Radio România Internațional

Tag: Rome

  • May 12, 2024

    May 12, 2024

    Visit – The European commissioner for agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, will visit Romania on Monday and Tuesday. According to the European Commission, he has scheduled meetings with the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, after which he will have a dialogue with farmers’ associations and with representatives of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest. A visit to the port of Constanţa (on the Black Sea Coast), where most of the exports of grain and agricultural products from Ukraine take place, is also planned. According to the European Commissioner, Romania made exceptional efforts to provide vital aid to Ukraine’s economy during its deepest crisis, facilitating the largest alternative export route for grain and other goods outside the Black Sea corridor. We remind you that the EC has recently approved a state aid scheme for Romania worth 126 million Euros, to support the necessary investments in those ports facing increased commercial flows.

     

    Protest – On Monday, the National Trade Union Bloc, together with the 29 affiliated federations, organizes a rally in front of the Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest, followed by a protest march to the Ministries of Economy, Labor and Finance. The trade unionists demand a reform of the tax system with the aim of reducing inequalities and combating poverty. According to the Trade Union Bloc, Romania currently has one of the highest tax burdens on labor costs in the EU: almost 43%, compared to the European average of around 39%. Also, the Bloc states, Romania is the only country in the world where the contributions of the business environment to the social security system have been shifted to the responsibility of employees since 2018, so that contributions to health and pensions have doubled for employees, while for employers were reduced to zero. And according to Eurostat, the low wages and the high taxation made Romania register the third lowest employment rate in 2023, after Italy and Greece. Only 69% of Romanians aged between 20 and 64 work, which means that almost a third of Romanians do not work, shows the National Trade Union Bloc.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea (34 years old, 32 WTA) qualified, on Saturday, in the round of 16 of the WTA 1,000 tournament in Rome, with total prizes up for grabs worth around 5 million Euros, after defeating the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, 6th seed, with the score 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. In the round of 16, Cîrstea will face the American Madison Keys. Also in the third round of the tournament, Jaqueline Cristian (25 years old, 68 WTA) was defeated by Coco Gauff (USA), world number three, 6-1, 0-6, 6-3, on Saturday evening. Romania is also represented in Rome by Irina Begu (161 WTA), who meets, today, in the third round, the Belgian Elise Mertens (seed no. 27). The Italian competition founded in 1930 was won three times by Romanian athletes: Ilie Năstase, the 1970 and 1973 editions, and Simona Halep the 2020 edition.

     

    Birth rate – The Romanian Ministry of the Family has put up for public debate until May 20, a bill to modify the National Program for the Support of Couples and Single Persons in order to increase the birth rate. One of the proposals is that only one member of the couple should be a Romanian citizen, as, currently, it is necessary that both partners have Romanian citizenship, and another proposal is that the registration documents can be submitted in electronic format. According to official data, 9,300 contracts were signed last year, 2,200 pregnancies were confirmed and 156 children were born. The support offered by the Romanian state is 15,000 lei (about 3 thousand Euros).

     

    Epidemic – The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, stated that there is still an epidemic of measles in Romania, and the disease is reported mainly in counties with a low degree of vaccination coverage. He encourages parents to immunize their children because measles is an infectious disease that is easily transmitted. According to the health ministry, vaccination coverage with the first dose at the national level is 78%, and 62% with the second dose.

     

    Gaza – The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Sunday launched a call for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for the release of hostages and for an increase in aid for the Palestinian enclave under Israeli siege, AFP reports. Previously, he had warned of a “colossal humanitarian catastrophe” in the event of a large-scale Israeli assault on Rafah, a city in the south of the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, US President Joe Biden estimated that a ceasefire is possible “tomorrow” in the war between Israel and Hamas, if the Palestinian group releases the hostages. Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in several areas of the Gaza Strip after issuing new mass evacuation orders for the Palestinians there. Israel says that the city of Rafah, where it continued its bombing last night, is the last stronghold of the Hamas group. Tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees have already left the city out of the more than one million who took refuge in Rafah, fleeing other war-torn areas. (LS)

     

  • February 15, 2024 UPDATE

    February 15, 2024 UPDATE

    Pope – Romania and Italy are entering a new stage of development of their consolidated strategic partnership, the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday in Rome. He stated that the joint statement he signed with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, lays the foundations for an action plan that will strengthen and take to another level the relations between the two states. Marcel Ciolacu recalled that bilateral trade exceeded 20 billion Euros in 2023, a new record. “I appreciated Mrs. Meloni’s openness regarding the intensification of economic cooperation, as well as the valorization of the Romanian diaspora living in Italy, and of the Italian community in our country,” Prime Minister Ciolacu said. In turn, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the joint declaration increases the potential for collaboration between the two countries. “The Romanian community is the largest foreign community residing in Italy, more than one million people, and it provides a very important contribution to our community “, said Giorgia Meloni. Also on Thursday, the meeting of the governments from Bucharest and Rome also occasioned talks on topics on the European and international agenda. Earlier, the Prime Minister Ciolacu was received at the Vatican, in a private papal audience, by Pope Francis, after which he discussed with Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City.

     

    Protests – The representatives of the Romanian Sanitary Solidarity Federation continued the protests prior to the organization of the all-out strike and picketed, on Thursday, the Ministry of Finance and the Chamber of Deputies. The Federation intends to organize such pickets every week, with the series of protests ending on March 11 with a rally in front of the Government, on the National Day of Medical Personnel. The most important demand of the trade unionists is the salary increase for all categories of employees in the healthcare sector by at least 25%.

     

    Sports – The Romanian athlete Cătălin Preda won the bronze medal in the high diving 27-m platform men round, on Thursday, at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. Preda totaled 410.20 points, being overtaken by the British Aidan Heslop (422.95) and the French Gary Hunt (413.25). Romanian Constantin Popovici, holder of the world title, ranked only 8th with 340.50 points. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, last year, Popovici won the gold, and Preda took the silver. Popovici also won gold at the 2022 European Championships, where Preda took silver. Also on Thursday in Doha, the Romanian men’s national team ranked 10th at the World Polo Championship, after being defeated, on Thursday, by the US team with a score 13-9 in a match for positions 9-10. Romania’s best ranking at the World Championship is 5th place (1975), and its previous participation dates back to 2013 (13th place). The Romanian polo players ranked 8th at the European Championship in Croatia, last month.

     

    Statistics – The National Bank of Romania revised downwards, to 4.7%, the inflation forecast for the end of this year, from 4.8% in November, according to the data made public on Thursday by the Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu. The Central Bank anticipates that the inflation rate will reach 3.5% at the end of 2025. On the other hand, the data published by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest show that Romania’s economy grew by 2% in 2023. The increase is above the level recorded both in the EU and in the euro zone, where the gross domestic product increased by 0.5%.

     

    Meeting – The policies and programs of the US and Romania regarding the formation of literacy skills and boosting students’ well-being were the main topics addressed, on Wednesday, by the Romanian Education Minister, Ligia Deca, with her American counterpart, Miguel Cardona. The Romanian ambassador to the USA, Andrei Muraru, also participated in the meeting. According to a statement sent to the media on Thursday, minister Ligia Deca, on a visit to the US between February 12 and 15, emphasized the efforts made by the Romanian Government for the “historic” increase of the Education budget in order to apply the new laws in the field. Other topics addressed in the discussions were the inclusion of refugee children in Romanian schools, strategies to combat anti-Semitism, media education, standardized assessments and the integration of technology into the teaching activity. (LS)

  • February 14, 2024 UPDATE

    February 14, 2024 UPDATE

    Rome — The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu on Wednesday started a two-day working visit to Rome, the focal point of which is the third joint meeting of the governments of Romania and Italy. The previous intergovernmental summit was 13 years ago. On this occasion, there will also be an economic forum with the participation of the business environment from the two countries. The prime minister also has scheduled meetings with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, with representatives of the Romanian community in Italy, as well as a papal audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Romanias ambassador to Italy, Gabriela Dancău, said that, a joint declaration will be signed by the prime ministers on the development of the consolidated strategic partnership, and, at the level of the ministers, several sectoral cooperation documents will be signed. On Thursday, Marcel Ciolacu will have an official meeting with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, after which they will make press statements. Italy is home to the largest community of Romanians abroad, over 1,100,000. Italy is Romanias second trading partner, with a share in our countrys total trade of approximately 9.5%.



    Cyber attack – Several hospitals in Romania, including in Bucharest, have been targeted by a cyber-attack that encrypted data on their servers, the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) announced. Most of the healthcare units affected by the incident had safety copies of their data. According to the health ministry, exceptional security measures have been implemented, with many units in the healthcare system disconnected from the internet for further inquiries. The Directorate Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism Offences has started a criminal investigation.



    Farmers – The European Commission has officially endorsed a regulation which grants a one-year exemption from the rule requiring farmers to keep 4% of their arable land fallow. The rule, designed to help improve environment conditions, had sparked protests across the EU, including in Romania. In exchange, farmers are now required to grow nitrogen fixing crops such as lentils or peas. The new regulation is intended to give farmers more flexibility, while also protecting biodiversity and land quality. The measure is to be applied for the year 2024. Member States have 15 days to notify the Commission of the implementation option that they choose out of the 2 alternatives available.



    Statistics — Romanias economy grew by 2% in 2023, according to the data published on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest. In exchange, the gross domestic product increased last year by only 0.5% both in the EU and in the euro zone. At the same time, the annual rate of inflation in Romania was 7.41% in January compared to 6.61% in December 2023. Services prices rose the most, by 1.55%, followed by foodstuffs, by 1 .3%, and non-food products, by 0.74%. More important price drops were recorded in milling products and edible oil.




    Medicines – The National Agency for Medicines in Romania will establish, this year, a list of vital medicines for our country. The decision comes after, at the European level, around 200 medicines have been identified that often miss from the markets of several member states. The European list will be transformed into a series of national lists of critical medicines, said the President of the Agency, Răzvan Prisada. About the medicines included in the document he explained that they are not necessarily in short supply at present, but that risks may arise once they become scarce. Among the causes that can lead to a shortage of medicines, Prisada identified an entire range, from commercial reasons to the lack of raw materials. He added that, at the European level, there is a seasonal problem with the lack of antibiotics, but this will be solved once the epidemiological season ends.



    Renewable energy – Romania remained the last country in the European Union that failed to regulate the trading of guarantees of origin for the export of renewable energy, which limits the national renewable energy market. This takes place in the context of the multiplication of long-term contracts for the purchase of electricity negotiated directly, against the background of the spread of energy from renewable sources. The Secretary of State in Romania’s Energy Ministry, Dan Drăgan, has given assurances that the problem will be solved. He estimates that, by mid 2024, the National Energy Regulatory Authority will become part of the European regulatory framework, and by the end of this year guarantees of origin will be able to be traded at the European level. (AMP, LS)

  • 20.11.2023 (mise à jour)

    20.11.2023 (mise à jour)

    Retraites – Votée la semaine dernière par le Sénat, le projet de loi du système de retraite a été adoptée lundi par la Chambre des députés de Roumanie, au bout d’une heure de discussions. La ministre du Travail, Simona Bucura – Oprescu, a déclaré que par cette nouvelle loi, le gouvernement souhaite corriger les écarts de pension entre les différentes catégories de retraités. La réforme des retraites repose sur deux piliers, à savoir la cotisation et le travail. Les représentants de l’opposition affirment que le pays ne dispose pas de ressources financières nécessaires pour se permettre une telle hausse. Les pensions de retraite sont censées être majorées à deux reprises. La première, à partir du 1 janvier, sera de 13,8% et concernera tous les 5 millions de retraités, tandis que la seconde qui aura lieu en septembre, sera valable pour trois millions de retraités seulement et sera calculée compte tenu de la période de cotisation et d’une revalorisation de l’indice de correction.

    Budget – L’élaboration de la nouvelle construction budgétaire 2024 est entrée cette semaine dans la dernière ligne droite. La coalition au pouvoir en Roumanie a décidé déjà que les domaines prioritaires seront les Investissements, l’Education et la Santé. N’empêche, dans le contexte des contraintes liées au déficit budgétaire excessif, aucun des ministères ne se verra accorder l’enveloppe requise. La situation s’avère encore plus compliquée après que les mairies et le Ministère des Transports multiplient leurs demandes de financement. La nouvelle construction budgétaire sera soutenue par la lutte contre l’évasion, a fait savoir le premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu qui affirme qu’une fois combattue l’évasion, le pays aura les ressources financières nécessaires pour majorer les pensions de retraite et le budget alloué à l’Education et à la Santé.

    Praia – La Roumanie soutient le renforcement des relations entre l’UE et la République du Cap Vert, a fait savoir lundi le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, en visite à Praia. Lors d’un point de presse commun avec son homologue José Maria Neves, Iohannis a précisé que par la signature de trois documents bilatéraux, Bucarest renforcera sa coopération avec ce pays africain dans les secteurs éducationnel, sanitaire-vétérinaire et de la Protection civile. Le chef de l’Etat roumain a entamé mardi dernier une tournée en Afrique qui a inclus le Kenya, la Tanzanie, Zanzibar, le Cap vert et qui prendra fin au Sénégal.


    Navire
    -Un navire Galaxy Leader, battant pavillon des Bahamas et qui naviguait en mer
    Rouge a été capturé le 19 novembre, par les rebelles Houthis, et amené au large
    des côtes Yéménites. Selon les premières informations, parmi les membres de
    l’équipage figure aussi un ressortissant roumain, selon un communiqué du MAE de
    Bucarest. Une cellule de crise interinstitutionnelle a été activée, une
    procédure standard à chaque fois que des ressortissants roumains sont
    concernés. Le ministère des Affaires Etrangères et les autorités roumaines en
    charge de telles situations, en étroite coopération avec d’autres partenaires internationaux
    ont entrepris des démarches en vue de solutionner la situation.


    BNR
    – La Banque centrale de Roumanie se propose d’organiser plusieurs événements
    afin de réitérer sur le plan international le droit-créance sur le trésor en or
    roumain évacué » à Moscou dans les années 1916,1917 et séquestré par la suite
    par l’URSS. Le gouverneur BNR, Mugur Isarescu, affirme que l’institution qu’il
    dirige n’a pas cessé de faire des démarches pour récupérer le trésor. Sauf que
    les décideurs européens ne connaissent pas cet épisode que les experts roumains
    n’ont pas suffisamment expliqué.










    Energie
    – Le réacteur numéro 1 de la centrale nucléaire de Cernavoda a été rebranché au
    système énergétique national et a fonctionné normalement lundi, a fait savoir
    le ministère de l’énergie de Bucarest. L’unité a été automatiquement débranchée
    dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, à cause du vent fort dont la vitesse
    dépassait les 100 km à l’heure. Dimanche dans l’après-midi, environ 40 000
    consommateurs de 80 localités de Dobroudja (sud-est) étaient concernés par des
    coupures d’électricité. Entre temps, l’alimentation a été reprise pour 93% des
    foyers affectés.


    Exposition
    – Ouverture lundi, à Rome, au Musée des Thermes de Dioclétien, de l’exposition
    « La Dacie – dernière frontière de la romanité » qui accueillera les
    visiteurs jusqu’à la fin du mois d’avril. L’exposition réunit des centaines
    d’objet archéologiques de Roumanie d’il y a un millénaire. Les artefacts
    proviennent de 47 musées de Roumanie, République de Moldavie et Italie, qui
    témoignent de la civilisation romaine. Selon l’ambassadrice Gabriela Dancău, l’exposition
    mélange archéologie et technologie, permettant aux visiteurs l’accès à l’univers
    des Daces, les ancêtres des Roumains.




    Foot
    – Qualifiée au Championnat d’Europe de football, de 2024, en Allemagne, la
    sélection de foot de la Roumanie rencontrera mardi soir la Suisse, pour son
    dernier match de la phase de poules des éliminatoires de l’Euro 2024. Sans
    aucune défaite, la Roumanie domine son groupe et pourrait même terminer en
    première position si elle ne s’incline pas devant la Suisse, également qualifiée
    à l’Euro de l’année prochaine. Les tricolores bleu-jaune-rouge ont obtenu une
    nouvelle victoire samedi, lors du match contre la sélection d’Israël.

    Météo – En Roumanie, les températures continueront mardi à être plus douces que la normale, avec un pic de 17 degrés. Nous aurons 14 degrés mardi, à midi, dans la capitale roumaine et de la pluie dans la soirée.

  • November 20, 2023

    November 20, 2023

    Tour – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, is paying a state visit to the Republic of Cape Verde today, where he is meeting with his counterpart Jose Maria Neves, the Prime Minister Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva and other officials. Last Tuesday the Romanian president started a tour in Africa that included Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar (autonomous territory belonging to Tanzania). The last stage of the tour is the official visit to Senegal.



    Visit – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, is visiting Paris today, where she is having talks with the head of the French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna. High on the agenda of talks are the bilateral cooperation in the field of Foreign Affairs and Defense, the current international crises, especially the situation in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the French FM, Catherine Colonna, will emphasize, again, Frances long-term commitment as the framework nation of the NATO Multinational Command in Romania to strengthen the defense on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance. The meeting between the two ministers represents a further opportunity to reaffirm the common decision for a lasting support given to Ukraine in all fields, hailing the efforts made by Romania for the functioning of the corridors for the export of Ukrainian cereals. The discussions also focus on the prospects of expanding the EU with the countries of the Western Balkans, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.



    Exhibition – The exhibition “Dacia – the last frontier of the Roman world” opens in Rome today. It can be visited until the end of April. Hundreds of archaeological objects from the territory of Romania, dating back over a thousand years, are on display. The artefacts come from 47 museums in Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Italy, which provide a strong testimony of the Roman civilization. According to Ambassador Gabriela Dancău, the exhibition brings together archeology and technology, allowing access to a universe where the ancestors of the Getae-Dacians evolved. The opening of the exhibition, located in the National Museum Terme di Diocleziano in Rome, is being attended by the ministers of culture from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Italy – Raluca Turcan, Sergiu Prodan, and Gennaro Sangiuliano, respectively.



    Cernavoda – Unit 1 of the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant has been resynchronized to the national energy system, and today it will operate at nominal power, the Energy Ministry informs. The unit was automatically disconnected from the national electricity distribution network on Saturday night due to winds that blew at over 100 kilometers per hour. In Constanţa county, in the south-east of Romania, the storm over the weekend felled 240 trees, tore off 50 roofs and damaged 60 cars. At the same time, approximately 40,000 consumers from 80 localities in the Dobrogea region were left without electricity. The energy supplier reported that, in the meantime, power has been restored for almost 93% of those affected.



    Pensions – In Romania, the draft public pension system law passed the Senate and reaches, today, the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body. The government has calculated that it needs 5 billion Euros to increase pensioners incomes and it is still not clear where this money will come from. According to the draft law, two increases are scheduled for in 2024: as of January 1,a rise by 13.8% for all the approximately five million pensioners, and in September, a new increase, based on a new calculation formula, which takes into account the seniority, the contribution or the value of the correction index, targeting, this time approximately three million pensioners. Last week, in the Senate, the MPs of the ruling coalition, PSD and PNL, voted in favor of the draft pension law, which, they said, brings balance to the system. The opposition parties Save Romania Union – USR and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR abstained from voting. During the debates, the opposition senators criticized those in power for the lack of data regarding the resources and the budgetary impact regarding this draft law.



    Budget — The drafting of the budget bill for 2024 by the Government is going to be finalized this week. The PSD-PNL coalition has already agreed that, along with funding investments, priority will be attached to education and healthcare, but it seems that even these ministries will not receive as much money as they would like, given the constraints related to the budget deficit. And, meanwhile, there are more and more requests for money at the end of this year from the town halls as well as from the Transport Ministry. The main resource for supporting the future budget will be the fight against tax evasion. The social democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu said that, by eliminating tax evasion, the necessary funds can be obtained for pension increases, education and healthcare.



    Football – Qualified, mathematically, for the Euro 2024 from Germany, the Romanian national football team meets Switzerland, on Tuesday evening, in the last match of the Qualifying Group I. Undefeated, Romania occupies the first position, with 19 points, and can be the winner of the group if it does not lose the match with Switzerland, the team qualified for the 2024 European Championship. The Romanian footballers qualified after a 2-1 victory against Israel on Saturday. It will be the 6thparticipation of the national team in a final continental tournament, after those in 1984, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2016.



    Handball – The finalist of Romania’s Women’s Handball Cup, CSM Târgu Jiu (south) qualified, for the first time, in the groups of the EHF European League competition, after defeating the Swedish team Onnereds HK, with the score of 26-23, on Sunday, at home, in the second leg of the third preliminary round. HC Dunărea Brăila (south-east) also qualified on Sunday after defeating the German team BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, with the score of 27-22, at home. Another Romanian team that will play in the EHF European League groups is CS Gloria 2018 Bistriţa-Năsăud (north). In the Champions League groups, Romania is represented by the Bucharest teams CSM and Rapid. (LS)

  • L’héritage latin des Roumains

    L’héritage latin des Roumains

    Mais la contribution d’autres ethnies dans la formation de la nation roumaine d’aujourd’hui ne saura évidemment être ignorée. Davantage encore, les chercheurs s’attachent de comprendre au mieux la trace laissée par ces sources multiples dans l’imaginaire collectif, à travers les structures sociales qu’elles avaient développé à un moment donné, par exemple. Le président en exercice de l’Académie roumaine, l’historien Ioan-Aurel Pop, prône une approche critique face au concept d’identité nationale. Ecoutons-le :« Il faudrait essayer de comprendre un peu mieux qui on est, ce qu’on est, ce que nous avons hérité de nos ancêtres. Il faudrait accepter de mettre en doute les idées reçues. Mais une chose est sûre : nous sommes parvenus à durer, nous ne nous sommes pas laissés fondre dans les populations, dans les ethnies avec lesquelles nous avons eu de longues périodes de cohabitation : les Huns, les Gépides, les Avares, les Petchenègues, les Cumins. Et cela même en dépit de notre taille, car nos Etats ont toujours été d’une taille plutôt dérisoire, nous sommes parvenus à durer et à nous développer. »

    Mais, au fond, qui sommes-nous, nous, les Roumains ? Ioan-Aurel Pop : « A cette question, je répondrais que nous pouvons nous définir par notre langue, par nos patronymes, par la manière dont nous avons embrassé le christianisme. Et ces éléments nous rattachent à l’Occident. En revanche, si l’on regarde la nature du culte orthodoxe pratiqué en Roumanie, l’emploi de la langue slavonne et de l’alphabet cyrillique dans la pratique religieuse et dans les actes officiels issus au Moyen Âge, l’on se rend compte de notre appartenance à l’espace byzantin et de l’influence exercé par l’espace slave. Néanmoins, la latinité de la langue roumaine demeure un élément essentiel de notre identité nationale, surtout dans cette partie du monde ».

    Et il est vrai que partager une même langue définit souvent l’appartenance à une même nation. Ioan-Aurel Pop ajoute que les voyageurs étrangers qui visitaient l’espace roumain au Moyen Age remarquaient souvent la conscience des habitants de leur appartenance à un espace de latinité : « Les sources, il faut les prendre telles quelles. Sans faire de tri. En tant qu’historien, si j’aime avoir une image d’ensemble mettons du 16e siècle, je prends l’ensemble de sources, et j’essayes de reconstituer le puzzle. Je n’arriverai certainement pas à remplir toutes les cases, et dans ce cas je peux aussi me lancer dans des supputations, mais l’idée est de disposer d’autant de sources que possible. Prenez, le voyageur Francesco della Valle racontait avoir été hébergé une nuit par les moines du monastère Dealu. L’on est en 1536. Et c’est là qu’il apprend pour la première fois l’histoire de l’arrivée des légions romanes du temps de l’empereur Trajan dans ce pays. Je n’ai pas de raison de mettre en doute la véridicité de ses dires. D’autant que je peux les corroborer avec ce que racontent d’autres voyageurs qui racontent à peu près la même histoire, « un tel me disait que les Roumains sont des Romans à l’origine ». »

    C’est d’ailleurs autour de cette origine latine commune que s’était constitué le sentiment national et c’est toujours autour de la latinité qu’a été bâti l’Etat moderne au 19e siècle. Mais la conscience collective de l’appartenance à cet espace de latinité existait depuis bien plus longtemps, selon le président de l’Académie roumaine : « Les fils lettrés de boyards arrivent à étudier dans les écoles jésuites polonaises. C’est là qu’ils apprennent l’origine latine des Roumains et de leur langue. Ils rentrent ensuite au pays, et travaillent au développement de cette conscience commune, agencée autour de la latinité. C’est donc grâce aux érudits, aux intellectuels que cette conscience a pu être bâtie de la sorte. La chronique de Cantacuzène faisait déjà mention de ces deux moments fondateurs distincts : la conquête par les légions romanes de Trajan de la Dacie, ensuite, un millénaire plus tard, la descente de Rodolphe Bessaraba dit le Noir, le fondateur de la principauté de Valachie aux dépens des Hongrois. Maintenant, c’est à se demander si les moines du monastère Dealu dont je parlais tout à l’heure faisaient partie de ces érudits. Une chose est certaine : ils avaient très bien accueilli Francesco della Valle et ses comparses italiens, qui ont été bluffés par la générosité de cet accueil. Ensuite, au 17e siècle, voyez cette délégation suédoise essayer de nuer des contacts avec la noblesse magyare d’Oradea et de Cluj, en utilisant le latin. Peine perdue. Les nobles magyares ne connaissaient que le hongrois. Mais ensuite, dès que les Suédois traversent les Carpates vers le sud, ils s’aperçoivent que d’un coup tout le monde parlait le latin, même les paysans. Un latin vulgaire certes et truffé de mots d’emprunt, mais un latin qui leur était compréhensible. Ils entendent lapte pour lactis, le lait, ils entendent noapte pour noctis, la nuit. Et lorsqu’ils demandent aqua, de l’eau, on leur rapporte apa. »

    L’origine latine de la langue roumaine, souvent contestée par ceux qui ne voyez pas leur intérêt dans cette continuité de l’existence de ce que deviendra la nation roumaine dans l’espace roumain, demeure malgré tout l’incontestable liant de l’identité nationale. (Trad. Ionut Jugureanu)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    In Poland, the European Games hosted by Crakow and Malopolska region carry on. After 5 days of competitions, Romania is placed 18th in the nations ranking. Romanian athletes have won 8 medals so far, including 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze ones. Gold medals went to cyclist Vlad Dascălu, in the mountain bike race, and to athlete Claudia Bobocea, in the womens 1,500m race. Athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event, and Daniela Stanciu in the high jump event won silver medals, and so did Cătălin Chirilă in the mens canoe single 500m final. Taking home bronze medals were Ştefan Comănescu, in the mens kumite 67 kg, athlete Andrea Miklos in the womens 400m race, and Mălina Călugăreanu in the womens foil individual final.



    This weekend the Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m and 200m freestyle finals of the “Sette Colli Trophy” international competition in Rome, both with new competition records. In the 200m event, he defeated the Olympic champion Tom Dean. This was the last test for Popovici ahead of the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan, scheduled between 13 and 30 July.



    Romanias womens water polo team won all matches in Group B of the 2024 European Championships qualifiers, held in Otopeni. The Romanians defeated Sweden 14-9, Switzerland 7-5, and Turkey 16-5, respectively, and qualified to the final tournament due in Netanya, Israel in January. Romanias mens team is also taking part in the final tournament in Israel, after finishing top of Group D in the qualifiers. In Kranj, Slovenia, the team coached by Bogdan Rath and George Deacu outplayed Switzerland 19-9 and Finland 19-6, and drew 10-all against the host nation.



    At the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted jointly by Romania and Georgia, the national team takes on Croatia on Tuesday in Group B. In the first 2 group matches, Romania lost 0-3 to Spain on Wednesday, and 0-1 to Ukraine on Saturday.



    Also in football, one of the most popular football clubs in Romania, Rapid Bucharest, this weekend celebrated 100 years of history. Originally a football club of railway workers, Rapid is known for outstanding performances prior to WWI. In 1940, the team qualified for the final of the Central European Cup, which was never played however. The club then grew to cover multiple sports, and achieved top level performances in several fields, including handball and volleyball. (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    In Poland, the European Games hosted by Crakow and Malopolska region carry on. After 5 days of competitions, Romania is placed 18th in the nations ranking. Romanian athletes have won 8 medals so far, including 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze ones. Gold medals went to cyclist Vlad Dascălu, in the mountain bike race, and to athlete Claudia Bobocea, in the womens 1,500m race. Athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event, and Daniela Stanciu in the high jump event won silver medals, and so did Cătălin Chirilă in the mens canoe single 500m final. Taking home bronze medals were Ştefan Comănescu, in the mens kumite 67 kg, athlete Andrea Miklos in the womens 400m race, and Mălina Călugăreanu in the womens foil individual final.



    This weekend the Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m and 200m freestyle finals of the “Sette Colli Trophy” international competition in Rome, both with new competition records. In the 200m event, he defeated the Olympic champion Tom Dean. This was the last test for Popovici ahead of the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan, scheduled between 13 and 30 July.



    Romanias womens water polo team won all matches in Group B of the 2024 European Championships qualifiers, held in Otopeni. The Romanians defeated Sweden 14-9, Switzerland 7-5, and Turkey 16-5, respectively, and qualified to the final tournament due in Netanya, Israel in January. Romanias mens team is also taking part in the final tournament in Israel, after finishing top of Group D in the qualifiers. In Kranj, Slovenia, the team coached by Bogdan Rath and George Deacu outplayed Switzerland 19-9 and Finland 19-6, and drew 10-all against the host nation.



    At the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted jointly by Romania and Georgia, the national team takes on Croatia on Tuesday in Group B. In the first 2 group matches, Romania lost 0-3 to Spain on Wednesday, and 0-1 to Ukraine on Saturday.



    Also in football, one of the most popular football clubs in Romania, Rapid Bucharest, this weekend celebrated 100 years of history. Originally a football club of railway workers, Rapid is known for outstanding performances prior to WWI. In 1940, the team qualified for the final of the Central European Cup, which was never played however. The club then grew to cover multiple sports, and achieved top level performances in several fields, including handball and volleyball. (AMP)

  • The latest European Wrestling Championships

    The latest European Wrestling Championships


    Wrestling was first included in the Olympic programme as early as 1904 during the Olympics in St. Louis, but werent part of the Olympics in Stockholm in 1912. Since the 1920 edition in Anvers, wrestlers have been a constant presence in the Olympic Games. Wrestlers from Romania made their debut at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and since then they have reaped 34 medals, 7 gold, 8 silver and 19 bronze. The first medalist was Francisc Horvath, who reaped bronze in the free-style event in Melbourne 1956.


    The first gold medal for Romania was obtained Greek-Roman wrestler Dumitru Pârvulescu in Rome in 1960. Romania hasnt obtained an Olympic gold medal in this discipline since 1988, when Vasile Puscasu compelled recognition in the 100 kilogram category in Seoul. Although next year well be celebrating 20 years since the introduction of womens wrestling in the Olympic Games, Romanias women representatives havent claimed an Olympic medal yet.


    However, wrestling lovers have pinned their hopes on Romanias women representatives for the next years Olympics in Paris as at the latest wrestling competition in Zagreb, Croatia, four out of the five medals won by Romania were in the womens competition. Andreea Ana, in the 55 kilogram category and Alexandra Anghel, in the 72, stepped onto the first step of the podium while Catalina Axente, in the 76 kilogram, Krista Incze in the 65 and Denis Mihai in the 55 kilogram category of the mens event became bronze medalists.


    On of the Romanian wrestlers standing chances of winning a medal in Paris is the 23-year-old Andreea Ana who has so far walked away with four medals from the European Championships. She won bronze in Bucharest in 2019 and in Warsaw two years later, and also became gold medalist in Budapest last year.


    Another athlete, who could put up a good show in Paris, is Alexandra Anghel holder of the European bronze in Kaspiysk, Russia in 2018. She also won a bronze medal in Belgrade last year.


    (bill)


  • February 17, 2023 UPDATE

    February 17, 2023 UPDATE

    VISIT Marcel Ciolacu, president of the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest
    on Friday said after the talks he had in Rome with the Italian Interior Minister
    Matteo Piantedosi that Romania had wanted an updated strategic partnership with
    Italy since 1997. The Romanian official underlined that this diplomatic binder
    is also meant to help the community of 1.2 million Romanians, for whom Italy
    has become a second home. Ciolacu has extended thanks to the Italian official
    whom he described as one of the strongest voices in support of Romania’s
    Schengen accession. On Thursday, the Romanian official held talks with the
    mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the staging of a bilateral economic
    forum in the Italian capital. Ciolacu met his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo
    Fontana, in Rome also on Thursday.






    CULTURE
    The city of Timişoara, in western Romania, has officially become for one year,
    the European Capital of Culture. Approximately 16,000 people are expected to
    participate in the 130 events taking place this weekend, on the occasion of the
    official opening of the program. The entire city will be animated by concerts,
    exhibitions, street performances, theater plays, film screenings and workshops,
    all under the slogan Shine your light – Light up your city!
    More than 100 Romanian and foreign officials, including about 40 ambassadors,
    the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the European Commissioner Adina Vălean
    have confirmed their participation in the opening gala at the Palace of Culture
    in Timișoara. Moreover, Adina Vălean will hand the local authorities the
    Melina Mercouri award, worth 1.5 million Euros, which is awarded to
    cities that have fulfilled their commitments in the European Capitals of
    Culture program.






    HANDBALL Romania’s handball champions, Dinamo
    Bucharest on Thursday conceded an away defeat to French side Paris Saint
    Germain. The French secured a 33-26 win in the 12th leg of the
    Champions League. With 11 points, Dinamo has qualified for the competition’s
    next leg and is presently ranking fifth in a group dominated by PSG with 20
    points. The Romanians will be also playing Danish side GOG on February 23rd
    and SC Magdeburg of Germany on March 2nd. Only the first two sides
    in every group will qualify for the quarter finals, while the sides ranking
    between the third and sixth positions will go into play-offs.






    EARTHQUAKE A moderate
    earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale, occurred on Friday in
    Gorj county (southwest Romania), at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to the
    data of the National Institute for Earth Physics. The intensity of the
    earthquake was revised from 4.4 to 4.3 degrees, following the operator’s
    calculations. On Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gorj county,
    the biggest ever produced in that area. The day before, the area was shaken by
    a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with a magnitude of
    7.2, the worst to hit Romania, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of
    them in Bucharest, and caused property damage estimated at over two billion
    dollars at the time. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis
    that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not
    overcome until its collapse in 1989.


    (bill&LS)

  • February 17, 2023

    February 17, 2023

    Timişoara – The city of Timişoara, in western Romania, officially becomes, as of today, for one year, a European Capital of Culture. Approximately 16,000 people are expected to participate in the 130 events taking place this weekend, on the occasion of the official opening of the program. The entire city will be animated by concerts, exhibitions, street performances, theater plays, film screenings and workshops, all under the slogan “Shine your light — Light up your city!” More than 100 Romanian and foreign officials, including about 40 ambassadors, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the European Commissioner Adina Vălean have confirmed their participation in the opening gala at the Palace of Culture in Timișoara. Moreover, Adina Vălean will hand the local authorities the “Melina Mercouri” award, worth 1.5 million Euros, which is awarded to cities that have fulfilled their commitments in the “European Capitals of Culture” program.



    Chişinău – The new government of the Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population) was inaugurated and sworn in before the pro-Western president Maia Sandu. Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that in the coming period the intensity of hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation was likely to increase and that, in the event of an aggression, the neutrality status of the Republic of Moldova did not provide any guarantees. Radio Romania’s correspondents in Chişinău note that the government led by Recean will have to face not only a security situation complicated by the war in neighboring Ukraine, but also the economic and energy crises. The Romanian Prime Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, congratulated Recean for the vote obtained and for assuming the responsibility of leading the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and gave assurances regarding the continuation of the dialogue and the identification of support solutions for the European path.



    Rome – The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, continues his visit to Italy today. He is to meet with the Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and then he will meet with representatives of the diocesan communities in the Lazio Region. On Thursday, the Romanian official talked with the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, about the organization of a bilateral economic forum in Rome. Marcel Ciolacu has said that Italy is Romanias second important commercial partner, and Rome is ‘home to over 200,000 Romanian citizens’. Also on Thursday, the president of the Chamber of Deputies met in Rome with his Italian counterpart, Lorenzo Fontana.



    Conference – The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, and the Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, are participating, from Friday until Sunday, in the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a representative forum for discussions on the current dynamics of international security. Bogdan Aurescu participates, as the main speaker, in the round table Security in the Black Sea Region: From Cyberstorm and Brinkmanship to Border Confrontation?, organized by the think tanks New Strategy Center (NSC) and Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Minister Angel Tîlvăr participates in the conference sessions focused on regional security developments, the implications of Russias war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as regional stability and security. He will also attend the debates on the conference report (Munich Security Report), a document that highlights the profound changes in the security environment and the consequences of the unprovoked and unjustified war waged by Russia in Ukraine. Among the guests are prominent personalities from NATO, the EU, the UN and other international organizations, as well as important global decision-makers.



    Earthquake – A moderate earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.3, occurred on Friday in Gorj county (southwest Romania), at a depth of 15 kilometers, according to the data of the National Institute for Earth Physics. The intensity of the earthquake was revised from 4.4 to 4.3 degrees, following the operators calculations. On Tuesday, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Gorj county, the largest ever produced in that area. The day before, the area was shaken by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake. On March 4, 1977, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, the worst to hit Romania, resulted in the death of 1,570 people, most of them in Bucharest, and caused property damage estimated at over two billion dollars at the time. The earthquake generated an economic and social crisis that, according to historians, the communist dictatorship of the time could not overcome until its collapse in 1989. (LS)

  • Romanian David Popovici, the fastest swimmer in history

    Romanian David Popovici, the fastest swimmer in history

    On July 9, 1922, in Alameda, California, Johnny Weissmuller swam one hundred meters in less than a minute, setting a new world record. Born near Timişoara, in Freidorf, he was to become famous both thanks to his Olympic victories and especially to the main role in the movie Tarzan, the Ape Man. After 100 years, another athlete born in Romania broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle event, practically becoming, the fastest swimmer in history, given the official results approved so far.



    At the European Championships in Rome, on Saturday, David Popovici finished the 100- meter race in 46 seconds and 86 hundredths. He thus broke a 13-year-old record, held by the Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho, who, also in Rome, but at the World Championships, in 2009, recorded 46 seconds and 91 hundredths, at a time when specially designed suits to increase speed were still allowed. As expected, the international press wrote appreciatively about Davids record. “The 17-year-old phenomenon erased Cesar Cielo’s record in the European final, Marca wrote and Gazzetta dello Sport called David Baby Fenomeno.



    On Monday, the Romanian swimmer was very close to repeating his performance in the European 200-meter final. David Popovici, the current world champion in the 200m event, won the final in Rome as well, as a great champion, with a time of one minute, 47 seconds and 97 hundredths, a new world and European record in the juniors competition, as well as in the Rome competition. He was less than one second, more precisely 97 hundredths, away from the record broken by the German Paul Biedermann, also from Rome in 2009. At the same time, the recorded time was only one hundredth of a second longer than the one with which Michael Phelps, David’s idol, won the Olympic title in Beijing in 2008.



    After Davids victory in the 200 meters and the award ceremony, Radio Romanias reporter asked David how he felt being so close to the American’s performance: “I felt ultra-satisfied, of course, but not at all disappointed that I didn’t manage to obtain his time. But it’s okay; I have all the time in the world. Phelps, when he obtained this time, one hundredth of a second better than me, he also broke the world record. This final tired me more, being the second event in the schedule. It’s not like it was absolutely the hardest race of my life. It was definitely the best race in the 200-m event. But this is how it is in sports. If everyone was able to cope with such a level of effort, then there would be many more athletes at this level.



    In Rome, David Popovici will also compete in the 400-meter freestyle event. The heats of the race are scheduled for Wednesday, August 17. (LS)

  • January 30, 2022 UPDATE

    January 30, 2022 UPDATE

    Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.



    Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.



    Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.



    Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.



    Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents.



    Abu Dhabi — The Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the first Israeli head of state to visit the United Arab Emirates, on Sunday met in Abu Dhabi with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto leader of the Arab state. According to news agencies, the discussion lasted over two hours and was warm and cordial. Herzog has said that “the Middle East has entered a new era because of the wise and courageous decision of the Crown Prince and other leaders to normalize ties” with Israel. On the way to the Emirates, the aircraft flew over Saudi Arabia, and the head of state commented that it was a very emotional moment. The Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had already visited the United Arab Emirates last December. Economic issues are seen as the main engine behind rapprochement, but there is also the idea of forming an alliance against Iran, DPA reports. (LS)

  • January 30, 2022

    January 30, 2022

    Covid- 19 Ro — The number of new cases of Covid-19 remains high in Romania, but it is declining sharply after a period of 4 consecutive days with over 30,000 new cases, the days with the highest incidence of new cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic. On Sunday, more than 19,660 new cases of COVID-19 were reported along with 52 deaths. The Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, said that next week the number of daily cases is going to exceed 40,000 and that the pandemic will subside hardly after 10 days. With many people infected and a high transmissibility rate, especially of the Omicron strain, the authorities are looking for ways to facilitate access to testing and treatment for decreasing the pressure on hospitals and ambulance services. A quick test can be done for free in 4,000 family doctors offices across Romania and at a minimum price in 138 lei in pharmacies. 861 people are in ICUs. Almost 8 million people have been fully vaccinated so far.



    Covid world — More and more cases of coronavirus infection have been reported among athletes and delegations arriving in Beijing, where the Winter Olympics will begin next week. Five members of the Canadian delegation have been quarantined. The rules are much stricter than at last years Tokyo Summer Olympics. In Beijing, athletes, team officials and journalists are only allowed in hotels, media centers and competition venues. So far, 23 cases of infection have been identified among athletes and officials, most of them at the airport, where all those arriving in China must be tested. Then, daily tests are made for everyone present at the Olympic Games who are locked in what is called a “closed loop system”. On the other hand, Russia and Ukraine reported on Saturday the highest number of COVID cases since the onset of the pandemic. Kiev has announced more than 37,000 cases, while Russia has exceeded 100,000 infections for the first time. In Europe, more and more countries are facing a record number of coronavirus cases, amid the spread of the Omicron variant.



    Ukraine– NATO does not intend to deploy soldiers in Ukraine, a country that is not a NATO member, in case of a Russian invasion, said Sunday NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. There is a difference among being a NATO member and being a strong and much appreciated partner, such as Ukraine, he added. The UK announced that it would propose NATO a “major” deployment of troops, warships and fighter planes in Europe. In her turn, the French Defense Minister, Florence Parly, reiterated that Paris was ready to send hundreds of soldiers to Romania. Washington will soon send troops to Eastern Europe as well, the US President Joe Biden said. The US has already alerted 8,500 troops to join NATOs rapid reaction force in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Germany is sending three Eurofighter planes to Romania in February and March, in the context of boosting NATOs presence in Eastern Europe. The German planes will be integrated into the Italian contingent which has been already in Romania since last month, consisting of another four Eurofighter planes that perform air policing missions. Moscow has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and a large amount of fighting equipment on Ukraines borders, but says it does not want a war. If the former Soviet republic is invaded, Russia risks unprecedented economic sanctions, the West warns.



    Romania-NATO – Romania, as a NATO member, is not in a position to enter the war at the moment, even in the worst scenario, in which Russia would invade Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu told a TV station. He explained that Romania is a member of a strong defense system, and the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention if a country that is a member of the Alliance is attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO member, it is trying to become one, so it does not have this status yet, Vasile Dîncu added. Asked if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they will be drafted, in the context of the situation in the region, he underlined that not even Ukraine mobilized its reservists.



    Rome — The Italian President Sergio Mattarella was re-elected on Saturday for a second seven-year term in office, obtaining an absolute majority of votes from the 1,009 senators, deputies and regional officials called to vote. He was congratulated by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who also asked him to remain in office for the well being and stability of the country. Mattarella, 80, unexpectedly agreed to remain president and prevent a power void, as the parties failed to nominate another candidate to win a majority in parliament. Mattarella had repeatedly stated that he wanted to retire. He is the second most voted head of state in the history of Italy after Sandro Pertini in 1978. With a career spanning more than four decades, Sergio Mattarella entered politics after the assassination of his brother by the Sicilian mafia. He held four minister seats and was a judge in the Supreme Court before being elected president in 2015. The Italian Republic has so far had 12 presidents. (LS)

  • 30.01.2021 (mise à jour)

    30.01.2021 (mise à jour)

    Incendie – Une autre personne parmi les malades évacués de l’Institut Matei Bals de Bucarest est décédée portant le bilan meurtrier de l’incendie qui a ravagé un immeuble du principal hôpital roumain inscrit dans la lutte contre le Covid 19 à six, selon le ministère de la Santé. Cet hôpital soigne exclusivement des malades de Covid 19. Ce fut vendredi dernier dans la matinée, qu’un incendie détruisait plusieurs salons d’un immeuble de l’hôpital Matei Bals, qui a été entièrement abimé par la fumée. Procureurs, policiers criminalistes et spécialistes en explosions ont réalisé des recherches sur les lieux du drame pour élucider les causes de ce désastre. Plusieurs médecins ont été auditionnés au siège de la police de la capitale dans le cadre d’un dossier pénal ouvert pour homicide involontaire. Les représentants de l’Institut Matei Bals affirment que les autorisations et les avis de l’hôpital étaient en règle et qu’ils offriront tout leur appui pour soutenir l’enquête qui est déjà en cours, afin d’élucider les causes du désastre. Le premier ministre roumain Florin Cîţu s’est rendu dimanche sur les lieux du drame pour s’assurer que l’enquête serait menée à bien et a souligné que les coupables en supporteraient les conséquences. Il faut réformer le système sanitaire et faire des investissements dans l’infrastructure du domaine, pour que des tragédies similaires ne se produisent, a déclaré le président Klaus Iohannis. Du côté de l’opposition, le leader social démocrate Marcel Ciolacu, s’est déclaré choqué et révolté du fait que le gouvernement n’avait rien fait pour empêcher que la tragédie de Piatra Neamt ne se reproduise. Rappelons-le, novembre dernier 10 malades sont décédés dans un incendie similaire produit à l’hôpital des urgences de Piatra Neamt.

    Vaccins – Une deuxième tranche de plus de 21 mille doses de vaccin Moderna est arrivée aujourd’hui à Bucarest, fait savoir le Comité national de coordination des activités relatives à la vaccination contre la Covid 19. Les sérums seront ensuite distribués à travers le pays. Pour l’instant, la Roumanie utilise exclusivement le vaccin produit par Pfizer-BioNTech. Les experts rappellent que les deux variantes sont très similaires. Leur efficacité est à peu près identique – 95% dans le cas de Pfizer et 94,1% dans le cas de Moderna. Les deux utilisent la technologie de l’ARN messager. Le ministre roumain de la Santé, Vlad Voiculescu a déclaré que la Roumanie disposait de moins de doses que nécessaires, et que pour cette raison plusieurs programmations ont été ajournées. Le responsable roumain a également dit qu’à partir de la semaine prochaine des sanctions seront appliquées à ceux qui vaccinent des personnes qui n’auraient pas le droit durant cette étape de la campagne nationale d’immunisation. Jusqu’ici, plus de 650 mille personnes ont été vaccinées. Samedi, 2700 cas d’infection au nouveau coronavirus ont été dépistés, sur quelque 31 mille tests effectués, alors que 68 malades sont décédés.

    OCDE
    –     La Roumanie a fait des progrès importants dans le processus d’adhésion à
    l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économique et compte toujours
    sur l’appui de la France, a déclaré le ministre roumain des finances, Alexandru
    Nazare. Il s’est entretenu vendredi via téléconférence avec son homologue
    français Bruno Le Maire sur les perspectives de l’économie européenne en 2021
    ainsi que sur l’état de la mise en place du Plan National de Redressement et de
    Résilience. Le ministre français des Finances a accepté l’invitation de
    l’homologue roumain de faire une visite de travail à Bucarest, une fois les
    restrictions de voyage provoquées par la pandémie de Covid 19 seraient levées.

    Rome – Le président italien Sergio Mattarella a donné vendredi soir quatre jours aux partis de la coalition au pouvoir pour entamer des négociations en vue de la constitution d’un nouveau gouvernement, après la démission du premier ministre Giuseppe Conte. Celui-ci a été contraint à démissionner mardi, deux semaines après le retrait de la coalition gouvernementale de l’ex premier ministre Matteo Renzi et de son petit parti VIva Italia, indispensable pourtant à la création d’une majorité parlementaire. Giuseppe Conte gère toujours le gouvernement en pleine pandémie de Covid 19 qui a fait plus de 87 mille morts et provoqué une récession profonde. L’actuelle crise politique met en question la capacité de l’Italie de gérer la pandémie et mettre en application un plan de relance de près de 223 milliards d’euros qui doit être présenté à Bruxelles avant le 30 avril.

    Covid dans le monde – L’agence européenne du médicament a autorisé l’utilisation du vaccin anti-covid produit par la compagnie britannique-suédoise Astra Zeneca, qui est pourtant au centre d’un scandale lié à la baisse des livraisons de sérums à l’UE, situation qui a affecté les campagnes d’immunisation dans plusieurs pays européens. Afin de s’assurer que la production est distribuée conformément aux contrats, l’Union a décidé d’introduire un mécanisme de vérification des exportations des vaccins fabriquées sur le territoire des Etats membres. Par ailleurs, plusieurs Etats européens, dont la France, l’Allemagne et la République Tchèque ont annoncé le durcissement des restrictions aux frontières à cause des inquiétudes liées aux nouvelles variantes de coronavirus. Le gouvernement allemand interdit à partir d’aujourd’hui l’accès de la majorité des voyageurs en provenance du Royaume Uni, d’Irlande, du Portugal, du Brésil et d’Afrique du Sud. Et c’est également à partir d’aujourd’hui que les autorités de Prague interdisent la plupart des entrées non-essentielles. Pour sa part, la France ferme les frontières aux voyageurs de l’extérieur de l’UE, alors que ceux de l’espace communautaire sont tenus à produire le résultat négatif d’un test de dépistage de la Covid.

    Météo
    –     Temps doux et températures particulièrement élevées pour cette période de
    l’année, notamment sur le sud. Dimanche, des précipitations sont
    attendues sur la plupart des régions : pluies sur le sud, giboulée sur le
    centre et chutes de neige sur le Nord. Les températures iront de 3 à 11 degrés
    avec 7 degrés seulement à Bucarest.