Radio România Internațional

Tag: UDMR

  • February 25, 2025 UPDATE

    February 25, 2025 UPDATE

    WB Representatives of Romania’s Environment Ministry on Tuesday met World Bank officials for talks that focused on increasing the capability of creating and improving the programmes aimed at monitoring the quality of air at national level, ways of preventing wildfires and solutions regarding Romania’s vulnerability to drought and flooding. “Romania is on an ambitious course of sustainability and environmental reforms need solid investment and strong partnerships”, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet says, according to a communiqué released by the institution. Talks also focused on finding the most effective mechanisms of funding and implementing green projects be they about curbing CO2 emissions, waste management, reforestation, the protection of biodiversity or the transition towards circular economy. “We need innovative and sustainable solutions and the WB expertise provides valuable support in this sense” – the minister went on to say.

     

    TALKS Romania’s interim President, Ilie Bolojan, will be holding talks with all parliamentary parties on Wednesday to prepare Romania’s position at the special European Council meeting on March 6. The main topics of discussion are related to support for Ukraine and the preparation of the European Union’s common defense strategy, after the American administration announced that it wants to reduce its military presence in Europe. Each of the seven parties represented in Parliament and the parliamentary group of national minorities has been allocated an hour for discussions. In a message conveyed on Tuesday, Ilie Bolojan says that a series of decisions will be made at the upcoming summit, which is going to have a direct effect on Romania. “Against this complicated and dynamic background, when we are witnessing a series of changes at international level, it would be necessary for us to adjust our foreign policy to be able to handle these challenges. However there are things that aren’t going to change, namely Romania’s national interests, a safe and prosperous country, a trustworthy country at peace with its neighbours. We are a safe country because we are benefitting from solid defence guarantees” Ilie Bolojan said.

     

    MOTION A censure motion against the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition government in Bucharest was submitted to Parliament on Tuesday. The document was signed by 154 parliamentarians from what is known as ‘the sovereignist bloc’ made up of SOS Romania, AUR and POT. However USR, also in opposition, has announced that it does not back the motion, as there are not enough votes to endorse it and that the process should have been initiated after the presidential elections in May. The signatories are accusing the Executive of illegitimacy, corruption and incompetence in managing the economy and European funds. PSD, PNL and UDMR believe the initiative will not be successful. The motion will be debated and voted upon on Friday.

     

    SALES The Romanian carmaker Dacia’s sales in Europe registered an annual decline of 5.2% in January, and the car manufacturer’s market share fell to 4.9% from 5.1%, data released on Tuesday by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers say. The statistical data is valid for the European Union, the United Kingdom and the countries of the European Free Trade Association, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Large car manufacturers reported mixed sale developments in January: increases of 5.4% at Renault and 16.6% at Volkswagen, but a decrease of 12.2% at Ford. The European Commission is hosting talks between car manufacturers, suppliers and unions in the field, with a view to implementing plans at EU level to protect the automotive sector, vital for the prosperity of the community bloc. In recent weeks, European carmakers have announced plant closures and layoffs, amid competition from rivals in China and the prospect of additional tariffs from the US. The European car sector employs 13.2 million people and accounts for 10.3% of all jobs in the EU industry.

     

    RATE After ten months in which Romania had the highest average annual inflation in the EU, in January 2025 Hungary climbed to first position, with 5.7%, followed by Romania, with 5.3%, and Croatia, with 5 percent, according to data published by the European Statistical Office. At the opposite end, last month, the lowest average annual inflation rates in the EU were recorded in Denmark (1.4%), Ireland, Italy and Finland (1.7%). Compared to December 2024, Eurostat shows that the average annual inflation rate decreased in eight EU member states, including Romania, from 5.5% to 5.3%, remained stable in four and increased in 15 countries. The National Bank has revised upwards the inflation forecast in Romania for the end of 2025, from 3.5% to 3.8%. The Governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, anticipates that this indicator will reach 3.1% at the end of 2026.

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  • Crin Antonescu endorsed by the ruling coalition

    Crin Antonescu endorsed by the ruling coalition

    The former Liberal leader, Crin Antonescu, has been endorsed by the parties that form the ruling coalition in Bucharest to run in the upcoming presidential election as their candidate.

    After first getting the support of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, on Sunday, Antonescu, was endorsed by the representatives of the Social Democrats. His validation was expressed during a special congress held in Bucharest on Sunday, which was attended by thousands of delegates. Parties that are part of the incumbent ruling coalition in Romania must provide the correct alternative: Crin Antonescu, a person with a presidential profile, a man competent and experienced, the PSD president, Marcel Ciolacu says. According to him, at the previous election round in December last year, a round that was invalidated by the Constitutional Court due to interferences, Romania suffered a real social trauma, and the accumulated social frustration in time turned into an anti-system fury that eventually erupted. And for this reason, this moment is of major importance.

    Marcel Ciolacu: “Here at the PSD, we never gave up when the going was tough and we must assume this moment as well, with the same amount of courage. To leave the country now prey to the mystic nationalism would be an act of cowardice towards the people and an unpardonable betrayal to Romania’s future. To repeat the same mistakes in the presidential election in May, would mean to set Romania’s clock 35 years back.”    

    Crin Antonescu says that against the tense international background, Romania has to defend and observe its condition of an EU member country, a member of NATO and the strategic partnership with the United States of America.

    The former Liberal leader pledged to be a strong president through commitment, attitude, dedication and partnership

    Crin Antonescu: “I will be a strong president, not through the violation of the Constitution, not through its abusive interpretation, or by betraying its spirit, nor through machinations involving the secret services, or by interfering with or influencing the justice, which has been one of the biggest misfortunes of the past two decades in Romania.”

    Referring to the statement of the extremist-sovereignist candidate, Călin Georgescu, who ended up on the first position in the previous round of voting and who said that he would dismantle the political parties, if elected, Antonescu argued that the disappearance of the political parties is tantamount to the disappearance of democracy, pluralism and freedom.

    Before granting their support, the PSD, PNL and UDMR had ordered sociological surveys according to which, Crin Antonescu ranks among the firsts and stands good chances of making it to the second round. The first round has been slated for May 4 and the second for May 18.

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  • January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    January 26, 2025 UPDATE 3

    PNL The former PNL president, Crin Antonescu, has been unanimously confirmed as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition for the upcoming presidential election. ‘The presidential election campaign is the most important political battle for Romania after the fall of communism’, says the PNL interim president, Ilie Bolojan. He pointed out that firm actions, good ruling practices and transparency are needed to regain the trust of the Romanians. Antonescu says he is not running in the presidential race for himself or for the National Liberal Party, but for the country’s citizens and for Romania. The Liberals are the first to have officially validated Antonescu’s candidacy. UDMR is to announce its preference next week, while on February 2, the Social-Democrats are going to convene for a special congress. The first and second round of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18. We recall that in December last year, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the presidential election on grounds of foreign interferences in the election process. That cancelled first round had been won by the pro-Russia extremist candidate, Calin Georgescu.

     

    REACTION Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, on Sunday announced the setting up at the government level of a crisis cell for the effective coordination of the activities of recovering the four Romanian ancient artefacts stolen from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The aforementioned cell includes representatives of the Romanian police as well as from the Foreign, Interior and Culture Ministries. The Prime Minister says he held talks with Interior Minister, Catalin Predoiu, on the urgent dispatching of a forensic team, who will work together with the Dutch authorities on the case. The General Prosecutor’s Office says that a criminal file has been made ex officio on the burglary in Assen. All the stolen artefacts have been insured under the Romanian and international legislation according to exhibition staging procedures. In a news conference at the National History Museum in Bucharest, director Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu says the artefacts stolen from the Dutch museum are being covered by a-35 million Euros insurance with a Dutch insurance company.

     

    VISIT Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, will be attending the proceedings of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which is getting underway in Brussels on Monday. The meeting’s agenda includes Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the EU-US relations. The energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova and the latest developments in Georgia are also high on the agenda. On Tuesday, Minister Hurezeanu is expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, with the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, and with the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.

     

    WIN The Romanian women’s handball champions, CSM Bucharest, on Sunday won their away game against Danish side Nykobing, 29-27 and advanced to the third place in the Champions League’s Group A. The Hungarian side Ferencvaros ranks first in the group followed by the French from Metz. Another Romanian side, Gloria Bistrita, is ranking 7th in the group, while the third Romanian team in the competition, Rapid Bucharest, lost to Danish side Esbjerg in group B 26-28 on Sunday. Rapid is presently ranking 7th in the group.

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  • January 26, Newsflash UPDATE 2

    January 26, Newsflash UPDATE 2

    PNL The former PNL president, Crin Antonescu, has been unanimously confirmed as the joint candidate of the PSD-PNL-UDMR ruling coalition for the upcoming presidential election. The presidential election campaign is the most important political battle for Romania after the fall of communism, says the PNL interim president, Ilie Bolojan. He pointed out that firm actions, good ruling practices and transparency are needed to regain the trust of the Romanians. Antonescu says he is not running in the presidential race for himself or for the National Liberal Party, but for the country’s citizens and for Romania. The Liberals are the first to have officially validated Antonescu’s candidacy. UDMR is to announce its preference next week, while on February 2, the Social-Democrats are going to convene for a special congress. The first and second round of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18. We recall that in December last year, Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated the presidential election on grounds of foreign interferences in the election process. That cancelled first round had been won by the pro-Russia extremist candidate, Calin Georgescu.

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  • January 26, 2025

    January 26, 2025

    BUDGET Romania’s 2025 draft budget will be presented to the government and submitted to Parliament for approval in the following days. The Executive intends to submit it for voting by senators and deputies right in the first week of the future Legislature, which gets underway on February 3. The present budget construction targets a 7% GDP deficit as compared to 8.6% last year and in order to achieve that goal, the government has already decided to freeze any pay rise and indexation for state budget employees as well as any pension indexation aimed at adjusting to the inflation rate. Central public institutions and state companies are also to be reorganized and streamlined. The aforementioned austerity measures have caused discontent and a series of protests.

     

    PNL Liberals have today validated the former PNL president Crin Antonescu, as the ruling coalition’s joint candidate for the presidential election slated for May. Antonescu must also get validation from the ruling partners – PSD and UDMR, which is to be followed by a joint event aimed at launching Antonescu in the presidential race. The first and the second rounds of the presidential election have been slated for May 4 and 18, after the Constitutional Court’s cancellation of a first round in December. The Court based its ruling on a report issued by the country’s Higher Defence Council, which referred to foreign interference in the election process. The aforementioned allegations have not been confirmed by legal investigators yet. Tens of thousands Romanians have taken to the streets calling for the resumption of the December election, whose cancellation they believe was unjustified.

     

    HEIST The Dutch police have published the first images with the initial moments of the burglary at the Drents Museum in Assen, from where thieves stole priceless Romanian jewelry in the early hours of Saturday morning. The footage shows that the thieves used explosive to blast their way into the museum. Investigators, who have called on the Interpol to help with the investigation, have announced the discovery of a suspect burnt vehicle, which could be related to the robbery. The thieves have left with three Dacian spiral bracelets and the exhibition’s central piece – the decorated Helmet of Coţofeneşti, which are dating back almost 25 hundred years ago. All these artefacts belonged to Romania’s National History Museum, being the most valuable in an exhibition entitled ”Dacia! The Kingdom of Gold and Silver” opened at the Drents Museum in July last year, and which was supposed to have its last day today. During a phone call with president Klaus Iohannis, the Dutch Prime Minister, Dick Schoof, has given assurances that the police are doing everything possible to identify the thieves and recuperate the treasure.

     

    REACTION The General Prosecutor’s Office in Bucharest has announced the opening of a criminal file in the case of the Assen heist. The investigation is being carried out by prosecutors with the Higher Court Prosecutor’s Office and Romanian police experts. The ancient artefacts stolen from Drents must be quickly recovered and safely returned to Romania – Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says. The chair of the Culture Committee with the Chamber of Deputies, Mihail Neamtu, has also called for an ample investigation into the way in which the Dacian treasure was exposed and jeopardized. The stolen artefacts are an incommensurable loss for Romania and the Romanian authorities jointly with their Dutch counterparts have the obligation to make all possible efforts to recover and bring them to Romania right away, says the opposition USR.

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  • January 8, 2025 UPDATE

    January 8, 2025 UPDATE

    TALKS Leaders of the ruling coalition in Bucharest convened on Wednesday for their first meeting this year. They decided that the first round of the presidential election be held on May 4 and the second on May 18. The coalition also reconfirmed the former PNL leader, Crin Antonescu as their common candidate for the presidential race. They also decided that the 2025 budget be presented before January 27 so that it might get Parliament approval in the first week of February. The Minister of Finance, Tánczos Barna, had earlier said the draft budget would observe the deficit cap of 7% of the GDP, without new tax increases, but through a more rigorous control of public spending. On the other hand, the unions called on the Ombudsman to appeal at the Constitutional Court the article in the recent emergency ordinance that provides for the freezing of pension indexation. The ordinance, which came into force on January 1, also provides for the freezing of salaries, the elimination of some tax benefits and the restriction of certain benefits.

     

    VISAS Romanians will be able to travel to the USA without a visa starting March this year. The only thing they need is a notification in a platform known as ESTA – Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the country’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu said on Wednesday. Romania’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver programme will be formally marked on Friday, January 10, through an event staged in Washington DC. The US State Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, and Romania’s ambassador in Washington, Andrei Muraru, are going to meet to record Romania’s accession to the US visa-free programme. The technical details and the date of the effective activation of the new travel regime are to be announced shortly. The Romanian citizens no longer need to give interviews at the US consulate while the travel permit, which replaces the present visas, will be valid for two years, with an unlimited number of entries into the United States. The aforementioned permit can be used for visits up to 90 days with the cost of 21 US dollars, says a notification posted on the Facebook page of Romania’s embassy in Washington.

     

    OMV The Austrians from OMV have concluded an agreement with the German utility group Uniper regarding the supply of natural gas under the Romanian “Neptun Deep” project in the Black Sea, as of 2027, Reuters reports. The deal comes after Russia stopped delivering gas through Ukraine on January 1, as well as a wider reduction in the European Union’s energy purchases from Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine. In the “Neptun Deep” area there are reserves of gas estimated at approximately 100 billion cubic meters, which makes it one of the most important extraction area in the EU. OMV and the Romanian state producer Romgaz own equal shares of the “Neptune Deep”. In total, Romania’s territorial waters of the Black Sea are said to host reserves of approximately 200 billion cubic meters of gas.

     

    ENERGY The liberalization of the energy market as of April 1, together with appropriate preparation while there is still time, is the only option for Romania – claims the president of the NGO Asociaţia Energia Inteligentă (Smart Energy Association), Dumitru Chiseliţă. In his opinion, the biggest challenge of the year is related to the fact that on March 31 the current capping and compensation scheme for natural gas and electricity prices will expire. Chiseliţă believes that an extension of this measure involves large expenses from the state budget, with the payment of compensations to suppliers. In addition, he mentions Romania’s commitments to the European Union for market liberalization, appreciating that a possible continuation of the ceiling will lead to a decrease in community funds, which Bucharest cannot afford.

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  • December 23, 2024 UPDATE

    December 23, 2024 UPDATE

     

     

    GOVERNMENT The new government in Bucharest, headed by the social-democrat Marcel Ciolacu and made up of the pro-European parties PSD, PNL, UDMR and the group of the national minorities has got the investiture vote in Parliament. All the 16 members proposed to become part of the new Executive on Monday got the greenlight following the hearing in the Legislative’s specialized committees. The Prime Minister had said the new government would not resort to austerity measures, but public spending must be decent. The PNL interim leader Ilie Bolojan said that his party signed the agreement to form a stable government, which will carry out reforms during a difficult period. He announced that former Liberal leader Crin Antonescu is the coalition’s joint candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The UDMR president Kelemen Hunor says the current coalition seeks to gain people’s trust in order to overcome the political deadlock. However, the AUR MPs believe the programme presented by the PSD leader is unrealistic and the USR representatives say the new government does not meet the citizens’ expectations. Previously, the leaders of PSD, PNL, UDMR and the leader of the group of national minorities signed a political agreement to form a Parliament majority and a government.  According to Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis, the new pro-European coalition stands good chances of continuing Romania’s good track record, following the undeniably good economic results obtained and the Schengen accession.

     

    DAY In a message conveyed on Revolution Victory Day, President Klaus Iohannis said that Romania is “at a turning point” and must firmly reject attempts to revise history, which aim to “defame the memory of the heroes of democratic Romania and mystify the truth about the dictatorial regime”. The head of state pointed out that the freedom for which the heroes of the Revolution sacrificed themselves is “more alive and present than ever” today, 35 years on. A number of events were held throughout the country to mark the anti-communist revolution of 1989, with participants recalling protesters’ aspirations back then for democracy and a European path for Romania.

     

    PARLIAMENT PSD MP Ciprian Șerban was on Monday elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in the new Parliament. The interim leader of PNL, Ilie Bolojan, was elected Senate Speaker. We recall that four pro-European parties entered Parliament – ​​PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR – and three self-proclaimed sovereignist parties, AUR, SOS Romania and POT.

     

    FORECAST The National Strategy and Forecast Commission has significantly downgraded its economic growth forecast for 2024 from 2.8% previously to 1%, amid an accelerated decline in activity, especially in industry and agriculture. The only sector with a positive estimated impact was services. In its autumn forecast, published in November, the European Commission estimates that the Romanian economy will report an economic slowdown this year, up to 1.4%, but the gradual recovery of external demand, the easing of financial conditions, resilient private consumption and an acceleration of investments will support economic growth up to 2.5% in 2025 and 2.9% in 2026.

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  • December 5, 2024 UPDATE

    December 5, 2024 UPDATE

    VOTE The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest on Thursday announced that it briefed the allied states on the attempted foreign interferences in the election campaign in Romania. ‘The Romanian Authorities are investigating this attempted initiative underway. ‘We are going to take all the measures needed to protect democracy, national security and sovereignty’, says a communiqué by the Foreign Ministry. In the meantime, the General Prosecutor’s Office was notified ex officio after checking the documents presented by the country’s Higher Defence Council regarding the campaign of independent candidate Calin Georgescu, which were declassified. An investigation is underway on various charges such as election fraud and money laundering. In another development the Constitutional Court on Thursday got four notifications calling for the cancellation of the results in the first round of the presidential election. The head of the Permanent Election Authority, Toni Grebla says the election cannot be cancelled because the terms stipulated by the law have been exceeded and the Constitutional Court has validated the results. The independent candidate Calin Georgescu will be facing the pro-European Elena Lasconi in the presidential runoff due on 8 December. Romanians abroad will have three days to cast their ballot starting this Friday.

     

    EU The European Commission has called on the TikTok platform to preserve all the information in its system linked to the EU election for thorough examination. The Commission has summoned representatives from the member states, European institutions and digital platforms to asses the risks posed by the information systems at the level of the entire bloc starting from Romania’s case. After the outcome of the first round of its presidential election, Romania had called on the European Commission to launch a formal investigation into the platform under the community rules on social media. On Tuesday in the European Parliament, the platform defended the measures it had implemented to fight misinformation in the first round of the presidential election in Romania and denied the allegation that it would have favoured the independent candidate Calin Georgescu. In another development the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken on Thursday said the Romanian authorities had revealed a large-scale and well-funded Russian effort to influence the presidential election.” Earlier, the US Department of State said in a communique that ”Romania’s hard-earned progress anchoring itself in the Transatlantic community cannot be turned back by foreign actors seeking to shift Romania’s foreign policy away from its Western alliances.”

     

    ECONOMY The analysts’ trust in the Romanian economy dropped last month amid the latest political developments. A survey among the experts forecasts a higher inflation rate in the coming year, a depreciated national currency and an economic growth lower than initially expected. The Macroeconomic Trust Indicator of CFA Romania dropped by 13.5 points down to 31.4 points, the lowest level since 2020. 77% of the pundits questioned have forecast a depreciated local currency in the following 12 months, while the rest believes it is going to stagnate. The budget deficit envisaged for the year 2025 would stay at 7.2% of the GDP, the economic growth at 1.3% and the public debt at 58%.

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  • December 3, 2024

    December 3, 2024

    VOTE The final result of the Parliamentary election in Romania, whose centralisation ended on Monday night, says that seven parties have made it to Parliament. First to the Chamber of Deputies are the ruling PSD and the sovereignist AUR followed by the co-ruling PNL and the centre-rightist USR. In the fifth and sixth places are the sovereignist-extremist SOS Romania and another sovereignist group known as the Party of Young People. These two political groups, for the first time, had their representatives in the Legislature. Last in terms of the number of votes was the UDMR. The ranking was also maintained in the race for the Senate. The country’s incumbent Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, has announced a first round of talks with the interim PNL president Ilie Bolojan in an attempt to forge a majority coalition. Ciolacu, a Social-Democrat, says that a majority Parliament coalition could be forged with the Liberals, UDMR and the Group of national minorities. In turn, the USR president Elena Lasconi endorses a pro-European national unity government while UDMR leader Kelemen Hunor stands for a Parliament-backed government made up of the PSD, PNL, USR and UDMR. In the meantime the Romanians are bracing for the second round of the presidential election, due on Sunday, 8 December.

     

    VISIT Over December 3 and 4, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminita Odobescu, is attending the meeting of the NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels. The meeting has three sessions, which will be tackling the latest developments in the southern vicinity of NATO, the involvement of the North Korean army, the NATO-Ukraine relationship with emphasis on domestic reforms and NATO-EU cooperation. The last session will be devoted to NATO’s strategic agenda, the allies’ priorities for the upcoming summit in the Hague particularly by strengthening the Eastern Flank as part of the allied response to Russia’s threats. A session devoted to Ukraine will involve the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

     

    GAME Romania’s national women’s handball side will tonight be playing Serbia in the last match of Group B of the European Championships underway in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. Romania is hankering for a good result to advance towards the European competitions after a narrow victory against Czechia and a defeat against Montenegro.

     

    DEATH Romania’s legendary goal-keeper, Helmut Duckadam, passed away at the age of 65. He had earlier been admitted to a hospital in Bucharest and had several surgical operations in recent years including a heart procedure in September. He was dubbed ‘the Hero of Seville’, as he had a decisive hand in the victory his side Steaua Bucharest clinched in the 1986 finals of the European Champions Cup. His performance of saving all the four shots in the game’s shootout session, has also been added to the Book of Records.

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  • The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    The Outcome of the Parliamentary Elections in Romania

    Pro-European parties have mustered the votes of 57% of the Romanians who went to the polls to cast their ballot for the country’s future legislature, whereas the so-called sovereignist, isolationist political groups have gathered 32%.

    The elections registered a record high turnout, over 52% – the largest in the past 20 years. And seven political groups have cleared the minimum 5% threshold to become part of the new Legislature.

    The incumbent ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) got most of the votes followed by the sovereignist AUR, which doubled its number since the last election four years ago. The co-ruling National Liberal Party, a.k.a PNL, has obtained a better result than its leader in the last week’s presidential election. The number of votes it won was close to that obtained by the centre-right USR.

    The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania has also cleared the minimum threshold and so has the extremist-sovereignist SOS Romania party led by the controversial MEP Diana Șoșoacă as well as the newly-established Young People’s Party (POT) founded by Ana-Maria Gavrilă, who had made it to Parliament on AUR tickets four years ago.

    Shortly after the exit-polls on Sunday night leaders of the seven parties made statements. “Through their vote in the Parliamentary elections the Romanians said they wanted the continuation of the country’s European and Euro-Atlantic progress”, Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu said.

    “This is an important signal the Romanians have sent the political class – to continue to develop the country on European money but at the same time to protect our identity, national values and faith,” the AUR leader, George Simion, said. According to him the Romanians want a change and the representatives of his party will ensure the observance of the national values and democracy and that dialogue is the solution to Romania’s future. The interim PNL president, Ilie Bolojan, has thanked the Romanians for their interest in the election and has assured them the Liberals will continue to support the state reforms. In turn, the USR leader, Elena Lasconi, has made an appeal to unity for defending democracy and European values.

    Most of the Romanians abroad have endorsed the AUR party, but options also included USR, SOS Romania and POT. Turnout abroad was also significant, standing at roughly 800 thousand voters, three times higher than in the 2020 election. The largest number of voters was reported in Britain, but also in Italy and Germany.

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  • October 20, 2024 UPDATE

    October 20, 2024 UPDATE

    PROJECT Romania’s Prime Minister, Social-Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, who is running in the upcoming presidential election, on Sunday presented his ‘Project for Romania’. Raising the citizens’ purchasing power, protecting young people and the Romanians in the Diaspora and ensuring the country’s industrial development are among its main objectives. 14 people are presently running in the upcoming presidential elections – ten backed by political groups and four independents. Nicolae Ciuca, leader of the National Liberal Party, Elena Lasconi, from the Save Romania Union, George Simion from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, Kelemen Hunor from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the former deputy secretary general of NATO, the independent Mircea Geoana, are some of the main candidates. The first round of the presidential election is due on 24 November and the second round on 8 December. Between the two rounds, Romanians will go to the polls again to elect their MPs. We recall that this year Romania saw all kinds of elections. In June the Romanians cast their ballots for the local administration and the European Parliament.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian table tennis player Bernadette Szocs and Austrian Sofia Polcanova on Sunday became silver medalists in the European Table Tennis Championships in Linz, Austria. The two lost in the finals 3-2 to the Czechoslovakian pair Hana Matelova/Barbora Balazova. Also on Sunday Szocz got silver in the singles against her partner in doubles, Sofia Polcanova, who won the match 4-1. Romania’s delegation in Linz consisted of 11 players, six in the women’s competition and five in the men’s contest.

     

    WEATHER The duration and frequency of heat waves in Romania have significantly increased in the past years, and by 2040, hot temperatures will be affecting roughly 50% of the urban population – the latest national weather report says. According to the document, entitled Romania’s Weather State 2024, drought is another major challenge as the affected surfaces of farmland have also increased of late. The forecast also mentions the increased frequency of extreme weather phenomena, such as severe thunderstorms. And although climate change has been recognized as a serious issue, only 4% of the Romanians consider it a priority at national level. Most of the interviewees have attached higher importance to economic development, the report also says.

     

    FESTIVAL Bucharest is presently seeing the 34th edition of the National Theatre Festival, unfolding this year under a suggestive motto, “Dramaturgy of the Possible”. Until October 28th, theatre goers are offered the opportunity of watching a series of performances, a selection which, according to organizers, is aimed at expressing various possible scenarios. The edition’s official selection includes over 30 performances mounted by theatre troupes from all over the country. Among these there is the Anthology of Disappearance by Radu Afrim, William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Andrei Serban, and Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. This year’s edition has also brought together theatre troupes from abroad, from Germany, Ireland, Poland and Belgium. The event has been produced by the Theaters Union in Romania, UNITER.

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  • July 1, 2024 UPDATE

    July 1, 2024 UPDATE

    TALKS Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Monday held talks with political parties on the presidential election schedule. The Save Romania Union, a.k.a USR, stood for holding these election in November, the term set by the law. The Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) has voiced its readiness for the election in mid-September, as the head of the Executive repeatedly announced. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) wants these election in October, whereas SOS Romania chose the month of November. The latest government talks on the election schedule come against the disputes within the ruling PSD-PNL coalition. In another round of talks, concurrently with the government talks, the PNL leadership unanimously voted in favour of the month of November for the presidential election. We recall that this year, besides the presidential election, legislative elections are to take place in Romania in December .

     

    OSCE Bucharest is hosting the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose general theme is “The Role of the OSCE in the Current Security Architecture: A Parliamentary Perspective”. The 31st meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly is an event of a major geopolitical importance, according to the head of the Romanian Parliament’s delegation to the OSCE, Dan Barna. He added that Romania’s hosting it shows the recognition of its role in the regional context of the war in Ukraine and the European security developments for the OSCE countries. The war waged by Russia against Ukraine is one of the main topics on the agenda of the meeting, Barna also said. The over 250 MPs gathering in Bucharest these days will also discuss economic development, women’s and men’s equal involvement in political life and the involvement of young people in the decision-making process.

     

    PRICES Excise duties on fuel again went up in Romania from 1st July, with the price of one litre of petrol expected to go up by around 0.43 euros, while that of diesel oil by around 0.4 euros. Gas prices will also see some changes, with the regulatory body approving an increase of 19% on average in supply prices. The minimum wage goes up to 3,700 lei from 3,300, also from 1st July.

     

    POLL 74% of Romanians see inflation as the main reason why they will spend more in the next six months, according to a survey published by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Most respondents believe they will be spending more on food, clothing, DIY products and travel. 46% and 39% respectively say discounts, followed by promotional offers are the main reasons why people change brands. The purchasing decision is influenced especially by the ads on social networks, in the opinion of more than 70% of respondents, which is similar to worldwide trends. Facebook remains the most popular social media app in Romania, while younger users prefer Instagram and TikTok. 36% of Romanian consumers buy their products from physical shops, while 29% buy online on their PCs and 31% from their phones. The Voice of Consumer 2024 survey was conducted using a sample of 20,662 consumers from 31 countries and territories, including Romania.

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  • Interviu cu eurodeputatul Iuliu Winkler

    Interviu cu eurodeputatul Iuliu Winkler

    Am discutat recent, la Strasbourg, cu eurodeputatul Iuliu Winkler, UDMR, Grupul Partidului Popular European (Creștin Democrat), despre bilanţul Parlamentului European în legislatura 2019-2024, despre bilanţul său, ca eurodeputat din România, despre ce aşteaptă de la alegerile europene din iunie 2024 şi cum ar putea fi determinaţi tinerii să vină la vot.



    Domnul Winkler este Vicepreședinte al Comisiei pentru comerț internațional, membru supleant al Comisiei pentru cultură și educație din Parlamentul European.




  • Superwahljahr 2024: Was kommt auf Rumänien und Europa zu?

    Superwahljahr 2024: Was kommt auf Rumänien und Europa zu?





    Die Wahlen 2024 haben das Potenzial, die aktuelle politische Landschaft Rumäniens umzukrempeln. Zunächst einmal wird es ein Kräftemessen zwischen den beiden Gro‎ßparteien geben, den beiden derzeit regierenden Parteien, die PSD und die PNL, die in dieser Legislaturperiode zum ersten Mal in Rumänien die Vereinbarung einer regelmä‎ßigen Rochade an der Spitze der Exekutive ausgehandelt und eingehalten haben. Die Sozialdemokraten kommen laut jüngsten Umfragen auf 30 %, die Liberalen auf 20 % der Wählerstimmen.



    Auf der anderen Seite ist die Opposition eher zerstückelt. Zum einen gibt es eine demokratische Opposition, die sich aus der neu gegründeten Vereinigten Rechten Allianz zusammensetzt. Zur Allianz gehören die Union Rettet Rumänien (USR), die Partei der Volksbewegung (PMP) um den ehemaligen Staatspräsidenten Traian Băsescu und die Rechte Kraft (FR). Der Ugarnverband UDMR stützt sich wie immer auf die ungarischstämmigen Wähler, eine konstante Wählerschaft, die dem Bündnis bislang als Juniorpartner oder Scharnierpartei die Beteiligung an Regierungskoalitionen ermöglicht hat.



    Ebenfalls in der Opposition befindet sich die Allianz für die Einheit der Rumänen (AUR), eine nationalistische, europaskeptische und in Teilen pro-russische Partei, die laut Meinungsumfragen 19,5 % der Wählerstimmen erhalten würde. Hinzu kommt der abtrünnige Flügel der AUR um die Senatsabgeordnete Diana Şoşoacă. Die aggressiv und medienwirksam auftretende Politikerin, die Verschwörungstheorien aller Art verbreitet, Parlamentssitzungen immer wieder mit Skandalauftritten stört und keinen Hehl aus ihrer pro-russischen Position macht, gründete ihre eigene Fraktion namens S.O.S. Rumänien. Laut Umfragen steht sie aktuell bei rund 5 % in der Gunst der Wähler in Rumänien und könnte somit bei den kommenden Parlamentswahlen auch die Wahlhürde einnehmen.



    Folglich könnten Parteien, die nahe der Rechtsau‎ßen-Grenze agieren, insgesamt etwa 25 % der Stimmen erhalten, einen Prozentsatz, der sich vor den Wahlen noch etwas erhöhen dürfte, während 70–75 % der rumänischen Gesellschaft immer noch für eine gemä‎ßigte Politik eintreten. Das Superwahljahr wird im Juni mit den Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament eingeleitet. Der Soziologe Remus Ștefureac erläutert den innen- und au‎ßenpolitischen Kontext der diesjährigen Wahlen:



    Die Europawahlen werden nicht nur Rumänien, sondern die gesamte EU beeinflussen und meiner Meinung nach den Stand der Dinge angesichts des Aufkommens bestimmter Strömungen ein wenig umgestalten. Die Präsidentschaftswahlen in den USA sind ebenfalls eine heikle Angelegenheit — sie haben eine wichtige geopolitische Dimension für unsere Region, für die Entwicklung des Konflikts in der Ukraine und implizit für das Sicherheitsklima, von dem Rumänien direkt abhängt. Nicht zuletzt folgen die Wahlen 2024 auf eine Reihe von Krisen in den letzten vier Jahren, die von der Pandemie über eine Gesundheitskrise und eine Vertrauenskrise bis hin zu einer veränderten Art der Informationsvermittlung reichen. Im Grunde haben wir nach der Pandemie auch eine Explosion von Verschwörungstheorien, Desinformation und kollektiven Ängsten erlebt, gepaart mit einer Wirtschaftskrise, mit Inflation, einer Energiekrise und einem angsterregendem Sicherheitsklima. In der Praxis hat sich Rumänien seit fast 70 Jahren nicht mehr in einer solchen Situation befunden, mit einem Krieg vor der eigenen Haustür konfrontiert, in dem Russland der Aggressor ist. All dies führt zu einem erhöten Angstzustand, der die öffentliche Wahrnehmung stark beeinflusst, und die Ängste in der Gesellschaft sind breit gefächert, auch wenn sie sich im Moment auf innenpolitische Themen konzentrieren.“




    Sebastian Fitzek, Experte für Kommunikation in der Politik, ist der Auffassung, dass die politischen Auseinandersetzungen vor allem im Internet ausgetragen werden. Seiner Meinung nach wird es der erste vollständig digitalisierte Wahlkampf sein, mit massiver Nutzung von Social-Media-Plattformen durch alle Parteien:



    Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok — sie alle werden zu hei‎ßen Zonen der Konfrontation, in denen die Kandidaten viel in gezielte Werbung und Armeen von Trollen, manchmal auch Fake News, investieren werden. Die Wahlkampfthemen werden sich im Allgemeinen um die Wirtschaft drehen, um die Anhebung des Lebensstandards, aber auch Kritik und das Thema Steuern werden natürlich immer präsent sein. Es wird einen heftigen Kampf zwischen dem AUR-Lager und den anderen Parteien geben, was bereits absehbar ist, es wird also ein extrem enger Kampf mit realen Chancen auf einen Regierungswechsel zwischen der PNL und der PSD. Offensichtlich werden beide Gro‎ßparteien, die nach dem Regierungsjahr 2023 bereits moralisch erschöpft sind, wahrscheinlich auch ein wenig Platz für die USR und dieses erst kürzlich geschlossene Rechtsbündnis machen. Dieses Bündnis wird versuchen, in die Regierungskoalition einzutreten, insbesondere wenn die PNL in der Wählergunst einbricht.“




    Auf europäischer Ebene werden Fragen der Sicherheit und der Migration ein Hauptthema der Wahlkämpfe sein, betont zum Schluss unseres Features der Universitätsprofessor und ehemalige Au‎ßenminister Adrian Cioroianu. Er verweist dabei auch auf die Anschläge in Europa in den letzten Jahren:



    Die Attentate hinterlassen Spuren. Das Gefühl, dass die eigene Identität als Gesellschaft verwässert wird, aber mehr noch, dass man einen Wurm in seinem sozialen Körper hat, der den Apfel von innen frisst, und dieser Wurm könnte der religiöse Extremismus sein, all das hat ein Problem aufgeworfen, an das wir vor 20 Jahren nicht gedacht hätten. Und ich denke, der Erfolg der nationalistischen und rechtsextremen Parteien hat auch viel mit der Einwanderungsproblematik zu tun, über die sie ein wenig mehr reden als die etablierten Parteien, die den Ton in der europäischen Politik angeben. Schauen Sie sich an, was in den Niederlanden passiert ist, was in den skandinavischen Ländern vor sich geht oder auch in südlichen Ländern wie Italien. Schauen Sie sich den Erfolg an, den Viktor Orbán mit seiner Politik in Ungarn einfährt, oder die Beliebtheit des österreichischen Bundeskanzlers Nehammer, der das Thema Migration am Leben erhält. Und diese Themen sind für immer breiter werdende Bevölkerungsschichten äu‎ßerst relevant.“

  • Superwahljahr 2024: Kompliziertes Kräftemessen

    Superwahljahr 2024: Kompliziertes Kräftemessen





    Die in der Regierungskoalition verbündeten Sozialdemokraten und Liberalen haben beschlossen, getrennt in die Wahlen zu gehen, und der Wettbewerb zwischen den Gro‎ßparteien könnte die Bildung einer Regierungsmehrheit nach den Wahlen erheblich erschweren. Für die PSD werden die besten Ergebnisse prognostiziert: Einer jüngsten Umfrage zufolge würde sie rund 30 % der Stimmen erhalten, während die PNL bei 20 % in der Wählergunst verharrt. Politikbeobachtern zufolge war den Liberalen ihr Bündnis mit dem traditionellen Rivalen nicht zuträglich, während die Sozialdemokraten geringere Verluste einsteckten, weil sie eine stabile Wählerschaft haben. Ob zusammen oder getrennt auf dem politischen Parkett — die etablierten Parteien verlieren angesichts der wirtschaftlichen Probleme und ihrer Unfähigkeit, dauerhafte Lösungen zu finden, immer mehr an Zuspruch.



    Hingegen sind sogenannten Anti-System-Bewegungen und Parteien mit populistischen bis radikal nationalistischen Untertönen oder gar extremistischem Diskurs überall in Europa auf dem Vormarsch. In Rumänien ist der Sammelbecken für diese Strömungen die Allianz für die Einheit der Rumänen (AUR), die in Meinungsumfragen auf 19,5 Prozent kommt. Die AUR hat bislang diffus agierende nationalistische Kräfte um sich geschart und einen Gegenpol zu den etablierten Parteien geschaffen. Sie hofft, bei den Europawahlen am 9. Juni den entscheidenden Schritt in Richtung gro‎ße Politik zu machen, und die Europawahl könnte ihr eine perfekte Plattform dazu bieten.



    Doch vorerst ist auch das nationalistisch-populistische Lager gespalten. Schon bald nach ihrer Gründung konfrontierte sich die AUR mit einem abtrünnigen Flügel rund um die Senatsabgeordnete Diana Şoşoacă. Die aggressiv und medienwirksam auftretende Politikerin, die Verschwörungstheorien aller Art verbreitet, Parlamentssitzungen immer wieder mit Skandalauftritten stört und keinen Hehl aus ihrer pro-russischen Position macht, gründete ihre eigene Fraktion namens S.O.S. Rumänien. Laut Umfragen steht sie aktuell bei rund 5 % in der Gunst der Wähler in Rumänien und könnte somit bei den kommenden Parlamentswahlen auch die Wahlhürde einnehmen.



    Es gibt jedoch auch eine demokratische Opposition zu den etablierten Gro‎ßparteien: Die Union Rettet Rumänien (USR), die Partei der Volksbewegung (PMP) und die Rechte Kraft (FD) haben Ende letzten Jahres offiziell eine Allianz der Vereinigten Mitte-Rechts-Parteien gegründet, die als Alternative zur gro‎ßen Koalition gilt. Besagte Parteien haben sich auch schon auf die Kandidatenliste für die Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament geeinigt. Die USR war bislang die drittstärkste politische Kraft im Parlament, doch die ideologisch unklare Ausrichtung, missglückte Auftritte einiger ihrer Politiker und die mangelhafte Öffentlichkeitsarbeit haben die Partei mit nur noch knapp 12 Prozent auf den vierten Platz in den Wahlabsichten gedrückt. Die PMP und die FR haben mit dem ehemaligen Staatspräsidenten Traian Băsescu und dem ehemaligen liberalen Premierminister Ludovic Orban zwar prominente Gesichter an ihrer Spitze, doch beide Parteien dürften laut Umfragen auf weniger als 2 % der Wählerstimmen hoffen.



    Konstant mit rund 4 % dürfte der Ungarnverband UDMR bleiben, ein Bündnis von zumeist national-konservativen Kleinparteien, die sich der Wahrung der Rechte der ungarischen Minderheit verschrieben haben. Mit einer disziplinierten Wählerschaft hat es der UDMR bislang immer wieder ins Parlament geschafft und als Juniorpartner oder Scharnierpartei auch für Stabilität in so mancher Regierungskoalition gesorgt. Alles in allem: Das Superwahljahr 2024 wird auf jeden Fall spannend.