A roundup of local and international news.
OPINION – The decision to annul the election results should be taken by the highest electoral body, and the power of the Constitutional Court (CCR) to do so should be limited to exceptional and clearly regulated circumstances, the Venice Commission says in a report on the annulment of the presidential elections in Romania. In Bucharest, the opposition political parties, namely USR, AUR and the Young People’s Party, reacted by emphasizing that, in effect, the consultative body of the Council of Europe confirmed that the Constitutional Court’s decision was illegal and abusive. Former Minister of Justice, Tudorel Toader, explained, however, that this commission issued opinions, not a decision, and the suggestions made are not binding. We recall that the presidential elections scheduled for November 2024 were annulled by the CCR before the second round. The court made its decision based on documents provided by the Supreme Council for National Defense, citing interference from a so-called state actor.
DECISION – The EU foreign ministers, convened within the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), decided on Monday to extend for another six months, until July 31, 2025, the restrictive measures applied against Russia for its continued actions to destabilize the situation in Ukraine, according to a statement from the EU Council, Agerpres reports. These economic measures, first introduced in 2014, were significantly extended as of February 2022 in response to Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine, the statement also reads. The FAC meeting in Brussels is the first in this format organized during the Polish presidency of the EU Council, a position taken on January 1. It is also the first such meeting attended by Emil Hurezeanu as head of the Bucharest diplomacy.
ARTIFACTS – Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu had talks with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp in Brussels on Monday regarding the theft of Romanian artifacts, including a 2,500-year-old golden helmet, from the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands. The two ministers agreed to cooperate very closely at operational and diplomatic level. The golden helmet of Coţofeneşti, as well as three Dacian gold bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia, some of Romania’s most important artifacts, were stolen following a ‘particularly serious incident,’ the Ministry of Culture announced. The General Prosecutor’s Office reported that a criminal case had been opened ex officio. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced the organization, at the Government level, of a crisis team for the efficient coordination of activities to recover the four stolen artifacts.
HOLOCAUST – Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu emphasized on Monday the Romanian Government’s firm commitment to combat the scourge of anti-Semitism and to promote the memory of the Holocaust victims, saying it is the authorities’ duty to ensure that the “Romanian society knows and does not repeat the mistakes of history”. In his opinion, education must play a central role in this respect. The Prime Minister participated, at the Coral Temple, in a ceremony dedicated to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the commemoration of the victims of the anti-Jewish Legionary Pogrom in Bucharest. Ciolacu welcomed the release of the first Israeli hostages, including two women with Romanian citizenship and Romanian origins, following the signing of the Agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, which offers the prospect of lasting peace in the region.
BELARUS – The current president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, won the presidential election with about 87% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the electoral commission. His four opponents reportedly received 1% to 2% percent of the vote. International media write that the elections were intended to give a seventh consecutive term to the autocrat Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and considered the most docile ally of Putin’s Russia. On the eve of the vote, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, said that the leader in Minsk “has no legitimacy” and that “the new electoral charade is an affront to democracy.” On Monday, Britain, the European Union and their allies condemned the “rigged” presidential elections in Belarus. “We are united in condemning the sham presidential elections in Belarus on January 26, as well as the ongoing human rights violations committed by the Belarusian regime,” a joint statement by Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand and the United Kingdom said.
BACCALAUREATE – High school senior students in Romania have been taking the oral tests in the first session of this year’s Baccalaureate exam starting on Monday. The assessment of communication skills in Romanian takes place until Wednesday, with the oral tests in ethnic minorities’ native languages held over three days, starting on January 29. The foreign language oral tests are scheduled between February 3 and 5, and digital skills will be tested between February 5 and 7. The organisation of these tests during the school year has been criticised by some students, teachers and education experts, especially because high school students must also attend classes during the exam days. The written tests in the Baccalaureate exam begins on May 30 and end on June 30, when the final results are to be announced.
