Radio România Internațional

Tag: Spain

  • November 15, 2024

    November 15, 2024

     

    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis is on an official visit to Germany as of today, at the invitation of his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Romanian official will also have meetings with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the president of the Bundestag. Talks will focus on consolidating the Romanian-German cooperation at political, economic and security level, including on strengthening the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern flank and the trans-Atlantic relationship. Other topics include continuing support for Ukraine and for the stabilisation and development of the Republic of Moldova. Germany is Romania’s main trade partner and the second-largest investor in the Romanian economy.

     

    FLOODS The number of Romanian nationals who died in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, Spain, has reached 9. The information has been confirmed by the Romanian foreign ministry. According to a special task force set up by the Spanish government to centralise data on the floods in Valencia on 29 October, of the total number of victims 26 were foreign nationals, and the largest number of these were Romanians. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Spain faced new floods caused by heavy rainfalls. The city of Málaga (south) was flooded, and so were smaller towns and villages on the peninsula. Thousands of people were evacuated.

     

    SALARIES The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis signed into law a bill transposing the EU legislation on minimum wages. PM Marcel Ciolacu announced that as of 1 January 2025, minimum wages in Romania will be increased to approx. EUR 810. Romania has reported the highest increase rate for minimum salaries in the EU in the last 10 years.

     

    MOLDOVA The new Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, as amended following the referendum of 20 October, has been published in the country’s Official Journal. Unde the new act, Radio Chişinău reports, EU integration is a strategic goal of Moldova, and the identity of Moldova’s nation is European. The new Constitution also stipulates that Romanian is the official language of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    CHRISTMAS The Christmas Fair in Sibiu (central Romania), one of the most visited in Eastern Europe, opens on Friday. The Sibiu Fair is the oldest such event in Romania, and receives around 300,000 Romanian and foreign visitors every year. Craiova (south) also opened its Christmas fair today, while similar events in the cities of Braşov (centre) and Oradea (north-west) are scheduled to begin on 29 November.

     

    SHOPPING Nearly three-quarters of Romanians are concerned with price increases, according to the 2024 Holiday Shopping Report, conducted at European level. 72% of the Romanians will have smaller budgets for the winter holidays and plan on cutting down certain types of spending substantially. France reports similar concerns, followed by Spain and Italy. Worried about price rises, energy costs and personal financial pressures, Europeans tend to focus on essential expenses.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania takes on Kosovo on home turf tonight, in the 5th round of the UEFA Nations League. A win secures the top place in the group for Romania, therefore interest in the match is huge. However, the 55,000-seat National Arena will not be filled, as a stadium section will be closed because of a penalty ruled against Romania in the game against Lithuania on 9 September. Romania’s last match in the group is against Cyprus, on Monday, 18 November. (AMP)

  • November 9, 2024 UPDATE

    November 9, 2024 UPDATE

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    UKRAINE The EU foreign policy coordinator, Josep Borrell, assured Ukraine of Europe’s unwavering support on Saturday in Kyiv. The European Union has already provided EUR 122 billion in military and financial support to Ukraine and has trained about 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers, Josep Borrell said, adding that the bloc aimed to reach 75,000 by the end of winter. Josep Borrell, whose term in office ends in December, announced that EU defence ministers will meet next week to discuss continued military and diplomatic support for Ukraine, and will call for “increased support at this critical time”. European leaders, convened in Budapest recently, called on US President-elect Donald Trump to maintain support for Ukraine, to avoid trade wars and preserve global order.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    TOURISTS Over 300 American and Canadian tourists arrive this weekend in Constanța Port at the Black Sea, on board two cruise ships, the National Maritime Port Agency announced on Saturday. The 2 vessels are Viking Kadlin, with 178 American and Canadian passengers on board, and the River Adagio, with another 144 American tourists. “The tourist programme will include trips in the Danube Delta, wine tasting sessions in Murfatlar, walks in the old center of the city of Constanţa and in Mamaia,” the agency explained.

     

    UKRAINE Drones launched by the Russian invasion army hit Odessa, the largest Ukrainian port city at the Black Sea, where they killed one person and wounded 13, including two children, the regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Saturday, according to international news agencies. Residential buildings, private homes, shops and dozens of cars were damaged. Russia launched 51 drones, focusing on Odessa and the surrounding region, the Ukrainian air forces announced, claiming to have shot down 32 enemy aircraft.

     

    GAZA The Gaza Strip Civil Defence Saturday announced the death of 14 people, killed in 2 Israeli strikes, one on “a school”, the other in a camp of “tents for displaced persons”. A rocket fire on the Fahad al-Sabah school in Gaza City, turned into an emergency accommodation centre like most schools in the Strip, left “5 dead, including children, and 22 wounded”. The other Israeli airstrike targeted “tents for displaced people in Khan Younis” and resulted in “9 dead and 11 wounded”. The Israeli army fighting the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza Strip, said it had struck 50 terrorist targets in the last 24 hours in Gaza and Lebanon, where it says it plans to eliminate the Hezbollah Shia Islamists. Sources endorsed by the UN claim that more than 43,500 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. (AMP)

  • November 9, 2024

    November 9, 2024

     

    FLOODS The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to information from the Spanish authorities, two other Romanian citizens initially reported missing following the floods in Valencia have been found dead. The ministry sends its condolences to the bereaved families. According to the ministry, following the devastating floods in Spain, four Romanian nationals have died and seven are still missing. The embassy of Romania in Madrid and the consular office in Castellon de la Plana continued to check public information regarding the death of several Romanian citizens in the recent floods in the region of Valencia, but so far no confirmations have been received from the Spanish authorities.

     

    VISIT The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu will visit the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 12 and 13. He will have a meeting with his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, and will participate in the Romania-UK Economic Forum, the Romanian government announced. The government spokesperson Mihai Constantin explained that, ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to London, the Romanian government approved a memorandum that updates the Convention between the two countries in the field of taxation and prevention of tax evasion. According to Constantin, the new document takes into account the changes made in the Romanian legislation during the year 2023, as well as those related to Romania’s goal of joining the OECD. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (in power in Romania as part of a coalition with the National Liberal Party), Ciolacu is running for the presidency of Romania this month, on behalf of his party.

     

    SCHENGEN A meeting attended by Austria, Romania and Bulgaria will be organised in Budapest, Hungary on November 22, when Vienna might give up its opposition to the full accession of the two countries to the Schengen Area, Austrian media announced. The accession decision could be announced on December 12, at the upcoming Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Austrian minister of the interior, Gerhard Kärtner, confirmed participation in the meeting with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts, and said discussions with both countries are ongoing. He reiterated that the essential condition for Romania’s and Bulgaria’s full Schengen accession remains the effective protection of external borders and, if necessary, controls at internal borders. According to Austrian media, the change in attitude is due to the decrease in migration in the Balkans and in the number of asylum applications in Austria.

     

    STRIKE The Romanian foreign ministry warns Romanian citizens who are in Italy or transiting or planning to travel to that country that on November 12 a 4-hour national strike will be organised by airport staff, between 1 PM and 5 PM. The strike will affect Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport, as well as the Pescara, Naples and Perugia airports. In this context, flight delays or cancellations are possible. Romanian citizens can request consular assistance at the telephone numbers of the Embassy of Romania in Italy, with calls being forwarded to the Contact and Support Center for Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and answered by Call Center operators around the clock.

     

    RUGBY Romania’s national rugby team plays in Bucharest today against Tonga, in their first test match this month. Romania (20th place in the world ranking) and Tonga (16th place) have met in 5 games so far, with Romania winning twice. The last time the two teams were face to face was last year, at the World Cup in France, when the Pacific team won 45-24. As part of their preparation for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Australia, Romania will also play at home against Canada on November 16 and Uruguay on the 23rd. In order to reach the final tournament, Romania must rank among the top two teams in Group B, i.e. win two of the three games it has to play: against Germany (February 1/2, 2025, in Bucharest), Belgium (February 8/9, away from home) or Portugal (February 15/16, again in Bucharest). Romania has taken part in all Rugby World Cup finals so far, except for the 2019 edition, when it was disqualified because it had used a naturalised Tongan player, who did not have the right to play.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified for the semifinals of the WTA 125 tournament in Cali (Colombia), after defeating Australia’s Tina Smith, 6-1, 6-3. Begu (102 WTA), seed no. 2, won after an hour and 12 minutes against a younger and lower ranked opponent (322 WTA). The Romanian won USD 8,000 and 81 WTA points. Begu, who defeated her compatriot Anca Todoni in the quarter-finals, will play the final against the winner of the match between Hungarian Panna Udvardy (146 WTA) and the Slovenian Veronika Erjavec (199 WTA). (AMP)

  • November 4, 2024

    November 4, 2024

    Visit – The Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu is paying a working visit to France today, where he will meet with his counterpart, Michel Barnier, as well as representatives of the Romanian community in the Paris region. The visit begins at the Euronaval Exhibition, the largest and oldest exhibition in the world dedicated to the naval defense industry, which opened its doors this morning near Paris. This year’s edition of the exhibition, featuring over 500 exhibitors from around the world, is dedicated to naval security and enhancing combat capabilities, in a tense geopolitical context where the industry needs to provide rapid solutions to military Navies involved in conflicts and for protecting sensitive areas. France is one of Romania’s most important trade partners and investors. The relationship between the two countries has consistently strengthened in recent years, including in the political and defense areas, thanks to the strategic partnership and France’s commitment to its role as the framework nation of NATO’s multinational battle group in Romania, following the war of aggression Russia started against Ukraine.

     

    Floods – The Romanian Foreign Ministry is verifying, through the Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the Romanian Consulate in Castellon de la Plana, the information regarding four Romanian citizens who are reported missing following the recent weather phenomena in Spain. The rest of the individuals previously reported as missing are safe. The Valencia region, located in southeastern Spain, has been hit by devastating floods described by experts as “unprecedented,” which killed at least 217 people, including one Romanian. Dozens of others remain missing. The Spanish press also wrote on a Romanian family that lost their lives in the floods in La Torre, a district near Valencia. The ministry stated in a press release that the representatives of the diplomatic mission and the consulate office remain in constant contact with the Spanish authorities, and mobile consular teams have kept in contact with the Romanian citizens, depending on their requests.

     

    Moldova – The incumbent president of the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), the pro-European Maia Sandu, has won a second term in office after defeating the pro-Moscow candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo in the decisive round of presidential election held on Sunday. According to data provided by the Central Electoral Commission in Chișinău, Sandu received over 55% of the votes. She thanked the Moldovan citizens living in the Diaspora for voting for her in large numbers. The voter turnout in the diaspora, including in neighboring Romania, is considered historic, being the highest in the last 30 years. Over 320,000 Moldovan citizens voted abroad on Sunday, compared to nearly 240,000 in the first round of voting. The voter turnout in the second round of elections in the Republic of Moldova was 54.31%.

     

    Strike – A token strike was announced by the employees of the National Archives in Romania, the first in the 192-year history of this institution. The archivists from the 42 branches across Romania are unhappy that their salaries are much lower than those from the institution’s central structures. There are differences of 2,000 lei (500 Euros) between employees with the same skills and duties, say the trade unionists. Moreover, they want to warn the authorities that funds are needed to improve the conditions in which the documents, some of which are of inestimable value, are kept. Today’s token strike could turn into an all-out strike on November 11, if the authorities do not come up with an answer to the employees’ demands.

     

    Campaign – During this period, the campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections are being held simultaneously in Romania. On November 24, the first round of the presidential election will take place, on December 1 – the voting for the appointment of deputies and senators, and on December 8 – the second round of the presidential election. In the electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections, the parties, alliances or independents must convince the electorate to vote for them in order to win as many of the 466 seats of senators or deputies as possible. On the other hand, 10 candidates proposed by political parties and 4 independents are competing to become president of the country.

     

    US election – The Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and the Republican Donald Trump remain in a tight race in the seven swing states ahead of the US presidential election, according to the final New York Times/Siena College poll. The opinion poll shows that Vice President Harris has minimal advantages in Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin and the former President Trump in Arizona. According to the survey of 7,879 likely voters conducted in the seven states between October 24 and November 2, the two are very close in Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania. In all seven states, the results were within the poll’s 3.5% margin of error. About 40% of respondents have already voted and Kamala Harris leads by 8% among them, while Donald Trump leads among those who say they are very likely to vote but have not yet, the poll shows. Both candidates participated in campaign events at the end of the week in the swing states.

     

    Searches – 130 searches are taking place today in Bucharest and in six counties in the south of Romania, in a file regarding non-compliance with the arms and ammunition regime, qualified smuggling and drug trafficking. Also, 60 people, including the gallery leader of a football club and a singer, are brought to hearings. According to the judicial source, the investigations revealed that a foreign citizen of Turkish origin organized, together with several Romanians, a criminal group specialized in the procurement and sale of lethal firearms, without identification markings, made from components produced in Turkey. These weapons, known as ghost guns, are illegal in all European states. The traffickers brought them into Romania by road, hidden in goods transport vehicles or in the component parts of cars and they were sold through intermediaries to violent clans or individuals. So far, almost 50 such weapons have been confiscated. (LS)

  • November 2, 2024 UPDATE

    November 2, 2024 UPDATE

    FLOOD According to authorities in Bucharest every Romanian national in the Spanish regions affected by the latest flooding will be able to benefit consular and logistic support by means of Romania’s diplomatic representations. Bucharest is effectively cooperating with the Spanish authorities to set up a rapid and effective mechanism for the repatriation of those willing to return to Romania if need be. Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is expected to meet his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez in a couple of days for talks over the setting up of a logistic centre to help the Romanian nationals affected by flooding in Spain. On Saturday Ciolacu said that a crisis management cell had been created by the Foreign Ministry, but a logistic centre would be also set up jointly with the Spanish authorities. Rescue teams in Spain are making it to the areas blocked by catastrophic flooding where the death toll has reached 211, including four Romanians. One of the victims has been confirmed by the Romanian authorities while a family with a child has been mentioned by the Spanish press. Nine Romanians are reported missing in Spain and the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest is verifying the information about them. The Romanian Embassy in Madrid and the consulate in Castellon de la Plana are in permanent contact with the Spanish authorities. The region of Valencia, in south-eastern Spain, has been affected by devastating floods, experts have deemed as unprecedented. Spain has declared three days of national mourning.

     

    ELECTION The ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova will be seeing the second round of its presidential election on Sunday. The incumbent pro-European president, Maia Sandu, will be running against the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. The first round on October 20 was held concurrently with a referendum on the country’s EU accession and was marked by attempted frauds sponsored by Russia and the runaway oligarch Ilan Şor, who had fled the country in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence. In the first round of voting Maia Sandu got 42.49% and Alexandr Stoianoglo 25.95%. In another development the Constitutional Court has validated the referendum on the country’s EU accession after 50.38% of the Moldovans voted in favour. The Republic of Moldova submitted its EU accession candidacy in March 2022 and the EU kicked off accession negotiations with the former soviet republic in June this year.

     

    MOLDOVA In an interview to Radio Romania, the country’s Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, has highlighted the importance of the presidential election in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet, Romanian-speaking country, both from the voters’ point of view and also from Bucharest’s desire to have a trustworthy dialogue partner in Chisinau. The Romanian minister has also said the Moldovans must vote not only with their hearts but also with their minds for a better future and to bring the republic where it belongs, namely in the European Union. Like in the first round of voting, 16 polling stations will be open in Romania; three in Bucharest, two in Cluj, western Romania and Iasi, in eastern Romania. The cities of Brasov, Sibiu, Timisoara, Craiova, Oradea, Suceava, Bacau, Galati and Constanta each will have one polling station. Moldovan citizens can cast their ballots in Romania by producing an ID or passport between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

     

    AUDITION The European Parliament’s specialized committees on Monday are expected to commence the audition of the designated European Commissioners. On this occasion the MEPs are going to assess the commissioners’ competences, independence and their attachment to European values, essential elements to serve as members of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen. According to the schedule announced by the European Parliament, the auditions are to end on 12 November, a day when the six executive vice-presidents of the future Commission, including Romanian Roxana Mînzatu who holds the portfolio, ‘People, competences, training’, will have to answer a series of questions. The entire European Commission will have to get greenlight from the European Parliament, the vote being scheduled for the plenary session of 25-28 November in Strasbourg. After getting Parliament confirmation, the European Commission will have to be officially appointed by the European Council through voting. The commission must have the yes-votes of 55% of the member states.

    (bill)

  • November 1, 2024 UPDATE

    November 1, 2024 UPDATE

     

    DEFENCE Romania and Norway continue to stand by Ukraine at these critical times, the defence minister Angel Tîlvăr said on Friday, after a meeting in Bucharest with his Norwegian counterpart, Bjorn Arild Gram. Minister Tîlvăr highlighted the successful cooperation between the two countries’ air forces under a programme in which the Romanian government awarded to Norway a contract for the procurement of 32 F-16 aircraft with initial logistic support, and for complementary goods and services from the US. A total of 12 airplanes have been received so far, after less than a week ago 3 F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role aircraft arrived in Romania. The entire lot is expected to be received by the end of 2025.

     

    FLOODS A person on the list of Romanian nationals missing following the devastating floods in Spain has been found dead, the Romanian foreign ministry announced on Friday. The foreign ministry via the Romanian consular office in Castellon de la Plana and the Romanian Embassy in Madrid continues to check information on an estimated 15 Romanian nationals on the list of missing persons. The region of Valencia, in the south-east of Spain, has been hit by unprecedented floods. At least 205 people died in Spain following the rainfalls and floods, according to updates provided by the Spanish authorities. Scores of people are still missing. Spain declared 3 days of national mourning.

     

    ELECTIONS The election campaign for the parliamentary elections of December 1st officially got under way on Friday. Romanian voters will elect 466 MPs, 330 in the Chamber of Deputies and 136 in the Senate. The election campaign will come to an end on 30th November. Romanian citizens residing abroad will be able to cast their ballots either through postal voting or in person at one of the polling stations set up abroad. The Romanian foreign ministry submitted to the Permanent Electoral Authority its proposals for the 950 polling stations to be set up abroad for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. The election campaign for the presidential elections began a week ago. The first round will take place on 24th November, and the second round on 8th December. In June, Romania also saw European and local elections.

     

    ANNIVERSARY Radio Romania Friday celebrated 96 years of uninterrupted service. With over 3 million listeners a day, the public radio station must reinvent itself and make itself more attractive to younger audiences, said the director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan-Ioan Dincă. Radio Romania broadcast its first programme at 5 pm on 1st November 1928. In recognition of its decisive role in the country’s history, in December 2019 Parliament declared 1st November National Radio Day in Romania. To mark this occasion, the Radio Concert Hall Friday night hosted an anniversary concert conducted by the celebrated Romanian conductor Cristian Mandeal.

     

    TRADE The Romanian minister of the economy, entrepreneurship and tourism, Ştefan-Radu Oprea, and the trade minister of Turkey, Omer Bolat, Friday chaired the second session of the Romanian-Turkish Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). The Romanian official said there is evident progress in terms of the value of bilateral trade, while Omer Bolat said bilateral economic relations have grown in all areas, from trade to investments, tourism, transport and services. He also appreciated Romania’s support for his country within the EU, in respect of the modernisation of the customs union. The Romanian-Turkish JETCO establishment declaration was signed by the two economy ministers on the sidelines of the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Romania on April 1, 2015.

     

    JOURNALISTS In most cases in which journalists get killed around the world, their killers go unpunished, said UNESCO in a report on International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which is marked every year on 2nd November. 85% of all crimes against journalists recorded by UNESCO in 2006 are still not solved, the report also writes. Over the two years covered by the UNESCO report, namely 2022 and 2023, 162 journalists were killed, almost a half of them in countries with ongoing armed conflicts. In 2022, Mexico reported the largest number of journalists killed, 19, followed by Ukraine, with 11 journalists killed. In 2023, Palestine reported the largest number of journalists killed, namely 24. (AMP)

  • October 31, 2024 UPDATE

    October 31, 2024 UPDATE

    SPAIN Six Romanian nationals out of the 22 reported missing in Spain are safe, the Romanian Foreign Ministry says. According to the same sources, the latest death poll stands at over 150 dead and scores missing in one of the biggest natural disasters in Spain’s recent history. In Bucharest, Prime Minister Ciolacu summoned the ministers and representatives of government institutions for talks over the situation of the Romanians in Spain affected by the latest flooding. According to government spokesman Mihai Constantin, the Prime Minister has called on the ministries to establish an action group in order to set up a logistic centre in Castellon de la Plana so that the Romanian state may provide additional assistance to the Romanians affected. Ciolacu has called on the ministries to keep permanent contact with the Spanish authorities and the Romanians there and provide transportation to those requesting repatriation. The Romanian diplomacy has cautioned that the Spanish weathermen have again issued alerts for heavy downpours in the region of Valencia, Tarragona, Andalusia and part of Catalonia.

     

     CAMPAIGN The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections in Romania starts on Thursday night, and it will last until November 30. During this period, the parties, alliances or independents entering the race for a seat in the new two-chamber parliament will have to convince the electorate to grant them the vote on December 1. There are currently 330 parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies, and 136 in the Senate. We recall that, also during this period, the presidential election campaign, which started a week ago, is taking place in Romania. The first round of the presidential elections will take place on November 24 and the second round – on December 8.

     

    EC The European Commission has praised the progress made by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in implementing reforms necessary for joining the EU. In the annual report on the enlargement of the Union, in which it makes an assessment of all accession candidate or aspirant states, the Commission expresses its hope that, next year, it will be able to start discussions on negotiation chapters with Chisinau and Kyiv officials. The Republic of Moldova showed commitment on the path of reforms and showed political stability in the last year, despite Russia’s hybrid attacks, the European Commission believes. Brussels draws attention to the fact that there is still a need for efforts in many areas, including Justice. Despite the steps taken before, additional efforts are needed, also on the part of Ukraine, the Commission says. Both Ukraine and Moldova started accession negotiations in the summer of this year.

     

    MOLDOVA On Sunday, November 3, the second round of the presidential elections takes place in the Republic of Moldova. Running are the incumbent president, the pro-European Maia Sandu, and the pro-Russian Alexandr Stoianoglo. In the first round, Sandu got over 42% of the votes, and her opponent, 26%. Maia Sandu has stated that joining the European Union is the only way forward for the Moldovan people and said about Stoianoglo that he is a tool of evil forces.

    bill

  • Athlete of the Week

    Athlete of the Week

    Last week, the Spanish city of Barcelona hosted one of the most prestigious international swimming competitions entitled Mare Nostrum. Every year this event brings together the world’s best swimmers. With the upcoming Olympics in Paris, the Mare Nostrum contest was a major landmark in the training timetable of our swimmers. Among the athletes who compelled recognition in Barcelona was the Romanian swimmer David Popovici who won the freestyle races of 100 and 200 meters with an excellent timing for which Radio Romania International has designated him athlete of the week.

    David’s first win in Barcelona was on Wednesday in the 200 meter freestyle race, which he ended in one minute, 44 seconds and 74 hundredths, a new record for the competition and Popovici’s personal record.

    The Romanian ended the race one second ahead of runner up Sun-woo Hwang of South Korea, which is also the world champion of the race. A day later, Popovici won the 100 meter race in 48 seconds and 49 hundredths. Popovici again beat Sun-woo Hwang, but only by two hundredths this time.

    David Popovici was born in Bucharest on September 15, 2004. He compelled recognition in the European championship for junior swimmers in Rome in 2021, when he won the 200, 100 and 50 meter races. In the last race he set a world record in junior competitions. He later beat the world records in the 100 and 200 freestyle races. He managed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics where he came fourth in the 200 meter race missing the third place by two hundredths.

    In the senior competitions he obtained his first major performance in November 2021, when in Kazan, Russia, he became European champion in the 200 meter freestyle race. In 2022, he compelled recognition at the World Championship in Budapest, winning the 100 and 200 meter races, which was also a premiere for the Romanian swimming.

    Then at the European Championships in Rome he ended the 100 meter race in 46 seconds and 86 hundredths, a new world record. His performances in 2023 weren’t that good but his latest results in Barcelona prove that David Popovici remains Romania’s best bet at the Olympic swimming competitions in Paris.

    (bill)

  • February 20, 2024

    February 20, 2024

    VISIT The Romanian Senate Speaker, Nicolae Ciucă, who is on an official visit to Madrid, has talks scheduled today with the head of the People’s Party in Spain, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and the secretary general for defence policy, Juan Francisco Martinez Nunez. Mr. Ciucǎ will also have a meeting with the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain and Portugal, Timotei. On Monday, after the meeting with his counterpart, Pedro Rollan Ojeda, Nicolae Ciuca announced that the Romanians living in Spain may hold dual citizenship as of this year.

     

    ELECTIONS The leaders of the Social Democratic Party and National Liberal Party in Romania’s ruling coalition are meeting again on Wednesday to decide on whether to merge this year’s elections, after the talks so far have failed. The Liberals want the local elections to take place this summer concurrently with the elections for the European Parliament, while the Social Democrats want the parliamentary elections due this autumn to be held jointly with the second round of the presidential election. Save Romania Union, in opposition, threatened to take any legislation merging the elections to the Constitutional Court. This year all 4 types of elections are scheduled in Romania (local, parliamentary, and presidential ballots, and elections for the EP).

     

    HEALTH Some 3.3 million sick leaves were given in Romania last year, which is significantly below the over 4 million reported in 2022. Most sick leaves were taken by cancer patients and pregnant women. The head of the National Health Insurance Agency, Valeria Herdea, says this is not about the number of sick leave days taken by people, but about the fact that many citizens have health problems. Recently, the government has issued an order introducing a 10% tax on sick leave allowances. The authorities argued this was to discourage the practice of taking sick leaves for minor health problems. But the order triggered discontent especially among cancer patients. The Senate withdrew the provision, and the order is to be discussed next in the Chamber of Deputies.

     

    AUTOMOTIVE The Romanian automotive market will likely see a moderate 5% growth this year, the Romanian Automobile Producers and Importers Association (APIA) announced. The Association expects EV sales to continue to increase, and sales of diesel vehicles to drop in 2024.

     

    MISSION The European Union has launched its own naval mission to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Romania may also take part in the mission. Greece will provide a commander for its operational headquarters, while Italy will provide the force commander. According to the Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani, since November Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial vessels on this route, allegedly in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza.

     

    TABLE TENNIS Romania’s men’s team have qualified in the round of 32 of the world table tennis championships in Busan, South Korea, after defeating Iran, 3-1 on Tuesday. On Monday, Romania’s women’s team went straight into the eighth-finals. Taking part in the men’s and women’s competition in South Korea are 40 teams. The top 8 teams at the World Championships are qualified in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup




    The
    Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea won the WTA 100 held in Reus, Spain. On
    Sunday she defeated Elizabeth Mandlik (US) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6. For this achievement,
    Sorana was awarded EUR 13,000 and 160 WTA points. Another performance for
    Romanian tennis players last week was Gabriela Ruse’s qualifying into the
    semi-finals of the doubles competition of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, together
    with Marta Kostiuk (Ukraine). The two athletes were defeated by seeds no. 1 Jessica
    Pegula / Coco Gauff (US), 7-5, 7-6 in the match for the final. Ruse and Kostiuk
    received 390 WTA points.




    Both teams
    representing Romania at the women’s handball Champions League left the
    competition after the quarter-finals. On Saturday, Rapid Bucharest lost to Vipers
    Kristiansand 40 – 31 in Norway, after Vipers had already won the first leg of
    the match, in Bucharest, 31-25. On Sunday, Team Esbjerg, of Denmark, beat CSM
    Bucharest, 33-31, in the Romanian capital city, after a previous 32-28 win at
    home. The Hungarian teams Győr and Ferencváros are the other 2 teams qualified
    into the final tournament of the Champions League, scheduled for June in
    Budapest.




    This
    weekend saw the start of the largest chess tournament hosted by Bucharest:
    Superbet Chess Classic Romania. Scores of the world’s top chess players are
    taking part. Romania is represented by Bogdan Deac and Richard Rapport. After 2
    rounds, 3 players are top of the tables with 1.5 points: Wesley So (US), rusul Ian
    Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Richard Rapport. The tournament offers USD 350,000
    in total prize money and is the first round of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour.




    Matches
    were played over the weekend counting for the 7th leg of the play-off
    / play-out round of the Romanian football SuperLeague. In the play-out, on
    Friday FC Voluntari Mioveni 1-0, and Petrolul defeated Chindia Târgovişte, 2-1.
    On Saturday, FC Botoşani drew against Universitatea Clu, 0-0, with the last two
    matches, pitting Hermannstadt against FC U Craiova and FC Argeş against UTA
    Arad, scheduled for Monday.




    In the
    play-offs, on Saturday Farul Constanţa thrashed Rapid Bucharest, 7-2, while on
    Sunday CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova drew, 1-1. In the last match of this
    leg, FCSB are facing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe in Bucharest on Monday. Top of the
    standings so far are Farul Constanta, with 46 points, followed by FCSB (40). (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup




    The
    Romanian tennis player Sorana Cîrstea won the WTA 100 held in Reus, Spain. On
    Sunday she defeated Elizabeth Mandlik (US) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6. For this achievement,
    Sorana was awarded EUR 13,000 and 160 WTA points. Another performance for
    Romanian tennis players last week was Gabriela Ruse’s qualifying into the
    semi-finals of the doubles competition of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, together
    with Marta Kostiuk (Ukraine). The two athletes were defeated by seeds no. 1 Jessica
    Pegula / Coco Gauff (US), 7-5, 7-6 in the match for the final. Ruse and Kostiuk
    received 390 WTA points.




    Both teams
    representing Romania at the women’s handball Champions League left the
    competition after the quarter-finals. On Saturday, Rapid Bucharest lost to Vipers
    Kristiansand 40 – 31 in Norway, after Vipers had already won the first leg of
    the match, in Bucharest, 31-25. On Sunday, Team Esbjerg, of Denmark, beat CSM
    Bucharest, 33-31, in the Romanian capital city, after a previous 32-28 win at
    home. The Hungarian teams Győr and Ferencváros are the other 2 teams qualified
    into the final tournament of the Champions League, scheduled for June in
    Budapest.




    This
    weekend saw the start of the largest chess tournament hosted by Bucharest:
    Superbet Chess Classic Romania. Scores of the world’s top chess players are
    taking part. Romania is represented by Bogdan Deac and Richard Rapport. After 2
    rounds, 3 players are top of the tables with 1.5 points: Wesley So (US), rusul Ian
    Nepomniachtchi (Russia) and Richard Rapport. The tournament offers USD 350,000
    in total prize money and is the first round of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour.




    Matches
    were played over the weekend counting for the 7th leg of the play-off
    / play-out round of the Romanian football SuperLeague. In the play-out, on
    Friday FC Voluntari Mioveni 1-0, and Petrolul defeated Chindia Târgovişte, 2-1.
    On Saturday, FC Botoşani drew against Universitatea Clu, 0-0, with the last two
    matches, pitting Hermannstadt against FC U Craiova and FC Argeş against UTA
    Arad, scheduled for Monday.




    In the
    play-offs, on Saturday Farul Constanţa thrashed Rapid Bucharest, 7-2, while on
    Sunday CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova drew, 1-1. In the last match of this
    leg, FCSB are facing Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe in Bucharest on Monday. Top of the
    standings so far are Farul Constanta, with 46 points, followed by FCSB (40). (AMP)

  • Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania maintains its goal to join the Schengen area this year, the Romanian Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, announced in Brussels. Even if the subject of Romania’s entry into the free travel area was not on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council – JAH, the Romanian official reiterated that Bucharest might have a chance of integration in 2023. For this, however, the subject should be included on Spains list of priorities, a country that will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second part of this year. According to the Romanian official, the European interior ministers reiterated their support, but Austria, which was opposed to Romanias accession also in December, maintains its reservations.



    Lucian Bode: I want to welcome the statements of several interior ministers, who reiterated their support for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. The Spanish Interior Minister specifically requested that this objective be reached by the member states this year. He confirmed to me that on March 30 he will be in Bucharest on a working visit, and, on the occasion, we will certainly be able to discuss the goals of the Spanish presidency and the goal that we want to be a priority for the Spanish presidency, namely Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.



    According to minister Lucian Bode, the expansion of the Schengen area, beyond the advantages brought to Romania, will raise the level of security at the EU borders. Moreover, he says, the new figures presented by the European Commission during the meeting show that migration along the Western Balkan corridor has decreased by almost half compared to last year. The Romanian interior minister believes that this is an additional argument for the fact that security at the border of Europe has been strengthened. However, some Romanian MEPs say that Romania would not have any chances of entering the free travel area this year.



    Eugen Tomac, the MEP who sued the European Council at the European Court of Justice, accuses the Council of violating the European legislation and of political discrimination. He says that although the three states met the technical criteria, the Council made the political decision to reject Romania and Bulgaria, while Croatia was accepted, at the December Council in Brussels. Eugen Tomac also initiated a petition entitled Romania deserves to be in Schengen and invites Romanians to sign it.



    Eugen Tomac: “We want our voice, our message related to this topic to be very clear and correctly understood by the European decision-makers. It is a legitimate move; the Council made an act of injustice that must be repaired at the Court of Justice of the European Union.



    It should also be mentioned that Spain will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in a difficult period. (LS)

  • Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania and the Schengen area

    Romania maintains its goal to join the Schengen area this year, the Romanian Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, announced in Brussels. Even if the subject of Romania’s entry into the free travel area was not on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council – JAH, the Romanian official reiterated that Bucharest might have a chance of integration in 2023. For this, however, the subject should be included on Spains list of priorities, a country that will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union in the second part of this year. According to the Romanian official, the European interior ministers reiterated their support, but Austria, which was opposed to Romanias accession also in December, maintains its reservations.



    Lucian Bode: I want to welcome the statements of several interior ministers, who reiterated their support for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. The Spanish Interior Minister specifically requested that this objective be reached by the member states this year. He confirmed to me that on March 30 he will be in Bucharest on a working visit, and, on the occasion, we will certainly be able to discuss the goals of the Spanish presidency and the goal that we want to be a priority for the Spanish presidency, namely Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.



    According to minister Lucian Bode, the expansion of the Schengen area, beyond the advantages brought to Romania, will raise the level of security at the EU borders. Moreover, he says, the new figures presented by the European Commission during the meeting show that migration along the Western Balkan corridor has decreased by almost half compared to last year. The Romanian interior minister believes that this is an additional argument for the fact that security at the border of Europe has been strengthened. However, some Romanian MEPs say that Romania would not have any chances of entering the free travel area this year.



    Eugen Tomac, the MEP who sued the European Council at the European Court of Justice, accuses the Council of violating the European legislation and of political discrimination. He says that although the three states met the technical criteria, the Council made the political decision to reject Romania and Bulgaria, while Croatia was accepted, at the December Council in Brussels. Eugen Tomac also initiated a petition entitled Romania deserves to be in Schengen and invites Romanians to sign it.



    Eugen Tomac: “We want our voice, our message related to this topic to be very clear and correctly understood by the European decision-makers. It is a legitimate move; the Council made an act of injustice that must be repaired at the Court of Justice of the European Union.



    It should also be mentioned that Spain will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in a difficult period. (LS)

  • November 23, 2022 – UPDATE

    November 23, 2022 – UPDATE

    JUDICIARY The Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis has hailed the conclusions of a European Commission report saying that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism in Romania’s judicial
    sector would be lifted. A stage has
    ended, but further efforts must be made as reforms are vital, Iohannis said. In
    turn, PM Nicolae Ciuca said the European Commission’s report encourages the government
    to stay on the path of supporting the independence of the judiciary and the
    fight against corruption to the benefit of the Romanian society.


    VISIT The joint
    effort to support Ukraine and the strength of the Romanian-Latvian cooperation
    were highlighted in Riga by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, in a joint
    press conference with his Latvian counterpart, Egils Levits. The Romanian
    official’s visit to Riga takes place in the context of the celebration of 100
    years of diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. The two presidents also
    discussed Romania’s Schengen accession. Klaus Iohannis emphasised that Romania
    has never been and will never be a country that allows uncontrolled migration
    through illegal border crossing. The president of Latvia highlighted the common
    approach of the two countries with respect to the future of the EU and welcomed
    Romania’s participation in the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic states
    in 2023. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Lithuania,
    in Vilnius, while on Friday he will take part, jointly with his counterparts
    from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, in a summit devoted to strengthening NATO’s
    eastern flank and to supporting Ukraine and the R. of Moldova.


    COOPERATION Romania and Spain are pleading for a more capable and
    responsible European Union, one which is able to provide support and play a
    relevant role in implementing the Strategic Compass, fully complementary to
    NATO and avoiding redundancies, including in the current security context,
    marked by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, reads a joint statement
    signed on Wednesday in Castellón de
    la Plana, Spain, by the heads of the Romanian and Spanish governments. Bucharest and
    Madrid have also reiterated their commitment to a strong NATO, focusing on the
    full implementation of the Strategic Concept adopted in Madrid, with special
    emphasis on consolidating defence and deterrence on the eastern flank. The PM
    of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, was received with military honours in Castellon de
    la Plana by the head of Spain’s government, Pedro Sanchez. According to Ciucă, bilateral relations are even stronger
    thanks to the nearly one-million strong, highly integrated and active Romanian
    community contributing to the development of Spain’s economy and society.


    NATO – A meeting of NATO
    foreign ministers will be held in Bucharest on November 29-30, 2022. The
    meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg.
    Attending will also be the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and
    Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the foreign ministers of Finland and Sweden.


    DRILL NATO troops
    Wednesday conducted a military exercise to test the air and missile defence in
    Romania, one week after a stray missile crashed in Poland and revealed
    weaknesses in the Alliance’s air shield, Reuters reports. The French air defence
    system deployed to Romania repelled a simulated attack by Allied fighter jets,
    NATO’s Allied Air Command in Ramstein, Germany said. Taking part in the
    exercise were Turkish F-16 fighter jets, Spanish Eurofighters, US growler
    aircraft designed for electronic warfare and French Rafale jets.


    FOOTBALL Japan produced the second big surprise of the Qatar football World
    Cup, after defeating 4-times Cup winners Germany 2-1, on Wednesday in Group
    E. Also on Wednesday, world vice-champions Croatia drew against Morocco,
    0-0, in Group F. Another former world champion, Spain, takes on Costa Rica, and
    Belgium plays against Canada. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia stunned football fans
    with one of the biggest upsets in the history of the World Cup, defeating
    2-times champions Argentina 2-1. Also on Tuesday, the defending champions, France,
    defeated Australia 4-1, while Denmark and Poland drew against Tunisia and
    Mexico, respectively, 0 – 0. (AMP)

  • October 23, 2022 UPDATE

    October 23, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO Spain is going
    to send F-18 and Eurofighter jets to Romania and Bulgaria, to help strengthen
    NATO’s eastern flank in the context of the war in Ukraine. According to Radio
    Romania’s correspondent in Madrid, the aircraft, pilots and relevant auxiliary
    and maintenance personnel will reach the Feteşti air base in the south of
    Romania on December 1, and will be stationed there until the end of March 2023.
    Currently stationed in Zaragoza, they will monitor air space in the region and
    take part in training missions. This is Spain’s response to the Allied request
    for an enhanced contribution to NATO’s prevention capability, the Spanish
    defence ministry said, and added that Spain has already installed a long-range
    air surveillance radar in Schitu, Constanţa County, operational since October
    17 and serviced by 38 troops.


    BORDER Romania’s
    border police announced that over 97,000 people entered Romania on Saturday, of
    whom more than 9,500 were Ukrainian nationals, up 15.6% since the previous day.
    According to current data, over 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens have entered
    Romania since February 10, and nearly 4,400 of them have applied for asylum
    here.


    NRRP Romania is
    set to receive EUR 2.6 bln in the coming days under the National Recovery and
    Resilience Plan, to be channelled into the country’s economic recovery. The
    funds are transferred after the European Commission authorised the payment of
    the first instalments of the non-reimbursable aid and loan components. Romania submitted
    the first payment request in May, after meeting the targets and benchmarks for
    the 4th quarter of 2021. In September, the European Commission’s assessment of
    these targets was approved and submitted to the Economic and Financial
    Committee, which also approved it. The Romanian minister for investment and
    European projects Marcel Boloş believes this is just the beginning of a long
    road, which, if successfully completed, will translate into investments in
    motorways, railways, schools and hospitals. The next payment request will
    amount to EUR 3.2 bln, for which over 50 targets will have to be met, related
    to the first half of this year. Romania may access a total of nearly EUR 30 bln
    under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, of which it has already
    received 2 pre-financing instalments amounting to a rough EUR 3.8 bln.


    COAL Romania has
    increased its coal output to mitigate the energy crunch. The amounts extracted
    in the first 8 months of the year went up 1.7% and imports rose by 13.5%, the
    National Statistics Institute reports. The National Strategy and Forecast
    Commission estimates for this year a coal output 10% higher than in 2021 and a
    2.8% rise in imports. For 2023, the Commission forecasts an 8% increase in
    output.


    CHINA The Chinese
    president Xi Jinping was re-elected on Sunday as leader of the ruling Communist
    Party, thus becoming China’s strongest leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of
    the Chinese communist regime, international news agencies report. Xi Jinping was
    appointed for a 3rd five-year term in office by a largely reshuffled Central
    Committee, and is very likely to be re-elected president as well in March. ‘China cannot develop without the world, and the world also
    needs China,’ he said, and praised what he called the two miracles achieved
    by his country-rapid economic development and long-term social stability. Xi
    Jinping appointed many of his close allies in the Standing Committee, a 7-member
    group in power in China. The all-powerful Politburo includes no women among its
    members for the first time in 25 years.


    HANDBALL The
    Romanian women’s handball champions, Rapid Bucharest, Sunday defeated Storhamar Handball Elite,
    of Norway, 27-25, in a home match in Champions’ League Group B. Rapid remain
    undefeated after 6 matches in Group B. Their next game is scheduled on December
    3, away from home, against handball powerhouse Gyori Audi ETO KC. (AMP)