Radio România Internațional

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  • September 21, 2024

    September 21, 2024

    ADJUSTMENT – The Romanian government is next week discussing a budget adjustment proposal presented by the Ministry of Finance. Although it is based on an increase in revenues, expenses have also significantly increased, which will lead to a deficit of 7%, two percentage points above the authorities’ estimate at the start of the year. Meanwhile, the economic growth forecast was downgraded from 3.4 to 2.8% of GDP. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu gave assurances the adjustment is sustainable, as investment-related expenses account for 84% of the deficit. According to the draft decree published on the website of the Ministry of Finance, healthcare, transports and education will receive additional funds. The social insurance budget will also be increased, to ensure the payment of recalculated pensions, as well as unemployment benefits and related social insurance contributions.

     

    ELECTION – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has published on its website a Guide for postal voting for this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections. According to the document, Romanians domiciled or living abroad can register in the online register for postal voting by October 10 for presidential elections, and by October 17 for the parliamentary election. The Ministry recalls that the right to vote by post is an alternative to voting in polling stations and is carried out via postal services. Voters can register by filling an online form on the website votstrainătate.ro, managed by the Permanent Election Authority.

     

    FLOODS – The Romanian segment of the Danube will a see maximum flood levels over the course of next week, Romanian Water Administration officials say. Experts expect a maximum debit of 9,500 cubic meters per second, which will be kept in check by the first line of defenses, 1,100-km long, consisting of dams and other hydrotechnical facilities. Currently, the Danube’s flow stand at 5,100 cubic meters per second and, according to the precise forecast issued by relevant authorities, this flow will reach 8,700 cubic meters per second by September 26, that is more than the multi-year average for the month of September, 3,800 cubic meters per second. In Budapest, the Danube overflowed, the streets and buildings near the embankment were flooded, and the Parliament building was also flooded. The Danube also overflowed in Slovakia and Austria. The European Commission has promised an emergency aid of 10 bln EUR for countries in Central and Eastern Europe affected by the floods.

     

    CONFLICT – US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has again voiced concern about escalating tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, during his sixth telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart in less than a week. The US official demanded a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. Secretary Austin’s plea comes after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant invoked a new phase in the war. The Israeli military announced on Friday it had killed a top commander of the Hezbollah group, as well as other high-ranking members of the Lebanese organization in an airstrike on Beirut. The strike followed two days of attacks on Hezbollah, in which its members’ pagers and radios exploded, killing 37 people and injuring several thousand. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by Israeli intelligence services, which have neither confirmed nor denied their involvement.

     

    BUCHAREST DAYS – The Bucharest Days Festival has kicked off, marking the anniversary of 565 years since the city was first documented. Concerts, theater shows, acrobatics and animation performances, installations and art exhibitions are organized on this occasion, as well as various interactive activities for children. This weekend, the George Enescu Square hosts the 12th edition of “Bucharest Music Film Festival”, including performances by prestigious ensembles and artists. Also, children are invited on Sunday to take part in the workshop “Remi and the adventure of sounds: drums and rhythm, small percussion instruments”, where they will be able to experience various sounds and rhythms. (VP)

  • May 28, 2024 UPDATE

    May 28, 2024 UPDATE

    SALARIES. The Romanian Government is to adopt, this week, a decision to increase the minimum wage to 3,700 lei (approx. 740 euros), starting July 1, the leadership of the PSD-PNL ruling coalition has decided, according to political sources. The coalition also discussed means of reducing budget spending by limiting it to what is strictly necessary, but also maintaining the cap on trade mark-up and extending it to all Romanian food products. Traders do not reject this idea, PM Marcel Ciolacu said, explaining that in France the measure has already proven its effectiveness in protecting domestic producers.

    ELECTIONS. In Romania, over 200,000 candidates have registered for the local elections and 494 for the European Parliament elections, both due on June 9. The youngest candidate is just over 23 years old, and the oldest is 100 years old. Over 18,900,000 voters can vote in the elections, in over 19,800 polling stations in the country and abroad. 30 associations and foundations were accredited by the Permanent Electoral Authority to have observers at the European parliamentary and local elections on June 9. They can assist in all the operations of the electoral offices of the polling stations.

    PENALTIES. The Romanian MPs have increased the severity of penalties for several crimes and introduced other acts into the scope of criminal penalties. For example, those who terrorize their neighbors, or exert pressure of any kind to force them to sell their homes, risk four years in prison. It is one of the provisions included in the two draft laws that bring changes to the Criminal Code and which received a favorable vote in the plenary on Tuesday. On the other hand, the town hall employees who issue false authorizations certifying that there are more than 15,000 inhabitants in the administered localities, risk imprisonment from six months to three years. The offense is also provided for the owners of gambling halls, which operate on the basis of false certificates. In Romania, gambling halls are prohibited in localities with less than 15,000 people. Deputies also adopted the increase in penalties for the crimes of trafficking in persons and minors, slavery or child pornography. They can reach up to 12 years in prison, without the possibility of suspending execution under supervision, and up to 20 years, if minors are involved.

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, emphasized, at a meeting of her EU counterparts, the importance of rapid military assistance to Ukraine and the adoption of a new package of sanctions against Russia. The Romanian official also signaled Russia’s hybrid attacks on the Republic of Moldova. The meeting in Brussels also addressed developments in the Middle East. Minister Odobescu stressed the need to resolve the crisis in Gaza by continuing efforts to release all hostages, cease fire, provide comprehensive humanitarian assistance and resume the political process leading to a lasting peace, based on the two-state solution.

    VISIT. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is on a visit to Chisinau for talks on the United States’ support for the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession, as well as energy security. Antony Blinken was in the Republic of Moldova two years ago, at the beginning of March, just a few days after Russia invaded the neighboring country, Ukraine. After the visit to Chisinau, the American official will go to Prague, in the Czech Republic, to participate in an informal meeting of the NATO foreign ministers, where the priorities of the Alliance’s next summit in July, in Washington, will be analyzed. The Republic of Moldova applied for EU accession in March 2022 and three months later it was granted the status of candidate country. In December 2023, EU leaders decided to open accession negotiations.

    THEATRE. “Anthology of Disappearance”, directed by Radu Afrim, staged at the National Theatre in Iaşi (north-east), was designated best show at the 2024 UNITER Awards Gala, an event that rewards excellence in Romanian theatre. The awards for leading parts went to Cerasela Iosifescu and Tudor Cucu-Dumitrescu, the award for debut went to the actress Ramona Nicolae, and the “Ion Caramitru” award of excellence was received by actor Valer Dellakeza. Oana Pellea and Dan Condurache were honored with awards for their entire activity. The winner of Best Radio Drama show was “The summer in which my mother had green eyes”, directed by Diana Mihailopol, which was broadcast last year on the Radio Romania Culture Channel. (MI)

  • August 25, 2023 UPDATE

    August 25, 2023 UPDATE

    LAWS – The Romanian government will
    assume responsibility before Parliament for a law package concerning the reform
    of the state apparatus, the measures aimed at attaining fiscal balance and
    avoiding tax evasion. Wasting public money along with fiscal and tax evasion is
    preventing the country’s development, Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu
    has said. The Romanian official will go to Brussels next week for a new round
    of talks with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, over
    changing the budget deficit target, and according to some government sources,
    talks will also be focusing on the fiscal measures package. The opposition has
    announced its intention to table no-confidence votes against the PSD-PNL Government.




    DRUG ABUSE – Romania’s Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu has called on the Prosecutor General
    Alex Florența to intensify the line
    ministry’s activity combating the illegal drug abuse. Gorghiu says this
    requires a joint effort, recalling the latest investigations conducted by the
    Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) in Constanța or
    Cluj-Napoca, in the wake of which a number of cocaine or cannabis dealers were
    apprehended. Some 4,700 investigations were completed in 2023, although the anti-drug department comprises only 14
    prosecutors, according to Ministry figures. They have to work on a total of
    7,000 such investigations, of which 2,700 were started in the first half of the
    year.


    EDUCATION
    – The Education Ministry has launched for debate a draft emergency decree for
    the introduction of Holocaust Studies in school curricula starting the new
    school year. Among other thing, the draft decree also seeks to equate four-year
    BA degrees with MA decrees and provide accommodation subsidies to students
    choosing to stay in accommodation units other than dorms.




    UNTOLD -
    The UNTOLD Festival in Cluj Napoca is now number six in a standing published by
    the British publication DJ Mag based on the votes of festival fans. The
    standing ranks a hundred festivals, and UNTOLD ranks among the top three in
    Europe, along with Tomorrowland in Belgium and Gastonbury in Great Britain. The
    eighth edition of UNTOLD was visited by 420 thousand fans this year and
    featured such artists and bands as Imagine Dragons, David Guetta or Steve Aoki.
    The Neversea Festival in Constanța
    is also included in the standing, raking 41.




    FOOTBALL
    – Romania’s football champions, Farul Constanța, on Thursday night secured a 2-1 home win against Finnish side
    HJK Helsinki in the play-offs of Europa Conference League. In the same stage of
    the competition, the winners of Romania’s Cup, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, ended in
    a two-all draw their game against Norwegian side Bodoe/Glimt. The decisive
    matches for qualifying in the groups of Europe’s third football competition are
    to take place on August 31.




    ROWING -
    Romanian athlete Cătălin Chirilă won
    gold in the 500m single canoe race on Friday at the 2023 ICF Canoe
    Sprint World Championships hosted by Duisburg, Germany. Chirilă was followed by
    Conrad Scheibner of Germany and Serghei Tarnovschi of the Republic of Moldova.
    This is a personal best for Chirilă in
    the 500m race, after last year he had grabbed silver at the World Championships
    in Dartmouth, Canada. Cătălin Chirilă will compete on Saturday in the 1000m
    race, where he qualified with the second-best result. The competition counts
    for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the top six athletes will qualify directly.
    Cătălin Chirilă is the defending world champion in this event. (DB + VP)



  • June 14, 2023

    June 14, 2023

    Government. 18 candidates proposed for the new Government headed by the Prime Minister Designate, the Social – Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, are being heard in Bucharest today. They are presenting their goals before the specialized committees of the Romanian Parliament. Some of the candidates would keep their previous offices. Also, new names have been included in the list of government members. The list however, proposed b the PM designate, includes only members of the Social Democratic Party and of the National Liberal Party, and no member of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, which was a junior member in the previous coalition. The government proposed by Marcel Ciolacu wants to solve the issue of special pensions, contested by a large part of civil society, to adopt the new unitary salary law and to stop prices from raising. The new government could be sworn in on Thursday, in plenary session of Parliament. We recall that the Liberal PM Nicolae Ciuca resigned to make room for his coalition partner, the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, in keeping with the agreement the two parties made back in November 2021.



    Companies. The number of companies with foreign capital newly established in Romania increased, in the first four months of the year, by 4.6%, compared to the similar period in 2022, according to data centralized by the National Trade Registry Office (ONRC). The figure represents some 2,300 new companies that had a total subscribed capital of about 8.5 million dollars. According to the National Trade Registry, at the end of April 2023, in Romania there were over 246 thousand companies with foreign participation in the share capital, with a subscribed capital value of about 68 billion dollars. The largest number of companies with foreign participation is with investors from Italy, but the highest value of the social capital belongs to Dutch companies.



    AI. The European Parliament is voting today the first law on Artificial Intelligence after, on Tuesday, the bill was debated in plenary session in Strasbourg. The main thing that the MEPs emphasized was that artificial intelligence must not be used against people, must respect human rights, as well as European values. The new law was built and improved through amendments precisely in the sense of protecting citizens and, at the same time, giving researchers and business people the possibility to deal with and invest in artificial intelligence without additional burdens that would prevent them from developing this structure for the benefit of society.



    Ukraine. The United States has announced an additional military aid worth 325 million dollars for Ukraine, aimed in particular at strengthening air defense against Russia. According to the Pentagon, it is mainly about air defense equipment, ammunition and vehicles. The new tranche of aid comes at a time when the Ukrainian army has launched a counter-offensive against the Russian forces in the east and south of the country to liberate the occupied territories. On Friday, Washington announced about $2 billion in military aid, mainly air defense equipment, in the form of various orders to the defense industry. The United States is Ukraines largest donor. It has delivered or pledged to deliver $39.7 billion worth of arms to Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022.



    Security. Romania is an essential ally and strategic partner of the United Kingdom and what it is doing to help Ukraine regain its full sovereignty and enjoy its full territorial independence is at the top of the allies responses, the ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Andrew Noble said in Bucharest today. He attended an exhibition where about 35 British companies in the field of defense and security are presenting their products and activities. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Special Telecommunications Service, the Guard and Protection Service, the Romanian Parliament, the Ministry of Economy, as well as the Romanian defense industry were invited to the event. The UK is the worlds second largest defense exporter after the US, with a turnover of ­£22.8 billion in 2022, supplying equipment to support armed forces and security services around the world.



    Trump. Former US President Donald Trump, prosecuted for negligent handling of state secrets after leaving the White House, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami on Tuesday, France Presse reports. The 76-year-old Republican is accused of endangering the security of the United States by keeping classified documents, including military plans and information about nuclear weapons. He is also accused of refusing to return documents despite court orders, leading to his indictment for illegal withholding of information relating to national security”, as well as obstruction of justice and false testimony. Since his prosecution started, Donald Trump has denounced an orchestrated “staging” to remove him from the competition against the Democratic President Joe Biden, who is running for a second term.



    Rugby. The technical staff of the Romanian national rugby team has announced an enlarged squad of 50 players for the World Cup that will be hosted by France this fall. Of the 50 athletes, 35 perform in the country, and 15 abroad, the vast majority in France. The Rugby World Cup will take place between September 8 and October 28. The “Oaks” will play in Group B. They will play the first match on September 9 against Ireland, then will meet the world champion South Africa on September 17, on September 30 will face Scotland, and on October 8 will take on Tonga. Until then, Romania will play three test matches, all in August, against the USA, Georgia and Italy. (MI)

  • Romania – one step closer to joining the OECD

    Romania – one step closer to joining the OECD

    At the start of May a
    delegation of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
    visited Romania. The purpose of the visit was to finalize the process of
    accession to this economic organization. This process entails the participation
    of both European institutions, as well as financial and economic institutions
    from Romania.

    Government officials, representatives of the relevant institutions and other stakeholders attended a conference in Bucharest titled Romania in the OECD – Towards the club of good international economic practices, On this occassion, OCDE officials conveyed messages of support for Romania’s efforts to join the organization and laid out the next steps regarding the integration process.

  • National Plan for Refugees

    National Plan for Refugees

    10 million
    Ukrainians, accounting for over half of this country’s population, were forced
    out of their homes due to the war Russian launched nearly a month ago. The
    figure also reflects the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the United Nations
    High Commissioner for Refugees announced. Nearly 90% of refugees are women and
    children, considering men aged 18-60 have been barred from leaving Ukraine and
    can be called up to defend their country. In turn, UNICEF warned that over 1
    million and a half children are among those who left the country. The risk of
    trafficking and abuse continues to rise, the organization also warns. Although it
    is not the main destination of Ukrainian refugees, Romania has taken in
    hundreds of thousands of refugees. The way these refugees were treated here has
    been unanimously praised by Romania’s partners. The European Commission this
    week will send a team to Romania to assess the funds the Romanian Government
    has invested in the relief effort, and to discuss ways of reimbursement.
    Government spokesman Dan Cărbunaru said the first reimbursement requests have
    already been submitted to Brussels.


    According to a
    preliminary assessment, our country has spent 30.5 million Euro in assistance
    provided to refugees. The breakdown of this spending is complex, because it
    also accounts for accommodation and food. The Government has decided to provide
    free-of-charge transport to refugees entering Romania. Many of them choose to
    leave our country either via Bulgaria or Hungary.


    In other news, the
    Government is working on a national plan for refugee assistance. The
    authorities want to help refugees find employment and access the healthcare and
    education systems. Six special task forces will be handling specific issues
    signaled by refugees who choose to stay, focusing on sensitive sectors such as
    education, healthcare, employment, housing and support provided to vulnerable
    categories, children in particular. State adviser Mădălina Turza says the task forces will be drafting a number of
    measures with medium- and long-term effects in the shortest time possible,
    allowing Romania to move to phase two of the relief effort starting April.


    Phase two has to do
    with developing quality services and a wide array of protection measures on the
    medium- and long-term addressing refugees in Romania. They will also benefit
    from temporary forms of protection.


    Nearly 80 thousand Ukrainian citizens have chosen to
    stay in Romania, of whom 4,000 have already filed for asylum.

  • Assistance for refugees

    Assistance for refugees

    Romania’s partners have unanimously praised the way Bucharest
    authorities are handling the crisis of Ukrainian refugees. Nearly 300 thousand
    people fled war-torn Ukraine and crossed into Romania. Currently, Romania is
    home to 80 thousand refugees, of whom 30 thousand are underage. Foreign
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday discussed this topic with his Canadian
    counterpart, Mélanie Joly. The latter expressed her gratitude for Romania’s
    efforts to protect all people fleeing Ukraine, including the 600 Canadian
    citizens who transited Romanian territory safely. Romania will continue to
    provide assistance to Ukrainians and citizens of other states leaving Ukraine,
    Minister Aurescu pointed out.


    We stand with the Ukrainian people, who are resisting heroically.
    At the same time, Romania is providing constant support to Ukrainian refugees
    and citizens of third countries and members of diplomatic missions, with a view
    to safely evacuating them from Ukraine and helping them transit Romania. 70
    countries and two international organizations have called on us to support
    their citizens, their diplomatic missions, and Romania has done everything in
    its power to ensure their safe entry into Romania, their transit through our
    country and their departure to their countries of origin.


    The Government has adopted a new set of measures addressing
    refugees. All Ukrainian children on Romanian territory, including those whose
    families have not filed for asylum, will benefit from the right to education in
    all schooling units across the country, enjoying the same rights as Romanian
    school and pre-school children. They are also entitled to free-of-charge
    accommodation in boarding houses, meal allowances and the right to receive
    school supplies, clothing, shoes and textbooks. The measures adopted by the
    Cabinet also target elderly people and people with disabilities who have
    reached Romania accompanied or unaccompanied, and who will become eligible for
    social welfare. Last but not least, all Ukrainians will be allowed to work in
    Romania. The law package passed on Monday also stipulates measures to
    facilitate Ukrainians’ access to employment, so they can have a regular source
    of income. Ukrainian citizens will be able to apply for jobs without presenting
    a work permit. The Government also adopted a number of measures addressing NGOs
    supporting the tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees. A special account has
    been opened by the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, where people can
    donate directly to NGOs. All donations received will be fully deductible. (VP)

  • January 5, 2022

    January 5, 2022







    Covid-19Ro. The National Committee for Emergency Situations adopted today the decision on the proposal to extend the state of alert and measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal stipulates the obligation to wear only a surgical or FFP2 protective mask , which must cover the mouth and the nose, in all public spaces, both indoors and outdoors. Children under the age of 5, people who are alone in the office, TV presenters and their guests, representatives of religious denominations during masses, speakers in closed or open spaces will be exempted from this measure, provided that the distance of 3 meters between people is observed. Nearly 5,000 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been reported in the past 24 hours, as well as 30 related deaths, 6 from the previous reporting period, the Strategic Communication Group has announced today. Nearly 8 million people have been fully vaccinated, which is a little over 40% of the eligible population.








    Pandemic.
    The fifth wave of the
    pandemic caused by the Omicron is getting bigger, with new case records
    worldwide. After the United States, which reported more than a million cases,
    significant increases were also reported in Europe. France is approaching
    300,000 infections a day, and authorities are announcing tough restrictions on the
    unvaccinated people, who will be virtually unable to go anywhere as of January
    15th. In the UK, labor market problems, already pre-existing due to Brexit, are
    being exacerbated by the pandemic. Key sectors are affected, and the government
    has even called on retired teachers to return temporarily to the system after
    the UK exceeded 200,000 infections. Cases have also multiplied in Italy and
    Greece. According to an Israeli study, a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine
    increases the total number of antibodies five times a week after the inoculation.
    Israel is already administering the
    fourth dose of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to people over 60, health care workers
    and immunocompromised patients.




    Government.
    The Romanian
    Government gathers today to discuss the implementation of the National Recovery
    and Resilience Plan. The members of the executive will also be informed on the
    degree of absorption of cohesion funds related to the multiannual financial
    frameworks 2014 – 2020, and 2021-2027. Also, the appendix to Government
    Decision of 2008 on the list of international names corresponding to medicines
    covered by insured persons with or without a personal contribution on the basis
    of a prescription in the social health insurance system or granted under
    national health programs will be amended. The cabinet will also approve a series
    of decisions, including the one on medicines for the insured or the one related
    to the agreement concluded by the governments of Romania and the Republic of
    Moldova, which regulates the construction of aqueducts.








    EU
    diplomacy.     The head of European
    diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has arrived in Ukraine today to show EU support for
    the Kiev authorities, at a time of maximum tension with neighboring Russia,
    AFP reports. For several weeks now, Moscow has been accused of deploying troops
    at Ukraine’s eastern border for a potential offensive. Russia has denied any
    wrongdoing and denounced NATO’s provocations. Accompanied by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister
    Dmitro Kuleba, Josep Borrell will first travel to the east of the country, on
    the ‘line of contact’ with the pro-Russian separatists with whom Kiev has been
    at war since 2014. This conflict, which broke out after the annexation of the
    Crimean Peninsula by Russia, has killed more than 13,000 people. Josep Borrell
    will then go to Kiev. This is the first visit by a head of European diplomacy
    to the front line since the start of the war in eastern Ukraine. Diplomatic
    efforts to defuse the Ukrainian crisis have intensified in recent weeks,
    especially through a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir
    Putin and US President Joe Biden in late December. Russia and the United States
    have scheduled talks on Ukraine for January 9 and 10 in Geneva, followed by a
    NATO-Russia meeting on January 12 and an OSCE meeting on January 13.






    Tennis.
    Romanian Simona Halep
    (20 WTA) has defeated, today, the Australian Destanee Aiava (316 WTA) at the Melbourne
    Summer Set 1 tournament. In the second round she will take on the Romanian Gabriela Ruse, who got an easy victory, on Tuesday, 6-3, 6-2 against the local
    player Arina Rodionova (152 WTA). Also today, the Romanian Irina Begu and the Serbian Nina Stojanovic have qualified for the quarters of Melbourne Set 2 – WTA 250, where they will play against the pair made up of Aliona Bolsova (Spain) and Katarzyna Kawa (Poland). The
    two preparatory tournaments are taking place ahead of the Australian Open
    (January 17-30). (MI)

  • Effects of Climate Change

    Effects of Climate Change

    Climate change is affecting all regions of the world; ice caps are melting and sea and ocean levels are rising. In some regions, extreme weather and rainfall are becoming more common, while other areas are facing waves of heat and extreme drought. These are indisputable aspects of a reality at the heart of environmental activists concerns, but also of Brussels, which has set some extremely ambitious goals in this respect. Among them, reaching a zero level of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In December last year, the European Commission presented the European Green Pact – a roadmap to ensure the sustainability of the EU economy by transforming climate and environmental challenges into opportunities. The idea is to use resources effectively, by moving to a clean circular economy, thus reducing pollution, with an effect on climate change.



    The weather picture in Romania has changed too: summers with higher temperatures, winters with no snow, acute lack of water in the soil, in particular in the south and south-east, where extreme weather is clearly increasing the prospect of desertification, while storms cause significant damage, hail destroys crops and floods wreak havoc. This has been the case for many years, and 2020 has been no exception. In spring, the extreme pedological drought almost completely compromised the wheat and barley crops, and now, for several days, Romania has been under yellow, orange and even red codes for extreme weather. Floods have seriously affected three quarters of Romanias counties, and have even taken human lives. In Romania, this June has been the rainiest month in the last 60 years, President Klaus Iohannis has pointed out this week, calling for a rapid change of approach, in order to be able to respond effectively to situations of such magnitude.



    One first measure has already been taken. In the context in which specialists make the connection between the extreme phenomena and deforestation, the Romanian Government adopted on Thursday a normative act on the operationalization of the timber tracking system, so as to prevent illegal cutting.



    The Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests, Costel Alexe said: “The new version, created from scratch, brings innovation that helps the work of combating illegal logging and transport, if need be, and, obviously, we also have the mechanisms for all those who will do that to be discovered in a timely manner and, we hope, punished; also, very importantly, it greatly simplifies the work of forestry workers in the field.”



    Its important for all of us to understand that we must protect these resources, which, certainly, in the not too distant future, will protect us from such unfortunate events as Romania is going through today, the minister also said. (M.Ignatescu)

  • February 8, 2019

    February 8, 2019

    BUDGET – Romanias 2019 draft budget is presented for adoption in Government session today, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici has announced. He has stated that the document provides for significantly more money for investments, health-care and education. Also, the draft budget stipulates the allocation of 2% of the GDP for defence, in keeping with Romanias commitment to its partners in the North-Atlantic Alliance. Also, the necessary funds are secured for increasing pensions by 15%, as of September this year, as well as significant budgets for the local administration. The draft budget, criticized by the right-wing opposition, was built on an estimated 5.5% economic growth rate, an inflation rate of 2.8% and a deficit of 2.5% of the GDP.



    JHA – An informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council continues in Bucharest, focusing on justice. Todays agenda includes topics such as means of boosting judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters and obtaining electronic evidence in criminal cases. The talks are chaired by the Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader, who has announced that another topic of discussion is the functioning of the European Public Prosecutors Office. Competing for the position of head of this office are three candidates, including the former head of the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate, Laura Codruta Kovesi. On Thursday, the participants approached the issues of terrorism, police cooperation, the Schengen Area and migration.



    VENEZUELA – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has decided to recognize Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela, the Presidential Administration announced on Friday. Klaus Iohannis believes that, as Romania is currently holding the Presidency of the EU Council and against the background of an increasing dynamics of international developments, Romania must have fast and well-grounded reactions with regard to foreign policy issues, in keeping with the main priorities it has constantly related to on long term. The US, Canada and most countries in the EU and Latin America have voiced support for Guaido. On Saturday, at a UN Security Council meeting, President Nicolas Maduro was supported by China and Russia. Maduro has rejected the calls for new elections made by the US, Canada, the EU and the Latin American countries.



    CORRUPTION – Radu Mazare, the former mayor of the Romanian Black Sea Port of Constanta, has received a final 9 year prison sentence issued by the High Court of Cassation and Justice, in a case involving illegal return and assignment of plots of land in the vicinity of beach areas in the county. Mazare will not serve his sentence, though, as he has fled to Madagascar. The former Social Democratic president of the Constanta County Council, Nicusor Constantinescu, and the former financier of the Dinamo Football Club, Cristian Borcea, have also received sentences in the same case. According to investigators, states assets were illegally deprived of large plots of land, worth some 114 million Euros.



    CENTRAL BANK – On February 12th, the board of the Romanian Central Bank will be heard in Parliament, the Central Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has announced. He has stated that the Senates Budget and Finance Committee had sent the invitation some time ago, but the meeting could not be held, as there were points that needed clarification. Mugur Isarescu also declined an invitation to a hearing on Thursday, as it overlapped with the Boards meeting on monetary policy.



    DEVESELU – The Russian Defense Ministry has urged the US to destroy the anti-missile shield in Romania, claiming the system violates the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. The request was made after both the US and Russia announced their withdrawal from the treaty signed in 1987. In response, the Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has stated that the facility in Deveselu, in southern Romania, is purely defensive, and allegations that the base might be used to launch nuclear missiles are used by Russia to justify its own intention of building missiles that do not observe the INF treaty. In turn, US officials have stated that the US Administration has no intention of providing Europe with nuclear weapons, even if a potential termination of the INF treaty would allow it to develop new missiles.



    FLU – The number of people who have succumbed to the flu in Romania has reached 95, according to the latest information provided by the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases. The victims had all suffered from other diseases and had not been vaccinated against the virus. So far, some 1.3 million Romanians have got the anti-flu shot and the Health Ministry has purchased another 30,000 shots for people at risk: patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, children and elderly. Flu epidemic has been declared in Romania after the country registered three consecutive weeks of epidemic nature and the flu death toll increased.

  • President Iohannis rejects Government’s anti-corruption prosecutor nominee

    President Iohannis rejects Government’s anti-corruption prosecutor nominee

    In a move anticipated by supporters and opponents alike, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis rejected, on Wednesday, the appointment of Adina Florea as chief –prosecutor of the Anti Corruption Directorate (DNA), proposed for this post by the Justice Minister Tudorel Toader. Three other nominations at the top of the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) respectively, were also rejected by president Iohannis. “The legal criteria that a prosecutor must meet, in an objective manner, in order to be appointed to a leading position, have not been met,” the presidential administration said in a release. Last month, a judicial advisory panel with the Superior Council of Magistracy issued a negative opinion on Mrs. Florea’s appointment, due to her “reduced stress tolerance and low analytical and synthetic skills,” as well as “deficiencies in relation to values such as honesty and impartiality, attributes that are indispensible to a manager.”



    Minister Toader said he was not surprised with the President’s decision, but with the way in which he motivated his decision, namely by invoking the absence of a certificate saying that the nominees did not collaborate with the Securitate, the communist political police. While debates seem to continue in legal and procedural terms, in political terms the President’s decision is seen by some analysts as a counterattack in the endless war against the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats.



    We recall that in June, the Constitutional Court headed by Valer Dorneanu ruled that President Iohannis had to sack the then anti-graft chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi, as Minister Toader had demanded ever since February. Judges ruled that the President had started a conflict when initially refusing to dismiss her. Kovesi’s eventual dismissal was perceived as a victory by the leftist ruling coalition whom the opposition, civil society and a part of the media accuse of trying to subordinate magistrates and prevent corrupt politicians from being brought to justice.



    A spearhead of the anti-corruption fight to some and the leader of an abusive system to others, Laura Codruta Kovesi was frequently dubbed the most powerful woman in Romania. At a debate held at the UN headquarters in New York, shortly before her revocation, Kovesi said that the biggest challenge for Romania was to preserve the independence of judges and prosecutors. In the past five years alone, the Directorate prosecuted 14 ministers and former ministers as well as 53 MPs. Of them, 27 have already received final sentences. In the same period, the National Anticorruption Directorate ordered precautionary measures for assets worth 2.3 billion dollars. According to pundits, the Directorate will have to keep on working as it has before, because, in a mature democracy, institutions work irrespective of who is at their helm.


  • November 13, 2018 UPDATE

    November 13, 2018 UPDATE

    REPORTS – In its CVM report issued on Tuesday, the European Commission recommends that Romania should immediately suspend the application of the amended justice laws and the subsequent emergency ordinances passed by the Government. They should be revised in keeping with the provisions set by the Venice Commission, the Group of States Against Corruption and the European Commission. According to the Commission, the procedures for the dismissal of prosecutors should be suspended and the implementation of the changes brought to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Proceedings frozen. The First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans has stated that Romania used to make progress in terms of reforms, but, unfortunately, that has stalled in the past months. As regards the justice field, steps have been taken backwards, by amending the justice laws, putting pressure on judges and also with regard to the fight against corruption, Timmermans has said. He has also spoken of the freedom of the press and its importance in watching the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. Also on Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that stresses the deep concern for the reform of the judicial and criminal legislation in Romania, which might structurally undermine the independence of the judiciary and its capacity to effectively combat corruption in this country, and therefore weaken the rule of law. The European Parliament urges Bucharest authorities to stop any measures that might decriminalize corruption and to implement the national anti-corruption strategy. Also, the MEPs urge the Romanian Government and Parliament to implement all recommendations made by the Venice Commission, the Group of States Against Corruption and the European Commission and to refrain from any reform that has the potential of harming the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary. The European Parliament has also condemned the violent and disproportionate intervention of the gendarme forces during the anti-Government protest held in August.



    REACTIONS – Romania is back to where it was 11 years ago, before its EU accession, and the Dragnea – Dancila Government has erased all the efforts made for integration, said president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday, after the publication of the critical report on Romania drawn up by the European Commission in relation to the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and the European Parliaments critical resolution on the rule of law in Romania. Prime Minister Viorica Dancila believes that Romania should not be judged by such resolutions, which are more or less based on reality, and has stated that Bucharest will respond to the criticism. In turn Liviu Dragnea, the president of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, has stated that beyond any resolution or report, there are other things that are important to Romania: education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, higher incomes and a predictable and favorable business environment. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, the president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the junior partner in the coalition, has stated that the EC has unjustifiably stepped into the political area, and the CVM report is mainly technical. The president of the opposition National Liberal Party, Ludovic Orban, has stated that the European Commission and the European Parliament have clearly shown that the Romanian government and the ruling coalition have no interest in the European principles and values. The European Parliaments resolution and the CVM report are not against Romania, they are against the Romanian Government and the parliamentary majority, which for two years have done nothing but undermine the independence of the judiciary and try to take Romania out of the EU, the president of the opposition Save Romania Union, Dan Barna, has also stated. The signal send by Brussels is unprecedented and shows that the current power has crossed the red line, said the president of the Peoples Movement Eugen Tomac, also stressing that the warning could turn into something harsher if the Government does not take into account the recommendations made.



    APPOINTMENT – On Tuesday, president Klaus Iohannis signed the decree appointing George Ciamba Minister Delegate for European Affairs. Ciamba replaced Victor Negrescu, who resigned last week. The president stated he would take a quick decision regarding Ciamba, given Romanias preparing to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1st. Also on Tuesday, the standing bureau of the Social Democratic Party, the senior party in the ruling coalition, nominated Ecaterina Andronescu for the office of minister of education. The seat became vacant after the resignation of Valentin Popa in September.



    DEFICIT – In the first nine months of the year, Romania registered a 6.6 billion Euro balance of payments deficit, up by 38.5% as compared to the same period last year. According to data centralized by the National Bank of Romania, foreign direct investment stood at 3.5 billion Euro on the first three quarters, 6% less than in 2017. Also, in the first three quarters of 2018, the overall foreign debt went up by 634 million Euros, reaching 98 million, of which 30.5% is short-term debt.



    POVERTY- The lowest decrease in the number of people at risk of poverty as a result of unemployment benefits from the state or dwelling aid was registered last year in Greece (16%) and Romania (17%), data released by Eurostat on Tuesday show. In nine member states the decrease rate was below 25%, whereas the European average stood at some 32%. According to the latest report made public by Eurostat last month, over a third (35.7%) of Romanias population was at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2017, a worse situation in the EU being registered only in Bulgaria, where 38.9% of the population runs this risk.



    EBRD – Transparency in drafting government policies in the 38 countries where the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is activating has not improved since the start of the decade, with some exceptions, like Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine, the annual transition report issued by that financial institution shows. The document underlines the progress made by countries in six key domains, from competitiveness and resilience, to the way they are governed. According to the latest forecast issued this month by EBRD, Romanias economy will register a growth rate of 4.2% in 2018, to go down to 3.6% next year. EBRD is one of the major institutional investors in Romania. The bank has invested so far some 8 billion Euros in the country, in over 400 projects. In 2017 alone, EBRD invested some 550 million Euros in Romania. Over 500 million have been invested in the private sector, thus reaching the highest level of investment in the past seven years.



    GAUDEAMUS – The 25 edition of the Gaudeamus International Fair, a landmark of the book market in Romania, an event organized by Radio Romania opens its doors on Wednesday. Gaudeamus 2018 will unfold under the auspices of a triple anniversary: the Great Union Centennial, 9 decades since the first broadcast aired by Radio Romania, one of the oldest radio stations in Europe and the 25th edition of the Gaudeamus Fair.


  • October 10, 2018

    October 10, 2018

    BILL – The Romanian Government
    is today debating the public pensions system bill, endorsed by the Finance
    Ministry. The document is under public debate since August and has been
    modified following talks with the main stakeholders. The new law is aimed at
    increasing pensions and eliminating inequities in the system. Among other
    things, the bill stipulates that pensions will be paid only in keeping with
    each individual’s contribution, and those whose seniority is the same, but retired
    in different moments in time, will get the same amount. The future law would be
    implemented in stages until 2021, benefiting more than 5 million Romanian
    pensioners. Some 150 pensioner representatives from across the country have
    protested today in front of the Government building, claiming an increase in
    the pension point up to 45% of the average gross salary as of 2021.






    MOTION – The
    simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania
    Union against the Economy Minister Danut Andrusca has been dismissed today
    by the Chamber of Deputies, following Monday’s debates. The National Liberal
    Party claims that the minister’s incompetence, proven by the evolution of the
    main economic indicators, is bringing Romania to bankruptcy. According to the
    Liberals, in nine months of office, Danut Andrusca has made no progress in
    solving the main problems of his ministry, carrying out an activity described
    as ‘catastrophic’. Also on Monday, the Liberals filed a simple motion against
    the Culture Minister George Ivascu, whom they accuse of failing to properly manage
    the celebrations due on December 1st 2018, marking 100 years since
    the Great Union.






    INFLATION – According
    to the National Statistics Institute, in Romania, the annual inflation rate
    reported in September dropped to 5.03% from 5.1% in August, against the
    background of prices going up. This year, the highest rate was registered in
    May: 5.41%. This is the highest level since February 2013, when the increase in
    consumption prices was 5.65%. In early August, the Romanian Central Bank
    revised downwards to 3.5% the inflation forecast for the end of this year. We
    recall that in August Romania registered an annual inflation rate of 4.7%,
    the highest in the whole of the EU, for
    the seventh consecutive month.




    DEBATE – On October 23rd
    in Strasbourg, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis will take part in a debate on
    the future of Europe, hosted by the European Parliament. The Romanian
    president’s intervention is one in a string of events of this type organized between
    heads of state and government and MEPs, concerning the future of the European
    Union. Among those who have participated in the debates are the Irish Prime
    Minister Leo Varadkar on January 17th, the Croat and Portuguese
    premiers Andrej Plenkovic and Antonio Costa on February 6th and
    March 14th respectively, and the French president Emmanuel Macron on
    April 17th.






    ASSASSINATION -
    A new suspect has been arrested near the city of Hamburg in relation to the
    killing of the Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova. The suspect, described
    as a young Bulgarian aged 20-30, was detained in Germany, where he is living
    with his mother, after leaving Bulgaria on Sunday. According to the Bulgarian
    media, the DNA found at the crime scene is identical to that of the young man. Previously,
    the police had detained an ethnic Ukrainian from the Republic of Moldova, who
    also has Romanian citizenship, but
    released him for lack of evidence. The dead body of the Bulgarian journalist,
    aged 30, was found on Saturday in a park
    on the bank of the River Danube, in Ruse. She had been raped and then killed. On her last show on
    September 30th on a TV station in Ruse, Viktoria Marinova had held a
    talk with two journalists, Dimitar Stoianov from Bulgaria and Atiila Biro from
    Romania, who are conducting an investigation into cases of fraud with EU
    money, involving business people and
    officials. Investigators are trying to find the motive for the assassination, without
    excluding a connection with the journalist’s professional activity.






    SPORT – Romanian athletes have
    won another three medals – one gold, one silver and one bronze – at the Youth
    Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. The gold medal was won by the female weightlifter
    Sabina Baltag, in the 53 kg category, with a total of 177 kg. Florin Arteni -
    Fintinariu and Alexandru Laurentiu won silver in the male canoe double. Tabita
    Maftei and Alina Maria Beletchi won
    bronze in the two women’s canoe event. In the rankings by medals, Romania ranks
    5th, on a par with Colombia, each with 2 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 2
    bronze. Romania’s youth team is made up of 34 athletes, 21 women and 13 men,
    competing in 14 events.









  • September 27, 2018 UPDATE

    September 27, 2018 UPDATE

    Resignation. The Romanian Education Minister Valentin Popa announced his resignation on Thursday, after a meeting with the leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea and against talks about a potential government reshuffle. Also on Thursday, Valentin Popa stated that Romania and the Romanian language are not negotiable and all children in Romania must know Romanian, for them to be able to live and work in the country. A few days earlier, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania had announced it suspended cooperation with the governing coalition until the issue of the Romanian language taught in primary schools with teaching in minority languages was resolved. This is the second resignation in the Cabinet headed by Viorica Dancila, after that of the Research Minister Nicolae Burnete.



    Ordinance. The Romanian Government on Thursday adopted an emergency ordinance that changes the legislation regarding insolvency. The new provisions are aimed at putting an end to some abusive practices and at providing equal chances for business development. Currently, more than 6,000 companies, with some 65,000 employees, are insolvent, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said at the end of the meeting. Also on Thursday, the Government took several measures to support certain categories of the population exposed to poverty and social exclusion and decided that Romanian language in primary minority schools will be taught by the teachers of the respective classes.



    UN. A Romanian delegation headed by the countrys president Klaus Iohannis is attending the 73rd UN General Assembly session. Romania will promote an open approach to migration based on identifying consensual solutions among EU member states during its presidency of the EU Council in the first six months of next year, president Klaus Iohannis said during a meeting in New York with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. At the UN, Iohannis pleaded for Romania to be elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in the 2020-2021 period. In his address before the UN General Assembly, he said Romania would be a responsible partner in promoting the UNs common agenda. He also said that Romania, as a holder of the EU Council presidency, would consolidate the Unions partnership with the United Nations.



    Rule of law. The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament announced on Thursday that the vote on the resolution regarding the observance of the rule of law in Romania was postponed until the November plenary session. The vote should have taken place in the second plenary session in October, when the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is invited to give a speech on the future of Europe. Next week, in Strasbourg, the meeting will only include a debate on the situation in Romania, with the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila attending. PM Dancila already held talks with leaders of the main parliamentary groups in the European Parliament in Brussels early this week.



    Investigation. Colonel Ionut Catalin Sindile, the interim head of the Romanian Gendarmerie, appeared before the General Prosecutors Office on Thursday in connection to the intervention of the riot police during the antigovernment protest on August 10th in Bucharest. He is under criminal investigation, alongside other gendarmerie officials, for complicity to abuse of office and complicity to abusive behaviour. Military prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the brutal way in which the gendarmes acted on August 10th. The General Prosecutors Office says 770 criminal complaints have been filed against the reaction of the security forces, who used tear gas and water canons to disperse the crowds. The protest was treated as a potential risk to public order and the security forces intervention was legal, said the interior minister Carmen Dan.



    African swine fever. The Romanian agriculture minister Petre Daea has held talks in Brussels about the compensations to be granted to Romania by the European Commission for the African swine fever epidemic. According to official data, the Romanian state has awarded compensations to more than 4,000 of the 6,000 cases approved, amounting to around 15 million Euros. Since the outbreak of the virus, some 900 hotbeds have been reported in a number of counties. On the other hand, the simple motion filed by the National Liberal Party against Petre Daea was rejected on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies. The Liberals criticised the way in which the situation was handled, while the agriculture minister said the Romanian authorities have taken the standard measures established at European level.



    Appointment. The Superior Council of Magistracy has postponed for the 8th of October an interview with prosecutor Adina Florea, who was proposed by the justice minister Tudorel Toader to take over the leadership of the National Anticorruption Directorate. The Councils opinion, which is advisory, will be submitted to the minister. Later, the proposal will be sent to president Klaus Iohannis. In her application, Adina Florea said that, apart from good things, the activity of the anticorruption prosecutors also contained considerable deviations from the rule of law. Adina Florea, who formerly worked with the Prosecutors Office of the Court of Appeal in Constanta, has been proposed as head of the National Anticorruption Directorate after a second selection round. The post had become vacant in July, when Laura Codruta Kovesi was sacked by president Klaus Iohannis in keeping with a Constitutional Court ruling.



    Industrial action. The Sanitary Solidarity Federation is to begin consultations with trade union members about a programme of wide-scale protests going all the way to a general strike, given that the government has not signed the collective employment agreement for the sector, the Federation has announced. Healthcare trade unions have a list of ten demands, including the awarding of the salary increases corresponding to 2019 beginning in January for all categories of employees who have not benefited from an increase in the basic salary. They also demand taxing the food benefit in the same way as meal vouchers.

  • February 1, 2018 UPDATE

    February 1, 2018 UPDATE


    PARLIAMENT – A new parliamentary session started in Romania on Thursday. The Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, intends to adopt the law on the establishment of the Sovereign Fund for Development and Investment, the Administrative Code and the Pensions Law, while its partners, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, will focus on the countrys economic development. The rightwing opposition has announced that, in the current parliamentary session, they intend to block all the ruling powers initiatives to amend the justice laws.



    GOVERNMENT – One of the Governments priorities is the development and extension of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US in several fields, including the protection and promotion of human rights and the fight against human trafficking, said the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila in a message she conveyed at a debate on human trafficking organized by the US Embassy in Bucharest. Also, the Interior Minister Carmen Dan stated that Romania takes part in all the efforts made by EUROPOL, INTERPOL, EUROJUST, FRONTEX and SELEC to fight cross-border crime and curb the negative effects of human and children trafficking, the fight against human trafficking being one of the Interior Ministrys priorities. The event brought together magistrates and officials representing authorities specialized in fighting human trafficking from the US, Romania and the Republic of Moldova.



    POLAND – On Thursday, the Romanian Foreign Minister Tedor Melescanu had a meeting in Bucharest with his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz. The Romanian minister stated that a potential vote on suspending Polands EU voting rights would not benefit anybody. He stressed that Poland had not called on Romania to take a stand against suspension. In turn, Czaputowicz stated that his country had signals from other countries in the region that they would not favour the activation of article 7 of the EU Treaty. As a first in the EU history, the European Commission has decided to trigger article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty against Poland, saying there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law in that country, after the Polish Parliament adopted two laws under which the countrys judiciary is now under the political control of the ruling majority.



    MOLDOVA – The Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila had a phone conversation on Thursday with her Moldovan counterpart Pavel Filip, focusing on the strategic partnership between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The two officials agreed that joint projects must continue. Dancila reiterated Romanias firm commitment to supporting the Republic of Moldovas European path and its efforts to implement reforms for the benefit of its citizens. In turn, Filip said that the Chisinau Government would remain a reliable partner to the Bucharest authorities.



    EBRD – Romania must adopt a different economic model, if it wants to avoid a crisis triggered by the current boom, based on consumption, the Regional Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Matteo Patrone has stated. After stimulating growth by reducing taxes and increasing salaries in the public sector, the Bucharest Government should take a more sustainable path, Patrone has also said. In his opinion, Bucharest officials can do that by increasing investment in infrastructure and improving the rate of absorption of European funds.



    EU COUNCIL PRESIDENCY – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu has officially launched the presentation site of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. The interactive portal can be accessed at www.romania2019.eu and includes information about the EU Council Presidency, preparations for the mandate, a forum of ideas and opportunities for volunteers. According to minister Negrescu, the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council is designed so as to ensure transparency and focus on the citizens.


    (translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)