Radio România Internațional

Category: Today in the News

  • Support for people with low pensions

    Support for people with low pensions

    The government has approved an emergency order to grant financial support for pensioners in the public sector and the military whose income does not pass the equivalent in lei of around 515 euros, which is the level of the minimum wage. The authorities say this is intended as a social measure. The Economic and Social Committee, whose opinion is advisory, says the measure will have a positive impact on public sector pensioners, but that it would be fair to apply it to those earning up to 560 euros, the level of the average pension in January 2025. Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu rejected this idea on account of not being sustainable by available budget resources.

     

    Almost 2.7 million Romanian pensioners earn less or the equivalent of this sum, and over 86,000 of them live abroad, according to the ministry of labour, family, youth and social solidarity. The support will be granted by the government in two equal payments of around 80 euros in April and December, respectively, via the regional or sectoral pension agencies. The money will not be taken into account when establishing the ceiling for the approval of the programme for the 90% compensation of the reference price of medicine, or the granting of the minimum inclusion income and of the spa treatment tickets via the system organised and administered by the National Public Pension House.

     

    The measure was first announced at the start of the year, when the government did not raise the pensions to catch up with the inflation rate because of the high budget deficit. To make up for it, the government spoke about the possibility of providing another type of financial support to pensioners. On the other hand, the indexation of pensions to match the inflation rate, which prime minister Ciolacu initially said it might take place in September, was not included in the 2025 budget, finance minister Tanczos Barna said. The reason for this is the high budget deficit recorded last year and the restrictions imposed this year. In 2024, Romania had a huge budget deficit, of 8.6% of GDP, and this year, the government aims at 7%.

     

    The number of pensioners decreased in Romania by almost 32,000 persons in February compared with the previous month, according to the National Public Pension House. 4.6 million pensioners were recorded last month. Almost 570,000 people had worked in agriculture, and the average pension in this case is 130 euros. According to official statistics, 3.7 million people retired at the pension age limit, two thirds of them being women.

  • Growing trade deficit

    Growing trade deficit

    Romania’s trade deficit increased by 38.5% in January 2025 compared to the same period of last year and exceeded 40.8 billion euros, the National Institute of Statistics reported. The difference between the value of imports and exports increased as, although exports increased by 2.4%, imports increased by over 10%. Last year, Romania exported goods worth 92.6 billion Euros and imported goods worth 133.4 billion Euros. The Chief of Cabinet to the President of the National Institute of Statistics, Vladimir Alexandrescu, stated that Romania has two main trading partners, Germany and Italy, which together cover almost a third of our country’s total trade exchanges. In terms of imports, China is the country with which Romania has the largest trade deficit of all countries, 5.4% of the total. Alexandrescu stressed that a vulnerable sector remains trade in agricultural and food products, where Romania mainly exports raw materials and imports finished products.

     

    Vladimir Alexandrescu: “In 2024, we had an export of 6.5 billion Euros against an import of 11.4 billion Euros, so a deficit of about 5 billion Euros, in a space where Romania, through what it naturally has, could have a surplus, provided that a mutation occurs in the content of these exchanges. We need to overcome the moment when we export unprocessed agricultural products and import processed agricultural products, because, by tradition, Romania has very, very great such possibilities.”

     

    Alexandrescu added that Romania also registers a trade surplus and that the first place in this ranking is taken, surprisingly, by Great Britain, with 1.6% of the total, followed by the Republic of Moldova and the United States of America. The data presented by the statistics from Bucharest reconfirm the growing dependence of the national economy, especially on complementary imports, such as raw materials, materials or parts, the executive president of the National Association of Exporters and Importers of Romania, Mihai Ionescu also said. He aded that another problem is represented by the insufficient funds allocated by the executive to finance the presence of Romanian companies at international fairs and exhibitions.

     

    Mihai Ionescu: “For this year, we have used up all the money to finance the presence of companies at international fairs and exhibitions. So, after June, we have no money left, and we had almost 100 international participations prepared, including in the Osaka World Expo. No company will leave. If this program is not urgently unblocked, we will have an even more drastic increase in the trade balance deficit.”

     

    Ionescu underlined that it is essential that the government understands the need to allocate state aid or European funds to those areas that can support the process of reducing the trade balance deficit. (LS)

     

  • US – EU trade war?

    US – EU trade war?

     

    Not without other economic strengths, such as being the largest Romanian river port and a university city, or its position next to the Moldovan and Ukrainian borders, Galati has been revolving for decades around its steelworks, in turn the largest in the country.

     

    Opened in 1966, the plant had over 50,000 employees six years later. A 2011 survey showed that two-thirds of the population of Galati had worked or were still working in the mill or in its related plants. The city and county’s star football team itself, a champion of Romania 14 years ago, is called “Oţelul” (“Steel”).

     

    After the collapse of the communist dictatorship, the plant was privatised. Today it is owned by Liberty House Group, founded by the Indian-born British businessman Sanjeev Gupta. And it is now feeling the full impact of the general crisis in the energy-intensive European industry.

     

    On Wednesday, dozens of Liberty Galati employees protested over delays in the payment of salaries and other rights. The plant has been out of work for 9 months, and its management obtained court approval for a settlement procedure which allows for a 4-month postponement of the payment of creditors’ claims.

     

    For the time being, the Galati steelworkers are not considering an all-out strike, and say they are still waiting for clarifications from the management. The Social-Democratic MEP Dan Nica, who has been living in Galaţi for 40 years, warns against the danger of the plant closing, which would leave thousands of families without incomes:

     

    Dan Nica: “The European industry is in the worst situation it has ever been. The Galaţi plant is in great danger of ceasing its operations, and tens of thousands of people may be losing their jobs. The same is true for the aluminium industry, the same is true for the cement industry, the chemical fertiliser industry, because we failed to take appropriate measures: high energy prices, imports from countries outside the European Union that are made with high carbon dioxide emissions and that have invaded the European Union market, the lack of financing from any source, EU programmes, the European Investment Bank that refuses to finance all these programmes.”

     

    In addition, experts say, the increase in American duties on steel imports will severely impact the EU steel industry and implicitly Romania. The MEP Iuliu Winkler (Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania:

     

    Iuliu Winkler: “This means adding an extra 25% to the costs, so it actually comes to deepen the crisis affecting the steel industry in both the European Union and Romania, because it is a crisis generated, first and foremost, by the price of energy. Energy is about 3 times more expensive in Europe than in the United States and that destroys the whole concept of ​​European competitiveness.”

     

    In terms of volume, Romania is the third-largest European steel exporter to the United States and, together with Germany, the main aluminium exporter. (AMP)

  • Romania continues to support Ukraine

    Romania continues to support Ukraine

    On Wednesday, Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu attended a working meeting of EU ambassadors accredited to Bucharest. According to a Foreign Ministry press release, in the context of the war in neighboring Ukraine and the decisions of EU political leaders during the latest meetings, Emil Hurezeanu highlighted Romania’s support for strengthening the EU’s security and defense policy. Such steps need to be carried out in cooperation with NATO, Minister Hurezeanu argued, reiterating the importance of a robust trans-Atlantic partnership, which, the official says, is key for European security and prosperity. According to the Foreign Ministry, Minister Hurezeanu emphasized Romania’s support for continuing multilateral support for neighboring Ukraine. At the same time, Emil Hurezeanu highlighted Bucharest’s contribution to achieving a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the principles of international law.

     

    On the other hand, Emil Hurezeanu reiterated Romania’s support for the continuation of the EU enlargement process and stressed the importance of the EU accession of both the Eastern and Western Balkan partners, based on their own merits. As for the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Emil Hurezeanu referred to the EU integration efforts undertaken by this state and highlighted the need for continued support from the EU and Member States for Chișinău’s efforts in that direction. The Romanian Foreign Minister also hailed the latest developments at the level of the European Parliament regarding the approval of the Facility for the Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, on the sidelines of his meeting with EU ambssadors, Emil Hurezeanu stressed the importance of the objective of developing European economic competitiveness by consolidating the single market, promoting innovation and connectivity. Minister Hurezeanu highlighted the need for the future EU Multiannual Financial Framework to respond to the priorities set at EU level in the 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda. In this context, the Romanian official underlined the important role of the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy, which he regards as essential instruments for creating a solid basis for implementing competitiveness policies and for achieving convergence at European level.

     

    Last month, interim president Ilie Bolojan also told ambassadors accredited toBucharest that the main directions of Romanian foreign policy remain unchanged. He recalled Romania’s strategic partnership with the United States of America, but also the country’s NATO and EU membership. “We remain a country that firmly believes in the future of the European Union. We remain pro-Atlantic and a responsible allied state”, Ilie Bolojan gave assurances. (VP)

  • Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

    Constitutional Court rules on presidential candidate

     

    Since the night of November 24, when Călin Georgescu came virtually out of nowhere to win the first round of the presidential elections, overtaking high-profile politicians, his name has become the most present on TV channels and news websites.

     

    The question of how this was possible was answered by the Supreme Defence Council, although not very convincingly for some. After putting together data coming from the intelligence services, the Council concluded that the independent candidate Călin Georgescu was the beneficiary of a hybrid attack by a foreign state actor, namely Russia, mainly through very high TikTok exposure.

     

    After the first round, the general public came to learn a few things about candidate Georgescu’s election platform, and eventually got to know a character bordering on the bizarre and the toxic. A fierce critic of the West and of Romania’s NATO and EU membership and an admirer of Putin’s Russia, Georgescu promoted a self-sufficient economic system reminiscent of Ceausescu’s ideology, and praised what he considered Romanian exceptionalism and leading figures of Romanian interwar fascism.

     

    On December 6, the Constitutional Court made an unprecedented decision in three and a half decades of democracy: it annulled the presidential elections, on grounds that the entire election process had been twisted in Georgescu’s favour.

     

    Backed by the country’s self-styled sovereigntist, but in fact populist and ultranationalist parties, last Friday Georgescu registered his candidacy in the upcoming presidential race, due on May 4 and 18. On Sunday, the Central Electoral Bureau rejected his candidacy, relying precisely on the Constitutional Court’s ruling in December. Predictably, on Tuesday, the Court dismissed Călin Georgescu’s appeal as ungrounded in a final ruling.

     

    According to the Central Electoral Bureau, Călin Georgescu’s candidacy does not meet legality criteria, in that, by failing to comply with the election rules he breached the very obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair, honest and impartial elections.

     

    The sovereigntists, led by AUR party, criticised what they called the “abusive” decision of the Constitutional Court.

     

    Practically born on TikTok, Călin Georgescu’s dazzling but very brief political career seems to have ended at the Constitutional Court. The overexposure, however, brought him other problems as well. The former presidential front-runner was recently placed under court supervision, in a case in which serious charges are brought against him.

     

    The first of them is one of the most severely punished in the Criminal Code, namely incitement to act against the constitutional order. Other charges include false statements regarding his campaign financing, initiating or establishing fascist, racist or xenophobic and anti-Semitic organisations, as well as publicly promoting the cult of individuals guilty of genocide and war crimes. Călin Georgescu denies all accusations. (AMP)

  • The European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova

    The European Parliament supports the Republic of Moldova

    The European Parliament has decided to grant the Republic of Moldova the largest financial support package in this country’s history, worth 1.9 billion euros. The reform and economic growth facility for Moldova aims to help this country cope with the major challenges it faces, in particular the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on its security, economy and population.

    The package provides for 520 million euros in the form of grants, alongside 1.5 billion euros in the form of low interest rate loans, allowing Moldova to reform without accumulating unsustainable debt. The facility also provides for 18% pre-financing of total support enabling quick mobilisation of resources to stimulate energy security, the anti-corruption infrastructure and the modernisation of public services. 20% of non-reimbursable funds will be earmarked for the consolidation of Moldova’s institutions through digital governance systems, the training of public servants and judicial reforms, vital steps for an efficient management of EU funds.

    Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan said these funds will create the conditions for the Moldovan state to become stronger from an economic, institutional and social point of view and to come even closer to the European Union. Siegfried Mureşan:

    “The funds will be used for road and railway infrastructure works, including the bridge over the river Prut, so as to better connect Moldova to the European Union. The funds will also be channelled to energy links, both electricity and gas, between Moldova and Romania, as well as to education facilities, schools and kindergartens, and the modernisation of hospitals, including the construction of two new regional hospitals, one in the north and another in the south of the republic.”

    Siegfried Mureşan warned however that if Moldova will be governed in the future by governments that do not comply with their commitments, the European economic growth plan will be in peril. With the approval of the support facility, the European Parliament decided to open a new liaison office in the Moldovan capital Chişinău. This will act as a point of contact between Brussels and national Parliaments, civil society and local partners in the region of the EU’s Eastern Partnership, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. The speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu welcomed the decision and said the office will help improve the legislative process and better inform citizens about the benefits of integration into the big European family. Moldova’s deputy prime minister for European integration Cristina Gherasimov said the decision is a strong sign of support. The Republic of Moldova applied for membership of the European Union in March 2022 and was granted EU-candidate status in June that year.

  • NATO prepares for different scenarios

    NATO prepares for different scenarios

    According to a famous joke, NATO was created, a few years after the crushing of Nazism, to keep the Germans on their toes, the Soviets out of Europe and the Americans in. Three quarters of a century later, the joke has outlived its original context. Post-Soviet Russia has turned up the aggression again after regaining its murderous frenzy and appetite for new territories. Under the new Republican administration led by President Donald Trump, the United States seem less and less interested in guaranteeing the security of Europe, criticizing it for not investing enough in its own defense. These developments are creating anxiety especially on NATO’s Eastern Flank, in countries bordering either Russia or Ukraine invaded by Russian troops. This is also the case of Romania, which shares almost 650 kilometers of border with Ukraine.

     

    In a message meant to reassure his fellow countrymen, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, said that NATO has prepared military scenarios for any security outcome that would affect member states, including those on the Eastern Flank. “There are, let’s say, strategic plans designed by NATO, including by the Romanian Army”, Ilie Bolojan said. The president recalled that France is designated as the framework nation for the defense of Romania and has troops on the ground. “The problem that arises is either an increase in the contribution of European countries in the current security context, which means that very little will change, or, in the second scenario, more responsibility from European countries, not just European Union members”, the interim president further noted. “In order to ensure its defense, Europe needs the United States of America”, Ilie Bolojan argued.

     

    According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, citing NATO sources, the United States might withdraw part of its military deployed in Europe as early as this year. The move, the same sources add, would not aim to question the Alliance itself, but would be an incentive for Europeans to get involved more in deterrence and defense efforts. Washington currently has about 160,000 troops deployed outside the United States, and most of them, about 35,000, are stationed in Germany. According to local media, due to uncertainty generated by the Trump administration, the major groups in the European Parliament are preparing a document that will call on the EU to promote the creation of a so-called European pillar within NATO, which would act autonomously, whenever necessary. This group might also include Great Britain, Turkey, Norway and Iceland, states that are not currently in the European Union, but are otherwise members of NATO. (VP)

  • No additional taxes in 2025

    No additional taxes in 2025

    The current strategy of the Ministry of Finance in Bucharest is to impose monthly and quarterly limits on public institutions’ spending, so as to respect the 7% budget deficit target. The clarification was made by the relevant minister, Tánczos Barna, during a TVR Info show, in which he explained that it is a difficult but necessary task. The minister acknowledged that there is pressure from institutions to allocate more financial resources, but insisted that maintaining a budget balance is essential. In this context, he sent a clear message, thus eliminating speculation regarding the introduction of new taxes or additional fees in Romania: “If we maintain this trend, we have every chance of not needing any other plan for new taxes. No, not at all,” says the minister.

    Tánczos Barna also said that February was an “acceptable” month in terms of state revenues, but it is essential that this trend is maintained throughout the year. “The road is long, we still have 10 months ahead of us, but if we maintain this trend, we have every chance of not needing additional fiscal measures,” he added.

    Tánczos Barna has recently discussed with representatives from the financial, industrial, health-care, construction, circular economy and environment and automotive sectors about the most important elements for ensuring macroeconomic balance, strengthening resilience and increasing competitiveness. On this occasion, he stated that the regulations on the “pole tax”, imposed on special constructions, will be published in the last week of March. The process of developing the norms of application is already underway, and by the end of the month, each economic sector will be invited to discussions, says the minister.

    The steps are in line with the Ordinance on fiscal-budgetary measures adopted at the end of last year, which also includes the so-called “pole tax”, namely the calculation of a 1% tax on the value of special constructions existing in the taxpayers’ patrimony, with the exception of buildings for which tax on building is already paid. The new tax also includes buildings in industrial, scientific and technological parks, which, according to the law, do not benefit from the exemption from paying tax on buildings. “I understand the concern of some companies, but most companies already pay taxes for buildings, production halls and other assets that generate business. It is normal that those special constructions, which are actual assets of the business, should also be taken into account”, the minister believes. It is estimated that, although some companies may try to transfer the costs of the new tax to consumers, the impact will not be significant compared to that of a VAT increase. (MI)

  • The danger of wildfires

    The danger of wildfires

    The severe wildfires in recent days, affecting a large area of ​​Romania, have led to the death and injury of several people. Dozens of violent fires have broken out since the beginning of the month, and the fire has also come close to people’s homes in several areas. The authorities have deployed impressive forces to fight the flames. The firefighters were helped by employees of other structures to extinguish the fires, some of them in hard-to-reach areas. They were involved in large-scale interventions in dozens of localities in seven counties. Intervening along the firefighters were also mountain rescuers, as well as pilots from the Ministry of Interior and Defense. The two Black Hawk helicopters of the General Aviation Inspectorate carried out dozens of launches part of which they dropped over 77 tons of water to put out the fires, and another helicopter carried out a reconnaissance mission.

     

    At the same time, a Spartan aircraft of the Ministry of National Defense acted in support of the intervention forces, to extinguish the fires. The authorities are calling for responsibility and are telling people to stop burning plants on agricultural lands. At the same time, the authorities have drawn attention to the serious situation: 650 hectares burned in January, another 4,400 hectares in February, and this month, in the first eight days alone, 4,600 hectares have burned. In just three days, there were over 300 fires. According to the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, it is only the people who are to be blamed for these destructions. He explained that the wildfires did not break out due to meteorological phenomena.

     

    Raed Arafat: “It is clear, at this point we cannot blame these forest fires to increased temperatures, to lightning. We can only attribute them to intentional actions by some people, who have either become accustomed to doing this for a long time, or some are doing it intentionally just to try to clear some fields or to set fire to an area where there is dry vegetation, which is why we consider most of them to be the result of intentional actions.”

     

    On the other hand, Raed Arafat called on the local authorities to explain to people about the danger of vegetation fires, also asking for the help of priests. Preventing fires not only protects nature, but also contributes to the safety of the community, the authorities say. Military firefighters remind citizens that burning dry vegetation is prohibited by law. Failure to comply with the legal provisions is an offence and is punishable by fines of up to 15,000 lei (approx. 3,000 euros) for individuals and up to 100,000 lei (approx. 20,000 euros) for legal entities. In addition, farmers who do not comply with the burning ban may lose the direct or annual payments to which they are entitled. In some cases, they may be excluded from financial support for one or more consecutive years. (LS)

  • European gold for Romanian athletics

    European gold for Romanian athletics

     

    Every two years in early spring, European athletics begins its competition season with the continental indoor championships. This is where we get a first glimpse at the new talents emerging internationally and the prospects for the forthcoming season.

     

    And the results of the recently concluded European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands, were surprisingly pleasurable for Romanian athletics fans. Romania finished the competition with 2 medals: gold for Andrei Rareş Toader in the men’s shot put competition, and silver for Diana Ion in the women’s triple jump.

     

    It was the best Romanian record in a continental indoor athletics competition in recent years. After 8 years without medals, since the 2015 edition, the Romanians only reached the podium again in 2023 in Istanbul, where Claudia Bobocea won silver in the 1500 meters, and Gabriel Bitan won the bronze in the long jump.

     

    But Romania had not won a European title at an indoor championship for 20 years, more precisely since the one won by Elena Buhăianu in the women’s 1500 meters, in 2005 in Madrid.

     

    Before the start of this year’s competition, Romanian coaches had been moderately hopeful. The target set by the athletics federation in Bucharest was a 4th to 6th place and two qualifications in the finals. In an interview with Agerpres news agency, the coach of the national team Oana Pantelimon highlighted the chances of Andrei Rareş Toader, who had had an excellent start of the season. On Sunday, he met all expectations.

     

    He qualified for the shot put finals in 4th place, with a 20.59m throw. In the final, however, he managed 21.27 m, a whole 23 centimetres better than the contender Wictor Petersson (Sweden). Moreover, this was a new national record for Romania.

     

    The first medal of the Romanian team in Apeldoorn, the silver in the triple jump, had been won on Friday by Diana Ana Maria Ion. With 14.31 m, she achieved the most important performance of her career so far. The gold went to the Spanish athlete Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, who jumped six centimetres higher than Diana. The bronze medal went to the Finnish Senni Salminen, with 13.99 m.

     

    Next up is the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, which will take place from March 21 to 23. The competition was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was postponed for three years in a row and it has been rescheduled for this year. (AMP)

  • Summit for Europe

    Summit for Europe

    European leaders met in Brussels on Thursday for an emergency summit, where they agreed on an arms plan meant to bolster defenses on the eastern flank of the Baltic and Black Seas. With the United States withdrawing its support for Ukraine amid a European campaign to support that country and to counter Russia’s expansionist tendencies, the 27 leaders of the community bloc gave the green light to a European Commission plan to strengthen defense. European leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine in Brussels and for providing security guarantees, together with the United States, in the event of a ceasefire. This week, EC President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a plan called “ReArm Europe” that could mobilize close to 800 billion Euros, of which 150 billion in the form of loans, to strengthen the continent’s defense capabilities.

     

    Several options are mentioned, including the possibility that member states significantly increase their military spending, without this being taken into account in the calculation of their deficit, limited in principle to 3% of their gross domestic product. These funds must be used to invest jointly, between at least two member states, in areas where the needs are most urgent, such as air defense, missiles, drones and anti-drone systems or even artillery systems. The EC President Ursula von der Leyen assured that with this equipment member states will be able to massively strengthen their aid to Ukraine. The Baltic states, Poland and Romania have imposed their point of view for prioritizing the eastern flank within the framework of projects with European funding worth 150 billion Euros. The details of this plan will be finalized together with the NATO teams.

     

    Attending the summit in Brussels, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan said: “Certainly, a good part of this equipment, of these investments will be located in this area, and the production part, the consortium part, will be distributed throughout the European Union. And I think this is an opportunity for our defense industry as well, for part of these products to be made in factories in Romania, thus creating jobs”.

     

    Bucharest will not send troops to Ukraine, but it could become a regional military center, for organization and support for troops sent by other states. Romania’s presence will be necessary to know whether there will be elements related to the use of our country’s infrastructure, military bases, for example, on Romanian territory or elements of other military infrastructure such as ports and airports, Ilie Bolojan also said. (LS)

  • Treason Allegations in Romania

    Treason Allegations in Romania

    On Thursday morning prosecutors with the Direction for Investigating International Crime and Terrorism, known as DIICOT, announced that six people had been apprehended on treason charges after having negotiated with Russian agents Romania’s coming out of NATO. Further information was provided later in the day and we learnt that the suspects were part of the so-called ‘Vlad Tepes Command’, which also included Radu Theodoru, a retired major-general and WWII veteran aged 101.

     

    The organization’s main aim was, according to DIICOT, ‘to affect the sovereignty and independence of the Romanian state and also to undermine the country’s political and defence capabilities through continued, conscious, public or conspiracy activities.

    Members of the aforementioned military-style organization have allegedly recruited followers and published on-line video materials. According to prosecutors, they would have initiated actions aimed at removing the present constitutional order of dismantling the political parties and instating a government made up of members of the aforementioned organization who would have served as ministers. They also wanted to remove all employees from state institutions, adopt a new Constitution, change the country’s flag, anthem and even its name. They also stood for a social order based on moral principles and a system based on collective wisdom. In January, two of the suspects travelled to Moscow where they allegedly met people ready to support the organization with a view to taking over power in Romania. In fact, the six persons’ indictment on charges of treason – sources in Bucharest say – is actually related to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats a day before.

     

    We recall the Romanian authorities decided to declare the Russian Federation’s military attaché and his deputy persona non grata. The two have been accused of involvement in activities running against the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. According to the Romanian Intelligence Service, the two Russian diplomats gleaned information from fields of strategic interest and had activities in support of the anti-Constitutional moves of the Vlad Tepes organization.

     

    Moscow pledged to respond in kind and described the expulsion of the two diplomats as unjustified and unfriendly.

    Under the circumstances, the Romanian legal authorities on Thursday night decided the preventive arrest of two members of the command structure of the ”Vlad Ţepeşʺ, organization whereas four other members have been placed under court supervision for a period of 60 days.

    (bill)

  • The benefits of Romania’s belonging in the EU

    The benefits of Romania’s belonging in the EU

    In January Romania marked 17 years of EU membership. In the same month an INSCOP poll showed that 9 out of 10 Romanians are against the idea that their country should get out of the community bloc, as compared to 72% in January 2022. Entitled “Romania between national and European in the misinformation era. Economic Patriotism, values and conspiracy”, the survey, ordered by Funky Citizens organization, has revealed a 67% trust rate in the European Union as compared to 56% in January 2022. The aforementioned survey was the first conducted after the shock caused by the cancellation of the presidential election in December last year.

    As if to respond to those who denigrate community institutions, who aren’t few nowadays, the Romanian Minister of Investment and European Projects, Marcel Bolos, writes on Facebook: “In a time when extremist voices are trying to downplay the benefits of Romania’s belonging in the European Union, let’s not forget that development is not an issue of naïve pride, but of pragmatism. Romania didn’t grow out of nothing; it didn’t change overnight and certainly didn’t develop by denying opportunities.”

    Since its accession, Bolos says, Romania has got over 100 billion Euros in European funds, gross value. And this is the engine that has fundamentally changed the structure of our economy, the minister says. According to him, Romania no longer relies on a peripheral economy, being a country that is rapidly bridging gaps and which has overcome Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Greece in terms of the GDP per capita, which is an essential indicator for the standard of living.

    “Figures are extremely relevant; the value of the investment made is nearly equal to the GDP at the time of accession. If we are unaware of this we tend to blame the European bloc, but the fact that we are presently at the highest level of our development, is something that we owe to our EU and NATO membership”, Minister Bolos also says.

    According to him, the European funds Romania received are reflected in the country’s infrastructure, with nearly 900 kilometers of motorways and roads built in the past two decades. Over two million Romanians have been connected to the water & sewerage networks and according to Minister Bolos, over 100 thousand companies have benefitted from development grants, thousands of schools and hospitals have been refurbished, fitted with proper equipment and enlarged. Stable jobs have been created and fresh investment made.

    All these have given an impetus to the economy and the annual pace of the private investment in the economy tripled in 2024 as compared to the time of accession from 20 billion Euros to 70 billion, Bolos says.

    He believes that without European money, Romania would have remained stuck into an endless cycle of underdevelopment, being dependent on a national budget, which is insufficient for strategic development. “There is one reality only: the EU has been our partner in development. And by belonging in the European bloc, Romania has opted for progress”, Minister Boloş’ post says.

    (bill)

  • Romania’s tourist attractions

    Romania’s tourist attractions

    The number of nights spent in tourist accommodation units in the European Union exceeded three billion in 2024, making it the best year for European tourism – according to data published on Wednesday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Traditionally favorite destinations for tourists from all over the world, Spain (500 million), Italy (458) and France (451) took the podium again. At the opposite end were Luxembourg, Latvia and Estonia.

    Romania is part of a massive group of EU member states with less than 50 million overnight stays recorded last year. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), overnight stays in tourist accommodation units (including apartments and rooms for rent) totaled 30.191 million, up 3.5% compared to 2023. Overnight stays by Romanian tourists accounted for 83.7%, while those by foreign tourists accounted for 16.3%. Favorite destinations were the capital Bucharest and the counties of Brașov and Prahova, where the most popular Romanian mountain resorts are located.

    The statistics also show that, by country, in January 2025, the most foreign tourists came from Italy – almost 17 thousand, the Republic of Moldova, Israel and Germany – each with 10-11 thousand. In parallel, the cultural tourism program ‘Attractive Romania’ has been present these days at the largest and most important tourism fair in the world, the one in Berlin. Experts talk about a diversified offer, which includes cultural circuits, active and adventure tourism, stays on the Black Sea coast and in the Danube Delta, as well as rural tourism.

    It is the fifth Romanian participation of this type in major international trade fairs in just six months. Previously, in Italy, Great Britain, Spain or Poland, the same platform offered, in Romanian and in five foreign languages, updated information in video and photo format, through virtual tours, 3D animations, audio guides and texts. The program is coordinated by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects and, according to the organizers, the Romanian stand was always designed in a business format, for business meetings and for the promotion of services and packages intended for the corporate segment, including team building and city break solutions.

    The offer also includes 12 thematic tourist routes, which, from northwest to southeast, cross the entire country, with 275 sites to visit, and which, by 2026, will also be signposted through specific road infrastructure. In addition to these destinations, valid in any season, specialists also expect a massive infusion of cultural tourism in August and September, when Bucharest will host, according to tradition, a marathon celebration of classical music, the famous George Enescu Festival. (MI)

  • ReArm Europe Plan

    ReArm Europe Plan

    With an increasingly aggressive Russia to the east and an increasingly distant America across the Atlantic, Europe is going through a period of insecurity that it has not experienced in decades. Against this background, the European Commission is proposing to the Union states a continental rearmament plan, which could mobilize 800-billion-euro worth of funds over the next four years. The proposal was presented ahead of the special summit of the EU, which will take place in Brussels on Thursday.

    The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent a letter to the leaders of the member states detailing the new European armament plan, as well as the support for Ukraine invaded by Moscow’s troops. Experts quoted by international press agencies note that the lack of production units in Europe is, at this moment, obvious. One example: the European Union pledged to supply Ukraine with one million artillery shells by 2024. The target was eventually reached, but several months late.

    The president’s plan contains five funding instruments. The first would be to increase national defense budgets by 1.5% at the European level, which would mobilize around 650 billion euros in four years. A second instrument is loans for common defense projects, worth 150 billion euros. “This is basically about spending better and spending together. We are talking about pan-European capability domains. For example: air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition drones and anti-drone systems; but also to address other needs from cyber to military mobility for example. It will help Member States to pool demand and to buy together. Of course, with this equipment, Member States can massively step up their support to Ukraine”, said President von der Leyen, quoted by the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels.

    The third tool is the possibility for member states to use cohesion funds for defense projects. Two other sources of financing are private capital combined with loans from the European Investment Bank. Calculations show that, in this way, Europe could exceed 3.5% of the GDP for defense, which is exactly what the new Republican administration in Washington, led by Donald Trump, is also demanding.

    Experts note that in her plan to rearm the Union, the President of the Commission proposes more freedom in complying with the usually strict rules regarding debts and deficits. The possibility of reallocating regional development funds for military investments is also mentioned, which can cause frustration in the poorest areas of the Union. Finally, experts say, private banks are generally reluctant to engage in military investment projects. (MI)