Radio România Internațional

Tag: power

  • Ana Pauker

    Ana Pauker

    Ana Pauker is one of the most conspicuous figureheads in the history of the communist regime in Romania. Ana Pauker played a crucial part in the team that instated the regime of the Communist Party in Romania, between 1947 and 1952. She was also a member of the Petru Groza government, the Communist Party’s first government in Romania. Ana Pauker also held positions in the Romanian Communist Party’s top-notch hierarchy, as well as in the hierarchy of then the Soviet Union’s Communist Party.

    Ana Pauker was born in the eastern Romanian county of Vaslui, in 1893. Her name was Hana Rabinsohn and she was born into a Jewish family: her grandfather was a rabbi. In France, in 1920, Hana met her future husband, Marcel Pauker, also a Jew. The Bucharest-born Marcel Pauker was a radical communist, and his wife Ana joined him in then the Comintern’s activities.

    Ana Pauker became a Soviet agent; she was arrested in 1922 and 1935. In 1941 she was released from prison and went to the then USSR. While still in prison, in 1938 Stalin had her husband executed on the grounds of Marcel Pauker’s being a Western spy. During the war, in Moscow, Ana Pauker was the head of the exiled Romanian group of communists, known as the Moscow faction.

    In 1994, Radio Romania’s Oral History Centre interviewed Ana Pauker’s son-in-law, Gheorghe Brătescu. He took the liberty to quote from a Soviet document, whereby his mother-in-law was appreciated for her qualities but also criticized for her inabilities:

    ”Her characterization, dated 1946, among other things, included the following: ‘among the RCP leaders, comrade Ana Pauker is the best prepared, theoretically, having a great influence among party members. That is why she is the one who, in fact and in all respects, leads the activity of the Romanian Communist Party’s Central Committee. She is very popular with the Romanian people as a result of her illegal communist activities of the past. Apart from her activity in the position of Central Committee Secretary, she heads the parliament’s communist group. She ensures the RCP’s collaboration with the other parties of the Democratic Bloc. She plays an active part in the activity of Women’s International Anti-Fascist Federation. Nevertheless, comrade Ana Pauker has a major weakness as an organizer. She does not use her influence hard enough, but also her authority, for the strengthening of the party ideologically and in terms of its organization’. “

    For Ana Pauker, the end of World War Two and the presence of the Soviet Army in Romania acted as a true launching pad, giving her access to then the political power’s top level. Ana Pauker was elected Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party’s Central Committee. After the forced abdication of King Mihai I on December 30, 1947, she was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

    The early 1950s meant her downfall. In 1952, then the communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej began the elimination of the competing groups. Ana Pauker was a member of such a group, which also included her comrade Vasile Luca. Charged with right-wing deviationism and sabotage, the members of the group were given a prison sentence. Lucretiu Patrascu, one of Gheorghiu Dej’s avowed opponents, was executed. In 1953, Ana Pauker received a home confinement sentence. In 1954, she was expelled from the Communist Party. She lived until 1960 and earned her keep working as a translator of French and German with the Political Publishing House, yet officially she did not have the right to sign her work. She was a member of the translators’ team that created the first complete Romanian-language edition of Marx and Engels’ works.

    After 1965, then the new leader Nicolae Ceaușescu tried to rehabilitate some of the victims of Dej. Gheorghe Brătescu said Ana Pauker was not among them. Gheorghe Bratescu gave us details about her life.

    ”Never ever has there been an attempt to do that. Moreover, she did her work at the Political Publishing House in quite abnormal circumstances. She didn’t even get her salary from there; it was sent to her through the cleaning woman. The latter dispatched the materials the former was supposed to write, and on that occasion, the salary was being sent to her.

    As long as Gheorghiu-Dej lived, she was considered the most dangerous person, especially after the killing of Patrascanu. Which explains why, as regards her political activity, it was not until 1968 since her political activity had been spoken of. Moreover, in 1961, one year after she died, all her decorations were withdrawn from her. In other words, even her memory was somehow rated as being dangerous, so there was no such thing as a possible attempt of recovering. “

    1953 and 1960, paying visits to Ana Pauker were several people, among whom lawyer Radu Olteanu, defender of the communists and anti-fascists in the 1930 trials. But Ana Pauker also had another visitor, a former inmate. With details on that, here is Gheorghe Brătescu once again.

    ” She had no problem paying a visit, she was someone who did time with Ana Pauker, her name was Maria Andreescu, she was known as the Little Old Woman. As far as we could see, she also maintained contact with some of the old acquaintances, friends, comrades, admirers of Ana Pauker. When Ana was admitted to the Colentina hospital, then Maria Sarbu came and paid her a visit. And at the funeral, perhaps spurred by this Little Old Woman, that treacherous, opportunistic old man Gheorghe Cristescu participated, he somehow represented the old socialist movement. “

    Ana Pauker was, just like many others, an individual bedazzled by the ideals of a perfect society which, in practice, translated into terror. And she left this world defeated by its harsh reality.

  • May 19, 2024

    May 19, 2024

     

    OIL Romania’s crude oil output dropped 3.4% in the first quarter of 2024, while imports went down 15.1% compared to the corresponding period in 2023. According to the National Statistics Institute, in Q1 2024 Romania produced over 682,000 tonnes of equivalent oil less than in the corresponding period of 2023, while crude imports exceeded 1.7 mln toe. According to the National Strategy and Forecast Commission, Romania’s crude output will be on a downward trend until 2026, with an average annual drop of 2.2%, as a result of the natural decline in deposits. On the other hand, the Commission predicts an increase in crude imports by an annual 4.1%.

     

    MUSEUMS Around 250 cultural institutions in Romania were opened last night as part of the White Night of Museums, organized concurrently in several European countries. Taking part in the anniversary 20th edition of the event were museums, historic house museums, art galleries, creative studios, theatres, opera houses and philharmonic orchestras in over 70 towns and cities in Romania and several in neighbouring Moldova. Most participating venues were in the capital city Bucharest, and in Sibiu, a former European Capital of Culture in 2007, several museums and other institutions could also be visited free of charge. Exhibitions, interactive tours, performances, street events and concerts were organized on this occasion. The number of participating institutions was nonetheless smaller than usual, because of personnel protests over salary levels. On Saturday, hundreds of museum staff picketed the Ministry of Culture and the Government building. They say they feel abandoned by the government and demand a fair salary structure. PM Marcel Ciolacu has recently announced the culture ministry submitted proposals concerning museum staff pay raises. The finance ministry will analyse the proposals, the PM promised, and next week salary increases may be granted.

     

    NUCLEAR The Cernavodă nuclear power plant’s Unit 1 has been shut down for regular maintenance works today, Nuclearelectrica announced. The company promised the works will be safe for the power plant personnel, for citizens and for the environment. The Cernavodă nuclear power plant, the only one in Romania, has 2 operational units with an installed production capacity of 700 MW. The 2 reactors in Cernavoda cover around 20% of Romania’s energy consumption. The plant uses the Canadian technology CANDU 6 (Canadian Deuterium Uranium), using natural uranium as a fuel.

     

    REFUGEES The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimated on Saturday that 800,000 people have fled the clashes in Rafah since May 6, when the Israeli army launched land operations in this town in the south of Gaza, France Presse and Reuters report. According to the Agency director, Philippe Lazzarini, all these people were forced to leave their town without benefiting from safe passage or protection, and are heading for areas where water resources and hygiene conditions are poor. On the other hand, Austria announced it would resume financing for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, suspended following Israeli claims that Agency staff were involved in the Hamas attack on October 7, AFP writes. As a result of Israel’s accusations, around 15 states suspended their contributions to this UN agency. Many of them, including Germany, Sweden, Canada and Japan, have since resumed donations.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse (aged 26, no. 148 WTA) failed to qualify for the Trophee Clarins tournament final in Paris. On Saturday she was defeated by Emma Navarro of the US (aged 22, no. 22 WTA), 6-0, 6-2. In the doubles competition, Monica Niculescu/Lin Zhu (Romania / China) were outperformed in the final by Asia Muhammad (USA)/Aldila Sutjiadi (Indonesia), 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 11-9. Other Romanian players taking part in the Paris tournament were Simona Halep (who retired in the second set of the match against McCartney Kessler of the US) and Ana Bogdan (who also retired in the match against the French Varvara Gracheva). (AMP)

  • May 19, 2023

    May 19, 2023

    FORUM
    Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction and the EU accession efforts of that country
    and of the Republic of Moldova are among the topics discussed in Bucharest in a
    forum devoted to security challenges at the Black Sea and in the Balkans. The
    2-day event comprises over 40 sessions, attended by senior civilian and
    military officials, diplomats and experts from the European Union and NATO, as
    well as partner states. Attending the event, PM Nicolae Ciucă pleaded for a
    strengthened NATO presence at the Black Sea, where free maritime and air
    traffic are jeopardised by Russia’s threats.


    SOLAR
    POWER Individual households in Bucharest and Ilfov County may enroll, as of
    today, in a new session of the Photovoltaic Green Home programme, addressing
    people who want to install solar panels using state assistance. According to
    the environment ministry, the app used for enrolment is available for separate
    development regions, in alphabetical order, with 3 working days earmarked for
    each region. The programme has a budget of around EUR 35 mln, covering over 87,000
    photovoltaic systems.


    EDUCATION Members of the
    Senate’s committee on education have today resumed discussions on the
    undergraduate education bill. On Thursday the analysis of the higher education
    bill was finalized and a positive report was issued, with certain amendments. The
    Opposition criticized the final draft of the document, which they say fails to
    ensure a true reform of the system. On the other hand, the representatives of
    the ruling coalition, made up of the Social Democratic Party, National Liberal
    Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, said the
    amendments improved the bill. Parliament is scheduled to vote on both education
    bills on Monday, when trade unions in the sector announced they would go on
    all-out strike. Negociations continue today to avoid a strike, but
    after the talks yesterday the unions announced they would not give up their
    planned strike unless their salary demands were met.


    UNESCO Codex Aureus, the
    best-known and most important illuminated medieval manuscript, currently in Alba
    Iulia, central Romania, has been included in the UNESCO heritage list. According
    to the National Library of Romania, the famous manuscript is part of the Memory
    of the World Register, which comprises 9 other 1,200-year old works from various
    countries in Europe. Most
    manuscripts are fragments of Latin gospel books, written in gold ink, and
    featuring portraits of the 4 evangelists.


    SANCTIONS The
    US and their G7 allies Friday announced new sanctions to reduce Russia’s
    ability to carry on its war in Ukraine. The sanctions, which target Russia’s
    highly profitable diamond exports, were decided right ahead of the G7 Summit in
    Hiroshima, Japan. Diamond exports, mainly to the UAE, India and EU member state
    Belgium, earn Moscow several billion US dollars a year. A
    EU official said India’s joining the new set of sanctions would be crucial. Invited to
    attend the summit in Hiroshima is also the Indian PM Narendra Modi, whose
    country has strong ties with Moscow and has been reluctant so far to condemning
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


    RADIO The Romanian and
    Bulgarian public radio broadcasters announced they would strengthen their
    cooperation. The president and director general of the Romanian Radio
    Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă, and the head of the Bulgarian
    National Radio Corporation, Milen Mitev, will sign an agreement in Sofia, under
    which the 2 parties will exchange news and radio programmes free of charge,
    will produce joint programmes and will provide access to archive recordings to
    their respective listeners in the next 2 years.. Radio Romania International aired
    Bulgarian-language programmes between 1946 and 1949, and again between 1995 and
    2004. Since 2022 the Bulgarian National Radio has a Romanian-language web page.
    (AMP)

  • Measures in the field of energy

    Measures in the field of energy

    The war in the neighboring Ukraine and the
    energy crisis it caused in the entire Europe has prompted the authorities in
    Bucharest to look for legislative solutions to ensure electricity, gas and heat
    supplies towards both the population and the economic players. As legislation hasn’t
    always been coherent in this field, the rules of the game have often changed.
    In its session on Wednesday, the last this year, the government endorsed a new
    draft ordinance, which eliminates the affidavit on electricity consumption.




    Before the new law, owners of one or more
    households had to produce an affidavit, which caused confusion among natural
    persons and suppliers alike. For this reason, the ruling PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition
    has decided to eliminate the aforementioned document. Also on Wednesday, the government
    decided to eliminate the 10 eurocents fuel subsidy, which is no longer applied
    starting January 1st




    Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă says the
    authorities are ready to again apply the measure if prices are going to exceed
    the citizens’ purchasing power.




    The executive has announced additional
    taxes for energy suppliers, which announced significant profits against the
    latest crisis. Under the new legislation, taxes rose by 60% in the case of the
    companies operational in the field of oil, gas and coal exploitation and
    deliveries, which reported huge profits this year.




    Mihai Diaconu, state secretary with the
    Finance Ministry explains, that the law will be applied only in the case of the
    companies whose average profit has risen 20% in the past 4 years. The
    government pledges the money coming from the aforementioned taxes will go to
    investments.




    However, representatives of the companies
    in the field have described the new measure as too harsh, adding that 33% would
    have been a decent percentage.


    The government has also postponed until
    October 31st next year the closing down of the coal-operated power
    plants as well as the coal exploitation facilities. According to the
    commitments Romania has assumed under the National Plan of Recovery and
    Resilience, the aforementioned facilities should have been closed down by the
    end of this year. To motivate its decision, the government has invoked the extremely
    difficult energy situation in Romania and the entire Europe, including through
    the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.


    (bill)

  • Criticism of the government after one year in power

    Criticism of the government after one year in power


    One year since the cabinet headed by the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă took power in Bucharest, the opposition released critical reports on the governments work. A huge inflation rate, the lack of interest in reducing expenditure in ministries and keeping special pensions in place for elected officials are listed in a “Black Book of the Government” presented by the president of Save Romania Union (USR) Cătălin Drulă:



    Cătălin Drulă: “One year with the Social Democrats and Liberals in power meant record-high price rises, plagiarism and failed projects. And this government could not have been otherwise. For the members of this cabinet, the state secretaries and their junior staff, the only concern is with feeding their huge party clientele. And during this time, Romanians have seen the most severe price rises of the past 19 years. We have the highest inflation rate since 2003. Banking loan interests have gone up nearly four times this year.ʺ



    In turn, AUR party came up with its own critical document against the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. AUR accuses the government of incompetence and unwillingness to take measures able to help the people and the economy. AUR president George Simion:



    George Simion: ʺTackling the energy issue was delayed, what we, the parliamentary opposition requested, namely the energy mix and the market regulation, which should have been done as far back as last year, has not been done. The much-praised pension increase is a sham: instead of increasing pensions by a fixed amount, say RON 1,250 for all pensions, so as to reach a somewhat reasonable level, they chose the 12.5% option, which doesnt even cover the inflation rate.ʺ



    The Social Democrats were no late in replying, at least to USR, which was in power together with the Liberals for about a year. According to the Social Democratic Party, with the USR in power Romania was stuck and went from one crisis to the next, whereas now Romania has met all the EUs justice-related standards, is seeing the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism lifted and is on the verge of its Schengen accession.



    The current government, comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania came to power on November 25, 2021, with substantial parliamentary support. According to an agreement between the main coalition members, the Liberals appointed the prime minister for the next one and a half years, in the person of Nicolae Ciucă. When this term ends, on May 25, 2023, the PM office will be taken over by the Social Democrats. (AMP)


  • August 25, 2022 UPDATE

    August 25, 2022 UPDATE

    WAR Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia,
    presently under the control of the Russian troops, has been completely disconnected
    from the main grid, the Ukrainian operator Energoatom announced on Thursday,
    AFP and Reuters report. The plant’s last two reactors have been shut down after
    fires in the areas affected the electric lines. The aggressors’ actions have
    prompted the authorities to shut down the plant for the first time in its
    history Energoatom says adding that the plant’s security systems are
    functioning normally. For the past three weeks, Kiev and Moscow have been
    accusing each other of having bombed the plant amid fears of a new Chernobyl.
    The plant in Zaporizhzhia is under the control of the Russian troops but it is
    being operated by Ukrainian personnel.










    SCHEME The Romanian government has
    approved a minimal state aid scheme, under which grants are provided to promote
    the circular economy, an economic system, in which the value of the products,
    materials and other economic resources is maintained as long as possible,
    increasing their effectiveness and thus reducing the negative impact on the
    environment. Ranging between 15 thousand and 200 thousand Euros, the grants are
    aimed at boosting investment in the field. The scheme’s maximum budget stays
    around 8 million Euros, out of which 2 million for 2022 and the rest for the
    period between 2023 and 2025.










    TRADE Romanian live animal exports
    decreased by almost 17% in the first five months of 2022, as compared to the
    same period of last year, and totaled almost 183 million Euros – according to
    the National Institute of Statistics. Live animal imports also decreased by
    18%, reaching over 66 million Euros. Thus, a trade surplus of 116 million Euros
    was recorded. In another development, in the first five months of the year,
    Romania exported meat and meat products worth 223 million Euros and imported
    meat products worth 532 million Euros. The resulting deficit is almost 350
    million Euros, data provided by the National Institute of Statistics also show.








    VOLLEYBALL Romania’s women’s national
    volleyball team, coached by the Spanish Guillermo Naranjo Hernandez, defeated
    the Faroe Islands 3-0 on Wednesday evening in Torshavn in a Group A match of
    the 2023 European Championship qualifiers. Also on Wednesday, Croatia defeated
    Israel 3-1, away from home. On August 28, the derby of the group will take
    place between Croatia and Romania. Romania and Croatia have two wins each in
    the group standings, while Israel and the Faroe Islands have 0 points. The
    teams ranked on the first two places qualify for next year’s final tournament.












    FESTIVAL More than 600 representatives
    of the 20 national minorities in Romania are expected, as of Thursday until
    August 28, at the 18th edition of the ProEtnica Intercultural
    Festival in Sighişoara (center). After the festive opening, followed a debate
    on Promoting peace through non-discrimination and solidarity in a crisis
    context. At the same time, the festival schedule also includes 60
    traditional dance and music performances by ensembles of national minorities,
    art and photography exhibitions, a ‘Literary Salon’ where writers of national
    minorities present their creations, lectures, round tables and workshops.
    According to the organizers, this year, in a complicated moment for the peace
    of Europe, the ProEtnica Festival brings the peaceful message of intercultural
    dialogue in Romania, as a model of pacifist dialogue between countries and
    peoples.






    (bill)

  • April 27, 2022

    April 27, 2022

    REFUGEES Romania firmly condemns the blatant violation by Russia of
    Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as its international
    obligations pursuant to international laws, Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae
    Ciuca said during the talks he had with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal
    in Kyiv on Tuesday. Ciuca has today announced that Romania is considering the
    possibility of opening new border checkpoints at the border with Ukraine. The
    number of Ukrainian refugees who came to Romania on Tuesday rose by 50% as
    compared to the previous day – says the General Border Police Inspectorate.
    3,655 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania at the country’s border with Ukraine
    and 1,372 at the border with the Republic of Moldova. Since the onset of the
    Russian invasion, on February 24th, until Tuesday 792,715 Ukrainian
    nationals have entered Romania.








    HOLOCAUST Six
    torches are to be lit tonight at the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Day
    ceremony. Six million Jews were killed in Europe during the Holocaust, the most
    shameful page in the history of mankind, says Radio Romania correspondent in
    Israel. President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are going to
    deliver speeches to the memory of the victims and the torches, a symbol for the
    six million Jews who died in Nazi concentration camps are to be lit by Holocaust
    survivors from Hungary, Lithuania, Austria, the Netherlands and Poland. Barbel
    Bas, president of the German Bundestag, is this morning visiting the World
    Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem in Jerusalem accompanied by the speaker
    of the Israeli Knesset, Mickey Levy.








    PLAN Romania has
    accomplished all the objectives in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience
    (PNRR) it assumed jointly with the European Commission, the Romanian Minister
    of the Economy Florin Spataru says adding that when it comes to the reforms chapter,
    certain aspects must be reanalyzed in the following period and that will
    contribute together with investment to a major jump of the Romanian economy,
    which has the ability to see a fourfold economic growth by 2030. This growth
    will become possible if the principles included in the resilience plan are
    observed and funds intelligently used. According to the minister, money isn’t
    the only opportunity offered by the PNRR, but also the principles of economic
    and administrative reforms and all these converge towards a re-industrialized Romania,
    according to the principles of green economy and through digitization.








    SUPPORT Defence Minister Vasile Dincu has
    reiterated Romania’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
    Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. The Romanian official
    spoke within the Ukraine Defence Consultative Group hosted on Tuesday by the US
    air base in Ramstein, Germany. Dincu had a brief meeting with his Ukrainian
    counterpart Oleksii Reznikov whom he assured of our country’s full support for
    Ukraine and the readiness of keeping a constant and open dialogue whenever necessary.
    In Ramstein, the USA and their allies have pledged to support Ukraine by
    providing heavy artillery equipment. The event was held at the initiative of US
    Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and involved the participation of scores of
    defence ministers and chiefs of staff.






    COURT Legal Committees in
    the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest are today interviewing the
    candidates proposed by parties for the new judges of the country’s
    Constitutional Court. MPs will be voting the new candidates next week as the mandates
    of three of its judges are due to end in June this year. They are Valer
    Dorneanu, proposed by the Chamber of Deputies, Mona Pivniceru, proposed by the
    Senate and Daniel Morar proposed by the country’s president. Made up of nine
    judges appointed for a nine-year mandate, which cannot be extended or renewed,
    a third of the judges of the Constitutional Court is being renewed every three
    years. In another development, upon the request of the USR Parliamentary group,
    Finance Minister Adrian Caciu is today participating in a fresh session of political
    debates during the so-called ‘The Government Hour’. High on the agenda is the
    diminished purchasing power of the Romanians, public finances and Romania’s
    macro-economic balances.




    (bill)

  • Europe and energy prices

    Europe and energy prices

    The energy crunch will be once again on the agenda of the December European
    Council meeting, senior EU officials announced after last week’s meeting
    devoted to this topic.


    In the meantime, the Commission is
    tasked with running an analysis on the operation of the European electricity
    and natural gas market and on the carbon trading market, after several member
    states blamed the rise in energy prices on problems in these fields.


    Nuclear energy is not mentioned in
    the Council meeting’s conclusions although it had been included in the original
    text. However, countries like France, Romania and others requested the European
    Commission to rank nuclear energy and gas as transition sources this autumn,
    until clean energy sources will be able to cover most of the Union’s energy
    needs.


    There is no doubt that if we
    seek cleaner energy, we need interim solutions. It is very possible and
    desirable for renewable sources, including solar energy, wind power and so on,
    to account for most of the energy output by 2040-2050. But until we get there,
    our opinion in Romania is that we need to use nuclear power plants, to upgrade them
    and broaden nuclear power sources. At the same time, Romania needs and is
    determined to use natural gas for heating, for electricity production and for
    industry. So we certainly must have nuclear power and gas, the president of
    Romania Klaus Iohannis said in Brussels, and emphasised that it would be
    excellent for these forms of energy to be fundable from EU sources.


    The European Commission president,
    Ursula von der Leyen, seems to have eventually accepted this view, and said
    after the meeting that, in the medium and long term, additional steps will be
    prepared to enhance Europe’s energy independence and resilience.


    She said a stable source, i.e.
    nuclear power, is necessary, and the role of natural gas as transitional fuel
    will be preserved. The Commission will present a draft document in this
    respect, von der Leyen said.


    She added that efforts are made to
    set up a strategic gas reserve and to jointly procure energy. We will step up
    initiatives to contact as diverse suppliers as possible. We will diversify
    sources and speed up interconnection, the Commission president also said.


    EU reference prices for natural gas soared
    by over 300% since January, because of supply problems and high demand. The hike
    pushed electricity prices in Europe to the highest level in recent times, and
    the situation is likely to continue until the end of the year, keeping heating bills
    on the rise. To mitigate the impact on citizens, Romania and other member
    states are taking measures to support vulnerable households and struggling companies.
    (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 6, 2021

    August 6, 2021

    COVID-19 In Romania, the number of new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases remains high, over 200 per day. On Friday 230 new cases and 5 deaths were reported. Over 500 patients are hospitalized, 68 of them in intensive care. As regards the vaccine rollout, the number of fully vaccinated people went over 4.9 million on Thursday. According to a report by the National Public Health Institute, over 80% of the people diagnosed with the disease last week were not vaccinated. Data also indicates that over 85% of the COVID-related deaths were reported among unvaccinated or partly vaccinated patients. On Thursday, the government extended the state of alert by another 30 days.




    WILDFIRES Several European countries are responding to Greeces call for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. One of them is Romania, which is sending today over 100 fire-fighters and scores of fire engines. The hundreds of fires in Greece and Turkey have affected the air quality in the east of the Mediterranean, as smoke carrying fine particles has spread as far as to northern Africa. Adding to this is the high concentration of African dust over Greece, which also reduces air quality. The Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his country was experiencing an unprecedented environmental crisis. He added that if anyone still has the slightest doubt that climate change is real, they should come to Greece to see its severity first hand. Over 150 wildfires have been reported in Greece so far, and one of them is threatening Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, where the Olympic flame is lit in modern times.




    MOLDOVA In the R. of Moldovas capital city Chişinău, Parliament convenes today in a special session to vote on the new pro-European government. The prime minister designate, Natalia Gavriliţă, and the 13 members of her cabinet, presented a governing programme focused on the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, as well as on improving citizens living standards. The new government also aims to strengthen the strategic partnership with Romania, so as to ensure Moldovas EU accession. The vote is expected to be unproblematic, as the Action and Solidarity Party, which backs the new government, has 64 seats in Parliament, and only 51 votes are required for the cabinet to be endorsed. Natalia Gavrilița was designated for the PM post by president Maia Sandu, under a presidential order issued on July 30, after consultations with the parliamentary parties.




    NUCLEAR Romania and Canada Thursday signed a Memorandum of Agreement on strengthening cooperation in the civilian nuclear power field. The document was signed by Romanias minister for energy Virgil Popescu and Canada’s ambassador to Romania Annick Goulet. Attending the event, PM Florin Cîţu said the memorandum would consolidate bilateral cooperation in the field, as the Canadian partners would be involved in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant projects and in other civilian nuclear power ventures in Romania. The Canadian industry has exceptional experience in CANDU projects and has already completed CANDU upgrade and construction projects, the PM added, and voiced his satisfaction that Canadian partners are joining the US ones in developing the nuclear sector in Romania. In turn, Ambassador Annick Goulet emphasised that cooperation in the nuclear power field has been a vital element of the 55-year long relations between the 2 countries.




    FESTIVAL One of the most eagerly awaited summer festivals in Romania, Electric Castle, begins today and is scheduled to end on August 15. The opening gigs are taking place at Banffy Castle in Bonţida, and others will follow in the city of Cluj Napoca in the coming days. After a difficult period for festival goers, things are returning to normal. According to the organisers, hundreds of volunteers are helping in this years edition, as they did in previous years as well. Taking part in the 10-day event held in over 20 locations in Bonţida and Cluj are 250 artists from 23 countries.




    OLYMPICS The Romanian Cătălin Chirilă has today qualified into the semifinals of the 1,000m canoeing race in the Tokyo Olympics, after winning the first of the 5 qualifying series held at the Sea Forest Waterway base. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday. Over the years, kayak and canoeing have brought Romania 34 Olympic medals. The last gold medal was won by Florin Popescu, currently the coach of Romanias Olympic canoeing team, and Mitică Pricop, 21 years ago in Sydney. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Romanian – US cooperation in the field of energy

    Romanian – US cooperation in the field of energy

    Romania has huge economic potential, and it is a very good place for investors, not only from the US, but from around the world, the US Ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman said early this month, voicing hopes that the economic partnership between the 2 countries would catch up with and even outperform the military one.



    One of the key areas where Washington and Bucharest work together is the field of energy. In order to meet its energy security and decarbonisation goals, Romania intends to upgrade one of the reactors of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant and build another 2.



    The project is estimated to cost 8 billion US dollars, and the US Export-Import Bank will provide up to 7 billion USD for its funding. Once completed, the project will enable the Nuclear Power Plant in Cernavodă, south-eastern Romania, to cover around 40% of the countrys electricity needs. This is double the rate covered at present, says Cosmin Ghiţă, general manager of Nuclearelectrica:



    Cosmin Ghiţă: “With Units 3 and 4, this means doubling the current nuclear power capacity, and this is only one of the benefits. In Romania, the nuclear industry provides around 11,000 jobs. Once these projects are started, the number of jobs could reach over 20,000. As for the benefits of revamping Unit 1, these are evident: operating this facility for another 30 years, at less than half the cost of a new reactor.



    The agreement between Romania and the US on cooperation in the Cernavoda nuclear power projects was signed in Bucharest on Wednesday by the Romanian economy minister Virgil Popescu and the US ambassador, in the presence of the interim PM Nicolae Ciucă.



    The terms of the documents had been agreed on in early October, during the economy ministers visit to the US, when the memorandum of agreement with Exim Bank was also signed.



    This week, the USA Exim Bank president Kimberly Reed went to Cernavodă, and in a subsequent meeting with minister Virgil Popescu, he emphasised that the institution is ready to provide funding to Bucharest for other projects as well. The US might also fund the development of natural gas in the Black Sea.



    Romgaz is currently negotiating the acquisition of the US company Exxons stake in the Neptun Deep offshore project, and once investments in the Black Sea are restarted, Romania may become Europes largest natural gas and energy producer.



    Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman, attending the meeting, emphasised the importance of Romania securing its energy independence and added that the visit made by the Exim Bank president highlights the US commitment to Romania. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • American projects in Romania

    American projects in Romania

    Originally designed to have 5 units, the nuclear power plant in Cernavodă, the only one in Romania, is still working today, 24 years since the first reactor became operational in 1996, with only 2 completed units, which cover around 20% of the countrys electricity demand. In the meantime, Unit 5, whose construction started in 1987, has been repurposed.



    For Units 3 and 4, the construction of which was suspended in 1992 after only around 15% of the works were completed, a number of solutions have been searched. Talks with China in this respect had made considerable progress in recent years. But this summer, Bucharest canceled the contract, and instead an intergovernmental agreement between Romania and the US was signed a few days ago in Washington.



    This is a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to refurbish Unit 1 and build Units 3 and 4 using the same CANDU Canadian technology as for the first 2 reactors. Once operational, Reactors 3 and 4 will double the production capacity of the nuclear power plant.



    The agreement also includes academic cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, including cooperation for a new small, modular reactor technology developed by the Americans, the minister of economy, energy and the business environment Virgil Popescu said, upon signing the document.



    The project is to be implemented in the next 10 years by a consortium of companies from the US, Romania, Canada and France, headed by an American company and with financial support from all stakeholders.



    According from a news release from the US Energy Department, “this historic agreement will lay the foundation for Romania to utilize U.S. expertise and technology […] It underscores the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Romania and our mutual commitment to energy security in the region. Nuclear energy is crucial to ensuring Romania has a reliable, affordable, and emissions-free supply of electricity.



    This 8-billion USD project is the largest financing package ever received by Romania, which proves the confidence the US has in its long-time partner and ally, the US Ambassador to Romania said in his turn. Adrian Zuckerman also announced plans for a large-scale infrastructure project: “We are embarking on a new project for Romania, with Poland, to build a highway and railroad from Constanta on the Black Sea to Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. This infrastructure project will be a tremendous boon to the Romanian and Polish economies, and regional economies, for years to come, Adrian Zuckerman said.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • American projects in Romania

    American projects in Romania

    Originally designed to have 5 units, the nuclear power plant in Cernavodă, the only one in Romania, is still working today, 24 years since the first reactor became operational in 1996, with only 2 completed units, which cover around 20% of the countrys electricity demand. In the meantime, Unit 5, whose construction started in 1987, has been repurposed.



    For Units 3 and 4, the construction of which was suspended in 1992 after only around 15% of the works were completed, a number of solutions have been searched. Talks with China in this respect had made considerable progress in recent years. But this summer, Bucharest canceled the contract, and instead an intergovernmental agreement between Romania and the US was signed a few days ago in Washington.



    This is a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to refurbish Unit 1 and build Units 3 and 4 using the same CANDU Canadian technology as for the first 2 reactors. Once operational, Reactors 3 and 4 will double the production capacity of the nuclear power plant.



    The agreement also includes academic cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, including cooperation for a new small, modular reactor technology developed by the Americans, the minister of economy, energy and the business environment Virgil Popescu said, upon signing the document.



    The project is to be implemented in the next 10 years by a consortium of companies from the US, Romania, Canada and France, headed by an American company and with financial support from all stakeholders.



    According from a news release from the US Energy Department, “this historic agreement will lay the foundation for Romania to utilize U.S. expertise and technology […] It underscores the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Romania and our mutual commitment to energy security in the region. Nuclear energy is crucial to ensuring Romania has a reliable, affordable, and emissions-free supply of electricity.



    This 8-billion USD project is the largest financing package ever received by Romania, which proves the confidence the US has in its long-time partner and ally, the US Ambassador to Romania said in his turn. Adrian Zuckerman also announced plans for a large-scale infrastructure project: “We are embarking on a new project for Romania, with Poland, to build a highway and railroad from Constanta on the Black Sea to Gdansk on the Baltic Sea. This infrastructure project will be a tremendous boon to the Romanian and Polish economies, and regional economies, for years to come, Adrian Zuckerman said.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 5, 2019 UPDATE

    August 5, 2019 UPDATE

    INVESTIGATION In Caracal, southern Romania, searches continued on Monday at the home of Gheorghe Dincă, the man who claimed, after being apprehended more than a week ago, that he had killed 2 teenagers, 15-year old Alexanda Măceşanu and 18-year old Luiza Melencu. The investigators, who followed a new lead indicated by Gheorghe Dinca, found fragments of burnt bones and ashes in a bag, in a forest near Caracal. Dinca claims the remains belong to Luiza. Over the past few days, new biological samples were collected from the mans home and courtyard. The investigation now focuses on finding new clues to confirm that Luiza Melencu, missing since April, has been in Dincas house. The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, in charge of the case, announced that the ash taken from Dincas residence showed traces of Alexandra Măceşanus DNA, the girl who went missing on July 24th and who called the emergency services the next day. The response of the authorities was too late, which led to a number of resignations and dismissals.




    EU Romania ranks 2nd in the EU, on a par with Portugal, in terms of a positive public image of the EU, indicates a new Eurobarometer poll made public on Monday. The number of Romanians having a positive view of the European bloc has grown to 60%, above the EU average of 44%. The new poll shows a strong increase in citizens positive perception of the EU in all areas, from economy to the state of democracy. These are the best Eurobarometer results since June 2014. Also, 52% of the Romanians have confidence in the EU, as against a 44% average in Europe. Some of the main findings of the Eurobarometer also include record-strong support for the single currency and a focus on climate change, as the 2nd biggest concern at EU level, after immigration.




    MOLDOVA The General Prosecution of the Republic of Moldova Monday opened a criminal case in which Vlad Plahotniuc is probed into for usurping power in June 2019. A group of prosecutors will look into the events of June 7th to 9th, when former Democratic leader Vlad Plahotniuc and judges with the Constitutional Court approved rulings, decisions and resolutions contrary to the Constitution of Moldova, in order to enable the Democrats to stay in power abusively. Sworn in by Parliament on June 8th, the new Government in Chisinau, headed by the pro-European Maia Sandu, only managed to take office in mid-June, after a deadlock cause by the previous, leftist government controlled by tycoon Vladimir Plahotniuc, who refused to relinquish power.




    FESTIVAL Sfântu Gheorghe, in the Danube Delta, south-eastern Romania, is hosting as of Monday the 16th Anonimul International Independent Film Festival. The official opening included the screening of the latest film by director Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don’t Die, launched at this years official Cannes competition. Six foreign and Romanian feature films take part in the official competition. The special guest of this years edition is Ukrainian director, Sergei Loznitsa, winner of the Cannes 2018 “Un Certain Regard award. He will receive the “ANONIMUL Award for his contribution to world cinema. A retrospective of his works will be followed by Q&A sessions. The festival also includes, until August 11, screenings of films awarded in other festivals, talks with filmmakers and film critics, Q&A sessions with production teams. A section entitled Fluidități will screen 4 documentaries on art, discussing topics like the fine arts, music, cultural traditions and crafts.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romanian Senate rejects simple motion against the finance minister

    Romanian Senate rejects simple motion against the finance minister

    In Romania, simple motions have the only purpose of sparking debates on the activity of ministers and assessments of the sectors they are in charge of. Things were no different in the Senate, where a simple motion against Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, filed by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, both in the opposition, was discussed. Liberal Senator Florin Citu tried to prove that Minister Teodorovici was incompetent. He supported his statement with messages received from citizens, a first in Romanian politics in terms of simple motion practice.



    Florin Citu: “His presence at the helm of the Finance Ministry puts Romania at major economic risk and in an embarrassing position before our European and Euro-Atlantic partners. Eugen Teodorovici can no longer be minister of public finance and this idea is supported by politicians and regular citizens alike.



    Minister Teodorovici and the leftist power in general are being criticised by the opposition for raising taxes in some economic sectors, in spite of promises to decrease them, for putting Romania on one of the first places in Europe in terms of inflation after having one of the lowest inflation rates before the leftist coalition came to power, for hiding the fact that Romania pays monthly interest rates that are higher than those of countries with smaller ratings, such as Greece.



    Not least, the Liberal Senator Florin Citu accused the ruling coalition made up of the National Liberal Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats of deepening the budget deficit, unlike what responsible politicians should do in periods with economic growth, such as consolidating fiscal policy and reducing deficits, in keeping with the European fiscal treaty.



    Minister Teodorovici dismissed the oppositions accusations and said this approach is demagogic.



    Eugen Teodorovici: “The GDP has gone up since 2016, from 160 billion euros to an estimated 215 billion euros, which is an increase by more than 33% in only two years time. Given that the GDP is much higher than last year, its natural for the amount borrowed by the Romanian government from the foreign markets to be bigger as well. Also, the Finance Ministry presented publicly its financing strategy, at the start of each year, as it usually does.



    Minister Eugen Teodorovici mentioned in his favor figures that prove the government invests more in healthcare and education, as promised, that they have raised pensions and have created more than 600,000 new jobs since January 1, 2017. Romania, Minister Teodorovici also said, had the most significant increase in labour productivity, 4 times the European average.



    The governing coalition has defended its minister and has rejected the simple motion filed by the opposition against him.



    (translated by: Elena Enache)