Author: Mihaela Ignătescu

FAC. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating, today, in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, the European officials will address issues regarding Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, as well as digital diplomacy. The discussions regarding Russia will focus on the acceleration of military support for Ukraine, the situation in the Ukrainian energy sector, sanctions and the coordination of the EU’s diplomatic efforts ‘in support of President Zelensky’s Peace Formula. Regarding the security situation in the Middle East, the European foreign ministers will address the latest security developments, as well as the EU’s support for solving the crisis in the Gaza Strip. The officials will also have an exchange of views with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calvino, during an informal working lunch. The discussions will aim at intensifying the cooperation of the EU with the EIB in order to adapt the ways of financing foreign affairs policy goals of the EU to the geopolitical challenges – the MAE press release also reads.

Talks. The Romanian Minister of the Interior, Cătălin Predoiu, had, on Sunday, a bilateral meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Sandor Pinter, in the context of the Informal Meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council hosted by Budapest. The talks focused on the Schengen issue, organized crime and border-related issues. Sandor Pinter reiterated the Hungarian presidency’s goal to obtain the decision for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Area also by land, by the end of 2024. Regarding bilateral cooperation, the two ministers stated that boosting cooperation to combat organized crime, with an emphasis on migrant trafficking, have proven their effectiveness, and the results have been very good. On the other hand, the two agreed on a set of measures to avoid the increase in waiting times at common border crossing points.

Bomber Task Force Europe. Two B-52H Stratofortress planes of the US Air Force have landed at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, in southeastern Romania, to take part in the Bomber Task Force Europe 24-4 mission. According to a press release from the Office of Public Relations of the American Air Forces in Europe, cited by the United States Embassy in Bucharest, it is the first time that American strategic bombers operate from Romania. The squadron will be integrated with NATO allies and other international partners to pool capabilities and ensure security commitments within the US European Command’s area of responsibility.

Drug trafficking. The Romanian Government has supplemented the funds for combating drug trafficking, given that the age of consumption gets younger by the day. The anti-drug expert Cătălin Ţone told Radio Romania that for the first time in the history of the country, a drug-related Roadmap was created, one billion lei (over 200 million euros) were allocated, and the Romanian authorities are making efforts to recruit 200 more police officers, agents and officers into the anti-drug structures. Some 500 actions were carried out by the Romanian Police and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism to prevent and combat drug trafficking, in the first 6 months of this year. In this interval, 700 kilograms of high-risk drugs, almost 4 tons of marijuana and the same amount of doping substances were seized. Also, over 800 people were arrested and over 150 others were placed under judicial control for trafficking in prohibited substances.

Washington. The Democratic President of the United States, Joe Biden, has announced that he will no longer run against the Republican Donald Trump in the presidential elections due in November. The announcement was made in a written statement, issued while Biden was in isolation due to COVID-19. The leader of the White House expressed his support for the Democratic Party’s nomination of its vice president, Kamala Harris, as a presidential candidate. Democratic leaders were quick to welcome Joe Biden’s decision to retire, while also praising his political career. Republican candidate Trump has stated that he considers Harris easier to defeat in the election than Biden. Many neutral commentators say, in turn, that, in the absence of any new coup, Trump’s return to the White House, after four years of Biden’s mandate, is very likely.

Music. The Bucharest National Opera Orchestra and Choir will perform, this evening, in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, an event held in the context of the Summer Olympics. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Paris, the extraordinary concert entitled “Éthos Roumain” is a project financed by the Government of Romania, through the Department for Romanians Abroad, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. The event aims to increase the visibility of Romanian culture and its promotion abroad, as well as to strengthen the cultural ties between Romania and France. The Bucharest National Opera tour in France also includes a concert of sacred music held on July 24 at the Orthodox Cathedral “Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael” in Paris, and will end on July 25 at the Romanian Embassy in the French Republic, with a another concert, on the occasion of the inauguration of the House of Romania at the Olympic Games.

OG. Most of Romania’s Olympic team – 82 of the 107 athletes – arrived in Paris on Sunday, for the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games, which will begin on July 26. Rowers Ionela and Marius Cosmiuc, husband and wife, will be the bearers of the country’s flag at the opening ceremony. The competition will end on August 11. (MI)

UKRAINE. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, gave the green light to invaded Ukraine to hit, under certain conditions, targets on Russian territory with weapons delivered by Washington – said an American official, quoted by international media. “The president has tasked his team to ensure that Ukraine can use US weapons to counterattack in the Kharkiv region (northeast, the theater of a Russian ground offensive – ed.) so that it can retaliate when Russian forces attack or they are preparing to attack them” – said the mentioned source, who asked to remain anonymous. The United States, however, continues to oppose Ukrainian attacks deep into Russian territory. “Our position on banning the use of ATACMS or deep strikes inside Russia has not changed,” the official said. ATACMS are missiles supplied by the Americans to Ukraine, with a long range, capable of reaching a distance of up to 300 kilometers.

WASHINGTON. Republican Donald Trump was found guilty by jurors on all 34 counts in the hidden payment case for porn star Stormy Daniels and thus becomes the first former president in the history of the United States to be criminally convicted. The verdict, which international media call historic and with unpredictable political consequences, will be pronounced on July 11 by judge Juan Merchan. It won’t stop the septuagenarian billionaire from running in the Nov. 5 presidential election against Democrat Joe Biden, even in the face of a prison sentence. Trump has been indicted for lying in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign to cover up a $130,000 payment to silence actress Stormy Daniels about a sexual encounter she allegedly had with ten years earlier. Although the case is considered by some legal experts to be the least important of the four criminal cases facing Trump, it is the only one with a definite sentence ahead of the presidential election.

NATO. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, is participating today in the informal meeting of NATO heads of diplomacy organized in the Czech capital, Prague, as well as in the Transatlantic Defense Forum in the city of Sanov. According to the MFA in Bucharest, the discussions aim at crystallizing and harmonizing allied priorities in view of the NATO Summit in Washington. The main topics on the agenda are allied support for the Ukraine invaded by Russian troops and strengthening support for partner states. The head of Romanian diplomacy highlighted the consequences of the war started by Russia in Ukraine on European and Euro-Atlantic security and stressed the imperative of a firm response by NATO, with an emphasis on the unitary and coherent consolidation of the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank. Minister Odobescu highlighted the need to continue substantial support for Ukraine and pleaded for a solid decision-making package in this regard at the upcoming Allied Summit. She also pointed out the need for adequate support from the Alliance for other vulnerable partners, affected by the ongoing war, especially for the Republic of Moldova (majority Romanian-speaking).

MADRID. Between May 31 and June 16, Romanian is participating in the 83rd edition of the Madrid Book Fair, with a national stand and 20 literary events. According to a press release from the RCI, Queen Letizia of Spain will inaugurate the Feria del Libro de Madrid 2024, where 359 exhibitors will present their editorial offer and where three million visitors are expected to participate in the more than 300 events for readers of all ages and 5,000 autograph sessions. Romania’s presence, which is on its thirteenth participation in this far-reaching event, is organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, through the National Book Center and through RCI Madrid, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain. Among the protagonists of the events are the writers Gabriela Adameşteanu, Eugen Barz, Aura Christi, Nichita Danilov, Cristian Fulaş, Miguel Gane, Stejărel Olaru, Radu Paraschivescu, Radmila Popovici, Andreea Răsuceanu and Corina Sabău, journalist at Radio Romania International.

HIMARS. The first HIMARS anti-missile defense system maintenance center in Europe was inaugurated in Bacău, in the north-east of Romania, in the presence of the Minister of Defense Angel Tîlvăr. He has stated that, thus, Romania has a strategic advantage, by securing the maintenance of its own systems of this type in the country. In addition, the new center has an impact on the economic development of the area – the minister said. The center in Bacău is made in partnership with Lockheed Martin, the American company with which there is also a collaboration for the maintenance of Black Hawk helicopters and F-16 airplanes of the Romanian Army. More on this after the news.

BOOKFAIR. The 17th edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair is taking place in Bucharest. 200 exhibitors and 150 publishing houses from Romania and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, the guest of honor this year, are participating. At the previous international editions, the invited countries were: Spain, Hungary, France, the German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Sweden, the United States of America, Great Britain, Japan and Italy. The Bookfest Book Fair has local editions in four large Romanian cities and another international edition in Chisinau.

TENNIS. The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu qualified, on Thursday evening, for the third round of the Roland Garros tournament, the second Grand Slam of the year, after defeating the Czech Linda Noskova, 6-4, 6-1 . Irina Begu’s next opponent will be Varvara Gracheva (France) or Bernarda Pera (USA). The Romanian Ana Bogdan prevailed in two sets against Anastasia Pavliucenkova, the 20th seed in the tournament, 6-4, 6-4. The Romanian qualified for the second time in her career in the 3rd round of the tournament in Paris. The specialized press notes that Bogdan is climbing rapidly in the WTA ranking. Officially ranked 64th, she will be at least 49th on Monday, a 15-place climb thanks to the two rounds so far at Roland Garros. (MI)

VISIT. The Romanian Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, pays an official visit to Turkey, Romania’s most important commercial partner outside the European Union, on Tuesday. The visit takes place at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The program also includes a joint meeting of the governments of the two countries. The parties aim for bilateral trade to exceed 15 billion dollars.

MONITORING. Starting October 1, the Romanian Ministry of the Interior will expand, on a national level, the electronic monitoring project regarding protective orders against aggressors. Currently, this surveillance system is applied in the Capital and in several other counties and covers only domestic violence situations for which a protective order was issued against the aggressor. In another move, an international meeting is taking place in Bucharest with the aim of analyzing the phenomenon of domestic violence. Official data show that in Romania, in the first 3 months of this year, around 3,000 provisional protective orders were issued, of which almost half were transformed into protection orders by court. In the same period, the police intervened in almost 30,000 cases of domestic violence. Criminal acts in the field of domestic violence have increased, compared to the first 3 months of last year.

HOSPITAL. The construction works at the Regional Emergency Hospital in Cluj were inaugurated at the end of last week. It’s the third giant medical unit, after the ones in Craiova and Iasi, which will serve the population in the center of the country. The value of the project exceeds 700 million euros, and the completion date is expected in three years. The medical unit, located in the town of Floreşti, will have almost 850 beds, a helipad and 22 operating rooms. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, has stated that, in Romania, the quality of medical assistance will significantly improve, including through the construction of the three regional hospitals. According to him, there are currently 20 medical units that are under construction or where construction will start shortly, and this is due both to the money received through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as to the mayors and presidents of county councils who have a legitimate interest in protecting the health of their fellow citizens.

MOURNING. The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamene, has declared five days of national mourning after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash and appointed First Vice President Mohammed Mokhber as interim president, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reports. When a president dies while in office, the Constitution of the Islamic Republic requires the first vice president to serve as interim president for a period of 50 days, with the approval of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran. The announcement of the president’s death opens a period of political uncertainty in Iran, a major player in the Middle East, a region rocked by the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, press agencies note. Ebrahim Raisi, who had the title of ayatollah, was the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran for almost three years. Considered an ultraconservative, he was elected in June 2021 in the first round of a vote marked by record absenteeism in the presidential elections and the absence of strong competitors.

FESTIVAL. The International New Music Week, the most important domestic festival dedicated to contemporary music, organized by the Union of Composers and Musicologists in Romania, is taking place in Bucharest these days. The public is invited to more than 20 exciting concerts with the music of our times. The festival is structured as follows: new music for the voice, performances in experimental formats, electro acoustic, silent film and live music and commemorations.

TRIAL. The former leader of the miners from Valea Jiului (central Romania), Miron Cozma, was heard this morning at the General Prosecutor’s Office, in the miners’ riot case from June 1990. Several people, including the former president Ion Iliescu, the prime minister from that date Petre Roman, the deputy prime minister Gelu Voican Voiculescu and the former head of the Romanian Intelligence Office, Virgil Măgureanu, are accused of crimes against humanity. The military prosecutors claim that, on June 11 and 12, 1990, the state authorities decided to launch a violent attack against the demonstrators in University Square in Bucharest, who were peacefully expressing their political opinions, opposed to the government. Over 10,000 miners were brought to the Capital to restore order. Four people were then shot dead, almost 1,400 suffered physical or mental injuries and 1,250 people were deprived of their freedom.

FOOTBALL. The Romanian football team FCSB has won the national title, after a 9-year break, and will play in the Champions League preliminaries. In second place was CFR Cluj (north-west), which will play in the Conference League preliminaries, just like the future winner of the play-off against CSU Craiova, third place in the championship, and Universitatea Cluj. The winner of the Cup, the second division team Corvinul Hunedoara (center-west), will play in the Europa League preliminaries. (MI)

INCIDENT. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, stated on Wednesday that he was shocked to learn that the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, had been shot and he firmly condemned such extremist acts. Also, Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu, declared himself “deeply shocked” by this incident and stated that the authors of such acts must be held accountable. Robert Fico was shot and wounded on Wednesday after a government meeting held outside the capital Bratislava, in the town of Handlova. The perpetrator of the attack was arrested. Since October last year, Prime Minister Robert Fico, a conservative Social Democrat and close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has been at the helm of a coalition government formed by his Smer-SD party, another social democrat party, Hlas, and the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS).

TALKS. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminiţa Odobescu, had, on Wednesday, bilateral consultations with her counterpart from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Hanke Bruins Slot, who is visiting Bucharest. According to a press release, the Romanian minister welcomed the Netherlands’ contribution to NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in Romania and highlighted the need for a continuous and firm support for Ukraine and ensuring security in the entire Black Sea region. Also, Luminita Odobescu welcomed the involvement of the Netherlands in the support given to the Republic of Moldova along the lines of reform, development and strengthening of resilience. According to the communiqué, the two officials also discussed the completion of Romania’s accession to the Schengen area and the European Union’s enlargement policy.

INFLATION. The National Bank of Romania has revised its inflation forecast for the end of the year up to 4.9% from 4.7% previously and says the inflation rate may go down to 3.5% at the end of 2025, according to a report presented on Wednesday by the bank’s governor, Mugur Isărescu. He said that the inflation rate will continue to drop, but at a slower pace than the initial estimate. The main uncertainties and risks associated with the evolution of the inflation rate have to do with the high budget deficit, the salary dynamics and possible additional fiscal and budgetary measures needed to cut down expenses. The latest statistical data show a slight drop in the inflation rate from 6.61% in March to 5.9% in April. The National Bank has decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 7%, unchanged since last year.

ECONOMY. The European Commission has slightly improved, to 3.3%, the estimates regarding the growth of the Romanian economy this year, thanks to the acceleration of private consumption and higher incomes, according to the spring economic forecasts published on Wednesday by the Community Executive. The EC warned, however, that the government deficit will rise to 6.9% of the GDP in 2024 and to 7% of the GDP in 2025 due to increased spending. On the other hand, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has not changed its estimates regarding the evolution of the Romanian economy in 2024 and warns that the main vulnerability remains the fiscal position, given that the deficit reached 5.9% of the GDP in 2023, according to a report also published on Wednesday by the international financial institution. According to the EBRD’s most recent forecasts, Romania’s GDP would register a 3.2% growth this year. According to the institution, the growth rate of the Romanian economy slowed down significantly in 2023, to 2.1%, even if this was one of the best performances recorded at the regional level. However, the decrease in private consumption, in the context of high inflation, was counteracted by the increase in investments and government spending. Public spending is expected to continue to grow, against the background of salary increases in the public system and pensions, which might lead to an even bigger deficit in 2024, the EBRD warns.

LAW. Motorists caught drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs can see their driving permits suspended for up to 10 years, under a new law passed by the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday. Also, they will no longer be able to delay serving their prison sentence. The bill was initiated in the aftermath of an accident that took place in the 2 Mai Black Sea resort in which two young people were killed after being hit by a driver who had used drugs. The Chamber of Deputies also passed legislation obliging people who are fleeing abroad to evade serving time in prison to cover the extradition costs.

TENNIS. On Wednesday, the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep had to withdraw from the first round of the Trophee Clarins (WTA 125) tournament for medical reasons. She was playing with the American McCartney Kessler, but could not continue due to severe pain in her knee. Wednesday’s match was the second official match that Halep played, since returning to the arena after being suspended for doping. Also on Wednesday, the Romanian Gabriela Ruse qualified for the next round of the tournament in Paris, after winning the match against the Chinese Lin Zhu. (MI)

PALM SUNDAY. Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians around the world, Romania included, are celebrating Palm Sunday, recalling the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem for the last time before being crucified. The faithful who participated, today, in the Liturgy received willow branches consecrated through a special prayer, said by the priests at the end of the service in memory of Jesus’ entering Jerusalem greeted by people waving palm branches. In Romania, the celebration is called Florii, meaning ‘of flowers’, and some 1.8 million Romanians celebrate their name day this Sunday. Palm Sunday marks the last week of Easter Lent. During Passion Week, Christians will get ready to welcome the great celebration of the Savior’s Resurrection, on May 5.

VENICE. Today, Pope Francis is visiting the Venice Art Biennale, which opened its gates on April 20 and will last until November 24. He is the first sovereign of the Vatican to visit the prestigious art festival, and officials of the Catholic church say that the historic moment demonstrates the will to strengthen dialogue with the cultural world. Romania is attending with an exhibition by Şerban Savu that has as its theme the relationship between work and free time. The exhibition in the Romanian Pavilion, titled “What Work Is/Ce este munca”, examines the iconography of work, drawing inspiration from historical realism and propaganda art from the countries that were part of the so-called “Eastern Bloc”. According to the Romanian Cultural Institute, rather than directly challenging or debunking such discourses, Savu wants to depict moments of pause and suspension in which the boundary between work and leisure blurs. These moments of uncertainty appear as reflections of wider social transformations and crises.

ELECTIONS. The Central Electoral Bureau in Bucharest has established the measures for those who will vote through a special ballot box in the local and European parliamentary elections scheduled in Romania on June 9. According to the Bureau, non-transportable voters can submit a request to this effect at the electoral office of the polling station including on election day. In the polling stations in the country, only one special box will be used, in which both the ballots for the European Parliament elections and for the local ones will be inserted. The use of the special box is not allowed at the polling stations abroad. The vote will be expressed on the basis of an additional electoral list, and the persons registered on this list will be deleted from the lists that the polling stations have.

DEFICIT. Romania’s budget deficit exceeded 2% of the GDP after the first three months of this year, according to data presented by the Ministry of Finance. Spending was 37 billion lei (about 7.4 billion euros) higher than revenue. The ministry also states that total revenues totaled over 132 billion lei (26.5 billion euros) in the first quarter of the year, registering an increase of almost 16% compared to the same period in 2023, but expenses stood at 168 billion lei (approximately 33.7 billion euros), up 23% compared to the same period. Romania ended 2023 with a budget deficit of 5.68% of the GDP, 0.08 percentage points lower than in 2022.

FOOTBALL. FCSB won the title of Romanian football champion, on Saturday evening, after defeating Farul Constanţa (south-east) with a score of 2-1, at the National Arena in the capital, in the seventh leg of the Superleague’s playoffs. FCSB had not won the title since 2015. The team is undefeated in the playoffs, with five wins and two draws.

TENNIS. The Romanian tennis player, Jaqueline Cristian, plays, today, against the American Danielle Collins, in the 3rd round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, with 7,700,000 euros in prize money. Coming from the qualifications, the Romanian scored a spectacular victory on Friday , 2-6, 6-0, 6-2, against the Czech Barbora Krejcikova. Jaqueline Cristian is for the first time in the 3rd round of a WTA 1000 tournament.

BOXING. Romanian boxer Lăcrămioara Perijoc won the silver medal in the 54 kg category, on Saturday, at the European Boxing Championships in Belgrade, after being defeated on points (5-0) in the final by the first-seed, Sara Cirkovic from Serbia. Lăcrămioara Perijoc, who has qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris, has a European title in her record, obtained in 2019, in Madrid. Lăcrămioara Perijoc won, in 2019, gold at the European Games in Minsk, silver in Krakow Malopolska in 2023, as well as silver at the 2022 World Championships in Istanbul. (MI)