Radio România Internațional

Tag: rate

  • May 11, 2022

    May 11, 2022

    INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate in Romania went up to
    13.76% in April this year, as against 10.15% in March, according to data made
    public today by the National Statistics Institute. Non-food prices rose by
    16.35%, foodstuff prices by 13.54%, and services are 7.11% more expensive.
    Yesterday, in order to curb the inflation rise, the central bank announced a
    new increase in the key interest rate, which will trigger a rise in consumer
    and inter-bank loan interests. The National Bank of Romania expects the
    inflation rate to surge this summer more than previously forecast, and says the
    rate is not likely to return to under 10% until the second half of next year.


    VISIT The Speaker of the Senate of Romania, Florin Cîţu, is on an
    official visit to Poland today, at the invitation of his counterpart, Tomasz
    Grodzki. The main topics on the agenda are opportunities to consolidate
    bilateral relations between the 2 countries, the war in Ukraine and the
    economic fallout of the Russian aggression. Florin Citu announced that after
    his visit to Poland he will travel to the Republic of Moldova.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister
    Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in a ministerial meeting of     the Global
    Coalition against Daesh, held in Marrakesh, Morocco. According to the ministry,
    the meeting will be co-chaired by the USA and Morocco, with over 75
    representatives of the member states and international organisations expected
    to attend. Most member states are NATO and EU members, partner states in the
    Western Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, as well as the EU, NATO, and
    INTERPOL. The main topics will include the security
    situation in Iraq and Syria, as well as terrorism-related developments in
    Africa and Afghanistan.     Bogdan
    Aurescu will highlight Romania’s contribution as a Coalition member, including
    its participation since 2016 both in the Coalition Forces (as part of Operation
    Inherent Resolve and of the NATO mission in Iraq), and in the stabilisation and
    reconstruction efforts in the countries affected by ISIS activities.


    GOVERNMENT A draft emergency order to prevent
    speculation is being discussed today by the government of Romania. The decision
    comes after fuel, sunflower oil or masks and disinfectant prices skyrocketed
    overnight, in the context of the war in Ukraine or before that, during the
    pandemic. Speculation was criminalised before in Romania, shortly after WWII
    and after the fall of the communist regime in 1990.


    NATURAL
    GAS A bill to amend
    the Offshore Act, which will green light the development of natural gas
    reserves in the Black Sea, is discussed as of today by the Senate of Romania.
    According to the ruling coalition, which has tabled the bill, this is a much
    more balanced text than the one drafted 4 years ago. Tax facilities have been
    introduced for the companies interested in taking part in the development
    project, and in a few years’ time Romania’s reliance on Russian gas is expected
    to become significantly lower. The energy minister Virgil Popescu emphasised
    that by amending the current legislation onshore investments will also be
    encouraged, supply security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis and
    Romania may become a provider of regional energy security. Under the bill, the
    Romanian government will have pre-emptive rights in purchasing the natural gas.
    Romania’s biggest public natural gas producer, Romgaz, and the Austrian
    company OMV will extract the natural gas in the Black Sea in the coming years.

    COVID-19 The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on
    request in Romania, in vaccination centres and family physician practices, as
    of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfiser vaccines can be
    administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and
    at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the
    health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24
    hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.

    UKRAINE The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
    commented on the situation in Kharkiv, emphasising that the Ukrainian forces
    are repelling the invaders and freeing the region. Clashes continue on the
    Serpent Island as well, 45 km from Romania, with Russia trying to strengthen
    its vulnerable garrison on the island. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut off the
    transit of Russian gas to Western Europe in Lugansk region, and says the
    occupation of its eastern part by Russian forces makes it impossible to control
    the flows. Over 32 million cubic metres of natural gas are halted, accounting
    for around one-third of Russia’s daily exports transiting Ukraine. In the US,
    the House of Representatives approved an additional 40 billion US dollars in
    aid for Ukraine. The act is to be rushed through the Senate and signed by
    president Joe Biden. The funds will be used for military support and humanitarian
    assistance for the civilians affected by the Russian invasion. (AMP)

  • Ratele la case şi carburanţi, în atenţie

    Ratele la case şi carburanţi, în atenţie

    Pentru
    prima oară în ultimii nouă ani, indicele ROBOR la trei luni a depăşit
    pragul de 5% și dă frisoane românilor care au de plătit rate pentru credite de
    consum cu dobândă variabilă. Creșterea este considerabilă – în urmă cu un an, acest
    indice era de 1,59%, iar la început de ianuarie avea o valoare de 3,01%. Peste
    5 procente este și indicele ROBOR la şase luni, în funcţie de care
    sunt stabilite ratele la creditele imobiliare. Urmând un curs ascendent, și acesta
    este în prezent la un nivel de trei ori mai mare decât în urmă cu un an, când se
    situa la 1,68%, în timp ce, pe 3 ianuarie, era calculat la 3,14%.


    Evoluția
    celor doi indici, care reflectă nivelul la care se împrumută băncile comerciale
    între ele, este influenţată de mai mulţi factori, precum politica monetară a
    Băncii Naţionale, inflaţia şi politica fiscală. Iar estimările analiștilor sunt
    că indicia ROBOR vor crește în continuare, odată cu inflația. În încercarea de
    a diminua nivelul acesteia, BNR a mărit în mod repetat, de la începutul anului,
    rata dobânzii de politică monetară, care stă la baza calculelor în ceea ce
    priveşte stabilirea dobânzilor la împrumuturile acordate de băncile comerciale.


    Situația este una dificilă pentru cei îndatorați, iar o soluție pentru persoanele
    cu credite dependente de ROBOR ar putea fi refinanțarea, recomandă specialiştii,
    care spun că ar fi bănci care oferă împrumuturi cu dobândă fixă mai mică de 5%.


    Tot despre scumpiri este vorba și în cazul carburanților,
    scumpiri alimentate de războiul din Ucraina vecină. Consiliul
    Concurenţei are, în continuare, în derulare ancheta privind majorarea bruscă a prețurilor
    acestora în data de 9 martie, când s-a creat panică după ce o benzinărie din
    nord-vestul țării a afişat preţul de 11 lei (circa 2 euro) pentru un litru de
    carburant. S-au format rapid cozi la benzinăriile din întreaga ţară, oamenii
    temându-se că, de a doua zi, preţurile ar putea crește şi că vor fi epuizate şi
    stocurile de carburanţi.


    Prezent în Parlament la audierea privind activitatea
    Consiliului Concurenţei, preşedintele acestui organism, Bogdan Chiriţoiu a
    precizat că piaţa carburanţilor continuă să fie monitorizată, iar Consiliul
    strânge date de la benzinari:

    E
    instabilitate în regiune, dar dacă peste instabilitatea asta, pe care trebuie
    să o acceptăm, că este naturală, nu avem ce să-i facem, dar peste asta există
    şi comportamente incorecte ale unor agenţi economici, da, pe astea le urmărim,
    pe astea le vom sancţiona. Media investigaţiilor noastre durează 2 ani de zile.
    Nu dăm mii de lei amenzi, dăm zeci şi sute de milioane de euro amenzi. Amenzi
    de genul ăsta nu se dau de azi pe mâine, pe un proces-verbal.


    În seara de
    9 martie, Guvernul a anunţat că a dispus controale ample la staţiile de
    alimentare cu carburanţi şi a dat asigurări că nu va admite specula. Acum, Guvernul
    pregăteşte modificarea cadrului legislativ în vederea combaterii speculei şi a
    concurenţei neloiale, elaborând un mecanism care să blocheze creşterile
    nejustificate de preţuri.


  • April 16, 2022 UPDATE

    April 16, 2022 UPDATE

    DAY
    Roman-Catholics and protestant believers are this Sunday celebrating Easter, whereas
    the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers are celebrating Palm Sunday. Orthodox
    believers on Saturday attended various religious processions dedicated to Jesus
    Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which also marks the beginning of the last
    week of Lent, also known as the Passion Week, before Easter, which they
    celebrate on April 24th. Saturday was also the first day of Jewish
    Holiday of Passover, which celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery
    in Egypt.








    RATING The trust signal conveyed by the Romanian government to foreign
    investors was also confirmed by the rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and
    Fitch, the Executive in Bucharest announced on Saturday. Growth prospects are
    underpinned by the unprecedented volume of national and EU funds, which are to
    be pumped into the main areas of the Romanian economy, such as industry,
    agriculture, energy, environment, digitization and also by the government
    development policies, the Executive went on to say. Romania’s Finance Minister Adrian
    Câciu hailed a recent decision by the financial rating agency Standard &
    Poor’s to reconfirm Romania’s Sovereign credit rating to ‘BBB minus’ with
    stable outlook. ‘This is another proof that the national policies of funding
    the economy were right’ Câciu says. According to Standard & Poor’s, Romania’s
    rating is underpinned by EU membership and international capital flows. At the
    same time the risks posed by the war in Ukraine are diminished by the prospects
    of absorbing a major volume of EU funds as well as by the low energy dependence
    on imports of natural gas and oil from Russia. However, the agency has significantly
    dropped the country’s growth estimates down to 2.1% and has increased estimates
    regarding the inflation rate, which in 2022 is expected to go up to 9% as
    compared to 6% forecast in December. Another major rating agency Fitch last
    week confirmed Romania’s rating at ‘BBB minus’, with negative outlook, the last
    notch in the investment-grade category.


    BNR Romania’s
    Central Bank (BNR) expects the country’s inflation rate to increase in the
    following months against the intitial forecasts. So, Romania’s inflation rate is
    going to exceed the level of 11.2% forecast in June. The phenomenon was caused
    by the latest price hikes in fuel and processed food against the war in Ukraine
    and the international sanctions imposed on Russia. In another development,
    although pressure for pay rises might be felt, at least in the sectors facing a
    shortage of qualified personnel, substantial pay rises are very unlikely to
    happen in the near future. We recall the annual inflation rate went up to
    10.15% in March from 8.5% in February reaching the highest level in the past 18
    years.










    INVICTUS A team made up of 20
    servicemen of the Romanian army, who got wounded in various operation theatres
    around the world are for a week participating in the Invictus Games underway
    this year in the Hague. They are competing in six sporting events, such as
    archery, athletics, rowing, powerlifting, cycling, swimming and sitting
    volleyball. According to the Defence Ministry in Bucharest, these games are
    designed to promote the respect and empathy for the sacrifice and trauma
    suffered by the wounded soldiers whose involvement in these activities is an
    opportunity for social re-integration and regaining self-confidence. This has
    been the Romanians’ third participation in the Invictus Games after those in
    Toronto, in 2017 and Sydney, a year later. The opening ceremonies in the Hague
    have also been attended by Romania’s Defence Minister Vasile Dincu.






    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Irina Bara on Friday qualified for the
    semifinals of the ITF tournament in Palm Harbor, Florida after a 6-3, 6-4 win
    against Grace Min of the USA. Bara has also qualified for the doubles finals
    together with Italian Lucrezia Stefanini after a 6-3, 6-1 win against Kayla Day
    and Ellie Douglas of the USA.




    (bill)

  • New inflation forecasts

    New inflation forecasts


    The inflation presently affecting the entire world is seriously diminishing the already small incomes of the Romanians whose purchasing power lowers by the day. Experts estimate that a more difficult period is to come. Inflation shot up to 8.5% in Romania in February this year. However, the rise is relatively low as compared to the previous month and significantly lower than in other countries like the Baltic states for instance. Although in the Eurozone, the Baltic states have an inflation rate between 11% and 14%, while Poland and Bulgaria have already exceeded 9%.


    Together with Hungary and Belgium, Romania is at the middle of an EU ranking. In a post on OpiniiBNR.ro blog, the spokesman for Romanias Central Bank (BNR), Dan Suciu, said that Romania had the highest inflation rate in the EU last year. However, the Central Bank believes that inflation will exceed the previous midyear forecast of 11% due to price hikes in fuel, energy and cereals caused by the war in Ukraine, as Cristian Popa, member in the Central Banks board of directors explains.


    Cristian Popa: “On one hand we are seeing measures aimed at subsidizing and capping energy prices as they have a major impact on the inflation rate. These measures would lower the inflation rate, but after its publication, the war in Ukraine broke out and we are actually seeing higher prices in oil, gas and various issues in the production line. We are also seeing higher prices in cereals and they have a major impact on basic inflation. We must redo the arithmetic as we are actually witnessing an economic slowdown though the growth rate remains positive, and there is a certain pressure upward.”


    According to Cristian Popa, the Central Bank is fighting inflation but also the panic and unrest in this period full of uncertainties, adding that the bank has this situation, which isnt an easy one, under control.


    As for the interest rate, the BNR representative says it presently is at the level before the pandemic. BNR is expected to again raise the reference rate in an attempt to keep things under control. On the other hand, Romanias economic growth this year has been estimated around 2-2.5% as compared to 4% before the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.


    (bill)




  • February 7, 2022

    February 7, 2022

    COVID Authorities in Bucharest have today extended the state of alert in this country for another 30 days. Indoor and outdoor mask mandates are still in force and in localities where the infection rate stays under 3 per thousand, cinemas, theatres and restaurants are functioning at 50% of their capacity. In regions exceeding this rate, they are allowed to function at 30% of capacity. Roughly 17 thousand new Covid cases were reported in Romania on Monday as well as 81 related fatalities. Bucharests infection rate is on the rise and the city on Monday reported an infection rate of 32.75 per thousand. With only 8 million fully vaccinated so far, the country has the second lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria.



    SECURITY According to Romanias Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, there is no danger for Romania to be attracted into a military conflict with the Russian Federation. “There is no need for the Romanian citizens to be alarmed that the country is to be dragged in a war nearby”, Aurescu told a private TV channel in Romania. “At this moment there is an extremely strong security umbrella, which offers all the possible guarantees for the stability and security of Romania and its citizens, namely its NATO membership, to which it adds the strategic partnership with the USA”, Aurescu has also said. In case of a military aggression against Ukraine, NATO will respond through a beefed up presence in its eastern flank while the European Union is expected to slap a series of economic and individual sanctions on Russia, some of which are going to target political leading figures in that country. According to Brigadier General Constantin Spinu, head of the Direction of Information and Public Relation with Romanias Defence Ministry, the crisis in Ukraine is not a security situation directly involving Romania or any other NATO member. Romanians and the other nations in the Euro-Atlantic space should not fear a direct threat.



    MOTION The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest is today debating upon a simple motion the opposition USR has tabled against Energy Minister Virgil Popescu. According to the 51 MPs signatories of the document, suggestively entitled, Incompetence and lies are switching off the light in Romania, minister Popescu is actually putting Romanias energy security at risk and must step down. The way in which the issue of hiked energy bills has been handled so far has also been described as disastrous by the signatories who recalled the Romanians started to pay huge prices for energy and both the citizens and the economy are presently bearing the brunt of the decision made by the authorities. The motion is to be voted upon on Wednesday while the specialized committees in the Senate are this week expected to debate upon an ordinance issued by the government on capping and subsidizing electricity and gas prices. However, the main ruling parties, the PNL and the PSD havent yet agreed upon the period in which the new capping and subsidizing scheme should be applied. The social Democrats want the scheme to be applied retroactively starting January, whereas the Liberals say the move could entail constitutionality issues.



    OLYMPICS Natalia Ushkina, Romanias representative in the biathlon contest has ended the competition on the 57th position in the individual 15 kilometer race at the winter Olympics in Beijing. In the giant slalom contest, Maria Ioana Constantin also from Romania, has obtained the 45th place and another athlete from our delegation, Raluca Stramaturaru is today participating in the luge race. We recall that at the present edition of the winter Olympic Games, Romania is being represented by a delegation of 21 athletes. (bill)

  • Coronavirus vaccine for children

    Coronavirus vaccine for children

    In spite of a very good
    start 13 months ago, the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Romania gradually went on
    a strong downward trend, influenced by information without a scientific foundation
    circulating in the public space, and unfortunately supported at times by
    healthcare staff as well.


    The authorities’ efforts
    to encourage immunisation failed to get Romania above the last but one place in
    the EU in terms of the vaccination rate. After the initial enthusiasm faded, there
    were rare increases in the number of people going to vaccination centres,
    either scared of the large number of infections or of the prospect of being
    requested a vaccination certificate at the workplace.


    The ambitious targets
    announced by the authorities got increasingly hard to reach, and according to
    current figures few over 8 million Romanians have at least one vaccine dose.


    In the capital Bucharest nearly
    67% of the people have got at least one dose of vaccine, while 7 other counties have vaccination rates between 50% and 60%, 24 counties
    between 40% and 50%, and 10 counties have rates between 30% and 40%, the
    coordinator of the vaccination campaign in Romania Valeriu Gheorghiță announced
    last week. That was the week when Romania saw over 19,000 infection cases in 24
    hours, which is more than on any other day since the start of the pandemic.


    The situation is
    not yet stable, with estimates pointing to a possible 25-28,000 cases per day
    this week. The largest numbers of confirmed cases are in Bucharest and Ilfov County, where the demand for
    testing is also high. In order meet this demand as soon as possible, the Health
    Ministry, which estimates the current wave will peak in around 3 weeks’ time,
    decided to open 28 testing centres in as many hospitals.


    A feature of this
    pandemic wave is the large number of infected children-some 8-9% of the
    patients in hospitals are kids. A reason for that may be the change in the
    rules governing online teaching, which is now only permitted if 75% of the places
    for COVID patients in hospitals are filled.


    On the other hand, on January
    26 Romania is set to begin vaccination for children aged 5 to 11. The dedicated
    online platform allowed for children vaccination appointments to be made as of January
    13, and several thousand requests have already been registered. (A.M.P.)

  • January 21, 2022 UPDATE 2

    January 21, 2022 UPDATE 2


    TALKS US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said he would continue his dialogue with Moscow but called on Russia to pull out the troops it deployed to the border with Ukraine. After the talks with his Russian counterpart Serghei Lavrov, which he described as a candid exchange of concerns and ideas Blinken said that next week Washington would present Moscow with ideas under the form of written responses. In turn, Lavrov has confirmed the USA has pledged written responses to Moscows requests concerning the European security architecture. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Thursday hailed the announcement made by his US counterpart Joe Biden over an increased US military presence in Romania, if security would get deteriorated. Iohannis has also added that the strategic Romanian-French partnership will be strengthened in the Black Sea area after the announcement made by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that France is ready to send troops to Romania as part of the NATO missions. Russia has amassed 100 thousand troops at its border with Ukraine but denies any plans for an invasion.



    STRIKE Trade unionists from Bucharests Public Transportation Company (STB) have decided to carry on their all out strike in spite of a ruling from the Bucharest Court, which deems the protest as illegal and calls for the immediate cessation of the strike. The strike has kept the Romanian capital city paralyzed for the second day in a row and the protesters have ignored the courts decisions on Friday and Thursday, under which they should have resumed activity. The STB workers have called for pay rises and the resignation of the companys director and said they would not resume work unless their claims were met. City mayor Nicusor Dan believes the protest is political and has called for the observance of the law while Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu has cautioned over the seriousness of not complying with a court rule.



    COVID-19 19,649 new infections have been reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, an all-time high since the start of the pandemic. Yesterday, the country had over 19 thousand infections and 49 related fatalities were also reported on Friday. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says the COVID-related mortality rate is at present ten times lower compared to October last year. The Romanian official added that an innovative antiviral treatment will also be made available shortly. 8 million Romanians have so far received at least one dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. The rate of vaccination stands at 47.5% of the total eligible population, the head of the National Committee for the Coordination of anti-COVID-19 Vaccination Activities, medical doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă has announced. According to Dr. Gheorghiţă, the highest vaccination rate (56%) is reported in the 50-59 age bracket. The Health Ministry announced that the bed occupation rate in hospitals stands at 22% at national level, meaning classes in schools will continue with full physical attendance next week as well.



    MINISTRY Romanias Foreign Ministry has rejected the statements of the Foreign Ministry of Russian Federation concerning the allied military presence on NATOs eastern flank, which it considers inopportune and ungrounded. The Ministry recalls in a communiqué that the NATO presence in the allied countries, which is the result of the decisions made at the highest level by allied leaders and implemented by responsible allied political and military structures is a response to the Russian Federations increasingly aggressive behaviour in the eastern neighbourhood starting 2014, when it occupied Crimea. This behavior continues to intensify in spite of NATOs attempts to engage in a constructive dialogue, the Ministry in Bucharest says. Russia on Friday asked for the withdrawal of NATO troops from Romania and Bulgaria as part of any treaty.


    (bill)


  • January 10, 2021

    January 10, 2021


    COVID-19 Over 4,100 new COVID-19 cases and 16 related fatalities were reported on Monday out of around 30,700 tests. At least 400 patients are in intensive care. In 11 cities the COVID-19 infection rate is above 3 per thousand, with the capital city Bucharest and Ilfov County in the south now on the yellow list, alongside Cluj (north-west), with rates of over 2 per thousand. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate remains low. Only 2,700 people got the first dose in the last 24 hours, nearly 3 times below the average of the last few days. So far, approx. 42% of the population have received at least one vaccine dose. The spread of the Omicron variant triggered a number of protection measures. 160 outpatient evaluation centres will be operational as of this week, to reduce pressure on hospitals.



    INTEREST The Board of the National Bank of Romania may decide today to further raise the policy interest rate, currently standing at 1.75% per year. The increase is expected, given the rise of the inflation rate in Romania and abroad. The policy interest rate was last increased in November, but only by 0.25%, which is less than analysts had expected.



    DIPLOMACY Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu has talks today with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi in Bucharest. The visit takes place in the context of recent positive developments in bilateral relations, including Islamabads support for the Romanian authorities efforts to evacuate Romanian and Allied citizens as well as 156 vulnerable Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in August and September 2021. The 2 officials are to discuss means to strengthen bilateral relations, to consolidate political dialogue and economic cooperation. A cooperation agreement between the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as a framework agreement on student exchanges between the Polytechnic University in Bucharest and the University of Islamabad are some of the documents signed during this visit.



    KAZAKHSTAN Monday is a day of national mourning for the victims of the recent violent protests in Kazakhstan, where the situation seems to have stabilised. However, president Kassym Tokayev carried on removing suspected opponents from the countrys security services, with 2 more top-level officials dismissed. They were the deputies of the former head of the National Security Committee, Karim Masimov, dismissed and arrested last week on charges of treason. Masimov was an ally of former president Nursultan Nazarbaev. The latter stepped down in 2019, but he preserved control on key posts until a few days ago. The crisis in Kazakhstan started early this month, after gas prices were raised. The originally peaceful protests quickly spiralled into violent clashes resulting in human casualties and many buildings damaged, especially in the countrys economic centre Almaty. Thousands were arrested. Tokaev requested and received the support of a military alliance headed by Russia, whose troops are currently protecting strategic sites in Kazakhstan.



    TALKS Talks are held in Geneva, Switzerland today by US and Russian officials over the situation in Ukraine. The parties have voiced reserves with respect to a prospective compromise. Russia said on Friday it would not yield to pressure, and warned that talks may be suspended, while Washington said hopes for success were rather low. The talks take place amid worries over Russias military build-up close to its border with Ukraine and fears that Moscow may once again attack the country, after having occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine is seeking NATO membership, but Moscow wants guarantees that NATO would not continue to expand eastwards. The meeting in Geneva will be followed this week by talks between Russian and NATO officials in Brussels, while an OSCE meeting due in Vienna is also scheduled to focus on the situation in Ukraine.



    HANDBALL Romanias national mens handball team qualified into the second round of the 2023 World Championship qualifiers, after defeating the Republic of Moldova 33-23, on Sunday night, at home in Cluj-Napoca, in the last match of the first preliminary round, Group 3. In the previous group matches, Romania defeated Israel 33-30, which in turn beat Moldova 42-31. Romania came out 1st with 6 points, followed by Israel (4), Moldova (2), and Cyprus, (0). Cyprus was unable to take part in the tournament because of a COVID-19 outbreak in its team, and all its games were forfeited with a score of 10-0 for the opposing team. The top 2 teams in each group moved into the second round of the qualifiers. Four times a world champion, Romania has so far taken part in 14 mens handball World Championships, but its last participation dates back to 2011. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 10, 2021

    January 10, 2021


    COVID-19 Over 4,100 new COVID-19 cases and 16 related fatalities were reported on Monday out of around 30,700 tests. At least 400 patients are in intensive care. In 11 cities the COVID-19 infection rate is above 3 per thousand, with the capital city Bucharest and Ilfov County in the south now on the yellow list, alongside Cluj (north-west), with rates of over 2 per thousand. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate remains low. Only 2,700 people got the first dose in the last 24 hours, nearly 3 times below the average of the last few days. So far, approx. 42% of the population have received at least one vaccine dose. The spread of the Omicron variant triggered a number of protection measures. 160 outpatient evaluation centres will be operational as of this week, to reduce pressure on hospitals.



    INTEREST The Board of the National Bank of Romania may decide today to further raise the policy interest rate, currently standing at 1.75% per year. The increase is expected, given the rise of the inflation rate in Romania and abroad. The policy interest rate was last increased in November, but only by 0.25%, which is less than analysts had expected.



    DIPLOMACY Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu has talks today with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi in Bucharest. The visit takes place in the context of recent positive developments in bilateral relations, including Islamabads support for the Romanian authorities efforts to evacuate Romanian and Allied citizens as well as 156 vulnerable Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in August and September 2021. The 2 officials are to discuss means to strengthen bilateral relations, to consolidate political dialogue and economic cooperation. A cooperation agreement between the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as a framework agreement on student exchanges between the Polytechnic University in Bucharest and the University of Islamabad are some of the documents signed during this visit.



    KAZAKHSTAN Monday is a day of national mourning for the victims of the recent violent protests in Kazakhstan, where the situation seems to have stabilised. However, president Kassym Tokayev carried on removing suspected opponents from the countrys security services, with 2 more top-level officials dismissed. They were the deputies of the former head of the National Security Committee, Karim Masimov, dismissed and arrested last week on charges of treason. Masimov was an ally of former president Nursultan Nazarbaev. The latter stepped down in 2019, but he preserved control on key posts until a few days ago. The crisis in Kazakhstan started early this month, after gas prices were raised. The originally peaceful protests quickly spiralled into violent clashes resulting in human casualties and many buildings damaged, especially in the countrys economic centre Almaty. Thousands were arrested. Tokaev requested and received the support of a military alliance headed by Russia, whose troops are currently protecting strategic sites in Kazakhstan.



    TALKS Talks are held in Geneva, Switzerland today by US and Russian officials over the situation in Ukraine. The parties have voiced reserves with respect to a prospective compromise. Russia said on Friday it would not yield to pressure, and warned that talks may be suspended, while Washington said hopes for success were rather low. The talks take place amid worries over Russias military build-up close to its border with Ukraine and fears that Moscow may once again attack the country, after having occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine is seeking NATO membership, but Moscow wants guarantees that NATO would not continue to expand eastwards. The meeting in Geneva will be followed this week by talks between Russian and NATO officials in Brussels, while an OSCE meeting due in Vienna is also scheduled to focus on the situation in Ukraine.



    HANDBALL Romanias national mens handball team qualified into the second round of the 2023 World Championship qualifiers, after defeating the Republic of Moldova 33-23, on Sunday night, at home in Cluj-Napoca, in the last match of the first preliminary round, Group 3. In the previous group matches, Romania defeated Israel 33-30, which in turn beat Moldova 42-31. Romania came out 1st with 6 points, followed by Israel (4), Moldova (2), and Cyprus, (0). Cyprus was unable to take part in the tournament because of a COVID-19 outbreak in its team, and all its games were forfeited with a score of 10-0 for the opposing team. The top 2 teams in each group moved into the second round of the qualifiers. Four times a world champion, Romania has so far taken part in 14 mens handball World Championships, but its last participation dates back to 2011. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • November 16, 2021 UPDATE

    November 16, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The coronavirus epidemic stays on a downward trend in Romania. On Tuesday the
    authorities reported 4,128 new Covid infections out of over 55,000 tests, which
    accounts for a 7.41% positive rate. Another 397 related fatalities were also
    reported, including 54 that had not been recorded in the system earlier. Some
    14,000 Covid patients are currently receiving hospital treatment, including
    almost 1,700 in intensive care. The incidence rate is on the decrease in
    Bucharest, dropping to 5.34 cases per 1,000 inhabitants on Tuesday. In related
    news, non-invasive testing is due to begin in schools for children and
    teachers. At the moment, almost three quarters of Romanian schools and kindergartens
    are holding in-person classes, the rule being that only schools with a
    vaccination rate among their staff of at least 60% can reopen for in-person
    teaching, the rest holding classes on line. As for vaccination, the pace has
    dropped steadily in recent days, compared to a peak of over 110,000 doses
    administered on 27 September. Nearly 7 million Romanians are fully vaccinated
    at present.




    SCHOOLS Legal and financial education have become
    compulsory skills in primary and middle schools in Romania. President Klaus
    Iohannis Tuesday signed a law amending the Education Act, to include these
    areas in the national curriculum. The document also includes financial and
    legal education in the teaching programmes of local lifelong learning community
    centres. In a first stage, these subjects can be introduced as optional school
    subjects only, because national curricula must be approved by the Education
    Ministry.




    ECONOMY Romania,
    Hungary and Lithuania have the biggest annual growth rate in the European Union
    in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period last year,
    according to preliminary data published by the European statistical office
    Eurostat. GDP grew in the EU by 3.9%, with Romania at 8%, Hungary at 6.1% and
    Lithuania at 6%. However, according to the latest figures published by the
    National Institute for Statistics, Romania’s economic growth rate slowed down
    to 0.3% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter. In the first
    nine months of the year, GDP grew by 7.1% compared with the same period last
    year. Economic experts say the growth rate will slow down even more this autumn
    and winter, while the inflation rate may go up to 8% in the context of the
    current political crisis.




    EU Romania’s
    foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu attended a ministerial meeting of the Eastern
    Partnership held in Brussels, where EU foreign ministers agreed to expand the
    criteria for imposing new sanctions against Belarus. The new sanctions would
    target those involved in weaponising the plight of migrants. The European Union
    is accusing Belarus of intentionally creating a migrant crisis on the border
    with Poland and the Baltic countries in retaliation to the Union’s earlier
    sanctions against the regime in Belarus for its crackdown on the opposition.
    Minister Aurescu presented Romania’s stand on the strategic priorities of the
    Eastern Partnership post-2020 and called for a consolidation of the security
    dimension in the Eastern Neighbourhood, as well as for greater involvement from
    the EU in solving the frozen or protracted conflicts in this region.




    MILITARY The EU is considering a joint military force of up to 5,000 troops by
    2025, to intervene in a number of crises without needing to rely on the US,
    according to a draft strategic plan, Reuters says. The EU
    Rapid Deployment Capacity should include land, sea and air capabilities. Two decades after the EU leaders first agreed to
    set up a force of 50,000-60,000 troops, which never became operational, the
    strategy drafted by the EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell is the most concrete
    effort to create an independent military force that does not rely on US assets.
    Not all the 27 EU member states would have to contribute troops, but a
    consensus would be required for any deployment. Since 2007, the EU has had
    battlegroups of 1,500 troops available, but they have never been deployed, in
    spite of efforts to use them in Chad and Libya.





    Radio and TV Parliament
    approved the new leadership of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation,
    which Radio Romania International also forms part of. With the support of the
    Social Democratic Party, the new director general at Radio Romania isRăzvan-Ioan
    Dincă, a former National Opera director who has a court of first instance
    conviction for abuse of office and false statement but who was later acquitted.
    The leadership of the Romanian television was also appointed, with the
    journalist Dan Cristian Turturică becoming the new director general, with the
    support of the National Liberal Party. The members of the new boards are
    appointed for a 4-year term and have to take an oath in Parliament. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Economic forecast for Romania

    Economic forecast for Romania

    The European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has substantially improved its estimate
    on Romania’s economic performance for this year, and in a recent report it expects
    a 7.2% growth rate as opposed to the 6% estimated in June.


    Further on, in 2022, the
    European funds earmarked under the Recovery and Resilience Plan are expected to
    lead to an increase in investments and improvement of exports, which jointly
    with the predicted fiscal consolidation and the slow-down in private
    consumption may translate into a GDP growth by over 4%.


    However, EBRD cautions
    that these forecasts are rather tentative. The main risk, as far as Romania is
    concerned, is the pandemic, given that the country has the second-lowest
    vaccination rate in the EU.


    Other risk factors are
    the high prices for natural gas and oil, because Romania, just like other
    countries, is forced to offset the high electricity expenses for low-income
    households. Other alarm signs are related to possible disruptions in supply
    chains, and the depreciation of the national currency.


    According to the
    international financial institution, 3 south-eastern EU member states-Greece,
    Romania and Bulgaria-are currently seeing a significant economic recovery,
    after a rather difficult year 2020. In Romania’s case, domestic demand is the
    main engine for growth.


    On the other hand, the high prices for raw
    materials may undermine the post-pandemic recovery of European economies, insofar
    as they strongly affect the trade balance of energy-importing countries like
    Romania.


    According to the report,
    the high energy prices may be a test of the public’s support for a greener
    future. While global support was strong and growing in the past few years, in
    some economies, including Egypt, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Poland and Romania the
    support rate is lower than in the late 1990s.


    According to EBRD,
    economies in the region will see an average growth rate of 5.5% in 2021, which
    accounts for a 1.3% upgrade since the bank’s June forecasts. In 2022, as
    economies recover, the rate will slow down to an average 3.8%. These forecasts
    come with a high uncertainty element, given the risks entailed by the Covid-19
    pandemic, by a possible worsening of international circumstances and a more
    modest growth rate among the main trade partners.


    The EBRD was set up in
    1991 to invest in former communist states and assist them in the transition to a
    free market economy. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, EBRD became
    a major investor in Romania, where it focuses on funding infrastructure, improving
    productivity and consolidating the financial sector. So far the institution has
    invested nearly 9 billion euros in the Romanian economy, three-quarters of
    which went into the private sector. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Economic forecast for Romania

    Economic forecast for Romania

    The European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has substantially improved its estimate
    on Romania’s economic performance for this year, and in a recent report it expects
    a 7.2% growth rate as opposed to the 6% estimated in June.


    Further on, in 2022, the
    European funds earmarked under the Recovery and Resilience Plan are expected to
    lead to an increase in investments and improvement of exports, which jointly
    with the predicted fiscal consolidation and the slow-down in private
    consumption may translate into a GDP growth by over 4%.


    However, EBRD cautions
    that these forecasts are rather tentative. The main risk, as far as Romania is
    concerned, is the pandemic, given that the country has the second-lowest
    vaccination rate in the EU.


    Other risk factors are
    the high prices for natural gas and oil, because Romania, just like other
    countries, is forced to offset the high electricity expenses for low-income
    households. Other alarm signs are related to possible disruptions in supply
    chains, and the depreciation of the national currency.


    According to the
    international financial institution, 3 south-eastern EU member states-Greece,
    Romania and Bulgaria-are currently seeing a significant economic recovery,
    after a rather difficult year 2020. In Romania’s case, domestic demand is the
    main engine for growth.


    On the other hand, the high prices for raw
    materials may undermine the post-pandemic recovery of European economies, insofar
    as they strongly affect the trade balance of energy-importing countries like
    Romania.


    According to the report,
    the high energy prices may be a test of the public’s support for a greener
    future. While global support was strong and growing in the past few years, in
    some economies, including Egypt, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Poland and Romania the
    support rate is lower than in the late 1990s.


    According to EBRD,
    economies in the region will see an average growth rate of 5.5% in 2021, which
    accounts for a 1.3% upgrade since the bank’s June forecasts. In 2022, as
    economies recover, the rate will slow down to an average 3.8%. These forecasts
    come with a high uncertainty element, given the risks entailed by the Covid-19
    pandemic, by a possible worsening of international circumstances and a more
    modest growth rate among the main trade partners.


    The EBRD was set up in
    1991 to invest in former communist states and assist them in the transition to a
    free market economy. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, EBRD became
    a major investor in Romania, where it focuses on funding infrastructure, improving
    productivity and consolidating the financial sector. So far the institution has
    invested nearly 9 billion euros in the Romanian economy, three-quarters of
    which went into the private sector. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Economic forecast for Romania

    Economic forecast for Romania

    The European Bank for
    Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has substantially improved its estimate
    on Romania’s economic performance for this year, and in a recent report it expects
    a 7.2% growth rate as opposed to the 6% estimated in June.


    Further on, in 2022, the
    European funds earmarked under the Recovery and Resilience Plan are expected to
    lead to an increase in investments and improvement of exports, which jointly
    with the predicted fiscal consolidation and the slow-down in private
    consumption may translate into a GDP growth by over 4%.


    However, EBRD cautions
    that these forecasts are rather tentative. The main risk, as far as Romania is
    concerned, is the pandemic, given that the country has the second-lowest
    vaccination rate in the EU.


    Other risk factors are
    the high prices for natural gas and oil, because Romania, just like other
    countries, is forced to offset the high electricity expenses for low-income
    households. Other alarm signs are related to possible disruptions in supply
    chains, and the depreciation of the national currency.


    According to the
    international financial institution, 3 south-eastern EU member states-Greece,
    Romania and Bulgaria-are currently seeing a significant economic recovery,
    after a rather difficult year 2020. In Romania’s case, domestic demand is the
    main engine for growth.


    On the other hand, the high prices for raw
    materials may undermine the post-pandemic recovery of European economies, insofar
    as they strongly affect the trade balance of energy-importing countries like
    Romania.


    According to the report,
    the high energy prices may be a test of the public’s support for a greener
    future. While global support was strong and growing in the past few years, in
    some economies, including Egypt, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Poland and Romania the
    support rate is lower than in the late 1990s.


    According to EBRD,
    economies in the region will see an average growth rate of 5.5% in 2021, which
    accounts for a 1.3% upgrade since the bank’s June forecasts. In 2022, as
    economies recover, the rate will slow down to an average 3.8%. These forecasts
    come with a high uncertainty element, given the risks entailed by the Covid-19
    pandemic, by a possible worsening of international circumstances and a more
    modest growth rate among the main trade partners.


    The EBRD was set up in
    1991 to invest in former communist states and assist them in the transition to a
    free market economy. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, EBRD became
    a major investor in Romania, where it focuses on funding infrastructure, improving
    productivity and consolidating the financial sector. So far the institution has
    invested nearly 9 billion euros in the Romanian economy, three-quarters of
    which went into the private sector. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Growing interest in vaccination

    Growing interest in vaccination

    A major contribution to the
    steadily high rate of vaccination in Romania in recent days has been that of
    vaccination marathons. One of them, organised this past weekend in Bucharest-the
    city with the highest vaccination rate, but also the largest number of daily
    new cases-ran in 6 centres located in all sectors of the capital. And the
    figures at the end of each day significantly surpassed the rate reported as
    late, when growing numbers of people were already showing up in vaccination
    centres, fearing the large numbers of deaths, infections and patients in
    hospitals.




    The proportion of
    citizens over 18 who have got the vaccine in Romania has reached 40%, the head
    of the national vaccination programme Valeriu Gheorghiță announced, and added
    that similar events will be held in the forthcoming period so as to make sure
    that 70% of the population has been vaccinated by year-end:




    Valeriu Gheorghiță: Every weekend we will hold
    a vaccination marathon in Bucharest, after we have identified a vaccination
    centre with extended working hours. This gives us reason to hope that by the
    end of the year we will reach that immunisation threshold through vaccination. I
    am using this opportunity to invite all medical schools in the country and all
    the county Public Health Directorates to organise such events in all major
    cities. Over the past few days we have gradually opened new vaccination units,
    and we hope that in the forthcoming period we will get to more than 150,000 or
    even 200,000 doses administered every day.




    During the 3 days of the vaccination marathon in Bucharest, people proved
    to be open to vaccination when we opened towards them. Such events need to be
    replicated in smaller towns as well, said the interim health minister Cseke
    Attila.




    Meanwhile, on Monday
    and Tuesday another vaccination marathon was organised in 6 military hospitals
    that are also regional storage centres for anti-COVID vaccines. Keeping the centres in Constanța, Cluj-Napoca, Iași,
    Craiova, Brașov and Timișoara open around the clock is one of the means by
    which the National Defence Ministry chose to celebrate Army Day this year.




    Experts and authorities
    around the world reiterate that vaccination is the only way to put an end to
    the pandemic. Meanwhile, in Brussels, the European Commission put together a portfolio
    of 10 most efficient treatments against COVID-19. Organised into 3 categories-antiviral monoclonal
    antibodies, which are most effective
    in the earliest stages of infection, oral antivirals for
    use as quickly as possible after the infection,
    and immunomodulators
    to treat hospitalised patients-these products will be available across the EU
    as soon as the European Medicines Agency has confirmed their efficacy. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • July 1, 2021 UPDATE

    July 1, 2021 UPDATE

    CERTIFICATE A digital Covid certificate is available as of 1 July, to ease travel around the European Union. The document proves the owner has been vaccinated, has recovered or recently tested negative for the disease. The Special Telecommunication Service in Romania has created a web platform, which can be accessed at certificate-covid.gov.ro. After filling in a form, users can download a QR code, which can be printed or displayed on the mobile phone so that it may be scanned by customs officers. In another development, new relaxation measures were introduced in Romania on 1 July. Fairs and theme parks have been opened while accommodation facilities and gyms are allowed to operate at full capacity. Cafes and restaurants can stay open until 2 o’clock in the morning but access to night clubs and bars is only allowed to those vaccinated. On Thursday authorities announced 31 new Covid infections out of 26 thousand tests and reported only 5 fatalities in the past 24 hours. 450 patients are being treated in hospitals and 67 in intensive care.





    EU Slovenia took over on 1
    July the half-yearly rotating EU presidency from Portugal. PM Janez Jansa promised Slovenia will be an
    unbiased mediator in the dispute between various EU member states with respect
    to the rule of law and human rights. On the other hand, he called for consensus
    over the enlargement of the bloc. This is Slovenia’s
    second term at the helm of the EU since 2008. During its present term Slovenia,
    jointly with the EU’s main institutions will chair the Conference over Europe’s
    future.




    REGISTRY The Romanian Police announced that a national registry is operational, concerning people having committed sexual offences, exploitation and offences against children. This is a separate record from a persons criminal history, and is an operative identification and surveillance instrument focusing on perpetrators of human trafficking and exploitation and sexual offences. Individuals listed in the Registry are under an obligation to appear regularly before the police, to provide information and to notify the authorities of any travels longer than 15 days. Citizens may obtain their own integrity certificates, valid for 6 months, by submitting an application.





    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in the EU dropped 0.1 last month compared to April, to 7.3%, but it is over the 6.9% mark reported in May 2020, the Eurostat announced on Thursday. The member states with the lowest unemployment rates, below 4%, are the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Germany, Malta, Poland and Hungary. At the opposite pole are Greece and Spain, with over 15%. With a 5.5% unemployment rate in May, down from 5.7% in April, Romania has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.




    WHO Hans Kluge, the head of WHO Europe, Thursday announced during a news conference that the ten weeks of decline in the number of Covid-19 infections in Europe are over. According to the WHO official, a new wave of infections is expected unless citizens and authorities comply with medical rules. Last week the number of new cases rose by 10% driven by increased mixing, travel, gatherings and easing of social restrictions, Kluge said. ‘This is taking place in the context of a rapidly evolving situation. A new variant of concern -the Delta variant and in a region where despite tremendous efforts by member states, millions remain unvaccinated, the WHO official went on to say. (tr. A.M. Popescu)