Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian

August 31, 2024 UPDATE

LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day was celebrated on Saturday both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events were held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on the cultural heritage and an invaluable heritage we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the phrase “Romanian language.” This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Saturday was on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova, for talks with his counterpart Maia Sandu. On this occasion, the two officials signed a Joint Declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, which has received consistent support from Romania so far to withstand the many challenges it has been facing. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. He emphasized that Romania’s strategic commitment to supporting the democratic development of Moldova would remain unwavering in the long run, and called on all international partners to provide consistent support in its EU accession efforts. In turn, Maia Sandu said Romania played a vital part in consolidating her country’s energy independence, and also highlighted Bucharest’s support in the EU accession process. The Romanian president’s visit to Chişinău took place as Romania and Moldova celebrated the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the country’s income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above ‘BBB’ category peers. The international institution’s decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romania’s economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

PENSIONS A bill on raising the pension tax threshold in Romania from EUR 400 at present to EUR 600 is to be endorsed next week in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect, the culture minister Raluca Turcan announced. She said the measure had been promoted since 2022 by the National Liberal Party, and that after its endorsement in Parliament it would take effect on October 1. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party decided a few days ago that the new bill should be rushed through Parliament, instead of being endorsed by the government under an emergency order.

LAW The legislation regarding extended restraining orders took effect in Romania on Saturday. The goal is to protect all victims, irrespective of their relations with the abuser. The justice minister, Alina Ghorghiu, says that previously, restraining orders were only issued for cases of domestic violence, but the new legislation also includes psychological abuse. She encouraged all victims to seek protection and to report abuse cases, regardless of the form of abuse and of who the abuser is. In this context, the Romanian justice ministry has initiated an awareness raising campaign called “Living in fear is not living.” In 2023, nearly 80,000 cases of domestic violence were reported to the police, and in over 30,000 cases the victims were women. (AMP)

31 August 2024
August 31, 2024

LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day is celebrated today both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events are held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on an invaluable cultural heritage that we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the phrase “Romanian language.” This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed in Chişinău on Saturday a joint declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate resilience in the Republic of Moldova. The document defines and strengthens bilateral cooperation in this critical area for consolidating and safeguarding democracy and stability in the neighbouring state. President Maia Sandu said Romania had invested massively in the development of Moldova and remained the staunchest supporter of its EU accession efforts at international level. In turn, Klaus Iohannis promised that Bucharest’s commitment to supporting Chisinau in any crisis, including in the energy sector, is firmer than ever. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. Romania will be the most reliable and active supporter of Moldova’s EU accession efforts, and I encourage all international partners to provide consistent and long-term support to this country and its citizens, Iohannis added. His visit to Chişinău took takes place as Romania and Moldova celebrate the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romania’s long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the country’s income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above ‘BBB’ category peers. The international institution’s decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Boloş said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romania’s economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

ENESCU As of today, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest is hosting the 19^th edition of the George Enescu International Competition, one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. Until September 27, some of the world’s best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano. The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra. The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competition’s opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)

31 August 2024
Sports Roundup

A number of Romanian athletes have these days competed in tennis tournaments. At the ATP 250 tournament in Gstaad, Switzerland, totaling some 579 thousand EUR in prizes, the Romanian-German pair Victor Cornea / Andre Begemann reached the men’s doubles semi-finals, where they were ousted by Ugo Humbert and Fabrice Martin of France, 7-6, 6-4. For their performance, the two were awarded a 9,600-EUR check and 90 doubles points. Another Romanian player, Irina Begu, qualified to the women’s singles semi-finals of the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo, Italy, where she was ousted by Karolina Muchova of Czechia, 6-1, 6-1. Begu was the winner of the 2022 edition. For her run in Palermo, Begu won 10,100 EUR and 98 WTA points. And finally, the city of Iași in northeastern Romania is this week hosting a WTA 250 tournament, offering 232 thousand EUR in prizes. On Sunday, two Romanian players advanced to the second round. The recipient of a wild card, Gabriela Ruse knocked out Anastasia Tikhonova of Russia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-1. Miriam Bulgaru (206 WTA) grabbed the most important victory of her career, winning 6-4, 6-2 against Tajana Maria of Germany (60 WTA), seeded second in the competition. Ruse and Bulgaru were both awarded 3,512 EUR and 30 WTA points.

This weekend will see matches counting towards the second round of the Romanian Football Super League. On Friday, Poli Iași won 1-0 against FC Botoșani at home, while Unirea Slobozia drew 2-2 against FCSB in a match hosted by Clinceni. On Saturday, Universitatea Craiova won 4-2 against UTA Arad, while Rapid Bucharest drew 2-2 against CFR Cluj on home turf. On Sunday, Universitatea Cluj won 3-1 against FC Hermannstadt at home, while Dinamo Bucharest won 4-1 against Petrolul Ploiești. On Monday, Gloria Buzău is playing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe while Oțelul Galați will take on Farul Constanța.

In other news from football, this weekend will see matches counting towards European inter-club competitions. On Tuesday, FCSB is playing Maccabi Tel-Avia of Israel in the second preliminary round of Champions League. In the second preliminary round of Europa League, Corvinul Hunedoara will take on Rijeka of Croatia on, while CFR Cluj will play Neman Grodno of Belarus in the second preliminary round of Conference League. Also on Thursday, Universitatea Craiova will play Maribor of Slovenia away from home, also in Conference League. (VP)

22 July 2024
March 12, 2024 UPDATE

CANDIDACY The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Tuesday announced he would run for the NATO secretary general post. He says Eastern Europe has a valuable contribution to the Alliance, and believes NATO needs to renew its outlook on its mission, with strong representation in this region. Iohannis concludes his second presidential term in December. This February, Romania notified NATO of its intention to nominate Klaus Iohannis for the position for whichthe US, Britain and France announced they would back the Dutch PM Mark Rutte. As a rule, Romania’s nominations for top international posts are decided by the presidency, government and the foreign ministry. The term of NATO’s current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has been extended by one year, until October. He has been leading the Alliance since 2014. NATO’s deputy secretary general, the Romanian Mircea Geoană, appointed in 2019, also completes his term in October. Romania joined NATO in 2004.

OECD The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Tuesday released its 2024 Economic Survey of Romania in Bucharest, in the presence of PM Marcel Ciolacu and of the OECD secretary general, Mathias Cormann. PM Ciolacu said the OECD membership remains Romania’s most important strategic goal after the NATO and EU accession, and the government is fully committed to further the required reforms. The survey examines Romania’s recent economic performance and assesses policy options to strengthen recovery and sustain the green transition. The OECD Council decided to launch accession negotiations with Romania on 25 January 2022.

LANGUAGE The Constitutional Court in Chișinău ruled that the phrase “Romanian language” is maintained in all the legislation of the Republic of Moldova, including in the Constitution. The Court thus rejected a move submitted last year by a group of socialist and communist MPs following Parliament’s implementation of a 2013 court ruling on the name of the country’s official language.

COUNCIL The Romanian Finance Minister Marcel Bolos Tuesday took part in the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels. The agenda included the recovery and resilience mechanism, and the economic and financial impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The Presidency and the Commission informed the participants of the main results of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors held on 26-29 February 2024. The ministers of economic and financial affairs also discussed investments and social reforms for resilient economies with the ministers of employment and of social affairs.

PROTESTS Hundreds of local police are picketing the headquarters of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration for the second day in a row on Wednesday, the National Trade Union Bloc announced. The main demands are full compliance with the law regulating weekly rest days and public holidays and the provision of mandatory food allowances. The unionists also want Parliament to review the draft POCA (Administrative Capacity Operational Program) drawn up by the Ministry of Development, as well as the status of the local police. According to the National Trade Union Bloc, in December 2023, the National Federation of United Local Police Unions started a public campaign to raise awareness on the importance of local police officers in society.

TRIAL The Bucharest Court of Appeals Tuesday postponed the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate to the UK, until the case in Romania has been tried. The British-American citizens were detained on Monday night, under European arrest warrants issued by the British authorities for sexual exploitation offences in UK. Last June, the two brothers and two Romanian nationals were charged with forming an organised crime group and continuous human trafficking and rape offences, in a case that made the headlines in Romania. In early 2021, the defendants formed an organised crime group trafficking people in Romania, the US and UK. (AMP)

12 March 2024
October 9, 2023

WAR Clashes were still reported on Monday between the
Israeli army and Palestinian fighters infiltrated in the south of the country
from Gaza, after Israel reportedly hit over 500 targets of Hamas and the
Islamic Jihad organisations during the night. The Israeli defence forces have
full control over the southern part of the country, attacked by the Palestinian
Hamas forces, an Israeli military spokesman said on Monday, quoted by AFP and
Reuters. This is the 3rd day of violent clashes that have so far
killed around 1,200 people, over 700 of whom Israelis and at least 493
Palestinians, EFE reported on Monday. Israel’s security cabinet declared war following the attacks of the Palestinian
organisation Hamas, allowing the government to undertake significant military
activities, the PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday.

ISRAEL On Monday 96 Romanian nationals were repatriated from Israel, via
Jordan, on a Tarom flight, the foreign ministry announced. Another 245 Romanian citizens were repatriated on Sunday, including 2 pilgrim
groups. The foreign ministry reiterates its recommendation that Romanian
nationals should reschedule their planned trips to Israel and monitor the Travel
Alerts section on its home page. Meanwhile, a mobile consular team from the
Romanian embassy in Israel and from Romania’s representation office in Ramallah is at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv
to provide assistance to the Romanians there. A unit from the ministry’s emergency
response team has also been deployed to Israel, to help in the repatriation
efforts.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is on a visit to Portugal,
where he is scheduled to have talks today with PM António Costa, with the president
of the Assembly of the Republic Augusto Santos Silva, and with Portuguese MPs.
On Saturday, Iohannis had a meeting with his Portuguese counterpat, Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa, discussing the war in neighbouring Ukraine, in which context
he reiterated thanks for Portugal’s substantial contribution to the defence and
deterrence posture on NATO’s eastern flank. The presence on Portuguese troops
in Romania is a strong signal of Portugal’s solidarity and support to
strengthening Romania’s security, president Iohannis said. On the other hand,
the president of Portugal said his country was supporting Romania’s Schengen
and OECD accession.

MEETING PM Marcel Ciolacu said today in Varna, Bulgaria, that during the
Romania – Bulgaria – Greece trilateral meeting the 3 countries agreed to
implement a joint action plan aimed at significant development in trilateral
cooperation in sectors such as transports, energy, trade and security. In the
presence of EC officials, of the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Bulgarian
PM Nikolay Denkov, we have reiterated Romania’s ambition of quickly becoming a
Schengen member state and an influential economic player in the region, Marcel
Ciolacu said. The Romanian official also added that Romania, in a partnership
with Bulgaria and Greece, may have a greater influence in the EU, promoting its
central role in the reconstruction of Ukraine and its willingness to see the
Republic of Moldova and Western Balkans countries joining the European bloc as
soon as possible.

HOLOCAUST Romania marks today the National Holocaust Remembrance Day. On
October 9, 1941, the deportation of Jews from Bessarabia and Bukovina to
Transdniester started. The Holocaust was recognised by the Romanian authorities
in 2004, based on the conclusions reached by a commission headed by Nobel prize
winner Elie Wiesel. The Jews and Roma who died during the Holocaust were
commemorated in Bucharest, while Timişoara is hosting a concert organised by
the local Jewish community.

SWIMMING The Romanian athlete David Popovici, the defending European
champion in the 100 and 200m freestyle races, won all the 4 short course competitions
in which he took part this weekend in Nyon (Switzerland). On Sunday he finished
the 100m and 50m freestyle events in the first position, with 47.22s and 21.83s
respectively, after on Saturday he had won the 400 and 200m freestyle races. The
competition in Switzerland is training opportunity ahead of the European short
course championships scheduled in December in Otopeni, near Bucharest. (AMP)

9 October 2023
August 31, 2023 UPDATE

TALKS Romania’s Prime
Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, will fly to Brussels on Friday for a new round of
talks with the European Commission on the country’s budget deficit next year.
The Executive in Bucharest would like a deficit over 5% and in order to
convince Brussels, the Romanian Prime Minister is expected to propose a series
of fiscal measures, including that of cutting the VAT quotas down to two and the
elimination of some facilities. Ciolacu is expected to explain that a budget
deficit over 5% is necessary as Romania had to support the neighboring Ukraine,
affected by the war. Early this week, the European Commission held talks with
government ministers from Romania. The conclusions of the aforementioned
meetings have not been made public, but, according to some European sources,
the Commission does not consider the measures proposed by the Romanian authorities
who pledged to raise taxes and curb public expenses as being enough.

VISIT A team of the European Commission is to visit Romania on
Friday and Saturday for talks on ways to streamline the local capabilities handling
the Ukrainian grain exports, after Russia has left the initiative regarding these
exports through the Black Sea and is presently threatening maritime civil
transportation. The expert team will be visiting the ports of Galati, on the
Danube and meet representatives of the Lower Danube Administration, port
authorities and pilots. The team will also travel to the Romanian Black Sea
port of Constanta for talks with the representatives of the operators,
transporters and grain traders here, the European Commission has announced.

DAY A series of cultural events was staged simultaneously in
Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the historic communities in the Diaspora
to mark the Day of the Romanian Language on Thursday, August 31. Set by
Parliament in Bucharest in 2013, the Day of the Romanian Language coincides
with the national day in the Romanian-speaking, ex-soviet, Republic of Moldova,
which thus pays homage to the local movement of national awakening. On August
31 1989, during the soviet regime, the Parliament in Chisinau, picketed by
about 750 thousand people, which accounted for a sixth of the country’s
population at that time, decided the Romanian as the state language also
shifting from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet.

ITO As of Thursday the
city of Timișoara in Western Romania is hosting the 7th edition of the
International Meeting of Orthodox Youth (ITO). Attending are clergymen from at
home and abroad, MPs, ministers and academia. The conference will tackle a
number of issues tied to universal history and culture, but also human
trafficking and drug abuse. Religious services will be held, whereas a march
will commemorate the young people killed in the 1989 anti-communist revolution.
The International Meeting of the Orthodox Youth is part of the agenda of the
Timișoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023 programme. The next meeting
will be held in Bucharest in 2025, marking 100 years since the establishment of
the Romanian Orthodox Patriarchate.

(bill)

31 August 2023
June 24, 2023 – UPDATE

PRICES
Romania is the EU member country with the smallest prices for foodstuffs and soft
drinks, according to the European Statistics Office. Specifically, in Romania, such
products were nearly 30% cheaper than the European average. In fact, Romania
also saw the lowest levels of household end consumer prices. At the opposite
pole, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most expensive countries to live
in. The most significant differences were in terms of alcohol and tobacco
prices-such products are over 3 times more expensive in Denmark compared to Bulgaria.
The latter country also reports the lowest prices in the hospitality industry.

ENERGY The European Commission approved the takeover
of the Romanian operations of the Italian utilities group Enel by the Public
Power Corporation (PPC) in Greece. The EC reached the conclusion that the
takeover raises no competition concerns, given that the operations of the 2
companies do not overlap. Enel announced in March it would sell its Romanian
operation to PPC for EUR 1.26 bln, in a plan to reduce debt and focus on green
energy. Enel group, which operated in Romania since 2005, is currently a major
player in energy supply and distribution, in renewable energy and advanced
energy services. It services over 3 million consumers in 3 major regions in
Romania. With the takeover completed, the Greek group Public Power Corporation becomes
the largest player in the electricity market in South-Eastern Europe.

BLOUSE The Romanian blouse was celebrated this year as
well on 24 June, both in the country and in Romanian communities around the
world. The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a cultural diplomacy
instrument and a means to promote Romanian culture and traditions. The country
hosted events devoted to the traditional blouse, ia, including an Art Safary
exhibition of folk costumes in Bucharest, screenings and creative workshops for
children, as well as a fashion show featuring the traditional blouse as a street
wear element. Some museums, including the Ethnography Museum in Braşov and ASTRA
Museum in Sibiu, received visitors free of charge if they came dressed in
traditional blouses. Last year the Romanian blouse was included in the UNESCO Heritage list.

THEATRE
The central Romanian city of Sibiu, a European capital of culture in 2007, is
hosting the International Theatre Festival, currently in its 30th
year. This year’s theme is Miracle.
Until 2 July, 825 indoor and outdoor events
will take place, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries.
All the outdoor performances are free of charge. The festival also keeps its
online section, which includes 40 shows. The official opening took place on
Friday night, with the play A Cathedral Full of Organs staged at the Lutheran
Cathedral of St. Mary in Sibiu.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic
Christians celebrated on Saturday the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the
last Old Testament prophet. St. John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus;
he urged people to repent their sins and baptised them in the River Jordan. John
also baptised Jesus, presenting him to the world as the Messiah. The Christian
feast day of St. John the Baptist overlaps a pre-Christian tradition in which
24 June was devoted to the Sânziene, gentle fairies believed to bring fertility
and wealth.

ROWING Romania’s Cătălin Chirilă won the silver in the men’s canoe single
500m final on Saturday at the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska (Poland). This
was the 4th medal for Romania, after Bianca Ghelber won the silver in
the hammer throw event, athlete Andrea Miklos won the bronze in the 400 m race,
and Ştefan Comănescu also came in 3rd at the 67 kg kumite.
Romania takes part in the European Games in Krakow-Malopolska, between 21 June
and 2 July with 150 athletes in 18 disciplines. (AMP)

24 June 2023
June 24, 2023

PRICES
Romania is the EU member country with the smallest prices for foodstuffs and soft
drinks, according to the European Statistics Office. Specifically, in Romania, such
products were nearly 30% cheaper than the European average. In fact, Romania
also saw the lowest levels of household end consumer prices. At the opposite
pole, Ireland, Denmark and Luxembourg are the most expensive countries to live
in. The most significant differences were in terms of alcohol and tobacco
prices-such products are over 3 times more expensive in Denmark compared to Bulgaria.
The latter country also reports the lowest prices in the hospitality industry.

RUSSIA In an emergency tv broadcast on Saturday,
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said
an armed uprising by the Wagner paramilitary group would be considered
treason and that anyone rising against the Russian army will be punished. He also
added that decisive action will be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don,
the southern city where the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claims his fighters
have taken control of military facilities. Previously, Prigozhin hinted that his mercenaries
were heading for Moscow, Reuters reports. Prigozhin accused the Russian army of striking a
Wagner military camp, which he used as a
pretext for what he called a march of justice, arguing that he had 25,000 men
ready to fight the evil at the top of the army. Yevgeny Prigozhin was accused of armed rebellion, and
the authorities ordered he be arrested. Russia’s
National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced an anti-terrorist alert in and around
Moscow.

BLOUSE Every year on 24 June, the Romanian blouse is
celebrated both in the country and in Romanian communities around the world. The
Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is a cultural diplomacy instrument and a
means to promote Romanian culture and traditions. The country hosts events
devoted to the traditional blouse, ia, including an Art Safary exhibition of
folk costumes in Bucharest, screenings and creative workshops for children, as
well as a fashion show featuring the traditional blouse as a street wear element.
Some museums, including the Ethnography Museum in Braşov and ASTRA Museum in
Sibiu, received visitors free of charge if they come dressed in traditional
blouses. Last year the Romanian blouse was included in the UNESCO Heritage list.

THEATRE
The central Romanian city of Sibiu, a European capital of culture in 2007, is
hosting the International Theatre Festival, currently in its 30th
year. This year’s theme is Miracle.
Until 2 July, 825 indoor and outdoor events
will take place, bringing together some 5,000 artists and guests from 75 countries.
All the outdoor performances are free of charge. The festival also keeps its
online section, which includes 40 shows. The official opening took place on
Friday night, with the play A Cathedral Full of Organs staged at the Lutheran
Cathedral of St. Mary in Sibiu.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic
Christians celebrate today the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the last Old
Testament prophet. St. John the Baptist was born 6 months before Jesus; he
urged people to repent their sins and baptised them in the River Jordan. John
also baptised Jesus, presenting him to the world as the Mesiah. The Christian
feast day of St. John the Baptist overlaps a pre-Christian tradition in which
24 June was devoted to the Sânziene, gentle fairies believed to bring fertility
and wealth. (AMP)

24 June 2023
Franz Liszt Touring the Romanian Principalities

In 1846, pianist and composer Franz Liszt, already a world celebrity at that point, started his last grand European tour in the southeast of the continent. He held recitals in many cities, among them Vienna, Sibiu, Bucharest, Iasi, Cernauti, Istanbul, and finally Odessa, wrapping up his tour in Czarist Russia.

In December 1846, he landed in Bucharest, the capital of Wallachia, where he was hosted by the grand boyar Mihai Ghica. In January 1847 he held a recital in the palace of Prince Gheorghe Bibescu. In Bucharest, the cosmopolitan musician found a special kind of society, hospitable and curious, which was still navigating the dividing line between the Orient that had been the basis of local culture, and the West, whose ways the local elites were starting to adopt.

The elites, meaning the old nobility and the nascent bourgeoisie, had started to modernize, and their children were already Western educated, and were starting to be seen as individuals, not simply miniature inheritors of their parents’ traditions.

Nicoleta Roman, a historian specializing in the 19th century, spoke to us about the ways in which artistic tastes and education of children in the Romanian Principalities in the early 19th century:

Nicoleta Roman: In the 18th century we see these kids in votive paintings wearing pretty much the same clothing as their parents, just at a smaller scale. Which is why votive paintings are a great source for studying the appearance of elite children. Then there is the way in which they were educated, mostly at home. In late 18th century, these were mostly of Greek extraction, due to the presence of the Phanariote rule, but, as we transition into the 19th century, the teachers are mostly French, and some were German, even English. These teachers bring in Western culture to Eastern Europe and the Romanian Principalities, and the parents seek to strike a balance between these influences. Then there is the bourgeoisie taking shape at the time, mainly traders, who are striving to imitate what they see in noble families. Which means they invest in their children, in their education, or veneer of education. This is what differentiates the offspring of noble and bourgeois families from peasant children.

The change of the education paradigm also reflects in artistic tastes. Which is why such and excellent representative of Western music as Franz Liszt enjoyed such huge success in Bucharest and in Iasi, the capital of Moldavia. He went there in January 1847, staying in the home of treasury keeper Alecu Bals. There he held a recital, and for that he was brought from Paris an Erard piano. This type of professional instruments were not available in the Principalities at the time. Publications of the time, with articles written by young intellectuals that were about to take part in the 1848 revolution, fighting for the modernization of the country, featured many enthusiastic articles about Liszt.

At the same time, the great artist took full advantage of his tour, learning about Romanian folk music and meeting local composers, such as the one who wrote the anthem for the union of the Principalities in 1859.

Nicoleta Roman:

I loved Liszt because he went all over Southeast Europe, and had the resilience to get through a very busy concert schedule. This was admirable for that time, because he was almost 40 years old. This series of concerts in Southeast Europe was the last of his grand tours, and I see him as the artist who best embodies this meeting between West and East. He was a true product of Western culture, but his origins helped understand Southeast Europe. He did not exclude the local element in his concerts, and we see him collaborating with composer Alexandru Flecthenmacher, and other personalities over here.

As a great collector of Southeast European folklore, which he used in his compositions, Franz Liszt had the opportunity to listen to famous traditional composers and interpreters, such as Barbu Lautaru, whose last name is actually a nickname, meaning ‘traditional urban player’. In fact, Liszt, as he was unconcerned with making money, knew how to draw in both rich and poor audiences.

Nicoleta Roman:

We could say he had stage star behavior. He knew who he was, and what he needed to be successful. His style and his way of playing could pull at the heartstrings of every nobleman, and even the Sultan, because he also played in Constantinople. He could also touch the hearts of less wealthy people. That is the reason he was in such high demand, because by the time he came here, in 1846-1847, he knew how to put on a great show. He had resounding fame everywhere, and he could fill any room. He played for the elites, but he also held free concerts, for the less wealthy.

When he left Iasi, he made a short stopover in the Danube port of Galati, then went on to go to Istanbul, ending the tour in Odessa.

9 July 2022
Sports roundup

Brazilian
tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia has won the WTA tournament in Birmingham with
251,750 dollars in prize money. In the finals Haddad Maia defeated Shuai Zhang 5-4,
after the Chinese had abandoned the game. Hadad Maia had secured a 6-3, 2-6,
6-4, win against Romanian Simona Halep in the semis while Zhang had also
defeated another Romanian, Sorana Cârstea, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Romanian
swimmers Robert Glinta and David Popovici have qualified for the finals of the World
Swimming Championship in Budapest. Glință has qualified for the finals of the 100-meter
backstroke race while Popovici, who is at his first participation in the
aforementioned competition, has qualified for the finals of the 200-meter
freestyle race with the best time also setting a record for junior contests of
one minute, 44 seconds and 40 hundredths.

Romanians Razvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu have ranked fifth and sixth
respectively in the individual sabre contest of the European Fencing
Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In the quarterfinals, Ursachi lost to Sandro
Bazadze of Georgia 15-8 while Teodosiu also lost the quarters to Bolade Apithy
of France 15-10.

Another two Romanians, George Dragomir and Codrin Cozmuleanu came 24th
and 31st respectively. While on Friday in the women’s foil event Emilia
Corbu and Mălina Călugăreanu of Romania came 28th and 32nd
respectively.

Romania’s football selection has conceded a 2-1 defeat to Italy in its
first game of the European Under-21 Championship. In the other game of the
group, France secured a 5-0 win against Slovakia. Romania will next play France.
The first two sides in every group will
qualify for the semifinals and the World Cup due in Indonesia next year. Sides ranking third will go into the playoffs
for a fifth European place at the World Cup.

(bill)

20 June 2022
Sports roundup

Brazilian
tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia has won the WTA tournament in Birmingham with
251,750 dollars in prize money. In the finals Haddad Maia defeated Shuai Zhang 5-4,
after the Chinese had abandoned the game. Hadad Maia had secured a 6-3, 2-6,
6-4, win against Romanian Simona Halep in the semis while Zhang had also
defeated another Romanian, Sorana Cârstea, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Romanian
swimmers Robert Glinta and David Popovici have qualified for the finals of the World
Swimming Championship in Budapest. Glință has qualified for the finals of the 100-meter
backstroke race while Popovici, who is at his first participation in the
aforementioned competition, has qualified for the finals of the 200-meter
freestyle race with the best time also setting a record for junior contests of
one minute, 44 seconds and 40 hundredths.

Romanians Razvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu have ranked fifth and sixth
respectively in the individual sabre contest of the European Fencing
Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In the quarterfinals, Ursachi lost to Sandro
Bazadze of Georgia 15-8 while Teodosiu also lost the quarters to Bolade Apithy
of France 15-10.

Another two Romanians, George Dragomir and Codrin Cozmuleanu came 24th
and 31st respectively. While on Friday in the women’s foil event Emilia
Corbu and Mălina Călugăreanu of Romania came 28th and 32nd
respectively.

Romania’s football selection has conceded a 2-1 defeat to Italy in its
first game of the European Under-21 Championship. In the other game of the
group, France secured a 5-0 win against Slovakia. Romania will next play France.
The first two sides in every group will
qualify for the semifinals and the World Cup due in Indonesia next year. Sides ranking third will go into the playoffs
for a fifth European place at the World Cup.

(bill)

20 June 2022
Sports roundup

Brazilian
tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia has won the WTA tournament in Birmingham with
251,750 dollars in prize money. In the finals Haddad Maia defeated Shuai Zhang 5-4,
after the Chinese had abandoned the game. Hadad Maia had secured a 6-3, 2-6,
6-4, win against Romanian Simona Halep in the semis while Zhang had also
defeated another Romanian, Sorana Cârstea, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Romanian
swimmers Robert Glinta and David Popovici have qualified for the finals of the World
Swimming Championship in Budapest. Glință has qualified for the finals of the 100-meter
backstroke race while Popovici, who is at his first participation in the
aforementioned competition, has qualified for the finals of the 200-meter
freestyle race with the best time also setting a record for junior contests of
one minute, 44 seconds and 40 hundredths.

Romanians Razvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu have ranked fifth and sixth
respectively in the individual sabre contest of the European Fencing
Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In the quarterfinals, Ursachi lost to Sandro
Bazadze of Georgia 15-8 while Teodosiu also lost the quarters to Bolade Apithy
of France 15-10.

Another two Romanians, George Dragomir and Codrin Cozmuleanu came 24th
and 31st respectively. While on Friday in the women’s foil event Emilia
Corbu and Mălina Călugăreanu of Romania came 28th and 32nd
respectively.

Romania’s football selection has conceded a 2-1 defeat to Italy in its
first game of the European Under-21 Championship. In the other game of the
group, France secured a 5-0 win against Slovakia. Romania will next play France.
The first two sides in every group will
qualify for the semifinals and the World Cup due in Indonesia next year. Sides ranking third will go into the playoffs
for a fifth European place at the World Cup.

(bill)

20 June 2022
Sports roundup

Brazilian
tennis player Beatriz Haddad Maia has won the WTA tournament in Birmingham with
251,750 dollars in prize money. In the finals Haddad Maia defeated Shuai Zhang 5-4,
after the Chinese had abandoned the game. Hadad Maia had secured a 6-3, 2-6,
6-4, win against Romanian Simona Halep in the semis while Zhang had also
defeated another Romanian, Sorana Cârstea, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Romanian
swimmers Robert Glinta and David Popovici have qualified for the finals of the World
Swimming Championship in Budapest. Glință has qualified for the finals of the 100-meter
backstroke race while Popovici, who is at his first participation in the
aforementioned competition, has qualified for the finals of the 200-meter
freestyle race with the best time also setting a record for junior contests of
one minute, 44 seconds and 40 hundredths.

Romanians Razvan Ursachi and Iulian Teodosiu have ranked fifth and sixth
respectively in the individual sabre contest of the European Fencing
Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In the quarterfinals, Ursachi lost to Sandro
Bazadze of Georgia 15-8 while Teodosiu also lost the quarters to Bolade Apithy
of France 15-10.

Another two Romanians, George Dragomir and Codrin Cozmuleanu came 24th
and 31st respectively. While on Friday in the women’s foil event Emilia
Corbu and Mălina Călugăreanu of Romania came 28th and 32nd
respectively.

Romania’s football selection has conceded a 2-1 defeat to Italy in its
first game of the European Under-21 Championship. In the other game of the
group, France secured a 5-0 win against Slovakia. Romania will next play France.
The first two sides in every group will
qualify for the semifinals and the World Cup due in Indonesia next year. Sides ranking third will go into the playoffs
for a fifth European place at the World Cup.

(bill)

20 June 2022
What kind of neutrality for the Republic of Moldova

The readiness recently expressed by the EU,
the USA and the UK to provide modern weaponry to the Republic of Moldova in the
context of the devastating war in Ukraine but also given the situation in the
breakaway region of Transdniester brings back to attention the issue of
neutrality as stipulated by the country’s Constitution since 1994.

In fact, the constitutional neutrality has
been largely discussed by the authorities in the neighboring country in the
past three months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a report conducted
by the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives shows that half of the
country’s population supports the concept of neutrality. Government officials
have given assurances that this kind of neutrality, closely monitored by Moscow
for almost 30 years now, represents the redline in terms of the republic’s
security strategies. Ioan Leahu, expert
in Transdnistrean issues, is backing the policy of his republic and believes
that Russia should not be provoked on this matter.

Ioan Leahu: Neutrality per see is sterile, it doesn’t
make any sense. It’s up to you and it is only you to decide whether to keep it
or take sides. Given the present situation, however, in my opinion we should
not send negative signals. If we are listening carefully to Mrs. Zakharova, the
head of the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, we
see that every time she finds a way to point the finger at us. And maybe all
these talks and fuss about this neutrality has a minute political context. From
the viewpoint of drawing up a strategy, it seems to me that the government of
the Republic of Moldova is taking into account that neutrality is written in
the Constitution and that allows them to find solutions to other issues as well.

In turn experts in security believe that the neutrality of the little
neighboring country needs to be clarified. According to security expert Igor
Munteanu, the promoters of the republic’s security strategies should question
and clearly define the term.

Igor
Munteanu:Every
state has its own interpretation of neutrality. Neutrality may mean the idea of
not joining a certain defensive bloc, but it may also be nonparticipation in
aggressive actions against other countries. Interpretation may very well vary
in this case. Concerning the Republic of Moldova, the insistence the Russian
Federation has on its neutrality speaks about the strategy to keep the Republic
disarmed and thus maintain its troops there to prevent the expansion of the
West.

The Foreign Ministry in Chisinau gives
assurances that all international partnerships and cooperation have so far been
carried out under the constitutional principle of neutrality. And after talks
with Moldovan president Maia Sandu, the United States has pledged that the
support given will not exceed Chisinau’s requests.

(bill)

25 May 2022
January 24, 2022 UPDATE

CELEBRATION Romania celebrated on Monday 163
years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities, the first major step in
the formation of the Romanian nation state, paving the way for the Great Union
of 1918. On January 24, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of
Wallachia, after on January 5 he had become sovereign of Moldavia. His rule
laid the foundations for modern Romania. Monday was a banking holiday in
Romania. While many people chose to spend the holiday in mountain resorts, the
ones who stayed at home had the option of attending military and religious
ceremonies and celebratory concerts organised around the country under COVID-19
restrictions. Bucharest’s Patriarchal Cathedral hosted a service devoted to all
those who contributed to the 1859 Union. Politicians posted messages on this
occasion. President Klaus Iohannis said the Union on January 24, 1859 proves
the importance of a project able to bring together the energy of the Romanian
nation, and urged people to work persistently to consolidate the country’s
current European and democratic path. The Liberal PM Nicolae Ciucă pointed out
that the Union was the result of the untiring efforts of the politicians of the
time, driven by the nation’s dream of unity and of administrative, economic and
social progress. In turn, the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and president
of the Social Democratic Party Marcel Ciolacu said that, 163 years since the
Union of the Romanian Principalities, what Romanians need more than ever is
unity and stability, if they are to handle current economic, healthcare and
security challenges.

COVID-19 Romanian
authorities announced on Monday 12,082 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in 24
hours and 41 related deaths. The incidence rate in the capital Bucharest is on
the rise, reaching 10.23 cases per thousand people. The city has been in the
red tier since January 12, when the incidence rate went over 3 per thousand.
The COVID-19 testing capacity is set to increase this week to 150,000 tests per
day, as over 3,800 family physicians have signed contracts with public health
insurance agencies in this respect. In Bucharest and the nearby county of
Ilfov, where the largest number of cases is reported, testing centres have
already been opened in 20 hospitals. On Wednesday at the latest COVID-19
testing will also be resumed in schools, after more than 10 million test kits
were received by school inspectorates. A batch of 114,000 doses of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 are set to reach the country on
Tuesday. The health minister Alexandru Rafila expects the current (5th)
wave of the pandemic to reach its peak in Romania in about 3 weeks’ time.

UKRAINE NATO countries are
placing forces on
standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in
eastern Europe, as Russiacontinues its military build-up
around Ukraine, the Alliance announced on Monday. Denmark is sending a frigate
to the Baltic Sea and is set to deploy four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania,
Spain is sending ships to join NATO naval forces and is considering sending
fighter jets to Bulgaria. France has expressed its readiness to send troops to
Romania under NATO command. The Netherlands is sending two F-35 fighter
aircraft to Bulgaria in April to support NATO’s air-policing activities in the
region, and is putting a ship and land-based units on standby for NATO’s
Response Force. The US also announced it is considering increasing its military
presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. The
president of Ukraine Volodymyr
Zelensky Monday thanked the EU for the 1.2 billion euros in macro-financial aid
provided in order to support Kyev in a prospective conflict with Russia. Strong
Ukraine is the key for European security, he said in a Twitter post. Russia
has deployed around 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, fuelling concerns
about a prospective attack on that country.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis
player Simona Halep lost to Alizé Cornet of France, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in the round
of 16 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. For Halep (15 WTA), this
was the first defeat after a string of 8 consecutive wins.Also on Monday, Sorana Cîrstea of Romania lost to seed
no. 7 Iga Swiatek of Poland, in the same competition round, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

DOCUMENTARY The French public TV channel France 3 broadcasts
for the first time a documentary on Marie of Romania, the amazing queen
of the Carpathians, as part of its highly popular history series
Secrets of history. The production of the documentary took one year
and a half. Archive photos and footage have been collected, along with
testimonies by historians and members of the Royal House of Romania. Scenes
have been shot at the Peleş and Bran castles in the southern Carpathians, at
the Cotroceni National Museum in Bucharest and at the Curtea de Argeş Monastery
where Royal House members have been buried. Queen Marie, the wife of King
Ferdinand I, was acknowledged in Europe as an ambassador of the Romanian nation
and a supporter of the Romanian nation state. (A.M.P.)

24 January 2022