November 6, 2022 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 06.11.2022, 18:49

GAS
According to data released by the national company Transgaz, on Monday morning
Romania will rely on 3 billion cubic meters of stored gas, which is tantamount
to a storage degree of 97.7% of its total capacity. Romania has exceeded the
quantity of stored gas in the same period last year by 701 million cubic meters.
The minimum threshold of 80% approved for Romania in the new European
Commission regulation was attained on September 17.

REFUGEES According to the Romanian border police, roughly 187 thousand
people crossed Romania’s borders either to enter or to leave the country on
Saturday. They were Romanian and foreign citizens who used over 50,500 vehicles.
Out of them 9,158 were Ukrainian nationals, 16.81% more than the previous day.
According to a press release, since February 10th, two weeks before
the Russian invasion, 2.7 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most
of them transited the country for other destinations and over 86,500 decided to
stay in Romania.

SUPPORT Authorities in Bucharest are presently
considering a series of alternatives to ease the access of population to firewood, after
the initial cap of 80 Euros per cubic meter has led to a market crisis. One of
the options could be the idea of granting vouchers to the needy. According to
the country’s Environment Minister Tanczos Barna, the ordinance on capping
firewood prices will be amended next week so that it may truly protect those
who use firewood for heating in winter. He explains that the law, formerly
endorsed by the Senate, will be amended in the Chamber of Deputies so that
firewood may become available on the market again. A couple of days ago, the
country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca admitted the initial capping measures
had failed to yield the desired result. The opposition USR has drawn attention
to the fact that the law has already caused irregularities on the firewood
market.

THEATRE The National Theatre Festival (NTF)
continues in Romania until November 13. Theatre performances during this event
will have in-person attendance, after two years of pandemic with online
performances. The NTF includes over 60 theatre shows that have been mounted by
state and independent theatre troupes from Romania and abroad. The festival,
which this year unfolds under a suggestive motto, ‘Fragile borders. Fluid
histories’ also boasts an on-air section including a series of exquisite radio
shows.

ENERGY Romania is presently covering over 90% of
the neighboring Republic of Moldova’s need for electricity, Romanian Foreign
Minister Bogdan Aurescu has told a TV channel. According to him, the situation has
become severe in the neighboring country, which relies 100% on foreign supplies
of gas and electricity. Aurescu has also mentioned Romania’s support for the
neighboring country consisting in firewood and oil fuel. Romania has also called on the international community to give
grants to the Republic of Moldova so that the country may buy energy on the
free market. After the Russian invasion, Ukraine became unable to export energy
to the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, Russian giant Gazprom announced
in October its intention to diminish gas supplies to the Republic of Moldova due to
the alleged disputes over the payment and the refusal of the Ukrainian pipeline
operator to provide an all-out service for the transport of the Russian gas.
According to Moldovan president Maia Sandu her country is presently seeing the
severest energy crisis in its history.

(bill)