sent the law on the refundable loan to Moldova back to Parliament for re-examination. The President claims the law is untimely, expressing concern over Moldova’s commitment to continue the line of reforms and implement the Association Agreement with the EU.



    Worth 150 million euros, the loan will be made available from funds resulted from the privatization process. The Governments of the two countries originally agreed on the loan on October 7, 2015, based on the joint declaration for setting up a strategic partnership between Romania and the Republic of Moldova for the European integration of Moldova, signed in Bucharest on April 27, 2010. Under the law, the refundable loan will help finance the budget deficit of Moldova and refund its public debt.



    The loan can be disbursed in a maximum of three separate installments, each with a maturity date of maximum five years. Moldova would use the money to pay a substantial share of its outstanding public salaries and pensions. The Republic of Moldova is currently in a severe political and financial deadlock caused by bank frauds and acts of corruption that led to the fall of the Strelet Cabinet and the IMF’s refusal to sign a new loan agreement.



    In the document for the loan agreement with Moldova, Romania stipulated the loan would be handed out only if Chisinau signed an agreement with the IMF. Democrat and Liberal leaders in Chisinau hailed president Iohannis’ announcement on Monday, seeing Romania’s decision to freeze the loan as the normal thing to do.



    Meanwhile, Moldova’s president Nicolae Timofti started consultations with parliamentary parties with a view to nominating a new Prime Minister. After the breakup of the Alliance for European Integration, whose leader Vlad Filat has been arrested pending a corruption investigation, the Liberal-Democrats have refused to join forces with the Democrats and the Liberals to make up a new alliance that would ensure them majority in Parliament.



    The Communist Party in opposition has argued in favour of a technocratic Cabinet, while the Socialists want snap elections. In another move, the Democrats have started negotiations with the Communists, while the Liberals and the group of independent MPs have ruled out an alliance with the Communists.

  • October 30, 2015

    October 30, 2015

    The former president of Romania, Traian Basescu, may be prosecuted in a case involving the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq in 2005, a Bucharest court decided today, citing abuse of office and conflict of interests among the charges. The case was opened after the former leader of Greater Romania Party, Corneliu Vadim Tudor, filed a complaint to the General Prosecutors Office in 2009, accusing Traian Basescu and his former Interior Minister, the current co-president of the National Liberal Party, Vasile Blaga, of having appropriated some of the 4 million US dollars paid by the Romanian state as ransom for the three journalists. Prosecutors mentioned that the probe into Vasile Blaga was closed in 2010, and prosecution was ruled out. Traian Basescu finds the accusations ridiculous and views the case as an offence to Romania.



    Nine central and eastern-European countries will take part in Bucharest on November 4 in a high-level meeting, attended by the deputy NATO Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow. He has recently said that there are risks when Russia gets involved in operations close to NATO territory. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, who will be hosting the summit, announced that the participants will release a joint message regarding the adjustment of NATO to the current security context.



    The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is taking part today, in Ulm (Germany) in the fourth Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, organised by the European Commission. On this occasion, Minister Aurescu will have bilateral meetings with German officials. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region is a major European political project launched by Romania jointly with Austria, and the Forum is its central annual event. The project brings together Danube riparian countries, of which 9 EU members and 5 non-members.



    Romania might reach an absorption rate of over 90% by the end of the 2007-2014 National Rural Development Programme, which means that more than 9 billion euros from national and European funds will have been attracted into the sector, said George Turtoi, secretary of state with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This programme is the instrument under which non-reimbursable funds are allotted for private and public investments that ensure the development of villages in Romania. The total funds earmarked under this programme were 9.67 billion euro, which should have been contracted by the end of 2013, but can still be paid until the end of 2015, Agerpres reports.



    The mayor of the north-eastern Romanian city of Iasi, Gheorghe Nichita, and a well-known businessman are to find out today whether they will be placed under custody pending trial for 30 days. The two are subject to investigation in a case involving the award of an EU-funded contract amounting to 15 million euros.



    The European Union announced it was closely monitoring the political developments in the Republic of Moldova, after the Parliament in Chisinau Thursday dismissed the Cabinet headed by Valeriu Streletz through a no-confidence motion. In a press release issued by the office of the EU foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, Brussels urges the politicians in Chisinau to form a new and stable government as soon as possible, considering that the Republic of Moldova is experiencing a difficult period in all respects – economic, political and social. The new Cabinet will have to carry on efforts to fight corruption, to solve the banking crisis and to negotiate a new agreement with the IMF, which is vital to ensuring macroeconomic stability, reads the press statement.



    Talks are held in Vienna today between the foreign powers that back the rival parties in the Syrian civil war. According to the BBC, the goal is the bridge the differences between the US and its allies, which support the rebels, and the key supporters of the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran. This is for the first time that Iran takes part in such talks. Recently, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, urged the participants in the Vienna talks to prove “flexibility. The war, which has been going on for four years, started out as a rebellion against the President Bashar al-Assad, and has so far killed 250,000 people, forcing half of the countrys population, nearly 11 million people, to leave their homes.