Radio România Internațional

Tag: protests

  • December 15, 2022 UPDATE

    December 15, 2022 UPDATE

    JHA – The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, expressed, on Thursday, her disappointment with last week’s vote in the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU, following which Romania and Bulgaria were not admitted to the Schengen Area. The European Union has proven, in time, that it can remove any barriers and bring people together – said Roberta Metsola in her speech at the beginning of the Brussels meeting of the European Council. She also stated that the Union could do this even now, if it had the courage to take political decisions to maintain the European construction. According to official sources, quoted by Radio Romania, President Klaus Iohannis thanked for the strong support of the European Parliament and the overwhelming majority of member states. On the sidelines of the Council, President Iohannis discussed with community leaders, to explain them the unfair situation in which Romania finds itself and the need to find a solution for admission to the Schengen Area.



    OECD – Romania submitted, on Thursday, at the Paris-based headquarters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the initial memorandum regarding its accession to this structure. The document was handed to the Secretary General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann, by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, who is on a working visit to the French capital. Currently, the OECD has 38 member states, representing established democracies and consolidated economies. Together, the OECD member states provide about 70% of the global production and trade and 90% of the worlds foreign direct investments. The OECD facilitates the exchange of experience and good practices between countries and makes available to them its own data, analyzes and expertise regarding the establishment of public policies.



    Protests – The Federation of Free Trade Unions in Romanian Education continues its protest actions started last week. The employees are dissatisfied with the authorities failure to grant the pay increase for working conditions and overtime. At the same time, they are asking for the index-linking of salaries to cover the inflation rate. On Thursday, the education trade unionists protested in front of the prefects offices in several cities of the country, including Galati (southeast) and Vaslui (east). On the other hand, in Bucharest, policemen and penitentiary workers took to the streets in front of the Finance Ministry. They request the full payment of outstanding salary differences, the updating of food and equipment standards, as well as the indexation of military pensions and salaries.



    Swimming – The Romanian swimmer David Popovici ranked fourth, on Thursday, with a time of 45 sec and 64/100, in the 100 m freestyle final of the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Melbourne. Popovici, the world champion in the Olympic pool event, was only seven hundredths of a second away from the bronze medal, but he set a new junior world record, breaking the one set on Wednesday, in the semi-finals (45 sec and 91/100). He will also participate, in Melbourne, in the 200m freestyle, after failing to pass the heats in the 400m freestyle. Also on Thursday and also in Melbourne, another Romanian, Andrei Anghel, qualified for the semifinals of the 50m backstroke event, after being recorded with the seventh time of the series, 23 sec and 12/100. Romania is represented by three swimmers at the World Championships in Australia.



    Energy – The leadership of the National Energy Regulatory Authority met, on Thursday, with the representatives of the electricity suppliers in Romania, to explain them how the new price cap law is applied. The law will enter into force on January 1 next year. The suppliers claim that almost 9 million Romanians should submit applications to benefit from capped tariffs, while the Authority says that the number is much lower. The institution points out that each customer can automatically benefit, without any other formalities, from the capping of bills for one single household, if they do not exceed the consumption levels provided by law. (LS)

  • December 15, 2022

    December 15, 2022

    SUMMIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today attending
    the summit of the heads of state and government from the EU countries in
    Brussels. Iohannis has announced that he will include Romania’s Schengen
    accession in the agenda of the European Council proceedings but according to
    him, a positive result in this respect is possible only if Romania solves the
    issues, which made Austria to veto its accession during the last week’s Justice
    and Home Affairs Council. We recall that Austria and the Netherlands voted
    against the Schengen entry of Romania and Bulgaria respectively. Iohannis has
    also added that Romania will not challenge the Austrian vote in the European
    Court of Justice.










    PROTESTS The Federation of the Free Trade Unions in
    Romania’s education system is continuing the protests it kicked off last week.
    The employees have denounced the latest pay cuts and the authorities’ refusal
    to pay extra hours. Protesters are also calling for a pay rise that should
    offset inflation. Trade unionists have planned protests in front of prefect
    offices in several cities across Romania, such as Galati and Vaslui. In another
    development, police officers and employees of the penitentiaries in Romania are
    protesting in Bucharest denouncing the authorities’ refusal to pay outstanding salaries
    and provide proper equipment for the good functioning of their activity. They
    are also calling for pay and pension rises.








    VISIT Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is today paying
    a working visit to Paris to attend the special proceedings of the Organisation
    for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, devoted to Romania. An initial
    memorandum on Romania’s OECD accession, one of the country’s strategic
    objectives, is expected to be forwarded on this occasion. We recall that Bucharest
    received a roadmap in June this year. According to the Romanian coordinator for
    OECD accession, Luca Niculescu, there is still more to be done but Romania does
    not start from scratch because in the past years several Romanian ministries
    and institutions have participated in activities of the aforementioned
    organization and got used to them. The OECD is one of the world’s most
    important economic and trade organizations, comprising 38 developed countries,
    which boast roughly 70% of the global output and trade.






    ANRE The board of the National Authority for Energy Regulation (ANRE) is
    today meeting representatives of Romania’s electricity providers to brief them
    on the implementation of the new law on capping electricity prices due to come
    into effect on January 1st next year. According to the providers, almost
    9 million Romanians should apply for capped prices whereas ANRE says their
    number is much lower. The institution says that every customer can
    automatically benefit from capped energy prices for a single household unless
    they exceed the consumption levels provided by the law.










    FOOTBALL The football selection of France, the world defending
    champion, on Wednesday night qualified for the finals of the FIFA World Cup in
    Qatar after a 2-0 win against the revelation of this edition, Morocco. On
    Sunday France will be playing Argentina for the third world title after those
    it reaped in 1998 and 2018, respectively. Croatia will be playing Morocco for
    the third or the fourth place in the competition’s standings.






    (bill)

  • October 2, 2022 UPDATE

    October 2, 2022 UPDATE

    Protests – Several thousand people gathered, on Sunday, in the University Square in the center of Bucharest and walked towards the Government headquarters, the line of protesters being led by the leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians AUR, George Simion, and MPs from this political party. The grievances of the protesters, who held the Romanian tricolors and placards and chanted anti-government slogans, are related, among other things, to the increase in electricity and natural gas prices. Law enforcement forces have mobilized in large numbers to prevent possible incidents.



    Statement — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, along with seven other presidents of several NATO member states from Central and Eastern Europe, namely the presidents of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and Slovakia, signed a joint statement reiterating their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “We firmly support the decision of the NATO Summit in Bucharest of 2008 regarding the future accession of Ukraine,” Klaus Iohannis said in a post on a social network. We remind you that on September 30, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed Ukraines request for an accelerated accession to NATO. The Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that Ukraine has the right to apply for membership, but emphasized that, at the moment, the priority is providing aid to Kyiv. Support for Ukraines accession to NATO has already been expressed by the Baltic States and Canada.



    Ukraine – In Moscow, the State Duma announced that on Monday it would ratify the annexation treaties signed with the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. These annexations come after seven months of Russian offensive in Ukraine and emergency “referendums” held in the occupied regions, which were denounced as “shams” by Kyiv and its allies. The news agencies write that the Russian authorities are following exactly the same steps they took when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014. On Sunday, Pope Francis said that it was completely absurd that the world was currently facing a nuclear threat. The Sovereign Pontiff deeply deplored actions contrary to the principle of international law, referring to the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Moscow. The statement follows that of the Kremlin leader, namely that Russia could use nuclear weapons to defend what it considers to be its own territory, the BBC points out. In the following days, the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, will travel to Kyiv and Moscow, the visit being part of ongoing efforts for “the implementation as soon as possible of a nuclear safety and security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant”.



    Energy – In Romania, the Law for the approval of the Emergency Ordinance that regulates prices on the energy market will be debated in the following days by the specialized committees of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making body in this case. The document drafted by the Government underwent important changes in the Senate, before receiving the vote of the plenum. Several fields of activity and categories of consumers have been introduced among those that will benefit from the capped energy price: public transportation, churches and medicine manufacturers and traders, as well as patients who use medical devices at home. Another significant change is related to the elimination of charging electricity consumption based on the monthly average of last year.



    Football – The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) declared that the incident that took place on Saturday at the stadium in Malang, in East Java, Indonesia, is an unimaginable disaster and represents a black day for the entire world of sports. At least 125 people lost their lives in a stampede at the stadium after the match between a local team and a visiting team. The angry fans of the local team, which lost the match, invaded the pitch, and the police intervened with tear gas grenades to disperse the violent fans. Running for the exits to escape the tear gas, fans trampled on and crushed one another.

  • August 24, 2022 UPDATE

    August 24, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — The “unjustified, unprovoked and illegal” Russian aggression “must stop!” the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on the occasion of Ukraines Independence Day, marked on Wednesday. “I reiterate Romanias strong support for and solidarity with Ukraine and with the brave Ukrainian people who are bravely defending their country,” the presidents message writes. A similar message was conveyed by the Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, who showed that from the very first days after the start of “the worst crisis in Europe in recent decades”, Romania acted to provide assistance to the authorities in Kyiv, and the Romanian citizens “did everything in their power to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees who fled the horrors of war”. In turn, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised that all Ukrainian territories conquered by the Russian troops would be recovered and that Ukraine would fight “to the end” without “any kind of concession or compromise” with Russia. In Washington, President Joe Biden marked Ukraines Independence Day by approving a new military assistance package worth nearly three billion dollars, that will allow Kyiv to acquire air defense systems, artillery and ammunition systems, unmanned air combat and radar systems to ensure that it can continue to defend itself in the long term, according to the press release of the US president.



    Justice laws — The Romanian Government on Wednesday approved the draft justice laws, and their adoption in Parliament will fulfill the main objective within the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, said the justice minister Cătălin Predoiu. He explained that, in the process of their elaboration, several fundamental principles were followed, such as the independence of judges and prosecutors and the separation of careers taking into account the constitutional functions of each of these professions, the accountability of the Judiciary in relation to its own results and its own functionality, strengthening the coherence of certain provisions and increasing the efficiency of the judiciary by assuming responsibilities. “I think that our judicial system has reached maturity and is able to recognize its own vulnerabilities and address them”, minister Predoiu said. On the other hand, the former Justice Minister, Stelian Ion, a member of the Save Romania Union – USR, in opposition, criticized the justice laws in the Predoiu version, which, according to him, reinforce the political influence and consolidate the power of the anti-reformist network in the judiciary. The draft law for the modification of the Justice Laws was launched for public debate two years ago, a period in which it sparked off numerous debates and criticisms by magistrates associations and civil society.



    Forum — The biggest fear of the Romanian authorities is that the young people who study abroad will not return home, said the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă in the opening of the 2nd edition of the Forum of the Romanian Students Abroad. “We really want you to return home and work together and assume the responsibility of the country project. (…) we want you to realize that we always need everything that your contribution and vision can mean, because only together can we develop Romania”, the prime minister told the students gathered in Bucharest. The Forum of the Romanian Students Abroad takes place at the Parliament Palace until August 29. The more than 150 students from abroad and from Romania will have the opportunity to debate the relevant problems facing Romanian society and, under the guidance of 11 specialized moderators, they will draft a document through which they will come up with solutions in the fields of education and youth, healthcare, justice, work and economy, European affairs and energy, and the environment. The final proposals will form a Resolution, which will be forwarded to the competent Romanian ministries and authorities. The forum is organized by student and youth associations from Romania and abroad in partnership with the Department for Sustainable Development.



    Protests — The trade unionists from the Romanian police and penitentiaries protested again, on Wednesday, in front of the government headquarters, against the measure proposed by the draft Emergency Ordinance launched for debates last week by the Labor Minister, which provides for the payment of only one fourth of the salary arrears. They remind the authorities that it has been two years since their wages were frozen, a period during which the real cumulative inflation rate exceeded 25%. The trade unionists claim that the government and the coalition have turned their backs on the economic and social demands that concern the police, the contractual employees, military retirees and the entire family of state employees in the ‘Defense, Public Order and National Security’ domains. (LS)

  • Protests and social measures

    Protests and social measures


    Ruling coalition leaders have agreed on the final form of the package of economic and social measures designed to protect the population and the economy from the effects of the crises facing Romania, and promised they would officially present them next week. The plan is worth some 3.5 billion EUR, of which 1.4 billion will be covered by the EU. Finance Minister Adrian Câciu has discussed the plan in Brussels with EU officials. The package includes 50 EUR vouchers for vulnerable families, an increase in meal vouchers from 4 to 6 EUR, doubling the meal allowance for inpatients as well as a special allowance for purchasing fuel. PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu also referred to the draft law on prices for construction materials.




    “Investments are blocked across the country due to the price hikes for construction materials, which were not caused by policy-making, but by the war in Ukraine. Its important to offset some of these effects and keep inflation in check. First we need to get investments going, then provide support in order to strike a balance and allow inflation to drop”.




    Marcel Ciolacu also said Parliament is analyzing a proposal forwarded by SMEs to increase the minimum salary by some 40 EUR, tax-free. The Government also decided that all employees affected by the war in Ukraine will receive an allowance paid from the unemployment funds. According to the Labor Ministry, the measure will remain in force until the end of the year, in the case of companies that have been directly or indirectly prevented from doing business in Ukraine, the Russian Federation and Belarus, as well as for employees in Romanian enterprises that are subject to international sanctions. The decisions follow protests staged by 35 trade federations both in the public and the private sector. Unionists are calling for support measures to offset the economic and social fallout of the war in Ukraine, and also demand emergency measures to guarantee Romanias energy and food safety, amidst the soaring prices for electricity, gas and fuel. Similar protests have been staged in several other European states against the backdrop of Russias invasion of Ukraine. (VP)




  • April 7, 2022

    April 7, 2022

    NATO – In Brussels, the foreign ministers of the NATO member countries, including the Romanian one, Bogdan Aurescu, are discussing, today, the new strategic concept that must be adapted to the current security context. Prior to the meeting, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated that the war in Ukraine could take months or even years. The agenda of the meeting includes the implementation of the decisions of the Extraordinary NATO Summit of March 24, with focus on strengthening the Allied defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, following Russias aggression on Ukraine and its consequences for Euro-Atlantic security. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the NATO officials will also discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, including the crimes against the civilian population. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of the rapid implementation of the decisions of the March NATO Summit, with an emphasis on the establishment of new NATO Combat Groups, one of which is in Romania. He reiterated that Moscow was preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take control of the entire Donbas region and to build a land bridge to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.



    Ukraine — The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the recent sanctions imposed on Russia, but underlined that they were insufficient. He called on Western democracies to boycott Russian oil, insisting that the failure of a rapid agreement on an embargo would result in the loss of many lives among Ukrainians. The US has imposed new sanctions on two of Russias largest banks, as well as on Vladimir Putins two adult daughters, on Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, on the wife and children of the FM Sergei Lavrov, on members of the Security Council of Russia, including Dimitri Medvedev, a former president and prime minister. On the other hand, the Ukrainian police found new bodies of people shot in Hostomel, near Kyiv, a town recently liberated from the occupation of Russian troops. According to the locals, they were killed by snipers. The Ukrainian military record war crimes cases in every city or town where the Russian soldiers were present. According to the Ukrainian officials, more than 1,200 lawsuits have been opened in the Kyiv region over war crimes committed by the occupiers. The Polish President Andrzej Duda described the Russian militarys actions in Ukraine as “genocide” and called on the West to strengthen sanctions against Moscow. On the ground, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian occupiers are preparing an offensive operation in the east of the country to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Pentagon confirms that the Russian troops have completely withdrawn from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and Cernihiv.



    UN — The UN General Assembly is today considering the suspension of Russias membership to the Human Rights Council (HRC) due to the invasion of Ukraine. The move was initiated by the United States and several other countries, including the United Kingdom. Two-thirds of the votes of the General Assembly members, representing 193 countries, are required for a favorable decision. Russias Foreign Ministry has said that Russias failure to participate in UNHRC activities would undermine the universality of that structure. Moscow has also denied allegations in connection with the massacre in Bucha, where hundreds of bodies were found after the withdrawal of Russian troops. In the history of the UN, Libya led by Moammar Gaddafi was suspended from this structure in 2011, but this time it is about a permanent member of the Security Council.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (66 WTA) has qualified to the round of 16 of the WTA 500 tournament in Charleston (South Carolina, USA), with total prizes worth almost 900,000 dollars. On Wednesday, she defeated Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (39 WTA) 6-2, 6-3. In the quarter finals, Irina Begu will face the winner of the match between Ons Jabeur (Tunisia, 10 WTA), 4th seeded, and the American Emma Navarro (201 WTA), a match that was interrupted at the score of 6-3, 5-2 for the Tunisian.



    TAROM — The trade unionists of the Romanian state-owned airlines TAROM are organizing a protest rally today in front of the companys headquarters. At the beginning of April, they announced, in a communiqué, that they would protest throughout the month, dissatisfied, among other things, with the lack of a payroll and the staff shortage. Trade unionists are also discontented with the fact that the budget for salary expenses has not been increased by 35%. Protests also took place on Wednesday in Romania.



    COVID-19 – More than 2,300 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Romania on Wednesday, less than in the previous day. The authorities also announced 18 COVID-associated deaths. Nearly 2,300 coronavirus patients are hospitalized. 338 of them are in intensive care. On the other hand, the number of flu cases, following confirmation by specific tests, is increasing, doctors have pointed out. In some cases, patients with the flu needed hospitalization. (LS)

  • April 6, 2022 UPDATE

    April 6, 2022 UPDATE

    Robor – The three-month Robor index, based on which the cost of consumer loans in lei with variable interest rate is calculated, rose to 4.68% per year from 4.62%. According to the National Bank of Romania, it is the highest Robor level in the past 9 years. On Tuesday, the Central Bank decided to increase, as of Wednesday, the key interest rate from 2.5 to 3% per year, which influences the evolution of all bank interest rates and is the main tool in the fight against inflation. The Central Bank warns that the annual inflation rate is expected to rise more sharply in the coming months than anticipated in February. The worsening of the short-term outlook for inflation is caused by the too big increases in fuel and food prices, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and of international sanctions.



    Embassy — The Romanian Foreign Ministry has rejected the reaction of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest following the incident at its headquarters this morning and considered the reaction hasty, completely inadequate and inappropriate. Previously, the Russian embassy had stated that “there was no doubt” that the driver who drove his car into the embassy fence “committed that act under the influence of an explosion of anti-Russian hysteria.” We remind you that the driver died after he drove his car into the embassy fence at dawn on Wednesday and then set himself on fire. The investigations in this case are being carried out by the Prosecutors Office of the Bucharest Tribunal and the Homicide Division of the Bucharest Police. The media in Bucharest reports that the perpetrator, Bogdan Drăghici, is a character with some notoriety, who had received a sentence for sexually abusing his daughter. He was also the head of the association called TATA (Anti-Discrimination Alliance of All Dads). On the previous day, he allegedly posted on Facebook a text showing his solidarity with Ukraine which was invaded by Russian troops.



    Diplomats – Romania has expelled 10 Russian diplomats from its territory, joining other states such as France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden, which have made similar decisions in protest of the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine. Nearly 200 diplomats have been sent to Moscow in recent days, marking a further deterioration of the West’s relations with Russia. Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told TASS news agency that his country would respond in the same way. He underlined that the expulsion of diplomatic personnel from the capitals of some European states would damage the diplomatic channels of communication.



    Ukraine – The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia, namely against several companies and 18 people, including the daughters of President Vladimir Putin, as well as the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev. Two major Russian financial institutions, SberBank and Alpha Bank, are also targeted. The new round of sanctions also includes a ban on new investments in this country. Russia must be held accountable for the war crimes perpetrated by its forces in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech at the UN Security Council. Moscow has again denied accusations of war crimes. The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Kyiv this week, where she will be accompanied by the foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the “Bucha massacre” and kissed the Ukrainian flag sent from the Ukrainian city where, after the withdrawal of Russian troops, bodies were found tied up and shot in the street, as well as mass graves. On the ground, Ukraine is preparing for an offensive by the Russian forces in the east of the country and is trying to evacuate civilians before Russian forces cut off their retreat routes. Russian bombing continues both there and in other parts of the country. The international organization “Doctors Without Borders” has called for hospitals, patients and medical staff in Ukraine to no longer be targeted. According to the BBC, three hospitals in the city of Mikolaiv, under Russian assault, were bombed in just two days. Previously, other medical centers in Ukraine were the target of Russian bombings.



    Sanctions — The employees of the companies that are forced to restrain or suspend their activity due to the conflict in Ukraine will be able to benefit from furlough benefits worth 75% of their salary, the Romanian Government decided on Wednesday. The measure applies both to companies directly affected by the military conflict and to those indirectly affected, announced the Labor Minister, Marius Budai. He pointed out that the government was supporting any measures to sanction Russia, saying that no Romanian citizen should suffer, hence that measure. Also on Wednesday, an emergency decree was approved under which the financial framework for the Anghel Saligny National Investment Program reaches 65.5 billion lei – approximately 13 billion Euros. The program targets investments in water and sewerage, roads and bridges, and natural gas distribution systems.



    Trade unions — On Wednesday, the National Trade Union Bloc staged a protest rally in Bucharest, attended by thousands of people. The 35 affiliated trade union federations, both from the private sector and the public system, called for support measures to offset the economic and social effects of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the National Trade Union Bloc requested urgent measures for Romanias energy and food security, in the context of rising electricity, gas and fuel prices.



    Moldova – Germany, France and Romania co-chaired an international conference in Berlin on Tuesday on the creation of a support platform for the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The participants – nearly 50 delegates representing countries and international organizations – pledged to provide more than 695 million Euros in financial aid to Chisinau, as well as political support in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine. About 12,000 of the nearly 100,000 Ukrainian refugees on the territory of the Republic of Moldova will be taken over by other states.



    NATO — The Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, participates, for two days, in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states hosted by Brussels. The agenda of talks includes the implementation of the decisions of the Extraordinary NATO Summit on March 24, focusing on strengthening the Allied defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, following Russias aggression on Ukraine and its consequences for Euro-Atlantic security. According to a Romanian Foreign Ministry communiqué, the officials will also discuss the latest developments on the ground in Ukraine, including the crimes against the civilian population. Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate the importance of the rapid implementation of the decisions of the March NATO Summit, with an emphasis on the establishment of new NATO Combat Groups, one of which is in Romania. “We need to be realistic. The war could last a long time, a few months, even years,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg estimated before the meeting. He reiterated that Moscow was preparing an offensive in eastern Ukraine to take control of the entire Donbas region and to build a land bridge to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. (LS)

  • Trade union protests

    Trade union protests

    Inadequate salaries prompted the employees of the Mechanical Plant and Arms Plant in Cugir, central Romania, to take to the streets late last week. The protest continued this week as well, when over 700 people marched the streets of the town between the 2 industrial units.



    They demand better working standards and an increase in salaries, which they say barely cover their heating and electricity bills. They argue they have not had a pay raise in 2 years. “(We are) Overworked and underpaid,” a female employee says, adding that after 40 years of work, in February she was only paid nearly 320 euro.



    “We will not give in,” and “Unity” were the protesters main slogans. They say they will not give up until their main demand, a 30% pay raise, is fulfilled.



    The Board of Directors of the Cugir Mechanical Plant convened on Monday and offered a 6.5% salary increase. The trade union leader Virgil Matei said people were not happy with the offer.



    The Cugir Mechanical Plant produces various types of weapons, 9mm automatic and semi-automatic pistols and accessories. The unit was set up in 1799, when the region was part of the Habsburg Empire, and was called the Steel and Iron Works. In 2004, the company split into the Cugir Mechanical Plant and the Arms Plant.



    The latter produces semi-automatic rifles, intended for hunting and shooting sports, for the civilian market, in particular in the US. In the military segment, the units produce AKMs for foreign markets.



    Trade unions in the steel industry have also gone on protest. The employees of ALRO Slatina (south) and ALUM Tulcea (south-east), 2 companies running on mostly Russian capital, picketed the government headquarters.



    The workers want a one-year cap on natural gas and energy prices, at the level reported for December 2020, as well as financial assistance for the companies that benefitted from state aid in the past.



    According to sources in the trade union, the slow-down in operations at ALRO Slatina has already triggered negative effects, leading to over 12,000 employees idled in various other industries.



    The leader of the “Aluministulˮ Union, Constantin Popescu, explained that ALRO Slatina has closed down two electrolysis units, with a 3rd one also preparing for shutdown, which is why nearly 500 people were made redundant.



    A total of 40,000 jobs in various related industries are jeopardised if ALRO Slatina downsizes operations, the union leader also said, and warned that the last 2 remaining units risk being closed down. According to Constantin Popescu, the government should help ALRO purchase energy at fair prices. (A.M.P.)

  • Trade union protests

    Trade union protests

    Inadequate salaries prompted the employees of the Mechanical Plant and Arms Plant in Cugir, central Romania, to take to the streets late last week. The protest continued this week as well, when over 700 people marched the streets of the town between the 2 industrial units.



    They demand better working standards and an increase in salaries, which they say barely cover their heating and electricity bills. They argue they have not had a pay raise in 2 years. “(We are) Overworked and underpaid,” a female employee says, adding that after 40 years of work, in February she was only paid nearly 320 euro.



    “We will not give in,” and “Unity” were the protesters main slogans. They say they will not give up until their main demand, a 30% pay raise, is fulfilled.



    The Board of Directors of the Cugir Mechanical Plant convened on Monday and offered a 6.5% salary increase. The trade union leader Virgil Matei said people were not happy with the offer.



    The Cugir Mechanical Plant produces various types of weapons, 9mm automatic and semi-automatic pistols and accessories. The unit was set up in 1799, when the region was part of the Habsburg Empire, and was called the Steel and Iron Works. In 2004, the company split into the Cugir Mechanical Plant and the Arms Plant.



    The latter produces semi-automatic rifles, intended for hunting and shooting sports, for the civilian market, in particular in the US. In the military segment, the units produce AKMs for foreign markets.



    Trade unions in the steel industry have also gone on protest. The employees of ALRO Slatina (south) and ALUM Tulcea (south-east), 2 companies running on mostly Russian capital, picketed the government headquarters.



    The workers want a one-year cap on natural gas and energy prices, at the level reported for December 2020, as well as financial assistance for the companies that benefitted from state aid in the past.



    According to sources in the trade union, the slow-down in operations at ALRO Slatina has already triggered negative effects, leading to over 12,000 employees idled in various other industries.



    The leader of the “Aluministulˮ Union, Constantin Popescu, explained that ALRO Slatina has closed down two electrolysis units, with a 3rd one also preparing for shutdown, which is why nearly 500 people were made redundant.



    A total of 40,000 jobs in various related industries are jeopardised if ALRO Slatina downsizes operations, the union leader also said, and warned that the last 2 remaining units risk being closed down. According to Constantin Popescu, the government should help ALRO purchase energy at fair prices. (A.M.P.)

  • February 13, 2022 UPDATE

    February 13, 2022 UPDATE

    UKRAINE Germany considers increasing its
    economic aid to Ukraine, but still refuses to supply it with weapons, DPA
    quotes a governmental source in Berlin as saying. The announcement comes ahead
    of a visit by chancellor Olaf Scholz to Kyiv on
    Monday and to Moscow on Tuesday, in the
    context of the Russian-Ukrainian standoff. Meanwhile, the US has started pulling out its OSCE
    staff from the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, controlled by pro-Russian
    separatists, Reuters reports. The US and many of its allies are urging their citizens to leave Ukraine, warning that a
    Russian invasion may be imminent. The Romanian foreign ministry has raised the
    alert level for Ukraine and advises Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to
    that country. Romanian nationals currently in Ukraine are urged to notify their
    presence to Romania’s embassy or consular offices and to reconsider staying in
    that country. The foreign ministry also calls on Romanian citizens, including
    journalists, to avoid big crowds, to stay up to date with information from
    reliable sources and to adjust their plans to the security situation there.


    NATO Meanwhile, US Stryker
    armoured vehicles have reached the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in
    southern Romania, where 1,000 US troops will also be relocated from Germany to
    strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. With the arrival of Task Force Cougar, the number of American troops in Romania
    reaches nearly 2,000. France
    has also voiced willingness to deploy troops to Romania. A NATO member since
    2004, Romania was already hosting 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian
    troops. A unit of the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), comprising around 150
    troops and 8 F-16 Fighting Falcons, are conducting joint training missions with
    Romanian troops and aircraft for 2 weeks. A senior Pentagon official also announced the US decided to send an
    additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.


    COVID-19 The number of new COVID-19
    cases continues to drop in Romania, with nearly 12,000 new cases reported on
    Sunday and 81 related deaths. Over 1,140 patients are currently in intensive care. The
    largest number of infections since the start of the pandemic, 40,018, was reported on February 1. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said the number of new reported
    cases remains high, although it is falling quickly, and once again pleaded for
    vaccination, especially among vulnerable categories. As for lifting the
    restrictions, the health minister did not specify a deadline, but stressed that
    relaxation will be as quick as the situation allows it. In turn,
    the head of the vaccination programme Valeriu Gheorghiţă said that in the
    future vaccination will be seasonal, just like for the flu, and the vaccine
    will be adjusted to the variant circulating at a particular time. He
    also said the vaccination rate in Romania stands at 50.5% of the adult
    population.



    PANDEMIC This weekend
    restrictions were eased off in Italy, Spain and Iceland, while France and Germany are planning to do the same in the
    coming weeks. Norway lifted the last protection measures in the country in
    spite of a rise in the number of Omicron cases. However, the protests initiated
    by truck drivers in Canada 2 weeks ago, and spreading to several other
    countries on Saturday, are still going on. European drivers headed to major
    capital cities to protest the compulsory vaccine and digital certificate. Protests
    were organised in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. (A.M.P.)

  • January 22, 2022

    January 22, 2022

    COVID-19 19,371
    new Covid cases and 48 related deaths have been reported in Romania today. The
    number of fatalities is over 10 times smaller than at the peak of the previous
    wave of the pandemic, but the infection rate continues to grow, reaching 8.77
    per thousand in Bucharest. The highest SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the capital
    city (16.54 per thousand) was reached on 22nd October last year. The
    worst-case scenario considered by the authorities predicts up to 70,000 new
    cases per day in the first half of February. The health minister Alexandru
    Rafila says that 173 outpatient Covid-19 evaluation centres are already
    operational across the country, out of a planned 230.




    NATO On Friday
    NATO rejected Russia’s request for the pull-out of the Alliance’s troops in
    Bulgaria and Romania, and denounced the concept of spheres of influence, NATO
    spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. Russia requested guarantees from the US and
    NATO that the Alliance would not enlarge further eastwards, and demanded the
    withdrawal of the troops and equipment deployed to the countries that have
    joined the organisation since 1997. Also on Friday, the Pentagon announced a
    large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean, amid tensions with
    Russia, which also announced major naval manoeuvres, AFP reports. Poland’s PM
    Mateusz Morawiecki called on European leaders to take a firm and united stand
    against Russia, in the context of fears that Moscow might plan an invasion of
    Ukraine. NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will provide Ukraine with
    US-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, the defence ministers of the 3
    countries announced in a joint statement. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis
    has called a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday. The meeting
    will focus on the security situation at the Black Sea and on NATO’s eastern
    flank, and measures to develop resilience and response capabilities related to
    the new security challenges.




    CELEBRATION
    The government of Romania celebrates today 160 years since the first government
    of Romania was formed, after the union of the principalities of Moldavia and
    Wallachia was officially recognised. On this occasion, on the walls of Victoria
    Palace in the capital city Bucharest, which hosts the head offices of the
    government of Romania, images will be projected during the evening, which are
    relevant for this milestone in Romanian history, such as the Romanian flag, the
    date when the first government of Romania was formed, namely 22nd of
    January, 1862 and the name of the country’s first prime minister, Barbu
    Catargiu. On Monday, which is a national holiday in Romania, 163 years since
    the union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked. On 24th
    January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected ruler of Moldavia the previous week,
    was unanimously elected sovereign of Wallachia as well, and proclaimed ruler of
    the United Principalities. During his rule, the institutional foundations were
    laid for modern Romania.




    SOCIAL Romania’s capital city Bucharest finds itself without above-ground public
    transportation means on Saturday as well. It is for 3rd consecutive
    day of strike for the Bucharest Transport Corporation, although a court ruled
    the protest illegal. Unions stand by their demands, which include pay raises
    and the resignation of the corporation’s CEO. Meanwhile, the government and
    trade unions in public education are working to reach an agreement by 4th
    February, following a first round of negotiations after teachers went on strike
    on Wednesday. Unionists want pay raises, additional staff to be employed, and
    6% of GDP to be earmarked for public education. Public healthcare unions are
    also to discuss their demands next week with officials from the healthcare,
    finances and labour ministries.




    TENNIS The
    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified in the round of 16 of the
    Australian Open, after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, in the
    3rd round of the tournament in Melbourne today. Halep (15 WTA and 14th
    seed), won the match in 64 minutes. It was the 8th consecutive win
    for the Romanian player this season. In the next round Simona Halep takes on Alizé Cornet of France (61 WTA). Also
    today, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea, is playing in the 3rd round
    against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, seed no 10. In the women’s doubles,
    Jaqueline Cristian (Romania) / Andrea Petkovic (Germany) qualified in the 8th-finals,
    having defeated the Slovenians Kaja Juvan / Tamara Zidansek, 6-4, 6-0, and are
    next to play agaist Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) / Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Effects of the energy price hikes

    Effects of the energy price hikes

    Romania is one of the hardest-hit
    countries in the context of the soaring energy prices. Starting January 1, 2022,
    the energy market was liberalized, but for the last six months the authorities’
    faulty communication has generated chaos and difficulties for household users.
    Starting this summer, electricity and natural gas prices have skyrocketed. At
    the end of the 2021, electricity prices were capped for household users, and
    part of the energy bills are now state-subsidized until March 31, 2022. Until
    then, the ruling coalition will analyze whether it needs to improve the
    legislation, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu told Radio Romania. The Social-Democrats
    have criticized the current legislation, promoted by Minister Popescu and
    adopted by the former Parliament majority. The Social-Democrats now want to
    hand out vouchers to vulnerable consumers, simplify payment procedures for
    compensations awarded to energy distributors and expand the state assistance
    scheme for economic operators. Referring to industrial consumers, Minister
    Virgil Popescu says the government has also helped them overcome various issues
    linked to the recent price hikes:


    Industrial energy
    consumers do not benefit from the current law, but we had another assistance
    package, completed last year, whereby they were awarded 140 million Euro. ALRO
    Slatina, for instance, received a payment of 390 million lei in October as
    state aid. Azomureș, in turn, received 125 million lei, and these are but two
    examples of large companies that claimed the soaring prices make their activity
    unsustainable. We understand their problems.


    Still, the ALRO Complex,
    the only producer of aluminum and alloys on the Romanian market and the largest
    in Central and Eastern Europe (with the exception of Russia), decided to stage
    a protest, after the board decided to cut back on production due to the energy
    crisis. Their trade union says over 1,000 employees risk being put on furlough,
    yet the effects may run much deeper, because ALRO works closely with other
    enterprises, impacting their activity as well. The aluminum factory in Tulcea
    also staged a protest, reducing production. People fear they will lose their jobs
    and have called on the authorities to intervene, so that industrial energy
    consumers may benefit from equitable prices. (VP)

  • December 28, 2021 UPDATE

    December 28, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid – 1,144 new Covid cases were registered in Romania in 24 hours alongside 67 deaths, the Strategic Communication Group informed on Tuesday. The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is also spreading in Romania, 38 cases being confirmed, so far, by lab tests. The authorities and public health experts estimate that a new pandemic wave will begin in January, in the context of the spread around the world of the Omicron variant, of the people who work abroad returning home for the holidays, and of the people coming home from holidays. Under these conditions, the medical units are preparing for another difficult period, with a peak of the pandemic being expected in February and March. One year after the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, 2020, only 7.8 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated, i.e. about 40% of the eligible population. About two million also had the booster dose.



    Protests — The Romanian Sanitary Solidarity Federation organized new protests on Tuesday in front of the Government, Presidency and Parliament headquarters. Their main demand is to receive the income promised almost two years ago, which was not granted in 2021. They are also asking that the bonuses and the payment of on-call services be related to the basic salary. Simultaneously with the three protest actions in Bucharest, the health workers protested in the courtyards of the hospitals in Bucharest and other cities of Romania. The Sanitary Solidarity Federation is a representative trade union organization in the healthcare system, having as members over 25,000 employees.



    Government — The Romanian government adopted several emergency ordinances on Tuesday. One introduces new obligations for online stores related to product warranty, and is needed to avoid European sanctions. By December 30, 2021 Romania was supposed to introduce in its legislation a series of European directives that make online commerce a safer activity for both sellers and buyers. The law does not apply to contracts regarding the supply of digital content or digital services. On the other hand, the government has decided to provide new aid for low-income pensioners who need medicines. Therefore, people with incomes from pensions and social allowances of up to 1,429 lei per month (the equivalent of less than 300 Euros), regardless of whether or not they earn other income too, will benefit from a 90% compensation of the reference price of medicines. Also on Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the State Budget Bill and the Social Welfare Bill for 2022.



    Court of Human Rights – The European Court of Human Rights ruled that the refusal of the Romanian judiciary to register a political party that did not dissociate itself from the former Romanian Communist Party (PCR) was justified. The ruling cannot be appealed. National courts considered that the program and statute of the Communist Party included vague, general terms, ignored democratic values and the social and political evolution of the country after the 1989 anti-communist revolution, and allowed for totalitarian and extremist actions that could undermine national security and posed a threat to democratic values. The Court also notes that national courts wanted to prevent any political party that seriously abused its position of power over a long period of time by instating a totalitarian regime from making the same abuse in the future. The communist regime in Romania came to power in 1945 with the help of the Soviet occupation troops and was ousted in 1989. During this totalitarian regime, thousands were imprisoned and killed. The regime was declared illegitimate in 2006 by the then president, Traian Băsescu. (LS)

  • December 22, 2021 UPDATE

    December 22, 2021 UPDATE

    REVOLUTION The heroes who died in the December 1989 anti-communist
    uprising were commemorated on Wednesday in Bucharest. Religious services and
    military ceremonies were held at the cemeteries and monuments across the
    country devoted to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Thirty-two years ago, Bucharest became the heart of the
    protests that culminated with the ousting of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. The
    president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, sent a message on the Day of
    the Victory of the Romanian Revolution and of Freedom. December 1989 opened
    Romania’s path to democracy, allowed for our NATO and EU accession, for signing
    the Strategic Partnership with the USA and turned Romania into a regional
    security provider. None of this would have been possible without our
    anti-communist revolution, Iohannis pointed out. He said it is a shame that no one has paid for the victims of the terrible
    crackdown and called on the judiciary to bring the ones responsible to justice.


    BUDGET The draft state budget and
    social security budget laws for 2022 are being discussed by the Parliament of
    Romania. At the start of the session, PM Nicolae Ciucă said the proposed state
    budget is balanced, responsible and realistic, and able to consolidate the
    economy in the long run. He also said it is the budget that earmarked the
    largest amounts for investments in the last 32 years. Cuica promised that taxes
    will not go up and there will be no pressure on the business community.
    Previously, Parliament’s specialised committees had green-lighted the bills. The budget is based on an
    estimated economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a
    predicted inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per
    month. USR party in opposition is considering
    taking the draft budget law to the Constitutional Court, claiming that mayors
    from that party have not received budget appropriations, which is an instance
    of discrimination.


    PROTESTS The
    Romanian police arrested 2 people and fined around 200 organisers and
    participants in Wednesday’s protest of the supporters of AUR party, an ultra-nationalist
    and anti-vaccine party in Romania’s parliament. The protest was sparked by the
    authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID certificate a requirement at the
    workplace. The rally spiralled into vandalism, with one of the arrested
    participants pushing through the Parliament’s gates and the other suspected of
    having vandalised 4 vehicles. The investigation continues.



    COVID-19     Nearly 200,000 people have generated digital
    forms to enter Romanian territory since the launch of the application, most of
    them at the ‘Henri Coandă’ International Airport in Bucharest. As of December
    20, all passengers arriving in Romania are to fill in the Passenger Locator
    Form (PLF), a document used by 18 EU member countries. Meanwhile, 851 new Covid-19
    infections were reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 62 related fatalities, 18 of them from a
    previous date. As many as 2,830 SARS-CoV-2 patients are hospitalised, including
    62 children. More than 7.7 million people in Romania are fully vaccinated. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Social protests in Romania

    Social protests in Romania

    Employees in a number of public sectors in Romania have
    expressed their discontentment with the measures affecting their incomes starting
    next year. Employees of the Romanian Railway Company on Monday staged a spontaneous
    protest, suspending rail traffic for several hours. Thousands of people were
    left stranded in train cars for hours, after 100 trains stopped in stations.
    Rail employees are unhappy with the law on the status of rail employees
    adopted in 2020, which has been postponed for the third time. The law provides
    for a series of salary increases and additional benefits. After the
    negotiations, the Ministry of Transport and trade unions in the rail sector
    agreed on a salary increase of approximately 10% to be implemented starting January 1.

    Also on
    Monday, education trade unions staged a rally in front of the Government building,
    unhappy with the underfunding in the education sector and calling for the
    observance of salary rights stipulated under the law.. A work-in strike was
    called in schooling units until Wednesday. The three trade federations are also
    organizing a referendum whereby members must decide if they should go on an
    all-out strike in January, provided the Government refuses to increase their
    salaries. In turn, healthcare employees are disgruntled. The Sanitas Federation
    announced a work-in strike this week, also in connection with
    their salary rights. Trade union members say the current government promised to
    ensure the necessary resources for health and social security workers delayed by the former government for 2021. Some 85,000 employees, particularly nurses,
    orderlies, TESA staff and social workers are currently in this situation. They
    are calling for base salaries and bonuses for all healthcare workers tantamount
    to the salary level of 2022, and warn that the pandemic is in full swing, and
    the system is getting overworked due to the scarcity of resources, the shortage
    of staff and exhaustion.

    In addition, the Environment Guard trade union
    submitted an open letter to Klaus Iohannis, calling on the president to see
    that the workers in this sector are properly remunerated, in order to avoid an
    all-out strike. Trade unionists claim eco-crime is on the rise whereas
    eco-criminals have diversified and improved their methods, particularly in terms
    of transporting illegal waste. Last week, law enforcement unions protested
    again in front of the Interior Ministry building, displeased with the Government’s
    reluctance to implement the salary increases stipulated in the salary law
    starting January, 2022. No fines will be handed during the protest period,
    which particularly affects road traffic, where drivers frequently break the law.
    Road traffic agents can only issue warnings for offenses that would have
    normally required the application of large fines or the revocation of the
    vehicle registration certificate and identification plates. (VP)