A roundup of local and international news.
ELECTIONS – The Constitutional Court of Romania rejected, on Tuesday, the appeal submitted by the pro-Russian extremist Călin Georgescu, upholding the decision of the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) to invalidate his candidacy for the presidential elections in May. Previously, the Bureau invoked the Constitutional Court ruling to cancel the presidential elections last year and said his candidacy does not meet the conditions of legality, as Georgescu, by failing to comply with the electoral procedure, violated the obligation to defend democracy, which is based on fair and impartial elections. Georgescu’s election ban on Sunday was followed by violent protests from his supporters in which 13 gendarmes were wounded and material damages were caused. The General Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal investigation for public instigation while the REPER party, from outside Parliament, filed a criminal complaint for public instigation and assault in respect of the public statements made by the president of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, George Simion, the wanted mercenary Horaţiu Potra and Călin Georgescu in response to the decision of the Central Electoral Bureau. If Călin Georgescu and the parties supporting him – AUR and POT (in the opposition) – want to register another candidate for the May elections, they will have to submit the file and the list with the minimum 200,000 signatures by March 15. On the other hand, Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan will be able to run as an independent in the May presidential elections, after the Constitutional Court decided to reject all appeals filed against the BEC’s decision to validate his candidacy. Also on Tuesday, the Central Electoral Bureau accepted the registration of the candidacy of Crin Antonescu, whose presidential election run is supported by the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.
MOLDOVA – The European Parliament voted on Tuesday, by a wide majority, in favor of a growth plan for the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, worth 1.9 billion euros. There were 499 MEPs who voted in favor, 117 against, and 44 abstained. In the debates that took place on Monday, MEPs emphasized that, through this mechanism, the Republic of Moldova is supported in becoming energy independent from Russia, Radio Chisinau reports. According to the cited source, the European plan for the Republic of Moldova provides for the granting of 520 million euros in the form of grants, while another 1.5 billion will be low-interest loans. The funds will be granted twice a year, following requests from the Government in Chisinau, and the European Commission will verify whether or not the conditions of the reform plan have been met. This plan provides for the development of infrastructure and increased financial assistance, the progressive integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU single market, as well as the implementation of fundamental socio-economic reforms.
NATO – “NATO has military scenarios for any security situation that may affect member states, including those on the Eastern Flank”, says Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan. His statement comes after the White House gave signals that it might reduce its presence in Europe and that some US troops may be relocated. In another move, the Romania median note, the expansion of the NATO military base in Mihail Kogălniceanu, in the south-east, is going ahead in keeping with the initial plan and there is no indication it may be halted. The base already employs 200 local workers, whose number may grow, given that the over 2.5 billion euro project provides for the transformation of the area into a genuine city able to house 10,000 military and civilians.
ECONOMY – Romanian finance minister Tanczos Barna on Tuesday attended the meeting of the Economic and Financial Committee in Brussels. Talks focused on competitiveness and ways to improve the business environment, cooperation in the fiscal area, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the recovery and resilience mechanism. The Committee presented the ministers with the Omnibus package, whose aim is to reduce the administrative burden by at least 25%, and even at least 35% for small and medium sized enterprises. With regard to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the ministers exchanged views on the current situation and the economic and financial impact of the conflict, including as a result of the application of sanctions, with an emphasis on their practical application in the customs area. The ministers also looked at the implementation of the recovery and resilience mechanism.
EU – The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council Antonio Costa have called in the European Parliament for a rapid boost in European defense capacity that would go hand in hand with support for Ukraine, given that the Kremlin is spending more on defence than the entire Europe. According to the Romanian news agency Agerpres, von der Leyen said there is urgent need to provide Ukraine with the military resources it needs and with solid security guarantees. Antonio Costa said Europe is living “a defining moment” and a clear “sense of urgency”. “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine entered its third year and the threat it represents has wider implications for Europe and international security”, he added.
TENNIS – Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Tuesday lost her third—round match against 6th seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy at the WTA 1000 tennis tournament in Indian Wells, worth some 9 billion dollars. She was defeated in three sets. Earlier, Cristian beat the former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada. (EE)
