Radio România Internațional

Tag: state

  • February 17, 2021 UPDATE

    February 17, 2021 UPDATE

    PENSIONS Romanias Parliament Wednesday passed a bill scrapping special pensions for Senators and Deputies, with 357 votes and 30 abstentions. The Chamber of Deputies Speaker Ludovic Orban said cancelling special pensions for MPs is just a first step. We will have to tackle the entire relevant legislation, so as to bring all pensions in Romania as close as possible to the principle of previous contributions, Ludovic Orban said.



    FINANCES The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that recent talks with Cabinet members focused on the preparation of projects under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and explained that these will primarily target hospitals, the environment, and jobs. He emphasised that the document would be ready by April, when it will be submitted to the European Commission. Johannis also said Romania may get “significant funding under the NRRP, which makes available over 30 billion euros. The head of state explained that investments are needed in Romanias hospitals and schools. Another topic approached was that of jobs. According to the president, thorough and sustainable environment programmes are also necessary.



    PROTESTS Trade unions carried on protests on Wednesday in Bucharest and other major cities. The government headquarters was first picketed by unionists from the police, public administration, social assistance, court clerks, and public finances. They were followed by trade unions from other sectors as well. Protests were also held in front of the head offices of 2 parties in the ruling coalition, the National Liberal Party and USR-PLUS Alliance. People are disgruntled with the draft 2021 budget, which they see as an austerity budget and likely to extend the economic crisis entailed by the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday employers and employees in the hospitality industry also voiced their discontent. Not least, railway unions rallied for the enforcement of the railway personnel act, which is supposed to increase salaries and provide for more investments in the sector.



    MOTION Romanian Deputies Wednesday dismissed a simple motion tabled by the Social Democrats in opposition against the health minister Vlad Voiculescu, the first motion in the current legislative term. Both the Social Democrats and AUR Party MPs voted in favour of the document. The motion demanded the resignation of the health minister, accusing him of failure to be properly involved in the efficient management of the Covid-19 vaccination and testing programmes and to take the measures necessary in order to avoid fires in hospitals. The document was discussed in the Chamber on Monday. At that time Vlad Voiculescu said the responsibility for the disastrous state of Romanias public healthcare lies with the Social Democrats. In procedural terms, a simple motion, even if passed in Parliament, does not entail the dismissal of a Cabinet member.



    COVID-19 The head of the National Vaccination Coordination Committee, dr. Valeriu Gheorghiţă, announced that, less than 2 months since the start of the vaccination programme in Romania, the benefits are already evident. According to official data, nearly 90% of the healthcare staff eligible for vaccination in the first stage of the programme have already received both doses, and more than 98% of them the first dose. Since the start of the programme on December 27, nearly 716,000 people have been immunised. Over 1.2 million doses have been administered, most of them produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, followed by Moderna and AstraZeneca. Meanwhile, over 2,800 new COVID-19 cases have been reported over the past 24 hours, out of nearly 35,000 tests run nation-wide. The total number of cases in Romania since the start of the pandemic is over 768,000, with the death toll standing at 19,588. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • 2020, a difficult year for the economy

    2020, a difficult year for the economy

    According to a report on 2020 put together by the Finance Ministry, at the end of December Romanias budget deficit was nearly 10% of the GDP, double the figure for 2019.



    The reasons for this increase are, on the one hand, the fall in budget revenues in March – December and the postponement of some tax payments by business operators, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also contributing to this deficit were the stepped-up VAT returns designed to support private sector liquidity and the bonuses grated for the timely payment of profit and revenue taxes.



    As regards budget expenditure, increased public investments were accompanied by exceptional payments required by the pandemic. Also, in order to mitigate the negative economic effects of the healthcare crisis, a number of governmental programmes were implemented, designed to support small and medium enterprises and large companies by means of state guarantees.



    Specifically, the report reads, 4.45% of GDP was channelled into the economy through various tax facilities, investments and exceptional expenditure entailed by the corona crisis. And this came against the general background of the economy shrinking in 2020.



    The unfavourable dynamic was also influenced by a fall in revenues from excises on energy products, as work-from-home rules and limited tourism activities dealt a heavy blow to fuel consumption.



    According to the National Bank, the main risk incurred by the Romanian economy this year is the way in which the start of fiscal consolidation will reflect on the state budget. The central bank estimates that only in 2022 will the national economy revert to the level reported in 2019.



    These days, the government is working to finalise this years state budget, based on a deficit target agreed on by Romania and the European Commission of around 7%. As the Liberal PM Florin Cîțu put it, this years budget must support economic recovery and lay the foundations for a strong economy in 2021-2024.



    The bill is to be submitted to Parliament in February, accompanied by a large-scale package of reforms in 3 areas—public sector salaries, public pensions and fiscal administration.



    The Social Democrats, in opposition, accuse the government of preparing austerity measures, and have drafted their own version for the state budget, claiming that an increase in Romanians living standards is achievable. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • 162 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities

    162 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities

    This Sunday Romanians celebrated 162 years since the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia came together into one state, completed later in 1918.



    In Bucharest and elsewhere in the country, symbolic events were held, constrained by pandemic containment measures. Cultural institutions in the country organised theatre productions and concerts, most of them available online. Special religious services were held in all Orthodox churches, and the Defence Ministry organised military ceremonies at various monuments devoted to the Union of Principalities.



    In Iaşi (north-east) and Bucharest, the capitals of the 2 provinces that in 1859 elected the same ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859 – 1866), several events took place. In a military ceremony in Bucharest, flowers were laid at the foot of the rulers statue.



    In a message occasioned by the anniversary, president Klaus Iohannis said the heritage of those who fought for the Union to be accomplished in 1859 is the sound foundation on which Romanias modernisation process must continue, and that one of the key directions in this respect is strengthening the education sector in order for it to provide accessible and high-quality education.



    The Union of Romanian Principalities under Alexandru Ioan Cuza reminds us that the power to meet our goals, as a nation, is rooted in our unity, PM Florin Cîţu said in his turn. It is united that we have achieved the guarantee of Romanias one and a half decade-long Euro-Atlantic integration process. It is united that we have proved that we can prevent severe sideslips and can rescue democracy when an oppressive power worked against the people. And it is also united that we will manage to safeguard our health and to help our economy recover after the pandemic, the PM said in a social media post.



    162 years on, it is time the Union were completed by Moldavia having proper transport infrastructure, so that it may attract large-scale investments, the Chamber of Deputies Speaker Ludovic Orban said in his turn in a ceremony in Focşani (east).



    In fact, in Iași (north-east), the traditional speeches and performances, including the Union Round Dance, were accompanied by a protest organised just before the planned ceremonies by an Association called Together for A8. The participants demanded the funding and completion of A8 Motorway connecting Targu Mures in central Romania to Iasi and further to Ungheni in the Republic of Moldova:



    “We have chosen the Union Day because this motorway is dubbed the Union Motorway. Unfortunately, the latest messages are that this is impossible, that it is a difficult project, that we cannot be sure it will be completed by 2030. We want to see this motorway done during our lifetime. A8 Motorway is vital for Moldavia. It is the avenue to the development of the region and to Western European standards.



    Similar Union Day celebrations were held abroad as well. Romanias Embassy to the Holy See and the Romanian Language Institute organised an online event entitled “The 1859 Union of Romanian Principalities, a tribute to Romanian culture. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • January 13, 2021

    January 13, 2021

    ALERT On Wednesday Romania extended its state of alert over the COVID-19 pandemic by another 30 days. Among other things, face covering remains mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public areas. After a first stage of the national vaccination programme, covering healthcare personnel, on Friday enrolment begins for the beneficiaries of the second stage, namely people over 65, chronic patients and employees in key sectors. President Klaus Iohannis said in a press conference that the success of the vaccine rollout is a prerequisite for a return to normal and reopening the economy. On Wednesday in Romania around 4,400 new COVID-19 cases and 88 related deaths were reported. 1,081 patients are currently in intensive care.



    GOVERNMENT The government is discussing in todays meeting this years state budget bill, and a bill increasing minimum wages from roughly 455 euro to 470 euro. The increase is not to cover employees with higher education degrees, whose minimum wages will be kept at the current 480 euro. This years state budget bill is to be submitted to Parliament by February 4. PM Florin Cîţu asked his cabinet members to present reports on their top priorities, and promised that this year public money will be spent in an efficient and strict manner. He also warned that the budget deficit, estimated to reach 7% of GDP this year, must also be taken into account. The government is also expected to pass today an emergency order on bonuses paid to the personnel involved in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.



    PROTEST Trade unions in the police, public administration, social assistance and the penitentiary system are taking part today in a rally in front of the Labour Ministry in Bucharest and of prefecture offices elsewhere in the country. PUBLISIND trade union federation initiated the protests on December 31, 2020, after the government decided to freeze salaries in the public sector. Sanitas Federation also started employee support actions yesterday, picketing the government headquarters and prefecture offices. They say the Governments unwillingness to observe the law and give healthcare personnel their due salaries is an affront to the efforts they make every day at the work place. President Klaus Iohannis said the salary freezing is a fair measure given the current economic crisis.



    CORRUPTION President Klaus Iohannis approved the commencement of criminal prosecution against the former PM and Senate speaker Călin Popescu Tăriceanu. He is accused of bribe taking in 2007 and 2008, during his term in office. Prosecutors say he indirectly received from an Austrian company material benefits worth 800,000 dollars consisting in consultancy services. In exchange, Tăriceanu pushed for the adoption by his cabinet of decisions that benefitted this company. A previous request of the National Anticorruption Directorate, in November 2018, to the same effect, had been dismissed by the Senate in June 2019. Prosecutors are now saying they have additional evidence and new elements have appeared in the case.



    US The House of Representatives endorsed a resolution asking for the removal of outgoing president Donald Trump, for inciting last weeks storming of the US Congress. But given that vice-president Mike Pence said he will not use the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump, a vote on a second impeachment is very likely to take place today. Mike Pence said using the 25th Amendment would only deepen the existing tensions. Several Republicans said they would vote with the Democrats for Trumps impeachment. The Democrats are planning to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection, after his supporters stormed the US Capitol. Donald Trump described the actions against him as a witch hunt.



    SPORTS The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzărnescu (137 WTA), plays today against American Whitney Osuigwe (161 WTA) in the last qualifying round for the Autralian Opens main draw. Five Romanians already have a spot in the main draw—Simona Halep (2 WTA), Patricia Ţig (56 WTA), Sorana Cîrstea (71 WTA), Irina Begu (78 WTA) and Ana Bogdan (92 WTA). The first Grand Slam this year is scheduled to take place between February 8 and 21. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 10, 2021 UPDATE

    January 10, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of coronavirus infections in Romania has passed 671,000 and the total death toll has reached over 16,600, after over 3,000 new cases and 62 deaths were reported on Sunday. 1,065 people are currently in intensive care. The largest number of cases, 825, was reported in the capital Bucharest. Since the start of the vaccination programme in Romania on December 27, more than 100,000 people have received the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. Mild and common side effects have been reported in 350 cases, mostly headaches, muscle pain, fever, asthenia or rashes. The next stage in the vaccination campaign, addressing the elderly and chronic patients, is scheduled to start at the end of next week. The Government is to pass an emergency order granting bonuses to the personnel involved in the anti-COVID National Vaccination Programme, the health minister Vlad Voiculescu announced. Family physicians, who are regarded as a vital element in the immunisation campaign, will also be paid.



    FILM colectiv / “Collective, the Romanian documentary by Alexander Nanau covering a journalist investigation into the corruption in Romanian healthcare, won the award for best foreign-language film of the US National Society of Film Critics. The documentary colectiv is Romanias nomination for the 2021 Oscars in the “best international feature film, previously known as best foreign film. This is the first time that Romania submits a documentary in the competition for the Academy Awards.



    BANKS As of Monday, all banks in Romania are to submit to the National Tax Agency (ANAF) all data on the accounts held by private individuals and business, under an emergency order which transposes a European directive. The new legislation is designed to help the authorities fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. An electronic tax registry will become operational, containing banking and payment accounts identified by International Bank Account Number. The Agency will thus be able to monitor money circuits in Romania and to identify money laundering attempts.



    SCHOOLS Romanian students resume online classes on Monday, for the last 3 weeks of the first half of the academic year. A one-week vacation follows, and the second semester, beginning on February 8, might bring Romanias 3 million primary, secondary and high school students back into schools. This is one of the options considered by the authorities, depending on the latest COVID-19 developments. Another option is for only pre-schoolers and primary school students to resume face-to-face classes, while in a third scenario 8th and 12th graders might also get back to school.



    EMPLOYEES 1.25 million people were working in public institutions in Romania in November 2020, over 64% of them in the central public administration. According to the Finance Ministry, nearly 600,000 of these jobs are entirely funded from the state budget. The largest number of jobs is reported in public education (almost 300,000), followed by the Interior Ministry (125,000). Local public administration units had 450,000 employees in November, more than half of them in jobs fully financed from the state budget.



    COMPLAINTS Almost half of the complaints filed in 2020 to the European Consumer Centre in Romania concerned the transport sector. People were unhappy with the services received from air, road, railway and naval transport companies, as well as from car rental companies. Other complaints concerned clothing and footwear, restaurants and hotels, as well as entertainment and cultural activities, the National Consumer Protection Authority says.



    WEATHER A code yellow alert for heavy snowfalls is in place until Monday afternoon in the south and south-west of the country and the capital Bucharest. A layer of 10-20 cm of snow is expected in these areas. Snowfalls, glaze and temperatures of up to 2 degrees Celsius are forecast in Bucharest for the next 4 days. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    January 8, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The new coronavirus strain discovered in the UK, and which spreads more easily, has been confirmed in Romania, in a 27-year old woman, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Friday. The patient, who has a mild form of the disease and is isolating at home, has not travelled abroad recently. Nearly 5,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Friday, many of them in the capital Bucharest. The total number of cases since the onset of the pandemic is over 660,000. 1,100 patients are in intensive care, and the death toll exceeds 16,500. The Romanian Health Minister plans to streamline procedures for the set-up and authorisation of COVID-19 vaccination centres. Minister Vlad Voiculescu announced the relevant legislation is being amended to this end. PM Florin Cîţu said in a post that Romanias vaccination capacity is growing from one day to the next, and explains the number of centres is soon expected to reach 1,000, with a combined capacity of 150,000 vaccine doses per day. So far over 92,000 people have received the vaccine in Romania.




    VACCINE The EU has signed a new deal with Pfizer/BioNTech for the purchase of another 300 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine, in addition to the 300 million already bought, said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen quoted by DPA. According to the EU official, 75 million doses would be delivered in the second quarter of the year. The EU started rolling out the vaccine produced by the German-US consortium Pfizer-BioNTec in December. The EU has also approved the Moderna vaccine and is waiting for the delivery of the first 160 million doses. The European Commission has been criticised for the slow pace of the immunization campaign addressing its 450 million citizens.




    BUDGET The European Commission has again cautioned the centre-right government in Bucharest that it has to keep budget deficit in check, after expenditures soared in 2020 whereas incomes went down against the background of the health crisis. We are expecting a robust 2021 budget from Romania, the vice-president of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said in a phone talk with the Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. The Romanian official pledged that investments and EU fund absorption remain top priorities. Minister Nazare said Bucharest plans a gradual narrowing of the deficit starting this year, so that it may reach 3% of the GDP in 2024.




    TEEN PREGNANCIES Romania ranks 2nd in the EU by number of teenage births, which has serious consequences on teenage mothers as well as social and economic costs, according to a report released by UNICEF and SAMAS Association in Romania. Adolescent childbearing is recurring within families from one generation to the other, and is linked with poverty and with poor health services and social-economic status. According to the report, in 2019 Romania had nearly 17,000 teenage pregnancies. Recommendations include legislative and administrative reforms to remove barriers to underage access to reproductive health and information and the introduction of mandatory reproductive health classes in schools.




    SPORTS The womens handball side CSM Bucharest is playing on Saturday against the Hungarian team Ferencvaros, away from home, in the Champions League Group A. In the first leg of the round, the Romanians won 25-19. CSM Bucharest ranks 2nd in Group A with 11 points, with Ferencvaros coming 4th with 8 points. On Sunday, Romanian womens handball champions SCM Ramnicu Valcea, take on several times European champions Györ, in the competitions Group B. The Romanian team is 8th in the group, with no points after 5 games.




    US The outgoing US president Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will not take part in the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. Trump will be the second US president to decline attending his successors inauguration, after Andrew Johnson in 1869. The announcement came hours after Trump had promised a smooth transition for president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, in a video posted on Twitter where he said he was ‘outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem’ caused by his supporters who stormed the US Capitol. In Congress, the Democrats called on Vice-president Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove Trump in the wake of the violent events on January 6th, in which 5 people were killed. The US Capitols security chief and other members of his administration resigned following the riot, in order to protest the violence. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • January 7, 2021

    January 7, 2021

    US The US Congress Thursday affirmed Democrat Joe Bidens win in the presidential election of November 3rd. This was the last step prior to Bidens inauguration scheduled for January 20th. The validation came after a long and troublesome day, marred by an assault on the Capitol by angry Trump supporters. Trump admitted the end of his term in office and promised “an orderly transition. At least 4 people died and 52 were arrested during the storming of the Capitol, police sources said. Leaders of democratic countries around the world voiced perplexity and concern, condemning the violence in Washington.




    VACCINE The European Commission Wednesday authorised the sale of a second anti-COVID-19 vaccine, the one developed by the US company Moderna, and previously greenlighted by the European Medicines Agency. The EC president Ursula von der Leyen said EU citizens will have another 160 million doses of vaccine available. According to AFP, over 1 million Europeans, accounting for 0.2% of the total, have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, with Denmark, Germany and Italy on top positions. For the time being the only vaccine given in EU member states is the one produced by Pfizer/BioNTech.




    COVID-19 Over 58,000 people have received the anti-COVID-19 vaccine in Romania so far. A third batch of 150,000 doses arrived on Wednesday. The immunisation programme, whose first stage covered medical workers, started in late December. The second stage, scheduled to begin at the end of next week, will target vulnerable people and workers in key sectors. Authorities estimate the third phase, covering the rest of the citizens, may start in April. Since the onset of the pandemic, over 654,000 coronavirus infections have been reported in Romania, with the death toll standing at nearly 16,300.




    BUDGET The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis has a meeting today with PM Florin Cîţu, deputy PM Dan Barna and other Cabinet members, including the ministers of transport, economy, justice, investments and European projects, healthcare and research. The meeting comes amid talks on the 2021 state budget bill, which the Government plans to submit to Parliament in early February. PM Florin Cîţu asked ministers to present updated reports on the institutions they coordinate.




    SCHOOLS The Romanian education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu had talks today with trade unions and students and teachers associations, to look at the measures required in order to reopen schools, and to mitigate losses incurred by the education system during the health crisis. He promised to take all suggestions into account, so that the best education conditions may be ensured as of the second half of the school year. The minister added that this year’s national exams will be held face to face. Romanian students resume online classes on January 11th, and could return to face-to-face classes only on February 8th, when the second half of the academic year begins, should the situation allow it. The Social Democrats and AUR party in opposition, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in the ruling coalition, support the reopening of schools.




    CORRUPTION Former environment minister Costel Alexe appeared today before the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, to be notified that prosecution has been commenced against him for bribe-taking and inciting embezzlement. Prosecutors claim that Alexe, currently chairman of the Iaşi County Council, received products worth over 20,000 euro in exchange for the release of CO2 certificates to the Galaţi Steel Works. Costel Alexe denies the accusations. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • New state of alert extension

    New state of alert extension


    The COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to which the entire world is struggling to find solutions, and it is hard to estimate the exact duration of this difficult period which has changed everybodys lives. The virus has impacted the healthcare system, but also the economy, the labour market and interpersonal relations.



    The high spread rate of the coronavirus and its unfortunate consequences prompted the Government of Romania to extend the state of alert by another 30 days as of Thursday, to help contain and mitigate the effects of the pandemic. The state of alert, which has already been extended 4 times so far, was introduced in mid-May, after a 2-month state of emergency starting on March 16.



    The Government order passed on Wednesday stipulates that face masks must be worn outdoors as well, 50 metres from schools and in crowded areas wherever there are up to 3 cases per thousand capita, whereas in places with over 3 cases per thousand inhabitants, outdoor face covering is compulsory.



    Bucharest authorities have also announced the conditions in which restaurants and performance venues may operate. Here is state secretary with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat:



    Raed Arafat: “In cases of up to 1.5 infections per thousand capita, restaurants, cafes, cinema halls and the like will run at 50% of the overall capacity. Between 1.5 and 3 cases per thousand, they may operate at 30% of their capacity, and for rates of over 3 infections per thousand capita, sadly these venues will be closed down.



    The ban on private events with large numbers of participants remains in place, Raed Arafat added, while for the upcoming election campaign indoor events with maximum 20 participants and outdoor events with maximum 50 participants are allowed. Raed Arafat also added that care centre personnel must be tested on a weekly basis by the relevant Public Health Directorate.



    Meanwhile, citizens coming into Romania for up to 3 days must produce a negative COVID-19 test, and in case they intend to stay for longer periods they must self-isolate for 14 days. The list of high-risk countries includes the US, Spain, France, Netherlands, the UK and Belgium.



    In recent days new negative records are reported in Romania, where daily infection numbers of over 4,000 have been reported already. Hundreds of patients are in intensive care, and scores of Romanians lose the battle against the virus every day. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • September 16, 2020

    September 16, 2020

    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 hospitalised 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 institutionalised children and elderly, to healthcare personnel and pregnant women.



    PANDEMIC Across the world, over 29 million coronavirus infection cases have been reported so far, with the death toll nearing 930,000. The US is the worst hit, with over 6.5 million cases and 194,000 deaths, followed by India, with close to 5 million cases. The situation worsens in Europe as well, with the number of cases on the rise in Hungary and in France, where containment measures are getting stricter. Denmark is also reintroducing restrictions in the capital city Copenhagen.



    BUDGET A bill amending Romanias state budget law is discussed as of today in the budget and finances committees of Parliament. The Social Democrats, in opposition but holding a majority of seats in Parliament, want to schedule the final vote for next week. They have tabled a number of amendments, including the scrapping of a provision that raises public pensions by 14% and the reintroduction of a 40% pension increase as of September 1, as stipulated in the original draft of the Pensions Act. Other amendments concern the doubling of child care allowances and increasing teacher salaries this year instead of 2021 as suggested by the government. The Liberals in power argue that these initiatives would put substantial pressure on the already oversized public spending.



    ELECTIONS President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday signed into law a bill enabling Romanians in the diaspora to vote for 2 days in the parliamentary elections due this December. Other changes to the electoral legislation include an extension of voting hours to midnight for the people already queuing at polling stations at 9 PM. The Romanian foreign ministry urges Romanian citizens living abroad to choose to vote by post, which is a safe and simple option to exercise ones right to vote, especially in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The foreign ministry warns that many states would not allow the opening of polling stations in this context.



    EU The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has today given her first state of the European Union address in the European Parliament in Brussels. The coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainties it has triggered are not over, and Europeans “are still suffering and experiencing a period of profound anxiety, Ursula von der Leyen pointed out. She thanked doctors and nurses as well as other COVID-19 frontline workers. Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU will set up its own biomedical research agency, and will hold a global summit on health next year in Italy. We must tear down the barriers of the Single Market, we must cut red tape, she also said, and added that the EC will come up with a new strategy on the future of the Schengen space and update its strategy on industry. All these will enable Europe to recover, and to prepare for tomorrow, Ursula von der Leyen argued. Every September the president of the EC delivers a State of the EU address before the European Parliament, reviewing the accomplishments of the past year and presenting the Commissions priorities for the near future and its solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the EU.



    TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep (no 2 WTA), today takes on the Italian Jasmine Paolini (99 WTA) in the 2nd round of the WTA tournament in Rome. Another Romanian, Irina Begu (77 WTA) plays on Thursday against Britains Johanna Konta (13 WTA), in the same tournament. In the doubles, Raluca Olaru (Romania) and Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany), play today against Miyu Kato (Japan) and Sabrina Santamari (USA). Also in the doubles, the Romanians Simona Halep and Monica Niculescu are playing the eighth-finals on Thursday against the Japanese Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • From a state of emergency to a state of alert

    From a state of emergency to a state of alert

    In mid-May there will be 2 months since the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis introduced a state of emergency to prevent the spread of the SARS CoV-2 virus. This entailed restrictions on fundamental citizen rights, such as the freedom of movement.



    On Monday, the head of state made a new announcement: as of May 15, Romania will switch from a state of emergency to a state of alert. The latter is a prevention plan regarding the immediate implementation of prevention measures and actions, public warning and mitigation of the effects of the state of emergency.



    The measures must be proportionate to the situations that have caused them, and will be enforced within the limits of the law.



    The president warned that the situation has not yet improved. ‘We cannot say that the disease is over, but at some point we have to move on, and this takes the form of this switch to a state of alert, the president explained. He added that the state of emergency measures will be lifted step by step, at intervals of about 2 weeks.



    As of May 15, life will gradually return to normal. In a first stage, hairdressers and barbers shops will be opened, along with dentist practices and museums, and people will be allowed to leave their homes within their home towns or villages without a sworn statement regarding the purposes of traveling. However, restrictions remain in place as regards travelling outside the home locality.



    Klaus Iohannis: “As of May 15, beauty salons, dentist practices and museums will be opened, but all of them will apply special distancing and hygiene measures. We will all wear face masks when inside public areas and when using public transportation. Travel outside the home locality will be restricted. There are, however, a number of exceptions. One may leave ones home town or village, for instance, for work, for healthcare purposes, for individual sports activities, for biking.



    Klaus Iohannis added that professional athletes will be able to begin training under special conditions, but competitions will only be allowed after a sufficient preparation period. He also emphasised that, under a state of alert, meetings of more than 3 people remain forbidden.



    The president has once again called for responsibility. “There is no telling how long this epidemic will last, and it is up to us to keep it under control here in Romania. I would very much like for all of us, together, to manage to control it, and this means compliance with the instructions of the authorities, Iohannis concluded.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Government to request Parliament’s confidence over budget bill

    Government to request Parliament’s confidence over budget bill

    On Monday the Government of Romania will seek Parliaments confidence vote on the 2020 state budget. PM Ludovic Orban has announced that his Cabinet will take responsibility on the state budget bill, the social security budget bill and on a bill amending Government Order 114. MPs have until Monday to introduce amendments to the bills, and the PM said those amendments that will improve next years budgets will be accepted.



    In turn, the Finance Minister Florin Citu says that both the budget for public healthcare and salaries in public education will be raised. The social security budget will also be higher next year, by around 23% compared to 2019. Pensions will also be increased, but, the Labour and Social Solidarity Minister Violeta Alexandru explained, minimum pensions will be kept at the same level next year:



    Violeta Alexandru: “We have decided that, given the pressure on the 2020 public budget, minimum pensions should stay the same, namely at 704 lei. Minimum pensions are those paid to the people who have never contributed to the public pension system. The principle against which pension benefits will be calculated is, as you know, that pensions are based on the amount contributed to the system.



    The third bill that the Government wants rushed through Parliament scraps most provisions in the Government Order 114, and introduces fiscal measures based on which next years budget has been drafted. The Prime Ministers chief of staff Ionel Danca says the Order 114 provisions concerning the energy sector will also be eliminated:



    Ionel Danca: “The provisions regarding a 2% tax on the turnover of energy companies and caps on the natural gas and electricity prices have been repealed. Transitional measures have been introduced with respect to deregulating the natural gas and electricity market as of July 1 and December 31st, 2020, respectively.



    Caps have also been introduced as regards allowances for public offices, merit allowances as well as food allowances, public pensions and public salaries can no longer be received concurrently, and increments for difficult working conditions will be 25% of the whole-economy minimum wages.



    The Social Democratic Party in opposition says the government taking responsibility before parliament for the state budget is a very bad idea. They threatened they would take the matter to the Constitutional Court if the parliamentary debates and vote are bypassed.



    The state budget for 2020 is based on an estimated 4.1% economic growth rate, a 3.6% budget deficit and an estimated average inflation rate of over 3.1%.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Government resorts to exceptional procedure to pass 3 bills

    Government resorts to exceptional procedure to pass 3 bills

    Tuesdays Government meeting was, for the first time in history, held in 2 sittings, with an intermission in the afternoon to allow PM Ludovic Orban and some of his Cabinet members to take part in a roundtable organised by trade unions with respect to next years economic prospects. Later in the day, the Government resumed its meeting, with a first reading of a bill for which the Cabinet is to request Parliaments confidence within 10 days.



    The bill concerns the repeal of provisions in the infamous Order 114, dubbed the “greed tax order, under which a year ago the Social Democratic cabinet had introduced additional taxes for banks and ceilings on electricity prices for households. Unhappy with the consequences of that order, the Liberals are now seeking to cancel it. In the talks with business people ahead of the Government meeting, PM Ludovic Orban spoke about the provisions to be cancelled:



    Ludovic Orban: “We want to repeal the provisions regarding ceilings on the price of electricity for households, as well as the current energy export limitations and the overcharges introduced in the energy sector. We also intend to cancel all the provisions concerning privately-managed pension funds in the public pension system, the financial-banking system, and charges in the communications sector. There are a number of other provisions we have in mind, but facilities for consumers will not be affected.



    All these changes will be discussed with the social partners, prior to being pushed through Parliament. Meanwhile, however, the Government initiated an extraordinary procedure, requesting Parliaments confidence on 3 other pieces of legislation: a bill amending the justice laws, the repeal of Order 51/2019 on county transportation, and a bill setting public budget ceilings.



    Back when they were in Opposition, the Liberals constantly criticised the justice laws, which they now want amended to the effect of deferring the early retirement of magistrates, the extension of the seniority requirement for entry-level magistrates from 2 to 4 years and the increase in the membership of judge panels from 2 to 3. The Orban Cabinet, which is now trying to have these provisions deferred, may seek to fully repeal them next year.



    Secondly, the Government wants to define in-county transportation as a public service subordinated to local authorities, so as to make sure that transport companies provide free school transport for children.



    Last, but not least, the Orban Cabinet will take responsibility before Parliament for a bill setting the public budget ceilings on which the 2020 state budget law will be based. Posted for public review on the home page of the Finance Ministry, the bill stipulates a budget deficit of maximum 3.6% of GDP, and a 9.7% cap on personnel expenditure. Next years public budget will also rely on an expected 4% economic growth rate.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 12, 2019 UPDATE

    February 12, 2019 UPDATE

    STATE BUDGET The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on Tuesday that the 2019 state budget bill drafted by the left-of-centre Power is “rushed and based on unrealistic economic estimates. The head of state warned that this is not the budget of the Social Democratic Party, but of Romania, and that stability and prosperity in the years to come depend on this, reads a news release issued by the Presidency. Iohannis is particularly critical of the funding cuts affecting national security institutions, which he sees as an irresponsible decision. Similar comments had been made previously by the right-wing Opposition as well. In Parliament, debates on the budget bill continued in the specialised committees, with the final vote scheduled for Friday. The budget is based on an estimated economic growth rate of 5.5%, a budget deficit of 2.5% of GDP and a GDP of over 200 billion euros.




    BANKING The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isarescu, Tuesday assured Parliament that there is no deviation of the ROBOR index from the true market level. In a hearing at the Senates committees on budget-finances and the economy, Isarescu explained that the current level of ROBOR, the index used in calculating floating interest rates for national currency loans, can only fluctuate within the 1.5% to 3.5% range, because this is the only way the central bank can attract deposits from and provide loans to commercial banks. On the other hand, the chair of the Senates economic committee Daniel Zamfir (ALDE, a junior party in the ruling coalition), said the Romanian banking sector had the lowest financial intermediation rate in the EU, and profit rates twice the EU average. The dispute between Zamfir and Isarescu deepened after in January the local currency, the leu, dropped to all-time lows against the euro for several consecutive days. During the same period, ROBOR came close to 3%, pushing up the interests for national currency loans.




    EU The EU member states committed on Tuesday to consolidate the legal framework for the supervision of financial institutions, in order to find the best means to fight money laundering. The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union was invited to initiate as soon as possible negotiations with the European Parliament on the relevant legislative package. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, the Romanian Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, who chaired the ECOFIN meeting, emphasised that the rules for combating money laundering will be fully implemented in all EU member countries.




    DEFENCE The Romanian defence minister Gabriel Leş is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. According to a news release, topics of major interest are on the agenda, concerning the implementation of the decisions made in the latest NATO summit last year. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian official will also have bilateral talks with his counterparts from the UK, Canada, and other NATO member and partner countries, including Georgia and Ukraine.




    FRAUD Bucharests “Carol Davila Medical and Pharmacy University announced that a woman working as a volunteer physician in a public hospital in Bucharest does not appear in its records as a graduate of Bachelors and Masters degrees. The Healthcare Minister, Sorina Pintea, says the documents presented by the individual, who had been practicing gynaecology for 10 years, are forged, and that a criminal investigation will be initiated in this case. Prompted by a media investigation, the new case follows the one involving an Italian citizen who worked unlawfully as a plastic surgeon in private clinics in Romania. A secondary school graduate working as a parking valet in Italy, he already had a 1.5-years suspended sentence in his own country, for claiming to be a physician for a long time.




    DIPLOMACY The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, Tuesday travelled to Slovakia as part of his on-going European tour. In Bratislava, he reiterated the statements made previously in Hungary, concerning the importance of supporting Ukraines sovereignty and integrity, and said that Western Allies must not allow Russia to create division between NATO member states. Moscow is not the only power intent on eroding freedom in the region, Pompeo also warned, hinting at China. The US officials tour also includes Warsaw and Brussels, where he will have talks with the EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini.




    TENNIS Romanias womens tennis team went up 3 places and is currently ranked 5th with 8,912.5 points, in the Fed Cup standings released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The increase is owing to the away win against trophy holder the Czech Republic on Sunday. Romanias next opponent in the Fed Cup semis is France, ranking 4th with 12,995 points, after defeating Belgium (3-1), in Liege. Romania outplayed the Czech Republic, 3-2, thanks to Simona Haleps 2 wins and to Irina Begu and Monica Niculescus victory in the doubles. Romania will take on France away from home on April 20th and 21st, in its first presence in the Fed Cup semi-finals since 1973.



    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Education Minister announces new middle school curriculum

    Education Minister announces new middle school curriculum

    The Romanian Education Minister Pavel Nastase has announced the new curriculum for the middle school, which lays more emphasis on acquiring new skills and less on accumulating knowledge. Minister Nastase has explained that representatives of the Romanian Academy were part of the team that drawn up the new curriculum, which was also green lighted by the teachers themselves, as it is the latter that have to teach the respective subject matters.



    Pavel Nastase: “I had two meetings with Romanian Academy representatives and the final approval was given by the beneficiaries of this new curriculum, that is the people who teach these subjects. We invited two teachers from Bucharest and one from a rural area to present the opinions of the people who will actually teach using these textbooks. The curriculum for the 5th grade, for the entire middle school for that matter, is better than the old one.



    Minister Nastase has also said that a project of revising school curriculum for all grades was initiated, which should be ready in one year at the most. He also pointed out that the issue of textbooks is one of his priorities.



    Pavel Nastase: “The textbooks in use include too much information and are not in line with school curricula. This is because the people in charge with organizing the procurement of textbooks from various publishing houses do not check thoroughly whether the textbooks are drawn up in keeping with the curricula. So we have changed the methodology and asked that the assessment committees should be only made up of senior teachers. Well have a training session ahead of the assessment process and I hope that starting this year well have better textbooks.



    The Education Minister has also said that the current education law has 365 articles, of which over 150 have been modified since 2011.



    Pavel Nastase: “We are considering not only a new education law, but also an analysis in order to diagnose the problems in the public education system as a whole. Working on this analysis, which we refer to as ‘the state of education, we should be able to set our priorities straight and draw up public policies in the field of education. Later we will decide if we need a new education law or any other regulations in the field.



    Pavel Nastase has also mentioned a project of the Romanian presidency and one proposed by the Romanian Academy, which include several new elements that the Education Ministry intends to consider.

  • Declaraţii privind Republica Moldova

    Declaraţii privind Republica Moldova

    Reuniune deja cutumiară, Universitatea de vară a românilor de
    pretutindeni, organizată la Izvoru Mureşului, prilejuieşte, în fiecare an,
    discuţii între reprezentanţii comunităţilor româneşti din jurul frontierelor şi
    din diaspora cu membrii clasei politice la Bucureşti.

    În numele platformei
    unioniste Acţiunea 2012, liderul acestui cartel de organizaţii
    neguvernamentale, George Simion, a cerut înfiinţarea, la Bucureşti, a unui Oficiu
    pentru Republica Moldova, în subordinea directă a primului ministru, precum şi
    organizarea unei vizite la Chişinău a întregului Guvern român.

    Promotor
    consecvent al apropierii dintre cele două state, fostul preşedinte al României,
    Traian Băsescu, azi lider al Partidului Mişcarea Populară, şi-a reiterat
    pledoaria pentru Unire. El a apreciat că în ultimii doi ani, adică după
    încheierea mandatelor sale prezidenţiale, nu s-au mai făcut progrese în
    privinţa acestui deziderat. Băsescu afirmă că Bucureştiul ar trebui să renunţe
    la tipul de diplomaţie pe care a numit-o bătrânicioasă şi să-şi
    depăşească prudenţa excesivă în raport cu Moscova.

    Traian Băsescu: Singura
    soluţie politică a parcursului european al Republicii Moldova este unirea cu
    România. Nu există altă soluţie, cel puţin în perspectiva următorilor 20 de
    ani. Nimeni, a subliniat fostul şef al statului, nu pune problema
    Unirii prin forţă, ci prin referendum sau vot parlamentar. Iar pentru
    pregătirea acestora, mai apreciază el, e nevoie de acţiuni concrete, de
    schimburi culturale, de vizite reciproce, de creşterea numărului de burse
    pentru studenţi şi de acordarea cetăţeniei române cât mai multor locuitori ai
    statului vecin.

    În afară de nepoţi, nu am nimic mai scump decât Unirea – s-a
    confesat Traian Băsescu la Izvoru Mureşului.

    La
    Bucureşti, sunt mulţi comentatorii care-i împărtăşesc speranţele, dar puţini la
    fel de impetuoşi ca şeful Mişcării Populare. Unii remarcă, în treacăt, că
    aceste declaraţii prefaţează alegerile legislative de la sfârşitul anului şi că
    Băsescu a fost mereu popular printre cetăţenii români din Republica Moldova,
    bazin electoral pe care încearcă să-l fidelizeze. Alţii subliniază că în
    raporturile dintre cele două state rămân nenumărate dosare sensibile.

    Independentă din 1991, Republica Moldova
    a fost creată pe o parte a teritoriilor româneşti răsăritene anexate de
    Moscova lui Stalin în 1940, în urma unui ultimatum. Sute de mii de oameni s-au
    refugiat atunci în România micşorată. Alte zeci de mii, inamici reali sau imaginari
    ai regimului sovietic, au fost deportaţi de ocupanţi în Siberia şi Kazahstan.
    În locul lor au fost aduşi colonişti din toate cotloanele Imperiului Roşu.

    Zeci
    de ani, artificiala frontieră moldo-română a fost cea mai ermetică din întregul
    lagăr socialist, iar virulenta propagandă antiromânească de la Chişinău a
    funcţionat non-stop. Astfel că, în pofida apropierii reale din ultimul sfert de
    veac, prejudecăţile şi neîncrederea nu s-au resorbit de tot, iar adepţii
    Unirii, chiar dacă tot mai numeroşi, rămân o minoritate printre cetăţenii
    Republicii Moldova.