Radio România Internațional

Tag: visit

September 4, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT – The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, paid an official visit to Berlin on Monday, for talks with her German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, and the European policy advisor to the German Chancellor, Undine Ruge. The meetings reconfirmed the complex and strong bilateral relationship between Romania and Germany. The Romanian official firmly condemned once again the Russian Federations attacks on the Ukrainian people and civil infrastructure, including on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, near the border with Romania. She pointed out that the attacks on the night of September 3 did not generate direct military threats to the Romanian territory or the country’s territorial waters and that the Defense Ministry is closely monitoring the national territory, waters and air space and contributes to strengthening the defense and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank, in keeping with domestic and allied plans. The Romanian minister pleaded, on the other hand, for further European support to the Republic of Moldova, in order to strengthen its resilience in the face of current threats, including through the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, an initiative launched by Romania, Germany and France.

PARLIAMENT – Romanian senators and deputies on Monday started the second ordinary parliamentary session of the year, which focuses on the special pensions bill and other projects needed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Moreover, a package of fiscal measures that is being discussed at present in the ruling coalition and for which PM Marcel Ciolacu will take responsibility in Parliament, is expected.

LAWS – The National Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition in Romania, decided by vote to support the Government’s taking responsibility in Parliament for the legislative package of fiscal-budgetary measures. The Liberal leader, Nicolae Ciucă, said however that there are three important conditions that his party will not give up, namely: reducing public spending, tackling fiscal evasion and promoting fiscal measures. Ciucă also referred to other measures that the Liberals want to be adopted by the Executive, such as maintaining the single tax rate.

MEETING — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, will receive, on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, on the occasion of his visit to Cincu (centre), at the invitation of the Romanian side, the Presidential Administration has informed. The two officials will have political consultations and will visit together the troops stationed at the Getica National Joint Training Center in Cincu. They will address the soldiers from Luxembourg who are part of the NATO battle group in Romania. President Iohannis and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will discuss about the consolidation of the deterrence posture on NATO’s Eastern Flank, the continuation of the multidimensional support offered to Ukraine, as well as about the support for vulnerable partners in the region, with an emphasis on the Republic of Moldova, a country seriously affected by the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

CREVEDIA – Another patient injured in the explosions that took place in Crevedia (south of Bucharest) died Monday morning, the Romanian Health Ministry announced. According to the source, the man had burns on 95% of his body. This is the fourth person to die after the Crevedia explosions. One person severely injured, treated in a Bucharest and another five people who had been transferred abroad for medical care are intubated and their condition is critical.

OLYMPIAD – Romanian students won three silver and one bronze medal at the International Informatics Olympiad. The Society for Excellence and Performance in Informatics has announced that the awards ceremony of the 35th edition of the Olympiad took place in Szeged, in neighboring Hungary, attended by over 300 competitors from 90 countries. Romania remains in second place in the world ranking of awards obtained over time at the International Informatics Olympiad, with 127 medals: 33 gold, 58 silver and 36 bronze, together with Poland, after China, which ranks first. (EE)

4 September 2023
September 1, 2023 UPDATE

Visit – Romania is a credible and responsible partner, the Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday fresh from the meetings with the heads of the European institutions. In his first official visit to Brussels as head of government, he was received by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The Romanian Prime Minister discussed with the European officials about the budget deficit, saying that he does not agree with an increase in the VAT rate which would also lead to an increase in inflation. Romania, without any exception, will apply the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the PM said. The head of the Romanian government went to Brussels to negotiate with the representatives of the European Commission the increase in the budget deficit, without losing European money. Romania had assumed a deficit target of 4.4%, but now wants to increase it to over 5%. Also, the prime minister wanted the expenses for supporting Ukraine and the defense investments to be deducted from the deficit. In this context, Marcel Ciolacu received thanks from the European officials for the strong support offered to Ukraine and the neighboring Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, they reconfirmed their support for Bucharests accession to the Schengen free travel area.

Schengen — ‘Hungarys national interest is for Romania to accede to Schengen as soon as possible’ says the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who firmly asked Austria not to block Romanias accession to the free travel area this autumn. According to the Hungarian MTI news agency, the Hungarian official pointed out that the accession decision must be made based on facts. Romania is Hungarys third export market and a popular investment place for Hungarian capital, said Peter Szijjarto, recalling, at the same time, that a Romanian minority lives on the territory of Hungary, and a minority of Hungarians lives on the territory of Romania. Last December, Austria blocked the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area, claiming that it could not support the expansion of the free travel area as long as it is not functional.

Cereals – A European Commission team is visiting Romania on Friday and Saturday to discuss about facilitating the export of Ukrainian grains on the Danube, after Russia left the Initiative on grain shipment through the Black Sea and threatens civil maritime transport. The team of experts will visit the Danube port of Galati (south-east) and will meet with representatives of the Lower Danube River Administration, of the port authorities and of ship pilots. The team of experts will also go to the Black Sea port of Constanta to meet with representatives of the Romanian Government, the port authority and the customs authority. Also, the delegation will meet with representatives of the operators, transporters and grain traders from the port of Constanţa, the European Commission announced.

Diplomacy — The Romanian diplomacy will continue to support and promote solid partnerships and relations, based on democratic values, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, international law and the rules-based international order, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminiţa Odobescu, said on Friday. In her message conveyed on the occasion of the Romanian Diplomacy Day, Mrs. Odobescu recalls that the day is celebrated in a difficult and complex regional context, which, together with accelerated global developments, requires, more than ever, a predictable, coherent, adapted, dynamic and anticipatory foreign policy. Referring to the priorities of the Romanian diplomacy, Luminiţa Odobescu mentioned the growth of Romanias role and influence in the European Union and NATO, as well as the development and deepening of the Strategic Partnership with the USA. The development of consular services for Romanian citizens outside the countrys borders will not be neglected either, the head of the Romanian diplomacy added.

Volleyball — Romania’s national team won its first victory at the European Mens Volleyball Championship – CEV EuroVolley 2023, 3-2 against Turkey, on Friday, in Tel Avi-Yafo, in Group D of the competition. In the first two stages, the Romanian national team lost to Portugal, 0-3, and to Israel, 2-3. They will next play against Greece (on September 3) and France (on September 4). The first four teams qualify for the round of 16. The European Championship takes place in Israel, Italy, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, from August 28 to September 16. Romania ranked 21st in the previous edition of the European Championship in which it participated, in 2019. The record of the Romanian players includes a European title in 1963, two silver medals (1955, 1958) and two bronze medals (1971, 1977). (LS)

1 September 2023
July 6, 2023

BRIDGE Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis has today said that the suspended bridge over the Danube at Braila in
south-eastern Romania, is the biggest construction Romania has seen in the past
tree decades, which proves that major infrastructure projects can be finalised.
Iohannis added that Romania has access to a significant volume of European
funds and a good part of it has been devoted to the development of the
country’s infrastructure. The inauguration ceremony of this bridge, the biggest
ever built in Romania and the third in Europe, has been attended by the
country’s president and by its Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu. This is the last
bridge over the Danube before its flowing into the Black Sea and has been
designed to last 120 years. The almost 2 kilometer bridge will link the
south-eastern counties of Braila and Tulcea and raise the area’s economic
potential. The project’s total value has exceeded 400 million euros, 85% coming
from European funds.

CSAT Romania’s Higher Defence Council
also known as the CSAT is to convene in Bucharest today for talks over the
country’s objectives at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius. Also high on the
agenda is the number of troops available for missions and operations outside
the country’s borders next year. The council last convened on April 11th when
one of the decisions was the purchase of the state-of-the-art jet fighters
F-35. Other issues on the agenda included the latest security developments in
the Black Sea region, against the background of the Russian aggression in
Ukraine and the external interventions against the democratic process in the Republic
of Moldova.

TENNIS The game pitching Romanian
tennis player Irina Begu and Canadian Rebecca Marino, in the first round of the
Wimbledon tennis tournament, which was interrupted last night in the second set
due to the darkness, is to resume today. Begu won the first set and the game’s
victor will be up against Ana Blinkova of Russia in the second round. Three
Romanians are playing today at Wimbledon: Ana Bogdan, who comes after a win
against Liudmila Samsonova of Russia and will meet US challenger, Alycia Parks,
Jaqueline Cristian who will be playing Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, after her
win against Italian Lucia Bronzetti and Sorana Cirstea, who yesterday defeated
Tatjana Maria of Germany and will be next up against Jelena Ostapenko of
Latvia.

NEVERSEA The city of Constanta, in south-eastern
Romania, is hosting the fifth edition of Neversea, the biggest beach festival
in Europe. The event is expected to bring together music lovers from all over
the world, from Britain, Germany, the United States, Italy, Bulgaria and
Israel. Over one thousand policemen, gendarmes, border police, anti-drug
officers and 700 private security guards are to supervise the festival. Special
emphasis is to be laid on the prevention and fighting drug consumption and
trafficking. Neversea organizers are expecting 260 thousand people to attend this
four-day festival on the Black Sea coast.

VISIT The Prime Minister of
Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, paid a two-day visit to Berlin where he held talks
with the country’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with representatives of the Federal
Parliament, of the business environment and of the Romanian Diaspora.
Chancellor Scholz reiterated his country’s support for Romania’s accession to
the Schengen zone this year. In turn, Prime Minister Ciolacu underlined the
importance of bilateral cooperation and the significant potential of this
country, recalling that Germany is Romania’s most important trade partner.

(bill)

6 July 2023
June 19, 2023

Exams – In Romania, more than 160,000 8th graders today started the National Assessment with the written exam in Romanian language and literature. On Wednesday, the students will take the math test, and on Thursday, the students who belong to national minorities will be evaluated in their mother tongue. For the first time this year, the national assessment is the only one that counts for high school admission. We remind you that the registration period for the national assessment and the baccalaureate exam has been extended this year, due to the all-out strike in education. The protest lasted three weeks and was suspended after the government met the salary demands of the education system employees.

Moldova — Romania’s new foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu is paying on Monday and Tuesday a visit to the republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) upon the invitation of her counterpart, Nicu Popescu. This is the first visit that the new Romanian FM pays since taking over her mandate last week. The two ministers will discuss the development of bilateral relations and the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the EU. On Tuesday a joint meeting will be held in Moldova’s Parliament with the members of the committee for human rights from the Romanian Senate.

Conference – 20 European defense ministers and NATOs Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, are participating, today, in Paris, in the Conference on Joint Air Defense organized at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting aims at relaunching the strategic issue regarding air defense and long-range missiles. At present, no EU country has weapons capable of firing a missile from its territory to hit a target more than 1,000 km away, while the Russians can hit all European capitals in just a few minutes. President Emmanuel Macron is calling on the partners in the EU to create the conditions to defend themselves and not leave the future of the borders to the whims of the Russians or the Americans, as he declared a few months ago, when he proposed todays conference in Paris. ‘The air defense of our continent is a strategic matter. We cannot limit ourselves to promoting a national defense industry at the expense of European sovereignty’, said Emmanuel Macron. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Paris, the remark is aimed directly at Germany. Determined to strengthen the country’s air defense, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched last year, within NATO, the European Sky Shield initiative, the American European shield, which 14 of the allies joined, among which Romania, but not France.

Visit – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet in Beijing with China’s most important foreign policy officials. The US officials first visit to China comes almost five months after a major breakdown in relations over an alleged Chinese spy balloon. His initial trip was abruptly canceled after the balloon, which Beijing says was monitoring the weather, flew over the US territory before being destroyed by US military planes. It is not yet known whether the American Secretary of State will also meet with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. The two global superpowers have a long list of topics on the agenda, including major disagreements as well as potential areas of cooperation.

Grand Prix Nova — Bucharest saw the start of the ‘Grand Prix Nova’ Radio Drama Festival, an event organized by Radio Romania under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania. In this years edition, 27 productions from 12 countries are participating. The festival promotes, this year as well, in its three sections, innovation in radio drama. In the 11 years since it has been organized by Radio Romania, this festival has become a cultural context in which the experiment is not only displayed but also awarded at the international level, said the president and director general of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Răzvan Ioan Dincă.

Statistics – Romanias gas imports in the first four months of the year decreased by 45.6%, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics. On the other hand, domestic production increased by almost 7% as compared to the same period of last year. The National Committee for Strategy and Forecast estimated for 2023, in the latest forecast of the energy balance published, a gas production increasing by 2% and a decrease in imports by 6.2% from one year to the next.

Football – This evening, in Lucerne, the Romanian national football team meets the Swiss national team, in a Group I match of the EURO 2024 preliminaries. On Friday evening, the Romanian national team obtained an important point against Kosovo, away from home. Romania’s national eleven is ranked 2nd in the group, after Switzerland. (LS)

19 June 2023
A royal visit

Many have wondered if Charles III, who became King of the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, last September, and was crowned at the beginning of May, will ever visit Romania again, in his new position. The attachment to the country which he first visited a quarter of a century ago, as Crown Prince, and which he has visited frequently since then, is, however, unaltered, and the fact that the new British monarch chose Romania as his destination for his first trip abroad is proof thereof. I have always felt rather at home in Romania, Charles said at the reception ceremony organized by President Klaus Iohannis in his honor on Friday.

The British sovereign had an emotional speech, which began in Romanian: Doamnelor si domnilor, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot describe what great pleasure it gives me to be visiting Romania once again. I believe that 25 years have gone by since my first visit to this most remarkable country. When I came here, and even before, I felt a deep connection to Romania. As I have said before, I have come to love Romania – your culture and art, your heritage and history, your sweeping landscapes and priceless biodiversity, this ‘tara de gloria, tara de dor (country of glory, country of longing), if I may paraphrase your national poet, Mihai Eminescu.

President Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for the role he plays in protecting the values related to the Romanian identity and for his openness to what the Romanian village represents and recalled the efforts Charles made to protect the ecosystem and restore the unique biodiversity of Romania. If the first day of his visit, on Friday, in Bucharest, represented the courtesy component of his presence in Romania, Charles dedicated the next four to visits to towns in two Transylvanian counties, Covasna and Braşov, villages which won him over from the very beginning and where he owns properties that he has restored, saving them from destruction. He was warmly received by the locals, as has happened every time in the last two decades and he enjoyed nature walks.

He is showing us his affection through this gesture, said a local official about the King’s visit, quoted by AFP. The French news agency reports that King Charles is proud to be a distant relative of a 15th-century ruler known as Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the character of Count Dracula, and that he has, in his own words, ‘Transylvania in blood’. An avowed environmentalist, he discovered the region in 1998, and became a protector of the villages in the heart of Romania, founded by German settlers eight centuries ago, AFP recalls. It will be a unique moment for our community to welcome the king, a sign of recognition of the work done all these years, emphasized the president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust foundation dedicated to the protection of the Transylvanian heritage which is operating under the patronage of king Charles. (LS)

6 June 2023
June 4, 2023 UPDATE

Pentecost — The majority Orthodox Christians in Romania and the Greek Catholics will celebrate on Monday, the second day of Pentecost, dedicated to the Holy Trinity. On the second day of Pentecost in some areas of the country pots are offered to people, which should be decorated with flowers and be accompanied by a bread ring with a candle on top for those who have passed away. Beautifully decorated plates are also given away for the living. Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles marks the foundation of the Christian Church and is celebrated 50 days after Easter. According to the New Testament, the 12 Apostles, gathered in a house, received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the power to preach in languages they had never spoken before. Following the sermon of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 people were baptized and formed the first Christian community. In churches, on Pentecost day, the faithful receive blessed walnut leaves, symbols of the flames that appeared above the heads of the Apostles, at the time of the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

Prize – Human rights and human dignity are key elements for the construction of societies characterized by freedom, democracy and solidarity, President Klaus Iohannis said on Sunday, upon receiving the Franz Werfel Prize for Human Rights for the year 2023, during a ceremony held in Frankfurt on Main. The head of the Romanian state showed that for Romania, the people belonging to national minorities represent not only a rich cultural and human heritage, but also a real added value for the whole society. During the ceremony, the Laudatio speech was delivered by Jean-Claude Juncker, former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, who highlighted the merits of President Klaus Iohannis in the fight against corruption, in the observance of the rule of law and the protection of minorities. On Saturday, also in Germany, the Romanian president received the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf. In his acceptance speech, Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state.

Visit — King Charles III of Great Britain continues his private visit to Romania. On Saturday and Sunday, the British sovereign walked the streets of Valea Zălanului village in Covasna county (center), where he owns three houses. Dressed casually, the king was welcomed by the locals with flowers. He talked with the villagers and tourists who came especially to see him, and he also visited some picturesque places in the area. I love to come to Romania, said the monarch. Charles III was received, on Friday, at the Cotroceni Palace, by President Klaus Iohannis. It is the first visit that a British monarch pays to Romania, and also the first foreign trip of the sovereign since his coronation, which took place last month. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and he declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine lost, on Sunday, in three sets, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, the match in the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, against Jessica Pegula and CoCo Gauff, both from the USA. Ruse and Kostyuk were seeded 13th at Roland Garros, one of the most important international tennis tournaments.

Turkey – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on behalf of Romania, for his reconfirmation as President of Turkey and wished him success in fulfilling his new mandate, during the investiture ceremony that took place on Saturday. The event was attended by heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ankara, among whom the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. He is in Turkey also for discussions aimed at solving the objections of the Ankara administration regarding the ratification of Swedens request for NATO membership. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian officials participation in the ceremony reflects Romanias desire to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, based on consistent political dialogue and close cooperation in a wide range of sectoral fields. For Romania, Turkey is the second commercial partner outside the EU and the first destination of Romanian exports outside the Union, last year the volume of exchanges registering almost 9.6 billion dollars. Recep Tayyip Erdogan took oath as president for the third time. On May 28, in the second round of voting, he defeated the candidate of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The Turkish leader dominated the countrys politics for 20 years, first as prime minister, then as president, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy. (LS)

4 June 2023
June 4, 2023

Visit — King Charles III of Great Britain continues his private visit to Romania. On Saturday, the British sovereign walked the streets of Valea Zălanului village in Covasna county (center), where he owns three houses. Dressed casually, the king was welcomed by the locals with flowers. He talked with the villagers and tourists who came especially to see him, and he also visited some picturesque places in the area. I love to come to Romania, said the monarch. Charles III was received, on Friday, at the Cotroceni Palace, by President Klaus Iohannis. It is the first visit that a British monarch pays to Romania, and also the first foreign trip of the sovereign since his coronation, which took place last month. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and he declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Prize — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis receives Sunday in Frankfurt am Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, granted by the Center against Expulsions. Romania’s Presidential Administration specifies that the decision to grant this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career. On Saturday, Romania’s president received the German Civic Award, offered by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf (Germany). In the thank-you speech delivered in German, the Romanian head of state recalled the efforts made by Romania to contribute to securing the EU borders. Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration into the Schengen Area, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state, emphasizing the support for the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the restoration and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support for the anti-corruption fight and attachment to the idea of a united Europe.

Pentecost — The majority Romanian Orthodox Christians and the Greek Catholics celebrate, Sunday, the Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, an event that marks the foundation of the Christian Church. According to the New Testament, the 12 Apostles, gathered in a house, received the Holy Spirit, who gave them the power to preach in languages they had never spoken before. Following the sermon of the Apostle Peter, 3,000 people were baptized and formed the first Christian community. In churches, believers receive blessed walnut leaves, symbols of the flames that appeared above the heads of the Apostles, at the time of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, during the Pentecost mini-holiday, tens of thousands of tourists are in the resorts on the Prahova Valley (south) or on the Black Sea Coast (southeast). Many Romanians chose to spend their free time outside the country, especially in Bulgaria and Greece.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk from Ukraine are playing, today, in the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, against Jessica Pegula and CoCo Gauff, both from the USA. Ruse and Kostiuk qualified, on Saturday, after, in the second round of the Parisian competition on clay court, they defeated the pair made up of the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens and the American Shelby Rogers, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Ruse and Kostyuk are seeded 13th at Roland Garros, one of the most important international tennis tournaments.

Turkey – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on behalf of Romania, for his reconfirmation as President of Turkey and wished him success in fulfilling his new mandate, during the investiture ceremony that took place on Saturday. The event was attended by heads of state and government, ministers of foreign affairs, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ankara, among whom the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. He is in Turkey also for discussions aimed at solving the objections of the Ankara administration regarding the ratification of Swedens request for NATO membership. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian officials participation in the ceremony reflects Romanias desire to strengthen the bilateral Strategic Partnership, based on consistent political dialogue and close cooperation in a wide range of sectoral fields. For Romania, Turkey is the second commercial partner outside the EU and the first destination of Romanian exports outside the Union, last year the volume of exchanges registering almost 9.6 billion dollars. Recep Tayyip Erdogan took oath as president for the third time. On May 28, in the second round of voting, he defeated the candidate of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The Turkish leader dominated the countrys politics for 20 years, first as prime minister, then as president, but critics accuse him of authoritarianism and mismanagement of the economy. (LS)

4 June 2023
June 3, 2023 UPDATE

Visit – King Charles III of Great Britain is in Romania, on his first trip abroad since the coronation that took place less than a month ago. His five-day visit is private, and the meeting he had with President Klaus Iohannis on Friday was a gesture of courtesy. After the meeting with the head of the Romanian state, the British sovereign confessed that he always felt at home in Romania, which he called, in Romanian, “land of glory, land of longing”, quoting from the poem of Romania’s national poet Mihai Eminescu “What I wish for you, sweet Romania!. President Klaus Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for his involvement in protecting values related to the national identity and emphasized that the Charitable Foundation of King Charles III opened the possibility of rediscovering the Romanian village. It is the first time that a British monarch visits Romania. On Friday evening, the king arrived at his residence in the village of Valea Zălanului (central Romania), where he will spend a few days of vacation. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Turkey — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu participated on Saturday, in Ankara, in the investiture ceremony of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was re-elected on May 28 this year. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, was among the officials attending the event. According to a NATO press release, Jens Stoltenberg will try, during the two days he will stay in Ankara, to convince Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop opposing Swedens accession to NATO. Ankara has not yet ratified this countrys entry into the Alliance in its Parliament, so only Finland was accepted in the spring. Turkeys claims concern Swedens treatment of entities or persons considered by Ankara to be terrorists. On June 1, however, a new legislation regarding the fight against terrorism entered into force in Sweden, and it includes the elements requested by Turkey. The Hungarian Parliament has not ratified Swedens accession either, but the political world is sure that Budapests ratification will come immediately after Ankaras decision.

Award — Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis received, on Saturday, the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, in Dusseldorf, Germany. In the thank-you speech delivered in German, Klaus Iohannis recalled the efforts made by Romania to contribute to securing the EU borders. Klaus Iohannis reiterated Romanias support for the European values, which gives legitimacy to the citizens desire to benefit from integration into the Schengen Area. He reminded that Romania fully meets the criteria for integration, managing the external borders with responsibility and efficiency. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian president, emphasizing the support of the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the restoration and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support for the anti-corruption fight and the attachment to the idea of a united Europe. On Sunday, Klaus Iohannis will receive, in Frankfurt am Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, offered by the Center against Expulsions. The granting of this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career.

Timisoara — This years edition of the Romanian Chamber Orchestra Tour began on Saturday, in Timișoara, the European Capital of Culture 2023. Now in its fifth edition, the current tour has the most extensive formula so far – over 50 musicians performing on the worlds great stages will reunite under the baton of Timișoara-born conductor Cristian Măcelaru. “It is a project in which we bring as many Romanians from outside Romania as possible, who want to return and contribute to the cultural life in Romania. Because in all the orchestras in Europe and in America there are Romanians of extraordinary quality, and this orchestra – the Romanian Chamber Orchestra – that was formed is, indeed, a dear project and every time the tour was held in Timişoara. That was my wish”, said the conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Tonights concert program includes works by Mozart, Schubert and Ligeti, the soloist being the clarinetist Carlos Ferreira.

Agriculture — In the last year, Romania was the second largest exporter of wheat to the EU, after France, being followed by Germany and Poland. Eurostat data shows that from July 1, 2022, Romania exported almost 4 million tons of wheat, but European data also shows an increase of over 200% in EU wheat imports. Spain is the largest European importer of wheat, more than 3 million tons, followed by Romania with over 890,000 tons. Data centralized by Eurostat also show that in the last year Romania exported more than half of the total amount of corn sold for export by the EU – 1.64 tons out of a total of almost 3 million tons. According to the provisional data announced by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest, Romania, which is the largest exporter of corn in the Union, obtained a grain corn production of 8.2 million tons last year, while in 2021 the harvest of grain corn was almost 15 million tons.

Accident – The death toll of the three-train crash in eastern India is hundreds of dead, and the authorities say that the number of victims will increase. Hundreds more people are injured in the worst train accident in India this century. Two passenger trains collided, and a goods train stationed in the area was also involved in the accident. India has seen many railway accidents over time, but safety on the railways has improved significantly in recent years due to massive new investments and technological upgrades.

Paris – The Romanian tennis player Gabriela Ruse qualified, on Saturday, to the round of 16 of the womens doubles in the Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros, in which she pairs with the Ukrainian Marta Kostiuk. In the second round of the Parisian competition on clay court, the two defeated, in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, the pair made up of the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens and the American Shelby Rogers. In the round of 16, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk will face the winners of the match between Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)/Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil) and 2nd seeds CoCo Gauff/Jessica Pegula (USA). (LS)

3 June 2023
June 3, 2023

Visit – King Charles III of Great Britain is in Romania, on his first trip abroad since the coronation that took place less than a month ago. His five-day visit is private, and the meeting he had with President Klaus Iohannis on Friday was a gesture of courtesy. After the meeting with the head of the Romanian state, the British sovereign confessed that he always felt at home in Romania, which he called, in Romanian, “land of glory, land of longing”, quoting from the poem of Romania’s national poet Mihai Eminescu “What I wish for you, sweet Romania!. President Klaus Iohannis thanked the British sovereign for his involvement in protecting values related to the national identity and emphasized that the Charitable Foundation of King Charles III opened the possibility of rediscovering the Romanian village. It is the first time that a British monarch visits Romania. On Friday evening, the king arrived at his residence in the village of Valea Zălanului (central Romania), where he will spend a few days of vacation. As a Crown Prince, Charles visited Romania several times, the first time in 1998 and declared himself an admirer of the country. He got involved in preserving the Romanian cultural heritage, buying and restoring old houses in the countryside, which he saved from destruction. In 2017, the Presidency granted him the National Order “Star of Romania” in the rank of Grand Cross.

Turkey — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is participating, today, in Ankara, in the investiture ceremony of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was re-elected on May 28 this year. The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, is among the officials attending the event. According to a NATO press release, Jens Stoltenberg will try, during the two days he will stay in Ankara, to convince Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop opposing Swedens accession to NATO. Ankara has not yet ratified this countrys entry into the Alliance in its Parliament, so only Finland was accepted in the spring. Turkeys claims concern Swedens treatment of entities or persons considered by Ankara to be terrorists. On June 1, however, a new legislation regarding the fight against terrorism entered into force in Sweden, and it includes the elements requested by Turkey. The Hungarian Parliament has not ratified Swedens accession either, but the political world is sure that Budapests ratification will come immediately after Ankaras decision.

Prize — Today, President Klaus Iohannis receives the German Civic Award, granted by the Bad Harzburg Civic Foundation, as part of a ceremony that will take place in Dusseldorf, Germany. The foundation decided to award the prize based on the evaluation of the entire political career of the Romanian head of state, emphasizing the support for the harmonious coexistence of different ethnicities, the commitment to freedom, democracy and pluralism, the revamping and modernization of his hometown Sibiu (the center of Romania), the support of the anti-corruption fight and the attachment to the idea of a united Europe. On Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis will receive, in Frankfurt on Main, the Franz Werfel prize for human rights, granted by the Center against Expulsions. The Romanian Presidential Administration specifies that the decision to grant this award represents the recognition of his activity in the field of promoting human rights and good coexistence between ethnic groups, throughout his political career.

Timisoara — This years edition of the Romanian Chamber Orchestra Tour begins today, in Timișoara, the European Capital of Culture 2023. Now in its fifth edition, the current tour has the most extensive formula so far – over 50 musicians performing on the worlds great stages will reunite under the baton of Timișoara-born conductor Cristian Măcelaru. “It is a project in which we bring as many Romanians from outside Romania as possible, who want to return and contribute to the cultural life in Romania. Because in all the orchestras in Europe and in America there are Romanians of extraordinary quality, and this orchestra – the Romanian Chamber Orchestra – that was formed is, indeed, a dear project and every time the tour was held in Timişoara. That was my wish”, said the conductor Cristian Măcelaru. Tonights concert program includes works by Mozart, Schubert and Ligeti, the soloist being the clarinetist Carlos Ferreira.

Agriculture — In the last year, Romania was the second largest exporter of wheat to the EU, after France, being followed by Germany and Poland. Eurostat data shows that from July 1, 2022, Romania exported almost 4 million tons of wheat, but European data also shows an increase of over 200% in EU wheat imports. Spain is the largest European importer of wheat, more than 3 million tons, followed by Romania with over 890,000 tons. Data centralized by Eurostat also show that in the last year Romania exported more than half of the total amount of corn sold for export by the EU – 1.64 tons out of a total of almost 3 million tons. According to the provisional data announced by the National Institute of Statistics in Bucharest, Romania, which is the largest exporter of corn in the Union, obtained a grain corn production of 8.2 million tons last year, while in 2021 the harvest of grain corn was almost 15 million tons.

Accident – The death toll of the three-train crash in eastern India is hundreds of dead, and the authorities say that the number of victims will increase. Hundreds more people are injured in the worst train accident in India this century. Two passenger trains collided, and a goods train stationed in the area was also involved in the accident. India has seen many railway accidents over time, but safety on the railways has improved significantly in recent years due to massive new investments and technological upgrades. (LS)

3 June 2023
May 30, 2023 UPDATE

VISIT Romanian president Klaus Iohannis
will be receiving King Charles III of the United Kingdom at the Cotroceni
Palace in Bucharest on Friday. After the welcome ceremony, His Majesty will be
having face-to-face talks with the Romanian president, and is expected to meet
local authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the
diplomatic corps. The British Ambassador in Bucharest, Andrew Noble, has told the
AGERPRES news agency that His Majesty’s visit is private and that he will meet
the Romanian president as a courtesy gesture. This will be the first visit of a
British Monarch to Romania. King Charles III owns property in Romania, which he
used to visit regularly when he was Prince of Wales.

STRIKE After a new round of talks with the government in
Bucharest, trade unions in Romania’s education sector have threatened to carry
on their all-out strike as their request for a pay rise has been turned down by
the authorities. According to them, the government offered only the equivalent
of 800 euros in bonuses for teachers and 300 euros for the auxiliary personnel.
Over 15 thousand teachers protested in front of the government building and the
presidential palace on Tuesday calling on the Romanian president, who used to
be a teacher before becoming the country’s president, to get involved in the
process of finding a solution to their claims. President Iohannis has voiced
readiness to act a mediator in the talks aimed at finding a solution to the
crisis in Romania’s education system. He described the teachers’ claims as
natural and legitimate but underlined that overcoming the deadlock in education
and ending the strike are crucial for the good functioning of the school year
and for maintaining a stability climate in the educational system. Students in
schools across Romania have voiced their support for their teachers’ protests
and for their claims.

AID The National Committee for Emergency Situations, convened on
Monday by the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, approved the granting,
free of charge, of humanitarian aid to Syria. It is intended for the population
affected by the major earthquake produced on the territory of Turkey on
February 6, which caused casualties and big material damage in Syria as well.
The support is granted based on the humanitarian assistance request initiated
by Damascus through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The Romanian
state, through the National Administration of State Reserves and the Romanian
Patriarchate, will send basic goods, food, medical devices and shelter items.
The transport will be carried out by air, with the support of the Ministry of
Defense.

UNITER The UNITER Gala, which awards the best Romanian theatrical
productions, will take place on June 12, in Timișoara, with a new concept,
specially created for the city in the west of the country, which holds the
title of Cultural Capital of Europe, the organizers announce in a press
conference on Monday. In the preamble, between June 7-10, three of the best
shows of 2022, nominated for the UNITER awards, will be presented: Oedipus King of the Marin
Sorescu National Theater in Craiova (south), Antonin Artaud. The
Cenci Family of the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater in Iasi
(east) and Seaside Stories of the Constanta State Theater
(south-east). The performances will be followed by interactive
question-and-answer sessions with the audience.

(bill&MI)

30 May 2023
May 26, 2023

Strike – The Romanian government met, today, in a special session, to increase by 9% the salaries of the education non-teaching staff, in response to the all-out strike in the education system started on Monday. The trade unionists request a 25% increase in all salaries in the education sector, including the teaching staff, and for beginner teachers an average gross salary of 3,000 lei (the equivalent of about 600 Euros). Instead, the government wants to give teachers only bonuses for their teaching career in June and October. The unions rejected the offer and announced that they would continue the protest. On Thursday, more than 10,000 teachers gathered in front of the Government headquarters in downtown Bucharest. Protests were also held in other cities across Romania.

Government – The power sharing arrangement of the parties in the governing coalition in Bucharest is postponed until the resolution of the teachers all-out strike, the liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă announced. He was supposed to resign his mandate today, to be taken over by the Social Democratic leader Marcel Ciolacu. In fact, Nicolae Ciucă made the announcement alongside Marcel Ciolacu, and Kelemen Hunor, from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR, the third party in ruling coalition in Romania. The Prime Minister Ciucă appealed to the “reason of all teaching staff”, telling them that the Government cannot assume to unbalance the State budget by granting them the salary increases requested, and that the discussions with the unions will continue. In turn, the head of the PSD, Marcel Ciolacu, said that the decision is correct, and that the teachers and employees in the healthcare system are a priority. Predictability and responsibility are needed, the leader of the UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, also said. The agreement between the Liberal Party – PNL and PSD stipulated that each of them would hold the position of prime minister for a year and a half. In the last few days, there have been discussions between PSD and PNL regarding the distribution of ministries in the future government. A retired general, Nicolae Ciucă was sworn in as prime minister in December 2021.

Visit — The German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is on the third day of his official visit to Romania. Today, in Timisoara (west), he will take a walk through Timisoara’s old town, will go to the German High School and the Cetate Synagogue and will visit a fine art exhibition as part of the program “Timişoara, European Capital of Culture”. The German official arrived, last night, in Timisoara, where he laid a wreath of flowers on the Heroes Day at the crucifix in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral, dedicated to the martyrs of the anti-communist Revolution of December 1989, and participated in a symphony concert. Earlier, also on Thursday, Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Sibiu (center).

Fair – Romania participates in the Madrid Book Fair under the slogan “Creating good chemistry with Romanian literature” (“Creando buena quimica con las letras rumanas”). Until June 11, Romania’s stand will display numerous volumes signed by Romanian authors, including those translated, in recent years, into Spanish, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. The public has a wide range of activities to choose from: literary activities, book presentations, recitals, debates, round tables, scientific workshops for children and autograph sessions. There will also be events promoting Romanian culture, especially contemporary culture. The Madrid Fair has reached the 82^nd edition, in 2023 marking nine decades of existence, and it is one of the most important literary events of its kind in Europe.

Sanctions — The Consumer Protection Authority announces that it has sanctioned eight other banks present in Romania with fines of 400,000 lei each (the equivalent of about 80 thousand euros). ANPC claims that it found irregularities regarding bank loans in lei or foreign currency, in the medium and long term, with a repayment term of over 10 years. Inspectors with the Consumer Protection Authority say that the sanctioned banks would have cheated the customers, because in the first years the rate was composed of 75% interest and of only a quarter of the principal to be repaid. The representatives of the Romanian Association of Banks claim that they respect the law and that they might challenge the sanctions in court.

Trains – Romania will have, as of the month of December, the first new trains in the last 20 years, the Transport Ministry officials have promised, giving that there are no delays in the delivery of the 37 contracted train sets, already in production in Poland. Deliveries will start this summer, but the train will actually start operating in winter, after the completion of technical tests. The first new trains will run on the Bucharest-Constanța route (south-east), then on the routes to Braşov (centre), Timisoara (west) and Iași-Suceava (east and north-east). The average age of CFR-Romanian Railway Authority trains is currently 44 years. They break down frequently, the air conditioning works intermittently, and on heavily trafficked lines, additional trains are brought through transfers from other routes. (LS)

26 May 2023
May 25, 2023 UPDATE

Strike — The strike in the education system in Romania continues, after the unions rejected the latest offer made by the government, which they consider offensive. The teachers were to receive 2,500 lei this year, in two installments, and the non-teaching staff 1,000 lei. The money would have been granted on a “professional career card”. The trade unions are asking for a rise in incomes of 25% and a law under which the salary of a beginner teacher should be the equivalent of the average gross salary. A new round of negotiations took place on Thursday in Bucharest. Employees in the pre-university education system started an all-out strike on May 22, dissatisfied with the level of salaries and working conditions. The union leaders have stated that they will not give up the protest until their demands are resolved.

Deficit – The European Commission Executive Vice-President, Valdis Dombrovskis on Wednesday called on the member states to more effectively apply their plans of recovery and resilience, to make investments and cut on spending. The European Commission has again drawn attention to the economic situation in Romania, the only EU country for which the excessive deficit procedure has been activated. According to Brussels, Romania spends more money than it has and must cut its deficit under 3% by the next year. According to the Romanian government, the budget deficit is expected to go down under 4.4% of the GDP this year and 2.9% next year.

Visit — Currently, “a real war is going on in Europe” said, on Thursday, in Sibiu (center), the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who reiterated the call for unity in this context. ‘Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we have considerably strengthened NATOs Eastern Flank and have considerably expanded our cooperation in the field of security policy. Both within the European Union and within NATO, our countries collaborate closely, based on trust’, the German official emphasized. Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, stated, in turn, that the Romanian-German friendship, with an old tradition, has now reached an unprecedented point of development. The two met with the representatives of the German community in Romania and visited the “Samuel von Brukenthal” National College, with tuition in German, a school attested in documents almost 650 years ago. The German president is on a state visit to Romania until Friday.

Football – Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe won Romanias football cup after a 5-4 win against Universitatea Cluj in the shootouts on Wednesday evening. 120 minutes into the game, the score was nil-all. The hero of Sepsi was its goalkeeper, Roland Niczuly, a former player of Universitatea Cluj. Niczuly managed to save three shots, after Universitatea had got the upper hand but wasted two chances. Sepsi has won the trophy for the second time in a row. We recall that this ambitious football side from central Romania, lost the finals of the aforementioned competition in 2020. Universitatea Cluj was left with the trophy they won in 1965, losing the Romanian Cup finals for the fifth time.

Moldova – Less than 0.5% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova who spent their holiday abroad last year chose the Commonwealth of Independent States – CIS as their destination – reveals a study published in Chişinău. The research appeared in the context in which the Moldovan government made the decision to withdraw from the CIS, given the fact that one of its founding members, Russia, attacked another founding member, Ukraine. 40% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova would, however, like the country to remain in the CIS, and Moscow claims that, by leaving the organization, the Republic of Moldova risks losing economic advantages. Official statistics show, however, that the commercial relations of the Republic of Moldova are currently mainly oriented towards the European Union. The Republic of Moldova wants to join the European Union “as soon as possible” in order to protect itself from the Russian threat and hopes for a decision “in the next few months” regarding the opening of negotiations, President Maia Sandu had previously said.

Banks – The banks in Romania will have to issue new repayment schedules, where the amount of the principal on the loan will be paid by consumers in equal installments over the entire loan term, said the general director of the National Authority for Consumer Protection, Paul Anghel. Also, the president of the institution, Horia Constantinescu, pointed out that he had already signed the orders to stop these deceptive practices for 11 banks that were previously fined because the installments was mainly composed of interests in the first years of repayment. The Authority for Consumer Protection announced on Thursday that eight other banks were sanctioned for the way in which they calculate loan rates. Moreover, the Authority notified the Competition Council over what it called the cartel attitude of some banking institutions. However, the Romanian Association of Banks contradicted the Authority and showed that this calculation method was included in the Romanian legislation since the setting-up of regulations on lending activity. (LS)

25 May 2023
May 22, 2023

STRIKE An all-out strike has been initiated today in Romanian public
undergraduate education. According to trade unions, taking part are over 150,000
teachers and 70,000 non-teaching staff, disgruntled with the government’s
salary policies. A two-hour token strike in higher education is also scheduled
for today.

EDUCATION The new undergraduate and higher education bills are discussed and voted on as of today in the Senate, the
decision-making parliamentary body in this respect.
At the end of last week’s talks in the Senate’s committee on education, the
representatives of students and parents said that over 90% of their requests were
answered in the new legislation. In turn, the religious denominations welcomed
the amendments to the new bills. With respect to the undergraduate education,
the National Liberal Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic
Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, in power, say the bill meets students’
educational needs, supports teachers’ career development and fosters quality and
equity in the education system. The draft law includes measures to enhance
safety in schools and to ensure the access of children with special needs to
regular classes. The opposition, on the other hand, believes these important issues
noted by civil society are not solved.

VISIT The president of Germany, Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, will make an official visit to Romania on the 24th to 26th
May, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. According
to the Romanian presidency, the visit is a major landmark for the excellent
Romanian-German relations. Talks will focus on extending and deepening
bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic areas. The Romanian
presidency also mentions that Germany is a reliable ally of Romania,
contributing to the security in the region, and also the country’s main trade
partner and the second-largest foreign investor in the national economy. The
two heads of state will also exchange opinions on current security developments
and on consolidating the defence posture in NATO’s eastern flank. During
his visit to Romania, the president of Germany will also travel to Sibiu
(centre) and Timisoara (west).

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign
minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in the meeting of the EU Foreign
Affairs Council in Brussels. The EU foreign ministers discuss measures to
mitigate the effects of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. According to the
Romanian foreign ministry, Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s firm, multidimensional
and continuing support for Ukraine and will express hopes that an agreement
will be reached as soon as possible on the 8th support package for
the Ukrainian air forces under the EU Peace Facility. Minister Aurescu will
also highlight the importance of keeping pressure on Russia by consolidating
sanctions, and will reiterate the idea of setting up a special international tribunal
for the crime of aggression to prosecute Russian crimes of aggression during
the war in Ukraine.

TECHNOLOGY Bucharest Tech
Week, the largest technology and innovation trade fair in Central and Eastern
Europe, has begun in Bucharest today. The event brings together over 70 speakers,
national and international tech experts, and 1,500 professionals from over 100
companies operating in various fields. The first 5 days are devoted to
conferences on innovation, HR, retail, Java and Software Architecture, under
the heading Business Summits. The largest technology and innovation
exhibition, Tech Expo, will also be open to the public over the weekend of 26 May.

GREECE The right-of-centre party headed by Greece’s incumbent PM,
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has won Sunday’s parliamentary election, but failed to get
absolute majority. New Democracy won over 41% of the votes, and will have 146 seats
in parliament. Its left-of-centre rivals, Syriza party, won 21% of the votes
and 71 seats in parliament. The 3% threshold has been reached by 5 of the 36 parties
that took part in the election. Kyriakos Mitsotakis ruled out a coalition
government. Unless the winning parties manage to form a government, early
elections will be held on 25 June.

FOOTBALL Farul Constanţa
won Romania’s football championships, after defeating FCSB 3-2, on home turf
on Sunday night, in the 9th round of the Super League. Farul managed a spectacular come-back in the championship final,
after FCSB had been leading 2-0. (AMP)

22 May 2023
May 10, 2023 UPDATE

Education laws — The package of laws reforming the education system in Romania was voted on Wednesday by the Chamber of Deputies, as the first body notified. During the general debates, the Education Minister, Ligia Deca, recalled that the measures are aimed at reducing the phenomenon of functional illiteracy and at preventing school dropout. The opposition parties criticized the draft laws and voted against them. The two bills go to the Senate for debate and a decisive vote. Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Education trade unions organized a protest rally aimed at drawing attention to the problems facing the Romanian education system. The trade unionists are asking the Government to increase the salaries of the education staff, to pay the extra hours worked by the auxiliary teaching and non-teaching staff, and also to increase the annual investments, and to improve the infrastructure. The union leaders remind that a referendum is under way on the triggering of an all-out strike in education, starting on May 22. Recently, the education minister stated that she is confident that there will be no all-out strike in education, and that the school year will end well.

Visit – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Wednesday received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Han Duck-soo, in the context of the latter’s official visit to Bucharest. The President spoke in favor of capitalizing on the potential of bilateral cooperation, showing that the relations between the two countries can register a new qualitative leap, by updating the Strategic Partnership. The Korean official hailed the intensive bilateral dialogue and the intensification of economic cooperation, by increasing mutual investments. At the same time, Han Duck-soo shared the same vision with that of Klaus Iohannis regarding regional and global challenges, against the backdrop of the consequences of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine. With the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, the Seoul official agreed to strengthen relations in areas such as investments and industry, including the defense and cyber security industries. The Korean side expressed readiness to contribute to the construction of the new reactors 3 and 4 at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, as well as to the development of small modular reactors. On this occasion, a memorandum of understanding was also signed between the administrations of the ports of Constanta and Busan in South Korea, the fifth busiest port in the world by tonnage and the largest in Northeast Asia in terms of transshipment capacity.

Defense – The Chief of the Defense Staff of Romania, General Daniel Petrescu, is taking part on Wednesday and Thursday in the meetings of the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee, respectively. Defense chiefs from the 31 Allied states, with the Swedish chief of defense as a guest, will look at the dynamics of the war in Ukraine. Talks will focus on analyzing the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening NATOs defense and deterrence posture, ahead of the decisions to be made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The participants will also look at ways to continue supporting Ukraine. Another major topic of the meeting is the analysis of member and partner states participation in EU missions and operations.

Independence – Romania celebrated its National Independence Day on Wednesday. On May 10, 1877, Prince Carol I, who would subsequently become the first king of Romania, signed the countrys Proclamation of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The document had been read in Parliament the day before by the foreign minister Mihail Kogălniceanu, and endorsed by Parliaments two chambers. The occasion was celebrated in Bucharest with a ceremony at the Heroes Monument in front of the National Defense University, while military and religious ceremonies were also held in cities across the country.

Gaudeamus – The Gaudeamus Radio Romania Book Fair opened its doors on Wednesday in Oradea (north-west). On an area of over 660 square meters, until May 14, editorial events, contests with prizes in books and workshops for children will take place. At this edition, more than 50 brands are present in 45 stands, among which the most prestigious publishing houses and Romanian and foreign book distribution agencies. The editorial offer is completed by a selection of educational games and quality music, as well as by a new area called Bookoteca, for second-hand books. The honorary president of this edition is the historian PhD Constantin Demeter, an active personality in the cultural life of the city.

Gas – The European Commission launched, on Wednesday, the first-ever international tender for joint purchasing of EU gas supplies in a move to help boost security of supply and tackle high energy prices. The EC representatives say that the joint purchasing of gas will help the European industry not only through prices, but also through the establishment of economic relations for contracting alternatives, given that the member states want to completely eliminate Russian gas from consumption. The first tender will take place until May 15 and targets gas to be delivery as of June 2023 until May 2024. (LS, AMP)

10 May 2023
May 10, 2023

EDUCATION Trade
unions in Romanian public education organise a protest rally in Bucharest today, as a way to sound
the alarm on the problems facing the Romanian education sector. The unions demand pay raises in the sector, as well as an
annual increase in investments in order to improve the relevant infrastructure
and equipment. Unionists also warn that a poll
is under way among education staff, with respect to an all-out strike starting
on May 22. Meanwhile, new draft
education laws are being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies for a first vote,
after the specialist committee introduced a number of amendments to the
original bills, including a national plan to curb violence in schools.

VISIT The PM of the Republic of Korea, Han
Duck-Soo, is on a visit to Bucharest today, and is scheduled to have meetings
with president Klaus Iohannis and with PM Nicolae Ciucă. The 2 prime ministers
are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Romanian Maritime Port
Authority and the Busan Port Authority. The Korean official is also scheduled
to have a meeting with the Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu.

DEFENCE The Romanian chief of defence,
general Daniel Petrescu, is taking part today and tomorrow in the meetings of
the NATO Military Committee and the EU Military Committee, respectively. Defence
chiefs from the 31 Allied states, with the Swedish chief of defence as a guest,
will look at the dynamics of the war in Ukraine. Talks will focus on analysing
the implementation of measures aimed at strengthening NATO’s defence and deterrence
posture, ahead of the decisions to be made at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The
participants will also look at ways to continue supporting Ukraine. Another
major topic of the meeting is the analysis of member and partner states’
participation in EU missions and operations.

INDEPENDENCE Romania celebrates its
National Independence Day today. On May 10, 1877, Prince Carol I, who would
subsequently become the first king of Romania, signed the country’s
Proclamation of Independence from the Ottoman Empire. The document had been
read in Parliament the day before by the foreign minister Mihail Kogălniceanu, and
endorsed by Parliament’s two chambers. The occasion is celebrated in Bucharest
with a ceremony at the Heroes Monument in front of the National Defence
University, while military and religious ceremonies are also held in cities
across the country.

EUROPE In a message on Europe Day, celebrated on May
9, president Klaus Iohannis said Romania is a mature and responsible member
state, with a solid and credible European profile, recognised and appreciated
by our partners. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said Romania is part of the
solution to the security challenges that the EU is facing, and that now is the
time for Romania to be acknowledged as a full Schengen member.

TRANSPORT The European Commission for
Transport, Adina Vălean, is in Romania today and tomorrow, to hand over to
Romanian beneficiaries 2 grants for military mobility, in Constanta, in the presence of the
Romanian transport minister Sorin Grindeanu, the European Commission announced.
The two projects concern the design and building of the Ungheni bridge and
upgrading the railway infrastructure in the port of Constanţa, a critical
element of the EU – Ukraine solidarity lanes. (AMP)

10 May 2023