October 29, 2024 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 29.10.2024, 19:49

Patriot. Norway’s contribution of 127 million dollars to the purchase of an advanced Patriot surface-to-air missile system for Romania demonstrates “not only its firm support for Romania, but also its commitment to allied security”, the Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Tîlvăr said. The decision of the Norwegian government to contribute significantly to this acquisition was announced at the Nordic Council in Reykjavik, which takes place until Thursday. According to the quoted source, this close cooperation between Romania and Norway reflects the common and unwavering commitment of both nations to the current security challenges, as well as to the continuous support of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unjustified aggression. Some time ago, Bucharest announced that it was donating a Patriot system to Ukraine and that, in exchange, it would receive a similar one from the USA. In 2017, the Romanian Army ordered seven Patriot systems in the most expensive military procurement contract in history, worth 4 billion euros. Four have already arrived, two have been operationalized and the third is to be rendered operational by end of the year. Also from Norway, Romania bought 32 F-16 aircraft, nine of which have already landed in the country. Currently, the Romanian Air Force operates a single squadron of 17 F-16 aircraft purchased from Portugal and modernized.

Drones. The drones entering Romanian airspace without permission will be destroyed, neutralized or their flight can be taken under control, based on new provisions proposed by the defense ministry. A bill on the control of the use of national air space was published on Monday on the website of the defense ministry. It lays down the measures that can be taken commensurate to the level of threat, within the confines of applicable international law, after an analysis of all specific circumstances of the event and taking into account the priority of protecting human lives – with the last possible solution being the destruction of the unmanned devices using national air space without permission. Romanian defense officials have recently invoked the need to adapt the legislation in the field to the situations reported near Romania’s border with Ukraine, with fragments of Russian drones falling here on a number of times and with functional devices entering Romanian airspace.

Court. The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) rejected, on Tuesday, the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the “Fugitives Law” and established that the normative act is constitutional. The ICCJ appealed to the CCR the Law for the amendment and completion of Law 286/2009 on the Criminal Code, adopted by the Chamber of Deputies in November 2023, which provides that definitively convicted persons who do not report to the Police within seven days to be incarcerated will be considered escaped and risk a sentence between 6 months and 3 years. In the opinion of the High Court, this law would violate the right to a fair trial and the right to individual freedom. The penalty applied for the crime of escape is added to the penalty remaining unexecuted on the date of escape, the normative act also stipulates. The former mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, the former head of DIICOT (Anti-Mafia Prosecutor’s Office) Alina Bica, the son of the head of the Professional Football League, Mario Iorgulescu or Paul Philippe, the grandson of King Carol II, are on the list of persons definitively convicted in Romania, who managed to flee the country to escape prison. Italy and Greece are the countries preferred by convicted fugitives.

IMF. An International Monetary Fund mission will arrive in Romania on 5th November to assess the latest economic and financial developments and revise its macroeconomic forecasts. In its latest World Economic Outlook survey published last week, the International Monetary Fund revised its forecast with respect to Romania’s economic growth level this year down to 1.9% from 2.8% last April. On Monday, the National Institute for Statistics published a survey on the perception of business managers on Romanian economy, estimating an increase in construction and retail costs. Analysts are warning that things will change in the economic sector once the government stops financing salary and pension rises.

Moldova. The pro-European president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said she would reshuffle the government in the event of a win in Sunday’s second round of presidential elections. Sandu, who on Monday evening attended an election debate on the public television station in Chişinău, said she was considering replacing a number of ministers in Dorin Recean’s cabinet by the end of the year. Her rival, the pro-Russian socialist and former prosecutor general Alexandr Stoianoglo refused to attend the debate. In the first round of the presidential elections last Sunday, Maia Sandu won 42% of the votes and Stoianoglo 26%.

Film. The trophy of the Romanian Film Makers Union this year went on to Mihai Mincan’s film To the North, which also won the prize for best script, editing, soundtrack and male lead, the last of which went to Niko Becker. Tudor Giurgiu won the best director award and Radu Jude’s Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World won the special jury prize. Actress Simona Bondoc and film maker Mircea Daneliuc won the Mihnea Gheorghiu academic prizes.