Radio România Internațional

Tag: presidency

December 20, 2018

PARLIAMENT The Parliament of Romania is today debating and voting on the second no-confidence motion against the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, and headed by Viorica Dăncila. According to the Opposition, the current Cabinet is a threat to Romanias national interests, to its economic and political stability. The authors of the motion criticise the laws on the judiciary and claim the Prime Minister failed to comply with the governing programme undertaken at the start of her term. In reply, the PM claimed that the alternative the Opposition offers to citizens is to suspend income increases and even to slash salaries and pensions. Viorica Dancila also defended the justice laws, emphasising that they were endorsed by Parliament, rather than by an emergency decree as it was the case with the Ciolos Cabinet. Initiated by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, the Peoples Movement Party and unaffiliated MPs, the document was signed by 163 MPs, but needs 233 votes in order to pass. Yesterday the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania announced that its MPs would attend the meeting, but would abstain from voting.

STOCK EXCHANGE The Association of Capital Market Professionals says the prospective endorsement of a recent government decree on fiscal and budgetary measures is the most brutal and irrational attack against the Romanian capital market since its re-establishment in 1995. The Bucharest Stock Exchange opened on a slight increase today, but plunged back down, after experiencing its worst day so far on Wednesday. Substantial losses were reported by banks and energy and utilities companies, after on Tuesday the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici announced that by the end of the year a government decree would be passed introducing certain fiscal and budgetary measures. These include a so-called “tax on greed charged on banking revenues, and a package concerning energy companies, such as a 3% of turnover contribution, a cap on natural gas prices and electricity price control. The business community in Romania warned against the negative effects of the new taxes announced by the Government for 2019. President Klaus Iohannis urged the Cabinet to reconsider the decree, to negotiate it with employers and trade unions and to endorse a more sustainable version after thorough analysis and review.

EU The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, receives in Bucharest on Friday the Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Romania will symbolically take over the presidency of the EU Council, which it will hold as of January 1. The 2 officials will discuss the priorities on the European agenda, such as the future of the Union, the EU budget after 2020, Brexit, and the elections for the European Parliament. On Wednesday in a meeting with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis said Romanias goal during its presidency of the EU Council is to begin as soon as possible the negotiations on the future relations between the Union and Britain, if the withdrawal agreement is ratified by London and approved by the European Parliament. Iohannis also said that Romania supports a stronger European Union, which is closer to its citizens and able to guarantee their security and prosperity. He also emphasised the importance of the informal meeting of European leaders in Sibiu on May 9, 2019, when the EU strategic agenda for 2019-2024 will be discussed.

JUDICIARY Romanias supreme court suspended the serving of prison sentences received by several high-level officials under corruption charges. Among them are the former chief of the anti-terrorism and anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who requested asylum in Costa Rica, the former head of the tax authority, Serban Pop, and former Social Democratic ministers and MPs Dan Şova and Constantin Niţă. They have been released, until final rulings are passed on their appeals. The argument put forth for the suspension of their sentences was that the membership of the 5-judge panels passing the rulings had not been correct. The supreme court held drawing of lots sessions for the 5-judge panels 3 times this year, when the Law on the organisation of courts was modified, further to a Constitutional Court decision, at the request of the Government and following an objection by the Social Democratic Party president Liviu Dragnea, who is tried for corruption at the Bucharest Court of Appeals.

COMMEMORATION Sirens sounded for 3 minutes in Timisoara today, in memory of the day of December 20, 1989, when Timisoara was proclaimed the first city free from communism in Romania. The largest plants went on strike back then, and workers gathered in the city centre, alongside tens of thousands of other locals. The Army withdrew from streets, the protesters who had been arrested were released, and the peoples demands were read out from the famous Opera House balcony. Also on December 20, the first revolutionary committee, called The Romanian Democratic Front, was set up. Members of the families of the Timisoara victims are traveling to Bucharest today to commemorate one of the most important events in modern Romanian history. They will arrive at the place where the bodies of 44 Timisoara heroes, shot dead on December 17, were cremated. The uprising that started in Timisoara spread on December 21 to Bucharest and other Romanian cities. Over 1,000 people died and some 3,000 others were wounded in the shootings in Romania, the only Eastern Bloc country where the communist regime was toppled violently and where the communist leaders were executed.

FOOTBALL Romanias national football team will end the year on the 24th position in the ranking that FIFA made public on Thursday. Romania started the year on the 40th place. This years 24th place is the best ranking Romanias football team has held since 2016. The teams future opponents in the EURO 2020 qualifiers are Spain, in 9th place, Sweden – 14, Norway – 46, Faeroe – 98, and Malta – 182.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 December 2018
Romania ready to take over EU Council presidency

Romania was admitted into the EU on the first day of 2007, and on that same day next year it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union Council. The head of the executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, recalled that this half year will have to include the Brexit process, scheduled for March. This period also covers the time when the community sets the framework for its budget for the 2021-2027 time frame, and a coherent migration strategy. In total, 257 issues have to be covered in a mere four months, considering the campaign for European Parliament elections.

Last week, Romanian PM Viorica Dancila went to Brussels to assure European officials that Romania will handle the presidency well, one that she described as ambitious, but realistic. Romania also promised it would act as an impartial mediator that seeks consensus. These were necessary provisions, given that last month European Affairs Minister Victor Negrescu resigned after disagreements with the rest of the cabinet. In addition, both the European Commission and the European Parliament leveled unfettered criticism at the government in Bucharest over issues such as corruption and the rule of law.

President Klaus Iohannis, a constant critic of the majority coalition and its present prime minister, whom he repeatedly asked to resign, said Romania was ready to take over the presidency of the EU Council. On Thursday, at the Euro Summit, he said: “We are ready. There is always room for better, but I would like to tell you with all sincerity that, after all the blunders that occurred, which I pointed out at the time, preparations are in at an advanced stage. Things are moving, and I think this is good news for Romanians, but mostly for our European partners, even though we may have difficulties in some areas. We are fairly well prepared for the presidency, and we will carry through.”

In expectation of the moment, President Iohannis had meetings with European leaders, such as the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country will be handing over the presidency of the Union as well as Finnish PM Juha Sipila, whose country will take over the EU Council presidency from Romania, who assured the Romanian leader of their entire support. They also talked about the informal summit on the future of Europe scheduled to take place on May 9^th 2019 in the central Romanian city of Sibiu, which will have a major role in setting the strategic agenda of the Union.

14 December 2018
The priorities of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the European Union

Prime
minister Viorica Dancila told Parliament on Wednesday that the priorities of
the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union rest on four
pillars: the Europe of convergence, the Europe of safety, Europe, a global
player and the Europe of shared values. Convergence and cohesion, she said, are
essential for achieving a united Europe and increase the Union’s
competitiveness.

In a
declaration adopted on Wednesday, Parliament pledged to support the cabinet to
achieve all its goals during Romania’s term as holder of the EU presidency.
These goals include a citizen-focused agenda, supporting the European cohesion
policy, the continuation of the Common Agricultural Policy, facilitating
parliamentary dialogue with the United Kingdom in the context of the latter’s
withdrawal from the European Union, and enhancing the transparency of the
European institutions. The Social Democrat senator Gabriela Cretu from the
ruling party:

Based on
institutional collaboration, the ministers will regularly inform the parliamentary
committees and the political groups about the progress made in the achievement
of the priorities of the Romanian presidency and the main developments
connected to the important issues on the European agenda. The Romanian
president is also invited to brief Parliament on the discussions and decisions
of the European Council meetings for the duration of Romania’s term.

Calin Popescu
Tariceanu, the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the junior
partner in the ruling coalition, wants Romania to act against the idea of a
two-speed Europe:

We don’t
want the gaps between the North and the South and between the East and the West
to widen. We don’t want to let Europe become a union with two groups of states,
first-rank states and second-rank states, with double standards, whether
economic, political, social or of any other kind.

From the
opposition, the Liberals are voicing the concerns of those who believe the
government may fail to achieve its goals because the ruling coalition is
mounting an attack on the European and western values themselves. The Liberal
senator Florin Citu:

Your actions
are giving you away no matter how hard you try to hide it behind triumphalist
speeches. You have managed to add nine more points to the Cooperation and
Verification Mechanism report, thus putting even more distance between Romania
and its objective to join the Schengen Area.

Rozalia Biro,
a deputy from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, underlined
that in its six-month term, Romania must act with one voice in order to fulfill
all its objectives. The former president Traian Basescu, currently a senator
from the People’s Movement Party, asked the government if the priorities made
public are correlated with the speech of president Klaus Iohannis, which was a
legitimate question given the chronic conflict between the head of state and
the cabinet. On the other hand, the call for unity already seems meaningless
given that the opposition is already preparing to call for a no-confidence vote
against the government at the end of the year.

13 December 2018
November 17, 2018 UPDATE

VISIT The president of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, will be on an official visit to Romania on November 19 and 20, in the context of Romania taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. Klaus-Heiner Lehne will have meetings, among others, with the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis, PM Viorica Dăncilă, the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament, the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, and with the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba. Several top-level EU officials will also be in Bucharest next week, including the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani. They will discuss topics of interest for the future of the Union and for the proper management, during Romanias EU Council presidency, of several major dossiers, such as the multi-annual financial framework, the post-Brexit situation of the European bloc and the security policy. The Romanian PM reiterated that Bucharest is prepared to take over the EU presidency and said the action plan is ready, the operation mechanisms are in place and the means of implementing the action plan has been defined.

FINANCIAL Fitch agencys announcement regarding Romanias country rating is a confirmation of the fact that Romania has a sustainable economic growth, and contributes to strengthening investors confidence in the national economy, said the Minister for Public Finances Eugen Teodorovici, after Fitch confirmed the “BBB minus rating for Romanias long-term foreign currency debt, with a stable outlook. The expansionist fiscal policy launched in 2016 has weakened Romanias public finances, Fitch experts say, adding that in the first 9 months of this year revenues stand at only 69% of the revised annual targets, and the budget deficit is one percentage point above the figure in January – September 2017. However, Fitch expects the Government to meet its 2.96% deficit target for this year, so as to avoid the excessive deficit procedure. The international financial rating agency estimates a 3.5% economic growth rate for Romania this year, 3.2% in 2019 and 3% in 2020, reflecting the slow-down in the EU, a tightening monetary policy and a reduction in tax incentives.

GAUDEAMUS Book launches continued on Saturday, as part of the Gaudeamus Book and Education Fair organised by Radio Romania in Bucharest. Until the end of this 25th edition of the Fair on Sunday, visitors will be able to attend various events and benefit from substantial discounts offered by the over 300 participating publishers. The central theme of the current edition is the Romanian Union Centennial, illustrated by a stand hosting around 600 volumes devoted to this historic event and by scores of launches, debates, film screenings and public lectures. The stand also enables the public to meet and talk to some of the most important Romanian writers, literary critics and historians.

WESTERN BALKANS Romanias deputy PM Ana Birchall reiterated Bucharests commitment to the EU enlargement process, in the 3rd Thessaloniki Summit, devoted to European prospects, connectivity, industrial development and cooperation in the Western Balkans. According to a news release, the Romanian official said Romania would ensure the continuity of this process and would pay special attention to the topic during its EU Council presidency in the first half of 2019. On the sidelines of the Summit, Ana Birchall had talks with top-level officials attending the event, such as the PM of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, the PM of Bulgaria Boiko Borisov, the PM of Serbia Ana Brnabic, the governor of the Central Macedonia Region Apostolos Tzitzicostas, and the mayor of Thessaloniki Yannis Boutaris.

JUDICIARY The constitutional court of Costa Rica dismissed the requests filed by the former Romanian tourism minister Elena Udrea and the former chief prosecutor of the anti-mafia directorate Alina Bica, who have been imprisoned in that country in early October. Elena Udrea and Alina Bica, sentenced for corruption in Romania, were arrested following an Interpol request. Long seen as one of the most powerful aides of the ex-president Traian Basescu, Udrea received a 6-year final sentence for bribe-taking and abuse of office. In turn, Bica was sentenced to 4 years behind bars for aiding an offender.

IMMIGRATION The Romanian community remains the largest foreign group in the Madrid region, with nearly 200,000 members, according to the latest immigration barometre. Commissioned by the Madrid regional government, the immigration barometre is released every 2 years and measures, among other things, the integration level of foreigners. This rate has grown by 12% since 10 years ago, according to Radio Romanias correspondent in Spain. Statistics also show that around 70% of the locals in the Community of Madrid see immigration as positive for the economy.

BREXIT The British PM Theresa May Saturday rejected counter-proposals to her Brexit deal negotiated with the EU, saying they would not solve the problems, France Press reports. On Wednesday May announced a draft agreement on Brexit, but it triggered 4 resignations from her Cabinet, chiefly over the fate of Northern Ireland after UKs exit from the Union, scheduled to take place on March 29th, 2019.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

17 November 2018
The Week in Review 17-24 November, 2018

Romania in the attention of the European Parliament

The European Commission and Parliament on Tuesday warned the ruling coalition in Romania made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats that the observance of the rule of law and the fight against corruption in Romania have regressed in the past year. The European Commissions annual evaluation report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism includes 8 new recommendations for Romania, adding to the 12 made last year, out of the Commissions wish that the MCV process should be concluded during its current mandate. The Commission has asked Romania, in a very firm message, to call off the implementation of the changes to the justice laws and the subsequent emergency ordinances and revise them in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). In its turn, the European Parliament passed with a wide majority a resolution expressing concerns about the way in which the justice laws were modified and also about the weakening of the rule of law in Romania. The European assessments are like two bad grades for the current governance, says President Klaus Iohannis, a consistent critic of the cabinet made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats:

Klaus Iohannis: “These multiple changes and intentions to change the justice laws and the Criminal Codes have drawn public attention in a negative way. These things are extremely detrimental to Romania. Obviously, these two documents are practically telling us that Romania slipped back to the point it was 11 years ago, before joining the Union.

The Social Democratic Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila has voiced her disappointment with the report:

Viorica Dancila: “We cannot agree with the setting of additional recommendations through which we are asked to ignore constitutional rules and accept what no other state would. Such a request makes the objectives of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism impossible to reach, in the context in which rules change by the day.

Conclusions of the IMF mission in Romania

Economic activity in Romania remains strong, with unemployment at a record low, is one of the conclusions of an IMF staff visit to Romania, the head of the IMF mission to Romania and Bulgaria, Jaewoo Lee has said at the end of a one-week visit to Bucharest. He has also said that in spite of several years of economic growth, the budget deficit has gone up rather than down, as it should during good times, and the 2018 target remains at risk without further measures. IMF experts also argue that increases in public-sector salaries and planned changes to pension benefits should be reassessed for their negative implications for fiscal sustainability and long-term growth.

Romania and the EU Council presidency

George Ciamba is, as of this week, Romanias new minister delegate for European affairs. A career diplomat with the rank of ambassador, and, until recently, a state secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Ciamba is replacing Victor Negrescu, who resigned at the end of last week. Romania will take over, on January 1st 2019, the EU Council presidency and Victor Negrescu was the one in charge with its preparation and coordination. PM Viorica Dancila has given assurances that, in spite of the situation created by Negrescus resignation, Bucharest is fully prepared to carry out its 6-month EU Council presidency.

President Klaus Iohannis travels to Paris and London

President Klaus Iohannis has made two visits abroad in recent days. He first travelled to Paris, at the invitation of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, to attend the 100th celebrations of the end of WWI. The Romanian president used the opportunity of his French trip to hold a meeting, at the Romanian embassy, with Romanian university, MA and PhD students from the Paris region involved in academic research. The following day, he travelled to London to attend an official reception at the Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 70th birthday anniversary of Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. Klaus Iohannis was also supposed to meet prime minister Theresa May, but the talks were cancelled by the UK side because a cabinet meeting to discuss the Brexit agreement took longer than expected.

Gaudeamus and RadiRo – two events produced by Radio Romania

Bucharest has been playing host since Wednesday to the Gaudeamus International Book Fair. Book lovers have until Sunday to attend the many events scheduled and take advantage of the considerable discounts offered by the over 300 participating publishers. On the day Gaudeamus ends, another major event produced by Radio Romania begins: the RadiRo International Festival of Radio Orchestras. Its line-up features eight symphonic and four jazz concerts. The participants include MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany, the BBC Philharmonic from Great Britain, the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra from Ireland.

17 November 2018
EU chief negotiator for Brexit, in Bucharest

The European Unions chief negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, had a meeting in Bucharest with key Romanian political leaders. They looked at the current stage of the Unions negotiations with London, and at the next steps to be taken in Britains withdrawal from the European bloc.

Michel Barniers presence in the Romanian capital is not accidental. On January 1, Romania is to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union Council, and the agenda of the following 6 months will be dominated by this delicate issue, which is expected to be settled in the first half of next year. In fact, Michel Barnier himself emphasised that, as the holder of the rotating Council presidency, Romania will play a key role in ensuring the institutional framework required for an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the Union and in the negotiations on the future relations between the two parties.

Preserving the unity of the 27 member states in the Brexit talks is extremely important, and it is an essential prerequisite for the proper management of the entire process, President Klaus Iohannis said during his meeting with Michel Barnier. In his view, the integrity of the single market and the indivisibility of the 4 freedoms are core pillars of the European project, and they are non-negotiable. Equally important, according to the President of Romania, is the Brexit financial settlement.

And not least, given that the Romanians make up the second largest foreign minority in the UK, after the Polish one, Bucharest firmly supports the importance of an ambitious mobility regulatory framework, which will fully comply with the non-discrimination and reciprocity principles. As PM Viorica Dancila and Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said, Bucharest will closely monitor the implementation of the exit agreement, so that all the Romanian citizens residing in the UK may continue to live, work and study in the same terms as they have done so far.

According to the National Statistics Institute and other relevant institutions, 328,000 Romanians live in the UK at present, with the largest communities reported in urban areas like London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Belfast. More than 2,000 Romanian physicians work in Britain, alongside financial and banking experts, artists, architects, teachers, IT experts and researchers. Around 10,000 Romanian youths are currently enrolled in British universities.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

3 October 2018
September 28, 2018 UPDATE

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE – Same sex relationships fall within the ‘private life and ‘family life categories, argue the judges of Romanias Constitutional Court in response to a notification by a Romanian-American couple related to a Civil Code article regarding the non-recognition of same-sex marriages. According to the Constitutional Court, members of stable same sex couples have the right to express their personality as part of their relationship and to have their corresponding rights and obligations recognised officially. The Constitutional Court adds that Romania has no form of official and legal recognition of same sex relationships, a situation only found in 5 other EU member states, namely Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. The Constitutional Court clarifications come during the campaign for a referendum on October 6 and 7, when Romanians are called to vote if they want the concept of “family redefined in the Constitution as being based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than of spouses, as it is at present. The revision bill is based on a citizens initiative and it was denounced as discriminatory by human rights and sexual minority rights associations.

TREASON CASE – The Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism in Romania (DIICOT) announced on Friday that it has closed a case based on the high treason accusations brought by the president of the National Liberal Party in opposition against PM Viorica Dăncilă. According to the Directorate, the case, which concerned the memorandum approved by the Government with respect to the relocation of the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was dismissed because no breach of the law has been established. The criminal complaint filed in May by the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban also concerned Liviu Dragnea, the president of the Social Democratic Party in power, who was accused of unlawful disclosure of state secrets, Orban said at the time.

EU PRESIDENCY – The Government of Romania must stand united ahead of taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council, and domestic political disputes are an obstacle in this respect, the Ambassador of Germany to Bucharest, Cord Meier-Klodt said on Friday. The German diplomat also added that with the EU presidency, which Romania is to hold in the first half of 2019, come opportunities that the country must not miss. The statements were made in Cluj, north-western Romania, where the German Ambassador attended a conference on The Romanian Presidency of the European Union Council: Opportunities and Challenges. The participants also included the Ambassador of Romania to Germany, Emil Hurezeanu.

INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in the Euro zone increased in September 2018 from 2% to 2.1%, shows a preliminary survey published on Friday by Eurostat. In September, the most significant price hikes in the Euro zone were reported in the energy field, where an annual increase of 9.5% was reported, followed by 2.7% price rises for foodstuffs, alcohol and cigarettes and 1.3% for services. In August, Eurostat says, Romania had the highest year-on-year inflation rate among EU states for the 7th consecutive month, with a 4.7% increase in consumer prices, after 4.3% in July. The National Bank of Romania revised its inflation forecast for the end of 2018 from 3.6% to 3.5%.

TURKEY – The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, criticised the situation in Turkey during a joint press conference on Friday with the visiting President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The German official mentioned issues such as the freedom of the press and human rights, and called for immediate solutions to the situation of several German citizens detained in Turkey. Still, Merkel listed shared German-Turkish interests, including the partnership within NATO, the migration problems and the fight against terrorism. In turn, Erdogan called on Germany to extradite the supporters of Turkish cleric Gülen. Hundreds of supporters of this terror group live in Germany, the Turkish President said, blaming them for a failed coup 2 years ago. Turkey and Germany also announced on this occasion that they will have a meeting in the forthcoming weeks, together with Russia and France, on the situation in Syria.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Raluca Olaru Friday qualified for the doubles final of the tournament in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), with 250,000 US dollars in total prize money. In the semi-finals, they defeated the Russians Margarita Gasparian and Anastasia Potapova, 2-1. In the final Begu and Olaru are facing Olga Danilovic (Serbia) / Tamara Zidansek (Slovenia).

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

28 September 2018
August 9, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – A large-scale protest by members of the Romanian diaspora against the ruling coalition is scheduled to take place on Friday in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest. City Hall announced that the protest is not organised by anyone in particular, as the law provides, as no entity has applied for a protest protocol. One man who was broadcast urging people towards violence against the authorities has been indicted by organised crime prosecutors. The Communications director for the Romanian gendarmes Marius Militaru told potential protesters on Thursday to refrain from giving way to provocations towards violence. Bucharest gendarme spokesperson Georgian Enache called on protesters to aid public order enforcers to do their job in case violence ensues.

EU PRESIDENCY – Some 1,500 experts have been trained for Romanias taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2019, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu, told a TV channel on Thursday. According to him, the training programme started last year, with support from the European Institute in Romania, the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the EU Council. The Romanian official explained that these experts must be able to listen to the views of member states and come up with consensual solutions acceptable to all member countries.

GRAINS – The research firm Strategie Grains has cut its forecast for this years European wheat harvest to a 6-year low. Analysts say this is because circumstances in northern Europe led to disastrous crops, whereas favourable conditions in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Spain offset the pressures on crops caused by the hot and dry weather in Germany, Poland, France and the Czech Republic, Reuters reports. The crop forecaster also emphasises that Romania and Bulgaria will have more wheat for fodder, thanks to the recent rainfalls. In a report released on Thursday, the French company estimates that the EUs wheat crop will amount to 127.7 million tonnes, 10% less than last year. Meanwhile, the harvest in Romania, the Unions 3rd largest wheat exporter, might decrease by at least 20% this year, the head of the Romanian League of Farmer Associations Laurenţiu Baciu warned last week.

DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor Thursday received the new Ambassador of Slovakia to Romania, Karol Mistrik. The talks focused on bilateral cooperation within NATO and EU projects and initiatives. The 2 officials also discussed the importance of implementing the decisions made at the recent NATO Summit in Brussels, and expressed interest in strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday to statements made by Italys deputy PM Matteo Salvini, who accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves to Western Europe. According to Mediafax news agency, Bucharest says any connections made between the citizens of a country and a crime category is unacceptable. Romania takes responsibility for what its citizens do abroad, and has adopted the international standards for the prevention and combating of human trafficking, being a signatory of the main relevant international documents. Matteo Salvini, Interior Minister and deputy PM of Italy and leader of the radical Northern League party, has accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves into western Europe, and asked for measures to restrict human trafficking and exploitation.

WEST NILE – A person died in Romania from the West Nile virus, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced on Thursday. The man was 79 years old and suffered from chronic diseases. The Public Health Ministry announced there is no risk of an epidemic, and the cases reported so far are isolated. Experts warn that West Nile is not transmitted between humans, but that it is spread through mosquito bites. 23 West Nile patients have been confirmed in Romania since early May.

SWINE FEVER – In Brăila County, in south-eastern Romania, 2 new African swine fever hotbeds were confirmed on Thursday, bringing the county total to 18. According to the latest data, the total number of hotbeds in Romania is nearly 580, in over 100 villages in 8 counties. More than 78,000 pigs have been culled. The owners will receive compensations for their losses, and the forthcoming budget adjustment earmarks additional funding for eradicating this disease.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

9 August 2018
July 26, 2018 UPDATE

EU PRESIDENCY Romania has finalised a calendar of the events and meetings to be held in the country and abroad during its presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The announcement was made by the Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, who presented a report of his term in office so far. The calendar includes 1,400 formal meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg, and another 300 meetings in Romania. Negrescu added that the venues for these meetings have also been chosen.

ANTI-CORRUPTION In Bucharest, the 4 candidates for the office of head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate were interviewed on Thursday by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. On Friday a decision will be reached on either the nomination of one candidate, or the restart of the procedure, Tudorel Toader said. The 4 candidates are prosecutor Florentina Mirică – head of the Corruption Combating Division of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, prosecutor Cristian Lazăr – deputy chief of the Prosecution Division in the General Prosecutors Office, prosecutor Marius Iacob – deputy chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and prosecutor Elena Grecu – head of division in the central structure of the Directorate. The former head of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate Laura Codruţa Kovesi was dismissed under an order issued on July 9 by President Klaus Iohannis, further to a ruling by the Constitutional Court of Romania.

GREECE The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest has announced there is no information on whether there are any Romanians among the victims of the wildfires in Greece. The latest death toll of the wildfires that recently ravaged Greece stands at 81; 200 other people have been wounded with scores still missing. The Custodian of the Crown of Romania and president of the Romanian Red Cross, Margareta, has conveyed a message to Greece in which she expressed her compassion for the fire victims at the same time pledging support from the Romanian Red Cross. In turn, the Romanian Orthodox Church has urged all its churches around the country and abroad to donate money in order to give financial support to the victims of the fires in Greece. The funds raised will be eventually donated to the Archbishopric of Athens. On Wednesday Romania dispatched two planes to the fire-affected areas: one fitted with fire-extinguishing equipment and a Hercules C-130 to provide logistic support. Sweden has also reported a series of forest fires close to the Arctic Circle where several towns have already been evacuated.

SWINE FEVER – In Romania, the authorities are trying to contain African swine fever, with an emergency committee set up by the Agriculture Ministry to monitor the outbreak. The ministry has also informed the European Commission that it will apply for compensations for the producers who have been forced to kill their animals. Some 440 hotbeds have been identified since the beginning of the year.

AIR POLICE Two British Typhoon fighters were launched on Thursday from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in south-eastern Romania, because a Russian aircraft flying over the Black Sea was heading for NATO airspace. A news release issued by the British Air Force mentions that the Russian bomber was a Su-24 FENCER aircraft. In May, when they were deployed on their 4-month mission in Romania, the British fighters were also forced to respond to a Russian aircraft approaching NATO airspace. The British aircraft are in Romania on enhanced air policing missions.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

26 July 2018
July 15, 2018

EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY – Getting young people involved in the process of preparing for and holding the EU Council Presidency is vital, Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu said on Saturday at a news conference about the young people’s participation in public policies. The conference, that focused on drawing up Romania’s agenda at the helm of the EU Council, highlighted topics such as consolidating European instruments for the improvement of the education and training system, equal opportunities for the young people and increasing their capacity to adjust to labor market challenges.

BREXIT – British Prime Minister Theresa May warned her divided party on Sunday that there may be “no Brexit at all” if they undermine her plan to forge a close relationship with the European Union after leaving the world’s biggest trading bloc. “My message to the country this weekend is simple: we need to keep our eyes on the prize,” May wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. “If we don’t, we risk ending up with no Brexit at all.” Two senior ministers resigned last week in protest at Mays plans for trade with the EU after Britain leaves the bloc next March. May also wrote in the Mail on Sunday article that Britain would take a tough stance in its next round of negotiations with the EU.

PROJECTS — The Agency for the Financing of Rural Investment will open between July and September this year several sessions for project applications, worth a total of 846 million euros, the Romanian Agriculture Ministry reports. The Agency has so far received, for the 2014-2020 timeframe, applications for financing worth more than 7.20 billion euros and signed over 49 thousand financing contracts for which 3.85 billion euros have been allocated. Under the 2014-2020 National Programme for Rural Development, non-repayable funds from the EU and the Romanian Government are being granted, for the economic and social development of Romania’s rural area. The financial allocation exceeds 9 billion euros.

MEETING – French president Emmanuel Macron is today holding talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, ahead of their attending the World Cup final in Moscow, pitting France against Croatia. The meeting takes place a day before the Summit in Helsinki. Macron and Putin will discuss topics related to Iran, Syria and Ukraine, BBC reports.

ABDUCTION — A Romanian engineer is believed to have been abducted on Saturday from one of Libya’s largest oilfields, local media reports. The Romanian is believed to have been taken hostage alongside another three people, by an armed group. Two of the hostages are said to have been released, but it’s uncertain whether the Romanian is among them. The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday activated a crisis cell to deal with the situation. The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that the top priority was to verify whether a Romanian citizen was indeed taken hostage, what his situation was and what group is involved in the kidnapping. The case is being managed by the Romanian Embassy to Libya relocated in Tunis.

FOOTBALL — CFR Cluj, Romania’s football champion, won the Super Cup following Saturday’s win over FC U Craiova 1948, 1-nil, away from home. This is CFR’s third Super Cup title. They will be representing Romania in the Champions League preliminaries. As many as three Romanian teams are playing in the Champions League preliminaries, namely, U Craiova, FCSB and FC Viitorul.

WORLD CUP – France is playing the World Cup final today, against Croatia. For the latter, qualification to the final is a premier. France won the world title in 1998, when it organized the final tournament, and Croatia won the bronze. On Saturday, Belgium defeated England, 2-0, in the third-place playoff of the World Football Championship hosted by Russia, thus obtaining bronze. Belgium already played in a third-place playoff at the 1986 World Cup, when it was defeated by France. A world champion in 1966, England fought for bronze in 1990 but it was defeated by Italy.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

15 July 2018
Preparations for the Romanian EU presidency

Romania is prepared to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, was the message sent in Brussels by the Romanian minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu. In his talks with a number of European Commissioners, Negrescu discussed Romanias priorities for next year, in areas such as budget and human resources, research, energy and competition.

The Romanian official says Romania would like the cohesion policy, which targets economic, social and territorial convergence, to be a central element of the European budget. As for the common agricultural policy, Romania wants measures to reduce gaps in terms of subsidies, to support young farmers and competitive farms, which provide high-quality products to European markets.

Another field on Romanias agenda is research and innovation. Victor Negrescu explained that Romania wants equal and fair access to resources in this field, equal salaries for all researchers, regardless of where they come from, and transparent evaluation.

Victor Negrescu: “I have highlighted Romanias support for such initiatives and the fact that we want additional funding for this initiative, because we want to attract researchers from across Europe to our country and, even more importantly, to bring back the Romanian researchers who work in other parts of Europe. I am confident that, if we join forces, the Government of Romania and Romanias representatives in the European Parliament, we will be able to persuade the European Commission and the other partners that this is the positive approach.

Romania seeks an EU Council presidency based on dialogue between member states and consensus on key issues, the official also added. Negrescu confirmed that the country is ready to take over the shadow presidency during Austrias term in office, which means that the country will attend all negotiations, including the ones with the European Parliament and the European Commission. Analyst Iulian Chifu warns that Romania must take care to fulfil its commitments:

Iulian Chifu: “Six months ahead of taking over the EU Council presidency, the worst that can happen is for Romania to run off the track or do something that puts it on a collision course with the European Commission, with the European Union, with its bilateral commitments to the US or NATO, first of all because whether we like it or not, we are all interdependent and we have to rely on these partners.

According to Chifu, Romania has grown a lot in terms of investment, standards of living and gross domestic product, primarily as a consequence of the countrys integration in Western structures.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 June 2018
June 19, 2018

PRESIDENCY – President Klaus Iohannis has a meeting today with the EU ambassadors to Bucharest, to discuss the forthcoming Romanian presidency of the Union Council in the first half of 2019. According to a news release issued by the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis will state that a compromise solution for the multi-annual budget, must be balanced and meet both the new priorities of the Union, such as border protection, migration, the ERASMUS programme, innovation and defence, and keep a substantial level of funding for traditional policies such as cohesion and the common agricultural policy. The President will also express Bucharests determination to support the efforts to resume the full implementation of the Schengen system and will add that the consolidation of the visa-free area cannot be completed without full integration of Romania and Bulgaria.

PRIME MINISTER – PM Viorica Dăncilă presents the joint Parliament Chambers with a progress report on Romanias preparations to take over the EU Council presidency in January 2019. “The talks occasioned by this presentation will be a substantial support to the Governments drawing up and adopting a first working programme for the Presidency, Dǎncilǎ said. She believes the Council presidency will be an opportunity for Romania to prove its capacity to contribute to re-launching the European project, by means of a powerful political vision and relevant administrative capacity.

CODE – The changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure were endorsed on Monday by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making chamber of Parliament in this case, after having been passed by the Senate as well. 175 Deputies voted in favour and 78 against. The National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union in opposition announced they will refer the bill to the Constitutional Court.

JUDICIARY – The Constitutional Court of Romania today discusses President Klaus Iohannis notification concerning changes to the Referendum Law. One of the claims is that the document includes provisions concerning the initiation and procedural steps in revising the Constitution, which fall outside its competence. Also today, Constitutional Court judges discuss the notifications filed by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union in opposition, as well as by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, concerning the bill on the statute of judges and prosecutors. The High Court argues that the phrasing in the new bill is too broad and imprecise making the law impossible to enforce.

US-ROMANIA – Romanias deputy PM for strategic partnerships, Ana Birchall, has had a meeting today with Wess Mitchell, Assistant US State Secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, as part of the 6th annual political meeting for Romania-US Strategic Dialogue. Ana Birchall emphasised Romanias interest in identifying and implementing new joint projects contributing to the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the US. She pointed out the huge potential in the fields of energy, IT and film industry. On the other hand, she requested the support of the American side for Romanias Visa Waiver application and thanked the US for its support to Romanias efforts to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and development. On Monday, in an address given at the University of Bucharest, the American official said Romania made progress towards a strong judicial system and must not backtrack on it. The US official added that the US appreciates the resilience of Black Sea countries, but also warned against the danger posed by the influence of Russia and China in the region.

FOOTBALL – Romanian football champions CFR Cluj are finding out today their opponents in the second preliminary round of the Champions League, in a UEFA draw in the Swiss city of Nyon. The draw for the Europa League will take place tomorrow, with Romanian vice-champions FCSB (former Steaua Bucuresti) and Viitorul Constanta taking part. The Romanian Cup winners CSU Craiova will play straight into the third preliminary round.

WORLD CUP – Poland-Senegal and Columbia-Japan, in Group H, and Russia-Egypt in Group A, are the football World Cup games scheduled for today. On Monday in Group A, Sweden defeated South Korea 1-0, while in Group G Belgium outplayed Panama, 3-0 and England beat Tunisia 2-1. The Panamanian goalie Jaime Penedo, playing for Dinamo Bucharest, is the only footballer from the Romanian championship taking part in the Russia World Cup. The last final tournament Romania took part in was in 1998.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

19 June 2018
May 16, 2018 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria, in an informal meeting of the European Council and the EU – Western Balkans Summit. According to the Presidential Administration, the agenda of the informal European Council meeting includes topics concerning the digital, research and innovation sectors, as well as the decision of the US to introduce customs duties for steel and aluminum imports. At the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the heads of state and government will discuss connectivity, security and migration. President Iohannis will emphasise the importance of projects in the field of connectivity, infrastructure, energy and digital networks, which are able to enhance the convergence between the EU and the Western Balkans region, the Presidency also says.

EU PRESIDENCY – The Minister delegate for European affairs Victor Negrescu Wednesday presented Parliaments specialist committees with a first draft of Romanias priorities during its EU presidency in the first half of next year. Safety and Europes shared values, the Europe of convergence: growth, cohesion, competitiveness, connectivity, and Europe as a global player are the four themes of interest of Romanias term at the helm of the EU Council. The document, which is undergoing validation procedures, will be presented in Parliament next month by PM Viorica Dăncilă. Negrescu said a national and political consensus on the final document was necessary.

EMBASSY – The Ambassador of Palestine in Romania, Fuad Kokaly, was called to Ramallah for emergency talks, the Palestinian Embassy in Romania announced. The Foreign Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) resorted to the measure as Romania is one of the countries having blocked a joint EU statement on the relocation of member state embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the news release reads. France Presse and DPA report that the Palestinian Authority announced on Wednesday having recalled “for consultations its ambassadors to 4 EU member countries that sent their representatives to a ceremony organised on Sunday by Israel to mark the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem. The 4 countries are Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania. The EU criticised the US President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his decision to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

PROTESTS – The Government of Romania Wednesday passed an emergency order operating changes in the law on public sector employee salaries, agreed on with trade unions. The changes will benefit employees in public education and healthcare. Under the order, all the healthcare staff whose net incomes dropped in March compared to February will receive compensations. Also, the 30% ceiling on bonuses will no longer apply to on-duty time for doctors and nurses. Also on Wednesday the Government of Romania passed an emergency order earmarking the funds required for keeping specialised personnel in the defence industry. Defence industry staff Tuesday and Wednesday picketed the Government headquarters to warn about the problems facing the companies and the employees in this sector. The Romanian defence industry risks getting shut down because of the shortage of skilled personnel and the lack of investments, one of the protest organisers told AGERPRES news agency.

BSEC – The Speaker of the Senate of Romania Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu Wednesday took part in a summit bringing together the heads of parliaments of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation member states. In an address during general debates on ’25 years of BCEC: the role of parliaments in shaping the future of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation’, Tăriceanu pleaded for an integrated approach to transport and energy infrastructure projects, able to improve the connectivity of member states. The Speaker of the Romanian Senate also reiterated his confidence in the future of cooperation at the Black Sea and in the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in promoting peace, stability and wellbeing in member countries.

TENNIS – Romanian and world no 1 Simona Halep will play on Thursday against the American Madison Keys, seed no 13, in the eighth-finals of the WTA tournament in Rome. On Wednesday in the second round Halep defeated Japans Naomi Osaka, no 21 WTA, in straight sets, while Madison Keys won against the Croatian Donna Vekic. This will be the 7th match between Simona Halep and Madison Keys, with the Romanian having won 5 of them. Also on Wednesday Irina-Camelia Begu, no 41 WTA, was defeated in the second round by the German Angelique Kerber, no 12 WTA.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 May 2018
March 30, 2018 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY – The Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dăncilă Friday took part in a meeting of the heads of EU diplomatic missions in Bucharest. The Prime Minister presented the priorities of her Cabinet in 2018, including the modernisation of the national economy, the introduction of measures to prepare the Eurozone accession and the preparations for the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. Of the topics currently on the EU agenda, the participants discussed the future of the Union, the security of the bloc and the EU multi-annual budget. The meeting was organised by the Embassy of Bulgaria, the country that is holding the EU presidency at the moment.

TENSIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry Friday confirmed that a Romanian diplomat accredited in Russia was declared a persona non grata, after Romania adopted a similar measure in solidarity with the UK. Previously, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu had said the decision was a means for Romania to express its solidarity in the wake of the grave incidents in Britain. Meanwhile, the expulsion of 60 US diplomats and the closing down of a consulate in Russia marks a further deterioration of the US-Russia relations, the White House said after Russias move on Thursday. The Kremlins decision was a tit-for-tat response to Washingtons measures against Russia, in a show of solidarity with Britain after a former Russian double agent and his daughter had been poisoned. The US expelled 60 Russian diplomats and ordered the closing of Russias consulate in Seattle. The spokesperson for the US State Department Heather Nauert said Washington is now reviewing all its options.

CONDOLENCES – Russias Embassy in Bucharest has thanked all the Romanian citizens who expressed their condolences and sympathy for the families of the victims of the tragic incident in Kemerovo. On Thursday and Friday a condolences book was opened at Russias diplomatic office, to honour the 64 victims, including 41 children. On Wednesday, the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message of condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

30 March 2018
Bulgaria takes over rotating EU presidency

Deemed by most specialists as the poorest member of the European Union and criticized, both by its own citizen, as well as by its Western partners, for its ineffectiveness in combating corruption, Bulgaria hopes that its first term at the helm of the EU should significantly improve its image.

Under the slogan “Unity Makes Strength, Bulgaria will focus its efforts on three main directions: consensus, competitiveness and cohesion. The number one priority, according to Sofia, is the future of Europe and young people. Overseeing Brexit negotiations, the European prospects of countries in the Western Balkans, security and stability in a strong and united Europe, and combating illegal migration also rank high on the Bulgarian presidencys agenda.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Ekaterina Zaharieva, expressed hope that Bulgaria would join the Schengen Area by the end of the year, admitting that there are countries within the EU that believe Bulgaria and Romania dont belong to the travel-free area due to unsolved corruption issues. “The latest vote in the European Parliament showed that these skeptics are becoming fewer, but we can’t be absolutely certain that they will change their mind in the next six months, Minister Zaharieva told the press.

In turn, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov hopes that Brussels would lift the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, under which Bulgarias and Romanias efforts to reform their justice systems and combating top-level graft have been monitored ever since the two countries joined the EU in 2007.

Romania is set to take over the rotating presidency of the European Council on January 1, 2019. This week Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu, updated EU leaders with respect to the ongoing preparations ahead of Bucharests European presidency. According to a press release, the timetable for the six-month mandate has already been sketched out, while internal consultations are underway with a view to identifying Romanias topics of interest, at the level of public ministries and institutions. Victor Negrescu also discussed with EU officials ways to coordinate actions in order to set out the operational program of the Trio of Presidencies, which starts on January 2019 and also includes Finland and Croatia. Bucharest wants to be an unbiased mediator while holding the EU presidency, seeking to advance the European agenda by accommodating the views of as many Member States as possible, Minister Negrescu also said.

(translated by: Vlad Palcu)

11 January 2018