Radio România Internațional

Category: Today in the News

  • Epidemiological alert in Romania

    Epidemiological alert in Romania

    Whether we’re talking about flu, pneumonia or other viruses, the number of respiratory infections has been increasing in the last several weeks, prompting health authorities to declare a state of epidemiological alert in Romania on Thursday. The decision was designed to limit the spread of infections and factors in the data of the last week, when nearly 134,000 patients were diagnosed with respiratory symptoms. Of these, 11,000 had the flu, compared to 7,000 in the previous period. Increasing from one week to the next, the number has exceeded the average of recent flu seasons, according to health authorities, who also announced eight related fatalities last week. Thus, in the current cold season, the total number of confirmed deaths from the influenza virus has reached 22. Hospitals across the country have already taken measures adapted to the epidemiological situation, limiting visits.

     

    The Health Ministry recommends the population observe general measures to prevent illness and the spread of viruses, from regular hand washing, covering the nose and mouth with tissues when coughing and sneezing and disposing of them properly, or using the crook of the arm or the inner elbow when coughing. At the same time, it is necessary to ventilate the rooms daily and avoid crowded places. When symptoms of a cold or flu become manifest, people are urged to contact their family physicians to establish the proper treatment. It is also advisable to avoid entering the community of people who have signs and symptoms associated with the flu (fever, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, muscle pain) until they disappear, healthcare professionals say.

     

    In the case of nursery and regular schools, the Ministry advises daily observational triage, recommending regular updates to parents concerning signs and symptoms of respiratory diseases, keeping children reporting symptoms at home, providing the necessary materials to sanitize hands and surfaces periodically. Representatives of the Health Ministry also draw attention to the fact that the safest and most effective method of preventing the flu and its severe forms is vaccination. This is particularly recommended to people suffering from chronic medical conditions, children, pregnant women, medical and auxiliary personnel in hospitals and outpatient units, as well as to people over 65 years of age. (VP)

  • Growth facility for the Republic of Moldova

    Growth facility for the Republic of Moldova

    Western analysts and political decision-makers alike agree that the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population) is the most fragile of Ukraine’s neighbors invaded by the Russian troops. The pro-Western Moldovan president Maia Sandu and the government led by Dorin Recean manage, however, to keep it afloat and are taking steps on the path of European integration, a target which, last year, after a referendum, was also included in the Constitution. The target of a hybrid war, orchestrated by Moscow and seasoned with intense false propaganda, subjected to repeated attempts at political destabilization, host, even if temporary, to numerous Ukrainian refugees, to whom it must ensure living conditions, the Republic of Moldova would not have resisted, in the last three years, without the consistent support of neighboring Romania and of the West, in general. On Thursday, the specialized commissions of the European Parliament adopted the legislative report of the Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan from the Liberal Party, in the Bucharest governing coalition, and affiliated to the European People’s Party (PPE) regarding the Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova, worth almost two billion Euros.

     

    The report calls for an increase in pre-financing, from 7%, as stipulated in the proposal submitted by the European Commission, to 20% of the total amount. According to Mureşan, ‘it is important that these funds reach the Republic of Moldova as soon as possible, in order to finance roads, hospitals, bridges and to modernize the public administration. These are measures that lead to an increase in people’s living standards and accelerate European integration. These are measures that help the Republic of Moldova get over the economic and energy crisis caused by the new gas delivery blackmail launched by the Russian Federation’. He also added that the European Union can be safe and stable only if the Republic of Moldova is also safe, stable and energy independent. That’s why our objective, of the European Union, is to help the Republic of Moldova to get modernized, develop and get rid of energy dependence on Russia, the Romanian MEP went on to say.

     

    ‘Out of the total amount of 1.92 billion Euros, 420 million will be allocated to the component of non-reimbursable grants for the Republic of Moldova, and the remaining 1.5 billion represent loans guaranteed with the support of the European Union’ explained, in his turn, the MEP Dan Barna, a Save Romania Union (USR) member and a RENEW rapporteur for this file. The vote in the European Parliament paves the way for the so-called trilogue process between the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, in which the final form of the legislation regarding the support for Chişinău will be decided. The trilogues are scheduled to start in February, and the final vote could be given in the plenary session of the EP in March. (LS)

  • An outlook on the 2025 budget

    An outlook on the 2025 budget

    In a complicated economic context, where public debt has exceeded 54% of the GDP, and the budget deficit is approaching 9% of GDP, drawing up Romania’s 2025 state budget is no easy task. Especially since two of the main international rating agencies have downgraded the country’s rating from stable to negative. Based on a deficit of no more than 7% of the GDP, the draft budget is expected to be approved by the Government by the end of the week. The bill will then be submitted to Parliament for debate and approval. According to the document, authorities must first cut public spending. Thus, the budget of the Presidential Administration will reportedly be slashed by 10%, that of the Senate by 5%, and that of the Chamber of Deputies by 9%.

     

    The increase in pensions remains under debate, given that the Finance Ministry claims this will not be possible this year. Finance Minister, Tánczos Barna, says the 2025 draft budget, which many regard as moderate, ensures the payment of salaries and pensions and the development of settlements. “The budget stipulates the construction of highways for 20 million Romanians. The budget allots funds for the development of rural infrastructure for all Romanians. We have funds for all Romanians to pay salaries in Education, in the Ministry of the Interior, in all ministries that need to pay salaries, at the level of 2024. We have the proper funds to pay all pensions (…) at the value of November-December 2024, which will remain in place month by month throughout 2025”, the Romanian official pointed out. Minister Barna also mentioned that the budget of the Defense Ministry will be higher compared to 2024 and that the budgets of other ministries, such as the Environment, Health, Education and Transport, will also increase.

     

    To achieve more flexibility, personnel expenses will be reduced in each institution, most of them seeing their budgets slashed by 5%, with the exception of Education, hospitals or Internal Affairs. With respect to loans, Tánczos Barna said the authorities are considering all possibilities in order to cover the budget deficit. “Romania borrowed a lot last year, it will borrow less this year and even less next year. We have a roadmap for reducing loans year by year, over the course of seven years”, Tánczos Barna added. Fortunately, Romania’s downgraded rating did not also change its rating in terms of investor appeal, which would have increased Romania’s borrowing costs. According to experts, skepticism persists, however, among investors and rating agencies, as a result of political instability and delays in implementing structural reforms. (VP)

  • The European Commission and protecting domestic elections

    The European Commission and protecting domestic elections

     

    As efforts are building up to influence elections in the Member States, several EU countries, including France, Germany and Romania, have called on the Commission to take measures to protect elections from foreign interference. “Recent incidents require the urgent adoption of joint actions aimed at protecting the upcoming elections in the European Union,” reads a letter signed by 12 member countries.

     

    They warn against the growing threat to the stability and sovereignty of EU members, coming from foreign interference in the election process and public debates. They call on the Commission to use its powers under the Digital Services Act to safeguard electoral processes in the Member States. The document binds social media platforms to moderate and remove harmful content that includes hate speech, racism and xenophobia. According to Reuters, EU diplomats said that the call refers in particular to countries such as Russia and China, but to other actors as well.

     

    In December, the EC launched an investigation targeting the Chinese platform TikTok, suspected of not having taken measures to restrict foreign interference in November’s presidential elections in Romania.

     

    On the other hand, at the end of the General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, stressed the importance of protecting the integrity of elections, in particular from foreign interference.

     

    The EC believes that addressing this issue is an urgent matter, and says it is committed to strengthening Europe’s resilience to foreign threats to democratic processes in member states. In addition, the Commissioner added, the Commission will take into account the cancellation of the presidential elections in Romania when it draws up its 2025 report on the rule of law.

     

    It is also worth noting that the Venice Commission recently published a report on the cancellation of the presidential elections in Romania by the Constitutional Court at the end of last year. Its recommendations are that such a decision should not be based exclusively on classified information, which does not ensure the required transparency, but should indicate precisely the violations and the evidence for them. In addition, the power of the Constitutional Court to invalidate the elections should be limited to exceptional circumstances and clearly regulated, the Commission also says.

     

    Meanwhile, in Bucharest, the government has set the electoral calendar for the forthcoming elections. The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will take place on May 4, 2025, and voting abroad will take place over three days, between May 2 and 4. If no candidate gets more than half of the votes, a second round will be held on May 18, between the top two candidates. (AMP)

  • Romanian foreign policy priorities

    Romanian foreign policy priorities

    The European Union understands that Romania remains a strong, stable state with priorities aligned with European ones, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu, said after meeting on Tuesday with Romania’s Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, in Brussels. The two officials discussed support for the EU enlargement process, continuing support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, developing a strategic vision for the Black Sea, promoting convergence and cohesion objectives in negotiations on the upcoming post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework or consolidating European action in the field of defense. Roxana Mînzatu:

     

    “We are aware Romania’s contribution is making Europe strong, not only from the perspective of the security of the Eastern Flank, of energy security. There are multiple ways Romania makes Europe stronger, and the European Union understands that. We also discussed Romania’s role in supporting candidate states, especially Moldova, Ukraine. It is important to look at how we support the preparation of candidate states. Romania’s role is particularly important”.

     

    According to the European Commission Vice-President, one of the topics discussed during the meeting referred to the automotive industry, a vital sector for Romania as well. “’I will be part of this effort to support industries, to create new jobs and develop new investments in Europe”, Roxana Mînzatu gave assurances. The two officials also discussed the Green Industrialization Plan, which the European Commission will soon launch and ways Romania can contribute, but also benefit from clear priorities within this mechanism.

     

    “We want Romania to be a well-developed, robust presence in areas of interest to the EU”, Emil Hurezeanu said in turn. The Romanian Foreign Minister added that the EU is preparing plans, ideas and strategic documents, and Romania has specific interests in this regard. Minister Hurezeanu in particular referred to projects targeting the Black Sea strategy, the Republic of Moldova or the 2028-2034 multiannual budget. During his two-day visit to Brussels, Emil Hurezeanu attended the Foreign Affairs Council meeting and discussed with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The minister recalled Romania’s support for the sovereignty, integrity and independence of Ukraine and stressed the importance of continuing the EU’s multidimensional support for the neighboring state. Minister Hurezeanu also reiterated Romania’s support for the European accession efforts of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

     

    On the sidelines of his meeting with the NATO Secretary General, the Romanian official discussed security developments on the Eastern Flank, with a focus on the Black Sea region and the continued effort to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defense postures. Emil Hurezeanu emphasized Romania’s contribution to Euro-Atlantic security and the deep commitment of Romanian society to democratic values. (VP)

  • Presidential election calendar in Romania

    Presidential election calendar in Romania

    On December 6 last year, after having validated the first round, and the second round was already underway at polling stations abroad, the Constitutional Court of Romania, citing interference by a state actor, anulled the presidential elections and decided that the electoral process be resumed in full. So that, less than half a year after this decision, Romanians will be called, again, to the polls. The first round of the election deciding who will hold the highest position in the State will be on May 4, and the second on May 18.

    On Tuesday, the PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition Government adopted the decision that establishes the electoral calendar in view of the first round, of May 4. According to the spokesman for the Executive, Mihai Constantin, the electoral period will begin on February 18, with the public announcement of the date on which the drawing of lots will take place for the five judges of the High Court of Cassation and Justice who will be part of the Central Election Bureau. The designation of the five will be done by February 20, so that the bureau is set up by February 22 at the latest.

    Mihai Constantin has the details: ʺThe deadline for submitting candidacies to the Central Electoral Bureau by parties, political and electoral alliances, organizations of citizens belonging to national minorities and independent candidates is March 15, 2025, 24:00. The election campaign will start 30 days before the date of the elections, namely on April 4, 2025, and will end on May 3, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. Voting in Romania will take place on May 4, 2025, starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 9:00 p.m.

    At the 950 polling stations organized abroad, voting will take place over three days: on the first two days, on May 2 and 3, they will be open from 7:00 a.m. local time to 9:00 p.m. local time. If, at closing hour, there are still people in the station or in line, the voting schedule can be extended until 11:59 p.m. The third day of voting abroad – May 4 – will have a peculiarity. Voting will start at 7:00 a.m. local time and end at 9:00 p.m. local time, with one condition: that the 9:00 p.m. local time abroad is not later than 9:00 p.m., Romanian time.

    The decision was made in order not to leave a time gap that could influence the vote after the closing of the polling stations in Romania, due to time zone differences. It should also be said that Romanian voters abroad have the possibility of voting by mail, by registering on the portal www.votstrainatate.ro Also for the presidential elections in May, the authorities have decided stricter rules for the election campaign, especially on the Internet, and non-compliance can lead to fines up to 50,000 lei (about 10 thousand euros), and in the case of large online platforms, up to 5% of their turnover. (MI)

  • The Venice Commission and the Romanian elections

    The Venice Commission and the Romanian elections

    The unprecedented political crisis in Bucharest still creates waves internationally, as the reputed Venice Commission has published a report on the cancellation of the election results in Romania by the country’s Constitutional Court at the end of last year.

    In its recommendations, the Commission says that such a decision should not be based solely on classified information that does not guarantee the necessary transparency, but the violations and the evidence should be clearly indicated. Moreover, the power of the Constitutional Court to invalidate elections should be limited to exceptional circumstances and clearly regulated. The independent constitutional law experts also say that proving law violations taking place in online campaigns and on social media is extremely difficult. Finally, the Venice Commission declines its competence to pass a verdict on the decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania to cancel the presidential elections.

    In Bucharest, the opposition parties the Alliance for the Union of Romania (AUR), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Party of Young People (POT) issued an immediate reaction, saying that the Council of Europe’s advisory body in effect confirms that the decision of the Constitutional Court was illegal and abusive.

    Tudorel Toader, a former justice minister from the Social Democratic Party (in government together with the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania), says, however, that the Commission’s experts merely expressed an opinion, not a decision, and their suggestions are not mandatory. He did admit that, as a rule, EU member states have adopted the recommendations made in order to comply with the standards of the rule of law.

    Held on the established date of 24th November 2024, the first round of the presidential elections was initially validated by the Constitutional Court of Romania. Later, based on intelligence supplied by the National Supreme Defence Council, the Court moved to annul the entire election process to elect the president. The two candidates in the decisive round, scheduled to take place on 8th December, were the nationalist independent candidate Călin Georgescu, accused of ties or at least affinities with Putin’s Russia, and the pro-European leader of the Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi.

    In the diaspora, where the Romanians living abroad had started casting their ballots on 6th December, tens of thousands of people had already voted when the Constitutional Court decided to annul the voting process. The costs of the cancelled elections are believed to amount to some 280 million euros in a country, where, analysts say, the government just took severe measures to cut public spending, sparking vehement trade union protests. On 21st December, acting president Klaus Iohannis was to end his second term in office, but his stay was extended until the election of a new head of state and its validation by the Constitutional Court.

    The new elections are now to be held in May, with the first round on the 4th and the second on the 18th. Until then, according to sociological surveys, the trust of Romanian citizens in their institutions and their leaders has eroded to reach minimum levels.

  • 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

    80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

    January 27 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

     

    In Poland, the country with the largest Jewish population before the Holocaust, ceremonies were held on Monday, January 27, marking eight decades since the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. In the most famous of the death factories created by the Nazi regime, almost a sixth of the 6 million Jewish victims of the genocide perished. Polish President Andrej Duda said that his country guards the memory of the Holocaust so that such a human catastrophe is never repeated. 50 of the survivors, most of them between the ages of 80 and 90, took part in the ceremonies. Some of them returned to Auschwitz many times, and their message was always to tell people what happened and that these horrors must not be repeated.

     

    Romania was represented by the Minister of Culture, Natalia Intotero. States such as Germany, Great Britain, France or Spain were represented at the highest level. In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis sent a message stating that January 27, 1945 will forever remain the day in history when the darkest chapter was closed, with the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. “Those who managed to stay alive could testify to the whole world that hell was unleashed on earth, but also that the force of life finally defeated death. An unparalleled catastrophe, in which 6 million children, women and men were killed,” Iohannis said.

     

    He recalled that January 27 is also the day on which Romania commemorates the suffering endured by the victims of the Bucharest Pogrom in 1941, when thousands of Jews were handed over to death by gangs of legionnaires (the far right). The president’s message also referred to the present. In his opinion, at the international level, populism, extremism, xenophobic and anti-Semitic attitudes and manifestations are insidiously disguised, with the intention of eroding the fundamental pillars on which the free world is built, in which fundamental rights play an essential role. The propagation of hatred, attacks, violent language and disinformation weaken democracies and risk making a mockery of the rights and freedoms so hard-won over time.

     

    Romania, he said, has taken important steps towards honoring the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and the fight against anti-Semitism, by adopting robust legislation in the field and by developing memorial and educational projects that contribute to a culture based on fundamental European values. For his part, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu underlined the firm commitment of the Romanian Government to combat the anti-Semitic scourge and to promote the memory of the Holocaust victims. He also said that it is the duty of the authorities to ensure that Romanian society knows and does not repeat the mistakes of history. The Prime Minister participated, on Monday, at the Coral Temple in Bucharest, in the ceremony dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the commemoration of the victims of the anti-Jewish Legionary Pogrom in the capital.

     

  • Reactions after the theft in the Netherlands

    Reactions after the theft in the Netherlands

    Four of the most important artefacts from Romania’s national heritage were stolen from the Drents Museum in the Dutch city of Assen. They include the gold helmet from Coţofeneşti, which dates from the 5th and 4th centuries before Christ, as well as three Dacian gold bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia, from the second part of the first century before Christ. The pieces, of inestimable historical value, were part of the Exhibition “Dacia – The Kingdom of Gold and Silver” which opened on July 7, 2024 and was to be closed on January 25. The robbery took place on Friday night to Saturday, when four people used an explosive device to enter the museum premises, stole only the Romanian artefacts and fled in a car. Later, they set the car on fire to hide their tracks. The Dutch police do not rule out that Romanians were also involved in the robbery and are investigating the possibility that they fled to Germany.

     

    The four stolen assets are part of the collection of the National History Museum of Romania and were the most valuable in the exhibition. All exhibited objects had been insured for 30 million Euros before being sent abroad, in accordance with Romanian and international legislation. Both the space and the showcases in which the heritage objects were displayed were secured and had surveillance systems installed, as well as alarm systems connected to the local police. In Bucharest, the General Prosecutor’s Office announced that an ex officio criminal file was opened in this case, and the investigations will be carried out by prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice and by specialists from the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. At the same time, a crisis cell was created at the Romanian government, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that the recovery of the helmet and the three Dacian bracelets is a priority.

     

    In turn, the Romanian Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, said that the theft of the Dacian treasure is an international shame and that it should be found out whether this robbery was possibly orchestrated to manipulate the nationalist trend ahead of the presidential election in Romania due in May. The prime minister’s control body is verifying at the Ministry of Culture the documents underlying the sending of objects from the national treasury to that exhibition, and the relevant minister, Natalia Intotero, will meet with the royal family and the prime minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof. Also, the Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, announced that a team of Romanian criminologist police officers will urgently join their Dutch colleagues to help in the investigation and that the Romanian authorities maintain permanent contact with the Dutch and European ones. The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, had an exchange of messages with Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who has given assurances that the Dutch authorities are taking all the necessary steps to identify the perpetrators and recover the treasure. (LS)

  • S&P downgrades Romania’s rating

    S&P downgrades Romania’s rating

    For Romania and its economic-financial prospects, 2025 begins in the same way as 2024 ended: Standard&Poor’s rating agency has maintained the country’s BBB- rating, the lowest investment grade category, but has revised its outlook from stable to negative. At the end of last year, Fitch also revised its outlook to negative for long-term hard currency loans, while maintaining its BBB- grade.

    Standard&Poor’s believes that that the country’s fragmented and uncertain political environment is likely to delay the new government’s fiscal consolidation agenda. The high spending made before the elections pushed the deficit to close to 8.7% of GDP, much above the agency’s expectations, which signals challenges to cost containment amid a slowing economy. The experts are also saying that the loose fiscal policies will keep the current account deficits wide and increasingly financed by debt-creating flows, potentially exposing Romania to foreign investor confidence shocks.

    In a first reaction, Romania’s finance minister Tánczos Barna said the change from stable to negative outlook shows measures are needed to cut the budget deficit, as well as a balanced budget and a slimmer state. “Romania is still recommended to investors as safe. The decisions adopted by the government to reduce the budget deficit and consolidate economic growth must be implemented at a fast pace, in the version already agreed with our European partners”, the minister posted on his Facebook page. He emphasised that this year’s budget, which will soon be submitted to Parliament for approval, strengthens this measured approach to the management of public funds. If the evolution of Romania’s economy confirms the fears of rating agencies leading to its actually losing the stable grade, this would result in higher lending costs for Romania.

    According to analysts, investors and rating agencies are still skeptical, owing to the internal political uncertainty and the delay in structural reforms. However, towards the end of 2024, the newly formed coalition government made up by the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, adopted an emergency order reflecting its will to drastically cut unnecessary spending, especially in the central and local administration, in order to reduce the deficits. The government also froze salaries and pensions to prevent the budget from sliding on a dangerous path.

    The measures taken have already sparked a wave of discontent among some public sector employees, so the coalition government will be faced with a serious social test. Moreover, by a turn of events, 2025 has become an election year, just like 2024. In May, Romanian voters will again go to the ballots to elect their president, as the Constitutional Court last December annulled the presidential elections saying the election process had been corrupted.

  • Restructuring plans spark protests

    Restructuring plans spark protests

     

    A huge deficit and a European Commission hanging over the government like a sword of Damocles, insisting that Bucharest take measures to reduce it, are prompting the Romanian coalition government to take very unpopular decisions already.

     

    After many public sector employees saw their inflation adjustments and salary increases frozen under a government order at the beginning of 2025, and after public pensions were no longer adjusted to the inflation rate, as previously promised, these days the news came of a reorganisation of central public institutions and state-owned companies.

     

    On Wednesday, the Parliament leaders announced that the number of civil servants would be reduced by approximately 400, which led to a spontaneous protest of Parliament staff in the halls of the institution. The Liberal Ilie Bolojan, speaker of the Senate, announced that about 180 civil servant posts out of a total of nearly 800 will be slashed in that chamber, and the car fleet or fuel quota will be cut down. Ilie Bolojan:

     

    Ilie Bolojan: “Instead of 796 positions in all at present, we will have around 618 positions. The colleagues who will leave will not be dismissed by anyone. Where the number of executive positions will be cut down, under the law, competitions will be organised. I guarantee that there will be no political influence whatsoever.”

     

    In the Chamber of Deputies as well, over 200 posts out of a roughly 1,100 will be cut, said the Social Democratic speaker of the Chamber, Ciprian Şerban.

     

    Save Romania Union has asked the leaders of the governing coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania to make public all the measures to reduce government spending, as well as the personnel selection criteria, “to ensure that the people who are kept on are competent, and not just party followers.”

     

    In turn, several trade union federations have voiced support for the Parliament employees in danger of losing their jobs. The National Federation of Public Administration Trade Unions sees the way in which the restructuring measures are taken and communicated as abusive and non-transparent, while the leaders of the Union of Parliamentary Civil Servants and the Union of Contracted Personnel claim that the reorganisation lacks fairness.

     

    Romanians have mixed feelings about the move. While some applaud the measures, others are against them, arguing that the reduction in the number of positions in Parliament should start with the senators and deputies themselves, based on a 2009 referendum on the transition to a single-chamber parliament of 300 seats.

     

    In the last 4 years, the number of public sector employees has increased by 56,000, claim those who support the government’s actions. In contrast, others argue that public sector employees include, for example, employees in education, healthcare, the army and the police, sectors which have been complaining about staff shortages for years. (AMP)

     

  • MApN dismantles Russia’s misinformation campaign

    MApN dismantles Russia’s misinformation campaign

    Romania’s Ministry of National Defence has denounced a new misinformation campaign concerning Romania. Russian journalists have this time tackled the drone attack on the night between January 16th and 17th the Russian forces launched against the civil infrastructure of Ukraine’s ports, close to its border with Romania.

    According to them, the attack was launched a day later, in the night between January 17th and 18th, allegedly against a convoy of Romanian troops or mercenaries trying to cross the Danube from Romania to Ukraine in their dinghies.

    According to the aforementioned Russian sources, ground military installations belonging to Romania’s armed forces would have opened fire against the flying drones. The same propaganda material says that the drone attack, which has been ordered by high-ranking Russian army officers, would have caused significant casualties among the Romanian troops.

    The Kremlin scenario also includes helicopter gunships belonging to the Romanian Air Force, involved in medevac operations and also supporting with fire the operation of the Ukrainian forces on the other bank of the river.

    The aforementioned propaganda material has triggered a prompt response from Bucharest.

    The Defence Ministry in Bucharest, also known as MApN, has described those presented by the Russian press as ‘absurdities without any real support’. The Ministry says that in the night between January 16th and 17th, the Romanian army’s monitoring and surveillance installations signaled a series of violations of Romania’s airspace, which imposed alerts issued for the residents of the Tulcea county and the activation of two F-16 jet fighters of the country’s air force.

    Later, experts with the MApN, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Interior Ministry, have identified two areas in which parts of the Russian drones fell to the ground.

    The Romanian Defence Ministry says that although absurd and false, the information invented by Kremlin’s propaganda laboratories is in line with the pattern of the Russian operations aimed at influencing and manipulating the Romanian and allied public space.

    According to MApN, their objective is to create a false perception that NATO would try to join the war against Russia and that Romania is being pushed into this conflict.  The Romanian side says that this propaganda narrative is also targeting the Russians who are being manipulated into believing the myth of the besieged city, that Russia is in danger of being attacked by NATO, and that in Ukraine, the Russian invading troops are actually fighting NATO in the so-called ‘special military operation’

    According to Bucharest, the reality, which the Kremlin propaganda is trying to cover up, is that Russia, which completely disdains international norms, has militarized the Black Sea, invaded Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea in 2024, and since 2022 has been engaged in an illegal aggression war against a neighbouring sovereign country. Last, but not least, the Ministry says that it expects the false information presented in the aforementioned material to be taken over by the vectors of the Russian propaganda operating inside the Romanian public space and get hyped up mainly on digital platforms.

    (bill)

     

  • Efforts to reduce the budget deficit

    Efforts to reduce the budget deficit

    The Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) approved, in Brussels, the budget deficit reduction plans for eight EU states, including Romania. The Romanian Finance Minister, Tánczos Barna, states that reducing the deficit over a period of seven years instead of four will bring many advantages to the country. First, it will allow the Romanian economy to maintain a high level of public investments, and Romania fares well in this regard among the EU states. It is at the same time a premise for avoiding imbalances and for sustainable economic growth. Apart from Romania, four other member states – Spain, Italy and Finland – requested the extension of the adjustment period. The European Commissioner for Economy, the Latvian Valdis Dombrolskis, explained that the first analyses will be published in the spring.

     

    On the sidelines of the Council meeting, he had a separate meeting with the Romanian Finance Minister to discuss the details of the plan. Tánczos Barna states that, throughout the seven years, Romania will receive financial and technical support to restore the macroeconomic balance. The parameters indicated by the European Commission aim to keep public expenses under control and to obtain economic growth through investments. Romania’s fiscal budgetary plan aims to stabilize the public debt and reduce the deficit to below 3% of the GDP, in the period 2025-2031. Romania will continue to develop, protecting essential investments and ensuring long-term financial stability, says, in turn, the Romanian Minister of Investments and European Projects, Marcel Boloş, in a Facebook post. In his opinion, the European Commission’s decision to approve Romania’s budget deficit reduction plan will allow the government to avoid the pressure of an accelerated adjustment or the adoption of dramatic measures to reduce the budget deficit. Massive spending cuts, blocking investments in hospitals and roads, massive tax increases, all these would have been the consequences of a tough adjustment imposed by the European Commission, Marcel Boloş said.

     

    On the other hand, the minister also points out, through this plan international credibility is maintained, in the context in which non-compliance with fiscal commitments would have led to a decrease in the country’s rating, which would have made loans more expensive and harder to access. The decisions show that European economies currently need time to achieve sustainable fiscal consolidation without sacrificing development. Without this plan, Romania would have risked losing what is being built now for future generations, Marcel Boloş emphasized. 2024 was difficult for Romania, with local, European Parliament, presidential and parliamentary elections. At the same time, it was a year in which pensions were recalculated, salaries were increased in several areas and investments were supported with unprecedented amounts. Romania ended 2024 with a budget deficit of 8.6% of the GDP. (LS)

  • Romanians and the westward direction

    Romanians and the westward direction

    A new INSCOP survey shows Romanians’ attachment to NATO and the European Union.

     

     

    Although Romania is going through a period of deep social dissatisfaction and frustration, these are not related to citizens’ attachment to NATO and the European Union. An INSCOP study, published on Tuesday, shows that 90% of Romanians reject the idea of ​​leaving NATO, a record level of adherence to the North Atlantic Organization. According to the research, based on data collected at the end of last year, in the last three years there has been a 10% increase in Romanians’ adherence to the Westward direction as regards political and military alliances. However, over half of respondents feel exposed to disinformation and fake news through television channels and social networks. At the same time, more than three quarters say that their voting options in the latest elections were affected by this phenomenon.

     

    Referring to the survey figures, INSCOP director Remus Ştefureac believes that what is happening now in Romania “has nothing to do with a decrease in Romanians’ adherence to the Euro-Atlantic world, but rather with internal problems, economic and social problems, problems related to the lack of trust in the political class and their integrity, lack of professionalism, the feeling of things being arranged so that a certain party wins”. According to him, these “are internal issues that are related to our internal debate, they are not topics related to the way Romanians relate to the Euro-Atlantic world”.

     

    The survey also shows that, for almost three-quarters of respondents, Romania’s EU membership is seen as an advantage in terms of effects on economic and social life, on family and personal life. Three years ago, only 55% of Romanians believed this. At the same time, 88% say that Romania should remain in the EU, and 78% that the country’s economic future depends on EU membership. Three years ago, a quarter of the population said that Romania would be better off leaving the Union. Currently, over half of Romanians believe that the country should put national interests first, even if this means violating EU rules.

     

    The survey also shows that over half of Romanians believe that the authorities act more in the interests of other countries, that the economy is controlled by foreigners, that the state helps multinational companies more than Romanian companies, or that there is an agreement between richer countries to keep Romania in poverty. At the same time, over 60% of Romanians say that they are seen as lower-ranking citizens in Europe, but that Romania is culturally superior to Western countries. The research concludes that 69% of those surveyed would vote for a nationalist party or a nationalist candidate in the presidential elections. The research is considered one of the most relevant published by INSCOP in recent years, providing a clear understanding of social discontent and the elements influencing Romanians’ perceptions in the current geopolitical context.

     

  • A new term for Donald Trump at the White House

    A new term for Donald Trump at the White House

    Nobody was left indifferent by the Republican Donald Trump getting back the role he loves so much and which he missed for four years: president of the United States and, implicitly, the most powerful man on the planet. Politicians in Bucharest were no exception and hurried into congratulating Trump for his return at the White House.

    According to the acting president, Klaus Iohannis, Romania, a close strategic partner of the United States, wishes the American leader “the best of success for this important new mandate. We need a strong and vibrant transatlantic link, to the benefit of our joint security”, wrote Iohannis on the X platform.

    The second most powerful figure in the Romanian state, according to the constitutional architecture, the Liberal Speaker of the Senate, Ilie Bolojan, wished President Trump success in his new mandate and expressed his belief that the friendship between the two countries would get stronger. His return to the White House is a historic moment, which will have positive echoes as far as Romania is concerned, both in terms of security and major investments, stated in turn the Social Democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. From the opposition, the leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Elena Lasconi, has stated that a new chapter begins in the history of the United States, and America is to Romania an element of support in terms of national security.

    Beyond the unanimously festive messages conveyed by the Romanian politicians, the Bucharest press notes that the only domestic party leader invited to the ceremonies in Washington was the president of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (nationalist, in opposition), George Simion. He went there as vice-president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR), a political family linked to the American Republicans through certain ideological affinities.

    Otherwise, commentators say, Romania would have no reason to worry about the new Donald Trump era, because the two countries are allies in NATO and have a bilateral strategic partnership that they can develop. Analysts also recall that, during Trump’s first term, Romania was among the first allied countries to align with the White House leader’s requirement to increase defense spending to 2.5% of the GDP.

    As an added advantage, Romania’s military purchases are made predominantly from the United States. Moreover, Bucharest has signed a loan agreement of 920 million dollars to modernize its military capabilities, and part of this money will go to armament factories in Romania, which will become the only producer in Europe of ammunition for Abrams tanks. (MI)