Ascultă Live

Ascultă Radio România Internațional Live

The Week in Review

A look at the headline-grabbing events of the past week.

The Week in Review
The Week in Review

, 14.12.2024, 14:07

A look at the headline-grabbing events of the past week.

 

 Schengen members, at last

 

The good news of the week, officially confirmed on Thursday, has been Romania’s full accession, alongside with Bulgaria, to the European ​​free movement area. At the end of March, the European partners had agreed to welcome the two states into Schengen with air and sea borders. After the Netherlands and especially Austria decided to no longer oppose, the Justice and Home Affairs Council unanimously approved on Thursday the accession of Romania and Bulgaria with land borders to the Schengen area, as of January 1. Starting with this date, there will be no more checks except at Romania’s borders with Serbia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. However, in the first six months after accession, there will still be alternative or random checks, a security measure to see how the free movement works. Such temporary checks have also been initiated on various internal borders in Schengen, amid an increase in illegal migrants. The authorities in Bucharest welcomed the country’s acceptance into Schengen, emphasizing that the decision translates into faster movement for citizens, lower logistics costs for companies, increased competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market as well as business opportunities and jobs.

 

 

Unfinished election marathon

 

At the beginning of the week that is ending, Romanians should have known the name of their next president. The second round of the presidential elections had been scheduled for December 8, and should have marked the end of the electoral marathon that began in June with the local and European parliamentary elections. On December 6, however, the Constitutional Court cancelled the election for president, after finding that the electoral process was flawed by multiple irregularities and violations of the electoral legislation. The direct beneficiary of this electoral process, hijacked by Russia’s hybrid attacks, according to intelligence services, would have been the winner of the first round, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu, a pro-Russian extremist, who is also anti-West and an admirer of the fascist leaders of the Romanian interwar period. The Prosecutor’s Office is now investigating two of his close associates, former mercenaries. One of them, suspected of planning to cause unrest in the capital Bucharest, is being investigated for failing to comply with the arms and ammunition laws, operations with pyrotechnic objects and public incitement, and the other for using legionary symbols, which had been used by the anti-Semitic and criminal extreme right of the 1930s. The Financial Times carries the opinion of analysts, according to whom the attractiveness of paramilitary groups in Romania, with very “macho” visions, which combine religion with ultra-nationalism, has increased because the authorities have not intervened.

 

 

Pro-Europeans in the future Parliament negotiate on a joint government

 

President Klaus Iohannis, whose mandate will be extended until the election of his successor, convened the new Parliament on December 20. Four pro-European parties, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and three self-proclaimed sovereignists, AUR, SOS Romania and POT, will be part the future Parliament, following the December 1st elections. With almost two-thirds of the mandates, the pro-Europeans, joined by the deputies of national minorities, other than the Hungarian one, have began negotiations this week for a broad coalition government. We recall that, before the second round of the presidential elections, PSD, PNL, USR, UDMR and the group of national minorities had signed the pact for a pro-European and Euro-Atlantic coalition. The document was aimed at blocking Călin Georgescu’s access to the highest position within the state. After the election was cancelled, the signatories of that document renewed their commitment and now promise a governing program focused on development and reforms, which will take into account the priorities of citizens. They agreed that a clear plan is needed to streamline and reduce public spending and bureaucracy in public administration. They also agreed to increase the current pace of investments and reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

 

 

Inflation, the never-ending problem

 

The future executive in Bucharest will face a number of challenges, including restoring trust in the political class and reforming state institutions and, last but not least, economic problems. One of the latter is generated by inflation. Fueled by price increases in postal services, fresh fruit and margarine, the inflation rate increased again compared to the previous month. The annual inflation, reported in November 2024 in comparison with the one November 2023, increased again for the second consecutive month, reaching 5.11% from 4.67% in October. One of the causes of the increase in inflation is the high budget deficit, which the Government is struggling to finance, analysts explain. The latest forecast of the Central Bank shows that inflation will fall below 3.5% per year only in 2026.

 

 

Sports week

 

Romania’s football champion, FCSB (Bucharest), drew an equal score with the German team Hoffenheim, on Thursday evening, away, in the 6th round of the Europa League. The Bucharest team is ranked 10th in the group and is very close to qualifying for the European spring. They still have two matches to play in January, the last of which is at home against the famous English team Manchester United. In handball, the Romanian women’s national team ranked 11th at the European Championship hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland.

Sguardo sulla settimana
The Week in Review Saturday, 29 March 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

No Visa Waiver for Romanians The United States has suspended the visa waiver program for Romanians, which, according to a decision by the former...

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Sguardo sulla settimana
The Week in Review Saturday, 22 March 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

11 candidates for Romania’s presidential election The list of candidates for Romania’s presidential election in May is final, after the...

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Sguardo sulla settimana
The Week in Review Saturday, 15 March 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Presidential elections without Călin Georgescu In Romania, the week in which candidates for the highest office in the state were able to submit...

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Sguardo sulla settimana
The Week in Review Saturday, 08 March 2025

The Week in Review

Romania’s interim president attends European Council in Brussels Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan on Thursday in Brussels called for an...

The Week in Review
The Week in Review Saturday, 22 February 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Annual meeting of heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Bucharest Romania maintains its main foreign policy directions, as a member of the EU...

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
The Week in Review Friday, 14 February 2025

February 9-13

100 days with Ilie Bolojan, after 10 years with Klaus Iohannis This Wednesday, Klaus Iohannis ended his second and last term as President of Romania....

February 9-13
The Week in Review Saturday, 08 February 2025

The Week in Review (03-07.02.2025)

The 2025 budget, adopted Romania’s state and social security budgets were adopted on February 6 by the Bucharest Parliament, shortly after being...

The Week in Review (03-07.02.2025)
The Week in Review Saturday, 01 February 2025

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Romanian presidential election calendar The PSD-PNL-UDMR coalition government in Bucharest has adopted the presidential election calendar. According...

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Parteneri

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

Afilieri RRI

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

Furnizori de servicii de difuzare/redifuzare

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