Radio România Internațional

Tag: state of the union address

  • State of the European Union

    State of the European Union

    The war in Ukraine, the tensions with Russia or the energy crisis are some of the immediate realities included in the State of the Union Address delivered in the European Parliament in Strasbourg by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen – the last such address in the current mandate of the European Commission. Therefore, it was a moment of reflection not only on the past year, but on the entire mandate. And the main message would be that over 90% of the political objectives that the current Commission set at the end of 2019 have been met.



    Some of the Commissions priorities for the end of its mandate were summarized, in an interview for Radio Romania International, by the head of the European Commission Representation in Romania, Ramona Chiriac: “The von der Leyen Commission wants to take additional steps in relation to better supporting the business community. Also, an additional step taken towards European citizens is a new vision of a strategic dialogue on the European agricultural policy. We will equally continue the dialogue on the new budget schedule, in which, as you know, there is also a component for Ukraine, because the support for Ukraine remains as long as they need our support.”



    The Commissions attention is also focused on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Although in her State of the Union Address, Ursula von der Leyen clearly said that the two deserve to be welcomed in the free travel area, she did not offer a clear solution to overcome the opposition of Austria, the only country of the 27 EU members still against it. Anyway, addressing all the MEPs from all the countries and from all the political groups represented in the EP, Mrs. von der Leyen had an encouraging message, which was applauded, for the migration management policies of Romania and Bulgaria. The Romanian MEPs, regardless of their political color, believe that Bucharest must put pressure on the European authorities to obtain entry into Schengen by the end of the year.



    Here is the Social Democrat Victor Negrescu: “I would have expected the president of the European Commission to come with a definite date regarding Romanias accession to the free travel area or with alternative solutions in the event of a possible new refusal by Austria.”



    in his turn, the liberal Siegfried Mureşan underlined that: “I hope that the Austrian Government will have a rational, correct attitude, and that the unjustified veto against Romania will be lifted as soon as possible.”



    Finally, Dacian Cioloş, from the Renew Europe group, a former European Commissioner, believes that Romania should adopt a radical position: to use its right of veto on any subject that requires unanimity at the European level, until the European leaders resolve the Schengen problem. (LS)

  • September 16, 2020 UPDATE

    September 16, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 – Romania reports
    over 107,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in late
    February. 471 patients are in intensive care, out of nearly 6,900 hospitalized
    across the country. So far the death toll stands at 4,285. Meanwhile, 2 days
    after the start of a new school year, several schools in the country went into
    the so-called red scenario, with all classes held online, after teaching staff
    tested positive for Covid-19. In Romania the green scenario involves in-person
    classes, and the yellow scenario is a blend of online and face-to-face
    teaching. In other news, the Health Ministry announced purchasing double the
    amount of flu vaccines compared to last year. Three million vaccine doses will
    be given for free, especially to people over 65, to chronic patients,
    particularly those with respiratory and heart conditions, to institutionalized
    children and elderly, to healthcare personnel and pregnant women.




    REPORT – The report of the
    Budget and Finance Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate
    regarding the budget adjustment law has been approved. The report will next be
    submitted to debate and vote in Parliament. Acting on the proposal of the
    Social-Democrats, who are currently holding majority in Parliament, MPs in the
    Committee repealed the article providing for a 14% increase in the pension
    point, which means the law on the public pension system still stands. The
    latter stipulates at 40% increase of pensions starting this autumn. MPs also
    voted for an increase in the base salaries of teaching staff starting this
    year.




    ELECTION – President Klaus Iohannis on
    Wednesday called on Romanians living in the Diaspora to register for postal
    voting for the legislative election, saying there are no guarantees polling
    stations would be opened in all countries. Also on Wednesday, the President
    ratified a law allowing Romanians abroad to vote for the legislation election
    of December over the course of two days. The vote can be extended until
    midnight on the second day, but only for those voters inside the polls.
    Romania’s Foreign Minister has also recommended to all Romanians residing abroad
    to opt for postal voting, the safest and simplest way allowing them to exercise
    their constitutional right to vote in the delicate context generated by the
    COVID-19 pandemic.




    TALKS – Foreign Minister
    Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday had talks with his counterpart from Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides. The two
    officials appreciated the level of bilateral relations, expressing an interest
    to boost political and diplomatic dialogue as well as sectorial cooperation.
    Minister Bogdan Aurescu underlined the importance of the Romanian community in
    Cyprus, which represents a bridge between the two countries, hailing
    cooperation at the level of the Diaspora, including a Memorandum of
    Understanding signed in 2018 in this field, which is yielding real benefits.




    FLIGHTS – The Foreign Ministry in
    Bucharest announced that commercial flights to and from Poland will resume
    starting Wednesday. The measure adopted by Warsaw authorities will be in place
    until September 29, as Poland is taking new measures regarding incoming and
    outgoing flights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry also
    states that people traveling to Poland from another EU Member States, as well
    as from Norway, the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of Iceland and the
    Principality of Lichtenstein are still permitted entry to this state without
    being subject to other restrictions or special measures such as compulsory
    quarantine or self-isolation.




    STATE OF THE
    UNION – European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday
    delivered her first state of the union address before the European Parliament
    in Brussels. The coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty it brings is not
    over, and the people of Europe are still suffering. It is a period of profound
    anxiety for millions, von der Leyen pointed out. The European official
    expressed her gratitude towards doctors and nurses and every other worker in
    the front line, who are taking risks so others won’t. Ursula von der Leyen
    announced the Union will create its own biomedical agency for advanced research
    and development, dubbed BARDA. Leyen
    said she would call a global health summit, due to take place next year in
    Italy. President von der Leyen went on to say that the Green Deal will be the
    engine of the EU’s economic recovery, in addition to digitization. The European
    official said the Single Market is key to economic recovery, aiming to replace
    coal with hydrogen, thus helping achieve a climate-neutral economy. Ursula von
    der Leyen also announced the European Commission is proposing to increase the
    2030 target for emission reduction to at least 55%.




    TENNIS – Romanian tennis
    player Simona Halep, world no. 2, on Wednesday got through to the round of 16
    at the WTA tournament in Rome, where she is seeded first. Simona defeated
    Jasmine Paolini of Italy (99 WTA) 6-3, 6-4. Also in the women’s singles, Irina
    Begu (77 WTA) will play Johanna Konta (13 WTA) of Great Britain on Thursday. In
    the women’s doubles, Romanian Raluca Olaru and Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany
    qualified to the quarterfinals after defeating Miyu Kato of Japan and Sabrina
    Santamari of the Untied States, 6-4, 6-3. Also in the doubles, Simona Halep and
    Monica Niculescu will play Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan in the round
    of 16. Totaling some €1.7 million dollars, the tournament in Rome is a Premier
    5 competition and is unfolding with the full observance of pandemic-prevention
    measures.




    (Translated by AM Popescu & V. Palcu)





  • Romania condemns terror attacks

    Romania condemns terror attacks

    Romania condemns the terror attacks that made scores of victims in Iraq and Turkey on Monday and Tuesday. Terrorism has unfortunately made numerous victims at the beginning of the year, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said, while condemning the attacks and expressing Romania’s solidarity with the countries affected. The Romanian President has reiterated Bucharest’s commitment to fighting this scourge alongside the international community, adding that all the countries should show more firmness and coordination in their efforts to combat terrorism.



    The Romanian Foreign Ministry has also vehemently condemned the terror attack in Istanbul’s historical district of Sultanahmet, pledging support for the Turkish authorities in their efforts to fight all forms of terrorism. The Romanian Foreign Ministry said that no Romanian citizens are among the victims of the attack.



    According to the Turkish Prime Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, the Islamic State is behind the attack. President Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is the first target of all the terrorist organisations in the region, but pledged that Ankara would fight all of them equally. The Turkish authorities have announced that the attacker was a 27-year old Syrian who entered Turkey from Syria.



    According to Turkish experts, the place of the attack and its targets are illustrative of the symbolic payload the Islamic State attaches to its attacks. In their opinion the attack came in response to Turkey’s having joined the international anti-Jihadist coalition. The attack in Istanbul came as a follow-up to the bloodiest terror attack in Turkey’s history, which killed 103 people at the central railway station in Ankara in October 2015. Another string of ISIS attacks took place in Baghdad on Monday, where gunmen opened fire on a crowded district, a car bomb went off and other assailants took hundreds of hostages in a shopping center.



    The US President Barack Obama has also mentioned terrorist organisations in his latest State of the Union Address before the US Congress, saying that quote “Our foreign policy must be focused on the threat from ISIL and al Qaeda, but it can’t stop there “. Barrack Obama also said that “instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world—in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia. Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks” unquote.