December 1, 2020 UPDATE

National Day. Low-key celebrations due to the pandemic were held on Tuesday in Romania and the Romanian communities abroad to celebrate the National Day on 1st December and 102 years since the creation of the Romanian nation state. In Bucharest's Arch of Triumph Square, usually the site of military parades involving thousands of troops and attended by thousands of spectators, a modest military celebration was held this year with around 150 troops. The guests included doctors, medical staff and foreign ambassadors, alongside president Klaus Iohannis, prime minister Ludovic Orban and the interim Senate speaker Robert Cazanciuc. "Dear Romanians, the involvement of each an every one you is needed today, just like in the important moments we celebrate on National Day", said president Iohannis. He continued: "We have seen all over the country heart-warming stories about people who reach out to help others, about people who volunteer and about people who are donating for hospitals in difficulty. This is what the union of Romanians signifies in 2020!". On National day, the president decorated a number of doctors and nurses for their contribution to the fight against coronavirus and to saving lives. Low-key events attended only by the local authorities were held in all big cities in Romania. 

Coronavirus Romania. For Romania, November was the most difficult month in terms of the coronavirus pandemic, recording almost half of all infections so far and more than a third of all coronavirus-related fatalities. 2,000 more people than at the end of October are receiving hospital treatment and 300 more people are in intensive care. Recent days have seen signs, however, that the situation is improving slightly. Tuesday saw 4,272 new daily cases and 199 new deaths, while 1,259 people are now in intensive care. While two weeks ago almost the entire country was in the high-risk "red" category, with counties where the infection rate over 14 days was 8 and 9 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, only two counties now have an infection rate of more than 7 cases per 1,000 inhabitants and two others are in the green category, with an infection rate of less than 1.5 cases per 1,000 inhabitants. The authorities are urging people to continue to respect the sanitary rules in place.

Vaccination. The European Medicines Agency announced on Tuesday it would hold an extraordinary meeting to decide whether to give the green light to the marketing of the Covid vaccine developed by the German company BioNTech and the American company Pfizer. Also on Tuesday, French president Emmanuel Macron said in a press conference that France is planning to launch a widespread vaccination campaign for the public between April and June, after a first vaccination drive targeted at the most vulnerable. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis said the national vaccination campaign will be approved on Thursday by the Country's Supreme Defence Council. He said the first vaccination drive would target the medical staff and the vulnerable people, with widespread vaccination to start, most probably, in spring.

EU funding. Starting on 1st December, Romania can access 3 billion euros worth of European Union funding as part of a temporary support programme to mitigate unemployment (SURE). Romania is to receive a total of 4 billion euros in two stages, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen told Radio Romania. She also said she hoped an agreement would eventually be reached, but that the European Commission is working on alternatives for member states to be able to access the recovery package which is currently blocked by Hungary and Poland who are opposed to EU funding being linked to the rule of law. Von der Leyen also said the first vaccinations against Covid-19 may take place before the end of the year.

NATO. NATO. The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu is attending a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers to discuss security in the Black Sea region. The talks, which are held in a video-conference format, are looking at the application of allied decisions with regard to NATO's adjustment to current security developments and strategic challenges. In the first working session on Tuesday, the Romanian foreign minister said special attention should still be given to consolidating NATO's role, reaffirming the central role of the transatlantic relation based on the principles of cohesion, unity and allied solidarity, as well as revitalising NATO partnerships, including by continuing the open doors policy. He also reiterated support for the peace process in Afghanistan and expressed hope that a peace accord would be achieved soon. 

Inflation. The annual inflation rate in the eurozone remained at minus 0.3% in November compared with the previous month, according to preliminary data published on Tuesday by Eurostat, the European statistics office. The annual inflation rate in the eurozone remained in negative territory, which analysts see as a result of lower demand because of the coronavirus pandemic. The stable inflation rate in November is mainly explained by the fact that the price of food, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes grew by 1.9% (compared to a 2% growth in October), and the price of services grew by 0.6% (compared with a 0.4% growth in October), while energy prices saw an 8.4% drop (compared with an 8.2% drop in October). In October, the annual inflation rate in the European Union remained stable at 0.3%, with Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania with the highest rates. (CM)