Radio România Internațional

Tag: Wisdom of the Earth

  • The Week in Review October 10-14

    The Week in Review October 10-14

    Slovakian President Andrej Kiska on visit to Romania


    Romania and Slovakia serve as models for the EU, both states reporting a major economic growth, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and his Slovakian counterpart Andrej Kiska said in Bucharest. The two reviewed the prospects for developing bilateral relations and agreed on a strategic approach to the Eastern Partnership, especially as regards the Republic of Moldova. The two officials also underlined the need to support democratic reforms in this country, so that Moldova can further pursue its European track. Klaus Iohannis and Andrej Kiska also tackled Romanian-Slovakian political and economic cooperation as well as the fight against corruption. The Slovakian official also met with Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and discussed the development of rural areas, social inclusion policies and supporting job mobility. The Slovakian President also met with representatives of the Slovakian and Czech minorities in Romania, which represent a good model of integration in Romanian Society.



    EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation visits Romania


    EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas visited the ELI-NP research center in Magurele, close to Bucharest, hosting the worlds largest high-power laser. Carlos Moedas said this project should be given more visibility both at European and at global level, so as to attract more people to carry out experiments and showcase the importance of making the invisible world visible. In turn, Education Minister Mircea Dumitru, who accompanied the EU Commissioner during his visit to Magurele, said the project represented a remarkable achievement. Funded by the EU, the laser is to be rendered operational by 2019 and is designed to contribute to the advancement of such fields as medicine, pharmacy, astrophysics or nuclear physics. Some 50 researchers are already working on the project, many of whom are Romanians settled abroad.



    The Senate rules on the withdrawal of PhD degrees


    The Senate has decided that from now on a PhD diploma can be withdrawn only by the university that originally granted it, while the National Council for the Certification of Diplomas, an institution set up particularly to investigate cases of plagiarism, would only play the role of an appeal forum. Senators also rejected president Klaus Iohanniss request to re-examine the education law, pointing to the general distrust in the analysis of any plagiarism notification. In turn, State Secretary with the Education Ministry Laurentiu Vlad pointed out that, although at a declarative level the new draft law was aimed at decentralizing the PhD decision with respect to granting and withdrawing PhD degrees, in fact it threatened to undermine the quality of higher education. The decision follows heated debates in Bucharest regarding the authenticity and value of PhD theses of some public figures, such as former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, former Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea, former Interior Minister Petre Toba and the acting head of the National Anticorruption Directorate Laura Codruta Kovesi.



    The state to purchase the Wisdom of the Earth.


    Constantin Brancusis sculpture the Wisdom of the Earth will be purchased by the Romanian state. The Government said the state will pay the outstanding 4,8 million euros, after a public subscription campaign ended last month managed to raise only 1,27 million euros of the total purchase price of 11 million euros. Of this amount the Government originally pledged to pay 5 million euros and to raise the remaining 6 million euros from private donations. The Wisdom of the Earth will soon be on display at the “Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum in Bucharest, the Ministry of Culture has announced. Ministry officials also decided to set up a so-called “Brancusi Fund, aimed at raising funds for the purchase of other works of art to be included on Romanias list of cultural assets.



    Drug prices to drop over the coming period


    The Health Ministry has announced a drop in the prices of most subsidized drugs. Under a Government Ordinance to be submitted for public debate, prices for unpatented drugs will be slashed by 10% the first year, by 10% the coming year and by an additional 15% the third year. Drugstores and distributors will have to submit daily reports of their subsidized drug supplies via a digitized system. Additionally, patients can check the shelf availability of a drug online. The Ministry has pledged to deal with any irregularities within 7 days of notification.



    Massive floods in Romania


    The heavy rainfall this week has prompted floods in most areas across Romania, damaging households and leaving 1,000 people without a home. The floods also affected several county and national roads. Due to the strong wind, blackouts were reported in several counties.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)


  • Romania buys a Brancusi work

    Romania buys a Brancusi work

    The Romanian state will purchase The Wisdom of the Earth, a work by famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. The work will be exhibited at the Village Museum in Bucharest. The purchase price is 11 million euro, of which the state had originally announced it would pay 5 million euros. The remaining 6 million euro was to be covered from a public subscription campaign and from private donations. However, only 1,2 million euro was raised by the end of September. On Wednesday, the Government decided not to extend the campaign. The Ministry of Culture will pay the remaining 4,8 million euro required for the purchase. The Wisdom of the Earth is now part of a private collection.



    Culture Minister Corina Suteu told Radio Romania that the Government’s public subscription campaign was one of the most original ideas put forward in a European country: “The important thing right now is for this campaign to pave the way for setting up a public fund for culture, used to purchase cultural objects with the help of private donors. Therefore it is a hybrid form of procurement, very innovative for Europe right now, which creates the opportunity of coming up with a model where both individual citizens and the state can contribute to the consolidation of national heritage”.



    A series of NGOs, cultural institutions, artists and public and private enterprises have joined the campaign in an unprecedented effort for Romania. The campaign, Corina Suteu went on to say, is also a good example of how to rid culture of red tape, opening it up to the great public in order to carry out a project with a nationwide impact. On Wednesday, the Government also set up the so-called “Brancusi Fund”, aimed at raising funds for the purchase of other works of art to be included on Romania’s list of cultural assets.



    The Fund’s finances will be made up donations, sponsorships and state-budget allocations. A vocal opponent of the technocrat Government in Bucharest, the Social-Democratic Party deems the public subscription campaign for the purchase of the Wisdom of the Earth a failure. Social-Democrats call for disclosing the name of the expert who set the purchase price at 11 million euros, as well as the purchase contract. The Social-Democratic Party claims a committee previously set up at the level of the Ministry of Culture had set the negotiation ceiling at 5 million euro. (Translated by Vlad Palcu)

  • October 12, 2016 UPDATE

    October 12, 2016 UPDATE

    WISDOM OF THE EARTH — The Romanian government on Wednesday adopted an emergency ordinance which provides for setting up a fund to purchase works of art. The fund will be financed by donations, sponsorships and allotments from the state budget. The Romanian government has decided not to extend the public subscription to purchase the sculpture “Wisdom of the Earth”. The purchasing price of the work of art by the world famous Constantin Brancusi is 11 million Euro, of which the state initially announced it would provide 5 million Euro, also launching a public subscription in order to cover the rest of 6 million Euro. Only 1.2 million Euro has been collected from donations, so the government will pay some 10 million Euro for the work of art, belonging to private persons from Romania, to get into the possession of the Romanian state.



    JAKARTA — Romanian foreign minister, Lazar Comanescu, will attend the 21st ministerial meeting of the EU- Association of South East Asian Nations (EU-ASEAN) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday and Friday. Earlier, the Romanian foreign minister had travelled to Jakarta, Indonesia, for talks with his counterpart Retno L.P. Marsudi about ways to boost bilateral dialogue at political, economic and commercial level. The two officials attended the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Chambers of Commerce of the two countries. Lazar Comanescu and trade minister Enggartiasto Lukita agreed to encourage Romanian and Indonesian companies to participate in economy-advertising events. During the talks with transport minister, Budi Karya Sumadi, the Romanian foreign minister underlined Romania’s capacity to become a sea gateway to Europe for Indonesia.



    KIDNAPPING — The Bucharest Foreign Ministry has activated an emergency response centre after a Romanian engineer has been abducted in Nigeria. The ministry said that they follow closely the situation through the embassy in that country, keeping in touch with Nigerian authorities, as well as with the Romanian citizens family and employer. The Nigerian police and media claim the man was abducted as part of the wave of rebel attacks against oil and gas installations.



    PENITENCIARIES — The employees of penitentiaries in Romania on Wednesday picketed the headquarters of the National Administration of Penitentiaries. They are discontent about the level of salaries and improper working conditions. Trade unionists denounce the shortage of personnel, prompting them to work extra hours and criticize the delayed procedures to hire personnel.



    WEATHER– As of Tuesday evening, heavy downpour has caused flooding in several regions of the country. Counties in eastern, southern and southeastern Romania have been particularly affected. A red code alert against flooding has been instated in the southeastern county of Galati, where, waters have affected hundreds of households. Scores of people have been evacuated and schools have been closed down. Railroad traffic has been disrupted in the same county. Many streets and houses have been flooded in Bucharest, too, where road traffic has also been disrupted.

  • September 18, 2016 UPDATE

    September 18, 2016 UPDATE

    REPORT – Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Monday is presenting a report on the countrys economy before Parliament. The Prime Minister will give details regarding the current budget framework. Parliamentary factions are also expected to address the plenary session. Ciolos will appear before Parliament after the National Forecast Committee has upgraded the economic growth forecast for this year to 4.8%. Earlier this year, the institution estimated a 4.2% growth of Romanias GDP. Over the next three years, the committee has maintained its economic growth forecast to 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7% respectively. The GDP per capita is expected to grow steadily in coming years, from 8,581 euros in 2016 to 10,587 euros in 2019.



    UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY – Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos will attend the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York over September 19-22. On Tuesday, among others, Dacian Ciolos will attend the opening session of the Assembly, as well as the Summit of leaders on the global crisis of refugees, hosted by the USA, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico and Sweden. Prime Minister Ciolos will also hold bilateral talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Egyptian President Abdel Al-Sisi and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. Ciolos is also invited to a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and the first Lady Michele Obama, in the honor of heads of delegation. On Wednesday, Dacian Ciolos will meet with representatives of the Jewish communities in the USA, as well as with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the president of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thompson. On the last day of his visit, the Prime Ministers agenda includes a breakfast meeting with US investors from Romania.



    CELEBRATION – Celebrations continued on Sunday in Bucharest to mark 557 years since the city was first officially documented. A number of cultural events were held on this occasion, including concerts, exhibitions, workshops, arts and crafts fairs, theatre plays, street concerts, parades and chariot rides in squares and parks. Music bands from Spain, Italy and France took part in the event. Bucharest was first documented on September 21, 1459, in an official document issued by Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Wallachia at the time, which subsequently inspired Bram Stokers famous novel Dracula.



    EXPLOSION – The Governor of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo on Sunday described the explosion of the previous night in the district of Chelsea as the result of a bomb, without linking it to international terrorism. The blast injured 29 people and resulted in severe material damage. Romanias General Consular Office in New York is taking steps to ascertain whether any Romanian citizens are among the victims. The Consular Office is monitoring the case and is ready to provide assistance. In another incident in a trade center in Minnesota, 8 people were wounded in a shooting involving a white male, whom the Police shot dead. According to the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq agency, the perpetrator was a jihadist combatant. Since 2014, Islamic State terrorists, currently holding large areas in Syra and Iraq, have staged numerous bloody attacks around the world, killing hundreds of people.



    PROTESTS – Trade unions in the healthcare sector are preparing a series of protests. On Monday, Sanitas Foundation employers associations will start collecting signatures for starting strike actions, while as of September 20, each Tuesday will be devoted to protesting in front of a state institution. The same federation has also scheduled protests in October. The decision follows the recent Government emergency ordinances, regulating the salaries of medical staff, and which do not include major salary raises for auxiliary staff, employees of Public Health Care Directorates and social workers.



    SCULPTURE – Romanians on Sunday could see Constantin Brancusis Wisdom of the Earth sculpture on show at the National Bank of Romania Museum. Access was free of charge, with no preliminary reservation required, Culture Minister Corina Suteu said, who described the move as a gesture of gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of donations to procure Cosntantin Brancusis work. So far some 800,000 euros have been collected, but an additional 5 million euros are required. People can still make donations until the end of the month.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • September 18, 2016

    September 18, 2016

    CELEBRATION — Celebrations continue in Bucharest to mark 557 years since the city was first officially documented. A number of cultural events are held on this occasion, including concerts, exhibitions, workshops, arts and crafts fairs, theatre plays, street concerts, parades and chariot rides in squares and parks. Music bands from Spain, Italy and France are taking part in the event. Bucharest was first documented on September 21, 1459, in an official document issued by Vlad the Impaler, the ruler of Wallachia at the time, which subsequently inspired Bram Stoker’s famous novel Dracula.



    ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA — Legislative elections are today taking place in Russia. According to recent polls, only four in the 14 political parties taking part in the ballot will exceed the threshold of 5%. The leader of the polls is the United Russia Party of president Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, with 41% of the votes, followed by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia of ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky with 12.4%, the Communist Party with 7.5% and A Just Russia Party with 6.4%. The Romanian Foreign Ministry on Saturday announced for the first time it did not recognize the legitimacy of the elections held in Crimea. The Ministry has reasserted its support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring Ukraine, arguing that Romania does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation.



    REPORT — Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos on Monday is presenting a report on the country’s economy before Parliament. The Prime Minister will give details regarding the current budget framework. Parliamentary factions are also expected to address the plenary session. Ciolos will appear before Parliament after the National Forecast Committee has upgraded the economic growth forecast for this year to 4.8%. Earlier this year, the institution estimated a 4.2% growth of Romania’s GDP. Over the next three years, the committee has maintained its economic growth forecast to 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7% respectively. The GDP per capita is expected to grow steadily in coming years, from 8,581 euros in 2016 to 10,587 euros in 2019.



    SCULPTURE — Romanians on Sunday could see Constantin Brancusi’s Wisdom of the Earth sculpture on show at the National Bank of Romania Museum. Access was free of charge, with no preliminary reservation required, Culture Minister Corina Suteu said, who described the move as a gesture of gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of donations to procure Cosntantin Brancusi’s work. So far some 800,000 euros have been collected, but an additional 5 million euros are required. People can still make donations until the end of the month.



    EXPLOSION — Romania’s General Consular Office in New York has reported an explosion in the Chelsea district on Saturday night and is taking steps to ascertain whether any Romanian citizens are among the victims. The Foreign Ministry has told Radio Romania that so far no assistance has been demanded by Romanian citizens. The Consular Office is monitoring the case and is ready to provide assistance. 29 people were injured.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • September 7, 2016 UPDATE

    September 7, 2016 UPDATE

    INTERIOR MINISTER – Dragos Tudorache, the new Interior Minister, was sworn in on Wednesday before president Klaus Iohannis. Dragos Tudorache also announced the priorities of his term in office. The first is preparing the December 11 elections in Romania. Tudorache said he would set up a command cell at Ministry level, to cooperate with the Election Authority, which is in charge of organizing the elections. Another priority is the streamlining of the Department for Intelligence and Domestic Protection, whose former leadership is being investigated for corruption. A former chief of the Government Chancellery, Tudorache is replacing Petre Toba, currently investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors for favoring the offender. According to prosecutors, Toba refused to declassify certain documents necessary to the investigation, involving several Minsitry officials, also accused of embezzlement.



    PHONE TALK – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has talked with the president of the European Council Donald Tusk about the summit in Bratislava, which has on the agenda, among other things, the EUs future after the Brexit. In the phone call, Iohannis said the EU countries must remain united and committed to winning the citizens trust in the European project adding that for Romania, the consolidation of the EU is a strategic objective. President Iohannis will be having talks in Berlin on Friday with German chancellor Angela Merkel about the preparations for the summit in Bratislava due on September 16th.



    PROCEDURES – The Chamber of Deputies has simplified travel procedures for Romanian minors. The main provision amending the law on the free travel of Romanian citizens is the introduction of a single parental consent for several travels over a period of up to three years, without the stipulation of the destinations. Additionally, exempted from presenting the parental consent are all minors who reside or live in the country of destination. Moreover, the amendment also eliminates the superlegalization or authentication of documents issued by foreign states.



    SCULPTURE – Romanians have been left only this month to raise donations for Constantin Brancusis statue ‘Wisdom of the Earth. The funds raised so far amount to 700 thousand euros. Under these circumstances an amendment has been recently voted on in the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest obliging the government to find money to buy the sculpture irrespective of the sum raised by October 1st. The final vote is to be given by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Currently part of a private collection, the ‘Wisdom of the Earth is estimated at 11 million euros, out of which the government pledged 5 million. The rest of the money was supposed to come from donations. ‘Wisdom of the earth together with ‘The Kiss and “The Prayer belongs to the artists best period of creation.



    TAX CUT – The Senate in Bucharest has passed a draft law on amending the Fiscal Code so that pensions above 235 euros will be exempted from the 16% tax, while health insurances are to be paid from the state budget. The document is to be submitted to the decision-making Chamber of Deputies shortly. Discussions on the document have been marked by heated debates between the Liberals and the Social Democrats. The latter say the law has been expected by many pensioners and blamed the Liberals for having cut incomes when they were in power. The Liberals response was that the law would favor those with big pensions while the budget impact would be a significant one. The initiative has been frowned upon by the government.



    HOLIDAY – 24th January, a day marking the unification of the Romanian principalities, has been declared a state holiday in Romania, under a decision by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The unification of the Romanian principalities on January 24th took place in 1859, after ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza had been elected in two of Romanias historical provinces, Wallachia and Moldavia.



    RANKING – Romania is 4th-placed in a ranking of states in the Central and Eastern Europe, with 46 companies exceeding 46 billion dollars in sales in 2015, according to data under the 10th CE Top 500 Deloitte Report made public on Wednesday. Romanian companies in the field of consumer goods reported an 18% growth last year as compared to 2014, with sales standing at 15 billion euros. Dacia is the best-selling Romanian company, ranking 25th, followed by OMV Petrom in 27th place and Rompetrol in 52nd place. The energy and resources industry is best represented in the ranking, with revenues of 17 billion euros. Deloitte CE Top 500 officials have warned that Romania must continue developing its infrastructure, education and health care systems, to be able to provide better services and attract more investments in production.


    (Translated by C. Mateescu and V. Palcu)

  • September 7, 2016

    September 7, 2016

    PHONE TALK Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has talked with the president of the European Council Donald Tusk about the summit in Bratislava, which has on the agenda, among other things, the EUs future after the Brexit. In the phone call, Iohannis said the EU countries must remain united and committed to winning the citizens trust in the European project adding that for Romania, the consolidation of the EU is a strategic objective. President Iohannis will be having talks in Berlin on Friday with German chancellor Angela Merkel about the preparations for the summit in Bratislava due on September 16th.



    TENNIS The worlds fifth tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, is today taking on Serena Williams currently ranked world No. 1 in women’s singles tennis, in the quarter finals of the US Open, the years last Grand Slam tournament with total prizes of 22 million dollars. We recall that Serena leads Simona, 7-1 in their head-to-head. Serena Williams, holder of 22 Grand Slam titles, have won the US Open six times while Simona obtained her best performance in Flushing Meadows in the semis of 2015. Halep remains Romanias single representative in this tournament after the Romanian-Dutch pair Jean-Julien Rojer has been eliminated in the eighth finals by Swedish Robert Lindstedt and Aisam Al-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan.



    TAX CUT The Senate in Bucharest has passed a draft law on amending the Fiscal Code so that pensions above 235 euros will be exempted from the 16% tax, while health insurances are to be paid from the state budget. The document is to be submitted to the decision-making Chamber of Deputies shortly. The discussions on the document have been marked by heated debates between the Liberals and the Social Democrats. The latter say the law has been expected by many pensioners and blamed the Liberals for having cut incomes when they were in power. The Liberals response was that the law would favour those with big pensions while the budget impact would be a significant one. The initiative has been frowned upon by the government in Bucharest.



    HOLIDAY 24th January, a day marking the unification of the Romanian principalities, has been declared a state holiday in Romania, under a decision by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. The unification of the Romanian principalities on January 24th took place in 1859, after ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza had been elected in two of Romanias historical provinces, Wallachia and Moldavia.



    SCULPTURE Romanians have been left only this month to raise donations for Constantin Brancusis statue ‘Wisdom of the Earth. The funds raised so far amount to 700 thousand euros. Under these circumstances an amendment has been recently voted on in the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest obliging the government to find money to buy the sculpture irrespective of the sum raised by October 1st. The final vote is to be given by the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest. Currently part of a private collection, the ‘Wisdom of the Earth is estimated at 11 million euros, out of which the government pledged 5 million. The rest of the money was supposed to come from donations. ‘Wisdom of the earth together with ‘The Kiss and “The Prayer belongs to the artists best period of creation.



  • May 27, 2016 UPDATE

    May 27, 2016 UPDATE

    The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, announced on Friday that the Supreme Defence Council agreed to draw up an action plan for the healthcare system, and the Government will submit quarterly updates on the healthcare sector and citizens health. The statement comes amid large-scale investigations into the disinfectants used in Romanian hospitals. A government report mentions that disinfectants have been diluted hundreds to thousand times as compared to the figures on the labels. Also, according to the President, the Supreme Defence Council approved the broad lines of Romanias mandate at the NATO summit due in Warsaw on July 8 and 9, subject to updates. During the same session, the Council approved the number of Romanian troops to take part in missions abroad in 2017, namely 1401 troops and civilians from the Army and 783 troops and police forces from the Interior Ministry. According to Iohannis, the Council also endorsed a report on the plans for Units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant. The president said this was a high priority investment for Romania, which would help increase the nuclear power output to around 30% of the total national output and contribute substantially to the countrys economic growth.



    Donations for the purchase of sculptor Constantin Brancusis work “Wisdom of the Earth can be made by text message, telethon, public auctions, virtual donation boxes and special events. On Friday the Government broadened the contribution options and the means to cooperate with the legal entities interested in helping the government purchase the sculpture. The “Wisdom of the Earth, currently in a private collection, costs 11 million euros, of which the Government announced it would contribute 5 million euros, with the balance to be raised from collections.



    Two Romanian tennis players have qualified for the eight finals of the Roland Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Simona Halep, 6th seeded, defeated Japanese player Naomi Osaka, 101st seeded, 4 – 6, 6 – 2, 6 – 3. Irina Begu, 28th seeded, won against German player Annika Beck, 39th seeded, 6- 4, 2 – 6, 6 – 1. Also today, the Romanian – Indian pair Florin Mergea and Rohan Bopanna qualified to the eighth finals of the male doubles, winning 6-4, 6-4 against the all French pair Gregoire Barrere/Quentin Halys. At the same time, the Romanian-Dutch pair Horia Tecau and Jean Julien Rojer were eliminated in the second round of the male doubles by the Uruguay- Spain pair Pablo Cuevas/Marcel Granollers, 5 – 7, 6- 4, 6 – 3.

  • April 11, 2016 UPDATE

    April 11, 2016 UPDATE

    NATIONAL SECURITY LAWS – Romanias President, Klaus Iohannis, will hold consultations, on Tuesday and Wednesday, with leaders of the parliamentary parties on the national security laws. The Romanian President has recently said the legislation in the field should be improved, and some provisions even replaced, because they are no longer suitable in the current security context, neither at national, nor at global level. Klaus Iohannis has said the citizens rights and freedoms should be taken into consideration when drafting the new legislation. In turn, justice minister Raluca Pruna has announced that on Tuesday the Government will start debating the national security laws.



    PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM – Romanias technocratic prime minister, Dacian Ciolos, said the country cant be modernised and an efficient fight against corruption is impossible without a reform of the central and local public administration. He also said Romania needs an efficient administration, which should function in a transparent way. Ciolos made the statements during a debate, entitled “The Prime Ministers Hour. He has announced that, after the local elections due in June, the Cabinet will introduce a set of legislative changes aimed at reforming the public administration sector, clarifying, among other things, the role of civil servants at local and central levels and the civil service recruitment criteria. In turn, the deputy PM and Minister for Regional Development Vasile Dîncu has said the mayors who win the June local elections may attend training programmes to improve their performance.



    LOCAL ELECTIONS – Romanian political parties, alliances, citizen organisations set up by ethnic minorities and independent runners may submit their candidacies for local and county councils and mayor seats, until April 26. As many as 126 parties, alliances and unions have registered their names and election symbols for the June 5 local election with the Central Election Bureau. The campaign for the local elections begins on May 6 and ends on June 4.



    BRANCUSI – The Romanian Culture Minister, Vlad Alexandrescu, on Monday announced the official opening of a public subscription for the purchase of sculptor Constantin Brancusis work “Wisdom of the Earth. He mentioned he was the first to have donated money in this campaign. The owners have recently accepted the 11 million euro bid by the negotiating committee appointed by the Government of Romania. Of the total amount, the Government has announced it will contribute 5 million euro, and the balance is to be covered by public subscription. This is not common practice in Romania, and the decision has generated differences of opinions. Dating back to 1907, Wisdom of the Earth, just like works such as The Kiss and The Prayer, was created when Constantin Brancusi was at the height of his creative powers.



    ECONOMY – The annual inflation rate in Romania stood at minus 3% in March, further down from the negative 2.7% in February, according to data made public by the National Statistics Institute (INS). The National Bank of Romania in February updated the inflation forecast for the year to 1.4%, up 0.3% since the previous forecast. The National Forecast Commission, in its winter forecast, maintained the expected year-end figure at 1.8% and the forecast for 2017 at 2.5%.



    COAL-MINING SECTOR – Miners and power industry workers with the Oltenia Energy Complex in south-western Romania started a rally to protest the lay-off of hundreds of complex employees. They will travel over 300 km to Bucharest, to hand a list of demands to the Government members. Among other things, the unionists demand that a plan be urgently put in place to enhance the efficiency of production units and that salary schemes should be based on performance criteria. In mid-March, the management of the complex decided to reduce or suspend certain operations in all its subsidiaries, both in the power sector and in the coal-mining sector, which will entail massive redundancies. Last year the company reported losses of over 200 million euros, 30% more than in 2014.



    HIROSHIMA – The foreign ministers of the G7 countries on Monday called in Hiroshima, Japan, for a world without nuclear weapons. At the end of last week the US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the memorial to the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, the city was devastated by an American atomic bomb, which left 140,000 people dead. On the other hand, the G7 foreign ministers pleaded for strengthening the fight against the IS terror group. The meeting in Hiroshima of the G7 diplomacy chiefs comes in preparation for the meeting of the G7 heads of state, scheduled to take place at the end of May in Japan.


    (Translated by Ana-Maria Popescu and Diana Vijeu)

  • April 11, 2016

    April 11, 2016

    PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION – The Romanian Culture Minister, Vlad Alexandrescu, announced today the official opening of a public subscription for the purchase of sculptor Constantin Brancusis work “Wisdom of the Earth. He mentioned he was the first to have donated money in this campaign. The owners have recently accepted the 11 million euro bid by the negotiating committee appointed by the Government of Romania. Of the total amount, the Government has announced it will contribute 5 million euro, and the balance is to be covered by public subscription. This is not common practice in Romania, and the decision has generated differences of opinions. Dating back to 1907, Wisdom of the Earth, just like works such as The Kiss and The Prayer, was created when Constantin Brancusi was at the height of his creative powers.



    INFLATION – The annual inflation rate in Romania stood at minus 3% in March, further down from the negative 2.7% in February, according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute (INS). The National Bank of Romania in February updated the inflation forecast for the year to 1.4%, up 0.3% since the previous forecast. The National Forecast Commission, in its winter forecast, maintained the expected year-end figure at 1.8% and the forecast for 2017 at 2.5%.



    LEGISLATION – PM Dacian Cioloş is presenting in Parliament today aspects related to the reform of public administration. He has announced that, after the local elections due in June, the Cabinet will introduce a set of legislative changes aimed at reforming the public administration sector, clarifying, among other things, the role of civil servants at local and central levels and the civil service recruitment criteria. Dacian Cioloş has also explained that the goal is to regain the confidence of the public that civil servants work for the best interests of citizens. In turn, the deputy PM and Minister for Regional Development Vasile Dîncu has said the mayors who win the June local elections may attend training programmes to improve their performance.



    ELECTIONS – Romanian political parties, alliances, citizen organisations set up by ethnic minorities and independent runners may submit their candidacies for local and county councils and mayor seats, until April 26. As many as 126 parties, alliances and unions have registered their names and election symbols for the June 5 local election with the Central Election Bureau. The campaign for the local elections begins on May 6 and ends on June 4.



    PROTEST – Miners and power industry workers with the Oltenia Energy Complex in south-western Romania have today started a rally to protest the layoff of hundreds of complex employees. They will travel over 300 km to Bucharest, to hand a list of demands to the Government members. Among other things, the unionists demand that a plan be urgently put in place to enhance the efficiency of production units and that salary schemes should be based on performance criteria. In mid-March, the management of the complex decided to reduce or suspend certain operations in all its subsidiaries, both in the power sector and in the coal mining sector, which will entail massive redundancies. Last year the company reported losses of over 200 million euros, 30% more than in 2014.



    HIROSHIMA – The foreign ministers of the G7 countries today called in Hiroshima, Japan, for a world without nuclear weapons. At the end of last week the US Secretary of State John Kerry visited the memorial to the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, the city was devastated by an American atomic bomb which left 140,000 people dead. On the other hand, the G7 foreign ministers pleaded for strengthening the fight against the IS terror group. The meeting in Hiroshima of the G7 diplomacy chiefs comes in preparation for the meeting of the G7 heads of state, scheduled to take place at the end of May in Japan.

  • Iconic Brancusi sculpture to stay in Romania

    Iconic Brancusi sculpture to stay in Romania

    One of the most influential artists
    of the 20th century, the Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi
    is one of the founding figures of modernism. His choice of material includes
    marble, limestone, bronze and wood. Christie’s, one of the world’s most
    prestigious auction houses and the biggest dealer of Brancusi’s works, also
    holds the record for the highest price paid for a Brancusi sculpture at 27.4
    million dollars.




    While celebrated abroad, Brancusi
    has not always enjoyed the same recognition at home, in Romania. Suffice it to
    say that it wasn’t until the 19th of February this year that a
    national day was declared to celebrate this great artist. There is also a
    proposal to establish a national museum named after Brancusi in Targu Jiu,
    close to the village where he was born. The new museum may even exhibit some of
    his works on loan from his famous studio in Paris.




    Recently, the Romanian state also
    said it planned to start talks with a view to purchasing Brancusi’s work The
    Wisdom of the Earth    , which had been put up for sale by a private collector in
    Romania. On Wednesday, the culture minister Vlad Alexandrescu posted a Facebook
    message saying the owners of the sculpture accepted the 11 million euro offer
    made by the Romanian state. The government will pay 5 of the 11 million, while
    the rest is to be covered by public donations.




    Dating back to 1907, The Wisdom of
    the Earth was created, along with The Kiss and Prayer, while Brancusi was at
    the height of his creative powers. During its lifetime, the sculpture has had
    two owners. The first was engineer Gheorghe Romascu, a good friend of Brancusi
    who bought it from the artist in 1911. In 1957, the work was confiscated
    abusively by the newly instated communist regime and exhibited at the National
    Museum of Art. Following a lengthy trial, the work was returned to Romascu’s
    descendants.




    The Wisdom of the Earth will now
    belong to the Romanian nation. Minister Alexandrescu says the state must put
    right the injustice against Brancusi made in the 1950s, when the communists
    declared his work an example of decadent and formalist art and even planned to
    demolish his outdoor Endless Column work in Targu Jiu.

  • Brancusi 140

    Brancusi 140

    Constantin Brancusi is one of the names that Romania takes pride in, a symbol of national artistic accomplishment. But Brancusis fame goes well beyond the countrys borders, as one of mankinds most celebrated artists.



    Half god, half peasant, as art collector Peggy Guggenheim described him, Constantin Brancusi was born 140 years ago, on February 19, 1876, in Hobita, Gorj County, in the south of Romania. A master of perfect lines and shapes, Brancusi brought a change of paradigm in modern fine art, breaking with the classical patterns of sculpture and introducing an innovative way of retracing the past through shapes never seen before. His metal or stone works, such as “Wisdom of the Earth, “Bird in Space, “The Kiss or the “Endless Column, embody feelings, hypostases or philosophical concepts.



    Since the very beginning, Brancusis novel way of opening up new insights into the essence of beings and objects, going beyond shapes and lines, did not go unnoticed, and his works immediately appealed to both private collectors and the worlds major museums and art galleries. The prestigious auction houses Christies and Sothebys have sold, over the years, many works by Constantin Brancusi. Christies, which is the largest dealer of Constantin Brancusi works, is also the record holder in terms of the price reported for the purchase of a work by the Romanian artist. Of the 15 works by Brancusi auctioned by Christies over the years, “Bird in Space, made between 1922 and 1923, was purchased in New York on May 4, 2005, for as much as 27.4 million US dollars.



    But while Brancusi has left a fabulous heritage to the world, it seems that Romanians are unable to preserve it and to promote it properly. Talks are only now being held regarding the set-up of a National Brancusi Museum in Targu Jiu, near the sculptors native village. Moreover, works from Brancusis famous studio in Paris may be borrowed and hosted by the new museum in Targu Jiu, in the establishment of which experts from the Pompidou Centre may contribute.



    Meanwhile, the National Heritage Institute and the Ministry of Culture will resume their efforts to get the Brancusi ensemble in Targu Jiu included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, after the Romanian state withdrew the application in 2014. Not last, Bucharest has also announced it will resume steps to purchase the work “Wisdom of the Earth, which is currently in a private collection and whose price was put at roughly 20 million euros two years ago.