Radio România Internațional

Tag: Trump

  • February 4, 2025

    February 4, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    PLAN – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new fund on Tuesday that could mobilize almost 800 billion euros for defense investment in the European Union. The money would be spent on supporting Ukraine and “taking more responsibility for our own European security”, the EC leader said. “We are in an era of re-armament, and Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending,” the EC chief said. According to her, the Commission is to provide loans worth 150 billion euros to be used for air and missile defense, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, drones and anti-drone systems, as well as to meet other needs, from cybersecurity to military mobility. “With this equipment, member states can massively increase their support for Ukraine,” Ursula von der Leyen said.

     

    WEAPONS – Washington has decided to suspend military aid to Ukraine following a dispute between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, White House officials confirmed to Bloomberg, Fox News and CNN. The pause will last until Donald Trump determines that Ukrainian leaders demonstrate a good faith commitment to peace, according to Bloomberg and Fox News reports. All deliveries of US military equipment that are not currently on Ukrainian territory will be suspended, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit zones in Poland. The US president has taken on the views of Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, falsely claiming that Ukraine started the war and accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of being a dictator, but his decision to stop providing military aid is a step that could have real consequences for the balance of power in the conflict and strengthen Putin’s position, CNN notes.

     

    DEFENSE – Romania’s acting President, Ilie Bolojan, had a telephone conversation on Monday with the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mark Rutte, on which occasion he thanked Romania for its contribution to the alliance, welcomed the increase in Bucharest’s defense budget and reaffirmed the commitment of NATO and the United States to collective defense and Article 5, the Presidential Administration reports. President Bolojan said that NATO remains the main guarantor of Romania’s security, and Article 5 is the one that most effectively deters threats and attacks against allies. Regarding the situation in Ukraine, he highlighted the need for a just and lasting peace, as well as the importance of maintaining support for this country.

     

    MOLDOVA – The European Union will allocate this year to the Republic of Moldova an additional aid of 60 million euros to strengthen its defense capabilities, the European Council President Antonio Costa said in ChisinauThe European official specified that, under the European Peace Facility, created to support the defense capabilities of various countries, the Republic of Moldova is the second beneficiary, with about 37 million euros allocated so far. Costa visited Chisinau on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s application for EU membership.

     

    INVESTORS – Representatives of foreign investors in Romania, who had talks with interim President Ilie Bolojan, highlighted the need for reforms aimed at cutting red tape, improving administrative efficiency and creating a sustainable fiscal framework, the Presidential Administration reports. The need for strategic investments in infrastructure, education, health and in value-added sectors, such as technology hubs, biomethane production and data centers, was discussed. Talks focused on attracting and continuously developing investments in the national economy, given the importance of political stability, fiscal predictability and maintaining a favorable climate for investors. President Ilie Bolojan reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to a firm Euro-Atlantic path, emphasizing that this framework provides security to investors and contributes to the long-term development of the economy. Bolojan emphasized that Romania’s economic development depends on attracting investment, access to modern technology and openess towards international markets.

     

    PONTIFF – Pope Francis, who suffered two episodes of acute respiratory failure on Monday afternoon, remained conscious and cooperative, the Vatican announced. The pontiff had difficulty breathing  and returned to non-invasive mechanical ventilation. It has been 19 days since Pope Francis, 88, was hospitalized at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, following a diagnosis of double pneumonia. Doctors maintain a reserved prognosis, given the complexity of his condition, and hundreds of Catholics gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the eighth consecutive evening to pray for the Pontiff’s health. (EE)

  • February 26, 2025

    February 26, 2025

     

    TALKS Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan is holding consultations today with each parliamentary party, regarding Romania’s position at the extraordinary European Council due at the beginning of next month. In this complicated and dynamic context with changes at international level, Romania may have to adjust its foreign policy to the new challenges, Ilie Bolojan explained in a video message. “However, there are things that will not change, namely Romania’s national interests, a safe country, a prosperous country, a trustworthy country, at peace with its neighbours,” the interim president explained. “We are a safe country because we benefit from solid defence guarantees. We owe our security and that of Europe to the NATO shield and the guarantees entailed by the Strategic Partnership with the US. The presence of US and Allied troops on Romanian territory has done nothing but strengthen the security of Europe, and we will advocate for them to stay. The EU membership has ensured our progress as a country during these years. European investments and funds, access to markets and opportunities have generated prosperity and better living conditions. It is a path we must continue on”, Ilie Bolojan added. Also today, the interim president takes part in a conference call with the leaders of EU member countries, during which the French president Emmanuel Macron presents updates on his recent meeting with the US president Donald Trump.

     

    PARLIAMENT A no-confidence motion tabled by the self-styled sovereigntist opposition against the Romanian government is to be discussed and voted on this Friday. The signatories say that the current Cabinet is illegitimate, has lost its credibility as some of its members are linked to individuals involved in a high-profile criminal case, and is failing to implement its own governing program, in which it promised, among other things, an increase in pensions and allowances. Also in opposition, the declared pro-European USR announced that it would not back the motion. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania say Romania needs serious solutions, not image strategies.

     

    UKRAINE Kyiv announced an agreement was reached with Washington on the joint development of Ukrainian mineral resources and the reconstruction of the country after the invasion launched by Russia 3 years ago. The deal, about which few details are known, could be signed in Washington this Friday. The arrangement was agreed after the US president Donald Trump demanded access to key Ukrainian minerals as compensation for the aid given to Ukraine in the war with Russia. Official sources quoted by Western media say that Washington has given up initial demands of USD 500 billion in revenues from natural resources, but has not provided the firm security guarantees demanded in exchange by Ukraine, which would be negotiated at a later date.

     

    VATICAN Pope Francis, 88, still in critical condition with double pneumonia, “spent a quiet night and is resting,” the Vatican said on Wednesday morning, the 13th day of his hospitalisation. According to the latest updates released on Tuesday evening, his condition is stable. The hospitalisation, the 4th and longest since the beginning of his term in 2013, raises serious concerns as Pope Francis is already weakened after a string of health problems in recent years, from colon and abdominal surgeries to difficulties walking.

     

    INVESTIGATION The former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist, was taken in for questioning under a warrant by the General Prosecutor’s Office, judicial sources told AGERPRES. On Wednesday morning, prosecutors conducted dozens of searches across five counties, in a case related to the financing of his election campaign, the establishment of a fascist, racist or xenophobic organisation, as well as to promoting a cult of individuals guilty of genocide. Targeted by the investigation is also a close associate of Georgescu, Horaţiu Potra, the leader of a mercenary group that operated in Africa. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, investigations are conducted in this case for offences including actions against the constitutional order, failure to comply with the weapons and ammunition legislation, unlawful operations with pyrotechnic materials, public incitement, initiating or forming an organisation of a fascist, racist or xenophobic nature, as well as joining or otherwise supporting such a group. Investigations are also conducted for the public promotion of the cult of persons guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as the public dissemination of fascist, extreme right, racist or xenophobic ideas, views or doctrines.

     

    CORRUPTION Twenty individuals have been detained over bribery charges in an investigation into illicit activity in the Port of Constanta (south-eastern Romania). Among others, the head of the Constanta branch of the Social Democratic Party, Ion Dumitrache, and several officers for the Maritime Ports Administration were detained. According to Anticorruption prosecutors, in 2024 and 2025 several businessmen allegedly promised and gave public officials bribes ranging from EUR 2,000 to 100,000, as well as other goods, to help them develop their businesses in the Constanta Port area, by speeding up asset transfer procedures, extending a waste collection contract, winning tenders or ensuring exclusive access to certain berths. The businessmen in question have allegedly promised an estimated EUR 6 million in bribes. The Bucharest Court dismissed prosecutor’s request for pre-trial arrest of 7 of the defendants, placing them under court supervision instead. Similar requests for another 13 defendants are yet to be heard.

     

    EDUCATION The Romanian education minister Daniel David has encouraged all stakeholders’ involvement in the development of high school framework plans. In a fresh roundtable on the topic held in Iași (northeast), the minister promised that proposals would be taken into account, and the documents may be amended, as has already happened following discussions and meetings in recent weeks, since the projects were submitted for public review. He warned that high school curricula are of critical importance, given the high level of functional illiteracy in various fields. David explained that, after this construction period, the high school curricula will be tested in various schools. The public review period ends next week, on March 6, and the final documents are to be presented in early May. (AMP)

  • February 24, 2025 UPDATE

    February 24, 2025 UPDATE

    UKRAINE – Monday marked three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and leaders from the Baltic and Nordic countries travelled to Kyiv to reaffirm their support for Ukraine, at a time when the new stand of the United States changes the data of the conflict. In a video message to the participants, the acting President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, said that Ukraine’s security is vital both for Romania and for the entire European continent, and that support for Kyiv must continue. He pointed out that it is necessary for Ukraine and the European Union to be involved in the peace negotiations and that Romania is ready to coordinate with all European, American and allied partners to contribute to finding the fastest path to a just and lasting peace. A similar message was conveyed by the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, according to whom Romania must support both the American resolution on the cessation of the war in Ukraine and the European one at the UN. Also on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron was in Washington for talks with Donald Trump, to convince him to also take into account the security of the Europeans in his talks with Moscow representatives.

     

    MOTION – The censure motion against the Romanian coalition government, led by the social democrat Marcel Ciolacu, will be submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, according to MPs representing the party SOS Romania, in the opposition. They specified that the document is signed by 154 MPs from SOS Romania, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians and the Young People’s Party. A week ago, the motion’s signatories announced that they would postponed tabling the motion until the document was also signed by the Save Romania Union. However, the USR representatives announced that they would not sign the motion, since the opposition does not have the necessary votes for it to pass, and this process should have been initiated after the presidential elections in May. In turn, the parties that form the governing coalition in Bucharest, PSD, PNL and UDMR, announced that they would reject any such move against the executive. They argue that there are no solid reasons to remove the government in the current context of instability, especially since the executive has begun to implement its governing program approved in parliament at the end of last year.

     

    CONSULTATIONS – The Romanian parliamentary parties are called to consultations with the interim president, Ilie Bolojan, on Wednesday, to prepare Bucharest’s position at the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on March 6. The main topics of discussion will be related to the support for Ukraine and the preparation of the European Union’s common defense strategy, after the American administration led by Donald Trump announced that it wants to reduce its military presence in Europe. The consultations will be attended, in keeping with the percentages obtained in last year’s legislative elections, by the Social Democratic Party, followed by the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, SOS Romania, the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, the Young People’s Party and the Parliamentary Group of National Minorities. Each party will have one hour allocated to discussions.

     

    CORRUPTION – Anti-corruption prosecutors on Monday raided over 40 locations in the port of Constanța (southeast), targeting possible cases of corruption. The investigation might involve port managers and officials who took or gave bribes of some 6 million euros.

     

    WASTE– The city of Ploiești (south) is on the verge of a health crisis after no waste has been collected for nearly a week. Mayor Mihai Poliţeanu has called on central authorities to declare a state of emergency. The mayor calls on the Interior and Environment ministries to urgently unlock procedures to award environment permits and take legal action against the management of the local waste collection company, whose contract expired on January 15 and license at the end of 2024. Mayor Poliţeanu says the municipality was unhappy with the quality of waste collection services, and that the newly contracted operator was unable to start its activity due to an illegal deed extending the contract of the old operator. Under these circumstances, the Prahova County Environment Protection Agency did not issue an environment permit for the new operator. The Ploiești municipality has filed a notification in this regard.

     

    GERMANY – The Conservatives have won Sunday’s parliamentary election in Germany, although the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the far-right party, grabbed its best score yet. The CDU/CSU coalition of center-right parties grabbed some 29% of the vote, while AfD came in second with 20%, an unprecedented result for a far-right party in post-Nazi federal Germany.  “We have never been stronger at national level”, AfD leader Alice Weidel said after the election. Set up in 2013, the anti-migration party doubled its score compared to the 2021 election. The acting chancellor Olaf Scholz is the big loser of the current ballot, after the Social-Democrats grabbed only 16% of the vote, compared to 25% in 2021. The Greens won some 13%, the radical left 9%, while the Liberals apparently won’t reach the 5% threshold that allows them representation in the Bundestag.

     

    AWARD – Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude has scooped the Silver Bear for best script at the Berlin International Film Festival, for his feature film “Kontinental 25”, which tells the story of a bailiff facing a moral crisis.

     

  • Three years of war in Ukraine

    Three years of war in Ukraine

     

    Three years after Russia’s invasion, EU leaders went to Kyiv to express their support for Ukraine, in a summit dedicated to a common defence and security strategy. “We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. She was accompanied in Kyiv by the College of Commissioners, and emphasised the need to strengthen military aid.

     

    According to European Commission data, the EU and its 27 member states have provided almost EUR 134 billion to Ukraine in the past 3 years, of which EUR 48 billion in military assistance. Kyiv has also received substantial support from Washington.

     

    However, Donald Trump’s new administration is approaching the situation differently. The White House said on Saturday that the US is close to an agreement with Ukraine on sharing the profits from Ukrainian minerals as part of efforts to end the war. Washington wants to recover the billions of US dollars given to Ukraine in military aid, which is why it is demanding rare minerals, oil or “anything we can get,” says Donald Trump.

     

    Thrown off balance by the unexpected US-Russian dialogue on Ukraine, as Washington started talks with Moscow to end the war without having the EU or Kyiv involved, Europeans fear that Donald Trump could end the war on terms favourable to Russia, without offering security guarantees to Ukraine.

     

    The successive meetings of European leaders in Paris organised last week by Emmanuel Macron have shown, on the other hand, that they are rather divided and have failed to come up with a joint response to the start of US-Russian negotiations on peace in Ukraine.

     

    As such, news agencies say, “the French president is going to Washington on Monday on behalf of his country alone, without having an EU mandate for Europe to be able to speak with one voice.” He will be followed on Thursday by British PM Keir Starmer, who travels to the White House for similar talks with the US president, the same president who recently accused the two European leaders of having done nothing to end the war in Ukraine.

     

    Attending one of the meetings in Paris last week, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, pleaded for cooperation between EU countries and the United States in resolving the crisis in Ukraine.

     

    “A just and lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved with the help of the United States, Romania’s strategic partner,” PM Marcel Ciolacu said in turn in Bucharest, in a first official reaction to the most important topic on the agenda of world leaders. The Romanian official voiced confidence that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the steps to end the war will be successful. At the same time, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that “Romanians have paid dearly, in economic terms, for the effects of this conflict,” and that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. (AMP)

  • Romania at the Paris consultations

    Romania at the Paris consultations

     

    The security of Europe was the topic of a second meeting organised on Wednesday in Paris by the French president Emmanuel Macron, after the emergency one on Monday. This time around, Romania was also present, represented by the interim president Ilie Bolojan, alongside the leaders of Norway, Canada, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Sweden and Belgium.

     

    The meetings come after the radical change in attitude of the United States of America towards European countries, the Kyiv administration and Moscow.

     

    On the one hand, Donald Trump’s government criticises Europe for not getting more involved in resolving the conflict, calls the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator for not holding elections on time, and partly blames him for starting the war, even though Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, with the annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

     

    On the other hand, Washington seems to have softened its tone towards Kremlin, and fears are it might unilaterally negotiate not only a forced peace in Ukraine, but, according to news agencies, also a redistribution of spheres of influence modelled on the infamous 1945 Yalta conference, as a result of which Eastern Europe was ceded to the Soviet Union.

    In this context, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, said that the security of Ukraine is also the security of Europe and Romania.

     

    Meanwhile, France will increase its support for Romania, said Ilie Bolojan, after bilateral talks with the French leader:

     

    Ilie Bolojan: “We are once again reassured that, just as France has been by Romania’s side in the very important moments of our country’s history, it remains by our side today. We have reconfirmed the strategic partnership with France. We have also reconfirmed the stability of the French military presence in Romania. At the request of our country, this presence will be consolidated in the coming period.”

     

    At the end of the meeting, Bolojan said that Eastern European states are the first to feel the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and he emphasised that, now more than ever, European unity and cooperation with the US within NATO are vital to resolving the conflict.

     

    Ilie Bolojan: “We do not stand by Ukraine out of a humanitarian sentiment alone. This, and the injustice of the war, is only the first reason. But we also do it out of a strategic interest for our own country. And the second important conclusion was that further cooperation between European countries and the US can be the best formula to solve this crisis, so that we not only have a ceasefire, but also have a just peace, so that in the coming years a new conflict does not begin again. And this just peace and equitable peace cannot be made without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the closing of these negotiations.”

     

    In turn, the French president said he sees Russia and Vladimir Putin as “an existential threat to Europe.” Both he and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been invited to Washington next week for consultations on peace in Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor Mike Waltz announced. (AMP)

  • February 14, 2025

    February 14, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    SECURITY – Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu is taking part, until Sunday, in the  International Security Conference in Munich, where heads of state and government and hundreds of defense experts are discussing major global issues, especially a possible peace in Ukraine. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, security threats and challenges in the political, economic, commercial and technological fields will be addressed. In the thematic sessions of the conference, Emil Hurezeanu will present Romania’s assessments of current challenges, with an emphasis on the deterioration of the security situation in the Black Sea region and the implications of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area. At the same time, he will emphasize the danger of Russia’s hybrid actions and the importance of countering them. On the other hand, the Romanian official will highlight the importance of a more robust transatlantic relationship in managing these challenges and combating the threats faced by the Euro-Atlantic community and will highlight the importance of continuing to provide solid support for increasing the resilience of the Republic of Moldova.

     

    DRONES – The diplomacy in Bucharest firmly condemns the irresponsible attack of the Russian forces against Ukraine on February 13, when two drones carrying explosive material violated the airspace and fell on Romanian territory, near the border with Ukraine, invaded by Moscow’s troops. By order of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emil Hurezeanu, the ad interim charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Bucharest was urgently summoned to the headquarters of the ministry, to be informed of the firm condemnation of the repeated violation of Romania’s airspace. These illegal and irresponsible attacks must end, Romania having the right to take the necessary response measures, the Ministry said.

     

    NEGOTIATIONS – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal negotiated by the United States and Russia without Kyiv’s involvement. Zelenskyy is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance today in Munich on the sidelines of the annual Security Conference, after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed by phone to immediately begin negotiations to end the war. Trump said after the discussion with Putin that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is impractical and that its return to the borders it had, before the Russian invasion, is unlikely. The statements have angered Ukraine and European countries, who see them as a capitulation to Russia and a threat to Europe’s security.

     

    THREAT – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that an explosion was heard overnight, followed by a fire at the new sarcophagus that protects parts of reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Fire safety personnel responded to the fire within minutes and no casualties were reported. Radiation levels inside and outside remain normal and stable, the Agency also reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky announced, in turn, that Russian drones had hit the radiation protection shield at Chernobyl. According to the Ukrainian head of state, after an initial assessment, it was found that the attack had seriously damaged the shield.

     

    PRESIDENCY – Ensuring Romania’s stability is the main priority of the interim president Ilie Bolojan during his three-month term. In his first message as head of state, after taking over the post from his predecessor, Klaus Iohannis, who had resigned, Ilie Bolojan said that his main priorities are ensuring the country’s economic, social and political stability. He also promised that the presidential elections in May will be fair and transparent.

     

    INFLATION – In Romania, the annual inflation rate decreased slightly, to 4.95%, last month, compared to January 2024, when it was 5.14%. According to data published today by the National Institute of Statistics, over the past 12 months, food prices have increased by 4.54%, non-food prices by 4.60%, and services by 6.54%. The latest inflation forecast of the Central Bank indicates a decrease of this index to 3.5%, for the end of the current year.

     

    FOOTBALL- The Romanian football champion FCSB defeated Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki 2-1 on Thursday evening in the first leg of the play-off for the Europa League’s round of 16. The decisive leg against the Greeks coached by Romanian Răzvan Lucescu is scheduled for February 20 in Bucharest. Also on Thursday, in men’s handball,  champion Dinamo Bucharest lost, 26-33, the home match against the Hungarian One Veszprem , in Group A of the Champions League.

     

  • February 4, 2025

    February 4, 2025

    Budget – Today, the Romanian MPs are focusing on the state budget and social insurance bills. With over 1,000 amendments submitted, most of them by the opposition, they will be discussed at an accelerated pace in the committees. The finance minister, Tánczos Barna, explained that the Government’s bill is based on spending cuts and supporting investments, with record allocations of 150 billion lei (about 30 billion Euros), which would ensure compliance with the deficit target of 7% of the gross domestic product. Adopted by the government at the end of last week, Romania’s budget bill for this year is built on an economic growth of 2.5% and an average inflation rate of 4.4%. The debates and the vote in Parliament are predictable, as the MPs of the ruling coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) form the majority.

     

    Israel – The American President Donald Trump today receives the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader invited to the White House after his return to power. The talks take place at a delicate moment in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, for the second phase of the agreement to end the war in Gaza. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, the public channel of the Israeli television reported that a compromise is foreseen between the desire of the extremist wing of the Israeli government, which seeks to compromise the transition to the 2nd stage of the Israel-Hamas agreement for the release of the hostages and the continuation of the war in the Gaza Strip, and the American administration, a firm supporter of the release of all hostages and of the end of the war. The compromise would consist in adopting the so-called Tunis model, which was applied in the 1980s to the Palestine Liberation Organization, when its leaders were expelled to Tunis, guaranteeing their lives and the continuation of the organization’s structure in return. On the same model, the extremist wing in the Israeli government could agree to a cessation of the war in the Gaza Strip and the only symbolic defeat of the Hamas organization, whose leaders, without being eliminated, would be expelled to another country, after the Tunisian model.

     

    BOR – Today, the Romanian Orthodox Church (the majority denomination in Romania) celebrates 100 years since its promotion to the rank of Patriarchate. According to Patriarch Daniel, this anniversary is not only a celebration of the past, but also a call to gratitude towards our ancestors and a reflection on the role of our Church in the life of the Romanian people. The Romanian Patriarchate was, throughout its 100-year existence, an unquenchable torch of faith and national unity, he said. Specialists recall that the Romanian Patriarchate was born on February 4, 1925, in a historical context marked by the Great Union of 1918, which brought together all the historical Romanian provinces in a single unitary state.

     

    Defense – European defense without the United States will not work, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, after an informal defense meeting of European leaders in Brussels. Mark Rutte highlighted the importance of the NATO-European Union partnership, emphasizing the transatlantic connection as the foundation of European security. The former Dutch prime minister pleaded, at the same time, in favor of increasing defense spending and increasing military production. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, said, among other things, that the US defense industries must collaborate much better and reiterated that Romania did not support the idea of ​​a separate European defense.

     

    Customs – The Romanian Customs Authority (AVR) has started real-time monitoring of means of transport with the help of smart seals applied by customs inspectors within mobile teams, as part of the RO e-Seal National System, the institution announced on Tuesday. This system significantly reduces customs and tax fraud, because the entire process of freight transport becomes transparent and uses a modern method to ensure the modernization and digitization of customs processes, the integrity of goods and the prevention of burglary, also in the case of other risks associated with transport, shows an AVR press release. According to the aforementioned source, the advantages of using the RO e-Seal National System include real-time monitoring, as electronic seals equipped with GPS technology allow full tracking of the transport route and, depending on the information obtained, the rapid intervention of mobile teams throughout the national territory for detecting, sanctioning of customs or fiscal fraud and fraudulent handling of goods. (LS)

  • January 22, 2025

    January 22, 2025

    ECONOMY The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) Tuesday approved Romania’s 7-year fiscal structural plan to reduce the country’s budget deficit. The plan is designed to stabilise public debt as Romania remains among the top EU member states in terms of public investment – over 7% of GDP, bringing the budget deficit below 3% in 2025-2031, the finance minister Tánczos Barna explained. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Other topics on the ECOFIN meeting agenda include the current impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the priorities of the Polish presidency of the EU Council, the 2025 European Semester and the endorsement of the revised recovery and resilience plans for Greece, Cyprus and Spain.

     

    POLL  90% of Romanians reject the idea of ​​leaving NATO, a record level of approval for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, an INSCOP survey made public on Tuesday indicates. According to the poll, based on data collected at the end of last year, Romanians’ support for the West in terms of political and military alliances has increased by 10% over the past 3 years. The poll also shows that Romania’s European Union membership is seen by almost three-quarters of respondents as an advantage in terms of its effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Only 55% of Romanians believed this 3 years ago.

     

    PROTEST The Bucharest metro trade unionists today carry on their protest in front of the Government headquarters, demanding respect for the employees and the collective bargaining agreement. On Tuesday, they picketed the finance ministry, demanding pay raises and proper financing for the company. Metro employees also announced work-to-rule and token strikes, against the ordinance passed by the new government at the end of last year, which no longer allows hiring, promotions and the rights negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement registered in early December 2024.

     

    EARTHQUAKES Romania will have a seismic risk map for each locality, and the authorities in high-risk areas will have access to a governmental programme to consolidate public buildings, the development minister Cseke Attila announced. He added that the programme is fully funded from the state budget and that the priority is to consolidate healthcare units. According to the latest statistics, over 2,500 buildings in Bucharest alone are in danger of collapsing in intensity 7+ earthquakes similar to the one in 1977.

     

    POLLUTION Romanian authorities are closely monitoring the situation in the Black Sea, after 2 Russian oil tankers were badly damaged in the Kerch Strait at the end of last year, causing an environmental disaster in the area. The environment minister Mircea Fechet warned that everyone must be prepared, but stressed that the risks of the pollution wave reaching the Romanian coastline are minimal. Authorities are assessing the situation, after over 2,000 tons of highly toxic oil product spilled in the sea, causing the death of thousands of birds and leaving hundreds of dolphins stranded tens of kilometres from the shore.

     

    TRUMP The US president Donald Trump said new sanctions against Russia are “possible” if Moscow does not negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, AFP reports. He added the United States would consider continuing military aid to Kyiv, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump had previously said that Russia was heading for disaster if it refused to negotiate and sign a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian president, Trump expects Zelenskyy to be willing to sign an agreement. (AMP)

  • January 21, 2025 UPDATE

    January 21, 2025 UPDATE

     

    ELECTIONS The Permanent Electoral Authority in Bucharest said political parties may begin to collect signatures for the candidates they will support in the presidential elections in May. The signatures can be collected only in physical format and a voter can support more than one candidate. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, is yet to kick-start the election period and to officially endorse the former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu as their joint candidate in their respective leadership bodies. The Social Democratic leaders met on Tuesday and in principle endorsed Crin Antonescu as their presidential candidate in May, and decided to hold a party congress on 2nd February to give the final vote on his candidacy.

     

    ECONOMY Romania’s fiscal structural plan has been approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), along with the plans of 20 other member states, the Romanian minister of investments and European projects Marcel Boloș announced on Tuesday. The decision comes as several countries, including France, Spain, Italy and Finland, are facing similar challenges and have requested an extension of the fiscal adjustment period from 4 to 7 years, until 2031. Marcel Boloș explained that for the business environment, the fiscal plan protects the flat tax rate, with the European Commission agreeing that governments should not overtax economic success. He also said that thanks to the plan, European funding is protected, because failure to comply with the fiscal treaty would have led to its suspension. On the other hand, the Romanian official also points out, this plan preserves the country’s international credibility, as non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the country’s rating, which would have made loans more expensive and more difficult to access. The plan also secures support for investments, including for SMEs in Romania through state aid schemes for small and medium-sized enterprises operating especially in the manufacturing sector, which will create new jobs and stimulate economic growth.

     

    EUFOR The Romanian defence ministry announced on Tuesday that Romania has taken over the command of the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR). With the command of EUFOR, the largest multinational operation in the Western Balkans conducted under the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), Romania currently exercises command of 2 of the 9 military operations and missions under the flag of the European Union, to which it contributes troops and military equipment, the same source mentions. After Brigadier General Ovidiu Lungu successfully completed his term as Chief of Staff of EUFOR ALTHEA between May 2023 and May 2024, the Romanian Army increased its representation within the operation by taking over the leadership of the most important multinational force in the Western Balkans. The stability of the region is a priority for Romania, and it has strategic importance for European and Euro-Atlantic security, the defence ministry points out.

     

    CONGRATULATIONS Romania’s acting president Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the new White House leader Donald Trump on his investiture. “Romania, a close strategic partner of the US, wishes you the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint EU-US security and prosperity”, president Iohannis posted on social media. The leaders of Romania’s biggest parties also congratulated Donald Trump on the inauguration of his second term in office on Monday.

     

    DONALD TRUMP A few hours after taking office, Donald Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris Agreement on climate. He also signed an executive order on an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development global tax arrangement and asked the Department of Energy to resume processing export applications for liquefied natural gas. He declared an energy emergency in the US and revoked a number of orders introduced by the Biden administration, including one on the risks of artificial intelligence. Trump also lifted the sanctions imposed by Biden on the Jewish settlers who committed violence against the Palestinians in the West Bank. He instructed the Justice Department to dismiss the cases connected to the attack on the Capitol, pardoned 1,500 of his supporters who took the building by storm in 2021, and reduced and commuted the sentences of others. Trump declared the illegal immigration on the border with Mexico as a national emergency and the drug cartels as terrorist organisations, and signed a document affecting the granting of birth-right citizenship. Donald Trump also suspended refugee programmes for 4 months, which led to the cancellation of flights to the US for over 1,600 Afghans, including relatives of US soldiers.

     

    FESTIVAL The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival will place special emphasis on cultural events and concerts all across Romania and for all Romanians to enjoy, the festival’s artistic director, the Romanian conductor Cristian Măcelaru told a press conference on Monday in Bucharest. He said this year’s edition will see a number of special events, including the commemoration of 70 years since the death of George Enescu. The festival will take place between 24th August and 21st September and will feature 80 symphonic, chamber, choir and instrumental ensemble performances from 28 different countries.

  • January 20, 2025

    January 20, 2025

    HOSTAGES The next release of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian Hamas terrorists and transferred to the Gaza Strip will take place next Saturday, when four persons are to be freed – Radio Romania correspondent in Israel says. Three Israeli female hostages were released on Sunday after 15 months of captivity since the Hamas terrorist attack, which led to the war in Gaza. One of the hostages also has Romanian citizenship and another one is of Romanian descent. Authorities in Bucharest hail the release of the first round of hostages upon the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

     

    FAIR Romania is being represented this week at the ”Green Week” exhibition in Berlin, the Agriculture Ministry in Bucharest says. Until January 26, the Romanian stand will be offering samples of Romanian natural food, such as cheese, meat, honey, dairy and bakery products, several types of brandy, wine and cold-pressed oil registered or under registration with European quality systems. Last year, the Green Week event in Berlin was visited by 300 thousand people.

     

    TRUMP The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, is to kick off today his second mandate at the White House, after being sworn in at the US Capitol. Trump is planning to issue dozens of executive actions – more than 100 just on day 1 – including some aimed at ramping up US energy production, tightening border security reeling in regulations and other top policy priorities. Trump pledges to build an anti-missile system to protect the USA as well as the declassification of the files on the assassinations of the former president John F. Kennedy, his brother, Robert Kennedy, and civil-rights activist, Martin Luther King. All the three murders sparked off conspiracy theories that have been around for more than five decades. Relaxed environment protection initiatives and stepped-up petroleum extraction are also among the measures pledged by the new administration.

     

    SESSION Romania’s government coalition has convened today to asses a series of opinion polls on people’s voting intentions for the upcoming presidential election. Social-Democrats and Liberals are to also meet this week for separate talks on the joint candidacy of the former PNL president, Crin Antonescu. The present coalition will also tackle today the budget draft this year, which they want to submit for Parliament approval in the first week of February, when the Parliament session is due to begin.

     

    WEATHER The weather is quite warm in most Romanian regions, with temperatures higher than the season’s average. Insignificant periods of flurries and drizzle are expected in some isolated areas in the country’s west, north-west and center. The highs of the day in Bucharest are way above the season’s average reaching up to 9 and 10 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 7 degrees.

    (bill)

     

  • January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    January 18, 2025 UPDATE

    Protest – Thousands of members and supporters of the nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), the main opposition party in Romania’s Parliament, protested on Saturday in Bucharest and across Romania, demanding, among other things, the resumption of the second round of the presidential election. They criticized the court’s decision by which the action opened by the independent candidate Călin Georgescu in the case of the cancellation of the presidential election was definitively rejected and said that it defies millions of Romanians who demand the resumption of the second round of voting and that it ignores the lack of clear evidence. Organized on time, on November 24, 2024, the first round was invalidated by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR), which, based on documents provided by the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT), invoked the interference of a so-called state actor. The second round, scheduled for December 8, was to be contested by Georgescu, accused of connections with Russia, and the opposition Save Romania Union (USR) leader Elena Lasconi. In the diaspora, where the polling stations for the decisive round opened on December 6, tens of thousands of Romanians had already voted when the CCR decided to invalidate the first round. The costs of the invalidated election allegedly stand at almost 1.4 billion lei (the equivalent of about 280 billion Euros). On December 21, the acting president’s second and last five-year presidential mandate was to expire, according to the Constitution, but his mandate was extended until the election of a new president to be validated by the CCR.

     

    NATO – Hundreds of British military vehicles are on their way to Romania, loaded on ferries, to take part in a major NATO exercise, the British government announced. 2,400 British soldiers, with 730 military vehicles, will form the main battle group, supported by representatives of five other NATO countries, and the United Kingdom will ensure the command of the land component. The new allied reaction force replaced the NATO response force last year and aims to quickly and effectively respond to any threat in peacetime, crisis or conflict.

     

    Tennis – The Romanian-Ukrainian pair Gabriela Ruse/Marta Kostiuk qualified for the round of 16 of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after defeating the pair Elise Mertens (Belgium)/Ellen Perez (Australia) 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday in Melbourne. In another second round match, the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello were defeated by the pair Leylah Fernandez (Canada)-Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Jaqueline Cristian was also defeated in the singles by the German Eva Lys 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the third round.

     

    Intelligence Service – The Romanian Intelligence Service presented new details about the strategic objectives in Romania that a Colombian citizen intended to blow up, at the instigation of a person from Russia. The target was a recyclable waste deposit, two oil extraction wells and a Natural Gas Regulating Metering Station. Luis Alfonso Murillo Diosa was sent to court last November for crimes against national security. According to the investigators, the Colombian was affiliated with an extensive network of saboteurs, controlled through intermediaries by the Russian secret services, which targeted several European states. A former military, trained in intelligence gathering activities, Diosa arrived on Romanian territory in July 2024.

     

    Fair – Romania will participate in the largest organic products fair in the world, BioFach 2025, which will take place in Nuremberg (Germany) between February 11-14, announced the Bio-Romania Association, supported by the Romanian Government through the Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade. According to the Association, Romania has been present for 20 years at this event dedicated to agriculture and ecological products. Since 1990, BioFach has become the essential meeting point for organic food producers worldwide, offering networking opportunities and a place where ideas can be exchanged between all actors in the value chain of the organic sector.

     

    US – The inauguration ceremony of the US President-Elect, Donald Trump, will be moved indoors, as the weather forecast for Monday in Washington indicates very low temperatures, the American press announces. Therefore, the swearing-in ceremony, which was supposed to take place on the steps of the Capitol, will take place inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as it was done at the ceremony for the second term of the former president Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump has told his supporters that they will be able to see the inauguration ceremony on screens located inside the Capital One Arena, a sports arena in Washington with a capacity of 20,000 people. The transition team announced that, on Monday, Donald Trump would again use his own Bible, and also the “Lincoln Bible”, a copy known by this name because it was the holy book used by the 16th president of the USA , Abraham Lincoln. The Republican leader also used these two copies when taking the oath for his first mandate, in 2017, the EFE agency reports. (LS)

  • January 15, 2025

    January 15, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    CULTURE DAY – In Romania, January 15 is National Culture Day, which marks the birth date of the national poet Mihai Eminescu. This edition is all the more special as it celebrates the 175th anniversary of the birth of the one who is considered the greatest Romanian poet of all times. Numerous events are taking place in Bucharest and throughout the country: conferences, debates, concerts and exhibitions, and entry to many museums is free. The Bucharest National Opera celebrates National Culture Day this evening, with a gala performance that pays tribute to Romanian culture as Faith, Art and Identity. The “Luceafărul” exhibition can be visited at the Bruckenthal National Museum in Sibiu (center). The Lyric Theatre in Iași (northeast) has scheduled a special performance, while the “Past, Present and Future” exhibition is being opened at the Corvin Castle (west). On National Culture Day, the Radio Romania Culture channel invited a teenager from Vâlcea (south) to the theater for the first time. Through this symbolic gesture, the only national radio station dedicated exclusively to the arts, urges people and institutions to facilitate access to culture for their peers.

     

    NATIONAL BANK – The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) convenes today for the first monetary policy meeting of the year. Most financial analysts and commercial bank experts believe that the Central Bank will maintain the key interest rate at 6.5%. Estimates are that the BNR could relax monetary policy in the second half of the year, pending clearer prospects regarding the evolution of inflation and fiscal measures. In 2024, the National Bank reduced the reference interest rate twice, from 7% to 6.5%.

     

    MOLDOVA – In Chisinau, President Maia Sandu accused the Russian Federation of wanting to provoke a political crisis in the Republic of Moldova by halting the supply of natural gas to the separatist Transnistrian region. On Tuesday, the Moldovan leader convened the Supreme Security Council to discuss the situation in the energy sector. Maia Sandu drew attention to the fact that the administration of the separatist Transnistrian region, which is facing a humanitarian crisis, has refused the aid offered by Chisinau, setting conditions for accepting the proposed solutions.

     

    HEARINGS – Former Romanian Prime Minister Petre Roman was summoned today at the General Prosecutor’s Office to be heard in the June 1990 Miners’ Riot case, in which he is accused of committing crimes against humanity. He denies any involvement. Former President Ion Iliescu and former Intelligence Service chief Virgil Măgureanu are also being prosecuted in this case, among others. Prosecutors must reopen the investigation in this case, after the evidence collected by investigators was annulled in Court. Initially, Ion Iliescu was sent to trial for crimes against humanity, along with Petre Roman and Virgil Măgureanu, but in December 2020 the High Court of Cassation and Justice decided to return the case to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, to restart the investigation from scratch. According to military prosecutors, on June 11 and 12, 1990, state authorities decided to launch a violent attack against demonstrators in the University Square in Bucharest, who were campaigning for democracy and the removal of former communist dignitaries from public office. Forces from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Defense, the Romanian Intelligence Service, and thousands of miners were allegedly illegally involved in this attack. The violence resulted in 4 deaths, hundreds of injuries, illegal arrests, and damages.

     

    WASHINGTON – US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will create a new department, called the ‘Foreign Revenue Service’, whose task will be to collect customs duties, debts and all income from foreign sources, Reuters reports. Trump said on his social network Truth Social that he will sign the creation of this department on January 20, the day he is inaugurated as president. He has already announced that he will impose substantial customs duties on imports from Canada, Mexico and China, mentioning a 25% tax on imports from Canada and Mexico until these two countries neighboring the US take measures aimed at stopping illegal migration and drug trafficking at the borders. Donald Trump has also promised a 10% tariff on all imports and a 60% tax on imports from China, measures that economic analysts warn will have, among other effects, distorting trade flows, increasing costs and trade retaliation measures against American exports.

     

    PROTEST – In Romania, the National Federation of Culture and Press Unions ‘CulturMedia’ is protesting today, on National Culture Day, with white armbands, to draw attention to the underfunding of Culture and the salary inequities to which employees of museums, libraries and cultural centers are subjected. The Federation demands the allocation of 1% of GDP for Culture, the equalization of the salaries of museum and library employees with the with the ones paid for the same professions in education payment scheme, the elimination of the huge salary disparities between employees of performing arts institutions and employees of public museums and libraries, salary increases for work carried out on weekends and public holidays, as well as the payment of overtime. The unionists also demand the unblocking of vacant positions and the supplementation of job schemes to combat the chronic shortage of personnel in cultural institutions.

     

     

  • November 23, 2024

    November 23, 2024

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    ELECTIONS – The election campaign for the first round of the presidential elections held on Sunday in Romania ended on Saturday morning. The presidential elections are scheduled for November 24, the first round, and December 8 the second round. Over 18 million voters are expected to cast their ballot on Sunday, in the nearly 19,000 polling stations opened in the country. Abroad, Romanians can vote for three days in the 950 polling stations opened by the authorities (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). By Saturday at noon, about 60 thousand Romanians had voted in the Diaspora, of whom over 4,000 opted for postal voting. Most Romanians abroad voted in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria. There are 13 candidates in the presidential race, 9 representing political parties and 4 independents. Most ideological currents have representatives in the competition, from social democrats to liberals and from pro-Europeans to populists and ultranationalists. On December 1, when the National Day is celebrated, legislative elections will be held. We recall that on June 9, local and European parliamentary elections were also held in Romania.

     

    REFERENDUM – On Sunday, the Bucharest residents entitled to vote are expected at the polls in a referendum initiated by the General Mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan. Voters must answer two questions proposed by him, which concern the way that funds are divided between the General City Hall and the city halls of the 6 Bucharest districts, and also have their say on the issuing of construction permits in the capital Bucharest. At the same time, at the initiative of the Social Democratic Party, a third question was added, through an amendment, which refers to combating drug use in schools. In order to validate this consultation, a 30% voter turnout rate is required.

     

    SCHENGEN – The interior ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary, alongside the European Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, agreed on Friday in Budapest that Romania and Bulgaria will join Schengen with the land borders as of January 1, 2025. The final decision will be taken at the meeting of EU interior ministers on 12 December in Brussels. Austria has been opposing Schengen enlargement since 2022. Eventually, Vienna later accepted partial Schengen membership for Sofia and Bucharest in March, with air and sea borders, and set a roadmap for a possible extension to land borders. The agreement made public on Friday provides for border checks for an initial period of six months to minimize the potential change in migration routes that could occur.

     

    NATO – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with the US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, the North Atlantic Alliance spokeswoman said Saturday, according to Reuters and France press. The two discussed global security issues facing the alliance. Rutte’s meeting with Trump comes ahead of a NATO-Ukraine Council scheduled for next week, after Russia launched a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile on military infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday. Moscow described the action as a response to the first Ukrainian attacks with US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles on military targets on Russian territory.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby squad will face Uruguay in a test match this evening in Bucharest. The Romanian team has met Uruguay 13 times so far. Romania has won ten matches, one of which ended in a draw, while two were won by the South Americans. Romania defeated Tonga (25-15) and Canada (35-27) in test matches this month.

     

     

  • Reactions to the election of Donald Trump

    Reactions to the election of Donald Trump

    Many political leaders around the world have reacted by congratulating the Republican Donald Trump, who announced his victory in the US presidential election. Before the votes counting was over, he had obtained more than the 270 electors that he needed to be elected. He thus becomes the second American president with two non-consecutive terms. The incumbent President Joe Biden and the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory. Joe Biden invited him to the White House and expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition, emphasizing the importance of working to unify the country. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results.” Kamala Harris said in a speech held at Howard University in Washington.

     

    European leaders emphasized Europe’s close ties to the United States, posting early congratulations for Donald Trump as it became clear he would win the US presidency. The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, “warmly congratulated” Donald Trump on his victory in the election, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, emphasized the ‘lasting alliance’ and the ‘historic link’ between the European Union and the United States. The French President Emmanuel Macron promised to cooperate with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for a stronger Europe, given the ‘new context’. At the same time, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was looking forward to working with Donald Trump in the coming years. NATO Secretary General, the former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, said that Donald Trump’s leadership will be ‘again essential to keep our alliance strong’.

     

    The Beijing leader Xi Jinping called the winner of the US presidential election and pleaded for the relationship between the two powers to be ‘stable, healthy and sustainable’. We hope that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, said Xi Jinping, who called for finding the right way for China and the United States to get along in this new era. He emphasized that a good relationship between Beijing and Washington will benefit both countries and the world. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke on the phone with Donald Trump, congratulating him on his victory, which he called historic and convincing. Zelensky stated that he agreed with him to maintain a close dialogue and develop cooperation between Ukraine and the US. From Romania, the head of state, Klaus Iohannis, conveyed that Bucharest is a strong and committed strategic ally of Washington. In turn, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu mentioned that Romania is ready to work to strengthen the strategic partnership with the United States. (LS)

  • November 6, 2024

    November 6, 2024

     

    US ELECTION The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis and PM Marcel Ciolacu today congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential elections. “Romania is a strong and committed strategic ally of the USA. Through our joint efforts, we will bring peace and prosperity to our countries and beyond, defending our common interests,” the Romanian president wrote on a social network. The Republican Donald Trump claimed an “unprecedented mandate,” in a speech held at West Palm Beach, Florida, after Fox News called the election for Trump, the only US news outlet to do this so far. Although technically the vote count is not yet over, Donald Trump thanked the Americans for electing him. “We made history,” he said, and promised to help the country “heal.” Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, said in his turn that “we have witnessed the greatest political comeback in US history.” His opponent, the Democrat Kamala Harris, has not yet addressed her supporters.

     

    SENATE The Republicans appear to have have gained control of the US Senate, previously held by the Democrats, with a majority of at least 51 seats out of 100, according to projections. The US Senate has 100 seats (2 for each US state) and 34 members are replaced following the vote organised concurrently with the November 5 presidential election. In the House of Representatives, neither party seems to have a decisive advantage, as the vote count in the 50 states continues today. The control of the two chambers of the US Congress is a major stake, as the room for maneuver of the country’s president depends largely on the laws they are able to get passed in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both vote on federal laws, but the Senate also has important exclusive powers, especially in the appointment or removal of key government members or in the confirmation of federal magistrates.

     

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION The Social Democrat Roxana Mînzatu, Romania’s nomination for vice-president of the new European Commission, received a positive review from the specialist committees of the Romanian parliament. Next week, she will also be heard in the committees of the European Parliament. In addition to the position of vice-president, the Romanian commissioner will also serve as Commissioner for People, Skills and Preparedness.

     

    INVESTMENTS PM Marcel Ciolacu had a meeting with a delegation of Japanese investors on Tuesday in Bucharest. They expressed their interest in strengthening financial support for Romania in transport infrastructure, energy, digitisation and high techn projects. Previously, at a bilateral Energy Forum also held in the Romanian capital city, the energy ministry and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a hydropower plant project in Cluj county (northwest Romania).

     

    VISIT The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, is on an official visit to Bucharest, where he takes part today in the national conference of the Romanian Farmers’ Club. According to a press release issued by the European Commission, the commissioner is a special guest in the interactive EU-Romania Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, where he talks about the prospects of European farming in the context of the current environmental and geo-political challenges and of the EU enlargement. At the same time, the European official is to address a plenary session on “Vision and action for the sustainable transformation of agriculture”. Among other things, Janusz Wojciechowski will thank Romanian farmers for their vital contribution to food security, in Europe and beyond.

     

    FLOODS Another person on the list of Romanian nationals missing following the recent floods in Spain has been found dead. The Romanian foreign ministry announced that, according to the information sent by the Spanish authorities, up to this moment 2 Romanian citizens are dead and 7 are still missing. The Romanian embassy in Madrid and the consular office in Castellón de la Plana are checking public information regarding the death of some Romanian citizens, but no official confirmations have been received so far. Meanwhile, the Spanish government has declared a state of natural disaster in the affected areas and has pledged to cover 100% of the urgent expenses of the affected municipalities. A first emergency plan worth over EUR 10 billion was adopted. (AMP)