Radio România Internațional

Tag: PM Ponta

  • September 21, 2015 UPDATE

    September 21, 2015 UPDATE

    The ruling coalition in Romania Monday decided to continue to support the Social Democrat Victor Ponta as PM. His situation was analysed by the National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party, the main party in the ruling coalition, after on Thursday the anti-corruption prosecutors formally indicted him for offences committed prior to his appointment as prime minister, when he was a lawyer. Victor Ponta faces charges of forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, in a corruption case involving contracts signed by the Turceni and Rovinari power companies. Ponta has repeatedly denied the charges. Meanwhile, the National Liberal Party, the main opposition party in Romania, Monday tabled a no-confidence motion on the governments lack of credibility as a result of Prime Minister Victor Pontas legal problems. The motion will be read out in Parliament on Wednesday, and the vote is scheduled for September 29. For the motion to pass, it needs 276 votes in Parliament. The proceedings against the prime minister and four other individuals, including the Social Democrat Senator Dan Sova, were initiated on Monday at Romanias Supreme Court.



    A joint meeting of the cabinets of Romania and the Republic of Moldova will be held on Tuesday in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Neptun. According to a news release issued by the Romanian government, special attention will be given to ways to carry on energy infrastructure projects, to ensure the inter-connection of the national electricity and natural gas systems. Other joint projects, in the field of transportation, agriculture, healthcare and education, will also be discussed. During the joint meeting, talks will also focus on the financial difficulties that the Republic of Moldova is experiencing, on Chisinaus efforts to stabilise the banking system and to sign an agreement with the IMF. On the other hand, Romania will reiterate its strong support for Moldovas European accession efforts.



    The Romanian deputy PM and Interior Minister, Gabriel Oprea, takes part on Tuesday in Brussels in an extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs Council focusing on the migration issue. He announced that Romania stands by its position as regards the number of migrants it can receive, namely 1,785 people, and if a vote is held, Romania will vote against mandatory relocation quotas. On Wednesday, also in Brussels, a special summit of the EU heads of state and government will be held, in an attempt to find solutions to the current migrant crisis in Europe. Many EU countries, particularly the central and east-European ones, oppose the mandatory redistribution of the 160 thousand migrants. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on EU leaders to share the responsibility for the most serious migration crisis since the Second World War.



    The Romanian authorities are making preparations for the possible arrival of refugees in Romania. According to the interior ministry, an exercise is carried out in the western county of Timis, near the border with Serbia, related to the creation of temporary refugee camps. These military-type shelters are guarded by security forces and may accommodate hundreds of people. Meanwhile, the Romanian interior ministry Monday tabled a bill imposing harsher penalties for migrant smugglers. The bill increases the minimum penalty from 3 to 5 years in prison and the maximum one from 10 to 12 years. The proceeds from people trafficking operations are also to be seized. This initiative is designed to deter the recruitment, transport and people smuggling across the Romanian border.



    Romanias president Klaus Iohannis Monday received the new US ambassador to Bucharest, Hans Klemm, who also had a meeting with the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu. According to the Foreign Ministry, the two discussed the bilateral political and military cooperation, means to broaden the economic cooperation, and aspects related to regional stability and security, with a focus on developments in Romanias neighbouring regions. Hans Klemm said that during his term he would focus on developing Romanian-American economic ties and providing assistance to Romania in the fight against corruption. Mark Gittenstein was the latest US ambassador to serve in Romania, his term ending in December 2012. Since then, the US embassy in Bucharest has been run by a charge daffaires.



    The European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Monday called on the radical left-wing Syriza partys Alexis Tsipras, elected PM on Sunday, to maintain the stability of the country and comply with the reform calendar undertaken by Greece. Alexis Tsipras left-wing Syriza party won Sundays early elections in Greece, and will have 145 out of the 300 seats in Parliament, according to the final vote count. The Conservative leader Vangelis Meimarakis, Tsipras main rival, whose party will have 75 seats in Parliament, has conceded defeat. Alexis Tsipras said he would try to form a new ruling coalition together with the small right-wing Independent Greeks Party (10 seats in Parliament) in order to implement Greeces third bailout agreed in July in exchange for 86 billion euros.

  • September 15, 2015 UPDATE

    September 15, 2015 UPDATE

    The Romanian Foreign Ministry Tuesday said the Hungarian governments plans to build a fence along the common border, between two EU member countries and strategic partners, was politically incorrect and came against the spirit of the EU. Romanias response comes after Hungary decided to extend its wire fence on its southern border with Serbia, alongside the Romanian border as well, in order to stop the Middle East and northern African immigrant inflow. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, said the measure was prompted by the fact that the people traffickers operating on the Serbian border are changing their routes towards Hungarys border with Romania. Bucharest will be a part of the relocation mechanism by accepting more than 1,700 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece and another 80 people from outside the EU. However, Romania joins 9 other EU states in refusing the compulsory refugee quotas suggested by Brussels.



    The Prefect of Bucharest, Paul Nicolae Petrovan, Tuesday signed an order suspending the Mayor General Sorin Oprescu, after the Court of Appeals ruled that the latter should be taken in detention pending trial for bribe taking. A former member of the Social Democratic Party and later an independent politician, Oprescu was elected Mayor of Bucharest in 2008 and again in 2012. According to anti-corruption prosecutors, he received 25,000 euros in bribes. Between 2013 and 2015, Oprescu was part of an organised group that introduced a system through which those who wanted public contracts had to transfer a quota of the profits to local decision makers. Marin Stefanel Dan, a member of the National Union for the Progress of Romania, was appointed as interim mayor. Also on Tuesday the Social Democratic PM Victor Ponta appeared once again before the anti-corruption prosecutors who have charged him with corruption offences. On June 5, the Anti-Corruption Directorate ordered the prosecution of Victor Ponta, for forgery, accessory to tax evasion and money laundering, allegedly committed when he worked as a lawyer, as well as for conflict of interests with respect to his position as Prime Minister. In July, an asset freeze measure against Ponta was also announced. Romanias first PM to be prosecuted while in office, Ponta denies the accusations and dismisses the calls for his resignation, coming from both the Liberals in Opposition and from President Klaus Iohannis.



    The Social Democratic Party, in the ruling coalition in Romania, Tuesday decided to hold a special congress on October 11, to elect its new leaders. Having stepped down as party president after he was prosecuted by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the PM Victor Ponta announced he would not run for any position at this congress.



    The Romanian Education Minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu, Tuesday said in parliament that reforms in the public education sector were absolutely necessary. He added a comprehensive approach must be taken, allowing for the implementation of coherent and consistent measures for periods of time that exceed one ministerial term in office. Cimpeanu addressed the Chamber of Deputies at the request of the National Liberal Party in opposition. On Monday, he had stated that the new school year started on the right foot, although many problems were yet to be solved, particularly in terms of infrastructure, textbooks and curricula.



    Romanias rugby team is leaving for England on Wednesday, to take part in the World Cup due to kick off on September 18. Romania is playing in Group D, alongside France, Ireland, Canada and Italy. The national rugby team has never missed a World Cup final tournament, although they never went past the group stage.