Radio România Internațional

Tag: Vilnius

  • April 11, 2024 UPDATE

    April 11, 2024 UPDATE

    Vilnius – Romania believes that the entire eastern flank of the European Union and NATO must be connected by road and rail, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. President Klaus Iohannis insisted on this issue at the summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Vilnius. He also spoke about the Initiative’s strategic partners, Japan being one of them. Iohannis had a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on which occasion he reiterated the firm support that Romania gives to Ukraine on all relevant levels, as well as the determination to strengthen cross-border cooperation in the field of energy security. The Three Seas initiative offers a platform for collaboration between EU and non-EU states, with benefits including increasing the quality of life of the citizens and stimulating opportunities for multidirectional cooperation. The previous edition of the Initiative took place in Bucharest, and the next one will be in Poland.

     

    Barometer – Half of the Romanians believe that the current economic situation in their region is rather good than bad, while 13% think that it is very bad, according to a Eurobarometer of the European Commission. Thus, 7% of Romanians believe that the economic situation is very good, percentages above average being recorded in the regions of Bucharest-Ilfov (from the south of the country), West, North-West and Center. As to the quality of life, 58% of Romanians think that it is rather good and 10% very bad. The most important problems they face are the cost of living and health, followed by the economic situation and unemployment and the education system. The figures are close to the European average, which also includes housing concerns.

     

    Banking – The governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Moldova (BNM), Anca Dragu, said the Stock Exchange in Chişinău stands good chances to develop and Moldova could be a market for the foreign companies that are already in Romania. Anca Dragu was in Bucharest where she held talks with representatives of the local Stock Exchange, the Financial Supervisory Authority and the National Bank of Romania. The talks focused on the opportunity of the double listing of the Moldovan companies at stock exchanges abroad and on transaction mechanisms for bonds and other financial instruments. We recall that Anca Dragu has dual citizenship, Moldovan and Romanian and for a year she held the presidency of the Senate in Bucharest.

     

    Heritage – The European Commission awarded the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest the ‘European Heritage Label’ for the significant role played by this edifice in the history and culture of the continent. The label was granted by a jury made up of independent experts from all over Europe. In order to receive the ‘European Heritage Label’, edifices must meet three criteria: demonstrate their European significance, make their European dimension known to the public and demonstrate their operational capacity to carry out these activities. The Romanian Athenaeum was built by the company of the same name at the end of the 19th century to host a public library, conferences, classical music concerts, exhibitions and other cultural and artistic activities, as part of its mission to popularize culture by any means.

     

    Drill – The Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday attended the multinational exercise ’Sea Shield 24’ on board of the Queen Marie frigate. The exercise, due to last from April 8th to 21st has brought together over 2,200 servicemen, 135 sea and river vessels, planes and vehicles. 12 countries such as Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Great Britain, the Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and the United States are participating in the aforementioned drill due to unfold on the Black Sea and the Danube Delta. The exercise includes missions combating illegal activities at sea and rivers, maritime and river control operations, search and rescue missions, providing assistance to vessels in distress and ensuring security at the level of the critical infrastructure. The multinational exercise ’Sea Shield 24’ is the most complex event led by the Romanian Navy in 2024 and contributes to the promotion of Romania’s initiatives and interests at regional and international levels as well as to raising the level of interoperability between the participant countries. The first edition of the multinational exercise ’Sea Shield’ took place in 2015.

     

     

  • July 12, 2023

    July 12, 2023

    Summit — NATO reiterated the fact that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance, said the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Vilnius summit. However, the moment of accession and the conditions that need to be fulfilled by Kyiv have not been established. The leaders of the NATO member states decided to simplify Ukraines accession procedures and to boost the total support that the Alliance will continue to provide to Kyiv in the war to free the territory occupied by Russia. Jens Stoltenberg announced that the decisions of the allies change Ukraines accession from a two-stage process to a single-stage one, ensure that the Ukrainian military will continue to receive support and that the Ukrainian officials will have a seat at the table of discussions through the formation of a new NATO-Ukraine Council. Attending the meeting, Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, stated that Romania will obtain a consolidation of NATOs eastern flank and increased attention for the Black Sea area, including for the neighboring Republic of Moldova. Today, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of heads of state and government is scheduled in Vilnius, in the presence of Sweden, as a guest, and of the partners from the Indo-Pacific region, Australia, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. Vilnius is also hosting the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine council in a new format.



    Training — A coalition made up of 11 states will begin to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets in August in Denmark, while a training center will also be set up in Romania. “We hope that we will be able to see results at the beginning of next year,” Denmarks interim defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. NATO members Denmark and the Netherlands led an international coalition effort to train pilots and support staff, maintain aircraft, and eventually supply Ukraine with F-16s. Belgium and Luxembourg will also participate in this program, supported by the US, while France and Great Britain are providing assistance. The air forces of the latter and Luxembourg do not own F-16 aircraft. Currently, Romania has 17 F-16 aircraft and will acquire another 32 from Norway.



    Schengen — The European Parliament will vote, today, the resolution based on a petition filed by the Romanian civil society which challenges the legality of Austrias veto regarding Romania’s accession to the Schengen area. MEP Vlad Gheorghe, a member of the Renew Europe political group, said that if it passed, the resolution would legally establish for the first time that what happened to Romania and Bulgaria represented discrimination. He emphasized that, also for the first time, compensation is being discussed for the financial losses that the two countries have incurred, as well as for environmental losses. The European Commission will be obliged to subsequently evaluate the losses incurred due to Austrias veto and to propose legal mechanisms by which Romania and Bulgaria will be compensated. We remind you that, at the end of last year, in the Justice and Home Affairs Council, a unanimous decision failed to be adopted in relation to the entry into the Schengen area of ​​the two EU member countries, after Austria and the Netherlands opposed it. The Austrian chancellor, Karl Nehammer, motivated his country’s stand by bringing into question the illegal migrants who arrived in his country, many of whom would have come through Romania and Bulgaria, as he claimed, although the data is contradicted by the authorities in Bucharest. In turn, the Netherlands stated that it supported Romanias accession, but not together with that of Bulgaria.



    Football — Romanias football champions, Farul Constanţa, meet today, at home, Sheriff Tiraspol from the Republic of Moldova, in the first preliminary round of the Champions League. The return match takes place in a week’s time. If it is eliminated in the first preliminary round, the team coached by the great former Romanian international footballer Gică Hagi will continue in the Conference League. Three other Romanian teams are already present in this competition. In the 2nd preliminary round, CFR Cluj, the team with the highest coefficient in the UEFA ranking, ensured its presence for the sixth consecutive year in the European cups and will meet Adana Demirspor, from Turkey. Sepsi, the winner of Romania’s Cup and Supercup, will play against CSKA Sofia from Bulgaria. The opponent of the vice-champions FCSB is CSKA 1948 Sofia, another team from Bulgaria. These three games are scheduled for July 27, and the return match one week later.



    Statistics – The average net salary in Romania fell to 4,543 lei (approx. 915 Euros) in May this year, 0.5% less than in April 2023, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) announced on Wednesday. The average gross salary was 7,229 lei (approx. 1,460 Euros), 1.1% lower than in April 2023. The highest values ​​of the average net salary were recorded in the IT service-provision field, and the smallest values in the hospitality industry. Compared to May 2022, the average net salary increased by 15.7%. In May, in most activities in the economic sector, the level of the average net salary decreased as a result of the granting, in the previous months, of occasional awards, rights in kind and money aid, sums from the net profit and from other funds. Also, the decreases in the average net salary were caused by production failures or lower receipts (depending on contracts/projects), as well as by the employment of personnel with lower than average salary earnings, from some economic activities, the aforementioned source states. (LS)

  • Crucial meeting in Vilnius

    Crucial meeting in Vilnius

    Strengthening, in the long term, the allied posture on the eastern flank is the main stake of the participation of Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, in the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. He also wishes to reiterate Romania’s robust support for neighboring Ukraine, invaded by the Russian troops, including in relation to Ukraines accession to NATO, as well as for the Alliance’s most vulnerable partners, especially the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population). The Romanian president also wants to reflect the importance of the Black Sea region for Euro-Atlantic security in the allied documents and decisions that are to be adopted.



    Ahead of the summit, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that most allies are expected to announce their commitment to increasing defense budgets to more than 2% of the gross domestic product starting in 2024. Only 11 member states, including Romania, have met this request starting this year. According to analysts, beyond the Ukrainian file, the North Atlantic meeting will be marked by the announcement of Sweden’s admission to NATO.



    On the eve, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed to support the accession of the Scandinavian kingdom, a move that he opposed for months in a row. Stoltenberg described the day as historic. Asked about Hungary’s opposition to Sweden’s accession, Stoltenberg said that the problem was solved, because the authorities in Budapest had informed him that they did not want to be the last to ratify the protocol. At present, all 31 NATO member states want Sweden to join the Alliance, as does neighboring Finland, which was admitted on April 4. After the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the two Scandinavian countries renounced their strict neutrality, maintained for decades, and opted for joining NATO.



    Turkey had given the green light to Finland, but had blocked the accession of Sweden, which it accused of hosting Kurdish militants, described by Ankara as terrorists. President Erdogan would have wanted to condition the admission of Sweden on the negotiations regarding his country’s accession to the European Union. Turkey submitted its application for accession to the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the current community bloc, in 1987 and to the Union in 1999.



    Accession negotiations began in 2005 and, ever since, Brussels has not tired of repeating that Ankara does not meet the admission criteria. Admission to NATO and to the EU are two processes that have nothing to do with each other – repeated, on Monday, the EU deputy chief spokesperson, the Romanian Dana Spinant. The ECs latest communiqué on this topic dates to 2022 and stated that the European Union had serious concerns on the continued deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary in Turkey. (LS)


  • Sommet crucial à Vilnius

    Sommet crucial à Vilnius

    Le renforcement à long terme de la posture alliée sur le flanc est le principal enjeu de la participation du président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, au sommet de l’OTAN de la capitale lituanienne, Vilnius. Il souhaite également réitérer l’appui robuste que la Roumanie accorde à l’Ukraine voisine envahie par les troupes russes, y compris pour ce qui est de son adhésion à l’OTAN, ainsi qu’aux partenaires les plus vulnérables de l’Alliance, dont notamment la République de Moldova. Le chef de l’Etat roumain souhaite aussi que l’importance de la région de la mer Noire se reflète dans les documents et les décisions que les alliés adopteront à l’avenir. A la veille du sommet, le secrétaire général de l’OTAN, Jens Stoltenberg s’attendait à ce que la majorité des alliés annoncent leur engagement pour la majoration de leurs budgets de la défense à plus de 2% du PIB à commencer par l’année 2024. Onze pays alliés dont la Roumanie ont déjà accompli cet engagement.

    Selon les analystes, hormis le dossier ukrainien, le Sommet de l’Alliance de l’Atlantique nord sera marqué par l’annonce de l’admission de la Suède à l’OTAN. A la veille, le secrétaire général de l’Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg a annoncé que le président turc était d’accord de soutenir l’adhésion du royaume scandinave, après plusieurs mois d’opposition. Ce fut donc une journée « historique », selon les paroles de M Stoltenberg.

    Au sujet de l’opposition de la Hongrie à l’adhésion de la Suède, Jens Stoltenberg a affirmé que le problème était quasi-résolu : les autorités de Budapest lui auraient communiqué qu’elles ne seraient pas les dernières à ratifier le protocole. Pratiquement, à présent tous les 31 Etats membres de l’OTAN souhaitent que la Suède rejoigne l’Alliance, tout comme la Finlande voisine, admise le 4 avril. Après le déclenchement de l’invasion russe en Ukraine, le 24 février 2022, les deux Etats scandinaves avaient renoncé à leur neutralité stricte maintenue pendant des décennies et ont choisi d’adhérer à l’Otan. La Turquie a donné le feu vert à l’adhésion de la Finlande, mais elle a bloqué la candidature de la Suède, qu’elle accuse d’accueillir des militants kurdes qu’Ankara appelle « terroristes ». Le président turc, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan avait conditionné l’adhésion de la Suède à l’OTAN de la réouverture des négociations d’adhésion de la Turquie à l’UE.

    Rappelons-le, la Turquie avait déposé sa candidature à la Communauté économique européenne, précurseur des actuelles structures communautaires en 1987 et à l’Union en 1999. Les négociations d’adhésion avaient démarré en 2005 et dès lors, les responsables de Bruxelles ne cessent de répéter que la Turquie ne remplit pas les critères d’admission à l’UE.

    L’adhésion à l’OTAN, et respectivement à l’Union constituent deux processus qui ne sont pas liés l’un à l’autre – a répété ce lundi la porte parole de l’Exécutif communautaire, la Roumaine Dana Spinanţ. Le communiqué de la Commission le plus récent à ce sujet date de l’année dernière et affirme que « l’Union européenne est sérieusement préoccupée de la détérioration continue de la démocratie, de l’Etat de droit, des droits fondamentaux et de l’indépendance du système judiciaire » en Turquie.

  • July 10, 2023 UPDATE

    July 10, 2023 UPDATE

    Abuse – The Romanian authorities have announced checks at childrens homes, care homes for the elderly and the people with disabilities around the country. The prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said all their permits would be analyzed again. He also called for those guilty of abuse to be punished and underlined that the social care system needs to be changed. His statement comes after the organized crime body began an investigation at three social care centers in Voluntari and Afumaţi near Bucharest for the inhumane treatment to which residents were subjected by the staff.



    Healthcare – The employees of the health insurance houses around Romania on Monday stopped working for two hours in protest against their low salaries compared to their responsibilities and amount of work and against the drastic cuts in personnel nationwide. One of their trade union leaders said employees are no longer motivated to work, are flooded with assignments and salaries havent increased since 2017. The national healthcare system ensures treatment for two million seriously ill people and the budget managed by the National Health Insurance House amounts to almost 11 million Euros, the largest in the public system in Romania. Despite this, 1,200 jobs have been cut in this sector in the last two years.



    Parliament — Romania’s Parliament met Monday in an extraordinary session to declare the position of director of the Romanian Intelligence Service – SRI vacant. The procedure is necessary after the head of the institution, Eduard Hellvig, resigned at the beginning of last week. He spent eight years at the head of the Service, during which he has achieved his goals, as he believes. Currently, the leadership of the SRI is ensured by Hellvig’s first deputy, general Răzvan Ionescu. On 27 January 2015, Hellvig replaced George Maior, who resigned in turn. The Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service is appointed by the President of Romania, approved by the control committees in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies and voted in Parliament in a plenary session.



    Summit — Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, will participate, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. He will reiterate his support for Ukraine, including in relation to Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially the Republic of Moldova. Ukraine is, actually, the main topic on the agenda of the meeting in Vilnius. The alliance will offer additional commitments, both at political and practical levels. Also, the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that he expected most of the allies to announce a commitment to increase defense budgets to over 2% of the GDP starting in 2024. Already 11 member states have fulfilled the commitment this year, including Romania. (….) On Monday, the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan conditioned Swedens entry into NATO on the reopening of negotiations for Turkeys accession to the EU. He continues to criticize Sweden for its alleged leniency towards the Kurdish militants who have taken refuge on its territory. Turkey is the last NATO country, along with Hungary, to oppose Swedens accession, despite measures taken by the Scandinavian country, including a reform of its Constitution and the adoption of a new anti-terrorism law. Also on Monday, the US President, Joe Biden, paid a short visit to London before arriving in Vilnius. The American leader met with King Charles III and the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.



    Environment — The Romanian environment minister Mircea Fechet is attending an informal meeting of the EU environment ministers hosted by Valladolid, in Spain. The European Commission says the Union must go ahead with the initiatives to improve air quality and provide more protection for citizens and the environment. Talks focus on industry transformation by using latest technologies and stimulating innovation to achieve safe and sustainable chemical substances, as well as on improving water management, further treatment of residual waters, reducing pollution and promoting a circular economy. (CM, LS)

  • July 9, 2023

    July 9, 2023

    POLICE Romanian policemen last week enforced 19 European arrest
    warrants and 589 people, who are the subject of alerts in the Schengen
    Information System, have been located on Romania’s territory. According to a
    Romanian police communiqué, 30 documents and 45 vehicles sought by the Schengen
    partners have been seized in Romania to be used as evidence within legal
    procedures. At the same time, 199 people wanted by the Romanian authorities
    have been identified by foreign partners on their territory, the communiqué
    also says.






    DIICOT The situation in several old people’s homes in Ilfov County,
    close to Bucharest, where prosecutors have identified organized crime groups
    who were exploiting and mistreating old and disabled people is being analyzed
    by the government today. The country’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, is
    having talks with several ministers about the measures needed so that suchlike
    situations may not repeat. According to the DIICOT prosecutors, the residents
    of the aforementioned institutions were forced to do some of the most
    humiliating works and the inspections, which could have ended their suffering,
    used to be announced beforehand by the defendants’ accomplices in state
    institutions. According to DIICOT prosecutors, the group would have siphoned
    off 740 thousand Euros from several social assistance directions in Ilfov and
    Bucharest. Some of those involved have been placed in temporary custody for 30
    days, whereas other defendants in the same file have been placed under house
    arrest or judicial investigation. Prime Minister Ciolacu has called for the
    resignation of the boards of the National Agency for Payment and Social
    Inspection with the Ilfov County Agency and also for checking in old people’s
    homes around the country. Prefect offices have already announced the setting up
    of committees to do the checking.






    SUMMIT Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis will be participating in
    the NATO summit in Vilnius on Tuesday and Wednesday, the presidential
    administration in Bucharest has announced. The summit is to include three
    high-level meetings of the North-Atlantic Council, in formats, which also include
    Ukraine, the European Union as well as NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners. At the
    summit, the Romanian president is expected to underline the fundamental
    importance of continuing the implementation of the Madrid decisions on
    strengthening the allied defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
    Iohannis will also reiterate the robust support for Ukraine, including its
    NATO’s accession, as well as for the most vulnerable partners, especially for
    the Republic of Moldova. According to the same sources, the head of the
    Romanian state will be also referring to the need for having the importance of
    the Black Sea region in the Euro-Atlantic security reflected in the allied
    documents and decisions. In Vilnius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is
    expecting that most allies announce their commitment to increasing defence
    budgets to over 2% of the GDP starting next year. He said in Brussels that 11
    member countries, Romania included, had already fulfilled this commitment.






    TENNIS The Romanian pair, Ana Bogdan/Jaqueline
    Cristian is today taking on Lidia Morozova of Belarus and Ingrid Martins
    Gamarra of Brazil in the second round of the Wimbledon doubles after their
    Saturday’s win against Danielle Collins and Alison Riske-Amritraj of the USA. The
    Romanian-Ukrainian pair, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk has also qualified for
    the second round and will take on Miriam Koloziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of
    the Czech Republic on Monday. Romania is no longer represented in the main
    draw, after Sorana Cirstea lost to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia on Saturday.






    FAIR The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair is due to end in Brasov,
    southern Romania today. During the five-day event, the almost 40 exhibitors have
    put on displays thousands of books for all tastes and ages, music, educational
    games and self-development books. The event has also included book launches,
    conferences and debates attended by local writers and not only by them. Adrian
    Lesenciuc, poet, prose and essay-writer as well as literary critic has been the
    honorary president of the present edition.


    (bill)

  • La semaine du 26 juin au 2 juillet 2023

    La semaine du 26 juin au 2 juillet 2023

    Des votes au Parlement

    Le Parlement roumain a consacré
    la dernière semaine de la session parlementaire avant les grandes vacances aux
    projets de loi des régimes spéciaux de retraite. Lundi, le Législatif a voté en
    faveur de la suppression de ces régimes de retraite au bénéfice des
    parlementaires. Mercredi, deux autres votes ont eu lieu. L’un par lequel le
    Parlement interdit le cumul de la pension de retraite et du salaire dans la
    fonction publique. Y feront exception les élus du peuple, ce qui rend la loi
    facilement criticable. Parmi les autres catégories professionnelles faisant exception
    on retrouve aussi les professeurs, les médecins, les assistants maternels et
    les salariés de l’Académie roumaine, de la Banque centrale de Roumanie et
    d’autres institutions nationales.


    Par ailleurs, le Législatif a voté en faveur de la
    réforme des régimes spéciaux de retraite dont bénéficient les magistrats, les
    diplomates, les militaires, les fonctionnaires parlementaires et le personnel
    aéronautique et de la Cour des compte. Pourtant, le projet a été approuvé sous
    une forme modifiée au point où la réforme n’entrera en vigueur qu’à partir de
    2028. L’âge du départ à la retraite sera repoussé progressivement de 60 à 65
    ans, et les magistrats seront obligés d’avoir une ancienneté d’au moins 25 ans.


    Un impôt de 15% sera mis en place dans le cas des
    pensions de retraite dont le montant dépasse le salaire moyen net. L’USR, parti
    de l’opposition, a critiqué le vote du Parlement, en affirmant que tant que les
    régimes spéciaux de retraite ne sont pas entièrement supprimés, la Roumanie
    continuera à recenser 210.000 retraités bénéficiaires d’une retraite spéciale.
    La Haute Cour de Justice et de Cassation a contesté le caractère
    constitutionnel des régimes spéciaux de retraite et du cumul de la pension et
    du salaire. La réforme de la retraite s’inscrit parmi les jalons du Plan
    national de relance et de résilience.


    Le PNRR, un retour positif


    Avec 49 objectifs
    et jalons accomplis parmi les 51 intégrés dans le Plan national de relance et
    de résilience, la Roumanie a remporté haut la main l’examen de la Commission
    européenne et attend donc le versement d’une deuxième tranche de 3,22 milliards
    d’euros. Avec deux objectifs manqués dans le domaine des investissements
    énergétiques, le pays sera pénalisé de 53 millions d’euros. Cependant, ce
    retard peut encore être rattrapé, puisque la Roumanie dispose de six mois pour
    prouver avoir réussi à atteindre ces deux derniers jalons. Selon les dires du Premier
    ministre roumain, Marcel Ciolacu, l’évaluation positive de l’Exécutif européen
    est un signal encourageant pour son gouvernement qui fait de son mieux pour
    rattraper son retard et remplir tous les objectifs. La Roumanie bénéficie d’une
    enveloppe de plus de 29 milliards d’euros accordée par Bruxxelles pour mettre
    en place le PNRR. A l’heure actuelle, le pays a déjà reçu deux tranches de
    préfinancement d’un total de 3,3 milliards d’euros.




    Une nouvelle aide financière versée aux agriculteurs
    roumains


    La Roumanie se verra
    accorder 30 millions d’euros de la part de la Commission européenne pour
    soutenir les agriculteurs impactés par les importations de céréales
    ukrainiennes. C’est le deuxième paquet de soutien financier de la réserve
    agricole européenne que Bucarest reçoit de la part de Bruxelles. Parmi les cinq
    pays limitrophes de l’Ukraine censés se partager l’aide européenne, la Pologne
    et la Roumanie touchent la partie la plus consistante : respectivement 40 et 30
    millions d’euros. Ainsi, la Roumanie obtient une aide totale de 40 millions
    d’euros que le gouvernement multipliera par deux, suite à un accord avec la CE.


    Des préparatifs pour le sommet de
    Vilnius


    Des leaders des
    pays alliés se sont retrouvés à la Haye, en présence du secrétaire général de
    l’OTAN, dans le cadre d’une réunion consacrée au sommet de Vilnius, prévu à la
    mi-juillet. Présent aux débats, le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis a
    réaffirmé que la Russie est et continuera d’être une menace imminente pour la sécurité euroatlantique. Par conséquent, il
    a plaidé en faveur d’un renforcement de la posture dissuassive des alliées,
    parallèlement à la poursuite de l’aide accordée à Kiev et aux autres
    partenaires vulnérables de la région, notamment à la République de Moldova. En
    vertue de sa position stratégique, la Roumanie est directement concernée par la
    consolidation supplémentaire du Flanc oriental de l’Alliance, à travers une
    approche cohérente et unitaire de la part des pays alliés. Cela veut dire, a
    précisé Iohannis, qu’il faut se doter des forces armées et des capacités et
    équipements militaires nécessaires. En ce qui concerne l’Ukraine, puisque en
    2008, à Bucarest, les Alliés ont décidé de l’intégrer à un moment donné à
    l’OTAN, cet engagement doit être accompli, a conclu le président roumain.


    De la culture et du sport


    Le
    coup de coeur culturel de cette semaine est, sans nul doute, la 30ème édition
    du Festival international de théâtre de Sibiu. Plusieurs jours durant, la ville
    transylvaine, ancienne capitale de la culture européenne, a accueilli les bras
    grands ouverts des milliers d’artistes et des centaines d’événements à l’agenda
    d’un festival placé sous le signe du Miracle. Passons maintenant au sport où la
    joueuse de tennis, Simona Halep, accusée de dopage, en octobre dernier, a
    comparu devant le tribunal. L’ancienne numéro un mondiale et double championne
    à Roland Garos recevra un premier verdict en juillet. Rappelons qu’elle a
    quitté le classement des 50 meilleures joueuses mondiales après qu’elle s’est
    vu interdire la participation aux tournois.



  • The Week in Review 26.06 – 02.07.2023

    The Week in Review 26.06 – 02.07.2023

    Laws on sensitive topics adopted by Parliament



    The Romanian Parliament dedicated this past week of the ordinary session to some bills related, in one form or another, to pensions. On Monday, senators and deputies eliminated the special pensions granted to MPs, thus renouncing a privilege considered immoral by the press and public opinion. Two other sensitive laws were passed on Wednesday. One puts a ban on cumulating pensions with salaries in the public system but exempts from this ban exactly the local elected officials and parliamentarians, which makes the bill controversial. Other professional categories exempted from the rule are the teaching staff and the specialized medical staff, foster carers, as well as employees of the Romanian Academy, the National Bank of Romania and some national agencies. The law that aims to reform the special pensions, which are only partially based on the contribution from the active period and which benefit magistrates, the military, diplomats, parliamentary staff, the Court of Accounts staff or the aeronautics staff, also received a favorable final vote. However, the bill underwent major changes. Actually, the application of the reform was postponed by five years, so that, until 2028, prosecutors, judges and the military can retire under the same conditions as before. The retirement age will increase in stages, and magistrates will be required, in order to retire, to have at least 25 years of experience in the specialty. Pensions that exceed the average net income will be taxed by 15%. The opposition Save Romania Union – USR, which favors the total elimination of special pensions, voted against the bill, claiming that, after its adoption, there will be 210,000 special pensioners in Romania as before. The High Court of Cassation and Justice contested the constitutionality of the law on special pensions and the one on cumulating pensions and salaries in the public system. The reform of the special pensions is a milestone in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.



    The National Recovery and Resilience Plan – PNRR, positive assessment



    With 49 milestones and targets met, out of a total of 51, Romania successfully passed the European Commission’s test regarding the second payment request submitted under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, worth 3.22 billion Euros. The two milestones that were not met are related to energy investments, and because of failing to meet these two targets, Bucharest will lose approximately 53 million Euros. However, nothing is irreparable, because Romania still has 6 months to prove that the two pending milestones have been met. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu says that the Commission’s positive assessment encourages the government to work to meet the targets, and he promises that the two delayed milestones in the energy field will be quickly recovered. Romania benefits from an allocation of over 29 billion Euros for the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and has already collected two pre-financing installments with a cumulative value of approximately 3.8 billion Euros.



    New European aid for farmers



    Romania will receive 30 million Euros from the European Commission as support for farmers affected by massive imports of cheap grains from Ukraine. It is the second aid package, and the money comes from the Union Reserve Fund. Of the five EU member states that have a border with Ukraine or are in its vicinity, Poland and Romania benefited from the largest aid packages: Poland, almost 40 million Euros and Romania 30 million Euros. Cumulatively, packages one and two bring Romanian farmers a support of 40 million Euros, and the Romanian Government has the Commission’s agreement to double it.



    Preparations ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius



    Leaders of NATO member states and the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg convened in the Hague for a meeting focusing on the preparation of the upcoming allied Summit, to be held in Vilnius in mid-July. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis also participated in the event. In the Netherlands, Iohannis reiterated that Russia is and will still be the immediate and the most direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security. Consequently, he insisted that the allies will have to be capable and ready to strengthen their position even further and continue to give the required support to Ukraine and to the most vulnerable partners, the Republic of Moldova, in particular. Given its strategic position, Romania is especially interested in further strengthening the Alliances Eastern Flank, through a coherent and unitary approach, Klaus Iohannis also stated. This means, according to him, providing the required forces, structures, capabilities and equipment, as well as the appropriate command and control arrangements. As regards Ukraine, if, in Bucharest, in 2008, the Allies decided that it should become a NATO member state, in Vilnius that commitment will have to be carried further, Klaus Iohannis said.



    Culture and sport


    The headline-grabbing event of the week is the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, which has now reached its 30th edition. Throughout the festival, the central Transylvanian town, still bearing the hallmark if its Saxon heritage, is literally sizzling. Thanks to the Radu Stanca theatre halls, the unconventional spaces, the churches, squares and medieval streets, Sibiu has yet again been the generous host of performing arts. Thousands of artists and hundreds of events literally galvanized the festival, held under the sign of the ‘Miracle, the theme picked for the recently-held edition.


    In sport, the headline-grabbing event this week has been the hearing of the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep by the court judging the doping charges pressed against Halep in October 2022. The past months have been long and costly for the career of the athlete who will be 32 in September. Halep no longer has a place among the worlds top 50 tennis players since she could no longer take part in tournaments. Halep, the former WTA number 1 and two-time winner of a Grand Slam tournament, will receive a final court ruling in July. (LS, EN)

  • Nato: „Im Moment ist der Hauptgegner die Russische Föderation“

    Nato: „Im Moment ist der Hauptgegner die Russische Föderation“





    Der russische Präsident Wladimir Putin habe einen Fehler gemacht, als er die Ukraine und die NATO unterschätzt habe, und das Bündnis bleibe verpflichtet, Kiew so lange wie nötig“ zu unterstützen, bekräftigte unlängst NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg. Nach Ansicht des Militärchefs wäre es eine gro‎ße Tragödie für die Ukrainer, wenn Präsident Putin gewinnt, doch wäre es auch gefährlich für die demokratische Welt, denn dass hie‎ße, dass autokratische Führer wie Putin oder jene in Peking ihre Machtansprüche mit Gewalt durchsetzen könnten. Und das wiederum würde die NATO-Verbündeten, die USA und Europa, verwundbarer machen. Wir wissen nicht, wie dieser Krieg enden wird; wir wissen jedoch, dass wir nach Ende dieses Kriegs fähig sein müssen, zu verhindern, dass sich die Geschichte wiederholt“, so Jens Stoltenberg weiter.



    Parallel zu ihrer Unterstützung für die Ukraine bereitet sich die NATO auf grundlegende Veränderungen vor. Das Bündnis musste jahrzehntelang keine gro‎ß angelegten Verteidigungspläne entwickeln, weil das postsowjetische Russland zunächst nicht mehr als existenzielle Bedrohung wahrgenommen wurde. Doch nun bereitet sich die NATO darauf vor, auf ihrem nächsten Gipfel einen gro‎ßen Schritt nach vorn zu machen. Laut einer Reuters-Analyse wird erwartet, dass die Staats- und Regierungschefs der NATO in Vilnius geheime Militärpläne verabschieden werden, in denen zum ersten Mal seit dem Kalten Krieg detailliert dargelegt wird, wie das Bündnis auf einen russischen Angriff reagieren würde.



    Die Analyse geht von der Aussage eines hochrangigen NATO-Militärs, Rob Bauer, aus, der gesagt hatte, dass der grundlegende Unterschied zwischen Krisenmanagement und kollektiver Verteidigung darin bestehe, dass nicht das Bündnis, sondern der Gegner den Zeitplan der Ereignisse bestimme. Wir müssen uns darauf vorbereiten, dass jederzeit ein Konflikt ausbrechen kann“, so Bauer wörtlich. George Scutaru, Leiter des rumänischen Thinktanks New Strategy Center“, erläutert:



    Es gibt verschiedene Hypothesen über die Entwicklung dieses Konflikts in der Ukraine. Und eine der Hypothesen, die berücksichtigt werden muss und nicht ignoriert werden kann, ist die einer Eskalation, die schlie‎ßlich zu einer direkten Konfrontation zwischen der NATO und der Russischen Föderation führen könnte — verursacht durch das aggressive Verhalten Russlands. Die Streitkräfte müssen ein solches Szenario in Betracht ziehen, ebenso wie die Politiker eine solche Arbeitshypothese, die von den Militärexperten auf den Tisch gelegt wird, ernst nehmen müssen. Letztendlich ist es eine Selbstverständlichkeit, dass dies im gegenwärtigen Kontext geschieht, denn wir sehen, dass der Krieg weitergeht, die Aggression Russlands lässt nicht nach, im Gegenteil — sie nimmt zu. Putin und die politische und militärische Führung Russlands zeigen keine Anzeichen, dass sie an einer Friedenslösung interessiert sind. Und die jüngsten Entwicklungen steuern auf einen Zermürbungskrieg zu, der andauern wird und der auch zu einem unerwünschten Verlauf, einer plötzlichen Eskalation der Situation führen kann. Das hängt davon ab, wie sich Russland weiter verhalten wird, und darauf müssen wir vorbereitet sein.“




    Das Schwarze Meer habe sich als ein besonders verwundbares Gebiet erwiesen, man könnte sogar sagen, als die grö‎ßte Schwachstelle in der Sicherheit des Kontinents, fügt George Scutaru hinzu. In dieser Region sind die meisten eingefrorenen Konflikte Europas zu finden, volkerrechtswidrige militärische Eingriffe, angefangen mit Georgien, dann mit der Annexion der Krim und jetzt mit Russlands Invasion in der Ukraine im gro‎ßen Stil. Daher müsse das Bündnis darauf vorbereitet sein, alle Optionen in Betracht zu ziehen. Die Welt muss verstehen, dass die NATO in der Lage ist, sich jeder Herausforderung zu stellen“, so der Leiter des Thinktanks New Strategy Center“.



    Doch was bedeutet das für den anstehenden Nato-Gipfel in Vilnius? Hat sich etwas im Krisenmanagement geändert. Diese Frage stellten wir dem unabhängigen Militäranalysten Claudiu Degeratu:



    Die Perspektive hat sich in der Tat grundlegend geändert, denn ein Verteidigungsplan, wie er vor 1989 in der NATO erstellt wurde und wie er auch jetzt erstellt wird, berücksichtigt das Bedrohungsprofil eines Gegners. In den letzten 30 Jahren haben wir über NATO-Pläne für Krisensituationen, für Fernkämpfe und für Eingreifen au‎ßerhalb unseres Artikel-5-Gebiets gesprochen. Bisher planten wir unsere militärischen Operationen im Zusammenhang mit konkreten Situationen, und nicht auf einen Gegner bezogen. Im Moment ist der Hauptgegner die Russische Föderation, und die NATO hat auf der Grundlage der Madrider Beschlüsse vom letzten Jahr ein Verteidigungs- und Abschreckungskonzept für den gesamten euroatlantischen Raum entwickelt. Es handelt sich also um einen Verteidigungsplan, wie wir ihn seit 1989 nicht mehr hatten und der sich von dem vor 1989 für den gesamten europäischen strategischen Raum unterscheidet. Um es klar zu sagen, wir sprechen tatsächlich über den atlantischen Raum bis hin zur Ostfront, also dem Baltikum zu Polen und Rumänien, und vom Norden, beginnend mit Norwegen, bis zur Südflanke, also dem Mittelmeerraum. Zum ersten Mal werden wir auch nationale Verteidigungspläne haben, die im Einklang mit diesem umfangreichen Konzept der Abschreckung und der Verteidigung des europäischen strategischen Raumes stehen müssen. Sie werden auf NATO-Ebene integriert sein und müssen darüber hinaus in das neue NATO-Streitkräftemodell integriert werden, das aus drei Truppenkontingenten bestehen und etwa 800 000 NATO-Soldaten mit unterschiedlichen Dienstgraden und Reaktionsmöglichkeiten umfassen soll. Die NATO muss in der Lage sein, dieses Konzept zu nutzen, um unter verschiedenen Bedingungen, in verschiedenen Situationen und bei verschiedenen möglichen Entwicklungen im gesamten europäischen strategischen Raum gleichzeitig eingreifen zu können.“



    Die Russische Föderation müsse begreifen, dass die NATO in der Lage sein wird, in verschiedenen Gebieten mit denselben Streitkräften und der gleichen Schlagkraft und Fähigkeit zum sofortigen Kampf einzugreifen, so der Militärexperte Claudiu Degeratu.

  • March 13, 2023 UPDATE

    March 13, 2023 UPDATE

    Education – Almost a quarter of Romanias middle school pupils who should have graduated in 2021 never took the graduation exam. According to a survey published by the National Centre for Policies and Evaluation in Education, the main reasons for this situation are school drop-out, expulsions, migration and an incomplete academic record. In addition, several thousand pupils finished 8th grade but did not register for the national evaluation, while a few thousand registered but did not show up for the test. The authorities are considering measures to address the situation.



    Visit — On the occasion of his official visit to Vilnius, the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, on Monday had a meeting with the President of the Parliament, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, in which context he conveyed his appreciation for the very good level of the Romanian-Lithuanian relationship and highlighted the positive dynamics of the bilateral dialogue at all levels. He also appreciated the positive evolution of trade between the two countries. Regarding the unprovoked and unjustified aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the two officials assessed the multiple consequences of the conflict on the security situation in the vicinity of NATOs Eastern Flank. The preparation of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, due in July 2023, was also examined.



    Gambling – The Romanian Senate unanimously adopted a law limiting access to gambling. The document, initiated by the save Romania Union – USR (in opposition), provides for banning the operation of game rooms located less than 300 meters from educational institutions, childrens playgrounds, banking or non-banking institutions, art or health facilities. The Senate is the first Chamber referred to in this case.



    Moldova – The Moldovan authorities said they disbanded a network coordinated from Moscow that sought to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova, an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population. The network was made up of groups of 5-10 persons who were supposed to create chaos at the protests that took place in the capital Chişinău this weekend. The groups were coordinated by someone from the Russian special services and were given instructions to destabilize public order using persons with dual citizenship, Russian and Moldovan, instructions that came from Moscow. The protests were organized by the political party of the controversial businessman Ilan Şor.



    Schengen – Romania is neither a source of migration, nor a transit country for migration, president Klaus Iohannis again emphasized. He is travelling this week to Bulgaria to discuss the Schengen accession with his counterpart in Sofia. We know how to protect our borders, but this is a European problem and its clear that we would also like to contribute to finding the best solutions, Iohannis also said. Bulgaria is making efforts to secure its borders with Turkey in collaboration with the European authorities and Turkey.



    New Delhi – Romania’s National Robotics Team “AutoVortex” won the first place at the international robotics competition in India and qualified for the World Championship in the USA. At the beginning of the month, the young Romanians also won the First Tech Challenge National Robotics Championship, which took place in Bucharest, and, at the moment, they are the best team in the world. They also broke the world record of points accumulated by a team in such a competition.



    Timişoara – As part of the “Timişoara – European Capital of Culture” program, a concert will be held on Tuesday by the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra (Germany), under the baton of its main conductor, the Romanian Cristian Măcelaru. The event will take place at the Capitol Hall of the Banat Philharmonic. The program includes works by Johannes Brahms and Klaus Lang, a contemporary composer present for the first time on a Romanian stage. The channel Radio Romania Music, the specialized channel of the public radio station, will broadcast this concert live, starting at 7 p.m. local time.



    Hospital – The future Regional Emergency Hospital in Iași (northeastern Romania) will ensure continuous hospitalization with 750 beds, grouped in six medical centers, the Health Minister Alexandru Rafila announced on Monday. He also said that the design of the medical unit would be completed this month. Next the procurement procedure will be launched for the start of the construction works. Separately, there will be an intensive care unit for surgery, third-degree burns, transplant and neonatology medical services. The hospital will also have a specialized outpatient clinic and an emergency department. The total amount of the investment, excluding the VAT, amounts to 2.4 billion lei (approximately half a billion Euros), the completion date being 2027. Alexandru Rafila also said that the deadline for the completion of the design phase of the Cluj Regional Hospital (north-west) is April-May, and for the hospital in Craiova (south), November or December this year. (CM, LS)

  • 13.03.2023

    13.03.2023

    Education – Un quart des collégiens roumains qui auraient dû achever cette étape d’enseignement en 2021 ne se sont pas présentés aux examens finaux. Une recherche publiée par le Centre national de politiques et d’évaluation de l’Education illustre le fait que les principales raisons sont l’abandon scolaire, les exclusions de l’école pour des raisons d’absentéisme ou de comportement et écore le manque de notes durant l’année. Les autorités ont annoncé des mesures pour remédier ces problèmes.

    Iohannis – La Roumanie n’est ni source de migration, ni pays de transit, a déclaré à plusieurs reprises le président Klaus Iohannis, qui se rendra cette semaine en Bulgarie afin de parler de l’adhésion à l’espace Schengen de libre circulation européenne avec son homologue de Sofia. Nous savons protéger nos frontières mais le problème est européen et donc il est claire que nous souhaitons participer à l’identification des meilleurs solutions, a également dit le chef de l’Etat roumain. Entre temps, la Bulgarie redouble d’efforts pour sécuriser la frontière avec la Turquie en coopération avec non seulement les autorités européennes, mais aussi avec celle d’Ankara. Le ministre bulgare de l’Intérieur, Ivan Demergiev a expliqué que les participants à la réunion du Conseil européen n’avaient pas accepté l’idée de la construction d’un mur de protection, mais que l’Europe pourrait fournir des équipements tels des drones et des radars et renforcer la présence Frontex sur le terrain. Rappelons-le, le 8 décembre 2022, lors du Conseil JAI à Bruxelles la Roumanie s’est vue refuser l’admission à l’Espace Schengen de libre circulation européenne, à cause de l’opposition de l’Autriche et des Pays-Bas. Alors que les responsables autrichiens ont voté contre, ceux des Pays-Bas ont décidé d’accepter une éventuelle adhésion de la Roumanie, mais non pas de la Bulgarie. Les deux pays sont pourtant candidates à Schengen dans le cadre du même dossier.

    Vilnius – Le ministre roumain des AE, Bogdan Aurescu, fait ces lundi et mardi une visite à Vilnius en Lituanie, pour des pourparlers avec son homologue lituanien Gabrielius Landsbergis et avec la présidente du parlement de ce pays, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, sur l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’Espace Schengen, sur la guerre en Ukraine et sur l’impact de celle-ci dans la région. Selon un communiqué du ministère des AE de Bucarest les consultations permettront d’identifier de nouvelles opportunités d’approfondir les relations bilatérales. L’appui pluridimensionnel accordé par les deux Etats à l’Ukraine et le futur processus de reconstruction de cet Etat sera évidemment à l’ordre du jour des réunions qui viseront également l’impact de la guerre sur d’autres Etats de la région, la situation sécuritaire en République de Moldova et les mesures visant à contrecarrer les actions déstabilisatrices de la Russie.

    Chisinau – Les autorités de Chisinau affirment avoir démantelé un réseau coordonné par Moscou qui visait à déstabiliser la situation en République de Moldova. Il s’agirait de 10 groupes de 5 à 10 personnes, qui auraient du créer du chaos dans le cadre des actions de protestations qui ont eu lieu ce weekend à Chisinau. Ces groupes étaient coordonnés par un représentant de services spéciaux de la Fédération russe et recevaient des instructions visant à déstabiliser l’ordre public via des personnes à double nationalité, ruse et moldave, venues spécialement depuis Moscou. Les protestations ont été organisées par le parti politique du controversé homme d’affaires Ilan Şor.

    Météo – Il fait beau en Roumanie mais les températures sont assez basses le matin et dans la soirée. Le ciel est variable, avec quelques nuages sur le nord-ouest et le nord. Les maxima iront de 6 à 14 degrés. 10 degrés en ce moment à Bucarest.

  • La semaine du 21 au 27 novembre 2022

    La semaine du 21 au 27 novembre 2022

    Le mécanisme de communication et de vérification sera-t-il levé?

    Semaine particulièrement importante pour les autorités de Bucarest ! La Commission européenne a décidé que la Roumanie avait rempli ses engagements assumés dans le cadre du mécanisme de coopération et de vérification et a recommandé la levée de ce mécanisme de suivi de la Justice roumaine. Parmi les réformes que Bruxelles a jugées de positives figurent les lois de la Justice, récemment adoptées, une nouvelle stratégie de développement du système judiciaire, ainsi que la lutte contre la corruption. La Commission avertit toutefois qu’il est important que la Roumanie poursuive les efforts visant à transposer les engagements restants, figurant dans le rapport dans des lois concrètes et à les implémenter », dans le cadre du mécanisme visant l’état de droit. Les autorités de Bucarest ont salué la décision de la Commission européenne affirmant que la Roumanie confirme ainsi avoir réalisé les reformes nécessaires. La suspension du Mécanisme de communication et de vérification était essentielle à l’adhésion à l’espace Schengen, puisque les Pays-Bas conditionnaient l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace de libre circulation à la résolution des problèmes liés à l’Etat de droit et à la corruption. Et même le premier ministre néerlandais Mark Rutte a rappelé aux autorités le mois dernier à Bucarest que son pays allait retirer son opposition face à l’entrée de la Roumanie dans l’espace Schengen lorsque toutes les conditions figurant au mécanisme de coopération et de vérification seraient respectées.

    Visite en Letonie et en Lituanie du président roumain Klaus Iohannis.

    L’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace européen de libre circulation a été évoquée aussi par le président Klaus IOhannis lors de sa réunion avec ses homologues de Letonnie et de Lituanie dans le cadre des visites que le chef de l’Etat roumain a faites dans ces deux Etats cette semaine. La Roumanie et la Letonnie célèbrent cette année le centenaire des relations diplomatiques et le chef de l’Etat a parlé au président Egils Levits du renforcement de la coopération et de la coordination des efforts des deux pays au sein de l’UE, de l’OTAN et dans le cadre d’autres formats régionaux. Côté adhésion de la Roumanie à Schengen, le président roumain a déclaré que la Roumanie n’a pas été, n’est pas et ne sera pas un pays qui permettrait la migration non contrôlée et le passage illégal de ses frontières. C’est une réponse aux inquiétudes exprimées ces derniers temps par le chancelier autrichien au sujet des 75 000 personnes qui auraient traversé l’UE jusqu’en Autriche sans être enregistrées. Klaus Iohannis: « Le flux migratoire non-contrôlé n’a jamais existé, n’existe toujours pas et n’existera jamais en Roumanie. Ce n’est pas par la Roumanie que passent ces migrants et ce n’est pas de Roumanie qu’ils proviennent. La route des Balkans pose problème, nous le savons tous et nous en Roumanie nous avons adopté toutes les mesures nécessaires. » D’ailleurs, le ministre roumain de l’Intérieur, Lucian Bode, s’est rendu à Vienne pour assurer son homologue Gerhard Karner, que l’adhésion de la Roumanie à l’espace Schengen de libre circulation serait un point positif à la sécurité européenne et non pas un danger pour les Etats membres. Il a également rappelé que les experts de la Commission avaient décidé suite à la vérification des frontières du pays que la Roumanie respectait toutes les normes européennes d’adhésion à l’espace Schengen de libre circulation européenne. Enfin, à Vilnius, la réunion de Klaus Iohannis avec son homologue lituanien, Gitanas Nauseda, a visé notamment la situation sécuritaire de la région. Selon le leader de Vilnius, le prochain paquet de sanctions à l’adresse de la Russie imposé à cause de son agression contre l’Ukraine devrait être approuvé au plus vite. Klaus Iohannis a déclaré que la Roumanie soutenait et soutiendrait les autorités de Chisinau dans le contexte des attaques russes visant l’infrastructure énergétique ukrainienne qui ont plongé dans le noir aussi la République de Moldova. La Roumanie restera solidaire avec la République de Moldova et continuera à l’appuyer autant que nécessaire, a également assuré le ministre roumain des AE, Bogdan Aurescu, à Paris dans le cadre de la plate-forme d’appui de ce pays. Ce qui plus est, la Roumanie, aux côtés de la France et de l’Allemagne ont annoncé une nouvelle tranche d’aide à Chisinau de plus de 100 millions d’euros.

    Première séance commune des gouvernements roumain et espagnol.

    L’agression non provoquée, injustifiée et illégale de la Russie sur l’Ukraine a été fermement condamnée aussi par les premiers ministres – roumain, Nicolae Ciuca, et espagnol, Pedro Sanchez, lors de la première séance commune de cabinets de Bucarest et Madrid. Dans la déclaration commune signé par les deux responsables, les deux pays ont réaffirmé leur statut de partenaires solidaires au sein de l’UE et d’alliés qui soutiennent la sécurité de l’espace euro-atlantique dans le cadre de l’OTAN. Au niveau européen, Bucarest et Madrid s’engagent à appuyer tant la politique d’élargissement de l’UE da la zone des Balkans occidentaux que le parcours européen de l’Ukraine et de la République de Moldova. Au niveau bilatéral, les deux exécutifs ont décidé de créer un groupe de travail pour accorder la double citoyenneté aux ressortissants roumains d’Espagne. Dans ce contexte, le premier ministre espagnol a remercié les plus d’un million de Roumains établis dans son pays pour leur contribution au développement de l’Espagne et pour s’être très bien intégrés au sein de la société espagnole. A son tour, le premier ministre roumain Nicolae Ciuca a déclaré : « Je profite de cette opportunité pour remercier les Roumains pour la manière dont ils se sont intégrés, pour leur comportement, pour le fait d’avoir compris qu’il faut bien représenter la Roumanie où qu’ils déroulent leur activité. » Des mémorandums de coopération dans plusieurs domaines ont été aussi conclus à l’issue de cette séance commune des gouvernements roumain et espagnol.

    Décisions importantes à Bucarest concernant l’énergie et les salaires

    C’est sur la toile de fond de la crise énergétique à laquelle se confronte toute l’Europe que la Chambre des Députés de Bucarest a adopté mercredi en tant que chambre décisionnelle un projet de modification du décret gouvernemental visant l’énergie. Celui-ci plafonnait le prix de l’électricité à quelque é6 centimes d’euros par kWh. Le plafonnement se fera en fonction de la consommation réalisée et s’appliquera à commencer par le 1er janvier prochain jusqu’au 31 mars 2025. Et ce fut également cette semaine que les représentants du gouvernement, des syndicats et du patronat ont décidé de majorer le salaire minimum de 510 euros à 600 euros à partir du 1er janvier prochain. Quelque 40 euros seront exonérés d’impôt. Conformément au même accord entre les trois acteurs, dans le domaine du BTP, le salaire minimum sera d’environ 800 euros. Selon l’exécutif, cette majoration devrait générer des effets positifs sur la croissance économique tant par l’augmentation du pouvoir d’achat des salariés que par la réduction du chômage. Antérieurement, les leaders de la coalition à la gouvernance avaient décidé de majorer de12,5 % les pensions de retraite basée sur le principe de la contribution. Les retraités à très bas revenus recevront aussi une aide supplémentaire de la part de l’Etat. De son côté, le premier ministre a assuré que toutes ces mesures de soutien à la population agréées par la coalition, n’allaient pas causer de déséquilibres budgétaires. Pourtant, l’opposition parlementaire ne partage pas cette opinion, se disant mécontente du bilan d’une année de gouvernance du cabinet de la coalition formée du PSD, PNL et l’UDMR, dirigé par le libéral Nicoale Ciuca. L’Union Sauvez la Roumanie (USR) a dénoncé l’inflation énorme, le manque de préoccupation pour la réduction des dépenses des ministères et le maintien des régimes spéciaux de retraite. Toujours dans l’opposition, le parti ultra-nationaliste l’Alliance pour l’Union des Roumains (AUR) a accusé l’Exécutif d’incompétence et de manque de volonté pour prendre des mesures à même d’aider la population et l’économie. (Daniela Budu)

  • November 24, 2022 UPDATE

    November 24, 2022 UPDATE

    Visit — Hi tech and financial technologies, as well as cyber security, are the main areas of cooperation that Romania and Lithuania are considering. Economic exchanges between the two countries are growing significantly. Last year exchanges grew by 50% as compared to the previous year, and the first signals indicate that this trend will be maintained in 2022. The bilateral relationship was one of the central topics in the discussions that President Klaus Iohannis had on Thursday with his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda, during his visit to Vilnius. Another important topic on the agenda was the situation in Ukraine and the effects on the entire region. The two heads of state also discussed the new package of EU sanctions against Russia and came to the conclusion that firmer measures are needed. Klaus Iohannis was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. The Lithuanian president was awarded the Star of Romania National Order in the rank of Collar. On Friday, Iohannis will participate in “The Idea of ​​Europe” symposium, organized in Kaunas by the Vytautas Magnus University, where he will give a speech. He will also take part, together with his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, in a summit dedicated to strengthening NATOs Eastern Flank, supporting Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and promoting European memory, with an emphasis on combating disinformation and attempts to rewrite history. On Wednesday, Klaus Iohannis made an official visit to Lithuanias neighbor Latvia, where he had talks with the president Egils Levits.



    Vaccines – The Romanian Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, on Thursday announced that the first batches of vaccine with the new formula against SARS-CoV-2 infection have arrived in Romania. He pointed out that the vaccine will be available in the family doctors offices and in vaccination centers in the main hospitals in Romania. All those who have already had two doses of the old formula vaccine can be vaccinated with the third dose or, as the case may be, with the fourth dose, of this vaccine that protects against the newest variant BA4, BA5 Omicron – the health minister also said. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, three years ago, more than 67 thousand people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in Romania.



    Criticism — The opposition USR (in the Romanian Parliament) launched on Thursday the “Black Book of PSD, PNL, UDMR governance”, one year after the installation of the current Executive, led by the Liberal Nicolae Ciucă. The president of USR, Cătălin Drulă, said that the document is a critical report of the activity of each individual ministry. One year in the government meant record price hikes, plagiarism and failed projects – claims Drulă. AUR — the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (the nationalist opposition) launched its own document critical of the current governing coalition and drew attention to the fact that this year was marked by the bills crisis, the price hikes, the severe drought and the unfulfilled promises regarding Romanias accession to the Schengen area.



    Handball – The Romanian mens handball team will play, along with Spain, Argentina and Bahrain, at the Domingo Barcenas international tournament (January 5-7) in the Spanish resort of Benidorm, organized in preparation for the 2023 World Championship. The Romanians coached by the Spanish Xavier Pascal will face three teams qualified to the 2023 World Cup, scheduled in Poland and Sweden, between January 11-29. Romania failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, which brings together 32 teams. Currently, the Romanian handball players are engaged in the preliminaries of the EHF EURO 2024 European Championship.



    NATO – Next week, from Monday to Wednesday, Bucharest will host the meeting of foreign ministers from NATO member countries, thus becoming the European and Euro-Atlantic diplomatic capital, says the Romanian foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu. In a video message, published before the event, he said that the NATO countries’ foreign ministers meeting will once again demonstrate allied unity and solidarity and seek solutions to counter the effects of Russias brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. The conference will be hosted by Bogdan Aurescu together with the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Also in Bucharest, next week, the foreign ministers of the G7 – the group of the worlds richest states – will discuss how they can help Ukraine secure its energy resources for the winter, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock announced.



    Football – The Swiss national team defeated Cameroon 1-0 on Thursday in a Group G match of the World Cup in Qatar. The goal was scored by Breel Embolo, a Swiss striker born in Cameroon. Romania, which did not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, will be in the same group, I, with Switzerland in the preliminaries for Euro 2024. The group also includes Israel, Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra. The teams ranked on the first two positions qualify for the final continental tournament. (LS)

  • Bucharest will host a NATO meeting

    Bucharest will host a NATO meeting

    A meeting of the foreign ministers from the NATO member states will take place for the first time in Bucharest next week. Also for the first time, the meeting will be joined by the Moldovan foreign minister, and the foreign ministers from Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine will also attend the meeting in Bucharest. High on the agenda of the meeting will be the situation in Ukraine, says the spokeswoman for NATO, the Romanian Oana Lungescu.



    According to her, the NATO foreign ministers will hold a meeting in Bucharest almost nine months after Ukraine was illegally invaded by Russia. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine, as well as the global situation in the Black Sea area, the concerns we have related to the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region will be the priorities of the agenda of the meeting in Bucharest, said Oana Lungescu.



    In his turn, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, states that next weeks meeting of the foreign ministers of the NATO member countries, in Bucharest, is a bridge between last summers summit, in Madrid, and the next one, in Vilnius. He also mentions that the meeting is Romanias contribution to the Alliances strategic thinking and to NATOs response to the current, very complex situation on the continent.



    Mircea Geoană: ʺThere are almost 50 nations that contribute indirectly to NATO, but in a process led by the United States, in the contact group for Ukraine. We continue to see the active wish of allies and partners to help Ukraine from a military point of view. At the same time, we must say that from a political point of view, this time, we do not see conditions for a negotiation between the two sides in the near future, for an obvious reason. The positions are so different and so massively far from each other that, today, we do not see the conditions for the two sides finding common ground for starting negotiations”.



    Moreover, at political level, NATO does not have contacts with Russia. In addition, no one within the Alliance is negotiating anything on behalf of Ukraine – the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, also said. According to some NATO officials, on the first day of the meeting in the capital of Romania, on November 29, a session dedicated to the war between Russia and Ukraine will be organized, followed by an informal dinner to which the Ukrainian Foreign Minister was invited, who is expected to provide details on the situation in his country.



    On November 30, a discussion of the allied ministers with the representatives of Finland and Sweden is scheduled. There will also be a session dedicated to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, an opportunity for the NATO countries to make additional commitments to these partners, in the form of adapted aid packages. (LS)

  • Egalitatea de gen în pandemie

    Egalitatea de gen în pandemie

    Din doi în doi ani, Institutul European pentru Egalitate de gen, agenție a UE cu sediul la Vilnius, publică Indexul European al Egalității de gen, un studio amplu care analizează raporturile din bărbați și femei potrivit mai multor indicatori. În 2021, conform acestei cercetări, România, cu un punctaj de 54,5 din 100, se clasează pe locul 25 din 27 de state-membre. Scorul său este cu 13,5 puncte mai mic decât cel mediei Uniunii Europene. O analiză a acestui clasament ne oferă acum Oana Băluță, publicistă și conferențiară universitară la Facultatea de Jurnalism și Științe ale comunicării din cadrul Universității București.


    De-a lungul anilor România s-a menținut la coada clasamentului. Pentru anul 2021 inegalitățile cele mai pregnante în erau întrunite la doi indicatori. Primul este indicatorul putere unde România acumulase 34,7 puncte. Aici inegalitatea se accentuase în raport cu anul 2020. Un alt indicator care arăta inegalități de gen majore era cel care se numește timp. Indexul European al Egalității de Gen măsoară decalajele de gen în mai multe domenii: muncă, bani, cunoaștere, timp, putere, sănătate, violență și inegalități intersectoriale. Dar, dincolo de aceste cifre legate de anul 2021, e important să reținem faptul că aceste date ne spun că progresul înregistrat de România este mult mai lent în comparație cu schimbările din celelalte state membre ale Uniunii Europene, iar falia dintre România și celelalte state din Uniunea Europeană se adâncește.



    În Indexul egalității de gen, indicatorul putere se referă la puterea a lua decizii politice și economice. Aici România are nevoie de cea mai mare îmbunătățire a echilibrului de gen, deciziile cu cel mai mare impact economic și politic fiind luate preponderant de bărbații, deși ele afectează și totalitatea femeilor, comentează Oana Băluță. Domeniul putere examinează diferențele de reprezentare în grupuri politice și economice. Dacă noi ne uităm în zona politicii, vedem că ponderea de reprezentare a femeilor în guvern sau în Parlament sau în consiliile locale și primării este extrem de redusă. Schimbarea asta se face tot printr-o asumare politică în rândul partidelor politice pentru că, în democrația reprezentativă în care noi trăim, partidele politice sunt principalele platforme prin intermediul cărora candidează persoanele pentru o funcție politică. Tot partidele politice construiesc ierarhii în funcție de femeile și bărbații de pe listă. Și, dacă facem o analiză a acestor liste electorale, vedem că, pe de o parte, în etapa de nominalizare a candidaților, partidele nominalizează mult mai puține feme, nici măcar până în 30%. Și observăm că pe locurile eligibile femeile sunt mult mai puțin nominalizate comparativ cu locurile neeligibile și desigur cu bărbați. Așadar, partidele politice își asumă și echilibrul de gen în politică.



    Un exemplu de decizii politice sau politici publice dezirabile care ar putea restabili echilibrul de gen sunt cele care vizează responsabilizare echitabilă a bărbaților și a femeilor. De pildă, conform Indexului Egalității de Gen, numărul româncelor angajate pe piața muncii este mult mai redus decât al bărbațiilor. Cauzele acestei situații sunt descrise tot de Oana Băluță. În comparație cu celelalte state din Uniunea Europeană, în România femeile petrec un mare număr de ore făcând munci de îngrijire și munci domestice. Iar această deresponsabilizare a bărbaților în gospodprie are și consecințe cât se poate de concrete: de la supraaglomerarea muncilor și mai puțin timp liber la o pondere a femeilor în populație ocupată mult mai redusă în perioada 2016-2020. Între 2016 și 2020 am avut cel mai scăzut nivel de participare a femeilor pe piața muncii comparativ cu bărbații din ultimele două decenii și jumătate. Iar cauza principală, așa cum este ea identificată de femei, o constituie îngrijirea adulților, a persoanelor cu dizabilități sau a copiilor. Asta știm dintr-un alt studiu publicat în luna decembrie a anului trecut, un studiu care se uită la inegalitățile economice de gen în România.



    Spre deosebire de anii trecuți, în 2021 Indexul Egalității de Gen nu a cuprins date referitoare la violența domestică. Totuși, un Eurobarometru recent arată că 77% dintre femeile din Uniunea Europeană consideră că pandemia de COVID-19 a dus la creșterea violenței psihice și fizice împotriva femeilor în țara lor. Oana Băluță. Din păcate știm și din datele pe care le-au colectat organizațiile non-guvernamentale sau din datele comunicate de poliție că violența a crescut în perioada pandemiei. Nu doar că a crescut violența, dar a crescut incidența anumitor tipuri de violență, inclusiv violență sexuală. În același timp, felul în care instituțiile statului în România au abordat tematica violenței arată iarăși că pandemia s-a așezat pe un context de inegalități structurale, inclusiv în domeniul prevenirii și al combaterii violenței.