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Tag: Romania

  • Romania Enters Schengen

    Romania Enters Schengen

    The Schengen external border changed on 1 January, with the entry into force of the Justice and Home Affairs Council decision of 12 December 2024, by which Romania and Bulgaria joined the free movement area and the land borders. Thus, the frontier moved to Romania’s border with Serbia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, while Bulgaria has an external Schengen frontier at the border with Serbia, North Macedonia and Turkey, the latter being one of the most complicated on the eastern side in terms of illegal migration.

    The problems on this border area were one of the reasons why Austria was late in giving its consent in recent years. Emotions ran high until the last moment for Bucharest and Sofia. Although, in November, Austria had signed an agreement on full accession in Budapest, and the Austrian government had made political statements that it would no longer veto it in the Council, surprises emerged from the Netherlands at the last moment. The right-wing radicals from the Freedom Party initiated a parliamentary procedure to stop this move, but failed to gather a majority. Valentin Naumescu, professor of international relations at Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, told us:

    “Romania deserved integration into the area of free movement, and has deserved it for a long time. We should have received this decision around March 2011, when we first met the technical criteria for accession. Unfortunately, there was always an unfavorable context, a combination of European and regional political circumstances, which were negative for Romania. The Netherlands, Austria, and other countries had elections, or were afraid of the rise of extremist, anti-migration parties. Everyone was settling their domestic political scores at the expense of Romania and Bulgaria. So, this delay, I would dare to say, is not due to us, Romania, because we have been meeting the technical criteria for over 13 years, and this has been recognized by the European Commission.”

    From now on, it is a closed chapter, Romania has entered the normality of a member state of the European Union, which has long fulfilled the conditions to be a member of the Schengen area, insists Professor Naumescu, but, he adds, there is another important thing happening, which is worth highlighting:

    “It is also important that Bulgaria is entering with us, because, from a geopolitical point of view, a corridor from Greece, in the south of the European Union, to Central Europe is being closed. This corridor of free movement will be very important for carriers, for the economy, for the Romanian economy and not only, for the economy of the region, for the European Union as a whole. There are many companies that will benefit by shortening transport times, transiting the territory of these countries, by abolishing internal customs controls. So, these are things that will be felt in the short and medium term, I would say in the coming years as well. We will be better connected economically, many investors will dare to come and invest in our part of the world, having lower costs. Otherwise, we can’t say that many things will change. Yes, it’s also a matter of prestige, but in the sense of returning to normality, because our prestige was affected.”

    Joining Schengen not only eliminates hours of waiting in line at borders during the holidays, but also changes the rules of the game for the economy, bringing advantages in terms of the fact that freight transport will be more efficient and less expensive, according to the principle of “time is money”. With the elimination of controls, carriers will save millions of euros annually, and Romanian products will reach shelves in Europe faster and at lower costs. Simply put, Romania becomes more competitive in an extremely dynamic European market, but also more attractive to foreign investors. At the same time, border regions become true economic hubs. Without bureaucratic controls, local trade will grow, and cross-border collaborations will generate jobs and economic growth. According to the agreement, Romania and Bulgaria are part of the Schengen area starting January 1, but for six months there will be a regime of alternative or spot checks – a safety measure to see how free passage works. This means that not all vehicles or people will be stopped for inspection as before, but according to the authorities’ estimates, somewhere between 5 and 10 percent at most. Such checks are not new, they were temporarily initiated on various internal borders in Schengen, amid the increase in illegal migrants from outside to the interior of the Union. Another reason is Russia’s hybrid war, which poses security risks to the European Union.

  • Romania and Bulgaria, fully in the Schengen Area

    Romania and Bulgaria, fully in the Schengen Area

    Symbolic ceremonies marked, on the night between years, the complete entry into the Schengen area of ​​Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the European free travel area with land borders too. In Giurgiu-Ruse, representatives of the authorities from both countries, as well as citizens who crossed the Romanian – Bulgarian border for the first time without being controlled, celebrated the moment. ‘A truly historic moment, with special practical consequences for every Romanian citizen, for Romanian companies. Romania’s integration into the European Union is complete and irrevocable’, said the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, who attended the event together with his Bulgarian counterpart, Atanas Ilkov. Another short ceremony took place at one of the border crossing points between Hungary and Romania, where the head of the national police of Hungary met with the chief inspector of the border police of Romania.

     

    Members of the European Union since 2007, the two countries have worked together in the Schengen accession process. With the technical criteria met since 2011, Romania and Bulgaria managed to partially join the free travel area only in March last year, with the lifting of controls in airports and seaports. A few months later, in mid-December, the two countries finally received approval from all European partners to enjoy the same privileges at land border crossings. This was possible after Austria gave up its opposition. Vienna had previously invoked an influx of asylum seekers that would worsen in the event of a land expansion of Schengen, but towards the end of 2024 it considered that the measures implemented in recent months allowed “a massive reduction of crossings”.

     

    From January 1, drivers and passengers no longer need to present any identity documents, and cars can pass without control. Road transporters who until now had to wait in line for 20 hours to transit, will now cross the border without control. However, for the first six months at least, random border checks will be carried out to deter criminal activity, with particular focus on large vehicles. At the same time, the surveillance of the Bulgarian – Turkish border, which has become the external border of the Schengen area, will be strengthened. As regards tourism, tourism companies rely on an increase in the number of travelers, including those going to Greece. Following the full accession to Schengen, significant economic benefits are expected, likely to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by at least 1% in both countries, according to estimates. Created in 1985, the Schengen area now includes 25 of the 27 EU member countries as well as their associated neighbors Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. (LS)

  • December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    December 27, 2024 UPDATE

    Crime report – Romania is among the states with the lowest level of crime, offering a more favorable situation from this point of view than many Western European countries, shows a press release from the Romanian Interior Ministry, based on the reports of the US Department of State and the European Commission. According to them, Romania is recognized as a very safe country for citizens and tourists. In the ‘Report for American citizens traveling abroad’, Romania is indicated as having a low and very low risk of crime. In recent years, Romania has recorded figures below the European and international average for crimes such as robberies, thefts and other acts committed with violence, the press release also shows.

     

    Survey – More than a quarter of Romanians (27%) are pessimistic about the year 2025, the rate increasing by 8% compared to last year, according to the latest survey conducted by Reveal Marketing Research. Also, 45% of Romanians have neither an optimistic nor a pessimistic perspective, this attitude highlighting the uncertainty they feel about the future. On the other hand, 28% declare that they look optimistically towards the coming year, the share being higher, 33%, among those with incomes over 6,000 lei (the equivalent of 1,200 Euros). The pessimism of Romanians reaches high levels in relation to the prospects of the country’s evolution in the next year. Reducing corruption (54%), reducing inflation (51%) and improving the economic situation (47%) are considered difficult objectives to achieve in the next 12 months.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis players Ana Bogdan and Anca Todoni debuted with victories, on Friday, in the qualifiers of the WTA 500 tournament in Brisbane (Australia), with total prizes up for grabs worth 1,520,600 US dollars, which marks the beginning of the new competitive season. Ana Bogdan (32 years old, 114 WTA) passed the Australian Arina Rodionova (35 years old, 164 WTA) in the first preliminary round, 6-1, 6-2, after 64 minutes. Anca Todoni (20 years old, 118 WTA) won just as easily against the Swedish Mirjam Bjorklund (26 years old, 770 WTA), 6-1, 6-2, in 68 minutes. Ana Bogdan will face the Colombian Emiliana Arango (24 years, 169 WTA) in the decisive match for accessing the main singles draw, and Anca Todoni will meet the Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (30 years, 110 WTA).

     

    Plane crash – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu sent a message of condolences on Friday following the plane crash reported in Kazakhstan, an aircraft of the Azerbaijan Airlines company crashing near Aktau, a port on the Caspian Sea (west of Kazakhstan). “The Romanian government stands in solidarity with the Azerbaijani people. We are sending our condolences to the families of the victims of the tragic plane crash and we wish a speedy recovery to all those injured,” the prime minister wrote on a social network. With 67 people on board, the aircraft was on a flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Groznyy, the capital of the Caucasian republic of Chechnya in Russia, on Wednesday. The plane crashed and caught fire, and 38 of the passengers died. On Friday, the airline announced that the aircraft had suffered ‘external physical and technical interference’ and that it was suspending flights to several Russian cities, especially in the Caucasus. (LS)

     

  • December 26, 2024 UPDATE

    December 26, 2024 UPDATE

    Christmas – For New Rite Orthodox Christians, Greek Catholics and Catholics all over the world, including Romania, which has a majority Orthodox population, December 26 is the second day of Christmas, the celebration of the Nativity, one of the biggest in Christianity. On December 26, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, one of the oldest feasts in honor of the Virgin Mary. The holiday was established 1,500 years ago. Christmas is a celebration of generosity and compassion, of the revival of hope for a better future, President Klaus Iohannis wrote on a social network. Christmas is a celebration of joy, and true faith is the one that works through love, says the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel. At the Vatican, Pope Francis made a new call for peace in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Old Rite Orthodox believers, who form the majority in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Georgia, celebrate Christmas on January 7.

     

    Government – One of the priorities of the new Romanian government is to draft next year’s budget, which seems to be, at the same time, the main difficulty it will face in the assumed effort to reduce expenses. The draft budget is based on a new emergency ordinance regarding fiscal-budgetary measures, which is to be approved in the following days. In includes a large part of the unpopular measures that the government must implement in order to reduce the deficit. Some of the measures are the freezing of salaries and pensions in 2025 or the taxation of large fortunes. The investiture of the new government in Bucharest, made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, sent a positive signal to Romanian businessmen and to foreign investors, claims the Prime Minister and social-democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu.

     

    Schengen – As of January 1, 2025, when Romania enters the Schengen free travel area also with land borders, 33 border crossing points with Hungary and Bulgaria, as well as from the Black Sea and the maritime Danube, will be permanently closed, namely 17 road and rail crossing points located on Romania’s western border with Hungary and 14 road crossing points, including ferry crossings, rail and port crossing points on the border with Bulgaria and two port crossing points from Brăila and Cernavodă. The Interior Ministry has put up for debate a draft government decision in this regard. From the beginning of 2025, there will no longer be checks at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria at the crossing points. Such checks will only be done randomly, based on risk analysis. Lifting controls at the land borders takes place after the so-called partial accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, made at the end of March, when they joined the area only with the air and sea borders.

     

    Recovery and Resilience – At the beginning of this week, Romania received over 37 million Euros from the European Commission as part of the second payment request from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan following the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, Romania has received 9.4 billion Euros out of a total of over 28 and a half billion Euros allocated to it. In mid December, the Romanian Government sent the European Commission the payment request number three, which involves a financing of 2.7 billion Euros. The money is given in the form of grants, and a series of reforms must be carried out in return.

     

    Moldova – The Russian Foreign Ministry accused NATO, on Wednesday, of trying to turn the Republic of Moldova into a logistics center for the supply of the Ukrainian army and of trying to bring its military infrastructure closer to Russia. Maria Zaharova, the spokeswoman for the ministry, said that the majority of the population of the Republic of Moldova (mostly Romanian speaking) does not want to join the military alliance. She referred to the extensive arms transfers to Moldova in recent months and to Maia Sandu’s pro-Western views. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis congratulated Maia Sandu on taking over her second mandate. Romania and the Republic of Moldova will continue to work for well-being, stability, European values, resilience and democracy, said Klaus Iohannis. On December 24, Maia Sandu was officially inaugurated as president of the Republic of Moldova. In her speech, she emphasized that European integration and justice reform remain the main objectives in her second term. Despite the regional and global crises, caused by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, external threats and the Kremlin’s energy blackmail, the Republic of Moldova managed to maintain peace and advance on the European path, she said. Maia Sandu is the first woman to hold this position and the first president elected by direct vote, who obtained two mandates.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep forfeited her matches for the WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, and for the Australian Open in which she had to participate in the following period due to some medical problems. ‘I will rest and I intend to participate next in the tournament in Cluj (north-western Romania, February 1-9), where I can’t wait to play in front of the extraordinary Romanian fans,  said Halep, former world number one player. The WTA 250 in Auckland, with total prizes worth 275,094 dollars, is scheduled from December 30 to January 5, while the Australian Open, next year’s first Grand Slam tournament, will be held in Melbourne between 6 and January 26.

     

    Gaza – A Palestinian television channel, affiliated to the Islamic Jihad group, on Thursday announced the death of five of its journalists in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip. The people were allegedly killed in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in the center of the Palestinian enclave, ‘while carrying out their journalistic and humanitarian duty’. In turn, the Israeli army stated, on the Telegram network, that it executed ‘a precise strike on a vehicle with an Islamic Jihad terrorist cell on board in the Nuseirat area.’ The Israeli forces claim that before the attack, measures were taken to reduce the risk of hitting civilians. Last week, the Palestinian Union of Journalists announced that more than 190 journalists had been killed and more than 400 wounded since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023.

     

    Rescue – Three Ukrainians lost in the Maramureş Mountains (northern Romania) were rescued after difficult searches. The three crossed the border into Romania in extreme weather conditions and asked the authorities for help. The rescuers expanded the search area after they did not find the lost people at the place they had indicated. An aerial search was not possible due to bad weather, and searches were carried out only on foot. After several hours, the rescuers found the Ukrainians in a dangerous valley, with mild hypothermia, and one with traumas caused by falling in that rugged area. The three were hospitalized. Ukraine invaded by Russian troops has repeatedly reported cases of men dying while trying to flee the country to escape military service. In particular, the mountain river Tisa, which flows along Ukraine’s border with Hungary and Romania, has made numerous victims. (LS)

  • December 22, 2024 UPDATE

    December 22, 2024 UPDATE

    Consultations – The future prime minister of Romania could be announced immediately after the voting of the speakers of the two chambers of Parliament, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday after consultations with the parliamentary parties. The representatives of the pro-European coalition made up of PSD, PNL, UDMR and the national minorities met for consultations and informed the president Klaus Iohannis that the negotiations to find a solid governing equation are heading towards completion. According to Radio Romania, the future prime minister is likely to be the same leader of PSD, Marcel Ciolacu, because the party he leads mandated him to present two work scenarios to President Klaus Iohannis. The first is with PSD in the government and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, and the second with the social democrats in opposition, but supporting in Parliament an executive made up of PNL-UDMR. The liberals did not have a proposal for the position of prime minister, but they supported the version presented by PSD. Separate consultations were held with the USR representatives while the sovereigntist parties – AUR, S.O.S. Romania and POT did not attend the consultations. Meanwhile, PSD, PNL, UDMR and the national minorities continue negotiations for the formation of a parliamentary majority and a government with full powers. Parliament scheduled for Monday the voting of the speakers of the two Chambers.

     

    Revolution – The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday sent, on the X network, a message on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Romanian Revolution. “35 years ago, Romanians stood up for the right to choose their own destiny. Many gave their lives so that their children could be free and live in democracy’, the EC president wrote on X. In Bucharest continue the events dedicated to the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. 35 years ago was Victory Day, a day when the Revolution spread throughout the country. Dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fled by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and people massively took to the streets and shouted “Freedom”. It was also the day after which the number of dead and wounded increased significantly. The heroes who fell in those days were also commemorated, on Sunday, at the Monument in front of the Concert Hall of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. 11 people lost their lives to defend the Public Radio, which, 35 years ago, was hit by gunfire. The public radio was one of the most important objectives of communist propaganda, and the revolutionaries taking control of it was the first step towards victory. Romania was the only communist country in Europe where the regime change resulted in bloodshed. Captured and summarily tried, Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were shot dead on December 25.

     

    Cyclone – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that nine Romanian citizens who were on the island of Mayotte following the passage of Cyclone Chido were evacuated on board an aircraft belonging to the French Air Force. The situation of the Romanian citizens came to the attention of the Consulate General of Romania in Paris a week ago, when the Cyclone hit the island, and permanent contact was maintained in order to identify a possibility for them to return to the country. The Foreign Ministry thanks the French authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, as well as the local authorities and the Prefecture of the Mayotte islands for the support and assistance given to Romanian citizens, in the difficult context caused by the extreme weather phenomena produced in the French overseas territory.

     

    Parliament – The plenum of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies voted, on Sunday, on the makeup of the specialized commissions, as well as the representation of the parties in the respective commissions, depending on the political configuration of the Chamber. Thus, PSD will lead seven permanent commissions, AUR – four, PNL – four, USR – three, UDMR – three, and S.O.S. Romania and POT a commission each. The national minorities will also have the leadership of two permanent commissions. On Saturday, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies validated all the mandates of the new parliamentarians, after which they took the oath of allegiance. The negotiations regarding the formation of the new governing coalition have postponed the election of the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber, and, until a government formula is finalized, the Chamber of Deputies will be led on an interim basis by the social democrat Daniel Suciu, and the interim speaker of the Senate will be the liberal Mircea Abrudean. Also on Saturday, at the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the parliamentary groups of the political parties that entered Parliament were formed. 465 parliamentarians, 331 deputies and 134 senators will be active in the new Legislature. Seven parties have representatives in the two Chambers, four pro-European parties – PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR -, and three sovereigntist parties – AUR, S.O.S. Romania and POT. The 19 national minorities also have representatives in Parliament. (LS)

     

  • December 22, 2024

    December 22, 2024

    Consultations – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, on Sunday invited the presidents of the political parties and groups represented in Parliament for consultations with a view to appointing the candidate for the position of prime minister. The Presidential Administration points out that the series of meetings in Bucharest will begin with the joint delegation of the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, UDMR and the parliamentary group of national minorities. Then follow, separately, USR (pro-European), and the sovereigntist parties – S.O.S. Romania and the Party of Young People (POT).  The president of the sovereigtnist party AUR, George Simion, announced that his party would not participate in the consultations, because they did not recognize the legitimacy of president Klaus Iohannis.

     

    Parliament – A new plenary session is scheduled today at the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, for the establishment of specialized commissions. On Saturday, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies validated all the mandates of the new parliamentarians, after which they took the oath of allegiance. The negotiations regarding the setting up of the new governing coalition have postponed the election of the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and, until a government formula is finalized, the Chamber of Deputies will be led on an interim basis by the social democrat Daniel Suciu, and the interim speaker of the Senate will be the liberal Mircea Abrudean. The senators decided on Saturday, by vote, the makeup of the specialized commissions and their management. Also on Saturday, at the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the parliamentary groups of the political parties that entered Parliament were formed. 465 parliamentarians, 331 deputies and 134 senators will be active in the new Legislature. Seven parties have representatives in the two Chambers, four pro-European parties – PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR -, and three sovereigntist parties – AUR, S.O.S. Romania and POT. The 19 national minorities also have representatives in Parliament.

     

    Revolution – In Bucharest continue the events dedicated to the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. 35 years ago was Victory Day, a day when the Revolution spread throughout the country. Dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fled by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and people massively took to the streets and shouted “Freedom”. It was also the day after which the number of dead and wounded increased significantly. The heroes who fell in those days were also commemorated, today, at the Monument in front of the Concert Hall of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation. 11 people lost their lives to defend the Public Radio, which, 35 years ago, was hit by gunfire. The public radio was one of the most important objectives of communist propaganda, and the revolutionaries taking control of it was the first step towards victory. Romania was the only communist country in Europe where the regime change resulted in bloodshed. Captured and summarily tried, Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, were shot dead on December 25. Over a thousand people were killed in December 1989.

     

    Cyclone – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced that nine Romanian citizens who were on the island of Mayotte following the passage of Cyclone Chido were evacuated on board an aircraft belonging to the French Air Force. The situation of the Romanian citizens came to the attention of the Consulate General of Romania in Paris a week ago, when the Cyclone hit the island, and permanent contact was maintained in order to identify a possibility for them to return to the country. The Foreign Ministry thanks the French authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, as well as the local authorities and the Prefecture of the Mayotte islands for the support and assistance given to Romanian citizens, in the difficult context caused by the extreme weather phenomena produced in the French overseas territory. (LS)

  • December 19, 2024 UPDATE

    December 19, 2024 UPDATE

    TALKS The last thing Romania needs is a wide-scale governmental and Parliamentary crisis, the country’s president, Klaus Iohannis, said on Thursday. There is no time now for petty arguments and every leader must see themselves as a state-person and negotiate for a new government to propose a budget and stage presidential election as soon as possible next year, Iohannis went on to say. The Romanian president has announced he will summon the political parties for a new round of talks. His statement comes after the announcement by the country’s Prime Minister and Social-Democratic leader, Marcel Ciolacu that the PSD is going to withdraw from the talks for setting up an Executive and that it will be voting for a minority right-wing government. The interim PNL chair, Ilie Bolojan, says the Liberals are willing to contribute to finding a solution. In his opinion the country is already in a complicated situation and the inability to build up a ruling coalition will cost the Romanians dearly. The USR MP, Catalin Drula, whose party has been accused of far-fetched claims for carrying on the talks, has lashed out at Ciolacu’s statement and the UDMR has made an appeal to the coalition partners to come back to the negotiations table. After the cancellation of the presidential election, the pro-European parties, which won seats in Parliament following the election round on December 1st, namely PNL, USR and UDMR have kicked off talks with a view to forging a coalition government.

     

    SUMMIT ‘There would be no winners in a potential trade war between the United States and the European Union except China’, the EU’s Foreign Affairs High Representative, Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. Her statement comes against the uncertainties related to the future decisions by the Trump administration, due to take over on January 20th. There are fears the new US administration might raise import fees for European products up to 20%, an alternative being considered by heads of state and government at the European Summit underway in Brussels. The aforementioned summit, where Romania is being represented by its president, Klaus Iohannis, has high on its agenda the situation in Ukraine, migration, the Middle East, the bloc’s civil and military training, crisis-response as well as the situation in the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

     

    FITCH The Fitch rating agency has worsened Romania’s outlook from “stable” to “negative” regarding the raring for long-term loans in foreign currency. Among the reasons cited, Fitch mentions political risk factors, including “eroded political credibility” and political uncertainty, as well as fiscal slippages and unsustainable spending. An important factor that has been taken into account is the large budget deficit. Among the causes, Fitch lists public sector wage spending and “unfunded pension increases ahead of the election”. In addition, the new Romanian Parliament is more divided and there is an increase in the share of extreme right anti-European parties, which reflects the rising polarization of Romanian society. On the other hand, a plus for Romania is, according to Fitch, the solid banking sector. Among the factors that can lead to a positive rating, the agency mentions the higher than projected fiscal consolidation, which supports the stabilization of the public debt (GDP) in the medium term and the reduction of external indebtedness and external financing risks.

     

    FOOTBALL The main shareholder of the football club Rapid Bucharest, one of the most popular in Romania, the businessman Dan Şucu, became the majority shareholder of the Italian club Genoa, the Serie A group announced on its official website. The source points out that, following a capital increase to 45,356,262 Euros, of which 5,356,262 Euros are free and another 40,000,000 paid on December 14, the Board of Directors approved the Romanian investor’s offer. He subscribed to the entire capital increase, obtaining, in return, a share in the share capital of about 77% of Genoa CFC and leaving the previous shareholders as a minority – the release also states. President of the Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Şucu (61 years old) is a prominent figure in the Romanian economy. He is the founder of Mobexpert, the largest furniture brand in Romania, with over 2,200 employees. He is also involved in the real estate sector and in the media, with a key role in the business daily “Ziarul Financiar”. Genoa is ranked 13thin Serie A after 16 matches, with 16 points.

     

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  • Full Schengen membership for Romania

    Full Schengen membership for Romania

     

    After years of waiting, Romania and Bulgaria are becoming full members of the Schengen area. On Thursday, the Justice and Home Affairs Council approved the lifting of the two countries’ land border controls, as of January 1, 2025.

     

    “The benefits of our membership of the free movement area​ are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. The lifting of land border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly improve the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market,” President Klaus Iohannis said.

     

    “It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept to be second-rate European citizens,” Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said in his turn. He explained that, for Romanians, this decision brings concrete and immediate benefits, especially for those in the diaspora, who travel frequently to Romania.

     

    The full accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area brings about a number of undeniable benefits for the two countries. First of all, greater freedom of movement towards Western Europe. Similarly, towards the south, Romanians will no longer be stopped either at the border with Bulgaria or at the next one, with Greece. The greatest benefits, however, will be for carriers who will no longer have to wait for hours at the borders, most often in difficult conditions.

     

    There will be, however, a six-month period of partial controls at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria. Such controls have been temporarily initiated on various internal Schengen borders, due to the increase in illegal migration into the Union. The justice minister Cătălin Predoiu provided more details:

     

    Cătălin Predoiu: “Whenever border police notice something wrong with a vehicle carrying individuals or when they receive information that there is a risk in terms of compliance with the law, they step in and carry out checks.”

     

    Bulgaria and Romania, members of the EU since 2007, partially joined the Schengen area in March, with passport controls abolished for those crossing the air and sea borders.

     

    Romania went through several Schengen assessment reports before 2011, the first deadline for joining the area. Subsequently, over the years, countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands or Austria opposed Romania’s accession, citing issues related to corruption, organised crime, judicial reforms or migration.

     

    With a population of almost 420 million people, Schengen is the largest free movement area in the world, covering over 4 million square kilometers and now including 29 countries. (AMP)

  • Austria no longer opposes Romania’s Schengen accession

    Austria no longer opposes Romania’s Schengen accession

    The Austrian Interior Minister, Gerhard Karner, has announced his country no longer opposes Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen with their ground borders. A decision in this respect is expected at the meeting of the European Interior and Justice Ministers in Brussels this week, where in order to be adopted, it will have to be voted unanimously by the EU members.

    Austria opposed Schengen expansion two years ago in spite of the European Commission recommendations arguing that the EU’s external border wasn’t well-protected against illegal migration by these two countries.

    Gerhard Karner explained that Austria’s requests on fighting illegal migration have brought down the number of immigrants close to the Hungarian border, the most preferred entrance route to his country.

    This massive reduction in illegal migration wouldn’t have become visible had we not opposed until now – the Vienna official went on to say. We saw 70 thousand interceptions until October last year alone and only 4 thousand in the same period this year, Minister Karner said adding that it wasn’t sure whether those illegal migrants had made it to Austria via Romania.

    In December 2023, the EU Council decided to accept in its borders-free area Romania and Bulgaria, two EU members since 2007. However, these two countries’ accession was only partial in March 2024, and only those travelling by air or by sea were exempted from passport checking. The Foreign Ministers of Austria, Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council have recently agreed over a new measure package on border security.

    Under the document signed in Budapest, even after the two countries’ ground accession, a transition period of 6 months will follow when checking is to continue at the two countries’ borders, a condition imposed by Austria. However, the checking is no longer needed at the Greek-Bulgarian border.

    Romania had witnessed several Schengen assessment reports before 2011, the first assumed term for joining the zone. Along the years countries like France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands or Austria opposed Romania’s accession invoking issues such as corruption, organized crime, legal and migration reforms.

    In May 2022, the European Commission reiterated the recommendation that Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia be admitted to the Schengen zone. The last, an EU member since 2013, joined on January 1 2023, both the border-free area and the Eurozone, whereas Romania and Bulgaria had to wait.

    In October 2024, the European Parliament endorsed a new resolution, the fourth of this kind since 2011 – calling for the immediate accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Schengen is the world’s largest free-movement area covering 4 million square kilometers with a population of 420 million people and includes 27 countries.

    (bill)

  • The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    Pro-European parties have mustered the votes of 57% of the Romanians who went to the polls to cast their ballot for the country’s future legislature, whereas the so-called sovereignist, isolationist political groups have gathered 32%.

    The elections registered a record high turnout, over 52% – the largest in the past 20 years. And seven political groups have cleared the minimum 5% threshold to become part of the new Legislature.

    The incumbent ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) got most of the votes followed by the sovereignist AUR, which doubled its number since the last election four years ago. The co-ruling National Liberal Party, a.k.a PNL, has obtained a better result than its leader in the last week’s presidential election. The number of votes it won was close to that obtained by the centre-right USR.

    The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania has also cleared the minimum threshold and so has the extremist-sovereignist SOS Romania party led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă as well as the newly-established Young People’s Party (POT) founded by Ana-Maria Gavrilă, who had made it to Parliament on AUR tickets four years ago.

    Shortly after the exit-polls on Sunday night leaders of the seven parties made statements. “Through their vote in the Parliamentary elections the Romanians said they wanted the continuation of the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic progress”, Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu said.

    “This is an important signal the Romanians have sent the political class – to continue to develop the country on European money but at the same time to protect our identity, national values and faith,” the AUR leader, George Simion, said. According to him the Romanians want a change and the representatives of his party will ensure the observance of the national values and democracy and that dialogue is the solution to Romania’s future. The interim PNL president, Ilie Bolojan, has thanked the Romanians for their interest in the election and has assured them the Liberals will continue to support the state reforms. In turn, the USR leader, Elena Lasconi, has made an appeal to unity for defending democracy and European values.

    Most of the Romanians abroad have endorsed the AUR party, but options also included USR, SOS Romania and POT. Turnout abroad was also significant, standing at roughly 800 thousand voters, three times higher than in the 2020 election. The largest number of voters was reported in Britain, but also in Italy and Germany.

    (bill)

  • The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania

    The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania

    The Social Democratic Party (PSD) is set to win Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania, after 98% of the vote count. According to partial returns, PSD got 22.54% of the votes for the Chamber of Deputies. In second place is the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) with 17.75%, followed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) with 13.60% and the Save Romania Union (USR) with 11.99%. Coming next are SOS Romania with 7.10%, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) with 6.49% and POT with 6.24%.

    The parties got similar results in the race for the Senate. PSD got 22.90% of the votes, AUR–18.07%, PNL–14.49%, USR–11.91%. They are followed by SOS Romania–7.51%, UDMR–6.54% and POT– 6.18%. The rest of the parties and alliances failed to pass the 5% electoral threshold.

    7,981,120 Romanians went to the polls, the voter turnout was 52.50%.

  • The Great Union of December 1, 1918: a look back at Romania of the year 1918

    The Great Union of December 1, 1918: a look back at Romania of the year 1918

    Earlier in 1918, Romania had been occupied by the Central Powers’ armies and its image was tainted by the separate peace treaty it concluded in March 1918. In the fall of 1918, the balance of power between the Central Powers and the Entente changed dramatically in favor of the latter, so much so that at the end of the war Romania found itself on the winners’ side. The reward was the establishment of Greater Romania, as the provinces of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania united with the Kingdom of Romania. Yet, that was not easy to achieve. Until 1920, the political elite and society in general had to struggle to have the new state recognized at international level.

     

    The historian Ioan Scurtu explains Romania’s road from ecstasy to agony in the war years, between 1916 and 1918.“In theory, Romania ought to have been prepared, since it entered the war in 1916, two years after the big world conflict had started. That particular time span should have normally been used for getting the army as well as the necessary supplies ready. Sadly, it didn’t. After the frenzy of entering the war, when the troops set off in songs, flowers attached to their guns, and with cheering crowds seeing soldiers off as if they were going to a party, the disaster in Turtucaia took place, only 10 days later. That opened the eyes of Romanian officials to reality. Then in November the troops withdrew from Transylvania and in early December the capital city Bucharest was occupied. The government and court had to flee to Iasi, where, aside from all the hardships triggered by such a numerous presence, cholera broke out, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And, as if all that were not enough, a railway accident occurred, when more than 1,000 people died as a train went off the rails nearby Iasi.”

     

    1917 however brought its moments of glory, when the Romanian army stopped the advance of German and Austrian-Hungarian troops in Marasesti, Marasti and Oituz. Yet the Bolshevik Revolution triggered Romania’s surrender, which was occupied by the enemies soon after. Despite the fact that it had lost its treasure to Russia, it concluded a separate peace with its opponents and had to cope with the aftershocks of the Bolshevik revolutions in Russia and Hungary, Romania managed to overcome those tremendous difficulties.

     

    All that was possible because of a visionary political elite, the historian Ioan Scurtu believes.“All those obstacles were overcome, due to the fact that Romania had a top-quality political class. And the first name that comes to mind is that of Ion I.C. Bratianu, the president of the National Liberal Party, who played a crucial role in achieving the Great Union. Representatives of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania came to Iasi, ahead of the Union proclamation, held talks with King Ferdinand and with Ion I. C. Bratianu and other politicians, to find the best way to mobilize everybody for the union. Ion I.C. Bratianu led the Romanian delegation at the Peace Conference in Paris and there he talked to the great politicians of that time, from the US President Wilson to Great Britain’s Prime Minister. Eventually it was a success, and through the peace treaties of 1919-1920 the Chisinau, Cernauti and Alba Iulia union documents were ratified.”

     

    But it was the two Romanian monarchs, Ferdinand I and Marie, who mobilized the nation. Historian Ioan Scurtu: “King Ferdinand was German, he had been an officer in the German army. When, during a Crown Council meeting, he said he was in favor of Romania entering the war against his country, his family, he made a personal sacrifice, but at the same time an act of great importance for Romania. He had an exchange with Petre P. Carp, right after the Council meeting. Carp told him curtly that he had forgotten he was German, and such a decision was improper. The king replied that he was fully aware of being German, but, he added, if the interests of his country would have been in line with Romania’s, he would gladly have taken a different path. However, he considered himself Romanian, too, the king of Romanians, and he acted in the interest of the country he was heading.”

     

    The sacrifice of the nation was also the sacrifice of the royal couple, and strength of character shows in the most difficult moments. Historian Ioan Scurtu:“Queen Marie was right from the start in favor of Romania joining the war on the side of the Allies. She was English, and she played an important role in convincing Ferdinand to make this personal sacrifice in the interest of the Romanian people. Along the way, the king and queen were always close to Romanians, to the army, to the main political leaders. When he heard a proposal to withdraw from Iasi to Odessa, for fear that German troops would take over the whole of Moldavia, King Ferdinand said he would not leave the country. Ion I. C. Bratianu did the same. This mobilized public opinion, including some politicians who had left in a hurry to take residence in Ukraine, in cities far from the front line.”

    Greater Romania was the dream of the early 20th century. It was an aim reached by all who believed in it, by following strong models and principles, by overcoming emotion and hesitation, by the sheer force of will.

     

  • November 21, 2024

    November 21, 2024

    Election – The first round of the presidential election takes place in Romania on November 24. The second round is scheduled for December 8, and legislative elections are held on December 1. There are 13 candidates in the race for president, 10 supported by parties and 3 independents. There are 14 names on the ballots, but one of the candidates withdrew in favor of another. The authorities opened 950 polling stations for Romanians outside the borders, a record number. They can vote, in the first round of the presidential election, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

     

    Tractors – Small Romanian farms that own old and polluting tractors will be able to buy new ones by applying to the “Tractors Scrap” program. The budget allocated to the project by the administration of the environmental fund is 500 million lei (the equivalent of about 100 million Euros). The registration of the companies from which farmers can purchase the tractors starts on Friday and can be done until November 28 at the latest. The vouchers acquired by farmers will cover between 65% and 80% of the purchase value, which should not exceed 55,000 Euros.

     

    Tourism fair – The autumn 2024 edition of the Romanian Tourism Fair has opened today in Bucharest. Visitors have access to a wide range of promotional packages, exclusive discounts and holiday ideas for all tastes and budgets, the organizers say. More than 100 participating companies offer destinations from all over the world, and discounts on vacation packages during the fair are up to 50%. Among the participants are tour operators from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Israel, Austria, Hungary, Egypt, Vietnam and Italy.

     

    EC – The right-wing, centrist and social democratic parties in the European Parliament reached, on Wednesday evening, a political agreement to approve the new team of the European Commission. The Romanian Roxana Mînzatu will thus become Executive Vice-president for People, Skills and Preparedness in the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. The European Parliament will give its final vote on the makeup of the new European Commission on November 27, in a plenary session in Strasbourg.

     

    Moldova – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, paid an official visit to the neighboring Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) on ​​Wednesday, together with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, David Lammy. The two were received by the pro-Western President Maia Sandu and had trilateral consultations with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Mihai Popşoi. The discussions focused on long-term support for the stability and resilience of the Republic, the reform agenda for the continuation of Chișinău’s European integration process and the regional security situation in the context of the continuation of Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. Minister Luminiţa Odobescu also participated in the inauguration ceremony of the new building of the Mihai Eminescu Theoretical High School in Comrat (south, with a majority population of Gagauz – ethnic Turks of the Christian-Orthodox denomination), built with funding granted by the Government of Romania and the Moldovan Education Ministry. She emphasized that the support for the education sector and for studying in the Romanian language represents investments in the European, democratic and prosperous future of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    Resignation – Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, signed the decree acknowledging the resignation of Adrian Veștea from the position of Minister of Development and the termination of his mandate as a member of the Government. Veștea’s portfolio was taken over by the finance minister, Marcel Boloş. He stated that his objectives include, among other things, the access of communities to a stable and functional heating system ahead of the winter season, as well as the support of water, sewerage and road projects. (LS)

  • Romania, from wages to youth unemployment

    Romania, from wages to youth unemployment

    Data from the Statistical Office of the European Union – Eurostat show that the adjusted average annual full-time salary of Romanians is the fourth lowest in the European Union. According to Eurostat, the data show an annual salary increase of approximately 2,500 Euros for 2023. However, the total amount remains less than half of the EU average. Last year, the adjusted average annual salary for the community bloc was 37,900 Euros, while in Romania it was approximately 17,700 Euros, so less than half.

     

    On the other hand, the data published by Eurostat also show that the unemployment rate in the euro zone stood at 6.3% in September, stable compared to the previous month, while in the case of the European Union the unemployment rate remained at 5.9%. In Romania as well the unemployment rate stood at 5.5% in September, stable compared to August. And the National Institute of Statistics in Romania announced that the unemployment rate was, in September, nationally, 5.5%, similar to that of August, which had increased slightly compared to the previous month. Most of the unemployed in Romania are adults between the ages of 25 and 74.

     

    Financial analyst Adrian Codirlașu believes that the slight increase in unemployment after the middle of the year was caused by the accentuation of the slowdown in economic growth: “Somehow, the unemployment rate returned to the values ​​it had in the previous year. If in the middle of the year we saw a decrease in the unemployment rate, later, starting in August, it returned to the level of 5.5%, so it increased a little, a slight increase. I would put it in the context where we see that the economy has slowed down, and this is seen in the creation of fewer jobs. It’s true, it grew extremely easily, so somehow it’s in the error margin, I would say, we still can’t say ‘yes, unemployment is generated’, but we still see a movement in the direction of a slight increase in the unemployment rate”.

     

    Adrian Codirlașu added that the unemployment rate will depend, in the future, on how the economy will perform, but he estimates that it will remain high and even increase slightly, because he does not see a significant improvement in the economy compared to this year, but on the contrary. It is possible, in the context of increasing taxation, for even more redundancies to be generated in the economy, the financial analyst warned.

     

    The National Institute of Statistics draws attention, as usual, to the level of unemployment among young people, those aged between 15 and 24, which exceeds 23%, but Adrian Codirlaşu considers it normal that the figure is much higher for this category. ‘Young people must learn, they must go to school to learn. They will be much better off, later, by accumulating that knowledge. Then there is the university, it would be ideal for as many young people as possible to go to university, because a job based on education brings the highest incomes”, the financial analyst says. (LS)

  • November 5, 2024 UPDATE

    November 5, 2024 UPDATE

    Visit – The European commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, is paying an official visit to Romania on Wednesday, the EC announced in a statement. The commissioner will participate in the conference themed “Multi-sectoral Pact for an Integrated Agricultural Policy of Romania – objective 2035”. At the same time, the official is a special guest in the EU-Romania Interactive Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture. According to the press release, the commissioner will talk about the perspectives of European farmers in the context of environmental and geo-political challenges and of the EU enlargement. At the same time, he will have an intervention in the plenary session, with the theme “Vision and action for the sustainable transformation of agriculture”. Janusz Wojciechowski was quoted as saying that ‘First of all, it will be an opportunity to thank Romanian farmers for their vital contribution to food security, both in Europe and outside it. In recent years, farmers in Romania have shown remarkable resilience, passing well through a pandemic, through economic recessions and through the energy crisis, besides climate-related challenges,” said commissioner Wojciechowski.

     

    Commissioner – Roxana Mînzatu, proposed for the position of European Commissioner from Romania, received a favorable opinion, on Tuesday, in the specialized commissions of the Romanian Parliament. At the hearings, she stated that the “People, Competences and Training” portfolio, which she will handle, accounts for almost 20% of the EU’s multiannual budget. She mentioned that, as executive vice-president of the European Commission, she will also coordinate the area of ​​preparation for emergency situations. Roxana Mînzatu will be one of the six vice-presidents of the future European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen.  Mînzatu aims to make the teaching career more attractive, in a Europe where at least 24 states are facing a crisis of teachers and, at the same time, she wants to improve the Erasmus+ program, considered far too expensive by many Romanian students. On November 12, Roxana Mînzatu will be heard in the specialized commissions of the European Parliament.

     

    IMF – The International Monetary Fund representatives started, on Tuesday, technical talks with the Romanian authorities to analyze the economic and financial developments of Romania in the last period. The delegation will have meetings in particular at the Central Bank and the Finance Ministry. The officials will discuss the evolution of inflation and the economy, the balance of payments, public debt and budget deficit, monetary and fiscal policy. Although Romania currently does not have an agreement with the Fund, the financial institution annually evaluates the country’s economy and makes recommendations. The IMF mission in Romania will end on Friday.

     

    Spain – The Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE) announced on Tuesday that, according to the information sent by the Spanish authorities, so far, two Romanian citizens have died and seven are reported missing, following the meteorological phenomena that affected Spain. The MAE also informs that the representatives of the Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the Romanian Consulate in Castellon de la Plana remain in permanent contact with the competent Spanish authorities regarding the Romanians affected by the recent meteorological phenomena. At the same time, Romanian citizens can request assistance from the Romanian consulates in the main Spanish cities – the MAE also announced. In Spain, the Madrid government has declared a state of natural disaster in the affected areas and has pledged to cover all the urgent expenses of the affected municipalities. A first emergency plan worth 10.6 billion Euros was adopted, with direct aid and fiscal facilities for citizens and 30,000 companies.

     

    Meeting – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu had a meeting in Bucharest on Tuesday with a delegation of Japanese investors from the fields of energy, research and technology, industry, infrastructure and banking. The head of the executive appreciated the level of bilateral relations, developed on the basis of the Strategic Partnership. He emphasized Romania’s role as a factor of stability in Europe and in the region, as well as the geostrategic, economic and political advantages that qualify it as a destination for investors. The Japanese delegation expressed its interest in strengthening financial support for Romania in projects in the fields of transport infrastructure, energy, digitization and high technology. Previously, during a bilateral Energy Forum that took place in Bucharest, the Romanian Energy Ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of the Tarnița-Lăpuștești investment (in central Romania). It is a project of strategic importance for balancing the energy system in Romania, necessary in the context of increasing the share of energy from renewable sources. (LS)