Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian President Klaus Iohannis

February 21, 2018 UPDATE

BRUSSELS – Romania’s place is
clearly in the Schengen area, said in Brussels on Wednesday the European
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in a joint press conference with the
Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila. The EC President also said that the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, by means of which the Commission
monitors the Romanian justice system, must be lifted. Also, Juncker said that,
in the first half of 2019, when it will
be holding the presidency of the EU Council, Romania will be faced with a huge
responsibility. In turn, the Romanian Prime Minister said that the CVM should
be lifted, because it’s not normal for Romania to take over the presidency of
the EU Council while still under sanction. Romania will make all possible efforts
to ensure a fair and transparent cooperation with the European institutions,
the Prime Minister also said. On Tuesday, Viorica Dancila, on her first formal
visit abroad as Prime Minister of Romania, held talks with the President of the
European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Council President Donald
Tusk.

MOTION – The simple motion
filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Labour Minister Lia
Olguta Vasilescu was rejected by the Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday.
157 deputies voted against, 96 for and 16 abstained. The Liberal Party accuses
the ruling coalition of disturbing the fiscal and social systems and of
creating gaps between the private and the public sectors. According to the
initiators of the no-confidence motion, shifting the obligation to pay social
security contributions from employers to employees has led to a drop in the
salaries of more than two million people. At the debate held in the Chamber of
Deputies, minister Olguta Vasilescu said that salaries cannot drop if employers
do the right thing, as provided by law.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – Romania’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday
rejected as inadmissible the complaints submitted by the Save Romania Union
regarding the revision in Parliament of the justice laws. The opposition Save
Romania Union had filed several claims of unconstitutionality against the Law
on the organization and functioning of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Law on the status of judges and
prosecutors and the Law regarding judicial organization. According to the Save
Romania Union, the three laws, as endorsed by parliament, undermine the
independence of the Romanian magistrates. The political power in Bucharest, however, argues that the revision of
the justice laws was necessary, given that they had not been revised in over ten
years. On the other hand, the political opposition, part of civil society and
the magistrates’ professional organizations are against the changes, saying
they only serve the vested interests of some politicians and business people.

MOLDOVA – Romania’s President
Klaus Iohannis received on Wednesday in Bucharest the Deputy Prime Minister for
European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, Iurie Leanca. On the occasion,
the Romanian president stressed the fact that a European road is the only way
for the future Republic of Moldova. Among other things, the two officials
talked about Moldova’s getting connected to the European energy system, through
Romania. On Tuesday, Leanca also held talks with the Romanian Foreign Minister
Teodor Melescanu and the Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor
Negrescu.

PROTEST – On Wednesday,
education trade unionists took to the streets and picketed the headquarters of
the Labour Ministry in Bucharest, protesting against the recent fiscal and
budgetary measures because of which, they say, thousands of employees on medical leave will lose important
amounts from their incomes. Also, they called for a renegotiation of the salary
law, whose provisions have led to situations in which certain public employees
are being discriminated against. They also want a revision of the pension law,
so that the teaching staff can retire three years before the standard age.
Similar protest actions are scheduled for Thursday.

FLU – 45 people have died from flu this winter,
according to a report presented on Wednesday by the National Center of
Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control. The number of infected people
exceeds 500. Most of them live in the capital and in the counties of Constanta,
Olt, Brasov and Iasi. Authorities recommend vaccination, and the Ministry of
Health has announced that there are still some 80,000 shots available. So far,
920,000 people have been vaccinated against the flu. According to the Health
Minister Sorina Pintea, at the moment we cannot speak of a flu epidemic in
Romania.

21 February 2018
Romania’s President speaks about foreign investment

According to Romanias President Klaus Iohannis, foreign investment is not an adversary to Romanian entrepreneurship, but a genuine partner, offering increased business opportunities and models of effective management. Attending a reception hosted in Bucharest by the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce, the president underlined that the Governments priority in 2018 should be the business sector, which has recently been facing unexpected challenges with regard to the quality and predictability of economic policies. President Iohannis argued in favour of a robust economy, based on a responsible governing program and predictable policies.

Klaus Iohannis: “As with every government, I want to call on the new one to pay attention to their responsibility to ensure Romanias economic stability above anything else. The future Government should understand it is important not to jeopardize fiscal sustainability and Romanias long-term development potential by means of ill-advised and risky measures. I will hold talks with the new Cabinet and call a consultation with decision-makers on the sustainability of their economic measures”.

The president also recalled the downward trend of public investment, adding that it is not enough to have budget allocations for investment only “on paper”. These investments should be actually made, and thus stop neglecting key sectors such as infrastructure. Romanian economy fares extremely well figure-wise, but the figures unfortunately do not reflect the quality of economic policies, with the business sector managing to report progress rather despite such policies.

Klaus Iohannis has warned that, although Romania reported a record-high economic growth at EU level in 2017, lawmakers had difficulties observing the budget deficit target of 3% of the countrys GDP, as stipulated in the budget and fiscal framework. Against the background of careless fiscal policies, they had to take extraordinary measures, such as the reintroduction of the additional excise duty on fuels, taking on additional dividends from state-owned companies or blocking payments to credit release authorities towards the end of the year. Add to that the chaos generated by the changes to the Fiscal Code, which nearly everybody has criticized, and the result is a blatant disinterest on the lawmakers part in ensuring the economic predictability the business sector wants, President Iohannis went on to say. The President believes, however, that the business sector will manage to uphold its priorities and consolidate its achievements through transparency and open dialogue with the countrys decision-makers.

26 January 2018
January 23, 2018

SCHENGEN – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has today stated, at the annual meeting with the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest, that Romanias joining the Schengen area is essential. He has also stated that the logistics needed for Romanias holding the presidency of the EU Council in 2019 must be properly prepared. The head of state has given assurances that Romania will keep taking part in the debates on strengthening the economic and monetary union and has added that, unless it joins the Schengen area, Romania will not enjoy all the benefits ensured by its EU integration. The president has also stated that Romanias foreign policy pillars are the strategic partnership with the US and its membership to the EU and NATO. Klaus Iohannis has also stated that Bucharest firmly pleads for strengthening trans-Atlantic ties.

OPPOSITION – The National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, has today presented the so called “black book of the PSD-ALDE governing”. The president of the party Ludovic Orban has stated that 2017 was a lost year for Romania and the country is heading in the wrong direction from a democratic, economic and social point of view. According to the analysis made by the liberals, out of the 724 measures that the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats committed to implementing, only 33 were actually implemented, and as regards major fields such as education, health and the economy, less than 5% of the promised measures were taken. Also, budget expenditure exceeded revenues and the money was not used for development, it was mainly spent on personnel expenditure. The National Liberal Party also claims that, when the coalition started ruling, the inflation rate was 0.2%, to then reach 3.3% in 2017. Previously, Orban had announced that the liberals would establish the way in which they were going to act in Parliament to prevent the validation of the new governmental team, headed by the Social Democrat MEP Viorica Dancila. More on this after the news.

JUSTICE LAWS – The Constitutional Court is today debating claims filed by the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the opposition National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union regarding the changes brought to the justice laws. One of the notifications concerns the setting up of the Special Prosecutors Office responsible for investigating judges and prosecutors. Magistrates believe that this breaks the principle of equality before the law, as they would become the only professional category in Romania to have a special office for their own prosecution. In turn, the liberals say that the changes brought to the justice laws break several constitutional principles, including the senators and deputies right to have legislative initiatives. On Saturday, dozens of thousand of people protested again against the ruling coalition in Romania, whom they blame for trying to subordinate magistrates and to put an end to the fight against corruption. The changes in the justice laws have also been criticized by president Klaus Iohannis, the media and some of Romanias western partners. The Constitutional Court will probably issue its final ruling on the matter next month.

IMF – In an update on its bi-annual “World Economic Outlook”, the International Monetary Fund estimates that world economy will increase its growth rate to 4% in 2018 and 2019. Also, the report reads that last year, economic activity in Europe and Asia was surprisingly better than estimated, so the fund has revised upwards its estimates for the Eurozone, in particular for Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. According to the IMF, the US economy would register an economic growth rate of 2.7% in 2018, but that would slow down to 2.5% in 2019. The Chinese economy would register a rate of 6.6% this year, and 6.4% in 2019. As regards Romania, in its “World Economic Outlook”, published in October 2017, the IMF revised the growth rate estimated for Romania in 2018, from 3.4% to 4.4%.

FLU – A 40-year old woman has died in Botosani, north-eastern Romania, of complications triggered by the flu. This is the third death caused by flu viruses this year in Romania, after a 69 year old woman in Bucharest and a 15-year old boy in Salaj, north-western Romania. The Health Minister Florian Bodog has called on family doctors to continue the anti-flu vaccination campaign this month too, especially of people who are at risk. According to the National Centre for Disease Surveillance and Control, the total number of cases of acute respiratory infections has reached 75,000. Specialists say that, as compared to the same period last season, the total number of ill people is smaller by some 25%.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN – The pair made up of the Romanian tennis players Irina Begu and Monica Niculescu has qualified for the semifinals of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, after a 3 set victory against the US couple Jennifer Brady/Vania King. Next, Begu and Niculescu will take on the Russians Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina, who won the title in Melbourne back in 2014. On Wednesday, Romanias only representatives in the singles, Simona Halep, takes on Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Halep is the worlds number one player and also first-seed at the Australian Open.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

23 January 2018
January 20, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST – Dozens of thousands of people protested again in Bucharest and other cities across Romania on Saturday evening against the changes brought to the justice laws and the recent fiscal measures adopted by the government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. The protest in Bucharest was attended by people from all over the country. The traffic in the area was disturbed and incidents were reported involving protesters and gendarmes. The protesters are accusing the ruling coalition in Romania of trying to subordinate the judiciary, by amending the legislation in the field. In December, several NGOs called on the Government to inform the Venice Commission about the justice laws and the changes in the criminal codes. Recently, the embassies in Bucharest of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland and Sweden have called, in a joint letter, on all the parties involved in the reform of the judiciary to avoid any action that would weaken the independence of the justice system and the fight against corruption.

AJC– Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has received in Bucharest a delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), headed by President David Harris, on which occasion he stated that Bucharest authorities will continue to be extremely open to the Jewish community. In turn, David Harris has appreciated the way in which Romania acted while holding the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, between March 2016 and March 2017, stressing in particular the remarkable results obtained in the field of Holocaust education and research. During the meeting, the two parties also discussed the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US and the privileged ties between Romania and Israel, to the strengthening of which AJC would like to keep contributing. David Harris has also met with the Romanian interim prime-minister Mihai Fifor, who has stressed Romanias strategic role in the Black Sea area and the countrys firm commitment as a NATO member. Established in 1906, the American Jewish Committee is one of the oldest Jewish organisations in the USA, fighting against antisemitism at global level and promoting the observance of human rights.

AIR POLLUTION– The European Commission has announced that on January 30th it will hold a ministerial meeting, involving the participation of nine member states, including Romania. The meeting will focus on the infringement procedure regarding failure to observe the agreed air pollution limits. The other member states, besides Romania, facing infringement are the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and the UK. In 2008, a directive was issued establishing the air quality limits that cannot be exceeded anywhere in the EU, obliging the Member States to limit the exposure of citizens to harmful air pollutants. According to the Commission, despite this directive, these limits are still being exceeded in more than 130 cities across Europe.

BULGARIA – The German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid a visit to Sofia on Saturday, for talks with her Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov on the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of the EU. The talks focused on Bulgarias joining the Schengen agreement, the EU accession of the countries in the Western Balkans, the migration crisis and the relations with Turkey. Merkel hailed the way in which Bulgaria ensured the security of the EU borders, in particular the one with Turkey. She also appreciated the Bulgarian Prime Ministers initiative to organize an EU-Turkey summit, which would openly address all the important issues. The German chancellor has announced that Bulgarias accession to the Schengen area might start soon with air transportation.

FARMING – Romania owns 33% of the total number of farms in the EU, but, as regards the area of land used in agriculture, the country is outranked by countries such as France or Spain, according to data made public by the National Statistics Institute. According to the institute, Romanias main problem is the fragmentation of agricultural land, which does not help farmers capitalize enough on their production. The study made by the NSI has also revealed that, in 2016, the number of farms dropped by 6% as compared to 2013, when the previous study was conducted.

ATTACK – On Saturday, the Turkish army confirmed it launched a ground and air offensive against the YPG Kurdish militia in the Afrin region in northern Syria. To Ankara, YPG, Peoples Protection Units, is a terrorist organisation. The operation is regarded with concern by Washington, given that YPG is an ally to the US in the fight against the Islamic State. Ankara accuses YPG of being the Syrian branch of the PKK, which has been carrying out a rebellion in south-eastern Turkey for more than 30 years and is considered by Ankara and its western allies a terrorist organisation.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN– The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number one in the WTA rankings, has today qualified for the next round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating the American Lauren Davis. The match against Davis was the most dramatic in her career and also the longest, as it lasted three hours and 45 minutes. In the fourth round, Simona Halep will take on the Japanese Naomi Osaka, no. 72 in the WTA classification. Also today, the pair made up of the Romanian Sorana Carstea and the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia has qualified for the last 16 of the womens doubles. Next they will play against the fourth seed Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova, of the Czech Republic. In the mens doubles, the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch Jean-Julien Rojer were defeated by the Australian Sam Groth/ Lleyton Hewitt. Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, was eliminated in the third round by the American Madison Keys.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

20 January 2018
January 20, 2018

AJC – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis has received in
Bucharest a delegation of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), headed by President
David Harris, on which occasion he stated that Bucharest authorities will continue
to be extremely open to the Jewish community. In turn, David Harris has
appreciated the way in which Romania acted while holding the presidency of the
International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance between March 2016 and March 2017,
stressing in particular the remarkable results obtained in the field of Holocaust education
and research. During the meeting, the two parties also discussed the
Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US and the privileged ties
between Romania and Israel, to the strengthening of which AJC would like to keep
contributing. David Harris has also met with the Romanian interim
prime-minister Mihai Fifor, who has stressed Romania’s strategic role in the
Black Sea area and the country’s firm commitment as a NATO member. Established
in 1906, the American Jewish Committee is one of the oldest Jewish
organisations in the USA, fighting against antisemitism at global level and
promoting the observance of human rights.

AIR POLLUTION – The European Commission has announced
that on January 30th it will hold a ministerial meeting, involving
the participation of nine member states, including Romania. The meeting will
focus on the infringement procedure regarding failure to observe the agreed air
pollution limits. The other member states, besides Romania, facing infringement are the Czech Republic,
Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and the UK. In 2008, a
directive was issued establishing the air quality limits that cannot be
exceeded anywhere in the EU, obliging the Member States to limit the exposure
of citizens to harmful air pollutants. According to the Commission, despite
this directive, these limits are still being exceeded in more than 130 cities
across Europe.

FARMING
– Romania owns 33% of the total number of farms in the EU, but, as regards the
area of land used in agriculture, the country is outranked by countries such as
France or Spain, according to data made public by the National Statistics
Institute. According to the institute, Romania’s main problem is the
fragmentation of agricultural land, which does not help farmers capitalize
enough on their production. The study made by the NSI has also revealed that, in
2016, the number of farms dropped by 6% as compared to 2013, when the previous
study was conducted.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN – The
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number one in the WTA rankings, has today
qualified for the next round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam
tournament of the year, after defeating the American Lauren Davis. The match
against Davis was the most dramatic in her career and also the longest, as it
lasted three hours and 45 minutes. In the fourth round, Simona Halep will take
on the Japanese Naomi Osaka, no. 72 in the WTA classification. Also today, the
pair made up of the Romanian Sorana Carstea and the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad
Maia has qualified for the last 16 of the women’s doubles. Next they will play
against the fourth seed Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova, of the Czech
Republic. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian Horia Tecau and the Dutch
Jean-Julien Rojer were defeated by the Australian Sam Groth/ Lleyton Hewitt.
Another Romanian player, Ana Bogdan, was eliminated in the third round by the
American Madison Keys.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

20 January 2018
Romania’s Prime Minister Designate

Viorica Dancila is the first woman designated to form a Government
in Romania. President Klaus Iohannis has accepted the proposal put forward by
the ruling coalition, made up of the Social-Democratic Party and the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats, and entrusted Viorica Dancila with this task.
Expecting public disgruntlement, the President motivated his choice, arguing
that both the Constitution and coalition’s majority in Parliament dictated to
accept the nomination. The President insisted on pointing out that the
Social-Democrats need to start putting in some work, especially after the
failure of two consecutive governments within a single year.

Klaus Iohannis: Romanians have high
expectations and so do I. The Social-Democrats have promised a great many
things in the election campaign, salaries, pensions, new schools, new
textbooks, hospitals, infrastructure, and what
they have achieved so far is too little. It’s time the Social-Democrats
proved they are willing to keep their promises.

Visibly pleased, the Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has stated
the President chose stability. Dragnea has reiterated that the Government will
serve citizens’ interests, a promise the opposition claims the ruling coalition
is yet to keep. Liviu Dragnea:

The Social-Democratic Party
will govern jointly with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, based on the
mandate obtained through popular vote, in order to fulfill its governing
program and meet Romanians’ great expectations. I want to congratulate Viorica
Dancila for her appointment. I believe in her, she is a decent, gratifying and
highly competent woman.

The Prime Minister Designate has stated she will seek to implement
the measures that earned the Social-Democrats the majority in Parliament,
highlighting her priorities. Viorica Dancila:

For us it is paramount to
give 2018 the importance it deserves, given that this year we celebrate 100
years since the Great Union, and we also have to prepare for taking over the
presidency of the European Union Council on January 1, 2019.

Commonly seen by the opposition as the last defense against the
Social Democrats’ strive to restructure state institutions, particularly the
judiciary, the President has been harshly criticized in social media, mostly
because he gave up without a fight, nominating a Prime Minister who’s done
little to recommend her for the job, save her loyalty for Liviu Dragnea. Also
expressing disappointment were the group of protesters who’ve militated against
the adoption of the justice laws. On a social networking site, they have
labeled the president’s nomination as an unacceptable gesture of complicity
with the Social-Democrats. Some NGO members have even staged a protest in front
of the presidency building.

The right-wing opposition has pleaded for early
elections, in turn arguing that the Social-Democrats did not deserve another
Government, after triggering two political crises by toppling its own
governments. There are also less scathing commentators who say the president
did not have any other choice, arguing that Klaus Iohannis is not to blame for
the low turnout in last year’s legislative elections, which the
Social-Democrats won by a landslide. Moreover, the same commentators note that
the right-wing opposition is incapable of building a workable alternative to
the current ruling coalition. (Traslated by Vlad Palcu)

18 January 2018
January 16, 2018

STATE VISIT – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is today receiving the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, who is on a formal visit to Bucharest, accompanied by a delegation of business people. According to the Presidential Administration, the Japanese Prime Minister will hold talks with various officials, will give statements to the press and will attend a state dinner given in his honour by President Iohannis. This is the first visit to Romania by a Japanese Prime Minister and it takes place against the background of Romania and Japan celebrating five years since the signing of the renewed partnership agreement between the two countries. Romania is one leg of the diplomatic tour that Abe is taking of central and eastern Europe, which also includes Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Serbia. Japan is thus trying to get support for its firm stand regarding the communist regime in North Korea.

ROMANIAN PREMIER – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has designated the Defence Minister Mihai Fifor as interim prime-minister, following the resignation of Mihai Tudose. The president has also announced that on Wednesday he will start consultations with the parliamentary parties on the nomination of a new prime-minister. He has voiced concern that within a year since the parliamentary elections Romania has already had two failing Social Democratic governments. In parallel, the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party has gathered again to make a proposal for the office of prime-minister. Tudose announced his resignation last night, after the Social Democratic leaders withdrew their political support.

NATO – A delegation of the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, headed by general Nicolae Ciuca, is attending in Brussels the NATO Military Committee Conference, attended by the NATO chiefs of staff. The agenda of the meeting includes topics such as challenges to security on NATOs southern flank and the contribution of the Alliance to stabilizing the region, the next steps in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, NATOs role in providing assistance for security reform in Iraq and the training of the Iraqi forces in 2018. Also, the participants will discuss proposals regarding means of adapting NATOs command structure, military recommendations and ways of harmonizing them with the political recommendations of the North Atlantic Council.

ECHR – The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader is holding talks in Strasbourg today with the President of the European Court of Human Rights Guido Raimondi about the measures taken by the Bucharest authorities regarding conditions in penitentiaries. Recently, Tudose has stated that the Memorandum for the implementation of the pilot judgment of the Court will be submitted to Government for approval, and most likely on January 22nd the memorandum will reach the Court. January 25th is the deadline on which Romania is supposed to present the roadmap regarding prison conditions in Romania. In April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that detention conditions in Romanian penitentiaries ran counter to the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and revealed structural dysfunctionalities that required urgent measures to be implemented by the state.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number one in the WTA rankings, has today qualified for the second round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, defeating the Australian Destanee Aiava 7-6, 6-1. In the second round, Halep, who is the tournaments first seed, will play against Eugenie Bouchard of Canada. Halep is the third qualified Romanian player, after Irina Begu and Sorana Carstea. Also today, the Romanian Ana Bogdan has defeated in two sets the French Kristina Mladenovici.

(translated by Mihaela Ignatescu)

16 January 2018
December 21, 2017

DECEMBER 1989 – 28 years since the December 1989 anti-Communist
Revolution, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has conveyed a message today,
saying that in 1989, Romanians called for the fall of Communism, an urge that
can still be heard today. This should be a warning to politicians, who have
proven lately they are not willing to leave the past and its bad habits behind.
Upholding the ideals of the anti-Communist Revolution means defending the rule
of law, freedom and democracy and respect for citizens, wrote the president on
a social network, stressing that the investigation of the Revolution Case File
must be completed and the crimes and abuses perpetrated in 1989 must be
punished. After four days of protests, which started in Timisoara on December
16th 1989, during which dozens of dead and wounded were reported,
the army joined the population and revolutionaries developed the first
democratic platform. Started as a protest staged by citizens of Timisoara
against an abusive measure taken by local officials, the revolution spread
rapidly across the country, culminating on December 22nd with the
presidential couple’s attempt to flee. More than 1,000 people died and some
3,400 were wounded between the 16th and the 25th of
December 1989. Romania was the only country in the Eastern Bloc where the
regime was changed violently and its communist leaders were executed by firing
squad.

JUSTICE
LAWS – The Romanian Senate, the decision making body in this matter, has today
adopted the bill modifying the Law on the organisation and functioning of the
Superior Council of Magistracy. This was the last in the justice law package
that the Senators had to rule on, after the adoption of the ones on judicial
organisation and the status of magistrates. The changes that the ruling
coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals
and Democrats, has brought to these laws have been vehemently criticized by the
right-wing opposition and a large part of civil society. Moreover, hundreds of
magistrates have protested in Bucharest and in other cities across the country
against the way in which these changes have been brought, saying the process
has lacked transparency.

BUDGET
BILL – The Romanian Parliament continues to debate today the 2018 state budget
bill, which establishes the amounts allocated to ministries and the main credit
authorizing bodies. The budgets of some of the most important institutions have
been maintained as they were in the draft proposed by the government, as the
amendments filed by the opposition were not voted by the majority. The budget
was built on an estimated 5.5% economic growth rate, an average exchange rate
of 4.55 lei for one Euro and a monthly salary of 565 Euro, as well as an
estimated budget deficit standing at 2.97%
of the GDP. The priority fields in 2018 are health, education and
infrastructure. The right-wing parliamentary opposition has criticized
Government’s measures, saying the structure of the budget is dangerous and will
trigger an increase in the public debt.

POLISH LAWS – The Polish president
Andrzej Duda has promulgated two controversial laws, which give the government
more power over the judiciary, right after the European Commission decided to
activate art.7 of the EU Treaty, saying that the laws represent a high risk of
violation of the rule of law. Brussels’s decision may leave Poland without the
right to vote in the European Council. The first-vice-president of the European
Commission Frans Timmermans has stated that it was the only option and Poland has
three months to implement the recommendations issued by the Commission, and
then the EU leaders would have to decide on penalty measures. France and
Germany have announced they support the Commission’s decision, but Hungary has
announced it might use its veto power to block what they termed an abusive
sanction against a democratically elected government.

CATALONIA – Five and a half million
Catalans are called to the polls today to elect the members of the regional
parliament. Currently, the region of Catalonia, one of the richest in Spain, is
governed by the central government in Madrid, after the regional executive
headed by Carles Puigdemont held on October 1st an illegal referendum that
subsequently led to a unilateral declaration of independence. Today’s favorites
are the Republican Left of Catalonia, whose leader, Oriol Junqueras, is in
prison, for having organized the referendum, and Ciudadanos, a liberal party
which supports Spain’s unity, whose main candidate is Ines Arrimadas. The
candidate of the coalition Together for Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, who is
currently in Belgium, is wanted by the Spanish judiciary for rebellion and
embezzlement. If he gets to Spain, he will be arrested right away.

21 December 2017
October 3, 2017 UPDATE

BUSINESS FORUM – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his Croat counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, who is on a state visit to Bucharest, on Tuesday opened the works of the Romanian – Croat Business Forum. On the occasion, the Romanian President pointed out that bilateral trade exchanges neared 300 million euros. In his opinion, although this is a low level given the potential of the two economies, recent developments are nevertheless encouraging. During Mondays talks the two presidents approached, among other things, ways to improve cooperation within the EU and NATO.

VISIT – Romanias Prime Minister Mihai Tudose, on a visit to neighbouring Bulgaria, on Tuesday stated that, within a year, the two countries would be joining the Schengen agreement. In a joint conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Borisov, Tudose also said that the two countries were “condemned to be together” with regard to Schengen accession. The two officials chaired in Varna the fourth joint working session of Bucharest and Sofia government representatives. The agenda of the meeting included topics such as economic cooperation, transport and energy infrastructure, regional development and cross-border cooperation. A joint declaration on the main directions of bilateral, regional, European, Euro-Atlantic and international cooperation was signed in the presence of the two officials. Also in Varna, the Romanian Prime Minister attended a 4-party summit involving the participation of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece.

CARTEL ALFA – One of the most important trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa, will stage a protest meeting on Wednesday, in front of the Government building. Protesters are unhappy with authorities decision to have employees pay social contributions, a responsibility that used to be that of the employer, and call for collective employment agreements to be concluded at all levels. Trade unionists are also unhappy with the public salary law and the social dialogue law. According to Cartel Alfa, the meeting will be attended by some 10,000 people.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT – The Constitutional Court of Romania on Tuesday stated that the chief-prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi has to appear before the parliamentary committee investigating the 2009 presidential election. Also, according to the Court, Kovesi must provide all the documents requested by the committee. The Constitutional Court discussed the requests for settling the legal conflict between Parliament and the Public Ministry, which is part of the judicial authority. The requests were filed by the Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, after the head of the Anticorruption Directorate refused to appear before the committee. The General Prosecutors Office had also started an investigation into the 2009 presidential elections, but the case was classified. Both investigations were started following allegations by a controversial journalist, who claimed that the elections were influenced by high-ranking state officials, including heads of powerful public institutions. The election was won by the right wing representative Traian Basescu, to the detriment of the Social Democrat Mircea Geoana.

CORRUPTION – The Romanian Senate has rejected the request filed by the National Anticorruption Directorate to start the prosecution of the minister for the relation with Parliament Viorel Ilie. 77 senators voted against and 37 for. The Anticorruption Directorate accuses Ilie of instigation to direct and indirect use of information that are not to be made public and of allowing the access of unauthorized people to such information, during his ministerial term. In late July, the Minister for the Relation with Parliament organized an employment contest, which, according to the National Anticorruption Directorate, was arranged to favour certain candidates.

SIMPLE MOTION – On Wednesday, the Romanian Parliament will debate and vote on the simple motion filed by the main opposition party, the National Liberal Party, against the Transport Minister Razvan Cuc. The signatories of the motion are accusing minister Cuc of faulty management, lack of professionalism and excessive politization within the ministry. Also, the liberals say the minister has blocked large infrastructure projects, whose deadlines have long been exceeded.

CATALONIA – An anti-police strike on Tuesday gripped the province of Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain. Catalan trade unions called the strike to show public anger at Spanish police violence during Sundays referendum on the regions independence. Some 300,000 people took to the streets of Barcelona and other cities across Catalonia to denounce the violent intervention of the police during the referendum and to defend the results of the referendum, which was declared illegal by the central government. The leader of the Catalan regional government Carles Puigdemont called for the withdrawal of the riot police deployed in Madrid and said international mediation was needed. In Bucharest, Romanian Foreign Ministry representatives reiterated Romanias firm support for Spains sovereignty and territorial integrity.

NOBEL PRIZE – Three American astrophysicists, Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne on Tuesday won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their studies on gravitational waves. The Nobel Prize in Physics is the second prize announced in the series of prizes made public each year. On Wednesday the Nobel Prize in Chemistry will be announced. According to tradition, the Nobel Prizes will be handed to their winners as part of an official ceremony to be held on December 10, the day when the death of the founder of the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel, is commemorated.

TENNIS TOURNAMENT – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranking 2nd in the WTA classification, on Tuesday qualified for the eighth finals of the Beijing tournament, with 6.4 million dollars in prize money. She defeated the Slovak player Magdalena Rybarikova, no. 28 WTA, who abandoned the game in the second set. In the next round Simona will play against the Russian Maria Sarapova, no. 104 WTA, whom she has not managed to defeat so far. Another Romanian player, Sorana Cirstea, has too qualified for the next round, after she defeated the American Christina McHale. The third Romanian player participating in the tournament, Monica Niculescu, will play on Wednesday against the Chinese Shuai Peng. (translated by M. Ignatescu)

3 October 2017
Semptember 29, 2017 UPDATE

DIGITAL SUMMIT – The latest cyber attacks on Europe have triggered economic problems, which have in turn led to significant financial losses, said Romanias president Klaus Iohannis in Tallinn, during his speech at the informal European Council digital summit. The president said that, without a common and fast intervention at European level, cyber attacks might severely affect the Unions economy and security. Also, president Iohannis stressed the need for an education programme aimed at helping the EU citizens acquire the necessary digital skills, in order for them to be able to face current and future challenges. Another issue approached, equally important to the EU and to Romania, was the digitalisation of public services, services provided by both the local and the central administration. Klaus Iohannis stressed the need to maintain the unity of the European project and also the need for a common approach to the various initiatives set forth by the stakeholders.

TRADE UNION PROTEST – The Romanian Health Federation “Solidaritatea Sanitara” (Solidarity for Health) continued to picket the Labour and Health Ministries in Bucharest on Friday, for the second day in a row. They announced that on October 4th would attend a protest meeting in front of the Government headquarters, organised by the Cartel Alfa National Confederation. Protesters fear that massive drops will be registered in the incomes of most employees as of next year. They want authorities to maintain bonuses for hazardous working conditions and lunch tickets and keep the current schedule for doctors, including with regard to night calls. However, the health minister Florian Bodog has ensured trade unions that salaries will not drop.

ROBOR – The Romanian Interbank Offer Rate, on the basis of which interests for loans in the Romanian currency are calculated, has reached the level of 1.58%. According to the National Bank of Romania, this is the highest level registered since January 2015. This rate, known as ROBOR, started to grow rapidly in mid September, which, specialists say, will in turn trigger a growth in interest rates. In another development, the Central Bank has announced that the net foreign direct investment flow last year exceeded 4.5 billion Euros, and the final balance on December 31st 2016 stood at 70.1 billion.

VISA WAIVER – Senator Ron Johnson, the chair of the US Senates Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, has voiced his support for a potential decision to eliminate visa requirements for Romanian citizens, according to the Romanian Embassy in Washington. Also, the US official has stated that including Romania in the Visa Waiver programme will trigger an increase in both countries security levels. The statements were made during a meeting with the Romanian Ambassador to the US George Cristian Maior. Mr. Maior handed the US official the Star of Romania National Order, awarded by the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on the celebration of 20 years of bilateral strategic partnership. George Maior stressed Romanias commitment to ensuring a solid trans-Atlantic relation and a robust defence cooperation, strengthened by the presence of US forces in Romania and in the region.

UKRAINE – Ethnic Romanians in Ukraine are calling on Kiev MPs to request a re-examination of the new Education Law by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, saying that the law violates some provisions in the Constitution. According to Bucress, a Romanian-language news agency in Cernauti, ethnic Romanians in Ukraine would like the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional the article in the new law that confines education in the minority languages. Under the new education law, these minorities will be allowed to study in their mother tongues only until the 5th grade. This measures, criticised by the Romanian authorities, will affect some 500,000 Romanians in Ukraine.

PSD MEETING – On Friday, leaders of the Social Democratic Party, the major party in the ruling coalition in Romania, gathered in Sucevita, in the north-west of the country, for the monthly assessment of the activity carried out by the cabinet headed by Mihai Tudose. The participants discussed the delicate situation of regional hospitals, the Education Law, textbook in particular, as well as funding for sports. The party also tackled the situation of the National Energy Regulatory Authority and the losses recorded in the energy field in Romania, which rank among the highest in the EU, triggering increases in consumer prices. Also, the agenda of the meeting included legislative priorities, such as the justice and the pension laws.

ENERGY – Electricity prices in Romania will increase by an average of 0.75 Euros/ 100 kilowatts as of October 1st, the National Energy Regulatory Authority, ANRE, has announced. ANRE also says that gas prices for domestic consumers may increase by 6%, also as of October 1st.

RESCUE – A Romanian ship rescued 52 people from drowning in the Aegean Sea, including 19 children, the Coast Guard announced on Friday. They were coming from Syria, Iran and Afghanistan. The Romanian ship was on a patrol mission, as part of the Operation POSEIDON 2017 carried out by FRONTEX – the agency which secures the EUs external borders. Since the start of the year, Romanian ships have helped rescue more than 1,100 people in Greeces territorial waters.

29 September 2017
September 13, 2017 UPDATE

Romanias President Klaus Iohannis appreciated in a communiqué issued on Wednesday the call for unity with the aim of consolidating the European project made by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker during his state of the Union address in the European Parliament. The Romanian head of state also hailed the proposal made by Juncker that a special EU summit be held in Sibiu, central Romania, on March 30th 2019, when Romania will be holding the sixth month presidency of the EU Council. The summit would focus on strategic matters concerning the future of the EU. Also, the Romanian president appreciated the Commissions support for Romanias Schengen accession. Jean-Claude Juncker said that Romania and Bulgaria should be accepted immediately into the free movement area. He also stood for the introduction of measures to help the EU members that wish to adopt the Euro. Juncker tackled other issues such as Brexit, terrorism, illegal migration, economic growth and jobs. He also said that the products sold in Eastern Europe should not be lower in quality than those marketed in the West.

On Wednesday, the Romanian Government approved the first adjustment of the 2017 budget, maintaining the budget deficit of 2.95% of the GDP. The Finance Minister Ionut Misa has stated that the adjustment is positive, given that in the first six months of the year, Romania registered an economic growth higher that estimated initially, which triggered a GDP growth of some 4.8 billion Euros. According to the Government, all public institutions will fully benefit from the allocated amounts. The ministries of agriculture, health, internal affairs and the ministry for the business environment will get more money. On the other hand, the ministries of regional development, transportation and communications will get less.

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has rejected the simple motion of no-confidence filed by the opposition National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union against the proposals made by the Justice Minister. The signatories say the amendments proposed by Tudorel Toader to the justice laws are an attempt to cancel the progress made in this area. Minister Toader has responded that the amendments are necessary, given that the laws in question date from 2004 and the Superior Council of Magistracy has called for them to be updated. Some of the changes, criticized by both civil society and the media, refer to the fact that the president is no longer to appoint the heads of the National Anticorruption Directorate and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, the transfer of the Judicial Inspectorate to the Ministry of Justice and increasing the length of service required to promote magistrates. Earlier this year, a government attempt to ease criminal legislation on corruption triggered some of the largest street protests in post-communist Romania.

The 26th edition of the most important annual meeting of public broadcasters from around the world, organized by Radio Romania, ended on Wednesday. Gathered in the mountain resort of Sinaia, in central Romania, the participants discussed the future of public media, its role in defending cultural diversity and the pride of serving communities. On Tuesday, the 150 participants in the conference agreed that, regardless of financing methods and the development of technology, public media institutions must continue to focus on three fundamental directions: information, education and entertainment.

Romania ranks 42nd out of 130 countries around the world in terms of human capital development, reads a report published on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum. Although above the world average, Romania, with 66% of its human capital developed, lags behind countries in the region, such as Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic, but it is ranked better than Portugal, Spain and Greece. According to the report, only 62% of the worlds human capital is developed. Top of the list is Norway, with more than 77%, followed by Finland, Switzerland, the US, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand and Sweden.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the procedure for the repatriation from Syria, through Lebanon, of a group of five Romanians and one Syrian member of their family had been completed. Since the start of the evacuation operations from Syria, in 2011, 735 Romanians and family members have been repatriated. The Romanian Embassy in Damascus provides protection and support also for citizens from Australia, Canadian, France, the Republic of Moldova and Portugal, currently on Syrian soil.

13 September 2017
July 18, 2017 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY– Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tusday stated he favoured administrative decentralization but not autonomy on ethnic criteria, which would be an obstacle to development. During his visit to the counties of Harghita and Covasna, in central Romania, the only Romanian counties with a predominantly Hungarian population, President Iohannis has stated he is concerned about the future of the young people there, who do not speak Romanian and who thus have fewer opportunities on the labor market. Iohannis has also said that intolerance and the rejection of people with different ethnic origins, by either a minority or a majority group, tend to block the country as a whole. He has also said that, in spite of their tourist potential, the counties of Harghita and Covasna hardly attract any investors. The Hungarian community in Romania, made up of around 1.5 million members, is concentrated in Transylvania, in central Romania. This community has been represented in Romanias Parliament uninterruptedly, since 1990, by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) which has been part of many coalition governments in Bucharest.

BRUSSELS– Four months after the European Commission presented its White Paper on the future of the EU, the debate on the future of Europe is picking up speed with potentially over 30 million citizens involved, the European Commission announced in a communiqué on Tuesday. In the White Paper, the European Commission presented five scenarios for how the EU could develop in the next decade. A broad debate has since been taking place, supported by political institutions and by civil society. To date, over 270,000 citizens have attended some 1,750 events organised or supported by the Commission with many more participating online. Citizens are invited to continue to express their views, notably prior to the annual State of the European Union speech on 13 September 2017, when President Juncker will outline his vision for the future of Europe.

PROJECT– Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has proposed his Bulgarian counterpart, Boiko Borisov to connect Bucharest to Sofia and Athens through a high speed railway. The two PMs have also talked over the phone about speeding up projects for the construction of two new bridges over the Danube. Tudose and Borisov have agreed to hold a joint meeting of the Romanian and Bulgarian governments in September, when the details of a Romania, Bulgaria, Greece trilateral cooperation are to be set.

ANAF – Romanias Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has appointed Mirela Calugareanu as President of the National Fiscal Administration (ANAF). She is replacing Bogdan-Nicolae Stan, who was sacked under a Prime Ministers decree. On Monday, the president of the main party in the ruling coalition, the Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea, stated that he had called on PM Tudose to conduct a rigorous analysis of ANAFs activity and to take the necessary measures to render the institution more effective. Dragnea was unhappy mainly with the level of taxes and fees collected to the state budget.

MEASLES – The Romanian Health Minister Florian Bodog has announced that a set of measures will be implemented, in cooperation with the Interior Ministry, to curb the effects of the measles epidemic. Also, this week the Health Ministry has started an information campaign aimed at encouraging vaccination. Romania is faced with the biggest measles epidemic of the past years. So far, some 8000 cases have been reported. 31 patients have died.

SABER GUARDIAN 17 – Saber Guardian 17, one of the largest and most complex NATO exercises in recent years continues in Romania. Some 8,000 Romanian and foreign soldiers are participating in the exercise, which also unfolds on Hungarian and Bulgarian soil. In the past day, soldiers have taken part in training sessions at the bases in Borducani and Cincu, in central Romania, but also in a MASCAL simulation held at the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, in the south-east of the country.

RATING– Fitch Ratings has improved Romanias economic growth outlook for 2017 from 4.8% to 5.1%. The Agency forecasts that Romanias budget deficit this year will reach 3.7% of the GDP, which is more than the Romanian governments target of 2.9% of the GDP. Structural deficit is expected to reach 3.9% of the GDP, the current account deficit 3.1% of the GDP and the public debt 39.9% of the GDP, Fitch agency has also announced. The Romanian governments projection for 2017 is a 5.2% economic growth rate, as compared to the one estimated by the European Commission, of only 4.4%.

IRAQ – Iraq needs massive investments to rebuild the towns and cities destroyed in the fights with the Islamic State terrorist organisation, said the Iraqi ambassador to Romania Hussain Sinjari. He has called on Romanian business people to take part in this effort, in particular to rebuild schools, hospitals and roads. Investments in agriculture are also needed, especially with regard to irrigation. Hussain Sinjari has stated that the Iraqi embassy in Romania is ready to ensure rapid access to such potential investors, by speeding the visa grating process.

18 July 2017
A new Government, a new programme

The political formula on the basis of which the new Tudose Cabinet has been formed by the ruling coalition in Romania, made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, is the same as the previous one. Also, 16 members of the former cabinet headed by Sorin Grindeanu, sacked last week under a no-confidence motion filed by his very own party, are also members of the current government. Grindeanu lost the office following accusations that he failed to implement the governing programme with which the Social Democratic Party won parliament election in December 2016 with 45% of the votes.

Tudoses cabinet has been endorsed by only 275 MPs, by 20 votes less than the Grindeanu team, which could be read as a sign that not only the winners euphoria six months ago started to wear out, but also the cohesion of the parliamentary majority. The Prime Minister himself has stated that Romania does not need a relaxed government, but one that needs to keep alert at all times. He has assured parliamentarians that his objective is to make up for the delays in implementing the governing programme.

Mihai Tudose: “I do not want to criticize what was before, but I understand there were some brakes involved. I was told to turn these brakes into a gas pedal, and that is what I am going to do.”

The iron-fist of the governing coalition, the leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea, has too stated that the programme must be observed, no matter the political costs entailed, and that is why Grindeanu had to go:

“There were mistakes in the governing process, but we have the strength to admit that. We will be more careful and we will make sure that the deadlines in the governing programme are observed.”

The problem, however, as pundits have pointed out, is that the programme of the newly instated team is significantly different from the one that Grindeanu was supposed to implement. Several measures concerning pay rises in the public sector have been postponed and the introduction of new taxes and fees is also envisaged. The junior partner in the coalition, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, has announced through its spokesperson Varujan Vosganian that their support to the prime-minister is conditional.

Varujan Vosganian: “If there are talks on redefining the flat tax by means of quotas re-designed below the existing ones, than we are willing to talk, but any changes in this flat tax translated into increasing the taxation level, no matter how we may call such a deviation, then the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats will not be a party to this.”

Also conditional was the vote of the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as its leader Kelemen Hunor has pointed out:

“This vote is not a blank cheque. We will not support the idea of a tax on turnover and we should also be explained what this solidarity tax is meant to stand for. The global income tax is not something to change the situation for the better either. “

The right-wing opposition was quick to react sarcastically to the current situation. The MPs members of the Peoples Movement Party attended neither the plenary session, nor the voting, and the National Liberal Party voted against the new government and criticized the changes brought to the governing programme. Here is the Liberal MP Ben Oni Ardelean:

“The National Liberal Party believes that proceeding like this, you are going to destroy the country. What you are doing now is throw away all Romanias chances.”

On behalf of his party, the Save Romania Union, MP Cristian Seidler was also categorical:

“Mr. Mihai Tudose, you and your colleagues in the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have lost any legitimacy to rule this country.”

Just like a tough principal facing a class of problematic students, president Klaus Iohannis has been extremely critical of the new ministers. “The country is facing a crisis because you were not able to govern it” the president said, blaming the government for changing sensitive elements of the governing program.

He also called on the new ministers to put an end to what he described as a fiscal-budgetary hop-on, hop-off, as some ministers of the new cabinet have already started to raise controversy. Even before he was sworn in, the Finance Minister Ionut Misa announced the dissolution of the so-called 2nd pillar of the private pension fund. Soon after, though, the Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea termed the announcement as non-sense and Minister Misa took back what he had said earlier. However, the statements have already had a huge impact, causing trouble in the stock and forex markets.

30 June 2017
June 8, 2017

US VISIT – Currently on a formal visit to the US, Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is today visiting the US Congress. According to the Presidential Administration, the Romanian president will meet with the interim Senate Speaker Orrin Hatch and other Senate members. Also today, Klaus Iohannis will hold talks with the group of friendhisp with Romania in the American Congress and with senior members of the House of Representatives. Later today, the Romanian president will attend a Congressional Awards Ceremony. Yesterday, during meetings with representatives of the Romanian community living in the US, Iohannis voiced appreciation for the way in which they managed to successfully integrate into the American society, through hard work, talent and honesty, thus contributing significantly to the growth of the US economy and to strengthening the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. More on this after the news.

PARIS VISIT – This morning in Paris, the Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu met with his French counterpart Edouard Philippe. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the agenda of talks included bilateral cooperation, an analysis of the political situation in the EU after Brexit and Bucharests relations with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). That was Edouard Philippes first meeting with a counterpart since his appointment last month. Traditionally a Francophone and Francophile country, Romania has with France a strategic partnership agreement concluded in 2008. On Wednesday, PM Grindeanu attended in Paris the ceremony marking Romanias joining the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD.

PRAGUE VISIT – The Romanian Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall is paying a working visit to Prague on Friday. She will meet with Czech officials with European affairs responsibilities. The agenda of talks includes current issues, with focus on the future of the EU, Brexit developments, Romanias preparation for taking over the presidency of the EU Council, as well as topics such as migration and internal security. Also, the Romanian official will attend the conference on EU security and defense, DESCOP 2017. Also participating in the conference will be, among others, the European Commission President Jean – Claude Juncker, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller.

UK ELECTIONS – Early legislative elections are being held in Great Britain today, called by the conservative Prime Minister Theresa May with the aim of consolidating her office in the run up to Brexit negotiations. The police have announced that security in and around voting centers has been tightened. Actually, the main electoral issues, Brexit, public health, welfare or education have been shadowed by the latest terrorist attacks. This is the third national voting held in less than two years. Unless the Conservative Party maintains its parliamentary majority, Theresa Mays position is likely to be weakened.

GROWTH – Romania has had the highest economic growth rate of the 28 EU members states, with a GDP growth of 5.5% in the first quarter of 2017, as compared to the same period in 2016, reads the third estimate published today by the Statistical office of the EU – Eurostat. The highest growth rates in January – March 2017 were registered by Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria. No drops in the GDP were reported in the EU in the first three months of the year.

THEATRE – Some 500 performances and events will be hosted by the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, the largest such festival in Romania and one of the most important in Europe. The Director of the Festival Constantin Chiriac has announced that all tickets have already been sold. As a first this year, the festival will have a section of organ concerts held in several Saxon fortified churches and also a special programme, with five performances in English, staged at the Ground Forces Academy in Sibiu, in particular for the foreign and Romanian soldiers participating in the NATO exercises underway at the Cincu shooting ground.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, number 4 in the WTA rankings, is today playing against the Czech Karolina Pliskova, ranked 3rd, in the semi-finals of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year. So far, the two have played against each other five times, and Simona has won four matches. In the other semifinal, the Estonian Jelena Ostapenko will play against the Swiss Timea Bacsinszky . On Wednesday, in the quarters, Simona defeated the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, after a spectacular com-back, 3-6, 7-6, 6-0. If she qualifies for the final and wins, besides getting her first Grand Slam title, the Romanian will also step up to the first position in the world rankings. Halep played the final in Roland Garros in 2014, but she lost to the Russian Maria Sharapova.

8 June 2017
President Iohannis in Washington

The President of
Romania Klaus Iohannis is in Washington on a five-day formal visit, the central
element of which will be a meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump on June
9. Iohannis is the first Central and Eastern European head of state to be
received by the new US President since inauguration.

On the first day
of his visit, President Iohannis was the guest of honour of the Global Forum of
the American Jewish Committee. On this occasion, he received the prestigious
organisation’s highest award, Light Unto the Nations, granted to heads of state
and government in recognition of their important international impact on peace,
security, democracy and human rights. President Iohannis dedicated the award to
Romania and its citizens. In his address at the Forum, Iohannis said that
strengthening the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the fight
against corruption were his top priorities. He emphasized, on the other hand,
that denying the Holocaust and anti-Semitism endanger the health of democracies,
and mentioned Romania’s work as president of the International Holocaust
Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Klaus Iohnnis: I dare say Romania is a strong country, and its
strength is not given by geography or circumstances, but rather by the values
it promotes and by its constant resolve to play a distinct role in safeguarding
regional and transatlantic security, the President of Romania said. At a time
when extremism, xenophobia and radicalism are dangerously rising in Europe and
in the world, Romania has fully assumed its past and acts as a promoter of
tolerance, diversity and non-discrimination, Iohannis went on to say. On the
other hand, he added, Bucharest will remain one of the most reliable supporters
of transatlantic relations within the European Union. He warned that the US
needed the EU as a strategic partner, and that the security of the Union and of
Europe as a whole was relevant to the security of the US.

Iohannis also
discussed the strong ties between Romania and the USA, which in 2017 celebrate
20 years since the signature of the Strategic Partnership. I am looking
forward to meeting President Donald Trump at the end of this week and to
working together to make this partnership even stronger, deeper, broader and
more meaningful for both our nations, Iohannis said, highlighting the
excellent cooperation in the military field, the economic opportunities in
Romania, as well as fields such as education and research as areas of great
importance for the common future of the two countries.

6 June 2017