Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ukraine

10.02.2024 (mise à jour)

Défense – Les habitants du département de Tulcea, dans le sud-est de la Roumanie ont reçu dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi des messages les mettant en garde sur la possibilité de la chute d’objets de l’espace aérien. L’objectif de ces messages a été d’informer la population sur ce qu’il faut faire dans une telle situation : garder le calme et entreprendre des mesures d’autoprotection. La population a signalé avoir entendu plusieurs explosions à proximité de la frontière avec l’Ukraine, où de nouvelles attaques russes aux drones et aux missiles ont eu lieu. Le ministère de la Défense a notifié la nuit dernière l’inspection générale de situations d’urgence sur les régions du comté de Tulcea à haut risque suite aux attaques aux drones lancées par les forces russes contre l’infrastructure portuaire ukrainienne à Ismail et Reni, à proximité de la frontière roumaine. Dans ce contexte, des avions F16 des forces aériennes turques ont décollé la nuit dernière dans le cadre d’une mission de recherche dans l’espace aérien national. Ces avions réalisent aux côtés des avions des forces aériennes roumaines des missions de police des ciels renforcée sous le commandement de l’OTAN. Le ministère roumain de la défense condamne fermement les attaques de la Russie contre des sites et des éléments d’infrastructure civile des ports ukrainiens au Danube. Aucun drone n’a pénétré l’espace aérien roumain la nuit dernière, annonce encore le ministère de la Défense de Roumanie.

Fermiers – La Commission européenne a approuvé un schéma d’aide d’une valeur de 241 millions d’euros, notifiée par la Roumanie pour soutenir ses producteurs agricoles, dans le contexte de la guerre menée par la Russie contre l’Ukraine. L’aide sera accordée sous la forme de financements non-remboursables accordés directement aux producteurs agricoles roumains notamment aux producteurs de céréales d’hiver et de colza qui risquent de perdre leur liquidité à cause des difficultés enregistrées sur le marché suite à l’invasion russe de l’Ukraine. Le financement ne dépassera pas les 280 000 euros par bénéficiaire. La Commission européenne a conclu que cette mesure était nécessaire, adéquate et proportionnelle pour remédier une perturbation grave de l’économie d’un Etat membre. La Roumanie bénéficiera de 34 millions d’euros du Fonds de solidarité de l’UE pour compenser les dégâts causés par la sécheresse de 2022. L’argent a déjà été versé à Bucarest en décembre dernier. La Roumanie a à sa disposition une année et demie pour mettre en place cette aide.

Deepfake
– La loi portant sur la lutte contre le phénomène des « deepfake »
entrera en vigueur avant le mois
d’avril, avant la campagne électorale, a annoncé le ministre roumain de
la recherche et de la numérisation, Bogdan Ivan. La technique « deepfake »,
par le biais de laquelle l’intelligence artificielle est utilisée pour créer du
contenu enligne faux à l’intention de tromper les utilisateurs, est de plus en
plus présente, y compris en Roumanie. Souvent il s’agit de vidéos qui semblent
illustrer des personnes publiques réelles mais en réalité ce sont des images et
des discours créés à l’aide de l’intelligence artificielle. La nouvelle
législation introduira des amendes pour les créateurs de tels contenus allant
de 120 euros à 18 000 euros, a précisé le ministre en en situation de
violations très graves, les peines iront jusqu’à deux ans. Le ministre Bogdan
Ivan a également dit que les grandes plateformes de partage avaient annoncé la
mise en place de filtres pour identifier et empêcher la publication de contenus
« deepfake ».

Politique – Organiser simultanément l’élection au Parlement européen et l’élection municipale, le 9 juin prochain – voici le principal thème à l’agenda de la coalition gouvernementale en Roumanie. Selon des sources politiques, les sociaux-démocrates ont également proposé d’organiser en même temps le scrutin présidentiel et celui législatif national. Le président du PSD et premier ministre Marcel Ciolacu affirme qu’il souhaite un calendrier clairement établi au sein de la coalition. L’opposition critique cette initiative et menace de contester à la Cour Constitutionnelle tout décret gouvernemental en ce sens. Le président de l’AUR, George Simion, affirme qu’une telle décision transgresse toutes les recommandations internationales. L’Union Sauvez la Roumanie a également annoncé avoir démarré les démarches pour saisir la Commission de Venise pour qu’elle exprime son opinion sur la décision d’organiser en commun des élections municipales et pour le Parlement européen, moins de six mois avant la date du scrutin. Rappelons-le, en 2024, pas moins de 4 scrutins sont à organiser en Roumanie : scrutin législatif, européen, municipal et présidentiel.

Magistrats – En Roumanie, le Conseil supérieur de la magistrature organise un nouveau concours d’admission au système pour occuper une centaine de postes. Les dossiers d’inscription au concours doivent être déposés avant le 26 février et les étapes du concours se dérouleront jusqu’à la fin juin. 75 postes de juge sont disponibles et leur nombre pourrait être augmenté de 30 autres postes supplémentaires. Dans le cas des procureurs le nombre de postes disponibles est de 42, avec une possibilité d’y ajouter 11 postes supplémentaires. Le Conseil supérieur de la majoration rapportait l’année dernière un déficit de 20% pour les juges et estimait qu’avant la fin de l’année 2025, celui-ci pourrait augmenter jusqu’à 40%. Les magistrats roumains peuvent partir à la retraite beaucoup plus tôt que la majorité des catégories sociales.

Ukrainiens – Plus de sept millions d’Ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie au cours des deux dernières années, dans le contexte de la guerre déclenchée par la Russie. Selon les chiffres de la police roumaine aux frontières, près de 40 000 sont entrés dans le pays rien que la semaine dernière. La vaste majorité des Ukrainiens ont seulement transité le territoire roumain. Seulement un tiers de la capacité des centres d’hébergement mis à la disposition des réfugiés par l’Inspection générale de l’immigration est occupée. Quelque 4 500 ressortissants d’Ukraine ont déposé des demandes d’asile en Roumanie.

Tennis – La joueuse roumaine de tennis Ana Bogdan (65e WTA), s’est qualifiée aujourd’hui à Cluj dans les demi-finales du tournoi Transylvania. Elle a battu sa compatriote, Jaqueline Cristian (81e WTA) sur le score de 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Ana Bogdan est la troisième roumaine à figurer dans la finale du tournoi de Cluj, après Simona Halep (en 2021) et Gabriela Ruse (en 2023). Aucune des deux n’a pourtant réussi à le remporter. Au doublé féminin, également dans les demi-finales, le duo roumain Jaqueline Cristian/Andreea Mitu a été battu par le double américain Caty McNally/Asia Muhammad.

10 February 2024
February 9, 2024 UPDATE

FARMERS The government of Romania has approved a support package for
farmers, including loans with lower interest rates and electricity subsidies.
On the other hand, the European Commission Friday approved a EUR 241 mln aid
scheme, requested by Romania to support farmers in the context of Russia’s war
against Ukraine. The aid will be provided as direct grants not exceeding EUR
280,000 per beneficiary. Romania also benefits from EUR 34 mln from the EU’s Solidarity
Fund, in support for the damages suffered as a result of the drought of 2022.
The money was already transferred in December of last year, and Romania has one
and a half years to implement the scheme.

ELECTIONS Merging European Parliament elections and local elections
on June 9 is on the agenda of the ruling coalition in Bucharest. According to
some political sources, the Social Democrats also proposed combining the
elections for the national Parliament with the first or second round of the
presidential elections, which would complement the first scenario. The opposition
is firmly against these initiatives. Save Romania Union has announced it has
started proceedings to ask the Venice Commission for a point of view on merging
European Parliament and local elections less than six months before the
election date. This year all four types of elections are scheduled in Romania -
parliamentary, European, local and presidential.

EXPORTS Romania’s
exports last year exceeded EUR 93 bln, 1.3% more than in 2022, according to the
National Statistics Institute. Imports on the other hand reached EUR 122 bln, 3.2%
below 2022. The trade balance deficit amounted to roughly EUR 29 bln, more than
EUR 5.1 bln less than in 2022. The automotive industry and transport equipment
sector accounted for important shares in the structure of both imports and
exports.

WASTE Romania is the country generating the smallest amount of waste
in the EU, the Eurostat announced. According to data released by the EU
statistics office, 513kg of municipal waste were generated in average by each
EU inhabitant in 2022, which is 19kg less than in the previous year. The
largest amounts are generated in Austria (827kg per capita), followed by
Denmark and Luxemburg (over 700kg). At the opposite pole, Romania generates 300kg
per capita. Although it generates the smallest amounts of municipal waste,
Romania also recycles the least in the EU-around 36kg out of the 300kg per capita,
as against the EU average of 249kg per capita. Malta, Greece and Cyprus also
recycle less than 100kg per capita, as compared to Austria, where the average
is 510kg per capita.

UKRAINE President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed General
Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
replacing General Valery Zaluzhny. Ukraine’s head of state said it was time for
changes, and explained that the dismissed general should remain in his team.
After the failure of the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer, Zaluzhny
warned that the war had reached a stalemate, turning into a war of attrition,
and that in order to win his country needed technologically superior weapons to
the Russian ones and more troops. International media note that Valery Zaluzhny
is more popular among Ukrainians than Zelensky. In another move, the Russian
president, Vladimir Putin, has threatened the United States with a global war, which
would bring the whole of humanity to the brink of extinction, if
Washington sends troops to Ukraine. In an interview to the controversial
American journalist Tucker Carlson, Putin claimed Russia will fight to
the end to defend its interests.

POLO Romania’s national water polo team was defeated by Italy, 16-10,
in its last match in Group D of the World Championship in Doha, Qatar. In the
first two matches, the Romanians lost to Hungary and outclassed Kazakhstan
25-3. Romania ranks third in the group, after Hungary and Italy. Group winners move
straight into the quarter-finals, while the second and third-ranking teams are
in for a play-off for the quarters. Last month, Romania finished in the 8th
place at the European Championship in Croatia. (AMP)

9 February 2024
Rückblick auf die Ereignisse der Woche 05.–09.02.2024

Präsident Iohannis informiert das Parlament über Stationierung der NATO-Reaktionskräfte in Rumänien

Die gemeinsamen ständigen Ausschüsse des Senats und der Abgeordnetenkammer haben am Mittwoch das Schreiben von Präsident Klaus Iohannis zur Kenntnis genommen, in dem er das Parlament darüber informiert, dass die NATO-Reaktionskräfte im Jahr 2024 nach Rumänien einreisen, dort stationiert werden oder das Land durchqueren dürfen, um falls nötig, militärische Operationen vorzubereiten und/oder durchzuführen. Im besagten Schreiben stellt der Präsident fest, dass das internationale Umfeld zunehmend unberechenbar geworden ist, der regionale und globale Konfliktzustand eskaliert ist und Russland seine ursprünglich erklärten Ziele einer Invasion nicht aufgegeben hat.

In dem Dokument hei‎ßt es: “Sollten die Voraussetzungen für den Ausbruch einer grö‎ßeren Sicherheitskrise mit möglichen Auswirkungen auf die nationale Unabhängigkeit und Souveränität Rumäniens zur Unzeit eintreten, kann der Nordatlantikrat den Beschluss fassen, die NATO-Reaktionskräfte mit einer sehr hohen Reaktionsfähigkeit nach Rumänien zu entsenden, um die Krise zu entschärfen und ihre Eskalation zu verhindern”. Präsident Iohannis weist darauf hin, dass die auf nationaler Ebene vorbereiteten Ma‎ßnahmen für die Aufnahme der NATO-Reaktionskräfte in der sehr kurzen zur Verfügung stehenden Zeit – 72 Stunden – nur mit vorheriger Genehmigung der Stationierung oder des Transits auf nationalem Gebiet durchgeführt werden können.

Ein neues Gesetz für die militärische Vorbereitung der Bevölkerung?

Mitglieder der Verteidigungsausschüsse des Parlaments haben sich diese Woche mit der Leitung des Verteidigungsministeriums zu Gesprächen über die regionale Sicherheitslage getroffen. Der Chef des Obersten Verteidigungsrates, General Gheorghiță Vlad, wies dabei auf die Notwendigkeit hin, die Rechtsvorschriften über die Ausbildung der Bevölkerung für die Verteidigung zu aktualisieren, und betonte, wie wichtig es sei, die operationelle militärische Reserve angesichts eines gravierenden Personalmangels und alternder Reservisten wieder aufzubauen. In diesem Zusammenhang, soll das Ministerium einen Gesetzesentwurf vorlegen, der die Einführung eines Freiwilligendienstes als Form der Einweisung in die militärische Ausbildung vorsieht. Junge Menschen zwischen 18 und 35 Jahren, die dies wünschen, können unabhängig von ihrem Geschlecht an der Waffe ausgebildet werden, um freiwillige Reservisten zu werden. Eine Rückkehr zur Wehrpflicht ist nicht vorgesehen. Darüber hinaus haben ausnahmslos alle Beamten in Bukarest versichert, dass in Rumänien keine Kriegsgefahr bestehe. In jüngster Zeit haben NATO-Beamte und die Chefs der verbündeten Armeen ihre Besorgnis über eine mögliche Ausweitung des militärischen Konflikts in der Ukraine zum Ausdruck gebracht.

Regierung trifft Ma‎ßnahmen zur Unterstützung der Landwirte

Die Regierung hat am Donnerstag eine Reihe von Ma‎ßnahmen zur Unterstützung der Landwirte beschlossen. Die wichtigsten Ma‎ßnahmen sind zinsgünstige Darlehen und Stromsubventionen. Alle mit den Darlehen verbundenen Gebühren werden vom Landwirtschaftsministerium übernommen. Nach Angaben von Minister Florin Barbu sind die meisten der mit den Landwirten vereinbarten Ma‎ßnahmen bereits umgesetzt. Wie ihre Kollegen in anderen EU-Ländern gehen auch die rumänischen Landwirte seit Wochen auf die Stra‎ße, um sich über die hohen Produktionskosten im Zuge der Umstellung auf den ökologischen Landbau, die billigen Agrarimporte aus der Ukraine und die überbordende europäische Bürokratie zu beschweren.

Präsident Iohannis fordert in Stra‎ßbourg den schnellen Schengen-Beitritt Rumäniens

Staatspräsident Klaus Iohannis hat am Mittwoch in einer Rede vor dem Plenum des Europäischen Parlaments in Stra‎ßburg für einen schnelleren Entscheidungsprozess auf EU-Ebene, auch unter Verzicht auf das Vetorecht bei bestimmten Dossiers plädiert. Das europäische Projekt erfordert Anstrengung und Geduld, wenn wir in einem geeinten und wohlhabenden Europa leben wollen, betonte Iohannis. Au‎ßerdem forderte er den vollständigen Beitritt Rumäniens zum Schengen-Raum: “Auf die Aufhebung der Kontrollen an den Luft- und Seegrenzen im März muss natürlich so schnell wie möglich die Abschaffung der Kontrollen an den Landgrenzen folgen. Nur so können wir den Beitrag Rumäniens zur Stärkung der Sicherheit der gesamten Union korrekt und konkret widerspiegeln”, so Klaus Iohannis. Angesichts der Europawahlen im Juni forderte Iohannis die Kandidaten auf, sich im Wahlkampf für Europa und nicht gegen Europa einzusetzen. Er sagte auch, dass die Union ihre Werte und ihre Verteidigung stärken müsse.

Neuer Au‎ßenminister der Republik Moldau besucht Rumänien

Die Reformbemühungen der Republik Moldau seien sichtbar und würden geschätzt, sagte Au‎ßenministerin Luminița Odobescu nach Gesprächen mit ihrem neuen Amtskollegen in Chisinau, Mihai Popșoi, in dieser Woche in Bukarest. “Wir sehen Manipulationsversuche und verschiedene Aktionen, die offensichtlich von au‎ßen orchestriert werden. Republik Moldau hat trotzdem Widerstand geleistet und wird dies auch weiterhin tun. Chisinau stärkt seine institutionellen Kapazitäten, führt Reformen durch und ist vor allem fest in seinem europäischen Kurs verankert”, betonte Odobescu. Minister Mihai Popșoi sagte, dass die letzten zwei Jahre eine gro‎ße Herausforderung für sein Land gewesen seien, aber gleichzeitig auch eine gro‎ße Chance, sich auf dem Weg der europäischen Integration positiv zu verändern. Er versicherte erneut, dass Rumänien seinem östlichen Nachbarn weiterhin vorrangige, umfassende und solide Unterstützung bei Projekten zur Stärkung der Energiesicherheit, zum Ausbau der Infrastruktur, zum Voranschreiten auf dem Weg der europäischen Integration und zum Aufbau institutioneller Kapazitäten für die wirksame Umsetzung von Reformen gewähren werde.

9 February 2024
07/02/2024

Strasbourg – « L’unité
de l’UE est mise à dure épreuve » a déclaré le chef de l’Etat roumain,
Klaus Iohannis, dans son discours tenu mercredi, au Parlement de Strasbourg,
dans le cadre du débat « C’est l’Europe ». A ses dires, en
Europe, l’instabilité a atteint un
niveau alarmant. « L’UE devrait améliorer ses capacités décisionnelles et
la Roumanie est prête à s’impliquer sur cette voie » a apprécié Iohannis.
En parlant de la guerre en Ukraine, le responsable de Bucarest a précisé que
les Européens devraient rester solidaires avec l’Ukraine et les Ukrainiens.
Quant à l’adhésion roumaine à l’Espace Schengen, le président roumain a affirmé
que l’intégration aérienne et maritime de son pays à la zone de libre
circulation devrait être suivie par l’adhésion terrestre. Ce sujet a dominé
aussi les pourparlers que Klaus Iohannis a eus avec la cheffe du Parlement
européen, Roberta Metsola. Par l’intégration roumaine à Schengen, l’UE
renforcera sa sécurité et sa force de cohésion, a précisé le responsable de
Bucarest. La présidente du Parlement de Strasbourg a quant à elle affirmé que l’Europe
deviendra encore plus forte si la Roumanie intègre la zone de libre
circulation. Et Roberta Metsola d’appeler les Roumains à se présenter aux urnes
pour les prochaines élections européennes prévues en juin.

Fermiers – La présidente de la
Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen a annoncé ce mardi 6 février qu’elle
allait proposer le retrait d’un projet de loi visant à réduire de moitié
l’usage des pesticides dans l’Union européenne. La mesure semble être une
concession en faveur des fermiers qui protestent à travers l’Europe. Par
ailleurs, la Commission européenne a proposé la semaine dernière une dérogation
partielle aux obligations de jachères imposées par la Politique agricole
commune (PAC), parallèlement à une limitation des importations ukrainiennes.

Chantier – Le port roumain
de Damen a été chargé par la marine portugaise de construire un navire
polyvalent embarquant des drones, qui pourra effectuer un large éventail de
missions. Proche en apparence d’un porte-hélicoptères amphibie (PHA) mais d’un
gabarit inférieur avec une longueur de 107 mètres, ce navire est prévu pour
assurer des missions variées. Outre sa vocation militaire, il pourra ainsi
servir la recherche océanique ou la recherche et le sauvetage. Le projet a été
remporté par le port de Damen suite à un appel d’offre européen. Il est financé
par l’intermédiaire du PNRR.

Moldavie – La République de
Moldova se fait une priorité de la poursuite et du renforcement des relations
stratégiques avec la Roumanie voisine, a affirmé le nouveau chef de la
diplomatie moldave, Mihai Popsoi, en visite à Bucarest. A cette occasion, il a
eu des pourparlers avec son homologue de Bucarest, Mme Luminita Odobescu et
avec le premier ministre, Marcel Ciolacu, qui a mis en évidence l’intérêt des
deux pays de mettre en place des projets communs. La Roumanie continuera à
soutenir la République de Moldova dans
ses efforts d’intégrer l’UE, a encore ajouté le chef du gouvernement roumain.

Tennis – La joueuse roumaine
de tennis, Sorana Cîrstea, joue ce mercredi dans les huitièmes de finale du
tournoi WTA 500 d’Abou Dhabi, contre la Grecque, Maria Sakkari, troisième
favorite de la compétition. Cîrstea a déjà dans son palmarès deux victoires
contre Sakkari dont la dernière date de l’année dernière, du tournoi de
Cincinnati.

Météo – Le ciel est plutôt bleu en ce mercredi, notamment
dans le sud et le sud-est de la Roumanie. Des pluies éparses touchent le nord,
le centre et les Carpates occidentales. Le vent souffle assez fort en altitude.
Les températures vont de 8 à 20 degrés. 15 degrés à midi, à Bucarest.

7 February 2024
Foreign Policy Opinion

Sharing
borders with the Black Sea and allied as NATO member states for 2 decades,
Romania and Turkey are also tied by a strategic partnership which they have
decided to extend. Turkey’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, has recently had
talks in Bucharest with Romania’s diplomacy chief Luminiţa Odobescu, and
announced that a high-level Council for strategic cooperation would be
established to this end.

The
defence cooperation is an important component of the two countries’ bilateral
relations, the Turkish official pointed out. A critical topic approached during
the recent talks was the current security context and ways for the two
countries to help consolidate and enhance security at the Black Sea, the Romanian
foreign minister said in her turn. She thanked Turkey for its participation in
the NATO air policing missions in Romania, which contributes to strengthening
the Allied defence and deterrence posture on the eastern flank.

Luminița
Odobescu also mentioned the recent decision to set up the Romania-Turkey-Bulgaria
Naval Group tasked with clearing the mines floating in the Black Sea, which is
a concrete example of the way in which the three countries are able to work
together in the region.

Consolidating
the economic cooperation between Turkey and Romania was also on the agenda of
the meeting. Bilateral trade amounted to USD 9.4 bln in the first 11 months of
last year, and is expected to reach USD 15 bln in 2025.

The
two officials also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Turkish
foreign minister argued that 2 million people are being bombed by Israel in
Gaza and are struggling with hunger and infectious diseases. In turn, Luminiţa Odobescu said
close coordination of international efforts is necessary in order to achieve
sustainable peace in the Middle East. She argued that the needs of Palestinian
civilians remain a priority for Romania, even though, like many other partners,
Romania suspended its financial contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees after some of the agency’s employees were found to have been involved
in the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

A
major concern for the Romanian diplomacy is also the war in neighbouring
Ukraine, which was invaded by the Russian army nearly 2 years ago. Luminița
Odobescu emphasised that the situation in Ukraine is in fact a priority for the
EU as well, and pleaded for continued European support to Kyiv. Since the start
of the war, more than 7 million Ukrainian nationals have transited Romania to
seek shelter, and the Romanian port of Constanța has become a vital hub for
Ukraine’s grain exports. (AMP)

5 February 2024
February 1, 2024

Meeting — The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmihal, welcomed the decision of the European Union to approve an additional financing package for his country worth 50 billion Euros. “The EU member states once again show their solidarity and unity in supporting the Ukrainian people to resist the war,” Shmihal wrote on the online social network platform X. Previously, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced on the same platform that all 27 EU member states had approved this package. According to some European diplomats, the EU agreement includes annual discussions on this package and the review of the plan in two years, if necessary. At the extraordinary meeting of the European Council, that focuses on obtaining an agreement at EU level regarding the main elements of the revision package of the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027, Romania is represented by President Klaus Iohannis. The Presidential Administration in Bucharest shows in a press release that the president will firmly advocate for Ukraine, Romanias neighbor, to remain a top priority on the European Unions agenda and, in this sense, will emphasize the fact that support for this country in all forms must continue. On the eve, Iohannis participated in the memorial ceremony organized by the European Commission in memory of the French politician Jacques Delors, former president of the EC between 1985-1995, who died at the end of last year, when he was almost a hundred years old.

Agriculture – The French president, Emmanuel Macron, will have a meeting, today, in Brussels, with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, regarding the crisis in agriculture and the support measures that farmers are asking for at the level of the entire Union. The meeting takes place on the sidelines of the extraordinary European summit on the Union budget and after the European Commission announced measures that it claims will support farmers. According to the correspondent of Radio Romania in Brussels, two mechanisms have been established to block cheap imports of vegetable products, chicken meat, eggs and sugar from Ukraine, if they affect the markets. Also, the Commission is to eliminate the requirement that five percent of the surface of a farm be left uncultivated. It will be replaced by the possibility for farmers to cultivate plants that fix nitrogen in the soil, on seven percent of the surface, but without using pesticides. The decisions of the Commission must be approved by the Parliament and the Council of the European Union. From Greece to the Netherlands and from Germany to Spain, farmers protests have multiplied, they are dissatisfied with the restrictions imposed on them by environmental policies, the free market penetration of Ukrainian products and the increase in production costs, after the increase in excise duties on fuel or the elimination of subsidies.

Farmers – Thousands of Romanian farmers in the vegetable sector are expected at the offices of the Payments and Intervention Agency for Agriculture (APIA), to request the support offered by the state in the context of the losses reported due to the war in neighboring Ukraine. Requests for the compensatory payment must be submitted by March 8, at the APIA county centers. The direct grant represents a compensatory payment per surface and is the equivalent in lei of 100 Euros per hectare. The maximum value of the direct grant cannot exceed the equivalent in lei of 280,000 Euros. On the other hand, across the country, transporters and farmers continue their protests against the economic and social policies of the governors.

Cyber-attack – The Romanian government has amended the cyber security law, in an emergency procedure, so that state institutions should be informed within 48 hours at most if the IT infrastructure of any entity in the country is affected and to quickly prevent risks. The changes were made after the cyber-attack on the websites of the National Directorate for Cyber Security and the Chamber of Deputies. The Minister of Research and Digitization, Bogdan Ivan, pointed out that, in the case of the Directorate, the attack was not successful, while at the Chamber of Deputies over 300 files with public documents were stolen, as well as data not intended for the public, such as copies of identity documents of parliamentarians, including a copy of the identity card of the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. Consequently he will have to change his ID card.

Parliament – Today, Romanian senators and deputies begin a new parliamentary session, the first of this year and the last but one of the legislature. Among the priorities of PSD and PNL, in the governing coalition, are the projects necessary to fulfill the milestones in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, as well as those related to gambling and combating drug use. In turn, the opposition wants to stop possible tax increases and to prevent the violation of the Constitution.

Trial – Today, the Ministry of Finance will be empowered by the Bucharest Government to hire a law firm to represent Romania in the trial with the famous pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The case is pending before the Francophone Court of First Instance in Brussels and has the first court date February 20. The Romanian authorities were notified last December by the New York-based firm regarding the opening of a lawsuit for the recovery of sums of money, after the failure to finalize the purchase of 28 million doses of the Covid vaccine. Poland and Hungary are affected by similar procedures, and the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently said that Romania will collaborate with the Polish side in the defense effort. (LS)

1 February 2024
Romania – the Eastern Flank

Four F-16 jet fighters plus one 80-strong Turkish detachment have been carrying out enhanced air policing missions in Romanias airspace for more than two months now. They arrived in Romania in late November and on December 5th they got NATO certification for carrying out air policing missions in Romania. Since then they have carried out numerous flights and training missions jointly with their Romanian counterparts on F-16 planes and for a short period of time with the German Eurofighters deployed to Air Base 57 in Mihail Kogalniceanu, south-eastern Romania, in December.

The Turkish servicemen, who have been stationed at Air Base 86, “Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniţă” in Borcea (south-eastern Romania), are for the first time in Romania to carry out enhanced air policing missions. However, suchlike missions arent their first, because they have already carried out similar operations in Lithuania and Poland.

“Shortly after we had landed we were getting ready for mission. We got battle-ready in 15 minutes, ready to start air policing missions. We are here to protect the airspace against any military or civilian aircraft that might violate international flight rules. We are ready 24/7 to intervene against any aggression but we havent encountered any yet, so weve had only training missions, alert simulations, the so-called “Tango Scramble” to maintain the response capability at a higher level permanently, Major Unsal, one of the Turkish Air Force pilots stationed in Borcea, told Euronews. When not training the Turkish pilots are enjoying their stay in Romania. “The food is very good. I can say that I like very much the gulas and shaworma here; they are very similar to the traditional food in Turkey. There are lots of historical sites and we are glad we have been here and can see them,” Major Unsal went on to say.

Both the Romanian servicemen and the allies who have done air policing in Romania have carried out scores of real interception missions. War planes also took off whenever Russian drones flew over Romanias airspace on their way to hit the Ukrainian ports on the Danube. The last incident of this kind was in December. Out of the four Turkish F-16 fighter jets deployed to Borcea, one is with double command, which could be linked to the recent opening here of the European Training Center for F-16.

The first two months of mission, out of the four initially envisaged, have ended and last week saw the rotation of the Turkish Air Force detachment on mission in Romania.

Four F-16 fighters and 73 servicemen belonging to the Turkish Air Force, which are to ensure the second rotation of the mission of the detachment stationed in Romania, arrived at Airbase 86 in Borcea on January 25. Their mission in Romania will end in March. A detachment of Eurofighters from Britain is expected to arrive at Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in March also for enhanced air policing missions.

From January 27th until February 4, the US 82 airborne division jointly with the Romanian allies is carrying out joint drills including transport of military gear and equipment by means of both the military helicopters and ground facilities. The drill is covering a large area, the air corridor between the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase and the main training range in Cincu, in the county of Brasov, central Romania.

(bill)

31 January 2024
January 28, 2024 UPDATE

IMF An International Monetary Fund mission
headed by Jan Kees Martijn will be in Bucharest
between January 29 and February 1, to review the latest economic and financial
developments. The previous IMF visit to Romania was last autumn, when IMF
experts conducted their annual analysis of the Romanian economy. At that time, Jan
Kees Martijn said estimates were pointing to a budget deficit of 6% of GDP for
the end of 2023, and of 5% in 2024, as well as to an economic growth rate of 2.3%.
Romania has no ongoing agreements with the IMF at present, but the Fund
conducts regular visits to review financial and economic indicators. The PM Marcel Ciolacu voiced optimism with
respect to the IMF’s assessment. He explained that Romania still has problems
meeting a benchmark in the National Recovery and Resilience Programme, as the
EC believes Romania has too low SME taxation levels.

DRUGS The Romanian justice minister Alina Gorghiu requested the
emergency endorsement of the bills against drug trafficking and drug use. A
first bill concerns the set-up of the Drug Trafficking Register and of regional
rehab centres for drug addicts. A second bill eliminates suspended sentences
for drug trafficking. On Friday, after the Justice and Home Affairs Council,
the interior minister Catalin Predoiu announced that Romania set up a task
force integrating several institutions involved in the fight against drug
trafficking. He said Romania is on the front line of the crackdown on
international drug trafficking networks, and welcomed the Council’s decision to
include Romania’s and Bulgaria’s air and maritime borders in the Schengen area.
According to the Romanian official, EU member countries should focus on curbing
drug trafficking in ports, through an integrated international platform.

PRICES In Romania, the mark-up for basic foodstuff prices may be capped
for another 3 months. The announcement was made by Marcel Ciolacu recently, as
the capping scheme is due to come to an end soon. According to the PM, a
decision will be made following talks with all stakeholders. The agriculture
minister told Radio Romania that a discussion in this respect will be held on
Monday. He explained that according to data made public by the National
Statistics Institute and the Competition Council, the measure has been
effective. The agriculture minister added that the introduction of further
products in the list is being considered. The emergency order passed by the
government last summer in order to contain the effects of inflation saw the
temporary capping of mark-ups for several basic foodstuffs, including bread,
milk, yogurt, flour, eggs, chicken and pork. The measure was subsequently
extended and further products were included.

UN The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, Sunday called on the
countries that have suspended funding for the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees (UNRWA) to ‘at least guarantee’ the continuity of UNRWA operations,
which are vital for 2 million people, AFP reports. The UN body, which is the
main provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, Friday announced firing a number of
employees accused of involvement in the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7,
2023. In turn, the director of the UN body, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that the
vital assistance granted by UNRWA is about to end because of funding issues. Israel
demands the resignation of Philippe Lazzarini and the termination of the
agency’s work in Gaza after the war. A number of countries, including the US, Canada,
UK, Italy and Germany, have suspended all future funding to the UNRWA.

GAC The state secretary for European affairs with the
Romanian foreign ministry, Daniela Gîtman, takes part in the General Affairs
Council (GAC) meeting in Brussels on Monday. The agenda includes a policy
debate on the legislation devoted to safeguarding European democracy, and the
presentation of the priorities of the Belgian presidency of the EU Council,
followed by an exchange of opinions between the participating ministers and
state secretaries for European affairs. The GAC meeting will also include a new
round of talks on country reports, under the annual rule of law dialogue.

UKRAINE Six months after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian
defence officials and corporate executives tried to embezzle USD 40 mln
intended for arms procurement, according to SBU, Ukraine’s main security and
intelligence agency, quoted by international
news agencies. The attempted embezzlement took place in August 2022, with the
money originally earmarked for the procurement of 100,000 mortar rounds, which
were never delivered. One of the suspects was apprehended while trying to leave
the country, SBU announced. Ukraine has seen several corruption scandals since
the start of the war in February 2022. In August 2023, president Volodymyr
Zelenskyy dismissed all the regional officials in charge with army enrollments, on
grounds that they were providing recruitment exemptions for money. Curbing
corruption is one of the main conditions that Ukraine must meet in order to
join the European Union.

RUGBY The new manager of Romania’s rugby team, David Gerard
(FR), announced the 32 players selected for the national team’s debut match in
the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship. According to the website of the Romanian
Rugby Federation, only 26 of them will travel to Poland. In Rugby Europe
Championship, Romania plays in Group B, alongside Portugal, Belgium and Poland.
The first match, in Poland on February 4, will be followed by 2 home games,
against Belgium (February 10) and Portugal (February 17). (AMP)

28 January 2024
January 23, 2024

CELEBRATION On January 24 Romanians
will celebrate 165 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities,
Moldavia and Wallachia, under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Military and
religious ceremonies will be held in major cities across the country, as well as performances,
exhibitions, events in museums and other cultural institutions. In Focşani, in
the south-east, a large-scale celebration will be held, including a military
parade and the traditional Union Round Dance in the town’s central square. The
city of Iaşi, in the north-east, will host a ceremony at the statue of ruler Alexandru
Ioan Cuza and a military parade. In Bucharest, the George Enescu Philharmonic
Orchestra will give a special concert. In January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was
elected ruler both in Moldavia, and in Wallachia, and under the 1866
Constitution, the United Principalities started using the official name of
Romania.

VISIT Moldova’s deputy PM and minister of foreign affairs and European integration, Nicu Popescu, is on a working visit in
Bucharest today, where he is to have talks with his Romanian counterpart,
Luminiţa Odobescu, and other officials, MOLDPRES
news agency reports. The 2 foreign ministers will discuss means to develop and
consolidate the bilateral partnership, and the next steps in Moldova’s EU
accession negotiations. The European Council recommended the start of EU
accession negotiations with Ukraine and the R. of Moldova in December.

DIPLOMACY The president
of Romania Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday, at the annual meeting with the
ambassadors accredited to Bucharest, that Romania will continue to
stand by Ukraine. Iohannis emphasised that due to Bucharest’s efforts over 33
million tonnes of Ukrainian grains, accounting for more than 60% of the
products carried through the EU’s Solidarity Corridors, transited Romania. Klaus
Iohannis added that Romania will stand by Moldova and Ukraine in their
negotiations for EU accession, and emphasised that it is crucial for the 2
countries to continue to receive financial support and know-how for the
consolidation of their public institutions and economy. As for the situation in
the Middle East, he voiced support for a two-state solution, in line both with
the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and with Israel’s right
to security. In this context, president Iohannis mentioned that Romania conducted
a very difficult operation providing assistance and support to the Romanian
citizens in that region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
Romanian authorities involved in the evacuation of the Romanian nationals
there, as well as to thank our partners in Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan for
their support, Klaus Iohannis added.

UKRAINE
The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu stated in Brussels on Monday
that EU member countries must use all means to help Ukraine in its war
against Russia. Attending a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, she
emphasised that Ukraine must remain a priority on the EU agenda. It is
important for us to maintain pressure over Russia, and Romania supports a new
set of sanctions against Russia, the Romanian official added. Meanwhile, the
conflict carries on, with Russia attacking Kyiv and Kharkov with missiles this
morning. Stay tuned for more after the news.

VIETNAM Over 2,000 Vietnamese nationals are legally
employed in Romania, said the president of Romania’s Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Mihai Daraban at the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum held in Bucharest
in the presence of Vietnam’s PM, Pham Minh Chính. Daraban called on
decision-makers in both countries to create a predictable environment for
employment, because the Romanian economy needs more workforce.

NATO Turkey’s
Parliament is today discussing the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO, said
the private tv station CNN Turk, quoted by France Presse. The foreign policy
committee in the Turkish Parliament last month endorsed the ratification, but a
vote in a plenary session is also necessary before the protocol may be signed
by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO
countries yet to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession. Ankara cited Stockholm’s lack
of cooperation in extraditing to Turkey a number of individuals suspected of
ties with terrorist organisations, especially in the Kurdish region, while
Budapest says Swedish politicians have made a habit of criticising Viktor
Orban’s conservative regime, AFP reports.

ISRAEL The
Israeli Army announced today that 24 Israeli troops were killed in the Gaza
Strip clashes in the last 24 hours, making it the worst daily toll for the
Israeli Army since the start of the war against Hamas, Reuters reports. Last
week, Israel launched an offensive to capture the town of Khan Yunis, which
Israel says is now the main stronghold of the Hamas terrorists responsible for
the October 7 attack in the south of Israel in which 1,200 people were killed.
Some 26,000 people died in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military
operations, the healthcare authorities in Gaza announced. (AMP)

23 January 2024
22.01.2024 (mise à jour)

Protestation
– Le Sénat de Bucarest a été convoqué dans le cadre d’une réunion
extraordinaire pour s’informer sur les décrets d’urgence du gouvernement qui
visent certaines mesures demandées par les fermiers et par les chauffeurs de
camion. Il s’agit de la permission accordée aux possesseurs d’un permis de conduire de catégorie B d’opérer des
tracteurs agricoles et forestiers lents et la remise pour le 1er
juin de la décision européenne sur le marquage fiscal commun du diesel et du
kérosène. Les deux documents ont été repartis aux commissions spécialisées pour
l’élaboration du rapport. Sur Facebook, le président du Sénat, Nicolae Ciucă, a
souligné que les protestations des fermiers et des camionneurs étaient
justifiées et que le Législatif se mobiliserait pour permettre l’entrée en
vigueur des textes législatifs au plus vite. Nicolae Ciucă a également dit que
les eurodéputés libéraux avaient proposé une série de mesures au Parlement
européen, par le biais de laquelle les fermiers roumains devraient recevoir
davantage de compensations pour les pertes provoquées par la sécheresse, les
inondations et les conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine. Ce qui plus est, le
gouvernement initiera un programme de renouvellement du parc de tracteurs et
d’outillages agricoles de Roumanie par le biais duquel, les fermiers recevront
une aide de 30 000 euros. Les protestations des fermiers et des camionneurs se
poursuivent pourtant près de Bucarest et à travers le pays. Ils demandent la
réduction des tarifs des assurances RCA, la récupération d’un pourcentage de
l’accise aux carburants, l’équité fiscale et la réduction des délais de passage
de la frontière.

Agriculture
– Le ministre roumain de l’agriculture, Florin Barbu, a déclaré que mardi à
Bruxelles il pourrait demander la démission du commissaire européen en charge
de l’agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. Il a affirmé que les sources des
mécontentements sont une série de dérogations des normes d’environnement qui
visent la rotation des cultures et la condition de ne pas exploiter 4% de la
superficie d’une ferme. La Roumanie demande une prolongation de ces dérogations
appelées GAEC 7 et GAEC 8. M Barbu affirme qu’il pourrait demander la démission
du responsable européen puisque celui-ci ne respecte pas le vote exprimé par
une quinzaine d’Etats, dont l’Allemagne et la France sur les deux dérogations.
Le ministre roumain a précisé qu’il serait pour la première fois qu’un Etat
par la voix d’un représentant demande au sein du Conseil des ministres la
démission du commissaire européen à l’agriculture.

Diplomatie – A Bruxelles, la ministre roumaine des Affaires Etrangères, Luminiţa Odobescu,
a affirmé que les Etats communautaires devraient utiliser « tous les
moyens » pour aider Kiev. Selon la responsable roumaine, l’Ukraine devrait
rester une priorité à l’agenda de l’Union européenne et le bloc communautaire
devrait débloquer la tranche de l’instrument européen pour la paix, sceller un
accord politique durant le Conseil européen la semaine prochaine pour ce qui
est du mécanisme pour l’Ukraine et décider d’un calendrier prédictible de
l’adhésion pour l’Ukraine et pour la République de Moldova. La cheffe de la
diplomatie roumaine a également souligné qu’il était important que l’UE lutte
contre la propagande de Moscou et poursuive les pressions sur la Russie. C’est
précisément pourquoi la Roumanie soutient un nouveau paquet de sanctions à l’encontre
de la Russie, a souligné Mme Odobescu. Pour ce qui est de la crise au Proche
Orient, elle a appelé à la mise en liberté immédiate des otages détenus par le
groupe terroriste du Hamas et a souligné que dans ce dossier les autorités de
Bucarest coordonnaient leurs actions à celles de Washington et à celles des
partenaires de la région.

Union
– Les grandes villes roumaines se préparent à célébrer l’Union des principautés
roumaines de Valachie et de Moldavie. Mercredi, le 24 janvier toute une série
d’événements sont prévus : cérémonies militaires et religieuses,
spectacles, expositions, visites de musées et d’autres institutions de culture.
A Focsani, dans le sud-est, le 165e anniversaire de l’Union des deux
principautés sera marqué par un ample programme qui inclura des spectacles et
des concerts, un court défilé militaire et la traditionnelle ronde de l’Union
sur la Place centrale de la ville. A Iasi, dans le nord-est, une cérémonie
devant la statue du prince régnant Alexandru Ioan Cuza est prévue, réunissant
plus de 300 militaires. Si la météo est favorable, le défilé sera complété par
un survol d’hélicoptères militaires. A
Bucarest, le musée national Cotroceni sera ouvert gratuitement au public, et à
l’Athénée roumain, l’orchestre philharmonique « George Enescu » se
produira dans le cadre d’un concert pour les élèves. Ce fut en janvier 1859 qu’Alexandru
Ioan Cuza a été élu prince régnant tant en Moldavie, qu’en Valachie et selon la
constitution de 1866, les Principautés Unies s’appellent officiellement
Roumanie.

22 January 2024
January 21, 2024 UPDATE

Protests – The Alliance for Agriculture and Cooperation, made up of several national organizations of Romanian farmers, requested the authorities in Bucharest to take all steps to convince the European forums to support the measures that can protect farmers in the Union from the effects of the sale of cheaper cereals from Ukraine. The Alliance made this move in the context of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting due on Tuesday, to discuss the proposals from five states, including Romania, regarding the regulation of Ukrainian grain trade. The Romanian farmers are asking for the introduction of a European system for monitoring the transport of Ukrainian agricultural products, a system that should guarantee that they reach their destination and do not remain on the route. Also dissatisfied with the drop in grain prices generated by Ukrainian imports, Romanian farmers protested, these past days, throughout the country, temporarily blocking customs offices at the border with Ukraine. Cheaper than those in the EU, Ukrainian cereals do not have to meet European quality standards.

Parliament — The Romanian Senate was convened, on Monday, in an extraordinary session, to adopt the emergency ordinances recently issued by the government in the context of the farmers and transporters protests. There are several laws – one of them refers to the excise duty on diesel fuel, while other modifies regulations in the field of road transport. The government adopted the ordinances on Thursday as an urgent response to the requests of farmers and transporters who have been protesting throughout the country for more than 11 days. The emergency ordinances were proposed after negotiations from the Ministries of Agriculture and Transport. One of them modifies road transport regulations. The new provisions will allow category B license holders to also drive agricultural or forestry tractors with a maximum speed of 40 km/h on public roads. Another amendment eliminates the obligation to carry out the periodic technical inspection of slow vehicles, respectively of those whose maximum designed speed is up to 25 km/h. Regarding the diesel fuel excise duty, the Government decided to postpone until June 1 the application of a European directive by which diesel and kerosene must have the same tax mark. The ordinances were adopted to respond to an emergency situation, during the parliament recess, so, according to the Constitution, the Parliament must be convened to turn them into laws. In this case, the Senate is the first chamber notified.

Weather — The bad weather affected several areas in Romania. In Bucharest, more than 20 cars were damaged by fallen trees as a result of the heavy snowfalls. On some sections of national roads, road traffic was temporarily blocked due to the layer of snow and ice formed on the road. Currently, traffic unfolds in winter conditions, and the Traffic Police called on drivers not to travel if their cars are not equipped with winter tires. Railway traffic was also affected. On some sections of the railway trains are running at low speed. Other trains are delayed due to broken rails due to the low temperatures. Also, the air traffic at Bucharest’s airports takes place in winter conditions. Delays are reported for some flights due to aircraft de-icing actions, which are carried out after the boarding of passengers.

Meeting — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, had a meeting with her Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Bucharest on Sunday. He is part of the delegation led by Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh currently on an official visit to Romania. Luminiţa Odobescu and Bui Thanh Son welcomed the state of bilateral relations established 74 years ago and emphasized the need to continue efforts to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Ms. Odobescu reiterated her commitment to identifying opportunities for cooperation in such domains as trade, culture and education, digitalization, cyber security, medicine and pharmacy. The Romanian Foreign Minister has given assurances, at the same time, that Romania will remain a constant supporter of the consolidated cooperation between the EU and Vietnam. On Sunday, the Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh was present at the signing of a memorandum of collaboration between the Romanian Institute for Research and Development in Information Technology and the Institute of Technology and Digital Transformation in Vietnam.

Bratislava – Slovakia rejects Ukraines admission into NATO, the PM Robert Fico said on the public radio. He pointed out that he was going to travel, on Wednesday, to Ukraine, to the border town of Uzhhorod, for discussions with his counterpart, Denîs Şmîhal. “I will tell him that we will block and express our veto for Ukraines accession to NATO because it would be nothing but the basis for a third world war”, said Fico, criticized by his opponents as “pro-Russian”. Slovakia, which has been a NATO member since 2004, has long been one of Ukraines staunchest supporters in its defensive campaign against the Russian invasion launched in February 2022. However, after Prime Minister Ficos left-wing nationalist government took over in October 2023, Slovakia decided to stop supplying Kyiv with weapons, although Bratislava continues to send demining systems and diesel generators in case of Russian attacks on power plants. At the 2023 Vilnius summit, NATO stated that Ukraine would be offered an invitation to join when the conditions allow it.

Sculptor – The sculptor Vlad Ciobanu, one of the most valuable fine artists in Romania, passed away at the age of 75. Since 1990 he had taught at the Bucharest National University of Arts. Throughout his career he received numerous awards, including the Prize of the Union of Fine Artists for Sculpture, in 2005. Vlad Ciobanu was the coordinator and curator of several editions of the International Sculpture Symposium ” Brâncusi Workshops” from Târgu Jiu, southwest Romania , in the period 2005-2021. He wrote numerous articles, papers and essays about the famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi. He had numerous solo or group exhibitions in the country and abroad, in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, France. Important monuments signed by Vlad Ciobanu can be found, among others, in Alexandria (south) – “Unknown Hero”, Alba Iulia (centre) – “King Ferdinand”, Onești (east) – “Dimitrie Cantemir”. The Artoteca Gallery, in Bucharest, hosted the last solo exhibition by Vlad Ciobanu called “Pilgrim” between December 4, 2023 and January 8, 2024. At the end of the exhibition, Maestro Vlad Ciobanu gave an interview, possibly his last interview, for our radio station, which you can listen to in one of the future editions of World of Culture.

Handball – CSM Bucharest defeated, at home, the Swedish team IK Savehof, 35-26, on Sunday evening, in a match from Group A of the Women’s Handball Champions League. After a more difficult start, the Romanians took control and dominated the match until the end. CSM Bucharest will play their next match on February 3, away from home, against Gyori Audi ETO KC (Hungary). Also on Sunday, the handballers from CS Rapid Bucharest were dramatically defeated, in an away match, by the Danish team Ikast Handbold, 30-29, in Group B of the Champions League. It was the second consecutive away match that Rapid lost by one goal difference. The Rapid players will play the next match at home, on February 4, against the vice-champion FTC-Rail Cargo Hungary. (LS)

21 January 2024
January 18, 2024 UPDATE

LAWS The government
in Bucharest on Thursday endorsed a series of bills to implement the solutions
agreed upon after the talks it had with transporters and farmers following the
latter’s protests of late. Among them there are amendments to the ways of
weighing products at the border checkpoints. Aspects regarding the periodical
technical checking of the vehicles registered in Romania and the professional
certification of the specialized personnel in the field of road transportation
have also been clarified. Under the new amendments, the prices of the mandatory
insurance for trucks will go down. In another development, the government is
granting a direct support of 100 Euros per hectare to the producers of
vegetables in order to offset the losses they incurred due to the war in
Ukraine. Farmers and transporters of Romania carried on their protests on
Thursday for the ninth day in a row. They took to the streets of Afumati, a
commune close to Bucharest, and to the checkpoints at the border with Ukraine. Also
on Thursday, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, announced the local
authorities approved a fresh protest on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in
Bucharest. Five thousand people, 100 tractors and 100 tractor heads are to
participate in the aforementioned protest. Another professional category who is protesting against the
government’s austerity measures these days is the family physicians and the
medical personnel in the outpatient care units.

RATE According
to data released by the EU statistical office, EUROSTAT, Romania was among the
EU countries with the highest inflation rate, in December last year. The average
inflation rate at EU level stood at 3.4 % in December higher than a month
before, when it reached 3.1%. The EU members with the highest inflation rates
were the Czech Republic with 7.6%, Romania with 7% and Slovakia with 6.6%. The
lowest inflation rates were reported in Denmark, 0.4%, Italy and Belgium, each
with 0.5%. As compared to November 2023, the annual inflation rate went down in
15 member states, was stable in Spain and rose in 11 countries.

DEFICIT Romania’s
budget deficit this year will be around 5% of the GDP, Finance Minister Marcel
Bolos has announced. He said that Romania is among the countries with significant
deficits, and that ten countries, including Poland and France will enter the excessive
deficit procedure. According to Bolos, the government in Bucharest has to carry
on its fiscal-budgetary measures, projects related to digitization, or aimed at
implementing an improved collection of taxes and fighting tax evasion.

EU The
European Commission has announced it kicked off a detailed research into the
legislation of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the first step in the process
of the two countries’ EU accession. The Commission is concurrently assessing
the way in which, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have already applied what
the EU has requested as a preliminary condition. The Community Executive is
working on a draft of the negotiation framework with the two states, a document
to be submitted to the Council for approval, which will also mark the formal
opening of the accession negotiations. The decision to launch this process was made
by the European Council in December 2023.

(bill)

18 January 2024
La situation des fermiers au cœur des débats du Législatif européen

Cela fait plus
d’une semaine que les agriculteurs roumains se révoltent. Ils réclament
principalement des compensations pour les pertes provoquées par les importations
des céréales ukrainiennes, la remise en place des taxes douanières sur les produits d’origine ukrainienne, des prêts
à taux d’intérêt subventionné et la mise à jour des aides étatiques pour
l’achat du gasoil utilisé dans l’agriculture. Des protestations similaires ont
eu lieu également en Allemagne, où les fermiers se sont réunis à Berlin, mais
aussi dans d’autres villes d’Europe. Les fermiers européens réclament à l’unisson
des aides supplémentaires et une nouvelle politique agricole commune.

Les difficultés
auxquelles les fermiers se confrontent ont dominé récemment les débats de
l’Assemblée législative de Strasbourg. Le commissaire européen à l’Agriculture,
Janusz Wojciechowski, a déclaré que le principal problème reste la guerre en
Ukraine et ses effets négatifs. Et lui de préciser que ces deux dernières
années, les fermiers ont reçu des aides d’un montant total de 9 milliards
d’euros, dans le contexte où en 2021, le volume des importations de céréales
originaires d’Ukraine par l’UE était de seulement 16%, tandis qu’actuellement,
le volume est passé à 50%.

Aux dires du
commissaire à l’Agriculture, les fermiers se disent mécontents de la transition
vers une agriculture écologique imposée par la nouvelle PAC. Les eurodéputés de
tous les groupes parlementaires et de tous les pays affirment qu’une nouvelle
politique agricole commune s’avère nécessaire, en l’absence de laquelle la
survie des fermiers à long terme sera impossible. L’eurodéputé roumain, Daniel
Buda, considère qu’à l’heure où l’on parle, l’agriculture européenne est impactée
par l’inflation, la sécheresse, les inondations, la pénurie de la main d’œuvre
et la guerre en Ukraine. Elle a besoin, dit-il, de nouvelles ressources
financières.

Pour sa part, le
parlementaire européen, Dacian Ciolos, ancien commissaire à l’Agriculture,
actuellement membre du groupe Renew Europe, a critiqué l’Exécutif européen pour
son inaction. Dacian Ciolos:

Par son
inaction, la Commission risque de détruire les ambitions climatiques
parfaitement justifiées de l’Union européene, mais mises en place d’une manière
superficielle et dépourvue de vision. Nous sommes d’accord que nous avons
besoin d’une meilleure gestion des ressources naturelles, de la qualité du sol,
de l’eau et de la biodiversité. Nous sommes d’accord que nous devons soutenir
l’Ukraine dans ses efforts d’exporter son blé vers les régions qui en ont
besoin, mais cette démarche, nous devons la faire avec nos fermiers. Or, il
faudrait qu’ils bénéficient de plus de cohérence au moment où ils se voient
appeler à investir massivement et à court terme dans des technologies vertes.
Tout cela dans le contexte où ils ont déjà des couts de production très élevés
pour l’energie, les carburants, les engrais auxquels s’ajoutent les
fluctuations sur le marché.

L’eurodéputé
libéral, Siegfried Mureşan, rapporteur pour le budget européen en 2024, a quant
à lui affirmé que l’Union dispose d’une réserve de 450 millions d’euros pour faire
face aux situations imprévues dans l’agriculture. Or, ces dernières années, une
partie de cette somme, l’UE l’a déjà versée aux agriculteurs, pour les
soutenir.

18 January 2024
Rumänien bekräftigt weitere Unterstützung der Ukraine

Verteidigungsminister Angel Tîlvăr hat am Dienstag seine erste Videokonferenz des Jahres mit seinem ukrainischen Amtskollegen Rustem Umjerow geführt. Die beiden erörterten die Entwicklungen im Angriffskrieg der Russischen Föderation gegen die Ukraine. Laut einer Pressemitteilung des Verteidigungsressorts in Bukarest erörterten die Minister den Stand und die Perspektiven der wichtigsten Fragen von bilateralem Interesse.

Angel Tîlvăr versicherte seinem ukrainischen Amtskollegen, dass Rumänien weiterhin sowohl der EU-Militärmission zur Unterstützung der Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) als auch der britischen Operation INTERFLEX verpflichtet ist. Ich habe Minister Umjerow mitgeteilt, dass Rumänien die russische Aggression, die Angriffe auf die ukrainische Bevölkerung und die zivile Infrastruktur, die sich in den letzten Wochen intensiviert haben, aufs Schärfste verurteilt, und ihm versichert, dass Rumänien die Ukraine an der Seite von Verbündeten und Partnern weiterhin unterstützen wird“, sagte Tîlvăr laut der Pressemitteilung.

In diesem Zusammenhang erörterten die beiden Minister konkrete Ma‎ßnahmen zur Stärkung der bilateralen Zusammenarbeit im Verteidigungsbereich, wobei sie die Bedeutung der Ausbildung rumänischer und ukrainischer Piloten im Europäischen F-16-Ausbildungszentrum in Rumänien hervorhoben. Das Zentrum wurde Ende letzten Jahres im südostrumänischen Fetești eingeweiht und kann sowohl rumänische Piloten als auch Piloten aus verbündeten Ländern und Partnerländern, einschlie‎ßlich der Ukraine, ausbilden.

Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj hatte am Ende seines offiziellen Besuchs in Rumänien im vergangenen Oktober verkündet, dass die Ukraine wichtige Vereinbarungen getroffen habe, unter anderem über die militärische Unterstützung, die Bukarest Kiew auch weiterhin gewähren wird. Darüber hinaus hat auch Au‎ßenminister Dmitro Kuleba Bukarest wiederholt für die strategische Hilfe gedankt, die der rumänische Präsident Klaus Iohannis selbst als wichtige militärische Unterstützung“ bezeichnet hat.

Von offizieller Seite wird jedoch auch immer wieder betont, dass sich Rumänien bei der Unterstützung der Ukraine auf die humanitäre Dimension konzentriert hat, indem es medizinische Hilfe geleistet und verletzte ukrainische Patienten auf dem Luftweg in andere Länder evakuiert hat. Seit Beginn des Krieges hat Rumänien den Transfer von humanitärer Hilfe mit der Einrichtung eines Stützpunktes im nordrumänischen Suceava, ermöglicht. Darüber hinaus kündigte Rumänien bereits in den ersten Kriegstagen an, dass es Krankenhäuser für die Versorgung und Behandlung verwundeter ukrainischer Soldaten eingerichtet habe. Rumänien unternahm auch Schritte, um die Ausfuhr von mehreren Millionen Tonnen Getreide aus der benachbarten Ukraine zu erleichtern. Nicht zuletzt ist Bukarest ein starker Befürworter des europäischen Kurses der Ukraine und der Moldaurepublik gleicherma‎ßen. Beide Länder sind im vergangenen Dezember zur Aufnahme von EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen eingeladen worden.

17 January 2024
Romania supports Ukraine

The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, on Tuesday had the first conversation of this year, via video conference, with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov. The two discussed the evolution of Russia’s war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, almost two years after the outbreak of the conflict. According to a Defense Ministry communique, the officials discussed the status and perspectives of the main topics of bilateral interest. Angel Tîlvăr assured his Ukrainian counterpart that Romania remains committed both within the European Unions EUMAM Ukraine mission (EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine) and within Great Britains INTERFLEX operation. I told Minister Umerov that Romania condemns in the harshest terms the Russian aggression, the attacks on the Ukrainian population and civil infrastructure, actions that have intensified in recent weeks, and I assured him that Romania continues to support Ukraine, alongside allies and partners, said Angel Tîlvăr, according to the communique.

In this context, the two officials discussed concrete measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, with focus on the importance of training Romanian and Ukrainian pilots at the European F-16 Training Center in Romania. The center was inaugurated in Feteşti (south-east) at the end of last year and can train both Romanian pilots and those from allied and partner countries, including Ukraine. In fact, President Volodymyr Zelenski announced at the end of the official visit he paid to Romania last October that Ukraine had obtained important agreements, including regarding the military support that Bucharest will continue to offer to Kyiv. In addition, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmitro Kuleba, repeatedly thanked Bucharest, including for the military aid, which President Klaus Iohannis himself labeled as “important military support”.

However, it should be mentioned, that, in support of Ukraine, Romania emphasized the humanitarian dimension, the granting of medical assistance and air medical evacuation actions to other states for the injured Ukrainian patients. Since the beginning of the war, Romania facilitated the transfer of humanitarian aid and the operationalization of a HUB in Suceava (north). Moreover, even from the first days of the war, Romania announced that it had prepared hospitals to provide care and treatment for wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Romania also took steps to facilitate, during these two years of war, the transit of tens of millions of tons of cereals from neighboring Ukraine to the areas where they were needed. Last but not least, Bucharest is a firm supporter of the European path of both Kyiv and Chisinau, support that materialized last December in the opening of the EU accession negotiations for the two states. (LS)

17 January 2024