Radio România Internațional

Tag: political talks

  • Brussels – political talks on Romania

    Brussels – political talks on Romania

    Romania’s political situation was presented in Brussels by PM Viorica Dancila before the leaders of the main groups in the European Parliament. The meetings took place in the context of the future debates in the European Parliament, to be held next week, regarding the anti-government protest of August 10 in Bucharest, when the gendarmes used violence against the protesters. The PM Dancila was invited to participate in the debates.



    The PM talked about the measures taken at economic and social level related to social justice, defending the rights and freedoms of citizens and re-balancing the powers of the state, shows a government press release. As to the reforms of the judiciary, the PM showed that they were meant to better gauge the Romanian judicial system to be in line with the European practices and the recommendations of the Venice Commission.



    MEP Gabriela Zoana said after the debates in the European Parliament that the presence of the Romanian PM in the European Parliament and the way in which she presented the concrete stand of the Romanian government, with facts and arguments, actually clarified for the European partners that the Social Democratic government was making justified decisions, in compliance with the domestic legislation and the European values. Euractiv recalls, however, that the European Social Democrats reproached the PM Dancila that the ruling Social Democratic Party – PSD is swerving from the European ‘progressist‘ line.



    According to the same source, the Socialist MEPs asked for clarifications over a series of issues, from major cases of corruption to the referendum to be held on October 6 and 7. In this referendum Romanians are called to vote if they agree with redefining the concept of family in the Constitution as being based on the marriage between a man and a woman. Euractiv quotes a Socialist MEP as saying that, in the EU Charter of fundamental rights, it is clearly stipulated that people have the right to get married without discrimination from a sexual point of view.



    The Romanian PM said in Brussels that the Social Democratic Party would not be making a campaign for the referendum to influence its results and that it is everybody’s obligation to act in order to show what this referendum means. A former Social Democratic MEP, Catalin Ivan, accused the PM’s ‘double language’ and claimed that things in Bucharest are different. In a Twitter post, the leader of the European People’s Party, Mafred Weber, wrote, after the talks with the Romanian PM, that he was concerned with the situation in Romania, considering that the independence of the judiciary was under pressure.

  • June 25, 2017 UPDATE

    June 25, 2017 UPDATE

    POLITICAL TALKS – The leaderships of the main political parties in Romania are completing the mandates for Mondays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, for the designation of a new prime minister. Talks are also held between political leaders to consolidate a parliamentary majority. We recall that the leftist cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu was toppled by a no-confidence motion tabled by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, ALDE, which supported it following the legislative elections of December 2016. The Social Democrats and their ALDE partners say they further hold a parliamentary majority and will make a nomination for a new prime minister on Monday. The centre-right opposition made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party rule out any collaboration with PSD, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania hasnt taken a clear stand so far.



    CRIMINAL LEGISLATION – The Romanian Justice Ministry next week starts a series of public demands on amending criminal legislation on the “abuse of office, in agreement with the rulings issued by Romanias Constitutional Court. A debate with representatives of civil society and of the business environment is scheduled for June 28, whereas a similar meeting with representatives of institutions in the judicial system, the magistrates professional associations, members of the academia and representatives of legal liberal professions is due on July 3. The debates will be held at the ministrys headquarters. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that criminal provisions in force regarding the crime of abuse of office are formulated in broader, vague terms. Also, the Court ruled that the provisions of an article on the prevention, discovery and punishing of corruption acts related to attempted abuse of office are not constitutional.



    MILITARY EXERCISE – A Romanian-U.S. military air exercise is unfolding at the Campia Turzii Base in northwestern Romania. Participating are some 200 Romanian troops, pilots and technical staff, using MiG-21 LanceR fighters and IAR-330 Puma helicopters, alongside some 300 U.S. military, using F-15 fighters and the required technical equipment. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, the exercise which will unfold until late August, gives the chance to Romanian military to practice tactics, techniques and standard procedures specific to air operations, at NATO standards and to carry out joint flying missions with their American partners.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian foreign minister, Teodor Melescanu, and his Georgian counterpart, Mikheil Janelidze, on Sunday exchanged messages of congratulations marking 25 years since the inception of bilateral diplomatic relations. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Romania is one of the most constant and staunchest supporters of Georgia’ European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The very good political dialogue between the two countries materialised in many bilateral meetings, which have been on the rise particularly in recent years, both at ministerial and expert level. Romania recognised the independence of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in August 1991 and bilateral diplomatic relations were established in June 1992.


    ENERGY – The price of energy in Romania is still at high levels in the first half of the year and there are no signs that prices will go down, says the president of the Association of Electricity Suppliers, Ion Lungu. According to him, the situation is not specific to Romania alone, but to the entire region, and it is caused by a lack of cheap energy sources, such as hydro and wind energy, against the backdrop of an increasing consumption. In another move, the National Energy Regulatory Agency on Friday announced electricity prices for domestic consumers will increase by 8% as of July 1.

  • June 25, 2017

    June 25, 2017

    POLITICAL TALKS – The leaderships of the main political parties in Romania are completing the mandates for Mondays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, for the designation of a new prime minister. Talks are also held between political leaders to consolidate a parliamentary majority. We recall that the leftist cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu was toppled by a no-confidence motion tabled by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, ALDE, which supported it following the legislative elections of December 2016. The Social Democrats and their ALDE partners say they further hold a parliamentary majority and will make a nomination for a new prime minister on Monday. The centre-right opposition made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party rule out any collaboration with PSD, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania hasnt taken a clear stand so far.



    MILITARY EXERCISE – A Romanian-U.S. military air exercise is unfolding at the Campia Turzii Base in northwestern Romania. Participating are some 200 Romanian troops, pilots and technical staff, using MiG-21 LanceR fighters and IAR-330 Puma helicopters, alongside some 300 U.S. military, using F-15 fighters and the required technical equipment. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, the exercise which will unfold until late August, gives the chance to Romanian military to practice tactics, techniques and standard procedures specific to air operations, at NATO standards and to carry out joint flying missions with their American partners.



    SUMMER EUROPEAN COUNCIL – The future Romanian government will have to get an agreement on the relocation of the European Medicines Agency from Great Britain to Romania, post-Brexit, given that the country is competing with Sweden, France, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, countries which have already forwarded their offers, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said at the end of the European Summit in Brussels. Iohannis also said the future government will also have to breathe fresh air into the defence industry, because it will be able to use resources made available under the new European Defence Fund. The Romanian President demanded at the European Council that the new internal security instruments be applied in a coherent and unified manner, at the level of the whole EU, without any difference between the Schengen member and non-member states like Romania, but which apply Schengen regulations to a large extent. The Schengen membership issue has also been approached by the Romanian President in a bilateral meeting he had with French President Emmanuel Macron, who showed openness to Romanias prospective Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis said however, he does not believe Romania will make other significant progress in the field until the elections in Germany and the appointment of a new government in the Netherlands. As regards the situation of the Romanians in the Great Britain, post-Brexit, Klaus Iohannis said the declarations made by the British PM Theresa May relative to European residents are promising, but he added he is waiting to see them materialising in concrete documents.



    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team defeated Brazil on home turf, 56-5, in the last test match of the month of June. The two teams have never met so far, as they are performing in different performance categories, according to a world classification. Romania has been a constant presence at world tournaments, whereas rugby is at the start of the road in Brazil. Ahead of the match, the Romanian rugby players have played in a tournament in Asia and North America, during which they defeated Canada, 25-9, and lost to Japan, 33-21.