Radio România Internațional

Tag: Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu

  • June 8, 2017

    June 8, 2017


    US VISIT – Currently on a formal visit to the US, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is today visiting the US Congress. According to the Presidential Administration, the Romanian president will meet with the interim Senate Speaker Orrin Hatch and other Senate members. Also today, Klaus Iohannis will hold talks with the group of friendhisp with Romania in the American Congress and with senior members of the House of Representatives. Later today, the Romanian president will attend a Congressional Awards Ceremony. Yesterday, during meetings with representatives of the Romanian community living in the US, Iohannis voiced appreciation for the way in which they managed to successfully integrate into the American society, through hard work, talent and honesty, thus contributing significantly to the growth of the US economy and to strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. More on this after the news.



    PARIS VISIT – This morning in Paris, the Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu met with his French counterpart Edouard Philippe. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the agenda of talks included bilateral cooperation, an analysis of the political situation in the EU after Brexit and Bucharests relations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). That was Edouard Philippes first meeting with a counterpart since his appointment last month. Traditionally a Francophone and Francophile country, Romania has with France a strategic partnership agreement concluded in 2008. On Wednesday, PM Grindeanu attended in Paris the ceremony marking Romanias joining the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD.



    PRAGUE VISIT – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall is paying a working visit to Prague on Friday. She will meet with Czech officials with European affairs responsibilities. The agenda of talks includes current issues, with focus on the future of the EU, Brexit developments, Romanias preparation for taking over the presidency of the EU Council, as well as topics such as migration and internal security. Also, the Romanian official will attend the conference on EU security and defense, DESCOP 2017. Also participating in the conference will be, among others, the European Commission President Jean – Claude Juncker, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.



    UK ELECTIONS – Early legislative elections are being held in Great Britain today, called by the conservative Prime Minister Theresa May with the aim of consolidating her office in the run up to Brexit negotiations. The police have announced that security in and around voting centers has been tightened. Actually, the main electoral issues, Brexit, public health, welfare or education have been shadowed by the latest terrorist attacks. This is the third national voting held in less than two years. Unless the Conservative Party maintains its parliamentary majority, Theresa Mays position is likely to be weakened.



    GROWTH – Romania has had the highest economic growth rate of the 28 EU members states, with a GDP growth of 5.5% in the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016, reads the third estimate published today by the Statistical office of the EU – Eurostat. The highest growth rates in January – March 2017 were registered by Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. No drops in the GDP were reported in the EU in the first three months of the year.



    THEATRE – Some 500 performances and events will be hosted by the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, the largest such festival in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. The Director of the Festival Constantin Chiriac has announced that all tickets have already been sold. As a first this year, the festival will have a section of organ concerts held in several Saxon fortified churches and also a special programme, with five performances in English, staged at the Ground Forces Academy in Sibiu, in particular for the foreign and Romanian soldiers participating in the NATO exercises underway at the Cincu shooting ground.



    TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 4 in the WTA rankings, is today playing against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, ranked 3rd, in the semi-finals of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year. So far, the two have played against each other five times, and Simona has won four matches. In the other semifinal, the Estonian Jelena Ostapenko will play against the Swiss Timea Bacsinszky . On Wednesday, in the quarters, Simona defeated the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, after a spectacular com-back, 3-6, 7-6, 6-0. If she qualifies for the final and wins, besides getting her first Grand Slam title, the Romanian will also step up to the first position in the world rankings. Halep played the final in Roland Garros in 2014, but she lost to the Russian Maria Sharapova.




  • Romania prepares for its first EU Council presidency

    Romania prepares for its first EU Council presidency

    Romania has
    started making preparations for its first EU Council presidency in the first
    six months of 2019. The government in Bucharest has established a national
    council for the preparation and exercise of Romania’s EU Council presidency, an
    action plan has been adopted and the foreign ministry has set up a special unit
    to work on this project. At a debate held on Wednesday by the foreign ministry,
    the participants assessed the context in which Romania will carry out its term,
    which will see new European Parliament elections, the UK’s leaving the European Union and
    negotiations on the next multi-annual financial framework. The Minister
    Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall said the presidency of the European
    Union was a national project for Romania.

    Ana Birchall: We will have to ensure a professional management and demonstrate our ability
    to propose compromise solutions that are acceptable for the member states and
    the Union’s institutions. We will have the opportunity to demonstrate our
    support for the European values and contribute directly to the consolidation
    process.


    The Eastern
    Partnership and the organisation of a summit in Romania, the Danube strategy
    and migration to the European Union are some of the issues Romania must cover
    during its presidency, said foreign minister Teodor Melescanu. He also pointed
    out that there are logistical problems related to the taking over of the rotating
    presidency, which would require the support of a number of state institutions,
    given that Romania will have to host hundreds of meetings, which is also an
    opportunity to promote the country’s political vision on the future of Europe.

    Prime minister Sorin Grindeanu too believes Romania has the opportunity to come
    with a new, dynamic approach that could help relaunch the European project
    during its EU Council presidency. According to the senate speaker Calin Popescu
    Tariceanu, Romania will benefit from more exposure during its 6-month
    presidency and must demonstrate that it is creative, energetic, modern and
    pro-European.


    Calin Popescu Tariceanu: Let us not forget that we are the seventh biggest country in the European
    Union so we must try to give our presidency a dimension that befits our country
    – we should neither try to be more than what we are and try to impress, nor see
    ourselves smaller than we are in reality.


    The debate in Bucharest was also attended by the
    ambassadors of Finland and Croatia, which will take over the EU rotating
    presidency after Romania.

  • February 13, 2017 UPDATE

    February 13, 2017 UPDATE

    FORECAST — The European Commission on Monday upgraded its economic growth forecast for Romania in 2017 to 4.4%, with an estimated slowdown in 2018 to 3.7%. Last autumn, the Commission estimated economic growth to stand at 3.9% in 2017 and at 3.6% in 2018. On the other hand, the Commission expects all EU economic to grow over the next two years for the first time in nine years, although has warned against the high level of uncertainty underlying the forecast, also tied to the new administration in the United States, the upcoming elections in some EU states and Brexit.



    REFERENDUM — Parliament on Monday greenlighted the President’s request to hold a referendum on the fight against corruption. The vote was unanimous. On January 24, President Iohannis launched proceedings to hold a referendum, leaving Parliament 20 days to issue a consultative opinion. If the deadline was not met, the President could set a referendum anyways. Under the law, the president must set a date and decide on the question the people will be summoned to answer.



    MEETING — President Klaus Iohannis has sent a letter to Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu calling a meeting on Tuesday with respect to the draft budget for 2017 and the draft social security budget. Talks will also be attended by Finance Minister Viorel Stefan. The president is expected to sign the two bills voted by Parliament into law. Prior to the vote in Parliament, the president had voiced concern that the budget deficit might exceed the limit of 3% imposed by the EU, saying that the economic growth forecast underlying the budget is much too optimistic. Also, the president wants 2% of the GDP to be allotted to defence, in line with Romania’s commitments at NATO level.



    ENERGY — Romania will have to rely on imports to secure its power consumption, reads a release of Romania’s main electricity supplier Transelectrica. The biting cold this month has got up energy consumption to historic highs, both in terms of electricity and natural gas. On Monday morning Romania’s electricity output of 8,600 was lower than the 9,100-megawat demand. The difference was covered by imports from Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia. In turn, the Energy Ministry claims Romania has no trouble in covering the demand from internal production, while Monday’s imports were to the benefit of the end user.



    INVESTIGATION — Romania’s Prosecutor General’s Office on Monday called on the National Integrity Agency to check the financial statements of Romania’s former president Traian Basescu. The request comes as the money laundering investigation involving Traian Basescu was closed. The decision was taken as there was no evidence attesting to a criminal offence that led to the money laundering. Still, prosecutors have launched another investigation regarding forgery of official statements and has called on the Agency to check the former president’s financial statements filed in 2000.



    STATISTICS — Romania has one of the lowest national minimum wages at EU level, standing at 322 euros after the salary increase operated as of February 1, second-last ahead of Bulgaria, where the national minimum wage stands at 235 euros. In January 2017, ten EU member states from Eastern Europe had minimum wages below 500 euros — Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland and Estonia. According to Eurostat, the national minimum wage exceeds 1,000 euros in Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg.



    MOLDOVA — Ukraine might resume its electricity exports to Moldova, while new border crossing points might be opened on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. The decision was taken during talks held in Kiev between Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Groisman and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The agenda for talks included the Transdniestr issue, defining borders and the mutual recognition of properties. The two Prime Ministers also signed a roadmap for developing Moldovan-Ukrainian cooperation in 2017. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • January 10, 2017

    January 10, 2017

    WEATHER IN ROMANIA – A wave of cold weather has swept across Romania. Skies are overcast with isolated snowfalls in the southwest. Maximum temperatures range between minus 14 and minus 4 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 9 degrees. Code yellow and orange alerts against extreme cold are in place for the whole country. Last night was reportedly the coldest this winter season, with minus 32 degrees reported in Intorsura Buzaului, eastern Romania. School inspectorates in 22 counties and the capital city Bucharest have shut down schools and kindergartens, while nine counties only partially suspended classes. Classes will resume on Monday in Bucharest. A code yellow and orange alert against snowfalls and blizzards comes into effect this evening for the southeast. Last week the same region was severely affected by blizzards, which disrupted road traffic and caused blackouts. Navigation on a segment of the river Danube has been shut down indefinitely.



    WEATHER IN EUROPE– Some 50 people died to the cold snap in Europe, as low temperatures continue to hold Europe in their grip. Most victims were reported in Poland, where lows hit minus 30 degrees Celsius in certain regions. Five people died in the Republic of Moldova from carbon monoxide poisoning after the stoves they used to heat their homes caught fire. Hungary also reported record-high lows, both at national level and in the capital-city Budapest. In Serbia, low temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees. The worst hit were the refugees sitting in makeshift camps. Turkey too is seeing a very harsh winter. The capital Istanbul was hit by the biggest blizzard in the last seven years. Scores of flights were cancelled while the Bosphorus Strait was closed to traffic. Low temperatures and heavy snowfalls were also reported in Greece. The Doctors without Borders Humanitarian Organization expressed concern regarding the thousands of people across Europe who are left vulnerable to the cold.



    TALKS – President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday is meeting Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu to discuss the Governments plans related to the 2017 state budget amidst concerns regarding the sustainability of certain measures announced by the Government and their impacts on the economy, the presidency reports. Attending the meeting will also be the Minister of Public Finance Viorel Stefan. The Government adopted, among other things, an increase of the minimum wage salary to 320 euros, as well as a 50% increase of the salaries of actors and other categories of artists. Besides, all pensions below 400 euros will become tax deductible, while pensions will be exempt from paying health insurance contributions.



    HUNGER STRIKE – The two leaders of the miners trade unions on Jiu Valley, central Romania, whove been on hunger strike for the past week, today called off their strike action. The miners call for cutting the working week to four days, observing the provisions stipulated in the collective employment agreement, ensuring adequate equipment for underground work and sacking the management of the Hunedoara Energy Compound. Currently employing some 5,200 people, the compound is facing severe financial problems and has all its accounts frozen.



    TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu, WTA no. 40, today qualified to the quarterfinals of the WTA tennis tournament in Hobart, Australia, totaling over 225 thousand dollars in prize money. In the round of 16 she ousted Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, 73 WTA, 6-3, 6-2. In the next round Niculescu will play the winner of the game pitting Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic against Risa Ozaki of Japan. Niculescu has also secured qualification in the quarterfinals of the doubles event, alongside Abigail Spears of the United States. The two are first-seeded in the Hobart competition and will play the winners in the match between Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic and Pauline Parmentier of France and Fracesca Schiavone of Italy. Also in the womens doubles, Raluca Olaru of Romania and Olga Savchuk of Ukraine, who played the Shenzhen finals this month, advanced to the quarterfinals after winning 6-4, 6-2 against the pair made up of Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands and Johanna Larsson of Sweden. Olaru and Savchuk will be playing Ukrainian twins Lyudmyla and Nadia Kichenok. (Translated by V. Palcu)