The Week in Review 16-20.09.2024

Click here for the headline-grabbing events of the past week in Romania

Daniela Budu, 21.09.2024, 14:00

Aid for victims

Like the authorities in several European states, the Romanian authorities have also been on alert this week, after the severe floods that hit eastern Romania. Refugee camps have been set up and rescue operations have been organized following the floods that killed seven people and destroyed thousands of homes. A crisis cell was organized at the Health Ministry to provide medical assistance to the residents of Galaţi and Vaslui counties, the most affected by the floods. The Interior and Defense Ministries have mobilized hundreds of firefighters, gendarmes, soldiers, as well as equipment to help evacuate the victims and intervene in the restoration of the infrastructure destroyed by the waters. Camps with capacities of hundreds of places were set up in the most affected localities. And the Romanian Red Cross launched a disaster relief campaign and sent trucks with water and food to the area. The Romanian Government also allocated food and water and approved the removal from state reserves of some modular buildings where children can learn. It also approved, in the special meeting on Monday, emergency aid for the affected families. The Romanian authorities continue to promise support for the affected population. And the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced a 10-billion-Euro worth of aid from the EU Cohesion Fund for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, affected by floods.

Supreme Council for National Defense meeting in Bucharest

A meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) took place in Bucharest on Thursday. The war in neighboring Ukraine, the endowment of the Army in the next ten years, as well as the strengthening of the Strategic Partnership with the Republic of Moldova were among the main topics of discussion. The CSAT members stated that Romania is directly interested in having industrial capacities on its territory that can ensure both the production of modern military equipment for equipping the force structure in peacetime, as well as the development of new equipment for multiplying military capabilities in crisis or war situations. Given the recent developments in the neighboring country, the CSAT members discussed additional measures to deter and combat security threats, to be implemented at the national level, as well as with the support of NATO allies. On the other hand, Romania reiterated its support for Moldova’s European path by supporting the implementation of reforms and the necessary public policies.

B9 meeting in Bucharest

NATO must react to Russia’s incursions into the airspace of its member countries, in the context of the war in Ukraine, says the Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr. At the B9 meeting in Bucharest of the defense ministers from the allied states on NATO’s eastern flank, the Romanian official said that the security situation in the Black Sea region remains worrying due to the threats generated by the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, including through disinformation and cyber-attacks.

Angel Tîlvăr: “The B9 states are deeply concerned about the repeated incursions of the Russian Federation drones and missiles into the NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, Latvia, as well as about the escalation of tensions along NATO’s borders. That is why a robust and coordinated response at the allied level is necessary, as well as the implementation as soon as possible of the rotational model of NATO’s integrated air and anti-missile defense”.

Also on Wednesday, in Bucharest, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha asked Romania to analyze the possibility of shooting down the Russian drones and missiles near the Romanian airspace. During the meeting with his counterpart Luminiţa Odobescu, he appreciated the support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence through Romania’s decision to donate a Patriot system. The Romanian FM reaffirmed Romania’s full support for the defense of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Roxana Mânzatu, vice-president of the European Commission

Romania has, for the first time, a position of vice-president of the European Commission, which will be occupied by the social-democratic MEP Roxana Mînzatu, a former minister of investments and European projects in Bucharest. The announcement was made by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who presented, on Tuesday, the makeup of the new EC. Roxana Mînzatu will also hold, in Brussels, the position of commissioner for Skills and Education, Jobs, Social Rights and Demography. She declared that the field received by Romania, in this case the labor market, is essential for the competitiveness of the EU. After the nomination, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has said that, in this way, Romania becomes part of decision-making in the European Union.

National plan for large industry

The governing coalition in Bucharest decided on Tuesday to complete as quickly as possible the support scheme for the large strategic investments in the manufacturing industry and in metallurgy, steel and the chemical industry. According to Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the plan has three main components: a state aid of 500 million Euros and tax facilities for investments of over 150 million Euros, another state aid of one billion Euros for six years for the decarbonization of production processes and energy efficiency and a third aid of about 250 million Euros for 15 companies that implement investments in the production of industrial raw materials.

Partnership for the prevention of child trafficking

The Romanian and American governments have signed a framework partnership in the field of child protection, intended to unfold over a period of five years. The US Ambassador to Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, has given assurances that the United States will support Romania in its efforts to develop a victim-centered prevention strategy, to increase protection for children who are victims of trafficking and to improve its investigations. In turn, the Romanian Interior Minister, Cătălin Predoiu, has said that the signing of the partnership is a continuation of other collaborations and shows the determination of the Romanian authorities to combat child abuse in any form. Romania is the first country in Europe that will benefit from American financial support worth 10 million dollars for the improvement of the national system for preventing and combating child trafficking. (LS)