November 29 – December 5

A roundup of the week's most important events.

România Internațional, 05.12.2020, 14:00

Restrcicted ceremonies on Romanias National Day

This year, December 1st, Romanias National Day was marked at home and in the Romanian communities abroad with short ceremonies, without military parades and large crowds, due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Bucharest, in the Triumphal Arch Square, where the traditional military parade is usually held in the presence of thousands of people, a small military ceremony was now organized, with only about 150 soldiers, in memory of the Romanian heroes who made Greater Romania possible. Doctors, medical staff and foreign ambassadors attended the event, alongside President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and the interim President of the Senate, Robert Cazanciuc. “Dear Romanians, today, as in all important moments when we celebrate our National Day, we need the involvement of each of us. We have seen, throughout Romania, the overwhelming stories of people who join hands to help others, about people who volunteer, who make donations to hospitals in a difficult situation. This is the union of the Romanians in 2020!”, President Klaus Iohannis has said.

This year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked Romanias National Day with a digital diplomacy project, that included diplomatic missions and consular offices. It was a virtual meeting dedicated to Romania’s friends and partners, to the Romanian communities and citizens abroad, in a unique format adapted to the challenges of the global health situation. The celebration of Romanias National Day was also marked by the Romanian Cultural Institute through a series of online events promoting Romanian culture and civilization.

Vaccination strategy, approved

The anti-COVID-19 vaccination strategy in Romania was adopted on Thursday by the country’s Supreme Defence Council headed by President Klaus Iohannis, as part of a videoconference. The strategy, previously approved by the government, regulates the entire vaccination process. It provides for the vaccination, in a first stage, of the healthcare personnel and the vulnerable people. All vaccinations will be introduced in an electronic registry. President Klaus Iohannis said that immunization is optional, safe and effective, with vaccines that meet the highest European standards. Iohannis also said Romania may benefit the first shipment of vaccines, of around 1 million doses, early next year. On the other hand, PM Ludovic Orban said that almost every day the number of people who get sick is smaller than the number of people infected. The information has also been confirmed by the latest report of the National Institute of Statistics, showing that the speed at which the novel coronavirus spreads has decreased by almost 10% last week as compared with the week before.

Parliamentary elections in Romania

Over 18 million Romanians are expected to cast their ballot on Sunday at one of those over 18 thousand polling stations opened across the country for the parliamentary elections. Romanians in the country can cast their vote only on Sunday, from 7 am to 9 pm, while Romanians abroad have two days to cast their ballot, December 5 and 6 respectively. The number of Romanians abroad who have the right to vote in these elections is 740,367. Of them, over 39 thousand opted for postal voting, while almost 4 thousand will vote at the polling stations. Just like in the case of the local elections held in September, a set of rules was in place against the background of the coronavirus crisis, as regards the unfolding of the election campaign. A number of localities in the country will be in lockdown on the election day. PM Ludovic Orban has said that people in these localities will be allowed to go to the polls without a statement on their own responsibility. Romanians must elect 136 senators and 329 deputies. The Romanian Diaspora will be represented in parliament by 4 deputies and 2 senators. The Foreign Ministry opened 748 polling stations abroad, has launched an interactive map of them, and opened a call centre for voters outside the country’s borders. All polling stations in the country and abroad have been configured so that social distancing and safety measures can be met.

EU funds for Romania, to combat unemployment

Romania can access, starting January 1st, 3 billion euros from the European Union, under the SURE programme, a temporary support instrument to protect workers and jobs. Bucharest will receive 4 billion euros in two instalments, EC President Ursula von Der Leyen told Radio Romania. The European official has also said that the loan encourages healthy Romanian firms to keep their employees even if there is not enough work for them. She has explained that under the SURE programme, salaries will be subsidized and, at the end of the crisis, when the market recovers and the company already has the qualified staff that it needs, it can start working properly. (Translated by Elena Enache)