Radio România Internațional

Tag: priorities

  • Measures for the medical system

    Measures for the medical system

    The healthcare domain is one of the major dissatisfactions of Romanians, as shown by all opinion polls. Suffocating bureaucracy, old hospitals, doctors offices without basic equipment, corrupt physicians who condition the medical act on bribe, rigged contests for filling managerial positions and purchases at inflated prices. Nothing is missing from the range of comorbidities of the healthcare system in Romania. Moreover, the system has been faced with a lack of personnel for a long time. Although, in recent years, Romanian doctors have received salaries comparable to those in Western Europe, many continue to leave the country, while in the Romanian countryside, many communes do not have doctors, and in the cities that have hospitals there is not enough medical personnel.



    This week, the manager of the Dr. Victor Gomoiu Clinical Children’s Hospital in Bucharest, Maria Enescu, has publicly drawn attention to the difficult situation in the medical unit’s on-call room, given that, she says, there is an acute lack of staff, and the nurses are exhausted. The shortage of personnel, the people in the system say, was worsened by the authorities decision to block the tender for positions in state institutions, a measure from a larger package, decided by the governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL with the avowed intention to reduce the budget deficit. But, the press notes, in a year marked by European parliament, local, legislative and presidential elections, politicians are good at sweetening the bitter pill that they have prescribed themselves.



    The Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that a priority of his government team is to rapidly solve the issue of resident doctors who passed the specialty exam at the end of last year. There are approximately 4,500 doctors in whom the Romanian state has invested hundreds of millions of euros, and we must make sure that we keep them in the country. That is why, in the next period, the Health Ministry and the Development Ministry must update the lists of vacant positions and present the Government with new memoranda for tender for positions. I also ask the Finance Ministry to cooperate to make things happen quicker said the Prime Minister, at the beginning of the first Government meeting of 2024.



    The memoranda initiated by the two ministries regarding the tendering for vacancies in the healthcare system could be approved next week, the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, a party colleague of the PM announced also on Thursday. Thus, each health unit will be able to organize contests to fill vacant doctor or nurse positions. From the opposition, Save Romania Union – USR claims that there is a deficit of over 20,000 nurses and auxiliary medical personnel and of about 8,000 doctors, across Romania. (LS)


  • January 4, 2024 UPDATE

    January 4, 2024 UPDATE

    Meeting – The Romanian government met Thursday in the first session of 2024. The government members adopted, among other things, an initiative to optimize the process of issuing passports. The elaborated draft law, which will be sent to Parliament for debate and approval, makes concise and clear the role of the General Directorate of Passports in relation to attesting the quality of Romanian citizenship, in cooperation with other institutions. In order to optimize the process of issuing travel documents, they consider giving the General Directorate of Passports the possibility to verify the collection of the amount representing the value of simple passports, and to return the amount respectively, in situations where it was not paid properly or the related service was not provided. Another draft law adopted on Thursday stipulates that disputes resulting from contracts of mandate concluded by state companies in Romania must be settled in the country. The move transposes European Union norms into the law on international judicial cooperation in criminal and criminal procedure matters. Also on Thursday, the Government adopted a modification of the funding from the state budget of the earthquakes and landslides natural risk mapping.



    Missiles – NATO has announced its decision to support a group of member countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain to purchase up to 1,000 Patriot anti-aircraft missiles. According to NATO, the European production will be increased to cover the growing demand, being also aimed at strengthening the European Sky Shield. The contract stands at 5.5 billion dollars and the cost of each Patriot missile is around 4 million dollars. The contract also covers the maintenance of the Patriot defense systems. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has underlined that raising the ammunition production is essential for the security of the allied countries and Ukraine.



    Agreement — A person’s period of work and their rights to pension have mutually been recognized by Romania and the United States, after the law ratifying the agreement on the issue was promulgated by Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis. Under the new agreement, it will be possible to capitalize on the periods worked both in Romania and the United States, in order to open the pension right on the principle of accumulation, with the proportional granting of the pension by each state, depending on the contribution periods completed. The document also provides for the export of pensions, a major facility regarding the mobility of pensioners in the two countries and maintaining their access to the pension rights being paid. The bill also includes provisions for the posted workers who have been exempted from paying health and social security contributions to the country where they were sent to work.



    Priorities – Solving the problem of resident physicians who passed the specialty exam at the end of 2023 was mentioned as a priority for the beginning of the year by Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. At the start of the first Government meeting in 2024, the Prime Minister recalled that there are approximately 4,500 doctors in which the Romanian state has invested hundreds of millions of Euros and stated that the government must ensure that they remain in Romania. Ciolacu asked the Ministries of Health and Development to update the lists of vacant positions and to come up with memoranda for organizing contests to fill these vacancies, and he also asked the Finance Ministry to cooperate so that this should happen as soon as possible. According to the data of the European Statistical Office, Romania had 350 active physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021. The ranking was led by Greece with 629 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants, and the lowest rate was recorded in France with 318 doctors per 100,000 inhabitants. All in all, in 2021, there were 1.82 million doctors in the European Union.



    Chisinau – Almost 81% of the primary and secondary school children in the Republic of Moldova are taught in Romanian, according to data recently published by the National Bureau of Statistics in Chisinau. Besides this percentage, 19% are taught in Russian and 0.1% study in English. In the 2023-2024 school year, over 1,200 general primary and secondary education institutions operate in the Republic of Moldova, of which almost 900 are in rural areas. Statistical data also show that the number of students studying in public schools decreased this school year compared to the previous one, and more and more students are studying in private schools. Also, last year, the number of secondary school graduates decreased by almost 5%, and that of high school graduates increased by 4%. (LS)

  • The Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party set their priorities

    The Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party set their priorities

    A comfortable parliamentary majority, of around 70%, which the so-called grand government coalition in Bucharest enjoys, would presuppose a flawless functioning of both the executive team and the partnership between the parties making up the coalition – the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR. However, things are not going smoothly in the coalition. A protocol signed between the parties provides that, at the end of May, the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu will take the place of the liberal Nicolae Ciucă at the helm of the Government, and the latter will take over the presidency of the Senate, a position now filled, on an interim basis, by his party colleague Alina Gorghiu.



    The PNL, Ciucă says, supports full compliance with the protocol agreed with all the members of the coalition, which involves rotations both at the leadership of the Government and at the level of some ministries, and considers a possible renegotiation of the portfolios inappropriate. On the other hand, the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu would like the PSD to keep the ministries where his colleagues have performed well, such as the Transport or Finance ministries. To start these discussions and debates, which are time consuming, four months before the rotation takes place, from my point of view is useless replies the liberal prime minister, who announces that, in the next period, an evaluation of the results of each minister will take place.



    The Liberal ministers will also be evaluated within an internal working group, which will also draft the party’s strategy in the run up to the 2024 election year, marked by local, European Parliament, legislative and presidential elections. Until then, the Liberals consider the adoption of the education laws as a priority, which is part of the presidential project Educated Romania, launched almost a decade ago by the head of state and the de facto leader of the PNL, Klaus Iohannis, and not completed even today.



    The PNL also announces that in the parliamentary session that starts on Wednesday, it will also focus on the adoption of bills regarding the so-called special pensions, which do not respect the contribution principle, and on increasing the threshold for taxing pensions from 2,000 lei (the equivalent of about 400 Euros) to 3,000 lei.



    Equally, the number one priority for the PSD, President Ciolacu claims, is the issue of special pensions, and the party wants to find the constitutional form for this issue to be solved once and for all in Romania. The fulfillment of the milestones set out in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, agreed by the decision-makers in Bucharest and those in Brussels, is also essential for the Social Democrats, because access to European funds depends on it.



    The more rigorous taxation of large companies, the reduction of labor taxation and a package of measures for the reduction or elimination of the VAT on basic food products are other promises launched by the PSD at the beginning of the parliamentary session. All these measures need, however, to also be approved by PNL and UDMR. And the political analysts in Bucharest are reticent about saying that they will also be adopted. (LS)

  • The priorities of the new parliamentary session

    The priorities of the new parliamentary session

    According to the Romanian Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate meet in two ordinary sessions a year. The first begins in February and cannot go beyond the end of June. The second session begins in September and cannot go beyond the end of December. If urgent situations occur, the two Chambers of Romanias Parliament can be convened in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the President of Romania, of the permanent bureau of each Chamber or of at least one third of the number of deputies or senators.



    This week the MPs return to work at the Parliament Palace after the winter holidays. They will focus on draft laws in such areas as justice, health, and the economy. Their priority of the moment is to offset electricity and natural gas bills. Therefore, the MPs will approve a new emergency ordinance recently issued by the Government on a new capping and compensation scheme, given that, in the last few winter months, the bills received by some citizens have been extremely high.



    The Senate will debate the document as the first chamber notified, and then it will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. Also in the field of Energy, the agenda of Parliament could include, in this session, the modification of the Offshore Law, which would unblock the hydrocarbons extraction projects in the Black Sea. In the field of Justice, the Parliaments agenda will include the dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Offences committed within the Judiciary (SIIJ). Criticized by some, applauded by others, the dismantling of this Section was also requested by Brussels. The current justice minister, Cătălin Predoiu, believes that, by the end of March, the Section will no longer exist.



    A challenge for the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, partners in the ruling coalition, is also the drafting of a new salary law, which should equally solve the issue of benefits, so as to avoid cases in which the benefits are equal to the basic income. Finally, the parliamentarians are to also decide on the fate of the Covid certificate. More precisely, a bill that has remained in the debate of the Chamber of Deputies since the past session establishes the obligation to present this certificate at the workplace. If, initially, the bill provided for this obligation only in the case of the medical staff, following changes proposed by senators, the certificate could apply to all categories of employees, with certain exceptions. After many discussions in the Senate, the document was rejected, and the deputies are expected to give the final vote.



    Whether in power or in opposition, all political parties represented in the Romanian Parliament have their own projects which they want to include on the agenda, to be debated and voted on. Among them: amending the law on protected areas, increasing salaries in the education system and allowances for children, modifying the law on doctoral theses or the ban on wood export. (LS)

  • The priorities of the new parliamentary session

    The priorities of the new parliamentary session

    According to the Romanian Constitution, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate meet in two ordinary sessions a year. The first begins in February and cannot go beyond the end of June. The second session begins in September and cannot go beyond the end of December. If urgent situations occur, the two Chambers of Romanias Parliament can be convened in extraordinary sessions, at the request of the President of Romania, of the permanent bureau of each Chamber or of at least one third of the number of deputies or senators.



    This week the MPs return to work at the Parliament Palace after the winter holidays. They will focus on draft laws in such areas as justice, health, and the economy. Their priority of the moment is to offset electricity and natural gas bills. Therefore, the MPs will approve a new emergency ordinance recently issued by the Government on a new capping and compensation scheme, given that, in the last few winter months, the bills received by some citizens have been extremely high.



    The Senate will debate the document as the first chamber notified, and then it will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, as a decision-making body. Also in the field of Energy, the agenda of Parliament could include, in this session, the modification of the Offshore Law, which would unblock the hydrocarbons extraction projects in the Black Sea. In the field of Justice, the Parliaments agenda will include the dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Offences committed within the Judiciary (SIIJ). Criticized by some, applauded by others, the dismantling of this Section was also requested by Brussels. The current justice minister, Cătălin Predoiu, believes that, by the end of March, the Section will no longer exist.



    A challenge for the Social Democratic Party – PSD and the National Liberal Party – PNL, partners in the ruling coalition, is also the drafting of a new salary law, which should equally solve the issue of benefits, so as to avoid cases in which the benefits are equal to the basic income. Finally, the parliamentarians are to also decide on the fate of the Covid certificate. More precisely, a bill that has remained in the debate of the Chamber of Deputies since the past session establishes the obligation to present this certificate at the workplace. If, initially, the bill provided for this obligation only in the case of the medical staff, following changes proposed by senators, the certificate could apply to all categories of employees, with certain exceptions. After many discussions in the Senate, the document was rejected, and the deputies are expected to give the final vote.



    Whether in power or in opposition, all political parties represented in the Romanian Parliament have their own projects which they want to include on the agenda, to be debated and voted on. Among them: amending the law on protected areas, increasing salaries in the education system and allowances for children, modifying the law on doctoral theses or the ban on wood export. (LS)

  • Ruling coalition discusses budget bill

    Ruling coalition discusses budget bill

    The government is working to complete the 2021 budget bill, bound to stay under a 7% of GDP budget deficit ceiling, as agreed with Brussels. Preparations have been stepped up lately, as the goal is for the document to be submitted to Parliament early next month, when the parliamentary session begins. But with major expenditure triggered by the pandemic, the distribution of the limited funds available is rather difficult.



    The Liberal PM Florin Cîţu asked the members of his coalition government for a list of key projects for each ministry, so as to ensure efficient fund distribution, and says he hopes the talks with the main authorising officers will lead to a balanced budget, able to support economic growth. Investments and healthcare will certainly be the funding priorities, the PM said, and mentioned plans to amend the legislation on public sector salaries and pensions.



    Florin Cîţu: “The pension law must be based on the principle of contributions, this will be the starting point. As for the salary law, the point is to ensure more efficiency in public administration, tying salaries to performance. Apart from a clear hierarchy, we must also introduce performance indicators tied to these incomes.



    Under the current legislation, the pension increase scheduled for this year entails a financial effort of roughly 1.6 billion euros, and a reform of the public pension system, as desired by the prime minister, takes time and will have no effect on this years budget.



    Romanias public budget is under huge pressure at present, because of the need to comply with the deficit target agreed on with the European Commission, says the leader of the USR PLUS party, deputy PM Dan Barna:



    Dan Barna: “We will see how the final bill comes out and how we will meet the deficit target agreed on with the EC. And in this respect, we will also see the amendments, if any, submitted by our parliamentary groups.



    This years state budget must be balanced and must target development, investments and jobs, the president of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, deputy PM Kelemen Hunor said in his turn:



    Kelemen Hunor: “We must be very, very efficient in spending the money for development, from the National Rural Development Programme, from the operational programmes, and from the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme, because the national budget will have less money available for investments than what citizens and local authorities would like.



    The Social Democrats in opposition have drafted an alternative budget, to prove that the country has enough money to provide massive support to the economy and to increase citizens incomes. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Conditions for returning to normality

    Conditions for returning to normality

    We are at the beginning of an extremely important year for the future development of Romania, President Klaus Iohannis said in his first press conference in 2021. He has shown that the authorities are acting towards to major goals: stopping the pandemic and re-launching all economic sectors in parallel with starting the promised reforms. President Iohannis has explained that these are deeply interconnected because the success of the population vaccination is what will generate, to a great extent, the capacity to resume all economic and social activities that were so seriously affected by the pandemic.



    Klaus Iohannis: “After an extremely difficult year when we had to make lots of sacrifices, a year when many people have fought with this disease and others, too many unfortunately, have died, here is the new year 2021 that gives us reason to hope. The COVID-19 vaccines are the crowning of scientists’ efforts and a confirmation of the huge progress made in this race against the clock with a new virus, extremely contagious and also very lethal. Mass vaccination is the only solution that will allow us to return to normality as soon as possible and to safely resume all the activities that we have missed so much over the past year. The success of the vaccination campaign is linked to the economic re-launch of Romania, and it will help avoid some deep crises that might have deep consequence for the society, education and economy. It is essential for this vaccination campaign to be successful, so that we can have immunization of the population at national level.”



    President Iohannis has announced that he will get vaccinated publicly on Friday, January 15, upon the start of the second vaccination stage, which targets people over 65, people with comorbidities and chronic diseases and the essential staff. The first stage included the people working in the healthcare and social sectors. The president has shown that both him and the prime minister have not been vaccinated so far to avoid criticism that they got vaccinated ahead of other categories and thus to put an end to such speculations.



    President Iohannis has also said that this year’s budget will focus on investments, on infrastructure development and supporting the business environment in parallel with accessing more European funds. Moreover, the reform of the big education and healthcare systems needs to be started, the president went on to say. He has also referred to the freezing of salaries in the public sector, and has explained that, in the context of the economic problems caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, this year there is no money for pay rises. The money will be used to keep the salaries at the same level.



    President Iohannis has also said that the authorities are not considering relaxing the restrictions for the time being, given that the number of contaminations and deaths continues to be high. We can overcome the pandemic if and only if we observe the restrictions and get vaccinated, Klaus Iohannis has concluded. (tr. L. Simion)

  • December 19, 2019 UPDATE

    December 19, 2019 UPDATE

    Activity report – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis said Thursday evening upon the presentation of the activity report of his first mandate as head of state, that there were 5 years of major challenges of which the most serious was Romania’s risking to swerve off its western path. He went on to say that the biggest achievement of his mandate was to keep Romania on the democratic and pro-European path. In relation to foreign policy, Klaus Iohannis said his actions focused on 3 coordinates: boosting Romania’s role within the EU and NATO, expanding and strengthening the strategic partnership with the US. At domestic level he focused on the good functioning of public authorities. He reiterated that in the past 3 years some groups tried to get their hands on Romania and weaken it by attacking the justice system and he, as president of the country, used all constitutional instruments to counteract these undemocratic forces that tried to stop the anti-corruption fight. On Saturday President Klaus Iohannis will be sworn in for his second mandate before the two chambers of Romania’s Parliament.



    EP – President Klaus Iohannis hails the passing by the EP, on Thursday, of a Resolution on the commemoration of 30 years since the December 1989 anti-communist revolution, which pays homage to the heroes that died for freedom and democracy. Through this resolution the EP admits that the sacrifice of the then peaceful protesters opened the path for Romania’s transition to democracy. The document mentions that, in the Romanian Revolution, 1,142 people lost their lives, over 3,000 were seriously wounded and several hundreds were illegally arrested and tortured. The EP called on the Romanian state to intensify efforts to find the truth about the 1989 revolution and on the EU institutions and members, Romania included, to do their best to make sure that the crimes made by the Communist regimes will not be forgotten, and to thus guarantee that such crimes will never be committed again. In Romania, commemorations continued on Thursday to honor the heroes of the revolution. 30 years ago in Timisoara, in the west, the workers in the city’s factories went on strike and the first organization of revolutionaries the Romanian Democratic Forum was created before the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. December 19 is also the day when the regime tried to hide the traces of the protesters’ bloody repression. In Sibiu, central Romania, military and religious ceremonies were held to commemorate the revolution’s martyrs.



    London — Queen Elisabeth II of Great Britain on Thursday presented in Parliament the legislative priorities of the government headed by Boris Johnson. Some of the measures announced are: the finalization of Brexit on January 31, 2020, bigger investments in healthcare, and the implementation of a new immigration system. The bill on Great Britain’s exit from the EU will be debated on Friday in the House of Commons. Another priority is the passing of an immigration system similar to the Australian one which is to be applied as soon as the post-Brexit transition period comes to an end and when the UK will no longer have to abide by the EU regulations, namely as of January 1, 2021. Through this system, Boris Johnson’s government wants to allow entry of foreign workers from the all over the world, not only from Europe, depending on the labor force needs of the British economy. (news update by L. Simion)

  • Creating a budget for the EU

    Creating a budget for the EU

    Promoting divergent views on the EU budget for next year, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU are currently negotiating to reconcile their positions. At the end of the talks, the Commission might well find itself forced to come up with a new budget structure.



    The budget put forth by the Commission, amounting to 168.3 billion euros, is roughly midway between the one supported by Parliament and the one created by the Council. The EP voted in favour of a 170.97 billion euro budget, whereas the Council, which represents the member states and rejected the amendments tabled by the Parliament, would like a budget of 166.8 billion, accounting for an increase of only 0.6% compared to last years figure.



    The priorities of the Council, the Parliament and the Commission are the same, the European Commissioner for Budget Gunther Oettinger said however in Strasbourg, listing among these priorities the economic growth and jobs, the youth, migration and strengthening Europes environmental policy. Speaking to Radio Romania, the MEP Siegfried Muresan talked about the Unions financial situation and priorities:



    Siegfried Muresan: “This is the last year of the 2014-2020 financial cycle, so there can be no miracles at this point. This cycle was planned back in 2013, and a lot has happened since then, which the European policymakers could not have predicted. First of all, we had the refugee crisis, we needed money for securing Europes borders, for increasing investments—and Id like to mention the setup of a special investment fund, called the Juncker Plan, for strategic investments, which mobilized investments of 440 billion euros leading to the employment of 1.1 million people in the EU. What Im trying to say is that we are entering the last year of this cycle, and most of the reserves have been used up for these unforeseen measures. It is now important for us to finance properly the traditional, classical priorities of the EU, so that the Union may be able to cover the expenses of the EU fund beneficiaries. The demand for funding is growing, which is why it is important that we have managed to come up with a budget that ensures the timely coverage of all these expenses.



    Seeking to get as close as possible to the goal of earmarking 20% of the total 2014-2020 budget for environment-related expenses, as planned in 2013, the European Parliament pays special attention to climate change. Estimates indicate that the target will not be achieved, particularly because of the small climate-related expenses in 2014, but the Parliament wants to contribute significantly to innovation, research and new, environment-friendly technologies next year. It also intends to support digitization, to help climate research as well as research in the field of severe disease and of more efficient farming. All these are adding to the efforts to create new jobs, to strengthen the competitiveness of the Unions economy and to reduce poverty.



    The Parliaments priorities related to climate, the future and youth are shared by the Council. The challenge is that 2020 is the last year of the current financial cycle, a year when some net payers will want to reduce the budget whereas other member countries would like more money in the field of cohesion and agriculture. Moreover, the Brexit situation remains uncertain, which in turn entails some costs.



    Siegfried Muresan: “In 2013 the UK signed the Unions multiannual budget for 2014-2020. In other words, irrespective of the actual date of its leaving the Union, Britain has committed to contribute to the community budget until December 31, 2020. And since they have contributed to the budget, it is only fair that they should also benefit from it. Britain has paid an annual average of 10 billion euros more than it has received, so obviously when the UK leaves, the Union will be 10 billion euros short. What do we do about it? First of all, we will reduce red tape in accessing EU funds, we will make it easier for beneficiaries to get EU funding, which means that each beneficiary will have smaller management expenses. We will do more with each euro of the EU budget. This is a first measure. The second is that each member state will have to contribute slightly more than before, and the third is that there will be budget cuts in the fields that require less money.



    According to the Romanian MEP, these budget cuts will not affect Romania, because the EU believes Romania still needs help and as such it will receive help in the forthcoming 7-year cycle as well.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Priorities for the new ministers

    Priorities for the new ministers

    The members of the new Government headed by Ludovic Orban Tuesday took over their posts, after the new Cabinet was endorsed by Parliament. The Liberal Government follows Viorica Dancilas Social Democratic Cabinet, removed through a no-confidence vote on October 10. The new ministers announced their intentions right from the start of their term in office.



    A trained diplomat, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said the ministry needed reforms and a more professional diplomatic corps. He also requested a report on the preparations for the presidential election in the Romanian communities abroad.



    Bogdan Aurescu: “I will ask the heads of consular and diplomatic missions to immediately submit a report on the status of preparations and on possible risks and vulnerabilities. We will see if there is anything we can do and exactly what, within the powers of the foreign minister and the Government.



    Bogdan Aurescu made these statements ahead of Fridays start of the voting in polling stations abroad for the election of the president of Romania. The Romanians living abroad will be able to vote on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in each of the 2 election rounds.



    Meanwhile, the Ministry for Romanians Abroad has been turned into a governmental department subordinated directly to the Prime Minister. The post of Minister delegate for European Affairs has also been discarded, and this department will be coordinated jointly by the Foreign Ministry and the PMs office.



    In turn, the new Defence Minister, gen. Nicolae Ciuca, former Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, announced he would focus on fulfilling Romanias obligations as a NATO and EU member state. He mentioned the importance of the budgetary allocations for the Army:



    Nicolae Ciuca: “What we have undertaken to do with the 2% of the GDP is to ensure the capabilities with which Romania may consolidate its status as a reliable partner in the North-Atlantic Alliance, in the European Union and in the Armys strategic partnerships.



    As for the field of public finances, Minister Florin Citu wants the draft budget for 2020 to be finalised by December 15. He added that the state budget will be based on the current legislation, but that the draft prepared by the Dancila Government cannot be used because the structure of the government has been changed:



    Florin Citu: “Everything will be different from what has been done so far, including the budget. We have fewer ministries and this is where the budget drafting will begin, from the new structure of the government. The target is unchanged, namely a 3% deficit ceiling, which is quite ambitious because as you know the deficit for the first 9 months of the year is 2.6%. Well see what we find there, this is precisely why we wanted to take over this portfolio without delay.



    At the Justice Ministry, Catalin Predoiu pointed out that he wants a discussion about the need for a separate department investigating offences committed by magistrates. He urged prosecutors to take part in the procedures for the appointment of chief prosecutors, and said political criteria or personal friendships will play no part in these appointments:



    Catalin Predoiu: “I call on prosecutors to take this selection process very seriously and to act responsibly, and I believe that every prosecutor who feels they are capable of bringing progress, professionalism and a better organisation in the Public Ministry should enrol in the race.



    Last but not least, the new Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru announced thorough checks into the budget for public pensions, amid allegations that the Social Democratic Government left behind a worrying deficit. She also promised transparency and accurate information delivered to citizens.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • August 27, 2019 UPDATE

    August 27, 2019 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT Three Liberal Democratic members of the Government Tuesday resigned from office, after on Monday night the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats decided to break their alliance with the Social Democratic Party and move into the opposition. They are the environment minister Graţiela Gavrilescu, the energy minister Anton Anton and Viorel Ilie, liaising with Parliament. The party leader Calin Popescu-Traiceanu also announced he would step down as Senate Speaker. PM Viorica Dancila said the Social Democratic Party would stay in power in order to further implement the governing programme that won the 2016 parliamentary election. She added that Social Democratic ministers will temporarily fill the vacancies, and that Foreign Minister Ramona Mănescu, nominated into the Government by ALDE, would stay in office, in spite of Tariceanus call for her resignation.



    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis said at the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy on Tuesday that joining the Schengen area and the Euro zone remain Romanias priorities, and called on Romanian diplomats to take advantage of the confidence the country has won during its presidency of the Council of the European Union. As for the relationship with the USA, the head of state explained that the strategic partnership with the US remains a core pillar of Romanias foreign policy, and that bilateral relations are at their best after the 2 visits to the White House in 2017 and August 2019. Klaus Iohannis also told Romanian ambassadors that protecting the interests of the Romanians living abroad must be their top priority. The annual meeting of Romanian diplomats takes place in Bucharest until Thursday and is organised by the Foreign Ministry. The main topics approached include the future of the EU and its role in the world, trans-Atlantic relations, Romanias relations with its eastern neighbours, European affairs, Romanias political and economic relations with the countries in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and South America, humanitarian aid and development, global peace and security.



    PARLIAMENT The judicial committee in the Chamber of Deputies unanimously rejected a bill on amnesty and pardons for certain offences. The committees negative report is to be discussed and voted on by the Chamber on Wednesday. Also on Tuesday, the committee postponed talks on the bill regarding compensatory appeals. In turn, the budget-finances committee postponed on Tuesday its report on a bill endorsing Government Emergency Order 114 on fiscal and budgetary measures and on public investments. The Social Democratic Party in power criticised the Opposition, and mentioned that the Ordinance stipulated a rise in pensions as of September 1 and introduced a cap on natural gas and electricity prices for households. The Chamber of Deputies is holding a special session this week at the request of the Opposition.



    DEFENCE The Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Leş takes part in an informal meeting of EU defence ministers held in Helsinki, Finland on Wednesday and Thursday. According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, the meeting will be chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. Also attending will be the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and the UN under-secretary general for peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. The participants will discuss coordinated maritime presence, artificial intelligence and new technologies, as well as the impact of climate change and the environment on security and defence. On Thursday, a joint meeting with the EU foreign ministers will be held, focusing on the topic of hybrid threats.



    GENDARMES Another Romanian Gendarme unit Tuesday left on a six-month NATO mission in Afghanistan. The 16 officers and NCOs will provide training and assistance to the Afghan security forces and institutions. Attending the departure ceremony, inspector general Constantin Florea said that Romanian gendarme units have taken part in specific missions in Afghanistan since 2011, and their achievements prompted international organisations to request Romanias participation in the training and counselling of the local security forces. So far, Romanian gendarmes have taken part in the training of over 17,000 Afghan military and police troops.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Romania’s outlook on the European project

    Romania’s outlook on the European project

    “Europe has always been able to overcome obstacles and to emerge revitalized after less fortunate periods in history. Even the European project in its current form has been shaped by the successive crises it has been through, Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila underlined in the presentation she delivered in Strasbourg on the four main action pillars Bucharest has established for its first term at the helm of the Council of the EU: Europe of Convergence, A Safer Europe, Europe – a stronger global actor and Europe of common values:



    Viorica Dancila: “The Romanian presidencys outlook on the European project has been structured around the idea of ‘cohesion as a common European value in all its dimensions: political cohesion, illustrated by the need for unity among the member states; economic and territorial cohesion in view of reducing development gaps between member states and between regions; social cohesion, important for the preservation of the four liberties of the EUs domestic market.



    There are over 500 million European citizens waiting for an answer about the future of their homeland, Europe. I think it is important to show the citizens of the Union that European institutions are working for them and, more importantly, that they produce results that improve their living standards and future prospects, Prime Minister Dancila added.



    Europe of convergence is the first action pillar of the Romanian presidency. Starting from the fact that the single market represents the core of the European construction, Bucharest intends to pay increased attention to the legislative agenda in the field of the internal market, with a view to completing the framework needed for its good functioning.



    “We must consolidate the scientific and technological foundations of the European industry, through which we can also boost our competitiveness internationally and generate economic growth and new jobs, the Romanian Prime Minister has said, adding that the consistent pace of efforts towards the digital economy will be maintained, with a special focus on developing functional links between the East and the West, the North and the South, aimed at facilitating connections of any kind. Last but not least, attention will also be paid to the process of regulating the Energy Union.



    The second pillar of the Romanian presidency will be a safer Europe, Viorica Dancila has also said:



    Viorica Dancila: “We are facing security challenges that could threaten citizens safety. The European Union is facing a wide range of risks and threats, which could undermine the values and prosperity of our open societies. In a world of accelerated digitization, we must also advance in providing cyber-protection for our citizens. It is necessary to strengthen the EUs capabilities to respond to cyber-attacks. So, cyber-security will represent a prerequisite for any project concerning the information society. Also in relation to the EU security, we will treat with all seriousness the negotiation and completion of initiatives concerning the coherent management of migration inflows, strengthening the unions external borders, emergency response, the counter-terrorist fight, citizen cyber-protection, the operability and even expanding the European prosecutors mandate to cover terrorism-related offences, as well as the consolidation of judicial cooperation in civil and criminal files.



    During its term in office, Romania seeks to contribute to finding viable solutions to migration-related issues and to promote cooperation between origin and transit countries, including in terms of combating human trafficking.



    “Europe, a stronger global actor is the third pillar announced by Bucharest. The main line of action in this field must start from the joint commitments made under the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS), Romanian authorities have said.



    Viorica Dancila: “In terms of security policy, we will promote the strengthening of the EUs defense and security capabilities, which are complementary to the similar processes within NATO. At the same time, we must focus on our close vicinity, which means continuing the EU enlargement policy. This years celebration of 10 years since the launch of the Eastern Partnership will be an important moment in this respect. Special attention must also be paid to the Western Balkans. Also, we will support the implementation of the Unions commitments at international level. The key elements are promoting the Unions trade interests, modernising the multilateral trade system and expanding economic partnership and free trade agreements.



    The fourth pillar of Romanias presidency of the Council of the EU is Europe of common values. Racism, intolerance, xenophobia, populism, anti-Semitism and hate speech must be firmly combated, while at the same time promoting the equal treatment to which all member states and their citizens aspire.



    (translated by: Daniel Bilt, Elena Enache)

  • January 29, 2019

    January 29, 2019

    FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.




    DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.




    UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.




    CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.




    BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.




    EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • January 24, 2019

    January 24, 2019

    Union of principalities — Romania is hosting today religious and military ceremonies as well as cultural events to mark 160 years since the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1859. The union is considered the foundation of modern Romania. A service was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, which remembered the makers of the 1859 Union and wreathes of flowers were laid at the statue of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The Patriarchal Palace also hosted a science communication session during which President Klaus Iohannis underlined that in 1859 the Romanian Principalities embraced the European values and started a large-scale process for the state’s modernization and consolidation. The Romanian President also added that in 2019 Romania’s destiny could not be separated from the EU as a project for peace, prosperity, safety, fairness and cohesion for its citizens. He went on to say that for 160 years Romanians have been coming closer to the fundamental humanist values of Europe, by building a state of democracy, of human dignity and of the rule of law, of freedom and equality. In her message, the PM Viorica Dancila said that the celebration of the United Principalities Day both in Romania and Brussels, during Romania’s presidency of the Council of the EU, is a confirmation of the fact that the Romanian people has always had the power and wisdom to choose the right path. Festivities are also held in Iasi, the largest city of eastern Romania, in other cities of Romania as well as in Moldova’s capital Chisinau.



    Brussels — The Romanian PM Viorica Dancila on Thursday presented in Brussels, at the plenary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee, the priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU. According to PM Dancila, a strong and cohesive union is the answer given to the European citizens by the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU whose motto is ‘Cohesion, a common European value’ in the political, economic, territorial and social fields. The PM said the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy should remain the main investment policies of the Union. PM Dancila said that Romania would promote the measures meant to increase competitiveness and to promote connectivity and digitization, to boost entrepreneurship and consolidate the industrial policy. According to the Romanian PM Romania is involved in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.



    Paris — The former French president Francois Hollande and other officials, heads of diplomatic missions from the EU and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, on Wednesday visited the studio of the late sculptor Constantin Brancusi and admired works by Romanian artists exhibited at the Pompidou Center in Paris, as part of the France — Romania Season, shows an embassy communiqué quoted by AGERPRES. The Season was inaugurated by presidents Emmanuel Macron and Klaus Iohannis on November 27, 2018. The Pompidou Center hosts works by Mihai Olos, Cornel Brudascu, Marcel Iancu, Eli Lotar, Tristan Tzara, Geta Bratescu and Mircea Cantor. The former president Francois Hollande is the one who initiated the France — Romania Season together with president Klaus Iohannis.



    Tennis – Young Romanian tennis player Filip Jianu (17 years old) on Thursday qualified to the singles semifinals of the Australian Open Junior Championships. He defeated the American Cannon Kingsley in 3 sets. In the last but one match Jianu will take on another American Emilio Nava, seeded 13th. Filip Jianu will also play today in the doubles semifinals together with Spanish Nicolas Alvarez Varona against the pair Cannon Kingsley/Emilio Nava. We recall that Simona Halep was eliminated in the eighth finals in Melbourne and will no longer hold the 1st place in the WTA ranking as of Monday. In the women’s final the Czech Petra Kvitova will take on Japanese Naomi Osaka.



    Statistics — Almost 85% of the EU inhabitants with ages between 16 and 74 used the Internet in 2018, show data published on Thursday by Eurostat. The highest percentage of people that used the Internet in 2018 in this age bracket was reported in Denmark (98%), followed by Luxemburg (97%) and the Netherlands (95%). The lowest percentage was registered in Bulgaria (65%), Romania (71%) and Greece (72%). (translation by L. Simion)

  • January 21, 2019 UPDATE

    January 21, 2019 UPDATE

    TREATY The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis will take part on Tuesday in Aachen, western Germany, in a ceremony in which France and Germany sign their renewed treaty of friendship and co-operation. Klaus Iohannis was invited by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron. On this occasion, Klaus Iohannis, as president of the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, will give an address. Also taking part in the ceremony will be the head of the European Council Donald Tusk, and of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. The Aachen bilateral treaty is based on the 1963 Treaty of Paris, which paved the way for the reconciliation of Germany and France, and aims to adapt the relations between the 2 countries to the challenges of the 21st century, with a focus on enhancing European cohesion.




    BRUSSELS Most Romanian ministers are in Brussels until Wednesday. They will present the agenda and priorities of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union in their respective fields, to the specialised committees of the European Parliament. During his hearing by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said, among other things, that finalising the establishment of the Economic and Monetary Union is essential. Another priority is to promote the Banking Union, given the need for a safe and solid European financial sector. In the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, the Romanian Minister for Water and Forestry Ioan Deneş, and the Minister for Environment and Climate Change Graţiela Gavrilescu said that Romanias priorities in the field include fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity, sustainable development and water management.




    GAC The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Meleşcanu suggested at the meeting of the General Affairs Council held on Monday in Brussels that a special session should be devoted to hybrid warfare and fake news. According to Teodor Meleşcanu, Romania promised that, during its presidency of the Council of the EU, it will come up with a draft roadmap with measures targeting disinformation, responsibilities, means and resources allotted to this goal. The Romanian official pointed out that the EU aims to be a world leader in combating fake news. In Mondays General Affairs Council meeting, Minister Teodor Meleşcanu presented to his counterparts the main topics on the agenda of the Romanian semester, with a focus on those in the field of foreign policy and security policy.




    COHESION The cohesion policy is a priority for the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Commissioner for regional policy Corina Cretu said in Bucharest on Monday. According to her, cohesion has been one of the most flexible and innovating policies, which provides answers to the issues and tensions in the Union. Corina Creţu also said that she would like the Romanian presidency to secure an agreement on the multi-annual financial framework as soon as possible, so that the scheduled investments may be implemented starting as early as January 1, 2021. The European Commission took part on Monday in a meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary committees for Union Affairs in the national parliaments of EU member states (COSAC), held in Bucharest as part of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU.




    GOVERNMENT The Prime Minister of Romania, the Social Democrat Viorica Dăncilă, Monday sent to President Klaus Iohannis a letter requesting, for the 3rd time, the appointment of Lia Olguţa Vasilescu as Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration and of Mircea-Gheorghe Drăghici as Transport Minister. The last time Klaus Iohannis rejected the 2 nominations on grounds that their criminal records had not been included in the candidacy files. PM Viorica Dăncilă emphasized in her letter to Klaus Iohannis that the 2, whom she nominated for these posts 2 months ago, are people of unquestionable integrity and experience, capable of holding these positions, particularly since Lia Olguţa Vasilescu was a government member before. Mrs. Dăncilă also mentioned that, in her capacity as Prime Minister, by virtue of the vote of confidence given by Parliament, she has the exclusive right to assess and choose the members of the executive team she is heading.




    JUDICIARY The Bucharest Court Monday ordered the trial of the merits of a case in which the former state secretary with the Development Ministry, the Social Democrat Sevil Shhaideh, is charged with abuse of office. Meanwhile, the High Court of Cassation and Justice postponed to February 18 a trial in which the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and head of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea is accused of instigating abuse of office. The court of first instance sentenced him to 3 and a half years in prison for having ordered the fictitious employment of 2 party members by the County Social Assistance and Child Protection Agency, back when he was the head of the Teleorman County Council. The 2 were paid from public money although they apparently worked exclusively for the Social Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea pleaded not guilty.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)