Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanians in the UK

  • December 27, 2020 UPDATE

    December 27, 2020 UPDATE


    VACCINE – The anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign started on Sunday in Romania and in all the other EU Member States. The first 10,000 anti-COVID-19 dozes arrived on Saturday in Romania and were distributed to infectious disease hospitals. Some 3,000 health workers are taking the vaccine shots these days. The next vaccine transport will arrive on Monday, and the dozes will be distributed to the 370 vaccination centers in medical units, the head of the national vaccination campaign, medical doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă has said. The Romanian official said 60 to 70% fo the population could be vaccinated in the next six months. An IRES survey conducted over December 11-14 shows that 6 in 10 Romanians want to get immunized against COVID-19, although only a quarter of Romanians are willing to do this as quickly as possible. A third of the countrys population argues against taking the vaccine, the main reason being the lack of trust in the vaccine or in the medical system. 15% of respondents said the virus is too dangerous, or that their immunity is strong, while 13% said they fear possible side effects.




    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 2,049 new COVID-19 infections and 122 new related fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Sunday. So far over 615,000 infections have been confirmed since the start of the outbreak in Romania. The national death toll has now reached 15,230. 1,206 patients are currently in intensive care. Nearly 85% of the people who got infected with SARS-CoV-2 have recovered.




    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The vaccination campaign against the coronavirus started across the European Union on Sunday. The first vaccine transports arrived on Saturday in countries in the community bloc, where several people were already immunized. The EU starts its campaign against the backdrop of the discovery of a mutation of the coronavirus in southern England. European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, says this is a “touching moment of unity” for the 450 million citizens living in the 27 EU Member States. The European Union approved the vaccine developed by the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech in cooperation with the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which clinical trials confirmed has a 95% efficiency against the coronavirus. Politicians and health experts have warned it will take months before the vaccine will be widely available to the population. Also on Sunday the World Health Organization warned that the COVID-19 pandemic wont be the last health crisis of this type.




    UK – Romanias Embassy in the United Kingdom took steps to repatriate 95 Romanian citizens and nearly 500 seasonal workers whose work contracts ended and who have been affected by the travel restrictions introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in this country. The Romanians were transported home via two charter flights operated by an airliner who answered the call of the Romanian embassy. The ticket costs for five passengers in vulnerable categories were also covered by the airliner. Europe is facing severe disruptions in air travel, considering a growing number of countries are banning flights to and from Great Britain amidst concerns over a new strain of COVID-19 discovered in this country.




    CELEBRATION – Romanian Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians on Sunday celebrated Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen was one of the seven deacons appointed by the apostles after the Ascension of Jesus. The deacons were charged with distributing food and charitable aid to the members of the community in the early Christian Church. According to the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament, Saint Stephen performed miracles and convinced people to convert to the Christian faith. His popularity didnt sit well with the Jewish elders, who dispatched members of the Sanhedrin to arrest Stephen. He was found guilty of blasphemy and was stoned to death. Also on Sunday Roman-Catholics in Romania celebrated Saint John the Apostle. (V. Palcu)




  • The status of British citizens in Romania

    The status of British citizens in Romania

    The Liberal
    Government in Bucharest on Wednesday passed an emergency decree on the status
    of British citizens living in Romania in the case Great Britain leaves the
    EU without an agreement. The decree also defends the interests of Romanian
    citizens living in the UK. Here is the head of the Prime Minister’s
    Chancellery, Ionel Danca:


    Right now, Romania is the only EU Member
    State that has not implemented such regulations, and the unpredictable developments
    in Great Britain compel the urgent adoption of a framework agreement in order
    to avoid the situation where Great Britain leaves the EU without an agreement
    and British citizens in Romania lack the legal conditions allowing them for a
    transit period pending the definition of their rights and obligations in
    Romania, as well as the rights and obligations of Romanian citizens in Great
    Britain.


    Although it hasn’t
    taken effect yet, Brexit has struck fear into the hearts of all EU citizens,
    especially those studying or working in the UK. They have to demand in advance
    the right to remain in this country, or else they risk being pushed out of the
    country. The British Interior Ministry in London has recently announced some
    1.8 million people filed requests to obtain stay permits, with many others
    willing to risk staying without legal documentation. Still, the BBC claims that
    any person presenting reasonable evidence for their lack of a visa will be
    allowed an extension, allowing them to file for British stay and work permits.

    The British Interior Ministry does not have the exact figure of EU citizens currently
    residing in the UK, but the Migration Observatory puts to figure at close to
    3.3 million people, including Romanians. The greatest concern is linked,
    however, to the exact date of Brexit, which has been postponed three times
    already in three and a half years. The latest delay occurred at the end of last
    month, with the new expected deadline set for January 31, 2020. Even so,
    uncertainty continues to grip the country. Great Britain will see early parliamentary
    elections next month, on which the very fate of Brexit seems to depend.
    Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims he is the only one who can see
    Brexit achieved on January 31, while his opponent, the leader of Labour
    opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, argues he is capable of securing a better deal with
    Brussels, one he is willing to subject to a referendum that would also include
    a question on Great Britain’s possible stay in the EU.

    (translated by V. Palcu)

  • The Romanian nationals in Great Britain and Brexit

    The Romanian nationals in Great Britain and Brexit

    In the summer of 2016, a referendum organised in Great Britain decided to pull out the country from the European Union, and following the result, the Government in London launched, in March 2017, procedures of withdrawing from the community bloc, under Article 50 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.



    Negotiations to establish the terms of the withdrawal can last two years at the maximum, and on March 30, 2019, when Romania is holding the presidency of the EU Council, the United Kingdom will lose its EU member status. What will happen in the pre- and post-Brexit period to the Romanians living in Great Britain? There are voices claiming there might be unforeseeable consequences for those working or studying there.



    Romania is ready to provide information to, guide and support Romanian citizens and companies throughout the process, says the minister delegate for European Affairs, Victor Negrescu. He paid a working visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 3-4. During the visit, Negrescu met with representatives of the Romanian ethnic community and with leaders of the local public administration in Brent-London. Victor Negrescu paid this visit against the backdrop of a wide-scope campaign of public consultations being carried out. Titled “Romania in the context of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union”, it analyses the strategic action axes to be followed by the Romanian Government.



    After Romania’s accession to the EU, the number of Romanians in the UK has constantly been on the rise, and this trend continues. Data released by the National Statistics Office show 328,000 Romanians are living in Great Britain. “The Romanian citizens represent a very important community, the third largest from among the EU member states, after the Polish and Irish ones, being generally well integrated into the British society and contributing to its welfare”, minister Negrescu said.



    He underlined that the Romanian state makes all efforts for these citizens’ rights and interests to be maintained and protected. According to estimates by a professional organisation, over 2,000 Romanian medical doctors are working in Great Britain, as well as numerous experts in the financial-banking sector, artists, architects, teachers, IT specialists and researchers.



    Some 10,000 young Romanians are also studying in universities and colleges in the UK. There is also a very dynamic community of professors and researchers at academic level. During a visit paid to Bucharest in September, the UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, said the Romanians in the UK should not be worried at all about their post-Brexit situation, as they are extremely valuable members of the British society.

  • September 26, 2017

    September 26, 2017

    UKRAINE — The Education Ministers of Romania and Ukraine will hold talks so that the Romanian minority in Ukraine should have access to education in their mother tongue, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu has told Radio Romania. The announcement came after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ratified the controversial education law restricting the rights of national minorities to education in their mother tongue. The law allegedly improves the teaching process and will help the country join the European Union. Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece and the Republic of Moldova, all having large groups of ethnics in Ukraine, have criticized the provisions of the law.



    TRADE UNIONS — One of the largest trade union confederations in Romania, Cartel Alfa, is this week staging a series of protests in several cities across the country. The trade union requests all social security taxes to no longer be passed onto employees and wants to start negotiations over signing collective employment agreements at all levels. Trade unionists say transferring social security contributions to the employees will reduce their net income, liquidate the unemployment fund and lower contributions to the pension fund. The first protests were staged on Monday in several cities. According to Cartel Alfa, a large protest will be staged in Bucharest on October 4.



    LAW ENFORCEMENT — Three Romanian police officers are taking part in an international effort to strengthen and develop the intervention capacity of the local law enforcement authorities in Georgia and Cyprus. Two officers are participating in the EU mission to Georgia and another one is part of the UN mission to Cyprus. The Romanian Police is carrying out crime prevention and combating activities jointly with the local authorities, providing humanitarian aid and taking part in missions aimed at keeping public order. So far 37 Romanian police officers are involved in 10 international missions on four continents under the coordination of the EU, the UN and the OSCE. The first mission they ever took part in was the one in Kosovo in 1998.



    ROMANIANS IN THE UK — Romanians living and working in the UK will preserve their rights and liberties, Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu today told Radio Romania. Minister Melescanu discussed this topic with the the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the latter’s visit to Bucharest on Monday. The two officials also discussed about the new registry system for people who want to travel to the UK, which Minister Melescanu believes should not jeopardize the rights of people living, working or studying in the United Kingdom. In turn, Boris Johnson told AGERPRES news agency that Romanians in the UK should not be concerned about their future after Brexit, as they are valuable members of British society. Boris Johnson went on to say that the UK wants to keep the nearly half a million Romanians living in this country, wants to make them feel safe and to ensure them that their rights are being protected.



    TENNIS –WTA no. 2 Simona Halep today lost to Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-2, 6-1, in second round of the Wuhan tournament in China, totalling 2.6 million dollars in prize money. Seeded second in the main draw, Simona Halep played last year’s semi-finals. Also today Sorana Cirstea, 46 WTA, lost 6-3, 6-3 to Qiang Wang of China, WTA no. 55.



    FOOTBALL — Romania’s only representative in European football competitions, FCSB, on Thursday is playing Lugano of Switzerland away from home in Europa League. In the first fixture of Group G, two weeks ago, Steaua won 3-nil against Viktoria Plzen of the Czech Republic at home. In the other Group game, Hapoel Beer Sheva of Israel defeated Lugano 2-1. FCSB tops the group tables with three points, followed by Hapoel. (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • June 25, 2017

    June 25, 2017

    POLITICAL TALKS – The leaderships of the main political parties in Romania are completing the mandates for Mondays talks with President Klaus Iohannis, for the designation of a new prime minister. Talks are also held between political leaders to consolidate a parliamentary majority. We recall that the leftist cabinet led by Sorin Grindeanu was toppled by a no-confidence motion tabled by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, PSD, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania, ALDE, which supported it following the legislative elections of December 2016. The Social Democrats and their ALDE partners say they further hold a parliamentary majority and will make a nomination for a new prime minister on Monday. The centre-right opposition made up of the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party rule out any collaboration with PSD, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania hasnt taken a clear stand so far.



    MILITARY EXERCISE – A Romanian-U.S. military air exercise is unfolding at the Campia Turzii Base in northwestern Romania. Participating are some 200 Romanian troops, pilots and technical staff, using MiG-21 LanceR fighters and IAR-330 Puma helicopters, alongside some 300 U.S. military, using F-15 fighters and the required technical equipment. According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, the exercise which will unfold until late August, gives the chance to Romanian military to practice tactics, techniques and standard procedures specific to air operations, at NATO standards and to carry out joint flying missions with their American partners.



    SUMMER EUROPEAN COUNCIL – The future Romanian government will have to get an agreement on the relocation of the European Medicines Agency from Great Britain to Romania, post-Brexit, given that the country is competing with Sweden, France, Denmark, Hungary and Bulgaria, countries which have already forwarded their offers, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said at the end of the European Summit in Brussels. Iohannis also said the future government will also have to breathe fresh air into the defence industry, because it will be able to use resources made available under the new European Defence Fund. The Romanian President demanded at the European Council that the new internal security instruments be applied in a coherent and unified manner, at the level of the whole EU, without any difference between the Schengen member and non-member states like Romania, but which apply Schengen regulations to a large extent. The Schengen membership issue has also been approached by the Romanian President in a bilateral meeting he had with French President Emmanuel Macron, who showed openness to Romanias prospective Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis said however, he does not believe Romania will make other significant progress in the field until the elections in Germany and the appointment of a new government in the Netherlands. As regards the situation of the Romanians in the Great Britain, post-Brexit, Klaus Iohannis said the declarations made by the British PM Theresa May relative to European residents are promising, but he added he is waiting to see them materialising in concrete documents.



    RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team defeated Brazil on home turf, 56-5, in the last test match of the month of June. The two teams have never met so far, as they are performing in different performance categories, according to a world classification. Romania has been a constant presence at world tournaments, whereas rugby is at the start of the road in Brazil. Ahead of the match, the Romanian rugby players have played in a tournament in Asia and North America, during which they defeated Canada, 25-9, and lost to Japan, 33-21.

  • March 30, 2017

    March 30, 2017

    EPP SUMMIT – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, is today attending the Summit of the European Peoples Party, EPP, in La Valletta, Malta, a country which is holding the half yearly rotating presidency of the European Union since January 1st 2017. According to the Presidential Administration, attending the summit are some 1,500 officials, among whom EU heads of state and government as well as presidents of European institutions. The Romanian President will also attend the EPP Summit in enlarged format, with such issues as the Western Balkans and Brexit being high on the agenda of the talks. On the sidelines of the summit, President Iohannis will have a meeting with Maltese PM Joseph Muscat, the talks covering issues of topical interest on the agenda of the European Union, Brexit and Romanian-Maltese bilateral relations. In another move, the talks with the Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, will mainly focus on Ukraines European path.



    PRINCE CHARLES – On the second day of his official visit to Bucharest, the Crown Prince Charles of Great Britain is due to meet PM Sorin Grindeanu and members of the Royal Family of Romania. Yesterday, President Klaus Iohannis awarded Prince Charles the “Star of Romania National Order in Rank of Grand Cross, in token of appreciation for promoting Romanias image abroad. The British Crown Prince has said everything he has done in the past 20 years since he started visited Romania was to help the Romanians remember how special and unique their country is, their architectural heritage and above all, the potential they have in todays world. Klaus Iohannis and Prince Charles have discussed, among others, ways to boost and deepen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, also in the field of security, the evolution of bilateral relations following the launch of Brexit talks, laying emphasis on the situation of the Romanian community in Great Britain. This is the second official visit by British Crown Prince to Romania in the past 19 years.



    HELICOPTER MANUFACTURING – The European company Airbus Helicopters and the Romanian firm IAR Ghimbav (in the centre) are today signing a contract for the manufacturing of the H 215 type of helicopters in Ghimbav. At present this model is assembled in France, but the European company intends to transfer the whole production line to Ghimbav. The investment in the Ghimbav factory exceeds 50 million Euros and will create 350 jobs. If working at maximum capacity, the factory will assemble some 15 helicopters per year. Also today, representatives of the European company, who want Romania to buy the first such helicopters, are today meeting PM Sorin Grindeanu and the economy minister. Attending the talks will also be Olivier Michalon, Senior Vice President and Head of Europe Region at Airbus Helicopters. Yesterday, the Romanian Prime Minister and the economy minister also held talks with representatives of the big American companies Bell Helicopters and Boeing, which also take interest in the Romanian aeronautical market and are willing to make new investments.



    BREXIT – The British government is today offering details on the pieces of legislation meant to put an end to the supremacy of community laws over the British ones, also by taking the UK out of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Yesterday, Theresa May officially launched the start of Brexit talks, that is of the process of leaving the European Union, at the end of a 44 year membership during which it enjoyed a privileged status within the community. In order to avoid a “legislative vacuum, the new norms should come into force on the day when the UK actually leaves the Union. According to pundits, this is a very difficult measure, because of a high volume of laws and the short time span during which Brexit negotiations will be unfolding, that is by October 2018. In turn, the President of the Europeran Council, Donald Tusk, has announced that tomorrow he will make a proposal containing the main lines of the negotiation process. He has said the negotiation team will do everything possible to reduce the costs produced by Brexit for European citizens and firms as well as for the member states.



    TENNIS– Romanias number one woman tennis player, Simona Halep (no. 5 WTA) got eliminated in the quarterfinals of the WTA tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, with 6.9 million dollars in prize money up for grabs. She was defeated on Wednesday by the British player Johanna Konta, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2. The two tennis players had earlier met only once, in 2015, in the eights finals of the Wuhan Tournament in China, when the victory was secured by Konta, too. Simona Halep was the last Romanian woman tennis player performing in this edition of the Miami Tournament. (Translated by D. Vijeu)