Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romania’s handball team

December 10, 2024 UPDATE

SCHENGEN – Austria will not oppose Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of the Schengen European free movement area, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country holds the six-month presidency of the EU Council, said in turn that EU Interior Ministers will vote on December 12 in the Justice and Home Affairs Council on Hungary’s proposal to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen area with their land borders. Romania and Bulgaria received partial access to the Schengen area starting March 31, with the opening of air and sea borders. Land border checks, however, remained in force due to Austrian opposition, motivated by Vienna’s concerns about illegal migration. Romania could thus fully join the Schengen area 17 years after becoming a EU member.

GOVERNMENT – The leaders of pro-European parties in the Romanian Parliament, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of the national minorities, are holding talks this week to form a new government. The Social-Democrats, who came first in the December 1 election, would like the party to decide on the future government structure and continue the projects started by the current PSD-PNL government. They want to maintain the pace of investments, increase purchasing power, support the Romanian private sector and reform the state. The Liberals say they have understood the need for change coming from the electorate and want negotiations to start from a clear program of reforms to the benefit of citizens. USR representatives want a government to be formed as soon as possible, while UDMR calls for solidarity for a common vision for Romania. Negotiations between PSD, PNL, UDMR, USR and the national minorities to form a new government are taking place after these parties had signed, before the presidential election was cancelled, a resolution for a pro-European majority in Parliament. They commit to implementing reforms and supporting the country’s development and rejecting any collaboration with the political parties in the sovereigntist (ultranationalist, populist) bloc formed by AUR, SOS Romania and POT.

CLIMATE CHANGE – Romania made an argument during Tuesday’s public hearings regarding the UN General Assembly’s request to the International Criminal Court to issue an opinion concerning the obligations of states in respect of climate change. According to the Foreign Ministry, Romania joined other states as part of a core group of countries to negotiate the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly, whereby it called on the ICC to issue a consultative opinion. Participation in the proceedings reflects the importance Romania gives to the legal aspects of climate change and related effects, the Romanian MFA writes.

MOLDOVA – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday announced a new 60 mln EUR support package for Moldova, to help reform the country’s judiciary and ensure economy stability. The EU official made the announcement following talks with Moldova’s president, Maia Sandu, in Brussels. President von der Leyen said she expects EU accession negotiations with Moldova to kick off next year. In turn, president Sandu said talks focused on reforms required to bring Moldova closer to the EU. The Moldovan President is on a two-day official visit to Brussels, where she is meeting EU and NATO officials to discuss various topics, including Moldova’s integration on the European single market, judicial reforms, combating corruption and consolidating the rule of law.

HANDBALL – Romania lost to Poland 24-29 in its final match in Group 1 at the European Handball Championship hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. In the first phase, Romania defeated Serbia and Czechia and lost to Montenegro. In the main group phase, our handballers defeated Sweden but lost to Hungary. The 16^th edition of the European women’s championship for the first time has 24 teams in the lineup, compared to 16 in previous editions. Romania has taken part 14 times in the European Championships, winning bronze in 2010. (EE & VP)

10 December 2024
October 7, 2021

COVID-19 – The Government has decided to extend the
state of alert for another 30 days starting October 30. Face masks are now
mandatory outside in areas where the incidence rate has exceeded 7 per thousand
inhabitants. Another 14,467 new cases of infection were reported on Thursday,
in addition to 263 related fatalities. 1,556 people are in intensive care. The
authorities and hospital managers are looking for solutions in order to make
more beds available so as to treat the growing number of incoming patients.

ENERGY – On the sidelines of yesterday’s summit
hosted by Slovenia, EU leaders expressed divergent opinions regarding what the
EU’s response should be concerning the scandal revolving around the recent
electricity price hikes. Romania, France, Spain, the Czech Republic and Greece
have called for a joint approach. Germany and the Netherlands, however, claim
the situation is temporary, being linked to the limited number of offers and
the economic fallout of COVID-19. On October 13, Brussels is expected to announce
a set of temporary measures to combat the surge in energy prices. The topic
will also rank on the agenda of the EU Summit of October 21-22, which is
expected to tackle long-term solutions.

CARS – New vehicle registrations went up 4.3% in the first nine
months of the year, compared to the same period in 2020, whereas electric,
hybrid, plug-in and full hybrid cars now have a 12% market share. According to
official data, the number of gas cars is slightly on the rise, accounting for
67% of total cars registered, while Diesel-fuel cars reported a 6.2% drop, with
a total market share of 21%. Hybrid, plug-in and full-hybrid vehicles accounted
for 12% of total cars registered on the market at the end of September 2021,
which is 1.8 times higher compared to September 2020.

NOBEL – The Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced later
today. Last year, the prize went to Louise Glück, for her unmistakable poetic
voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal. In the
past, two people refused the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1958, the
Russian-born writer Boris Pasternak was forced by the USSR leadership to refuse
the award, while in 1946 the French writer Jean-Paul Sartre refused to accept
the prize. This week, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the Nobel
prizes in physics, medicine and chemistry. The Nobel Peace Prize will be
announced tomorrow.

HANDBALL – The Romanian women’s handball team on Wednesday
defeated the Faeroe Islands 26-19 in preliminary group 2 of the EHF EURO 2022.
Today, Denmark is playing Austria in the same group. Romania will next play
Austria on October 10. The top two teams will qualify to EURO 2022, a
tournament that will be hosted by Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro in
November, 2022.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (61 WTA) has advanced to
the second round at the WTA 1,000 tournament in Indian Wells, California,
totaling over 8 million USD. In the first round, Begu ousted Fiona Ferro of
France (83 WTA), 6-2, 7-6. On the other hand, Gabriela Ruse (92 WTA) was
knocked out in the first round by Alizé Cornet of France, 6-3, 7-6. Another two
players will represent Romania in the main draw – Simona Halep and Sorana
Cîrstea, who will both compete in the second round. Seeded 11th,
Halep will go up against Marta Kostiuk of Ukraine, while Cîrstea, seeded 32nd,
will play Misaki Doi of Japan. (VP)

7 October 2021
April 18, 2021

VACCINATION – Some 2.6 million
people have taken at least one shot of anti-COVID-19 vaccine, of whom 1.5
million have taken both doses of the vaccine, the authorities in Bucharest have
announced. Some 300,000 people working in the medical field have taken the
COVID-19 vaccine, 90% of whom have taken both shots. The evolution of the
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic shows a significant drop in the weekly number of cases,
from 70/day before the start of the vaccination campaign, to a little under
20/day right now. Authorities say the data is indicative of the importance and
necessity of vaccination to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and recall that the
administration of one of the serums approved at EU level is free of charge and
voluntary. The Romanian Defense Ministry is preparing mobile vaccination
centers for immunizing people in rural or remote areas. 20 such centers will
become operational starting next week in areas organized by local authorities
or in medical containers, which will be provided by the National State Reserve Administration.
The capacity of vaccination flows at the level of the Defense Ministry is also
expected to increase.

MOLDOVA -
A new batch of 132,000 doses of the AstraZeneca serum were delivered to Moldova
on Sunday, as part of Romania’s assistance to Moldova in its efforts to combat
the COVID-19 pandemic. This new batch is the third of the total of 200,000
doses Romania pledged to donate to Moldova in December last year, following the
meeting of Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, and his Moldovan counterpart,
Maia Sandu. The first batch, totaling 21,600 doses, arrived in Moldova at the
end of February, while the second one, totaling 50,400 doses on March 27.
Romania’s ambassador in the Republic of Moldova, Daniel Ioniță, at the time
said Bucharest wants the doses to be delivered evenly across the republic,
irrespective of ethnicity, including in the Turkish-speaking Gagauzia in the
south and in the breakaway region of Transnistria in the east.

EXERCISE -
Some 15,000 military from Romania and allied and partner states will take part,
over May-June, in the Dacia 21 Livex exercise hosted by Romania. The exercise
is part of the joint training timetable, the Defense Ministry reports. The
first troops and equipment to arrive in Romania this week are 120 British
military and 55 vehicles. Dacia 21 Livex confirms Romania’s capacity to engage
in defensive operations, as well as the permanent availability of allied and
partner countries to swiftly deploy considerable forces to Romania with a view
to defending the country against any potential threat to its national security.
Additionally, Ministry officials say, Dacia 21 Livex will also probe Romanian
support to military forces and equipment transiting national territory.

TENNIS -
Romania lost 3-1 to Italy in the World Group playoff of the Billie Jean King
Cup, the former Fedcup. The match was the first with Monica Niculescu as team
captain, who’s replaced Florin Segărceanu. Simona Halep and Patricia
Ţig were unavailable for this match, both injured, while Italy’s number one
player, Camila Giorgi, was left out after testing positive for COVID-19. Next
year Romania will play in Group 1 in the Europe-Africa zone.

HANDBALL – The Romanian
women’s handball team on Saturday defeated North Macedonia 33-22 in the first round
of the 2021 World Cup playoffs. The return leg is scheduled for April 21 in
Skopje. Commentators say booking a place should not be a problem, given that
the number of participants grew to 32. The tournament will be hosted by Spain.
Europe has 50% of the available places. Romania is yet to miss a women’s World
Championship, where it has won four medals over the years: gold in 1962, silver
in 1973 and 2005 and bronze in 2015. (V.P.)

18 April 2021
April 17, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
3,474 new cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported in the last 24 hours,
the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Saturday. During the interval,
135 fatalities were also reported. 1,505 patients are currently in intensive
care. A quarter of Romania’s counties remain in the red zone, reporting an incidence
rate over 3 per thousand inhabitants. Meanwhile the vaccination campaign
continues. People who want to get the AstraZeneca jab without an appointment
can now do so. According to Prime Minister Florin Cîţu, Romania is expected to
hit the 35% mark in early June in terms of the total number of people who’ve
got immunized, which will allow for a gradual relaunch of the economy. The
Prime Minister said herd immunity will be achieved when 70% of the total
population gets immunized, which in Romania is tantamount to some 10 million
people.

RATING -
Standard and Poor’s financial rating agency has confirmed Romania’s BBB- rating
but improved its prospect from negative to stable. According to the Finance
Ministry, this is the first positive evolution in Romania’s financial rating
operated by this agency since November 2013. Standard and Poor’s says the
stable prospect is indicative of the credibility of fiscal consolidation
measures promoted by Romania. The agency also believes the Government’s planned
reforms could create a more robust fiscal framework, thus limiting the risks of
reversing fiscal consolidation policies, which would lead to an improvement in
Romania’s rating.

DIPLOMACY -
Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, hailed the decision of the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, to appoint Romanian Dan
Steonescu as the head of the EU Delegation to Syria, headquartered in Beirut.
The appointment comes as an official recognition at EU level of Romania’s
expertise in the Middle East, as well as its diplomatic skills, Aurescu said.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, stabilizing Syria is key to the
security of the entire region, while stepping up efforts to solve the crisis at
political level remains a priority for the EU and the international community.
A career diplomat with a wide experience in the Middle East, Dan Stoenescu has
served as Romania’s ambassador in Tunisia since 2017. In 2015-2016 he was
Minister Delegate for Romanians Worldwide. He previously worked for Romania’s
embassies in Madrid and Beirut. Another four Romanians are currently part of
the EU delegation: Oana Popa in Montenegro, Denisa Ionete in Nigeria, Traian
Hristea in Mongolia and Cristian Tudor in Kuwait.

TENNIS -
Romania is playing Italy in the playoffs of World Group of the Billie Jean King
Cup. In the women’s singles, Irina Bara is today playing Martina Trevisan,
while Mihaela
Buzărnescu will take on Elisabetta Cocciaretto, while in the doubles Monica
Niculescu and Elena-Gabriela Ruse will play Jasmine Paolini and Giulia
Gatto-Monticone. Italy leads 2-nil after Friday’s matches, when Trevisan
defeated Buzărnescu 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, while Cocciaretto defeated Bara 6-1, 6-4.
Simona Halep and Patricia Ţig couldn’t play for Romania, both injured, while Camilia Giorgi,
the best-rated Italian player, tested positive for COVID-19. The team that wins
the playoffs will play in the World Group qualifiers for 2022, while the other
team in Group 1 in the Euro-Africa Zone.

HANDBALL – Romania are facing North
Macedonia on Saturday in Bucharest in the first leg of the 2021 World
Championship play-offs in women’s handball. The return match is due to take
place on April 21, in Skopje. Commentators say booking a place should not be a
problem, given that the number of participants grew to 32. The tournament will
be hosted by Spain. Europe has 50% of the available places. Romania is yet to
miss a women’s World Championship, where it has won four medals over the years:
gold in 1962, silver in 1973 and 2005 and bronze in 2015. (V.P.)

17 April 2021
March 15, 2021

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – The capital city Bucharest and Braşov, Cluj, Hunedoara, Ilfov, Sălaj and Timiş counties have
entered the red zone, the infection rate having exceed 3 per thousand
inhabitants in these areas. On Sunday another 4,400 new infections were announced,
by nearly 1,000 more than the previous week. The total number of infections
stands at some 859 thousand, with the death toll closing in on 21,500. Over
1,200 people are in intensive care. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has called for
identifying new hospitals to join the fight against COVID-19, by increasing the
number of ICU beds to 1,600 and ensuring the necessary supply of medicines and
continuing vaccination. We recall the state of alert has been extended for another
30 days. All restrictions imposed so far remain in place, with the
exception of the nighttime curfew, which now begins at 10 PM and ends at 5 AM.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The Netherlands has suspended the use
of the AstraZeneca anti-COVID vaccine
as a precaution after possible side effects were reported in Denmark and
Norway, without a confirmed connection being established so far. Several other
European countries suspended their AstraZeneca vaccine rollouts after people
who took the vaccine developed blood clots. AstraZeneca announced it concluded
an analysis of the anti-COVID vaccination process and found no risk of blood
clots in people who were immunized with its vaccine. The number of blood clots
developed in people who took the vaccine is inferior to estimates, the
pharmaceutical company announced. The European Medicines Agency announced the vaccine’s
benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be
administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.
On the other hand, large areas of Italy today enter a three-week lockdown in an
attempt to slow down the spread of the virus. People coming in and out of this
country need to provide PCR negative tests for COVID-19. Israel, on the other
hand, continues to ease restrictions.

VACCINATION
– The vaccination campaign in Romania today entered its third stage addressing
the general population. For the time being the immunization process is carried
out in towns and villages where the COVID infection rate exceeds 4.5 per thousand
inhabitants. People can register on waiting lists on the online platform. Meanwhile
people who enrolled in the second phase continue to get their shots. So far
over 2.2 million people have taken one of the three vaccines rolled out in
Romania – Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

MESSAGE – Romania’s
president, Klaus Iohannis, today conveyed a message marking the Day of
Hungarians Worldwide. In his message, the president said that fostering
interethnic harmony will help consolidate a stronger and more prosperous
society. The head of state referred to the significant contribution of the
Hungarian minority in Romania and its political representatives to Romania’s
efforts towards European integration, promoting democratic values, human rights
and the protection of minorities as underlying elements of Romanian society. These
are the foundations of our common path towards a European future that shows a
deep understanding of the mistakes of the past, president Iohannis said in his
message.

FIRE – A
fire broke out today at the Psychiatry Hospital in Cavnic, northwestern
Romania. 71 people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a bathroom on the
third floor. The fire was extinguished without any victims being reported.
After ventilating all wards, patients were returned to the hospital. This is
the latest in a number of fires that recently broke out in hospitals in
Romania. On January 29, five people were killed after four wards burned down at
the Matei Balş Infectious
Disease hospital in Bucharest. Also in January, a fire broke out at the
Psychiatry Hospital in Gătaia, western Romania, and at a hospital in Roman. On
December 25, 2020, a paitent died in another fire at the Socola Psychiatry
Hospital in Iaşi, northeastern Romania. The most serious such incident remains
the fire of November, 2020 at the Piatra Neamţ county hospital, which killed 10
people.

ENERGY -
Romania’s Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, is starting today on a two-day visit
to Brussels, where he will try to persuade EU officials to approve the €1.33
billion restructuring plan for the Oltenia Energy Company. Oltenia needs a
total of €3.5 billion to cover restructuring costs over the next 5 years, of
which €1.5 billion is provided by the Company, and the rest by the state. In
February, the European Commission announced the launch of a comprehensive
investigation of the state funding allotted to restructure the company,
claiming the company’s energy output won’t change significantly after its
reorganization. Romanian authorities hope to obtain the approval of the
European Commission by the end of April, so that the Oltenia Energy Company
should be able to pay CO2 permits for 2020 penalty-free.

HANDBALL
– The Romanian men’s national handball team surprisingly lost 30-25 to Kosovo
on Sunday in a match counting towards Group 8 in the second phase of the 2022
European Championship preliminaries. After it drew against Kosovo away from
home a few days before, Romania was humiliated in Bucharest. Sweden is top of
the group tables with 6 points in 3 games, followed by Romania with 3 points in
4 games, Kosovo with 3 points in 4 games and Montenegro with 2 points in 3
games. Romania’s next fixtures will be against Sweden on April 28 in Sibiu and
against Montenegro on May 2 in Podgorica. Romania last qualified to a European
Championship in 1996, in Spain, where it ranked 9th. (V.P.)

15 March 2021
November 29, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 5,554 new COVID-19
infections and 148 related deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, the
Group for Strategic Communication announced on Sunday. The total number of
infections has exceeded 470 thousand, 70% of patients having recovered. The
national death toll has also climbed to 11,193. 1,250 people are currently in
intensive care. Bucharest is the most affected city in Romania. 6,914 Romanians
living abroad tested positive for COVID-19, 127 of whom have died.

COVID-19 IN THE
WORLD – Over 62.6 million people around the world have been infected with
SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the outbreak, the latest worldometers.info
update reveals. The global death toll now exceeds 1.4 million. The three most
affected countries are the United States, India and Brazil. In Europe, starting
December 1, stores will reopen in Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has
announced, although the country will remain in partial quarantine to allow
efforts to contain the pandemic. Belgium has been severely affected by the
second wave of the pandemic and has been under lockdown since October 30. In
France, the authorities are easing restrictions, allowing shops selling
non-essential products to reopen. People can also leave their homes for up to
three hours for leisure time and physical exercise. The decision comes just shy
of a month of harsh lockdown restrictions, which has led to a slump in the
number of daily infections in this country.

CAMPAIGN – The campaign for the legislative election due on December 6 continues
in Romania. As in the case of the local election, held on September 27, the
authorities have limited the number of participants to election rallies and
introduced strict health safety regulations. Citizens will be able to cast
their votes in all polling stations on election day, Prime Minister Ludovic
Orban has said, adding that citizens infected with COVID-19, currently in
quarantine or isolation, will be able to vote with the help of the mobile
ballot box. More and more towns and villages across Romania are entering
quarantine against the growing infection rate. Romanians living abroad will be
able to vote on December 5 and the 6. Representing the Romanian Diaspora will
be four deputies and two senators.

BRUA – Romania’s President Klaus
Iohannis attended the completion of the first phase in the BRUA pipeline
project, in an event hosted by Jupa in Caraş Severin County. The President said
the delivery of new natural gas supplies will better meet internal demand and
will add predictability and stability to the national distribution network.
BRUA seeks to develop a natural gas interconnector linking Bulgaria, Romania,
Hungary and Austria to the southern corridor transporting gas from Azerbaijan.
The Romanian gas company Transgaz announced the first gas supplies via the new
BRUA pipeline will be delivered next week, from Romania to Hungary.

NATIONAL
DAY
– December 1, the National Day of Romania, will this year be celebrated in a
restricted ceremony, to be attended by doctors, medical staff and foreign
ambassadors. The traditional military parade organized on this occasion was
cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restricted ceremonies will also be held
in big cities across the country, to be attended by local authorities. The
Foreign Ministry this year marks the National Day by means of a digital diplomacy
project, a virtual dialogue space where friends and partners of Romania, but
also members of Romanian communities abroad can meet and exchange opinions in a
novel environment adapted to the challenges posed by the global health context. Over November 28 – December 1, in a special
section on the Ministry website, mae.ro, the Foreign Ministry is promoting
Romanian talent and history, with a focus on classical and contemporary music,
theatre, performing and visual arts. The Ministry is also making public a
number of diplomatic documents from its archive. The virtual section will also
include an area devoted to online actions carried out by Romania’s diplomatic
missions and consular offices.

MOLDOVA – Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Republic of
Moldova, in place until January 15, 2021. All nightclubs have been closed,
while restaurants, bars and coffee shops will close before 10 PM. Colloquiums
and sports competitions with physical attendance have been banned. Theatres,
cinemas and concert halls have also shut down. Public and private institutions
will have to introduce special working hours, with the physical presence of
only those workers who cannot work from home. According to our correspondent on
the ground, restrictions were previously introduced in the Republic of Moldova,
although they were not fully observed, not even by the authorities. Socialist
Prime Minister Ion Chicu organized his son’s wedding party, while in the
campaign for the presidential election, the acting President, Igor Dodon, held
a rally with hundreds of participants.

HANDBALL – Romania’s women’s
handball team are preparing for the European Championship hosted by Denmark
between December 3 and 20. Romania is playing in Group D in the final
tournament, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland, with the games taking place
in the town of Kolding. On December 3, Romania will play Germany. On December 5
it will take on Poland, then it will play Norway on December 7. Denmark is the
sole host of the tournament after the second designated host, neighboring
Norway, pulled out. On November 16, only 17 days before the first game was due,
Oslo announced that healthcare constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic
prevent it from organizing the competition.

BASKETBALL – The Romanian men’s basketball
team on Monday is playing the world champion, Spain, in Valencia, in a fixture
counting towards the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 preliminary Group A. On Saturday,
Romania lost 91-61 to Poland. After three matches, Romania has zero points and
is bottom of the group tables. The last group fixtures will be played next
year. The top three teams in each group will qualify to the 2022 European
Championship. (V. Palcu)

29 November 2020
November 28, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another
8,134 SARS-CoV-2 infections and 161 related deaths were reported in the last 24
hours in Romania, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Saturday.
465, 982 people have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the
pandemic, while 11,045 people have died to the virus. Most infections were
reported in Bucharest, Constanța, Cluj, Ilfov and Iași. Over 70% of infected
people have recovered. 1,249 people are currently in intensive care. 6,914 Romanians
living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19, 127 of them have died.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – More
and more countries around the world are preparing their national strategies for
anti-COVID-19 vaccination. The United States and the European Union hope to
start the vaccination campaign in December. The first vaccines to be
administered will be those produced by Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. So far
Pfizer and BioNTech announced a 95% efficiency rate for their vaccine, Moderna
says its vaccine has a 94.5% efficiency while the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is
rated with a 91.4% efficiency. The AstraZeneca British vaccine is the cheapest
and doesn’t require cold storage, although additional tests are still needed.
China also claims its Sinopharm vaccine works, with zero infection cases
reported for 1 million people who’ve taken the vaccine, which is still in an
experimental phase.

UNION – Restricted ceremonies on
Saturday marked 102 years since the completion of the historic process of
Bukovina’s union with Romania. The event prefaced the Union with Romania on
December 1, 1918, of not just Transylvania, but also Banat, Maramureş and
Crişana,
which had also been part of the Habsburg Empire. Previously, in March 1918,
Bessarabia, another Romanian province, had united with the mother-country. Preparations
are underway in Romania to organize the military parades celebrating December
1, the National Day of Romania. In Bucharest, the traditional parade will be
held without public attendance in a restricted format, due to the coronavirus
pandemic. The National Day will be celebrated abroad by means of online events
organized by Romania’s embassies or by branches of the Romanian Cultural
Institute.

MOLDOVA – Authorities have
declared a state of emergency in the Republic of Moldova, in place until
January 15, 2021. All nightclubs have been closed, while restaurants, bars and coffee
shops will close before 10 PM. Colloquiums and sports competitions with
physical attendance have been banned. Theatres, cinemas and concert halls have
also shut down. Public and private institutions will have to introduce special
working hours, with the physical presence of only those workers who cannot work
from home. According to our correspondent on the ground, restrictions were previously
introduced in the Republic of Moldova, although they were not fully observed,
not even by the authorities. Socialist Prime Minister Ion Chicu organized his
son’s wedding party, while in the campaign for the presidential election, the
acting President, Igor Dodon, held a rally with hundreds of participants.

CAMPAIGN – The campaign for the
legislative election due on December 6 continues in Romania. As in the case of
the local election, held on September 27, the authorities have limited the
number of participants to election rallies and introduced strict health safety
regulations. Citizens will be able to cast their votes in all polling stations
on election day, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has said, adding that citizens
infected with COVID-19, currently in quarantine or isolation, will be able to
vote with the help of the mobile ballot box. More and more towns and villages
across Romania are entering quarantine against the growing infection rate.
Romanians living abroad will be able to vote on December 5 and the 6. Representing
the Romanian Diaspora will be four deputies and two senators.

VACCINATION – The Government decree
on the vaccination strategy was adopted in Friday’s Government session. The
first to be immunized will be employees working in healthcare, social
assistance, people in at-risk categories and key personnel, Ionel Dancă, the
head of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a press briefing. The Government also
decided to increase the bonus of medical and auxiliary personnel directly
dealing with COVID-19 patients up to 85% of their base salary. The Government
also debated a draft law providing financial assistance to companies in the
hospitality industry. One measure provides for a grant covering losses incurred
in 2020 up to 20% of last year’s turnover.

HANDBALL – Romania’s women’s
handball team are preparing for the European Championship hosted by Denmark
between December 3 and 20. Romania is playing in Group D in the final
tournament, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland, with the games taking place
in the town of Kolding. Denmark is the sole host of the tournament after the
second designated host, neighboring Norway, pulled out. On November 16, only 17
days before the first game was due, Oslo announced that healthcare constraints
related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevent it from organizing the competition.
(V. Palcu)

28 November 2020
November 28, 2020

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another
8,134 SARS-CoV-2 infections and 161 related deaths were reported in the last 24
hours in Romania, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Saturday.
465, 982 people have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the
pandemic, while 11,045 people have died to the virus. Most infections were
reported in Bucharest, Constanța, Cluj, Ilfov and Iași. Over 70% of infected
people have recovered. 1,249 people are currently in intensive care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – More
and more countries around the world are preparing their national strategies for
anti-COVID-19 vaccination. The United States and the European Union hope to
start the vaccination campaign in December. The first vaccines to be administered
will be those produced by Pfizer and BioNTech and Moderna. So far Pfizer and
BioNTech announced a 95% efficiency rate for their vaccine, Moderna says its
vaccine has a 94.5% efficiency while the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is rated
with a 91.4% efficiency. The AstraZeneca British vaccine is the cheapest and
doesn’t require cold storage, although additional tests are still needed. China
also claims its Sinopharm vaccine works, with zero infection cases reported for
1 million people who’ve taken the vaccine, which is still in an experimental
phase.

UNION – Restricted ceremonies on
Saturday marked 102 years since the completion of the historic process of
Bukovina’s union with Romania. The event prefaced the Union with Romania on
December 1, 1918, of not just Transylvania, but also Banat, Maramureş and
Crişana,
which had also been part of the Habsburg Empire. Previously, in March 1918,
Bessarabia, another Romanian province, had united with the mother-country. Preparations
are underway in Romania to organize the military parades celebrating December
1, the National Day of Romania. In Bucharest, the traditional parade will be
held without public attendance in a restricted format, due to the coronavirus
pandemic.

MOLDOVA – Authorities have
declared a state of emergency in the Republic of Moldova, in place until
January 15, 2021. All nightclubs have been closed, while restaurants, bars and coffee
shops will close before 10 PM. Colloquiums and sports competitions with
physical attendance have been banned. Theatres, cinemas and concert halls have
also shut down. Public and private institutions will have to introduce special
working hours, with the physical presence of only those workers who cannot work
from home. According to our correspondent on the ground, restrictions were previously
introduced in the Republic of Moldova, although they were not fully observed,
not even by the authorities. Socialist Prime Minister Ion Chicu organized his
son’s wedding party, while in the campaign for the presidential election, the
acting President, Igor Dodon, held a rally with hundreds of participants.

CAMPAIGN – The campaign for the
legislative election due on December 6 continues in Romania. As in the case of
the local election, held on September 27, the authorities have limited the number
of participants to election rallies and introduced strict health safety
regulations. Citizens will be able to cast their votes in all polling stations
on election day, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has said, adding that citizens
infected with COVID-19, currently in quarantine or isolation, will be able to
vote with the help of the mobile ballot box. More and more towns and villages
across Romania are entering quarantine against the growing infection rate.
Romanians living abroad will be able to vote on December 5 and the 6. Representing
the Romanian Diaspora will be four deputies and two senators.

VACCINATION – The Government decree
on the vaccination strategy was adopted in Friday’s Government session. The
first to be immunized will be employees working in healthcare, social
assistance, people in at-risk categories and key personnel, Ionel Dancă, the
head of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a press briefing. The Government also
decided to increase the bonus of medical and auxiliary personnel directly
dealing with COVID-19 patients up to 85% of their base salary. The Government
also debated a draft law providing financial assistance to companies in the
hospitality industry. One measure provides for a grant covering losses incurred
in 2020 up to 20% of last year’s turnover.

HANDBALL – Romania’s women’s
handball team are preparing for the European Championship hosted by Denmark
between December 3 and 20. Romania is playing in Group D in the final
tournament, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland, with the games taking place
in the town of Kolding. Denmark is the sole host of the tournament after the
second designated host, neighboring Norway, pulled out. On November 16, only 17
days before the first game was due, Oslo announced that healthcare constraints
related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevent it from organizing the competition.
(V. Palcu)

28 November 2020
November 9, 2020

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 3,240 new cases of
COVID-19 and 130 related fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours in
Romania. 1,076 patients are in intensive care. As of today the authorities have
introduced restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. All classes will move
to online until December 9. Stores will close at 9 PM and the wearing of masks
becomes compulsory in public areas. Nighttime mobility will be restricted for
work and health emergencies only. Delivery services, pharmacies and gas
stations will remain open from 9 PM till 5 AM the next day. Produce markets in
interior spaces will be shut down for the following month.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The global number of
infections has exceeded 50.8 million, while the global death toll stands at
1.26 million, according to the latest worldometers.info update. The United
States continues to have the highest number of infections, some 10.3 million,
followed by India and Brazil. Numerous states have returned to restrictions in
an attempt to thwart a new wave of the pandemic. In Europe, France is facing
difficulties, with over 40.000 fatalities caused by COVID-19. Schools remain
open, but teachers have expressed concern and announced a strike on Tuesday.
They are calling for restricting the number of in-class students, reorganizing
cafeterias, taking on additional cleaning staff to sanitize all areas and
additional funds for ventilation systems. Other countries are reintroducing
lockdown restrictions across Europe, although most Governments decided schools
should stay open. Schools in Italy, Slovakia, Belgium and Austria have moved to
remote teaching exclusively, while online teaching has been imposed only for
the secondary education system and high schools in Greece.

2021 DRAFT BUDGET – Liberal Prime
Minister Ludovic Orban will today present the drafts for the 2021 state budget
and social security budget before the Chamber of Deputies. The Social-Democrats
claim the budget law should be made known to the public, adding that, according
to their data, the Government is planning tax rises. Prime Minister Orban said
his Liberal Cabinet wants to adopt the 2021 budget laws by December 31 this
year, most likely after the Cabinet is sworn in. The Prime Minister pointed out
no additional taxes will be introduced. The budget for next year will seek to
ensure investments in transport infrastructure, healthcare and education, and
will also provide all the necessary funds required to pay salaries and
pensions.

VISIT – Foreign Minister Bogdan
Aurescu is today paying an official visit to the Hague, invited by his Dutch
counterpart, Stef Blok. The visit is part of an effort to boost bilateral
dialogue in the context of marking in 2020 140 years since the establishment of
diplomatic ties between the two states. According to a Foreign Ministry
release, the two officials will review the status of bilateral relations and
discuss strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Minister Aurescu
will tackle hot topics on the European agenda, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,
the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, the Recovery Plan, the upcoming
EU-UK partnership, Romania’s Schengen accession and climate change. The
Romanian official will also underscore the importance of stepping up security
cooperation at NATO and EU level as well as promoting robust trans-Atlantic
ties.

US ELECTION – Democrat Joe Biden has won the US
presidential election, but Republican Donald Trump, the acting president, wants
to organize a series of rallies to challenge the results of the ballot. Trump
took again to Twitter accusing the Democrat camp of defrauding the election,
particularly the postal voting process in Philadelphia and Detroit, without,
however, providing any evidence to substantiate his claims. Meanwhile,
President elect Joe Biden continues to work with his team to take over his
mandate in January 2021. Today he is due to announce the setting up of a task
force made up of public health experts, charged with the management of the
COVID-19 pandemic as an immediate priority. On Sunday, his team launched a
transition website listing the top priorities of his mandate, which include the
economy, combating racism and climate change. Joe Biden wants the US to
immediately rejoin the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization.

HANDBALL – The Romanian men’s
handball team on Sunday evening defeated Montenegro on home turf 36-27 in
preliminary Group 7 of the 2022 European Championship, to be hosted by Hungary
and Slovakia. In the other group fixture, also on Sunday, Sweden trounced
Kosovo away from home, 30-16. Sweden is top of the group tables with 4 points,
followed by Romania and Montenegro, each with 2 points, and Kosovo with 0
points. Romania will next play Kosovo away from home on March 10, 2021. A
four-time World Champion in the 1960s and the 1970s, Romania last qualified to
a European championship in 1996. In the women’s competition, Romania has been
drawn in a group with Norway, Germany and Poland in the 2020 European
Championship, due to kick off next month.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

9 November 2020
Romania in the Olympic Games – Handball

Handball was
first introduced as an Olympic event in 1936, at the Berlin Olympics, with 11
field players. It was removed up until the 1972 Munich Olympics, when handball
was reintroduced with 7 field players, but only in the men’s competition. In
1976 women’s handball became an Olympic event.

For Romania, the
top performances came in the men’s competition. In 1972, our handballers
scooped bronze. Romania at the time grabbed 3 wins in the first group stage. In
the main group stage, however, Romania lost to Yugoslavia and thus only
qualified to the bronze final, where it defeated the German Democratic Republic
19-16. The competition’s top scorer that year was Gheorghe Gruia, with 37
goals.

In 1976, in Montreal,
Romania reached the final. The tournament consisted of two groups, Romania
winning one of them after defeating Hungary, the United States and Poland. It
drew against Czechoslovakia, and winning the group got Romania to the grand
final, where it lost 19-15 to the USSR, thus winning silver. Ştefan Birtalan
was the topscorer of the competition with 32 goals, alongside Bent Larsen of
Denmark.

In Moscow, in
1980, the Romanian men’s team walked home with bronze. Romania finished Group B
in second place, losing only to the USSR, which it however knocked out later
22-19. In the bronze final, Romania won 20-18 against Hungary.

Expectations
were running high for Romania at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, considering
countries from the pro-Soviet bloc decided to boycott the competition. Romania
was unfortunate however to be drawn in Group A, where they were outperformed by
Yugoslavia 18-19, thus missing their chance to play the big final. In the
bronze final, Romania defeated Denmark 23-19. Since then, Romania managed to
qualify to the Olympic Games only once, in 1992 in Barcelona.

In the women’s
competition, Romania’s first presence came in in 1976 in Canada. A 24-year
break followed, until the Sydney Olympics of 2000. Our handballers managed to
qualify to the 2008 and 2016 editions, but never managed to get past the
quarterfinals.

(Translated by
V. Palcu)

25 August 2020
December 4, 2019 UPDATE

NATO – Wednesday
marked the close of the NATO summit in London, where the leaders of the 29
Member States adopted a joint declaration reiterating the solidarity, unity and
cohesion of the Alliance. The document also shows that Russia’s repeated
aggressions represent a threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Attending the summit
President Klaus Iohannis said NATO must clearly identify its threats and
enemies as well as its position towards the rising powers. President Iohannis
said after the summit that NATO remains united and strong. NATO wants a fair
and equitable disbursement or resources for defense, whereas states that have
so far not allotted 2% of the GDP to defense spending have pledged to
accelerate procedures to this end, President Iohannis pointed out. According to
the President, the Alliance wants to kick off a reflection process on the
establishment of new strategies. On Tuesday evening, Klaus Iohannis attended
the reception hosted by Queen Elisabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

LAW – The Romanian
Chamber of Deputies, a decision making body, on Wednesday adopted the bill for
the repeal of the compensatory appeal law with 272 votes for and 5 abstentions.
The law was quite controversial because it allowed for the liberation of
thousands of detainees ahead of due date. Some of them, who had been convicted
for serious crimes, retuned to criminal behavior. Justice Minister Catalin
Predoiu explained recently that he supported the abrogation of the law, given
that its faulty content endangered Romania’s citizens. He pointed out that the
justice ministry representatives drafted a document including transitory
measures to be applied in penitentiaries in the future. The bad conditions
existing in penitentiaries generated lots of complaints at the European Court
of Human Rights. The authorities mainly want to improve the quality of
detention places.

EBRD – Prime
Minister Ludovic Orban wants a closer cooperation with the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development, which would translate into investment and
technical assistance projects in such fields as transport, energy, healthcare
and constructions. Ludovic Orban on Wednesday met in Bucharest with a
delegation of the EBRD led by Charlotte Ruhe, managing director for Central and
Eastern Europe. The meeting was meant at presenting the Bank’s strategy for Romania
for the 2020-2025 period.

SOCIAL-DEMOCRATIC
PARTY – The Social Democratic Party’s executive committee on Wednesday
decided the future party leadership would be elected at a special congress on
February 29. We recall Viorica Dancila resigned from the position of leader
after her failure in the recent presidential election won by Klaus Iohannis,
supported by the National Liberal Party. This was the second electoral defeat
of the Social Democrats after that in the EP elections of May 26.

OSCE – Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu on Thursday will attend the 26th meeting of the Ministerial
Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). On
this occasion Minister Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s key objectives
referring to security and cooperation in Europe. Bogdan Aurescu will attend
debates on the prospects of Europe’s security and will reaffirm Bucharest’s commitment
to observe the values of multilateralism and to support efforts to consolidate
the role of the OSCE, the Foreign Ministry reports. On the sidelines of the event,
Minister Aurescu will have a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts
from participant states.

HANDBALL – The
Romanian national women’s handball team lost 26-27 to Montenegro in Group C at the
World Championship hosted by Japan. In the previous matches the Romanian
handballers lost to Spain and won against Senegal and Kazakhstan. To qualify to
the main groups, Romania needs to defeat Hungary in the last group fixture. In
the same group, Spain defeated Kazakhstan and advanced to the next phase.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

4 December 2019
November 30, 2019 UPDATE

NATIONAL DAY – Alba Iulia on Saturday hosted a series of
ceremonies marking the National Day of Romania and the Great Union. Military
events, floral tributes, concerts and film screenings were held on this
occasion. On Sunday, December 1, some 4,000 military and specialists with the
Defense and Interior Ministries, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
National Penitentiary Administration, in addition to 200 pieces of military
technology, will take part in the national military parade held in Bucharest on
December 1. According to the Defense Ministry, some 500 military from Romania’s
21 allied or partner countries will be taking part as well. Depending on the
weather, over 50 aircraft will be participating in the parade. The public will
also be able to visit an open-air exhibition. Various events will be held in
other cities in Romania. The national flag will be displayed on all military
buildings while all maritime and river ships will be dressed up overall.
Romanian military in theatres of operations in Afghanistan, the Western
Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland are also organizing military ceremonies and
specific activities on this occasion. December 1 became Romania’s National Day
after the December 1989 anti-Communist revolution and it marks the completion,
at the end of WWI, in 1918, of the process of creating the Romanian unitary
nation state, when all the provinces included in the neighboring multinational
empires, with a majority Romanian-speaking population, came under the authority
of Bucharest.

PUBLIC ORDER – Over 27,000 employees of the
Interior Ministry will be working to ensure public order and intervene in case
of emergency on December 1, the National Day of Romania. According to a press
release issued by the Interior Ministry, some 660 events will be held to mark
this day at national level. To ensure public order, law enforcement officers,
gendarmes, firefighters and paramedics have been mobilized. The measures are
meant to prevent and combat anti-social behaviors, ease road traffic,
especially in areas where restrictions are in place, as well as to provide
emergency medical care, where needed.

SAINT ANDREW – Christians on Saturday celebrated
St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of
Romania, after he preached the word of Jesus Christ in present-day Dobrogea, in
southeastern Romania. Saint Andrew died in Patras, Greece, crucified on an
X-shaped cross. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians at
home and abroad, to celebrate the spiritual identity of the Romanian people on
this special day, and use the celebration to strengthen the Romanian people in
unity and cohesion. Some 700,000 Romanians celebrated their name day.

NATO – London on Tuesday and
Wednesday is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence.
High on the agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations
with Russia and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis.
According to the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution
as a NATO member and the need to continue determent and security efforts on the
eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
– The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will start its
activity on December 1. Member States have decided the new Commission will have
only 27 commissioners, after Great Britain refused to make a nomination.
Romanian Adina Valean from the European People’s Party has been appointed
Transport Commissioner. The College of Commissioners will convene on December 4
to make several administrative decisions.

HANDBALL – The
Romanian women’s team lost 31-16 to Spain in the first Group C fixture at the
World Cup held in Japan. Romania was drawn in Group C alongside Senegal,
Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will advance to the
next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World Cup. Our
country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.

EURO 2020 -
One million tickets will be made available over December 4-18 to the fans of
the 20 teams qualified to the European Football Championship 2020, the Romanian
Football Federation reports. The general public will be able to purchase part
of the tickets. Fans will be able to purchase tickets over December 4-8. The
fans of the four teams that will qualify after the playoffs, including Romania,
if our team eventually qualifies, will be able to buy tickets once matches are
concluded at the end of March, 2020. Over half of these tickets will be in the
lowest-price category, which is 30 Euros for Baku, Bucharest and Budapest and
50 Euros for the other host cities. The 2020 edition of the UEFA European
Championship is the biggest ever held, with over 3 million tickets, 82% of
which being available to the fans.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

30 November 2019
November 30, 2019

NATIONAL DAY – Alba Iulia on Saturday hosted a series of
ceremonies marking the National Day of Romania and the Great Union. Military
events, floral tributes, concerts and film screenings were held on this
occasion. On Sunday, December 1, some 4,000 military and specialists with the
Defense and Interior Ministries, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the
National Penitentiary Administration, in addition to 200 pieces of military
technology, will take part in the national military parade held in Bucharest on
December 1. According to the Defense Ministry, some 500 military from Romania’s
21 allied or partner countries will be taking part as well. Depending on the
weather, over 50 aircraft will be participating in the parade. The public will
also be able to visit an open-air exhibition. Various events will be held in
other cities in Romania. The national flag will be displayed on all military
buildings while all maritime and river ships will be dressed up overall. Romanian military in theatres of operations in
Afghanistan, the Western Balkans, Mali, Iraq and Poland are also organizing
military ceremonies and specific activities on this occasion. December 1 became
Romania’s National Day after the December 1989 anti-Communist revolution and it
marks the completion, at the end of WWI, in 1918, of the process of creating
the Romanian unitary nation state, when all the provinces included in the
neighboring multinational empires, with a majority Romanian-speaking
population, came under the authority of Bucharest.

PUBLIC ORDER – Over 27,000 employees of the
Interior Ministry will be working to ensure public order and intervene in case
of emergency on December 1, the National Day of Romania. According to a press
release issued by the Interior Ministry, some 660 events will be held to mark
this day at national level. To ensure public order, law enforcement officers,
gendarmes, firefighters and paramedics have been mobilized. The measures are
meant to prevent and combat anti-social behaviors, ease road traffic,
especially in areas where restrictions are in place, as well as to provide
emergency medical care, where needed.

SAINT ANDREW – Christians on Saturday celebrated
St. Andrew the Apostle’s Feast Day. Saint Andrew is the patron saint of
Romania, after he preached the word of Jesus Christ in present-day Dobrogea, in
southeastern Romania. Saint Andrew died in Patras, Greece, crucified on an
X-shaped cross. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed a message to all Romanians at
home and abroad, to celebrate the spiritual identity of the Romanian people on
this special day, and use the celebration to strengthen the Romanian people in
unity and cohesion. Some 700,000 Romanians celebrated their name day.

NATO – London on Tuesday and
Wednesday is hosting the NATO summit, celebrating 70 years of NATO existence.
High on the agenda are the fight against terrorism, arms control and relations
with Russia and China. Representing Romania will be president Klaus Iohannis.
According to the presidency, Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s
contribution as a NATO member and the need to continue determent and security
efforts on the eastern flank and in the Black Sea region.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
– The new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen will start its activity
on December 1. Member States have decided the new Commission will have only 27
commissioners, after Great Britain refused to make a nomination. Romanian Adina
Valean from the European People’s Party has been appointed Transport
Commissioner. The College of Commissioners will convene on December 4 to make
several administrative decisions.

HANDBALL – The
Romanian women’s team lost 31-16 to Spain in the first Group C fixture at the
World Cup held in Japan. Romania was drawn in Group C alongside Senegal,
Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Hungary. The top three teams will advance to the
next phase. From 1957 to 2017, Romania has never missed a World Cup. Our
country won silver in 2005 in Russia and bronze in 2015 in Denmark.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

30 November 2019
September 28, 2019 UPDATE

ELECTION – The
Central Electoral Bureau on Saturday drew lots to set the order of the 14 candidates
on voting ballots for the presidential election. All parliamentary parties have
submitted a candidate. The top candidates are acting president Klaus Iohannis,
supported by the National Liberal Party in opposition, Social-Democrat Prime Minister
Viorica Dăncilă, Dan Barna representing the Save Romania Union – Plus Alliance,
Theodor Paleologu, the candidate of the People’s Movement Party, Mircea
Diaconu, who has rallied the support of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
and Pro Romania Party, and Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians. Other candidates from non-parliamentary parties are Cătălin Ivan,
Ninel Peia, Sebastian-Constantin Popescu, John-Ion Banu, Ramona-Ioana
Bruynseels and Viorel Cataramă. Bogdan Stanoevici and Alexandru Cumpănaşu are
independent candidates. October 12 is the first day of the campaign, the first
round of the election is scheduled for November 10, and the decisive round on
November 24. According to a government resolution, Romanians living abroad will
be able to vote between November 8 and 10 in the first round, and between
November 22 and 24 for the runoff.

MOTION – Liberal
leader Ludovic Orban announced a no-confidence motion will be filed against the
Social-Democrat Government at the start of next week. The Liberals will rely on
237 votes, which is enough to remove the Dancila Cabinet, Orban added, who says
this reflects Parliament’s clear willingness to change the Government. Chamber
of Deputies Speaker Social-Democrat Marcel Ciolacu expressed doubt over the
motion’s chances to succeed, saying the Liberals have not presented a governing
program or come up with an alternative Prime Minister.

VISIT – Prime
Minister Viorica Dancila, on a visit to the United States, has told US
investors that her Government has adopted ambitious measures to boost
businesses in the fields of energy, healthcare, research, IT and
communications. According to a Government release, representatives of US
companies have appreciated the Romanian authorities openness towards dialogue and
increase in the budgets for investing in healthcare, infrastructure and
defense. Previously, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila met with US Energy
Secretary Rick Perry, on which occasion Romania and the United States signed a
memorandum of understanding concerning strategic civil nuclear cooperation
(NCMOU). The Romanian official expressed her Government’s commitment towards
the development of economic cooperation under the Strategic Partnership between
the two states, grounded on a pragmatic and mutually advantageous cooperation.

EUROPALIA – The
Europalia International Arts Festival will kick off on October 1 in Brussels,
with Romania as guest of honor. Attending the opening ceremony will be
President Klaus Iohannis and King Philippe of Belgium. The two officials will
also visit the exhibition titled Brancusi – the Sublimation of Form, the most
important event devoted to the Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi organized
in the last few decades, and will also be attending the Romanian Rhapsody concert
performed by the RaRo-SoNoRo ensemble. The Europalia Romania Festival, held
over October 2019 – February 2020, comprises events in the fields of visual
arts, performing arts, music, film, literature and cultural education, held in
Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Great Britain.
Romania will be organizing over 250 events at the 27th edition of
the festival.

CHIRAC – The
French Embassy in Bucharest has opened a book of condolences on its webpage for
anyone willing to pay homage to the former French President Jacques Chircac,
who passed away Thursday aged 86. President Emmanuel Macron has declared a
national mourning day on Monday, on which occasion flags will be flown at
half-mast, including at the French Embassy in Bucharest. France is in mourning
after the death of Jacques Chirac, a statesman, a great European and a friend
of Romania, a country he visited on several occasion, especially during the
Summit of La Francophonie hosted by Bucharest in 2006, the French Embassy
writes on its Facebook page.

TENNIS – Romanian
tennis player Simona Halep (WTA no. 6) on Sunday will play Rebecca Peterson of
Sweden (53 WTA) in the first round at the Beijing Open, totaling some 8.3
million dollars in prize money. On Saturday, another Romanian, Sorana Cirstea lost
6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium in the final of the WTA
tournament in Tashkent, totaling 250 thousand dollars in prize money. This was
Sorana’s second final in Uzbekistan, following the one in 2008, when she won
her only title in the singles circuit. Cirstea played another two finals in WTA
competitions, in 2007 in Budapest and in 2013 in Toronto. In 2012 in Tashkent,
another Romania, Irina Begu, won the title.

HANDBALL – The
Romanian women’s handball team is playing the Faeroe Islands on Sunday in a
match counting towards the 2020 European Championship preliminary Group 7. On
Wednesday, in its debut match, Romania defeated 27-24 neighboring Ukraine at
home. The first two teams will advance to the final tournament. At the previous
edition of 2018, Romania ranked 4th, losing the bronze final to the
Netherlands.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)

28 September 2019
Athlete of the Week on RRI – Handballer Crina Pintea

The European
Handball Championship has come to a close. Romania ranked 4th in the
final standings, a position that guarantees qualification to the World Cup to
be played next year in Japan. The result matched the original expectations,
considering the value of the other three teams that reached the semi-finals:
France, Russia and the Netherlands. Romania has fared better in European
Championships only once before, in 2010, when the competition was hosted by
Denmark and Norway. At the time Romania walked away with bronze.

Individual
performers have helped Romania make headway into this year’s competition. The
list includes goalkeeper Denisa Dedu, center back-court Eliza Buceschi and
pivot Crina Pintea, the latter being actually added to the dream team of this
year’s edition of the European Championship. For this reason we have designated
Crina Pintea Athlete of the Week on RRI.

Crina Pintea was
born on April 3, 1990 in Podu Turcului, Bacau County, eastern Romania. She made
her debut at the age of 20 with HC Zalau, at the time coached by Gheorghe
Tadici. In 2012 she helped her team reach the EHF Cup finals. A year later, HC
Zalau with Crina Pintea in their lineup reached the semi-finals of the same
competition. In 2015 Crina entered negotiations for a transfer to HCM Baia
Mare, for which reason Gheorghe Tadici removed her from the first lineup.
Pintea eventually transferred to Thuringer in Germany, with which she won the
Bundesliga in 2016. In 2017 Crina Pintea was signed by Issy Paris Hand of
France, today known as Paris 92. In the 2017-2018 season she was designated
best pivot in the French championship. Subsequently, Pintea transferred to
Hungary’s champions Gyor for a three-year contract.

Crina
Pintea made her debut with Romania’s national team in 2012. Three years later
she contributed to the bronze medal won at the World Championship in Denmark.

18 December 2018