The Week in Review (24-31.01.2022)

A look back at the top stories in Romania this week.

Ştefan Stoica, 29.01.2022, 14:00

Covid
infection cases surge

The
record daily Covid infection numbers seen last autumn in Romania were exceeded
this week, as over 30,000 cases were reported for three consecutive days. Fortunately,
the death toll is far below that seen last autumn. Health minister
Alexandru
Rafila said he expected daily cases to reach 40,000 in the next week. A characteristic
of this fifth wave of the pandemic is the high number of infections among
children. Meanwhile, a new drug will become available in the coming days to
treat those infected with Covid and who have a higher risk of developing
serious illness. Another piece of good news is that children aged 5-11 are now also
offered the Covid vaccine, from last Wednesday. However, the vaccination rate
in Romania is still very low, with only 8 million people being fully vaccinated.

Romania
receives security guarantees from NATO

The
Country’s Supreme Defence Council analysed the situation in the extended Black
Sea area and on NATO’s eastern flank amid the security crisis created by Russia
on its border with Ukraine. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis gave assurances
that Romania, as a member of the strongest political and military alliance in history,
enjoys all security guarantees and Romanian citizens should not be afraid. The
measures taken by NATO to consolidate its presence on the eastern flank is a
strictly defensive response to the growing security risks, threats and challenges
in the region, Iohannis explained. The Country’s Supreme Defence Council
decided to continue concrete efforts to boost the allied and US presence on
Romanian territory and manage possible refugee flows. In another move, the US
and NATO officially rejected Russia’s demands with respect to a halt to NATO’s
expansion and the withdrawal of allied forced from Eastern Europe. In separate
letters sent to Moscow, the allies reiterated that they would not give up on
their open-door policy. Moreover, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
called on Russia to abandon its aggressive posture and withdraw its troops from
the former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova,
where they were deployed without the consent of these countries.

The
firm positions voiced by NATO and the US reflect the trust placed by the
majority of Romanians in their western allies. Over 70% of respondents in a
survey conducted by INSCOP are convinced that NATO will defend Romania in the
context of growing risk of war in Ukraine, while three quarters agree that the
presence of US military bases in their country can help defend the country in
the event of external aggression. 77% of respondents believe the West, by which
they mean the European Union, the US, and NATO, is where Romania should look in
terms of political and military alliances.

French defence minister travels to Romania

Romania
has a special partnership with France and can rely on its support, said the
Romanian defence minister Vasile Dîncu after talks in Bucharest with his French
counterpart Florence Parly. Dîncu recalled the recent statement by French
president Emanuel Macron regarding France’s military contribution and the
allied presence in the Black Sea region and reiterated the firm commitment of
the Romanian side to the security of the Western Balkans and the stability of
the Sahel region. For her part, minister Parly have assurances that her country
would never abandon its allies and friends and that it would stand by Romania.

Government
adopts new energy bill compensation scheme

The
government in Bucharest has adopted new measures to support citizens and small
businesses following dramatic rise of energy bills. The measures will only
apply to February and March. Prices are capped at 0.80 lei per kWh for electricity
and 0.31 lei for natural gas. Households using up to 500 kWh in electricity and
300 cubic metres of natural gas will pay 0.68 lei per kWh for their electricity
and some 0.22 lei for natural gas. The government order issued in this respect
also provides for tougher penalties for non-compliant suppliers, some of whom
have issued very large bills, disregarding the compensation scheme in place
from 1st November. The order approved by the government also provides
for cuts for non-household consumers, who are facing a tough time because of high
energy costs.

Overground
public transport up and running again in Bucharest

At
the beginning of this week, public transport trade unions in Bucharest went
back to work after a 5-day strike. Their action had been declared illegal in court,
but they went ahead, ignoring the ruling. Trade unions want higher pay and the dismissal
of the head of the Bucharest Transport Society. Bucharest’s mayor Nicuşor Dan
said the trade union’s action was political, but promised that talks would
continue so as to improve things, depending on available budgets.

Tennis
and football in the headlines

Simona
Halep and Sorana Cîrstea reached the second week at the Australian Open but
were eliminated in the quarterfinals. While Halep lost to France’s Alizé Cornet,
struggling with the heat and Cornet’s tenacity, Cîrstea lost to the 2020 Roland
Garros winner Iga Swiatek from Poland. In football, the news of the week was
the appointment of Edward Iordănescu as the new manager of the Romanian national
side, following the departure of Mirel Rădoi. 43-year-old Iordănescu has the difficult
mission of resuscitating Romanian football, which has been doing badly for a
long time. Edward Iordănescu is the son of the great player and manager Anghel
Iordănescu, whose name is linked to the biggest achievements of the national side
in the 1990s. (CM)