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Tag: reshuffle

September 4, 2024 – UPDATE

VISIT PM Marcel Ciolacu makes a one-day visit to Israel on Thursday, to express solidarity with the authorities of that country in the current context in the Middle East. He is accompanied by the foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu, and by the economy minister, Radu Oprea. The Romanian PM will have a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and will be received by the Israeli president, Itzhak Herzog, and the Parliament speaker. The Romanian delegation travels to Israel on a military aircraft.

DEFENCE A meeting of the B.9 defence ministers will be hosted by Bucharest this September, under a resolution passed by the Government on Wednesday. B.9 meetings are held regularly at head of state, foreign minister and defence minister level, as “opportunities to harmonise” member states’ national positions on topics to be included on the agenda of NATO summits and assemblies. Launched at the initiative of Romania and Poland in 2015, the Bucharest 9 format is a platform to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the Allies on NATO’s eastern flank: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.

BUDGET The Romanian government Wednesday passed measures to improve the collection of budget claims, to better utilise the funds earmarked for public services and to support investments implemented by local and central authorities from foreign financing sources. Bonuses are stipulated for those who pay their taxes on time. Another set of measures concerns taxpayers with debts at the end of August 2024. In their case, interests and late filing and late payment penalties are written off, provided that the principal debt is paid by November 25, 2024. The budget deficit target for this year could be reached, the finance ministry says, if measures are implemented to improve the collection of debts to the state budget, which were over EUR 14 bln at the end of August. Economists expect the budget deficit to be over 7% of GDP this year.

UKRAINE Ukraine needs “fresh energy” after two and a half years of war against Russia, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, to explain an on-going government reshuffle that includes the country’s foreign minister, AFP and Reuters report. The reshuffle is the largest in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. The Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, 5 other ministers and deputy PMs, as well as the official in charge of the privatization of state assets, have submitted their resignations to Parliament. Dmytro Kuleba has been one of the most vocal Ukrainian officials since the start of the war against Russia. He has constantly requested stronger Western assistance for Ukraine, and has tried to win over the countries wooed by Moscow, especially in Africa and Asia.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football team Friday begin their new season in the UEFA Nations’ League. The Romanian footballers will play their first match away from home against Kosovo, and on Monday, September 9, they will face Lithuania at home. Cyprus is also part of Romania’s group, C2. First place in the group means direct promotion to League B in the next edition of the League, while second place leads to play-offs for promotion. On the other hand, the 4th place leads to direct relegation to League D, while the 3rd place keeps the national team in League C for the next edition as well. Being ranked in the League of Nations groups also has a direct influence on the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Championship. The new coach of the national team is Mircea Lucescu, who returns to this post after almost 4 decades. Edward Iordanescu left the post after Euro 2024, in which Romania qualified for the round of 16. (AMP)

4 September 2024
The week in review (February 10-16 2020)

Lingering government crisis in Bucharest

Romania’s
Prime Minister designate, liberal Ludovic Orban, in Parliament on Monday
submitted his cabinet members list as well as the slightly changed governing
programme, so that the cabinet may be sworn in in due course, according to
procedure. Orban stated no reshuffle occurred this time around and his cabinet
members were the same as those who last week got the sack through a motion of no
confidence tabled by the Social Democratic Party, in opposition, backed by the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. The no-confidence vote was a swift
reaction to Orban 1 Government’s taking responsibility for resuming the
procedure of electing mayors in two rounds of voting, only a couple of months ahead
of the upcoming local ballot. According to the set timetable, the hearing of
Orban 2 cabinet ministers in the Parliament’s specialized commissions will take
place over February 17 and 19, while the Romanian Parliament’s session held so
that the government may be sworn in is scheduled for February 24. Ludovic Orban also
stated the National Liberal Party’s set target was to trigger an early election.
Leading members of the National Liberal Party therefore announced they would
abstain from voting their own Government, in the hopes that their action may
lead to snap election. Concurrently, Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban
approached some of the parliamentary parties, in a bid to get their support for
early election.

How fares Romanian economy?

Romanian
economy in 2019 saw a 4.1% growth, according to data made public by the
National Statistics Institute in Bucharest on Friday, with the aforementioned
percentage exceeding the European Commission’s 3.8% forecast, but also the
estimate made by the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, whose
forecast pointed to a 4% growth. However, the economic growth is slower that in
2018 and 2017, when the reported percentages stood at 4.4% and 7.1%,
respectively.

In Brussels, the
European Commission this past Thursday, in turn published its winter economic
forecast. The estimates of the Commission point to a 3.8 % growth for Romania’s
GDP in 2020, and to a growth of 3.5% in 2021. Of the European Union’s 27 member
states, Malta alone will have a higher economic growth than Romania.

A series of measures taken for the
protection of forests

A 30-day
grace time was given Romania by the European Commission to stop illegal logging,
otherwise a new round of sanctions would be imposed. Romania has tens of
thousands of hectares of virgin and quasi-virgin forests which make the perfect
habitat for wild animal such as bears, wolves and lynxes. Large-scale illegal
logging, however, has seriously mutilated vast expands of the country’s
forested surface areas, and it appears that part of such areas has been
purposefully made available to illegal loggers. The outgoing Environment
Minister, the liberal Costel Alexe reminded everybody the European Commission
had issued its illegal logging warnings as early as 2016.

Costel Alexe:

Even at that time the Romanian authorities
were being asked why they didn’t take any action to protect the country’s
forests and prevent thieves from robbing them. Three years have passed since
then, three years during which the Commission showed its patience towards all
those who ran this sector and those who ruled this country. Three years the
European Commission waited for illegal logging to stop in Romania. And you know
what I think? I believe that Europe and the European Commission cared more for
Romania’s forests than the previous governments.

Three
environmental NGOs filed complaints at the European Commission for the
destruction of the Romanian forests. According to these NGOs, authorities in
Romania are approving deforestation in the Natura 2000 areas without analyzing
the impact they might have upon these regions. Furthermore, according to
Forestry Trade Union Silva in the past years, six rangers have been killed,
while 650 others have been beaten, attacked with axes and knives or shot while
trying to prevent illegal logging.

The coronavirus and seasonal flu epidemic

Authorities
in Romania on Thursday announced the first case of infection with the dreadful
coronavirus, which is wreaking havoc in China and is spreading throughout the
world. The Romanian, who was on a cruise liner with other Romanian nationals,
has been admitted to a hospital in Japan. Meanwhile, authorities in Bucharest
have given assurances that there was no case of coronavirus infection in
Romania. The outgoing Health Minister, Victor Costache, says that Romania has
capabilities to diagnose the disease and intends to build another three
laboratories to carry out tests on this disease outside Bucharest. The former
Finance Minister Florin Câţu has announced that money has been earmarked for
the purchase of thermo-scanners to fit Romania’s main airports. In another
development, a seasonal epidemic of influenza has so far killed 30 in Romania.

Campaigns to spur state involvement in
sporting activities

Some of
Romania’s best athletes and champions have this week launched an appeal in the
Senate for the appropriate funding of sporting activities. Romania’s best
gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, tennis player Simona Halep and former athlete Gabriela
Szabo have joined their colleagues pleading for the earmarking of at least 1%
of the country’s GDP for sporting activities.

Nadia
Comăneci: We don’t have the obligation of being here
but our conscience obliges us to make something for this generation, which must
have at least what we used to have, the opportunities that we had. And it is
important for today’s generation to see that it has our support.

Romania’s top
athletes and champions have been invited to join this initiative launched by
two senators from the Social-Democratic opposition, who have kicked off a
legislative project under which, the BNR Arenas sporting facilities can be
taken over the Romanian state. The document, which was endorsed by the Senate
has been sent to the decision-making Chamber of Deputies.

(Translation by Eugen Nasta and bill)

15 February 2020
The Week in Review (8-14 September 2019)

The Romanian political scene is in
turmoil following the departure of the Liberal Democrats from the government

The withdrawal of the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats from the coalition government has set the political
scene in Bucharest on fire. The disagreements between the prime minister and
the president have deepened over the former’s move to replace the outgoing
Liberal Democrat ministers with other Liberal Democrat MPs who say they wish to
continue alongside the Social Democratic Party the project they begun together
in 2016, when they came to power following parliamentary elections.

President Klaus Iohannis has
rejected prime minister Viorica Dancila’s proposed reshuffle saying it is
unconstitutional and again urging her to put her cabinet to a vote of
confidence in Parliament, given that, he argues, the political make-up of the
government has changed. In response, the prime minister says she is not afraid
to seek a vote of confidence in Parliament and has accused the president of
undermining efforts to ensure a normal functioning of the government. The
Liberal Democrats’ leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu has himself accused Viorica
Dancila of not complying with the constitutional provisions and not respecting
the decision of the Liberal Democrats to withdraw from the government, trying
all kinds of tactics to avoid a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Ggovernment approves the extension
of the registration deadline for Romanian citizens living abroad who wish to
vote in the upcoming elections

The deadline for the Romanian
citizens living abroad who wish to register to vote on the website
votstrainatate.ro has been extended until the 15th of September,
following an emergency order issued by the government on Thursday at the
request of the Permanent Election Authority. The initial deadline was the 11th
of September. The Romanian Postal Service will provide voters with all the
necessary materials, namely envelopes, ballots, stamps, stickers and advice on
how the voting process takes place. Voters living or residing abroad have three
options to send the envelopes containing their ballots, namely: sending them by
post to Romania, sending them by courier to the Romanian diplomatic missions or
consular offices in their countries of residence or taking them in person to
the Romanian embassies or consulates. More than 71,000 Romanian voters had
registered on line by the initial deadline.

The Romanian minister liaising with
the Romanians living abroad pays visit to Italy

The Romanian minister liaising with
the Romanians abroad Natalia Intotero is in Italy to meet members of the
Romanian communities in this country. Discussions focus on the way in which
they can exercise their voting rights in the upcoming presidential elections.
Other topics on her agenda include the coagulation of the associative
environment and identifying the necessary lines of action to preserve and
develop the linguistic, spiritual and cultural identity of the Romanians living
abroad, and monitoring the projects funded by the ministry. Meetings are held
with members of the Romanian communities and the associative environment in
Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Cagliari, Catania, Cosenza, Bari,
Naples and Rome. Talks also tackle human trafficking and the problems faced by
Romanians in various sectors in Italy. Official data show that Italy is home to
the largest Romanian community abroad, numbering around 1,200,000 people.

Romania nominates Rovana Plumb as EU
commissioner

Romania’s proposal for European
commissioner, the Social Democrat Rovana Plumb will be in charge of transports.
The announcement was made by the president elect of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, who has nominated her entire team. After the hearings in
the European Parliament’s specialist committees and as soon as Parliament gives
its approval, the European Council will officially appoint the new Commission. Rovana
Plumb has been a politician for 25 years and has always been a member of the
Social Democratic Party, today in government in Romania. She has also served as
an MP and has occupied several ministerial positions, including minister for
the environment, labour and European funds.

The George Enescu Festival is in
full swing in Bucharest and other cities

The 24th edition of the
George Enescu International Festival is under way until the 22nd of
September. Its motto this year is The World in Harmony and its artistic
director is Vladimir Jurowski. Bucharest and ten other cities in Romania as
well as five countries, namely Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the Republic
of Moldova are hosting this year associated events, paying tribute to the
musical heritage of the great Romanian composer George Enescu. The festival
brings together more than 2,500 of the world’s greatest musicians and 84
different concerts and recitals grouped in six main sections: great orchestras
of the world, the midnight concerts, chamber concerts and recitals, the music
of the 21st century, the Mozart Week in Residence and the
International Forum of Composers. Conferences and disc and book launches are
also held.

14 September 2019
12 September 2019, UPDATE

Voting. The Romanian government has approved
a draft order tabled by the Permanent Election Authority under which the
registration term for the Romanian citizens living abroad as voters has been
extended until Sunday, September 15th. Under the previous
legislation, the term was Wednesday, September 11th for all the
Romanians abroad willing to cast their ballot in the presidential election of
November 10th and 24th. 34,600 applications have so far
been received for polling stations whereas 36,500 people have applied for
postal voting.

Reshuffle. President Klaus Iohannis
said on Thursday he would reject the reshuffle proposed by prime minister
Viorica Dancila, which he considers invalid and inappropriate. The latter on Wednesday
presented the president with a proposal in which she nominated representatives
of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social Democrats’ former
coalition partner, for the positions left vacant following the Alliance’s withdrawal
from the government last month. President Iohannis says the reshuffle requested
by the prime minister is unconstitutional because the government’s make-up has
changed and in this case the prime minister must call for a vote of confidence
in Parliament. After the president’s statement, the prime minister accused him
of abuse of power, saying she is not afraid of a vote in Parliament and that
she would do everything to overcome this deadlock.

Business.
Romania boasts 105 companies in the Fortune Global 500 (an annual ranking
of the top 500 corporations worldwide
as measured by revenue present in Central and Eastern Europe, reads a communiqué by Colliers
International Group Inc. published by Romanian news agency AGERPRES. The first
places are occupied by Poland and the Czech Republic with 139 and 111 companies
respectively, while Slovakia and Bulgaria are on the last positions with 60
companies. Numerous companies from this region of Europe listed in Fortune
Global 500 are active in the automotive industry, the sectors of food,
beverages and tobacco, telecommunications and media as well as transports.
Romania is following the region’s trend with most of the companies active in
the car-making sector, with producers of food, beverages, tobacco and technology
coming next.

Agriculture. Officials from the agriculture ministry in Romania together with representatives of the agricultural sector in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova and 17 business people are on a working mission in the US. According to the ministry in Bucharest, the purpose of the trip is to develop the strategic partnership in the field and consolidate bilateral ties. The concrete objectives of the mission are the modernisation of Romanian farms through the strategic transfer of top agricultural technologies from the US to Romania, the exchange of information and know-how to boost agricultural output and the local processing of quality organic and ecological agri-food products so that they can be supplied to the US market, where demand for such products is on the rise.

Enescu festival. Four concerts were scheduled on Thursday on Day 13 of
the 24th edition of the George Enescu International Festival. The Evgeny
Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia gave their second
performance, this time under the Romanian conductor Gabriel Bebeselea. The day’s programme also
featured performances by the La Grande Chapelle ensemble from Madrid and by the
Arditti Quartet, one of the oldest and most celebrated contemporary music
groups in the world, as well as a performance by the Philharmonic Orchestra of
Monte-Carlo conducted by Gareth Jones and featuring the bass-baritone Sir Bryn
Terfel as a special guest. The George Enescu International Festival is taking
place between the 31st of August and the 22nd of September and
brings together more than 2,500 of the world’s greatest musicians in 84
different concerts and recitals. Events as part of the festival are held in the
capital Bucharest and other cities across Romania, as well as in Germany,
France, Italy, Canada and the Republic of Moldova.

12 September 2019
Political disputes in Bucharest

Prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dancila has failed in her attempt to fill the positions left vacant by the withdrawal of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats last week by nominating other Liberal
Democrat members. President Klaus Iohannis has rejected her proposal saying it
is unconstitutional and again calling on the prime minister to put her cabinet
to a vote of confidence in Parliament, given that, he argues, the political
make-up of the government has changed.

As for the persons nominated by the
prime minister and who say they wish to continue the project begun in 2016
together with the Social Democrats, the Liberal Democrats’ leader Calin Popescu
Tariceanu says they no longer belong in the party. This also applies to Teodor
Melescanu, who was recently elected Senate speaker following Tariceanu’s resignation.
Melescanu says he still considers himself a member of the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats and that he will appeal his exclusion from the party in court. Political commentators believe the surprising move to appoint a leading member
of the Liberal Democrats as Senate speaker is a desperate attempt to save the
Social Democrats’ minority government. Bringing in members of the Alliance of
Liberal and Democrats in the government and the support given to Melescanu to
obtain the second most important position in the state are unconstitutional,
says Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He accuses Viorica Dancila of not complying with
the constitutional provisions and not respecting the decision of the Liberal
Democrats to withdraw from the government, trying all kinds of tactics to avoid
seeking a vote of confidence in Parliament. Opinions within the party are,
however, divided on this account, with an increasing number of members calling
for a congress to establish the direction the party is to take.

Dan Barna, the
president of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, has also asked Viorica
Dancila to appear before Parliament and has called on all opposition parties to
sign a pact to push for early elections. According to Barna, elections could be
held, under the procedure in place, in approximately six months’ time. The
Liberal leader Ludovic Orban has also said that the prime minister is running
counter to the Constitution by refusing to seek Parliament’s vote of confidence
for her cabinet and that the current government is illegal.

12 September 2019
Political disputes in Bucharest

Prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dancila has failed in her attempt to fill the positions left vacant by the withdrawal of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats last week by nominating other Liberal
Democrat members. President Klaus Iohannis has rejected her proposal saying it
is unconstitutional and again calling on the prime minister to put her cabinet
to a vote of confidence in Parliament, given that, he argues, the political
make-up of the government has changed.

As for the persons nominated by the
prime minister and who say they wish to continue the project begun in 2016
together with the Social Democrats, the Liberal Democrats’ leader Calin Popescu
Tariceanu says they no longer belong in the party. This also applies to Teodor
Melescanu, who was recently elected Senate speaker following Tariceanu’s resignation.
Melescanu says he still considers himself a member of the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats and that he will appeal his exclusion from the party in court. Political commentators believe the surprising move to appoint a leading member
of the Liberal Democrats as Senate speaker is a desperate attempt to save the
Social Democrats’ minority government. Bringing in members of the Alliance of
Liberal and Democrats in the government and the support given to Melescanu to
obtain the second most important position in the state are unconstitutional,
says Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He accuses Viorica Dancila of not complying with
the constitutional provisions and not respecting the decision of the Liberal
Democrats to withdraw from the government, trying all kinds of tactics to avoid
seeking a vote of confidence in Parliament. Opinions within the party are,
however, divided on this account, with an increasing number of members calling
for a congress to establish the direction the party is to take.

Dan Barna, the
president of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, has also asked Viorica
Dancila to appear before Parliament and has called on all opposition parties to
sign a pact to push for early elections. According to Barna, elections could be
held, under the procedure in place, in approximately six months’ time. The
Liberal leader Ludovic Orban has also said that the prime minister is running
counter to the Constitution by refusing to seek Parliament’s vote of confidence
for her cabinet and that the current government is illegal.

12 September 2019
Political disputes in Bucharest

Prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party Viorica Dancila has failed in her attempt to fill the positions left vacant by the withdrawal of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats last week by nominating other Liberal
Democrat members. President Klaus Iohannis has rejected her proposal saying it
is unconstitutional and again calling on the prime minister to put her cabinet
to a vote of confidence in Parliament, given that, he argues, the political
make-up of the government has changed.

As for the persons nominated by the
prime minister and who say they wish to continue the project begun in 2016
together with the Social Democrats, the Liberal Democrats’ leader Calin Popescu
Tariceanu says they no longer belong in the party. This also applies to Teodor
Melescanu, who was recently elected Senate speaker following Tariceanu’s resignation.
Melescanu says he still considers himself a member of the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats and that he will appeal his exclusion from the party in court. Political commentators believe the surprising move to appoint a leading member
of the Liberal Democrats as Senate speaker is a desperate attempt to save the
Social Democrats’ minority government. Bringing in members of the Alliance of
Liberal and Democrats in the government and the support given to Melescanu to
obtain the second most important position in the state are unconstitutional,
says Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He accuses Viorica Dancila of not complying with
the constitutional provisions and not respecting the decision of the Liberal
Democrats to withdraw from the government, trying all kinds of tactics to avoid
seeking a vote of confidence in Parliament. Opinions within the party are,
however, divided on this account, with an increasing number of members calling
for a congress to establish the direction the party is to take.

Dan Barna, the
president of the Save Romania Union, in opposition, has also asked Viorica
Dancila to appear before Parliament and has called on all opposition parties to
sign a pact to push for early elections. According to Barna, elections could be
held, under the procedure in place, in approximately six months’ time. The
Liberal leader Ludovic Orban has also said that the prime minister is running
counter to the Constitution by refusing to seek Parliament’s vote of confidence
for her cabinet and that the current government is illegal.

12 September 2019
24 July, 2019

Appointments. Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis on Wednesday signed the appointment of Nicolae Moga as interior
minister and of Ramona Manescu as foreign minister, the president’s office has
announced. Moga was a senator for Constanta and occupied the position of
vice-president of the Senate in the Permanent Bureau. Manescu joined the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, in the ruling coalition, in 2017. Earlier,
she held the position of transport minister. An MEP since 2007, she was also a
coordinator in the Regional Development Commission and a substitute member of
the Employment and Social Affairs Commission. Also on Wednesday, the president
took note of the resignation of Carmen Dan as interior minister and signed the
decree for the revocation
of Teodor Melescanu as foreign minister. In another decree, Mihai Fifor was
appointed deputy prime minister in charge of the implementation of Romania’s
strategic partnerships. The new ministers have been sworn in.

Elections. The leadership of the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have met today to establish their strategy
for the upcoming presidential elections in November. They will appoint their
own candidate, namely their leader and Senate speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu.
They also tried to convince their ruling partner, the Social Democratic Party,
to support Tariceanu, but the Social Democrats chose their own candidate, prime
minister Viorica Dancila. Unhappy with the situation, some of the leaders of
the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have threatened to leave the government
coalition.

Peace keeping. Bucharest will support the United
Nations in assisting the government of the Republic of Mali to continue the
application of the peace agreement and will deploy a Romanian detachment of
four helicopters. The latter was evaluated by a committee from the UN peace
keeping operations department. According to the Romanian chief of staff,
general Nicolae Ciuca, the mission under the UN mandate will begin in October
and will last one year. The four helicopters will be used for medical
evacuation and the transport of people and materials. 120 military will also be
taking part, including chief of staff personnel, pilots, on-board crew and
maintenance crew.

Moldova. The
European Commission has resumed payment of financial assistance to the Republic
of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population,
which had been granted more than 14 million euros. The payments were previously
suspended for two years following the deterioration of the rule of law
situation in Moldova. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels,
the European Union believes that thanks to the decisions taken recently, the
republic’s new pro-European government led by Maia Sandu is meeting the requirements
for the resumption of financial assistance.

Exercise. The 10th
Eurasian Partnership MCM Dive multinational exercise is under way in Constanta
and other maritime areas along the Romanian Black Sea coast. Until Thursday,
tens of military divers from Romania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia and the US
are taking part in explosive device search and identification drills,
conducting open, semi-closed and surface-supplied diving missions and target
searches using underwater drones. This is the only annual multinational
exercise organised in the west part of the Black Sea and designed to improve
the training of military divers from NATO members and the signatories of the
Partnership for Peace.

Football. The Romanian football
champions CFR Cluj are tonight facing the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv at home in the
first leg of the second Champions League preliminary round. On Thursday in the
first leg of the second Europa League round, the Romanian Cup holders, Viitorul Constanta, will be facing
the Belgian side KAA Ghent, vice-champions FCSB are taking on the Armenian side Alashkert FC, while CSU Craiova are facing the Hungarian side Honved Budapest. The return matches are
scheduled for next week. If they qualify, CFR will meet the winner of the match
between the Scottish side Celtic Glasgow and the Estonian champions Nomme
Kalju. Viitorul will meet either AEK Larnaca from Cyprus or Levski Sofia from Bulgaria,
FCSB either Mlada Boleslav from the Czech Republic or Ordabasy Shymkent from Kazakhstan,
while Craiova meet AEK Athens from Greece.

24 July 2019
Reorganization on the political scene

The leftist governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats — ALDE will replace the interior and foreign ministers, the Social Democratic leaders decided on Monday. The interior minister Carmen Dan will be replaced by PSD senator Nicolae Moga. Considered a close collaborator of the former Social Democratic leader Liviu Dragnea who is currently serving time in prison for corruption, Carmen Dan resigned before the party decided on her replacement, criticizing the leadership for having given in to pressures from president Klaus Iohannis. The foreign minister Teodor Melescanu will be replaced by Ramona Manescu from ALDE.

Carmen Dan and Teodor Melescanu were harshly criticized by the president for the way in which they organized the EP elections in May. Melescanu was mainly blamed for the problems encountered by the Diaspora in the voting process, as many Romanian citizens queued for many hours without being able to cast their vote. Carmen Dan was blamed for the disproportionate intervention of the gendarmes during the anti-government protests of August 2018. The PM Viorica Dancila explained that the two ministers lost their political support due to an unfavorable public perception. The new secretary general of PSD Mihai Fifor has been proposed for the position of vice prime minister for strategic partnerships.

The PSD leadership has also made another important decision with an impact on the pre-elections political landscape: they will have their own candidate for the October presidential election. They want this person to be supported by ALDE and Pro Romania, a dissident party created by the former Social Democratic PM and leader Victor Ponta. ALDE representatives feel somehow betrayed in their aspirations and replied that they would support their own leader Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who is perceived as a powerful common candidate even by some PSD members. PSD is to designate its presidential candidate next week.

According to commentators, a big party needs its own candidate in the presidential election, but none of them can identify one with real chances to defeat the big favorite in the race, the incumbent president Klaus Iohannis. From this perceptive, things are crystal clear for the National Liberal Party: they will support Iohannis all the way through.

A paradox in the presidential election context could be the emergence of a challenger to Iohannis that comes from the right of the political spectrum and not from the left. The congress of the Save Romania Union party- USR, in opposition, designated their leader, Dan Barna, as presidential candidate. After USR’s ally PLUS designates their candidate too, most probably Dacian Ciolos, a former technocratic prime minister, the two parties that set up a successful alliance at the EP elections, will have to designate a common candidate. USR and PLUS want to present a president-prime minister tandem for the autumn presidential election. (Translation by L. Simion)

16 July 2019
July 15, 2019 UPDATE

GOVERNMENT The Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition in Romania, will have its own candidate in the presidential election due in November, and a Congress will be convened on August 3rd to validate the candidate, the PM and party president Viorica Dancila announced at the end of a National Executive Committee meeting on Monday. During the same meeting, Senator Nicolae Moga was validated as the new nominee for the interior minister post, after earlier on Monday Carmen Dan had tendered her resignation. According to the Romanian media, Dan was on the list of Cabinet members set to be replaced in the forthcoming Government reshuffle. Viorica Dancila also announced that Mihai Fifor was confirmed as deputy PM for strategic partnerships. Social Democratic leaders also acknowledged the proposal of their ruling coalition partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, to replace Teodor Meleşcanu with Ramona Mănescu as foreign minister.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has gone up 3 places in the WTA ranking, to number 4 in the world. Halep returned to Romania on Monday after her Wimbledon victory against the American Serena Williams in the final. President Klaus Iohannis decided to award her the highest distinction of the Romanian State, making her a Dame of the Star of Romania National Order, for her Wimbledon win. “With her dedication, devotion and professionalism, proved both on the tennis court and outside it, Simona Halep has promoted Romania throughout the world. Simona Halep is a role model for the young generation, and her involvement in making tennis popular among children is a huge gain for Romanian sports’, reads a news release issued by the Presidency.

PHYSICS Romania won 4 silver and a bronze medal at the 50th International Physics Olympiad, held in Tel Aviv (Israel) between July 7th and 15th, the National Education Ministry announced. This years Olympiad brought together more than 380 participants from 82 countries. The competition consisted in 2 tests, one on theoretical and the other one in experimental physics, each lasting 5 hours. The first International Physics Olympiad was held in 1967, in Warsaw (Poland), with participants from 5 countries, including Romania, which also hosted the event twice, in 1972 and 1983.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

15 July 2019
7 July 2019, UPDATE

Reshuffle. The leadership of the
Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in
Bucharest, will begin talks on a government reshuffle. The talks may last a few
weeks, with the performance of each ministry being evaluated during this time,
explained the party’s new leader, prime minister Viorica Dancila. She said the
reshuffle may be accompanied by a government restructuring. As for the Social
Democrats’ candidate in the presidential elections this autumn, his or her name
will be established based on opinion polls and will be announced in the first
part of August. We recall that prime minister Dancila took over the leadership
of the party after the former leader Liviu Dragnea was sent to prison for acts
of corruption on the 27th of May. A day earlier, the Social Democratic
Party had lost the European elections to the National Liberal Party in opposition,
while its junior partner in the ruling coalition, the Alliance of Liberals and
Democrats, fell below the required 5% threshold.

Justice Day. Romania’s president
Klaus Iohannis said in a message on Justice Day on Sunday that recent years
have been marked by repeated attempts to subordinate the judiciary to politics through
sudden changes to the laws on the organisation of the judiciary, the status of
magistrates and the criminal legislation, but that this attack has been met
with a prompt reaction from citizens and magistrates. Justice minister Ana
Birchall has also conveyed a message saying citizens’ respect and trust must be
earned back. She also said that the future of the Romanian judiciary can only
be in Europe and the Transatlantic family, and this means assimilating the
values, principles and standards these partnerships imply. Established 25 years
ago, Justice Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in July.

Protest. Around 100 people staged a
protest on Sunday in Bucharest against the adoption by the government formed by
the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats of the
new administrative code by emergency order. Protesters say the order was issued
under pressure from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and
the neighbouring Hungary and that it is an act of national betrayal. They
claim the code leads to the dissolution of the authority of the state in areas
of the country with a small ethnic Romanian population and facilitates autonomy
on ethnic grounds, a goal publicly stated by the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania. Earlier, however, the code had come under harsh
criticism from Hungarian officials and the Union, who said it diminishes the
rights of the minorities and hinders the decentralisation process. President
Klaus Iohannis believes the adoption of the document by emergency order is an
attack on the entire administrative system in Romania. The Save Romania Union,
in opposition, says the code will deteriorate even further the administrative process
at a local level. The Social Democrat deputy prime minister Daniel Suciu says
the new code is not perfect, but that it will be improved in Parliament.

Diaspora. By the end of August,
3,000 pupils, students and teachers from the ethnic Romanian communities in the
neighbouring countries and around the world have a change to enhance their
knowledge of Romanian culture and civilisation in a series of special camps.
The programme is organised by the ministry for Romanians abroad and the
ministry for youth and sports and takes place at four locations: Sulina, in
Tulcea county, in the Danube Delta, in the south-east; Oglinzi, in Neamt
county, in the north-east; in Sacelu, in Gorj county; and Caprioara, in
Hunedoara county, both in the south-west. The participants come from the
historical ethnic Romanian communities in the Republic of Moldova (with a
majority Romanian-speaking population), including Transnistria, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Albania, North Macedonia
and Hungary, as well as from the diaspora, from Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal,
the UK, France, Germany, Canada, the US, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Romanian minister for Romanians abroad Natalia Intotero says the goal of
these camps is to increase awareness with respect to belonging to the Romanian
identity, enhance knowledge of Romanian language, facilitate interaction and
dialogue and promote Romania’s image.

Football. The Romanian football champions CFR
Cluj are in Kazakhstan, where they meet the local side FC Astana on Tuesday in
the first leg of the first Champions League qualifying round. On Saturday, CFR
lost the Romanian Supercup title nil-1 to FC Viitorul Constanta. The latter
will be facing the Belgian side FC
Anvers managed by the former Romanian international player Ladislau Boloni in
the Europa League. FCSB will face the Moldovan side Milsami
Orhei and CSU Craiova the Azeri side FK
Sabail, also in the Europa League.

Tennis. Romania’s Simona Halep on
Monday faces the American 15-year old Cori Gauff in the quarterfinals at
Wimbledon. A former world no. 1 and currently seeded 7th, Halep is
the only Romanian player still in competition in the women’s singles. In the women’s
doubles, the all-Romanian pair Monica Niculescu and Irina Begu have reached the
quarterfinals where they will face the pair seeded third, Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic and Hsieh Su-wei
of Taiwan. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau and
Jean-Julien Rojer have also reached the quarterfinals and will meet the
Argentine pair Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos.

7 July 2019
17 April 2019, UPDATE

Referendum. The two
chambers of the Parliament in Bucharest have green lighted the request of president
Klaus Iohannis to hold a referendum on 26th of May, at the same time
as the elections for the European Parliament. Parliament’s opinion in this
matter is advisory. The themes proposed by the head of state refer to banning
amnesty and pardoning for acts of corruption and also preventing the government
from passing emergency orders in the field of crimes and judicial organisation.
The president also wants to ask voters if institutions other than the Ombudsman
should be able to refer such decrees to the Constitutional Court. The
president’s move comes amidst a series of controversial changes in the judicial
system initiated by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party
and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats that have come under criticism at home
and abroad, by Romania’s European partners.

Cabinet
reshuffle. The executive committee of the ruling
Social Democratic Party has withdrawn its political support for the justice
minister Tudorel Toader, proposing his replacement with the deputy speaker of
the Chamber of Deputies Eugen Nicolicea. The decision comes after Toader
refused to issue some controversial decrees modifying the criminal codes. The
Social Democrats have also proposed Oana Florea for the position of minister
for European funds to replace Rovana Plumb and Liviu Brailoiu for taking over
the ministry for Romanians abroad to replace Natalia Intotero. Plumb and
Intotero are running for a seat in the European Parliament in May’s elections.

Criminal code. The Senate passed on Wednesday the bill amending the criminal code in
the version drafted by the special committee for the justice legislation. The
committee had approved the amendments on Tuesday, having eliminated a number of
provisions from the initial version that had been ruled unconstitutional by
Romania’s Constitutional Court. The bill still contains a number of provisions
criticised by the opposition, such as those referring to the statute of
limitations for convictions, the repeal of a provision on negligence in
employment and the introduction of a one-year deadline for denunciations.
Justice minister Tudorel Toader did not agree to pass the amendments to the
criminal code via emergency order. The president of the parliamentary
committee, the Social Democrat Florin Iordache, says the urgency is given by
the government’s failure to implement through legislation the provisions
declared constitutional by the court. Attending the debates held by the
commission, Toader said it was Parliament’s obligation to harmonise the
criminal codes with the rulings of the Constitutional Court, given that this is
a legislative bill. The opposition says the changes are an attempt to rid
senior politicians of criminal investigations. The Senate is the first chamber
to rule on this bill, with the Chamber of Deputies being the decision-making
body.

Presidency. The Romanian prime
minister Viorica Dancila on Wednesday presented a report on Romania’s first 100
days as holder of the presidency of the Council of the EU. She said the
government in Bucharest demonstrated efficiency, determination and a capacity
to find good solutions for European citizens in each and every one of these 100
days. 90 legislative dossiers, including some very difficult ones inherited
from previous presidencies, were finalised during this period and the Romanian
presidency managed over 1,000 events and meetings, Viorica Dancila also said.

Protest. The
confederation of authorised road carriers in Romania held a protest on
Wednesday outside the government building in Bucharest against an upcoming emergency
order regulating online platforms for passenger transport. Taxi drivers demand
that the change be made in Parliament and not by government order and that the
activity of these online platforms should be limited and comply with the same
rules as taxi companies in terms of authorisation, control and taxation. This
is the biggest in a series of protests staged by taxi drivers in the last
month.

Inflation.
Romania, Hungary and Holland last month saw the highest annual inflation rates
in the European Union, according to figures published on Wednesday by Eurostat,
the European statistical office. Romania had a 4.2% inflation rate, Hungary
3.8% and Holland 2.9%. Portugal and Greece had the lowest inflation rates. The
annual inflation rate dropped to 1.4% in the eurozone in March and remained at
1.6% in the European Union.

17 April 2019
6 December, 2018

EU presidency. The Romanian interior minister Carmen
Dan is to present a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in
Brussels with the programme of Romania’s presidency of the Council of the
European Union between 1st January and 30th June 2019.
The priorities include consolidating the Union’s internal security, the
management of its external borders, migration and combating online
radicalisation. The Romanian official supports a stronger role for Frontex in
managing migration and securing external borders and says she will give
priority to combating terrorist content online based on the principle of
community policing, which is meant to facilitate the relationship between
security forces and expat communities in the EU states. Romania has notable
expertise in this field, as the Romanian police are taking part in operative
missions in states such as Italy, Spain, France and Bulgaria, says the
Romanian interior ministry. The next meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs
Council will take place in Bucharest between the 6th and the 8th
of February.

Environment. The European
Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries Karmenu Vella has today begun an official trip to Bucharest, according
to Romania’s European Commission Representation. Vella is due to meet
the Romanian deputy prime minister and environment minister Gratiela Gavrilescu
and other government officials. The Commissioner is also expected to attend a
conference on circular economy
success stories to discuss waste collection and
recycling and the funding and promotion of the transition to a circular
economy.

Reshuffling. Liviu Dragnea, the
speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and the leader of the ruling Social
Democratic Party has threatened to refer president Klaus Iohannis to the
Constitutional Court next week unless the latter accepts the new proposals for
transport and development ministers. Iohannis says he is still considering the
two nominations, that of Olguta Vasilescu for the development ministry and of
Mircea Draghici for the transport ministry. At the end of November, president
Iohannis accepted six nominations as part of a reshuffling of Viorica Dancila’s
cabinet, namely for defence, labour, economy, culture, communications and youth
and sport. He also criticised the fact that in the two years since they came to
power, the Social Democratic Party and their junior ruling partners the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have replaced 70 ministers, which he said
was too much.

Poll.The
Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition in Romania,
has dropped below 25% in voting intentions according to a survey conducted by
IMAS and commissioned by the Save Romania Union in opposition. The National
Liberal Party is in second place with more than 23%, followed by the Save
Romania Union with almost 15%. The Social Democrats’ partners, the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats, have 12% of voting intentions. The Romania Together
Movement led by the former technocratic prime minister Dacian Ciolos has 8% of
voting intentions. The poll also puts the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
in Romania, which has a collaboration agreement with the ruling coalition, at
5.8%. The poll was conducted in November, using a sample of 1,010 people and
has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.

Poll. Corruption, inflation, the situation of the
economy, the government and the healthcare system are some of the problems
facing Romania at the moment according to a poll conducted by SC CT&Research SRL and commissioned by the Black Sea University
Foundation. Corruption is considered the biggest problem by 50% of respondents,
while 73% of them believe things are going in the wrong direction in Romania.

Internet. Almost three quarters (72.4%) of households in Romania have
access to home internet, up 3.8% compared with last year, according to the
National Institute for Statistics. Almost 63% of these households are in cities.
82% of home internet connections are fixed broadband
connections, followed by mobile broadband connections (57.3% and narrowband
connections (12.5%). Among Romanians aged 16 to 74, the proportion of people
who have ever used internet is 78.8%. Of current users, 75.5% use the internet
daily or almost daily.

Handball. Romania
defeated European defending champions Norway 31:22 on Wednesday in Brest in
their final Group D match at the European Women’s Handball Championship in
France. Romania put on a remarkable performance to defeat Norway for the first
time at a final tournament in the last 18 years. They now top the preliminary
group and will advance to the next stage with a maximum of points. In the other
group fixture, Germany defeated the Czech Republic. Romania and the Netherlands
begin their main round Group 2 matches with 4 points each, Hungary and Germany
with 2 and Spain and Norway with zero points. Romania next face the Netherlands
on the 9th of December, Spain on the 11th and Hungary on
the 12th. The two best-ranked teams in the group will make it to the
semifinals.

6 December 2018
22 November 2018, UPDATE

Reshuffle. President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that the cabinet changes at
the beginning of the week will not be followed by others in the coming period. He
voiced his dissatisfaction with the fact that around 70 ministers have been replaced
by the ruling coalition since it came to power two years ago, which, in his
opinion, is too much. He said he will discuss the next reshuffle after the
celebration of Romania’s national day on the 1st of December. We
recall that earlier this week, the president approved six proposals for
defence, labour, economy, culture, communications and youth and sport and
rejected two, for transport and regional development, Lia Olguta Vasilescu and
Ilan Laufer, respectively. The executive committee of the Social Democratic
Party made a new proposal for the transport ministry, namely Mircea Draghici, and
nominated Lia Olguta Vasilescu for the ministry of regional development. Lucian
Sova on Thursday resigned as transport minister to vacate the post.

Romania-Rep. Moldova. A declaration of intent regarding the elimination of
roaming fees and a number of bilateral agreements in areas such as tourism,
defence, healthcare, communications and culture were signed on Thursday in
Bucharest by Romanian and Moldovan ministers and officials at the end of a
joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments in the presence of the
two countries’ prime ministers, Viorica Dancila and Pavel Filip, respectively.
The two also met ahead of the joint government meeting to discuss, among
others, the stage and future of bilateral relations. The meeting was held in
the run up to Romania’s taking over the EU Council presidency in the first half
of next year. The Romanian government considers this to be a good opportunity
to encourage Moldova to continue to make efforts to implement the reforms it
has committed to under its Association Agreement with the EU. This is the
second joint meeting of the Romanian and Moldovan governments this year after
that in February held in the Moldovan capital Chisinau. The Moldovan prime
minister also had talks with president Klaus Iohannis and the speakers of the
Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest.

Visit. The European Commissioner for Migration, Home
Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos paid a visit to Bucharest on
Thursday where he met prime minister Viorica Dancila. The two officials
exchanged useful views related to the dialogue between the Romanian government
and the European Commission ahead of Romania’s EU presidency on the subjects
dominating the European agenda during Romania’s term. They reviewed the main
European issues pertaining to Mr. Avramopoulos’s portfolio, with emphasis on
the management of migration at EU level and consolidating the
EU’s internal security and borders. Dimitris Avramopoulos also had talks with the interior minister Carmen Dan. He said
he supports Romania’s accession to the free-movement Schengen area. The agenda
of the European Commissioner also included meetings with the Senate speaker Calin
Popescu Tariceanu and the minister delegate for European affairs George Ciamba.

Budget. The
Bucharest government may discuss on Friday its second budget adjustment this year.
The finance ministry has published the project on its website, mentioning a
target deficit of 2.97% of the GDP. The finance ministry, the labour ministry
and the healthcare ministry will receive the biggest amount of additional
funds. The justice, internal affairs and development ministries will also
receive more money, as will the health insurance fund, the state social
securities fund and the unemployment fund. The ministries of transport,
research and innovation, culture, education, communication and information
society, European funds, waters and forests, the environment and agriculture
will receive less money.

National day. Around 4,000 military and experts from the defence
ministry, the interior ministry, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
National Prisons Administration, and over 200 pieces of equipment and 50
planes, as well as military from a number of allied and partner countries will
take part in a military parade on the 1st of December in Bucharest
on Romania’s national day. The approximately 500 foreign troops taking part
will come from Albania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the Republic of
Moldova, Slovakia, the US, Turkey and Ukraine. The Romanian military in foreign
missions and theatres of operation will also be holding special military
ceremonies and activities to celebrate the national day.

22 November 2018
October 19, 2018 UPDATE

Brussels – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis participated on Thursday and Friday in Brussels in the 12th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), whose theme was “Global partners for global challenges”. In his speech, president Iohannis said that Romania would continue to actively and responsibly promote the strengthening of cooperation between Europe and Asia including during Romania’s presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. In another development, president Iohannis said that for Romania, the shipping routes on the Danube and the Black Sea represented essential transport corridors and encouraged their inclusion into larger intra-regional transport networks and in the Europe-Asia networks. The main topic of debates was connectivity at all levels: political, economic, cultural, digital, institutional and inter-human. The Asia-Europe Meeting ASEM was set up in 1996 as a forum for dialogue and cooperation between the two continents. The ASEM summit is held every two years, alternately in Asia and Europe.

Venice Commission — The Venice Commission on Friday recommended to the Romanian authorities to completely modify the amendments brought to the criminal and criminal procedure codes by means of a comprehensive consultative process. The Commission claims that the Romanian authorities should come up with coherent and solid legislative proposals in the field of justice that should have the support of the Romanian society and that should observe the European standards and the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Romania. The Venice Commission adopted, with certain amendments, the preliminary report communicated in July in relation to the three justice laws regarding the status of judges and prosecutors, the organization of the judiciary and of the Superior Council of Magistracy. These laws will affect the efficiency and the independence of the act of justice, and will have negative effects on the anti-corruption fight, the Venice Commission says. Friday’s debates were also attended by the president of the special parliamentary committee for the justice laws in Romania’s parliament, Florin Iordache, a member of the ruling Social Democratic Party. After the critical opinion issued by the Venice Commission, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stated that the justice minister Tudorel Toader definitively compromised his credibility and consequently should present his resignation. In turn, minister Toader claimed that the President’s request is inadmissible arguing that it was not the justice minister the one who promoted the modifications brought to the criminal and criminal procedure codes.

CESAER — The European Commissioner for Regional Development Corina Cretu said Friday in Bucharest that innovation and research had to have a central role in the future EU fiscal period of 2021-2027. She made this statement at the 31st edition of the CESAER General Assembly- the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research — the most important European association that represents universities of science and technology. The event hosted by the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest is being attended by representatives of more than 50 universities, and personalities from the research and higher technical education fields. The CESAER General Assembly is held for the first time in Romania to celebrate 200 years since the setting up of the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest. The meeting is also occasioned by the anniversary of 100 years since the creation of the Romanian unitary state and by Romania’s future presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019.

Sports — The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep who will finish the year 2018 on the first place of the WTA classification was designated on Friday the best WTA player of the year, the WTA officials announced Friday. Halep has had the best season of her career in 2018 winning her first Grand Slam title in Roland Garros. Halep also won the tournaments of Shenzen and Montreal and played in the finals of the Australian Open, of the Rome and Cincinnati tournaments. Halep, 27, ends the year with a record of 46 wins and 11 defeats and will top the WTA ranking at the end of the season for the 2nd consecutive year.

Reshuffle — The leftist Social Democratic Party — PSD, the main party in Romania’s ruling coalition, announced Friday that the internal report on the activity of the party’s ministers was completed. On Wednesday the president of PSD Liviu Dragnea had said that the current makeup of the executive could not be maintained. He added that the details of the future reshuffle would be decided upon at the future meeting of the party’s executive committee. Last month the education minister Valentin Popa announced his resignation, and his position was taken over by the minister for European Funds Rovana Plumb. This is the 2nd resignation from the cabinet led by Viorica Dancila after the research minister Nicolae Burnete resigned in August. (news translated and updated by Lacramioara Simion)

19 October 2018