Xinca The banking sector has been restructured to meet European standards and has weathered the global crisis a decade ago and its aftermath reasonably well, without public bailouts. Few cities and no smaller settlements had wastewater treatment plants or ecologically sound landfills before accession to the European Union; massive investments were made afterwards, but the problem is far from solved. November 20, 2006. Uncharacteristically for normally cautious Romanian diplomacy, the minister of foreign affairs was among the first in the region to voice support for the pro-democracy movement in Belarus in a series of statements and public events coordinated with the more typically forthcoming Baltic States and Poland. Structural changes involving institutional construction are much more difficult to implement. This is a good illustration of the influence these professional categories have over the decision-making process. The violent end of Communism did not lead therefore to a clean break with the past, but a gradual and painful transition lasting the good part of a decade. Indeed, the first important anti-corruption case under the new coalition was against one of the top leaders of the main ruling party, PNL, who is the president of a regional council. Cooperation with Bulgaria, a fellow EU member, is likely to intensify through the opening of the regional electricity market scheduled for 2021. The bicameral parliament and the dual executive, with a directly elected president and a powerful prime minister installed by the parliament, make it difficult to concentrate power, but the limits of the constitution are tested in moments of intense political competition. Whereas the Roma (estimated at some 3% of the population) are not organized politically, the Hungarian ethnic party (UDMR) consistently achieves a share of votes close to the Hungarians share in the population (67%). The routine of governing is ensured by the residual professionalism in ministries, where certain policy coordination occurs below the level of the political leadership, leading to a decoupling of bureaucratic ranks from the political levels. In 2020, the coronavirus crisis put an end to sustained growth that had lasted almost a decade after the global economic crisis of 2008-09. "What are the most important issues that Romania is facing at the moment?." Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Everything you need to know about Consumer Goods, Identify market potentials of the digital future, Insights into the world's most important technology markets, Health Market Outlook The social and political resistance to reforms was high and led to several rounds of violent uprisings by the losers in the process, mainly blue-collar workers. Romania currently has 605 troops in Iraq. No political enclaves exist, although interest groups and stakeholders may occasionally exert disproportionate influence and may be viewed as possessing some veto power. No more damaging legislation was initiated, and the dialogue with the European Union was re-established to fix the damages and fine-tune the system. These chaotic protests, famously carried out by the coal miners throughout the 1990s, were also manipulated by conservative forces and members of the old intelligence services. Social media has proved to be an imperfect substitute. In 2005, the government introduced a 16% flat tax on incomes and profits. By contrast, following a more subdued campaign, the turnout in the parliamentary elections of December 2020 was 7.65% lower, compared to 2016, and over 13% lower than for the local elections in 2020. Competent civil servants who continue to work in ministries may be demotivated by poor political leadership. On the other hand, the two electoral campaigns in 2020, for local and parliamentary elections, forced the parties to be more receptive to public signals, in terms of cadre policy and issues: people from civil society and grassroots organizations ran in elections and became mayors or councilors in a number of large cities following the local elections held in September. Qeqchi The polarization of Romanian politics will decrease correspondingly, as a certain degree of mimicry of the West has always existed among the local political class. Currently, you are using a shared account. Jingoistic, anti-European, and anti-minority language continues on TV and in social media, where various groups vie for influence by agitating against socially liberal subjects. The fines imposed during the first wave of the pandemics were high, but enforcement was erratic and the measure short-lived. In April 2005, Romania, along with Bulgaria, signed an accession treaty to join the EU. The government is cautiously supportive of Kiev and avoided loud criticisms regarding the minority language status of Romanian in Ukraine. In cross-national tests, for example, Romanian secondary students score below 90% of the OECD average in terms of reading and mathematical skills, and the gap is growing. Agence France-Presse. While there are no direct threats against media outlets or independent journalists, the economic and political situation favor self-censorship and obedient behavior of many mass-media actors. However, the pandemic will probably put a dent in these trends in 2020 and possibly subsequently. Public procurement remains affected by corruption and favoritism at all levels of governance. All restrictions imposed by tariff and non-tariff trade barriers have been abolished, and there have been very few exceptions from this regime in the past years, all in line with EU norms. Actors on both sides of the political spectrum appeal to the increasingly proactive Constitutional Court a hybrid institution, not part of the judiciary to pass decisions that normally should be negotiated politically. The central bank has remained relatively strong, independent of political power, and committed to monetary stability. The new coalition government formed after the December 2020 elections is made of three parties, and it remains to be seen how much they can change the situation. Issues under discussion included military cooperation in Iraq, Afghanistan, the status of Moldova, the Black Sea region, and U.S. visa policy.9, Romania has participated actively in the global war on terrorism. Hungarian If anything, the medical and economic response to the crisis organized on a common basis at the EU level seems to have tacitly reinforced the pro-Union attitude of the Romanian public, which typically goes hand in hand with the acceptance of democratic norms. It is expected that these laws will be voted on in parliament in 2021; the current coalition made a pledge to avoid changing important laws on justice through emergency ordinances or other fast-track procedures, as has happened in the past. In 2020, it was reinforced by the coronavirus restrictions and has little to do with concerns about ballot confidentiality. In March, authorities closed an investigation into Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiris unlawful rendition, secret detention and torture at a CIA black site in Romania. The main risks to the consistent functioning of state administration, including the public health sector, remain political clientelism and corruption. Get full access to all features within our Corporate Solutions. In July, NGOs raised concerns that politicians intended to propose anti-LGBTI legislation. On average, the state offers competitive taxation regimes to investors, although the instability of the legal framework, especially in fiscal and taxation policy, remains an issue. The financial distribution remains skewed in favor of higher education at the expense of primary and vocational schools. He was charged with corruption in February 2006, and his accounts were frozen. Arguably, such representation is more accurate with the removal of free-floating political groups. On one hand, the change of government at the end of 2019, with the more authoritarian and anti-EU Social Democrats losing power, has eased the political pressure on the judiciary. The former communist-dominated Party of Social Democracy of Romania (since renamed the Social Democratic Party, or PSD) ruled Romania from the country's bloody revolution in late 1989 until 1996, and from 2000-2004. The Ministry of Justice was criticized for overlooking several amendments proposed by NGOs, including on legal aid provision and the ability of whistle-blowers to report directly to the press. The Military Balance. This scheme had to be abandoned in 2017, since it was not in line with EU competition rules, and no replacement was found by successive governments. French This is obvious both in the regular, seven-year budget programming and in the extraordinary Recovery and Resilience facility, the European Unions response to the coronavirus crisis: while the Western part of the continent intends to invest in research and the new green agenda, the Eastern part still struggles with a deficit of roads, railways, and canals. There are signals that the special anti-corruption prosecutor is again gearing up for action, after a few years in which they were less active because of political pressure. Indeed, new high-profile cases started again to appear toward the end of 2020. The legislature elected is the least fragmented in recent history, with just five parties crossing the threshold; three of them formed the ruling coalition around the Liberals. The UNDP gender-related indices and other relevant indicators no longer display progress, but rather stagnation. The judiciary remains problematic when it comes to enforcing contracts through the courts, as the waiting time and vulnerability to corruption are high. The inherited systemic problems of the education and R&D sector were difficult to address by mere budget allocations even before the pandemics. On the other hand, R&D spending in the private sector tends to be lower than in Western countries. The influence of military-intelligence structures, overt or covert, in parties, public institutions, large projects financed with EU funds, or the business sector remains a source of concern. Romanias infrastructure for private enterprise is firmly in place, and the inviolability of private property is stated in the constitution. "Bulgaria and Romania Warned on Corruption." The economy grew at a robust 7.7% in 2006 and is forecast to rise by 6.5% in 2007. The Romanian foreign ministry denounced the findings as hearsay.12, The United States has been providing various forms of assistance to Romania since the overthrow of communism in 1989. The coronavirus crisis exposed these weaknesses in the system and promises were made to reform the public health care during the whole electoral year of 2020. Sinhalese In June 2004, parliament passed a child welfare law that went into effect on January 1, 2005. Swati However, major challenges have come and gone without altering Romanias democratic framework: the overturning of a cabinet through a no-confidence motion at the end of 2019; two rounds of local and legislative elections in 2020; and the difficulties created by the pandemics throughout 2020. It functioned as a resource during the years of high growth and a safety valve through external migration when times turned sour: private remittances make up for insufficient public assistance to the elders and youngsters left behind. Under stress, the government had to learn to be more flexible and adaptable to circumstances which change quickly, such as in the public education and health sectors. Large social service-providing NGOs have consolidated, some working successfully as subcontractors of local governments in areas of elderly or homeless care; a group has started a fundraising campaign to build the first new non-profit hospital in Romania since 1989, without state help. Mapudungun The health care crisis exposed the weaknesses of the sector; whether this will be a trigger of reforms and improved financing remains to be seen. Civil society organizations (CSOs) are still fighting an uphill battle to make their voices heard in matters of policies and governance, and the European Union is too bureaucratic to function as an effective supporter of civil society since the more flexible bilateral donors left. Tamil In, European Commission. Ever since the bloody revolution of 1989, Romania has been exceptional in the handling of its wartime (as an ally of Nazi Germany) and communist past. The budget deficit went up substantially in crisis and acts as a constraint on whatever reform plans the government may have. Prosecutors closed the complaint against the reporters in June. The degree to which intelligence services have penetrated political parties and control various leaders remains a concern: the mechanisms of civilian control over the intelligence community have traditionally been feeble. Today, there is a comparatively small number of active and sustainable NGOs working in the country. The response to the pandemic, both in terms of health care measures and economic support, was inspired by and coordinated with the European Union. In December 2005, the two countries signed an agreement granting the United States permission to establish military bases in Romania. German Chinese Among other actions, it contributed transport aircraft and troops to the war in Afghanistan, where 850 Romanian soldiers are now serving in the NATO ISAF mission. The strains created by the coronavirus crisis were overcome with no significant risk for the democratic framework of Romanian politics. The general view is that the media is weaker and more clientelized now than before the crisis, with more undue influence exerted over it by parties or the groups controlling resources related to the fight against COVID-19, including the military-intelligence establishment. Participation in public life and in voluntary associations remains limited. All these gained parliamentary representation after the December 2020 elections, but the anti-system AUR party remains mostly a channel of marginal voices, not of the religious establishment. In October, an investigation by Lighthouse Reports exposed how authorities in Romania as well as in other EU countries had violently rounded up migrants and asylum seekers and summarily returned them to countries outside the EU. and over 1Mio. Key indicators for the current decade have shown signs of improvement, however. Political rhetoric continued to be inflamed and polarized in the past two years. May 2006. September 29, 2006. http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2006/sept/report_bg_ro_2006_en.pdf. In addition, Romania permitted the use of its territoryland, airspace and seaportsfor the U.S.-led military action against Iraq, and U.S. troops were stationed at a base near Constana, which acted as an "air bridge" to the Gulf. December 3, 2005. The NGO Accept contested the fine arguing that Covid-19 restrictions on attendance were disproportionate. Separately, a new generation of young political leaders in the mainstream parties include many who are members of various neo-protestant churches, a relative novelty in Romania. The influx of EU funds can help but cannot change the low quality of spending in this sector: money does not finance projects and results, but mostly outdated state research institutions. The labor force participation is significantly lower than in Western Europe, due to early retirement and rural household occupations. However, the situation has improved in recent years. Inside the EU, Romanias position has been largely in favor of the free trade agreements with the United States, Canada, and East Asia, as well as for the liberalization of services within the European Union, which would create a clear advantage for freelancers based in Romania and operating in the common market. More recently, the coronavirus crisis may lead to restructuring and layoffs in Western Europe, in particular in services and other sectors employing manual labor, in which the Romanian diaspora tends to work. The state of emergency in the early months of the pandemics allowed fast-track procurement for medical supplies and related services. Background information and economic data are drawn from U.S. Department of State. Total aid to Romania was $49.124 million in FY2005 and $34.355 million in FY2006. Vietnamese What are the most important issues that Romania is facing at the moment? In June 2007, the Supreme Council on National Defense turned aside another effort to withdraw the troops; the government reportedly is set to boost its deployment by an additional 346 soldiers.10, In December 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Bucharest, where she and then-Foreign Minister Razvan Ungureanu signed a 10-year agreement permitting the United States to establish military bases in the country. However, the problem of clientelism as a party-building strategy remains, especially affecting the two large parties which typically use state resources to reward their followers in territory: the Socialist party on the left and the Liberals on the right. Some of these activists successfully entered politics in 2020, winning seats in both the local and parliamentary elections. Religious education was introduced as an optional subject in schools in the 1990s, but the impact of this change has remained largely symbolic: the declining of educational standards has other multiple causes. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. In May, the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled that Romania must abide by pre-EU accession pledges to tackle corruption and meet EU benchmarks to ensure a fair legal system, including safeguards against political interference. Tagalog Its soft power in the region has correspondingly increased in the past years and a half and as a result, it obtained the right to host the European Cybersecurity Agency. On the other hand, the 2020 elections resulted in a younger parliament with a higher fraction of first-time MPs, many of them with civil society backgrounds; the same is true for the local administration in a number of large cities, including Bucharest. In 2004 national elections, the center-right captured a majority in parliament along with the presidency. Frequent initiatives to decrease bureaucracy amount to little, in spite of the support given by foreign partners such as the European Commission (EU funding mechanisms) or the World Bank (economic governance) in the form of regulatory impact assessments of e-government best practices. The coronavirus crisis brought about several waves of school closures in 2020, which are likely to continue into 2021. In November 2006, Basescu stated that "Romania will orient its energy policy toward developing alternative energy sources, including coal, hydroelectric and nuclear energy."4. Portuguese Cebuano There were two new important constraints on the governments actions in the past year and a half. July 19, 2006. In September, the European Parliament asked the EC to address Romanias failure to comply with a 2018 CJEU decision on the need to harmonize national legislation to guarantee freedom of movement and residence for same-sex couples. Public property tends to be less protected and more prone to abuse through preferential concession contracts, especially at the local level. The new anti-system party, AUR, won slightly over 9% of the vote in the parliamentary elections with inflamed rhetoric based on conspiracies, nationalism, and opposition to measures taken against COVID-19. Ceauescus nationalistic denial of Romanias involvement in offensive warfare, war crimes, or the Holocaust continued for a while in the public discourse after 1989. The recession was mitigated by the governmental job-supporting schemes which followed the German model (Kurzarbeit). In 2020, the coronavirus crisis exposed serious weaknesses in the education and public health care systems. Romania is rich in natural resources; analysts believe that it will prosper if the government can improve transparency, permit the growth of private financial institutions, and ease barriers to foreign investors. However, court verdicts may be arbitrary, with wide differences in solutions sometimes being adopted in similar cases, as judicial practice has not yet been fully unified. The slight increase in life expectancy over the last decade suggests overall improvements in the delivery of services. The move is part of a global realignment of U.S. military forces. Reporters investigating alleged irregularities and corruption in the use of public funds were questioned by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism in May, after a mayor lodged a criminal complaint accusing them of organizing a criminal group and blackmail both crimes punishable by up to five years in prison. The absorption of EU funds remains among the lowest in the European Union and is subject to data manipulation or post-factum corrections, making the absorption rate appear higher than it actually is. The emphasis will therefore be less on the competition among parties and more on the political fights within each camp, among factions positioning themselves for succession, eyeing either the leadership of their own party or the position of a presidential candidate in 2024; this is true especially for the two large mainstream parties, the Liberals (in power) and the Social Democrats (in opposition). Turkmen Romanian legislation on the acquisition and protection of property rights is generally in line with the EU acquis, but despite increased efforts to prosecute copyright-related crimes both in the arts and the software industries, there are still loopholes in the protection of intellectual and industrial property rights. The same problem appeared in relation to the publicity campaigns ran by the government or several large municipalities. Hebrew Many Romanians have expressed frustration at the continuingand sometimes contradictoryinternational pressure on the issue.8, In recent years, Romania has cooperated closely with the United States in a number of areas. As a result, there are fewer outlets, lower circulation, and a disappearance of genres (investigative journalism, political commentary, social reportage). Hate speech and intolerance have instead been directed against the LGBTQ+ population, who are socially stigmatized and have few advocates, and, in 2020, against the restrictions imposed by the authorities in order to deal with the pandemic. Abd al-Rahim Al-Nashiri remained detained in Guantnamo Bay without trial and at risk of facing the death penalty. A draft law on the protection of whistle-blowers in the public interest excluding whistle-blowers in private sector remained pending in Parliament. Popular attention has focused on the one million euros worth of real estate and other assets that Nastase claimed he had acquired using an inheritance his wife had received from a 97-year-old auntwho had lived in a small Bucharest apartment.