Radio România Internațional

Tag: Vlad Alexandrescu

  • Rapport sur les enfants institutionnalisés de Roumanie

    Rapport sur les enfants institutionnalisés de Roumanie

    La manière dont une société gère le problème des enfants témoigne de son degré de civilisation. Les siècles passés, abandonner ses enfants c’était un phénomène courant. La société moderne tente, elle, d’y trouver une solution au niveau des institutions de l’Etat. Mais cette solution n’est pas suffisante en elle-même.

    Le philosophe Gabriel Liiceanu explique : « C’est un progrès de la civilisation mondiale, le fait que les enfants abandonnés arrivent dans des centres spécialisés. A regarder de l’extérieur, c’est sans doute un pas en avant, un progrès. Mais par rapport à quoi ? A la fin du 18e siècle, un des hommes de culture d’Europe, idole de la spiritualité occidentale, Jean-Jacques Rousseau de son nom, était un personnage qui abandonnait ses propres enfants sur les marches de l’église, alors qu’il passait pour un des grands pédagogues du monde et qu’il écrivait des traités solides sur comment il fallait élever sa progéniture. C’était la manière de la société de cette époque-là de résoudre le problème des enfants non désirés.»

    Qu’en est-il dans la Roumanie d’aujourd’hui? Pour répondre à cette question, le parlementaire Vlad Alexandrescu a fait plusieurs déplacements pour se mettre au courant notamment de la situation médicale des enfants abandonnés. Ses conclusions sont à retrouver dans le livre intitulé « Les enfants d’Hérode. Rapport moral sur les enfants laissés à la charge de l’Etat», récemment paru aux éditions Humanitas.

    Lors du lancement du livre, Vlad Alexandrescu a expliqué : « En tant que parlementaire, j’ai pu faire plusieurs démarches: m’adresser directement aux institutions compétentes, leur demander des réponses à des questions très précises sur le nombre d’enfants abusés, sur les types d’abus enregistrés par la police, sur leurs traitements médicaux et psychiatriques qu’ils reçoivent. De même, je me suis intéressé à la traite de personnes à l’étranger, dont de nombreuses victimes sont des enfants ou des jeunes. Le résultat de toutes ce démarches, vous l’avez aujourd’hui devant vous, publié pour la première fois sous forme de livre, grâce à la générosité de la maison d’éditions Humanitas.»

    La pauvreté extrême est la principale cause de l’abandon des nouveau-nés ou des enfants en très bas âge, constate le rapport de Vlad Alexandrescu. L’expérience traumatisante que ces petits vivent laisse des traces profondes et a des conséquences négatives sur leur développement psychique et émotionnel.

    Vlad Alexandrescu précise : « C’est le cas d’environ 65% des enfants se trouvant à la charge de l’Etat. Ils proviennent de familles qui vivent dans une pauvreté extrême. D’ailleurs, l’institutionnalisation est un des effets de la pauvreté extrême en Roumanie. Mais une bonne partie de ces enfants ont été abandonnés dès la naissance ou tout de suite après. Certains passent d’un hôpital à l’autre avant d’entrer dans le système de protection de l’Etat. Or, l’hôpital n’est pas un endroit où ils puissent grandir. Par conséquent, dès un très jeune âge, ils vivent le trauma de l’abandon, qui devient, peu à peu, une souffrance psychique permanente. »

    L’époque communiste a perturbé l’équilibre social du pays par l’interdiction de l’avortement. Résultat : toute une génération d’enfants non désirés, surnommée « les enfants du décret ». Et pour cause. Par le Décret du 1er octobre 1966, le dictateur Nicolae Ceausescu interdisait les IVG et les moyens de contraception. Quelques exceptions d’ordre éthique étaient permises seulement. Après la chute du régime, en 1990, le New York Times consacrait un article aux enfants abandonnés de Roumanie. La situation était plus que dramatique : les orphelinats roumains étaient surpeuplées et la plupart des enfants avaient de graves troubles psychiques. Une image de la Roumanie qui a fait le tour du monde et par laquelle notre pays a été identifié pendant de longues années.

    De nos jours, bien que la loi ne permette plus que de tels drames se produisent, certains enfants abandonnés arrivent toujours dans les sections de psychiatrie des hôpitaux.

    Vlad Alexandrescu explique : « Il existe une idée reçue dans la psychiatrie roumaine. Les médecins psychiatres considèrent en quelque sorte qu’il est normal qu’un enfant institutionnalisé franchisse le seuil de l’hôpital. Certes, après l’hospitalisation psychiatrique, après l’administration d’un traitement aux médicaments neuroleptiques, le psychiatre doit recommander la réévaluation périodique de l’enfant et l’introduction graduelle d’une psychothérapie. Ce qui n’arrive pourtant jamais. »

    Pour sa part, le philosophe Gabriel Liiceanu estime que l’absence de fonds et la bureaucratie excessive ne sont pas les seuls aspects qui rendent difficiles la création de centres de placement en accord avec l’époque où nous vivons. Malgré les contrôles et les sonnettes d’alarme tirées par les médias, on a souvent l’impression d’avoir perdu la lutte contre cette institution gigantesque. Dans ce contexte, la solidarité et l’implication de l’ensemble de la société pourraient alléger la souffrance des enfants abandonnés.

    Gabriel Liiceanu : « Par ailleurs, si nous avions tout l’argent du monde pour investir dans de tels centres, écrit l’auteur du livre, le problème ne serait tout de même pas résolu, parce qu’il est comblé par une bureaucratie affreuse, impossible à déstructurer. Que peut-on faire au moment où en on devient conscient ? Seuls, rien. On peut se plaindre par-ci, par-là, se sentir très mal, ne plus dormir la nuit, avoir des pensées sombres sur l’humanité. Mais ensemble, nous pouvons réussir. Car l’indignation est la source de vie d’une société, qui l’aide à trouver des solutions. Tant qu’on est indigné on est vivant. On n’est plus indigné ? Alors on est mort et le monde autour de nous s’effondre. »

    Avant de terminer notons que le livre intitulé « Les enfants d’Hérode. Rapport moral sur les enfants laissés à la charge de l’Etat » de Vlad Alexandrescu sera bientôt lancé sous forme numérique, de eBook, par les mêmes éditions Humanitas. (Trad. Valentina Beleavski)

  • „Kinder des Herodes“: Sind Kinderheime wirklich ein Fortschritt?

    „Kinder des Herodes“: Sind Kinderheime wirklich ein Fortschritt?

    In den letzten Jahrhunderten setzten Menschen Kinder in hohen Zahlen aus. Noch im 18. Jahrhundert, beschrieb Humanitas-Chef Gabriel Liiceanu die Zustände, setzte selbst ein Intellektueller vom Kaliber eines Jean Jacques Rousseau, Autor pädagogischer Traktate, seine eigenen unerwünschten Kinder auf laufendem Band auf den Treppen der Kirche ab — es war einfach der Weg, mit der Situation fertig zu werden, findet der Philosoph Liiceanu. Die moderne Gesellschaft hat institutionalisierte Lösungen entwickelt — sie parkt einfach die unerwünschten Kinder in Heime, was zumindest von au‎ßen betrachtet einen Fortschritt darstellt, sagt Liiceanu. In seinem Verlag ist der Bericht Kinder des Herodes“ von Vlad Alexandrescu erschienen. Als Arzt und Mitglied des rumänischen Parlaments reiste Alexandrescu durch das Land, besuchte Kinderheime und erkundigte sich über die Lage dieser Kinder.



    Ich habe mehrfach kraft meiner Befugnisse als Abgeordneter präzise Anfragen direkt an die zuständigen Behörden gestellt: Wie viele missbrauchte Kinder gibt es, welche Arten von Missbrauch werden bei der Polizei registriert, welchen ärztlichen und psychiatrischen Behandlungen — auch medikamentösen — werden die Kinder unterzogen? Zudem ging es mir um Menschenhandel, dessen Opfer oft Kinder oder Jugendliche sind.“




    Die extreme Armut scheint der Hauptgrund dafür zu sein, dass Familien Neugeborene oder Kleinkinder aussetzen. Die traumatische Erfahrung hinterlässt tiefe Spuren und wirkt sich negativ auf die psychologische und emotionale Entwicklung aus, meint Vlad Alexandrescu.



    Das trifft auf rund 65% der Kinder in staatlicher Obhut zu. Sie stammen aus zutiefst armen Familien. Die Heimkinder sind eine Folge der extremen Armut im Land. Ein guter Teil von ihnen werden bei oder unmittelbar nach der Geburt aufgegeben, einige von ihnen bleiben eine Weile in Krankenhäusern, bevor sie im Heimsystem des Staates landen. Ein Krankenhaus ist kein Platz, wo man aufwachsen sollte, und die Kinder entwickeln so vom kleinsten Alter aus ein Verlassenheitstrauma, das ein Kind dann verinnerlicht und das sich dann zu einem psychischen Leiden entwickelt.“




    Im Kommunismus war eine ganze Generation unerwünschter Kinder aufgewachsen. Durch ein von Diktator Nicolae Ceauşescu unterschriebenes Dekret vom 1. Oktober 1966 wurden Schwangerschaftsunterbrechungen mit ganz wenigen Ausnahmen verboten — die Folge war, dass viele unerwünschte Kinder geboren und ausgesetzt wurden und in Heime kamen. Gleich nach der Wende schrieben The New York Times und viele andere Publikationen reihenweise Artikel über die verwahrlosten Kinder in den rumänischen Heimen. Der heutige Rechtsrahmen verhindert zwar Zustände wie vor der Wende, aber immer noch werden Heimkinder zu Patienten der Psychiatrie, erklärt Alexandrescu.



    Es gibt ein Vorurteil unter den rumänischen Psychiatern, dass es sozusagen normal ist, wenn Heimkinder in ihre Krankenhäuser hereinspazieren und eine Behandlung brauchen. Sie werden dann aufgenommen und bekommen Neuroleptika, und der Arzt empfiehlt dann eine schrittweise Behandlung — dazu kommt es aber kaum.“




    Verleger Gabriel Liiceanu findet, dass zeitgerechtes Engagement in diesem Bereich nicht nur von zu wenig Geld und zu viel Bürokratie verhindert wird. Die Solidarität der Gesellschaft könnte gegen das Leiden der Kinder mehr bewirken als staatliche Kontrollen in Heimen, sagte Liiceanu bei der Lesung aus dem Bericht Kinder des Herodes“:




    Der Autor sagt uns, dass wir alles Geld der Welt haben und trotzdem nichts tun könnten, weil es eine ausufernde Bürokratie gibt, die nicht demontiert werden kann. Und alleine können wir uns nur ausweinen und schlecht über die Welt denken. Aber zusammen können wir es schaffen. Solche Einsichten führen zu Lösungen, denn Empörung ist der Nerv der Gesellschaft. Solange man empört ist, ist man am Leben. Ist man nicht empört, hört das Leben auf und die Welt um uns versinkt.“

  • Romania’s Gold Reserves

    Romania’s Gold Reserves

    The Senate in
    Bucharest passed a bill whereby the Central Bank must repatriate nearly all the
    country’s gold reserves stored in foreign countries. The Chamber of Deputies
    will give its final vote before submitting the bill to President Klaus Iohannis
    for ratification. The bill was spearheaded by Social-Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea
    and Social-Democrat Senator Serban Nicolae. The two claim Romania’s gold
    reserves abroad are not reporting any revenues, but simply covering the storage
    costs. The National Liberal Party, People’s Movement Party and Save Romania
    Union in opposition have criticized the bill and said would vote against it.
    Serban Nicolae said Romania’s gold reserves, currently totaling 103.7 tons, is
    65% stored a broad at the Bank of England and in Switzerland, while the
    remaining 40 tons are stored at Romania’s Treasury, at the National Bank of
    Romania. There is no reason left to justify keeping so much gold abroad, Serban
    Nicolae went on to say, adding that the bill is not a sanction against the
    Central Bank. Serban Nicolae:


    This is not a sanction against the National Bank of Romania. We are not
    criticizing the way the Bank has managed these reserves. We are not planning on
    modifying the way the Central Bank is managing our international reserves, just
    the gold.


    The opposition
    has voted against the bill, saying it’s a populist measure in an election year,
    with devastating effects for the economy. Here is Vlad Alexandrescu, Senator
    for Save Romania Union:


    The measure lacks any economic and financial justification. The only
    explanation is that Dancila’s Cabinet has almost depleted its funds and can no
    longer pay pensions and salaries. The Government is now planning to adopt
    radical measures in the field of the judiciary, which could trigger sanctions
    against Romania and isolate our country at international level.


    Romania’s
    account at the Bank of England was opened in 1990, London being one of the
    world’s top financial centers. The gold was transferred from 1999 to 2002. Our
    country pays a yearly fee for its storage. Repatriating the gold would however cost
    more than its storage, experts have warned. Besides, when a country has gold
    reserves, its external loans have better ratings. Romania deposited its first
    gold reserves abroad during World War II, when it deposited 11.6 tons at the
    Federal Reserve in the United States, 10.2 tons at the Bank of England and 25.4
    tons at the Bank of Switzerland.

  • The new pension law endorsed by the Senate

    The new pension law endorsed by the Senate

    Strongly promoted by the former holder of the labour
    office, the Social Democrat Lia Olguta Vasilescu, and supported by the majority
    formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and
    Democrats, the new pension bill was endorsed by the Senate on Monday. With 81
    votes for, 12 against and 8 abstentions, the bill passed without any serious
    amendments as compared to what the Government had proposed. Gradually
    increasing the pension point in the coming three years, reducing the retirement
    age for the so-called first and second labour categories and taking into
    consideration master’s and doctoral degrees in calculating the pension are some
    of the provisions of the new law. The minimum pension contribution period
    remains 15 years. One amendment promoted by the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians and accepted by the majority provides for the possibility, but not
    the requirement, of early retirement for mothers of three or more children.
    Senators members of the National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in
    Romania, say that the new law ‘creates false illusions for pensioners and does
    not materialize them’, because the actual increase will take place no sooner
    than 2022, and maybe even later. Dissatisfied by the fact that their amendments
    were not accepted, the Liberals voted against the bill. Here is the Liberal
    Senator Marcel Vela:


    I voted against also because the
    amendment that would have ensured support for pensioners in areas affected and polluted
    by mining exploitations or steel factories was not taken into consideration,
    and pensioners in this category were not given the chance to be able to retire
    two years sooner.


    Also in the opposition, the Save Romania Union
    abstained from voting, and said the imperfections of the law should be
    corrected. We believe that Romanians’ pensions are too low and they must be
    increased, but this law should have also cancelled special pensions, Save
    Romania Union Senator Vlad Alexandrescu said.


    On the other side, the Social Democrat Senators have
    stressed repeatedly that the law will meet the needs presented by pensioner
    associations and are meant to correct disparities in the system. The Social
    Democrat Senator Ion Rotaru responded to criticism voiced by the opposition:


    You voted against the minimum pension.
    You did not agree that, in case of pensioner’s death, the remaining spouse
    should have a second option, besides 51% of the pension, which would be an
    additional 25% help. You voted against many things.


    The new Labour Minister Marius Budai has given
    assurances that all increases provided in the bill are financially sustainable.
    He has stated that ministry experts, together with specialists from the finance
    ministry, have carried out the necessary simulations, and their conclusion was
    that the budget can cover all additional expenditure entailed by the new law.
    The bill will next go to the Chamber of Deputies, which is the decision-making
    chamber in this matter.



    (Translated by M. Ignatescu)

  • Taxa radio-tv, mai aproape de desfiinţare

    Taxa radio-tv, mai aproape de desfiinţare

    Noul Parlament de la Bucureşti a respins cererea formulată de preşedintele Klaus Iohannis de reexaminare a legii de eliminare a 102 taxe nefiscale, între care şi cea radio-tv. Declarată constituţională de către instanţa supremă, legea fusese trimisă înapoi de şeful statului potrivit căruia, o decizie asupra surselor de finanţare a Televiziunii şi Radioului Publice ar trebui luată numai în cadrul unei abordări mai largi, care să vizeze o reformă autentică a modului de funcţionare a acestora, dezbaterea neputându-se rezuma doar la simpla întrebare dacă este sau nu necesară o taxă pentru susţinerea serviciilor publice de radio şi televiziune.



    Problemele cu care se confruntă Televiziunea Publică şi Radioul Public sunt vechi şi sistemice şi ele se datorează, în principal, cadrului legislativ în temeiul căruia acestea funcţionează”, a mai apreciat Klaus Iohannis. Argumentele sale s-au izbit, însă, de opoziţia parlamentarilor PSD, ALDE şi UDMR, care deţin majoritatea în noul legislativ şi care le-au considerat neîntemeiate. Astfel că legea celor 102 taxe nefiscale a trecut, din nou, de Parlament, în varianta iniţială, cu un singur amendament – va intra în vigoare la data de 1 a primei luni de la publicarea documentului în Monitorul Oficial. Adică, cel mai probabil la 1 februarie 2017, pentru că preşedintele nu poate acum decât să promulge această lege, în cel mult 10 zile.



    La scurt timp după vot, iniţiatorul legii, liderul PSD Liviu Dragnea a declarat de la tribuna Parlamentului că este un act normativ care face pentru români o viaţă mai bună. Anterior, liderul senatorilor PSD, Şerban Nicolae, a dat asigurări că există resursele necesare pentru ca cele două instituţii publice de Radio şi Televiziune să funcţioneze cu bani de la buget. Fostul ministru al Culturii, senatorul USR Vlad Alexandrescu a atras, de cealaltă parte, atenţia că eliminarea taxei radio-tv loveşte în caracterul autonom al serviciilor publice. Mai mult, a spus el, se aduce atingere dreptului la informaţii al cetăţeanului, iar în condiţiile în care politizarea celor două servicii publice este şi acum la cote alarmante, crearea unui cadru legal de dependenţă financiară faţă de Guvern riscă să le ducă la obedienţă totală faţă de putere, indiferent care va fi ea.”



    Trecută cu rapiditate de Parlament în timpul campaniei electorale, legea de eliminare a celor 102 taxe nefiscale a generat controverse şi dezbateri aprinse pe scena publică. Apărătorii taxei RadioTV — organizaţii şi experţi în media — spun că renunţarea la ea şi finanţarea exclusivă a posturilor publice de la buget ar crea premizele subordonării lor politice.

  • Kulturminister Vlad Alexandrescu aus Amt entfernt – Rache der Politikerseilschaften?

    Kulturminister Vlad Alexandrescu aus Amt entfernt – Rache der Politikerseilschaften?

    Nach dem Rücktritt der Arbeitsministerin Ana Costea und der Ministerin für europäische Fonds, Aura Răducu, folgt nun der Rücktritt des Kulturministers. Der rumänische Premierminister Cioloş hat am Dienstag den Kulturminister Vlad Alexandrescu seines Amtes enthoben. Vlad Alexandrescu, Professor und ehemaliger rumänischer Botschafter in Luxemburg, war für die Art und Weise kritisiert worden, wie er den Konflikt an der Bukarester Staatsoper zu managen versucht hat. Die Situation in der Musikinstitution bleibt weiterhin gespannt. In einem einzigen Monat wurden drei Direktoren ersetzt.



    Für den Ministerpräsidenten Dacian Cioloş sei die Art, in der ein Amtsträger in einer Krisensituation handelt, und seine Fähigkeit, seinen Ressort zu leiten, ausschlaggebend, hie‎ß es. Dem Kulturminister Vlad Alexandrescu wird Unentschlossenheit vorgeworfen. Er gab zunächst seinen Rücktritt bekannt, um danach einen Rückzieher zu machen und zu sagen, dass er nur per Amtsenthebung seinen Posten räumt. Alexandrescu hat die Regierungsmitglieder der Einschüchterung beschuldigt. Der ehemalige Minister schrieb in einem offenen Brief, er habe in den sechs Monaten seiner Amtszeit verschiedene Interessengruppierungen gestört.



    Unter den Kulturpersönlichkeiten, die Vlad Alexandrescu unterstützen, zählt der Kulturphilosoph und Kunstkritiker Andrei Pleşu, der in den Frühneunzigern ebenfalls Kulturminister gewesen ist. In im Blog-Abschnitt einer Tageszeitung hob Andrei Pleşu die Verdienste des Professors Alexandrescu hervor. Dieser habe Denkmäler vor Immobilienhaien gerettet und zum ersten Mal eine öffentliche Spendenaktion für den Kauf des Meisterwerkes Weisheit der Erde des rumänischen Bildhauers Constantin Brâncuşi organisiert. Alexandrescu hat Roşia Montană auf die Liste des UNESCO-Weltkulturerbes eingetragen und dadurch die Absicht, die 1900 Jahre alte Ortschaft in eine riesige Goldmine umzuwandeln, gestoppt.



    Andrei Pleşu meint weiter, der ehemalige Minister habe durch seinen Tatendrang und seine Vorstö‎ße die Seilschaften korrupter Politiker und Geschäftemacher gestört. Experten wie Alexandrescu seien aber auch leichter anzugreifen als Minister, die politisch unterstützt werden. Letztere haben stets eine Partei hinter sich: Die Partei schlägt sie vor, unterstützt sie, deckt sie und zieht sie nur dann zurück, wenn sie unhaltbar werden. Laut Andrei Pleşu werde die Expertenregierung allein aufgrund des Versuchs, etwas zu nach vorne zu bringen, bestraft. Man setze ihr zahlreiche Hindernisse in den Weg und erteile ihr dann eine Schelte, weil sie nicht schnell genug gehandelt habe, so Andrei Pleşu über die Art und Weise der Politikerszene, der Expertenregierung ein Bein zu stellen.



    Scharf kritisiert werden zurzeit auch Gesundheitsminister Patriciu Achimaş-Cadariu und Landwirtschaftsdminister Achim Irimescu. Beobachter gehen davon aus, dass eine Amtsenthebung auch in ihrem Fall nicht auszuschlie‎ßen sei.

  • Schimbări în guvernul tehnocrat

    Schimbări în guvernul tehnocrat

    Guvernul tehnocrat român al
    fostului comisar european, Dacian Cioloş, suferă pierdere după pierdere. După
    recentele demisii ale miniştrilor Muncii, Ana Costea, şi Fondurilor Europene,
    Aura Răducu, a venit rândul deţinătorului portofoliului Culturii să părăsească
    Executivul. Marţi, premierul Cioloş l-a revocat pe Vlad Alexandrescu din funcţie.

    Profesor universitar şi
    fost ambasador al României la Luxemburg, acesta a fost criticat pentru modul în
    care a gestionat scandalul de la Opera Naţională din Bucureşti, unde, într-o
    singură lună, au fost schimbaţi trei directori şi unde situaţia continuă să fie
    tensionată. Or, în viziunea lui Dacian Cioloş, modul în care un oficial
    reacţionează într-o situaţie de criză cum este cea de la Operă este decisiv
    pentru capacitatea de a-şi gestiona domeniul. Lui Vlad Alexandrescu i se
    reproşează, în egală măsură, controversa pe care a generat-o prin decizia de a
    demisiona, asupra căreia, apoi, a revenit, declarând că aşteaptă să fie
    revocat. El a acuzat, în plus, membri ai Guvernului de intimidare. Mai mult! Fostul ministru susţinea, într-o
    scrisoare, că, prin acţiunile sale în nici şase luni de mandat, a deranjat
    grupuri de interese foarte variate.

    Printre numeroasele personalităţi culturale care şi-au
    anunţat susţinerea pentru Vlad Alexandrescu s-a numărat Andrei Pleşu, el însuşi
    fost ministru al Culturii. Într-un articol despre cum trebuie să fie un
    ministru în România, el a trecut în revistă meritele profesorului Alexandrescu:
    între altele, a
    salvat, prin intervenţie directă, monumente de patrimoniu, a iniţiat, pentru
    prima dată în România ultimelor decenii, o campanie de subscripţie publică
    pentru achiziţionarea capodoperei Cuminţenia pământului a sculptorului
    Constantin Brâncuşi.

    Nu în ultimul rând, a reuşit să introducă Roşia Montană pe
    Lista Indicativă a UNESCO, prin aceasta fiind anihilate orice tentative de
    mutilare a acestei localităţi din centrul României, veche de aproape 1900 de
    ani, care risca să fie transformată într-o gigantică exploatare minieră
    auriferă modernă. Departe de a-l idealiza pe Vlad Alexandrescu, care va fi
    făcut şi greşeli ca rezultat al ofensivei sale, în opinia lui Andrei Pleşu
    fostul ministru ar fi deranjat prin prea multă acţiune şi iniţiativă. Nu e mai
    puţin adevărat şi că miniştrii tehnocraţi sunt, în principiu, mai vulnerabili
    decât cei susţinuţi politic, în special de un partid mare. Partidul îi propune,
    partidul îi susţine, îi acoperă şi doar în cazuri de gravă avarie, îi retrage.
    Or, mai constată Andrei Pleşu, nesusţinut de Parlament, guvernul tehnocrat al
    lui Dacian Cioloş este taxat pentru puţinul pe care, în ciuda statutului lui
    precar, încearcă să îl facă. E împiedicat să acţioneze şi este certat că nu
    acţionează.

    Aspru criticaţi sunt, la ora actuală, şi deţinătorul portfoliului
    Sănătăţii, Patriciu Achimaş-Cadariu, pentru numeroasele nereguli din sistem, şi
    cel al Agriculturii, Achim Irimescu,
    care, în doar şase luni de mandat, a reuşit să iasă în evidenţă în două
    scandaluri. Ei vor fi următorii debarcaţi?

  • 03.05.2016 (mise à jour)

    03.05.2016 (mise à jour)

    Ministre de la Culture – Corina Șuteu, secrétaire d’Etat au ministère de la Culture et ancienne directrice de l’Institut Culturel Roumain de New York, a été proposée au poste de ministre de la Culture. Le chef de l’Exécutif a fait cette proposition après avoir révoqué de ses fonctions le ministre Vlad Alexandrescu, lit-on dans un communiqué de presse du gouvernement de Bucarest. Cette révocation survient sur la toile de fond du scandale à l’Opéra national de Bucarest et des mécontentements exprimés par le personnel au sujet des nominations successives pour le poste de directeur général et des inégalités de revenus salariaux entre les danseurs roumains et ceux étrangers qui y évoluent. Trois représentations ont dû être annulées et le premier ministre Dacian Cioloş a demandé à Vlad Alexandrescu de démissionner. Dans des messages sur les réseaux sociaux, Vlad Alexandrescu a fait savoir qu’il avait été contraint de quitter son poste pour avoir dérangé certains groupes d’intérêts. Pour sa part, le chef de l’Exécutif affirme ne pas avoir été au courant des difficultés auxquelles son ministre a été confronté et a promis que le successeur de ce dernier poursuivrait les réformes entamées par Vlad Alexandrescu.

    Croissance économique – La Roumanie connaîtra cette année un pic de croissance économique, avant d’avoir une croissance modérée l’année prochaine, estime la Commission Européenne. Selon les prévisions de printemps de l’Exécutif communautaire, cette avancée économique est favorisée notamment par l’augmentation des revenus et par l’allègement fiscal. Toutefois, de nouvelles initiatives législatives dans le secteur financier mettent en danger les perspectives macroéconomiques, met en garde la Commission. A son avis, le risque macroéconomique au niveau intérieur s’est accentué dans le contexte de l’incertitude engendrée par la loi qui permet aux Roumains de céder à la banque leur logement s’ils ne peuvent plus payer les mensualités. Cette loi pourrait avoir un impact négatif sur la confiance des investisseurs, avertit encore Bruxelles. Cette année, la croissance économique de la Roumanie est de 4,2%, et elle devrait ralentir jusqu’à 3,7% l’année prochaine. L’inflation a connu une chute historique au mois de mars, suite à la diminution de la TVA, et elle restera négative jusqu’à la moitié de l’année, au moment où elle devrait augmenter sous l’effet des augmentations salariales.

    Tennis – La joueuse de tennis roumaine Simona Halep (nr 7 mondiale) s’est qualifiée mardi dans les 8e de finale du tournoi WTA de Madrid après avoir vaincu Karina Knapp d’Italie. Deux autres sportives de Roumanie se sont qualifiées pour le second tour de cette compétition dotée de prix de 4,7 millions de dollars : Irina Begu et Patricia Ţig. Rappelons-le, en 2014, arrivée en finale à Madrid, Simona Halep s’était inclinée devant la Russe Maria Sharapova.

    Météo – Une vigilance jaune à la pluie et au vent est en vigueur dans 29 départements du sud, de l’est et du centre de la Roumanie jusqu’à mercredi soir. En montagne, à plus de 1700 m d’altitude on attend de la neige. Selon les météorologues, le temps devrait s’améliorer à partir de jeudi. Mercredi les températures maximales se situeront entre 11 et 22 degrés.

  • May 3, 2016

    May 3, 2016

    The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, is to submit to President Klaus Iohannis today a request to discharge Vlad Alexandrescu as Culture Minister and a nomination for his replacement. According to political sources, one of the favourites for this appointment is Corina Şuteu, former head of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, and currently a state secretary in the Culture Ministry. The dismissal comes against the backdrop of a scandal at the Romanian Opera House in Bucharest, triggered by discontent with the successive appointments for the director post as well as with the substantial imbalances between the salaries paid to the Romanian and the foreign dancers. Protests led to the cancellation of three shows, and PM Ciolos asked for Vlad Alexandrescus resignation. In messages posted on Facebook or published in the media, Vlad Alexandrescu says he was forced out because he upset various interest groups. The head of government said he had not been informed of the problems Vlad Alexandrescu claimed to have been facing and promised he would urge the new minister to carry on the reforms initiated by Alexandrescu.



    The second International Light Festival, Spotlight 2016, will take place in Bucharest between May 5 and 8. Apart from captivating shows, including 15 art installations, building lighting and video-mapping sessions prepared by the guest artists will transform representative buildings in Bucharest, such as the CEC Building, the National History Museum building and the National Military Society buildings. This year, Spotlight is part of the events supporting the candidacy of Bucharest for European Capital of Culture in 2021.



    May 3 is the World Press Freedom Day. On this occasion, the Council of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland, called on the 47 member countries to make sure that their national legislation on defamation does not silence the media and does not weaken public debate. The Council of Europe says it is critical for democracy that the media carry on its monitoring and criticising of those in power. In Romania, some people continue to abuse the journalist profession in order to intimidate, blackmail or trade influence, and some public authorities have attempted to block the access to information on major topics in the recent history of Romania – the 1989 Revolution, the miners riots of June ’90 or the Colectiv tragedy, reads the latest FreeEx report released by ActiveWatch. The document also reveals that the global Press Freedom Index worked out by Reporters without Borders puts Romania in the 49th place in the world, up three positions since the previous year.



    In Romania, companies that pay less than roughly 280 euros per month, the new national minimum wage for full-time employees, will be fined. Under a government resolution endorsed late last year, more than 1.1 million employees benefit from this increase, which took effect on May 1. The raise is intended to bring national minimum wages up to nearly 60% of the national average salary. Still, salaries in Romania remain some of the lowest in the EU, only higher than in Bulgaria, but below those in other former communist states. At the opposite pole, the highest national minimum wages are paid in Luxemburg, 1,923 euro/month, followed by Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Ireland, where national minimum wages are around 1,500 euro per month.



    The European Commission has warned Turkey that the prospective lift of visa requirements for Turkish citizens may be quickly suspended in case Ankara fails to meet the criteria set by the European bloc. Turkey, which wants its citizens to be able to travel freely in the EU in exchange for enforcing the migrant deal, must meet 72 criteria set by Brussels. The European Commission will decide on Wednesday whether these criteria are complied with, and should the report be positive, it will draft a legislative proposal to be endorsed by the European Parliament and the EU member states.



    Norway, as part of a US-headed international coalition with operations in Syria and Iraq, will deploy 60 troops to train Syrian rebels fighting against the terrorist groups in that country, the Norwegian PM, Erna Solberg announced, according to Le Figaro. The Norwegian troops selected into this special task force will be sent to Jordan, and the name of the groups they will train has not been disclosed. Norway is already present in areas where the international coalition is fighting against the IS group, particularly in Erbil (Iraq), where soldiers are training peshmerga fighters for countering terrorist groups.



    The Romanian Irina Begu (no. 34 WTA) managed a surprising win against Spains Garbine Muguruza (4 WTA), 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, in the second round of the WTA tournament in Madrid, with 4.7 million USD in prize money. In the eighth-finals, Irina will be facing the American Christina McHale (59 WTA). Also qualified in the eighth-finals is another Romanian player, Patricia Ţig (134 WTA). Two other Romanians have qualified into the second round of the Madrid tournament, Simona Halep, no. 7 WTA, and Sorana Carstea (no. 127 WTA). Halep played the final of the Madrid tournament in 2014, when she lost to Russias Maria Sharapova.

  • May 2, 2016 UPDATE

    May 2, 2016 UPDATE

    Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians, which make up the religious majority in Romania, celebrate as of Monday the Bright Week, the first week after Easter, when light is seen as the symbol of the Resurrection of Christ. In churches, on the second day of Easter, the same religious service was celebrated as the one on Resurrection night.



    More than 35,000 tourists were in Romanian seaside resorts for the first two days of the summer season, which started officially on May 1. Hotel had attractive offers during this period, with prices including various facilities. As a result, for instance, the resort of Mamaia was almost fully booked. High occupancy rates were also reported in the resorts of Vama Veche, Eforie and Costineşti. During the Easter holiday, tourists also had access to the new beach sections on the Romanian sea coast. The beaches on the south of the Romanian Black Sea coast were extended by several tens of hectares, as part of EU-funded projects with a combined budget of 170 million Euros.



    The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, will submit to President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday a request to discharge Vlad Alexandrescu as Culture Minister and a nomination for his replacement. The dismissal comes against the backdrop of a scandal at the Romanian Opera House in Bucharest, triggered by discontent with the successive appointments for the director post as well as with the substantial imbalances between the salaries paid to the Romanian and the foreign dancers. Protests led to the cancellation of three shows, and PM Ciolos asked for Vlad Alexandrescu’s resignation. In messages posted on Facebook or published in the media, Vlad Alexandrescu says he was forced out because he upset various interest groups. The head of government said he had not been informed of the problems Vlad Alexandrescu claimed to have been facing and promised he would urge the new minister to carry on the reforms initiated by Alexandrescu.



    Some 200 US troops will reach the Republic of Moldova from Romania, for joint military exercises, between May 3 and 20, signalling a stronger American military presence in the region, Associated Press reports. According to the Defence Ministry in Chisinau, the US troops are accompanied by armoured vehicles. Taking part in the drills are 165 troops from the former Soviet republic. The US Embassy in Chisinău has announced that the exercises, which illustrate the on-going cooperation between Moldova and the USA, will include first aid and evacuation training, with a view to providing on-site maintenance and demolition assistance. The Republic of Moldova joined the NATO Partnership for Peace in 1994.



    The Romanian tennis player Patricia Ţig (134 WTA), Monday scored a surprising win against American Sloane Stephens (16 WTA), whom she defeated 6-2, 6-3, in the second round of the WTA Premier tournament in Madrid, which has 4.7 million US dollars in prize money. In the eighth-finals, Ţig will be facing the winner of the match between Madison Keys and Barbora Strycova. Also qualified in the second round of the Madrid tournament are two other Romanians, Simona Halep, seed no. 6, and Sorana Carstea. Halep played the final of the Madrid tournament in 2014, when she lost to Russia’s Maria Sharapova.

  • Nachrichten 02.05.2016

    Nachrichten 02.05.2016

    Bukarest: Der rumänische Staatschef Klaus Iohannis hat am ersten Ostertag die rumänischen Soldaten in Afghanistan besucht. Er sagte, die Präsenz der rumänischen Soldaten in Afghanistan sei die Antwort Rumäniens auf die NATO Anforderung, an der Sicherheit und Stabilität dieses Landes beizutragen. Der rumänische Landespräsident sprach auch über das NATO-Treffen, das in zwei Monaten in Warschau stattfinden wird. Rumänien wünscht die Konsolidierung der Anwesendheit der Allianz im Land, besonders an der westlichen Schwarzmeerküste. Der rumänische Staatschef ist ebenfalls mit dem Brigadegeneral Antonio Aguto, Kommandeur des Kommandos für Bildung, Assistenz und Beratung im Süden Afghanistans zusammengekommen. Die Gespräche haben die besondere Zusammenarbeit zwischen den rumänischen und den amerikanischen Soldaten unterstrichen.



    Chisinău: Circa 200 amerikanische Soldaten werden aus Rumänien nach Moldawien für gemeinsame militärische Übungen geschickt. Diese werden im Zeitraum 3.-20. Mai stattfinden und beweisen die verstärkte militärische Präsenz der USA in der Region – so Associated Press. Dem moldawischen Verteidigungsministerium zufolge werden ebenfalls zig gepanzerte Wagen nach Moldawien verlegt. An den Manövern beteiligen sich 165 moldawische Soldaten. Die US-Botschaft in Chisinău hat bekanntgegeben, es gehe um Übungen für ärtzliche Hilfe, Evakuierung und Abbau. Die Rep. Moldawien ist 1994 der Partnerschaft für den Frieden beigetreten.



    Bukarest: Der rumänsiche Premierminister Dacian Cioloş wird am Dienstag dem rumänischen Staatschef Klaus Iohannis die Amtsenthebung des Kulturministers Vlad Alexandrescu einreichen und eine neue Nominierung machen. Der rumänische Premierminister forderte Vlad Alexandrescu wegen dem Skandal bei der Bukarester Staatsoper auf, zurückzutreten. Die rumänischen Künstler, die seit Jahren Mitarbeiter der Institution sind, führen einen Kampf gegen die ausländischen Tänzer, die von dem Choreographen Johan Kobborg gebracht wurden. Die Proteste sorgten für die Annullierung von drei Vorführungen. Vlad Alexandrescu erklärte per Facebook und in der Presse, er sei gezwungen, das Ministerium zu verlassen, weil er unterschiedliche Interessengruppierungen, wie zum Beispiel jene von Roşia Montană, die UNESCO-Welterbe werden soll, gestört habe. Ciolos antwortete, er sei über diese Probleme nicht informiert worden und versprach, dem künftigen Kulturminister zu verlangen, die Reformen fortzusetzen.



    Bukarest: Das Fußballteam Astra Giurgiu hat sich zum ersten Mal mathematisch den Meistertitel Rumäniens gesichert. Astra kann von Steaua Bukarest, die den zweiten Platz belegt, unabhängig vom Resultat der letzten Runde im play off der ersten Liga nicht überholt werden. Der Besitzer von Astra ist Ioan Niculae, einer der reichsten und bestrittensten Geschäftsleute in Rumänien. Dieser liegt nun im Gefängnis wegen illegaler Finanzierung eines Politikers im Präsidentschaftskampf 2009.

  • May 2, 2016

    May 2, 2016

    Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians, which make up the religious majority in Romania, celebrate as of today the Bright Week, the first week after Easter, when light is seen as the symbol of the Resurrection of Christ. In churches, on the second day of Easter, the same religious service is celebrated as the one on Resurrection night.



    On the first day of Easter President Klaus Iohannis visited the Romanian troops deployed in Afghanistan, and told them that their presence in this conflict zone is Bucharests firm answer to NATOs request to ensure the security and stability of this country. The President also discussed the NATO summit due in two months time in Warsaw, where Romania will plead for a strengthened presence of the Alliance in Romania, particularly on the western coast of the Black Sea. President Klaus Iohannis also had a meeting with Brigadier General Antonio Aguto, head of the Train, Advise, Assist Command – South in Afghanistan. Their talks highlighted the excellent cooperation between the Romanian and American troops.



    The Prime Minister of Romania, Dacian Cioloş, will submit to President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday a request to discharge Vlad Alexandrescu as Culture Minister and a nomination for his replacement. The dismissal comes against the backdrop of a scandal at the Romanian Opera House in Bucharest, triggered by discontent with the successive appointments for the director post as well as with the substantial imbalances between the salaries paid to the Romanian and the foreign dancers. Protests led to the cancellation of three shows, and PM Ciolos asked for Vlad Alexandrescus resignation. In messages posted on Facebook or published in the media, Vlad Alexandrescu says he was forced out because he upset various interest groups. The head of government said he had not been informed of the problems Vlad Alexandrescu claimed to have been facing and promised he would urge the new minister to carry on the reforms initiated by Alexandrescu.



    The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has said the officials convened in Geneva are getting closer to a consensus with respect to renewing the truce deal in Syria, particularly around the town of Aleppo, the BBC reports. Kerry had talks with Arab and UN officials about ways to reach a ceasefire in Aleppo, where the situation threatens to lead to a complete failure of the peace efforts. The UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura had called on the US and Russia to salvage the ceasefire agreement. According to BBC, the US Secretary of State will also have to find a way to bring the representatives of the Syrian opposition to the negotiations table in Geneva.



    The football club Astra from Giurgiu, in the south of the country, is virtually Romanias football champion, for the first time in its history. Mathematically, Astra can no longer be caught up with by the runner-up, the defending champions Steaua Bucharest, regardless of the results of the last round in the League One play offs. The owner of Astra is Ioan Niculae, one of the richest and most controversial Romanian businessmen. He is serving time after having been sentenced for the illegal financing of a politician in the 2009 presidential election campaign.



    The Romanian tennis players Patricia Ţig and Irina Begu are playing today in the second round of the WTA Premier tournament in Madrid, which has nearly 4.8 million US dollars in prize money. Ţig is facing the American Sloane Stephens and Begu takes on one of the tournament top seeds, Spains Garbine Muguruza. Also qualified in the second round of the Madrid tournament are two other Romanians, Simona Halep, seed no. 6, and Sorana Carstea. Halep played the final of the Madrid tournament in 2014, when she lost to Russias Maria Sharapova.

  • May 1, 2016 UPDATE

    May 1, 2016 UPDATE

    EASTER -
    Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide are celebrating Easter, or the
    Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Easter message, the Patriarch of the Romanian
    Orthodox Church, Daniel, said the Resurrection of Christ is symbolical of the
    triumph of love, which renders our lives meaningful. The high prelate also
    mentioned the Romanians who live outside the borders of the country, saying
    Let us not forget, in our prayers, those who live far from the country,
    longing for home. We are waiting for all of them to return to the country for
    good, because many of Romania’s localities are sad and helpless without them.
    Our villages are getting old. Many children grow up without their parents and
    many old people are helpless without their sons and daughters who live far
    away, the patriarch also underlined at the Patriarchal Cathedral, during the
    Easter mass, which was also attended by Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and
    his wife. According to a poll, 68% of the Romanians believe Easter should be
    celebrated simultaneously by Orthodox and Catholic believers.





    VISIT -
    The presence of Romanian troops on the theatre of operations in Afghanistan
    comes as Romania’s firm response to NATO’s request to ensure that country’s
    security and stability, says Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis. The head of
    state on Sunday visited the Romanian troops stationed at the military base in
    Kandahar and celebrated Easter together. In a speech to the military, President
    Iohannis underlined that Afghanistan is, for the North Atlantic Alliance, the
    main battlefront against terrorism. He added that the reconstruction of that
    country entails long-term efforts, fully assumed by the international
    community. The Romanian President also met with brigadier general Antonio
    Aguto, commander, Train, Advise, Assist Command – South, in Afghanistan. The
    talks between the two officials underlined the excellent level of cooperation
    between Romanian and US troops in the new common missions, focussed on
    providing assistance and training the Afghan security forces.




    NEW UCC -
    The main customs formalities will be simplified as of May 1, following the
    enforcement of the new Union Customs Code across the EU. The code sets common
    and streamlined procedures in all EU member states, to make life simpler for
    businesses doing trade in Europe. The same rules apply regardless of where in
    the EU the goods are declared and once the goods have cleared customs in a
    member state, they can circulate freely or be sold anywhere within the EU
    customs territory, that is in any of the 28 member states. Furthermore, the use of
    IT &C becomes mandatory. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax
    evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50
    billion Euros a year.




    NATIONAL OPERA ROW – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian
    Ciolos on Tuesday will send to President Klaus Iohannis the proposal to revoke
    Vlad Alexandrescu from the position of culture minister and to nominate another
    person at the helm of that institution. The revocation comes against the
    backdrop of the Bucharest National Opera scandal, which was generated by
    general discontent about successive nominations at the top management of the
    institution and about salary disparities between Romanian and foreign ballet
    dancers. Protests led to the cancellation of three performances and prompted
    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos to demand Vlad Alexandrescu’s resignation. In
    several Facebook posts and articles in the press, Vlad Alexandrescu claims he
    had to leave office because he had reportedly disturbed various groups of
    interests, such as those in Rosia Montana, which he added on the country’s
    tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Prime Minister said he hadn’t
    been briefed on the problems Vlad Alexandrescu claims to have been faced with,
    and promised to request the new culture minister to go ahead with the reforms
    started by his/her predecessor.

    PAY RISE – Over one million one hundred thousand Romanian employees will receive a pay rise worth 200 lei (some 50 Euros), as of May 1st, following a government decision adopted at the end of 2015, which increased the minimum wage from 1,050 lei to 1,250 lei.

    ROYAL FAMILY – Romania’s Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials
    and members of other European Royal Houses, attended a series of
    events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI
    of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to
    Sweden on Friday, attended the special Easter mass at the Romanian Orthodox
    Bishopric and met with members of the Romanian community. This is the third
    official visit abroad by Romania’s royal family this year, after those to
    Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl
    Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in
    2003.


    BUCHAREST CITY TOUR – The Bucharest Public Transport Utility, RATB, on Sunday reactivated
    the Bucharest City Tour tourist line. Four double deckers will take the tour
    of the city and of its main tourist objectives. The buses are equipped with
    audio-guides in Romanian, English, French and Italian. A ticket costs 25 lei
    (approximately 5 Euros) for adults and 10 lei (around 2 Euros and 20 cents) for
    children in the 7-14 year age bracket. The travel pass can be purchased on the
    bus and can be used all day long, for tourists to be able to visit all tourist
    attractions in Romania’s capital city.




    BOXING – Romanian Lucian Bute faced Swedish boxer
    Badou Jack in Washington on Sunday morning for the WBC super middleweight belt,
    the oldest and most prestigious belt in boxing. The match ended in a draw. In
    such a situation, the belt is kept by the defending world super middleweight champion,
    Badou Jack. Lucian Bute, 36, is the former super middleweight champion in the
    IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four
    years and a half. Jack Badou, 32, defended his WBC belt for the second time.

    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • May 1, 2016

    May 1, 2016

    EASTER – Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide are celebrating Easter, or the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his Easter message, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, said the Resurrection of Christ is symbolical of the triumph of love, which renders our lives meaningful. The high prelate also mentioned the Romanians who live outside the borders of the country, saying “Let us not forget, in our prayers, those who live far from the country, longing for home. We are waiting for all of them to return to the country for good, because many of Romanias localities are sad and helpless without them. Our villages are getting old. Many children grow up without their parents and many old people are helpless without their sons and daughters who live far away, the patriarch also underlined at the Patriarchal Cathedral, during the Easter mass, which was also attended by Romanias President Klaus Iohannis and his wife. According to a poll, 68% of the Romanians believe Easter should be celebrated simultaneously by Orthodox and Catholic believers.



    ROYAL FAMILY – Romanias Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Radu, alongside officials and members of other European Royal Houses, on Saturday attended a series of events held in Stockholm to mark the 70th anniversary of King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu who started an official visit to Sweden on Friday, attend the special Easter mass at the Romanian Orthodox Bishopric and meet with members of the Romanian community. This is the third official visit abroad by Romanias royal family this year, after those to Turkey and the Republic of Moldova. The Royal House recalls that King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden and Queen Silvia paid a state visit to Romania back in 2003.




    NEW UCC – The main customs formalities will be simplified as of today, following the enforcement of the new Union Customs Code across the EU. The code sets common and harmonised procedures in all EU member states, to make life simpler for businesses doing trade in Europe. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs said: An efficient EU Customs Union facilitates trade while at the same time enforcing necessary rules for security, safety and intellectual property rights. The new Union Customs Code opens the door to new state-of-the-art IT systems that will provide fast and quality data on goods being traded and will allow extremely close coordination among the administrations of our Member States, a press release issued by the European Commission writes. The Customs Union is unique in the world and is essential for the proper functioning of the Single Market. The new UCC reflects a move towards a more modern customs environment for EU countries, making European business more competitive and advancing the EU Strategy for growth and jobs. The use of IT &C will become a rule. Thus, the European Commission hopes to reduce tax evasion in the field of cross-border trade, which currently stands at 50 billion Euros a year.



    PAY RISE – Over one million one hundred thousand Romanian employees will receive a pay rise worth 200 lei (some 50 Euros), as of May 1st, following a government decision adopted at the end of 2015, which increased the minimum wage from 1,050 lei to 1,250 lei.




    NATIONAL OPERA ROW – Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Tuesday will send to President Klaus Iohannis the proposal to revoke Vlad Alexandrescu from the position of culture minister and to nominate another person at the helm of that institution. Vlad Alexandrescu seems to have lost his portfolio following the scandal which broke out at the Bucharest National Opera House. Romanian artists, old time employees of that institution, have done everything they could to remove from the institution the group of foreign ballet dancers brought to the Bucharest Opera House, a couple of years ago, by choreographer Johan Kobborg



    BOXING – Romanian Lucian Bute faced Swedish boxer Badou Jack in Washington on Sunday morning for the WBC super middleweight belt, the oldest and most prestigious belt in boxing. The match ended in a draw. In such a situation, the belt is kept by the defending world super middleweight champion, Badou Jack. Lucian Bute, 36, is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. Jack Badou, 32, defended his WBC belt for the second time.



    BUCHAREST CITY TOUR – The Bucharest Public Transport Utility, RATB, has today reactivated the “Bucharest City Tour tourist line. Four double deckers will take the tour of the city and of its main tourist objectives. The buses are equipped with audio-guides in Romanian, English, French and Italian. A ticket costs 25 lei (approximately 5 Euros) for adults and 10 lei (around 2 Euros and 20 cents) for children in the 7-14 year age bracket. The travel pass can be purchased on the bus and can be used all day long, for tourists to be able to visit all tourist attractions in Romanias capital city.


    (Translated by Diana Vijeu)

  • April 29, 2016

    April 29, 2016

    Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers worldwide, including Romania, a mostly Orthodox country, are today marking Good Friday. This day, also known as Holy Friday, is the day when Christians commemorate the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. From the early days of Christianity, Good Friday was observed as a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting. Special religious services are being held this evening. Hundreds of people will march in procession in Targu Jiu, in southern Romania, symbolically retracing “The Way of the Cross”.




    The case concerning the fire that killed 64 young people in Bucharest’s Colectiv nightclub last autumn has reached the trial stage. Six people were sent to Court, including the three owners of the nightclub, under charges of manslaughter, bodily harm and breach of workplace safety and health regulations. Sixty-four people died and over 100 others were injured in the tragedy that shocked the entire country.




    The unemployment rate in Romania continues to be on the decrease, being slightly smaller in March as against the previous month – 6.4% from 6.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. Of the total number of people aged between 15 and 74, less than 600 thousands were still looking for a job in March. This figure is also smaller as compared with the same month of last year, when the number of unemployed stood at 613 thousand.




    The Prime Minister’s Control Body has initiated checks at the National Opera House in Bucharest for a number of reasons, such as establishing the manner in which people were hired in the institution’s high level positions. Ninety-five years since its establishment, celebrated this very month, the National Opera House in Bucharest is the stage of a huge scandal and witnesses an unprecedented crisis, with three performances cancelled and the Culture Minister Vlad Alexandrescu stepping down as a consequence.




    The Romanian, Ukrainian and Turkish border police plan to set up a joint patrol fleet in the Black Sea, aimed at ensuring stability in the region. Combating poaching and drug and weapons trafficking will be the patrol fleet’s main tasks. In Bucharest, Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc has recently announced that Romania will initiate procedures for the setting up of a NATO fleet in the Black Sea, for defense and determent purposes. Moscow has criticized this move, saying that it seriously undermines security and stability in this part of Europe forcing Russia to respond in order to maintain its security.




    Romanian Lucian Bute will return to the boxing ring on Saturday evening. In a boxing gala hosted by Washington, Bute will fight Gambian-born Swedish boxer Badou Jack for the WBC super middleweight belt. Jack Badou has 20 wins in professional competitions, of which 12 by knockout, and only 1 defeat. Lucian Bute is the former super middleweight champion in the IBF version. He successfully defended his title nine times, for nearly four years and a half. He has 32 wins, of which 25 by knockout, and three defeats. If he wins on April 30, Bute will become the only Romanian boxer to hold two world titles in the two boxing versions.