RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

May 13, 2020

Click here for a roundup of local and international news

May 13, 2020
May 13, 2020

, 13.05.2020, 13:55

COVID-19 ThThe COVID-19 death toll in Romania has reached 1016,
the Strategic Communication Group announced today. According to the latest
official data, the total number of cases is over 16,000, of which almost 8,000 patients
have recovered. The largest number of cases is reported in Suceava (north-east)
and in the capital Bucharest. Among the Romanians living abroad, more than 2,850
have so far tested positive for the virus, mostly in Italy, Spain and Germany,
and 102 have died since the start of the pandemic.




BILL The bill introduced by the Government with respect to the state of alert set to replace the state of emergency on May 15, is debated and voted on today in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making parliamentary body in this case. The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, but the text was substantially amended, mostly by the Social Democrats in opposition. Under the bill, the state of alert can only be in place for 30 days at most, and its introduction must be approved by Parliament. A number of articles were also scrapped, regulating among others the work of public administration institutions, criticised by most parties on grounds of introducing excessive political control on the administration. The bill concerns the introduction of temporary and gradual measures to prevent and contain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to safeguard citizens right to life, health and physical integrity at the cost of restricting other fundamental rights and freedoms.




MOTION Romanian Deputies are today voting on a simple motion tabled by the Social Democratic Party in Opposition against the Liberal finance minister Florin Cîţu. “The countrys resources must no longer be pawned, Romania must be saved from the ‘Florin Cîţu virus,’ and the finance minister must go, reads the text of the motion. The Social Democrats claim Cîţu proved unable to come up with efficient measures to support the economy. On Monday, when the motion was debated, minister Cîţu accused the Social Democrats of using the virus to promote their political agenda. He said that during the 2 months of the governments implementing measures to restart the economy, the Social Democrats tried to amend them in Parliament in a populist manner. Had their amendments been passed, Romania would have been in economic chaos, Florin Citu added.




CONSTITUTIONAL COURT The Constitutional Court of Romania Wednesday ruled that the government emergency order regulating the state of alert is constitutional, but it cannot restrict citizen rights. The Court was notified by the Ombudsman, who claims that fundamental rights and freedoms can only be restricted by law, and not by emergency or government orders. Delegating legislative powers that affects citizens rights comes against the principle of the separation of powers, under which Parliament is the countrys only legislative authority, the Ombudsman argued. The Constitutional Court had previously ruled that the fines issued during the state of emergency were unconstitutional.




ECONOMY Romanias economy is expected to shrink 4% this year, as against a 3.2% growth rate predicted in November 2019, reads a report made public on Wednesday by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The EBRD lowered its estimates concerning the Romanian economy in 2020, as a result of the corona crisis. For 2021, the institution expects a 4% growth of Romanias GDP. The EBRD is the main institutional investor in Romania, with investments totalling over 8.6 billion euros. The European Commission has also adjusted its estimates for the Romanian economy this year and expects a substantial, 6% fall after years of robust growth, while the government deficit is forecast to reach 9.2% of the GDP this year. In turn, the IMF expects Romanias economy to drop 5% in 2020, and to recover in 2021, when a 3.9% growth rate is predicted.




PANDEMIC There are over 4.3 million cases of coronavirus infections worldwide, with the death toll standing at nearly 293,000. 1.6 million patients have recovered so far. In the US, the worst hit country in the world, the number of deaths is over 82,000. Russia, with more than 232,000 cases, comes second. China announced plans to test all the 11 million locals in Wuhan, the region where the outbreak started, after several new infections were reported early this week.


(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

Newsflash
Newsflash Saturday, 26 April 2025

April 26, 2025 UPDATE

Funeral. Dozens of heads of state and government, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and senior...

April 26, 2025 UPDATE
Newsflash
Newsflash Saturday, 26 April 2025

April 26, 2025 (update 15.00)

Funeral. Dozens of heads of state and government, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and senior...

April 26, 2025 (update 15.00)
Newsflash
Newsflash Saturday, 26 April 2025

April 26, 2025

Funeral. Dozens of heads of state and government, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and senior...

April 26, 2025
Newsflash
Newsflash Friday, 25 April 2025

April 25, 2025 UPDATE (II)

CCR. The High Court of Cassation and Justice has admitted the appeals against the decision by which the Ploieşti Court of Appeal had admitted a...

April 25, 2025 UPDATE (II)
Newsflash Friday, 25 April 2025

April 25, 2025 UPDATE

Elections. The presidential elections in May will take place, assures the Romanian Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu, after a judge from the...

April 25, 2025 UPDATE
Newsflash Friday, 25 April 2025

April 25, 2025

POPE The last preparations are being made at the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis, due tomorrow morning in St. Peter’s Square with scores of...

April 25, 2025
Newsflash Thursday, 24 April 2025

April 24, 2025 UPDATE

Pope Francis – The Romanian government declared Saturday, April 26, a day of national mourning for the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on...

April 24, 2025 UPDATE
Newsflash Thursday, 24 April 2025

April 24, 2025

POPE FRANCIS The government of Romania declared Saturday, April 26 a day of national mourning for the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Monday...

April 24, 2025

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company