Radio România Internațional

Tag: the Republic of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova, between the union and the grey area

On the centenary of the union of Bessarabia with Romania, a recent poll carried out by the Association of Sociologists and Demographers shows that almost half of Moldovan voters support the Socialists Party led by the country’s pro-Russian president Igor Dodon.

Also, the number of people in favour of European integration, namely 36%, is now lower than of those in favour of closer ties with the Euroasian Union, that is 41%. In the event of early elections, only four political parties would make it into Parliament, the poll also suggests.

Almost half of respondents would vote for the Socialists Party, 19% for the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, 11% for the ruling Democratic Party, and 9% for the Dignity and Truth Platform Party. According to the poll, the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon is the most trusted politician in Moldova, with a confidence rating of 50%, followed by the leader of the Action and Solidarity Party Maia Sandu, with 22%, and, much further behind, by the communist ex-president Vladimir Voronin, the prime minister Pavel Filip and the leader of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc. More than half of respondents have no trust in any politician.

Against this backdrop, public consultations have begun in Chisinau in the run-up to a possible referendum on the union of the Republic of Moldova with Romania. The participants have to choose between two options, Yes or No, by the 14th of April. The survey is conducted by the European Social-Political Centre. 100,000 of the 300,000 voters in Chisinau will be canvassed, explains sociology expert PhD Andrei Dumbraveanu, who says the number of unionists has grown compared with 20 or 30 years ago.

Andrei Dumbraveanu: “We have a generation of people who know the historical truth and who have studied in the West. We must also note the big influence exerted by the media, which are in favour of maintaining Russia’s influence in these parts, so many people aren’t yet sure which way to go.”

500 canvassers will conduct door-to-door surveys, but electronic voting may also be an option.

3 April 2018
March 27, 2018

CELEBRATION – The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament have today gathered in solemn session to mark 100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania. In the presence of Romanian officials and other figures such as Princess Margaret, Custodian of the Crown, the Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and the President of the Moldovan Parliament Andrian Candu, the Romanian deputies and senators adopted a solemn declaration which pays homage to the authors of the historic act carried out 100 years ago. A province with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population within the Tsarist empire, Bessarabia joined Romania at the end of WWI, on March 27th, 1918. Years later, in June 1940, the Soviet Union re-annexed the province under an ultimatum, and the present-day Republic of Moldova was created on part of that territory. On Sunday, at a meeting organized in Moldovas capital Chisinau, dozens of thousands of citizens of the two Romanian states called for the re-unification between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

RUSSIA – Romanias decision to expel a Russian Federation diplomat, in response to the poisoning in Great Britain of the former Russian spy Serghei Skripal is “a manifestation of collective political madness” reads a message of the Russian Embassy in Romania. On Monday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry notified the embassy that one of its diplomats would be declared persona non-grata and forced to leave the Romanian soil. Romania thus joined other EU nations, which, just like the US and other countries such as Ukraine, Canada, Norway or Australia have been expelling Russian diplomats. The US alone will expel 60 Russian diplomats, in what has been dubbed “the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history.” Moscow has denied its involvement in the poisoning on March 4th of the former double-spy and his daughter, in the first known nerve agent attack in Europe after WWII and has announced similar responses to the measures taken in the countries that have expelled Russian diplomats.

JUSTICE – On Monday, the Romanian Senate, the decision-making forum in this matter, adopted the controversial modifications of the justice laws, namely those concerning the status of the magistrates, judicial organization and the functioning of the Superior Council of the Magistracy. The majority made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, supported by the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania have again stated that the changes, previously endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies, were formulated in keeping with the rulings of the Constitutional Court. The right-wing opposition, however, has criticized the modifications and stated there is ground for challenging them in court again. We recall that some of the changes initially brought to the justice laws triggered the largest street-protests in post-Communist Romania.

PROTESTS – Trade unionists from the Romanian health-care sector are today picketing the headquarters of the line ministry in Bucharest and on Thursday they will protest in front of the Labour Ministry. The are demanding, among other things, pay rises as of March 1st, for the entire healthcare and welfare staff, the elimination of the 30% cap for bonuses and the recovery of income losses following the implementation of the latest salary regulations, as of January 1st. For years, against the background of a severe under financing of the health-care sector in Romania, Romanian health specialists have left abroad in large numbers, in search for better paid jobs. Since last year, the net incomes of the health-care personnel have grown significantly. However, they are still unhappy with their salaries and bonuses and have threatened with protests that might culminate in an all-out strike. The current minister Sorina Pintea, however, has stated that they have no reason to protest.

GOPO AWARDS – Bucharest is today playing host to the Gopo Awards Gala, an event held every year, which celebrates the best cinema productions of the previous year. This year, “One Step Behind the Seraphim” by Daniel Sandu, boasts the largest number of nominations – 15 – , followed by “6.9 on the Richter Scale” by Nae Caranfil and “The Anniversary” by Dan Chisu. Other films on the galas shortlist are “Ana, mon amour” by Calin Peter Netzer, “Breaking News” by Iulia Rugina and “Fixeur” by Adrian Sitaru. The life achievement awards will be granted to actors George Mihaita and Vladimir Gaitan. The name of the festival is a homage paid to the Romanian film-maker Ion-Popescu Gopo, who years ago won the Palme dOr for best animated short.

FOOTBALL – Romanias national football squad is today taking on in Craiova, southern Romania, the Swedish team, in a friendly game. This is the first meeting between the two teams since the game played in 1994, when the Romanians lost to the Swedish team, in a penalty shoot-out, in the quarter finals of the World Cup hosted by the US. On Saturday, also in a friendly game, Romania defeated Israel 2-1. In another move, also today, on home turf, Romanias Under 19 team is playing against Ukraine the decisive match for qualification to the European Championship due in Finland, in July. After the victories scored in the first two matches, against Serbia 4-nil and Sweden 2-1, the young Romanian footballers need at least a draw to win the preliminaries.

27 March 2018
March 24, 2018 UPDATE

PROTEST Trade unions from Romania’s police and penitentiary system took to streets of Bucharest on Saturday to protest the working conditions and low wages. Romanian policemen and prison staffers were denouncing the stalled social dialogue and the authorities’ lack of interest in the issues currently facing the system. Low salaries, an underfunded Interior Ministry, poor logistics, a delayed adoption of the policeman’s statute, the shortage of personnel and the lack of a real protection for policemen were only a few of the issues mentioned by the protesters. In response the Interior Ministry has said that police troops have benefited from pay rises in the past year and by increased bonuses. So the lowest monthly pay for a policeman has been raised from 295 euros to over 380 euros. Some police troops may also benefit from extra money for food or clothes.

MEETING The neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country, is expected to see a large-scale rally on Sunday aimed at marking 100 years since the union of Bessarabia with Romania. Several Romanian politicians, including former president Traian Basescu and liberal leader Ludovic Orban have announced their participation in the event. A province of Czarist Russia with a majority Romanian-speaking population, Bessarabia united with Romania in the wake of WWI on March 27th 1918. It was annexed through an ultimatum in 1940 by Russia, which created the present Republic of Moldova on part of its territory.

EARTH HOUR Several cities across Romania have this year announced their participation in Earth Hour, a worldwide event annually encouraging individuals, communities and businesses to switch off non-essential electric lights for one hour in the last Saturday of March. Numerous public and private institutions from all over Romania are participating annually in this event, which is believed to be the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment in history. In Romania, a country, which has been observing Earth Hour since 2009, various events have been staged in order to raise environmental awareness among the people. Earth Hour was first staged by World Wide Fund in Sydney, Australia on March 31st 2007.

HANDBALL On Sunday in Cluj, northwestern Romania, our national women’s handball side will be playing Russia in the return match of the fourth qualifying group for the European Championships in France. Russia won the first game at home 30-25, which was also Romania’s first defeat in this qualifying campaign. Romania and Russia are equal now in the group’s rankings with the same number of points, four. Next comes Austria with two and a game in hand but a win on Sunday can push Romania to the group’s first position.

translated by bill

24 March 2018
February 8, 2018 UPDATE

SENTENCE The former mayor of Slatina, a city in southern Romania, who was also the country’s former Finance Minister, Social Democrat Darius Valcov, was sentenced to 8 years in prison by the Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ). The Court has also ruled over the seizure of 1.3 euros from Valcov. This is the court’s first ruling against Darius Valcov who has been accused of influence peddling and money laundering.

FLU Romania’s Health Minister Sorina Pintea on Thursday said that Romania isn’t currently facing a flu epidemic but 16 people have so far been killed by the disease in this country while the total number of infections stay at 300. 800,000 people have been vaccinated while doctors have advised the Romanians to get inoculated against the backdrop of a rising number of infections.

STATEMENT Parliament in Chisinau, in the ex-soviet Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, on Thursday adopted a statement in which it condemns the Russian Federation’s attacks against the country’s ’information security’ as well as Russia’s abusive intrusion on the political activity of the Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan Legislature has voiced concern about Moscow’s stepped-up attacks against the country’s information security and media institutions involving some Moscow-based television channels. According to the document, the attacks are denigrating Moldovan institutions and officials but are mostly directed against the citizens of the country. MPs from the majority pro-European coalition have voted for the document whereas the socialists and the communists stood against it. The statement comes after a document issued by the Russian state Duma was condemning the Republic of Moldova’s new media law, the so-called anti-propaganda law, which is restricting Russian TV broadcasts. The country’s pro-Russia president Igor Dodon has described the statement as the most impulsive anti-Russian message at high level of the past 25 years.

REFUGEES In 2018 Romania is to receive 40 Syrian refugees who have been temporarily accommodated by Turkey. The country will get another 69 in 2019, Nelu Barbu, spokesman for the government has announced. According to the Romanian official, the first 40 refugees represent the annual quota. 29 more will be allotted in 2019 unless they are relocated under the commitments Romania has earlier assumed.

translated by bill

8 February 2018
January 27, 2018

TENNIS The world’s number one tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, who had for the first time in her career qualified for the finals of Australian Open on Saturday lost to the WTA number two Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. This is Halep’s third Grand Slam finals after those she lost in Roland Garros in 2014 and 2017. As of next week, Wozniacki is leader of the WTA ranking.

GOVERNMENT The two Parliament chambers in Bucharest are to convene in an extraordinary session on Monday afternoon to swear in the new PSD-ALDE executive and vote on an updated governing programme. The new ministers are to be heard by senators and MPs from the Parliament’s specialized committees before the swearing in ceremony. The new team led by the Social-Democratic MEP Viorica Dancila will have 27 ministers and 4 Deputy Prime Ministers, one more than the previous team led by former Prime Minister Mihai Tudose. Several ministers will continue their term in office, such as Social-Democrats Mihai Fifor, head of the Defence Ministry, Carmen Dan the Interior Minister, Labour Minister Olguta Vasilescu and Petre Daea, the Minister of Agriculture. The new ministers are Eugen Teodorovici at the Finance Ministry, doctor Sorina Pintea at the Health Ministry, actor George Ivascu at the Ministry of Culture and professor Valentin Popa as the Minister of Education. Natalia Intotero will be heading the Ministry for the Romanians Abroad. Independent Tudorel Toader, backed by the co-ruling Alliance of Liberals and Democrats ALDE, will be heading the Justice Ministry. The Liberal-Democratic ministers who will continue their activity with the new cabinet are Gratiela Gavrilescu, deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister, Teodor Melescanu with the Foreign Ministry and Viorel Ilie, Minister for the Relation with Parliament. The only change is at the Ministry of Energy, where outgoing Toma Petcu has been replaced by Anton Anton. The opposition National Liberal Party is having talks with the other opposition parties to block the investiture of the new PSD-ALDE cabinet, the third in the past year.

ACCESSION Iurie Leanca, Deputy Prime Minister with the pro-Western government in Chisinau, has announced his intention to forward the Republic of Moldova’s EU accession application during the time when Romania takes over the EU’s rotating presidency in 2019. According to our correspondent in Chisinau, Leanca has said that the Republic of Moldova (an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country) has to strengthen its dialogue with Brussels and carry on reforms. Leanca has previously served as the country’s Foreign Minister and Prime Minister and the government he led in 2014 concluded Moldova’s accords of association and free trade with the EU. Leanca has been recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European integration, a position that didn’t exist before.

HOLOCAUST Romanian president Klaus Iohannis on Saturday conveyed a message on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in which he affirms that Romania continues to fight against any form of anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination. ‘Our deepest prayers and thoughts are today for the victims of the Holocaust’, the head of the Romanian state writes. The foreign Ministry in Bucharest has also paid homage to the memory of the Holocaust victims from all over the world voicing solidarity with the survivors of the tragic events of WWII. January 27th 1945 was the day when the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau were liberated by the Red Army.

translated by Daniel Bilt

27 January 2018
September 28, 2017

COMMISSIONER The European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete is today paying a formal visit to Bucharest where he is expected to have talks with the Romanian Energy Minister Toma Petcu. The European official will also participate in a conference on Central and South Eastern Europe Gas Connectivity. The meeting will focus on the situation of gas network connectivity and expanding regional cooperation beyond this field. Also attending the event, Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission vice-president has told the participants that efficiency is the best measure in fighting energy shortage, which will also result in lower bills as well as environment protection.

PROTEST The Romanian National Union Federation ‘Ambulance has today staged a meeting in an attempt to protest the low monthly incomes in this sector, which are to be trimmed even more starting January 1st 2018. The meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the public ambulance services, involves the participation of the employees but without affecting the intervention capabilities in emergency situations. Trade unionists are also warning against the shortage of personnel in the public ambulance services also calling for the creation of fresh jobs and allotment of the necessary budget.

EXPULSION 37 foreign citizens with ages between 19 and 60 years have been expelled from the Romanian territory in September, the General Inspectorate for Migration has today announced. Escorts were needed in the case of 27 of these migrants who came from countries like Pakistan, Bulgaria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, the Republic of Moldova, Turkey, Bangladesh and Ukraine. 9 have been escorted to their native countries, 15 to the border points whereas 3 others to the responsible countries for having their international protection applications reviewed. 31 of these persons have been banned from traveling to Romania for periods between 3 months and 5 years.

VISIT Currently on a visit to the neighboring Romania, Adrian Candu, the Parliament speaker of the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country is having talks with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. On Wednesday the Moldovan official met the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, Calin Popescu Tariceanu and Liviu Dragnea, respectively, who voiced hope that the authorities in Chisinau would adopt the necessary measures to step up reforms in major fields of activity. Candu has underlined the fact that Romania is what he calls Chisinaus ‘number one partner and friend and has apologized for the anti-Romanian statements of the countrys pro-Russia socialist president Igor Dodon. He has said that Dodon compensates his lack of competence through sharp anti-Romanian statements. Sworn in early this year, Dodon has stood for canceling the free trade and association agreements the Republic of Moldova and the European Union concluded in 2014 aimed at redirecting the country towards the Eurasian Union dominated by Russia.

FOOTBALL Romanias only representative in European football competitions, vice champion team FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, today take on Swiss opponents Lugano, away from home, in a fixture counting towards Europa League. In the first Group G leg, two weeks ago, FCSB secured a 3-nil home win over Czech opponents Viktoria Plzen, while in the other game Israeli team Hapoel Beer Sheva grabbed a 2- nil win over Lugano. In the as-it-stands Group G table, FCSB are at the top, with three points, the same as Hapoel, but with a better goal average.

TECHNICAL REVISION We remind our listeners that the RRI transmitter in Galbeni, Bacau County, will be under technical review on Thursday, September 28th, between 09:00 and 17:00 Romanian time, which is 06.00-14.00 GMT.

During that interval you can follow our broadcasts on the short wave frequencies used by our transmitter in Tiganesti, on-line on www.rri.ro, using the applications available on our website, Google Play and App Store, on TuneIn, as well as on fixed and mobile phones. Good listening.

28 September 2017
Moldova, 26 years of independence

On August 27, 1991, after the failed neo-Bolshevik coup in Moscow, the Parliament in Chisinau, facing a massive protest, voted the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union and instating the Republic of Moldova on the Romanian territories Stalin annexed in 1940. On the same day Romania would become the first country to recognize the independence and sovereignty of its new neighbor. In subsequent years Bucharest became the most vocal supporter of the Republic of Moldova’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and efforts to join the European Union.

On Sunday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry reiterated Romania’s support for Moldova and its citizens on road to European accession. In turn, the Romanian Ambassador to Chisinau, Daniel Ionita, told Radio Romania that he was confident Moldova will join the European Union. EU accession is no easy task, the Romanian official argued, but the roadmap in itself is an excellent opportunity to implement a set of reforms. At the end of the road, Daniel Ionita added, apart from the stability, predictability and security that EU membership offers, all Moldovan citizens will be able to pursue a better lifestyle.

After Moldova signed the Association and Free Trade Agreements with the European Union in 2014, Moldovan citizens were given visa-free access across the community bloc, while their companies may now access the single market under very advantageous terms. The pro-European ruling coalition in Chisinau led by the Democrat PM Pavel Filip remains a supporter of EU accession, although the pro-Russian Socialist President, Igor Dodon, an overt critic of Romania and the West, wants Moldova under Russia’s sphere of influence once again. Each enjoying the support of half the Moldovan voters, Filip and Dodon are representative of the geopolitical and identity divide in Moldovan society. The reasons behind this fracture are historical and quite painful.

At the time of Moldova’s annexation, hundreds of thousands of Romanian nationals sought refuge in Romania, while tens of thousands were deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan, replaced with colonists brought over from all the corners of the empire. The Moldovan Ambassador to Bucharest, Mihai Gribincea, warned that today’s republic, swept by political, administrative, ethnic, linguistic and religious conflicts, is not the Romanian province of the interwar period. The most serious consequence of nearly half a century of foreign occupation, is that Moldova is still haunted by the ghost of its Soviet past, 26 years after it proclaimed its independence. (Edited by D. Vijeu)

28 August 2017
September 19, 2016 UPDATE

ELECTION The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has criticised the parliamentary election in Russia, which they described as marked by violations of the fundamental rights and the lack of real political alternatives. Putin-backed United Russia Party won the election by a landslide with roughly 54% of the votes. Only the communists, the far right Liberal-Democrats and the leftist A Just Russia party have cleared the election threshold. None of these political groups is considered of being in opposition as their MPs usually vote together with United Russia. On Saturday, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said it didn’t recognize the legitimacy of the election in Crimea for the Duma in Moscow. The diplomacy in Bucharest has reiterated their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring Ukraine recalling that Romania does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by Russia in 2014.

TRUST The technocratic government in Bucharest has no intention of raising any tax, duty or indemnity, by the end of its mandate, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said before Parliament on Monday. The government activity mainly focused on regaining the citizens’ trust in the state and building a predictable investment-friendly economic environment, the Prime Minister explained adding that economic growth is this year estimated at 4.8%, higher than the envisaged 4.2%. The executive is getting ready to apply reforms in the social assistance system, granting fiscal facilities to those investing in the professional training as well as measures for boosting local capital, Ciolos went on to say. He had been invited to Parliament by the Social Democrats to brief the MPs on the country’s economic situation. However, Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea has lashed out at the Prime Minister’s speech criticizing the government’s inability to absorb European Funds and for having delayed subsidies in agriculture.

SUPPORT The State Secretary for Strategic Affairs with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Dan Neculaescu, has reiterated Bucharest’s active support for the Republic of Moldova’s European integration. On Monday, the Romanian official participated in the opening ceremony for the sixth edition of a programme aimed at training diplomats and public servants from the Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian-speaking country. Neculaescu has highlighted the essential role these servants are playing in the continuation and implementation of the process of reforming and modernizing this former soviet country for the direct benefit of its citizens. The programme was launched back in 2010 and has been annually addressing a number of 20 participants — diplomats with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and servants with central administration in Chisinau. The course has been staged by the Romanian Diplomatic Institute and funded by the Foreign Ministry.

ARREST The Islamist of Afghan descent Ahmad Khan Rahami, believed to be responsible for the explosion in Manhattan on Saturday night and an earlier bombing in New Jersey, was arrested on Monday after he had been wounded by gunfire in an encounter with the police, law enforcement officials said. According to the same sources a policeman was wounded during the operation. We recall that 29 people were wounded in Manhattan on Saturday night after the bomb planted by Rahami went off. Police have found another explosive device planted by Rahmani a few blocks away.

19 September 2016
The political crisis in the neighboring Republic of Moldova deepens

The latest Prime Minister Designate, Ion Paduraru, decided to withdraw only a day after his designation by President Nicolae Timofti. Paduraru explained his gesture by saying he was
not endorsed by a Parliament majority, which is interested in imposing another
candidate.

Following the election of November 30, 2014, nothing has
functioned properly in the Republic of Moldova. Although the self-proclaimed
pro-Western parties – the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic and the
Liberal Parties – won the election forcing the pro-Russian Socialists and Communists into opposition, the winners have found themselves unable to
handle their own success. They have lately failed to nominate a Prime Minister
and, consequently, the political crisis in the country continues.

Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, has described the situation in the
Republic of Moldova as very complicated, adding that he trusts the Moldovan
politicians. I count on the maturity of the political class in Chisinau to
find the best way for settling the crisis, for instating a strong government
and for maintaining the country’s European progress, the head of the Romanian
state has said. Iohannis has stood for a rapid and good solution to the political
crisis in the Republic of Moldova.

In turn, the Senate’s Foreign Policy Chair, Petru Filip, says
Romania has no right to abandon either the Republic of Moldova, presently in a difficult situation, or its foreign policy’s strategic interest of endorsing the
pro-European progress of the neighboring state. The Romanian official went on
to say that, of late, Romania seems to have throttled down on its pro-Moldova
policy.

In his opinion, the support Romania can offer to the Republic of
Moldova has to comprise both the governmental and presidential dimensions, as
well as the Romanian political parties’ capability to assess the
situation, keeping in mind the interest of boosting the Republic of Moldova’s
pro-European progress. Unless Chisinau gets a new government endorsed until January 29, the president has to dissolve Parliament and stage snap elections.

The most interested in this worst-case scenario are the pro-Russia Socialists, who are presently leading in opinion polls. The former Prime
Minister Iurie Leanca’s European People’s Party has also decided to join the
opposition and pleaded for snap election, a situation all pro-Western political
pundits believe should be avoided. According to some MPs, suspending President Nicolae
Timofti could be another solution, an alternative that has been considered
by Moldovan MPs these days.

15 January 2016
The Week in Review: October 25-31

The “vote by mail law has been adopted

Romanian citizens domiciled abroad will be able to vote by mail, but only in the parliamentary elections due next year. The Chamber of Deputies with the Romanian Parliament on Wednesday passed a law on this issue. The measure was extremely necessary, after thousands of Romanians in the Diaspora queued up at polling stations for hours to vote in last years presidential election, with some of them finding it impossible to cast their votes, because of the improper organization of the ballot. The ruling Social-Democrats say the law voted on Wednesday is a pilot project, which might be extended to the presidential and European elections, if everything goes well at the parliamentary elections next autumn.

The president of the Social Democratic Party, Liviu Dragnea explains: “As there are slightly different procedures and a more comprehensive analysis of the two rounds of the ballot is needed, in terms of logistics and infrastructure, decision makers didnt want to have another reason to postpone the adoption of this law again. All those who doubted that the same provisions will apply to the presidential elections, will be proven wrong or to intentionally try to cast a shadow over what we have all achieved here.

The National Liberal Party, in opposition, voted for the law, in the hope that it will be extended, after the 2016 parliamentary elections.

Liberal MP Mihai Voicu: “We have taken a step forward by adopting the vote by mail system for parliamentary elections, but we have to do more. This is all that could be achieved given the current parliamentary majority. Hopefully, another parliamentary majority, formed after the 2016 elections, will extend this law.

The fight against corruption continues

Gheorghe Nichita, the suspended mayor of Iasi, the largest city in eastern Romania, and Tiberiu Urdareanu, the CEO of a significant group of firms, UTI, were taken into custody on Thursday evening, for taking and giving bribe, respectively. According to the National Anticorruption Directorate, Gheorghe Nichita allegedly claimed and received undue benefits in exchange for granting a EU funded contract worth some 12 million euros to the UTI group. The contract was meant to ease road and pedestrian traffic and reduce the level of pollution in Iasi.

In another move, MP and former development minister Elena Udrea, who has just been released from arrest and is now subject to legal restrictions pending trial, is again investigated by anticorruption prosecutors as part of a different case. Udrea is accused that, during her tenure as a minister, she received a 4 million US dollar bribe from a businessman to help him earn a contract. Elena Udreas colleagues in Parliament this week approved the start of a criminal investigation against her and her being taken into custody, but they rejected a request for her pre-trial arrest.

New economic measures

The government approved on Tuesday several amendments to the Fiscal Code, among which the reduction of the VAT for water to 9%; changing the tax bracket for micro-enterprises; exempting higher secondary education institutions from paying profit tax; and reducing tax on dividends from 16% to 5%. The Romanian business environment has welcomed the introduction of this last measure, which will take effect as of January 1st 2016 and will apply to dividends obtained by Romanian natural persons and legal bodies, as well as to the dividends obtained in Romania by non-residents.

Also this week, the government approved a new package of laws on public procurement that incorporates the latest European norms in the field and is designed to improve infrastructure. The package will be sent to Parliament to be debated and voted on as part of an emergency procedure. The economic policy analyst with the European Commission Representation in Bucharest, Carmen Marcus, has quoted Romanian and foreign experts as saying that Romania has never had a better macro-economic situation, following financial assistance programs with its international creditors. Also, Romania ranks 37th out of 189 countries in a World Bank business classification, going up 11 positions and overtaking such countries as Italy, Hungary, Russia, Croatia and Greece.

The Republic of Moldova has no government

Romanias president, Klaus Iohannis, took note of the collapse of pro-western three-party government of the Republic of Moldova on Thursday and underlined that a stable government should be formed for Moldova to be able to stay on its European course.

According to president Iohannis, Romania reiterates its commitment to provide full support to neighbouring Moldova in this respect. Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu shares this view: It is extremely important for the whole responsible political class in Chishinau, particularly the pro-European parties that have been voted for this very purpose by the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in November 2014, a vote which was reconfirmed by the pro-European choice in the local elections held in June, to understand that Moldova needs stability, a pro-European coalition and European reforms.

The Moldovan cabinet led by Liberal-Democrat Valeriu Strelet has been dissolved by Parliament following a censure motion initiated by the Socialist and pro-Russian communist opposition. Voting for the motion, which involved a vote of confidence in Parliament, were also the members of the Democratic Party, who are part of the ruling coalition, who, just like the initiators of the motion, accuse Valeriu Strelet of incompetence and corruption. The latter said that, by initiating the motion, the left tries to destabilise the republic and deviate it from its target, namely European integration.

31 October 2015
Corruption scandal in Chisinau

The former Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Vlad Filat, suspected of acts of corruption, will stay in 30-day pre-trial arrest, according to a ruling by the Chishinau Tribunal. He is accused of influence peddling, involvement in bank fraud and bribe taking. One of Filat’s lawyers says he will contest the ruling at the Court of Appeal, and if the pre-trial arrest stands, they will refer the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

The former Moldovan Prime Minister has also filed a criminal complaint against Ilan Shor, who made false declarations when reporting on him. A businessman and the incumbent mayor of the town of Orhei, Ilan Shor, wrote a self-incriminating report on October 12th, claiming he allegedly offered a 250-million-dollar bribe to the former Prime minister in exchange for some benefits. Vlad Filat was taken into custody on October 15th, based on a warrant issued by the National Anticorruption Centre, shortly after the Moldovan Parliament decided to lift his immunity.

The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova, Corneliu Gurin, called for suspending Filat’s immunity, saying the latter should be investigated for his alleged direct involvement in the mysterious disappearance of one billion dollars from the Moldovan banking system. Filat, who was at the helm of the Liberal Democratic Party (of pro-European orientation and a member of the ruling coalition) rejected the accusations levelled against him, saying the move had been carefully staged in advance by his political opponents. He stepped down from the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, the position being taken over by the incumbent Prime Minister, Valeriu Strelet.

Civil society reacted vehemently to the disappearance of one billion dollars, the equivalent of 15% of Moldova’s GDP, from the banking system, through loans granted to unknown beneficiaries. Since early September, the former Soviet republic has been faced with a wave of anti-government rallies attended by tens of thousands of people and organised in downtown Chishinau, by the Dignity and Truth Platform, a coalition of NGOs sharing European values. The protesters call for the resignation and prosecution of high-ranking officials who are responsible for generalised corruption and the degrading economic situation in the Republic of Moldova.

President Nicolae Timofti has admitted that the rallies are generated by the people’s discontent about the performance of public institutions and of some top-level officials, but he warned that they might be used by revanchist, neo-Soviet forces, which try to take advantage of the newly created situation to block the European track of Moldova. Bucharest authorities have underlined that, against this backdrop, it is important for the Government in Chishinau to continue to be stable, and that the majority coalition should further be maintained and Moldova should continue its European integration efforts.

19 October 2015
New Large-scale Protests in Chisinau

This years general elections and the latest sociological research studies were pointing to the ideological divide in the Republic of Moldova, a country split between pro-Europeans and pro-Russians, between anti-communists and the USSR nostalgics. These factions are themselves split right now, with each group developing radical tendencies.

The three party ruling coalition of pro-Western orientation, made up of the Liberal-Democrats, the Democrats and the Liberals came to power six years ago on top a wave of public discontent at the long series of abuse and corruption of the pro-Moscow communist rule of the 2001-2009 period. The stake back then, which earned them their mandate, was the countrys European integration.

Last year the Republic of Moldova signed Association and Free Trade Agreements with the European Union, 2020 being set as the envisaged accession target. However, members of this pro-European Government, in turn, became the targets of huge corruption scandals. The last drop came at the end of last year, when 1 billion dollars mysteriously disappeared from the Moldovan banking system, accounting for 15% of the countrys GDP.

This was simply unacceptable for the population, whose contribution was key to instating the current power. In the last month, the “Dignity and Truth Platform, a coalition of pro-European NGOs has been organizing rallies in downtown Chisinau, with daily turnouts of tens of thousands of people. Protesters want to hold accountable high-ranking corrupt officials, whom they see responsible for the countrys degrading economy.

Some protesters have gone as far as labeling Moldova a failed state, openly promoting the idea of re-uniting with neighboring Romania as the only possible solution to fulfill the European standards of equality, democracy and economic development. Against the rising tensions, the socialist and populist opposition has stepped in, blocking the city center and calling on president Nicolae Timofti to step down. The central figure of the anti-presidential strain of the protest movement is Socialist leader Igor Dodon, a known associate of Populist Mayor of Balti, Renato Usatii, whose election campaign was financed by Moscow. In turn, president Timofti admitted the anti-government protests were prompted by a general discontent towards the performance of public institutions and some officials.

The president has warned, however, that the protests risk being manipulated by pro-Russian revanchist groups seeking to turn the internal turmoil in Moldova to their own advantage and thus block the countrys efforts to join the EU. Last week, Bucharest announced it would give Moldova a 150 million euro refundable loan. The Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta claimed that unless Moldova received support, it risked falling back under the control of the pro-Russian political factions.

5 October 2015
September 11, 2015

MIGRANT CRISIS — The Vishegrad Group foreign ministers- of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia-are today meeting in Prague with their counterparts from Germany and Luxembourg, for talks on the migrant crisis, which is deepening by the day. The Vishegrad Group member states voiced dissatisfaction with the quota regime set by the EU. In turn, Romania has expressed reticence with the so-called mandatory quotas of immigrants, that the EU member states will give shelter to. In another move, Hungary has today announced it supplemented by 3,800 the number of military deployed on the border with Serbia, to cope with the growing flow of immigrants, which last night registered a record high of 3,600 people. Austria has today announced it closed the Nickelsdorf checkpoint, on the border with Hungary, because of the high number of immigrants, some 8,000, who crossed the border within 24 hours. According to an official with the UN High Commissioner’s Office for Refugees, over 7,600 other refugees, entered Macedonia, coming from Greece, over the last 24 hours.

COMMEMORATION — Romania is further firmly committed to the international effort to fight terrorism and extremism, Romanian deputy prime minister and interior minister Gabriel Oprea said today, in a message delivered in commemoration of 14 years since the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. According to Oprea, the terror attacks in the US as well as in other European countries have shown that terrorism can hit anywhere and anytime and that no country is fully defended against this scourge. The relationship between Romania and US gained a new significance in the wake of the tragedy that struck on September 11, Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said. In a message to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, marking 14 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which claimed the lives of 3,000 US citizens, including members of the Romanian-US community, Aurescu reiterated Romania’s determination to carry on, alongside the US and its international partners, the efforts meant to prevent and fight this threat, irrespective of its forms of manifestation. He evoked the significant role of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the US in boosting bilateral relations and ensuring common security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region.

MOLDOVA — The prime minister of the Republic of Moldova, a former Soviet state with a predominantly Romanian speaking population, Valeriu Streletz, has said the country’s existence is in jeopardy. Against the backdrop of prolonged, one week long antigovernment protests in downtown Chishinau, the prime minister said the problems that prompted people to take to the street, such as corruption, poverty and the lack of confidence in the political class, are the outcomes of accumulated process which unfolded over many years. Strelets has added that his cabinet, which took office in late July, will resign only after a vote of confidence in Parliament. On Sunday, tens of thousands of people protested near the government building, demanding the resignation of the cabinet and of president Nicolae Timofti and calling for early elections. Hundreds of them decided to stage protests around the clock, placing tents in front of the government building. Declaring itself of pro-Western orientation, the three-party ruling coalition dramatically lost credibility in Moldova, after one million US dollars from the country’s banking system, the equivalent of 15% of Moldova’s GDP, vanished into thin air, in unclear, mysterious circumstances.

FESTIVAL — The “George Enescu” International Festival continues in Bucharest. Performing on the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum today will be Konzerthausorchester Berlin, conducted by Horia Andreescu. Another highlight of the day is the concert given by the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, as part of the “Great Orchestras of the World” series. The 13th day of the festival ends with a concert given by the Chamber Orchestra of Paris. Over 3,000 Romanian and foreign artists in the world musical elite will be performing on the stage of the festival, one of the largest events of its kind in Europe, which runs through September 20. Tens of indoor concerts and outdoor events are being held throughout the festival.

TENNIS — Second seeded Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, who has qualified for the first time to the semi-finals of the US Open in New York, is today facing Italian Flavia Pennetta (WTA rank: 26). Playing the other semi-finals will be first seeded American player Serena Williams and Italian Roberta Vinci. The games, initially scheduled for Thursday, have been postponed for today by the organisers of the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, because of rain.

11 September 2015
Elections in Europe

This fall several EU Member States are holding elections that may bring about important political changes in Eastern and Central Europe.

In the EU’s poorest state Bulgaria, the center-right GERB party has become the country’s leading political faction after last weekend’s legislative elections. Boiko Borisov’s party grabbed nearly one third of the total number of votes and will take over from the left-wing Government. Marred by accusations of ineffectiveness and corruption, Plamen Oresharsky’s term has come to an untimely end after only one year. In the current elections the alliance of Socialists and Ethnic Turks in Bulgaria grabbed even fewer votes than the Conservatives. Far from relishing his win, Borisov admitted that setting up the new Cabinet will be a difficult task, given the fragmentation of the new Parliament.

Latvia too saw legislative elections this Saturday. Four pro-Western parties will hold the majority in Parliament, although the opposition’s Armonia party, linked to Vladimir Putin’s United Russia group, claimed first place in the elections. For most pundits this is a surprising win, against the backdrop of regional tensions and Russia’s unquenched appetite for power.

Hungarians too will hit voting polls next Sunday to elect their new local officials. The vote is bound to produce no surprises this time, with the FIDESZ Conservative faction expected to win at ease. This spring FIDESZ won the local and European legislative elections by a landslide majority. Voters seem not to be bothered by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s authoritarian tendencies, nor by his ambiguous policy towards Russia. And this is not the worst news for the Liberal and Socialist opposition, which is no longer the country’s second party after the ultra-nationalist Jobbik party is now the opposition’s newest favourite in polls.

In Romania, presidential elections will take place on November 2, with a total of 14 candidates enrolled so far in the race for Cotroceni. A second ballot is most likely to be held on November 16, between the polls’ two main contenders, the Social-Democrat Prime Minister Victor Ponta and Christian-Liberal Sibiu Mayor Klaus Iohannis.

Whereas this fall’s elections will bring about little to no change in the NATO and EU member countries, the Republic of Moldova is undergoing a severe political crisis. With only 2 months ahead of the vote, the pro-Russian communist party is viewed as the most likely to win the upcoming legislative elections of November 30. A win for the communists would spell disaster for the pro-Western coalition in Chisinau and an end to the five years of reforms and efforts to bring the country closer to the EU, which culminated this summer with the signing of the Association and Free Trade Agreements with the EU.

6 October 2014
Chisinau-Moscow Frictions

The economy of the Republic of Moldova focuses increasingly on the EU market. In the first five months of the year, its exports to the EU grew by over 22%, while exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States dropped nearly 19%, although these still account for the bulk of the Moldovan exports.

According to the deputy Agriculture Minister of Moldova, Vladimir Loghin, quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent, in order to offset the Russian economic embargo on Moldova, Romania has provided practical support and is working on a programme to support fruit and vegetable producers and processors. Bucharest has mediated contacts between the Moldovan economic mission and leading commercial networks.

Thanks to the efforts made by the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos, for Trade, Karel de Gucht and for Enlargement, Stefan Fulle, the EU decided to return to Moldova the duties on apple, plum and grape exports, whose quotas have already been doubled.

After prohibiting wine imports from Moldova last September, Russia has recently denied the access of meat products, fruit and vegetables from Moldova. Moscow says that the entry into force of the association agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU generates contradictions between the EU market and the CIS. But according to Pirkka Tapiola, head of the EU delegation in Chisinau, the EU has never asked Moldova to impose trade barriers on Russia, because in fact the EU association and free trade agreement is fully compatible with the free trade agreement Moldova has with the CIS.

Trade restrictions are just one of Moscow’s weapons, which has threatened Europe with higher energy prices, Russia’s instrument of choice for undermining the EU solidarity. Moscow’s economic retorts affect not only the Republic of Moldova, but also Poland, Ukraine, Romania and even the United States. They come at a time when the EU and USA impose sanctions on Moscow over its involvement in the conflict in east Ukraine. The third round of sanctions has been initiated almost concurrently by the EU and USA, and its effects on the Russian economy are expected to be substantial and relatively quick.

6 August 2014