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  • Romania at the London Book Fair 2024

    Romania at the London Book Fair 2024

    35 years after the Romanian Revolution, the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) celebrated freedom in all its creative forms, at a new edition of the London Book Fair. Under the motto “Voices of Freedom”, Romania’s participation in this year’s edition of the London Book Fair, one of the largest events devoted to professionals in the literary field, was dedicated to all generations of local writers who have created in an epoch of full freedom of speech. The Romanian Cultural Institute prepared a program of events that included book launches, conferences and spoken word performances, which took place at the ICR stand at the fair, the ICR London headquarters, the Barbican library and Conway Hall.

     

    Eli Bădică, the coordinator and initiator of the collection of contemporary Romanian literature by Nemira Editorial Group, spoke to us about Romania’s participation in the London Book Fair from her perspective as a publisher: “A fair like this is also accessible to the public, but it is not a book sale fair. It is not a fair similar to those held in Romania, within which many events and launches take place, it is an event dedicated especially to literary agents, publishers, cultural managers and translators, to literary and commercial networking. It is an important fair for me and my colleagues, who are active in this industry, it is the second largest fair after Frankfurt in terms of importance worldwide. That’s why they are somehow strategically scheduled, in spring and autumn, because they are the fairs where translation rights are usually bought. Returning to Romania’s presence at this edition of the fair, part of the events took place at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London, and another two events took place in libraries, some splendid spaces. Romanian writers, literary critics and cultural managers were present and participated in some very interesting discussions. Also, the few recently published translations from Romanian into English were also presented. And during these events, a discussion was brought up that only 3% of the Anglo-Saxon book market is represented by translations.I’m saying this to understand how difficult this mission of publishers is, to try to find publishing houses for Romanian writers in this space, where English dominates the book market. I had some meetings in London with translators, editors and agents really interested in what Romanian writers write. What very few people know is that usually the editorial plans that are made in this space are considering very few writers from the East, sometimes only one in an editorial year. So, you have to try to convince the publisher, translator or the agent that that writer from Eastern Europe deserves to be a Romanian writer.”

     

     

    Participation in this edition of the London Book Fair opened with an event dedicated to the voices of female writers from Romania and Great Britain. One of the writers who participated in that debate was Elena Vlădăreanu, the initiator and coordinator of the “Sofia Nădejde” Prize, awarded to contemporary Romanian writers.

     

    Elena Vlădăreanu: “One of the writers participating in this discussion was Alina Purcaru. Alina Purcaru is also the coordinator, together with Paula Erizanu, of the three-volume anthology ‘A century of Romanian poetry written by women’ published by the Cartier publishing house. It is a very important anthology because Alina and Paula have collected a century of Romanian poetry, selecting and managing to bring in the spotlight writers that many people have not even heard of. Two very interesting writers and philosophers from Great Britain, with very rich work and PhDs in philosophy, Suzannah Lipscomb and Hannah Dawson, also participated in the same discussion. Suzannah Lipscomb is a specialist in history and has recently initiated a prize for non-fiction literature, which complements the prize already being granted in the UK for fiction. This prize which she initiated is called the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction. At the debate organized by ICR London, Suzannah Lipscomb said she came up with the idea of the award after noticing that references in the academia were mostly to texts and research written by men. In this way, she thought of highlighting these non-fiction texts written by women and that is why she initiated the award, which this year will be granted for the first time. In turn, Hannah Dawson, a specialist in the philosophy of language, has recently published an anthology at Penguin entitled The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing. To compile this anthology, Dawson went through at least 100 years of literature written by women. She was interested, first of all, in finding those unknown texts that address feminist themes. And she was surprised to find very old texts, texts even more than 100 years old, which addressed in a very contemporary way feminist themes, such as equality, the right to education, the social status of women, the relationships that women have within the family as well as within society.”

     

    Mădălina Căuneac, Liliana Corobca, Cosmin Perța, Florentin Popa, Maria Stadnicka, Matei Vișniec, Marius Chivu, Bogdan Crețu, Alex Ciorogarand, Susan Curtis, Iulian Morar, Gabi Reigh and Milena Deleva are on the list of participants attending the events organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London as part of the London Book Fair. (LS)

  • Romania-NATO, 20 years

    Romania-NATO, 20 years

    “As a NATO member state, Romania has the most solid security guarantees in history and observes the commitments taken at allied level, contributing, at the same time, to the strengthening of common security and collective defence”, said Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who participated in the conference “Romania – NATO, 20 years”, organized by the Defence Ministry on Wednesday.

     

    According to the head of state, the current context generated by the war at the country’s borders increases Romania’s relevance as a pillar of regional security and stability. Klaus Iohannis emphasized that Bucharest must intensify its efforts to strengthen the reserve of military personnel, to revitalize the national defence industry and to modernize the transport infrastructure. Klaus Iohannis: “The defence of our citizens is one of the fundamental obligations of the Romanian state. However, people’s safety cannot be guaranteed without an army equipped with modern technology. As of 2023, Romania increased its GDP allocation for defence, from 2% to 2.5%, to equip the Romanian Army, motivate, train and improve the military and increase the level of interoperability with the allied forces”.

     

    In his turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that joining NATO meant for Romania returning to the community of western democratic values and principles. Marcel Ciolacu: “Today, Romania is irreversibly anchored in the Euro-Atlantic community and represents, in its turn, a strategic NATO anchor on the Eastern Flank. Romania remains a mature and credible ally, with a proactive attitude and the ability to act sustainably to achieve its own objectives and protect allied values”.

     

    Attending the event, the Speaker of the Senate, Nicolae Ciucă, said that Romania is a safe country thanks to the Army and the Alliance which it joined two decades ago, becoming a source of security in the region and an essential pillar of NATO in the Black Sea. He pointed out that a safer world for future generations depends on the continued support given to the neighbouring Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. Romania is safe because every square centimetre is defended by the NATO forces, said the interim speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfred Simonis, adding that the main message the Alliance sends is the protection of the idea of freedom and the sovereignty of nations.

     

    Defence ministers from NATO countries, chiefs of staff and ambassadors of the allied countries participated in the event in Bucharest. In this context, the Romanian Minister of Defence, Angel Tîlvăr, had several bilateral meetings with counterparts and ambassadors from allied countries. We remind you that Romania officially joined the North Atlantic Alliance on March 29, 2004, by submitting the ratification instruments and that on April 2 the same year the country’s flag was raised at the NATO headquarters. (EE)

  • April 10, 2024

    April 10, 2024

    NATO. President Klaus Iohannis said today that Romania must step up efforts to consolidate its military reserve force, to revitalise the national defence industry and modernise its transport infrastructure. He said Romania, together with NATO allies, will continue to provide “political and basically multidimensional support” to Kyiv. The president is attending an event to celebrate Romania’s 20th NATO membership organised by the defence ministry in Bucharest. Attending are senate speaker Nicolae Ciucă, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu and political and defence officials from Romania and NATO member states. In March 2004, Romania officially joined NATO after presenting the instruments of ratification to the US State Department, the depositary of the North-Atlantic Alliance Treaty, and in April the Romanian flag was flown at the NATO headquarters as part of an official ceremony. Romania has hosted various events in recent weeks to mark 20 years of NATO membership and NATO’s 75th anniversary.

     

    Law. The Constitutional Court is today discussing an action submitted by the High Court of Cassation and Justice in connection with the so-called fugitives law. The supreme court decided at the end of last year to challenge the bill, under which persons who received final sentences and who do not surrender themselves to the police to serve their prison sentence within seven days will be considered fugitives and face an additional time in prison of between 6 months and 3 years. In the opinion of the High Court, the bill violates the right to a fair process and individual freedom. Bucharest’s former mayor Sorin Oprescu, the former head of the organised crime prosecutor’s office Alina Bica and the man calling himself Paul of Romania, the grandson of King Carol II, are among the people who received final prison sentences and who have fled the country to escape prison. Italy and Greece are the preferred countries for the convicted fugitives.

      

    Elections. Romanian political parties wishing to send representatives to the European Parliament have until today to submit their lists of candidates to the Central Electoral Bureau. Within 24 hours of the registration of candidatures, the candidates’ declarations stating they did not work or collaborate with the political police of the communist regime are to be submitted to the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives. The lists of candidates and of the independent candidates must be published on Thursday. The placement on the ballot of political parties, citizen organisations belonging to ethnic minorities, political alliances and electoral alliances that submitted lists of candidates, and independent candidates will be established on 30th April. The European elections will take place in Romania on 9th June, on the same date as the local elections. The presidential elections are scheduled in September and those for the national Parliament in December.

     

    Gambling. The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday adopted new regulations for gambling, with gambling venues to be banned from places with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants. The bill provides for steep fines of over 40,000 euros, confiscation of money resulting from criminal activity and even suspending the business licence. The representatives of the ruling coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party say the bill will deal a blow to the gambling industry, which is wreaking havoc especially in the rural environment. They said this is only the first step and that after seeing the reaction from the industry, they will move to banning gambling venues from the big cities. The opposition has accused the ruling coalition of hypocrisy and of using the issue for election purposes.

      

    Football. The Romanian women’s football side on Tuesday evening defeated Kazakhstan 1-nil in a Group C4 match in the preliminaries of the 2025 European Championship. In their opening group match on Friday, Romania also defeated Armenia 5-nil, away. Romania top the group with 6 points, followed by Armenia, with 3 points, Bulgaria, with 3 points, and Kazakhstan, with 0 points. Romania will next face  Bulgaria, on 31st May at home.

  • April 9, 2024

    April 9, 2024

    MEETING – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is today meeting, in Bucharest, with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi. The talks that the latter had on Monday with Romanian officials such as Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu and Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja focused on the close collaboration between Romania and the IAEA in the development of the civil nuclear program and on the prospects for deepening cooperation in the energy field. The foreign official highlighted Romania’s international profile and its responsible and internationally recognized nuclear policy.

     

    DEFICIT – Romania’s trade balance deficit in the first two months of this year was 4.142 billion euros, by 228.4 million euros smaller than the one recorded in the same period in 2023, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, published on Tuesday. In February, a trade deficit of 2.174 billion euros was registered. Statistical data show that between January 1 and February 29, 2024, exports totaled 15.042 billion euros, and imports – 19.184 billion euros. Compared to the same period of last year, exports decreased by 0.1%, and imports by 1.2%. In the first two months of 2024, important shares in the structure of exports and imports are held by the product groups: machinery and transport equipment (47.3% for export and 36.3% for import) and other manufactured products (29.1% for export and 27.9% for import). The value of intra-EU27 exchanges of goods in the mentioned period was 11.045 billion euros for shipments and 14.111 billion euros for introductions, representing 73.4% of total exports and 73.6% of total imports.

     

    FISHING – The general ban on fishing began on Tuesday in all natural waters in Romania, according to an order approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment. Consequently, commercial and recreational activity is to be resumed on June 8, with some exceptions. The ban will last 60 days in the natural fishing habitats, while in the waters that form the state border with Ukraine it will last 45 days, being prohibited from April 16 to May 30. The fishing prohibition period is established depending on the reproduction season of the aquatic fauna, so that it is protected, with a view to sustainable exploitation. During the prohibition period, fishermen can carry out their activity in private lakes.

     

     

    EU – The European Commission has approved an aid scheme for Romanian businesses of approximately 2.5 billion euros. This is intended to protect companies affected by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The European Commission concluded that the reintroduction of support for Romanian companies remains necessary, adequate and proportionate to remedy the significant disturbances in the economy of a member state. The scheme aims to ensure that the affected companies continue to have enough liquidities.

     

    VISIT – The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, announced that he will make official visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He hailed what he called Qatar’s direct involvement in rescuing Romanian citizens from the Gaza Strip, the scene of the war between the Israeli army and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, and said he wanted to reiterate his thanks to the Qatari leaders. In the United Arab Emirates, Ciolacu also said, he will hold talks on possible investments in the development of the Constanţa Port (south-east), the TAROM state owned airline and the Bucharest Airport.

     

    CARS – The number of new car registered in Romania went down by 22% in March compared to the same month last year and by more than 17% compared to the previous month, according to the Automobile Manufacturers and Importers Association. The electric car segment experienced a setback of almost 36% compared to the same period in 2023. As regards the market share depending on the engine, gasoline cars occupy the first place, with over 58%, followed by electric ones, with almost 24%, and Diesel, with almost 18%. In March 2024, the best selling 100% electric cars in Romania were Dacia Spring and Tesla

  • State aid for companies affected by the war in Ukraine

    State aid for companies affected by the war in Ukraine

    The European Commission has approved the reintroduction of a state aid scheme in Romania of approximately 2.5 billion Euros (12.5 billion RON) to support companies in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The aid consists of loans as well as of non-reimbursable funds that will be granted to Romanian companies until June 30. The amount of support is divided into categories. Thus, companies in the agricultural field can receive up to 280,000 Euros, companies in the fishing and aquaculture field, up to 335,000 Euros, and companies operating in the rest of the sectors can benefit from aid worth up to 2.25 million Euros. According to the Commission’s analysis, the request made by Romania complies with the conditions provided for in the crisis and transition framework. The Romanian state requested such an agreement for the first time on September 9, 2022, which was approved in January 2023 for the entire year. Following the expiry of this deadline, the Commission once again approved the reintroduction of the state aid scheme to ensure sufficient liquidities for companies on the Romanian market.

     

    The measure is seen as necessary and proportionate to remedy the irregularities in the national economy. Moreover, the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had announced, a few days ago, that the government would extend this year the IMM INVEST PLUS state aid scheme, to overcome the economic difficulties created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is a government lending program for working capital and investments aimed at SMEs and large companies in Romania. Approximately 11,500 companies can receive such funds. The program was initiated to ensure, until June 30, access to financing by companies that do not have the necessary sums for investment projects and for the continuation of their activity, the Finance Ministry announced. We want to support vital sectors such as agriculture, constructions and production and to make sure that we offer innovative Romanian companies the opportunity to reach their potential, said the finance minister, Marcel Boloş.

     

    The EU imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow and adopted a series of support programs and allowed member states to provide special subsidies to mitigate the economic and commercial effects of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Europe was subsequently faced with an explosion of prices and turbulence in the financial markets. The war has had enormous economic costs so far. It was not just the economies of the two countries in conflict that suffered, but the entire planet. Already rated as one of the costliest wars in human history, the price of this conflict has so far been estimated at over two and a half trillion dollars, that is over two thousand five hundred billion. Comparatively, this sum is equivalent to Romania’s GDP for seven and a half years. And it represents, in just two years, more than half the estimated costs of World War II, which lasted six years and was the most devastating conflict in history. (LS)

  • Romania on Its Way to Full Schengen Accession

    Romania on Its Way to Full Schengen Accession

    “Obviously, they will monitor us carefully, and any error will be speculated by the Austrians to delay things, to justify what they argued. Of course, we know that their arguments regarding migration do not hold. The institutions of the European Union, Frontex first of all, through the data they publish, show that the Austrian accusations have no basis. On the contrary, Croatia, whose entry they allowed in 2023, is more on the Balkan migration route than Bulgaria and Romania.”

    ‘I think the most complicated problem we have is with legal migration from Romania, which has increased a lot – 100,000 migrants coming from Asian countries, especially in 2022-2023, which should increase to 250,000 this year’, says political scientist Cristian Pârvulescu

    “They will have to be watched very carefully, because they can get on a plane at any time and go to Western countries. If they are no longer subject to controls at Romanian airports, we will really have a problem, and this temptation exists. They come to Romania, of course, because it is a slightly more open market, but also because they hope to be able to go to the West, and now they have an opportunity.”

    However, the Romanian authorities have provided assurances that there will continue to be border police patrols in airports, which will ID all those who might violate the legislation, because those who come to work in Romania do not benefit from the right to free movement in the Schengen area, Cristian Pârvulescu reminds us.

  • Elections and young people

    Elections and young people

    Ahead of the electoral marathon to take place in Romania this year, with European Parliament and local elections on June 9, with the presidential election in September and the legislative elections in December, the “Youth Vote” initiative was launched in Parliament, being intended to encourage young people to vote and to promote an agenda of their priorities. During the event, the comprehensive study “Young people from Romania in the 2024 election year” was launched. Among the challenges reported by those interviewed are the lack of well-paid jobs, the quality of the education system, and problems related to the living standard. Regarding the trust in institutions, the university environment holds first position, being credited with much and very much trust by 56% of young people, followed by the European Union (51%), the army (50%) and NATO (50%).

     

    The list of institutions that enjoy little trust among young people includes the press and especially the political institutions: Presidency, Government, Parliament and parties. Young people criticize certain aspects of the functioning of the state, such as predictability, equity, independence and orientation of the country towards its citizens, the survey also reveals. And the lack of hope makes two out of three young people to consider temporary or permanent migration from Romania, 68% of them considering that the country is going in the wrong direction. The main aspects identified by most young people as worrying about their situation in Romania are the lack of opportunities on the labor market, the poor quality of education, the vices and the standard of living. Predictably, social networks are among the top sources of information for young people. Thus, 4 out of 10 young people say that they get information from sources such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp. Young people’s interest in politics is low.

     

    The presidential election is considered the most important. The intention to participate in the vote is, declaratively, very high, but it could be invalidated at the polls. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, a little over 25% of young Romanians went to the polls, and the highest participation rate among young people, in the last 8 years, was in the 2019 European Parliament elections, when over 40% of them voted. Choosing the “lesser evil” is an aspect indicated by 4 out of 10 respondents.

     

    “Youth Vote” is not the initiative of a human or a person, it is the project of a generation, said Alexandru Manda, the founder of “Youth Vote” and organizer of the event. He believes that the main conclusion would be that one in four young Romanians says he or she is undecided and does not know who he or she will vote for in this year’s elections. Probably, the biggest problem is that many young people do not see their future here, not because they do not want to, but rather because the system is built in such a way that it does not meet their needs, says the sociologist Dan Jurcan, the director of research of the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES). The IRES survey took place in March, on 800 young respondents, with a margin of error of 3.5%. (LS)

  • Special Parliament sitting devoted to NATO

    Special Parliament sitting devoted to NATO

    Marking 20 years since Romania joined NATO and 75 years since the creation of the Alliance, the Romanian Parliament convened in a joint sitting on Tuesday. Romanian MPs adopted a resolution highlighting Romania’s NATO membership as safeguarding citizens’ security, democracy and individual liberties. The resolution was passed with 247 votes in favor and 1 against. Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă, a retired general, said that in the 20 years since it joined NATO, Romania has become a key member of the Alliance.

     

     

    “Romania is deeply transformed today. We have the strongest security guarantees in our country’s history. We are not just beneficiaries of NATO security, but one of the pillars for ensuring security on NATO’s eastern flank”.

     

     

    In the last couple of decades, Romania proved to be a loyal and valuable NATO member, interim Chamber of Deputies Speaker Alfred Simonis said in turn.

     

     

    “Romanian servicemen have been deployed to every battlefield that required their presence. Civilian institutions have supported Romania’s active and honorable activity at NATO level. Romania joined a community of values, which has had a transformational and positive impact on our society”.

     

     

    From the opposition, USR leader Cătălin Drulă said Romania must fulfill its commitments at NATO level, particularly in terms of earmarking 2.5% of the GDP to defense spending.

     

     

    “We can become a leader in Eastern and Central Europe, but for that we must build a modern Romania that values democracy and honors its promises to its allies”.

     

     

    Romania’s obligations at NATO level were also mentioned by AUR deputy Mircea Chelaru, a retired general himself.

     

     

    “This Alliance comes with benefits and obligations, which we ourselves enjoy and are committed to observe, namely loyalty, predictability and responsibility”.

     

     

    Over 80% of Romanians believe NATO accession to be a good thing, and that Romania’s allies will defend the country in case of an attack, a survey conducted by the Romanian Institute for Analysis and Strategy reveals. Nearly a quarter of participants agree Romania should invest more to modernize its military. 60% of Romanians say the presence of NATO troops on Romania’s territory enhances the country’s security, given that some 40% of respondents expressed concern regarding Romania being possibly dragged in a military conflict over the next years. (VP)

  • The effects of storms in Romania

    The effects of storms in Romania

    17 counties across Romania and the capital Bucharest were, on Tuesday, under code orange alert for strong winds, which caused serious damage in localities in 13 counties and in Bucharest. Wind speeds generally reached 80 – 85 km/h, and at high altitudes in mountainous areas, gusts exceeded 120 km/h. The rest of the country was under code yellow alert for strong winds. There were breakdowns in the electricity supply and the fire brigade had to intervene to clear the construction elements uplifted by the wind, the fallen trees and the electricity poles that fell on the roadway. In Bucharest alone, firefighters intervened in almost 300 cases to manage the damage caused by the strong wind, and in Ilfov county, near Bucharest, 29 requests were handled.

     

    According to a press release by the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations – ISU, the most frequent problems were caused by fallen trees on the roadway or cars, as well as sheet metal parts detached from the rooftops of buildings, plaster detached from buildings as well as damaged building rooftops and fallen poles. In the country, road traffic was temporarily disrupted on numerous sections of roads due to fallen trees on the roadway. Moreover, railway traffic was also temporarily affected. Houses and outbuildings were also damaged. The strong winds equally caused several fires. Firefighting aircraft of the Romanian Air Force joined, in these situations, the firefighters who were fighting the flames. Actions were made difficult by the strong wind, which caused the flames to spread rapidly. Also, there were breakdowns in the electricity supply in numerous localities in several counties.

     

    The teams of electricity distributors intervened to fix the malfunctions, including in Bucharest, where there were several requests. The mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, gave assurances that the pace of moving the cables underground was accelerated, in order to avoid such situations in the future. According to the general mayor, in the last three years about a thousand kilometers of cables were removed from the poles and replaced with underground cables. As to the the fallen trees, he said, on a private television station, that the risk of their collapse is more difficult to anticipate, given that their roots happen to be cut when various works are carried out.

     

    For the coming days, meteorologists announce temperatures above the normal values for this period of the year in most regions of Romania. The wind intensity will decrease compared to the previous period, however it will still intensify in the mountains, especially in the Eastern Carpathians. (LS)

  • March 29, 2024 UPDATE

    March 29, 2024 UPDATE

    GRAIN Romania’s grain output went up by 9 percent last year, up to 21 million tons mainly due to the more productive types sowed, the National Institute for Statistics said. The growth has been influenced by the 11% increase in the wheat production, which accounts for 47% of the total grain production. Data shows that Romania ranks fourth in Europe in terms of wheat production after France, Germany and Poland.

     

    DST Romania will this weekend implement the Daylight Saving Time DST and will set clocks forward by one hour. So, three AM becomes four AM and Sunday becomes the shortest day of the year. The change takes place a couple of days after the Spring equinox on March 20th, when days are equal with nights. Thanks to the DST, Romania will have a three hours advance against the GMT as compared to only two in winter. DST is expected to last a little under seven months, nearly 65% of the year covering the seasons of spring, summer and half of autumn. The EU members were supposed to announce their decision to permanently adopt the summer or winter time until 2021. However, discussions on the issue still continue.

     

    ­­SCHENGEN As of March 31st, air and maritime checks on Schengen borders will be lifted for Romania and Bulgaria. This means that documents will no longer be checked. In Romania, border policemen can still make unannounced checks, based on a risk analysis. The preparations taking place on 17 airports and four maritime ports in Romania have come to an end. Also, to prepare for 31st March, some big airports in Romania, such as the ones in Iasi and Timisoara, have opened new terminals. Initiated in 1985 as an intergovernmental project between five states – France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – and after seven waves of expansion, the Schengen area is currently the largest free movement area in the world. With the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, it expands to 4.5 million square km and a population of 450 million.

     

    NATO From the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, across the Atlantic and the Adriatic, NATO is more united and more capable than ever, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said on Friday in a message on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the largest wave of expansion in the Alliance’s history. On behalf of the United States, Blinken congratulated Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their accession to NATO. The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has also said that Romania will remain deeply involved in the process of permanent adaptation of NATO, so that the Alliance becomes stronger, more resilient and better prepared for the future. In the 20 years of NATO membership, Romania has become an important pillar and has consolidated its position within the alliance, respecting its security commitments in the Black Sea area, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said. NATO was established in 1949 as a security alliance between the United States, Canada and 10 West European countries. Sweden is the youngest member, as it has joined NATO this year. There are currently 32 states making up the Alliance.

    (bill)

     

  • Romania supports NATO’s Open Door Policy

    Romania supports NATO’s Open Door Policy

    In a ceremony held in cold and rainy weather, the flag of Sweden, which became the 32nd member of NATO, was raised, Monday at noon, at the Brussels headquarters of the North Atlantic Alliance. It is the epilogue of an almost two-year course of this Scandinavian country, which, after almost 200 years of neutrality and military non-alignment, in May 2022, together with Finland, expressed its intention to join the Euro-Atlantic organization after the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Finland achieved its goal first, after Turkey and later Hungary opposed Sweden’s accession. To give its consent, Ankara requested and received firm commitments from Stockholm regarding the fight against terrorism, and eventually, Budapest, which had never expressed a specific objection to Sweden’s accession, ratified the accession protocol of the Scandinavian country.

     

    Sweden’s accession to NATO is a “historic” event and proves that the Russian President Vladimir Putin has “failed” in his attempt to weaken the Alliance, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “When President Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, he wanted less NATO and more control over his neighbors.  He wanted to destroy Ukraine as a sovereign state. But he failed. NATO is bigger and stronger, and Sweden’s membership enhances this even further” Stoltenberg said in a joint press conference with the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels. “It’s a victory for freedom”, the Swedish Prime Minister emphasized in Washington, after handing the official accession documents to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States being the depository of the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in the US capital in 1949.

     

    In Bucharest, the Romanian Foreign Minister welcomed Sweden’s accession to NATO by submitting, on March 7, the instrument of ratification to the US State Department. By joining NATO, Sweden is stronger and safer, and the Alliance more consolidated, Bucharest officials believe while reiterating that Romania firmly supports the Alliance’s Open Door Policy. On Monday, at the Romanian Defense Ministry headquarters, the ceremony of raising the flags of Sweden, Romania and NATO took place, in the presence of Minister Angel Tîlvăr and the ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden in Romania, Therese Hyden.

     

    “Together we are stronger. As a member, Sweden will equally contribute to the development of the Alliance policies and decisions, as well as to the strengthening of allied forces. The new ally brings into NATO a strong and well-trained army, as well as a robust defense industry”, Angel Tîlvăr also said. According to the Romanian official, “in order to strengthen the security situation, deterrence measures against Russia are also needed, and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, together with Finland, will make substantial contributions to the integrated defense and deterrence posture on the eastern flank, ensuring coherence and unity from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.” (LS)

  • March 11, 2024 UPDATE

    March 11, 2024 UPDATE

    Elections – The Romanian government adopted on Monday, in an extraordinary meeting, a decision that establishes the calendar of the combined elections of June 9, 2024. According to the emergency ordinance on holding the two elections simultaneously, recently adopted by the executive, the local officials will be able to run on behalf of another political party if they announce that 45 days before the date of the elections. The document is criticized by the opposition. The United Right Alliance requested the Ombudsman to notify the Constitutional Court in relation to the emergency ordinance on merging the European Parliament elections with the local ones. The representatives of the Alliance state that they have identified provisions in the law adopted on Friday that violate both the Constitution and some previous decisions of the Court.

     

    Protests – The employees of the Romanian healthcare system protested, on Monday, in front of the headquarters of the Government, the Labor Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Parliament, the main dissatisfaction being related to salary incomes. Several thousand trade unionists, members of the Sanitary Solidarity Federation, participated. People continue to be dissatisfied, although the Government approved, last week, an increase in the healthcare staff’s salaries by 20% in two equal installments, in March and June. The trade union representatives believe that the increase is insufficient and state that the extra amounts do not cover the inflation rate. Moreover, they claim that the government’s emergency ordinance does not include any provision regarding increases or the hourly rate of on-call services.

     

    Tennis – After a year and a half break, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep will return to the tennis courts, the former world leader leaving, this morning, for Miami. The athlete has not played an official match since August 2022 and will now make her debut at the WTA 1000 tournament in the USA (March 17-31). Outside the WTA ranking, Halep received a wildcard from the organizers, an invitation that allows her to be on the main draw of the tournament. We remind you that Simona Halep received the right to return to the tennis court after the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has recently reduced her suspension for doping from 4 years to 9 months. The athlete managed to prove that the doping substance she unintentionally ingested came from a contaminated food supplement.

     

    Partnership – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, on Monday had a telephone conversation with her Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, in the context of the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and Japan. The economic, sectoral and cultural projects were reviewed and their development opportunities were highlighted. Starting from the interdependence of security situations, the two ministers addressed the latest developments regarding Europe and the Indo-Pacific area. Both sides highlighted Romania’s and Japan’s firm support for Ukraine and each country’s contribution to the effort to mitigate the multiple negative effects of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including on its neighbors.

     

    Moldova – The Constitutional Court in Chişinău decided on Monday that the phrase “Romanian language” should remain in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including the Constitution, the magistrates rejecting a notification submitted by socialist and communist deputies, Radio Chişinău reports. At the end of March last year, the deputies of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS) submitted a notification to the Constitutional Court requesting the verification of the constitutionality of the decision to change the name of the state language, from Moldovan to Romanian, in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including in the Constitution. The main argument of the authors of the complaint was that the parliamentary group of the ruling Action and Solidarity party changed the Constitution with the votes of a simple majority of deputies, and not with two-thirds of the votes. The respective bill was voted by the Moldovan Parliament in the final reading last year, and the president Maia Sandu promulgated the law.

     

    NATO – Romania firmly supports the Open Door Policy of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, and “Sweden’s accession proves that NATO’s door remains open and that together we are stronger”, said the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr. On Monday, the ceremony of raising the flags of Sweden, Romania and NATO took place at the Romanian Defense Ministry headquarters, on the occasion of Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Alliance, in the presence of the minister and the ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Romania, Therese Hyden. According to a press release, during the ceremony, Angel Tîlvăr declared that Sweden, as a NATO member, will equally contribute both to the development of the Alliance policies and decisions and to the consolidation of allied forces. In turn, Therese Hyden stated that with Sweden’s joining NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance will be stronger and Sweden will be safer.

     

    EC – Romania received, on Monday, 642 million Euros from the European Commission for the Just Transition Platform – FTJ STEP, representing a single exceptional pre-financing within the ‘Strategic Technologies for Europe’ (STEP) platform – the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Adrian Hat announced. The platform will support the development of European industry and the stimulation of investments in critical technologies in Europe. According to the minister, at present, Romania has received sums worth 1.23 billion Euros within the Cohesion Policy 2021 – 2027, and by the end of this year, it will have in its accounts at least 5 billion Euros from the new Cohesion Policy. (LS)

  • EPP – support for full Schengen accession

    EPP – support for full Schengen accession

    The European People’s Party unanimously adopted, on Wednesday, on the first day of its Congress in Bucharest, an electoral manifesto in which it demands that Romania and Bulgaria fully join the Schengen area. The document was approved by the more than 2 thousand participants in the Congress. In other words, the manifesto surprisingly also received the vote of the representatives of the People’s Party from Austria, a country whose chancellor, Karl Nehammer, from the same political family, has, until now, vehemently opposed this perspective, despite the fact that Romanians and Bulgarians have been, for many years, technically prepared to fully enter the free travel area and despite the repeated appeals from EU officials at the highest level.

     

    In fact, in Bucharest, the president of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, reiterated, on Wednesday, that Romania and Bulgaria meet all the criteria, not forgetting to mention, however, the challenge from Vienna. He said that he also wanted to ask the socialists in Austria to reconsider their position, because they are also against Romania and Bulgaria having full access to Schengen, so there is an Austrian challenge and they have to convince all the parties there to give the green light, said Manfred Weber.

     

    Romanians who live and work abroad are waiting for Romania to enter Schengen with land borders as well, said the president of the National Liberal Party – PNL, in the governing coalition in Romania, Nicolae Ciucă.

     

    And the leader of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, stated that postponing Romania’s full accession will harm Europe: “The political tango around accession to the Schengen area can neither be assumed nor continued. We must say this loud and clear here as well, in our political family. We can and we will protect the external borders of the Union. We are prepared to do so. All sorts of excuses and pretexts can be invented to delay full accession to the Schengen area, but this will do enormous damage in the short term. I’m asking all those who had reservations about Romania’s accession to the Schengen area to put our common interests in the medium and long term first, not the immediate political gain.”

     

    Last December, the Council of the European Union voted for the entry of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen, with controls at air and sea borders being lifted from March 2024. In order to accept their full accession to the free travel area, with controls lifted also at land borders, which is the most important component actually, Vienna set conditions. Will these conditions fade away in front of the need to obtain a good score in the June election for the European Parliament or, on the contrary, will they be strengthened? (LS)

  • March 5, 2024 UPDATE

    March 5, 2024 UPDATE

    Treasure – The National Bank of Romania and MEP Eugen Tomac organized an exhibition at the European Parliament on Tuesday about the Romanian Treasure owned by Russia and which has not been returned to our country for over a hundred years. It is a unique case in history, and Bucharest wants to bring it to the attention of the European Union as another example of violation of international law by Moscow. Next week, the European Parliament is expected to demand the reparation of this injustice, through a resolution supported by all political groups. The treasure consists of 91 tons of gold, works, artifacts and archival documents, which were sent to Moscow in 1916 and 1917, during the First World War, when much of the country was occupied by the forces of the Central Powers. Later, after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1918, the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation refused to return the treasure, except for works of art and other cultural values. The exhibition at the European Parliament presents legal evidence and historical documents regarding the sending of the Romanian Treasure to Moscow, as well as Russia’s commitments to return it at the request of our country.

     

    Meeting – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, had a meeting, on Tuesday, in Bucharest, with his counterpart from the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Earlier, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also discussed with Maia Sandu. In the context he reconfirmed his “firm” support for Chisinau’s European path. The meetings took place a day before the Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP), scheduled in Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday. Led by Iohannis before he became president, the National Liberal Party – PNL (today in the governing coalition with the Social Democratic Party – PSD) is affiliated with EPP. Present in Bucharest, the president of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, said that he supported the decision to have “someone from a Central or Eastern European country” at the head of the EU, in the next mandates of the community institutions. Over 1,500 representatives of the European People’s Party, including 13 heads of state and government, are in Romania to participate in the congress of this political group in the next two days.

     

    Motion – The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday dismissed the simple motion against Finance Minister Marcel Boloș, filed by Save Romania Union – USR and Force of the Right opposition parties. The motion was debated on Monday, opposition members criticizing the Minister for introducing a 10% tax on medical leave to cover the holes in the state budget. Minister Boloș is also accused of violating the law that stipulates that any tax must be enacted six months after its introduction. Marcel Boloș denied all accusations, slamming the opposition’s motion as a politicized initiative. The healthcare system is underfunded, and the government sought to discourage medical leave, which would bring less benefit to working employees, the Finance Minister said in response.

     

     

    Tennis – The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has shortened tennis player Simona Halep’s sentence for doping from 4 years to nine months. The Romanian, the former world number one, will be able to return to the court, as her provisional suspension began on October 7, 2022. The Court decision, published on the court’s website, is final. We remind you that the tennis player has always claimed that she took a contaminated supplement, and at the hearings in February, she sought the help of a French expert specialized in pharmacology, toxicology and biology. The International Tennis Integrity Agency stated in September 2023 that Simona intentionally violated the anti-doping rules and suspended her for 4 years.

     

    Drugs – In Romania, high-risk drug traffickers will no longer be able to receive suspended sentences, and trading psychoactive substances will be punishable by 3 to 10 years in prison. A draft law in this regard was adopted on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies, which is a decision-making body. The MPs emphasized that the phenomenon of drug use has been ignored for a long time and that additional measures are needed to combat it: border scanners, rehabilitation and prevention centers. (LS)

     

  • Extended partnership between Romania and India

    Extended partnership between Romania and India

    The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, and her Indian counterpart, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, adopted, in New Delhi, the Joint Declaration on the 10th anniversary of the Romania-India Extended Partnership. The moment represents a milestone in the history of cooperation between the two countries and allows relations to advance to a higher level of collaboration. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), the meeting between the two officials took place on the sidelines of an international conference and provided the opportunity for a substantial exchange of views on regional and global issues of common interest, against the backdrop of security developments. The anniversary joint declaration aims to strengthen Romanian-Indian bilateral relations, as well as the cooperation in a multilateral context. It also underlines the sectoral priority approach in three areas, namely energy, IT&C and manufacturing. Both ministers appreciated the progress made in the development of bilateral relations and confirmed the common commitment to the consolidation of collaboration in priority areas, with focus on economic relations and sectoral cooperation.

     

    The two dignitaries highlighted the importance of cooperation in addressing challenges and promoting regional and international stability, the MAE also states. The Joint Declaration on the establishment of an Extended Partnership between Romania and India, signed on March 8, 2013, provides for consolidated cooperation in such sectors as economy and trade, defense, space, agriculture, food industry, infrastructure, SMEs, the pharmaceutical industry, energy, nuclear energy for civil purposes, oil and natural gas exploitation, petrochemical industry, the automotive industry, IT&C, culture, science and technology, higher education and research, and tourism. In 2022, the total volume of trade between the two countries was over 1 billion dollars. India currently occupies the fourth place in the top of Romania’s trade exchanges with the Asian area.

     

    Romania and India established diplomatic relations in 1948, at the Legation level. Seven years later, relations were raised to the Embassy level. Romania’s diplomatic office in India was opened in 1955, and India’s diplomatic office in Bucharest in 1959. According to the Foreign Ministry, in 2023, approx. 700 people with Romanian citizenship lived in New Delhi and in the main cities of India. Romanians living in India work in various sectors: business, education, art, science, and so on. India has officially overtaken China and became the most populous country in the world with over 1.4 billion inhabitants. According to experts, the population explosion should not be seen as a burden, but as a valuable asset that could fuel economic growth.