Radio România Internațional

Tag: social

  • Romania of the barefoot children

    Romania of the barefoot children

    Recent data provided by
    Eurostat for 2023 have revealed that of the entire European Union, Romania is
    the country were the poverty or social exclusion rate for children saw a 0.4% growth,
    over 2020 and 2021. Actually, the aforementioned rate stands at 41.4%. Romania
    is followed by Spain, a country that has a 33.4% poverty or social exclusion
    rate. Finland and Denmark stand at the upper end of the scale, with a poverty or
    social exclusion rate of 13% and a 14%, respectively, among their children.


    If
    we have a closer look at Romania, the rural regions fare a great deal worse
    than the urban areas. In 2021, in the major cities we had a poverty or social exclusion
    rate of 16.1%. Poverty or social exclusion rate in the smaller cities and the
    suburbs stood at 30.7%, while the aforementioned rate in the rural region
    accounted for 50.1%. The economic crisis of the last two years took its
    toll on the little ones, so much so that their families were unable to buy their
    children clothing or footwear, since the household incomes plummeted.


    Of
    the entire Europe, our children have been hardest-hit by the daily inflation
    rate. Against this backdrop, the non-governmental organizations play a critical
    role. To that end, we sat down and spoke to Gabriela Alexandrescu, the
    executive president of Save the Children, the organization that for almost 30 years
    not has been totally working for our most underprivileged children. We asked
    her what the weakest point was, of our underprivileged children.


    First of all, we need to say that, unfortunately, Romanian children are
    exposed to poverty and social exclusion risks. Of all European Union countries,
    we have a 2 to 5 ratio of children in such a condition (that is 41.5%) as
    compared to the EU level, where 1 in 4 children experiences the poverty limit (almost
    25%). The survey we have carried among the vulnerable families we have been working
    with has revealed that this cost-of-living crisis hit them the hardest. The
    over whelming majority (that is almost 95% of the families) face problems in
    their attempt to cover their basic needs, such a medical treatment, food,
    clothes for children. To be more specific, I should say that, in the course of last
    year, 71% of the vulnerable families gave up on their clothes and footwear
    expenses, while 24 % of them have cut down on their food expenses, which is extremely
    serious because, unfortunately, the poverty we have been speaking about, the
    poverty affecting children also leads up to their inability to continue to be
    registered in the educational system. A child living below the poverty threshold
    is a malnourished child, with a frail health and standing meagre chances to
    overcome the vulnerabilities of his environment. Poverty kills education. This
    is the very label of a campaign Save the Children has been carrying, Poverty
    Kills Education. And it is our responsibility to mitigate the effect poverty
    has on children, as much as we can.


    There is yet another
    weak point we need to take into account, that of the children whose parents
    work abroad. Whether we speak about both parents or about only one, or the
    single parent who, being desperate, leave their children in the care of the grandparents
    and go to work abroad, the situation does not look good at all. Save the Children has
    been working with tens of thousands of children in this condition. We’re speaking
    about a quiet social catastrophe, with long-term repercussions.

    Save
    the Children’s Gabriela Alexandrescu:


    As we all know, over 5 million Romanians went to work
    abroad, longer term or for a limited period of time. I must say that over
    half a million children had, in the last year, at least one parent who went to
    work abroad, and almost a million children in Romania are, or were, affected by
    the departure of one or both parents. It is quite a serious situation for the
    children left at home, because for them, the departure of a parent is felt as
    trauma, most of the time, the biggest one so far. Based on the background of
    emotional vulnerability incurred, they are more prone to the risk of dropping
    out of school and the emergence of emotional and behavioral disorders. We see
    this in our daily work from 2009 until now, and it is important to address all
    these aspects, because the psychological balance of the child is significantly
    affected. We see many children with anxiety, depression, feelings of
    loneliness, abandonment, which are reflected in sleep disorders, eating
    disorders, excessive weight gain, significant behavioral imbalances. It is
    important to be careful, to work with these children in particular. I am
    referring especially to those children who have both parents gone, or the
    single parent gone, because there is also a significantly higher risk of
    falling behind in school, of being involved in school violence, truancy,
    dropping out of school. It is, as I said, a trauma that children express and
    feel in different ways, and we must be there, next to them, and support them
    materially, educationally, but especially emotionally, to get through a
    difficult period from their lives.


    Moreover, Save the Children
    has intensified programs for the recovery of children from vulnerable
    environments.

    Gabriela Alexandrescu:


    In the
    year 2023, it was important for Save the Children to intensify the
    school dropout prevention, school reintegration and socio-pedagogical support
    programs for children who are victims of poverty. We have worked with more than
    42,000 children, we have provided direct services for 12,000 children
    (kindergarten and summer school programs, school after school, second chance)
    and educational and social support to continue their studies. We have worked
    with another 10,000 children, who benefited from improved educational services
    as a result of teacher training, we intensified training programs for
    specialists (almost 250 teachers were co-opted in such programs). We also
    ensured decent, much better learning conditions in 40 units schools through
    renovations, equipment, provision of supplies, books for school libraries, as a
    result of which almost 20,000 children have benefited from this. And
    previously, ‘Save the Children’ had an extremely extensive involvement in
    ensuring the prevention of school dropout and the improvement of school results
    for many children. Before 2023, we worked with almost 150,000 children to help
    them go to school, to provide them with additional education, material support,
    support for their families, to improve their home conditions, to provide
    children with an environment conducive to learning. We invested a lot in the
    educational recovery of children who did not go to school, or dropped out of
    school, and then helped them start the educational process again. We had a lot
    of school after school groups, in over 20 counties and Bucharest. We are very
    much involved in this direction, because it is clear that, without education,
    the present and the future of a child are uncertain.

  • Comment communiquer avec empathie

    Comment communiquer avec empathie

    Nous nous plaignons souvent que les autres ne nous écoutent pas, ne nous entendent ou ne nous comprennent pas. Il arrive aussi parfois que nous ayons l’impression que les autres ne font pas ce que nous leur demandons. Dans ces moments souvent tendus, qui arrive à prendre conscience que les autres ont des besoins différents voire même des manières différentes de communiquer ? C’est ce que tentent d’expliquer nos invités d’aujourd’hui à tous ceux qui franchissent le seuil de leurs ateliers de communication.

    Octavia Udrescu et Decebal Popescu sont formateurs en communication non-violente depuis novembre 2020, lorsqu’ils ont commencé à organiser des ateliers dans l’espoir de créer une communauté au sein de laquelle les gens puissent mettre en place une communication véritable. Nous avons demandé à Decebal Popescu pourquoi il organise ces Ateliers de Communication Non-Violente (Ateliers CNV) : « J’ai eu plusieurs motivations. Parmi elles – ma conviction que nous, les êtres humains, nous avons la chance de vivre une vie plus heureuse et accomplie. Ce n’est la faute de personne, mais nous avons été habitués à des discours comme : « moi, j’ai raison et toi, tu as tort », ou bien « ça, c’est bien, alors que ça, c’est mal ». Eh bien, ce que nous avons voulu mettre en avant avec ces Ateliers de CNV c’est qu’il est possible d’avoir une vision différente des choses. Et avec un peu de bienveillance on peut trouver une solution pour répondre à nos besoins de développement personnels, tout en tenant compte des besoins de l’autre. Et pour moi, c’est vraiment formidable ! »

    De son côté, Octavia Udrescu a détaillé pour nous la réaction des participants lorsqu’ils comprennent que chacun a ses propres stratégies pour répondre à ses besoins : « Les participants revenaient et nous racontaient : « J’ai commencé à écouter ! Avant, je ne pouvais pas écouter les autres, je trouvais ce qu’ils me disaient bête, mais désormais je me tais et j’écoute. Et cela me permet d’apprendre des choses intéressantes. On part souvent de l’idée que l’on est plus intelligent que l’autre, mais si on lui donne la chance de s’exprimer, de nous montrer son monde, on sera surpris. Peut-être découvrira-t-on que leurs idées sont tout aussi intéressantes, que nous avons les mêmes désirs et intentions, même si les modalités pour les accomplir sont différentes. C’est vraiment fascinant ! La nature humaine me fascine et la communication consciente m’aide à mieux me comprendre moi-même. Qu’est-ce que je veux, en fait ? Et puis, je regarde mes enfants et j’essaye de me souvenir de mes propres réactions à l’adolescence. Quelles réactions ? Quel comportement ? Est-ce que je criais sur ma mère ? Est-ce que je claquais les portes ? Bien sûr. Mais alors pourquoi est-ce que je faisais tout cela ? »

    Se demander « pourquoi », cela ouvre beaucoup de portes à la compréhension de soi et de l’autre, nous dit Octavia. Toutes les techniques de communication non-violente, elle les a appliquées d’abord en famille, avec ses filles. Quel résultat ? Octavia répond : « Désormais, j’ai une meilleure relation avec ma famille et moi-même. Par exemple, j’accepte mieux les refus. Ma fille est déjà adulte, elle a 20 ans. Désormais, si j’ai besoin d’aide, je négocie avec elle. Quand je lui dis « j’aurais besoin de ça ou ça » elle, qui connaît aussi les principes de la communication non-violente me dit parfois que je suis « passive-agressive » et que je la tiens coupable de certaines choses. Alors, maintenant je lui réponds : « Désolée, c’est ma faute.. Comment pourrais-je améliorer cela ? » Et elle me répond : « J’aimerais que tu me dises d’avance quand tu as besoin de mon aide et que tu ne me forces plus à faire quelque chose au pied levé ». Et moi, je poursuis : « Alors, aujourd’hui, je vais laver le linge et d’ici une heure j’aurai besoin que tu le mettes à sécher ». Et ça fonctionne ! J’en suis époustouflée ! Avant, lorsque je lui mettais la pression, cela ne fonctionnait pas. Maintenant j’ai cette ouverture d’esprit d’accepter un refus et je sais lui demander son opinion. Et ça marche. Puisqu’en fait, l’homme ressent le besoin de contribuer, mais il a aussi besoin d’avoir la liberté de choisir comment et quand apporter cette contribution. »

    En fait c’est par l’auto-empathie que nous arriverons à accepter plus facilement les choses, explique Octavia, qui nous fait encore part de son expérience personnelle : « Cela signifie que je suis capable de comprendre qu’un refus est un moment difficile pour moi et d’essayer de faire quelque chose pour me sentir mieux. Me sentir mieux physiquement, puisqu’un refus de la part de ma famille me fait si mal au cœur, au point de penser « ils ne m’aiment pas ». Alors je me dis : stop, ce n’est pas une question d’amour, c’est quelque chose d’important pour lui ou pour elle. C’est quelque chose que je peux accepter. Alors, je tourne mon attention vers des choses qui m’apportent un peu de réconfort – je regarde les fleurs, je dessine etc. »

    Après ce témoignage très personnel, nous invitons de nouveau au micro Decebal Popescu, pour nous dresser le portrait des personnes qui participent à ces ateliers de communication : « Nous aimerions avoir un public plus large et plus équilibré en terme de genre. Jusqu’ici, la plupart des personnes qui nous ont rejoint ont été des femmes, préoccupées d’avoir une meilleure relation avec elles-mêmes notamment. J’ai aussi été ravi de voir dans le public de nombreux parents, tant des mamans que des papas, des parents d’adolescents surtout. Une des meilleures expériences est le moment où chaque participant bénéficie de 2-3 minutes pour exprimer pourquoi il participe à cet atelier. A la fin de la rencontre, nous leur posons la question suivante : « c’était comment pour vous d’être écouté sans être interrompu pendant quelques minutes ? » Et leur réaction est toujours la même : « tu veux dire qu’il faut faire la même chose avec nos enfants ? »… »

    Mieux communiquer. A un moment donné chacun d’entre nous ressent ce besoin. Souvent, il faut commencer par mieux écouter. Par conséquent, on n’a pas tort de dire que les ateliers de communication non-violente sont une expérience nécessaire pour nous tous, car nous voulons tous pouvoir mieux communiquer. Pour les adolescents, l’essentiel est de faire ces cours en compagnie des parents, pour mieux apprendre et mieux se comprendre les uns les autres. (Trad. Andra Juganaru, Valentina Beleavski)

  • 19.07.2023 (mise à jour)

    19.07.2023 (mise à jour)

    Ministres – Les nouvelles ministres
    du travail et de la solidarité sociale, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, et de la
    famille, de la jeunesse et de l’égalité des chances, Natalia Intotero, ont
    prêté serment d’investiture durant une cérémonie au Palais Cotroceni de
    Bucarest. Mme Oprescu et Mme Intotero remplacent Marius Budai et respectivement
    Gabriela Firea, qui ont démissionné dans le contexte du scandale de la
    maltraitance dans les foyers pour personnes âgées du département d’Ilfov. Les
    décrets de nomination des nouveaux ministres ont été signés par le président
    roumain ce matin.

    Sapeurs-pompiers – La Roumanie a envoyé mercredi
    un nouveau contingent comptant une quarantaine de pompiers en Grèce et
    plusieurs camions spécialisés dans la lutte contre les incendies de forêt,
    après l’appel des autorités hellènes à l’assistance internationale via le
    mécanisme européen de protection civile. La décision d’augmenter le contingent
    roumain d’intervention appartient au Gouvernement de Bucarest. Au total, 80 sapeurs-pompiers roumains dotés
    de 13 camions-pompe agiront en Grèce, pays placé en entier en alerte code rouge
    à la canicule, avec des maxima attendues de 42 degrés à l’ombre et un risque
    très élevé pour la propagation des incendies. Les pompiers roumains devraient
    rester sur le terrain au moins jusqu’au 1 er août.

    Céréales – La Pologne, la Bulgarie, la Hongrie, la Roumanie et la Slovaquie souhaitent que l’interdiction des importations de céréales ukrainiennes soit prolongée du moins jusqu’à la fin de l’année, ont annoncé mercredi les ministres de l’agriculture des cinq pays, à l’issue d’une réunion à Varsovie. Les responsables ont signé une déclaration commune sur la nécessité de prolonger les mesures préventives de l’UE appliquées aux importations de blé, maïs, colza et grains de tournesol originaire d’Ukraine. Ce qui plus est, par cette déclaration, les ministres ont proposé de laisser ouverte la liste des produits qui font l’objet des mesures préventives. Selon un communiqué du ministère de Bucarest, les participant à la réunion ont tenté d’identifier une approche commune aux problèmes auxquels se confrontent les fermiers de ces Etats qui sera présentée et soutenue dans le cadre du prochain conseil Agrifish. La Roumanie a été représentée à Varsovie par le ministre Ionut Barbu. Par ailleurs, selon Reuters, une lettre officielle du gouvernement ukrainien illustre le fait que l’Ukraine travaille actuellement à la création d’une route temporaire de transport maritime via les eaux territoriales de la Roumanie afin de pouvoir exporter toujours les céréales depuis les ports à la mer Noire. La Russie s’est retirée mardi de l’accord qui permettait l’exportation des céréales ukrainiennes via un corridor sur en mer Noire.

    Premier ministre hongrois – Le premier ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu, a eu une rencontre informelle avec le premier ministre hongrois, Viktor Orbán, dans le cadre de la visite privée que celui-ci fait en Roumanie. Conformément à un communiqué du gouvernement, Marcel Ciolacu a souligné que sur l’ensemble des relations roumano-hongroises, le côté roumain souhaite maintenir une approche ouverte, positive, constructive et ciblée sur des projets concrets au bénéfice des citoyens des deux Etats. Il a salué le soutien du gouvernement de Budapest aux efforts de la Roumanie d’adhérer à l’espace Schengen et a exprimé l’espoir que la Hongrie continuerait d’être un allié de Bucarest à cet égard. Dans la perspective du mandat hongrois à la tête du Conseil de l’UE durant le premier semestre de l’année prochaine, les deux côtés ont également évoqué plusieurs priorités européennes, lit-on dans le communiqué de l’exécutif de Bucarest.

    Météo – La météo demeure caniculaire sur la plupart de la Roumanie, mais surtout sur le sud, le sud-est, l’est et le sud-ouest. Les maxima iront de 25 à 37 degrés et les minimas iront rarement en dessous du seuil des 20 degrés durant la nui. Sur la plupart des régions, les phénomènes orageux seront au rendez-vous. Une alerte code jaune et une autre code orange à l’instabilité sont valables sur la moitié ouest de la Roumanie.

  • 14.07.2023

    14.07.2023

    Social – Plus de 2 000 structures d’accueil pour les séniors, les enfants et les personnes handicapées de Roumanie ont été vérifiées ces derniers jours et les autorités ont fermé une vingtaine de ces foyers, dont la plupart à Bucarest. Parallèlement, une trentaine d’entre eux se sont vus suspendre l’activité et des amendes de 2 millions d’euros ont été appliquées. Deux inspecteurs de l’Agence départementale de paiements et d’inspection sociale d’Ilfov ont été arrêtés pour ne pas avoir évalué correctement la situation d’un centre de soin des personnes à handicap. Entre temps, ce que la presse a appelé « le scande des maisons de la terreur » a provoqué aussi une première démission de haut niveau. Le ministre social-démocrate Marius Budăi, a démissionné sur le fond des accusations sur sa responsabilité dans ce dossier et des enquêtes réalisées par le Parquet antimafia et anticorruption. Selon certaines sources, les leaders sociaux-démocrates analysent aussi la possibilité de retirer le soutien politique à la ministre de la famille du gouvernement de Bucarest, Gabriela Firea. Selon la presse elle serait personnellement liée au groupe d’inculpés dans ce dossier, des propos que Mme Firea a rejetés.

    Visite – L’adhésion de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie à l’espace Schengen de libre circulation européenne a été le sujet central de la réunion d’aujourd’hui à Bucarest entre les premiers ministres roumain, Marcel Ciolacu et bulgare, Nikolai Denkov. Le chef du cabinet de Bucarest a rappelé que par tout ce qu’il a fait, la Roumanie a démontré être un « partenaire responsable et fiable de l’Union européenne dans ce domaine et un fournisseur de sécurité pour toute l’Union ». Pour sa part, le chef du gouvernement bulgare a affirmé que le processus d’intégration dans l’espace Schengen devrait être achevé par les deux Etats ensemble et que le dialogue des experts roumains et bulgares avec les Etats qui ont encore certaines réserves devraient être poursuivi. Marcel Ciolacu et Nikolai Denkov ont également évoqué l’interconnexion de l’infrastructure de ces deux Etats. Les deux hommes se sont mis d’accord d’accélérer le projet de construction d’un pont sur le Danube, entre Giurgiu et Ruse, et que d’ici là une ligne de ferry sera mise en place pour simplifier le trafic entre les deux localités. Les deux premier-ministres ont souligné aussi l’importance de l’amélioration de l’interconnexion énergétique et avec des Etats des Balkans, tels la Grèce et la Turquie.

    Ukrainiens – Plus de 5 millions d’Ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie depuis le début de la guerre, selon les chiffres fournies vendredi par l’Inspection générale de la police aux frontières. La vaste majorité des Ukrainiens ont seulement transité la Roumanie. Le nombre des ressortissants ukrainiens à trouver un emploi en Roumanie après le déclenchement de la guerre a atteint le mois dernier un nouveau record a déclaré l’ex ministre du travail de Bucarest, Marius Budai. Selon lui, 6 810 contrats de travail ont été signés par des ressortissants ukrainiens, soit le nombre le plus élevé depuis le 24 février 2022. Au total 7 972 contrats concernant les ressortissants ukrainiens sont actuellement enregistrés, dont 6 810 ont été conclus après le déclenchement de l’invasion russe. Le plus grand nombre d’ukrainiens qui travaillent en Roumanie, soit 1 452 sont actifs dans l’industrie alors que 1.181 travaillent dans le bâtiment. 737 travaillent dans le secteur du commerce. Bucarest a attiré le plus grand nombre de travailleurs ukrainiens, soit 2.770, suivi par le département de Timis, dans l’ouest qui compte 418 travailleurs ukrainiens.

    Ukraine – Le Pentagone affirme que les mercenaires du groupe paramilitaire russe Wagner ne participent plus d’une manière significative aux opérations de combat en Ukraine – a déclaré le porte parole du Département américain de la Défense, le général Pat Ryder. Les Etats Unis affirment que la majorité des combattants Wagner se trouvent toujours dans les territoires ukrainiens occupés par la Russie. Mercredi, l’armée russe a annoncé avoir reçu de la part du groupe Wagner plus de 2 000 pièces d’équipement militaire, 2 500 tonnes de munitions, 20 000 armes légères. Le patron de Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine, avait accepté de remettre aux troupes régulières russes les armements de ses hommes après l’abandon de sa rébellion du 24 juin.

    Foot – Les matchs Oţelul Galaţi (sud-est) – UTA Arad (ouest) et, respectivement, Rapid Bucureşti – Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe (centre) donnent le coup d’envoi ce soir de l’édition 2023-2024 du championnat de foot de Roumanie, appelé la Superligue par la Fédération roumaine de foot. Rappelons-le, les champions de Farul Constanta, dans le sud est ont disposé à domicile sur le score de 1 but à 0 du Sherrif Tiraspol de la République de Moldova, dans le premier tour du premier tour de préliminaires de la Ligue des Champions. Le match retour est prévu pour la semaine prochaine à Tiraspol. Par ailleurs, trois équipes roumaines évoluent dans la Conference League. Au 2e tour des préliminaires, l’ex champion du CFR Cluj affronte l’Adana Demirspor, de Turquie. Le Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, dans le centre, qui détient la Coupe et la Supercoupe de Roumanie affronte le CSKA de Sofia de Bulgarie, et les vice-champions du FCSB (de Bucarest) joue contre le CSKA 1948 également de Sofia. Les matchs aller sont prévus pour le 27 juillet et les retours une semaine plus tard.

    Météo – Les météorologues roumains ont émis jeudi une alerte code jaune à la canicule valable jusqu’à dimanche sur plusieurs départements de l’ouest, de l’est et du centre. Les maxima iront de 35 à 37 degrés. Sur le reste du pays, l’inconfort thermique devra baisser d’une manière significative, alors que les maximas iront de 25 à 33 degrés. Vendredi, sur le relief, mais aussi sur le nord, le nord-est et le centre des pluies sont attendues des pluies et des orages sont attendus. La canicule sévit à Bucarest et les maximas tourneront autour des 35 degrés. Des pluies à verse et de orages sont possibles. 27 degrés en ce moment dans la Capitale roumaine.

    Paris – Le traditionnel défilé militaire du 14 juillet a débuté vendredi matin a Paris sur les Champs Elysées en présence d’Emmanuel Macron et du Premier ministre indien Narendra Modi, invité d’honneur, a l’occasion de la fête nationale, dans un climat sécuritaire tendu. La correspondante de la radio publique roumaine, les autorités ont adopté des mesures sécuritaires sans précédent, à cause des émeutes urbaines qui ont secoué le pays à la fin juin. Le gouvernement a déployé les grands moyens pour tenter de contenir les traditionnels incidents de la fête nationale du 14 juillet. Pour la première fois un 14 Juillet, les forces spéciales de la police et de la gendarmerie, ainsi que les hélicoptères et les véhicules blindés de la gendarmerie seront engagés dans les communes les plus à risque. En 2022, selon le ministère de l’Intérieur, 807 personnes avaient été interpellées en France à la suite des incidents survenus en marge des festivités du 14-Juillet, 749 véhicules brulés et 55 membres des forces de l’ordre blessés. Les autorités ont répété leur détermination a faire respecter le décret interdisant jusqu’a samedi la vente de tous les articles pyrotechniques, dont les mortiers d’artifice utilisés par les émeutiers comme armes contre les forces de l’ordre ou pour incendier des bâtiments.

  • February 1, 2023 UPDATE

    February 1, 2023 UPDATE

    SESSION The Senate and Chamber of
    Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday went on their first Parliamentary session
    this year. Draft laws on complying with the terms assumed through the National
    Plan of Recovery and Resilience are high on the agenda. Leaders of the main
    ruling parties, the Social Democratic and the National Liberal Party, have also
    announced among their legislative priorities, several projects on education and
    the special pensions reform. The Liberals want to raise the ceiling for pension
    taxation and the local and Parliamentary election of 2024 to merge. The
    Social-Democrats have announced they are working on a new ruling programme and
    the Social-Democratic president Marcel Ciolacu who is going to take over the position
    of Prime Minister, has announced the idea of cutting labour taxes and
    increasing the taxation level for the companies with huge profits. The
    opposition USR and Force of the Right have tabled a simple motion against
    Interior Minister Lucian Bode entitled Romania deserves better than thieves on
    public jobs, amid forgery allegation concerning his PhD thesis. The Senate has
    endorsed a declaration reiterating its commitment to strengthening legislative
    efforts to commemorate the Holocaust victims and underlines the need for the
    involvement of all state institutions and citizens so that human rights may be
    observed.








    PROTEST Roughly one thousand employees from Romania’s education
    system took to the streets on Wednesday to protest the low salaries in their
    line of work. According to the protesters, the nonteaching staff makes the only
    category of state employees who hasn’t yet reached the pay level stipulated by
    the 2022 law. Salaries for nonteaching employees are ranging between 366 and
    468 euros and trade unions in the country’s education system have called on the
    government to endorse a law allowing the nonteaching personnel to get proper
    pay.








    UKRAINE The Russian invasion forces are making small progress on
    the front in eastern Ukraine – international news agencies report. Their main
    target remains the city of Bakhmut, which they have been trying to seize for
    months without success. Both Bakhmut and the neighboring villages of Kliškiivka
    and Kurdiumivka, located south of the city, came under new Russian fire.
    According to the Ukrainian military, though, the Russians allegedly got stuck
    near the town of Avdiivka, the second focal point of their attacks in the
    disputed Donetsk region. Troop movements are also registered in Lyman, a city
    recaptured by the Ukrainians in October. In an unusually detailed intelligence
    update, British Ministry of Defense experts, who are constantly monitoring the
    situation on the front, note that Russian forces have advanced several hundred
    meters across a river towards the town of Vuhledar, and recorded made small wins.
    Specialists say that Moscow’s troops would like to attract the Ukrainian forces
    defending Bakhmut to Vuhledar.








    VISIT The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, will be paying
    a formal visit to Baku, Azerbaijan, on February 2-3, at the invitation of his
    counterpart, Ilham Aliyev. The two presidents will open the Ministerial Meeting
    of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council.
    The visit by the Romanian president comes in continuation of the very
    good talks held with the Azerbaijani president, in Bucharest, in December 2022,
    on the occasion of their participation in the signing ceremony of the Agreement
    between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and
    Hungary regarding the Strategic Partnership in the field of green energy
    development and transport. In Baku, the state of implementation of regional
    interconnection projects such as the submarine electricity transmission cable
    will be assessed and the initiation of similar projects in the digital field
    will be addressed. Azerbaijan is the first country in the South Caucasus region
    with which Romania raised bilateral relations to the level of Strategic
    Partnership in 2009.




    (bill)

  • December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    December 12, 2022 UPDATE

    TALKS The vote in the JHA
    Council is very problematic for all of us in Romania. I was disappointed and
    upset following this vote, the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on
    Monday, after receiving the president of the Swiss
    Confederation Ignazio Cassis in Bucharest. The Romanian president added that he
    would most certainly raise the issue of Romania’s denied Schengen bid at the
    meeting of the European Council due on December 15. Romania should be a part of
    Schengen, the Swiss president said in his turn. The 2
    officials discussed bilateral relations and economic cooperation, with an emphasis
    on boosting investments and identifying new areas of cooperation, and exchanged
    views on the latest international developments, including the war in Ukraine
    and its implications for the energy market and global security.


    FUNDING Romania’s PM Nicolae Ciucă Monday requested all ministries
    and coordinating institutions to give maximum priority to completing the 51 benchmarks
    and targets in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan related to the second
    payment request, amounting to EUR 2.8 bln, which Romania is scheduled to submit
    to the European Commission this month. This amount adds to the EUR 3.7 bln pre-financing
    amount and to a first EUR 2.6 bln instalment already cashed in by Romania. We
    cannot afford to deviate from our commitments, because a lot of elements
    related to reform processes, investments and even economic stability depend on
    us accessing this money, the PM said at a meeting of the inter-ministry
    Committee Coordinating the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Committee
    also reviewed the progress with respect to the 55 targets and benchmarks due
    for the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year, related to the
    3rd payment request that Romania is scheduled to submit to the EC
    this spring.


    BUDGET In Bucharest, Parliament’s specialist committees Monday approved
    the draft budgets of several ministries. The education, transport, development
    and defence ministries will have higher budgets next year, while the energy,
    justice and healthcare ministries will receive less money in 2023. The ruling
    coalition said the budget bill is based on record high investments and accounts
    for 7.2% of GDP. It takes into account an economic growth rate of 2.8% of GDP,
    an annual inflation rate of 8%, a growing number of people in employment and a
    lower unemployment rate of 2.7%. The opposition has criticised the budget bill.
    Both the power and the opposition have submitted amendments. The final vote is
    due on Thursday.


    MOTION Save Romania Union in
    opposition Monday tabled a simple motion against the interior minister Lucian
    Bode, whom they see as responsible for Romania’s failure to join the Schengen free-movement
    area. According to the party, Bode shares this responsibility with the
    president Klaus Iohannis, with the parliamentary majority and the diplomacy in Bucharest.
    USR also invited the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu to give Parliament
    explanations on this topic. Several EU member states voiced their
    disappointment with the denial of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession bids.
    Moreover, the EU commissioner for home affairs, Ylva Johansson, said this would
    be a priority of her term in office.



    EU European democracy is under attack, the head of the European
    Parliament Roberta Metsola said on Monday, voicing her outrage and sadness following
    allegations of corruption in the European Parliament in relation to Qatar. In
    turn, the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, Monday
    called for EU institutions to be governed by the highest standards of
    independence and integrity. The EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep
    Borrell described the EP corruption allegations as being of the utmost
    concern. Eva Kaili, a vice-president of the European parliament from Greece, and
    3 other individuals were detained and charged in Belgium in an international corruption
    investigation related to Qatar. The 4 were charged with participation in a criminal
    organisation, money laundering and corruption.


    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian diplomacy chief Bogdan Aurescu took part on Monday in Brussels in an informal meeting concerning the future of the Eastern
    Partnership, organised at the initiative of Minister Aurescu and his counterparts
    from Czechia, Sweden and Poland, and in a meeting of the Eastern Partnership
    foreign ministers    . In
    his addresses, Bogdan Aurescu pleaded for revitalising the Eastern Partnership
    and for adapting it to the new regional context, and reiterated Romania’s firm
    and continuing support for it. He argued that the Eastern Partnership can make
    a significant contribution to strengthening the stability, security and
    prosperity in the Eastern Neighbourhood, by consolidating regional cooperation,
    the security and resilience of partners and through an adequate joint response to
    the challenges facing the region. Mr. Aurescu also emphasised that in the new
    context generated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a more robust
    and more efficient security dimension of the Eastern Partnership is necessary.



    MEETING The Romanian justice minister, Cătălin
    Predoiu, had a meeting on Monday in Luxembourg with the head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi. According to the
    Romanian justice ministry, the 2 officials discussed the protection of the EU’s
    financial interests, the EPPO human resources issue and the broadening of the
    Office’s powers to include the prosecution of breaches of EU sanctions. I am
    confidence that an in-depth dialogue with the EPPO may lead to ideas and
    solutions to make the cooperation between national and EPPO prosecutors more
    efficient. After all, they all fight crime, which affects both the interests of
    the EU and the national interests of member states, Catalin Predoiu said. (AMP)

  • Famous central-European spas of the 19th century

    Famous central-European spas of the 19th century


    The idea of having a vacation
    or leisure time, the idea of spending a one-week or a two-week holiday somewhere is
    rather recent in history. Beginning with the 19th century, once the collective
    rights emerged, tourism became affordable for the social classes other than the
    elites. As for the tourist resorts, they were also quick to appear. Resorts would mostly develop nearby areas that
    had been previously known for the benefits the waters, of the air, or other
    environmental qualities had upon the human organism. One of Europe’s most renowned
    balneal spas was Karlsbad, today known as Karlovy Vary, located in The Czech Republic,
    on the country’s western border with Germany. Known ever since the Middle Ages
    for its thermal waters with healing properties had healing effects for a number
    of conditions, the resort enjoyed an impressive inflow of tourists. Among the famous
    names who visited the Karlsbad Spa were those of Russian Emperor Peter the Great, Turkey’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe or German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.


    But there were also
    Romanians who visited Karlsbad. Historian Radu Marza, in his volume Romanian Travelers
    and patients in Karlsbad provided an account of Romanians’ presence in that
    posh resort.


    Radu Marza:

    The history
    of Karlsbad as a balneal resort begins with the Medieval age, in the 14th
    century. Yet the history of Karlsbad as we all know it, with the resonance its
    name it has today, begins in the 18th century, or thereabouts. Also
    mentioned and documented several are names of individuals hailing from the
    Romanian space. The first character about whom we even know very many things is
    a boyar named Barbu Stirbey, an Oltenian boyar who travelled to Karlsbad in
    late 18th century.


    Scientific studies confirmed
    the resort’s beneficial action on the health condition of the human body and on
    regaining the individual’s work capacity. As for the physicians, they are doing
    their job and recommend the resort. Also thanks to the thermal waters, the breathtaking
    natural landscape made Karlsbad one of Europe’s top five spas. Added to that
    was the architecture of the buildings erected there. Just like the other
    tourists, the Romanian tourists also arrived there drawn by the lake’s miraculous
    properties of the place and the beauty of the surroundings.

    Historian
    Radu Marza:


    We discovered
    those Romanian visitors or travelers going there were in no way different from
    visitors coming from elsewhere. Which means they perfectly fit in with that, let’s
    just say, that trend of going to the spa. And it was not just the trend of going
    to Karlsbad, there were also many other spas in the European space, but also spas
    of the Romanian space. By all means, those in the Romanian space have a scope,
    a prestige and significantly less capabilities than Karlsbad. But the
    phenomenon is the same.


    Who are the Romanian celebrities
    who paid a visit to the Czech spa? According to Radu Marza, there were politicians’
    names on the list, yet there was also info on other names, more or less.

    Alexandru Vaida-Voevod
    was a physician there and he is a personality as such, it is not only as a
    physician that his figure is worth remembering. There were, for instance, Ionel
    Brătianu, Queen Marie, various prime ministers, that including Iuliu Maniu,
    Nicolae Titulescu also dropped by, Constantin Argetoianu or other public
    figures. And there are also several sources about some of the personalities,
    there was a string of pieces of documentary information, other such people might have
    dropped by as well, but they were rather low-profile, if I may say so. And then we don’t know many accurate things about their
    presence, yet the presence of other such people is a very well documented one.


    However, going to the spa in Karlsbad
    also acquired a social dimension, and not only a healing one.

    Historian Radu
    Mârza:


    Karlsbad enjoyed that kind of fame in the
    Romanian space as well. And we even came cross, once, over a very interesting
    source of the 1920s, a little article published in a Romania magazine, dwelling
    on the fact that it was a matter of bad taste, wondering, in the summer or in
    early summer, where should you spend the summer season? Because it was obvious
    you would go to Karlsbad. It somehow
    was a social call, not going there was out of the question. You did not get any validation, socially speaking, if you didn’t go to Karlsbad. It was obvious that such a truth
    did not apply entirely, that kind of opinion was not a widely-accepted tenet, yet
    very many people had that kind of mindset. That is why Karlsbad was a place for
    you to go to spend your vacation, to follow this or that medical procedure, but
    you also went there to make yourself visible and see other people, to meet certain
    people of your entourage.


    However, the balneal resort
    of Karlsbad was beyond reach for the lower classes, yet it was affordable for
    the Romanian middle class. Teachers, civil servants, banking people, petty tradesmen
    spent their vacation in Karlsbad. After 1945, after the communist regime was
    instated and nationalization was forcefully implemented in both Romania and
    Czechoslovakia, part of the working and the peasants’ class could
    afford visiting Karlsbad. But even so, going to Karlsbad did not become a mass phenomenon
    either, because of the strong borders and the grassroots’ low income. (EN)


  • 02.06.2022

    02.06.2022

    Gouvernement – Le Cabinet de Bucarest se réunit aujourd’hui pour la deuxième fois cette semaine afin d’adopter un décret d’urgence par le biais duquel les retraités qui touchent moins de 2 000 lei, soit 400 euros, pourront bénéficier d’une aide financière de 140 euros. Cette mesure est censée compenser en grande partie la baisse du pouvoir d’achat des personnes vulnérables, générée par la hausse des prix des carburants, des aliments et des services communaux dernièrement. Rappelons-le, mercredi, en Roumanie a commencé le processus d’émission, distribution et versement des tickets sociaux proposés par le programme gouvernemental « Soutien pour la Roumanie ». Ces tickets ont une valeur nominale de 50 euros et sont destinés aux personnes en difficulté. Plus de 2,5 millions de Roumains pourront utiliser ces tickets pour acheter des produits alimentaires.

    Energie – La Roumanie devra identifier de nouvelles capacités de production de l’énergie basée sur des technologies aux émissions réduites de carbone utilisant le gaz naturel et les ressources renouvelables, a déclaré le ministre roumain de l’Energie, Virgil Popescu, en visite en Azerbaïdjan, qui participait à la session ministérielle « Bakou Energy Forum ». La Roumanie se concentrera sur l’accélération du processus d’implémentation des solutions novatrices avancées, modernisant parallèlement l’infrastructure énergétique. Aux dires du ministre Popescu, les participants ont décidé qu’il était besoin de coopérer pour réussir à diversifier les sources et les routes de transport et pour combattre les effets de la crise énergétique et ceux générés par la guerre de la Russie en Ukraine.

    Euro – La Roumanie ne remplit actuellement aucun critère nécessaire pour passer à la monnaie unique européenne, selon un rapport de convergence publié par la Commission européenne. Pour passer à l’Euro, un Etat membre de l’Union devrait respecter quatre conditions : la stabilité des prix, les finances publiques solides et soutenables, la stabilité des taux de change et la convergence des taux d’intérêt à long terme. Or, selon le rapport, la Roumanie ne respecte aucun critère, étant également l’unique Etat membre à faire l’objet d’une procédure de déficit excessif. En 2016, la Roumanie respectait trois conditions sur quatre.

    Jubilé – La Grande Bretagne organise quatre jours durant des cérémonies censées marquer les 70 ans de règne d’Elizabeth II, la monarque à la longévité record sur le trône du Royaume-Uni. Dans une lettre de félicitations, le chef de l’Etat roumain, Klaus Iohannis, a exprimé sa conviction que le Partenariat stratégique roumano- britannique continuera à être renforcé, au bénéfice des deux nations. En Grande Bretagne, c’est parti pour quatre jours de célébrations historiques : du 2 au 5 juin, les Britanniques fêtent le jubilé de platine, c’est-à-dire les soixante-dix ans de règne d’Elizabeth II. Aujourd’hui, la reine saluera au balcon de Buckingham Palace la parade des drapeaux des régiments. Un concert organisé pour l’occasion réunira sur la même scène des artistes célèbres tels le groupe légendaire Queen, Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keays ou Duran Duran. Les grands musées londoniens organiseront des expositions spéciales. La BBC note que le jubilé de cette année sera pourtant différent puisque les 96 ans de la reine l’empêcheront de participer à toutes les manifestations.

    Sondage
    –     Pour l’écrasante majorité des Roumains, soit 70%, la Russie serait coupable
    pour la guerre en Ukraine, selon un sondage réalisé du 16 au 21 mai par INSCOP
    Research. Selon cette recherche, plus de 87% des Roumains affirment que les
    leaders russes devraient être condamnés pour les crimes de guerre alors que 65%
    ont une opinion positive au sujet du déploiement de troupes de l’OTAN et
    américaines en Roumanie. A la question qui pourrait gagner la guerre en
    Ukraine, 50% des Roumains affirment que l’Ukraine et 26% donnent la Russie
    comme vainqueur. Selon le même sondage, le taux de ceux qui affirment que la
    Russie défend les valeurs traditionnelles face à la décadence morale de l’Occident
    a chuté de 41% en février à 25% actuellement. Parallèlement, le taux des
    Roumains qui affirment que par l’exploitation des ressources de gaz naturel en
    mer Noire, la Roumanie éliminera toute dépendance des importations russes a
    augmenté pour se chiffrer à 67%. Le sondage repose sur un échantillon de 1 100
    personnes âgées de plus de 18 ans et a un taux d’erreur de 2,9%.

    Réfugiés – Le gouvernement roumain devrait adopter ce jeudi, en première lecture, un projet de décret d’urgence visant la mise en place d’un plan national de mesures de protection et d’insertion sociale des réfugiés ukrainiens, ayant accès à une protection temporaire de la Roumanie. L’Inspection générale de la Police roumaine des frontières informe que mercredi, 10331 citoyens ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie, de 12,9% de moins que la veille. Depuis le début de l’invasion russe en Ukraine, presqu’un million 100.000 réfugiés ukrainiens sont venus en Roumanie, la plupart juste pour la transiter afin de rejoindre l’ouest de l’Europe. Sur ce total, des dizaines de milliers d’Ukrainiens ont réclamé l’asile politique ou la protection temporaire de l’Etat roumain.

    Héros – Les Roumains orthodoxes célèbrent aujourd’hui l’Ascension, 40 jours après Pâques. Depuis 1920,
    l’Ascension coïncide en Roumanie avec la Journée de la mémoire des héros. A
    travers le pays, des cérémonies militaires et religieuses sont prévues auprès
    des tombeaux et des monuments des héros roumains tombés sur les champs
    d’honneur. A Bucarest, une commémoration est organisée auprès du monument du
    soldat inconnu, en présence du président Klaus Iohannis, du ministre de la
    défense, Vasile Dîncu, et du chef de l’Etat major de la défense, le général Daniel
    Petrescu. Dans un message à l’occasion de la journée des héros, le premier
    ministre Nicolae Ciuca a souligné que les pensées des Roumains sont consacrés
    au sacrifice suprême de ceux qui sont tombés pour des idéals nationaux et pour
    un avenir meilleur à leurs descendants.

    1er juin – Le premier jour d’été marque en Roumanie et dans de nombreux autres pays au monde la journée de l’enfant. Le 1er juin, tout le pays a accueilli des événements consacrés à la Journée de l’enfance et les plus petits ont été invités à participer à des concours, des ateliers, des spectacles et des fêtes en plein air. De nombreuses institutions et entreprises ont ouvert leurs portes aux plus petits. A Bucarest de telles actions ont été accueillies par le Palais du Parlement et par les plus connus sites culturels et touristiques. La Salle de spectacles de la radiodiffusion roumaine a proposé un concert donné par la chorale d’enfants de la radio roumaine, précédé un atelier de BD.

    Météo – En Roumanie, les météorologues annoncent une hausse des températures pour ce jeudi, notamment dans les régions méridionales, là où l’indice humidex approchera le seuil critique de 80 unités. Le ciel demeure variable et l’instabilité atmosphérique se manifestera à partir de cet après-midi, notamment dans le nord, le nord-est, le sud-ouest, le centre et le sud-est. Dans toutes ces régions, des phénomènes orageux pourraient faire leur apparition, accompagnés de grêle et des pluies torrentielles. Météo Roumanie a placé 28 départements en vigilance jaune à l’instabilité. Ce jeudi, les températures maximales iront de 24 à 33 degrés.

  • The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The Week in Review 21 – 27 May 2022

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, talked on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel



    Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, on Thursday spoke on the phone with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, before the special proceedings of the aforementioned council in Brussels at the end of the month, which has high on the agenda the humanitarian and financial aid for Ukraine. Food safety, energy, security and defence were the main topics of the discussion between the head of the Romanian state and president of the European Council. In the meantime, the Russian troops are continuing their onslaught on the neighbouring Ukraine where the situation is difficult. According to the General Border Police Inspectorate, since the beginning of the conflict on February 24th, over one million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.



    An offshore law regulating Black Sea gas exploitation has come into effect



    The offshore law regulating gas exploitation in the Black Sea was enacted on Wednesday by Romanias president Klaus Iohannis. In its new form, the law is more investor-friendly and is supposed to benefit both the state and companies, government representatives say. After the endorsement of the draft law in the Chamber of Deputies, Energy Minister, the Liberal Virgil Popescu, has said the new regulations ensure stability, predictability as well as lower gas prices for household consumers. The law stipulates a series of measures on the stability of the fiscal regime and oil royalties as well as the elimination of additional income taxation for selling prices at which investors do not make surplus profits. During the duration of the agreements concerning the deep-sea offshore and onshore perimeters, the holders of the agreements have the right to freely trade the hydrocarbons produced from the respective oil perimeters at the prices and in the quantities determined by them under the provisions of the national and European legislation in force. Under the document, Romania will have priority in exploiting the gas deposits and the profit will be divided between the Romanian state, which is to receive 60% and investors who are to get 40%. The first gas extraction has been scheduled for June, part of a project carried out by the company Black Sea Oil&Gas. According to estimates, over one billion cubic meters would be delivered annually throughout this exploitation thus covering 10% of Romanias needs.



    Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, is back in Romania



    Currently on a visit to Romania, after a break caused by the pandemic, Prince Charles, heir to the British Crown, on Wednesday met in Bucharest the countrys president Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and the custodian of the Romanian crown, Princess Margareta. Talks focused on the Ukrainian refugee crisis and the support granted by Romania to its neighboring country in the context of the Russian invasion. President Iohannis informed Prince Charles on the humanitarian hub in Suceava, north-eastern Romania, and on the coordination of support efforts by a number of states, to Ukraines benefit. Also discussed were the Romanian-British strategic partnership, solutions to limit the impact of climate change and to preserve biodiversity and the need for educational projects on climate change. During the meeting he had with Romanias Prime Minister, Prince Charles was interested in Romanias policies in the field of green and renewable energies. Prime Minister Ciuca voiced support for investment in green energy, the offshore wind power in particular, in which British companies are invited to invest in the upcoming period.



    Together with Princess Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, prince Charles visited a refugee centre in Bucharest, and talked to the refugees and volunteers there. The centre has more than 1 thousand Ukrainian visitors per day, who receive food, hygiene products and clothing, and also benefit social services and counseling during their stay in Romania.



    Prince Charles first visited Romania in 1998 and has returned to the country almost every year ever since. He has been supporting foundations and programs focused on the protection of Transylvanias heritage and biodiversity and, through Prince Charles of Wales Romania Foundation, he supported small farmers and ran a special program for the Romanian military injured in Afghanistan.



    The executive in Bucharest has approved a new package of social and economic measures



    The Bucharest Government on Monday announced a new package of social and economic measures agreed on by the ruling coalition, against the background of unprecedented price hikes affecting the population. The package, worth 1.1 billion euros, takes effect starting July 1st. Among these measures are the postponement, by nine months, of interest rates on loans for citizens and companies facing difficulties triggered by the multiple crises that have emerged lately. Also decided was the granting of a quarter of the salary difference, in keeping with the unitary payment law for public sector employees, and of a single financial aid of 140 euros to all pensioners with pensions smaller than 400 euros.



    At the same time, the Government will take measures for fiscal consolidation and for observing its commitments as regards the public deficit. This means cutting public expenditure by at least 10%, except for expenses with salaries, pensions and social assistance, freezing jobs in the public sector as of July 1st and increasing the collection of revenues to the consolidated general budget by 2 billion euro.



    Also on Monday, the Minister of Investment and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, announced that most vouchers for vulnerable persons will be distributed to the beneficiaries starting in June and the rest of them in the first half of July. He mentioned that the vouchers to be distributed by June 10 will be funded in 2 or 3 days, in keeping with the public payment mechanism.



    We recall that on May 9 the Government adopted the measure regarding social vouchers to be granted to a number of categories of people who are at risk of material deprivation and extreme poverty. Thus, more than 3 million Romanians will receive every two months, social vouchers worth 50 euros each.


    (bill)

  • May 24, 2022

    May 24, 2022

    MEASURES A new set of social and economic measures agreed on by the ruling
    coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party
    will take effect in Romania as of July 1. The measures include postponements of
    bank loan repayments for citizens and businesses struggling with financial
    problems, as well as support for low-income pensioners. The government will
    also take steps to ensure fiscal consolidation and public deficit commitments. The
    costs of this set of measures reach EUR 1.1 bln.


    POLL Six out of 10 Romanians (58%) believe cutting consumption is the
    easiest solution for the financial difficulties caused by the rising inflation,
    says a survey made public today. In April, the inflation rate reached a record
    13.8%, well above the National Bank’s 12.5% forecast for 2022. According to the
    survey, 67% of the respondents see the government of Romania as responsible for
    this inflation rate. Three-quarters of Romanians also believe inflation is
    higher in Romania than in other countries. The respondents say the most
    substantial price rises are witnessed for foodstuffs (77%), fuel (77%) and
    utilities (electricity and gas) – 70%. In this context, 58% say reducing
    consumption could solve the inflation problem, but pay raises are also
    considered as solutions, and so is emigration. The survey was conducted online,
    between April 20 and 26.


    IMF The International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina
    Georgieva said on Monday that while a recession of the world’s major economies
    is not expected, it is not out of the question either. The global economic
    prospects have worsened since the IMF’s downward adjustment of its 2022
    forecasts, owing to the war in Ukraine, the slow-down of China’s economy and
    the global price shocks, especially in the foodstuff sector. ‘In a short period
    of time…the horizon has darkened,’ Kristalina Georgieva said. In January, the
    IMF estimated that this year the global economy will grow by 4.4%, but last
    month the forecast was adjusted to 3.6%.


    NATO NATO fighter jets deployed to military bases in Romania carry on their
    missions to ensure the integrity of the Allied air space, the Romanian defence
    ministry said. In less than 6 months, Italian Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft
    stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base in south-eastern Romania reported a
    combined 1,000 hours of flight in NATO missions protecting the Romanian air
    space. Air missions are paired with missions of the NATO Battlegroup set up in
    Romania in the wake of Russia’s invading neighbouring Ukraine.


    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, allowing the Siret checkpoint, in the north-east, where
    trucks are currently waiting up to 14 hours to leave the country, to 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).


    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan Ana Bogdan (93 WTA) was
    defeated on Monday by Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (15 WTA), 6-7 (7-9), 7-6
    (7-1), 6-2, in the first round of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament. Irina
    Begu was also scheduled to play on Monday against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, but
    the match was suspended because of the rain in the 3rd set. On
    Tuesday 3 other Romanians, Simona Halep, Irina Bara and Mihaela Buzărnescu will
    play in the main draw. Sorana Cîrstea qualified in the second round on Sunday,
    while Gabriela Ruse lost her first round. Halep, seed no. 19, is a Roland
    Garros champion in 2018 and a finalist in 2014 and 2017. (AMP)

  • Environmental sustainability projects awarded in Bucharest

    Environmental sustainability projects awarded in Bucharest


    “It is the 12th hour. If not now, never. If not us, nobody.” This is the imperative motto of the first edition of the Green Gala Report held early this year. The tone is set by the sense of urgency and the environmental problems of which we are all aware. The online publication Green Report has been notifying these problems for the past 15 years, ever since its establishment. But its online pages speak not only of these problems, but also put forth solutions, most of them identified by environmental watchdogs and some of them even by businesses.



    In fact, the Green Report awards granted at the recent gala draw attention precisely to the way in which environmental problems start being tackled through sustainable economic projects in Romania. The awarded projects belong to NGOs, to business organisations and local authorities. Raluca Fișer, the president of Green Revolution Association, which initiated the Green Report, told us more about the criteria for selecting these projects:



    Raluca Fișer: “We awarded 12 prizes, because we had 12 categories, but in the circular economy category we had 2 winners, a project put forth by a company and another one by an NGO with excellent projects in the field of circular economy. As many as 94 projects were selected in the 12 categories, and we had 54 companies and associations taking part. We were quite happy with the quality and diversity of the participating projects, which is a great thing for an event at its first edition. And we believe it is a great sign that people are becoming aware that sustainable economy is an integral part of any business plan and of any strategic approach of a market.”



    The Green Report Gala also showcased the development of environmental thinking in Romania during these past 15 years.



    Raluca Fișer: “Environment protection is no longer a topic for green activism alone, it has grown into a global emergency which informs the European and global agenda. We set out to show that circular economy and sustainable development are part and parcel of the business environment. An environment-friendly attitude is not only about everybody eating lettuce and walking around in forests, it also involves technology and efficiency in using our limited resources. We strongly believe that sustainable development must be integrated in any business, because it provides countless competitive advantages. And first of all, a company manager must be aware of their responsibility towards the community in which they work. Community involvement, one way or another, and the care for the environment are today so important that, if overlooked, they may push an enterprise into bankruptcy.”



    The star of the Green Report Gala was an organisation called “Workshops without borders,” which won 2 awards, in the categories “Excellence in Circular Economy” with its “educlick” platform, and “Excellence in Agri-Food” for its “bio&co” social farm, and a nomination in a 3rd category. The programme director of the “Workshops without borders” association, Lorita Constantinescu, told us more about the winning projects:



    Lorita Constantinescu: “We won the circular economy category with a project called EduClick. It is a platform to collect e-waste and repair computers, which we donate to schools in underprivileged areas which have no access to funding for their IT labs. Since the pandemic broke out, we have been sending computers to schools, which gave them to children who did not own a computer so that they could study online. In fact, the social component is the most important element for our association. Our social mission is to help re-include vulnerable people in the labour market. “Workshops without borders” was set up in 2008 and EduClick was the first workshop that we started. We basically created the conditions for vulnerable people to return to an active, employed life. We hire them for our workshops and for 2 years they take part in a job shadowing programme during which they learn the skills for a specific job. And when they complete the programme we help them find a job.”



    This is not the only project through which “Workshops without Borders” proved that environmental protection goes hand in hand with social involvement. In the category “Excellence in Environmental Innovation,” the organisation received a nomination for its Remesh project, in which plastic banners are turned into accessories such as bags and purses. Just like with EduClick, workers from underprivileged backgrounds are employed in this social enterprise with environmental ramifications.



    Lorita Constantinescu: “This is the 3rd workshop of our association: a social farm, where we grow vegetables and sell them in a farm-to-fork system. A few years ago, we set out to help vulnerable people to get employment in rural areas as well. While our first 2 projects, EduClick and Remesh, were located in Bucharest, we tried to do something for people in rural communities as well, so we went to the village of Ciocănari, some 30 km from Bucharest. We leased a plot of land and hired people from the vulnerable community in the village. It took around 3 years for us to get the organic farming certificate, and today we grow 80 vegetable varieties. We sell them to consumers in a direct subscription system.”



    The farm in Ciocănari currently has just over 90 subscribers, but the organisation hopes the model will be replicated by as many enterprises as possible. (A.M.P.)


  • Mugur Călinescu

    Mugur Călinescu

    Mugur Călinescu’s name will forever remain in
    the history of heroism as a man’s struggle with a cruel, much stronger enemy
    but which did not frighten him. He is not only a Romanian hero, but also a
    universal example for all the people who fight for the right cause of freedom
    and dignity. Eventually, MugurCălinescu paid with his life for the
    courage to think and act for justice and truth.




    Mugur Călinescu was born on May 28, 1965 in
    Botoșani, northeastern Romania. In 1981, at 16 years old, when he was an 11th grader
    at the August Treboniu Laurian high school in his hometown, he
    decided that his existence and that of those around him, in a country ruled by
    a vicious communist regime, could not go on like that. So he decided to
    protest. Călinescu’s moving story was told publicly in the early 1990s, in the
    early years of freedom regained in December 1989, by the journalist, writer and
    historian Constantin Iftime. Here he is at the microphone with details:




    Constantin Iftime: He was a high school junior, going to Laurian
    high school, but previously he had studied at Eminescu high school. He took the
    math and physics exam, he was in a good class. His parents were separated, his
    father was wealthy, he worked in a clothing manufacturing factory, he was the
    chief tailor who made the patterns. He had a lot of money, he was a top tailor.
    He bought his boy a Japanese radio recorder with which he tuned in to radio
    Free Europe, and his mother did not know anything about that. He
    was a clever boy, he listened to music, he read books, he had a curious nature.




    On the night of September 12, 1981, Mugur left
    the house determined to voice his discontent. He walked towards a metal fence
    surrounding a building yard and wrote a slogan calling on people to oppose the
    increasingly harsh living conditions. Today we find it unbelievable that
    writing words on a wall is seen as an act of great courage. But it was an act
    of courage during communism, when most people were terrorized and preferred to
    keep silent. Constantin Iftime is back at the microphone with more:




    Constantin Iftime: You may wonder where he got the idea from? It
    was his own idea. He had some chalk at home, the type of chalk used by
    foresters, which did not come off easily. And he started writing slogans, he
    wrote the first slogans on some metal boards surrounding building yards. These
    slogans referred to the people’s precarious material situation. His mother was
    a saleswoman at the central store and had a small salary. It seems that there
    was a lot of talk about money in his family. His mother was constantly under
    pressure, they had cut about 30% of her salary, it was the period when the
    authorities started cutting people’s salaries.




    Another 31 nights followed, in which
    Mugur Călinescu continued to write his discontent on the walls of the town’s
    buildings. One of them was the headquarters of the county branch of the Romanian
    Communist Party. He wrote on walls, on billboards, on road kerbs. The local branch
    of the Securitate, the communist political police, went on maximum alert. Messages
    would keep appearing, in places where the members of the political repression
    structures least expected them, and they would be promptly erased. Where they
    couldn’t be removed, the place would be painted over.




    All the informants in all the
    factories in the town were mobilised. In their desperate effort to capture the
    author, the Securitate checked the records of all the apartment buildings, and
    all the letters people would send to the party. More than 47,000 handwriting
    samples were analysed, with the experts claiming that the author was a scholar or
    a misfit. Night patrols and watches were organised. Until finally, on the night
    of 18th October 1981, a patrol noticed a young man with a piece of
    chalk in his hand, writing something on a wall. Constantin Iftime told us what
    happened next.




    Constantin Iftime: He had no
    reaction. He was arrested, and he admitted to everything from the very
    beginning. His mother knew nothing about him, she panicked and started calling
    everywhere. She was only announced about the arrest the next day. He spent that
    night being interrogated. He was taken straight to the Securitate offices,
    because they were interested in who was behind this. They didn’t beat him up,
    ironically it was his own father who threatened him, not the Securitate. The ones
    who interrogated him were people who knew what was going on among students, and
    they wanted to make him talk without resorting to violence. But they did put a
    blinding light in his face and the Securitate guy was sitting behind that light.
    Those hours spent with a light in his face must have made him hot, he already
    had a fever, he had early-stage leukaemia. I think it was a period of hormonal imbalance
    caused by severe stress. But my opinion is that he was killed by the
    Securitate. He was a sensitive person, thrown into this extremely vicious
    circle. He was a hardworking boy, a nice teenager, but everyone treated him
    like an object.




    His teachers reprimanded him, his father
    attacked him for jeopardising his career, his mother suffered a trauma. Abandoned
    by his family, isolated from his friends and colleagues, marginalised together
    with his mother, Mugur Călinescu died of leukaemia on 14th February 1985,
    at the age of 19.




    He was awarded the title of fighter
    against the totalitarian regime, post-mortem. A theatre play and a film, both
    titled Uppercase Print, as well as a novel, are now keeping his memory alive. (tr. L. Simion, A.M. Popescu)

  • Mugur Călinescu

    Mugur Călinescu

    Mugur Călinescu’s name will forever remain in
    the history of heroism as a man’s struggle with a cruel, much stronger enemy
    but which did not frighten him. He is not only a Romanian hero, but also a
    universal example for all the people who fight for the right cause of freedom
    and dignity. Eventually, MugurCălinescu paid with his life for the
    courage to think and act for justice and truth.




    Mugur Călinescu was born on May 28, 1965 in
    Botoșani, northeastern Romania. In 1981, at 16 years old, when he was an 11th grader
    at the August Treboniu Laurian high school in his hometown, he
    decided that his existence and that of those around him, in a country ruled by
    a vicious communist regime, could not go on like that. So he decided to
    protest. Călinescu’s moving story was told publicly in the early 1990s, in the
    early years of freedom regained in December 1989, by the journalist, writer and
    historian Constantin Iftime. Here he is at the microphone with details:




    Constantin Iftime: He was a high school junior, going to Laurian
    high school, but previously he had studied at Eminescu high school. He took the
    math and physics exam, he was in a good class. His parents were separated, his
    father was wealthy, he worked in a clothing manufacturing factory, he was the
    chief tailor who made the patterns. He had a lot of money, he was a top tailor.
    He bought his boy a Japanese radio recorder with which he tuned in to radio
    Free Europe, and his mother did not know anything about that. He
    was a clever boy, he listened to music, he read books, he had a curious nature.




    On the night of September 12, 1981, Mugur left
    the house determined to voice his discontent. He walked towards a metal fence
    surrounding a building yard and wrote a slogan calling on people to oppose the
    increasingly harsh living conditions. Today we find it unbelievable that
    writing words on a wall is seen as an act of great courage. But it was an act
    of courage during communism, when most people were terrorized and preferred to
    keep silent. Constantin Iftime is back at the microphone with more:




    Constantin Iftime: You may wonder where he got the idea from? It
    was his own idea. He had some chalk at home, the type of chalk used by
    foresters, which did not come off easily. And he started writing slogans, he
    wrote the first slogans on some metal boards surrounding building yards. These
    slogans referred to the people’s precarious material situation. His mother was
    a saleswoman at the central store and had a small salary. It seems that there
    was a lot of talk about money in his family. His mother was constantly under
    pressure, they had cut about 30% of her salary, it was the period when the
    authorities started cutting people’s salaries.




    Another 31 nights followed, in which
    Mugur Călinescu continued to write his discontent on the walls of the town’s
    buildings. One of them was the headquarters of the county branch of the Romanian
    Communist Party. He wrote on walls, on billboards, on road kerbs. The local branch
    of the Securitate, the communist political police, went on maximum alert. Messages
    would keep appearing, in places where the members of the political repression
    structures least expected them, and they would be promptly erased. Where they
    couldn’t be removed, the place would be painted over.




    All the informants in all the
    factories in the town were mobilised. In their desperate effort to capture the
    author, the Securitate checked the records of all the apartment buildings, and
    all the letters people would send to the party. More than 47,000 handwriting
    samples were analysed, with the experts claiming that the author was a scholar or
    a misfit. Night patrols and watches were organised. Until finally, on the night
    of 18th October 1981, a patrol noticed a young man with a piece of
    chalk in his hand, writing something on a wall. Constantin Iftime told us what
    happened next.




    Constantin Iftime: He had no
    reaction. He was arrested, and he admitted to everything from the very
    beginning. His mother knew nothing about him, she panicked and started calling
    everywhere. She was only announced about the arrest the next day. He spent that
    night being interrogated. He was taken straight to the Securitate offices,
    because they were interested in who was behind this. They didn’t beat him up,
    ironically it was his own father who threatened him, not the Securitate. The ones
    who interrogated him were people who knew what was going on among students, and
    they wanted to make him talk without resorting to violence. But they did put a
    blinding light in his face and the Securitate guy was sitting behind that light.
    Those hours spent with a light in his face must have made him hot, he already
    had a fever, he had early-stage leukaemia. I think it was a period of hormonal imbalance
    caused by severe stress. But my opinion is that he was killed by the
    Securitate. He was a sensitive person, thrown into this extremely vicious
    circle. He was a hardworking boy, a nice teenager, but everyone treated him
    like an object.




    His teachers reprimanded him, his father
    attacked him for jeopardising his career, his mother suffered a trauma. Abandoned
    by his family, isolated from his friends and colleagues, marginalised together
    with his mother, Mugur Călinescu died of leukaemia on 14th February 1985,
    at the age of 19.




    He was awarded the title of fighter
    against the totalitarian regime, post-mortem. A theatre play and a film, both
    titled Uppercase Print, as well as a novel, are now keeping his memory alive. (tr. L. Simion, A.M. Popescu)

  • December 21, 2021

    December 21, 2021

    COMMEMORATION The
    heroes of the anti-communist uprising of December 1989 are commemorated in
    Bucharest today. Religious services and military ceremonies are held at the
    Revolution Heroes Cemetery and at the dedicated monuments downtown. Similar
    events are scheduled on Wednesday at the Romanian Revolution Heroes Monument,
    at the Radio Hall and the Romanian Television Corporation. Originating in Timișoara
    (west), on 16th December, the uprising spread across the country,
    culminating with dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu fleeing the capital city on 22nd
    December amid the protests of hundreds of thousands of Romanians. Captured by
    the Army, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were subject to a summary trial and
    executed in the southern town of Târgovişte. Romania was the only country behind the
    Iron Curtain where the change of regime was accompanied by bloodshed. Over 1,000
    people were killed and some 3,000 wounded.


    BUDGET The draft 2022 state budget and social security budget laws
    will be discussed and voted on in Parliament on Thursday. MPs have until this
    afternoon to table amendments. Also today, the budgets of the main public
    institutions are discussed in Parliament’s specialised committees. The
    government passed the bills on Monday and promised they are based on
    predictability and stability. The budget is based on an estimated
    economic growth rate of 4.6% and a GDP of some 260 billion euro, a predicted
    inflation rate of 6.5% and gross average salaries of 1,200 euros per month, with
    the budget deficit expected to stay within the limits agreed on with the
    European Commission under the excessive deficit procedure, namely 5.84% of GDP.
    The public pension fund will receive 7.32% of GDP. The Liberal
    president Florin Cîţu criticised the fact that only 6.7% of GDP was earmarked
    for investments, instead of 7% as agreed within the ruling coalition. The
    Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu argued however that the budget
    execution is more important than the exact breakdown of expenditure. The leader
    of USR party in opposition, Dacian Cioloş, says the draft budget relies on
    over-estimated revenues and said although public education is a priority for
    President Iohannis, not enough funding has been earmarked for the sector.


    TALKS The PM of Romania Nicolae Ciucă continues his first visit
    to Brussels since taking over the office less than a month ago. After last
    night’s working dinner with the president of the European Council, Charles
    Michel, Nicolae Ciucă has meetings scheduled today with the head of the
    European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen, and with the NATO secretary general,
    Jens Stoltenberg. Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels says Romania’s
    Schengen accession is a priority in the prime minister’s talks with EU
    officials. European security, with a focus on tensions in Romania’s
    neighbouring areas and at Ukraine’s eastern border, will be tackled in the
    meeting with the NATO secretary general.



    COVID-19 Traffic is hindered in downtown Bucharest today, as protesters
    encouraged by the nationalist opposition party AUR are picketing the Parliament
    Palace, disgruntled with the authorities’ plan to make the digital COVID
    certificate a requirement at the workplace. Measures to prevent a potential new
    pandemic wave were discussed by the health minister Alexandru Rafila with
    business community representatives, and the idea of a law making access to jobs
    conditional on the digital COVID certificate was put forth. According to the
    health ministry, the measure could be taken in case the number of COVID-19
    infections goes up 1.5 times for 3 consecutive weeks. Today the
    authorities announced 826 new COVID infections in 24 hours, and 88 related
    fatalities, 22 of them from a previous date. Since the start of the pandemic, some 1.8 million COVID-19
    cases have been reported in Romania and over 58,000 COVID patients died. Romania
    has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Proiecte sociale şi culturale la Deta, judeţul Timiş

    Proiecte sociale şi culturale la Deta, judeţul Timiş

    Mai multe proiecte sociale precum
    ridicarea unui centru de zi pentru vârstnici, o creșă și un bloc cu 32 de
    locuințe sociale sunt interconectate cu un alt proiect de mobilitate pentru
    extinderea rețelei de piste de biciclete din oraș spune viceprimarul localității
    Deta, Radu Rotar:


    Suntem la fază de proiectare cu un Centru de Zi de
    Bătrâni și o creșă, un bloc social, al doilea proiect. Un altul este tot, la
    fel, pe partea de social pentru niște locuințe sociale, o clădire separată, în
    valoare de 7.652. 000 de RON, e în fază de execuție. 32 de apartamente cu o
    cameră și cu două camere. Probabil că mai durează încă un an și ceva, doi ani,
    estimez eu, până la finalizare și de toate aceste proiecte sunt legate între
    ele cu o rețea urbană de piste de biciclete. Avem o reșea de piste de bicilete
    de 10 km în diferite stadii în localitate. Toate sunt, împreună în valoare de
    5. 270.000 de RON. Apoi anvelopări blocuri
    reablitarea a 3 blocuri, 1.464.000 de RON, reablitare creșă cu program
    prelungit. Aici avem o valoare de 3.599.000 de RON, proiectul creșă, cantină și
    centru de bătrâni este în valoare de 10.704.000 RON.


    Un alt proiect, pentru introducerea
    iluminatului public cu led, va putea fi realizat în perioada imediat următoare.
    Viceprimarul Radu Rotar:


    Mai avem un proiect pe fonduri europene în
    coolaborare cu ADR pe iluminat în tot orașul . Este în faza de proiectare.
    Probabil într-o săptămână se va încheia faza de proiectare și vor începe
    demersurile pentru contactarea executantului, la execuție va ajunge acest
    proiect, acesta va fi cel mai repede gata pentru că în domeniul acesta al
    iluminatului pe leduri avem și firme care se mișcă foarte bine și va putea fi
    dus la îndepinire foarte repede. Reabilitarea pe sistem de iluminat, orașul
    Deta, 3.300.000 RON și vrem să depunem încă un proiect pentru iluminat public
    pe leduri și pentru satul Opatița. Și o investiție mare este noua Casă de Cultură a orașului Deta. O Casă
    de Cultură de 500 de locuri. Aici suntem la fază de execuție, probabil că
    într-un an, un an și jumătate, construcția va fi finalizată.


    Valoarea totală a proiectelor pe fonduri
    europene ce se derulează în prezent în orașul Deta din județul Timiș este de 45
    de milioane 807 mii de lei.