Radio România Internațional

Tag: visit

November 22, 2022

PENSIONS The
ruling coalition in Romania has decided to increase public pensions by 12.5%,
as of January 1. The increase applies for all pensions, regardless of level,
but low-income pensioners will also receive additional aid from the government,
provided in 2 instalments. Child allowances and the allowances for war veterans
and widows will be adjusted to inflation, while people with disabilities will
receive a 13th allowance, the ruling coalition also decided.

VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will make an official visit to Latvia
on Wednesday and to Lithuania on Thursday. On Friday, he will take part in a
summit with his counterparts from Lithuania, Latvia and Poland, and in an
international symposium. According to the Presidency, in Latvia Klaus Iohannis will
have talks with his counterpart Egils Levits, with PM Krisjanis Karins, and the
parliament speaker Edvards Smiltens. In Lithuania, the official agenda includes
consultations with president Gitanas Nauseda and the parliament speaker,
Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

NATO Romania will host for the first time, on November 29th
and 30th, a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers. The meeting will
have 4 sessions, focusing on the implementation of the Madrid Summit decisions,
on the war in Ukraine, on energy security and partners. Ukraine, the Republic
of Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Finland and Sweden, were
invited to attend. It is for the first time that the Republic of Moldova takes
part in a NATO ministerial meeting. In fact, in this summer’s summit in Madrid,
NATO leaders announced measures to support Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
in the current security context in Europe. The foreign ministers of the 3
countries are expected to discuss in Bucharest means to strengthen their
defence and resilience capabilities. The foreign minister of Ukraine, Dmytro
Kuleba, is also scheduled to attend the meeting in Bucharest.

AID Romania, France and Germany have agreed
on a new aid instalment to help the Republic of Moldova cope with the energy
crisis this winter. Officials of the 3 countries convened in Paris for the 3rd
ministerial conference of the Moldova Support Platform, initiated by Bucharest,
Berlin and Paris this spring. Moldova is to receive another EUR 100 mln in
international support to handle the consequences of the war in
Ukraine, including the energy crisis and the refugee inflow, and also to carry
on the reforms initiated in order to join the EU, the president of France,
Emmanuel Macron announced. The Romanian foreign minister said Romania intends
to pay a first instalment of EUR 25 mln by the end of this year, intended for
the implementation of projects in education, regional development, and public
utility services.

AUTOMOTIVE Romania is the EU’s six-largest car manufacturer, with an
average of over 40,000 vehicles per month. According to the latest report by
the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), nearly 50 million
cars were produced worldwide in the first 9 months of this year. China comes
first, with 16.3 million, followed by the US with 5.3 million. As many as 7.96 million
cars were produced in the EU during the same period, up 5.8% compared to 2021.
Germany tops the European ranking, with 2.4 million vehicles produced, which is
considerably less than the 3.4 million cars made in 2019. In Romania, the only
country where this year’s output was higher than in 2019, 376,000 cars were
made, of which some 60% were Dacia and 40% Ford. Recently, the Romanian
Carmakers Association announced that the national output went up 27.7% in the
first 10 months of the year, compared to 2021.

EARTHQUAKE Rescue teams in Indonesia
continue to search for survivors of Monday’s earthquake, in which hundreds of
people died or were injured. Many victims were school children. The 5.6 Richter
quake occurred at a depth of 10 km, and destroyed many buildings. According to Reuters,
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, an area with many active
volcanoes that frequently produce tremors. In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 off the
Indonesian island of Sumatra caused a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 14 countries,
with almost half of the victims reported in Indonesia.

FOOTBALL Today at
the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the defending champions, France, will play against
Australia, while two-times world champions Argentina take on Saudi Arabia. The
other matches scheduled for today are Denmark vs. Tunisia and Mexico vs.
Poland. On Monday England defeated Iran, 6-2, and in the same group the US and
Wales drew 1-1. Also on Monday, the Netherlands, who have played 3 world cup
finals without winning, defeated Senegal 2-0. (AMP)

22 November 2022
September 7, 2022

FLIGHTS Freezing the accounts of the Romanian air
operator Blue Air does not justify an immediate suspension of flights, says the
Romanian environment minister, Tánczos Barna, who calls on the company to meet
its obligations to passengers and the state budget. Blue Air’s accounts were
frozen by the Environment Fund Agency because the company owes over EUR 5 mln
and is undergoing foreclosure. Three thousand people are affected, after Blue
Air suspended all its domestic and international flights until Monday, 12th
September. According to the company, the decision was made after the
Environment Ministry froze its accounts.

MOTION A simple motion tabled by Save Romania Union (USR) in
opposition against the Liberal energy minister Virgil Popescu was dismissed by
the Chamber of Deputies today, with 191 votes against and 85 votes in favour of the document, coming
from USR, the nationalist party AUR and the Force of the Right, splintered from
the Liberal Party and headed by the ex-PM Ludovic Orban. The opposition
criticised the energy minister for the lack of investments in production
facilities and for his management of the electricity and natural gas price caps.
Minister Virgil Popescu dismissed the accusations and described the USR motion
as a populist move. He also added that the new mechanism related to energy
bills will discourage speculation in the market.

VISIT The president of Hungary, Katalin Novak, was received with
honours in Bucharest today by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, as part of
her official visit at the invitation of the president of Romania. The talks
will concern the means to diversify and deepen the bilateral dialogue, as well as the current regional, European and global situation, following Russia’s
military aggression against Ukraine. The visit comes as the 2 countries
celebrate 20 years since the governments of Hungary and Romania signed a
Strategic Partnership Declaration for 21st Century Europe. According
to the Romanian Presidency, president Iohannis will highlight Romania’s openness to strengthening bilateral cooperation and dialogue with
Hungary, a very important neighbour of Romania, so as to promote projects of
mutual interest to the benefit of the citizens of the 2 countries. This
afternoon, the Hungarian official will also have meetings with the PM Nicolae
Ciucă and with the speakers of the 2 chambers of Parliament.

ECONOMY Romania’s economy grew 5.3% in the second quarter of
this year compared to the corresponding period of 2021, the National Statistics
Institute announced. In the first half of the year, the GDP went up 5.8%,
compared to the first 6 months of last year. Contributing to this growth were
trade, automotive repairs, transport and storage services, the hospitality and
the IT&C sectors. According to the institution, the areas that hindered
economic growth were industry, where operations dropped in the reference
period, and the negative ratio between imports and exports.

SURVEY A Eurobarometer survey released on Tuesday by the European
Commission points to increased confidence of European citizens in the EU and
continuing strong support for the Union’s response to Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine. An overwhelming majority of EU citizens supports investments
in renewable energy and steps to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Russian energy
sources. Europeans are increasingly concerned with the economic situation in
the Union and in their respective countries.

FOOTBALL Romania’s football champions, CFR Cluj, Thursday play
away from home against FC Ballkani, in Pristina, Kosovo, in their first
match in Group G of the Europa Conference League. The other match in the group
is pitting Sivasspor, of Turkey, against the Czech side Slavia Prague. Romanian
vice-champions FCSB Bucharest also play away from home, in London, against West
Ham United, in Group B of the same competition. The Belgian side Anderlecht
takes on the Danish team Silkeborg IF, also in Group B. Two other Romanian
teams, CS Universitatea Craiova and Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, have lost the
qualifying stage of the Europa Conference League. (AMP)

7 September 2022
August 17, 2022 UPDATE

Measures – The measures to cap and compensate for the energy price will remain active in Romania in the formula necessary to protect citizens and the economy, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă informed, during the first meeting of the Interministerial Committee for ensuring energy resilience and implementing energy infrastructure projects. According to a press release, the prime minister established an action plan to ensure predictability from the point of view of energy production, as well as from a budgetary point of view. At the request of the Prime Minister, the Energy Ministry will present, on August 22, the situation of the investment programs in the production capacities, both of the state companies and in those developed by the private sector. We remind you that electricity and natural gas prices increased with the complete liberalization of the market, in January 2021.

Visit — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, will pay a visit to Prague on Thursday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Jan Lipavsky, in the context of the Czech Republic holding the presidency of the EU Council. According to a Foreign Ministry press release, the discussions will focus on Romanian-Czech cooperation within the EU, with an emphasis on coordinating the two states’ stands. The visit is an important opportunity for boosting bilateral political dialogue and intensifying economic cooperation. Bogdan Aurescu and Jan Lipavsky will address current topics on the regional, European and security agenda, including the multiple consequences of the illegal war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The two ministers will also discuss the cooperation of the two states within NATO and the implementation of the decisions of the Madrid Summit, especially regarding the consolidation and efficiency of the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank, including in the run up to the meeting of the NATO countries’ foreign ministers. The meeting will be hosted by Romania in Bucharest at the end of November.

Statistics – The Gross Domestic Product of the European Union and the Eurozone registered an increase of 0.6% in the second quarter of 2022, as compared to the previous three months, show preliminary data published on Wednesday by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). In the first quarter of 2022, compared to the previous three months, the Gross Domestic Product registered an increase of 0.5% in the euro zone and of 0.6% in the EU. Among the EU member states for which data are available, the most significant economic growth rate in the second quarter of 2022, compared to the previous three months, was recorded in the Netherlands (2.6%), Romania (2.1%) and Sweden (1.4%). Compared to the second quarter of 2021, the GDP increased by 3.9% in the euro zone and by 4% in the European Union between April and June 2022, with all the EU member states for which data are available reporting increases. Romania registered an annual economic growth rate of 5.3% in the second quarter of 2022, after an annual growth rate of 6.4% in the first three months. The National Institute of Statistics announced that Romanias economy grew by 2.1% in the second quarter of the year, compared to the previous quarter, while compared to the similar period of 2021, the growth rate was 5.3%.

Covid — 7,500 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been registered in the last 24 hours, 3,900 more than the previous day, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday. 274 patients are in intensive care, most of them unvaccinated. In the last 24 hours, 42 deaths were reported in COVID patients. We remind you that Romania has not imposed any coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions since March 9 this year. The first case of infection with SARS-CoV-2 was declared at the end of February 2020 and, for about two years, there have been five pandemic waves resulting in almost 2.8 million infections, 2.6 million recoveries and about 65 thousand deaths associated with Sars-CoV-2.

Swimming — The Romanian swimmer David Popovici, world and European champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle events, withdrew from the 400m freestyle final, scheduled for Wednesday evening at the European Swimming Championships in Rome, according to a Facebook post of the Romanian Swimming Federation. A few hours ago, Popovici, 17 years old, had qualified with the fourth time of the heats to the 400m freestyle final. The busy schedule of the next period, the very great effort that he would have made in the final and his wish to prepare as well as possible for participation in the World Junior Championship in Lima are the reasons behind this decision, Romanian Swimming Federation sources pointed out. (LS)

17 August 2022
August 2, 2022 UPDATE

NATURAL GAS The Romanian state owned company
Romgaz has announced it completed the acquisition of shares from the American
company ExxonMobil as part of the Neptun Deep natural gas extraction project in
the Black Sea. The energy minister Virgil Popescu said on a social network that
the completion of the USD 1 billion transaction is an important step ahead for
Romania in its effort to achieve energy independence, at a difficult time for
the entire Europe. Romania, which is currently the European country the least
dependent on Russian gas, owns large reserves in the Black Sea – around 200
billion cubic meters. Most of it is in the Neptun Deep perimeter, which Romgaz
will develop alongside OMV Petrom. Meanwhile, in the Midia perimeter, nearly
120 km off Romania’s Black Sea coast, Black Sea Oil&Gas has already began
extraction.

ROMA Improving the quality of life of Romania’s
Roma minority, based on active citizenship, social and economic inclusion and
the Roma cultural heritage is a priority for the government of Romania. This
message was conveyed by PM Nicolae Ciucă on the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.
The foreign ministry mentioned that the suffering inflicted on the Roma in concentration
and extermination camps run by the Nazi and their allies during WW2 were
unfortunately ignored for too long by the general public. This is why the
foreign ministry supports national and international initiatives to promote
research and commemoration of the Roma genocide. The institution also condemns
hate speech against this community. The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis
also pointed out in a message that stigmatizing and discriminating against minorities
must be penalised harshly.On August
2, 1944, nearly 3,000 Roma at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp were killed by the
Nazi regime. Overall, some 500,000 Roma people were killed in Europe during the
Holocaust.

DROUGHT In Romania, the total area affected by drought has reached
over 190,000 hectares in 24 counties, 30,000 hectares more than the previous
day, the Agriculture Ministry announced. According to weather experts, temperatures
will gradually rise until August 8, in most parts of the country. Moreover, the
Danube river flow is half the multi-annual average for the month of August. The
National Waters Administration announced that the strategic water reserve in
the main 40 lakes in the country is 3.19 billion cubic metres, down from 3.45
billion in early July.

COVID-19 The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in
Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. In
his opinion, wearing face masks in public transportation means and closed areas
is critical to keeping the pandemic under control. On Tuesday over 11,600 new
COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş
counties. More than 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 600
are children. 277 patients are in intensive care, and 38 COVID-related deaths
have also been reported, including a child.

TAIWAN U.S. House of Representatives Speaker
Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday with a clear message for China. She said the
US commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy is more important than ever.
Nancy Pelosi’s visit, which was immediately condemned by the Chinese
authorities, is the first by a US House of Representatives speaker in 25 years.
On Wednesday she will have meetings with Taiwan officials. Beijing responded immediately,
denouncing what it called a very dangerous attitude on the part of the US.
Taiwan has had its own government since the communist victory on continental
China in 1949, but Beijing views it as one of its own provinces and threatens
to resort to force should the island proclaim its independence.

TENNIS -
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (WTA 16) qualified to the round of 16 of
the Washington tournament after defeating the Moldovan Cristina Bucsa (WTA
123), 6-3, 7-5. Halep will be up next against the winner of the match between
American Madison Brengle and Russian Ana Kalinskaya. Also, the Romanian-Czech
pair Monica Niculescu/Lucie Hradecka (WTA 250) qualified to the quarterfinals
after a victory against Emma Răducanu (UK) /Clara Tauson (Denmark), 6-4, 6-1.
Niculescu and Hradecka will be up next against Americans Makenna Jones/Sloane
Stephens. (AMP)

2 August 2022
July 29, 2022

VISIT The president of the R. of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is today on an
official visit in Romania, at the invitation of her counterpart Klaus Iohannis.
At the press conference following the official meeting, the Romanian president
said the talks were solid and focused on many topics of bilateral interest,
taking into account the long-lasting and sincere connections between the 2
countries. He congratulated Maia Sandu on Moldova’s EU accession candidate
status granted at the European Council meeting on June 23-24. This is a historic
achievement, a landmark in the history of the country, Klaus Iohannis said, and
added that Romania will continue to support Moldova through all the means available
to it. Mr. Iohannis also pointed out that the 2 presidents agreed to take
decisive steps in terms of inter-connecting the electricity networks of their
countries, and discussed the potential of the Iaşi-Ungheni-Chişinău pipeline
as a vital element of Moldova’s energy security. In
turn, the
president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said Bucharest stood by Chisinau over the
years, and Romania’s voice ‘resounded strongly’ in Brussels in support of
Moldova’s EU candidate status. Maia Sandu voiced her confidence that the
Moldovan-Romanian partnership will contribute to overcoming the difficulties
entailed by the war in Ukraine.

ANTHEM Every year on July 29 Romania celebrates National Anthem Day.
According to the defence ministry, ceremonies are held today in all military
units across the country. In Bucharest, a religious service was held in front
of the National Military Palace, while in Râmnicu Vâlcea local authorities
organized events devoted to the song Awaken Thee, Romanian!, which was first
performed officially in this town 174 years ago. National Anthem Day was
proclaimed by Parliament in 1998. The song was written by Anton Pann, on lyrics
by the poet Andrei Mureşanu. The message of the National Anthem has a strong
impact, and calls for national unity, courage, dignity and responsibility,
president Klaus Iohannis said in a news release. In turn, PM Nicolae Ciucă said
the anthem, national colours and the coat of arms define the identity of the
Romanian nation and signify the strong connection between the past, present and
future.

FESTIVAL Sighişoara,
in central Romania, is hosting this weekend the 28th edition of the
first medieval festival in Romania. The Sighişoara citadel will be the stage of
theatre performances, music and dance shows, improvisation, arts and crafts
demonstrations. While the previous edition was attended by some 11,000
visitors, the organisers hope 16,000 people will take part this year. A
spectacular fireworks show is planned for the closing ceremony on Sunday night.
Sighisoara is the only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.

FOOTBALL All the Romanian football teams taking part in the European
Conference League qualifiers have moved into the 3rd preliminary
round. On Thursday Universitatea Craiova defeated the Albanian side
Vllaznia 3-0 on home turf, after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. In the 3rd
preliminary round, Craiova will play against the Ukrainian team Zaria Luhansk. In
Bucharest, FCSB defeated Saburtalo (Georgia) 4-2, and is next to take on the
Slovakian team Dunajská Streda. The Romanian Cup winners Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe had
the most difficult match on Thursday, against Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia, and
lost 2-0, away from home, after having won 3-1 in the first leg. In the penalty
shootouts, the Slovenians missed twice, and Sepsi moved forward in the
competition. Their next opponent is Djurgården (Sweden). And on Wednesday, CFR Cluj drew 1-1 away from home
against Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, after 3-0 at home, and are pitted
next against Belarusian champions Shahtior Soligorsk. (AMP)

29 July 2022
July 28, 2022

COVID — The number of Covid-19 cases in Romania has been constantly decreasing since the spring, but it has recently started to increase again. 9,339 people were confirmed with Covid-19, on Thursday, in Romania. The total number of infections is below that of the previous day, but by almost 50% higher than last week. The number of those who need hospitalization also continues to increase: over 3,700 people, of whom 253 are in intensive care. There are about 600 children with Covid in hospitals. Specialists say that the current variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, can bypass the protection given by both vaccination and the disease, and recommend the immunization of people from vulnerable categories. Anti-Covid vaccines adapted for the Omicron variant should be available in Romania as of the autumn.

Funds — The prime minister Nicolae Ciucă has said Romania’s absorption rate of European funds as part of the 2014-2020 financial exercise stands at 64.5%, a level similar to that of Germany and only slightly lower than France, but ahead of older member states like Belgium (59%) and Italy, Spain and The Netherlands (each with a little over 56%). According to Ciucă, Romania absorbed 22 billion Euros out of the 35 billion it is allocated in the 2014-2020 period.

Drought – Drought has so far affected 150,000 hectares of farmland in 20 different counties across Romania, said the agriculture ministry, based on daily reports on the state of the crops. The irrigation systems are struggling to cope, owing to the drop in the level of the water used to feed the irrigation stations. The biggest such station, in Brăila county, in the south-east, was shut down because of the low Danube water flow. The station was providing water for 250,000 hectares of land in the region. The water flow of the river Prut, in the east, is also dropping, having already reached a record low level. Agriculture minister Petre Daea said the animal breeding sector is also affected by drought.

Olympics — On Wednesday, Romania won the gold medal in the womens team artistic gymnastics competition of the 16th summer edition of the European Youth Olympics Festival in Banska Bystrica (Slovakia). Amalia Puflea, Amalia Ghigoarţă and Sabrina Voinea have had the upper hand over the representatives of Germany and Italy. After three days of competitions Romania has four medals: gold in the artistic gymnastics event, two silver medals won by Amalia Puflea in the individual all-around event and Aissia Claudia Prisecariu in the 200 m backstroke swimming event as well as a bronze medal won by Ana Maria Vişan in athletics, in the disc throw event. Romania is represented at the 2022 European Youth Olympics Festival by 92 athletes in 8 sports disciplines – athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, judo, volleyball, handball and tennis. At the previous summer edition that took place in Baku, in 2019, Romania won no less than 19 medals: 4 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze.

Visit — The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on Friday in Bucharest, on the occasion of her official visit to Romania, at the invitation of the Romanian head of state. It is the first direct bilateral meeting of the two heads of state after the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) received the status of candidate country to EU accesion. According to the Presidential Administration, Klaus Iohannis will reiterate Bucharests firm support for boosting the reform process in the Republic of Moldova, necessary for European integration. At the same time, the two officials will tackle regional developments in the context of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine as well as the ways to counteract its negative effects on Chisinau. Topics of central interest on the bilateral agenda will also be addressed, such as the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and sectoral cooperation in key areas – the Presidential Administration also shows. (LS)

28 July 2022
July 14, 2022 UPDATE

PARADE The National Day parade in France was marked this year by the
war in Ukraine. Troops from 9 countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including 12
from Romania, paraded jointly with French military as a token of the unity of
NATO Allies and of solidarity with Ukraine, Radio Romania’s correspondent in
Paris reports. According to her, this year’s celebrations unfolded under the
motto ‘Partager la flame’ (Divide the Flame), with a dual meaning: to pay
homage to Hubert Germain, the last member of the French resistance against the
Nazi occupation, who died this year, and to hail the Olympic flame ahead the
Olympic Games Paris is due to stage in 2024. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis Thursday
sent president Macron a letter of congratulations and wishes of prosperity for
the French people. Iohannis highlighted the solidity and consistency of the
Strategic Partnership between Romania and France, built on common values and
excellent cooperation both at bilateral level and within the EU and other
international bodies. Bucharest celebrated France’s national day with a
reception at the French Embassy, attended by Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciuca and by senior French officials.

ECONOMY Thanks to a
surprising 5.2% growth rate in Q1, the European Commission decided to update
its estimates on Romania’s economic growth this year, from 2.6% forecast in
March to 3.9% in its summer economic forecast made public on Thursday. The Commission
also operated a downward adjustment of its forecast for 2023, from 3.6% to 2.9%,
given that the growth trend is expected to slow down both globally and at EU
level. Private consumption and investments are expected to be the main growth
engines both this year and the next, whereas net exports will lead to a deeper
trade deficit, the Commission says.

VISIT Germany’s
foreign minister Annalena Baerbock will be on an official visit to Bucharest
and Constanţa on Friday, the German embassy in Bucharest announced. Annalena
Baerbock will co-chair the second ministerial conference of the Support
Platform for the Republic of Moldova together with her Romanian counterpart,
Bogdan Aurescu and the French state secretary for development, Francophonie, and international partnerships Chrysoula
Zacharopoulou. Also on Friday Annalena Baerbock will have meetings with PM Nicolae
Ciucă and foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu, focusing on bilateral and European
policy topics. In the Black Sea port of Constanţa the German official will
discuss with local officials and representatives of German companies about
Ukraine’s grain exports via Constanţa.

CENSUS The deadline for finalising the national population
and housing census has been extended by a week, from July 17 to 24, as the
current completion rate is below 90%. The organisers are hoping to bring the
rate up to 100% using fixed census locations and door-to-door operators. For the
first time in Romania, a first stage of the national census was conducted
online, with 11 million respondents registered, which is little under half of
the estimated resident population of Romania.

DRILL Over July 14 and 25 three Romanian warships take part in the
international exercise ‘Breeze 22’ staged and coordinated by the Bulgarian Navy
in the country’s territorial and the international waters of the Black Sea and
the Bulgarian port of Burgas. This year’s edition of the exercise has brought
together navy and air forces from Albania, Belgium, France, Georgia, Italy,
Latvia, Poland, Turkey and the USA. The drill is aimed at strengthening
tactical interoperability between the navy personnel and participating units
and at practicing conventional and non-conventional war procedures.

UKRAINE Addressing an international conference on the war crimes in
Ukraine held in The Hague, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Thursday requested the creation of a special tribunal to investigate Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine. The country’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also asked
for a special court trying the crime of aggression, defined as an attack by one
state against another. All we want is for the crime of aggression to not go
unpunished, Dmytro Kuleba said during the same conference. Political,
diplomatic and judicial leaders from around the world convened on Thursday for
a conference on the crimes committed in Ukraine since February 24. The European
Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders mentioned that 20,000 investigations
concerning war crimes in Ukraine have been opened. Around 14 European countries
are investigating these crimes, and a European Joint Investigation Team has
been set up, he added. Russia denies the abuses of which its troops are being
accused, which include shelling civilians, executions, and rapes, and in
exchange accuses Ukraine of crime wars. Meanwhile, scores of civilians were
killed or wounded on Thursday in a Russian missile attack on the town of Vinnytsia,
in central Ukraine. (AMP)

14 July 2022
July 12, 2022

FISCAL CODE Consultations continue in Bucharest between the authorities,
trade unions and employers’ associations, after representatives of the business
community, trade unions and local authorities voiced discontent with the
changes the government intends to operate on the Fiscal Code. During the talks held on Monday with PM Nicolae Ciucă and the finance
minister Adrian Câciu, they requested, among other things, a postponement to
next year of the measures that the government plans to introduce as of August 1.
These include the increase in alcohol excise duties, the lower ceiling for tax
facilities in the constructions sector and the idea that part-time employees
should pay social contributions corresponding to the national minimum wage.

INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate reached 15.1% in June, as
against 14.5% in May, the National Statistics Institute announced today. According
to the institution, non-foodstuff prices went up nearly 18%, food prices rose
by roughly 15% and the price of services also increased by some 8%. The
National Bank of Romania adjusted its inflation forecast to 12.5% for the end
of this year and to 6.7% for the end of 2023.

COVID Starting today, COVID-19 updates will be released on a daily basis
in Romania rather than weekly, after a steep rise in the number of cases,
accounting for a doubling of new infection numbers every 7 days. On Tuesday the
authorities announced over 4,000 people tested positive in 24 hours, out of
over 21,000 tests conducted. Nine COVID-related deaths were also reported, all
of them in patients suffering from prior conditions. The number of hospitalised
COVID patients is 1,361, with 90 patients in intensive care. According to
experts, the new Omicron sub-variant that causes the current infection wave
around the world, and which has also been identified in Romania, affects the
protection provided both by the vaccine and by natural immunisation, but it
generally seems to cause milder forms of the disease. The health minister
Alexandru Rafila announced that prevention measures remain in place, especially
face covering and physical distancing. COVID-19 vaccines are still recommended
by the authorities, particularly to vulnerable categories.

PARTNERSHIP Romaniahas no better friend than the US, the US secretary of state
Antony Blinken said on the celebration of 25 years since the launch of the
Strategic Partnership between Washington and Bucharest. In turn, former US
ambassadors to Bucharest state in a letter that the strategic partnership with
Romania has proved to be one of the best investments in Europe for the US. They
also say that Romania plays a decisive part in the defence and strengthening of
NATO’s eastern flank and in consolidating stability and security at the Black
Sea.

REFUGEES Over the past 24 hours around 226,800 people have crossed the
border in and out of Romania, the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate announced.
Of these, over 22,000 are Ukrainian nationals who came into Romania via various
checkpoints. Since the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, more than 1.5
million Ukrainian citizens have crossed the border into Romania.

VISIT The head of the European Public
Prosecutor’s Office, Laura Codruţa Kovesi,
is on an official visit to the R. of Moldova until 14 July. The European
official will have meetings with Moldovan authorities. Moldova’s president Maia
Sandu, who had a meeting with Laura Codruţa Kovesi in January 2021 in Brussels,
expressed at that time her willingness to work together with the European
institution to encourage the country’s reforms in the judiciary. Experts in
Chişinău note that Codruţa Kovesi’s visit takes place after Moldova was recently
granted the EU candidate status, and that Brussels would like to make sure that
Moldova stays on a predictable path. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office
became operational on 1 June 2021, and is in charge with investigating and
prosecuting offences against the EU budget. (AMP)

12 July 2022
June 6, 2022 UPDATE

Visit — The Speaker of Romania’s Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, on Monday had meetings in Chisinau with the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova (mostly Romanian-speaking), Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavriliţa, respectively. ‘I reiterated to President Maia Sandu Romanias commitment to support the Republic of Moldova EU’s integration process and the rapid acquisition of the status of candidate country. Romania is supporting the Republic of Moldova more than ever before, in the current tense security context’, Ciolacu wrote on Twitter. Marcel Ciolacu also stated that Romania ‘strongly’ supports the extension of the European Unions financial assistance for Chisinau. Earlier, the Romanian official met with Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, who said that bilateral relations are excellent, with Romania being Moldova’s best economic partner and closest friend in terms of support for EU membership. The two officials also said that they started taking the steps for the streamlining of the goods traffic at the common border, where thousands of trucks are waiting to transit. Grosu announced that a joint meeting of the two parliaments would take place in Chisinau.

Weather – In Romania, the weather on Tuesday will be generally beautiful and warmer than normal. The highs of the day range from 21 to 31 degrees Celsius. In Bucharest, the noon temperature is expected to reach 28 degrees C. Last night, the capital and several counties, mostly in the south of the country, were under a code orange alert for unstable weather. Several trees were felled down by the strong storm, and several houses in Constanta County were flooded. In three counties, also in the south of the territory, a code red alert for bad weather was in place, and a code yellow alert for the rest of the country.

Football – Romania’s national football team will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina, away from home, on Tuesday in their Nations League second match. In their first away game on Saturday night the Romanians conceded a 2-0 defeat to Montenegro, which will be up against Finland on Tuesday. Romania ranks last in its group with no points.

Ship – Mircea training ship left, on Monday, from the military port of Constanţa, the most important Romanian port on the Black Sea Coast, in the second international training voyage of this year. The mission is dedicated to the anniversary, this year, of 150 years of Romanian naval education. On board the ship are Romanian students from the “Mircea cel Batrân” Naval Academy and foreign students from the naval academies in Great Britain, Poland, Bulgaria and the United States. The voyage will take almost two months, during which time the ship will dock in five Mediterranean ports – Augusta, Genoa, Valencia, Valletta and Alexandria.

Refugees – According to the Romanian Border Police Inspectorate roughly 7,000 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on Sunday, 17% less than the previous day. Since the beginning of the conflict in the neighboring country, over 1.1 million Ukrainian nationals have crossed the border into Romania. Out of these, 90 thousand decided to remain but only 2,000 have got jobs in this country. The Romanian government wants to offer support to these refugees to help them get integrated, learn the language, get a job and access to education for their children. A national plan for the social inclusion of these refugees could be approved this week.

Lavrov– The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has canceled a two-day visit to Serbia after three countries bordering it, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, decided to close their airspace, the agency said. Interfax news agency, quoted by DPA reports. Lavrov is on the Western sanctions list in the context of Russias war agaist Ukraine, and the European Union has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft following the invasion. Serbia, which has expressed its wish to join the Union, is the only European state that has not adopted the sanctions and is one of Russias closest allies on the Old Continent. In Bucharest, the government spokesman, Dan Cărbunaru, specified that, until Monday at 3:40 p.m., the Romanian authorities had not received any request from Russia for the crossing of the airspace by Sergei Lavrovs aircraft. (LS)

6 June 2022
May 28, 2022 UPDATE

TALKS The prime minister of Romania Nicolae Ciucă Saturday received a delegation of the US Senate headed by Senator Robert Portman. PM Ciucă presented the situation of Ukrainian exports and of Romanias efforts to support the food security of the affected countries, particularly those in the Middle East and Northern Africa, and the viability of Ukraines economy. He mentioned support options including the ports of Constanţa and Galaţi, navigation on the Danube to central Europe, railway and road transport. A large part of the talks was devoted to Russias invasion in Ukraine and the need for concrete support for this country. Senator Robert Portman thanked Romania for its efforts and highlighted his interest in the country, considering that the state he is representing, Ohio, is home to a large community of Romanians and an important Ukrainian community.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu was received on Friday by the president of Tukey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of a trilateral security meeting that brought together the foreign ministers of Romania, Poland and Turkey in Istanbul. Erdogan commended Romanias and Polands management of the humanitarian crisis entailed by Russias aggression in Ukraine, while Bogdan Aurescu highlighted Turkeys role at the Black Sea. The Romanian foreign minister also voiced support for NATOs open door policy and for the accession of Sweden and Finland. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bogdan Aurescu also emphasised the relevance of the bilateral strategic partnership signed in 2011, in the current geopolitical circumstances.

CYBER ATTACK The English version of the website of the Romanian defence ministry has been attacked by hackers. The DDOS cyber-attack took place on Friday night, and experts with the ministrys cyber defence unit managed to restore the website in around 30 minutes. The ministry says the website does not contain sensible or classified databases and the attack did not affect other services or networks of the institution. Investigations are under way to identify the source of the attack. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of Internet traffic.

RADIO CHIŞINAU The Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation issued a news release stating it was confident the decision to ban the use of the name “Chişinău” in the name of the radio station Radio Chişinău was a misunderstanding and it has reasons to believe the situation will be resolved. Radio Romania mentions that at Fridays meeting of the Chişinău City Council, a draft decision on the use of the name Chişinău was dismissed by a majority of Council members. The name of the city Chişinău was used by Radio Chişinău, a Radio Romania station, between 2011 and 2021, based on a similar validation procedure. Radio Romania emphasized that, should the situation continue, it will have to take all the necessary administrative and judicial steps to address it, to the benefit of its listeners in the Republic of Moldova. Previously, the Romanian foreign ministry said the decision of the Chişinǎu Council was unjustified, ungrounded and driven by political considerations.

FESTIVAL “Mogoşoaia Classic Fest” takes place this weekend at the Brâncovenesc Palace (near Bucharest), under the title “Cultures of the world.” The festival includes exhibitions, film screenings and performances, concerts. The music, fine arts, dance, images and traditions of 8 countries are showcased in the festival: Armenia, Spain, Hungary, Lithuania, Peru, Mexico, China and Romania.

TENNIS The Romanian Irina Begu Saturday qualified into the 8th-finals of the Roland Garros tournament, after defeating Leolia Jeanjean of France 6-1, 6-4, in the 3rd round. The round of 16 is the best performance for the Romanian player in Grand Slams. Begu is the only Romanian player left in the singles competition of this years tournament in Paris. (AMP)

28 May 2022
May 16, 2022 UPDATE

NATO — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis hails Swedens decision to apply for NATO membership, following the announcement made on Monday by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. In a Twitter message, president Iohannis states that Romania fully supports a rapid process of Swedens accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. He adds that, once they join the Alliance, Sweden and Finland will make NATO stronger than ever before. The two countries in northern Europe, located near Russia, have decided to go out of neutrality and demand to be admitted into NATO after Russia attacked and invaded Ukraine almost three months ago. NATO currently has 30 member states, 21 of which are part of the EU. The EU member states that have not joined the North Atlantic Alliance are Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden.

Forecast — Romanias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow by 2.6% this year and by 3.6% in 2023, according to the European Commissions spring economic forecasts. This is a smaller increase than expected in the previous assessments, in February. The situation is valid for the whole of the European Union and is mainly due to the disruptions caused by the war waged by Russia in Ukraine. European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni has announced that the European average inflation rate will be 6.8% this year. He also said that in April European inflation averaged 7.5%, the highest value ever recorded in the monetary union. According to the Commission, inflation in Romania will reach 8.9% this year, double the percentage reported in 2021. Inflation is expected to fall to 5.1% next year, but the Commission warns that there are growing economic risks as the war in Ukraine is prolonged.

Visit — A delegation of the Romanian Interior Ministry led by minister Lucian Bode pays an official visit to the US between May 16-18, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Romania-US Strategic Partnership. The Romanian official is to have meetings at the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Congress. The discussions with the US officials focus on institutional efforts in line with the State Departments recommendations made in the Trafficking in Persons Report (TiP Report), Romania having the necessary tools for an adequate response to the challenges posed by this type of crime, namely structures, legislation, strategies and action plans, informs the Interior Ministry. The meetings are an opportunity to reconfirm the very good cooperation between the Romanian authorities and the US law enforcement agencies in the field of combating organized crime, with a focus on combating illegal migration and cybercrime, as well as intensifying the exchange of information. During the talks with members of the US Congress, Lucian Bode will discuss the challenges of the current regional context, both in terms of managing the humanitarian crisis generated by Russias aggression against Ukraine and in terms of security.

Tennis — Polands Iga Swiatek leads the world ranking of professional tennis players (WTA), published on Monday. Next in the ranking are the Czech Barbora Krejcikova and the Spanish Paula Badosa. The Romanian Simona Halep returned to the Top 20, climbing two positions compared to last week, from 21 to 19 position. Romania has six players in the top 100, the other five being Sorana Cîrstea – 27, Gabriela Ruse – 52, Irina Begu – 62, Jaqueline Cristian – 69, Ana Bogdan – 91. In the doubles ranking, Romania has five representatives in the first hundred: Monica Niculescu – 40, Raluca Olaru – 47, Irina Begu – 57, Irina Bara – 59, Gabriela Ruse – 87.

Football — CFR Cluj (northwest) won its fifth consecutive title as Romania’s football champions, after defeating the Universitatea Craiova (south), score 2-1, at home, in a match from the 9th stage, the penultimate of the First League play-offs. The vice-champion is FCSB, from Bucharest. On Thursday, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (center) and FC Voluntari (south, a satellite city of Bucharest) will play the final of the Romanian Football Cup. At the end of the domestic season, the Romanian national football team will have their first match in a new edition of the League of Nations, at the beginning of June, when it will meet the national teams of Montenegro, Bosnia and Finland. (LS)

16 May 2022
May 11, 2022

INFLATION The year-on-year inflation rate in Romania went up to
13.76% in April this year, as against 10.15% in March, according to data made
public today by the National Statistics Institute. Non-food prices rose by
16.35%, foodstuff prices by 13.54%, and services are 7.11% more expensive.
Yesterday, in order to curb the inflation rise, the central bank announced a
new increase in the key interest rate, which will trigger a rise in consumer
and inter-bank loan interests. The National Bank of Romania expects the
inflation rate to surge this summer more than previously forecast, and says the
rate is not likely to return to under 10% until the second half of next year.

VISIT The Speaker of the Senate of Romania, Florin Cîţu, is on an
official visit to Poland today, at the invitation of his counterpart, Tomasz
Grodzki. The main topics on the agenda are opportunities to consolidate
bilateral relations between the 2 countries, the war in Ukraine and the
economic fallout of the Russian aggression. Florin Citu announced that after
his visit to Poland he will travel to the Republic of Moldova.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu takes part today in a ministerial meeting of the Global
Coalition against Daesh, held in Marrakesh, Morocco. According to the ministry,
the meeting will be co-chaired by the USA and Morocco, with over 75
representatives of the member states and international organisations expected
to attend. Most member states are NATO and EU members, partner states in the
Western Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, as well as the EU, NATO, and
INTERPOL. The main topics will include the security
situation in Iraq and Syria, as well as terrorism-related developments in
Africa and Afghanistan. Bogdan
Aurescu will highlight Romania’s contribution as a Coalition member, including
its participation since 2016 both in the Coalition Forces (as part of Operation
Inherent Resolve and of the NATO mission in Iraq), and in the stabilisation and
reconstruction efforts in the countries affected by ISIS activities.

GOVERNMENT A draft emergency order to prevent
speculation is being discussed today by the government of Romania. The decision
comes after fuel, sunflower oil or masks and disinfectant prices skyrocketed
overnight, in the context of the war in Ukraine or before that, during the
pandemic. Speculation was criminalised before in Romania, shortly after WWII
and after the fall of the communist regime in 1990.

NATURAL
GAS A bill to amend
the Offshore Act, which will green light the development of natural gas
reserves in the Black Sea, is discussed as of today by the Senate of Romania.
According to the ruling coalition, which has tabled the bill, this is a much
more balanced text than the one drafted 4 years ago. Tax facilities have been
introduced for the companies interested in taking part in the development
project, and in a few years’ time Romania’s reliance on Russian gas is expected
to become significantly lower. The energy minister Virgil Popescu emphasised
that by amending the current legislation onshore investments will also be
encouraged, supply security will be ensured in case of an energy crisis and
Romania may become a provider of regional energy security. Under the bill, the
Romanian government will have pre-emptive rights in purchasing the natural gas.
Romania’s biggest public natural gas producer, Romgaz, and the Austrian
company OMV will extract the natural gas in the Black Sea in the coming years.

COVID-19 The 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose will be available on
request in Romania, in vaccination centres and family physician practices, as
of May 16. According to the health ministry, only Pfiser vaccines can be
administered, to people over 18 who have received 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, and
at least 4 months after they have received the 3rd dose. Meanwhile, the
health ministry announced 705 new COVID-19 cases and 7 related deaths in 24
hours. 144 COVID patients are currently in intensive care.

UKRAINE The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
commented on the situation in Kharkiv, emphasising that the Ukrainian forces
are repelling the invaders and freeing the region. Clashes continue on the
Serpent Island as well, 45 km from Romania, with Russia trying to strengthen
its vulnerable garrison on the island. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut off the
transit of Russian gas to Western Europe in Lugansk region, and says the
occupation of its eastern part by Russian forces makes it impossible to control
the flows. Over 32 million cubic metres of natural gas are halted, accounting
for around one-third of Russia’s daily exports transiting Ukraine. In the US,
the House of Representatives approved an additional 40 billion US dollars in
aid for Ukraine. The act is to be rushed through the Senate and signed by
president Joe Biden. The funds will be used for military support and humanitarian
assistance for the civilians affected by the Russian invasion. (AMP)

11 May 2022
Record-large number of Ukrainian refugees in the Rep. of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova is Ukraine’s most vulnerable neighbour,
the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu stated after that country’s border
had been crossed by hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian nationals fleeing their
country invaded by Russian troops.

Created
on some of the eastern Romanian territories annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940,
following an ultimatum, and independent from Moscow since 1991, the Republic of
Moldova shared the same disastrous fate with Ukraine and Russia, behind the
Iron Curtain, for over half a century. According to the latest census, dating
back to 2014, apart from ethnic Romanians (some of them self-identified as
Moldovans), who account for roughly 80% of the population, Moldova is also home
to some 180,000 Ukrainians (6.5% of the population) and 110,000 ethnic Russians
(4%).

Since
the start of the war in Ukraine, strange blasts and grenade attacks have
fuelled fears that the conflict might spill over into the east of Moldova,
where the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria has been out of Chişinău’s
control for 3 decades, following an intervention of the Russian Army on the
side of the rebels.

All
these have further deepened the tensions in a Moldovan society already divided between
pro-Europeans and pro-Russians. The authorities banned the display of Russian
militarist symbols, such as the ribbon of St. George and the letters Z and V.
The pro-Russian, communist and socialist opposition however disregarded the regulation
and on Monday they celebrated the 9 May 1945 victory of the Soviet Union against
Nazi Germany.

Amid
all this, the less than 3-million strong Republic of Moldova, confirmed in
relevant surveys as the poorest European country, is grappling with a constant
inflow of Ukrainian refugees, at the largest rate per capita in Europe. The United
Nations commended Moldova on its efforts, and secretary general Antonio Guterres voiced the
organisation’s support for the authorities during a visit to Chişinău. He thanked
the hosts for their generosity and solidarity, and described Moldova’s actions
as a model of compassion. Guterres emphasised that any violation of Moldova’s
territorial integrity is also a violation of international law, condemned by
the UN.

PM Natalia Gavriliţă said in turn that her
government was waiting for the funding offered by the UN to support the
refugees to reach Chişinău as soon as possible. The Moldovan government chief
also said that, in the context of the war in Ukraine, Moldova’s defence system
is on alert, to prevent the situation in the country from destabilising. (A.M.P.)

10 May 2022
The Week in Review 2-8.05.2022

Ukraine at the forefront of diplomatic actions

While in Ukraine attacks of the invading Russian army continue, Romania receives visits of high-level officials who want to thank and encourage Romania for its support to Kyiv. Early this week the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier came to Bucharest where he met with President Klaus Iohannis, who took the opportunity to highlight that it was crucial that the European Union and the Member States should continue to support both Ukraine and the Ukrainian refugees, while also stressing the need to adopt new sanctions against Russia. Klaus Iohannis also pointed out that all war crimes committed by the Russian troops should be thoroughly investigated and punished by the international justice, reiterating that Romania would support this process. The Romanian head of state also said that Bucharest supported the European Commissions proposal related to the ban on oil imports from Russia, pointing out that Romania had prepared for this situation. Stating that the German people were impressed by the solidarity and humaneness of Romanians towards the Ukrainian refugees, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, in turn, that Germany would be by Ukraine’s side during the difficult period. The visit of the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden, to Romania was also announced for this weekend. The program includes meetings with U.S. military and diplomatic personnel, displaced Ukrainian parents and children and humanitarian aid workers.

A transaction of strategic importance

The Romanian state-owned company Romgaz bought on Tuesday, with one billion Euros, the 50% stake of the American company ExxonMobil in the ʹNeptun Deepʹ exploitation project in the Black Sea, which contains about 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Romgaz will collaborate with OMV Petrom, which is also part of this strategic project for Romania, which wants to become independent from an energy point of view, and also to produce energy for its neighbors and partners in the European Union. The first amounts of gas from the ʹNeptun Deepʹ perimeter could enter the consumption network in almost five years. However, before the start of gas extraction from the Black Sea, investors are waiting for the amendment of the offshore law, which is already in Parliament for debate and approval. The current version seems to be more balanced for both the State and the interested companies than the law passed four years ago.

The Constitutional Court is renewed

Bogdan Licu, first deputy prosecutor general, proposed by the Social Democratic Party, has this week obtained most of the MP’s votes for taking over the position of judge at the Constitutional Court in Romania – CCR. On behalf of the Senate, Iuliana Scântei, proposed by the National Liberal Party – PNL was also voted as a judge at the Constitutional Court. The nominations from the two ruling parties were criticized by the opposition Save Romanian Union – USR, which accused them of failing to observe the professional criteria and of promoting to the CCR persons who are subservient to the current power. The two newly appointed judges will take over their positions in June, when the mandates of the current president of the Court, Valer Dorneanu, and of judge Mona Pivniceru expire. The term of office of judge Daniel Morar, appointed by the Presidency in 2013, also expires next month. The Constitutional Court is made up of nine judges with a nine-year term of office. Three are appointed by the Chamber of Deputies, three by the Senate and three by the President of Romania. The Court is renewed by one-third of the number of judges every three years. Meanwhile, the Court continues to work. On Thursday, the Court declared unconstitutional the procedure by which the law to eliminate the special pensions of parliamentarians was adopted last year. More than 70 former MPs went to court for losing these rights and won the case at 11 courts across the country and at a Court of Appeal.

The verdict in the Colectiv case, postponed again

The Bucharest Court of Appeal has postponed for the fifth time giving the final verdict in the case opened after the fire at the Bucharest club Colectiv, in which 64 people died, over 200 were injured and one subsequently committed suicide. The new deadline is May 12. On the evening of October 30, 2015, shortly after the start of a rock concert on the stage of the Colectiv club sheltered by a disused former factory, the fireworks used in the show lit the sponge used for cushioning the overcrowded hall, which had only one single escape door. Some spectators died on the spot, others were severely affected by flames and smoke and stampeded towards the exit. The victims’ relatives have long been waiting for justice to be done. In the first instance, the mayor of sector 4 at that time, Cristian Popescu Piedone, city hall officials, the clubs owners, two firefighters, two pyrotechnics workers and representatives of a fireworks company received convictions of 4 up to 13 years.

Gopo Awards

The National Theatre in Bucharest has this week hosted the 16th edition of the Gopo Awards Gala, which celebrates excellence in Romanian cinema, which has been quite appreciated internationally in recent years. Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc — ‘Bad luck banging or looney porn’ written and directed by Radu Jude, was the big winner of the Gopo trophy for Best Film in 2021. The film protagonist, Katia Pascariu, won the Best Actress in a Leading Role Award. Most of the trophies were, however, awarded to Malmkrog, by filmmaker Cristi Puiu, who received the Best Director Award. The film also won the Best Picture Award, Best Makeup and Best Hairstyle, Best Costumes and Best Production Design Awards. The Best Actor in a Leading Role award went to Bogdan Farcaș, the protagonist of the film Unidentified, rewarded with a Gopo trophy for Best Screenplay. Two of the most valuable actors in Romania, Victor Rebengiuc and Mariana Mihuţ, received Lifetime Achievement Awards. (LS)

7 May 2022
May 7, 2022

Visit – Jill Biden, the wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, continues her visit to Romania today. In Bucharest, she met with Carmen Iohannis, the wife of Romanias President Klaus Iohannis, and she will pay a visit to a school that hosts Ukrainian refugee students. Also today, Jill Biden is to meet with Government members, with the staff of the American Embassy, as well as with humanitarian aid workers. On Friday, the first day of her visit, Jill Biden met with the U.S. and NATO soldiers at Mihail Kogalniceanu base (southeast). The American presidents wife is on a tour which will also include Slovakia, to show the US’s commitment to Ukrainian refugees. She is accompanied by the Deputy Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Karen Donfried. The delegation also includes former U.S. Ambassador to Bucharest between 2009 and 2012 Mark Gitenstein, currently U.S. Ambassador to the EU and his wife Elizabeth Gitenstein.

Refugees — Ukrainian children refugees in Romania will be able to be registered in a computer application, regardless of whether they are with their family or not. The platform will be developed and adapted by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities in collaboration with UNICEF Romania and the non-governmental organization “Save the children”. Since the beginning of the armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine, almost 40,000 children from the neighboring country have arrived in Romania, who have crossed the border with their parents or unaccompanied. The application, which has been successfully used in the case of other states amid the influx of refugees caused by the war, provides that the authorities should know about the location of the Ukrainian children left in Romania, even if they are with their parents or relatives. At least 80,700 people, including more than 8,000 Ukrainian citizens (up by 4.3% compared to the previous day), entered Romania through the border crossings on Friday. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, over 860 thousand Ukrainians have crossed the Romanian border, most of them transiting to other countries.

Grants – The Romanian Government has decided to grant non-reimbursable loans worth 300 million Euros to companies operating in agriculture and the food industry. The authorities pre-notified the European Commission about the state aid scheme, and the relevant minister Marcel Boloş is convinced that the community forum will approve the request without any problems. Companies will receive non-reimbursable loans for working capital, in order to buy raw materials or fuels. The measure will support seasonal works in agriculture and will combat the rise in fuel and chemical fertilizer prices.

Ukraine — The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a declaration giving ‘strong support’ to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ‘in working out a peaceful solution’ to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a new security assistance package for Ukraine that will provide additional ammunition consisting in artillery, radars and other equipment, but he warned that the funds earmarked for weapons destined for Kyiv are now ‘virtually depleted.’ On Sunday, the G7 leaders will have a virtual meeting to discuss the war in Ukraine, which will also be attended by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Germany, the country holding the organizations presidency this year, announced. On the ground, Kyiv is still making diplomatic efforts to rescue the remaining fighters in the Azovstal steelworks, the last Ukrainian forces’ stronghold in the port city of Mariupol, after fifty civilians were evacuated on Friday by a new humanitarian convoy. Also on Friday, the Russian troops continued to launch rocket attacks on regions in southern Ukraine. On the other hand, about two and a half months after being recognized by Russia, the self-proclaimed peoples republics of the East, Donetsk and Luhansk, have appointed ambassadors to Moscow. After the failure to conquer Kyiv, Russias war effort is currently focused on supporting and expanding Russian separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.

Campaign – The Representation of the European Commission in Romania has launched the communication campaign “Faces of European solidarity”, in the context of the anniversary of Europe Day on May 9th, when the signing of the Schuman Declaration of 1950 is marked. It is a photo exhibition by photojournalists documenting the solidarity of Romanians with people who left Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The campaign will run for a month, and the photos will be exhibited in Bucharest in different spaces, at the metro stations, the Henri Coanda Airport, and also in the online environment.

Paris – Emmanuel Macron was sworn-in on Saturday at the Elysee Palace as President of France for a new five-year term, AFP reports. In a short speech, he called for continued action to make France a more independent and powerful nation. We remind you that Macron won the second round of the presidential elections, on April 24, in front of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, with 58.55% of the votes. On Sunday, he will take part in the festivities marking the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. On Monday, Europe Day, he is expected in Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. Emmanuel Macron will then travel to Berlin on the same day to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this being his first trip abroad after being re-elected.

SPP — On the Day of the Protection and Guard Service (SPP), the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă conveyed a message showing his appreciation and respect for the professionalism of the specialists of this essential structure in the national security system. 32 years after its establishment, SPP successfully manages all the missions entrusted to it, benefiting from the trust of the Romanian institutions, as well as of the institutions within NATO and the EU member states. The modernization process and the permanent adaptation to the challenges they have to manage, together with the devotion of the SPP professionals, prepares the ground for strengthening this elite structure of the Romanian state, the prime minister said. SPP ensures the protection of Romanian and foreign dignitaries during their stay in Romania, and also the security of their work offices and residences. (LS)

7 May 2022