Tag: wave

  • July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    July 26, 2023 UPDATE

    HEAT Wednesday was a new day with extreme heat in Romania. The capital
    city Bucharest and several counties in the south and south-east were subject to
    a code red alert for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius and a
    temperature-humidity index above the critical 80 units. Code orange and yellow
    alerts were also in place elsewhere in the country. On Tuesday the extreme
    temperatures disrupted railway traffic and caused road traffic restrictions. On
    the other hand, violent storms were reported in the west, north and centre of
    the country, where substantial damages were reported. On
    Thursday, the temperature is expected to drop significantly, to highs between
    19 and 28 degrees Celsius.




    PROTEST Romanian construction workers Wednesday picketed the government
    headquarters to protest the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the tax facilities
    granted to the employees in this sector. The head of the National Trade Union
    Bloc (BNS), Dumitru Costin, said the proposed amendments to the Fiscal Code
    affect not only the construction sector, but other categories of employees as
    well. The BNS and the Familia General Federation of Trade Unions came up with a
    set of measures to avoid the scrapping of tax facilities as of September 1,
    including a new collective bargaining agreement for the sector and a gradual
    elimination of the fiscal facility, in keeping with the roadmap agreed on under
    the National Recovery and Resilience Plan as of 2025. They also suggest adjustments
    to budget appropriations for the investment projects funded by the government
    or from EU funds, as well as a salary policy for this sector for the
    forthcoming years able to ensure balanced salaries, especially in the private
    sector.


    MEETING The Romanian
    foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu Wednesday had talks with her French
    counterpart, Catherine Colonna, about the security situation at the Black Sea.
    In a Twitter post, Odobescu described the dialogue as very good. Bilateral
    cooperation was reconfirmed on this occasion. We have emphasised our joint
    support for Ukraine and the R. of Moldova, as well as our determination to
    consolidate security and resilience at the Black Sea, the Romanian diplomacy
    chief said in her post.


    DIPLOMACY The foreign
    minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicu Popescu, Wednesday requested a
    limitation on the number of Russian diplomats accredited to Chişinău. He said
    the country has been for several years the target of hostile policies on
    Russia’s part, and that some of them were completed via the Russian Embassy
    there. Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov was summoned to the Moldovan Foreign Ministry
    for explanations, after a media report revealed that the Russian diplomatic
    mission had installed high-performance espionage and interception equipment on
    its rooftop. The media in Chişinău mentioned 28 satellite dishes and telecoms
    devices, while individuals tied to Russian intelligence services were seen on
    the buildings. The authorities in Chisinau decided that the two countries’
    embassies would have equal numbers of diplomatic personnel, specifically 10 diplomatic
    positions and 15 administrative, technical and support posts, Moldpres reports.
    Consequently, the staff of Russia’s embassy in Chişinău will be reduced from 84
    to 25.


    NATO The NATO
    secretary general Jens Stoltenberg convened a first NATO – Ukraine Council
    meeting at ambassador level on Wednesday, at the request of Kyiv. The meeting
    focused on consultations on recent developments, with participants discussing
    the transport of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, the NATO spokesperson Oana
    Lungescu said. Ukraine’s request came after Russia terminated the so-called
    grains deal and started attacking the Ukrainian port infrastructure. Also on
    Wednesday, the head of the press office for the southern Ukrainian defence
    command, Natalia Humeniuk, said Russia was already using Shahed-type drones
    assembled in Russia.




    SWIMMING The Romanian swimmer David Popovici Wednesday qualified into
    the final of the 100m freestyle race at the World Championships in Fukuoka (Japan). Popovici, the defending world champion in
    this event, also holds the world record, set last year at the European
    Championships in Rome. The 100m freestyle final is scheduled for Thursday. On
    Tuesday, Popovici, also a former world champion in the 200m freestyle event,
    finished the competition’s final on the 4th place. (AMP)

  • Europe in the grip of heat wave

    Europe in the grip of heat wave

    The northern hemisphere struggled with yet another week of scorching heat. Temperatures were significantly over 40° Celsius in Italy and Spain, for instance, while devastating wildfires ravaged Greece, Canada and California. In the Canary Islands, a fire has destroyed 5,000 ha of land this month, forcing the evacuation of 4,000 people.



    On the Greek island of Rhodes, over 250 fire-fighters, including 52 from Romania, are working to put out a large-scale wildfire caused by the extreme heat and fed by strong winds. Thousands of hectares of forests, small and big hotels, homes, churches, and farms have been destroyed, and 30,000 tourists and locals were evacuated. The authorities have arranged for tourist repatriation flights and say this is the largest evacuation in the history of Greece, where a code red alert for extreme heat is still in force until 27 July.



    Several other parts of Europe are also under code red alerts, as temperature records are being reported around the world. Italy holds the heat record for continental Europe with 48.8 degrees Celsius measured in Sicily on 11 August 2021. On Tuesday, the highest temperature reported in that region was 44 degrees Celsius. On the same day, Spains meteorology agency announced 45.3 degrees Celsius in Catalonia, and 43.7 degrees Celsius in the Balearic Islands.



    In the south of France, record high temperatures were reported especially in the Alps, Pyrenees and on the island of Corsica, with 11.9 degrees Celsius above the average for this season. Red code heat alerts were also introduced in Serbia, Slovenia and northern Croatia, while Switzerland also reported wildfires.



    The UN called on the world to prepare for more intense heat waves, advising people to prepare their own personal emergency plans to handle these temperatures. The extreme heat that holds the northern hemisphere in its grip puts “an increasing strain” on healthcare systems, the World Health Organisation warned, as hospitals in the most affected regions have already announced increases in the number of emergencies related to the high temperatures.



    In turn, the World Meteorological Organisation has recently warned of an increased risk of deaths linked to excessively high temperatures.



    All these warnings come after last summer heat waves caused over 60,000 deaths in Europe alone, according to a recent survey. Currently temperatures are dropping slightly, but the weather remains hot in the south of Europe, where temperatures stay above 40 degrees Celsius in Sicily, Cyprus and Greece. But according to the World Meteorological Organisation, heat waves will continue to affect many parts of the world in August as well. (AMP)

  • July 13, 2023 UPDATE

    July 13, 2023 UPDATE

    STRIKE Disgruntled with
    their salaries, trade unionists from Romania’s public finances on Thursday
    picketed the headquarters of the Finance Ministry in Bucharest. Their main
    claim is that the pay of the employees of ANAF and the Finance Ministry be
    adjusted in keeping with the inflation rate. Protesters have also asked for
    decent working conditions, for legislating the professional status and covering
    the staff deficit. Also on Thursday, representatives of cancer patients in
    Romania protested in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Health,
    disgruntled by the fact that the provisions in the National Plan for Combating
    and Controlling Cancer are not applied from the beginning of this month under a
    law endorsed with a landslide majority in Parliament, promulgated by president
    Klaus Iohannis and which has been in force since the beginning of the year.








    WEATHER Meteorologists on Thursday issued a code yellow alert for extremely hot
    weather valid until Sunday in several counties in Romania’s western, eastern
    and central regions. The heat-humidity comfort index is expected to exceed the
    critical threshold of 80 units with highs between 35 and 37 degrees centigrade.
    The weather is significantly cooling in the rest of the regions with highs ranging
    between 25 and 33 degrees Celsius.






    HEAT A heat wave struck southern Europe
    on Thursday, and according to Reuters, authorities have cautioned against
    record highs next week. A weather warning has been issued for the Canary
    Islands, an archipelago belonging to Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Greece. Authorities
    in Greece have announced that temperatures can reach 43 or 44 degrees Celsius on
    Friday or Saturday. Europe’s hottest temperature, 48.8 degrees centigrade, was
    recorded in Sicily in August 2021, but, according to the European Space Agency,
    it could be exceeded next week.






    RESIGNATION
    The Romanian Labor Minister Marius Budai stepped down on Thursday amid a
    scandal regarding the care centers for the elderly. The Romanian authorities are
    carrying on investigations at residential social centers throughout the
    country. More than 1,500 centers have been checked so far, and 15 nursing homes
    for the elderly, the disabled and children have been closed down. The activity
    of another 26 has been suspended. The authorities have issued 60 fines worth
    almost 800,000 lei (the equivalent of about 160 thousand Euros). A nursing home
    that was operating illegally was identified and a criminal case was also opened
    for abuse of office, fraud, false declarations, unlawful practicing of a
    profession and tax evasion in the case of a commercial company that owns three
    nursing homes. On the other hand, the Bucharest Court of Appeal will judge on
    July 20 the appeals made by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime
    and Terrorism (DIICOT) regarding the placement under house arrest, under
    judicial control or the failure to take any measures in the case of the 20
    defendants detained last week in the investigation regarding the nursing homes
    for the elderly and the people with disabilities from Ilfov county (south, near
    Bucharest), where the so-called beneficiaries were beaten, insulted, starved,
    subjected to forced labor and deprived of minimum hygiene conditions.


    (bill)

  • July 22, 2022

    July 22, 2022

    RESOURCES
    PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that Romania will have the necessary natural gas to
    cover demand for the coming winter. The PM said more than 1.6 billion cubic
    meters of gas is already stored, and the energy plan stipulates 80% of the
    total capacity will be reached by November 1. Meanwhile, he said that in spite
    of the drought, there is enough wheat to cover the domestic demand and export
    commitments and that there are no reasons to worry about the maize and sunflower
    crops.


    HEAT WAVE The prime minister of Romania
    Nicolae Ciucă has today asked prefects to conduct information and prevention
    campaigns so that people are aware of the risks entailed by the high
    temperatures and that activities to mitigate the effects of the heat wave may
    be coordinated. He added that it was important for all localities to have cooling
    shelters and medical teams providing assistance and free water. PM Ciucă also requested the
    authorities to take steps to ensure navigability on the River Danube. The low
    water flow has made it nearly impossible to navigate the Danube, with several
    vessels stranded in sand and scores of cruise ships cancelling their stopovers
    in the port of Giurgiu over the past month.


    COVID-19 Nearly 7,400 new COVID cases
    were reported over the past 24 hours, out of around 24,400 tests, the
    authorities announced on Friday. Over 2,600 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
    171 of them in intensive care. Seven COVID-related deaths have also been reported.
    Hospitals are beginning to take measures, including increasing the number of
    beds set aside for COVID patients, regular staff and patient testing, and
    cancelling visiting hours in order to reduce the risk of infection.


    REFUGEES The Romanian
    Border Police announced today that 11,511 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania
    on Thursday, 4.5% fewer than the
    previous day.
    According to a news release, border checks are conducted efficiently and in
    line with the national and EU legislation, and border police units are working
    at full capacity.


    UKRAINE Turkey announced an agreement was reached,
    which would enable Ukraine to export grains via Black Sea routes. The deal is
    to be signed in Istanbul today by officials from Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and
    the UN. Three main provisions in the agreement are already known. First, Russia
    must guarantee ceasefire during the shipments. Secondly, Ukraine must guide grain
    ships in and out through mined port waters. Finally, Turkey, supported by the
    United Nations, is to inspect ships in order to dispel Russian fears of weapons
    smuggling. This is the first major agreement reached by Russia and Ukraine
    since the start of the invasion.


    FOOTBALL Romanian football champions CFR Cluj won 3-0 against
    Inter Club d’Escaldes, of Andorra, played on Thursday night on home turf in the
    first leg of the second round of Europa Conference League’s qualifiers. In the
    same competition, the winners of
    Romania’s Cup, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe defeated 3-1 at home the Slovenian
    side Olimpija Ljubljana. Romania’s 2 other representatives in Europa
    Conference League played away from home. Universitatea Craiova drew against the
    Albanian side Vllaznia Shkoder, 1-1, and vice-champions FCSB were defeated by FC
    Saburtalo Tbilisi, of Georgia. (AMP)

  • July 20, 2022

    July 20, 2022

    WEATHER Romanian authorities have issued an amber heat alert valid today
    in 12 counties in the west of the country, and amber and orange alerts covering
    more than three-quarters of the country for the period July 22 – 24. As of
    Thursday, the extreme heat wave will cover most of the country, with the
    temperature-humidity index (THI) exceeding 80. Highs will generally range from
    35 to 37 degrees Celsius, with temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius
    expected on Friday and Saturday in the west, north-west and south-west.


    NATO The Senate, as the decision-making chamber in the
    Parliament of Romania, convenes today in a special meeting to ratify the NATO
    Accession Protocols of Finland and Sweden. Previously,
    the Chamber of Deputies had endorsed the
    bill ratifying the protocols. The documents were signed on July 5 in Brussels. Finland’s and Sweden’s decision to
    join the North-Atlantic Alliance comes amid security concerns related to
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.


    HOLIDAY Every year on July 20 Romania
    celebrates Aviation and Air Forces Day, which overlaps the religious holiday of St.
    Elijah, regarded as the patron saint of pilots. In Bucharest, a military ceremony is held
    today, which brings together over 20 military aircraft of the Romanian, British
    and Italian Air Forces, Interior Ministry and Intelligence Service helicopters,
    a Tarom plane and 4 planes from the Romanian Air Club. Military aircraft will
    be flying over other cities across the country. The Romanian military aviation
    was established in 1910,
    when Aurel Vlaicu designed the first military aircraft.


    COVID In Romania, the National Public
    Health Institute announced that in the previous week 171 Omicron infections
    were confirmed in the country. All of these are SARS-CoV-2
    variants that cause concern. According to the institution, by July 17, as many
    as 6,611 Omicron infections had been reported. The number of COVID-19 cases
    continues to rise, and experts say the current wave is caused by an Omicron
    sub-variant of the coronavirus, which spreads a lot more quickly and is able to
    infiltrate the protection given by
    the current vaccines and previous infections.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
    scheduled to pass a bill today concerning the procurement of some of the
    most advanced electric trains, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Only 3 countries
    in the EU are currently using or testing such trains. The Transport Ministry
    plans to purchase a total of 12 hydrogen electric trains. Also in the transport
    sector, the government intends to start expropriation procedures in order to
    widen the Bucharest South ring road. The Cabinet will also discuss the
    2022-2027 National Strategy on Research, Innovation and Smart Specialisation,
    which will create the framework for an efficient and effective spending of national
    funds. Two other documents are due to be reviewed today, a memorandum concerning
    talks with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development on non-reimbursable
    EU funding, and another memorandum endorsing the 2022-2024 strategy for
    governmental debt management.


    ANTI-SEMITISM The
    pandemic context, vaccination campaigns, public campaigns raising awareness on
    the rise in cases of anti-Semitism and the information on the history of the Holocaust
    are the main factors contributing to a strengthening of online and offline hate
    speech, reads the latest monitoring report issued by the ‘Elie Wiesel’ National
    Institute for Holocaust Research in Romania. According to the institution, vandalism
    cases, the praising of inter-war far-right figures and people convicted for war
    crimes or known for their extremist attitude, anti-Semitic messages in
    Parliament and minimising the memory of Holocaust victims remain common
    occurrences in Romania. Central authorities have reconfirmed their commitment
    to fight extremist actions by endorsing a National Strategy for preventing and
    fighting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech and by
    introducing Jewish and Holocaust history as a school subject, the report also
    says. However, the lack of awareness and responsibility among local authorities
    hinders the implementation of the principles upheld by the central authorities. (AMP)

  • July 19, 2022

    July 19, 2022

    TALKS The president of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas is on an official
    visit to Romania today, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis. The 2
    leaders will discuss ways to encourage and strengthen bilateral cooperation in
    areas of mutual interest, particularly political dialogue, home affairs,
    education, economy and trade. The agenda of talks also includes regional
    developments in the Middle East, the progress and prospects of the Peace
    Process, the security situation and the consequences of Russia’s illegal
    aggression against Ukraine, the Romanian Presidency says. Also today, president
    Iohannis is scheduled to receive Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs and
    minister for defence, Simon Coveney.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a meeting on
    Monday with his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, on the sidelines of the
    Foreign Affairs Council held in Brussels. According to the Romanian Foreign
    Ministry, the Greek party thanked Romania for the assistance given by Romanian
    fire-fighters in containing the recent wildfires in Greece. The 2 officials
    also discussed the situation in Ukraine, with a focus on the consequences and impact
    at regional and EU level of Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked military campaign
    in that country. They highlighted the importance of ensuring energy security, a
    sector in which Romania and Greece have converging interests and approaches.
    Bogdan Aurescu welcomed the consolidation of bilateral dialogue and cooperation
    in this field, mentioning the recent opening of the Greece-Bulgaria natural gas
    interconnecting pipeline, a major step in consolidating the energy security of
    the countries in the region.


    EDUCATION Romanian students won 3rd place in the world, after
    Singapore and Lithuania, at the International Geography Olympiad. As many as
    209 students from 54 countries took part in this year’s competition. This
    success comes after the outstanding performances of Romanian students in other
    international competitions. They won 2nd place at the International
    Physics Olympiad organised online by Switzerland, while Romania’s team won 1st
    place in Europe and 5th in the world at the International Maths
    Olympiad in Oslo, out of 105 competing countries.


    LOAN The World Bank
    and Romania Tuesday signed a EUR 600 mln development policy loan, with a focus
    on inclusive green economic growth, the WB announced. This is the first of 2
    such financing operations, and is accompanied by USD 24.2 mln non-reimbursable
    financial assistance. The WB is currently running 10 investment projects in
    Romania, totalling USD 1.78 bln, in addition to 31 technical and analytical
    assistance projects worth USD 104 mln.


    COVID The Romanian
    health ministry Tuesday announced 7,658 new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the last
    24 hours, over 4,000 more than on Monday. The number of patients in intensive
    care has also increased to 136, and 9 people died from the disease in 24 hours.


    EU ACCESSION The European Union Tuesday opened the accession
    negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, the president of the European
    Commission, Ursula von der Leyen announced. The 27 EU member states Monday
    night agreed to open accession talks, after Skopje and Sofia signed a protocol
    that eliminates the last remaining obstacles. North Macedonia has been a
    candidate country since 2005, and Albania since 2014.


    UKRAINE The president of Russia Vladimir Putin and the president of
    Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are attending a summit in Tehran today, together
    with their Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi. According to the BBC, following
    the sanctions introduced by the West, Putin will use this opportunity to prove
    that Moscow still has strong allies. Putin will also have separate meetings
    with the leaders of the two states. Turkey negotiated with Russia and Ukraine
    to unblock Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, while Iran and Russia are
    looking for new trade routes to bypass sanctions, the BBC also says. Meanwhile,
    in Ukraine, Russian forces carried on the shelling of Nikopol, with scores of
    attacks launched during the night. Several people, including a child, were also
    wounded after Russian missiles hit Odessa.


    DROUGHT Nearly half of the EU territory is facing drought risks, the
    European Commission warns, as a new heat wave has hit the continent. France,
    Romania, Spain, Portugal and Italy will likely have to handle a drop in
    agricultural yield, especially grains, the Commission explains. Germany,
    Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia will also be affected. In turn, the
    European Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarčič said that the worst
    is yet to come. Europe is struggling with an extreme heat wave these days, with
    temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius reported in France and the UK, and even
    43 degrees in some areas in the north of Spain. Wildfires
    also destroyed thousands of hectares of land in
    France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, forcing thousands of residents and tourists
    out of those regions. (AMP)

  • Is Romania bracing up for a new Covid-19 wave?

    Is Romania bracing up for a new Covid-19 wave?

    The
    number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania has doubled from one week to
    another and so has the number of people admitted to hospitals and the fatalities
    related. Almost 15 thousand new cases were reported last week and experts with
    the National Public Health Institute believe the number of infections will
    maintain its upward trend for another four-five weeks.




    According
    to Romania’s Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, the infection rate has now reached
    12%, prompting authorities to report cases on a daily basis after a month when
    the number of infections was presented only weekly. Experts believe the new subvariant, which
    caused the present wave of infections at international level and has been
    identified in Romania as well, diminishes the protection offered by the vaccine
    and the immunity given by the disease but by and large doesn’t seem to cause
    severe cases. The Health Minister recommends that people go back to the
    prevention measures like face-covering and avoiding crowded places. He also has
    recommendations for those showing Covid symptoms.




    Alexandru Rafila: They can get tested by family physicians or
    may call the ambulance depending on the case. If they test positive, they must
    go into self-isolation at home or go to the doctor or the outpatient centers if
    the symptoms are more visible. Patients with comorbidities and more severe
    symptoms must be admitted to hospitals.




    Although many test
    centers have been closed down at the end of the latest wave of the pandemic,
    Romanians still rely on more than 43 hundred locations where they can get
    tested, including at their family physicians, some chemists, clinics and hospitals.




    In
    the meantime, health authorities in Romania are looking for sponsors for the
    centers specialized in providing Covid-19 tests and treatment so that they may
    offer services also at weekends in an attempt to keep the new wave of
    infections at bay. 169 suchlike centers are being functional all over Romania.
    Although these medical units aren’t very busy at present but as the number of
    infections is expected to rise, they must be ready to test and treat their
    patients.




    Minister
    Rafila recommends that anti-Covid vaccination begin in autumn, when a new
    vaccine is expected to become available. In an interview to a private TV
    channel the minister says that the present vaccine is no longer effective
    against the new Omicron strains.




    Alexandru Rafila: We are now facing the second Omicron wave
    and the vaccine aimed at stopping the spreading is limited. We must be honest
    so that we may increase people’s confidence in vaccination. Because if we are
    telling them the truth now we can also tell them the truth every time, even when
    the situation isn’t favourable like it is now or when it becomes favourable
    again as we hope to be in autumn.




    According
    to doctor Rafila, the new vaccine is to arrive in Romania in September.


    (bill)





  • Extreme heat and storms in Romania

    Extreme heat and storms in Romania




    The
    week begins with scorching temperatures in Romania, where the heat wave and
    storms have been making the headlines in recent days. Meteorologists announced
    weather will remain erratic for the next few days as well, and issued code
    orange and yellow alerts for extreme heat for the west of the country and some counties
    in the south and centre.


    In the
    west of Romania, temperatures of 38-39 degrees
    Celsius are expected, while in the
    rest of the country highs are likely to reach 34-37 degrees. Afternoons will
    see summer storms with electrical discharges, especially in the mountains, with
    such phenomena also likely to be reported in the rest of the country.


    For the past few days, weather experts have been issuing tens of alerts for
    storms and heavy rainfalls, and the effects of some of them are still visible. In
    Dolj County, in the south, where several localities were under a code red alert
    on Saturday, the storms wreaked havoc. The most dramatic situation was reported
    in the county capital Craiova, where it rained heavily, the wind blew roofs
    away and brought hundreds of trees down, some of which fell on streets and on
    vehicles.


    Local
    authorities are still working to address the damages caused by Saturday’s
    storm, when in less than one hour extreme weather led to cars being taken away
    by water and on some streets the water infiltrating under the asphalt caused it
    to swallow and break. In some parts of the city, the water reached above
    vehicle wheels. It rained more than 60 litres per square meter, and we have to
    keep mind that all the sewage networks in Europe, not only in Romania, are
    designed to carry 25 litres per square metre, the Mayor of Craiova said.


    More
    than 100 calls to the emergency number 112 were received, and authorities
    suspended tram traffic in the city. Emergency teams worked at full capacity.


    In Miercurea
    Ciuc, in central Romania, trees fell on electricity cables, leaving 2,000
    households in the dark. Here as well, emergency teams had to work to drain the
    water from the streets and squares flooded by the heavy rainfall.


    The
    weather caused problems in Mehedinţi County in the south-west as well, where
    the wind tore trees down, and blew away the roof of an apartment building in
    the town of Drobeta Turnu Severin.


    In Vâlcea
    County, also in the south, the roof of a church steeple fell over electricity
    cables, while in the city of Râmnicu Vâlcea the wind brought down a utility
    pole. (AMP)

  • June 30, 2022

    June 30, 2022

    HEAT WAVE
    The National Meteorology Agency issued a code-red alert for extreme heat for
    Thursday and Friday in 6 counties in the west and north-west of the country.
    According to weather experts, highs of 38-39 degrees Celsius will be reported
    in these counties, an absolute record for this time of the year. The rest of
    the country is mostly under orange-code alerts, for temperatures of up to 36-38
    degrees Celsius, and code-yellow alerts, for highs of 33 to 36 degrees Celsius.
    On the other hand, 18 counties in the east and centre of the country are today
    under a code-yellow alert for atmospheric instability.


    NATO NATO leaders are focusing today, the second day of the
    summit in Madrid, on the challenges and threats in the southern neighbourhood,
    including the food crisis deepened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
    participants will discuss the progress in the fight against terrorism, means to
    ensure food security, and Allied support options for the organisation’s
    southern partners. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Madrid,
    president Klaus Iohannis will highlight Romania’s contribution in providing
    humanitarian aid to Ukraine and in reducing risks related to food security. He
    will also underline Romania’s support for vulnerable partners, particularly the
    neighbouring R. of Moldova and Georgia. On Wednesday, the first day of the
    summit, NATO adopted a new strategic concept, which defines Russia as the most
    significant and direct threat to Allied security and stability.


    EXAMS After the appeals stage, the share of 8th-graders
    who passed the national evaluation this year is 82.4%, the Education Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu announced. The number of children who
    got straight As has also increased to 237. Minister Cîmpeanu said last week that the
    number of pass grades among students sitting the national evaluation exam
    reached an absolute record this year compared to the last 10 years, namely 82.3%,
    which means 122,166 children had passed the exam prior to appeals. Last year
    the figure was 5.5% smaller. The grades obtained in the national evaluation are
    the main criterion for high school admission.


    UKRAINE On Thursday the Russian Army announced pulling out of the Serpent
    Island, a strategic location in the Black Sea controlled by Moscow ever since
    the beginning of its invasion in Ukraine. Russia’s defence ministry described
    this as a proof of good will, which should facilitiate Ukraine’s grains exports.
    This decision will not enable Kyiv to take advantage of the imminent food
    crisis by claiming that it is unable to export grains because of Russia’s
    complete control over the north-western part of the Black Sea, the Russian
    defence ministry added, and said mine sweeping is expected on the Black Sea
    coast, including ports. In turn,
    Kyiv had announced that Russian troops had been forced out of
    the remains of their unit on Serpent Island, following a successful Ukrainian
    operation.





    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu (43 WTA) moved
    up into the 3rd round of the Wimbledon tournament, after defeating Italy’s
    Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-4, 6-4. Next, Begu is to take on Jelena Ostapenko of
    Latvia (17 WTA), seed no. 12. Another Romanian player, Sorana Cîrstea, lost the
    second round to Tatjana Maria of Germany. Four other Romanians are scheduled to
    play in the second round today: Simona Halep against Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium),
    Mihaela Buzarnescu against Coco Gauff (USA), Irina Bara against Paula Badosa
    (Spain) and Ana Bogdan against Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic).

  • February 8, 2022

    February 8, 2022

    COVID-19 36,269 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were
    reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 193 related fatalities,
    the Strategic Communication Group announced on Tuesday. Since the start of the
    pandemic 2 years ago, more than 2 million Romanians have had the disease and
    over 60,000 died. Meanwhile, since the start of the vaccine roll-out in
    December 2020, over 8 million people have received a full vaccination cycle,
    and 2.4 million have also got the booster dose.


    MOLDOVA
    The number of supporters of
    the R. of Moldova’s union with Romania is growing, according to an opinion poll
    quoted by Radio Chişinău on Tuesday. Over 34%
    of the respondents in Moldova would vote in favour of the union, says the poll
    commissioned by IDIS Viitorul in Chișinău and the Institute of Political
    Sciences and International Relations with the Romanian Academy. This is a
    record-high number of union supporters, over 10 times higher than in 2010. According
    to the same poll, which focused on citizens’ perception of the relations
    between Moldova and Romania, over 62% of the people with dual citizenship would
    vote for the union. However, in the case of new tensions similar to the one in
    Ukraine, more people would back a military alliance with Russia (22.5%) than
    with Romania (12.5%).




    POLITICS The Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Tuesday that a criminal
    investigation was initiated with respect to an incident in Parliament, where
    the Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu was assaulted by the co-president
    of the nationalist opposition party AUR, George Simion. Popescu had previously filed
    a criminal complaint against Simion. While attending a Chamber of Deputies
    meeting on Monday, the Liberal minister Virgil Popescu was insulted and
    assaulted by Simion. The meeting was suspended, and subsequently resumed with only
    the opposition MPs from AUR and USR in attendance.


    POLLUTION Romanian authorities have today launched 2 programmes, RABLA Clasic and
    RABLA Plus 2022, with a combined budget of around 240 million euros. Under the
    2 programmes, the Government provides subsidies for scrapping old and heavily
    polluting motor vehicles. The same rules apply as in previous years, but
    novelties have also been introduced. One of them is the option of using 2
    vouchers obtained through scrapping used vehicles for the purchase of a hybrid
    or electric vehicle.


    UKRAINE The president of France Emmanuel Macron discussed with the Russian
    leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday about the need for dialogue in the
    context of the Ukraine standoff. At the end of the meeting, Emmanuel Macron said
    all parties should behave responsibly in this crisis. He pleaded for
    maintaining the current system of agreements concerning European security, and
    suggested that a system of concrete security guarantees be put together for all
    stakeholders. In turn, Putin said a number of ideas and proposals put forth by
    the French president may pave the way for the de-escalation of the current
    crisis over Ukraine. Vladimir Putin also added that Russia and France have
    shared concerns regarding security in Europe. Today the French president meets
    his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, in the first official
    visit of a French president to that country in 24 years. Macron has repeatedly
    discussed the need to deescalate tensions and to find diplomatic solutions to
    the situation in the east of Europe, and emphasised that finding a political
    way out of the standoff was his priority. Meanwhile in Washington, following
    talks at the White House with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US president
    Joe Biden said diplomacy remains the best way to settle the Ukraine crisis. He warned
    however that the US and NATO will be prepared in case Russia attacks Ukraine. (tr. A.M.P.)

  • January 22, 2022 UPDATE

    January 22, 2022 UPDATE


    COVID-19 19,371 new Covid cases and 48 related deaths were reported in Romania on Saturday. The number of fatalities is over 10 times smaller than at the peak of the previous wave of the pandemic, but the infection rate continues to grow, reaching 8.77 per thousand in Bucharest. The highest SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the capital city (16.54 per thousand) was reached on 22nd October last year. The worst-case scenario considered by the authorities predicts up to 70,000 new cases per day in the first half of February. The health minister Alexandru Rafila says that 173 outpatient Covid-19 evaluation centres are already operational across the country, out of a planned 230.



    CELEBRATION The government of Romania celebrated on Saturday 160 years since the first government of Romania was formed, after the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was officially recognised. On this occasion, on the walls of Victoria Palace in the capital city Bucharest, which hosts the head offices of the government of Romania, images were projected during the evening, which are relevant for this milestone in Romanian history, such as the Romanian flag, the date when the first government of Romania was formed, namely 22nd of January, 1862 and the name of the countrys first prime minister, Barbu Catargiu. On Monday, which is a national holiday in Romania, 163 years since the union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked. On 24th January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected ruler of Moldavia the previous week, was unanimously elected sovereign of Wallachia as well, and proclaimed ruler of the United Principalities. During his rule, the institutional foundations were laid for modern Romania.



    STRIKE Romanias capital city Bucharest found itself without above-ground public transportation means on Saturday as well. It was 3rd consecutive day of strike for the Bucharest Transport Corporation, although a court ruled the protest illegal. Unions stand by their demands, which include pay raises and the resignation of the corporations CEO. The drivers who refuse to work risk having their employment contracts terminated, said the Bucharest mayor general Nicusor Dan. He also said the City Hall made available a toll-free number for drivers to report whether they are prevented by their colleagues from going to work, and added that a criminal case has been opened in this respect. Meanwhile, the government is facing demands from trade unions in public education and healthcare as well.



    NATO On Friday NATO rejected Russias request for the pull-out of the Alliances troops in Bulgaria and Romania, and denounced the concept of spheres of influence, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. Russia requested guarantees from the US and NATO that the Alliance would not enlarge further eastwards, and demanded the withdrawal of the troops and equipment deployed to the countries that have joined the organisation since 1997. Also on Friday, the Pentagon announced a large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean, amid tensions with Russia, which also announced major naval manoeuvres, AFP reports. Polands PM Mateusz Morawiecki called on European leaders to take a firm and united stand against Russia, in the context of fears that Moscow might plan an invasion of Ukraine. NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will provide Ukraine with US-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, the defence ministers of the 3 countries announced in a joint statement. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis has called a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday. The meeting will focus on the security situation at the Black Sea and on NATOs eastern flank, and measures to develop resilience and response capabilities related to the new security challenges.



    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified in the round of 16 of the Australian Open, after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, in the 3rd round of the tournament in Melbourne on Saturday. Halep (15 WTA and 14th seed), won the match in 64 minutes. It was the 8th consecutive win for the Romanian player this season. In the next round Simona Halep takes on Alizé Cornet of France (61 WTA). Also on Saturday, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea, won in the 3rd round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, seed no 10. In the next round, Sorana Cîrstea will take on Iga Swiatek of Poland (9 WTA). (tr. A.M. Popescu)


  • January 22, 2022

    January 22, 2022

    COVID-19 19,371
    new Covid cases and 48 related deaths have been reported in Romania today. The
    number of fatalities is over 10 times smaller than at the peak of the previous
    wave of the pandemic, but the infection rate continues to grow, reaching 8.77
    per thousand in Bucharest. The highest SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the capital
    city (16.54 per thousand) was reached on 22nd October last year. The
    worst-case scenario considered by the authorities predicts up to 70,000 new
    cases per day in the first half of February. The health minister Alexandru
    Rafila says that 173 outpatient Covid-19 evaluation centres are already
    operational across the country, out of a planned 230.




    NATO On Friday
    NATO rejected Russia’s request for the pull-out of the Alliance’s troops in
    Bulgaria and Romania, and denounced the concept of spheres of influence, NATO
    spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. Russia requested guarantees from the US and
    NATO that the Alliance would not enlarge further eastwards, and demanded the
    withdrawal of the troops and equipment deployed to the countries that have
    joined the organisation since 1997. Also on Friday, the Pentagon announced a
    large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean, amid tensions with
    Russia, which also announced major naval manoeuvres, AFP reports. Poland’s PM
    Mateusz Morawiecki called on European leaders to take a firm and united stand
    against Russia, in the context of fears that Moscow might plan an invasion of
    Ukraine. NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will provide Ukraine with
    US-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, the defence ministers of the 3
    countries announced in a joint statement. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis
    has called a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday. The meeting
    will focus on the security situation at the Black Sea and on NATO’s eastern
    flank, and measures to develop resilience and response capabilities related to
    the new security challenges.




    CELEBRATION
    The government of Romania celebrates today 160 years since the first government
    of Romania was formed, after the union of the principalities of Moldavia and
    Wallachia was officially recognised. On this occasion, on the walls of Victoria
    Palace in the capital city Bucharest, which hosts the head offices of the
    government of Romania, images will be projected during the evening, which are
    relevant for this milestone in Romanian history, such as the Romanian flag, the
    date when the first government of Romania was formed, namely 22nd of
    January, 1862 and the name of the country’s first prime minister, Barbu
    Catargiu. On Monday, which is a national holiday in Romania, 163 years since
    the union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked. On 24th
    January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected ruler of Moldavia the previous week,
    was unanimously elected sovereign of Wallachia as well, and proclaimed ruler of
    the United Principalities. During his rule, the institutional foundations were
    laid for modern Romania.




    SOCIAL Romania’s capital city Bucharest finds itself without above-ground public
    transportation means on Saturday as well. It is for 3rd consecutive
    day of strike for the Bucharest Transport Corporation, although a court ruled
    the protest illegal. Unions stand by their demands, which include pay raises
    and the resignation of the corporation’s CEO. Meanwhile, the government and
    trade unions in public education are working to reach an agreement by 4th
    February, following a first round of negotiations after teachers went on strike
    on Wednesday. Unionists want pay raises, additional staff to be employed, and
    6% of GDP to be earmarked for public education. Public healthcare unions are
    also to discuss their demands next week with officials from the healthcare,
    finances and labour ministries.




    TENNIS The
    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified in the round of 16 of the
    Australian Open, after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, in the
    3rd round of the tournament in Melbourne today. Halep (15 WTA and 14th
    seed), won the match in 64 minutes. It was the 8th consecutive win
    for the Romanian player this season. In the next round Simona Halep takes on Alizé Cornet of France (61 WTA). Also
    today, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea, is playing in the 3rd round
    against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, seed no 10. In the women’s doubles,
    Jaqueline Cristian (Romania) / Andrea Petkovic (Germany) qualified in the 8th-finals,
    having defeated the Slovenians Kaja Juvan / Tamara Zidansek, 6-4, 6-0, and are
    next to play agaist Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) / Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Face masks will be compulsory outdoors again

    Face masks will be compulsory outdoors again


    Romanian authorities are getting ready for the 5th wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which according to some estimates may cause up to one million active infection cases.



    The first measure is to reintroduce compulsory face covering both outdoors and indoors, as the head of the Department for Emergency Situations Raed Arafat announced. The measure concerns surgical masks or FFP2 masks, which provide better protection, and eliminates cloth masks, which are inefficient with the Omicron variant.



    Raed Arafat also announced that other restrictions will be reintroduced, depending on the case frequency. A decision made by the National Committee on Emergency Situations on Wednesday introduces a 30% of capacity ceiling for concerts and cinema halls in places with more than one case per thousand people, and a similar ceiling for restaurants in places with frequency rates above 3 per thousand.



    Arafat added that access will remain conditional on the digital COVID certificate. He warned businesses that they risk having to suspend operations as a large number of their employees will get infected unless protection rules are observed.



    The face covering rule will allow for exceptions, such as for sports activities. Critical infrastructure units may introduce compulsory testing for employees or the obligation to wear FFP2 masks, the same official added, and mentioned the example of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant.



    Healthcare authorities also announced that people with moderate forms of the disease will be able to choose from 160 outpatient centres. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said the goal was to reduce the number of severe forms and of fatalities, and the healthcare system is being organised so as to streamline case referral.



    In turn, the coordinator of the vaccine rollout, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, explained that the Omicrons airborne transmission and shorter incubation times compared to previous variants make immunisation the best form of protection from severe forms. “Vaccination and the administration of the booster dose to eligible citizens remains a priority, because this is the way to reduce the number of patients who will need anti-viral treatment, hospitalisation, intensive care, and the number of fatalities,” Valeriu Gheorghiță said.



    Romania is last but one in the EU in terms of vaccination, with only 41 of the population having received the serum so far, and little over 2 million people having also received the booster. (tr. A.M. Popescu)


  • November 21, 2021

    November 21, 2021

    GOVERNMENT The president of Romania
    Klaus Iohannis invited parliamentary parties to consultations on Monday to
    appoint a new PM designate. The Social
    Democrats and the Liberals, which have the largest number of seats in
    Parliament, carry on negotiations today to form a new cabinet jointly with the
    Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania. The 3 parties have a
    political agreement and a governing programme in place. According to the
    National Liberal Party, no tax raises are planned, but the special department
    investigating offences in the judiciary will be dismantled by March 31. Public
    pensions, salaries and child allowances will be increased. One decision yet to
    be made is which party will appoint the prime minister in the new PM rotation
    system. The Liberals nominated the interim defence minister Nicolae Ciucă for
    the post, while the Social Democrats want the position to go to their president
    Marcel Ciolacu. The 3 parties are still considering 2 scenarios for
    distributing cabinet seats. The first option is with a Social Democratic PM and
    the Liberals and Social Democrats heading an equal number of ministries, while
    in the second scenario a Liberal will be PM and the Liberal Party will have
    fewer cabinet members. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians says in both
    scenarios they will keep the development, environment and sports ministries.


    COVID-19 Over 1,930 new COVID-19 cases
    have been reported in Romania today, along with 121 related fatalities, 16 of
    them from an earlier date. As many as 1,573 patients are in intensive care, but
    the number of patients is on the decrease. The National Committee on Emergency
    Situations agreed that in places with infection
    rates below 3 per thousand schools may resume on-site teaching regardless of
    the vaccination rate among teaching staff. Several
    activities subject to restrictions in recent weeks may now be resumed, but a
    final decision is to be made by the government. Such activities include sports
    events, concerts, performances and outdoor festivals, conferences and training
    sessions. Only holders of the digital Covid certificate will be permitted to
    take part. Should the situation continue to improve, the winter holidays might
    take place without many restrictions, the head of the Emergency Committee Raed
    Arafat said. As for the vaccine rollout, over 7.1 million people are
    fully vaccinated in Romania so far.


    TRAVEL The
    National Committee on Emergency Situations updated the list of countries and
    territories by COVID-19 incidence rates. Germany, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria and the UK
    are now red-list countries, while France, Portugal, Monaco, Chile, Lebanon and
    Guyana were included in the medium-risk category.


    PANDEMIC Meanwhile in Europe the new pandemic wave has prompted states to
    reintroduce restrictions, which in turn led to large-scale protests. In Austria
    and Netherlands people took to the streets to protest the ‘corona dictatorship’.
    In Austria, where a full lockdown takes effect on Monday, tensions deepen
    between citizens and the authorities that try to step up the vaccine rollout so
    as to help hospitals cope with the record-large number of cases. Some 40,000 people
    rallied in Vienna on Saturday. The Netherlands saw the most violent clashes in
    Europe, with 3 people hospitalised in Rotterdam and over 50 arrested during the
    clashes with police. The country has a partial lockdown and further
    restrictions are being considered, such as prohibiting access to restaurants
    and events for the unvaccinated. Anti-Covid restriction protests also took
    place in Belgium and Denmark. Infection rates are surging in Eastern Europe as
    well, including in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.


    MOLDOVA The president of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu
    will be on an official visit to Romania on Tuesday, at the invitation of her
    Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. This is Sandu’s first visit to Romania
    since July’s early election won by her party Action and Solidarity (PAS), and
    it takes place in the context of the celebration of 30 years of diplomatic
    relations, after in 1991, the ex-Soviet republic proclaimed its independence
    from Moscow. According to the Romanian presidency, this is an opportunity to
    reconfirm the special, privileged Strategic Partnership between the 2 countries,
    based on common linguistic, cultural and historical elements. The talks between
    Iohannis and Sandu will encourage the development of joint projects in the
    fields of energy, transport, healthcare, education and information society, with
    a focus on projects designed to help connect the Republic of Moldova with the
    EU to the benefit of all its citizens. (tr.
    A.M. Popescu)

  • November 18, 2021

    November 18, 2021

    Government. The
    Social Democrats and the Liberals may resume today negotiations on the
    structure and governing programme of the new Cabinet they intend to form
    jointly with the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians. While both parties agreed to the idea of a rotation government, Wednesday’s
    talks were suspended as each party insisted on being the first to designate the
    prime minister. The Social Democrats nominated their president, Marcel Ciolacu,
    who promised his cabinet would be in office as early as next week. In turn, the
    Liberals want their own leader and interim PM to stay in office, although he
    was dismissed last month in a no-confidence vote. Two subsequent attempts
    at forming a minority government failed, and President Klaus Iohannis has said he will only invite parties to consultations
    after a parliamentary majority is agreed on.


    COVID-19. Romania reported little over 3,000
    new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, as well as 332 related
    fatalities, 76 of them from an earlier date. According to official data, 311 of
    the total number of deaths were reported among unvaccinated patients. More than
    1,600 patients are currently in intensive care. The infection rate across the
    country is dropping, but scores of cities still have incidence rates above 6
    per 1,000 inhabitants. As of Wednesday Romania has over
    7 million fully vaccinated citizens.


    Vaccination. The
    digital COVID certificate and the vaccine are our main instruments in fighting
    the pandemic, and we must use them, the European Commissioner for internal
    market Thierry Breton said while on an official visit to Bucharest. He
    emphasised Europeans are rather lucky to have an effective vaccine against the
    virus available. The EU official also said the low vaccination rate jeopardises
    Romanians’ health and is a barrier to the full recovery of Romania and of the
    EU as a whole. During his meeting with the interim health minister Cseke
    Attila, the 2 officials discussed the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the vaccine
    supply and the measures taken by member states with respect to the digital
    certificate. Thierry Breton will also have a meeting with president Klaus Iohannis
    later today.


    Pandemic. A new COVID-19 wave hit
    the centre and west of Europe, with nearly 53,000 new cases reported in 24
    hours in Germany, 25,000 in Poland, 20,000 in France, 14,000 in Austria, 10,000
    in Hungary. The Netherlands also announced a 44% increase this week compared to
    the previous one. Restrictions are once again introduced, especially against
    the unvaccinated, which prompts new interest in getting the vaccine. Sweden for
    the first time introduces a green pass to be used as of 1 December for events
    with more than 100 participants. France on the other hand does not plan new
    restrictions.


    Moldova. Chișinău continues to call for the pull-out of
    Russian troops from the east of Moldova, the country’s foreign minister Nicu
    Popescu said in Moscow, at a joint press conference with his Russian
    counterpart Sergey Lavrov. This is a priority of our foreign
    policy, Popescu said, referring to the troops deployed in the breakaway region
    of Transnistria, which Russia’s ex-president Boris Yeltsin undertook to pull
    out as far back as in the 1999 OSCE Summit in Istanbul. The Republic of Moldova
    has had no control on the breakaway region of Transnistria since 1992, after an
    armed conflict that killed hundreds of people was ended by the intervention of
    Russian troops on the side of the separatists. (tr. A.M. Popescu)