September 3, 2021 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 03.09.2021, 18:58

Covid-19. Romania recorded over 1,500 new Covid
cases on Friday from over 43,000 tests and 33 new related fatalities. All counties
and the capital Bucharest are still in the green tier, with Ilfov county
recording the highest incidence per one thousand inhabitants, namely 1.09, and the
capital city 0.93. Almost 2,800 Covid patients are receiving hospital
treatment, including 345 in intensive care. With interest in vaccination still
low, the coordinator of the mass vaccination campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă said
people must understand that vaccination provides protection for those receiving
the jab and reduces pressure on the healthcare system.

List. The National
Committee for Emergency Situations in Bucharest has updated the list of
countries with high epidemiological risk for entering Romania. Spain is moved
from the red to the yellow list, while Austria is moved from the green list to
the yellow list following a rise in infections. Israel, the UK, France,
Switzerland, Greece, Turkey and Portugal remain on the red list, while the
Netherlands and Bulgaria remain on the yellow list. The applies valid from
Sunday.

Coalition. The meeting of the ruling coalition in Bucharest ended
on Friday without a resolution to the conflict between the National Liberal
Party and the Save Romania Union and PLUS Alliance. Liberal prime minister Florin Cîţu refused to resign, and the leaders of
the Alliance said they would file a no-confidence motion against him. Earlier,
the government adopted an emergency order to approve
the so-called Anghel Saligny National Investment Programme. The Liberal prime
minister Florin Cîţu said the ministers of the Save Romania Union and PLUS
Alliance were not at the meeting, but that enough ministers were present for
the project to be adopted. He says the programme is an absolute necessity,
helping to fund road surfacing, sewerage and gas supply projects for the
villages lacking these basic living conditions. Junior coalition partners Save
Romania Union and PLUS Alliance say however that the project is similar to the
national development programmes of the previous Social Democratic governments,
namely merely a way of channelling public funds to political allies, with no
transparency and in a discretionary manner. They are accusing the Liberals of trampling
the law and giving themselves free rein to theft. On Thursday, president Klaus
Iohannis signed the order to dismiss justice minister Stelian Ion, a member of
the Save Romania Union and PLUS Alliance, and replace him with the Liberal
Lucian Bode as interim. Earlier, the Alliance said it was withdrawing its political
support for Cîţu after the latter dismissed Ion for not approving the
Anghel Saligny investment programme.

Forum. Romania remains a pillar of
stability in the Black Sea and the Western Balkans and one of its priorities is
to defend common strategic interests, said president Klaus Iohannis in the
opening of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest. He went on to
say that throughout these difficult times, Romania’s support for its regional
partners has been concrete proof that unity and solidarity alone can help
overcome crisis situations and arrive at the best solutions to move forward.
The 5th edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum is
taking place on Friday and Saturday in Bucharest. It is organised by the New
Strategy Center, with the support of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division in
partnership with the Romanian defence and foreign affairs ministries. The New
Strategy Center is a Romanian think-tank founded in 2015 and working in the
field of international relations, security and defence. It organises various
events and publishes specialist studies, in particular in order to promote the
strategic importance of the Black Sea region and of the Balkans.

Football. Romania’s football side on Thursday
night defeated Iceland 2-nil in Reykjavik in a qualifying match for the 2022
World Cup. Romania will next play Liechtenstein in Bucharest on 5th
September and North Macedonia in Skopje three days later. Romania are currently
fourth in qualifying Group J with 6 points, after Armenia, with 10 points,
Germany with 9 points, and North Macedonia with 7 points. The first placed side
in the group qualify, while the second best placed side will go into play-offs.

Exchange rate.
According to the exchange rate published by the National Bank of Romania on
Friday, the euro reached its highest rate against the national currency, the
leu, being traded at 4.9416 lei, up 0.30 bani, while the US dollar is down 0.39
bani against the leu, being traded at 4.1633 lei. (CM)