This week it became clear that a new law introducing sex education in schools is not only dividing public opinion but also the governing coalition. To the dismay of Prime Minister Florin Cîțu the coalition is also divided on other issues and he is now ready to use emergency ordinances to push reforms through. Just before the close of this newsletter’s deadline, news reached us that FC Dinamo Bucharest has filed for insolvency and that Simona Halep will not defend her Wimbledon title due to a persistent injury.
This week parliament sacked Ombudsperson Renate Weber, which says more about Romania’s political parties than about the Ombudsperson. President Iohannis promulgated the 5G law; we spoke with Tiberiu Gîndu, Executive Director of the National Association of Internet Providers in Romania (ANISP), what this means. And Austrian, North Macedonian and Ukrainian fans flocked to the National Arena in Bucharest to cheer on their squads in the EURO 2020 football championship.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
This week we are launching the Romanian Dispatch podcast. Guest is civil engineer and urban planner Michael Horodniceanu. Romanian-born Horodniceanu was traffic commissioner of New York City and is a pro-bono advisor to Bucharest mayor Nicuşor Dan, who made headlines last week declaring his intention to raise parking fees in order to increase mobility. To improve traffic flows in the capital in the short term, Horodniceau advocates for low-cost measures like a clearer parking policy and the use of artificial intelligence.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
Achttienvoudig Roemeens kampioen Dinamo Boekarest verkeert in een diepe financiële crisis die het voortbestaan van de club bedreigt. Na een serie corrupte of simpelweg nalatige eigenaren dreigde voor de club, in 1948 opgericht door het Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken onder het communisme, zelfs even uitschrijving uit de Roemeense eredivisie. De situatie op het veld is niet veel beter. De spelers, die al maanden wachten op hun salaris, kunnen de verwachtingen van de fans niet waarmaken; het team kwijnt weg in het rechterrijtje.
Bucharest mayor Nicuşor Dan made headlines this week with introducing pedestrian-only zones in the capital on weekends and declaring his intention to raise parking fees in order to increase mobility. The European Commission once again called on EU member states to admit Romania to the Schengen area. And the long-awaited National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) was approved by Brussels and published by the government on Wednesday.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
June 1st is on the horizon, the day that many anti-corona measures will be relaxed. The pace of vaccinations is slowing and hence authorities are rolling out a new campaign to encourage laggards to get the jab(s). Pensions are back in the limelight, this time because the government is committing to pension reform as part of the PNRR, the EU’s recovery fund.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
Infections are down, vaccinations are up, economic activity is up too. Slowly but surely Romania is returning to pre-pandemic normalcy — whatever that means. Simona Halep will not compete at Roland Garros and Romania did not qualify for the Eurovision 2021 songfestival final slated for today.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
Na de val van de Berlijnse muur en de ineenstorting van de communistische regimes in Midden-Europa en het uiteenvallen van de Soviet Unie in 1991, startten westerse democratieën grootschalige hulpprogramma’s ter bevordering van de democratie. Interview met democratie-expert Thomas Carothers (Carnegie Endowment for Peace).
Romania is slowly entering the post-pandemic phase. President Iohannis announced that wearing face masks outdoors as of today is no longer mandatory — sooner as expected — and curfew will be lifted. And after having been in quarantine for months, Timişoara entered the “green scenario” for the first time this year.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
Hope you had a restful Easter break. During the break we have been busy building the Romanian Dispatch web platform and producing our first podcasts. We expect to present you with the fruits of our labour soon!
This week news broke that a Liechtenstein prince shot Arthur, Romania’s largest brown bear. Police started investigating this possible poaching case involving the prince, who is reported to have “wrongly” killed the male bear in a trophy hunt on a visit to the Carpathian Mountains in March.
This and more in this week’s Romanian Dispatch’s coverage of the past seven days. If you like it, why not pass it on? New readers can subscribe here.
