THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Alarming figures in the coronavirus epidemic in Romania

The number of coronavirus infections in Romania has risen alarmingly over the last few days, putting renewed pressure on the medical system. Several dedicated ICU units are full, and the number of beds is limited. Thousands of infected patients are in hospitals, many of them minors, sometimes with severe forms of the disease. Several outbreaks have emerged, an many localities have started taking supplementary safety measures. According to statistics, right now one in two Romanians have no protection against COVID-19, either by not being vaccinated, or not having had the disease. The authorities remind people that vaccination, wearing masks, and avoiding crowds, are still the main means of protecting against the disease. The pace of immunization in Romania remains slow, in spite of repeated calls from experts. So far, over 5.2 million Romanians took both jabs, which represents a third of the eligible population. PM Florin Citu said he wants to avoid shutting down the economy if the rate of COVID cases goes over 3 to a thousand. This is the reason for which the authorities are taking new measures to limit transmission of the virus, such as mandating green certificates in restaurants, gyms, or public pools, but also for public and private events in places where the rate of infection is over 3 to a thousand.

Romania starts a second pandemic school year

On Monday, the new school year started with students showing up to class in person in Romania, but with added sanitary measures. This is the second year when kids start school in the pandemic, and authorities say that schooling can be in person as long as the rate of infection in a given locality is 6 to a thousand or below. At the same time, the authorities expressed hope that progress will be made in terms of vaccination of students, considering that there are mobile teams available for vaccination in schools. Of the over 300,000 employees in education, little over 60% have been vaccinated, while the rate of vaccination among students over 12 is only 15%.

Support for consumers affected by rises in energy prices

Natural gas prices and the price of green certificates have pushed up energy prices on the Old Continent. As a result, the decision makers in Bucharest plan to support home consumers in paying their energy bills. First, President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday endorsed the Law of the Vulnerable Consumer, passed by Parliament, by which this winter over 500,000 vulnerable families would get state aid for heating and electricity. Also, according to a draft government decision first seen on Wednesday, the state would subsidize electricity by 3.6 Eurocents per kilowatt hour, and 25% of the gas bill. The other beneficiaries of support would be households that consume between 30 and 200 kWh electricity per year, and between 100 and 1,200 cm of natural gas. The government also looked into the possibility of setting a ceiling on the price of gas. PM Florin Citu, however, said that this should not affect investment in the economy, and that the measure would require talks with the Competition Council and the EC. The opposition Social Democratic Party criticized the center-right government, claiming that the latter liberalized the energy market at the worst time possible.

10 years of strategic partnership between Romania and the US

Romania and the US will continue to be bastions of Euroatlantic values, and will face the challenges of the future together as friends and allies, as shown in a press release from the Romanian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department. The document was issued on 13 September, the 10th anniversary of the passing of the common declaration on the 21st century strategic partnership between Romania and the US, and from the signing of the agreement to install the ballistic shield element at the base in Deveselu, in southern Romania. The ministry emphasizes the fact that the agreement reiterates the commitment made by the United States towards European security, and is a common contribution made by the two countries to common NATO defense. The anti-ballistic system is exclusively defensive, and is meant to defend from threats from outside the Euroatlantic space.

The 20th anniversary of the 9\11 attacks

On September 11, there were commemorations across the world for the almost 3,000 victims of the terror attacks in the US 20 years ago, among them Romanians. Political leaders from countries across the world have sent messages of solidarity and compassion to the bereaved families, reaffirming the commitment to defend freedom and combat terrorism. President Klaus Iohannis sent a letter to his American counterpart, Joe Biden, in which he stated that Romanians stand with the American people, and is engaged in the fight against terrorism and consolidating common values: human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which he emphasized the long term and firm commitment that Bucharest has made to fight terrorism and violent extremism. In Bucharest, the government expressed its solidarity with the American people. In Washington, the Romania Embassy paid homage to the victims. Romanian deputy NATO secretary Mircea Geoana wrote on Facebook that 9\11 was an attack on everyone, not only the United States.