Radio România Internațional

Tag: protests

  • November 9, 2015

    November 9, 2015

    46 people have so far died following the October 30th fire in a Bucharest nightclub, the authorities say. Tens of wounded, of whom many are in a serious condition, are still in care in the Bucharest hospitals. 30 patients have been transferred abroad. In another development, the Romanian government has today approved the financial aid necessary for treating the injured. The interim prime minister, Sorin Campeanu, has announced the Labor Ministry is preparing programs to assist and help the victims of the tragedy integrate.



    The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, has today invited the presidents of parliamentary parties for a new round of consultations with a view to designating a candidate for the position of prime minister. A first round of talks was held last week when the political parties failed to assume responsibility for governing the country. For the first time invited at the consultations were the representatives of civil society and of the protesters, who have been protesting in the streets of Bucharest for one week. They call for the eradication of corruption, saying that the new government should be made up of people who do not have legal problems. On Sunday evening President Iohannis went to the University Square to talk with the protesters.



    One of the biggest British destroyers, DUNCAN, is in the Romanian port of Constanta until November 11. During this time the Romanian and British marines will exercise the joint operation procedures for the drills to be held in the Romanian territorial waters and in the Black Sea international waters in the coming period. The destroyer is ready to take part in operational missions around the globe. Its propulsion system is able to produce enough energy to fuel an entire small town. The current missions of such ships in the international waters include fighting piracy and drug trafficking as well as providing humanitarian aid to the population affected by natural disasters in various parts of the world.



    The President of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Nicolae Timofti, continues consultations, on Monday, with parliamentary parties with a view to designating a new candidate for the prime minister position. Last week the Moldovan president held talks with the leaders of the pro-European parties in the former governing alliance including the Liberal Democratic Party, the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party, whom he asked to reach a consensus. The former government led by the Liberal-Democrat Valeriu Strelet was dismissed at the end of last month following a no-confidence motion filed by the socialist and Communist opposition and also voted by the Democratic Party.



    The National Bank of Romania revised the inflation rate estimate for 2015 downwards by 0.4%, down to minus 0.7%, while the estimate for 2016 was revised upwards to 1.1%, the increase being of 0.4%. The national bank governor Mugur Isarescu said the drop in the inflation rate was caused by the reduction of the VAT for foodstuffs to 9% this summer. He also warned that the fiscal measures taken generated big fluctuations in terms of inflation rate evolution. So, from a negative estimate this year valid until mid 2016, the inflation rate estimates will go up. The national bank inflation rate target for the next years is 2.5%, plus/minus 1%. In another move Romania’s trade balance deficit increased by more than 1.23 billion euros in the first 9 months of 2015 as compared to the same period of last year.

  • November 6, 2015 UPDATE

    November 6, 2015 UPDATE

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has announced today that a new round of talks will be held next week, for the designation of a new prime minister. On Thursday and Friday the head of state met with representatives of parliamentary parties and, for the first time in Romanian politics, with civil society members. President Iohannis, who Thursday appointed the Education Minister Sorin Câmpeanu as interim PM, said a solution could be presented towards the end of next week. The talks take place after the Social Democrat Victor Ponta resigned, against the background of large scale street protests in the past few days. Last week’s deadly fire at a nightclub in Bucharest, which killed 32 people and left more than 100 severely injured, fuelled public anger at the political elite. Tens of thousands of people protested every evening in Bucharest and other Romanian cities, demanding the reform of the political class and demonstrating against corrupt politicians.



    65 people who were injured in last Friday’s fire at a Bucharest nightclub continue to be in a critical condition. The fire killed 32 people. The health minister, Nicolae Banicioiu, pointed out that skin transplant surgery has so far been performed on several patients and in some cases surgery was performed to help them breath. The state secretary, Raed Arafat, announced that several countries offered to take over some of the patients. The National Anti-Corruption Directorate prosecutors have started investigation for abuse of power at the city hall of Bucharest’s sector 4 where the tragedy occurred. They are investigating how the authorization for the functioning of the nightclub was issued. The three owners have been taken in temporary custody. They are being investigated for gross negligence and irresponsibility. In another development an explosion occurred Thursday night at a bread factory in Brasov, in central Romania, which killed one person and wounded another 5. The authorities are investigating the causes of the explosion.



    The growth of the Romanian economy will be accelerated this year and in 2016 reaching 3.5% and 4.1% respectively. It is supported by the fiscal relaxation measures that boost domestic consumption but that will deepen the budget deficit, show the autumn estimates made by the European Commission. The estimates are better in comparison with those made in spring. Romania’s economic growth may exceed expectations if Romania manages to absorb more European funds. Also the EC improved estimates related to the budget deficit from 1.2% in 2015 to 2.8% in 2016 in comparison with the spring prognosis when it had anticipated a budget deficit of 1.6% this year and of 3.5% in 2016. With a low unemployment rate and following the reduction by 4% of the VAT, domestic consumption is expected to grow in Romania in 2016 to reach a maximum post-crisis level, but the level will drop in 2017, the EC report shows. The EBRD also anticipates the growth of Romania’s economy by 3.5% in 2015 and by 3.7% in 2016.



    Refugees and immigrants will continue to come to Europe through Turkey, their number being likely to reach 5 thousand per day this winter, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said Thursday. This means that the total number of people who will reach the European continent this year will exceed one million, Reuters reports. As many as 760 thousand people already crossed the Mediterranean in 2015, reaching mainly Greece and Italy after fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq as well as other conflict areas in Africa. Over 3,400 immigrants have died this year in their attempt to reach Europe by sea.

  • Protests against Romanian Political Class

    Protests against Romanian Political Class

    Tuesday night’s large-scale protest in downtown Bucharest, in which more than 20,000 people demanded the resignation of PM Victor Ponta, of Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea and of Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Bucharest’s fourth district, viewed as the representatives of a political elite blamed for the death of tens of young people, did not go unanswered.



    Explaining that it would have been a mistake to ignore the discontent of the people, the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet stepped down, followed by a similar decision from the mayor of Bucharest fourth district where the deadly nightclub fire took place. But the thousands of anti-system protesters in Bucharest and other large cities in the country went back to the streets and say they will continue to do so until the entire political class is reformed.



    “What we want is to tell the entire political class that they are corrupt and that we want a change. We want the next government not to make the same mistakes that the cabinets of the past 25 years have repeated so many times. We hope this is a wake-up call and a challenge for all politicians, we want them to pay attention to the voice of the people.”



    “I think this was the last straw, the one that broke the camel’s back. And it is not about guilt alone, about who’s to blame for all these deaths, it’s about responsibility, including political responsibility.”



    Demonstrators shouted against the system (“All parties, the same filth”), against the President, whom they told his only chance is to choose the right person as the next prime minister, and against Patriarch Daniel, whom they criticize for not having showed up on the night of the tragedy to comfort people.



    The rallies spread across the country, and some 35,000 people are estimated to have gathered in Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Targu Jiu, Iasi, Alba Iulia, Miercurea-Ciuc, Ploiesti, Braila and Constanta, as well as abroad, in Paris and London.



    Analysts see these demonstrations as a proof of mature and aware civic engagement, particularly among the young. This is not so much a political movement, they say, but rather a spontaneous reaction to the young people who died on Friday night to shake Romanians out of their indifference and inactivity.

  • November 5, 2015 UPDATE

    November 5, 2015 UPDATE

    Balance and stability in Romania are the two objectives of the interim prime minister Sorin Campeanu for the period in which he will hold this position. He was designated interim PM on Thursday by President Klaus Iohannis. In his first speech, he said he wanted the support of parliamentary parties with which he will maintain dialogue and gave assurances to the business environment that he would do his best not to generate loss of trust. After Wednesday’s resignation of PM Ponta, President Klaus Iohannis started consultations with the parliamentary parties with a view to designating a new candidate for the position of prime minister. On Thursday the president held consultations with the representatives of the Social Democratic Party, holding the majority in the governing coalition, with the National Liberal Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, both in opposition, and with the national minorities group. On Friday consultations will continue with the representatives of the National Union for the Progress of Romania and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, both in the governing coalition, and, for the first time, with the representatives of civil society, that, in the past days, has protested virulently in the street against the politicians’ corruption.



    The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday met with the interim PM Sorin Mihai Campeanu. The presidential administration pointed out that the talks focused on the priorities for the coming period, namely the state budget for 2016 and providing hospitals with all they need to take good care of the people injured in the terrible fire that occurred last Friday in a Bucharest nightclub. According to the quoted source, the two officials decided on the continuation of the ongoing projects that are essential for the development of Romania.



    Protests continued on Thursday for the third consecutive day in Bucharest and the main cities of Romania. Thousands of people have asked for changing the political class and eradicating corruption and also for punishing those who are responsible for the tragedy that occurred last Friday in a Bucharest nightclub when more than 30 young people died. On Wednesday tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Romania asking for the dissolution of Parliament and holding early elections.



    The process of appointing a new government increases uncertainties over macroeconomic policies, especially that the budget for 2016 has not yet been established, said Thursday the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu. He pointed out that the effects of this move on the economy would depend on how fast the new government would be formed and on the decisions they make. Mugur Isarescu has given assurances that the macro-economic situation is stable and in general the country’s economic situation is good. In another development, the national bank decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 1.75% per year and to keep the current level of the minimum required reserve rates applicable to the bank’s liabilities in the national currency and in hard currency.



    133 people, of whom 80 in a serious condition, are still in hospital following the fire in the Colectiv nightclub which caused the death of 32 people, the authorities announced. The death toll could rise significantly, doctors have warned, given that the club décor that burnt in the fire gave off extremely noxious gases and the injuries caused are atypical, including burns involving large areas of skin, lung necrosis and extensive respiratory damage. Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu has given assurances that the hospitals where the injured are being taken care of have all necessary medicines and materials and has hailed the support of foreign doctors.



    The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population, will check the legality of the dismissal through a no confidence vote of the three-party government headed by the Liberal Democrat Valeriu Strelet. A request in this respect was submitted to the Court by a Liberal Democrat MP, who says that the motion’s initiators, the Socialists and pro-Russian Communists, have accused Strelet of corruption without presenting any proof in support of their accusation. In spite of being part of the government coalition, the Democratic Party MPs voted in favor of the motion. Negotiations are under way for forming a new majority. Pundits are skeptical about the result and do not rule out the possibility of early elections.

  • Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigns

    Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigns

    Romanias Social Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta has resigned. Ponta, who is already facing trial on corruption charges, has been under pressure to step down for several months now. The head of state Klaus Iohannis and the opposition have repeatedly called on him to step down. It was Tuesdays rally that finally convinced him to do so.



    After three days of national mourning and a march in memory of the victims of the Colectiv nightclub fire, 25,000 Romanians took to the streets again, this time to show their deep resentment against those who allowed this tragedy to happen. Young people, families with small children, teenagers and pensioners alike took to the streets of Bucharest complaining about government corruption and asking for a change. Protesters demanded the resignation of Victor Ponta, of the interior minister Gabriel Oprea and of Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Bucharests District 4 where the nightclub is located. “Ponta must resign!, “Oprea, out! “Assassins! and “Corruption kills!, were some of the slogans chanted by protesters who were gathering in large numbers in the University Square and then in front of the headquarters of the Government, Interior Ministry, Parliament and District 4 City Hall.



    Protesters were carrying national flags and placards saying “Romania without them, “Corruption, indifference and greed suffocate Romania, “Politicians, you are all guilty of destroying Romania!, “We wont leave until you leave! “You should be afraid, the nation is awake!, “The last solution, another revolution!.



    “Its not OK what happens in Romania and we need to make a change.



    Things are going from bad to worse, no rules are being observed…I think our only chance to change things is for all of us to take to the streets and ask for the things we are entitled to.



    “Its really bad whats going on and we have paid a heavy price… I for one, want to live in this country. I have worked abroad and I know I dont want to leave anymore. I love Romania and I want to have a better future here.



    Angry at one of the biggest tragedies in Bucharest over the last decades, the fire at the Colectiv nightclub, protesters have said they are sick and tired of the authorities corruption and carelessness, which have allowed for this terrible thing to happen. Political decision makers, protesters say, must understand once and for all that it is the general interest that should prevail, not the individual one.



    Protests, marches and commemorations took place on Tuesday evening in several cities in Romania. Impressed with the dimension of street protests, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has said that politicians cannot ignore this feeling of revolt and peoples demands for their dignity to be respected. In his turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Valeriu Zgonea, has said that time has come for the entire Romanian political class to understand that it has a duty towards the people. Rules should not be applied preferentially, and the law should not be suffocated by corruption and bribery.

  • November 4, 2015 UPDATE

    November 4, 2015 UPDATE

    RESIGNATION- Romanias Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Victor Ponta on Wednesday announced he was stepping down together with his cabinet. The decision was made after on Tuesday night, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, denouncing corruption in local and central administration and demanded the resignations of the Prime Minister Victor Ponta, Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea and Cristian Popescu Piedone, the mayor of Bucharests fourth district where Colectiv nightclub is located. 32 people died and 130 others are still in hospitals, many in critical condition, following a devastating fire that broke out on Friday night in a Bucharest nightclub, an event which generated a wave of discontent.



    Over 75,000 Romanians on Wednesday night rallied on the second night of mass protests in squares and public venues in Bucharest and other cities across the country to voice their discontent with the countrys leadership, despite Tuesdays resignations. Protesters want a top-down sweeping reform of the political class and call for early elections. The crowd chanted slogans against the corruption in the local administration and carried banners reading “Corruption kills! Demonstrators say the authorities disregard for the law was what originally compromised the safety regulations at the Colectiv rock concert.



    Protesters observed a moment of silence and prayed for the victims.



    Victor Ponta has expressed hope that his cabinets resignation meets peoples expectations. The resignation announcement follows Pontas decision to ignore previous calls to step down after anti-corruption prosecutors indicted him in September for forgery of deeds, money laundering and accessory to tax evasion during his time as a lawyer. Victor Ponta has nominated Defence Minister Mircea Dusa as interim president pending negotiations over the new government structure.



    Romanias President Klaus Iohannis announced the start of consultations with the parliamentary parties. The first round of talks should be completed by the end of the week.



    SUMMIT– Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, has said in Bucharest at the Central and East European Countries Summit, that the transatlantic relation should be strengthened, as a key element for security in the region. Iohannis has also said the countries in the region show determination and capacity to increase the security of the region and of the whole Alliance. On this occasion, the president has also said a joint declaration on the concerns and commitments made by the countries in the region has also been issued. In turn, Polands President, Andrzej Duda, has said the Bucharest Summit is held in preparation for the NATO Summit due in Warsaw next year. The two heads of state co-chaired the high-level meeting in Bucharest, that has also been attended by the presidents of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, alongside the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament and NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow.



    NEW EU SUMMIT ON MIGRATION– The European Council President Donald Tusk has announced he will summon a new EU Emergency Summit on Migration in Malta on November 12th. In a letter to EU heads of state and government, Tusk explains the measures implemented so far must be assessed, given the speed at which events in the refugee crisis are unfolding at present. In another move, the Hungarian Parliament has issued a decision turning down the EUs distribution quotas. Among other things, the decision says that the EU lacks a legal framework for the introduction of the quota system and that a centralized procedure will automatically come into effect sidestepping further consultations with member states.



    ROYAL VISIT- Prince Harry of Great Britain visited the Romanian Cultural Institute in London on Tuesday evening. His visit was occasioned by the opening of a painting exhibition entitled “Transylvanian Landscapes, by British artist Clare Inskip and devoted to the natural beauty and the traditions in the western Romanian region of Transylvania. Prince Harry is the second member of the British Royal family to visit the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, after Prince Charles was the honorary guest of the institute in 2014, on the occasion of the “Transylvania Festival. “Transylvanian Landscapes includes 60 paintings and several sculptures inspired by the artists trip to Transylvania and by her fascination for the Romanian territory.



    CRASH-Over 25 people have lost their lives in South Sudan Capital city, Juba, as a cargo aircraft crashed shortly after taking off. According to the authorities, the Antonov aircraft had around 20 passengers and crew on board, among whom many Russian citizens. People on the ground could also be among the victims. International news agencies quoted local media as saying the death toll stands at 40. We recall that last week 224 people lost their lives, in the crash of the passenger jet belonging to a Russian airline, in Egypts Sinai Peninsula. The flight provided the connection between the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Skeikh and Saint Petersburg.

  • August 30, 2015 UPDATE

    August 30, 2015 UPDATE

    MUSICAL FEAST – In the following three weeks, Bucharest
    is hosting Romania’s most important cultural event, the George Enescu
    International Festival, which has reached its 22nd edition. Nearly
    3,000 foreign and Romanian artists will take part in this year’s edition of the
    Festival. The participating orchestras include the San Francisco Symphony,
    Israel Philharmonic, conducted by the world famous Zubin Mehta, the Vienna
    Philharmonic, the Bavarian State Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, London
    Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Orchestra, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Royal
    Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. According to the organisers, the 2015
    edition of the world’s leading promoter of the works of the great Romanian
    composer George Enescu, will consist in 58 indoor concerts and many other
    outdoor events. Radio Romania will broadcast 36 live transmissions. The rest of
    the concerts will be recorded and broadcast in the following days. Furthermore,
    the Casa Radio Publishers launches five albums to mark this edition of the
    festival.





    LANGUAGE -
    The Romanian language is a core value of the Romanian people’s identity and
    the language of an important culture in Europe, the minister delegate for the relation
    with the Romanians abroad, Angel Talvar, said during the celebrations held in
    Spain to mark the Romanian Language Day, on August the 31st. It is the language of the Romanians who
    work, study, make research and do business. The Romanian language is an element
    of identity and helps people get closer to one another and form a community.
    The Romanian Language Day is equally a feast for Romania and the Romanians
    around the world, for those who feel like Romanians do and for those who love and
    appreciate the beauty of the Romanian people.





    KIDNAPPING -
    The Romanian authorities confirm the information on the existence of a video
    footage featuring a Romanian citizen who claims to have been kidnapped by a
    Jihadist group in Burkina Faso and asks to be saved. The
    Foreign Ministry has announced that a crisis sell is currently investigating
    the authenticity of the video recording and is also analysing all possible ways
    to solve the situation of the Romanian national taken hostage in Burkino Faso.
    According to media sources, the mining company the Romanian was working for
    announced his being kidnapped in April, but the first images showing proofs of
    life were released on Saturday. The crisis cell is made up of representatives
    of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministries, respectively, of the intelligence
    services and of the Presidential Administration.



    RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION– Fresh from an emergency meeting held in
    Paris, French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has made a thorough
    presentation of the measures agreed upon by the EU member states in an effort
    to improve railway transport safety and security, in the wake of last week’s
    attack on a high speed train running from Amsterdam to Paris. He referred to a
    thorough control of the passengers’ identity, with visual checks being likely
    to be introduced again. Furthermore, luggage will be verified both in stations
    and on board the train. Joint patrols, made up of security officers from
    various countries will be set up to assure transport security, the French
    minister has underlined. The perpetrator of the attack on the Thalys train,
    Moroccan Ayoub El Khazzani, was charged with attempted murder last week.
    Carrying a Kalashnikov assault rifle, nine chargers, a Luger automatic pistol
    and a cutter, the 26 year old Moroccan bought a ticket for the Thalys train
    without problems. Later on, he opened fire on board the train, being
    immobilised by passengers.





    JAPAN – Tens
    of thousands of people protested in front of the Parliament building in Tokyo
    against some draft security laws which are meant to extend the Japanese army’s
    prerogatives and which have been described by critics as infringing the
    pacifist fundamental law of the country. The rally is proof of a greater
    mobilisation in Japan, in the context in which conservative Prime Minister
    Shinzo Abe hopes these draft laws will be passed by Parliament in the current
    session, which comes to an end in late September. The draft laws would allow
    the Japanese army to get involved in fighting operations abroad, if need be, to
    protect the interests of the country, which would be a first since the end of
    WWII.


    ARREST -Three Romanian nationals were taken into custody in Hungary on Saturday, on suspicion of human trafficking. They are detained by the Budapest police, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced. The ministry also says that 26 Romanian citizens have been arrested in Hungary, on human trafficking charges, since August the 26th. None of them has requested consular assistance so far.


    BOOK FAIR – Romania has recently participated for the first time in the Beijing International Book Fair, having its own stand organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute. According to the organisers, the Romanian Cultural Institute designed the events so as to cast light on the Romanian literary heritage and to provide a fresh perspective on the current literary and editorial developments in Romania. Now, in its 22nd edition, the International Book Fair in Beijing is the largest event of its kind organised by China. According to the Director General of the General Department of Romanian Cultural Institutes Abroad, Ioana Dragan, on August 31st, the Foreign Language University in Beijing will host two much awaited events, a conference devoted to the Romanian Language Day and the announcement on the official opening of the Beijing-based Library of the Romanian Cultural Institute.

    WEATHER – The counties of Satu Mare, Bihor, Arad, Timis, Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, Botosani, Iasi, Bacau and Vaslui will further be under code orange alert on Monday and Tuesday. The heat wave will also sweep all the regions of the country placed under code yellow alert, where temperatures will range between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists warn temperatures in the ten counties placed under code orange alert will range between 37 and 38 degrees, with a high temperature- humidity index.

  • March 18, 2015

    March 18, 2015

    Dozens of miners employed by the Oltenia Energy Complex are protesting either by blocking themselves underground or by hunger strike. They protest the fact that the state company has announced they would lay off 2000 employees, paying a small number of severance salaries. At the same time, the over 1,200 employees of a quarry in Valcea County, recently taken over by Oltenia Energy Complex, have gone on work stoppage. The company and the unions continue the negotiations for the collective labor agreement for 2015. Management has already laid out a restructuring plan for this year and plans to sign the collective labor agreement by the end of the month.



    Former head of the National Integrity Agency Horia Georgescu has been detained after the highest court of appeal endorsed the warrant submitted by anti-corruption prosecutors. He resigned after indictment in a case of abuse in office with damages to the state worth 75 million Euro. Georgescu is accused of involvement in the over-evaluation of property set for restitution, between 2008 and 2009, when he worked at the national institution supposed to be regulating the compensation of owners of abusively nationalized property. Also today, the judicial committee in the Senate votes on liftig parliamentary immunity for Dan Sova, former Minister of Transportation and Member of Parliament. He is also under accusation of abuse of office, in a case involing two state companies. At the same time, mayor of Constanta Radu Mazare has been released pending investigation. He is accused of bribes worth nine million Euro.



    Over 25 Romanian companies attend the IT fair in Hanover, Germany, the most significant such event in the world. The RomaniaIT pavilion offers mainly software solutions for a large array of applications, according to the Ministry of Trade and Economy in Bucharest. This edition, ending on March 20, is attended by over 3,700 companies in 75 countries. Organizers expect the number of visitors to reach around 250,000.