Romanian Government distributes energy cards to vulnerable population
The Romanian government has decided to offer value cards to the vulnerable population to mitigate the effect of high energy costs. The so-called energy cards can be used starting from Monday to pay electricity, wood, gas or maintenance bills. The first instalment of 700 lei can be used until 30 June. At the time of payment, the card, identity card and the bill to be paid or the debt validation certificate must be presented. For those who live in a block of flats, the operation is carried out either at home, via the postman, who is equipped with a special electronic device, or at the post office. The cards have already reached about 1.7 million households. Those who do not have a clear housing situation have gone through a verification phase, which will be completed by the end of the month with around 700,000 more cards to be distributed.
Romania launches a nationwide information campaign on how to react in case of an earthquake
The Romanian authorities are launching a nationwide information campaign on Monday on how to respond in the event of an earthquake. This week, the government approved a decision to make the „Be prepared” website available to every institution and as accessible as possible to citizens. These decisions come in the context of the recent earthquakes in Gorj county. Preparing the population to know how to react during and after a possible earthquake is essential, as is the way in which the institutions directly responsible should react, said Secretary of State Raed Arafat, who added that special emphasis will be placed on preventive measures. The „Be Prepared” platform is another tool designed to provide useful information to the population in case of emergencies. In addition, work is speeding up on the expertise and rehabilitation of schools in Romania. „We have 70 schools that are being rehabilitated through a programme financed by the World Bank, and we also have 118 schools that have been assessed as seismic risk one,” said Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă.
Timisoara has officially joined the ranks of European Capitals of Culture
Timisoara has officially joined the ranks of the European Capitals of Culture, aand the inauguration was marked by 130 dedicated cultural events attended by over 500 artists from home and abroad and over 15,000 spectators. Dominic Fritz, mayor of city of Timișoara, in western Romania, said: „The values that have built this city – innovation, multiculturalism, diversity – have been seen and heard throughout Europe.” Programme coordinator Ramona Laczko David said Timişoara had made its own mark in the family of European cultural capitals: „I think we have a pretty clear picture of what Timisoara will be like in 2023, an eventful city. We had more than 10,000 spectators when the Melina Mercouri Prize for Artistic Excellence was awarded. A lot of people came from other parts of Romania, so we are convinced that we had a success”, said Ramona Laczko David. For a year, more than 1,000 cultural activities will take place in Timisoara, events designed as a journey under the slogan „Light up the city through you”.
Romania checks Ukraine’s work on the Danube’s Bâstroe Canal
The Romanian authorities intend to check the works made by Ukraine on the Danube’s Bâstroe Canal, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă announced on Monday, saying he will summon the Ukrainian ambassador in Bucharest to this end. The Prime Minister admitted that the works may have an impact on the environment, but stressed that Romania cannot confirm at the moment that the deepening of the waterway has taken place or not there. „Let us first verify and confirm this data. None of the institutions mentioned can confirm these data until we get to the canal to be able to verify and carry out depth measurements,” Nicolae Ciucă said. The Prime Minister’s announcement comes as the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure recently reported that the depth of the Bastia Canal has increased from 3.9 to 6.5 metres, although the Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest claimed that it was only maintenance work on the waterway.
Magda Baciu
