Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian intelligence

  • October 5, 2017 UPDATE

    October 5, 2017 UPDATE

    EPIDEMIC — The number of confirmed cases of measles reported in Romania has exceeded 9,400, the National Centre for Monitoring and Control of Viral Disease with the National Institute of Public Health announced on Thursday. So far the epidemic has killed 34 people. In another development, the draft law on organizing and funding vaccination activities was given a favourable opinion from the Senate’s Committee of Constitutionality. The new legislation is due to take effect on January 1, 2018.



    PROTESTS — Health Ministry representatives and trade unions in the healthcare system on Thursday held a new round of negotiations. They are against the bonuses policy, the unitary pay law and the transfer of social security payments from employers to employees. Also, they demand the elimination of the 30% cap on specific bonuses and the full application of salary increases for all healthcare and social assistance employees as of March 1, 2018. Protest actions have been held for almost two weeks in several cities in Romania, including Bucharest, where several thousand people gathered on Wednesday. Protests have been staged by one of the biggest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa. A protesters’ delegation, including employees from the police, healthcare, transport, education and public administration sectors, attended the talks with the government. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday.



    EU PRESIDENCY — Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said Romania is making progress regarding preparations for taking over the Presidency of the EU Council in 2019. According to the Romanian official, the effort will involve some 1,500 people, who will undergo training with Romanian and European Commission experts. Romania wants to be more active at EU level and will try to make the most of its term at the helm of the EU, Negrescu went on to say.



    EU BODY — The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a document whereby the European Prosecutor’s Office will become operational in 2020. The Prosecutor’s Office will focus on combating VAT and community funds fraud. So far, some 20 Member States, including Romania, have signed off on the project. The new body will have the authority to investigate and criminally prosecute cases of embezzlement of structural funds, tax evasion and other crimes that are detrimental to the EU’s financial interests. The Prosecutor’s Office will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Every year, public authorities across Europe incur VAT-related losses of nearly 50 billion euros.



    ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE — During his visit to the Western University of Timisoara on Thursday, Romanian Intelligence chief Eduard Hellvig said he has repeatedly called on Parliament’s support for adopting the legislation on national security. Hellvig says the Romanian Intelligence Service is not involved in power games and wants a transparent and civil leadership of the Service, via the Parliament’s special committee. Hellvig added that the leadership of the service should not become a political instrument or tool for the media.



    CONFERENCE — Romanians trust the EU more than other citizens from the community bloc, and more often than not seek the answers to their problems in Brussels, the head of the European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Angela Cristea said on Thursday. Cristea added that Romania is not one of those member states that react poorly to recommendations from Brussels. Angela Cristea attended the 6th edition of Bucharest Forum, devoted to geopolitical and economic issues and bringing together high-ranking officials, representatives of the business sector and world experts.



    SPAIN — Spain’s Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday decided to call off Monday’s plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia, when the independence of this province was to be announced. In another development, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the only way out of the deadlock was to abandon the declaration of independence. In turn, European Commission Vice-president Frans Timmermans called for dialogue between the two parties, saying that this is a matter for Spain to resolve of its own accord.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea no. 44 WTA qualified on Thursday to the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Beijing with more than 6.3 million dollars up for grabs, after defeating world no. 4 and former world leader Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-5. On Friday Cirstea will be up against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, no. 9 in the world. Another Romanian player, Simona Halep, no. 2 in the world, qualified to the quarterfinals after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia and will next play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. (Translated by E. Enache & V. Palcu)

  • October 5, 2017 UPDATE

    October 5, 2017 UPDATE

    EPIDEMIC — The number of confirmed cases of measles reported in Romania has exceeded 9,400, the National Centre for Monitoring and Control of Viral Disease with the National Institute of Public Health announced on Thursday. So far the epidemic has killed 34 people. In another development, the draft law on organizing and funding vaccination activities was given a favourable opinion from the Senate’s Committee of Constitutionality. The new legislation is due to take effect on January 1, 2018.



    PROTESTS — Health Ministry representatives and trade unions in the healthcare system on Thursday held a new round of negotiations. They are against the bonuses policy, the unitary pay law and the transfer of social security payments from employers to employees. Also, they demand the elimination of the 30% cap on specific bonuses and the full application of salary increases for all healthcare and social assistance employees as of March 1, 2018. Protest actions have been held for almost two weeks in several cities in Romania, including Bucharest, where several thousand people gathered on Wednesday. Protests have been staged by one of the biggest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa. A protesters’ delegation, including employees from the police, healthcare, transport, education and public administration sectors, attended the talks with the government. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday.



    EU PRESIDENCY — Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu said Romania is making progress regarding preparations for taking over the Presidency of the EU Council in 2019. According to the Romanian official, the effort will involve some 1,500 people, who will undergo training with Romanian and European Commission experts. Romania wants to be more active at EU level and will try to make the most of its term at the helm of the EU, Negrescu went on to say.



    EU BODY — The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a document whereby the European Prosecutor’s Office will become operational in 2020. The Prosecutor’s Office will focus on combating VAT and community funds fraud. So far, some 20 Member States, including Romania, have signed off on the project. The new body will have the authority to investigate and criminally prosecute cases of embezzlement of structural funds, tax evasion and other crimes that are detrimental to the EU’s financial interests. The Prosecutor’s Office will be headquartered in Luxembourg. Every year, public authorities across Europe incur VAT-related losses of nearly 50 billion euros.



    ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE — During his visit to the Western University of Timisoara on Thursday, Romanian Intelligence chief Eduard Hellvig said he has repeatedly called on Parliament’s support for adopting the legislation on national security. Hellvig says the Romanian Intelligence Service is not involved in power games and wants a transparent and civil leadership of the Service, via the Parliament’s special committee. Hellvig added that the leadership of the service should not become a political instrument or tool for the media.



    CONFERENCE — Romanians trust the EU more than other citizens from the community bloc, and more often than not seek the answers to their problems in Brussels, the head of the European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Angela Cristea said on Thursday. Cristea added that Romania is not one of those member states that react poorly to recommendations from Brussels. Angela Cristea attended the 6th edition of Bucharest Forum, devoted to geopolitical and economic issues and bringing together high-ranking officials, representatives of the business sector and world experts.



    SPAIN — Spain’s Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday decided to call off Monday’s plenary session of the Parliament of Catalonia, when the independence of this province was to be announced. In another development, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the only way out of the deadlock was to abandon the declaration of independence. In turn, European Commission Vice-president Frans Timmermans called for dialogue between the two parties, saying that this is a matter for Spain to resolve of its own accord.



    TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea no. 44 WTA qualified on Thursday to the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Beijing with more than 6.3 million dollars up for grabs, after defeating world no. 4 and former world leader Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 7-5. On Friday Cirstea will be up against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, no. 9 in the world. Another Romanian player, Simona Halep, no. 2 in the world, qualified to the quarterfinals after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia and will next play against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. (Translated by E. Enache & V. Palcu)

  • Secret Services and Politics

    Secret Services and Politics


    After the scandal at the top of the Romanian Intelligence Service resulting in the sacking of the Services first deputy director, general Florian Coldea, president Klaus Iohannis conveyed a political message to the new parliamentary majority in which he said the latter would have the opportunity to prove its maturity in how it handles the legislative changes in the field of national security and justice. The president emphasised the need for negotiations between the power and the opposition, saying it remains to be seen what kind of parliamentary majority Romania will have. He expressed concerns that this new majority would impose its will in all respects and “bleach” the records of people facing criminal convictions.



    Klaus Iohannis: “The alternative is a mature majority who understands that there is only one Romania and who will join the president so that together we guarantee the national security and the rule of law and prove that Romania is a safe country for its citizens and a powerful nation among the other nations. I want a mature majority. Im waiting for it.”



    The sacking of Florian Coldea, who has served as first deputy director of the Romanian Intelligence Service for the last 12 years, came after the former MP Sebastian Ghita, a fugitive with a criminal record who is wanted internationally, made some serious accusations against Coldea, saying among other things that he went on holiday with him at least once. Although an internal inquiry committee absolved Coldea, the latter took a step back and gave up his position, while the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Eduard Hellvig requested the president to place Coldea in the reserve.



    The statements made by president Iohannis also triggered a reaction from Senate speaker and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Calin Popescu Tariceanu. The latter said he wanted to know if there were any secret decisions taken by the Countrys Supreme Defence Council that granted enhanced powers to force institutions in the judiciary and that, in his opinion, led to the violation of citizens rights and liberties. Calin Popescu Tariceanu says the Romanian president has the duty to reveal the enhanced powers granted to the services, the limits of their influence on magistrates and whether there are any undercover intelligence officers in the judiciary.



    More light in the Coldea case may be shed on the 25th of January, when the director of the Romanian Intelligence Service Eduard Hellvig appears before the committee for parliamentary control of the Services activity. According to the head of this committee, the Services deputy directors and the head of its internal inquiry committee are also expected to appear before Parliament.




  • January 17, 2017 UPDATE

    January 17, 2017 UPDATE

    ROMANIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday signed the degree to put General Florian Coldea on reserve status, the First Deputy Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service. Previously a special commission of the Romanian Intelligence Service announced that the analysis of the activity carried out by the first deputy-director Florian Coldea revealed no elements that would constitute violations of laws or regulations in force. Following an investigation the executive board of the Romanian Intelligence Office decided to put the first deputy director back in office. However, Coldea asked to be released from office and placed at the disposal of the institution, invoking reasons that have to do with military dignity and honour. Florian Coldea was suspended last week following accusations made by the former deputy Sebastian Ghita, who is wanted in several corruption investigations.


    IMF — A delegation of the International Monetary Fund led by mission chief for Romania Reza Baqir will visit Bucharest this week for their first meeting with Social-Democrat Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and the members of the new Government. According to an IMF press release, IMF experts will also hold meetings with the leadership of the National Bank, the Ministry of Finance as well as the other ministers with economic competences. Talks will most likely focus on the draft budget for 2017. Romania currently has no ongoing agreement with the IMF, but can hold annual consultations with Fund representatives as per IMF regulations.



    CEREMONY — Romania’s Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea on Friday will attend the official swearing in of US President Donald Trump. Dragnea said he was invited by the vice-president of the swearing-in committee. The presidency has released a statement saying that no foreign delegation has been officially invited to the ceremony. Representing Romania will be Romanian Ambassador to Washington George Cristian Maior.



    OSCE — State Secretary with the Romanian Foreign Ministry George Ciamba on Wednesday will be chairing the Romanian Presidency of the Security Cooperation Forum as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna. According to a Foreign Ministry press release, Romania takes over the Forum at a time when the organization’s values are being reconsidered with a view to managing new global security challenges, also providing the opportunity of highlighting Romania’s role as a mature and responsible member state, aware of the opportunities deriving from its geographical location. Alongside the Permanent Council, the Security Cooperation Forum is one of the OSCE’s two decision-making bodies. Set up in 1992, the Forum convenes on a weekly basis and offers a platform for assessment and debate of security issues and for multilateral cooperation with a view to boosting stability and security in OSCE countries.



    MOLDOVA — Moldovan President pro-Russian Socialist Igor Dodon said he wants to renegotiate the association and free trade agreements concluded with the EU in 2014 after the upcoming legislative elections. The announcement was made on Tuesday in Moscow after Dodon met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. This was Dodon’s first official visit as president of the Republic of Moldova. Igor Dodon said he wants to restore the Strategic Partnership between Moldova and Russia. Meanwhile in Chisinau, the Liberals have announced they would launch procedures to have Dodon suspended, accusing him of violating the Constitution. The Liberals reprimand Dodon for his close relations with pro-Russian Trandniester separatists.



    BREXIT –British Prime-Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said she would submit to the vote of the two chambers of Parliament in London the final agreement on Britain leaving the European Union. The British official has again argued in favour of a clear-cut separation from Brussels, saying that after Brexit the UK will no longer be part of the European single market. Seven months after Britain’s historic ‘leave’ vote, Theresa May has promised to start the exit procedures by the end of March. Negotiations with Brussels will last two years. (Translated by V. Palcu)