February 1, 2022 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
România Internațional, 01.02.2022, 20:07
Covid-19 update. With over 40,000 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, on Tuesday Romania set a new daily record since the start of the pandemic. 97 related fatalities were also reported, including two from an earlier date. Also, the number of patients in intensive care went up to 930. The fortnightly incidence rate in Bucharest is nearing 22 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest level to be recorded in the capital city so far. Health minister Alexandru Rafila says the infection rate may decrease between 10th and 15th February. In other news, travellers to Romania will only have to isolate for five days irrespective of their country of origin unless they can produce a Covid vaccine pass, proof that they have recovered from the infection or a negative Covid test result from the previous 72 hours. Also, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has established that contacts of people infected with Covid will have to isolate for five days, irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or not.
Parliament. The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday held the first ordinary parliamentary session this year. The priorities of the current session include legislation in areas such as energy, justice, healthcare and the economy. The number one priority right now is establishing the caps and compensations for electricity and natural gas bills, with Parliament to pass an emergency order recently issued by the government on a new support scheme for the population. During the new session, Parliament may also discuss the amendment of the offshore law, which would unblock projects to extract hydrocarbons from the Black Sea. Another priority on Parliaments agenda is the dismantling of a special department investigating crimes in the judiciary, as also requested from Brussels. The opposition Save Romania Union has filed a simple no-confidence motion against the Liberal Minister of Energy, Virgil Popescu.
Census. The first stage of a new population and housing census has kicked off in Romania. Lasting until 13th of March, this stage involves collecting data from administrative sources and creating the needed data bases. The second stage, to take place between 14th March and 15th May, will consist in a self-census, while in the third stage, between 16th May and 17th July, data will be collected through face-to-face interviews. As a first, citizens will have the possibility to conduct a self-census from their mobile phones, tablets and computers. Because of the pandemic, the new census, which was due to take place last year, was postponed for this year, but a simulation did take place last March. A population and housing census is conducted in every EU member state.
Diplomacy. On Tuesday, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the context of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, but also against the background of the worrying security developments in the immediate vicinity of Ukraine, in the Black Sea region. Iohannis focused on the rights of the persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine, especially regarding the protection of their linguistic identity. He reiterated Bucharests “firm” support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. The Romanian head of state underlined his support for the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and praised Ukraines “responsible” behavior in order to avoid increasing tensions. For his part, Volodymyr Zelenski thanked Romania for its vocal and active support in both the European Union and NATO.
Ukraine crisis. The United States has ordered the family members of its government employees in Belarus to leave this country which has close ties with Russia and warned against travel to the region amid tensions between Washington and Moscow on the Ukraine crisis, Reuters said on Tuesday. According to the US State Department, the decision was prompted by unusual and worrying intensification of Russian military activity near the border with Ukraine. The US had already instructed families of US diplomats in Kiev to leave Ukraine, on 23rd January. On the other hand, Poland will help Ukraine with gas supplies and weapons, in the context of the neighboring state facing the threat of a new Russian military intervention, as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Kiev on Tuesday. He added that resistance to Russia is important not only for Ukraine, but for the whole of Europe and NATO. Also on Tuesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said during a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin that “no European leader wants war”, alluding to tensions over Ukraine. According to the media, Orban is trying to strengthen Hungarys economic cooperation with Russia ahead of the crucial April elections, in which the opposition could oust him from power.
