Radio România Internațional

Tag: UN General Assembly

September 28, 2018

CCR — Same sex couple relationships are included in the ‘private life’ and ‘family life’ categories, argue the judges of Romania’s Constitutional Court in the reasoning behind their ruling, which admits the notification of a Romanian-American couple related to an article of the Civil Code regarding the non-recognition of same-sex marriages. According to the Constitutional Court, people of the same sex who form stable couples have the right to express their personality as part of their relationship and to benefit from a legal and juridical recognition of corresponding rights and obligations. The Constitutional Court also adds that Romania does not offer any form of official and juridical recognition of same sex couple relationships, a situation also found in only 5 other EU member states, namely Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia. The Constitutional Court made these clarifications in full campaign for the referendum of October 6 and 7 when Romanians are called to vote if they agree with redefining the concept of family in the Constitution as being based on the marriage between a man and a woman and not between spouses as it is stipulated at present. The revision bill is based on a citizens’ initiative and it was denounced as discriminatory by the associations defending human rights and sexual minority rights.

Inflation — The annual inflation rate in the Euro zone increased in September 2018 from 2% to 2.1%, shows a preliminary survey published on Friday by Eurostat. In September, the most significant price hikes in the Euro zone were reported in the energy field, where an annual increase of 9.5% was reported, being followed by price rises for foodstuffs, alcohol and cigarettes by 2.7% and for services by 1,3% annually. In August, Eurostat informed that Romania reported the highest annual inflation rate among EU states, for the 7th consecutive month, with an increase in consumption prices of 4.7%, after reporting an annual inflation rate of 4.3% in July. The National Bank of Romania revised downwards the inflation forecast for the end of 2018 from 3.6% to 3.5%.

Berlin — On an official visit to Germany, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is going to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The latter said that the visit did not represent a normalization of relations between the two countries but that it could be a first step towards this goal. Relations between Germany and Turkey have deteriorated against the backdrop of criticism over Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian regime, as Erdogan has recently acquired further powers following the modification of the Constitution. Erdogan was also criticized for the repression following the failed coup of 2016 which also affected German citizens whom Berlin considered political detainees. The Turkish president said he would discuss, among other things, the expansion of economic relations with Germany, which comes, according to analysts, against the backdrop of the financial crisis Turkey is currently facing.

New York — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday had bilateral meetings in New York on the sidelines of the UN summit. During the talks with Moldova’s PM Pavel Filip, the president reconfirmed Romania’s commitment to supporting Moldova’s European aspirations. In turn, Pavel Filip thanked the Romanian President for the support granted by Bucharest and gave assurances that the Moldovan authorities were determined to carry on the process of rapprochement to the EU. President Klaus Iohannis also had talks with the Georgian PM about the consolidation and diversification of trade relations. Klaus Iohannis pleaded at the UN summit for Romania to be elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2020-2021. In his speech before the UN General Assembly Klaus Iohannis said Romania would be a responsible partner in promoting the common UN agenda. He added that Romania, as future president of the EU Council, would strengthen the UN’s partnership with the EU.

Washington — The Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu hosted in New York, on the sidelines of the 73rd summit of the UN General Assembly the meeting entitled “Climate change and security’ with his counterparts from the African French-speaking countries. They tackled aspects related to the way in which climate change affects the living conditions of the populations in the Saharan and sub-Saharan area and poses risks in terms of internal and regional security. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)

28 September 2018
September 27, 2018 UPDATE

Resignation. The Romanian Education Minister Valentin Popa announced his resignation on Thursday, after a meeting with the leader of the Social Democratic Party Liviu Dragnea and against talks about a potential government reshuffle. Also on Thursday, Valentin Popa stated that Romania and the Romanian language are not negotiable and all children in Romania must know Romanian, for them to be able to live and work in the country. A few days earlier, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania had announced it suspended cooperation with the governing coalition until the issue of the Romanian language taught in primary schools with teaching in minority languages was resolved. This is the second resignation in the Cabinet headed by Viorica Dancila, after that of the Research Minister Nicolae Burnete.

Ordinance. The Romanian Government on Thursday adopted an emergency ordinance that changes the legislation regarding insolvency. The new provisions are aimed at putting an end to some abusive practices and at providing equal chances for business development. Currently, more than 6,000 companies, with some 65,000 employees, are insolvent, the Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici said at the end of the meeting. Also on Thursday, the Government took several measures to support certain categories of the population exposed to poverty and social exclusion and decided that Romanian language in primary minority schools will be taught by the teachers of the respective classes.

UN. A Romanian delegation headed by the countrys president Klaus Iohannis is attending the 73rd UN General Assembly session. Romania will promote an open approach to migration based on identifying consensual solutions among EU member states during its presidency of the EU Council in the first six months of next year, president Klaus Iohannis said during a meeting in New York with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. At the UN, Iohannis pleaded for Romania to be elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in the 2020-2021 period. In his address before the UN General Assembly, he said Romania would be a responsible partner in promoting the UNs common agenda. He also said that Romania, as a holder of the EU Council presidency, would consolidate the Unions partnership with the United Nations.

Rule of law. The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament announced on Thursday that the vote on the resolution regarding the observance of the rule of law in Romania was postponed until the November plenary session. The vote should have taken place in the second plenary session in October, when the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is invited to give a speech on the future of Europe. Next week, in Strasbourg, the meeting will only include a debate on the situation in Romania, with the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila attending. PM Dancila already held talks with leaders of the main parliamentary groups in the European Parliament in Brussels early this week.

Investigation. Colonel Ionut Catalin Sindile, the interim head of the Romanian Gendarmerie, appeared before the General Prosecutors Office on Thursday in connection to the intervention of the riot police during the antigovernment protest on August 10th in Bucharest. He is under criminal investigation, alongside other gendarmerie officials, for complicity to abuse of office and complicity to abusive behaviour. Military prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the brutal way in which the gendarmes acted on August 10th. The General Prosecutors Office says 770 criminal complaints have been filed against the reaction of the security forces, who used tear gas and water canons to disperse the crowds. The protest was treated as a potential risk to public order and the security forces intervention was legal, said the interior minister Carmen Dan.

African swine fever. The Romanian agriculture minister Petre Daea has held talks in Brussels about the compensations to be granted to Romania by the European Commission for the African swine fever epidemic. According to official data, the Romanian state has awarded compensations to more than 4,000 of the 6,000 cases approved, amounting to around 15 million Euros. Since the outbreak of the virus, some 900 hotbeds have been reported in a number of counties. On the other hand, the simple motion filed by the National Liberal Party against Petre Daea was rejected on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies. The Liberals criticised the way in which the situation was handled, while the agriculture minister said the Romanian authorities have taken the standard measures established at European level.

Appointment. The Superior Council of Magistracy has postponed for the 8th of October an interview with prosecutor Adina Florea, who was proposed by the justice minister Tudorel Toader to take over the leadership of the National Anticorruption Directorate. The Councils opinion, which is advisory, will be submitted to the minister. Later, the proposal will be sent to president Klaus Iohannis. In her application, Adina Florea said that, apart from good things, the activity of the anticorruption prosecutors also contained considerable deviations from the rule of law. Adina Florea, who formerly worked with the Prosecutors Office of the Court of Appeal in Constanta, has been proposed as head of the National Anticorruption Directorate after a second selection round. The post had become vacant in July, when Laura Codruta Kovesi was sacked by president Klaus Iohannis in keeping with a Constitutional Court ruling.

Industrial action. The Sanitary Solidarity Federation is to begin consultations with trade union members about a programme of wide-scale protests going all the way to a general strike, given that the government has not signed the collective employment agreement for the sector, the Federation has announced. Healthcare trade unions have a list of ten demands, including the awarding of the salary increases corresponding to 2019 beginning in January for all categories of employees who have not benefited from an increase in the basic salary. They also demand taxing the food benefit in the same way as meal vouchers.

27 September 2018
September 26, 2018

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY — Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will give a national address during the general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. He will refer to the current challenges to peace, equitability and sustainability of the UN member states and to the role played by the UN in tackling these issues. The Romanian president will also dwell on Romania’s commitments as a member state, the more so as the country will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019, underlining that strengthening the relationship between the EU and the UN is a priority. Last but not least, Klaus Iohannis will also approach the issue of Romania’s candidacy for a new mandate of non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020 — 2021 period. The UN General Assembly this year is focussing on gender equality, migration and refugees, working in decent conditions, the role of young people with respect to peace and security, supporting the rights of disabled people, actions taken in the field of climate change and revitalising the activity of the organisation.

VISIT– Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă is currently on a working visit to Brussels. During the talks she will approach topical issues on the European agenda, in the run up to Romania’s taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Dancila will also reiterate Bucharest’s readiness to actively contribute to the process of reflecting on and building Europe’s future. On Tuesday, Viorica Dăncilă held talks with European officials, among whom Udo Bullmann and Manfred Weber. The Romanian PM has also made a presentation of the reforms initiated by the government in key domains for Romania and has shown that they are the result of transparent inter-institutional cooperation, the opinion of European partners having been requested when drafting them. The talks in Brussels are unfolding ahead of the EP plenary session due in Strasbourg, next week. The Romanian PM has been invited to attend a debate on the anti-governmental protests of August 10 in Bucharest, which were ended by the forceful gendarme intervention.

MOTION– The Chamber of Deputies has today rejected the simple motion tabled by the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against the agriculture minister, Petre Daea. The document was debated on Tuesday. The Liberals denounce minister Daea’s lack of action to contain the African swine fever epidemic in Romania and demanded his resignation. The National Liberal Party says the population’s food safety was at risk and that the pork industry has been compromised in Romania for a long time from now on. In response, the agriculture minister said the relevant authorities had taken the measures established at European level for such cases and the evolution of the Swine fever, for which there is no vaccine or cure at the moment, is strictly monitored. Some 900 outbreaks have been confirmed in several counties across the country since the emergence of the first outbreak in Romania in late July 2017.

DEFENCE — Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor underlined in Washington on Tuesday Bucharest’s efforts to consolidate security on NATO’s eastern flank. He also mentioned Romania’s commitment to observe the equitable role, risk and responsibility sharing principle within the Alliance. According to a communiqué issued by the Defece Ministry, during his visit to the US, Fifor has had a series of meeting with representatives of companies active in the defence industry, together with whom he approached issues related to prospective cooperation in the field. On that occasion, the Romanian official restated the Romanian government’s intention to develop all national strategic acquisition programs, through the Romanian defence industry.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT — Romania’s Constitutional Court has today postponed until October 16 the discussion on the notification sent by president Klaus Iohannis relative to the changes brought to the Law on the Status of local officials. The president says the changes introduce new sanctions for local and county counsellors, which are stipulated by another law, namely that referring to the conflict of interest. Klaus Iohannis also shows in the notification he sent to the Constitutional Court that these provisions run counter to the Constitution, which provides for law clarity.

RadiRo — Season tickets are available as from today for the symphonic concerts given during the RadiRo International Festival, the only festival in Europe and the world devoted to radio orchestras, organised by Radio Romania. The festival runs between October 18 and 25, in Bucharest. The musical highlight of the autumn in Bucharest will bring together some of the best known radio symphony orchestras in Great Britain, Switzerland, Ireland and Germany, Big-Bands from Denmark and Croatia, alongside Radio Romania’s National Orchestra and the Big Band. The novelty this year is a series of jazz concerts given among others by the Romanian-born vocalist, Aura Urziceanu.

26 September 2018
September 25, 2018 UPDATE

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday deplored what he called
an increasingly chaotic world order, in the opening speech of the annual UN
General Assembly session. Cooperation among states is increasingly difficult,
with severe divides within the Security Council, Antonio Guterres has
underlined. Attending are some 130 heads of state and government. Romania is
represented by president Klaus Iohannis. The theme of the general debate of the
73rd session of the UN General Assembly is Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities
for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. In his Wednesday
address during the general debates, Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will
underline the need for an efficient response to the main challenges to
international peace and security, concurrently with the need to identify the
root causes of these crisis-generating conflicts.

VISIT
– Romanian PM Viorica
Dăncilă is currently on a working visit to Brussels. On Wednesday, she will
have a series of talks with representatives of the political groups in the
European Parliament. The talks will include priorities on the European agenda,
relevant to Romania’s turn at the EU Council presidency. The PM will reiterate
Romania’s readiness to actively contribute to the process of reflecting on and
building Europe’s future.

HEARINGS– The Defence Committee of the Romanian
Senate on Tuesday held hearings on the August 10th protest in Bucharest. The hearings had been demanded
by the opposition in order to clarify the violent gendarme intervention. Among the people who were deposed were
Bucharest Prefect Speranta Cliseru, Interior Minister Carmen Dan, and the head
of the contingent of gendarmes deployed at the event, Laurentiu Cazan. Hundreds
of lawsuits have been filed by the people injured in the events of August 10.
On Friday, the head of the gendarmes corps and his deputy were indicted for the
violence that ensued at the protest. Recently, Interior Minister Carmen Dan
said that the forceful intervention of security forces was in response to a
threat to public order, and that the intervention was legal.

LAW – Romania’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday
rejected the notification sent by president Klaus Iohannis on the
unconstitutionality of the changes brought to the Law on the status of judges
and prosecutors. The head of state took the law to the Constitutional Court, considering
that it violates constitutional norms and principles, both in terms of the way
in which it had been debated and adopted, and in terms of its content. Now, the
draft law is to be promulgated by president Klaus Iohannis.

MOTION– The Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday debated a simple motion filed by
the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against the agriculture minister,
Petre Daea, whom they accused of incompetence in managing the African swine
fever crisis in Romania. The Liberals say they have resorted to this mechanism
after the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats refused to set up a parliamentary committee
to investigate the way in which the Romanian line authorities intervened to
contain the epidemic. The simple motion will be voted upon on Wednesday. Since
the emergence of the first African swine fever outbreak in Romania, in late
July 2017, approximately 900 outbreaks have been confirmed, in several
counties.

MEETING
– Romania’s Prosecutor
General, Augustin Lazăr, on Tuesday met in
Bucharest with a delegation led by the Deputy Prosecutor General of neighbouring
Serbia, Miljko Radisavljevic. Augustin Lazăr has made an overall presentation
of the judiciary in Romania, and of the way the Public Ministry is organised,
detailing its activity and prerogatives. Other issues on the agenda of talks
included intellectual copyright and international judicial cooperation. The
visit was held as part of the project Fight Against Organised Crime in the Western
Balkans, organised by the Centre for International Legal Cooperation, based in
the Hague, in the Netherlands.

REP.
OF MOLDOVA – The
Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Andrian Candu, on Tuesday validated two new
ministers after having signed the necessary decrees instead of president Igor
Dodon. On Monday, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova decided
to temporarily suspend the prerogatives of the president, after he refused to
sign the decrees on the nomination of the new agriculture and health ministers
in the cabinet led by Pavel Filip. Dodon has
twice refused to sign the decrees, which runs counter to the Constitution. It
is for the fourth time that president Dodon gets suspended.

TENNIS – Romanian
tennis star Simona Halep, no.1 WTA, on Tuesday was defeated by
Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova in Wuhan, China, in a tournament with 2.7
million dollars in prize money. In the previous round, Cibulkova defeated
Romanian Monica Niculescu in two sets. (Translated by C. Cotoiu and D. Vijeu)

25 September 2018
September 24, 2018 UPDATE

OFFSHORE BILL — The Romanian Senate on Monday passed the offshore bill, regulating the exploitation of natural gas in the Black Sea. The specialized committees of the Romanian Senate earlier that day relaxed conditions for investment depreciations for companies exploiting natural gas in the Black Sea. According to the bill, the taxation system and rules will remain unchanged throughout the entire period of the contract, thus ensuring predictability and stability. Another amendment forces companies to sell on the Romanian market some 50% of exploited gas every year. Liberal Senator Florin Catu from the opposition claims none of the president’s demands in the reexamination request has been met. The Chamber of Deputies passed the law on July 9. On August 2nd, president Klaus Iohannis sent back to Parliament for reexamination the offshore bill, saying that it had to be reviewed in terms of long-term stability and predictability of the legal framework applicable to this sector and in order to avoid any potential negative effects.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – 130 heads of state and government are attending in New York the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis. On Wednesday, in the speech he will give during the assembly’s general debates, the Romanian head of state will stress the importance of an effective response to the main challenges to international peace and security, alongside with identifying the causes of this crisis-generating conflict. Also, the Romanian president will participate alongside the other world leaders in the opening of the top level debate segment, themed ‘Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies’. At the end of the debates the participants will adopt a resolution.

VISIT – Over September 24-28, the Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor will pay a formal visit to the US, where he will meet at the Pentagon his American counterpart James Mattis. The agenda of talks includes subjects concerning defense cooperation, both bilateral and within the North Atlantic Alliance. On Monday, Mihai Fifor is participating in a forum organized by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington. Established in 2005, CEPA is an American non-profit, public policy research institute, whose activity is focused on the study of European states and societies. The visit to the US also includes meetings with the governor of the State of Alabama, Kay Ivey, and representatives of the US Congress, on which occasion the officials will tackle priority issues on the defense agenda.

MISSIONS — The Romanian frigate King Ferdinand is taking part in two international missions in the Mediterranean Sea over September 27 — October 24, as per Romania’s commitments to NATO. According to a Romanian Navy Forces release, the frigate will first take part in the Mavi Balina anti-submarine multinational exercise hosted by Turkey over September 24 — October 4. The exercise is aimed at consolidating cooperation and increase interoperability with NATO structures in the field of anti-submarine warfare. Attending will be scores of battleships and aircraft, submarines and troops with the Special Operations Forces in Azerbaijan, Greece, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Romania, Spain, the United States and Turkey. The second mission will unfold over October 5-24 and will entail the participation of the Romanian frigate in the 2018 Sea Guardian, a maritime security operation in the Mediterranean Sea.

KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the kidnapping of a Romanian sailor in the attack on a ship under Swiss flag, which occurred on the 22nd of September, in the Nigerian waters. The crisis cell activated at the ministry was activated upon order by the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The diplomatic representatives of Romania in Bern and Abuja have already acted together with the local uathorities.12 of the 19 crew members were kidnapped in the attack.

MOLDOVA – The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet republic with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, has decided to temporarily suspend the prerogatives of the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, after the latter refused to sign the decrees for the appointment of two new ministers in the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. According to the Court’s ruling, Parliament President Andrian Candu or the prime-minister will sign the decrees appointing the new ministers of agriculture and health. Dodon has twice refused to sign the decrees, in breach of the constitution. This is the fourth time that president Dodon has been suspended.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings, as of Tuesday takes part in the Wuhan tournament in China, with 2,750,000 dollars in prize money. Qualified straight to the second round, Halep will first face the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. In the first round, Cibulkova defeated 2-nil another Romanian player, Monica Niculescu.

(Translated by M. Ignatescu & V. Palcu)

24 September 2018
September 24, 2018

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – 130 heads of state and government are attending in New York the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis. On Wednesday, in the speech he will give during the assemblys general debates, the Romanian head of state will stress the importance of an effective response to the main challenges to international peace and security, alongside with identifying the causes of this crisis-generating conflicts. Also, the Romanian president will participate alongside the other world leaders in the opening of the top level debate segment, themed Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. At the end of the debates the participants will adopt a resolution.

VISIT – Over September 24-28, the Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor is paying a formal visit to the US, where he will meet at the Pentagon his American counterpart James Mattis. The agenda of talks includes subjects concerning defense cooperation, both bilateral and within the North Atlantic Alliance. Today, Mihai Fifor is participating in a forum organized by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), based in Washington. Established in 2005, CEPA is an American non-profit, public policy research institute, whose activity is focused on the study of European states and societies. The visit to the US also includes meetings with the governor of the State of Alabama, Kay Ivey, and representatives of the US Congress, on which occasion the officials will tackle priority issues on the defense agenda.

PSD – The top leaders of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the senior partner in the left-wing Government in Bucharest have gathered today for a meeting of the National Standing Bureau. The meeting was convened after on Friday the Executive Committee of the party decided to keep supporting their president Liviu Dragnea, whose resignation had been requested by a few Social Democratic leaders.

OFFSHORE BILL – The specialized committees of the Romanian Senate are today presenting a joint report on the offshore bill, following a request for reexamination made by president Klaus Iohannis. Also today, the document, which establishes the rules under which companies can exploit gas in the Black Sea, would have to get a vote in plenary session. On July 9th, the Chamber of Deputies adopted the bill regarding several measures needed for the implementation of oil operations by owners of agreements on offshore oil perimeters. On August 2nd, president Klaus Iohannis sent back to Parliament for reexamination the offshore bill, saying that it had to be reviewed in terms of long-term stability and predictability of the legal framework applicable to this sector and in order to avoid any potential negative effects.

MOLDOVA – The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova, the former Soviet republic with a predominantly Romanian-speaking population, has today decided to temporarily suspend the prerogatives of the pro-Russian president Igor Dodon, after the latter refused to sign the decrees for the appointment of two new ministers in the cabinet headed by PM Pavel Filip. According to the Courts ruling, Parliament President Andrian Candu or the prime-minister will sign the decrees appointing the new ministers of agriculture and health. Dodon has twice refused to sign the decrees, in breach of the constitution. This is the fourth time that president Dodon has been suspended.

KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the kidnapping of a Romanian sailor in the attack on a ship under Swiss flag, which occurred on the 22nd of September, in the Nigerian waters. A crisis cell has been activated within the ministry upon order by the Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu. The diplomatic representatives of Romania in Bern and Abuja have already acted together with the local authorities. 12 of the 19 crew members were kidnapped in the attack.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no.1 in the WTA rankings, as of Tuesday takes part in the Wuhan tournament in China, with 2,750,000 dollars in prize money. Qualified straight to the second round, Halep will first face the Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. In the first round, Cibulkova defeated 2-nil another Romanian player, Monica Niculescu.

24 September 2018
June 23, 2018 UPDATE

PRESIDENCY – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has announced he will run for another term as president of the country. Iohannis, aged 59, will complete his first term, which he won in November 2014, when he ran on the part of the Christian Liberal Alliance. Since 2000 until 2014 he was the mayor of the city of Sibiu, in the centre. The next presidential elections in Romania are due in the fall of 2019, and according to the Constitution, the maxim number of presidential terms a person may hold is two. The leader of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has hailed the presidents decision and has announced that the Liberals will support the candidacy of Klaus Iohannis for a second term.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will keep supporting its president Liviu Dragnea, in all the offices he is holding, both as leader of the party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for instigation to abuse of power. Liviu Dragnea has stated he will fulfill the objectives he has set, including the implementation of the governing program. The opposition has criticized the decision of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has stated that the Liberals will try to convince as many MPs of the majority to endorse the no-confidence motion. On Monday, the motion filed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party will be read in plenary parliamentary session and on Wednesday it will be debated and voted.

VENICE COMMISSION – Representatives of the Romanian Presidential Administration, Parliament and Justice Ministry have attended in Venice the plenary session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission. One of the main topics on the meetings agenda was the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania. The Presidential Adviser Bogdan Dima has stated that the legislative package has lots of deficiencies and the content can and should be substantially improved. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidency, President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption of an interim opinion of the Venice Commission is extremely important for the entire justice system in Romania. The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee in charge with the justice laws, Florin Iordache, attended the proceedings as well, and has stated that the recommendations made by the Venice Commission are extremely important to Romania. He has also stated that the three justice laws are in line with the standards set by the Commission. The modifications brought to the justice laws by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society representatives.

TRANSDIESTR – The UN General Assembly has adopted the draft resolution proposed by Chisinau, alongside other 10 countries, including Romania, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from the Transdniester region of the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian – speaking population. The project was approved with 64 votes for, 15 against and 83 abstentions. The Russian Federation delegation voted against and have stated that the document will undermine negotiations on the Transdniester issue. The Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has hailed the document, just like the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There are some 1000 Russian soldiers from the former 14th Soviet Army deployed in Transdniester, who are guarding armament and ammunition warehouses, as well as 500 soldiers from the peace forces deployed in the security zone along Dniester. There are also troops subordinated to the separatist regime in Tiraspol, accounting for some 15,000 soldiers. Transdniester went out of Chisinaus authority in 1992, after an armed conflict.

ROMANIAN BLOUSE – The Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse is celebrated on June 24th. Ia, the Romanian traditional blouse, is an emblematic piece of the national traditional costume and also a symbol of Romanian culture. On January 21st, 2013, the online community “La Blouse Roumaine” proposed the midsummer day, when magical fairies, believed to bring fertility and prosperity are celebrated, to also celebrate the Romanian traditional blouse. In the meantime the event has become global, and it is now celebrated in more than 50 countries. Traditional exhibitions and fairs are open all across the country, but also abroad in Beijing, Berlin, Budapest, Chisinau, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Warsaw, Vienna and Washington.

TENNIS – The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu, number 29 in the WTA rankings, lost on Saturday the match against the Czech Petra Kvitova (no. 8 WTA), thus failing to qualify for the final of the Birmingham tournament, with 850,000 dollars in prize money. In the final, Kvitova will play against the Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova (no. 19 WTA), who defeated in the semifinals the Czech Barbora Strikova.

23 June 2018
June 23, 2018

PRESIDENTIAL TERM – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has today announced he will run for another presidential term. Iohannis, aged 59, won his first term in November 2014, when he ran on the part of the Christian Liberal Alliance. Since 2000 until 2014 he was the mayor of the city of Sibiu, in central Romania. The next presidential elections in Romania are due in the fall of 2019, and, according to the Romanian Constitution, the maxim number of presidential terms a person may hold is two.

SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY – The Social Democratic Party, the main partner in the ruling coalition in Romania, will keep supporting its president Liviu Dragnea, in all the offices he is holding, both as leader of the party and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, after he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison for instigation to abuse of power. Liviu Dragnea has stated he will fulfill the objectives he has set, including the implementation of the governing program. The opposition has criticized the decision of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party. The president of the National Liberal Party Ludovic Orban has stated that the Liberals will try to convince as many MPs of the majority to endorse the no-confidence motion. On Monday, the motion filed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party will be read in plenary parliamentary session and on Wednesday it will be debated and voted.

VENICE COMMISSION – Representatives of the Romanian Presidential Administration, Parliament and Justice Ministry have attended in Venice the plenary session of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission. One of the main topics on the meetings agenda was the modifications brought to the justice laws in Romania. The Presidential Adviser Bogdan Dima has stated that the legislative package has lots of deficiencies and the content can and should be substantially improved. According to a communiqué issued by the Presidency, President Klaus Iohannis believes that the adoption of an interim opinion of the Venice Commission is extremely important for the entire justice system in Romania. The Chairman of the Parliamentary committee in charge with the justice laws, Florin Iordache, attended the proceedings as well, and has stated that the recommendations made by the Venice Commission are extremely important to Romania. He has also stated that the three justice laws are in line with the standards set by the Commission. The modifications brought to the justice laws by the coalition formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have been criticized by the right-wing opposition, magistrates associations and many civil society representatives.

TRANSDIESTR – The UN General Assembly has adopted the draft resolution proposed by Chisinau, alongside other 10 countries, including Romania, which calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from the Transdiestr region of the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor with a predominantly Romanian – speaking population. The project was approved with 64 votes for, 15 against and 83 abstentions. The Russian Federation delegation voted against and have stated that the document will undermine negotiations on the Transdniestr issue. The Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has hailed the document, just like the Romanian Foreign Ministry. There are some 1000 Russian soldiers from the former 14th Soviet Army deployed in Transdniestr, who are guarding armament and ammunition warehouses, as well as 500 soldiers from the peace forces deployed in the security zone along Dniestr. There are also troops subordinated to the separatist regime in Tiraspol, accounting for some 15,000 soldiers. Transdniestr went out of Chisinaus authority in 1992, after an armed conflict.

23 June 2018
September 17-23

Extreme weather phenomena- prevention measures

The Romanian Government on Thursday decided to grant an 8 million Euro aid to cover the damages produced by violent storms in several counties in western, northern and central Romania. The funds will be used for repair works on schools, hospitals, police stations, churches and other public buildings. Last Sunday, a storm, which lasted only 15 minutes, left behind some 8 people dead and over 140 people injured, blew away roofs and street billboards, and damaged cars. Power outings were reported and localities were left without running water. Roads have been temporarily blocked. Railways have been severely affected. In the wake of Sundays storms, PM Mihai Tudose has announced its high time Romania had a modern warning system to alert the population against disasters, just like those in other European states. Just a couple of days later, bad weather has again taken parts of the country in its grip, sweeping Bucharest and 38 other localities. The storm took a toll of 3 lives. Gusty wind blew away roofs, and traffic was temporarily disrupted because of trees that fell on the roads.

Romanias President Klaus Iohannis attending the UN General Assembly

Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, had a busy agenda during his six-day visit to the US, where he attended the UN General Assembly meeting. In a speech he delivered in a plenary session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the Romanian President underlined the need to strengthen the UN and to render it more effective, in order to be able to face current challenges. He said that Romania hails the reform of the UN mechanisms against terrorism and its demarches of making of the fight against terrorism a key element of its terrorism-prevention agenda. Iohannis also pleaded for setting up an international court against terrorism. The Romanian President also attended high-level meetings organised by Romania together with other countries as well as a series of bilateral meetings with the UN Secretary General, the President of the UN General Assembly and with a number of heads of state. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis met with ethnic Romanians living in Philadelphia, and asked them to consoldiate the relationship between the Romania and the US. He told the ethnic Romanians that the Strategic Partneship between Romania and the US has gained a new dimension, after the visit he paid to Washington earlier this year. Iohannis said the US President Donald Trump appreciates very much the Romanian community in the US. Also on Thursday, the Romanian President announced that he cancelled his visit to neighbouring Ukraine, scheduled for early October and the meeting with the Chairman of the Supreme Rada, Andriy Parubiy, due in Bucharest, at the end of the month. The Romanian President made these decisions after the Ukrainian Parliament adopted an education law that infringes upon the rights of 400 thousand ethnic Romanians living in Ukraine of having access to education in their native langue.

Bucharests reactions to the new education law in Ukraine

On Wednesday, the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, gathered in a plenary session, adopted a declaration on the new education law in Ukraine, which- they say- drastically limits the right to education in the native language of national minorities, including the ethnic Romanians. The Romanian Parliament calls on Kiev to reassess the law, which should only be promulgated by President Petro Poroshenko in order to take effect. The Romanian Parliament also calls on the Ukrainian side to ensure the adequate protection for the linguistic, cultural and religious identity of approximately half a million ethnic Romanians in the neighbouring country. Parliament also voted on the structure of a delegation that will go to Ukraine to support the cause of the Romanian ethnic minority. Romanias delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly will also calls on this body to organise in October a debate that should end with the adoption of a resolution on monitoring Ukraines human rights record.

Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor, on a visit to Washington

The Romanian defence minister, Mihai Fifor, paid a working visit to Washington earlier this week. During the talks he had with the American officials minister Fifor reiterated Bucharests commitment to further be a staunch, predictable and trustworthy partner and to contribute to regional security and stability. He presented the Romanian governments priorities in the field of defence, among which allotting 2% of the GDP for defence. The agenda of talks also covered such issues as strengthening the Romania-US Strategic Partnership and bilateral cooperation in the military field. The Romanian minister has also met with representatives of US defence industry companies. Fifor underlined Bucharests firm commitment to step up the process of modernising the Romanian Armed Forces and has recalled that the Romanian Parliament has already started a series of endowment programs, among which those of purchasing Patriot missiles and Himars systems.

The simple motion on education has been rejected

The simple motion requesting the resignation of the education minister, Liviu Pop, was rejected on Monday in a plenary session of the Romanian Senate. Dubbed “Romania without high quality education is a poor country”, the motion had been tabled by the main opposition parties, the National Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union. The signatories blame minister Pop for the school year having started without textbooks for fifth graders, the lack of functioning permits in the case of most schools and for the dropout rate, which reached a record high.Liviu Pop said in the plenary session of the Senate that he had compiled a report on the real situation of the Romanian education system.

23 September 2017
September 20, 2017

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will deliver a speech today before the UN General Assembly. His speech will focus on the importance of having a world order based on principles and regulations, the rule of law at international level, the need to strengthen the UNO and adapting it to current challenges. In another move, the Romanian President will underline the need to have an efficient response to the major threats to international peace and security. Klaus Iohannis will attend an event titled “Education for peace”, organised by Romania and enjoying the participation of high-ranking officials. The Romanian President will underline the role played by education in conflict-prevention. Also in New York, the Romanian President will attend an event organised by the UN Secretariat and meant to launch an important report promoting the equality of chances between men and women. Klaus Iohannis will also have bilateral talks with the Moldovan PM, Pavel Filip, and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, respectively.

WASHINGTON — The Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor has met in Washington with the White Houses Deputy National Security Adviser, Ricky Waddell. The Romanian minister has hailed the excellent cooperation between Romania and the US, both at bilateral level and within NATO, and the US official has pointed to the extremely positive agenda of cooperation between Bucharest and Washington in the following years. Mihai Fifor has also reiterated Romania’s commitment to allot 2% of the GDP for defence, whereas the American side has shown interest in supporting NATO’s efforts to fully secure the eastern flank of the Alliance and underlined that the US will further be committed to Europe.

UKRAINIAN EDUCATION LAW — The Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, gathered in a plenary session in Bucharest, have issued a declaration on the new education law in neighbouring Ukraine. The Romanian MPs say they are following with concern and maximum attention the latest developments generated by the recent adoption by Ukraine’s Supreme Rada of this law which drastically infringes upon the rights to education in the native language of the ethnic Romanians in Ukraine. They are launching an appeal for a fast settlement of this situation, by well intended actions and goodwill, in the spirit of cooperation, inclusive dialogue and the strict observance of European standards in the field of national minority protection, abiding by the relevant multilateral and bilateral agreements, that Ukraine is a signatory to. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Parliament adopted a similar resolution, condemning the new law, which –in the opinion of the Hungarian MPs- does not observe the commitments made by the Kiev authorities and infringes upon the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. The law drastically limits the access to education in the native language of many ethnic minority communities in Ukraine. This stipulates that Ukrainian should be the only teaching language in high-schools and faculties, and education in the languages of the ethnic minorities is possible only in nursery and primary schools. Almost half a million ethnic Romanians are living in neighbouring Ukraine, most of them in the Romanian territories annexed by the former USSR in 1940, following an ultimatum, and taken over by Ukraine, in 1991, as a successor state.

BUCHAREST — Romania’s capital city, Bucharest is today celebrating 558 years since it was first mentioned in documents. The name of today’s city was first mentioned in a document issued in 1459, by the then ruler of Wallachia, the famous Vlad the Impaler. In order to mark the event, the city hall has organised over the past few days, open air parties, concerts, vintage costume parades, fairs and exhibitions. Bucharest became Romania’s capital city in 1862. In the inter-war period, Bucharest was dubbed “Little Paris”, due to its elegant architecture. Romania’s main economic engine, Bucharest is considered to be a city difficult to manage, because of an old and insufficiently developed infrastructure and of heavy traffic.

MEXIC/EARTHQUAKE — A provisional death toll is expected to rise after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake stroke 120km from Mexico City, collapsing buildings and killing at least 250 people. It was the most powerful earthquake since the one which hit Mexico City in 1985, killing over 9,000. The tremor had the epicentre close to the border between the Puebla and Morelos states, in the centre, at a depth of 51 km. Many world leaders have expressed their sympathy with Mexico and offered their support to that country, which was still recovering from a fatal earthquake in the south of the country in early September.

TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (no. 55 WTA) has today been defeated by Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia (no.71 WTA), 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, in the eighth finals of the Seoul tennis tournament, with 250,000 US dollars in prize money up for grabs. Irina has also qualified to the doubles quarterfinals, alongside the Czech player Krystina Pliskova. The two will play the all Thai pair Luksika Kumkhum/ Peangtarn Plipuech. Romania’s second player in Seoul, Sorana Cîrstea (no. 52 WTA), will meet in the eighth finals American Nicole Gibbs (no.121 WTA). We recall that Irina Begu is the holder of the Seoul tournament title in 2015.

20 September 2017
September 19, 2017

Measures — The Romanian government will grant funds from the state budget to cover the damage caused by Sunday’s violent storm that hit several counties in western Romania, the Romanian PM Mihai Tudose has announced. He added that the authorities wanted the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system for major risk situations, similar to that in other European states. The prime minister has discussed the issue with experts in the field and with the representatives of mobile phone operators. We recall that 8 people died and almost 140 were injured on Sunday during the violent storm that wreaked havoc in 15 counties in the west, center and north of Romania.

UN General Assembly — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, who is participating in the 72nd meeting of the UN General Assembly is today meeting in New York with the President of the UN General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak and with his counterparts from Estonia and Egypt. Tuesday’s agenda of President Iohannis also includes participation in the lunch offered by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, participation in a traditional meeting with the heads of the Jewish organizations in the US, in a reception organized by the EU and in another reception offered by President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Klaus Iohannis will meet with the Moldovan prime minister Pavel Filip, and will also have a bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General. On Thursday Klaus Iohannis will go to Philadelphia where he will meet with the representatives of the Romanian community there.

Washington — The Romanian defense minister Mihai Fifor, and the Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army, general Nicolae Ciucă, who are on a 6-day working visit to Washington, are today meeting with the American Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and will lay a wreath of flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery. On Monday, the Romanian delegation participated in a round table discussion with the members of the Atlantic Council hosted by Washington DC. Minister Fifor appreciated the dialogue and the approach adopted by the Atlantic Council in dealing with the trans-Atlantic consolidation of the Romanian-US Strategic Partnership. He added that Romania remained a solid, predictable and trustworthy partner of the US, keeping its pledge to contribute to regional security and stability. In turn, the members of the Atlantic Council have shown interest in the dynamics of regional security and the national outlook on the developments in the Black Sea area.

Schengen — The Schengen area would be stronger and all member states would have benefits if Romania also joined the free movement area, said the European Commissioner for Security Union Julian King, who paid an official visit to Bucharest on Monday. The European Commissioner met with the PM Tudose, with the justice minister Tudorel Toader as well as with members of Romania’s Parliament’s expert committees. The Romanian authorities have made it clear that Romania meets all the criteria for accession to the Schengen area.

Chisinau – Exercise Fire Shield 2017, a multinational, combined training exercise with Moldovan and Romanian troops is unfolding in a military base in the Republic of Moldova. According to a communiqué of the Moldovan Defense ministry, the exercise is meant to jointly train artillery small units and to boost the interoperability level between the two armies. As many as 300 officers and non-commissioned officers of the Moldovan army artillery small units and more than 20 Romanian soldiers are taking part in the exercise, that is unfolding from September 18 to 22. The exercise takes place in the context in which Moldova’s pro-Russian president, Igor Dodon, has recently started a conflict with the government and the leadership of the Defense Ministry over the issue of sending Moldovan military to the “Rapid Trident” drill in Ukraine, on account that the drill was also being attended by troops of NATO member countries. (translation by L. Simion)

19 September 2017
September 18, 2017

Bad weather — The Romanian PM Mihai Tudose on Monday announced the implementation of an integrated public alert and warning system for major risk situations, which will consist in emergency text messages sent to the population’s mobile phones. The alerts will be issued depending on the emergency situation occurring at regional level such as severe weather phenomena, large-scale fires, explosion risks and other catastrophes and risk situations. Also a public awareness and training campaign will be started for the population to learn how to use the system. The prime minister and the interior minister on Monday visited the regions in western Romania worst affected by the recent extreme weather phenomena. The PM coordinated the Emergency Situation Command, a body that assessed the damage and identified rapid intervention and support measures for the affected people and communities. 8 people died and almost 140 were injured on Sunday during the violent storms that hit several counties in the west, center and north of Romania.

UN General Assembly – On an official visit to the US, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will meet Tuesday, in New York, with the President of the UN General Assembly and with his counterparts from Estonia and Egypt. Klaus Iohannis is participating in New York in the 72nd meeting of the UN General Assembly that will be opened on Tuesday, when the American President Donald Trump will deliver a speech. Tuesday’s agenda of President Iohannis includes participation in the lunch offered by the UN Secretary General, in a traditional meeting with the heads of the Jewish organizations in the US, in a reception organized by the EU and in another reception offered by President Donald Trump. On Wednesday Klaus Iohannis will meet with the Moldovan prime minister Pavel Filip, will participate, alongside other presidents, in the launch of the “HeForShe” report and the “Making education for peace” event and will also have a bilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General. On Thursday Klaus Iohannis will go to Philadelphia where he will visit the Independence Hall and will meet with the representatives of the Romanian community.

Washington — The Romanian defense minister Mihai Fifor, who is paying a 6-day working visit to Washington, will meet with the American Secretary of Defense James Mattis, with the deputy national security advisor Ricky Waddell, with members of the US Congress and with representatives of the main companies in the American defense industry. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, Romania’s Strategic Partnership with the US is one of the fundamental pillars of Romania’s defense and security, remaining an essential priority in the current, complex regional and international security environment.

Motion — The simple motion which asked for the resignation of the education minister, Liviu Pop, was rejected Monday in the plenum of the Senate with 68 votes ‘against’, 41 votes ‘for’ and 9 abstentions. Entitled “A Romania without quality education is a poor Romania” the motion was filed by the main opposition parties, the Liberal Party and the Save Romania Union. Liviu Pop said that he drafted a report on the realities of the Romanian education system, as requested by the initiators of the motion.

Visit — The European Commissioner for Security Union Julian King said Monday in Bucharest, after a meeting with the Romanian justice minister, that all countries would have benefits if Romania was admitted into the Schengen area. The European Commissioner also highlighted that a good cooperation between the EU members was important for fighting terrorism. He recalled that Romania did not experience a terrorist attack directly, but that Romanian citizens were affected by such incidents when abroad. The fight against terror, the exchange of information and implementing the legislation recently adopted in the field of security were the main topics approached during the talks Commissioner King held with the Romanian officials. The European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu is also in Romania for 2 days. On Monday she met the local authorities in Zalau (northwestern Romania) and together with the minister delegate for European funds, Rovana Plumb, discussed with the citizens issues such as the future of Europe and regional development policies.

Enescu Festival — On Monday, on the 17th day of the prestigious George Enescu International Festival, hosted by Romania every other year, the Romanian Atheneum will be host to Anoushka Shankar and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. Also in Bucharest, the Grand Palace Hall is host to the Orchestre Nationale de France, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach, while pianist Viktoria Vassilenko and violinist Erzhan Kulibaev, a winner at the festival in 2016, will be performing in the city of Sibiu. Over three thousand artists from across the world perform in this years festival, in Bucharest and seven other cities all over the country. The festival, which began in 1958, and suspended by the communist regime between 1971 and 1989, ends this year on September 24^th. (translation by L.Simion)

18 September 2017
October 13, 2016 UPDATE

NOBEL – The Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to Bob Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. Aged 75, Bob Dylan, regarded as the voice of a generation for his influential songs from the 1960s onwards, is the only singer-songwriter to win the award.

PROSECUTION – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced on Thursday his intention to green light the prosecution of former deputy prime minister and interior minister Gabriel Oprea, as requested by anti-corruption prosecutors. Oprea is changed with manslaughter. He resigned his position as senator on October 1st. Under Romanian law, the prosecution of former or current ministers, who are not MPs, for deeds committed while in office, requires the President’s approval. Gabriel Oprea is investigated for manslaughter after a police officer escorting him died in a motorcycle accident.

APPOINTMENT – On Thursday, the UN General Assembly officially appointed the former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary General. Guterres will replace the South-Korean Ban Ki-moon and his term will last 5 years, as of January 1st. Antonio Guterres is the first head of government to reach this position and, according to diplomatic sources in New York, is very likely to use his leadership skills and expertise in refugee-related issues to take over the initiative of regulating the main current crises, especially the one in Syria.

DOPING – The International Olympic Committee has withdrwn Romanian weightlifter Gabriel Sîncrăian the bronze medal he won at the Olympic Games in Rio, after having failed the doping test as established by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sincraian, who won the bronze medal at the 85 kg category, was disqualified because he had taken testosterone.

KIDNAPPING – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that the Romanian engineer kidnapped in Nigeria on October 10th has been released. The ministry reiterated its firm recommendation that the Romanian citizens in conflict areas or in security high-risk areas should contact the closest Romanian diplomatic missions and announce their presence in the region, in order to benefit from proper protection and assistance.

COHESION POLICY – A quarter of the total government investments in Romania, in the 2007-2013 period, is the result of the EU cohesion policy, according to an independent evaluation made public by the European Commission. Over 15 billion Euros have been invested in transportation, enterprise support programs, research and environmental protection projects, under the European regional development program. Also, within the same time frame, the cohesion policy helped create 35,000 jobs. At European level, the number of jobs created in that period stood at one million, accounting for one third of the total number of jobs in the whole of the EU created during the same interval. According to the Commission, the cohesion policy has benefited all the EU member countries and has supported them in difficult times from an economic point of view.

EU-ASEA – The Romanian Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu is attending in Bangkok, Thailand, the 21st joint EU – Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting that started on Thursday. Previously, the Romanian Foreign Minister went to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he talked with his counterpart Retno LP Marsudi about boosting bilateral political, economic and commercial dialogue. The two officials attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries chambers of commerce.

MOLDOVA – According to an opinion poll, in the Republic of Moldova, 34% of the citizens would vote for this former Soviet countrys unification with neighbouring Romania. According to the latest public opinion barometer, quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent in Chisinau, 51% of those questioned would vote for Moldovas EU integration, and 43% for the countrys joining the Russia -Belarus- Kazakhstan Customs Union. 42% of the respondents would vote for Chisinaus accession to NATO. The results of the polls were made public in the run up to the presidential elections due on October 30th. According to political analysts, the stake is not just political, but also geo-political, because the battle will be carried out between pro-Russia and pro-Western candidates.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

13 October 2016
September 20, 2016 UPDATE

CORRUPTION – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis is extremely disappointed with the Senates vote concerning the former Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea and warns that the politicians who hamper justice will never gain citizens trust and respect, a spokesperson for the presidency has stated. The head of state believes that some senators have again proven they have never understood that somebodys quilt or innocence cannot be established by a vote in parliament, but in a court of justice, and has reiterated that a rule of law state cannot be above the law. In their turn, prosecutors with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) have said that the senators’ decision blocks further investigations and prevents Gabriel Oprea from answering to justice. On Monday, the Senators rejected the request filed by the National Anti-corruption Directorate for the prosecution of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Gabriel Oprea, accused of manslaughter. A police officer died last year in a motorcycle accident while part of Opreas official motorcade. When the accident occurred, Oprea was actually heading for a private destination, which did not entitle him to benefit from an official motorcade.

UN SUMMIT – New York is playing host to the first summit for refugees and migrants called by the UN, during the annual UN General Assembly meeting. Romanias delegation at the summit is headed by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu. The leaders attending the summit are analysing the causes of migrant influxes and are trying to find solutions for the future. The Romanian officials are also promoting Romanias candidacy for a new term as non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2020-2021. On the sidelines of the event, Dacian Ciolos will meet with the UN Secretary General Bank Ki-moon and the presidents of Finland and Egypt. On Monday, Lazar Comanescu attended an informal meeting with his Bulgarian, Croat and Greek counterparts on European issues and also met with Victoria Nuland, the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State. The two officials talked about the bilateral strategic partnership, regional security, migration and means of approaching it.

COUNTRY PROJECT – A committee having the task to draw up a so-called “country project” has been set up in Bucharest, the Presidency has announced. As many as 23 people are part of the committee, of whom ten independent members, one Government representative and two representatives for each parliamentary party. The committee will convene in the forthcoming period for a first meeting chaired by President Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidency release, the country project represents a vision about how Romania should look like in the medium and long run, taking into account its status as EU member state and its strategic partnership with the US.

BREXIT – Slovakias Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the EU, has stated that the Union will make Brexit extremely painful, according to the British newspaper “The Independent”. Fico says Brussels will use Brexit to prove to the other member states how important it is to remain part of the EU. The Slovak Prime Minister has also stated that Great Britain will not be allowed to turn the EU workers into second-class workers, while still benefiting from the advantages of the single market. The British PM Theresa May has refused to guarantee the status of the EU citizens in Great Britain, but has stressed the fact that she wishes they stayed, provided the British citizens are respected in the EU member countries.

ECONOMIC FORUM – Romanias capital Bucharest is hosting the 3rd Annual Economic Forum for Central and Eastern Europe. The event has brought together Forbes editors-in-chief from the entire region, but also authorities and business people. This year, talks are focusing on development, innovation and investment, both at macroeconomic level and by business sectors. The forum is intended as a platform for business models and investment directions.

INSURANCE – The Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) announced on Tuesday that it will set, within 30 days after the enforcement of the Government’s emergency ordinance, the maximum level of the mandatory liability insurance for car owners. Last week Romania’s technocratic government passed an emergency ordinance freezing mandatory liability insurance fees for 6 months at a level to be announced by the Financial Supervisory Authority within a month at the most.

TENNIS – Three Romanian tennis players are taking part in the WTA tournament in Seul, with 250,000 USD in prize money. Top seed and defending champion Irina Begu, overpowered South-Korean Su Jeong Hang, 2-0, to advance to the second round of the Korea Open on Tuesday. Begu will play on Thursday against Jana Cepelova of Slovakia. 55th ranked Monica Niculescu and Patricia Tig, number 135, have already qualified for the second round. Monica Niculescu will take on the Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, and Patricia Tig will try to defeat the winner of the match between Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium and the Czech Kristyna Pliskova. Monica Niculescu and Irina Begu may have to play against each other in the quarter finals.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

20 September 2016
September 19, 2016

REPORT – Romania’s technocratic prime minister, Dacian Ciolos, is today presenting in Parliament a report on the country’s economic situation. Ciolos thus answers a request in this respect by the leader of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea. Almost two weeks ago, Dragnea requested, in an open letter, that the Government should urgently made public its official stand on measures such as setting a maximum ceiling for the statutory maternity pay and increasing taxes on independent activities.

UNITED NATIONS – World leaders are today meeting in New York to discuss sustainable development, curbing violence and terrorism and ways to combat poverty and preserving world peace, at the UN General Assembly. Another important topic for debate is the issue of refugees and migrants. The European Council President, Donald Tusk, will address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday on behalf of the EU and will attend a series of meeting devoted to the refugee and migrant crisis. The US President Barack Obama will host as part of the UN General Assembly a high-level summit to address large movements of refugees and migrants, running from wars and other crisis. According to the UN, around 60 million people had to leave their homes while in the EU alone the number of refugees from Africa and the Middle East exceeded 1 million. Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos, accompanied by foreign minister Lazar Comanescu represent Romania at the meeting.

RUSSIAN ELECTION – The ruling United Russia Party, the main pro-Kremlin party, got most of the votes in Sunday’s parliamentary election, 54%, according to partial results. The Communist Party, the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and the centre-left party Just Russia made it to Parliament. None of these parties is considered an opposition party, given that their MPs are usually voting the same way as United Russia. The voter turnout rate stood at only 47.8% as against 60% five years ago. On the other hand, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has said it does not recognise the legitimacy of the Russian parliamentary election in Crimea. Also, the Romanian Foreign Ministry has once more voiced its support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and has reminded that Romania does not recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol in 2014.

GERMAN ELECTION – Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, suffered a sobering defeat in Sunday’s state elections. The Social-Democrats came out first, with 23%, followed by CDU with 18% and the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) with 11.5%. According to France Press, Merkel’s decision last year to allow about 1 million refugees into Germany has caused her party to get such poor election results.

DRILL – As many as 200 military with the Romanian Ground Forces and their partners from Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia are taking part as of Monday in the multinational drill Blonde Avalanche-16 in Satu Mare, in north-western Romania. The drill that will be held for four days is aimed at training troops to deal with the effects of natural disasters and at granting humanitarian aid to the people affected. The exercise has been held every year ever since 2002 based on an accord signed in Budapest by the four countries.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Patricia Tig has today defeated New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 2-1 and has qualified to the second round of Seoul Open, with 230 thousand dollars up for grabs. Another Romanian, Irina Begu, is the competition’s favourite, and she will be up against South Korean Jang Su Jeong. The third Romanian in the competition, Monica Niculescu, will play against Japanese Eri Hozumi on Tuesday.

(Translated by Elena Enache)

19 September 2016