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Tag: Timisoara

Cumitia Româñã

După 34 di añi, tuti li știm, icã ași cumu pistipsimu, ti Cumitia româñă ditu andreu 1989. Pastorlu reformat maghiar Laszlo Tokes di Timișoara avea ahurihtã s’cutugurseascã regimlu comuñistu și autoritățile represive ș-propuñ s-lu avinã ditu cãsãbã. Tu 15 di andreu 1989, forțili di represiuñe ahurhescu s’iñtrã tru coñflictu cu populația. A doaua dzuuã, protestua putearillei teñtrale comuñiste. Alanta dzuua, tu 17 andreu, dimoñstrañții aputrusescu aestu sediu, ama, tru aestu kiro, dictatorlu Ñicolae Ceaușescu avea data cumandu s’aminã tufeki tu banãtori. Represiuñea sâñdziroasă pare s’aibã ndreaptã problema di Timișoara a deapoa Ceaușescu fudzi tu unã planificata voltã Irañ. S-toarnã tu 20 andreu, dzuuã tru cari timișoreañllii avea elefterisita casabalu di comuñismo. Tu 21 di andreu,a dictatorului Ceaușescu ãlli si ndreadzi unã dimoñstrație populară, București. Aduñarea babageanã, cari lipsea s’hibã unã mañifestare di andrupari a regimului comuñist s’alaxeashti tamamu ana di aesta formulã.

Cumitia populară nkisi deapoa București emu a doaua dzuuã, tu di 22 andreu, Eleña și Ñicolae Ceaușescu fug cu uñ elicopter di pe sediul teñtralu a Partidului Comuñist. Tu scurtu kiro furã acãţaţ a deapoa tu 25 andreu 1989 eara executaț. Prezeñtarea aesta scurtă pare s’hibã uñ steñariu di documeñtar ditu dzãlele ñoastre. Aţea ti nu avemu după 34 di añi, suñt minutisurli atiloru dzãli ñu evideñțele croñologice ci starea di spirit, emoția și reacțiile omeñești. Comuñismul s-iñstalã, cu sirţãlle , cu zori mari, tu bitisita a Doilui Polimu Moñdial, unaoara cu yinearea-a askeriloru sovietiti și sfati una naua ampartsari ali Europei, apufusita di Staliñ și Churchill. Tru 1965, Ñicolae Ceaușescu easti aleplargu di Uñiuñea Sovietică și s-apruke di lumea occideñtală.

După 24 di añi, tru 1989, easti uñul ditu nai ma sertsalli dictatori comuñiști ali Europa. Iara situația ecoñomică a Româñiei, ma dusi la un dipreciere periculoasă a ñivelu di bana. Eara arcoari ncasi, nu avea macasri, coad ti itsi lucru eara ananghi. Iar represiuñea serta exercitată di regimul comuñist nkidica itsi opzoantu i vara mutari capu. Tru toamña añului 1989, regimurile comuñiste ditu Estul Europallei cadea arada, arada, atselu ditu soni tsi avea armasa eara aestu ditu Româñia, cumandusit cu mâñă di hier di Ñicolae Ceaușescu și nicukira-a lui soția lui, Eleña. Situația era explodzuuãvă iar dimoñstrațiile di la Timișoara tr susțiñerea pastorului Tokes au fost diclañșatorul revoltei. După una stămâñă, curbanjli a timișoreñilor agiundzea shiba tu piriclliu, ma snu stindea cumitia. Tru adunarea populare ditu 21 andreu, orgañizată di comuñiști ti ndruparea ali Ceaușescu, s-avdza unu halatu vartosu, canda eara vara explozie, iara nillili di oameñi au părăsit piața tru dibañdadă. S-a spus că, di fapt, această aduñare a fost orgañizată special di cei cari, ditu iñteriorul partidului comuñist, își propuñeau trulăturarea dictatorului. Scañdările di la Timișoara, “Jos comuñismul!” și “Jos Ceaușescu!”, di ñetruchipuit pâñă atuñci tru Româñia, se auzeau cu forță și tru București. Tru cursul ñopții, mii di bucureastiñi au protestat eroic tru ceñtrul cãsãbãului. Dimiñeața, armata s-a trutors tru cazărmi, după ce s-a añuñțat că miñistrul apărării s-a siñucis.

Dimoñstrañții loarã cu asalt sediul Comitetului Ceñtral ditu ţeñtrul Bucureștiului iar nicukirlliCeaușescu au reușit să fugă tru ultima clipă, fiiñd luați di uñ elicopter di pe acoperișul sediului. Ñimic ditu ceea ce ar fi trebuit să fie uñ plañ di salvare a lor ñu a mai fuñcțioñat astfel că cei ce dițiñeau puterea dipliñă, pâñă atuñci, au diveñit fugari ñeputiñcioși, ce au fost arestați tru scurt timp și predați armatei. Tru aceeași dzuuã di 22 andreu, tru Româñia ahurhescu unã alumtã coñfuză, a popului contra a uñui inamic ñividzut, numasitu geñeric “teroriștii”. Anarga anarga, ñoile autorități s- iñstalaã și amintara stabilitate, s-thimilliusi uñ Coñsiliu Ñațioñal FSÑ cari s’coñducă structurile teritoriale ale Froñtului Salvării Ñațioñale ti lipsesea s’hibã adrati. Tru idyiulu kiro, s-himilliusirã partidi politice și multi publicații, unão presă liberă tr o societate eliberată.

Autoru: Marius Toţa

Armãnipsearea: Taşcu Lala

19 December 2023
18.12.2023 (mise à jour)

Budget – Le projet du budget d’Etat de la Roumanie et celui de la sécurité sociale pour 2024, récemment adoptés par le gouvernement, sont à compter de ce lundi en débat au Parlement, en procédure accélérée. Ces jours-ci c’est aux commissions spécialisées et au plenum du Parlement de se pencher sur le document, avant le vote final, prévu mercredi. L’Exécutif table sur une croissance économique de 3,4 %, censée lui assurer, hormis des fonds européens, des recettes budgétaires renforcées et faire diminuer l’évasion fiscale. S’y ajoutent des majorations substantielles des fonds alloués aux Transports. Les fonds destinés aux Investissements devraient augmenter jusqu’à près de 7 % du PIB et l’Education se verra allouer l’enveloppe la plus importante de son histoire. De même, les pensions de retraite augmenteront au premier janvier de 13,8 %, soit un alignement sur le taux d’inflation et un nouveau calcul des pensions est prévue pour le 1 er septembre 2024. D’autres majorations figurent aussi dans le budget construit par le gouvernement, à savoir : les allocations familiales et la sécurité sociale, les salaires des enseignants et les salaires du système public (5 %). De son côté, l’opposition a déposé des centaines d’amendements au projet du budget 2024 et accuse le gouvernement d’avoir construit le budget sur des chiffres non réalistes qui ne feront qu’accentuer le déficit.

Motion – La Chambre des Députés de Bucarest a
débattu de la motion simple déposée par l’USR et par la Force de la Droite, à
l’encontre de la ministre libérale de l’Education nationale, Ligia Deca. Le
document, porte le titre « Un ministre qui ment ne peut pas gérer l’éducation
». Les initiateurs de la démarche demandent la démission de la ministre qu’ils
accusent d’être la cause des résultats catastrophiques des élèves roumains aux
tests PISA et d’avoir essayé de truquer les résultats de ces tests, choisissant
de montrer uniquement les chiffres qui lui étaient favorables. L’opposition
reproche à Ligia Deca d’avoir provoqué « la grève des enseignants la plus grave
de Roumanie au cours des dernières 18 années » mais aussi le fait que ceux-ci
avaient été trompés par le gouvernement. L’USR et la Force de la Droite
affirment que la ministre Deca aurait dû démissionner aussi à cause des Lois de
l’éducation, résultat du projet « la Roumanie éduquée ». La ministre de
l’Education nationale a rejeté les accusations et affirme que les résultats de
la Roumanie aux tests PISA de l’année dernière se sont maintenus au même niveau
qu’en 2018. Elle a souligné que les effets des réformes introduites maintenant
dans l’enseignement roumain seront visibles avec le temps. Le vote sur cette
motion sera exprimé durant la réunion de mardi de la Chambre des Députés.

Timisoara – La commémoration des victimes de la révolution anticommuniste roumaine de décembre 1989 se poursuit à Timisoara, ville de l’ouest de la Roumanie, où a éclaté la révolution il y a 34 ans. Ce lundi une messe de commémoration est prévue à la Chapelle des Héros du Musée mémorial de la Révolution, suivie par un pèlerinage aux monuments de la Révolution à travers la ville. Pour rappel, il y a 34 ans, les forces de l’ordre du régime communiste de l’époque avaient ouvert le feu sur les manifestants, causant la mort d’une centaine de personnes et blessant d’autres centaines. Après le massacre de la veille, le 18 décembre 1989, la loi martiale avait été déclarée à Timisoara, les hôpitaux débordaient de blessés et les rues étaient occupées par les dispositifs des forces de l’ordre, plus encore tout rassemblement de plus de 3 personnes était interdit. Ce fut le jour où le plus grand nombre de jeunes ont perdu la vie, tués par balle, sur les marches de la cathédrale orthodoxe de la ville.

Météo – Les températures
sont à la hausse en ce début de semaine en Roumanie, notamment dans le sud où
elles dépassent la normale saisonnière. Le soleil sera au rendez-vous sur la
majorité des régions. Les maxima de la journée iront jusqu’à 8 degrés à
Bucarest.

18 December 2023
Nachrichten 18.12.2023

Die Regierung hat dem Parlament den kürzlich verabschiedeten Haushaltsplan für den Staat und die Sozialversicherung für 2024 zur Debatte vorgelegt. Für die Beratungen in den Ausschüssen und im Plenum wurde eine knappe Frist gesetzt, die Schlussabstimmung ist für Mittwoch vorgesehen. Die Regierung erwartet ein Wirtschaftswachstum von 3,4 %, mit dem Ziel, die Steuereinnahmen zu erhöhen und die Steuerhinterziehung zu verringern. Investitionen und Verkehr werden zusätzliche Mittel erhalten. Auch die Investitionen werden im nächsten Jahr auf fast 7 % des BIP steigen, während für das Bildungswesen der größte Haushalt in der Geschichte vorgesehen ist. Auch die Renten werden voraussichtlich ab dem 1. Januar um 13,8 % steigen, wobei eine Neuberechnung für September vorgesehen ist. Der Haushaltsentwurf sieht auch Mittel für die Erhöhung von Zulagen und Sozialleistungen sowie der Lehrergehälter vor. Die Regierung will auch die Gehälter im öffentlichen Dienst um 5 % anheben. Die Opposition hat Hunderte von Änderungsanträgen eingereicht, in denen sie die Pläne des Haushaltsplans als unrealistisch bezeichnet und Daten von Wirtschaftswissenschaftlern zitiert, denen zufolge Dutzende von Milliarden aus dem geschätzten Haushalt ausgelassen wurden, wodurch sich das Haushaltsdefizit noch vergrößern könnte.

Die israelische Armee hat neue Details veröffentlicht, die bestätigen, dass die versehentliche Tötung von drei Geiseln aus dem Gazastreifen durch israelische Streitkräfte einen Verstoß gegen die Einsatzregeln darstellt. Die israelischen Truppen eröffneten das Feuer auf drei Personen, die das Gebäude ohne Hemd verließen, um zu beweisen, dass sie keine Bomben bei sich trugen und eine weiße Fahne mit der Aufschrift SOS und Help 3 hostages mit sich führten. Nach Angaben des Korrespondenten von Radio Rumänien vor Ort hat der Vorfall die Spannungen weiter verschärft und den Druck auf die israelische Regierung erhöht, eine Einigung mit der Hamas über die Befreiung der etwa 120 Geiseln zu erzielen, die im Gazastreifen noch immer gefangen gehalten werden. Unterdessen gab die IDF die Entdeckung des größten Tunnels bekannt, der von den Hamas-Islamisten in Gaza benutzt wird.

Eine Gruppe von 14 Personen, bestehend aus rumänischen Staatsbürgern und ihren Familien, wurde sicher aus dem Gazastreifen evakuiert und ist in Rumänien angekommen, berichtet das Außenministerium. Die Menschen wurden am Samstag über den Kontrollpunkt Rafah nach Ägypten evakuiert, wo Vertreter der rumänischen Botschaft in Ägypten sie nach Kairo begleiteten. Dort bestiegen sie einen Flug nach Rumänien. Bislang wurden 302 Personen, rumänische Staatsbürger und Familienangehörige, aus dem Gazastreifen evakuiert. Das rumänische Außenministerium erklärt, es stehe in ständigem Kontakt mit den israelischen und ägyptischen Behörden, um je nach den Entwicklungen vor Ort bei der Evakuierung der übrigen Bürger zu helfen.

Die Stadt Timișoara (West) gedenkt der Menschen, die während der antikommunistischen Revolution von 1989 in Rumänien ihr Leben verloren haben. In der Heldenkapelle des Revolutionsmuseums wird ein Gottesdienst abgehalten, gefolgt von einer Prozession zu den Denkmälern, die der Revolution gewidmet sind. Vor 34 Jahren eröffneten die Sicherheitskräfte auf Befehl des kommunistischen Regimes das Feuer auf die Demonstranten, töteten fast 100 Menschen und verletzten mehrere hundert. Am 18. Dezember wurde in Timișoara nach dem Massaker vom Vortag, bei dem Dutzende von Menschen getötet wurden, das Kriegsrecht verhängt. Krankenhäuser wurden überrannt, die Straßen durch Panzer und taktische Fahrzeuge blockiert und eine allgemeine Ausgangssperre verhängt. Dies war der Tag, an dem mehrere junge Menschen auf den Stufen der orthodoxen Kathedrale niedergeschossen wurden.

18 December 2023
December 17, 2023 UPDATE

Budget. Parliamentary procedures for the adoption of the 2024 budget begin on Monday morning. The deadlines are very tight and the entire legislative process should be completed in just three days. On Monday and Tuesday, the debates will take place in the specialized committees, first to approve the allocations for each field of activity, then the members of the budget-finance committees must complete the reports. The plenary debates would begin on Tuesday evening, and the final vote is expected the following day, Wednesday, December 20. The drafts of the state budget law and the state social security budget law for 2024 include the pension and salary increases already announced, a percentage of approximately 7% of the gross domestic product for investments, significantly higher allocations than this year for education, transport or health. According to the calculations presented by the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the Government estimates an economic growth of 3.4%, a budget deficit of 5% and an average annual inflation of 6%. The parliamentary opposition in Bucharest, however, believes that the draft budget for 2024 has nothing to do with the real needs of Romanian society and is only an electoral document. The Save Romania Union estimates that the deficit will be much higher than in the executives calculations, because revenues are overestimated and certain expenses are not included. The party announced that it has submitted over 400 amendments to the draft budget, changes which it claims would correct the normative act.

Commemoration. It was a day of mourning on Sunday in the western city of Timisoara, in memory of the heroes who lost their lives during the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. December 17 is the day when dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu ordered the repression forces to open fire on the demonstrators. Memorial services were held in churches and at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara, and wreaths were laid by local authorities and revolutionary associations at the monuments dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Saturday was an open gates day at the Museum of the “Revolution Memorial” Association in Timisoara.. There were also exhibitions, concerts, a festive meeting of the City Council and a march in memory of the martyred heroes. The revolt against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and then spread, starting December 21, to Bucharest and other cities across the country. In total, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.

Hostage. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stressed that Romania is with the international community in supporting the efforts of the State of Israel to release all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. “The death of the 27-year-old artist Inbar Haiman, Pink, killed by Hamas terrorists, deeply saddened me. My heart goes out to her family and friends”, he wrote on social media on Sunday. According to the prime minister, negotiations to resolve conflicts are the viable solution for restoring peace and security in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest had announced, on Saturday, the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, in the Gaza Strip, and the Embassy of the State of Israel in Bucharest announced her identity. The MFA communique reiterates the need for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip and emphasizes that, currently, only one Romanian with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship is still a hostage there. The Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities.

Schengen. Hungary will veto Bulgarias entry into the Schengen Area if Sofia does not remove the transit tax for Russian gas, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday in a statement, Reuters reports. While Western European countries have made great efforts to get rid of Russian gas, landlocked Hungary has received 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia under a deal signed in 2021, mainly via Bulgaria and Serbia. We recall that at the European Council on Friday in Brussels, the Netherlands officially announced that it agreed with Bulgarias entry into the European area of free movement. In this context, the only country that should change its position and accept the accession of Romania and Bulgaria – states that technically meet the necessary criteria – to Schengen is Austria. Over the last year, Vienna has spoken out against the enlargement of the free movement area, citing the fact that it is not functional as many unregistered migrants arrive in central and western Europe. Late last year, Austria voted against the accession of either country in the Schengen area, while the Netherlands opposed only Bulgaria.

AUR.The President of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), George Simion, participated in the annual conference of the Fratelli dItalia party, led by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Simion, whose parliamentary group is in opposition in the Bucharest Parliament, stated that the solution to defend the Latin and Christian roots of Europe is for a center-right government to be established in Brussels, and the patriotic parties to win all the electoral battles to come. In a press release, AUR reported that Simion and Meloni discussed the possibility of establishing an alliance and emphasized the common roots of the two peoples, Italian and Romanian. The event, organized by the party led by the head of the government in Rome, brought together conservative and reformist European leaders, but also personalities from the business world, such as Elon Musk. On Saturday, George Simion had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Oil. In the first ten months of 2023, Romania extracted 4% less oil than in the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest. Crude oil imports amounted, in the indicated period, to 6.35 million TOE and were 12 percent below those recorded in the first ten months of 2022. According to the National Strategy and Forecast Commission, this years crude oil production was estimated to approximately 3 million tons of oil equivalent, down 2.3% compared to last year. The commission signals that Romanias crude oil production will be on a downward trajectory in the period 2023-2026, with an average annual rate of -2.2%, a consequence of the natural decline of deposits and the maintenance of existing production units.(MI)

17 December 2023
Nachrichten 17.12.2023

Bukarest: Das westrumänische Timișoara gedenkt der Helden, die während der antikommunistischen Revolution im Dezember 1989 ihr Leben verloren haben. Der 17. Dezember ist der Tag, an dem die Repressionskräfte auf Befehl von Nicolae Ceaușescu das Feuer auf Demonstranten eröffneten. In den Kirchen und in der Metropolitankathedrale in Temeswar fanden am Sonntag Gedenkgottesdienste statt, und an den Denkmälern der Opfer der Revolution wurden von den lokalen Behörden und den revolutionären Vereinigungen Blumenkränze niedergelegt. Am Samstag gab es Ausstellungen, Konzerte, eine festliche Sitzung des Gemeinderats und einen Marsch zum Gedenken an die gefallenen Helden. Der Aufstand gegen das kommunistische Regime in Rumänien brach am 16. Dezember 1989 in Timișoara aus und breitete sich ab dem 21. Dezember auf Bukarest und andere Städte des Landes aus. Insgesamt starben bei den Kämpfen in dem einzigen osteuropäischen Land, in dem der Regimewechsel gewaltsam vollzogen wurde, mehr als 1.000 Menschen und etwa 3.000 wurden verwundet.

Bukarest: Das Parlament in Bukarest diskutiert am Montag über die Entwürfe für den Staatshaushalt und den Haushalt der staatlichen Sozialversicherungen für 2024, wobei die beiden Gesetze von den Fachausschüssen geprüft werden. Am Dienstag werden die beiden Kammern in gemeinsamer Sitzung mit den Debatten beginnen. Die Schlussabstimmung wird für Mittwoch erwartet. Die rumänische Regierung hat am Donnerstagabend die Gesetzesentwürfe für den Staatshaushalt und den Haushalt der staatlichen Sozialversicherungen für das kommende Jahr verabschiedet. Die Exekutive rechnet mit der Aufnahme europäischer Gelder im Jahr 2024 und setzt auf eine Erhöhung der Steuereinnahmen durch das bessere Funktionieren der Finazbehörde ANAF, des Zolls sowie auf eine Verringerung der Steuerhinterziehung. Premier Marcel Ciolacu, Vorsitzender der PSD, sprach von einem Anstieg der Einnahmen von 27% auf 30% des Bruttoinlandsprodukts. Er sagt, dass der Haushalt für 2024 die grö‎ßten Mittel für Investitionen und Bildung in der Geschichte Rumäniens vorsieht. Die Opposition meint jedoch, der Haushalt basiere auf unrealistischen Zahlen und ein gro‎ßes Problem werde im nächsten Jahr die Zahlung der Renten darstellen.

Tel Aviv: Das Au‎ßenministerium in Bukarest hat am Samstag den Tod einer weiteren Geisel mit doppelter israelischer und rumänischer Staatsbürgerschaft im Gaza-Streifen bekanntgegeben. Wie das Au‎ßenministerium in Bukarest mitteilt, befinde sich derzeit nur noch eine rumänische Doppelstaatsbürgerin unter den Geiseln. Die rumänische Botschaft in Tel Aviv hält Kontakt zu den israelischen Behörden, fügt das Ministeriuzm hinzu.

Sofia: Ungarn hat ein Veto gegen den Beitritt Bulgariens zum Schengenraum angekündigt, wenn Sofia nicht die Transitsteuer auf russisches Gas abschafft. Auch Österreich ist noch nicht vom Veto abgerückt. Während westeuropäische Länder gro‎ße Anstrengungen unternommen haben, um auf Importe von russischem Gas zu verzichten, bezieht Ungarn 4,5 Milliarden Kubikmeter Gas pro Jahr aus Russland, hauptsächlich über Bulgarien und Serbien. Bulgarien hatte erst am Freitag einen Erfolg in seinen Bemühungen um den Beitritt zum Schengenraum. Die Niederlande hatten auf der Tagung des Europäischen Rates am Freitag in Brüssel offiziell bekannt gegeben, dass sie mit dem Beitritt Bulgariens zur Europäischen Freihandelszone einverstanden sind. Somit legt sich nur noch Österreich quer, was den Schengen-Beitritt von Bulgarien und Rumänien betrifft. Die Regierung in Wien will mit ihrem Widerstand Ma‎ßnahmen gegen irreguläre Migration innerhalb der Europäischen Union erzwingen. Bulgarien argumentiert, dass es sich als Schengenmitglied besser an diesem Kampf beteiligen könnte, weil dann mehr Polizisten zum Schutz der bulgarischen EU-Au‎ßengrenze eingesetzt werden könnten.

17 December 2023
December 17, 2023

Budget. The 2024 state budget and social insurance bills enter parliament debate in Bucharest on Monday, the two draft laws being analyzed by the specialized committees. On Tuesday, the two Chambers will start the debates in joint session. The final vote is expected on Wednesday. The Romanian government approved, on Thursday evening, the draft laws on the state budget and the state social insurance budget for next year. In 2024, the executive relies on the absorption of European funds and counts on increasing the collection of fees and taxes through a better functioning of the National Agency for Fiscal Administration and of the customs, as well as on reducing tax evasion. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, spoke of an increase in revenues from 27% to 30% of the Gross Domestic Product. He says that in the 2024 budget, the sums allocated for investments, but also for education, are the largest in the history of Romania. The opposition claims, however, that the budget is based on unrealistic figures, and a major problem next year will be the payment of pensions.

Commemoration. Its a day of mourning today in the western city of Timisoara, in memory of the heroes who lost their lives during the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989. December 17 is the day when dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu ordered the repression forces to open fire on the demonstrators. Today, memorial services are held in churches and at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Timisoara, and wreaths are laid by local authorities and revolutionary associations at the monuments dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Saturday was an open gates day at the Museum of the “Revolution Memorial” Association in Timisoara.. There were also exhibitions, concerts, a festive meeting of the City Council and a march in memory of the martyred heroes. The revolt against the communist regime in Romania broke out in Timişoara on December 16, 1989 and then spread, starting December 21, to Bucharest and other cities across the country. In total, over 1,000 people died and around 3,000 were injured in the fighting that took place in the only country in Eastern Europe where the regime change took place violently.

Hostage. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stressed that Romania is with the international community in supporting the efforts of the State of Israel to release all the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. “The death of the 27-year-old artist Inbar Haiman, aka Pink, killed by Hamas terrorists, deeply saddened me. My heart goes out to her family and friends “, he wrote on social media today. According to the prime minister, negotiations to resolve conflicts are the viable solution for restoring peace and security in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest had announced, on Saturday, the death of another hostage with dual citizenship, Israeli and Romanian, in the Gaza Strip, and the Embassy of the State of Israel in Bucharest announced her identity. The MFA communique reiterates the need for the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip and emphasizes that, currently, only one Romanian with dual Israeli and Romanian citizenship is still a hostage there. The Romanian Embassy in Tel Aviv is in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities.

Schengen. Hungary will veto Bulgarias entry into the Schengen Area if Sofia does not remove the transit tax for Russian gas, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday in a statement, Reuters reports. While Western European countries have made great efforts to get rid of Russian gas, landlocked Hungary has received 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Russia under a deal signed in 2021, mainly via Bulgaria and Serbia. We recall that at the European Council on Friday in Brussels, the Netherlands officially announced that it agreed with Bulgarias entry into the European area of free movement. In this context, the only country that should change its position and accept the accession of Romania and Bulgaria – states that technically meet the necessary criteria – to Schengen is Austria. Over the last year, Vienna has spoken out against the enlargement of the free movement area, citing the fact that it is not functional as many unregistered migrants arrive in central and western Europe. Late last year, Austria voted against the accession of either country in the Schengen area, while the Netherlands opposed only Bulgaria.

Alert. The population of several communes in Tulcea county, in the south-east of Romania, received a new RO-ALERT warning message on the night of Saturday to Sunday about the possibility of objects falling from the airspace, in the context of the war started by Russia against neighboring Ukraine. Citizens were advised to take protection and shelter measures, if the situation required it. According to the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the structures responsible for the defense of the territory of Romania and NATO have identified possible attacks on some Ukraine targets in the border area with the Romanian state. Following the RO-ALERT message, no call was received to signal the fall of objects on the territory of Romania. We recall that three days ago, a drone used by Russia in the attack on the Ukrainian region of Odesa fell near the border with Romania, in the area of a locality in the same county. The, too, the citizens received a warning message. (MI)

17 December 2023
Revoluția Română

După 34 de ani, știm totul, sau așa credem, despre Revoluția română din decembrie 1989. Pastorul
reformat maghiar Laszlo Tokes din Timișoara începe să critice regimul comunist
și autoritățile represive își propun să îl alunge din oraș. La 15 decembrie
1989, forțele de represiune încep să intre în conflict cu populația. A doua zi,
protestul capătă dimensiuni nebănuite. Se formează coloane de demonstranți care
se duc spre sediul puterii centrale comuniste. În ziua următoare, 17 decembrie,
demonstranții ocupă acest sediu, dar, între timp, dictatorul Nicolae Ceaușescu
dăduse ordin să se tragă în populație. Represiunea sângeroasă pare să fi
rezolvat problema de la Timișoara iar Ceaușescu pleacă într-o planificată
vizită în Iran. Revine pe 20 decembrie, zi în care timișorenii și-au eliberat
orașul de comunism. La 21 decembrie, dictatorului Ceaușescu i se pregătește o
mare demonstrație populară, la București. Adunarea masivă, care trebuia să fie
o manifestare de susținere a regimului comunist se transformă în exact opusul
acestei formule.

Revolta populară s-a declanșat și în București iar a doua zi,
22 decembrie, Elena și Nicolae Ceaușescu fug cu un elicopter de pe sediul
central al Partidului Comunist. La scurt timp au fost prinși iar la 25
decembrie 1989 au fost executați. Prezentarea aceasta scurtă pare a fi un
scenariu de documentar din zilele noastre. Ceea ce lipsește, după 34 de ani,
sunt detaliile acelor zile, nu evidențele cronologice ci starea de spirit,
emoția și reacțiile omenești. Comunismul s-a instalat, cu duritate, la
sfârșitul Celui de al Doilea Război Mondial, odată cu venirea trupelor sovietice
și aplicarea unei noi împărțiri a Europei, stabilite de Stalin și Churchill. În
1965, Nicolae Ceaușescu este ales în fruntea partidului comunist, stăpânul
absolut al României. La început s-a distanțat de Uniunea Sovietică și s-a
apropiat de lumea occidentală.

După 24 de ani, în 1989, este unul dintre cei
mai duri dictatori comuniști ai Europei. Iar situația economică a României,
ducând la o depreciere periculoasă a nivelului de trai. Era frig în case,
alimentele lipseau, cozile la orice era de necesitate umpleau peisajul. Iar
represiunea dură exercitată de regimul comunist împiedica orice opoziție sau
protest. În toamna anului 1989, regimurile comuniste din Estul Europei se
prăbușeau pe rând, ultimul rămas fiind cel din România, condus cu mână de fier
de Nicolae Ceaușescu și soția lui, Elena. Situația era explozivă iar
demonstrațiile de la Timișoara pentru susținerea pastorului Tokes au fost
declanșatorul revoltei. După o săptămână, sacrificiile timișorenilor riscau să
fie inutile, dacă nu se extindea revolta. În cursul adunării populare din 21
decembrie, organizată de comuniști pentru susținerea lui Ceaușescu, s-a auzit
un zgomot puternic, ca de explozie, iar miile de oameni au părăsit piața în
debandadă. S-a spus că, de fapt, această adunare a fost organizată special de
cei care, din interiorul partidului comunist, își propuneau înlăturarea
dictatorului. Scandările de la Timișoara, Jos comunismul! și Jos
Ceaușescu!, de neînchipuit până atunci în România, se auzeau cu forță și în
București. În cursul nopții, mii de bucureșteni au protestat eroic în centrul
orașului. Dimineața, armata s-a întors în cazărmi, după ce s-a anunțat că
ministrul apărării s-a sinucis.

Demonstranții au luat cu asalt sediul
Comitetului Central din centrul Bucureștiului iar soții Ceaușescu au reușit să
fugă în ultima clipă, fiind luați de un elicopter de pe acoperișul sediului.
Nimic din ceea ce ar fi trebuit să fie un plan de salvare a lor nu a mai
funcționat astfel că cei ce dețineau puterea deplină, până atunci, au devenit
fugari neputincioși, ce au fost arestați în scurt timp și predați armatei. În
aceeași zi de 22 decembrie, în România a început o luptă confuză, a poporului
împotriva unui amic nevăzut, denumit generic teroriștii. Treptat, noile
autorități s-au instalat și au căpătat stabilitate, s-a format un Consiliu
Național FSN care să conducă structurile teritoriale ale Frontului Salvării
Naționale ce urmau să fie formate. În același timp, s-au format partide
politice și foarte multe publicații, o presă liberă pentru o societate
eliberată.

17 December 2023
December 16, 2023 UPDATE

BUDGET The 2024 state budget and social security budget bills will be reviewed by Parliament’s specialist committees as of Monday. On Tuesday the draft laws will be discussed in a joint plenary
meeting, with a final vote expected on Wednesday. The budget is based on a 3.4%
economic growth rate, with investments amounting to 7% of GDP and the largest
appropriations in history for public education. PM Marcel Ciolacu dismissed
claims that the figures are over-optimistic, and voiced his confidence that budget
revenues would be raised from 27% to 30% of GDP. Under the bill, as of June 1
whole-economy minimum wages will be around EUR 745. Ciolacu also said he was
counting on better EU fund absorption, on improved tax collection and on
curbing tax evasion.

EU President Klaus Iohannis says the EU winter summit, which came to an
end in Brussels on Friday, will be remembered for the historic decision to
initiate accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The
Romanian official encouraged the government of Moldova to step up the reforms
required for EU integration. As for Ukraine, the president of the European
Commission,Ursula von der Leyen, says
the decision was a promise kept and an investment in stability and security. EU
leaders also discussed the Israel-Hamas war, and condemned the continuing
hostilities with growing numbers of victims among Palestinian civilians in Gaza
and the West Bank. They argued that peace will only be achieved through a
two-state solution. A revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial
Framework, support for Ukraine, security and defence, migration and the future
EU Strategic Agenda were also discussed at the European Council meeting on
Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

COMMEMORATION In Timişoara (west) events were organised to mark 34 years
since the start of the 1989 Revolution which eventually led to the fall of
dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu’s communist regime. The rally in support of the
Reformed pastor László Tőkés, who was under political police (Securitate)
surveillance, turned into an uprising against the communist dictatorship. In
this context, the Revolution Memorial was opened to the public in Timişoara on
Saturday. The organisers prepared a complex programme, providing information on
the events of 1989. The commemoration also includes exhibitions, concerts, a
special meeting of the Local Council, and a commemorative march. In this
context, the Senate Speaker Nicolae Ciucă said in a message that the sacrifice
and courage of Timişoara’s heroes were the foundation of today’s free and
democratic Romania.

UNEMPLOYMENT Around 63% of the Romanians aged 15 to 64 had a job in
July-September, according to the National Statistics Institute. The
unemployment rate was 5%, but among youth aged 15 to 24 the rate reaches 22%. The
economic analyst Constantin Rudniţchi says the INS data is not very different
from previous reports and that the Romanian labour market is below its
potential. As for unemployment, he believes the overall trend is to look for
and to create jobs. Rudniţchi believes the most urgent issue to be the one
million Romanians who are outside the social and employment system, i.e. who
are neither in school nor employed.

AGREEMENT Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria intend to sign an agreement on
January 11, 2024, concerning a joint plan to remove mines floating in the Black
Sea as a result of the war in Ukraine, the Turkish defence minister Yasar Guler
said, according to Reuters. Officials from the 3 NATO member states met with
the authorities of Georgia, Poland and Ukraine in April 2022 to discuss the
issue, and also discussed the plan in a NATO meeting in Brussels in October and
in Ankara, last month. Yasar Guler explained that the initiative will only
include Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria for the time being, and the signing
ceremony will take place in Istanbul.

FAIR A special Christmas fair was opened at the Săvârşin Castle of
Romania’s late King Michael I. The organiser, Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of
the Crown of Romania, said the event was intended to promote and preserve the
authenticity of Christmas traditions. It is something spiritual, and we often
forget that Christmas has grown a little too commercial. So we are glad to have
valuable people here, she said. On the estate in Arad County, western Romania,
a Royal Automobile Museum, a souvenir shop, the auto repair shop of King
Michael I and a Tea House are also opened to the public. During the event, carol
performances and handicraft exhibitions are also organised for the visitors. (AMP)

16 December 2023
Nachrichten 16.12.2023

Bukarest: Das Parlament in Bukarest diskutiert am Montag über die Entwürfe für den Staatshaushalt und den Haushalt der staatlichen Sozialversicherungen für 2024, wobei die beiden Gesetze von den Fachausschüssen geprüft werden. Am Dienstag werden die beiden Kammern in gemeinsamer Sitzung mit den Debatten beginnen. Die Schlussabstimmung wird für Mittwoch erwartet. Die rumänische Regierung hat am Donnerstagabend die Gesetzesentwürfe für den Staatshaushalt und den Haushalt der staatlichen Sozialversicherung für das kommende Jahr verabschiedet. Die Exekutive rechnet mit der Aufnahme europäischer Gelder im Jahr 2024 und setzt auf eine Erhöhung der Steuereinnahmen durch das bessere Funktionieren der Finazbehörde ANAF, des Zolls sowie auf eine Verringerung der Steuerhinterziehung. Premier Marcel Ciolacu, Vorsitzender der PSD, sprach von einem Anstieg der Einnahmen von 27% auf 30% des Bruttoinlandsprodukts. Er sagt, dass der Haushalt für 2024 die grö‎ßten Mittel für Investitionen und Bildung in der Geschichte Rumäniens vorsieht. Die Opposition meint jedoch, der Haushalt basiere auf unrealistischen Zahlen und ein gro‎ßes Problem werde im nächsten Jahr die Zahlung der Renten darstellen.

Brüssel: Der Wintergipfel der Europäischen Union, der am Freitag in Brüssel zu Ende gegangen ist, bleibt geprägt von der historischen Entscheidung, die Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Ukraine und der Republik Moldau aufzunehmen, sagte Präsident Klaus Iohannis. Iohannis ermutigte die Regierung in Chisinau, die Reformen zur Integration in die Union weiter zu beschleunigen. Zur Ukraine sagte die Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, dies sei ein eingelöstes Versprechen und eine Investition in Stabilität und Sicherheit. Die europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs diskutierten auch über den Krieg zwischen Israel und der Hamas. Sie verurteilten die anhaltenden Feindseligkeiten auf beiden Seiten und die zunehmende Zahl von Opfern unter der palästinensischen Zivilbevölkerung sowohl im Gazastreifen als auch im Westjordanland. Frieden könne erst dann erreicht werden, wenn eine Zwei-Staaten-Lösung – Israel und Palästina – erreicht ist, so die EU-Staats-und Regierungschef auf dem Wintergipfel in Brüssel.

Bukarest: 34 Jahre sind vergangen seit der Revolution von 1989 in Timișoara (Westrumänien), die zum Sturz des Regimes von Diktator Nicolae Ceaușescu führte. Die Unterstützung der Bevölkerung für den reformierten Pfarrer Laszlo Tokes, der von der Securitate überwacht wurde, verwandelte sich in eine regelrechte Revolte gegen die kommunistische Diktatur. In diesem Zusammenhang wurde am Samstag in Timisoara die Gedenkstätte der Revolution für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht. Die Organisatoren haben ein umfangreiches Programm vorbereitet, das den Besuchern Informationen über die Ereignisse von 1989 bietet.

Chişinău: Die Europäische Investitionsbank gewährt der Republik Moldau ein Darlehen von über 41 Mio. EUR zur Verbesserung der Verkehrsinfrastruktur. Ergänzt wird das Darlehen durch einen Zuschuss der Europäischen Union in Höhe von 12 Mio. EUR. Laut EU-Verkehrskommissarin Adina Vălean wird das Geld für die Sanierung von rund 128 Kilometern Eisenbahnstrecke und die Stärkung der Solidaritätskorridore verwendet, die nach der russischen Aggression zur Unterstützung der Ukraine eröffnet wurden. Die EU-Exekutive ist der Ansicht, dass die Entscheidung insbesondere zur Stärkung des Donaukorridors beitragen wird, in dem die Republik Moldau und Rumänien die Hauptakteure sind.

Tel Aviv: Hunderte Menschen haben sich am Freitagabend im Zentrum von Tel Aviv versammelt, nachdem bekannt geworden war, dass drei Geiseln aus dem Gazastreifen versehentlich von israelischen Soldaten getötet worden waren. Die Demonstranten forderten die Regierung auf, dringend ein Abkommen zur Freilassung der übrigen Geiseln zu schlie‎ßen. Mehr als 100 Menschen werden immer noch im Gazastreifen gefangen gehalten, nachdem sie bei den Angriffen auf Israel am 7. Oktober von der Hamas gefangen genommen worden waren. Unterdessen wird zum ersten Mal seit Beginn des Krieges humanitäre Hilfe über einen israelischen Grenzübergang in den Gazastreifen gelangen, nachdem Israel den Zugang über den Grenzübergang Kerem Shalom erlaubt hat. Bislang war humanitäre Hilfe nur über den ägyptischen Grenzübergang Rafah erlaubt.

16 December 2023
December 16, 2023

BUDGET The 2024 state budget and social security budget bills will be reviewed by Parliament’s specialist committees as of Monday. On Tuesday the draft laws will be discussed in a joint plenary
meeting, with a final vote expected on Wednesday. On Thursday night the
government passed the two bills, which rely on better spending of EU funds and
on improving tax collection by means of a more efficient operation of the
national tax agency and on curbing tax evasion. PM Marcel Ciolacu, the leader
of the Social Democratic Party, spoke about an increase of budget revenues from
27% to 30% of GDP. According to him, the 2024 budget earmarks the largest
funding in Romania’s history for education and investments. The Opposition, on
the other hand, says the budget is based on unrealistic figures and that
payment of public pensions will be a major problem next year.

EU President Klaus Iohannis says the EU winter summit, which came to an
end in Brussels on Friday, will be remembered for the historic decision to initiate
accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The Romanian
official encouraged the government of Moldova to step up the reforms required
for EU integration. As for Ukraine, the president of the European Commission,Ursula von der Leyen, says the
decision was a promise kept and an investment in stability and security. EU
leaders also discussed the Israel-Hamas war, and condemned the continuing
hostilities with growing numbers of victims among Palestinian civilians in Gaza
and the West Bank. They argued that peace will only be achieved through a
two-state solution. A revision of the 2021-2027 Multi-Annual Financial
Framework, support for Ukraine, securitaty and defence, migration and the
future EU Strategic Agenda were also discussed at the European Council meeting
on Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

COMMEMORATION Romania marks today 34 years since the start of the 1989 Revolution
in Timişoara (west) which eventually led to the fall of dictator Nicolae
Ceauşescu’s communist regime. In this context, the Revolution Memorial was
opened to the public in Timişoara on Saturday. The organisers prepared a
complex programme, providing information on the events of 1989, with a special
section for the visually impaired.

ISRAEL Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv on Friday night,
following an announcement that 3 Gaza hostages had been accidentally killed by
Israeli troops. The protesters demanded that the government immediately signed
a deal to free the remaining hostages. Over 100 people are still captive in
Gaza, after being kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7th attacks on Israel.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid will reach Gaza via an Israeli checkpoint, for the
first time since the start of the war, after Israel authorised access through
the Kerem Shalom checkpoint. So far humanitarian aid could only go through the Rafah
checkpoint from Egypt. After more than 2 months of armed conflict and the siege
imposed by Israel since October 9th, living standards in Gaza Strip
are described by the UN and NGOs for Palestinian civilians as a nightmare. According
to the UN, some 1.9 million people, accounting for 85% of the region’s
population, have been relocated. (AMP)

16 December 2023
Timisoara 2023

Le programme « Timisoara
– Capitale de la culture européenne » touche à sa fin et un gala de clôture
a eu lieu vendredi soir, au Palais de la culture de la ville, en présence des
centaines de personnalités de Roumanie et d’ailleurs. Une occasion pour
Timisoara d’accueillir rien que dans le weekend dernier plus d’une centaine d’événements
dont notamment, un spectacle d’acrobatie aérienne qui a eu lieu vendredi soir.
Des concerts de musique organisés Place de l’Union et de l’Opéra ont figuré
aussi au programme.

Tout au long de l’année, le
public s’est vu proposer plus de 2000 événements culturels, avec la
participation des centaines de milliers d’artistes et de visiteurs. Cinq
nouveaux espaces culturels ont été inaugurés dans des cinémas, des galeries d’art
et des salles multifonctionnelles.

De l’avis de l’édile, Dominic
Fritz, le rôle de capitale européenne a mis Timisoara sous le feu des
projecteurs. Voilà pourquoi, ce programme mérite de se poursuivre, ne serait-ce
que symboliquement, sous le titre de « Timisoara, pour toujours ».
Dominic Fritz :

« Notre enjeu est de
faire de ce titre un objectif stratégique à long terme. D’une part, de la manière
dont nous nous rapportons à la culture et à l’implication dans la vie
culturelle de chez nous et de l’autre, de la manière dont nous nous assumons
notre mission européenne. Car l’Europe a besoin de Timisoara et de l’exemple
positif que cette ville peut donner ».

« La Roumanie a besoin
d’imagination. Et l’Europe aussi » a ajouté le maire de la ville, tout en
affirmant que le projet Timisoara 2023 peut justement, imaginer un avenir
créatif, prospère et solidaire non seulement pour la ville roumaine, mais pour
toute l’Europe. « Un avenir européen où l’unité repose sur la diversité et
non pas sur l’uniformité », a conclu M. le maire.

A la tête du Théâtre
national de Timisoara, Ada Hausvater a affirmé pour sa part, que depuis le
début de l’année, son institution a enrichi aussi bien son répertoire de
plusieurs spectacles fabuleux, que ses locaux, puisqu’une nouvelle salle de
spectacle a été inaugurée. « Cette année nous a apporté du public de
partout et nous a démontré que l’intérêt des gens pour la culture est réel »,
a-t-elle ajouté.

Le manager de l’Opéra
national roumain de Timisoara, Cristian Rudic, a remarqué qu’à la fin de 2023, la
ville a fait son plein d’adrénaline et qu’une sorte d’émulation se dégage dans
les couloirs de l’Opéra. Bien que le projet « Timisoara – Capitale de la
culture européenne » soit arrivé à sa fin, l’exposition consacrée au grand
sculpteur roumain, Constantin Brancusi, à l’affiche du programme européen,
restera ouverte jusqu’au 28 janvier, au Musée national des Beaux-Arts de la ville.
L’exposition réunit des sculptures célèbres venues du Centre Pompidou de Paris,
du Musée Tate de Londres ou de la Fondation Guggenheim. Vous aurez donc la
chance d’admirer « La Muse endormie » ou « Mademoiselle Pogany »,
pour ne donner que deux exemples. Et puisque l’intérêt du public est accru, le
président du Conseil départemental Timis, Alin Nica, a annoncé que le 20
décembre, l’exposition restera ouverte 24 sur 24.

11 December 2023
December 9, 2023 UPDATE

Diphtheria – The Romanian Health Ministry announced on Saturday that medical doctors detected strains of non-toxigenic cutaneous diphtheria in two men aged 38 and 40, drug users, infected with HIV. According to the quoted source, the two were admitted to an infectious diseases hospital in Bucharest, with skin lesions, but their evolution is favorable. The last case of diphtheria with toxigenic strains was registered in Romania in 1989. This type of diphtheria is prevented by vaccination from the first year of life, with the vaccine included in the National Program, the Health Ministry informs.

Ukraine — The Romanian FM, Luminiţa Odobescu, reiterated, on Friday, Romanias support for opening accession negotiations between the EU and Ukraine, a topic which, along with the launch of a similar action for the Republic of Moldova, will dominate the European summit scheduled, in one week, in Brussels. During the discussions in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Ştefanișina thanked Romania for the constructive dialogue related to the prospects of accession and pointed out that her country made enormous efforts to overcome the obstacles in the way of reforms. The deputy prime minister also recalled that the Ukrainian parliament adopted, on Friday, the amendments to the National Minorities Law, in order to implement the latest recommendations of the European institutions. On November 8, 2023, the European Commission positively assessed Ukraines reforms in the field of rule of law and fighting corruption, but asked Kyiv to make rapid improvements to the law on the use of national minorities languages in the education system and the public space, according to the Venice Commissions recommendations. The decision to launch accession negotiations requires unanimity from the 27 member states, but is threatened by the opposition of the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

Timişoara – 80,000 people have so far visited the Brâncusi Exhibition, open at the National Art Museum in Timişoara (western Romania) until January 28, 2024. According to the authorities, it is the most successful event of the European Capital of Culture program and represents the debut of major artistic projects. Timişoara officially ended the European Capital of Culture program with a festive gala held on Friday evening at the Palace of Culture. “Timişoara 2023 has shown that we can imagine a creative and prosperous future of solidarity, not just for our city, but for the entire Europe, said the mayor of the city, Dominic Fritz. The events that mark the end of the Timişoara European Capital of Culture program will end on Sunday with the concerts given by Jessie J and Roisin Murphy, international stars with thousands of fans around the world.

Handball — Romania’s womens handball team defeated Japan 32-28, in the second match of the main groups at the World Championship organized in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the first game, they lost to Germany. With four accumulated points, the Romanian handballers are ranked 3rd in a group led by Germany and Denmark. Their last match is on Monday, against Poland. Romania is the only team that participated in all 26 editions of the World Womens Handball Championship and has a gold medal, two silver medals and one bronze. In the previous edition, the Romanian players took 13th place.

Swimming – The Romanian athlete David Popovici ranked only fourth in the final of the 200 m freestyle, on Saturday, at the European Short Course Swimming Championships (25 meters) in Otopeni, near Bucharest. Popovici, the defending European champion, had qualified for the final with the best time. On Friday, Andrei Ungur won the first medal for Romania, bronze in the 100m backstroke.

Tel Aviv – Israel on Saturday continued bombing the Gaza Strip in the war against Hamas, after the US vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is apocalyptic, according to NGOs. France Presse reports that Washingtons blocking the UN Security Council resolution was quickly condemned by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas terrorists, who have been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007. The Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said a ceasefire would prevent the collapse of the Hamas organization. The war was triggered by a bloody attack committed on October 7 by Hamas commandos who infiltrated the Israeli territory, an attack in which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities. Approximately 240 people were taken hostage and taken to Gaza, where 138 are still being held. (LS)

9 December 2023
December 9, 2023

Ukraine — The Romanian FM, Luminiţa Odobescu, reiterated, on Friday, Romanias support for opening accession negotiations between the EU and Ukraine, a topic which, along with the launch of a similar action for the Republic of Moldova, will dominate the European summit scheduled, in one week, in Brussels. During the discussions in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Ştefanișina thanked Romania for the constructive dialogue related to the prospects of accession and pointed out that her country made enormous efforts to overcome the obstacles in the way of reforms. The deputy prime minister also recalled that the Ukrainian parliament adopted, on Friday, the amendments to the National Minorities Law, in order to implement the latest recommendations of the European institutions. On November 8, 2023, the European Commission positively assessed Ukraines reforms in the field of rule of law and fighting corruption, but asked Kyiv to make rapid improvements to the law on the use of national minorities languages in the education system and the public space, according to the Venice Commissions recommendations. The decision to launch accession negotiations requires unanimity from the 27 member states, but is threatened by the opposition of the Hungarian PM Viktor Orban.

Timişoara – 80,000 people have so far visited the Brâncusi Exhibition, open at the National Art Museum in Timişoara (western Romania) until January 28, 2024. According to the authorities, it is the most successful event of the European Capital of Culture program and represents the debut of major artistic projects. Timişoara officially ended the European Capital of Culture program with a festive gala held on Friday evening at the Palace of Culture. “Timişoara 2023 has shown that we can imagine a creative and prosperous future of solidarity, not just for our city, but for the entire Europe”, said the mayor of the city, Dominic Fritz. “A future of Europe where our unity is built on diversity, not uniformity. A future of Europe in which we lead from cross-border regions, not just from the capitals. Investments in culture are not a luxury, but the very foundation on which we build” Dominic Fritz went to say. The events that mark the end of the Timişoara European Capital of Culture program continue tonight with a concert by Katie Melua and an aerial acrobatics show, and on Sunday Jessie J and Roisin Murphy, international stars with thousands of fans around the world, will take the stage.

Swimming – At the European Short Course Swimming Championships Otopeni 2023, Andrei Ungur won, on Friday evening, the first medal for Romania, bronze in the 100m backstroke. Today, David Popovici is participating in the final of the 200 m freestyle, in which he qualified with the best time. Romania is participating in the European Championships with a team of 21 athletes (7 girls and 14 boys), selected based on the performance shown at the National Short Course Championships from November 9-12, also held in Otopeni. At the previous edition of the European short course championship, which took place in Kazan (Russia), in 2021, David Popovici won the gold medal in the 200 m freestyle, and Robert Glința won silver in the 100 m backstroke and bronze in the 50m backstroke. At the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Popovici won silver in the 200m freestyle.

Tel Aviv – Fighting has intensified in Gaza, with Israeli forces launching strikes across the GAza Strip. The deathtoll in Gaza reached almost 17,500, according to the Palestinians. In Ramallah, in the West Bank, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, called for an immediate ceasefire and a lasting peace, guaranteed by the great powers. A cease-fire was also requested by a resolution put to a vote in the UN Security Council, but it was blocked by a veto by the US, while 13 countries voted in favor and Great Britain abstained. On the other hand, Washington is putting pressure on Israel to take measures to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza and supports the idea of shorter-term ceasefires. Pressure for a ceasefire is also building in Israel, where the families of hostages still in Hamas hands fear that they might be killed during the clashes. (LS)

9 December 2023
December 8, 2023 UPDATE

Memorandum — On Friday, the Romanian Government approved a memorandum regarding the increase in the transport capacity of natural gas and electricity to the neighboring Republic of Moldova (with a majority Romanian-speaking population). Thus, the Iaşi-Ungheni-Chişinău gas pipeline could be expanded, with the possibility of increasing the natural gas transport capacity. At the same time, they envisage to identify natural gas storage spaces in Romania, for the creation of emergency stocks for the Republic of Moldova. As regards electric power, the document provides for the construction of a new interconnection line. According to economic experts, in 2023, the volume of trade between the two states will be 2.8 billion dollars, similar to last year. Moldovas trade exchanges with Romania have doubled, especially against the background of the war started by the Russian Federation in Ukraine. Romania holds the highest share in the export of Moldovan products in all history, 32.9%, and the Russian Federation has reached a historic minimum of 3.5%.

Corruption — In Romania, the former health ministers, Vlad Voiculescu and Ioana Mihăilă, on Friday went to the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) headquarters, where they were officially informed of the charges of abuse of office in the case of COVID-19 vaccine purchase during the pandemic period. While Voiculescu explained that he did not sign any contract regarding the purchase of doses, the decisions belonging to the prime minister at the time, Florin Cîţu, Mihăilă pointed out that the decision was made at government level, and the respective contracts were the result of negotiations between the European Commission and the vaccine manufacturers. Vlad Voiculescu believes that the accusations are a distortion of reality by a public institution, a unique investigation in Europe that investigates a decision of political opportunity. According to DNA, although the more than 37 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine contracted before January 1, 2021 would have been sufficient to immunize the Romanian population, the government led by Florin Cîțu approved the additional purchase of another 52 million doses, and the damage to the state was estimated at over one billion euros. The former PM Cîțu was previously also indicted in this case.

Timişoara — In Timişoara (western Romania), the closing festivities of the European Capital of Culture program are in full swing. Until Sunday, concerts, shows, exhibitions, as well as the Gala – “Timişoara la nesfărşit”- ‘Timişoara forever’ are organized at the Big Hall of the National Theatre. This year, over 2,000 cultural events took place in Timişoara, with around 1.3 million artists and visitors, and 3,000 volunteers involved, and the city was visited by 850,000 tourists.

Statistics – Almost 86% of Romania’s households have an Internet connection – according to the data published on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics. 93% of users are between 16 and 74 years old. Statistical data also indicate that the shares of people who use the Internet decrease with age. Thus, this year, almost all young people between the ages of 16 and 34 use or have ever used the Internet, while for those aged between 55 and 74, the percentage is 81. Last year, the share of people aged 16 -74 years who used the Internet was 89%, 2 % below the European Union average.

IMF – The International Monetary Fund recommends Romania new measures through which to bring additional revenues to the budget, worth 2% of the Gross Domestic Product. Experts argue that the tax reform should target the value added tax and the income taxes paid by individuals, by eliminating tax exemptions and privileges. The IMF recommends, after the implementation of these measures, considering the reintroduction of the progressive taxation. Also, the new turnover tax should be reconsidered, because it is not in line with the good practices, show the conclusions of the Romanian economy assessment. (LS)

8 December 2023
Timisoara 2023, la fin

Désignée capitale de la culture européenne en 2023, Timisoara,
dans l’ouest de la Roumanie, a accueilli plus de 2000 événements, avec la
participation de centaines de milliers d’artistes et de visiteurs. Une occasion
pour la ville d’ouvrir les portes de ses cinémas, galeries d’art et salles
multifonctionnelles pour y aménager de nouveaux espaces culturels. Avec un
budget de plus de 20 millions d’euros provenant du budget local, des fonds
alloués par la région, du Ministère de la Culture et de différents sponsors, l’agenda
culturel de la ville a fait le tour du monde, y compris au niveau diplomatique.
Plus de 50 entreprises et sociétés ont conclu des partenariats et parmi elles,
plusieurs souhaitent continuer à s’impliquer dans la vie culturelle de la
ville.

Le programme Timisoara,
capitale de la culture européenne a été un succès qui a surpassé nos
attentes, a affirmé jeudi, le maire Dominic Fritz, lors d’un point de presse
censé clôturer la série d’événements.

Dès le départ, nous avons affirmé avoir deux grandes
ambitions. La première était de redéfinir la culture et l’art de Timisoara et
la deuxième était de replacer aussi bien la ville que le reste du pays sur la
carte de l’Europe. La Culture en tant que moteur du développement se fait
ressentir partout dans la ville, y compris dans l’ambiance vibrante qui se
dégage de toutes les générations qui sont présentes a ajouté l’édile de
Timisoara, avant de poursuivre cet esprit dont je parle repose sur la
conscience de nos valeurs et de nos visions fondées sur une culture commune.

Le président du Conseil départemental Timis, Alin Nica, a
lui aussi considéré le programme comme étant un succès. Nous nous sommes
proposés de mettre en place une vision complémentaire à celle de la Mairie,
avec un accent particulier sur les événements censés promouvoir l’excellence
dans les arts, a-t-il affirmé.

Tout est bien qui finit bien. Ce weekend, Timisoara clôture
officiellement son rôle de capitale culturelle européenne par une série d’expositions
et de spectacles organisés par le Conseil départemental Timis. Le Centre multifonctionnel
Bastion vous attend à la deuxième édition de l’Exposition de la lumière qui regroupe
des œuvres du photographe madrilène Antonello
Dellanotte, proposant un voyage visuel extraordinaire et une contemplation de
la lumière dans une manière singulière. Le Musée d’Art de Timisoara accueille
une ample exposition consacrée à Suzana Fântânariu, l’une des artistes
contemporaines les plus importantes de Roumanie qui vit à Timisoara depuis
1986. Enfin, le Musée national d’Art de la ville reste l’attraction principale
depuis qu’il accueille l’exposition temporaire « Brancusi, sources
roumaines et perspectives universelles » ouverte jusqu’au 28 janvier 2024.

8 December 2023