Radio România Internațional

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  • June 27, 2022 UPDATE

    June 27, 2022 UPDATE

    G 7 — The G7 leaders meeting on Monday in Germany reiterated their indestructible support for Ukraine, promising in particular military and financial support for “as long as necessary,” AFP reports. Germany, the US, France, Canada, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom have urged Russia to allow cereal exports from Ukraine, which it invaded on February 24, to avoid exacerbating the global food crisis. The G7 countries have called on Moscow to “unconditionally end attacks on agricultural and transport infrastructure and allow the free passage of agricultural goods from the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.” They also expressed “deep concern” over Russias announcement that it could transfer nuclear-fired missiles to Belarus. The heads of state and government held a video conference on Monday morning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski, who called on them to “do their best” to end the war, which is devastating their country, before the end of the year.



    Reactors – President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca welcomed the announcement made on Sunday by US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Germany, according to which the United States will invest 14 million dollars in the preliminary stage of engineering and design studies for the development of small modular reactors in Romania. Ensuring energy security is a common goal of the Romanian-American Strategic Partnership, Klaus Iohannis wrote on social media, while Nicolae Ciuca said in a statement, among other things, that the development of the nuclear program will boost economic growth.



    Partnership – Romanias two-chamber parliament will convene on Tuesday in a joint meeting dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US. The Romanian authorities have underlined that this collaboration has been an essential landmark for the countrys foreign policy over the years, as well as a tool for supporting domestic efforts for Romanias economic, military and administrative reforms. In a Facebook post, Romanias Ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru, says that he was received at the White House by president Joe Biden, to whom he conveyed the message of president Iohannis and the Romanian states will to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. The Romanian official stated that “without President Bidens courage and determination, NATO may not have been as strong and united as it is today”. The White House leader thanked Romania for the invaluable help it has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.



    Baccalaureate – The Romanian Education Minister, Sorin Câmpeanu, said Monday that this years Baccalaureate exams produced the best results in the last 10 years, and this was due to the simplification of the subjects. The pass rate of the Baccalaureate exam was over 73%. 162 students got a final 10, 32 of whom are from Bucharest. The highest pass rate was registered in Cluj county (northwest), Campeanu also said. The results can be seen on the bacalaureat.edu.ro platform and on the schools notice boards. The identity of the students will not be disclosed, their names being replaced by the individual codes received at the first test. More than 126,000 high school graduates sat for the Baccalaureate exam this year, the lowest number since the 1989 anti-communist revolution.



    Champion – The Romanian government approved on Monday a decision under which the swimmer David Popovici will be awarded 200 thousand Euros for the exceptional results obtained at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest. The double world champion was received by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca at Victoria Palace. The PM congratulated him for his extraordinary victory which brought him gold in the 200 and 100 meters freestyle event. Another Romanian, Robert Glinţă came 5th in the 50-meter backstroke final and 8th in the 100-meter backstroke event.



    Summit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, participates, as of Tuesday until Thursday, in the NATO summit hosted by Madrid. According to the Presidential Administration, the war in Ukraine and the security crisis in the Black Sea region are the main topics on the agenda. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to deliver a video speech in the first part of the meeting in the Spanish capital. During the summit, the Romanian president will welcome the fact that the current security situation was reflected in the Alliance’s new strategic concept, starting from the recognition of Russia as the main threat to NATO, and the fact that the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security was mentioned for the first time. Klaus Iohannis will emphasize Romanias significant contribution to supporting Ukraine at humanitarian level, as well as the most vulnerable partners, especially those in the eastern neighborhood, mainly the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) and Georgia. Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Romanias firm support for NATOs “open door” policy, including the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance.



    Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Monday met in Bucharest with his Serbian counterpart, Nikola Selakovic, on the occasion of the latter’s visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian FM. According to Bogdan Aurescu, the two discussed the importance of Serbias European path, which, from Romanias point of view, must be completed as soon as possible by Serbia joining the European Union as a full member. The talks also focused on the importance of the European Unions partners, including Serbia, aligning to the Unions common foreign and security policy, given the complicated regional context. In his turn, the Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said that Serbia was grateful to Romania for the support granted for its European path. (LS)

  • Measures for the application of international sanctions

    Measures for the application of international sanctions

    The impact on the national economy of international sanctions imposed on companies controlled by Russian entities due to the conflict in Ukraine must not be neglected. The protection of Romanian employees in these companies is a priority for the Romanian Government – the economy minister Florin Spătaru showed in a communique on Thursday. Romania must adapt and take measures as soon as possible to avoid chain crises – the minister said. His reaction comes in the context in which the government adopted an emergency ordinance, according to which companies from Romania, which are controlled by Russian entities targeted by sanctions, can continue their activity without having their accounts blocked, but only if they enter a state surveillance system.



    The aim is twofold: to introduce guarantees to ensure that the European Union’s sanctions are not affected, while protecting companies and the Romanian labor market. More specifically, a company from Romania subject to sanctions will send a request to the Economy Ministry, which will check whether it meets the operating conditions. If the application is approved, then the Ministry appoints a representative who will act as a permanent supervisor. Consequently, the funds and resources of the company will be unblocked.



    During this time, the supervisor will be able to participate, as an observer, in the meetings of the Shareholders General Assembly, of the Management Board and in other meetings regarding the company’s management. The observer will have access to all the locations where the company operates, as well as to all the documents received by the legal entity. The supervisor will also inform the Ministry when there are suspicions of non-compliance with the sanctions. If these suspicions are confirmed, then the company is denied the right to operate and is, once again, subjected to restrictions.



    The government emergency ordinance was adopted on the same day when the representatives of the approximately 2,600 employees of the company TMK-ARTROM with Russian shareholders from Slatina (south) and Reșița (south-west), producing GRE pipes, went to Bucharest to protest in front of the government’s headquarters. They were dissatisfied with the delays in the payment of their salaries and feared they might lose their jobs. Now, they can relax, just like all the Romanians who work in companies with Russian shareholders. According to minister Florin Spătaru, such companies mainly operate in the metallurgical industry, in which about 22,000 people are employed, and in the automotive industry, where it is estimated that 5,000 jobs can be affected, out of about 200,000. (LS)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    The Romanian tennis player Irina Bara was defeated by China’s Qinwen Zheng, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, on Thursday in the Round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Valencia, which has total prizes worth 115,000 dollars. In the doubles, Bara and Ekaterine Gorgodze from Georgia, who are the contests top seeds, will play in the semifinals on Saturday against the Spanish pair made up of Aliona Bolsova and Rebeka Masarova.



    Seven Romanian tennis players are on the main table of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, which will start on June 27, namely Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea, Gabriela Ruse, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu. Another four tennis players from Romania will play in the qualifiers, namely Gabriela-Talabă Lee, Alexandra Cadanțu-Ignatik, Laura Ioana Paar and Cristina Dinu. This year, the winners of the singles contests, both in the men’s and women’s competitions, will get record prizes of £2 million. The total prizes for this year’s edition amount to over £40 million, 11% more than in last years edition.



    Now news from football. Romania’s national football team will meet on Saturday, in Bucharest, the team of Finland, in the third match of the current edition of the Nations League. The Scandinavian team leads in the group 3 League B standings with four points out of two matches. The Romanian footballers are ranked last after losing 0-2 to Montenegro last Saturday, then 0-1 on Tuesday in the match with Bosnia-Herzegovina. After the match against Finland, the Romanian team will meet, also in Bucharest, on Tuesday, the team of Montenegro and they need victories in both matches to still hope for a place in the top 2 ranking in the group.



    We now move on to volleyball. Romanias mens team will face, on Sunday, in Galaţi, the Albanian team, in the last game of group B of the Silver League competition. The Romanians are on first position in the group and are already qualified to the final four tournament of the competition, which will take place in Hungary, on 18 and 19 June. (LS)

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    The Romanian tennis player Irina Bara was defeated by China’s Qinwen Zheng, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, on Thursday in the Round of 16 of the WTA tournament in Valencia, which has total prizes worth 115,000 dollars. In the doubles, Bara and Ekaterine Gorgodze from Georgia, who are the contests top seeds, will play in the semifinals on Saturday against the Spanish pair made up of Aliona Bolsova and Rebeka Masarova.



    Seven Romanian tennis players are on the main table of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, which will start on June 27, namely Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea, Gabriela Ruse, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu. Another four tennis players from Romania will play in the qualifiers, namely Gabriela-Talabă Lee, Alexandra Cadanțu-Ignatik, Laura Ioana Paar and Cristina Dinu. This year, the winners of the singles contests, both in the men’s and women’s competitions, will get record prizes of £2 million. The total prizes for this year’s edition amount to over £40 million, 11% more than in last years edition.



    Now news from football. Romania’s national football team will meet on Saturday, in Bucharest, the team of Finland, in the third match of the current edition of the Nations League. The Scandinavian team leads in the group 3 League B standings with four points out of two matches. The Romanian footballers are ranked last after losing 0-2 to Montenegro last Saturday, then 0-1 on Tuesday in the match with Bosnia-Herzegovina. After the match against Finland, the Romanian team will meet, also in Bucharest, on Tuesday, the team of Montenegro and they need victories in both matches to still hope for a place in the top 2 ranking in the group.



    We now move on to volleyball. Romanias mens team will face, on Sunday, in Galaţi, the Albanian team, in the last game of group B of the Silver League competition. The Romanians are on first position in the group and are already qualified to the final four tournament of the competition, which will take place in Hungary, on 18 and 19 June. (LS)

  • Social measures in Romania

    Social measures in Romania

    Although there is a tendency to blame the economic and social situation in Romania exclusively on the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, the causes of the current problems that Romanians have to face are more numerous and go back to the distant past! Lets only remind of the two years of pandemic in which the economy stagnated more than it worked, other obstacles being the extension of the states of emergency or alert once every three months. And of the liberalization of the energy market, considered a hasty decision by some analysts, which had serious negative repercussions, especially on the most disadvantaged citizens. Inflation is breaking new records, and shops and agri-food markets have become, for some people, places for contemplating labels.



    Considered one of the silent social strata of Romania, given their impossibility to intervene in any way to correct their material situation after a whole working life, pensioners from the public pension system have nothing to do but accept what the State offers them monthly, which, in many cases, is below the minimum necessary for a decent living. “Pensioners live on their pensions and it seems reasonable that the level of this pension should be adapted to the situation” said recently Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, who added that it’s totally unfair to make only the pensioners pay the price of some crises.



    However, the Romanian Government decided to grant pensioners with cumulated monthly incomes of less than 2,000 lei (about 400 euros) a single aid worth 700 lei (about 140 Euros). This aid will benefit only pensioners residing in the country, not those with a regular residence abroad, the Labor Ministry officials stated. On the other hand, the Senate, as the first notified chamber, adopted a governments emergency ordinance granting meal vouchers to all Romanians with low incomes: namely about 3 million citizens. The vouchers, worth about 50 Euros, will be used only for the purchase of basic food products. The postal distribution of the cards through which the financial aid will be granted will start next week, then the people will receive the promised money on the cards every two months.



    If the senators of the ruling coalition welcomed the decision, those in opposition considered the amount as derisory, saying that, through this measure, the executive only gives back to the Romanians too small a part of the money it takes through taxes, prices for utilities, food and fuels. Nevertheless, all the MPs voted in favor of the decision. Finally, the Chamber of Deputies decided to increase the value of a meal ticket for employees from 20 to 30 lei, so as to compensate, at least partially, for the price hikes. The Chamber also agreed that childrens camps in the country may be paid for with the parents holiday vouchers. (LS)

  • Social measures in Romania

    Social measures in Romania

    Although there is a tendency to blame the economic and social situation in Romania exclusively on the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, the causes of the current problems that Romanians have to face are more numerous and go back to the distant past! Lets only remind of the two years of pandemic in which the economy stagnated more than it worked, other obstacles being the extension of the states of emergency or alert once every three months. And of the liberalization of the energy market, considered a hasty decision by some analysts, which had serious negative repercussions, especially on the most disadvantaged citizens. Inflation is breaking new records, and shops and agri-food markets have become, for some people, places for contemplating labels.



    Considered one of the silent social strata of Romania, given their impossibility to intervene in any way to correct their material situation after a whole working life, pensioners from the public pension system have nothing to do but accept what the State offers them monthly, which, in many cases, is below the minimum necessary for a decent living. “Pensioners live on their pensions and it seems reasonable that the level of this pension should be adapted to the situation” said recently Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, who added that it’s totally unfair to make only the pensioners pay the price of some crises.



    However, the Romanian Government decided to grant pensioners with cumulated monthly incomes of less than 2,000 lei (about 400 euros) a single aid worth 700 lei (about 140 Euros). This aid will benefit only pensioners residing in the country, not those with a regular residence abroad, the Labor Ministry officials stated. On the other hand, the Senate, as the first notified chamber, adopted a governments emergency ordinance granting meal vouchers to all Romanians with low incomes: namely about 3 million citizens. The vouchers, worth about 50 Euros, will be used only for the purchase of basic food products. The postal distribution of the cards through which the financial aid will be granted will start next week, then the people will receive the promised money on the cards every two months.



    If the senators of the ruling coalition welcomed the decision, those in opposition considered the amount as derisory, saying that, through this measure, the executive only gives back to the Romanians too small a part of the money it takes through taxes, prices for utilities, food and fuels. Nevertheless, all the MPs voted in favor of the decision. Finally, the Chamber of Deputies decided to increase the value of a meal ticket for employees from 20 to 30 lei, so as to compensate, at least partially, for the price hikes. The Chamber also agreed that childrens camps in the country may be paid for with the parents holiday vouchers. (LS)

  • June 7, 2022

    June 7, 2022

    PNRR – By the end of the year Romania is to receive 10 billion Euros through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Romanian minister of European investments and projects, Marcel Boloş announced after the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The first request for payment was submitted to the European Commission on May 31, and the Romanian authorities are preparing to submit the second request for payment worth three billion Euros in the month of October, the minister said. “The capitalization of the 30 billion Euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan is a coordinated and coherent effort, with well-established landmarks, deadlines and responsibilities for each field. We have proved that we have managed to make this European financing mechanism operational in a short and not at all simple period for Romania and to send the first payment request. The pre-financing received, amounting to 3.7 billion Euros, added to the first payment request already sent to the European Commission, clearly shows that we are on schedule to achieve what we have set out to do” said the PM Nicolae Ciuca.



    NATO — The Romanian Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, participated, on Monday evening, in the videoconference meeting of the defense ministers from the member states of the “Bucharest Nine — B9” Format, co-organized by Romania and Poland. The talks focused mainly on efforts to strengthen NATOs deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank, on the adoption of the Alliances new strategic concept, and the evolution of the regional security situation. The meeting was an opportunity to harmonize the stands of B9 defense ministers on issues of common interest, in the run up to the June 16 NATO meeting in Brussels and also to the Alliance summit in Madrid to be held later this month. The Romanian Defense Minister has underlined the relevance of the future B9 Summit, which will be hosted by Romania on June 10, for the coagulation of the positions of the B9 member states, ahead of the future NATO Summit.



    Moldova — Romania and the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet country with a majority Romanian-speaking population) will organize a joint session of their parliaments for the first time, the Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu said after a meeting in Chisinau with Marcel Ciolacu, the Speaker of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies. Igor Grosu said he was pleased that the first joint meeting of the two countries parliaments would take place in Chisinau, which is a clear sign of support for the current government. Marcel Ciolacu has stated that Romania has always supported the Republic of Moldova and reiterated Bucharests commitment to supporting its integration into the European Union.



    London — The British PM Boris Johnson survived the no confidence motion tabled by his own party, the Conservative Party in the British Parliament. Boris Johnsons victory was not a resounding one, with 211 MPs voting for him and 148 against. Reuters notes that Johnson performed worse than his predecessor, Theresa May, who, in turn, survived a no-confidence vote. Even though Boris Johnson has won for the time being, his position is now much more fragile, according to numerous commentators. The current crisis at the top of the British government erupted when the public found out that a number of illegal parties had been organized during the pandemic at the prime ministers residence. In fact, Boris Johnson was fined for these parties, becoming the first head of government in London sanctioned in this way.



    Ukraine – The Russian troops continue to intensely attack the Donbas front line, while Russia is becoming increasingly concerned about the prospect of Ukraines receiving long-range missiles from the West. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that the Western weapons promised to his country should be delivered as soon as possible, saying that the situation will become very difficult for Ukraine if the Russian forces break the front line in the Donbas region. Zelenski says that the Russian troops outnumber the Ukrainian troops, but that the Ukrainian fighters have so far managed to reject their attacks. Heavy fighting is taking place on the streets of Severodonetsk, the last major city in Lugansk province where the Ukrainians still have control. The Russian forces are also intensely attacking the city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk province, and Kharkov in the north. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Ukraine reports that the Russian army uses its favorite tactic which it has previously used both in Ukraine and in other wars it has waged: intense bombing aimed at destroying the opponents positions followed by massive assaults. Both the Russians and the Ukrainians claim to have caused huge losses to their opponents. (LS)

  • June 6, 2022 UPDATE

    June 6, 2022 UPDATE

    Visit — The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday had meetings in Chisinau with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (mostly Romanian-speaking), Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavriliţa, respectively. ‘I reiterated to President Maia Sandu Romanias commitment to support the Republic of Moldova EU’s integration process and the rapid acquisition of the status of candidate country. Romania is supporting the Republic of Moldova more than ever before, in the current tense security context’, Ciolacu wrote on Twitter. Marcel Ciolacu also stated that Romania ‘strongly’ supports the extension of the European Unions financial assistance for Chisinau. Earlier, the Romanian official met with Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, who said that bilateral relations are excellent, with Romania being Moldova’s best economic partner and closest friend in terms of support for EU membership. The two officials also said that they started taking the steps for the streamlining of the goods traffic at the common border, where thousands of trucks are waiting to transit. Grosu announced that a joint meeting of the two parliaments would take place in Chisinau.



    Weather – In Romania, the weather on Tuesday will be generally beautiful and warmer than normal. The highs of the day range from 21 to 31 degrees Celsius. In Bucharest, the noon temperature is expected to reach 28 degrees C. Last night, the capital and several counties, mostly in the south of the country, were under a code orange alert for unstable weather. Several trees were felled down by the strong storm, and several houses in Constanta County were flooded. In three counties, also in the south of the territory, a code red alert for bad weather was in place, and a code yellow alert for the rest of the country.



    Football – Romania’s national football team will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina, away from home, on Tuesday in their Nations League second match. In their first away game on Saturday night the Romanians conceded a 2-0 defeat to Montenegro, which will be up against Finland on Tuesday. Romania ranks last in its group with no points.



    Ship – Mircea training ship left, on Monday, from the military port of Constanţa, the most important Romanian port on the Black Sea Coast, in the second international training voyage of this year. The mission is dedicated to the anniversary, this year, of 150 years of Romanian naval education. On board the ship are Romanian students from the “Mircea cel Batrân” Naval Academy and foreign students from the naval academies in Great Britain, Poland, Bulgaria and the United States. The voyage will take almost two months, during which time the ship will dock in five Mediterranean ports – Augusta, Genoa, Valencia, Valletta and Alexandria.



    Refugees – According to the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate roughly 7,000 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Sunday, 17% less than the previous day. Since the beginning of the conflict in the neighboring country, over 1.1 million Ukrainian nationals have crossed the border into Romania. Out of these, 90 thousand decided to remain but only 2,000 have got jobs in this country. The Romanian government wants to offer support to these refugees to help them get integrated, learn the language, get a job and access to education for their children. A national plan for the social inclusion of these refugees could be approved this week.



    Lavrov– The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has canceled a two-day visit to Serbia after three countries bordering it, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, decided to close their airspace, the agency said. Interfax news agency, quoted by DPA reports. Lavrov is on the Western sanctions list in the context of Russias war agaist Ukraine, and the European Union has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft following the invasion. Serbia, which has expressed its wish to join the Union, is the only European state that has not adopted the sanctions and is one of Russias closest allies on the Old Continent. In Bucharest, the government spokesman, Dan Cărbunaru, specified that, until Monday at 3:40 p.m., the Romanian authorities had not received any request from Russia for the crossing of the airspace by Sergei Lavrovs aircraft. (LS)

  • June 5, 2022 UPDATE

    June 5, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — The Russian army attacked Kyiv on Sunday morning with rockets fired from strategic bombers flying over the Caspian Sea, the Ukrainian air forces announced. According to an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the target of the attack was the railway infrastructure of the capital. Moscow, on the other hand, claims to have destroyed tanks and other armored vehicles sent to Ukraine by European states. At least one of the missiles allegedly flew a dangerously short distance over a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, the state company operating the unit said. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, especially until the Russians were forced to withdraw from the area. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the town of Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region, one of the main targets of the Russians at the moment. The Ukrainians announced that they had recaptured part of the town, and the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the success of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that its military will strike even harder if Ukraine is provided with longer-range missiles. The Russian leaders statement comes after the United States and the United Kingdom announced that they would deliver high-performance missile systems to Kyiv. Spain has also announced that it will increase military support for Ukraine and provide it with Leopard tanks and anti-aircraft missiles.




    Environment — World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions took place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society were involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.



    Baccalaureate – More than 126,000 Romanian high school graduates have registered to take the Baccalaureate exam in the session that begins on Monday. There are over 111,000 young people enrolled in this years edition and more than 15,000 from the previous ones, who can only take certain tests. Three days are scheduled for the assessment of oral communication skills in the Romanian language, then the graduates belonging to national minorities will have the test of communication in their mother tongue. Digital skills will be assessed between June 8 and June 10, and the oral assessment of a foreign language will take place between June 14 and June 16. The written tests will be held in three consecutive days, starting with June 20 with the Romanian language test, and the first results will be announced on June 27, when graduates will be able to contest the results.




    Pentecost — Tens of thousands of Catholic believers from Romania and aboard participated, on the Catholic Pentecost days, in the pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania which is considered the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. Some pilgrims covered impressive distances, on foot or on horse back, to go and pray at the open air altar located between the mountains. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary. The Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God. (LS)

  • June 5, 2022

    June 5, 2022

    Pentecost — Sunday is the second day of the Catholic Pentecost pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania. It is the first time in the last two years that this event, considered to be the largest of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, has taken place without the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. On Saturday, a large number of Catholic believers prayed for peace and wellbeing. This years motto of the pilgrimage is Peace and well-being, which is also the motto of the Franciscan Order. The pilgrimage from Şumuleu Ciuc has a history of over 450 years, being based on the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary, located in the Franciscan church. In 1567, the prince of Transylvania, Ioan Sigismund, tried to impose the Unitarian religion on the Roman Catholic believers in the Szekler regions of Ciuc, Gheorgheni and Caşin and people say that only with the help of the miracle-working statue did they manage to oppose and keep their ancestral faith. The Marian shrine from Şumuleu Ciuc was visited, on June 1, 2019, by Pope Francis, on this occasion the miracle-working statue of the Virgin Mary being removed from the church, for the first time after the Second World War. The Sovereign Pontiff then held a service dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered a golden rose to the Marian shrine, as he always does when he goes to the places of pilgrimage dedicated to the Mother of God.



    Environment — World Environment Day is marked on Sunday. The day is celebrated every year on June 5. This year, the theme chosen by the United Nations is “We only have one Earth” and emphasizes the need to bring people and nature back to the balance lost in recent decades. In Romania, several actions are taking place to draw attention to the urgent problems of the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity, pollution and waste. Pupils, students, teachers, along with professionals in the field of environmental protection and representatives of civil society are involved in these campaigns. This year marks 50 years since the UN General Assembly established Environment Day to make people more aware and responsible for the environment and its condition.



    Bookfest — The Bookfest International Book Fair organized in Bucharest, the largest event of its kind in Romania, closes its doors on Sunday. The guest of honor at the 15th edition of the fair was Japan. During the five days of the book fair, over 500 events were scheduled, 50 of which were dedicated to children and adolescents. A series of debates on the Russian-Ukrainian war, education and childrens health were also scheduled for this year.



    Ukraine –Explosions were heard this morning in Kyiv, but no data are yet available. The capital of Ukraine has been the target of numerous Russian bombings since the outbreak of the war, but has recently been spared any attacks. The most intense fighting is taking place in the east of the country and, especially, in the city of Severodonetsk, where the Ukrainian forces have managed to regain some of the lost ground. A few days ago, the Russians were already in control of 70% of the city, and there were discussions about a withdrawal of the Ukrainian forces, but in the meantime they have launched a counter-offensive. The Severodonetsk counter-offensive is not the first success of the Ukrainian forces, which in the past managed to force the Russians to withdraw from the area of ​​Kyiv and Kharkiv, the second most important Ukrainian city. The Ukrainian defense minister was optimistic about the outcome of the war and said he hoped the war would end this year. On the other hand, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba criticized the French President Emmanuel Macron for saying that a solution must be found so that Russia should not be humiliated in this war.



    Football – The Romanian national football team had a bad start in the new edition of the League of Nations, being defeated by the national team of Montenegro with the score of 2-0, on Saturday evening, on Gradski Stadium in Podgorica, in Group 3 of League B. In the other match of the group, Finland drew 1 all in Helsinki with Bosnia. Romania will play the next match on June 7, in Zenica, with Bosnia-Herzegovina, also in the League of Nations. (LS)


  • June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    June 3, 2022 UPDATE

    Ukraine — On Friday it’s 100 days since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, during which time the Russian military failed to achieve any of its initial campaign goals, according to the British Military Intelligence Service. The Russians were unable to capture the capital, Kyiv, or the Ukrainian power centers. After losing the battle for Kyiv, Moscow decided to focus its efforts on Donbas, an area made up of ​​two regions of Ukraine where the Russian army has been pressing for weeks. The Russians have resorted to heavy artillery fire there, including on the localities, and have made some tactical progress, the British experts show. The Russian army has advanced not only into eastern Ukraine but also into the southern region. All in all, the attackers managed to occupy about 20% of Ukraines territory, according to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. He added that the entire Russian-occupied territory was a disaster area and that Moscow was solely responsible for it. The Russians have destroyed cities, bombed homes and civilian targets, and have been charged with numerous war crimes. They have also been subjected to a number of international economic and political sanctions. Ukraine hopes to turn the tide of battle, with the arrival of heavy weapons promised by the West, especially high-performance missile systems.



    Drill – Romanian soldiers and allies from five European countries and the United States are participating in a multinational exercise at the NATO Smârdan Center in eastern Romania. Both ground and air combat equipment is used. The exercise, which has been taking place since May 24, is attended by over 1,000 Romanian soldiers along with comrades-in-arms from France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal and the United States. The training aims to increase interoperability through computer-assisted command exercises, field troop training and tactical training with real combat ammunition. Through such training events, the Command of the Southeast Multinational Brigade is being trained to be able to command forces deployed in the NATO Southeast region, in order to ensure the contribution of this structure to the collective defense of the Alliance, the Romanian Defense Ministry says.



    Film – The 3rd edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Washington, the largest event promoting Romanian cinema in the USA, begins on June 3rd at Miracle Theatre. Organised by the Embassy of Romania to Washington and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, the festival is devoted to the 25 years since the signing of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA. Screened as part of the event, under the heading “Reinventing realism: the Romanian New Wave,” are 12 feature films: “Blue Moon”, “Berliner”, “The Windseeker”, “Poppy Field”, “Mikado”, “Unidentified”, “#dogpoopgirl”, “Luca”, “Man and Dog”, “Lebensdorf”, “Otto the Barbarian”, and “Miracle”. The festival will come to an end on June 19.



    School — For the Romanian 8th graders, Friday was the last day of school, and also the last day of enrollment for the National Assessment Exam, the high school final exam that is the basis for high school admission. The tests are scheduled for the middle of this month. However, the high school graduates will be the first ones to take the Baccalaureate exam, which starts on Monday with the oral examination in the Romanian language subject. The school year ends on June 10, and the next one, with a radically modified structure, will begin on September 5.



    Prize — On Saturday, the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will be awarded the European Charlemagne Prize of the Sudeten German Homeland Association for 2020. The ceremony will take place in Hof, Germany. The association decided to award him the distinction in recognition of his merits in terms of the understanding and cooperation between the peoples and countries of Central Europe. In the context of the pandemic, the ceremony could not be held, being rescheduled for June 4 this year, when the Day of Sudeten Germans is also celebrated. (LS)

  • June 1, 2022 UPDATE

    June 1, 2022 UPDATE

    June 1 — On the International Childrens Day, marked on June 1 special activities such as concerts and flash mobs, treasure hunting parties, sports and creative activities and theater performances were organized throughout Romania. In Bucharest, the Parliament Palace opened its doors, and children and their companions could visit the plenum halls of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and could also participate in outdoor activities in the gardens of the largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Superheroes and princesses, a flight simulator, a magic show or a military marching band made the day for children. Also in Bucharest, over 500 children celebrated the International Children’s Day by participating in various events held by the Ministry of Sports on the Arch of Triumph Stadium. Entitled “Childrens Sports Day”, the multi-sports event was organized in the form of demonstration workshops, with trainings given by certified athletes, under the guidance of specialized coaches. The children were able to learn the basics of several sports events such as basketball, archery, rugby, football, tennis, fencing, football-tennis, table tennis, wrestling, martial arts, judo, kempo, boxing, historical archery and teqball. In Oradea (west), the State Philharmonic presented a special concert with cartoon music, and in Constanţa (southeast) puppet shows, magic and face painting events were organized.



    Vouchers — The electronic vouchers offered through the government program Support for Romania started being issued and will soon reach their beneficiaries, the Romanian Labor Minister Marius Budai announced. The vouchers have a face value of 250 lei (about 50 Euros), are intended for people in situations of material deprivation or risk of poverty and are part of the most important initiative of this kind carried out, so far, from the perspective of the number of beneficiaries. According to the aforementioned source, over 2.5 million Romanians will receive vouchers for the purchase of food products: pensioners from the public pension system, people with a very severe, severe or moderate disability, families with at least 2 dependent children or single parent families. A first for this social assistance program is the wide range of funding sources, both from the state budget and from European non-reimbursable funds.



    Embargo — The US has hailed the embargo on Russian oil imports decided earlier this week by the European Union, aimed at cutting off funding for Russias war against Ukraine, France Presse reports. The U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price also hailed the European efforts meant to diversify energy supply and develop renewable sources to reduce long-term dependence on Moscow, and pointed out that Washington had already announced a ban on all Russian oil imports. On the other hand, Russia warned that the European sanctions on Russian oil imports would affect the global energy market and underscored that Moscow would redirect exports to limit the damage, Reuters reports. During Monday’s meeting, the European leaders reached an agreement under which Russian oil imports will be reduced by about 90% by the end of the year and also agreed on several other sanctions, including the removal of Russias largest bank, Sberbank, from the SWIFT system. More than a quarter of the oil used by Europe came from Russia last year, with nearly half of Russias oil and oil products exports reaching the EU, according to data provided by the International Energy Agency. Moscow has already begun redirecting deliveries originally intended for Europe, following the sanctions, the Kremlin officials said. India and China are among the countries that have massively bought Russian crude oil, benefiting from a lower price.



    Film – The third edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Washington, the largest national cinema promotion event held in North America, will begin on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Miracle Theater, one of the historic cinema halls in the American capital. This year, the festival is dedicated to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, an important landmark of the relations between the two countries, shows a communiqué of the Romanian Embassy in the US. The festival will run until June 19, under the already established motto: Reinventing Realism – New Cinema from Romania. The American public is expected during the first three weekends of June to watch some of the most valuable recent Romanian films and to meet with the most popular actors and directors of the moment.



    Handball — The Brazilian Raul Nantes Campos and the Spanish Alex Pascual, both handball players at CS Dinamo Bucharest, are nominated in the ideal team of the 2021-2022 season of the EHF Champions League – the most important club handball competition for men’s teams in Europe. The South American was nominated for the left-back position, and the Spanish handballer was nominated for the title of best young player. The vote is open until June 15 on the dedicated EHF application, and the ideal team will be announced on June 17, during the Champions League Final 4 tournament in Cologne, and will be established based on the vote of the fans, and also of a committee of EHF experts. (LS)

  • June 1, 2022

    June 1, 2022

    June 1 — On the International Childrens Day, marked on June 1 special activities are organized throughout Romania. Children are expected at concerts and flash mobs, treasure hunting parties, sports and creative activities and theater performances. In Bucharest, the Palace of Parliament opens its doors, and children and their companions will be able to visit the plenum halls of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and can also participate in outdoor activities in the gardens of the largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. Superheroes and princesses, a flight simulator, a magic show or a military marching band will make the day for children. In Oradea (west), the State Philharmonic presents a special concert with cartoon music, and in Constanţa (southeast) there will be puppet shows, magic and face painting.



    Vouchers — Wednesday sees the start, in Romania, of the process of issuing, distributing and uploading the social vouchers offered through the government program Support for Romania– the Romanian Ministry of Investments and European Projects announced. The vouchers have a face value of 250 lei (about 50 Euros), are intended for people in situations of material deprivation or risk of poverty and are part of the most important initiative of this kind carried out, so far, from the perspective of the number of beneficiaries. According to the aforementioned source, over 2.5 million Romanians will receive vouchers for the purchase of food products: pensioners from the public pension system, people with a very severe, severe or moderate disability, families with at least 2 dependent children or single parents. A first for this social assistance program is the wide range of funding sources, both from the state budget and from European non-reimbursable funds.



    Embargo — The US has welcomed the embargo on Russian oil imports decided earlier this week by the European Union, which thus cuts off funding for Russias war against Ukraine, France Presse reports. The European leaders have reached an agreement under which Russian oil imports will be reduced by about 90% by the end of the year. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US, which is less dependent than Europeans on Moscows energy, has already announced a ban on all Russian oil imports. He also hailed the European efforts meant to diversify energy supply and develop renewable sources to reduce long-term dependence on Moscow.



    Unemployment — The unemployment rate in the European Union stood at 6.2% in April, a stable figure as compared to the previous month and down from 7.5% in the same period in 2021 – show data released today by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). With an unemployment rate of 5.5% in April, Romania ranks among the EU member states with a low level of unemployment. The lowest rates were reported in the Czech Republic (2.4%), Germany and Poland (both with 3%) and Malta (3.1%). On the other hand, the highest unemployment rates were recorded in April in Spain (13.3%) and Greece (12.7%).



    PPE — The Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, as presdient of the National Liberal Party, has had several bilateral meetings with European officials on the sidelines of the European Peoples Party (EPP) Congress in Rotterdam: with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and with the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, as well as with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. At the same time, Nicolae Ciucă met with the new president of the European Peoples Party, Manfred Weber. During his meeting with Ursula Von der Leyen, the Liberal leader expressed appreciation for the European institutions constant and sustained effort to ensure coordination and unity at EU level. At the same time, the Romanian PM also expressed his support for the rapid implementation of the sixth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation and strongly condemned the war of aggression launched by Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. The future of the EPP, the current EU agenda and the enlargement of the Schengen area were the topics discussed in the meeting with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Prime Minister Ciucă also reiterated on this occasion that Romanias accession to the Schengen area is a priority for the Romanian authorities. (LS)

  • May 24, 2022 UPDATE

    May 24, 2022 UPDATE

    Schengen — The European Commission on Tuesday reiterated its recommendation that three member states, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, should be admitted to the Schengen area after they have complied with the accession criteria, shows the State of Schengen Report 2022, published on the website of the EC. The same is true for Cyprus once that country successfully completes the Schengen evaluation process. It is the first time that the European Commission has presented such a report, following the Schengen Area Strategy adopted last year. The report sets out a list of priority actions for the period 2022-2023 to be addressed at both national and European levels.



    Refugees – The number of Ukrainian nationals entering Romania on Monday was 2.4% smaller than on the previous day, reaching 7,709, the Romanian border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, more than one million refugees crossed the border into Romania. Meanwhile, new checkpoints will be opened on Romania’s border with Ukraine, leaving the Siret checkpoint, in the north-east, where trucks are currently waiting up to 14 hours to leave the country, will give priority to humanitarian assistance shipments. In a first stage, a checkpoint will be opened at Vicovu de Sus (north) for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, and another one at Racovăţ (north-east) for vehicles of up to 7 tonnes. Later on, a new checkpoint will also be operational in Ulma (north-east).



    Chisinau — The former President of Moldova between 2016-2020 Igor Dodon was detained for 72 hours on Tuesday after prosecutors ordered searches of his residences. In the criminal case opened against him, the former leader of the Socialist Party is suspected of passive corruption, acceptance of his political party being financed by a criminal organization, treason and illicit enrichment. The interim chief prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office, Elena Cazacov, said that law enforcement officers searched 10 buildings and 3 cars, where they found significant amounts of money, contracts and receipts, as well as several luxury goods that were confiscated for checks. The Moldovan authorities on Friday reopened the criminal case of corruption against the pro-Russian politician.




    Reserves — Romania has no problems with the stocks of products from the state reserve, says the president of the National Administration of State Reserves and Special Issues, Georgian Pop. He said, however, that strategic reserves would be increased in the context of the war in Ukraine and of a possible food crisis. In exceptional cases, the Romanian state keeps food, fuel, antibiotics and other products in its warehouses or private ones. Recently goods have been taken out from the national reserve to help the Ukrainian refugees. The stocks are substantial but from the lessons we have learned from the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we have greatly diversified the products in stock, the Romanian official said.



    Ports — The Romanian authorities have not yet found solutions for the ships waiting in the Black Sea, even for two weeks, to enter the Sulina canal (southeast) and thus reach the Danube ports to load or unload products. Since the beginning of the month, dozens of ships have been in this situation, and the crews of some of them have been left without supplies. The Lower Danube River Administration in Galati, an institution that ensures navigability on the Sulina Canal, says the situation is caused by the inability of the Danube ports, especially of the Ukrainian ones, to rapidly operate the ships docking there. In this context, the navigation of ships heading for destinations other than the Ukrainian ports is also made difficult.(LS)

  • May 23, 2022

    May 23, 2022

    Fiscal code – The Romanian Finance Ministry is analyzing a possible amendment to the Fiscal Code this week, after the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Social Democratic Party – PSD agreed that the collection of funds to the state budget should be improved. The Social Democrats are talking about the opportunity to return to progressive taxation, and the Liberals are defending the flat tax, which they say they are not willing to give up. Both parties give assurances that there will be no new taxes and duties for Romanians.



    Ukraine – The number of people forced to flee the conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecutions has exceeded 100 million for the first time, as a result of the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts, shows a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The figure of 100 million people is staggering, worrying and should have never been reached, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. By the end of 2021, the number of people displaced worldwide had reached 90 million due to new waves of violence or protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On February 24, the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of neighboring Ukraine, throwing further millions of people into the streets to flee fighting and reach less exposed regions or other countries. Europe has not seen such a rapid inflow of refugees since the end of World War II, UNHCR points out. Nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians have left the country, mostly women and children, and the UN estimates that their number could exceed 8 million by the end of the year.



    Refugees — The number of Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania on Sunday decreased by 17.4% as compared to the previous day, according to a communiqué of the Border Police General Inspectorate, issued on Monday. Since the onset of the crisis until Sunday, more than a million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. The Interior Ministry also states that the occupancy rate in the accommodation centers of the General Inspectorate for Immigration is almost 47%. Since March 18, the same Inspectorate has issued 27,353 residence permits for beneficiaries of temporary protection. Equally, since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, 4,349 Ukrainian citizens have applied for asylum in Romania, enjoying all the rights provided by national law.



    Cannes — The Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, competing at the Cannes Film Festival, hopes that his film R.M.N., in which a village in Transylvania is like an explosive laboratory of populism, will open the eyes of Europeans to this evil has been gnawing at them, AFP reports. Mungiu is in the race for the second Palme dOr Prize, 15 years after his film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days. The film title, R.M.N., refers to the medical term MRI – magnetic resonance imaging: Mungiu scans the underbelly of populism, an evil that has metastasized in a still traditional village, on the borders of Europe, AFP reports. I hope that the spectators do not easily shy away from their responsibilities, do not think that this is happening in a remote, wild land. Im afraid thats not the case, said director Mungiu. The film takes place a few days before Christmas, in a village in Transylvania, where the Roma population disappeared, driven away by the inhabitants and the force of prejudice, and where the new cursed people of the Earth appeared, Sri Lankan workers who were brought to work at the local bakery after the Romanians went to work in the west.



    Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse was defeated on Sunday evening by the Belgian Elise Mertens, seed no. 31, in the first round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Also on Sunday, Sorana Cîrstea qualified to the second round, after defeating the German Tatjana Maria. Today, Irina Begu and Ana Bogdan will play at the French Open, and tomorrow three other Romanians Simona Halep, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu will play in the inaugural round. Halep, seed no. 19, is a Roland Garros champion in 2018 and a finalist in 2014 and 2017. (LS)