Radio România Internațional

Tag: prosecutor

August 10, 2023 UPDATE

INDICTMENT The General Prosecutor’s Office in Romania on Thursday made
public the indictment prepared by the military prosecutors, under which 16
gendarme officers and non-commissioned officers had been indicted for their
intervention in the anti-government meeting on August 10th 2018 in
Bucharest. The Document shows the forceful intervention of the gendarmes
against the peaceful protesters was illegal and unjustified. At the same time,
the use by the gendarme troops of rubber sticks, pepper sprays, shields and
other non-lethal weapons like stunt grenades and tear gas could be considered inhuman
and degrading treatment. According to the document, there were clashes between
the gendarmes and protesters in which the former were wounded but the situation
on the ground did not justify a forceful intervention against the larger mass
of peaceful protesters, which included women, children and older people. We
recall that the General Prosecutor’s Office has brought to court high-ranking officers
of the Gendarme troops that time for forgery and abusive conduct.

ENERGY Energy prices in Romania will be
capped this winter as it happened last season, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel
Ciolacu said on Thursday. He called on the field ministries to prepare for the
winter to come and make sure they are able to provide energy to the population
at the capped prices, as they are now. During the government session on
Thursday a law was endorsed providing for subsidizing some payments to energy
suppliers so that the system may continue to be functional. Also on Thursday,
the Executive endorsed another law allowing the citizens who obtained driving
licences in other countries to get their Romanian equivalent following a
driving exam without taking driving lessons as it was under the previous
law.

INFLATION The National Bank of Romania expects a slightly higher
inflation towards the end of this year than it anticipated a few months ago.
According to the new forecast presented, on Wednesday, by the governor of the
Central Bank, Mugur Isărescu, towards the end of the year, inflation could
reach 7.5%, up from the initial forecast of 7.1%, to then drop to 4.4% at the
end of next year. According to Mugur Isărescu, economic growth shows
signs of slowing down, as does consumption.

DAY The
Turkish corvette TCG ‘Kinaliada’ will make a stopover in the port of Constanţa,
between August 12-16, to participate in the Romanian Navy Day, alongside
Romanian military and civilian ships, informed the General Staff of the Naval
Forces. On Tuesday, August 15, the Turkish corvette will join Romanian military
ships at sea, participating in demonstration exercise ‘Romanian Naval Forces
23’. It will consist of elements of reconnaissance-diversion, repelling the
attack of enemy aviation, searching for and attacking an enemy submarine,
repelling a maritime landing, combating illegal migration at sea. The Guard of
Honor, set up on the seafront in front of the Fleet Command, will be made up of
military platoons from France, the USA, Turkey, the 30th Guards Brigade ‘Mihai
Viteazul’ and the Romanian Naval Forces. The evening of August 15 will end with
the torchlight retreat of the sailors and a fireworks and drone show, which
will mark the end of the 121st anniversary of the Romanian Navy.

(bill&MI)

10 August 2023
July 12, 2022

FISCAL CODE Consultations continue in Bucharest between the authorities,
trade unions and employers’ associations, after representatives of the business
community, trade unions and local authorities voiced discontent with the
changes the government intends to operate on the Fiscal Code. During the talks held on Monday with PM Nicolae Ciucă and the finance
minister Adrian Câciu, they requested, among other things, a postponement to
next year of the measures that the government plans to introduce as of August 1.
These include the increase in alcohol excise duties, the lower ceiling for tax
facilities in the constructions sector and the idea that part-time employees
should pay social contributions corresponding to the national minimum wage.

INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate reached 15.1% in June, as
against 14.5% in May, the National Statistics Institute announced today. According
to the institution, non-foodstuff prices went up nearly 18%, food prices rose
by roughly 15% and the price of services also increased by some 8%. The
National Bank of Romania adjusted its inflation forecast to 12.5% for the end
of this year and to 6.7% for the end of 2023.

COVID Starting today, COVID-19 updates will be released on a daily basis
in Romania rather than weekly, after a steep rise in the number of cases,
accounting for a doubling of new infection numbers every 7 days. On Tuesday the
authorities announced over 4,000 people tested positive in 24 hours, out of
over 21,000 tests conducted. Nine COVID-related deaths were also reported, all
of them in patients suffering from prior conditions. The number of hospitalised
COVID patients is 1,361, with 90 patients in intensive care. According to
experts, the new Omicron sub-variant that causes the current infection wave
around the world, and which has also been identified in Romania, affects the
protection provided both by the vaccine and by natural immunisation, but it
generally seems to cause milder forms of the disease. The health minister
Alexandru Rafila announced that prevention measures remain in place, especially
face covering and physical distancing. COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended
by the authorities, particularly to vulnerable categories.

PARTNERSHIP Romaniahas no better friend than the US, the US secretary of state
Antony Blinken said on the celebration of 25 years since the launch of the
Strategic Partnership between Washington and Bucharest. In turn, former US
ambassadors to Bucharest state in a letter that the strategic partnership with
Romania has proved to be one of the best investments in Europe for the US. They
also say that Romania plays a decisive part in the defence and strengthening of
NATO’s eastern flank and in consolidating stability and security at the Black
Sea.

REFUGEES Over the past 24 hours around 226,800 people have crossed the
border in and out of Romania, the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate announced.
Of these, over 22,000 are Ukrainian nationals who came into Romania via various
checkpoints. Since the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, more than 1.5
million Ukrainian citizens have crossed the border into Romania.

VISIT The head of the European Public
Prosecutor’s Office, Laura Codruţa Kovesi,
is on an official visit to the R. of Moldova until 14 July. The European
official will have meetings with Moldovan authorities. Moldova’s president Maia
Sandu, who had a meeting with Laura Codruţa Kovesi in January 2021 in Brussels,
expressed at that time her willingness to work together with the European
institution to encourage the country’s reforms in the judiciary. Experts in
Chişinău note that Codruţa Kovesi’s visit takes place after Moldova was recently
granted the EU candidate status, and that Brussels would like to make sure that
Moldova stays on a predictable path. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office
became operational on 1 June 2021, and is in charge with investigating and
prosecuting offences against the EU budget. (AMP)

12 July 2022
July 24, 2020 UPDATE

Coronavirus Romania. Hospital beds and staffing are the main focus of concern for the Romanian authorities, amid a sharp increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. Romania is approaching 42,400 cases, with a new daily record of 1,119 new infections. Almost 6,000 people are in hospital with coronavirus, of whom 301 in intensive care. 24 new deaths were also reported, taking the death toll to 2,150. People must understand that this is a difficult moment, the health minister Nelu Tataru warned once again. In another move, the government approved yesterday new social protection measures for the staff of companies hit by the coronavirus crisis. The healthy employees of the companies closed down by the public health authorities will be on furlough by the end of the year. An official statement says financial support is needed to prevent job loss, more social exclusion and wider social and economic gaps between the people whose jobs were directly affected by the epidemic and the rest of the population.

Coronavirus world. Coronavirus cases are on the rise around the world. More and more governments are considering reintroducing restrictions. At least 15.6 million cases have been confirmed globally, while the death toll passed 630,000. The United States, who recorded the first coronavirus death at the beginning of February, has 4 million cases, most of them in California, Texas and Florida. Europe has also seen a rise in the number of new cases. Spain is making efforts to isolate the outbreaks that have appeared since lockdown was lifted a month ago. New outbreaks have also been reported in Italy, in Lombardy and the Lazio area where Rome is located. On Friday, Italy announced introducing 14-day quarantine requirements for people coming from Romania and Bulgaria. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia have also seen new cases. The state of emergency in the Republic of Moldova was also extended until the end of August. The UK, with 45,000 deaths, Italy, with 35,000, France with 30,000 and Spain with 28,000 are the worst hit countries in Europe.

Corruption. The former anti-corruption prosecutor Mircea Negulescu was arrested for thirty days on Thursday following a ruling to this effect by the Supreme Court. He was working for the Ploiesti branch of the National Anticorruption Directorate. Last year, Negulescu was expelled from magistracy as a disciplinary measure following a number of scandals linked to controversial cases. He is now accused of abuse of office, unfair repression and forgery for making up evidence in two cases, including the so-called Tony Blair case, in which the former Social Democratic prime minister Victor Ponta was accused of organising a visit by the former British prime minister to Romania to score electoral points in the 2012 elections.

I3M The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US Ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman Friday discussed preparations for the summit of the Three Seas Initiative (I3M), due this autumn in Tallinn. They also attended a conference call with officials for the I3M Investment Fund, which Aurescu described as a fundamental instrument for funding regional inter-connection projects. He also discussed the role of I3M in consolidating the strategic partnership between the EU and the US. Bogdan Aurescu said the US plan to earmark up to 1 billion USD for I3M projects is a major contribution to the development of the region and of the trans-Atlantic partnership in general. I3M is a flexible and informal political platform bringing together the 12 EU member states located between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Sea (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia).

Border police. The border police was on the front line of the authorities’ efforts to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, said prime minister Ludovic Orban in a statement made on Friday on the anniversary of the Romanian Border Police Day. He added that the work of the border police, which he described as very complex and demanding, involves constant training, professionalism, courage, moral integrity and a huge sense of responsibility with respect to citizens and their country. Orban congratulated the border police for the exemplary way in which they mobilised to secure Romania’s land, sea, river and air borders in the context of the current health crisis, at the standards required of a EU member state and an aspiring Schengen area country.

Helicopters. Ten Americal Black Hawk helicopters are arriving today in Romania at the military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu, in the south-east of the country, on a mission as part of the Atlantic Resolve operation. The aircraft are from the 101st Aviation Brigade, the US army’s most decorated unit of its kind. The Atlantic Resolve operation involves regular rotational deployment of US troops to Europe aimed at enhancing interoperability between NATO member states and improving links between allied and partner troops by means of cross-border training. (CM, AMP)

24 July 2020
Nominations for chief prosecutors

Romanias main prosecutors offices, the General Prosecutors Office, the National Anti-Corruption Directorate and the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, have too long been headed by interim chiefs. This happens at a time when the administrative and legislative problems in the judiciary have piled up and threaten to disrupt the activity of the judicial system. But these provisional terms are about to come to an end. The new Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu announced on Tuesday the proposals for the new prosecutors office chiefs.

Gabriela Scutea is nominated for chief prosecutor of the Prosecutors Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. According to Minister Predoiu, she had the most substantial professional record and the best performance of all candidates. She has proved to be knowledgeable, farsighted, strong and a good professional, and her plan for the organisation of the office was the best of those presented so far, covering both the administrative side and internal organisation of the Public Ministry, and the representation side, Predoiu emphasised. The length of investigations into economic and financial cases and the deadlock in the Directorate for Criminal Investigations within the Romanian Police are the main weaknesses identified by Gabriela Scutea.

Nominated for chief of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate is Crin Bologa, a prosecutor that the Justice Minister has described as a guarantor that the fight against corruption will be carried on vigorously, while also in full compliance with civil and judicial rights and guarantees. Crin Bologa must honour the legacy of the most successful of the former chiefs of prosecutors offices, Laura Codruta Kovesi, whose outstanding performance has secured her the European Public Prosecutor post, in spite of the sabotage of the Social Democratic Party in power at that time.

Last but not least, Catalin Predoiu announced that Giorgiana Hosu is the nomination for chief of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism, DIICOT. Predoiu highlighted that the work of DIICOT mainly consists in cross-border investigations and inter-institutional and international cooperation, and Giorgiana Hosu is in the best position to handle this aspect. She came up with a comprehensive organisation plan and a balanced performance, supported by all-encompassing knowledge of the problems and activities of DIICOT, Predoiu argued.

The Ministers nominations require the advisory opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates, and President Klaus Iohannis will sign the appointments. Like many other competent and honest prosecutors, the ones nominated for these top positions see the division investigating crimes in the judiciary, established by the Social Democratic Party while in power, as an offence to all magistrates, or, even worse, as an instrument to intimidate them. This is precisely why the Liberal Government is considering the option of dismantling this division.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

22 January 2020
24 October 2019, UPDATE

Government. The prime minister designate Ludovic Orban on Thursday made
public his nominations for the cabinet positions. The government proposed by
the Liberal leader has only 16 ministries and one deputy prime minister, with
Raluca Turcan being proposed for the latter post. According to the governing programme
presented by the National Liberal Party, the urgent measures include ensuring
the best conditions for the organisation of the upcoming presidential elections
in November, nominating a candidate for the position of European commissioner
and amending the state budget for 2019 and drafting the budget for next year.
Orban will submit his nominations and programme to Parliament, which will
establish a timetable for interviews with the candidates and a vote in a joint
sitting of the two chambers. The maths, however, indicate that the Liberals
don’t have a majority in Parliament yet after talks with the Pro Romania party led
by the former prime minister Victor Ponta have collapsed. The support of the
People’s Movement Party is also in doubt, this party being unhappy with the
idea of a minority Liberal government. The Save Romania Union and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats say they have reached a political agreement with the
Liberals. We recall that the National Liberal Party initiated the no-confidence
motion that brought down Viorica Dancila’s Social Democrat government on the 10th
of October.

European prosecutor. The decision to appoint Romania’s former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruta Kovesi as the head of the future European Public Prosecutor’s Office was signed on Wednesday by the speaker of the European Parliament David Sassoli and the Finnish minister for European affairs Tytti Tuppurainen on behalf of the Council of the European Union. This comes after the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on the 16th of October completed the final step in the process to appoint Kovesi as the first European public prosecutor. An idea launched and promoted by the former Romanian cabinet member and MEP Monica Macovei, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is to start operating at the end of 2020 as an independent body in charge of investigating, prosecuting and indicting crimes against the European Union budget such as fraud, corruption and cross-border VAT fraud in excess of 10 million euros. 22 states are participating at the moment, with the remaining five states, namely Sweden, Hungary, Poland, Ireland and Denmark, being able to join at any point.

Pollution tax. Plans to introduce a duty on Euro 5 emissions standard cars
travelling in Bucharest were adopted on Thursday by the General Council of the
Bucharest City Hall. The introduction of the duty on Euro 4 vehicles has been
postponed by one year, to January 1st 2021. Access to the capital
city for non-Euro, Euro 1 and Euro 2 vehicles will be prohibited beginning in
2022 and for Euro 3 cars beginning in 2024. Bucharest’s mayor Gabriela Firea
says the money raised from this tax will be channelled to environmental
projects and the purchase of eco-friendly public transport. Exempt from paying
the duty will be people with disabilities and their carers, scooters and
motorcycles, emergency vehicles, tax authorities vehicles and the broadcasting
vehicles of media institutions.

Exercise. Constanta, Romania’s biggest maritime port located in the
south-east of the country, saw the completion of a multinational exercise
planned by the Supreme Headquarters Allied
Powers Europe. The operations took place in Romania and the neighbouring Bulgaria
and were conducted by the Allied Joint Force Command Naples. The exercise was intended
to offer participants clear understanding of national defense
capabilities and terrain in both Bulgaria and Romania.

Tennis. The Romanian-Dutch doubles pair Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer
on Thursday reached the semifinals of the ATP tournament in Basel, Switzerland,
worth more than 2 million euros in prize money. They defeated the British pair Jamie
Murray and Neal Skupski in two sets. This is Tecau and Rojer’s third semifinal
in Basel after 2015 and 2016.

24 October 2019
The Week in Review 29 September – 5 October

No-confidence motion against the Cabinet

The Cabinet headed by Viorica Dancila is facing a new motion of no-confidence, the first since the ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats fell apart in August. The text of the motion against the Social Democrats minority government was read in Parliament on Thursday. The document, entitled “In order to rebuild Romania, the Dancila Cabinet must be dismissed immediately! will be discussed next Thursday, on October 10. The motion signatories argue that although the country has seen a favourable economic period, with significant economic growth, the Government has failed to start even one major infrastructure project. Confidence in the Romanian economy is dwindling, first of all because the business legislation changes almost on a weekly basis, the Opposition also says. The Social Democratic PM Viorica Dancila says on the other hand that the Government will not fall. The motion was signed by 237 MPs, from across the political spectrum, 4 more than the number of votes required for the document to pass.

Romanias new nominations for European Commissioner

The Romanian Government had to come up this week with new nominations for European Commissioner for Transport, after the European Parliaments legal affairs committee rejected Rovana Plumb on grounds of a conflict of interests. Convening in Bucharest on Tuesday night, the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party decided that MEP Dan Nica, a former telecoms minister, was the Governments new nomination for the post. They also chose Gabriela Ciot, a state secretary with the Foreign Ministry, as a back-up candidate, in case the European Commission wanted a woman for this position. Disgruntled with both Rovana Plumbs candidacy, and with the 2 subsequent alternatives, the Opposition called on PM Viorica Dancila to no longer make any nominations without consultations with the President and without a vote in Parliaments specialised committees. The president of the National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, warned that otherwise more candidates will be rejected, damaging Romanias international reputation.

EIB triples funding for Romanian SMEs

The European Investment Bank triples the funds granted to Romanian small and medium sized enterprises. The announcement was made on Thursday by the EIB vice-president Andrew McDowell. The funding, increased from 500 million to 1.38 billion euros, can support 5,000 small and medium companies. McDowell added that the EIB Group provides not only financial resources, but also consulting services for preparing and implementing complex projects. He signed new contracts and changes in the existing agreements with the Romanian banking institutions interested in facilitating the access of Romanian companies to funding. According to the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, over 2,000 Romanian SMEs have benefited from such funding so far.

Anti-mafia chief prosecutor resigns

The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis Wednesday signed a decree dismissing Felix Banila as chief prosecutor of the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism. The latter had previously announced he would step down, although he claimed that he had not failed to do his duty. On Monday the President called for Banilas resignation, criticising him for the way in which the institution handled the investigations in the Caracal killings, a case with a heavy emotional impact on the public. Prosecutors are trying to determine whether 2 under-aged girls were killed by a presumed people trafficker, Gheorghe Dinca. The President argued that in both cases he saw delayed and outrageous responses from certain authorities, proving their disregard for both the victims and their families.

Romania, guest of honour in Europalia International Art Festival

The 50th edition of the Europalia International Art Festival, with Romania as a guest of honour, continues in Brussels, after it opened to the public on Wednesday. The official opening was on Tuesday, when King Philippe of Belgium, Queen Mathilde and the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis visited a Brancusi exhibition organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute at the Bozar Centre. This is the most important exhibition devoted to the Romanian sculptor in decades, and the highlight of the Festival. For the coming 4 months, events will be organised as part of Europalia in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and Britain, including over 250 visual art, music, theatre, literature and performing arts projects.

Media 2020 Conference in Bucharest

Radio Romania organised the 5th edition of the Media 2020 Conference, jointly with Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. The event in Bucharest brought together more than 40 representatives of the most important public media organisations in Europe and Asia-Pacific. Attending the event, the ABU president Javad Mottaghi emphasised that public media services need independent, unbiased and reliable news produced by professionals. The debates focused on the future of public media in the digital era, on strategies to protect copyright and on fighting fake news. Radio Romania and BBC Radio signed a bilateral partnership agreement. Similar agreements have been signed by Radio Romania with Radio France and RAI, as part of the Romanian public broadcasters strategy to collaborate with Europes most prestigious media institutions.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

5 October 2019
July 20, 2019 UPDATE

PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.

VISIT The Romanian State Secretary Maria Magdalena Grigore had bilateral meetings with high-ranking UN officials, during a visit she is making to the USA. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the topics included means to meet sustainable development goals, transport connectivity, the cooperation between Romania and the UN Development Programme, Romanias contribution to peacekeeping missions, international humanitarian assistance and economic developments in the world. Maria Grigore emphasised the importance of the UN in the current world context, and mentioned the progress made by Romania as an emerging donor, both in the field of official development assistance and of humanitarian aid.

INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.

FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.

HOLIDAY In a military and religious ceremony held in Bucharest on Romanian Aviation Day, celebrated every year on 20th of July, the Romanian Defence Minister Gabriel Les thanked the Romanian military and civil aviators for their devotion and paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. On the same day, Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrated Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces. Nearly 130,000 Romanians also celebrated their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.

PHYSICS Romanias team, made up of 4 students from Bucharest, Iaşi (north-east), Timişoara (west) and Baia Mare (north), won 3 gold medals and a silver medal in the first edition of the Balkan Physics Olympiad, held in Thessaloniki, Greece between July 14th and 18th, the National Education Ministry announced. Taking part were secondary school and high school students aged 16 or under at the time of the competition. Eleven countries attended this first edition of the Olympiad.

YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 July 2019
July 20, 2019

PROSECUTOR The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, told president Klaus Iohannis over the telephone on Friday that France would withdraw Jean-François Bohnerts candidacy and would back the Romanian Laura Codruța Kövesi instead for the post of head of the European Public Prosecutors Office, the Romanian Presidency announced. Previously, the European Parliament reaffirmed its support for the former head of Romanias Anti-Corruption Directorate becoming the chief EU prosecutor. This spring the European Parliament decided to back Kovesis candidacy, whereas the EU Council preferred the French Jean-Francois Bohnert. Several rounds of negotiations between the 2 institutions yielded no results. Under the rules of organisation of the new EPPO, the Parliament and Council must jointly appoint the EU chief prosecutor, for a non-renewable 7-year term in office.

INVESTMENTS A delegation from the Romanian Ministry for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship is in Japan until July 26th, to attract Japanese investors in Romania. According to the Ministry, the agenda of the visit includes meetings and talks in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, with Japanese governmental officials and representatives of the local business and banking community, concerning the new business opportunities entailed by the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Japan. Meetings will also be held with representatives of major Japanese corporations. The talks are aimed at identifying trade and investment projects of mutual interest. Last year, the bilateral trade amounted to 710 million US dollars. The main Romanian products exported to Japan included tobacco, wood, honey, vehicle components and accessories, clothes, pharmaceuticals and electrical appliances, whereas Romanias imports from Japan consisted in automobiles, tools and equipment, metal and chemical products, optical and photographic equipment and devices.

FESTIVAL The 11th Film and Histories Festival continues in Rasnov, central Romania. Until July 28th, a special new venue in the centre of the town will be hosting film screenings, theatre performances, Baroque and rock music concerts. Conferences and roundtable talks will also be organised, on topics such as the 1989 Romanian Revolution, economic freedom, the music of freedom, freedom won and lost, cinema and freedom. Other topics approached include the Romanian migration, Europes post-Brexit future, the digital society and minorities. The 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing and the 70th anniversary of the founding of NATO will also be marked. The 2019 edition of the Festival will also host a Summer School for 72 university students and 23 high school students from Romania and the neighbouring Republic of Moldova.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Catholic Christians in Romania celebrate today Prophet Elijahs feast day. According to the Bible, the prophet lived nearly 2,800 years ago and brought back faith in the Hebrew God among the people of Israel. Elijah did not die like a human, but was taken to heavens in a chariot of fire. Due to this biographic detail, St. Elijah is the patron saint of the Romanian Air Forces, which celebrate July 20th with military and religious ceremonies. Nearly 130,000 Romanians celebrate their name day on Prophet Elijahs Feast Day.

YOUTH Romania will be represented by 103 athletes in the 15th Summer European Youth Olympic Festival, held between July 21st and 27th in Baku (Azerbaijan). The Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee announced the participants are athletes aged between 14 and 18, who will take part in the athletics, cycling, artistic gymnastics, handball, swimming, judo, wrestling, tennis and volleyball events. The Committee also says the Romanian delegations objective is to come home with 8 to 10 medals from Baku.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 July 2019
April 30, 2019 UPDATE

MAY DAY This year, Romanians are celebrating May Day – the International Workers Day, immediately after the Orthodox Easter. The Black Sea coast resorts are the destination of choice for many Romanian tourists, alongside the Danube Delta and the rural regions of Maramures in the north-west. Other Romanians have chosen foreign destinations as well. Interior Ministry staff have been mobilised in particular in the places where major public events are organised.

VISIT The PM of Romania, Viorica Dăncilă, will be on a visit to Poland on May 1 and 2. On Wednesday, she will take part in Warsaw in a conference of the heads of state and government of the Central and East European countries having joined the EU since 2004: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. On Thursday, the Romanian official will take part in the International March of the Living, an annual educational event in which participants walk the distance between the Nazi death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Viorica Dăcilă will also attend a commemoration ceremony in Birkenau, alongside government officials, religious leaders, student and children organisations.

JUDICIARY The Deputy Prime Minister and interim Minister of Justice Ana Birchall suspended on Monday the procedures to select a new Prosecutor General in Romania, as well as that for selecting the deputy prosecutor with Eurojust, the agency dealing with criminal cooperation between EU member states. She said that the procedures will resume soon. On April 10, the Justice Ministry announced new procedures for selecting the Prosecutor General, after Minister Toader turned down all 4 candidates. Interviews under the new procedure were scheduled for May 7. Under the law, the Justice Ministers proposal for prosecutor general has to be approved by the Higher Council of Magistracy, and by President Iohannis. Augustin Lazars term in office ended on April 27, with Bogdan Licu appointed as interim prosecutor general.

EP ELECTIONS The campaign for the European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 26, continues in Romania. 13 political groups are running: from the ruling coalition, the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, as well as the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, which has a collaboration protocol with the coalition. From the opposition, taking part are the National Liberal Party, the USR-PLUS Alliance, the Peoples Movement Party, and ProRomania, a Social Democratic splinter. From outside Parliament, in the running are the UNPR, the National Unity Bloc, United Romania, PRODEMO, the Romanian Socialist Party, and the Independent Social Democratic Party. Three independents have also announced their candidacy. Romania will have 33 members in the new European Parliament. The 33rd MEP can only take office after Brexit comes into effect. Romanians abroad can go to 441 polling stations, most of them in Italy, Spain, and neighbouring Moldova. On that same day, Romanians will also vote in a referendum on the judiciary, called by President Klaus Iohannis.

ABDICATION Emperor Akihito of Japan, aged 85, Tuesday ended his 30-year reign, being the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in over 2 centuries. As of May 1, Japan enters a new imperial era, called Reiwa, corresponding to the rule of Akihitos son, Naruhito (59). “I sincerely wish that the Reiwa era will be a stable and fruitful one, and I pray, with all my heart, for peace and happiness for all the people in Japan and around the world, Emperor Akihito said in his abdication address. Akihito took over the throne on January 8, 1989, at the age of 55, after the death of Hirohito, under whose rule Japan fought in WW II. Japan has the oldest monarchy in the world, and the Japanese imperial family is the longest hereditary dynasty, going back 2,600 years.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

30 April 2019
4 April, 2019

European prosecutor. The negotiators
of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU are today holding the
third round of talks on who should hold the position of European chief
prosecutor, for which Romania’s former chief anticorruption prosecutor Laura
Codruta Kovesi is a candidate. Kovesi is backed by the European Parliament,
while the Council endorses the French candidate Jean-Francois Bohnert.
According to the regulations in force, the Parliament and the Council jointly
appoint the European chief prosecutor, who will serve a non-renewable 7-year
term. On Wednesday, the European Commission and the European Parliament
reiterated their endorsement of Kovesi and emphasised that it is important that
she should be able to defend her candidacy in Brussels. The president of the
European Parliament Antonio Tajani demanded that the Romanian authorities stop
obstructing her candidacy to the European public prosecutor’s office. The High
Court of Cassation and Justice on Wednesday lifted the judicial restrictions
placed on Kovesi last week by the prosecutors of a new special department for
the investigation of magistrates as part of a case in which Kovesi is accused
of abuse of office, bribe taking and lying in court.

Justice. The representatives of
several judges and prosecutors associations from Romania are today meeting
European Commission and European Parliament officials in Brussels. The Romanian
magistrates say they will hold a flash mob protest outside the Palace of
Justice in Brussels, together with their Belgian colleagues. The Romanian
associations say judges and prosecutors have been under constant attack
following the legislative changes made in recent years and that Romania is visibly
moving away from the requirements of the rule of law. On Wednesday, the
embassies of some of Romania’s allied and partner states, including France, the
United States and Germany, voiced concern about the rule of law and called on
the parties involved in drafting emergency orders in the area of justice to
abstain from changes that weaken the rule of law and the country’s ability to
fight crime and corruption.

B9 Initiative. The Romanian defence minister Gabriel Les is
attending a meeting of defence ministers from the member countries of the
Bucharest 9 Initiative (B9) held on Thursday and Friday in Warsaw and
co-organised by the Polish and Romanian relevant ministries. Attending are the
defence ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, as well as NATO officials and representatives
of the US department of defence. The meeting is an opportunity to discuss
topical issues on NATO’s and the European Union’s agenda in the context of the
upcoming NATO anniversary summit and Romania’s holding the rotating presidency
of the Council of the European Union. Last year, the meeting of defence
ministers of the B9 Initiative countries was held in Bucharest.

Brexit. The House of Lords, the
upper house of the British Parliament, is today debating a bill forcing prime
minister Theresa May to seek an extension to the Brexit process to prevent the
UK’s disorderly, no-deal exit from the European Union on the 12th of
April. The draft legislation was adopted on Wednesday by the House of Commons.
To become law, the bill has to be adopted by both chambers within 24 hours.
Also on Wednesday, the Commons rejected a bill to hold a third round of
indicative votes on alternative solutions to the EU withdrawal agreement Theresa
May reached with Brussels. The UK was initially supposed to leave the European
Union on the 29th of March.

Visit. The European Commission for
Competition Margrethe Vestager is on a visit to Bucharest today. According to
the European Commission Representation in Romania, she is due to deliver a
keynote speech at a conference on the European Day of Competition and Consumers and to
meet representatives of the Coalition for the Development of Romania. The
European Commissioner will also participate in a citizens’ dialogue. The
conference is organised by the Competition Council and the National Authority
for Consumer Protection, in the context of Romania’s holding the presidency of
the Council of the European Union. The event is also attended by Vera Jourová, the European
commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality.

Exercise. Between the 5th and the
13th of April, the Romanian Navy is organising Sea Shield 19, the
largest multinational naval exercise in the Romanian territorial waters and the
Black Sea international waters. 14 Romanian military vessels and 6 vessels from
Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Holland and Turkey are taking part in the drill. More
than 2,200 troops will exercise combat procedures against underwater, surface
and aerial threats, adjusted to the type of security threats in the Black Sea
area. The drills are based on a fictitious scenario and consist of a crisis response
operation with the mandate of a UN Security Council resolution. A NATO standing
maritime group operating in the Black Sea is also taking part in the exercise.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu has reached the last 16 of
the WTA tournament in Charleston, in the US, worth 823,000 dollars. She
defeated the American player Lauren Davis. Buzarnescu, who is seeded 12th,
will next face the number 5-seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Wozniacki has
won both of her previous matches against Buzarnescu.

4 April 2019
20 March, 2019

EU. The Romanian prime minister
Viorica Dancila is today due to meet the First Vice-President of the European
Commission Frans Timmermans as part of her official visit to Brussels. Dancila
will co-chair, together with the president of the European Council and the head
of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker the spring Tripartite Social Summit, whose theme is For a stronger, united and forward-looking Europe.
The talks will focus on three areas: 50 years of labour mobility, delivering
investments in a deeper and fairer single market and building on the initiative
A new start for social dialogue to shape the new world of work.

Negotiations. The first
round of talks is held today between the European Parliament and the Council of
the European Union about the appointment of the European chief public prosecutor,
with the former head of Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate Laura
Codruta Kovesi being a candidate for this position. The information was
confirmed for the Agerpres news agency by a press officer of the European
Parliament. If the negotiation teams fail to reach an agreement, more talks will
be held on the 27th of March, 4th of April and 10th
of April. Recently, the president of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani
sent the minister delegate for the European affairs in Bucharest George Ciamba,
as representative of the presidency of the Council of the EU, an official
letter informing him that Laura Codruta Kovesi is the candidate of the European
Parliament for the position of European chief public prosecutor. The Council of
the European Union supports Jean-Francois Bohnert of France for the position.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is to be established by the end
of 2020, will be an independent body responsible for investigating, indicting
and bringing to justice fraud against the EU budget. The European chief public
prosecutor will serve a single 7-year term.

Francophonie. International Francophonie Day is celebrated today, 26
years since Romania’s accession to the Francophone movement. On this occasion,
minister Teodor Melescanu said Francophonie is a system of values and cultural references
on which modern Romania was built. On the 20th of March, 88 members,
associates and observers of the International Organisation of La Francophonie from
five continents celebrate the International Francophonie Day, a moment that
marks the creation of institutional Francophonie in 1970 by the signing of the
Treaty of Niamey. Francophone and Francophile Romania has been a full-fledged member
of the International Organisation of La Francophonie since 1993. In 2006, it
hosted the 11th Francophone Summit. The Romanian Cultural Institute
through its branches abroad is holding a series of events these days to
celebrate the Francophonie.
Between December 2018 and July 2019, Bucharest and Paris are hosting the
Romania-France cultural season, which emphasises contemporary arts and culture,
as well as education, economy, sports and tourism. The programme features 300
different events taking place in both Romania and France.

Poll. Romanians are more pessimistic
about the direction their country is taking and more optimistic about that of
Europe, according to INSCOP Research, which has conducted a nationwide poll between
the 5th and the 13th of March commissioned by the Konrad
Adenauer Foundation. 72.8% of respondents say their country is going in the
wrong direction, 17.8% say it’s going in the right direction and 9.4% don’t
know or chose not to answer. According to the poll, compared with last year, significantly
more Romanians believe things in Europe are going in the right direction, namely
46.7%, while 35.3% believe Europe is going in the wrong direction. 17.9% did
not answer.

Pope visit. The authorities in
Bucharest are preparing for the visit Pope Francis will be paying to Romania, a
majority Orthodox country, between the 31st of May and the 2nd
of June. A national operative command centre has been set up within the
management of the defence, public order and national security institutions that
will coordinate the necessary security measures. Given the large number of
people expected to take part in the events to be held in Bucharest, Iasi, Blaj
and Sumuleu Ciuc, working meetings have already been held with the local
authorities to make sure normal activities take place without special
disruptions. It is possible that during his visit Pope Francis may hold the
beatification ceremony of seven Romanian Greek-Catholic bishops who were
victims of the communist dictatorship.

No-confidence vote. The Chamber of
Deputies in Bucharest has today rejected a simple no-confidence motion against
the finance minister Eugen Teodorovici. The motion was debated on Monday, but
the opposition asked for the repeal of Emergence Order 114, a piece of
legislation that has also come under criticism from the business environment
because of the tax measures it introduces. The finance minister has rejected
the idea of repealing the order, underlining that its purpose is to protect
vulnerable consumers. He said, however, that changes would be made by the end
of the month with respect to the application of duties on energy,
telecommunications and banking companies. The Chamber of Deputies has also
rejected a simple no-confidence motion against the justice minister Tudorel Toader,
who has been criticised by the opposition for his activity and the changes he made
to the justice laws and by some of the ruling MPs for the changes he hasn’t
made.

20 March 2019
March 19, 2019

DETENTION The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has voiced concern with what it called the abuse and improper conditions still to be found in Romanian detention centres. In a release made public today following a visit to 10 detention facilities this February, CPT members point to cases of physical ill-treatment by prison personnel and police on detainees as well as violence among detainees. They urge the Interior Ministry and the Romanian Police Inspectorate General to send a clear message that ill-treatment of detained individuals is illegal, unprofessional and will be punished accordingly. The CPT appreciates the efforts made since 2014 to reform the penitentiary system in Romania, particularly in terms of the development of the parole service, a 30% reduction of prison population and the introduction of compensations for those detained in overcrowded prisons.

EPPO The first round of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the appointment of the new European chief prosecutor is scheduled for tomorrow. Romanias former anti-corruption chief Laura Codruţa Kövesi is one of the candidates for this post. In case the negotiation teams fail to reach an agreement tomorrow, further rounds will be held on March 27, April 4 and 10. The head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani has recently sent the Romanian minister delegate for European Affairs George Ciamba, the incumbent chairman of the Council of the EU, the official letter announcing Laura Codruţa Kövesi as the European Parliaments candidate for the chief of the European Public Prosecutors Office. The Council of the EU on the other hand supports Jean-Francois Bohnert, of France. The EPPO, set to be up and running by end-2020, will be an independent body in charge of investigating and prosecuting crimes against the EU budget. The European chief prosecutor has a non-renewable 7-year term in office.

SOCIAL EU-wide expenditure for social protection amounted to 2,890 billion euro in 2017, accounting for 18.8% of the GDP and for 41.1% of the total government spending, the European statistics bureau Eurostat announced today. Pension benefits accounted for 10% of the Unions GDP. Social protection spending was below 13% of GDP in Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Latvia, Romania, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, whereas 6 member states—Finland, France, Denmark, Italy, Austria and Sweden—allotted at least 20% of their GDP to this area.

BREXIT The EU ministers for European affairs convene in Brussels today to prepare the European spring summit. They will also discuss the latest developments in the Brexit case, given that March 29 is the end of the 2-year period since the UK notified its intention to leave the Union. European leaders expect London to state clearly its intentions for the future, and many of them want the European bloc to deny a new extension of the deadline. Until a new vote in the British Parliament on the withdrawal deal, which London has already rejected twice, the EU ministers will analyse the political and judicial consequences of a Brexit deferral. Meanwhile, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, had meetings with key EU leaders, including the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

AWARDS Odeon Theatre in Bucharest hosted last night the 19th edition of the Radio Romania Culture Awards Gala. The event rewarded the most important achievements in Romanian culture last year. Recipients included writer Gabriela Adameşteanu, stage director Radu Afrim, and screenplay writer Ivana Mladenović. “Teach for Romania Association won the section on education, for projects conducted in schools in underprivileged communities. A lifetime achievement award also went to pianist Valentin Gheorghiu.

VOLLEYBALL The Romanian womens volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj is playing at home today against the Italian side Yamamay e-work Busto Arsizio, in the first leg of the CEV Cup finals. The second leg is scheduled next week in Italy. In the semis the Romanians beat their co-nationals of Ştiinţa Bacău (3-nil in both legs), and the Italians outplayed the Hungarian team Swietelsky Bekescsaba. Last year, Alba lost the Champions League finals to the Turkish side VakifBank Istanbul.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

19 March 2019
March 5, 2019 UPDATE

JUDICIARY The Government of Romania Tuesday passed changes to the controversial Emergency Order 7 on the justice laws, which had triggered protests across the country. Under the changes announced by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, only prosecutors with at least 15 years of seniority may hold top positions in the Public Ministry, and only the prosecutors division of the Higher Council of Magistrates, instead of the entire body, is required to give an advisory opinion on appointments. Also, good reputation will no longer be a criterion in dismissing magistrates, and the salaries of IT experts in the judicial system remain unchanged. Tudorel Toader made no comments on the controversial provisions regarding the new division investigating magistrates, which stay in place. The new changes have been operated despite the negative opinion of the Higher Council of Magistrates. Last Sunday in Bucharest and other major cities nearly 8,000 people protested against Emergency Order 7 modifying the justice laws. The prosecutors and judges in some 80 courts and prosecutors offices in half the country have also protested these days, by suspending work or by picketing court buildings.

VISIT The Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă announced a working visit to Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday, when she will attend 2 events devoted to equal opportunity and promoting womens rights and will have meetings with senior EU officials, including the European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans and the Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier. This years edition of the Womens European Council is held in a partnership with the Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU, and will focus on better representation of women in politics and on promoting women into leadership positions, Viorica Dăncilă said. The second event will be organised by Romanias permanent representation to the EU, and will also be devoted to gender equality. The Romanian PM also added that on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will convene, chaired by Interior Minister Carmen Dan and Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. The agenda includes EU-wide cooperation in the field of the judiciary and border security, the Common European Asylum System and the Unions response to migration and terrorism.

FLU Two more people died in Romania because of the flu, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control confirmed on Tuesday. The 2 women were over 80 and also suffered from other, chronic conditions, and only one of them had been immunised against the flu. The total number of deaths caused this season by the flu has reached 165. According to the latest data, over 1.3 million people have been vaccinated so far.

VOLLEYBALL The Romanian womens volleyball team CSM Alba Blaj Tuesday defeated Ştiinţa Bacău 3-0, in the return leg of the Romanian semi-final of the CEV Cup, the second top official competition in Europe. Alba Blaj had also won the first leg, in Bacau, 3-0, a week ago. Last year, Alba also played the Champions League final, which they lost in Bucharest to the Turkish club VakifBank Istanbul. The other semi-final of the CEV Cup pits Hungarian team Swietelsky Bekescsaba against Yamamay e-work Busto Arsizio of Italy.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

5 March 2019
New emergency decrees on the judiciary

Since the latest parliamentary elections in 2016, the justice field has been a battlefield for political disputes between Power and Opposition. On the one hand, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats says it is trying to address legislative errors in the field and thus to modernise the legislation on which the judicial system is based, in full compliance with human rights. On the contrary, the right-wing Opposition, consisting primarily of the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union, argue that all the measures taken in this respect are designed to undermine the work of magistrates, benefiting the Governments cronies.

This Tuesday, the Cabinet passed an emergency decree stipulating, among other things, that senior positions in prosecutors offices can no longer be assigned by delegation. According to the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, these positions include the prosecutor general, the deputy prosecutor general, the chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the chief prosecutor of the Directorate Combatting Organised Crime and Terrorism, and heads of prosecutors offices. These are fixed 3-year terms in office, and a new term will require a new appointment procedure, comprising an interview, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, and the appointment decree signed by the president of the country.

Also, considering that under the new emergency decree former judges may also run for a senior prosecutor position, the advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy will be required both from the institutions division for prosecutors, and from the division for judges. Given that many of the posts in question are currently held by delegation, the office holders only have 45 days until new appointment procedures must be completed.

Also on Tuesday, after receiving the positive advisory opinion of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Government passed an emergency decree concerning the selection of Romanias candidate for European prosecutor within the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO). This does not concern the European Chief Prosecutor position, for which the procedure is different and has already been initiated. Minister Toader explained that there will be a second category of prosecutors to be selected through a subsequent procedure, namely the delegated prosecutors. Whereas the European prosecutor will work in Luxembourg, the delegated prosecutor will work in Romania on behalf of the EPPO.

The National Liberal Party responded quickly after the 2 decrees were passed. They announced they would table a simple motion against Minister Toader in the Chamber of Deputies. Save Romania Union also spoke about a black day for the Romanian judiciary, and called on international institutions to step in and on Romanian citizens not to stay indifferent.

So protesters were also a part of the picture: people gathered on Tuesday night in front of the Justice Ministry, throwing rocks and paint. As for President Klaus Iohannis, he wrote on Facebook that, by means of such emergency decrees, the Social Democratic Party once again works against justice and the rule of law, and seeks to give special status to individuals who are on bad terms with the law.

In response, the left-wing Prime Minister Viorica Dancila reiterated that laws are not created just for an individual, that politicians must not interfere with the justice system and that citizens rights must be complied with, while the fight against corruption must continue.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

20 February 2019
January 6-12, 2019

Romania officially takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

On January 10th, Romania officially took over for the first time the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, in a ceremony held at the Romanian Athenaeum and attended by Romanian and EU leaders.

Twelve years since its accession, Romania undertakes a key role at European level, with the stated goal of contributing to the consolidation of a more cohesive, more united and stronger Europe, the Romanian head of state Klaus Iohannis said in his address. Romania will head the Council of the European Union with dignity, PM Viorica Dancila said in her turn, and added that she would like the Union to be more robust, more united and more interconnected at the end of the Romanian term in office.

The president of the European Council Donald Tusk gave a poignant speech in Romanian. Among others, he said that it was up to Romania to prove whether its politics may be a good example or a harsh warning for a European Union struggling with the rise of populism and nationalism. He also urged Romanians to safeguard the foundations of political civilisation, freedom, integrity, respect for truth in public life, the rule of law and Constitution, in Romania and in Europe.

Romania takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union at a crucial time, the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said. He mentioned that the Union would not be complete without Romania, and that Romania also belongs in the Schengen area. I am counting on the energy and unity of the Romanian nation, in order to decide what we must do and what we can do in the months to come, Juncker concluded.

The launch of the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union was celebrated with a concert at the Romanian Athenaeum given by the European Union Orchestra, which performed George Enescus Romanian Rhapsody no 1 and Beethovens Ode to Joy, which has been the anthem of the European Union since 1985.

On Friday in Bucharest, the European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker had talks with president Klaus Iohannis, PM Viorica Dancila and other Romanian officials. The European officials had meetings with the Romanian Cabinet ministers who will chair working meetings with their EU counterparts in the next 6 months, both in Bucharest and in Brussels.

Romania chairs first General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels

The Romanian minister for European affairs George Ciamba took part in Brussels in the General Affairs Council meeting, the first chaired by Romania since the start of its presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1. Ciamba presented Romanias priorities for its 6-month term in office, highlighting the 4 main directions: Europe of convergence, a safer Europe, Europe – a stronger regional actor, and Europe of shared values.

Talking about the European context in which Romania holds the rotating presidency, which is marked by a number of complex processes such as Brexit, the negotiations on the next multi-annual financial framework, the European Parliament elections due in May 2019, and the reflection on the future of the Union, Ciamba said that now more than ever the Union needs unity and cohesion.

Tension between the Presidency and the Government over appointments

The conflict between the president and the government in Romania carries on. President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday rejected again, for the 2nd time, the appointment of Adina Florea as chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and Anca Jurma, the interim chief prosecutor, announced she no longer wanted an extension of her term, which led the prosecutor general to make a new nomination. Thus he appointed the deputy chief prosecutor of the DNA Calin Nistor as interim chief prosecutor.

The position remained vacant after Laura Codruta Kovesi was dismissed by a presidential decree issued on July 9, 2018 by president Iohannis who had to enforce a decision of the Constitutional Court.

Also this week, the PM Viorica Dancila forwarded to president Iohannis the same nominations for the positions of deputy prime minister and minister of regional development and public administration and minister of transports, namely Lia Olguta Vasilescu and Mircea Draghici. According to the PM, the two nominations comply with the conditions stipulated by law and the two persons are compatible with the respective positions.

On Thursday the Romanian president had sent the PM the motivation explaining the reasons why he had previously rejected the two persons nominated.

Romanian economy reported very good results in 2018

Last year Romania reported very good economic results, the PM Viorica Dancila announced in the first government meeting of 2019. She said that in the first 9 months of 2018, Romania reported a 4.2% economic growth rate, two times more than the rate reported by the EU, which was due mainly to industry. The PM also mentioned a drop in the unemployment rate in 2018 as well as an increase in the absorption rate of European funds, of more than 26%.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Lacramioara Simion)

12 January 2019