FIGHTER JETS – Another three F-16 Fighting Falcon multi-role aircraft were brought to Romania on Thursday, the Romanian Air Forces announced. The fighter jets came from Portugal and will join a fleet of six that had been brought to Romania on September 28th from Monte Real base. In the first half of 2017 the last three jets will be brought to Romania. In 2013, Romania decided to purchase from Portugal 12 second-hand F-16 fighter jets for 628 million euros.
ELECTION RESULTS – The Central Electoral Bureau announced on Thursday the final results of Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Romania. Six political parties will make up the future parliament. Thus, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) got most of the MP seats, 154 for deputy and 67 for senator, but does not hold the majority in parliament all by itself. The National Liberal Party (PNL) comes second, with 69 deputies and 30 senators, followed by the Save Romania Union (USR) with 30 deputies and 13 senators. The Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) will have 21 deputies and 9 senators in the new parliament, while the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) will have 20 deputies and 9 senators. In its turn, People’s Movement Party (PMP) got 18 seats for deputy and 8 for senator. National minorities other than the Hungarian one also got 17 MP seats. On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis held a first round of talks with the political parties that will form the new parliament. PSD and ALDE refused to attend, invoking procedural flaws, but said they would discuss with the President after the validation of the new parliament. President Iohannis labelled the Social Democrats’ attitude as rude.
US NATO — The US will speed up the consolidation of its military presence in Romania, announced general Ben Hodges, the US Army Europe commander. He pointed out that the American troops would reach the German port of Bremerhaven on January 6 and then head for Romania, Poland and the Baltic states. NATO approved, this summer, the plan for the consolidation of its military presence in Eastern Europe, under which four fighting units will bet set up, numbering a total of 4 thousand soldiers who will be backed by a 40,000-strong rapid reaction force. Furthermore, the Alliance has taken over control of the anti-missile defense shield in Europe, which includes American ships equipped with anti-missile systems located in Spain’s territorial waters, a radar system in Turkey and missile-interception elements in Romania. Russia has repeatedly warned that it was ‘extremely concerned’ with the installation of NATO anti-missile defense systems in Romania and Poland and has said it will take measures to defend itself.
ROYAL HOUSE – Romania’s Royal House will continue in 2017 its diplomatic efforts in support of Romania, Princess Margareta, custodian of the Crown said on Wednesday at the Annual Royal Soiree of the Diplomatic Corps. Princess Margareta reminded on this occasion that 150 ago, at the same time with the birth of modern Romania, King Carol I established the country’s diplomatic ties with countries from Europe and America. In 2017, Romania’s Royal House plans to organise economic missions to Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
CHISINAU — The new president of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority-speaking Romanian population) pro-Russian Igor Dodon will be sworn in on December 23, Moldovan Parliament officials announced. The ceremony will take place during a common session of Parliament and the Constitutional Court. Dodon won the second round of the presidential election on November 13 with 52% of the votes, defeating his challenger, pro-European Maia Sandu. On December 13 the result of the election was validated by the Constitutional Court that rejected the many appeals submitted by Maia Sandu. The presidential election in Moldova was the first after 20 years when the Moldovan citizens chose their president through direct vote. So far the president has been elected by Parliament.
HANDBALL — Romania’s women’s handball team has failed to qualify to the semifinals of the European Championship in Sweden after being defeated by Denmark 21-17. Romania ended on 3rd place in the 2nd main group after Norway and Denmark and will take on Germany on Friday in its bid to get the 5th or 6th place in the rankings. Romania’s team is coached by the Spanish Ambros Martin who last month replaced the Swedish Tomas Ryde under whose guidance the Romanians got bronze at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
